The Last Man Standing

Chapter 4

Clio's mouth dropped open as she looked outside the luxurious hotel, the venue that was stated on the invitation from Lilith. Just like what she expected from WIC for being an elite church organization, this so-called thanksgiving party would be grand. 

She heaved a deep sigh, straightening her slightly wrinkled and worn out A-line red dress, reaching just above her knees. She was wearing heeled sandals wrapped in gold glitters and with a ribbon at the end. She assumed this was the theme of the party because of the layout of the invitation. Her hair was in a loose fish-tail braid and she put on her only jewelry; her late mother’s locket. She adjusted the scooping neckline of her dress and she couldn’t hide the discomfort of wearing sleeveless for the first time after a long while. She held her black purse in her right hand tightly before making her way inside the hotel.

When the shining golden door of the hotel opened, the stout guard, clad in glasses, opened up to her. The guard had an attention grabbing thick and flaky mustache and was wearing a suit inspired by a design from the medieval period. His button-down top uniform was leather and looked elegant with the shiny golden buttons.

 "Your password, please," he said in a hard English accent. 

Clio swallowed. "K-Knave."

 From behind the guard’s lens, he looked at Clio critically for a few seconds then nodded.

The guard held out his hand wrapped in white gloves to Clio as if demanding something.  The girl was stunned for a moment before hurriedly took the invitation from her black purse and handed it to the man. After a while, the guard held out his arm to let Clio in. 

Slightly embarrassed with the guard’s scrutinizing gaze, Clio continued inside. It was past eleven o'clock in the evening outside the hotel but the inside of the building was very bright because of the blinding lights. In the hotel lobby, Clio was rooted on her spot, mesmerized by the whole interior of the hotel. This was the first time she entered a luxurious building. The polished marble floor and the grand staircase in the middle of the lobby immediately grabbed her attention. Then, her gaze averted to the high ceiling of the hotel where the hanging decorations and long Christmas lights of gold color made the whole place extra sophisticated. Even the door entrance of the hotel lobby looked like it was made of real minerals because of its luster every time it was hit by the light.

In the center of the lobby was a large Christmas tree that almost reached the ceiling of the grand hotel. The tree was covered with sparkling lights and a variety of decorations, from small angel figurines to different colors of Christmas balls. Under the tree were piles of gifts with attention-grabbing ribbons.  

Clio felt the void in her heart. She grasped the locker she was wearing, remembering the last time she celebrated Christmas and received a gift. She smiled bitterly.

She stared at the bunch of gifts under the tree. “It’s been awhile, Clio,” she whispered, preventing herself from feeling empty inside. That’s not the right time for that. 

Clio’s attention was caught by a sophisticated woman who passed by her.  The woman was wearing a branded dress which made Clio conscious of what she was wearing. She could not help but to follow the woman who left a large gift under the tree. The gift was wrapped in a bright red gift wrapper and its size made it stand out among the bunch of gifts.

Clio tilted her head before heading to the far side of the lobby. She made sure she was in the farthest corner and would not be noticed by other visitors. She didn't want to admit it to herself but she was ashamed of the simple clothes she was wearing. She silently surveyed the whole surroundings; the people who attended the midnight party; and the strange atmosphere of the surroundings. For some inexplicable reason, Clio had a strong suspicion that something bad was going to happen tonight.

“Red,” she murmured, looking at the obvious dress code of the party, “and gold.” She frowned when she saw an old man dressed like an apostle. He was wearing a loose white shirt topped with a red robe with a little gold line on each side of the robe. 

The peculiar man raised the gold goblet he was holding and a hearty laugh escaped his lips. The people around also laughed with him, raising the glasses they were holding as if they were slaves celebrating their king’s success. 

“This is getting weirder with each passing minute.” Clio smirked, silently mocking every peculiarity she noticed to every guest.

For a moment, Clio was amused to observe her surroundings. It only stopped when a waiter approached her and without saying a word led her to the part of the lobby where the tables and most of the guests were. That’s when she noticed more.

“This is really odd.” Her head tilted on the left side with a curious expression on her face.

Tables were divided on the right and left side of the hotel lobby and all of them were covered with gold and red cloth. Notably, a larger number of people were seated at tables on the left side of the lobby and most of them were about Clio’s age. While those sitting on the right side are noticeably elderly.

 "Codename, Ma'am?"  An enthusiastic question took Clio from her endless and deep train of thoughts. She looked at the waiter who asked her.

 She swallowed before having a deep sigh. She looked straight at the waiter’s eyes before she answered, "K-Knave."  The word came out as a whisper, so she had to repeat it, “ K-Knave.”  

The waiter nodded and led her to the far left side of the room where there were more tables and people. They stopped opposite a table where a card was sitting. The codename attached to her invitation was written on the card; Knave. 

“This is your seat, Knave,” the waiter declared before he left Clio.

Clio hesitantly sat down on the chair at the table the waiter had brought her. Then she turned her gaze to the other tables surrounding where she was sitting. Just like her, there were also cards placed on each table ... and there were names written on it. But unlike her who was alone at her table, there were three to four people sitting at other tables and they were talking to each other as if they were acquaintances… or friends.

 “So… My name now is Knave.” Clio concluded, nodding her head. “When will this party start?” she asked herself, looking at everyone with envy as they enjoyed the good food, ambiance, and talk.

Clio heaved a deep sigh and stood up from her seat. The awkwardness and silence were killing her. “At least I have to pretend I know someone at this party,” she muttered to herself, leaving her table to find another table to sit in… looking for someone to accompany her in the middle of all the unfamiliarity around her.

That’s when she saw a man sitting alone. Though embarrassed, Clio mustered up the courage and headed for the vacant seat at the table where the man was.  She sat down without saying a word. She heard him sigh but he didn't pick her up and sent her off the table. She breathed a sigh of relief.

