Once settled into their rooms, they began to retrace their steps. They
went back to the store where they had first meet the Witch Doctor, but this
time no one came up to them with mysterious messages to look for fires in
the woods. The fact was, they were unable to find anyone to talk to them.
It was as if the whole town was avoiding them.
The next logical step was to go back into the woods, to the chamber where the cross had been originally found. Even though this time it was daylight, Sydney could not shake the feeling that they were in a web and that the spider was just biding it's time, waiting to pounce.
When they arrived at the entrance to the chamber, they found that it sealed, with no way in. Sydney still had the feeling the cross was close. There had to be another entrance. They spent the rest of the day in a futile attempt to find it, and reluctantly returned back to the hotel.
Sydney had originally suggested that they share a room, but Nigel told her to stop worrying about him. That night Sydney found herself unable to sleep, not because of nightmares, but due to her concern over Nigel's safety.
The next morning they meet for breakfast. Nigel looked rested, he told Sydney that there had been no new nightmares, that he had actually gotten a good nights sleep. The news should have made her feel better, but it didn't. Sydney had the feeling that the previous night was just the calm before the storm.
The waitress brought over their order and they started to discuss plans for the day. Nigel didn't notice the subtle difference in the taste of the coffee from the previous day.
After Nigel and Sydney finished with their meal, they decided to go to the church to look for clues.
*****
The church wasn't far from the hotel, so they decided to walk. The townspeople were still avoiding them like the plague. Nigel glanced across the street and saw a woman with a small child. The little girl looked at him shyly at first, and he couldn't help but smile. As they got closer, the little girl again looked at Nigel and flashed him a big smile.
Nigel stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the girl. The sweet smile she had just given him had become something gruesome and leering. As he continued to stare, he saw the forked tongue of a snake extend from her mouth.
Sydney suddenly noticed that Nigel was no longer by her side and she turned around. "Nigel?" She looked at him, then at the women and child. The woman was staring at Nigel, while pulling the child closer. Sydney saw fear in her eyes. Sydney quickly rushed toward him. "Nigel?" she repeated as she placed a hand on his shoulder.
Nigel nearly jumped out of his skin with the touch. "Sydney, I just saw...."
"Saw what?" she asked.
Nigel quickly glanced back in the direction of the women and child, and then back at Syd. Fear clouded his eyes. "I could have sworn I saw a serpent's tongue come out of that little girl's mouth."
Sydney looked at Nigel, thinking to herself that the storm was about to hit, and that its name was Richarde. "Come on, let's get to the church," she ordered, unable to hide the concern in her voice.
When they reached the church, Nigel hesitantly entered, staying close to Sydney. The church appeared to be empty, not a living soul in sight. To say the place gave him the creeps would have been an understatement.
"Hello?" Sydney called out as they proceeded into the church.
Nigel stopped in front of the mural depicting a man holding the Cross of Utu.
Sydney glanced back at him making sure he was within sight. He seemed to be concentrating on the details of the mural. She walked further into the room "Hello?" she repeated.
Nigel glanced at some of the articles on the table. Unable to control his curiosity, he reached for one of the bowls. As he picked up the bowl to take a closer look, he saw a undulating mass inside of it. Without warning, it burst, and he found himself covered with spiders. He backed up, brushing wildly at his arms in a attempt to get the spiders off. Then, suddenly, there was nothing there. The bowl he had dropped was now back in the same place he'd found it.
He quickly backed away from the mural. Turning to look for Syd, he felt the world spin out of control around him. Standing in the back of the room were his parents, looking exactly the same as the last time he had seen them. They started to come towards him and he was frozen in place. "This isn't real, this isn't real." His voice was a whisper as the apparitions came towards him.
The next logical step was to go back into the woods, to the chamber where the cross had been originally found. Even though this time it was daylight, Sydney could not shake the feeling that they were in a web and that the spider was just biding it's time, waiting to pounce.
When they arrived at the entrance to the chamber, they found that it sealed, with no way in. Sydney still had the feeling the cross was close. There had to be another entrance. They spent the rest of the day in a futile attempt to find it, and reluctantly returned back to the hotel.
Sydney had originally suggested that they share a room, but Nigel told her to stop worrying about him. That night Sydney found herself unable to sleep, not because of nightmares, but due to her concern over Nigel's safety.
The next morning they meet for breakfast. Nigel looked rested, he told Sydney that there had been no new nightmares, that he had actually gotten a good nights sleep. The news should have made her feel better, but it didn't. Sydney had the feeling that the previous night was just the calm before the storm.
The waitress brought over their order and they started to discuss plans for the day. Nigel didn't notice the subtle difference in the taste of the coffee from the previous day.
After Nigel and Sydney finished with their meal, they decided to go to the church to look for clues.
*****
The church wasn't far from the hotel, so they decided to walk. The townspeople were still avoiding them like the plague. Nigel glanced across the street and saw a woman with a small child. The little girl looked at him shyly at first, and he couldn't help but smile. As they got closer, the little girl again looked at Nigel and flashed him a big smile.
Nigel stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the girl. The sweet smile she had just given him had become something gruesome and leering. As he continued to stare, he saw the forked tongue of a snake extend from her mouth.
Sydney suddenly noticed that Nigel was no longer by her side and she turned around. "Nigel?" She looked at him, then at the women and child. The woman was staring at Nigel, while pulling the child closer. Sydney saw fear in her eyes. Sydney quickly rushed toward him. "Nigel?" she repeated as she placed a hand on his shoulder.
Nigel nearly jumped out of his skin with the touch. "Sydney, I just saw...."
"Saw what?" she asked.
Nigel quickly glanced back in the direction of the women and child, and then back at Syd. Fear clouded his eyes. "I could have sworn I saw a serpent's tongue come out of that little girl's mouth."
Sydney looked at Nigel, thinking to herself that the storm was about to hit, and that its name was Richarde. "Come on, let's get to the church," she ordered, unable to hide the concern in her voice.
When they reached the church, Nigel hesitantly entered, staying close to Sydney. The church appeared to be empty, not a living soul in sight. To say the place gave him the creeps would have been an understatement.
"Hello?" Sydney called out as they proceeded into the church.
Nigel stopped in front of the mural depicting a man holding the Cross of Utu.
Sydney glanced back at him making sure he was within sight. He seemed to be concentrating on the details of the mural. She walked further into the room "Hello?" she repeated.
Nigel glanced at some of the articles on the table. Unable to control his curiosity, he reached for one of the bowls. As he picked up the bowl to take a closer look, he saw a undulating mass inside of it. Without warning, it burst, and he found himself covered with spiders. He backed up, brushing wildly at his arms in a attempt to get the spiders off. Then, suddenly, there was nothing there. The bowl he had dropped was now back in the same place he'd found it.
He quickly backed away from the mural. Turning to look for Syd, he felt the world spin out of control around him. Standing in the back of the room were his parents, looking exactly the same as the last time he had seen them. They started to come towards him and he was frozen in place. "This isn't real, this isn't real." His voice was a whisper as the apparitions came towards him.