Mind you- the time period is the 18th Century, so names are being changed because I said so;
Gaara- Nathaniel
Hidan- Samuel
Ayumi- Abigail
if you want a song that sets the mood for this chapter listen to Through the Iris by 10 Years
"You do?" Nathaniel and Abigail asked in unison.
"I saw her!"
"Impossible!" Samuel breathed.
Mary flashed him a glance, staring at his eyes again before darting out the door.
"She may be right," Abigail said, running out the door next.
Nathaniel followed behind Abigail.
Samuel felt for his necklace, forgetting Mary had it. He shook his head and headed out the door last.
Mary stumbled into the dining room and stopped, "Where was it…?" She asked herself. She stepped forward and stopped. 'I trip on a chair leg, crash into the fireplace and knock off the red candle. The fireplace shifts and opens a door to my right.'
She ran to the chair that stuck out a little bit. She checked the fire place and sure enough… there was the red candle. She smiled in delight and slapped it off the mantle.
"Mary!" Nathaniel gasped, "Are you mad?!"
Then there was the click that set her off, laughing, "I was right! I was really right!" She hurried to the door and stopped, staring down into the darkness. Abigail, Nathaniel, and Samuel came up behind her, their jaws dropped in awe and everything became quiet.
"Grace is down there," Mary stated.
"You sure?" Abigail inquired.
She nodded, "Almost positive."
"I'll go first." Samuel began pushing through them; Mary placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked back at her, she blushed lightly and removed her hand, and he smiled faintly, "I'll be careful."
She nodded and let him go, sticking close to him. Nathaniel went next, Abigail keeping a hand on his shoulder as not to trip.
Into the darkness they plunged, everything looking exactly as it had in Mary's dream. Except… she slowed.
"What is it?" Samuel asked, looking back at her, though it was futile in this darkness.
"There's no glow…"
"What?" Abigail called.
"There's no glow at the bottom… and that smell…" Mary sniffed the air as did the rest.
Nathaniel covered his nose, "It's awful!"
"It smells like something-" Samuel paused, "Oh…!"
Mary shoved past him and hurried down the stairs. There was one lit candle that had yet to go out. Mary covered her mouth and searched the room. There were no hooded figures but the pentacle like symbol was painted on the floor. Mary reached into her shift and brought out Samuel's pentacle. It matched. Rage flooded through her veins, but went ice cold when she stepped in something wet and sticky. She looked down slowly, and screamed.
Samuel ran to her and carried her away.
"Blood, blood, blood," Mary chanted with sobs, pointing.
"It's alright… it's alright," Samuel cooed.
"Oh my God, she's dead!" Mary cried.
"She's dead?!" Abigail whispered, "We were too late..."
Nathaniel and Samuel walked around the two distraught girls and, covering their mouths and noses, took the one candle from its resting place and placed it in the center of the pentacle symbol. They found a chain attached to the floor. The chain was shackled to a hand that lay pale and motionless on the floor. They followed the hand to the body. Grace lay in a pool of her own blood, her body covered in tiny cuts and bruises, but the killing blow was to her neck. Her grey eyes had no color to them and her hair was saturated in blood. Samuel bent down and closed her eyes.
Nathaniel turned and retched.
Samuel turned to see Abigail heading up the stairs after Mary. He clicked his boots and headed up after them, followed by Nathaniel.
Mary took off toward her bedroom. Once inside, she ran to the window sill and vomited over the side. Abigail patted her on the back.
"Mary? Are you alright?" Samuel panted, coming into the room.
The rage came back, flowing through her veins like a river, "What the hell is this?!" She ripped the necklace off from around her neck and threw it to the ground at his feet.
"Mary, I had nothing to do with-" He defended.
"Save it! I want to know what it means!"
"Why now?"
"Samuel, a girl is dead! And that symbol was painted under her! I'm not waiting for some other time when another innocent life is taken right under my nose!"
He fingered the symbol, "It's a religious symbol."
They waited.
"I think they're trying to awaken the God of this religion, to use to bring England back into power."
"What do you mean?"
"If they complete this ritual and succeed, they'll most likely destroy the world."