A Sims story by EC

- The local High Priestess of the Neo-Cult shared the first meal of the day with her two attendants.

- The High Priestess pondered the day ahead. The Neo-Cult, in spite of its name, actually is an ancient religion, going back at least 4,000 years.

- The High Priestess studied the scripture while Attendant One cleaned up. Each was dressed according to Cult rules: the High Priestess wore the black dress and gold stripes of the clergy, while the Attendant wore nothing.

- The High Priestess contemplated her church. She had been the High Priestess here for about just three years, and was one of the youngest priestesses in the Neo-Cult.

- Attendant One greeted two worshipers. Every priestess has at least one male attendant. Attendants are the monks of the Neo-Cult. Their vows include celibacy and forsaking of all worldly items, including all clothing. Attendants meet with the faithful, keep the church clean, help the Priestess with her religious duties, and they are sworn to obey her.

- The Head Priestess and Attendant One talked with their guests. Partly because of her young age, the High Priestess here was friendlier than most.

- The High Priestess and Attendant One knew each other from before their service to the Neo-Cult. Attendant One fell in love with the High Priestess in high school, before she took her vows and gave up her name. He took his vows and was here because of her.

- The two attendants shared a meal with worshipers. Excellent cooking is an important skill for Neo-Cult Attendants. Food is used to draw the faithful (and their money) to the church. The saying "the quickest way to a man's heart is through his stomach" is not lost on the Neo-Cult.

- Today the High Priestess was in a melancholy mood. She ate alone at her desk, leaving her attendants to deal with serving the worshippers.

- What is the meaning of life? Isn't that what this is all about? The High Priestess contemplated that every day: that was her job, her calling, and her life's mission.

- She pondered the ultimate truth of life, as she thought about all the worshipers she buried on these grounds. Death. It is the ultimate truth of living, that we exist for a short time and then we are gone.

- The High Priestess gave up her own life and the pleasures of this world to be here. She gave up her ties with her parents, her friends, and her education. She gave up her chance to have children. Most importantly, she gave up the one chance she might have had to be loved.

- She knew that Attendant One loved her in high school, and that he loved her to this day. He was here because of her. The High Priestess knew that Attendant One did not take his vows because of his religious beliefs, he took them because of her. He wanted to spend his life with her, even if it could only be as her attendant.

- The High Priestess practiced her sermon. The attendants never tired of hearing her. Attendant Two was a true believer and convinced that the Head Priestess came directly from the Creator. Attendant One was so in love with the High Priestess that he would listen to anything she said.

- But there was more to the Head Priestess' life than her attendants realized. In the night she got up...The spirits were calling her.

- The dead spoke to her. They called out to her from the abyss. She, who was still among the living, tried to comfort them. She felt the anguish of the dead pulling her...ever closer to them.

- "Better a live dog than a dead lion...” The High Priestess knew that better than anyone could imagine.

- The day came, and she could return to the land of the living...for a while.

- She bantered with the public...

- and put forth a happy face...

- and provided hope and inspiration...

- She was humble, and did not set herself above her attendants and church members. She knew that she was living on borrowed time, and wanted to make the most of it.

- Occasionally the High Priestess indulged herself in one of the small pleasures of this life.

- More often she looked with disdain at the futility of the material world. Fashion! Ha! Would anyone be interested in fashion if the world knew the things the High Priestess knew?

- And yet, she did not dwell on the morbid, nor did she judge others. In her three short years as church leader here the High Priestess had been completely successful. Everyone liked her.

- The High Priestess was not critical of others. Who was she to condemn another person?

- The High Priestess trained and encouraged her attendants. There was no question that Attendant Two had a bright future in the Cult, she thought. He was devoted and charismatic. The High Priestess wondered if he might have "The Gift"

- Attendant Two began to feel the dead calling out to him. He also realized that he might have "The Gift". He began to get frightened.

- Attendant Two was lost in meditation. The High Priestess wondered about him. It is not common for an attendant to become a priest or a Cult elder, but it happens occasionally. Perhaps...

- The High Priestess and the Attendants mourned the latest person buried in the cemetery. As that soul crosses to the other side, what is really happening to it? The High Priestess would witness the truth. And tonight she, the one who had "The Gift", would travel.

- At mid-night, the High Priestess's Spirit separated from her body. She prepared to depart.

- The spirits of the Underworld summoned her.

- She stood at the water's edge and awaited the ferryman.

- She traveled across the river to the Land of the Dead...

- She contemplated the dark and distant shore.

- "You seek knowledge. You seek the truth"
- "Yes"
- "Come, then...You shall see."

- The dead rose up out of their graves. All the souls buried in the High Priestess's church ground came out to great her.

- The dead converged on the High Priestess begging for help. The High Priestess was terrified. What could she do...for the dead?

- Then the High Priestess saw the fire. She saw the Burning Lake.

- She watched souls consumed in the fire.

- How can I begin to describe the desolation, the despair, which the High Priestess felt at this moment? At this moment she realized how truly unprepared she was. High Priestess!!! HA!!! What does that mean, here in the Underworld?

- "Time grows short. Come, we shall return to the land of the living. You shall see more of the truth, and then you shall return to your world."

- The High Priestess's spirit traveled to some ancient ruins.

- Her soul haunted the empty grounds. What terrible mystery hid among these ruins?

- She entered the door...of what used to be a church!

- This looks disturbingly familiar...

- Where have I seen this before?

- She wandered the grounds of this ruin. She knew that she had been here before...