Clio gave the man a sideway glance. The guy whom she assumed was the same age as her was wearing black thick glasses. He was sitting too stiff for her liking with a straight back and both hands placed on top of his knees.  

She sighed. ‘This is better than sitting alone,’ she thought . 

Shortly afterwards, the waiter approached Clio's table with a tray of red-colored drinks. 

 "Cranberry. Wine." Clio heard the stiff man sitting next to her whisper. She looked at him confused with the next words he whispered against the bowtie of his suit, "Matthew 15:11," a mysterious smirk spread on his lips, “What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean’, but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean’."

Clio was stunned for a moment before a deep frown spread on her forehead. She was about to ask the guy about what he just said when the lights suddenly dimmed. Then, the people suddenly applauded.  She looked ahead when she saw a man wearing a white robe climb the stage. The man was holding a microphone, grinning from ear to ear. The spotlight focused on him as he stood in the middle of the stage.

 "Good evening again brothers and sisters," his voice was deep and full. His gaze roamed the audience area. “Tonight, we will celebrate one of the most important days in our tradition;  the birth of our Savior. ”

At once, the people applauded the host’s initial greeting. Including Clio who listened carefully to whatever the man on the stage was about to say.

 "In just a few minutes, we will begin our celebration for Jesus, our savior. We will give thanks to Him for all the blessings we have received in this year." 

The room fell into a deep silence. Clio felt the sudden anxiety of those around her.

 “Sacrifices…” the man beside Clio whispered, which caught the latter’s attention. She looked at him in dazed. 

“Conversion and atonement. These are the first steps for you to get into the boat of salvation. Surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ.” The host clasped both of his hands together before closing his eyes. His face contorted in a deep frown as his breathing hastens. “Repent!” 

“Repent!” the people answered in unison.

“Accept!” the host shouted with conviction.

“Accept!”  the people shouted with more conviction.

“Pay for your sins! For eternal life!”

“For eternal life!” 

“Amen?” the host asked the audience as if a politician was running for office. 

 "Amen!" the majority then answered, loud and proud.

 “Merry Christmas brothers and sisters!  May you have fun tonight! ”

 An explosion of voices and applause were heard throughout the hotel.  One by one, those on the right side stood eagerly;  sophisticated doctors, wives, or businessmen began to march towards the outer hall.

Clio was about to stand up when the weird guy next to her stopped her. He held her arm tightly as he looked at her confused. Only then did Clio notice that no one was standing among the young people sitting on the left side of the room. Almost everyone was silent and a deafening silence prevailed. Clio couldn’t explain the fear and nervousness that wrapped around her.

She asked him, “What is happening?"

The weird guy shrugged his shoulders before words came out his lips, “Time. Tick-tock. Has come.” He let go of her arm and then he closed his eyes, “Run.”

 Clio blinked several times before she was able to let out a deep sigh. Confused, she looked at the waiters as they closed all the doors one by one after all the adults had left. The whole area became darker and the tension intensified. Clio's heartbeat started to speed up due to nervousness and fear. She did not know what was going on.

Her gaze averted to the red wine on her table and then to the man in white robe who had given the speech earlier. Clio saw in the man's face the pretense; seemed to want to show them that he felt sorry for them but the devilish smirk was noticeable

 "A hundred and eleven," the man in white robe said before he let the microphone he was holding fall. That created a shrill sound that made everyone in the room winced. The host sat at the end of the stage, allowing a wide grin to spread on his lips. “When your parents came to us, some were with their children while some were pregnant. They were crying real hard and in a pitiful situation. Scrawny, tired eyes, hoarse voices pleading us to help them to fix,” he laughed, “some problem.” He looked at the young people in front of him, one by one. “You are the problem,” he continued, shaking his head in disgust. “Your parents regret having you because your birth led to a train of problems. You know, having an unexpected and unplanned child is really problematic.”

Clio's mouth dropped open at what the man said. What he said had a point but it was offensive. She was about to stop the man from speaking when the person next to her stopped her again. The weird guy shook his head and she remained seated.

 “I never said all of you were unwanted. But you caused your parents a great vain upon being born in this world. Aren't you ashamed of what you did?” Majority of the young people inside the room bowed their heads out of embarrassment and that made the man in white robe nod his head in satisfaction. Afterwards, he stood up and raised both of his hands.

Clio was eyeing him in confusion while the rest of the youth closed their eyes and bowed their heads. 

The man in white robe then said, “And as an instrument of our dear Lord, I welcome these youth---  these sinners,  in WIC.  I will help them to cope, accept, and rise again in the name of God.” He clasped his hands together and then opened his eyes. He looked at the hundred and eleven youths who were all sacrificed by their families to serve the Lord.  “Let the little children come to the Lord and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them! I, a humble follower, will make the word of God come true! Welcome to WIC! Welcome to the church of God, our savior!” The man applauded. He was the only one inside the room who was in great joy. “This is now time to repay God’s grace of allowing sinners like you to live! Entertain the Lord and you will be forgiven for being a burden to your parents since the day you are all born!” A waiter strides towards the man in white robe and hands him a gas mask.  

Clio's previously confused mind began to flutter and became dizzy in an instant. Same goes with the other youth inside the hall.

“Do this, children, for the name of God!  And therefore, you shall be fully forgiven and join the boat of salvation!  Amen?”

 No one answered. Gradually, white smoke engulfed the entire room and anyone who smelled it lost consciousness. One by one, the young people collapsed, right on their spots.  

 “Time has come.” That was the last thing that Clio heard from the weird guy sitting next to her before both of them completely lost consciousness. In the last seconds, she grabbed her mother's locket. She inhaled the smoke and her heavy eyelids succumbed to darkness..