Chapter 3: The Seven Searchers

I continued walking along the barren streets past different broken down stores. "This must be the town's main street", I thought, "or at least what is left of it..." I still couldn't shake the feeling I was being followed. I slowly walked a few steps forward before quickly turning around. A small silhouette of a person I could barely make out sidestepped quickly into an alleyway soon followed by a loud clang. I ran after the person into the alleyway as fast as I could only to see the person scampering up and running around another corner. I charged after them through several alleys ways and jumped a fence labeled, "Beware of Dog.", though on the other side was simply a bloody mangled body of an animal. The alleyways soon came to a halt leading into another foggy road. I ran into the abyss chasing after the figure down the asphalt path till another strange silhouette appeared high above me. The fog was clearer here and it quickly became obvious that it was an old teal church on top of a small plateau. I barely could make out the person's face before they ran up the church's steps and entered the chapel. It was a young girl and by her facial features I could tell she was no older then thirteen. Her long blonde hair put up in a pony-tail swished to the side as she turned to close the church door. "Wait!" I yelled, only to be answered with the loud slam of the giant church doors. I sighed shaking my head and slowly made my way up the old cracked stairs.

I managed to climb my way up the cathedral steps without tripping and busting my head open because of the fog. I took a deep breath and slowly but surely pushed open the large chapel doors with a loud eerie creaking noise. There was a soft shuffling noise before the church doors slammed shut behind me enveloping the whole room in darkness. My flashlight illuminated a linear path in front of me. I looked up to the ceiling; the inside of the tall church seemed to stretch longer and longer like a funhouse hallway. I looked towards the front of the church which was opened up with musty grey pews spread out on each side and a great statue of a person stood in the back looming over the entire church casting a long shadow down the aisles.

I slowly approached the giant stone figure hoping to get a closer look and found it to be a gorgeously done descriptive sculpture of a woman wearing a long robe. It's somehow sweet glistening eyes were made of a beautiful crimson stone. As I looked up at the statues knowledgeable crimson gaze its face seemed to bend and contort turning into a beautiful looking goddess to an evil looking dictator. Its face now grimaced in anger and just as I thought I couldn't be more frightened her head spontaneously glared down at me sending chills down my spine. From nowhere a baby shrieked and my vision became blurred. I grabbed my head and grinded my teeth in agony as my mind felt almost pierced with the baby's cry. I dropped to my knees in pain but in a flash of light my mind went numb and instead I saw a man; his arms cradled around a baby wrapped in cloth. Suddenly I felt my body go cold and almost as soon as the vision appeared it vanished leaving me with only one word that I yelled out echoing through the chapel, "Heather!"

My mind began to clear and I slowly had control over my body again. I was lying on my back. I managed to get my eyes slightly open. There was blood caking my eyes and a blinding light hung above me but I couldn't mistake the face I was looking up at was that of my mothers. She was exactly as I remembered her with a sweet smile, beautiful jade green eyes and long straight chestnut brown hair. I didn't have the energy to speak so I simply mouthed, "Mom.". Her eyes began to water and soon she was crying with an expression of utter sadness. I smiled trying to comfort her and reached out to touch her face but just as my hand met with her soft cheek she disappeared along with the blood and light and I was looking up at a different face.

It was the face of a woman with a chubby face, long dark brown braids, black skin and a lovely pearly white smile. She called behind her, "Guys, he's up!" I was happy to see another human face. "W-where am I?" She smiled at me again, "You're in the church, hon." She said with a predominant Jamaican accent. The woman was wearing a large purple dress that stretched around her waste. I looked to my sides to see the inside of the church but there was another person next to me. It was a tall bulky bald white male wearing a t-shirt and athletic shorts. I looked up at him seeing a stern frown, "Who're you kid?" I sat up angered, "I'm not a kid; I'm twenty-two. Who are you guys and what are you doing here?" He grunted unhappily, "I'm Robert, Robert Calere." The woman in front of me said, "Tyonna Lin." Another person soon walked up from behind her. It was a studious white woman with red hair up in a bun, "Are you alright?" I rubbed the back of my head, "I'm still a bit woozy but I'll be fine." Tyonna put her hand to my forehead, "You'll be fine but what made you collapse all of a sudden?" I knew they wouldn't believe me so I used my excuse that I had been using ever since I got out of the asylum, "My blood pressure must be low." Yet another voice came from my right "Well sorry to tell you this man but we ain't got shit to eat and not like there's a Mickey D's around here." I looked over to my left where the voice came from to see an athletic black with short hair and a tank top with baggy jeans, "Hey man, the name's Devon Jackson." Tyonna, who I could now tell was well overweight, turned to him, "Don't even start talking about food you hear me?" He rolled his eyes and reached out his hand. I shook his hand and he pulled me to my feet. "You alright?" "Yeah, thanks." Tyonna looked behind her calling out a bit agitated, "Get your butts over here! He's awake!"

