Chapter 4

The Salem's Den sat alone on a dead-end road. Golden weed sighed against its foundation. A porch sagged in front of the rusty wooden door that swung and squeaked in the breeze. Blank windows widely stared out, reflecting the line of fire that was in the air.

I slowly pulled my little gifted silvery car off the road, into the scattered weeds, and stared at the house for a few seconds. A house that was about to decide my fate and give me a new life, or vice versa. That had to be one of the dumbest things for me to have ever got involved with.

I had a flashback of the night that he picked me off the pub and took me to my new apartment. But today am all alone, if anything happens to me, he won't be there to pick me up. What was I even thinking? I went to seek some foodstuff, I had already meant a list in my head; some ginger biscuits maybe? But then I had driven right past the mall.

I propose it was anxiety, curiosity, and desire to have the entire thing cleared from my name. I wanted the entire disaster over and to get a good rid of it. I desperately needed to move on and take care of my father.

I turned off the engine and shut the car to lock all the screens, I then stopped for some time. I got stuck right outside the car, not moving. I wondered if I could take all my things with me: my bag? Money? Cell phone? Or what if someone was watching over me, right there? And could maybe mug and benefit from me. "That ain't more stupid than arriving at this place!" I mumbled as I dug out my phone.

That evening's air was chilly but it wasn't night yet. I checked to make sure the doors were locked so well, I then gave my car a final look. It is gonna end in there, and everything will be fine!" I mumbled to assure myself in a low soft and tense voice.

I took some steps and circled Salem's Den. Through an open front door, I saw a swath of old empty prayer rooms. Dead leaves spread all over the door and cobwebs hung in profusion. It only took me a second to decide that I didn't want to step inside.

I made my way back to the back of the temple and dropped to the ground. There was a guest house with dead leaves littered all over. Some old furniture covered the way inside.

The sun was dropping rapidly and soon I would be lost in darkness. I shivered, whether from chill or anxiety, and my thoughts re-played in my mind. "That is how people get killed!" I had heard a lot of stories about strange deaths. The night was getting near and these words became wiser as the sun was going down.

I could have just called the police and stayed at my place: safe and very secure.

Suddenly, something crunched and my head snapped up in response. Two long figures walked slowly towards me from around the house. They almost looked similar, the hair and clothing were all black. As it was part of the night; a shadow of wrath formed from my tension, with its light brown face to give its only illusion of reality.

The two stepped up to stop in front of my eyes and gazed down. They were all tall and broad-shouldered with slim waists. They had long hair that fell back to blend into their long-sleeved pullovers.

The one on the left, had his mouth remain a tight-lipped line, although his eyes unlike the other, were dark and warm and seemed to be smiling at me in the darkness.

My hands were curled and highly raised to seek warmth between my breasts. I scrambled to my feet and brushed uselessly at my clothes. My eyes hurried to meet theirs and to further assure them that as much as they were in control I was too, though I had felt a knob in my stomach.

The one on the left spoke. It was the voice I heard over the phone, a deep voice and lyrical. "Mh...you finally made your way here?" I had given out and I was drained to lacked the confidence to say any more words. "Of course!" "Are you alone?" His tone sent a polite message to my ear as if he was trying to assure me that he wasn't a villain.

Despite that, a vision swam behind my eyes of some black garbage bags in a ditch filled with my own dismembered body parts and dumped along my fiancée's. I wondered if I was too late to rush back to my apartment and continue with my work and leave this silly case. Maybe I could lie as well and say I had brought a friend along. Could they have listened? Or maybe I could've caused myself more problems?

"I'm alone as you said!" I took a steadying breath and prepared to gauge their reaction.

"Good" he spoke low, and his mouth barely moved, as if he was someone who could overhear him. "Follow every instruction I'll give you from this minute henceforth. Follow me" he said as he walked towards the door. The other disappeared into the darkness without saying a word.

I stared at The Salem's Den Temple for a moment and the empty windows stared back at me. Though he hadn't cackled like a villain, I wasn't sure about him yet. He knew that I was alone and now he wanted to let me come with him into the empty abandoned temple that could possibly have anything hiding inside just as I had been waiting.

The man paused at the porch and turned back. "You think I'll hurt you, Do you?" In the dusky sky, I wasn't sure if his half and wicked smile was sinister or appealing.

"You might," I said quietly, I was half afraid as though saying it loudly could make it happen. "I do not know you...your name? No, I no nothing about you!" I politely asked crossing my fingers.

"Call me D- by now that should make you comfortable!"

I could sense his amusement and I waited for him to Lough. And when he didn't I answered truthfully, "Not really!" His wicked smile almost curled into a smirk, and in another desperate attempt to control the situation I quickly added. "People will come for me in a few hours. My father..." I realized that no one knew I was in there.

The big guy D, raised his eyebrows in a mock surprise and a smile sneaked out from the corner of his mouth. "I would hate to think you take such risks, Jessica!" He knew my name, he knew my moves, and as well everything about me. I was scared and stunned for a second.

"If you want to know who killed your fiancée, follow me inside. If you don't, then the door is still open" he shrugged and instructed as if it was of more consequence either way. He then opened the door, stepped over the threshold, and disappeared inside.

I bit my lower lip and kicked the foundation for good, cursing silently. Thanks to my stupidity, I was sure that I would end up dead before the night was over.

"Are you willing to die for this?" My mind flashed a question

"Someone you weren't sure if he loved you? " I ignored the voice for the second time.

Maybe I could get this D guy to come back outside from where he had disappeared to? He looked a bit reasonable, and maybe I could point out how sinister it appeared. The only thing I could do was to try. I took a deep and heavy breath and forced myself into the porch.

His shadow appeared on the doorway to signify that he was right there holding a candle. The light shined on his skin and turned his impassive face to marble. "Are you coming in?"

My heart pounded and a thought, unbidden appeared in my mind: he was tortured.

I couldn't explain what I felt in the next minute. I stood on my porch and my mind was tumbling in confusion. The next minute I was inside the sad Temple and the door closed behind me.

The sound of the chirping crickets cut through my uncertainty and slowly the world came into focus. I looked around the small room quickly. A mass of footprints marked the dusted floor, water-stained wallpaper sagged from the walls, and old flowers hung around the walls nearly surrendering to the ground.

There was no furniture, only some grimy windows and a yawning doorway.

"This way!"