Homecoming Shadows

Chapter Sixty: Unveiling the Ashes

...

The cozy cabin was filled with tension as we gathered once more, seeking answers to the mysteries that surrounded us. Daria and Cay had decided to join us here instead of making the long drive to the manor. April had something important to share, and the room was buzzing with anticipation.

April pressed a button, and the recording began to play once more. My words that echoed through the room sent shivers down my spine. It was a revelation of the cult's dark practices, abducting innocent people, erasing and replacing their memories with so-called ashes. As the recording ended, Cay insolently chuckled, breaking the silence.

"And?..." he sneered. "That's why you called me here? To watch this?"

April's frustration was evident as she replied, "It unsettles me that you aren't surprised hearing this. They abduct people and erase their memories, Cay!"

Cay raised an eyebrow, seemingly unphased. "What am I supposed to do, scream like a girl?" His nonchalant response surprised us all. It made me wonder if he knew more than he was letting on. How had he remained untouched by the cult's mind-manipulating practices if he knew that much about them, then?

April's voice trembled with fear and confusion. "What if my whole life is a lie? What if I'm a cult participant as well?!"

Interrupting her hysteria, Cay calmly stated, "You wouldn't be able to leave Asheville thirteen years ago. All important gears for the cult stay near the cult."

A realization hit me like a ton of bricks. Cay seemingly knew someone from the primordials - the cult originals, the mysterious figures leading the community of Ashes. How else could he have such knowledge?

Daria, who had been standing by the fire, warming up, was now looking at him with a mix of curiosity and disbelief.

"Tell us, Dari," Cay turned to her, "where do you work?"

Confusion filled her face as she glanced between us. "You of all people, Harper..."

He insisted, nodding towards April, me, and Ned. "Not me. Tell it to them."

She sighed, seemingly resigned. "I work at a night strip club. I'm a dancer, okay? But they know it already!"

Cay cleared his throat and continued, "Now, let's think. The cult consists of assigned roles, crucial for its survival. Doctors, teachers, engineers, businessmen, and other essential positions. Do you really think a dancer in a strip club is crucial for the cult to survive?"

His comment came off as evil, and the room fell into an uncomfortable silence. But at the same time, he had a point. Daria's occupation didn't seem to align with the cult roles. So... She wasn't one of them.

Ned, always the rational one, spoke up, "Now that you put it like that... It does sound logical."

April shot him a glare, trying to defend Daria's honor. "And you, Cay? What do you have to say for yourself?"

Cay sighed, his smirk never fading. "I'm jobless. What do you want?"

April didn't back down. "Yeah, but you have your business in town. The Moonwalk diner."

Cay shook his head. "Believe me, if I had ashes in my mind, they would've at least made me a better person. Have you seen all the cult participants? It's quite easy to identify one from a crowd. They smile 24/7, showing off their perfect white teeth. It's terrible."

His words dripped with sarcasm as he fell back onto the soft couch, staring up at the ceiling. Daria, still angry, couldn't resist joining the conversation. "Because you smile once a year?"