I saw that behind her were two other people, one a skinny tan skinned black haired girl with an extremely large bust and skimpy clothing. Judging by her appearance she had probably just entered adulthood. She was followed by a tall white guy a little bit older than me. He was panting like a dog practically drooling over the attractive girl in front of him. She turned around and slapped him flat across the face, "Lay off asshole!" He growled furiously and brought up his fist to punch her but Robert grabbed it just as the hit was about to connect, "You'd better settle down before I decide to break your wrist." The pervert yanked away, "Bitch..." he said muttering under hiss breath. The enticing girl simply waved her hair and stuck up her nose snobbishly. "Oh, why must you two fight?" said the studious woman. She turned to me, "Oh, I didn't introduce myself. My name is Vanessa Mastro." "Hi." I replied amazed at the sudden small crowd around me. The attractive girl moved through the small group giving a shove to Tyonna who retorted, "Watch it, princess." The girl looked at her angrily, "You watch it fatty!" Tyonna growled looking at me, "This bitch is Jessica. The pervert is Nathan." Jessica fluttering her eyelashes with a humph and looked towards me smiling, "You can call me Jessie." Now she talked to Tyonna, "That's Princess Bitch to you fatty!" Tyonna practically had smoke blowing out her nostrils. Robert stepped between the two, "You both better shut the hell up!" Devon joined in laughing, "You tell her fatty!" Tyonna now looked at him with rage, "You'd better keep your trap closed before I sit on you!" Vanessa was now holding her hands over her ears, "Please stop fighting..." I tried stopping them, "Hey, hey, hey! Everyone settle down!" They kept arguing sending echoes booming through the chapel. It went on for about a minute when a loud ear piercing yell came from the very back of the cathedral, "SHUT UP!"

It instantly became silent and I looked to see who had made the noise. There at the back of the chapel was a long wavy black haired woman sitting in a chair. I could tell from her weary wrinkled face she was Asian. She had a white button-down shirt with a long black skirt. She looked back at us appalled before turning back to a rectangular object in front of her. Devon turned to me, "That's Sonya." He licked his lips looking at her with wide eyes. He whispered to me, "She's one crazy ass bitch..." Sonya looked back glaring at him furiously. He jumped back behind Robert hiding behind his arm who quickly shrugged him off. She returned to the rectangle in front of her, I looked over at Nathan who was beside me sitting on the end of the hole covered church pew, "What's her problem?" "I don't know. She isn't the nicest person. Just likes painting." He looked at me nudging my arm, "To be honest, I don't really care though. She ain't to good looking anyway. Nothing really to play with, huh?" He smiled nudging me again. I just stared at her.

"So why are you all here?" I asked curiously. "I'm looking for my mom." said Robert. "I'm looking for my son." said Vanessa, "You haven't seen him have you?" "No." Tyonna looked at me sadly, "I'm looking for my daughter... She's only seven." Nathan shrugged, "I'm looking for my girlfriend." Jessica rolled her eyes, "I'm looking for my sister." Devon crossed his arms, "I'm looking for my bro." Tyonna looked at me, "Are you looking for someone too?" I looked at them inquisitively, "My mom's missing. Are we all looking for someone?" Devon pointed to Sonya, "Unless she's just hanging around here for fun, yes." Nathan looked around, "Someone should go ask her." He paused, "Not me though. She's just not my type." Jessica glared, "I'm not talking to that frrreak!" Robert looked at Vanessa, "You should go." Vanessa looked surprised, "Why me?" Tyonna smiled at her, "Cause you're sweet, hon!" She looked a bit afraid. I walked up to her, "Please go ask. She might know something." She nodded and slowly made her way to the back of the chapel. When she was behind Sonya's seat she hesitated and looked back. We nodded. She reached forward to touch her shoulder when Sonya said, "Husband." She turned to Vanessa with a miserable face, "I'm looking for my husband." Vanessa looked surprised, "Th-thank you Sonya." With that she quickly ran to the group.

I shook my head not believing what was going on, "We... We're all looking for someone..?" In a flash my vision blurred and a horrible shrill siren sounded from nowhere. I grabbed my head and fell to my knees again. My vision became red and blurry again. My head was about to split open when there was a loud bang like the sound of gunfire. I looked in front of me seeing not the inside of the church but instead the inside of a broken down building. In front of me was a figure about my size wearing a long coat and a handkerchief around their face. In the figure's hand was a gun with smoke ascending from the barrel. I felt a deep pain in my stomach and put my hand to my abdomen. I felt a hole with oozing liquid pouring out. I looked at my hand, it was covered in blood. I looked one last time at the shooter before crumbling on my side.