The Preacher Creature

The past comes alive on this night.
As the wind howls through town,
tumbleweeds roll down the street.
All the windows and doors are shut tight.
In the distant hills,
a coyote calls.
If you listen closely,
you’ll hear a tune
as dance hall girls twirl.
Just down the street
out of the corner of your eye,
a door sways on creaking hinges.
You pause in the dark
and hear the sidewalk creek.
Out of the shadows,
A ghastly site:

Wide-brim hat
Long, dark robe
An apparent ability to walk without feet
Eyes covered with a blood-soaked rag
And a golden cross, both beckoning and off-putting
The preacher had come, to see that His justice be brought
"You killed them"
With a start, as if I had not seen him moments before, I turned my feet to face him
"Who are you?" I half-whispered, with great respect, or fear for the town
"A man with a great weight on his shoulders, my friend. Have you seen the church two towns over lately?"
I knew that I had. I knew I had seen it, and been responsible for the reason that it will never be seen again.
"Can't say that I have"
The man was gone.
The man was behind me.
The man had a knife in my back.
"You were there"
Shock
"You killed them"
Gasping
"I gazed into a flame, where there was once a child, and lost my sight, my eyes, burned from my being, and in this darkness I saw the Answer"
Regret
"Peace has no place in the West"
"I'm... Sorry..."
The Last Breath