themysteriouslou:

A/N: Takes place after “The Cleansing”! A translation of one of my previous ficlets, I’ve added some more words so it’s a bit longer than the original. Hope you enjoy it!

“We are all
sinners, every one of us. You. Me. Even The Father knows deeply of sin. It’s a
poison that clouds our minds…”

It was the second time Leslie had listened to the
broadcast, after having done it for the first time at the top of the radio
tower on Dutch’s island.

She remembered it vaguely, as if it hadn’t taken place
only a couple of weeks ago. In her memory, John Seed’s deep, deceptively quiet
voice had reached her ears like a jolt to her twitching nerves, had managed to
catch her attention and had paralyzed her in her place, trying to understand
what he promised without hesitation (Confessions
don’t work that way, she knew it perfectly well. Then why do you say it, John, why are you doing this?).

When the transmission stopped, Leslie found herself clutching
the radio strongly, listening to Dutch’s instructions half-heartedly. She had
understood the threat subtly hidden in that charismatic and hopeful speech. He
knew that she was listening to him and was making her know that, sooner or
later, she would confess. She would atone for her sins, whether she liked it or
not.

However, this was the first time she watched the
propaganda that John Seed had crafted with such care. Jumping from region to
region had prevented her from staying in a specific place, avoiding each capture
party as if they were the plague, causing panic and destruction in all the outposts
that she liberated without bloodshed, trying to be as invisible as possible to
the eyes of Seed family.

Needless to say, it didn’t work out in the end.

“… What
if I told you, you could be free from sin? What if I told you that everything
you ever dreamed could come true? What if I told you that everything could be
overcome if you embrace an idea: That freedom from sin can come from the power
of just word… YES. Yes, I am a sinner. Yes, I wish to be unburdened. Yes… I
must be redeemed.”

Her jaw clenched, but she didn’t look away from the TV,
scrutinizing each of his movements carefully. He really believed in what he
preached, he really believed that a single word would absolve a person’s sins. Leslie
had known her fair share of over-the-top religious folk in her past, but this…
this wasn’t something she anticipated.  

The blood in her veins nearly boiled when she watched
Joey be pulled roughly to stand by his side, the sight enough to make her ball
her fists in rage —heartbeat pounding violently in her ears, a pitter-pat so
deafening it made her head ache— but she focused solely on the screen. She
looked at the confident smirk on his face, at his clear blue eyes, at the
gestures of his hands. The more she knew about her enemy, the quicker it would
be to think of a way to defeat him.

“If you’re watching
this,” he said, emphasizing every word that came out of his mouth, “know that you have been selected. You will
be cleansed. You will confess your sins, and you will be offered atonement.

“Don’t
worry, you don’t have to do anything. We’ll come for you.

”Welcome to
Eden’s Gate.“

The broadcast ended, static taking the place where
John had been before. Leslie slowly stood up, without taking her eyes away from
the small screen, her lips curving in a lopsided, wry smile.

“We’ll see, John,” she whispered. “We’ll
see.”