Pews stretch like stroked wood in rows from the center. Glistening the altar, a flat white muted only by the rough texture of the cloth. Shining in the gaping hall, its strength of arches reaching in combination, a collusion of arms. At front the priest raises his hands fitfully in a rhythmic incantation, its potency drained by his despair.

In the churchyard, the dead lie silent under the sagging trees.

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