Godforsaken Land

The night was warm and silent.
Nothing interrupted the sound of the priests hurrying steps, only the occasional bark of a stray dog from some distant alley. The priest stopped, he was all sweaty under his crimson robes that in the dark of the night looked black as tar. He had to recover his breath, he wasn´t used to a rush such as this, perhaps that is why he got so fat in the last years. But perhaps it was just age.
In his life, he never felt the pressence of God. Never heard his voice, never saw his miracles. All he knew about the work of God was from his books. He also knew that years ago, before the Last War, people heard, saw and felt God. Prayers were answered, the sick cured, the hungry fed. But that was then and now is now. After the War, God abandoned his creation. He abandoned this Godforsaken land. The priest always thought it was because he saw that people were beyond repair. They would never cease war, no matter how big the destruction would be. Perhaps he left to create life somewhere else. The people of this land however, they needed their God, and the priest was set out to bring him back.
As he was approaching the road to the Great Cathedral he could feel the emptiness of this part of the city. No one wanted to live close to the Cathedral, not after what has happened there. But that didn´t stop the Priest. If there is a place on this earth were God can be prayed back to his people, this place has to be it.
The Cathedral in itself was colossal, the biggest religious construct that was ever built. It was more than 1600 feet in length and 800 feet high. Long marble stairs stood before the thirty three gold coated pillars that hold up the dome. The dome of the Cathedral is an impressive sight that  can be seen in any part of the city. It is the color of crimson, much like the priests robes, but even in the night it doesn´t look black. Atop the dome stands a great gold cross.
The priest looked at the cross and made the crossing gesture himself.
In the corner of his eyes, the priest saw movement.A hooded figure was rushing on one of the neighbouring streets.
-Who goes there? shouted the priest.
The figure made no reply and vanished behind a building.
-Must have been some beggar who was hiding in one of the abandoned houses. Thought the priest and continued on to the Great Cathedral, which was now no more than five hundred feet in front of him.
As he stood before the ominous door, a shiver went through his body. In that moment he realised the night wasn´t warm anymore, it was freezing cold. Unnatural coldness enveloped the vicinity of the Cathedral. The holy man started to have his doubts about this place. It took a great deal of willpower to get moving again.
As the holy man stood in the door, under this giant structure, he took a deep breath. He stuck his hand into a little pocket on the inside of his robe and brought out a small flask.
-In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Said the priest aloud and he poured the holy water from the flask onto his bald head.
The inside of the Cathedral was dark, darker than he expected. It was like the light from the moon and the stars could not pass into the heart of the building.

The holy man felt uneasy, unsafe, vulnerable, but he knew he was in the right place. There was a kind of presence to be felt here. This place was powerful.
He hurried to the altar, thinking that surely, there he will feel safe, in the embrace of God.
As he was closing the distance to the altar, he reached into his little pocket again and now he brought out a box of matches. Reaching the altar didn´t give the priest any comfort, nor did he felt safer when he lit the candles. Even the glow of the candles was filled with darkness, but this was the way of the world after God left it, but this was about to change.
He looked up at the statue of The Virgin Mary, and his mouth opened in a look of shock.
There was blood glistening under the eyes of the statue.
He has heard about such stories, even read about some. The statues of saints weeping blood for the sins of the world. But no story could have gotten him ready to seeing it with his own eyes.
-Heavenly Father, hear my prayers.
Started the priest and the candles started to flicker.
-Ever since you turned away from us, we went astray, please Lord come to us, come to our hearts, come to our homes, we need your love, your guiding.
A great wind rushed through the interior of the church and the doors were slam shut with a loud bang.
-You were astray long before I left you.
The voice came from everywhere and nowhere at once. It reminded him of the voice of his own father, in a way. The priest had to keep himself from feigning.
-Don´t worry my child, your prayers were heard, I am here, no need to be afraid.
-F..F..Father, I have waited so long, so long to finally speak to you. And now, my prayers are answered, I knew this day would come.
-And now it is here, my child. Tell me will you open your heart to me?
-Yes, yes a thousand times yes. My heart was, is, and will be open until the day I die.
-I see that you mean it, your intents are pure. But there is something in your soul, my child. Deep down sin has rooted itself to your soul. Do you wish to be absolved?
-I do, Father.
-I absolve you of all your sins, past or future. You are brave for coming here in search of me. I will see to it that you are rewarded. You, my child, will know me by name. Do you wish to know the name of your God, of your creator, of your Father?
-Yes.
Tears welled up in the priests eyes. The name he heard left him in awe. He started crying until his cheeks were wet with tears and he could fell salt and iron in his mouth. And then he feinted.

Somewhere, miles away, an Inquisitor woke up from a terrible nightmare.