The Cult Of Seven Devils

Chapter 8: Suspicions Grow

[ 9:01 June 20, 1989 ]

We've only made it a few minutes into the forest and everyone seems to have forgotten what we have just been through. Everyone's laughing and joking like everything is sunshine and rainbows...well...it's not. I'm trying to look on the bright side, I really am, but something just doesn't feel right to me. Everything just seemed...off, especially that mask Jaime is wearing. Why is it so similar to the one Ali found? Speaking of that I must inform him.

Itsuki walks up to Ali with a secretive look on his face, "Ali," he whispers. Ali looks back at Itsuki with a confused look. "Have you noticed that the mask you found is similar to the one Jaime is wearing?" he asked. "Hmm? Uh no not really." Ali says. "Well, it is and I saw something else that looked like that mask on this newspaper I stole from back at the cabin, look." Itsuki says, pointing at a person with the same mime mask in an old newspaper. "See, I don't know if this has something to do with that "cult" or whatever but it seems weird how that mask is everywhere, and what coincidence that the person I suspect the most is wearing it." Itsuki says looking at Jaime with a cold stare and angered eyes. Ali lets out a soft breath for a moment. "Itsuki, I see where you're coming from but we can't judge them right now no matter how hard we want to because we don't have the info yet," Ali says before slowly lowering the paper Itsuki held, "Jaime could've gotten that mask from anywhere. I know you wanna protect us from others but we have to trust them, I mean, they seem to know the area well so we need them to find Hunter and Dahlia. Put your suspicions to the side and help, you can't go on like this, I won't let you." Ali explained. Itsuki looks at his journal with conflicted eyes thinking about how he's hurting himself thinking about these things. He closes his eyes and hugs his book. " I just...wanna go home and I want everyone to be safe." He expressed. "I know but we have to keep searching for Dahlia and Hunter until then, we're stuck here." Ali says. Itsuki sighs and looks up at the moon to clear his brain of any suspicions but it's hard when suddenly...a sound of whispers can be heard from the distance with garbled text being spoken within the whispers. Everyone looks around to see what's causing the noise when out of the corner of his eye Itsuki notices Jaime's fast reaction to the noise as she stands there quietly looking in the direction it came from. Ali walked up to Jaime a put his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, Jaime are you okay," Ali asked before Jaime jumped causing her mask to fall onto the muddy ground. She quickly covered her face and fell to her knees to look for it. Itsuki walked over to her and picked up the mask. He gave it a quick look with a cold confusing stare. "Hand it over," She said while still on her knees. "Why do you need to wear it?" he asks. "For my personal privacy now give it." Jaime said in a cold tone. "Why should I?" he says coldly. "Because it's mine." She responded. "Hm, I don't know I don't trust people that cover their faces." he says. "God damnit Itsuki, give her the damn mask. We just went over this." Ali grunted. "Why should I? I don't give a damn what you all say I know what she really is..." he replied. "How could you possibly know me?", Jamie asks, "You sound more ignorant than you look now can you please give me my mask so we can move on from this." She says calmly but with an evil tone. He looked at her with a dead look and smiled. "Hey, Itsuki can you just give her back the mask so we can get out of the middle of the forest." Sophie asks. He turns his head towards Sophie with a cold stare "And why should listen to you?" he says. Sophie looks shocked. "Well, because we're friends-" she says. "Friends!? I don't even know you." he shouted in a harsh tone. "Itsuki, why are you doing this I told you to stay calm and trust them." Sakka says worriedly. "I'm not like you ok. I don't suck up to people who live in the middle of nowhere and haven't even told me what they're doing here. Especially this one right here." he says looking at Jaime. "Me? Listen I don't have to tell you shit about myself but you should be happy that I volunteered to help your sorry ass." Jaime says. "Ok listen here bottom feeder you're just as sorry as me because you have to wear a mask to hide your broken identity which is a shame." he added lowering himself to her level. "Ok, that's enough," Ali says, "Itsuki. Give her the mask or I'll shoot you myself..." Ali threatened. "Shoot me?" Itsuki replied. "You heard me correctly. At this point, you're blocking us from getting to Dahlia with your stupid suspicions and I'm getting tired. I told you to let it go but you just won't listen and Dahlia is probably dead and you worry about this bullshit." Ali argued while pointing the gun at the back of his head. "Ali. Don't." Sakka says. "Yea, Ali let's not do this come on." Quinn says agreeing with Sakka. "I won't if Itsuki gives her the mask." Ali says with a dead tone. He stands up and looks Ali dead in the face with the gun now on his forehead. "Fine, I'll give her the mask." he says. He hands Jaime the mask and she puts it back on, she gets up and dusts herself off. "Now, can we continue?" Jaime says. "Yes." Ali replied. They all walk off with Itsuki in the back once again staring deeply at the ground wondering about what just happened, why did he do it? He closed his eyes and sighed. The rest of the walk was silent no one talked. Itsuki looked up to see a light in the distance. In shock, he saw the Orphanage. "We're here..." Sophie says. Everyone looks disturbed to go in but without hesitation, they walk in.