The Chapmans continued on with their planned mission on getting help and information, trying to put another confrontation with Edward Cupple out of their minds. The one thing that was a benefit was at this time, he appeared to be working and couldn't get into the sorts of hijinks that he'd pulled at the Chapman house. He might still use sorcery on the people that were looking at that house, but it was agreed that until they had more information or evidence of Cupple's more "criminal" actions, it was better not to try and fight him. Slug People might have inherent defensive magics that helped prevent outright violence because of what they were, but that didn't really protect them from criminal prosecution at times when a Slug Person was found to have committed a crime. It didn't always happen, but it did happen, and that was enough for the Chapmans to agree that discretion was the better part of valor for the time being.
They thus kept their focus on trying to visit the various churches to get the information they needed. Their link through the hive mind had been enough prevent Cupple from enslaving them as he had Megan and Jenny, but they also didn't know enough about Megan and Jenny's past to know how Cupple got them. Which in turn only added to their worries and added some sense of urgency, which was then enough to endure things like warming concrete under their tails as they slid along. There was some hope, but as the day went by, much of the hope that remained was that they wouldn't run into Cupple again.
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"There are no cars in the parking lot," Zoe spoke as she came around from the back of the Lutheran Church when they found it and found it quiet.
The building had windows and they could look in, but the windows also looked dark, giving an indication that no one was in any of the rooms that had those windows. Jeff and Whitney tested the main doors to find them locked, though that could mean they were closed for services but wouldn't have meant that the minister wasn't there working on some other business. That was when Zoe volunteered to go around and check the parking lot that they saw behind the building. Her return and report only confirmed that like the previous church, no one was there. That brought a bit of a sigh as Zoe said it.
"One would think there'd be someone here," Jeff commented, "I mean... this church is bigger, the congregation is bigger. Surely the reverend or minister has a fair amount of work outside of the Sunday service."
"But not all churches may be funded by church affairs entirely," Grace offered, "and with protestant churches... many may have other jobs than running the church. Thus, they have a forty-hour regular work week and then handle about another ten hours a week on managing the church's business and sermons. That would then raise the potential for him not to be here."
"That'd make sense," Lucy commented, "the Catholic Church has operated as a sort of "state within a state" sort of way, which is what made all the religious disagreements messy in the Middle Ages. By the time the first protestant churches appeared, they began breaking away... and while many did gain support, they also didn't gain the same level of power that the Catholic Church had. Which could well mean that some have to work at jobs outside their ministry."
"So... it'd be best to keep going," Whitney commented, "there's a lot to check in the day... and it'd be a good idea to avoid Cupple as much as possible."
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And they ultimately did keep checking with the other churches in town, but they ran into some of the same sorts of problems they'd run into. Some were more confrontational than others, and the worst of them being the Methodist minister, who seemed irritated to be interrupted while mowing the lawn on the church's grounds.
"The only thing "supernatural" in the creation of Slug People came from God," the minister growled angrily at Grace, making her shy away a bit, "not witches and other things of fantasy. It is bad enough that the Catholics and all their perversions created the idea that humans could wield supernatural powers. All that came from God!"
"We're only telling you what happened and asking for help against a very real threat," Jeff came forward with narrowed eyes, feeling Grace's fear and trying to alleviate it.
"And I'm telling you what IS," the minister answered, "scientists have already explained how the mucus... slime... or other body fluids in Slug People carries mutagenic properties that insert their DNA into human cells. In this, all that happened is that you got too frisky with a pair of Slug Women you didn't know, and THAT is why you transformed."
"And what about the subconscious defenses that have been noted around Slug People?" Lucy challenged, "everyone doesn't hate Slug People, but I'm sure you've seen the news reports on that there are those that are and that is a big reason why Slug Person colonies are often at the outskirts of towns and cities, if not in their own separate communities. Yet, when near a Slug Person, those humans suddenly seem more accepting... or at the very least tolerant of Slug People existing. If that sort of thing weren't there... man would have wiped out Slug People a long time ago."
"Some kind of telepathy connected to their hive mind," the minister waived it off, "something about Slug People being consciously able to use a greater percentage of their minds compared to humans."
"But none of us are telepathic," Zoe commented.
"You've already said you've just become Slug People," the minister answered, "so, I doubt you know anything, particularly if you've fled the two Slug Women that turned you. Over some fantasy about magic."
Jeff and Lucy glared at the minister, who showed no fear.
"Now, if this Cupple is that much of a threat to you, report him to the police," the minister finished, "quit bothering ME, as I still have work to do."
The man returned to his lawn mower and was soon pushing it along the grass. Once he was far enough way, Zoe remarked on what she was sure the others were thinking, "Jerk." She then looked over to seeing Whitney gently hugging Grace while rubbing Grace's shoulders. With that they continued on...
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The last of these issues was ultimately with their own family church. It was technically considered an "evangelical" church that had gotten started around 1990, often criticizing that nearly every other church got away from the core intent of Christianity to be kind and in good faith with one's neighbors. For years the Chapmans went every Sunday and their father, before he died, had been good friends with the minister, a "Reverend Jack." The two had often hung out and talked about things over sports, and Whitney fondly remembering stories her husband had told her about things that Reverend Jack and his own family had gotten into. He'd seemed most friendly and agreeable, and when her husband died, Reverend Jack seemed just as hurt by it and had cried while doing the eulogy.
"Hopefully he's here," Grace said slowly, feeling a bit disheartened by the fact that so many had either had no one there or had been unhelpful.
"For some comfort and understanding, yes," Whitney agreed, "but remember... things haven't been a complete failure, and I believe there was some expectation that the churches might not have the all the answers needed."
"And it's quite possible the Catholics will send someone with more knowledge than the father we talked with," Jeff added, "after that would be the Slug Colony..."
"Or what else we'll do for the night," Zoe commented, feeling her stomach gurgle.
That served as a reminder to all of them that the moving on their tails covered up a lot of time. This had then meant that they'd missed lunch trying to go from church to church and get information. It presented other worries on what to do next. Do they return to the Chapman home, given the time in the day and that it wouldn't be long before night hit, even if it meant risking another and more dangerous confrontation with Cupple? Or do they go to the Slug People colony and look for help, even if it might mean that real answers wouldn't come until the next day? That would have to wait on the hopes of being able to talk with Reverend Jack.
Those hopes, however, were dashed when they came up to the street leading up to the church. They were within sight of the church, but were a little more than a block away, when they saw a dark blue Toyota truck come out of the church parking lot and then head west on the road, passing by the Chapmans. It moved off at a good speed and it wasn't super long before it was out of sight. The thing that dashed their hopes, however, was the fact that Reverend Jack was driving the truck.
"He finished his day," Jeff said with a sigh.
"But he's not headed home," Whitney spoke and then pointed back down the road that they'd just come up, "the reverend lives in that direction."
Their eyestalks then drooped for a bit as they looked down, as they couldn't know where the reverend was going and there was no one left at the church to then ask. In this, they'd only just missed him and had what had been a big part of the frustrations of the day play out again. They'd set out to gain help and what help they did get was rather limited that was relying more on hopes for more information from the Catholic Church later, and it would still take time to get that.
"So... what do we do now?" Zoe asked.
"We can either head on to the colony, sneak back home, or wait at Reverend Jack's home," Lucy ran over the options.
"Yeah, but what do we pick?" Zoe asked again.