A Place Called Home

Chapter 5

     I woke up with a splitting headache, it was 7:30am in the morning, I brushed my teeth, the water tasted like rust and I took a shower in the rickety bath tub.
I changed into some clean clothes, then I went downstairs.
Lucas was up already, the loving room was looking neater and better than it was last night.
" Morning" Lucas said grinning. He was looking better than he was last night.
" did you clean?" I asked, he nodded.
" what?, you didn't expect me to sleep in a dusty room did you "
" ate you ready to leave?" I asked instead
He gave me an akward glare.
" I don't know my way back, I might get lost " He said
" I'll show you the way out of the forest and you'll use your phone to find your way home"
" just let me stay with you, why did you leave the house anyways, I don't get it "
" that's none of your business, and you can't stay with me, Anna and Fred would be worried, they might even call the police "
" what about you, gheyll be worried about you too"
" I left them a note, and I told them not to try to find me, you need to go home Lucas "  I said walking to the front door, I heard him sigh.
" fine, let's go then, show me the way out of this forest" I grabbed my phone and he grabbed his backpack.
We walked out of the house, we went down the walkway, the forest was thick and confusing, Lucas was right, he would get lost if I didn't show him the way out.
We walked through the forest, listening to the songs of the birds, the rustling of the leaves, the wind howling in the trees, the sun shinning brightly above the forest, it was a beautiful morning.
" this forest is beautiful " I heard Lucas say as he trailed behind me. I looked up at the sky, the trees had created a canopy, blocking direct sunlight, I could see the birds, flying away, something must have scared them, i mused.
We kept walking.
" so you really lived here?" Lucas asked
I nodded
" what happened to your parents?"
I stopped in my tracks, shot by his question, didn't Anna tell him not to ask.
I turned to face him.
" that is none if your business. Just because I'm helping you, that doesn't mean you can talk to me or ask me questions" I snapped, I continued walking, not caring about his expressions or his feelings.
" did you hear that? " Lucas said behind me
I ignored him and kept walking.
Suddenly the trees began to rumble and the ground shook beneath us.  I stopped walking, the forest was troubled, I looked up and saw a branch coming down at me, Lucas tackled me out of the way, causing him to land on top of me.
" hi " Lucas said grinning stupidly, he was so close to me.
" get the hell off me! " I said pushing him away and getting up.
" You're welcome" He said also getting up, the ground  cracked and then boom!, we were going down, I heard Lucas screaming, and I tried to get hold of myself, we were falling deep, real deep, I prayed we would survive the fall.
We hit the ground............
                                           Silence.
My head was pounding, my vision was blurry, I wasn't sure what I had landed on but it wasn't hard, and I was grateful that our heads  hadn't been shuddered into pieces.
Next to me Lucas grunted in pain, I stood managed to get up, there were lights coming from further ahead and voices.
" come on Lucas, get up" I said
" is your vision impared?, can't you see I'm bleeding" Lucas said sitting straight, his right hand was over his chest, his shirt was soaked in thick red fluid.
I knelt next to him.
" open your back pack" I said, he opened his backpack and I took out a piece of cloth and Thore it, I loosened the buttons on his shirt, a tint stick was in his chest.
" You're a coward " I said, pulling out the stick and using the cloth to stop the blood.
" now get up!"
He got up and buttoned his shirt.
I heard the voices, I saw the light, I followed the light, I found a door. Lucas glared at me, he sure was hoping I wasn't about to open the door, but I was.
I pushed the door open, I found stairs, leading down.
" shouldn't we be looking for a way to get out of here " Lucas said. I ignored him. We inched down the stone staircase, one step at a time, into a basement grotto. I could taste the earthly air. Cool and light. In the shadows of our hiding place, we watched as the strangers, swayed and chanted by flickering orange candles. The men were staggered,black,white,black, white.  They all raised the candles in their hands and called out in unison, ' seers and keepers of life,  you fail him you die, we hold the power in our hands, blood we pray to rise. '
My heart skipped a beat as I heard the first phrase of their chanting, that same phrase was written on the brown envelope I took from dad's room.
Their voices were getting louder,they lowered their candles, they all formed a circle, they were now revering something in the centre of the circle.
" MJ, we shouldn't be here" Lucas whispered beside me.
" what are they looking at?" I mused
They chanted faster now, the air in the grotto was tense, their candles glowed brighter,their voices thundering, something was about to happen,something cruel, something wrong.
" MJ we have to get out of here" Lucas whispered, I could feel the fear in his voice.
The men's candles turned to orbs, glowing brightly, something was in the centre of the circle.
Suddenly they stopped chanting there was silence.
" MJ, we need to leave..... now "
A man in black stepped away from  the circle, he pulled out a gun from his pocket and loaded it.
" I sense intruders " He said walking towards the stairs.
" now!!"
Lucas and I bolted out of our hiding spot, racing up the stone stairs, I heard the gunshots, we jumped out the door and ran as fast as we could, no idea where  we were running to, but we ran, I heard the man shout
" Find them!".
We kept running, and running and running, until.........
 
" what is that?"

                                           BANG!!!!!!!