The Cult Of Seven Devils

Chapter 10: Dormant Memories

"Our worst memories are precious, things we can't or won't forget, and sometimes they're what we guard the most." - Author: Joe Hart

It was the summer of XXXX and me and Jaime thought the day was normal but it wasn't...The sun was blazing over our log cabin with the smell of a fresh summer breeze that blew past my hair. My mother was packing me and Jaime's bags into our old Catalac that I never really liked because it always made this weird humming sound. "Where are we going, mommy?" I asked her and she told me that I and Jaime were going to a magical place while she and my father went out of town for the week. When we arrived at the orphanage everything was so big and new to me. I'd never been anywhere else but the area around my house which was filled with trees, shrubs, and bushes. There was a playground, a lunch area filled with foods that were also new to me, and even toys that weren't ripped or dirty. I was starting to like the place already and it felt like a dream...or so I thought. Later that night there was screaming from one of the mistresses that roams the halls at night. The teachers rushed into our rooms and gathered us into the lunchroom in a quick fashion. I was so confused at first and I wondered what was going on. Jaime didn't seem to be affected as always. The teachers had tears running down their faces and tried so hard not to make a sound. Soon, a man in black with a white mask came up on the stage that was in front of our lunchroom. There were men and even mistresses in the same outfit at the back of the lunchroom guarding the door making it so we couldn't escape. When the man spoke, it was all about freeing the forest and taking over Seven Devils and they needed young proteges to start the process of eradication. 

"Wait, what was the process of eradication?" Itsuki asked.

It was a plan to either kill people in Seven Devils, persuade them to join the cult or use them as test subjects to bring back these "cryptids" the cult thinks are gods. You've seen most of them already probably but the cult mainly focuses on the one they love the most, Siren Head. Most people fled Seven Devils already once the cult grew popular and now it's mostly abandoned. But anyway, after the leader of the cult explained what they wanted one of the teachers yelled at him and told him that we wanted nothing to do with them. She was immediately shot in her throat by one of the cult members and they seemed to have no remorse so none of the children dared to say anything, not even the older ones. After that day the cult ran the orphanage from now on tricking people to bring their children here so they can be turned into cult members and if the children fell out of line, they would be murdered.

"But what persuaded you and Jaime to join and stay for so long?" Ali wondered. Sophie looked sad and looked down while fiddling with her fingers.

Jaime forced me to join the cult. I told her multiple times that I wasn't interested in the program but she always threatened to rat me and my friend out because at the time we planned an escape but I still didn't want to join. One day I woke up to see my friend, not in her bed. I asked Jaime did she see her and Jaime told me that she told one of the cult members so now she's gone for good. Jaime said I could get her back if joined the cult and if I didn't she would rat me out too. After crying I agreed and vowed to do everything for her so I could save her one day. I studied, trained, fought, robbed, and killed all for the sake of finding my friend again, it wasn't for this stupid cult and I wonder if she's even still alive I wanna believe that she is but I doubt myself sometimes. I had to end up killing my mother for the sake of the cult which was Jaime's idea. Jaime always manipulated me but she has a higher rank in the cult than I do so I can't come to terms with her for anything yet again I can barely talk to her about anything. I just wanna escape this life.

"You can escape with us once we find our friends. We'll find a way to get you out of here so you won't suffer any more than you have." Ali said. Sophie looked up at Ali and smiled "Thank you guys but if that's the case we have to hurry qui-" As Sophie turned around there was a loud shot of a gun. Ali and Itsuki were speechless and in shock. Sophie's shirt was covered in blood dripping down to her waist. She started to blackout while holding her wound which was located on the left side of her stomach. She began to fall to the ground and saw Jaime at the door. "J-Jaime..." she said as she collapsed to the ground. "Sophie!" Itsuki and Ali shouted, rushing over to her. "Fair well sister..." said Jaime as she walked away down the long dark hallway putting her gun into her pocket. "This is just the beginning."