Chapter 65 THE UNDERSIDE

Osano had been a member in Gracedome for almost a year and had attracted attention from proper quarters.

He was tall, heavily built and could afford to give bountifully to the church. He also lived in the same compound as Pastor Davies, who was always constantly surrounded by a good number of his members, who were mostly students, and were regularly either hungry or in need. Osano was not only self sufficient, he was also constantly able to support any hungry brother who knocked at the door of his well decorated one room apartment.

He met all the relevant requirements. That, plus the fact that he was dangerous as a member of a notorious circular cult. Therefore it was necessary to get him grounded in the unifying cult - to put a leash on the wolf - where he was disguised. And therefore he had been properly initiated into the underside of Gracedome, a month and few weeks before the commencement of the long vacation.

He had been very zealous with activities in the church, and had been invited to one of the all night prayer meetings. Sobrina whom he regularly attended church activities with, preferred to attend every other church activity except the stressful vigil.

He was on his way to the church that night when a small car suddenly stopped in front of him. Three young men who were as huge as he was, jumped out of the car and grabbed him. He was forced into the car, his hands were forcefully tied behind him and his head was covered with a black clothes bag.

He understood that he was being kidnapped, and thought he was going to die. But he couldn't overpower his attackers, especially after they had drugged him, to make him fall asleep.

He had found himself in the center of a gathering when the bag over his head was removed. There were five other young men sitting on the sandy ground, with their hands tied behind them. He identified the young men as fellow members of the church, who were also in their first academic years.

He noticed that a huge fire was burning few feet away from where they were seated, and that lots of other young men were - in circle - surrounding them. He recognized a good number of the men, as members of the church, and senior students in the University.

He also saw Pastor Melvin, who had joined Gracedome long before he did. His unique coughing problem had attracted his attention. The other men, whom he couldn't identify were alumnae of the University, and now workers in the University. People who attended Gracedome during their time as students, some of whom now were still attending the church, either sparingly or constantly. But still concrete members of the underside.

The men were singing some gibberish nonsensical songs, some of which Osano only heard in the secret gathering of his circular cult. They were making sounds, and beating on different instruments - plates, knives, machetes and bottles. They were happily dancing around the seated ones, and the fire.

The new initiates were addressed by Pastor Davies himself when the singing and dancing ceased, Osano had been shocked to see him.

Pastor Davies walked into the circle, and squatted close to them. His eyes were bloodshot. He was dressed in black - jeans, polo and a pair of heavy-duty boots - like the rest of the men. He was carrying a bottle of half drank liquor.

"You should feel honored to have been selected among all the new members of Gracedome, to join this brotherhood", he began. His voice was totally different. He took a sip from the bottle and spat the liquor recklessly at them.

Osano wasn't scared, he now understood what was happening, he had in fact, once been through the process of an initiation ceremony. But a few, among the five other young boys seated around him, cried out in fear.

Pastor Davies laughed mockingly. He was joined by other members of the cult. The laughter ceased after he raised a hand.

"You see those holes over there?", he questioned, pointing towards the far side of the circle, "If you die here, you'll be buried in one!", some of the members of the cult shouted some gibberish things in support.

Pastor Davies stood and walked out of the circle, as the initiation ceremony began.

The boys were first untied, then beaten repeatedly using different kinds of weapon. They were later ordered to lie flat, side by side, and were given twenty-five strokes with the side of a gleaming sharp machete.

It was long hours of crazy battle, they were wrestled, defeated and brutaly sodomized by their different victors, repeatedly. A few of the boys fainted on intervals, and were resuscitated. But not Osano.

The young boys were shown every form of cruelty available to man. It was called 'blending'. When the blending period was over, they were given a few minutes to rest, while the singing, dancing, smoking and drinking resumed among the elders.

Pastor Davies walked into the circle once again, "now will you join this brotherhood or will it be over your dead body?", he questioned, gesturing towards the shallow graves.

"I will", the boys said in unison. Of course they had no choice. No one got to that point and returned to civilization alive, without joining the cult. They had seen too much.

If anyone died during the blending period, or got killed for refusing to join the brotherhood, there bodies were returned back to the University environment, and arranged like they had committed suicide. The graves were used only to scare the new initiates shitless.

"I can't hear you", Pastor Melvin shouted.

"I will", the brutalized boys shouted in unison, and the crowd cheered.

The young boys who were now naked, brutalized and dirty, were given a painful bath, by emptying numerous bottles of liquor on their bodies. Everyone, including Pastor Davies, took part in this activity. But it would be days before the wounds on their bodies would heal, and their minds were permanently damaged.

The boys were dressed in light black robes, and led towards another area far across the burning fire. They were handed a mixture of concoction in a wooden bowl. Everyone drank from the bowl, passing it from one to the other, including the elders who were now quieter.

There was a shrine in front of the young boys, an old Priest stood before it, dressed in red.

"Now, you are a full member of Gracedome. This is the actual god of the church", the Priest began, gesturing towards a dwarfish graven image, covered in what looked like blood behind him, "forget whatever you see out there. Now you belong here and you forever will, there is no hanging leg", the Priest was addressing the new initiates. "Do you swear allegiance to the Brotherhood? To uphold her every statutes and obey her every command?", he questioned them one after the other, and they swore their solemn oath.

The Priest brought another bowl from the inside of the low shrine, and gave it to each of the boys to drink from. It contained fresh human blood and a mixture of other things. The singing and dancing began again behind them, but the new initiates were dazed by the content of the bowl. They passed out, dropping on the ground one after the other.

Osano awoke late in the afternoon to find himself on his bed. He was in his one room apartment. He was bruised all over and in serious pains. Other members of the church visited him from time to time in the days that followed. They prayed for him and helped nurse him back to health. He alone and the few members of the underside, knew what his actual problem was. They identified themselves, including among the female members with a particular sign, which was a sudden darting of the tongue during conversation.

It was also the same initiation process for the female side of the underside.

He was added to two groups on social media, set aside for the members of the underside. One contained both the males and the females, while the other contained only the males, where they received information concerning meetings, announcements and updates on ongoing assignments.

The orientation exercise for the new initiates was held after they had fully recovered.