Mystery from Another World--MHA

Part 182: Pure Camp

It was another long time to be in the car. By now the pre-game stress was setting in, and Shine didn't talk nearly as much while driving. Wally talked more, saying random jokes and comments that no one was laughing at. Even Camie didn't act as carefree as usual.

Medea looked out the window and couldn't help but think of her brother...where was he now? Could he be close? Should she just forgive him? Or was what he did unforgivable?

Shine liked to say nothing was unforgivable...maybe if he was sorry. But if he was sorry, wouldn't he have found her by now, unless he couldn't. As mad as she was, Medea didn't want the Originals to torture him and kill him.

The landscape flattened out as they went. More and more trees, the further away from the city they were, they couldn't see the horizon anymore.

The most conversation was what Shine eventually had with Kayla as they reached the stage of the drive where she was just going to keep going dead ahead for a long time and didn't need to ask for directions.

Iida had switched cars with Hawks per Shine's request, because she did not want him there if Kayla told them anything too graphic.

"I want to know what kind of voodoo stuff they are into." Shine was blunt. "Why can't I see her?"

"I don't understand." Kayla said.

"The only times I can't go to someone directly are if they are dead, or blocked on purpose." Shine said. "You said she's going to be kept alive, most likely. So she's blocked, and it has to be intentional by now. They know something about me, or it's just a side effect of their ways. So what do they do?"

"I wouldn't know, I'm not into that part of the group's method." Kayla said.

"You have to take blood oaths." Shine said.

Kayla hesitated. "Yeah, well...I did that."

"You're going to need to get that taken care of." Shine said. "Or you will never leave them...more accurately, they will never leave you."

Kayla looked up. "Do you...do you know stuff about me now?"

Ren glanced up.

"I know that your part in all this is haunting you more than you want us to know," Shine said, "and I sympathize. I've known a lot of people like you. I want to help you really leave, Kayla, but I can't do that if you draw back now. Just how committed are you?"

"You think I'm leading you into a trap?" Kayla laughed, "Well, I could be."

"I know that you're inclined to still agree with them," Shine said, "You know it's horrific, what they're doing, but they draw you in, don't they? And you're not sure you'll resist when it gets down to the wire... That expression make sense? You know, let me just switch to English."

To herself she sounded the same, but the others all began to hear her in English.

Shine repeated what she'd said.

"How did you know that?" Kayla admitted this now that she thought they couldn't understand her.

Mirko and Hawks still could, but they said nothing.

"I know about cults," Shine said, "My own dad was in one for years. Not by the time he had me, but I heard about it. I've heard more, too. Unfortunately, many of them claim to be Christian, but we can spot the real from the fakes, we who really believe. Tell me more about what they taught you."

"Why would you want to hear that?" Kayla said dully, "What good is it to you?"

"This is my business, Kayla. 'For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age...' [Ephesians 6:12] and   'the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty...casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God...' [2 Corinthians 10:4-5] Which all means that it's a mistake to think this fight is just against people. Ideas, philosophies, and mindsets are our biggest problems. I've always fought those. So, yes, I'd like to know. And don't your types always like to talk about their ideas?"