Ghosts

Chapter 7

Undisclosed time. Approximately one year ago.

The soft cackle of a fire burning rose the woman from her slumber; she rubbed her eyes with bound hands, everything around her a dark blur. She was able to make out the faint sight of sunlight peering through a strung up sheet but other than that, darkness dominated her surroundings. Her body ached, rising up from the wooden flooring she found herself lying on. There was the distant sound of running water, the mist working its way into the shelter through the openings of the logs and curtain. Nayeli Lamb sat momentarily, trying to recall how she ended up here. Moving in an attempt to stand, she realized her feet had been bound as well.

Not this shit again.. She thrashed and screamed but gave up seconds later, realizing history was simply repeating itself once more. The lamb looked around helplessly, her eyes searching for something to cut herself loose. Not too far from her, an object caught her interest. It was useless in the sense of what she needed right now but the sight of the blue walk-man sitting just out of reach made her heart ache. Nayeli dragged herself over to the seemingly insignificant relic, taking it carefully into in her hands. There was some soot stuck in some of the grooves but that was the only visible damage. Remarkable considering that everything else in the house had been utterly destroyed. It was a melancholic reminder of the last day she saw her daughter. The day her life was shattered once again.

Movement from outside of the makeshift shelter caused her to quickly place the item down, scooting back to her original space. She tensed up as an all too familiar figure slipped through the curtain. A ghost.

Joseph Seed looked to the lamb sympathetically as he sat before her, setting down a bag he had been carrying over his shoulder.

"I thought you might be hungry." he spoke, beginning to unload the bags contents.

There was a mix of berries, fruit, and nuts he had gathered, pushing them gently towards her. Nayeli's eyes wandered from the fruit back up to him. She could not deny the rumblings coming from her stomach as soon as the food had appeared before her and dove right in. She started with the smallest items, shoveling them into her mouth as best she could with her hands bound together. Just feeling the food slide down her throat gave her an ungodly sense of satisfaction as she sighed.

She reached for more while simultaneously looking up, seeing Joseph staring at her, absent-minded almost. He looked enfeebled, enough so that even bound, she was confident that she could both take him down and escape wherever it was that he had been holding her. But without Jacob or Mai, well, she had nothing to return back home to. So for now though, she would play house guest.

"Why are you doing this Joseph...?" she looked down as she picked up more food.

She did not want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that in this moment, he was her sole source of food and shelter. There was no telling where they were, and she was without any supplies or knowledge of the area other than they still had to be somewhere in Hope County.

"God sent me an image..." he didn't skip a beat, like he had been waiting for her to ask about his grand scheme. He always did seem to love the sound of his own voice, probably just as much as John.

"He sent me a vision during our time in the bunker together of a shepherd who would lead my Children long after I'm gone."

She looked up briefly, catching sight of him gazing at her longingly as he brushed her long strands of hair behind her ear. Nayeli tried to contain her disgust as she dropped her sight back down.

"I had always believed the one who would take my place would be one of my own flesh and blood...that it was the child that you carried in your belly that you proclaimed to be mine."

He gave pause before continuing, "When I realized Mai was not my own...I was filled with so much disappointment. I did not know how else to express it other than the form of rage. I let my own pride consume me and I lost you both in the process. I did love her as my own. I still do despite my actions having said otherwise."

He reached for the apple, cradling in his hand as if it were a priceless artifact. Nayeli quietly munched away as he stopped talking, suddenly becoming self-conscious of her own chewing. Perhaps in another lifetime, perhaps, she could have learned to love Joseph. She had forgiven Jacob for his involvement behind her mother's death, who was to say Joseph could not be forgiven as well? God knows there were moments in the bunker where she could not differentiate between what was an act and what were genuine feelings. Her love for Jacob and Mai however trumped any possibility of that happening.

"When you left, I was was gifted a child of my own. A son. I believed him to be the shepherd God had promised but again He proved me wrong. He showed me another vision- this time the face of the prophesized Shepard."

Nayeli watched anxiously as he continued to hold the apple, this time, examining it, looking for any imperfections.

"At first I mistook the Shepard for you, their face, so similar, so beautiful. However, they had flaming locks of hair, and then I knew. But I also knew she'd never come here on her own accord or be willing to listen."

Nayeli placed down the fruit and berries she had just scooped up, half tempted to crush them in defiance as he spoke about her daughter.

"Is that why you took me? You're using me as leverage to fulfill another one of your prophecies?"

"No," his voice rose up for just a moment, speaking defensively, "I brought you here to protect you from those who would harm you."

He clasped the apple with both hands, shaking his head, like he was disappointed that she was not more grateful for his actions.

"I know that my brother Jacob went in search of Mai. I do pray that he finds her." he paused momentarily, picking his next words carefully, "For if she does not return, I cannot promise what comes next, only that we must be prepared."

Following his words, he extended the apple out to her. Her eyes followed the movement of the apple, both tempted by it's luscious appearance but cautious of his possible ulterior motive. She had seen Snow White plenty of times as a child to know that you should never accept an apple from a creepy individual. But the rumbling of her stomach argued against that logic, bits of berries and nuts not enough to satisfy its needs.

She glanced back and forth between the apple and Joseph, looking for any possible notion that he had an ulterior motive. When his eyes gave nothing away, she took the apple into her possession. She sank her teeth into the crisp skin of the apple, taking a chunk into her mouth. She sighed enthusiastically, the sweet taste of the apple incomparable to anything she had had over the last seventeen years. As she moved to take a second bite, she felt a sort of burning feeling in her stomach, radiating up to her chest. At first it was subtle, but the pain only intensified, followed by bursts of sharp pain. Nayeli dropped the apple, clutching her chest in pain as she began to pant. She hunched over into a fetal position as she continued to groan in agony.

"I'm so sorry." Joseph's voice uttered barely audible over her cries, "If this works, you'll be safe, I promise."

That was classic Joseph, the ends justifying the means. Nayeli reached out to him, panic ensuing as her throat tightened, her breathing becoming laboured.

Please, God, she begged, Don't let this be my end.

Her strength waned as she slumped against the floor, exhaling a final breath as her eyes shut close.

Please let me see my family again.