Shadow Of A Doubt

Matthew had always been steadfast in his faith. What appealed to him most about God was the need to believe, as opposed to some sort of certainty born of evidence or innate awareness. The fact that we were blessed with the choice and allowed to entertain doubt was the beauty of existence.

Now, as he felt his life slipping away, Matthew found that his conviction in God was stronger than ever. He had no fear of what was to come, because he was completely at peace and ready to meet his maker.

Except what if he was wrong? Oh shit...

The Taxidermist

He stuffed his victims, then mounted them on his wall. That's why they referred to him as the Taxidermist. His arrest, and subsequent conviction, was thought to be the end. No juror would've signed off on an insanity plea. He was locked away and, by the time his appeals were exhausted and he finally met his fate, the story had become more legend than reality.

But he was more than just a serial killer. He wasn't just preserving their skins, but also their souls. Now, with his death, those souls have been released. May God have mercy on us all.

When A Lie Becomes The Truth

We wrestle with conviction. It's twisting in our teeth, fighting for a life of its own, but we desperately want to own it for ourselves. We have no choice but to believe.

Every turn, every wobble, every retreat, is endlessly battled. Neither will cede any ground to the other. We contrive and convince and cry and construct our personal visions and we won’t let go for anything. We each must be the sole owner of the truth.

We fight for our own carefully crafted version of reality. Neither wants to be the first to admit the end of our love.