There is no famine without monstrous hardship -- not even a thirty-hour one!

   Kayleigh shuddered.  Davis had always seemed to be a little strange, but now he was downright creepy.  She thought about turning around and finding a more peaceful section of the church, but the spectacle before her was too morbidly hypnotic to miss.

   Davis crouched on a flimsy folding chair like a gargoyle, his ratty gray coat draped over his shoulders like tattered wings.  Scattered before him on the floor sat a cluster of starved teenagers -- his disciples.  They drooped like wilted plants, listless from hunger and fatigue.  But Davis, weathered by the same grim elements, seemed filled with an inhuman energy -- the energy of a starved jackal.  He gestured furiously with clawlike hands as he shouted and cursed.  His eyes darted wildly in the shadows of his sunken sockets, and he trembled uncontrollably with some primal rage.

   You are my people! he cried, jumping up suddenly from his chair and cavorting madly around the others.

   The worn-out audience raised a ragged cheer.

   Kayleigh shuddered again, watching Davis from the doorway of the sanctuary.  She thought about retreating back into the sanctuary and sleeping on a pew, but she was unnerved by the thought of sleeping while such a demonic figure roamed the night.

   You are my people! Davis repeated.  All of you!  And I will not let my people starve!  He jumped back up on his chair, standing tall and spreading his arms out wide to encompass them all.  I will not let my people starve! he cried again.

   Kayleigh suddenly felt cold, and she did not know why.  She stared intently at Davis again, standing on his chair and shaking like a man possessed.  Then she saw something in his eyes, and it was so horrible that she suddenly screamed and fled, running back through the sanctuary and all the way downstairs to the youth room.

  Like Webster said, its either him or us.

   Oh, okay, Carolyn said.  I guess it makes sense when you put it that way.  So how can we kill him?

   The first thing to do is set up our defenses, Joe said, stretching out his arms and closing both doors at once.  He turned to the couches and proceeded to build a fort.

   Alex coughed weakly.  I know. . . he gasped, . . . I know Daviss weakness.

   You do? Kayleigh said, clapping her hands with glee.  Great!  Well have no trouble killing him if you know that!  She did a little dance of joy.

   Yes, Alex continued.  He made a face as if choking, then continued.  Farah. . . he told her once. . . what his weakness is. . . the one thing that can kill him. . . .

   Yes? Kayleigh prompted.

   Alex coughed.  He continued to cough for a whole minute, his face turning strange colors, until he finally spit up a good-sized mess of blood and pancreas fragments.  The gore landed on Kayleighs shirt, much to her disgust. 

   Well?

   Daviss weakness. . . . Alex choked.  His weakness is. . . .

   A tremendous pounding on the door interrupted the wounded pianoman.

   Ummm. . . who is it? Carolyn asked hesitantly.

   Her only answer was a shower of splinters as the door burst in.  Davis exploded into the room like a wild boar, his eyes wild and his jaw locked into a hideous, demonic grin.  I will not let my people starve! he cried.  I will feed them by any means necessary!

   For crying out loud! Joe Webster said.  You didnt need to break through the door!  It wasnt even locked!  And then Davis was upon him, and his lanky figure disappeared in a veritable shower of blood and gore and bone fragments.

   Kayleigh screamed and ran out of the room, abandoning Carolyn and Alex to Daviss bestial hunger for human flesh.  She pounded up the stairs as fast as she could, then ran through the cluster of Daviss ragged followers, into Pastor Johnnys office.  She slammed the door shut behind her and locked it.  Breathing heavily, she collapsed against the locked door and buried her head in her hands.  This was all too much -- the hunger, the exhaustion, and the fear.  She briefly considered breaking down and crying.

   Come on!  Pull yourself together, girl!

   What?  Kayleigh looked up in surprise to see Pastor Johnny sitting at his desk.  Oh, of course. . . this was his office, after all.  Pastor Johnny!  Can you help me?

   What seems to be the problem? he asked, motioning for her to take a seat on his couch.

   Kayleigh walked over to the couch and sat down.  Its Joe Davis, she said.

   Johnny smiled knowingly.  What has he done this time?

   Hes gone crazy and started killing people.

   Johnny just shrugged helplessly.  Boys will be boys, he said.

   Kayleigh was shocked.  But. . . but. . . how can you say that? she demanded.  Hes already killed Joe Webster, Alex, and Carolyn, and I think Im next!

   Again, Johnny shrugged.  Its just Joes way.  Hes just playing around with you guys.  You know he would never really hurt you intentionally.

   But he killed Joe Webster, Alex, and Carolyn! Kayleigh cried.  And I think hes feeding their bodies to his little group of followers out there!  Now hes chasing me, and hes going to kill me next!

   Whoah, what?  Johnny exploded, standing up so suddenly that he knocked his chair over behind him.

   Thats right -- hes going to kill me next!

   No, not that, Johnny said, dismissing that minor detail with a wave of his hand.  The feeding thing. . . what did you say?

   Hes feeding the dead bodies to his followers.  He said something about not letting his people go hungry.

   Hes disobeying the thirty-hour-famine rules? Johnny demanded.  Kayleigh nodded, and he stormed past her, to his closet.  He yanked the door open and began rifling through his belongings, throwing random items behind him in his search.

   Kayleigh ducked, narrowly managing to avoid death in the form of a flying bowling ball.

   Finally, Johnny found what he was looking for, and lifted it up triumphantly.  It was a fist-sized chunk of glowing green crystal.  This should do, he said, handing it to Kayleigh.  Now put this in your pocket, and go up to Joe like you want him to kill you and eat you.  Then, at the last moment, shove this down the back of his shirt.  That should weaken him enough so that you can drag him over to the bubbler and drown him.

   Thank you! Kayleigh said gleefully, accepting the glowing green rock.  She smiled at it for a second, then pocketed it and walked out of the office again.

   Davis was waiting for her outside, but that didnt spoil her good mood in the least.  Give me a hug! she said, throwing her arms around him.

   While Davis was confused, she dropped the glowing crystal down the back of his shirt.  Then, as he writhed weakly in agony, she took him by the scruff of the neck and dragged him to the bubbler, where she promptly drowned him.  There, she said, wiping her hands together in satisfaction.

   Davis slumped to the ground, dead.

   Leaving the body behind, Kayleigh skipped merrily over to the chapel to play video games.  This was shaping up to be the best thirty-hour famine ever.

THE END