Hush Little Baby

Chapter 11: The Ritual

Not wasting time to save his friends, Scott bolted out of the butchery turned slaughterhouse and sprinted over the gravel path to the abandoned Inn. Pushing his way through the destroyed door, he stumbled into the room behind lobby-like room behind it. The weather had taken it's toll on this building, as a hole going straight from the roof to the main floor pierced cleanly through the Inn, as Scott looked up he noticed the moon fit the hole perfectly. However, it seemed to split in two just for second before returning to normal, as Scott blinked again.

It was a sign. Scott knew he was getting close to finding his friends now, he just needed to find their tracks. Looking around what he could only picture to be the reception area of the Inn, there was no clear evidence of them being here. The only thing that sat out of place was a ratty old clipboard sitting on the receptionist's desk.

Having no other leads, Scott picked up the clipboard and looked at the piece of paper attached to it. Hotel Registry was written at the top. The sheet of paper was a list of all the room numbers, but only one had a name beside it. It was the topmost room of the Inn, with just the name Emily beside the room number.

This was it, Scott knew he was close now. Bolting down the hallway, with no plan, Scott ran down the long hall and up multiple staircases that were in the belly of the Inn until he finally made it to a metal door on the top floor.

Scanning the hallway leading up to the door, it was ominously quiet as Scott reached out and put his hand on the handle. Not sure what he was expecting he pushed on the door, as the sound of screeching metal echoed through the hall.

He was in. Pushing the door all the way open the screech slowly disappeared leaving only the eerie silence and the smell of mold and dust in the room. Looking to his Left, Scott saw two giant boarded up window's that overlooked the town.

Unable to make out much of what was on the other side of the glass, Scott noticed it had started to rain. A large crack of thunder shook the building as if telling Scott to turn back. It was too late. Beside him, on a table, was a half-burned down candle and a few matches. He struck one of the little wooden sticks forcing the flame to come to life and lit the candle. The light didn't hesitate to reveal the putrid substance beside it.

It was more of the decaying flesh from the slaughterhouse. The smell no longer bothered Scott as he was now fuelled with determination to save his friends. The room, now completely illuminated, as Scott looked around and his eyes immediately locked onto two duffel bags sitting in the corner.

"The money."

He murmured, before running over and unzipping one of the bags. It was all there. Zipping it back up he looked at the wall behind it. Another giant pentagram covered the wall. Scott tried to put his hand close to it when an intense heat met his presence and practically burned him.

This was progress but not what he came here for. He needed to find Emily's secret, and there it was. In the middle of the room, sat a wheelchair sat with an old rustic piece of paper placed on the leather seat.

Scott picked it up and began to read it.

If a lost soul wishes to travel to the heavens then a sacrifice must be conducted. Only then will they be accepted by the arms of the lord. However one must sacrifice that of the same likes as the spirit wishing to go to the promised land for it to be successful.

Overwhelmed Scott lowered himself into the wheelchair, his eyes still focused on the ritual. He couldn't speak as he tried to comprehend what this all meant.

"Is that little girl going to try and sacrifice Anna, to ascend to the heavens."

The realization echoed over and over again in his head. He needed to find Anna and fast or else she would just become another flesh suit in the butchery waiting for the rats to get her while her body rotted away. Looking up at the boarded windows a strike of lightning graced the town illuminating the room in a sudden flash. This time, however, Scott didn't see the town outside the window; instead, he saw the old man.

"How?"

The old man's satanic stare, caused Scott to shake as he watched him scramble across the window like a spider. His cut open abdomen dragged across the window, while his entrails left a bloody streak across the glass.

"Please not now."

Scott pleaded while looking for somewhere to hide. In the corner of the room was a closet, and he didn't hesitate to run for it as he swung the wooden door open and sealed it shut only to have the doorknob fall out of the hole.

"Shit."

Using his fingers, he held the door shut and stared out of the keyhole waiting for whatever was about to come. Moments passed as the sound of the old man trying to pry his way in from the roof above caused him to huddle in fear.

The closet was pitch black as the sound of timbers came crashing down from above, followed by the old man's body plummeted into the room. Stunned for a moment as he hit the ground, the old man's body finally stood up and started to pace the room.

First, he went to the money and then to the wheelchair. Smelling the air, and Scott knew he was onto him. With nowhere else to go in the room he slowly began to approach the closet when suddenly he turned around and sprinted toward the plate of flesh. Devouring every bit of it.

Scott was safe, or so he thought as the metal door to the room began to creak open as Emily entered pushing yet another wheelchair, only this time, Anna was sitting on the seat. Her belly extremely bloated, as the old man turned to face Emily.

Merely raising a hand to him, he turned and continued eating. Looking back at Anna, Scott could see that she was getting weaker by the second. Her face was now completely pale, and she was struggling for breath.

Anna blankly starred at the closest door as Scott tried to get her attention through the keyhole. However it was no use, she was heavily sedated, as Emily parked the wheelchair beside the empty one.

The old man now cleaning off the plate, turned to the two girls, and ran at them spastically just as Emily raised her hand.

"That's enough Reggie."