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- The Church of the Blacklight - A Strauss and Santiago Story
The Church of the Blacklight - A Strauss and Santiago Story
What would you do if you had just one more night?
Young Father Johann Strauss knows the answer to that inquiry well. He contemplates it daily, knowing full well the terrors that lurk just beyond his door. The legions of Hell now walk the Earth, and Heaven's last line of defense stands proudly among the wreckage. These warriors, waving thuribles of incense and pushing back the demonic forces as best they can, fight for the lost souls that still wander the ruins. The Church of the Blacklight fights for freedom and, with swords of electricity wielded in their hands, they march into the night to fight against Satan's army...
If only they knew where Johann wound up each night. If only they knew that the man he ran to for warmth was possessed by evil. If only they knew he walked into the den of the devil himself, into the arms of another man, into the darkness without a shred of remorse or guilt for his sin.
Each night, Johann visits his lover Marcus in the run down apartment he calls home.
Each night, they take refuge from the rapture.
Each night, Johann wonders if it will be his last...
Originally appearing on Sage Cigarettes Magazine in November 2022, The Church of the Blacklight is author A.L. Davidson's personal favorite creation from 2022. This melancholic story of a priest and his lover fighting for survival in the midst of the rapture, told through the eyes of the demon who watches from the shadows, is a contemplative slow burn and iconic entry into the saga of Strauss and Santiago's library of tales. It was also the story that helped get Al hired by Musing Publication as their fiction editor!
This physical edition features artwork by Sadee Bee and editorial work from L.E. Francis of Sage Cigarettes Magazine.
Unfamiliar with Strauss and Santiago? This time-hopping, genre-swapping couple has appeared in numerous stories by Al and are frequent faces you'll find in her library! You can find out more about them here.