- She began to realize, "these ruins are not from the past, they are from the future! And of course those statues look familiar! They are the same ones guarding the entry of my church!"

- Now she realized where she was. This was indeed her own church...in ruins. And this very spot...the place she had her alter. Her church is what was, and these ruins are what will be! But an even more terrible discovery awaited her...

- Her search took her to a tombstone, the only one left on this property.

- Why just this tombstone? Why did she find it? She knelt down to get a better look.

- The tombstone read: "For the final High Priestess of this church. She bore witness, died bravely, and told the story that needed to be told. For that I am eternally grateful."

- The High Priestess realized that she had found her own grave.

- The High Priestess, who mourned for so many others, now must mourn for herself.

- So this was what it meant to have "The Gift". The High Priestess knew the future. She knew the future of her church, and she knew the future of herself. When her church died, she would die, and yet, she would bear witness. She would remain true to her congregation and her city.

- She knew something else. Someone survived her, loved her, and buried her. But who? Certainly not Attendant One. He loved her, yes. But he could not have written what was on her tombstone. Those words could only have come from Attendant Two. Suddenly, the High Priestess realized Attendant Two had been here as well. He too, made this journey.

- "Now you have traveled. Now you have seen the other side. Return to your church."
- "But that's it? There's no hope?"
- "There is always hope. Remember you are the High Priestess! In your world that title means something!"

- And with that she was left alone on the shore from where she started her journey. There is always hope. What could that mean, given what she just saw?

- She returned the present, and walked home.

- The High Priestess's spirit returned to her body. She was released, for the time being...

- The High Priestess woke up to find Attendant Two in silent meditation.

- "Attendant, I must know the truth. You were on the other side, weren't you?"
- "Yes, Priestess. I was there."
- "You saw our church, and my grave?"

- "Yes, Priestess. I watched them burn the church. And I buried you."
- "You know, Attendant, that you have 'The Gift.'"
- "Yes, Priestess. But it's not something I wanted."
- "'The Gift' never comes to those who want it. I didn't want it either. And now, I am very, very frightened."

- "Attendant, I...must tell you something. Tomorrow we must visit the Prophets. You will have to renounce your vows as an attendant, and re-take them, as a priest."

- Attendant Two was silent for a long time. They stepped outside.

- "Priestess, how can I do that? I am an attendant, and sworn to serve you."

- "No, you are sworn to obey me, not serve me. There is a difference. My final order to you is that tomorrow you must re-take your vows as a priest. You cannot stay here as an attendant."

- The Priestess and Attendant Two broke Cult protocol and gave each other a hug. Parting ways would be hard on both of them, but the High Priestess knew that it would make no sense for a person who had "The Gift" to remain an attendant.

- The High Priestess knew that Attendant Two had a brilliant future in the Cult. He would go on to become an Elder and perhaps a Cult Prophet. She could see that in his eyes.

- The following day, the High Priestess and Attendant Two traveled to the Ancient Place. Three Cult Prophets waited for them. The High Priestess explained about their trips to the Underworld.

- The Prophets quickly agreed that Attendant Two must renounce his vows as an attendant. For the first time in four years he got dressed, and joined the High Priestess in priest's clothing.

- From this point on he would be known as High Priest. He was terrified about the promotion, but accepted it as the will of the Creator. The High Priestess was heart-broken about losing him, but she had no choice.

- The Prophets assigned the new High Priest to a church in his home country, far from the church of the High Priestess. Then they placed a very harsh test on the Priestess and Priest. The Prophets ordered that the High Priestess and the new High Priest were never to see each other again in this life.

- "When you travel to the other side, you will see each other there. Draw upon each other's strength. We will pray, and if both of you do indeed have The Gift, you will journey through the darkness as one."

- That very day, the new High Priest returned to his country and took over a church. True to the word of the prophets, the High Priestess and High Priest never saw each other in the flesh again. However, that night they saw each other in the spirit at the entrance to the Underworld.

- The High Priestess and High Priest continued to travel to the underworld throughout their natural lives. Neither ever had to make this journey alone again.

- Their spirits shared the journey across the river. They shared the horror of the underworld and drew strength from each other.

- They comforted the dead and brought wisdom back to the living. They shared the lessons of the Underworld with their respective congregations.

- In the land of the dead, the High Priestess found true love. Not love of the flesh, but love of the soul. Not once in this life did she ever touch him or feel his body, but her soul was joined to his...on the other side.

- The High Priestess brought her lessons from the Underworld back to her congregation. However, she did not try to scare her audience, but instead emphasized the need to be loyal and truthful.

- The High Priestess preached for many years. During her service to her community she did something right, something that prevented the destruction of her church that she saw during her first trip to the Underworld. A small act of kindness, one out of many that she quickly forgot, changed a life and set in motion a chain of events that saved her church and community.

- Sixty years after her first trip to the Underworld, the High Priestess died. Attendant One, who had loved her and served her all those years, died the same day. They were buried together, honored by the entire city.

- The following year, the body of a Cult Prophet was brought from overseas to the church and buried on the other side of the High Priestess. At the request of the Prophet, the only thing written on his tombstone was "Attendant Two".

- Credits: Tombstones from GrimSims, Pulpit and Meditation Tree from Cheap Frills, Skeletons from MoonSims, Ghost images generated by Sim Enhancer, NPC files for the Grim Reaper and professor gowns downloaded from Bloody Sims. I give special thanks to the members of Yahoo who told me where to go to get the files needed for this story. - EC -