ORPHAN TOWN

CINDY'S POV

Her name is Rochelle. She has long black hair, dark chocolate skin, and brown eyes. She is carrying a bag that looks like it used to be white, has a number two pencil in her hair, and chews gum throughout our conversation.

'' If you're ignorant and simple, this town is the best,'' she says as we walk through the town. She has taken it upon herself to show me around. ''And if I'm not?'' I ask, following closely behind. She has these ancient brown boots that look like they have never been washed, a white top, and blue shorts.

We stop at a building behind the cathedral. ''You question things like me.'' She answers and opens the door. Once we go in, I am shocked. Everything is burned to the ground. It looks like it was a hotel with a burnt lobby with a receptionist desk, waiting chairs, and some portraits on the wall that aren't burnt.

I felt a chill run down my spine as I noticed those were the same portraits of a dog, a cat, and a chicken back at the house. "They look familiar, don't they?'' she asks me with a smirk. ''What happened here?" I ask. ''A bus broke down. Ten passengers wanted to spend the night at Caster. That very night, the building was engulfed in flames, and the mayor said there were no survivors. They all died in the fire," Rochelle explains.

Damn, I think. ''Did they say what started the fire?" I ask. ''No. But I have my theories," she says. She sits down in one of the burnt chairs and looks me dead in the eyes and says, "I think something evil may lurk in this town. It seems perfect, but it is not haunting. Like we are chess pieces and there are chess players we can't see,"

We sit in silence. But then she jumps up and says, ''Anyway, let us go get a bite to eat; you must be starving.'' I nod, and she grabs my hand, and we start to head out. But once she opens the door, she lets go of my hand and then says coolly, "The spirits need to be fed!'' She pushes me in. I hit the ground, falling into the rubble and dirt. And she locks the door.