||Hello Neighbour: One Last Game||

||Chapter 7: Sacrifice||

Nicky made sure to slap himself, making sure he wasn't hallucinating or still asleep.
Nope; He was awake.
Looking at this, it looked like some shrine or monument: How knows what this is, or why.
Who set this up, why and if this is a shrine; Why is the shrine centered around the Crow he chased.
"LET ME GO, YOU PEOPLE ARE SICK!!"
"It has to be done."
Nicky turned to his left, immediately seeing two people in cloaks carrying someone.
Nicky was curious of the yelling, but also concerned: Something bad was about to happen.
Nicky turned off the phone light and followed close behind them, but not too close.
"PEOPLE WILL BE LOOKING!"
"No one will; Everyone knows not to come to Raven Brooks."
"Stop struggling."
What was going on, was he really not alone?!
Damn: Guess he can't do what he wants.

~

Oh my God.
It was a huge cave, there were few people in cloaks and the two carrying the man to the centre and chaining him by his ankles and wrists, arms raised high.
As they made his head rest on a rock infront of him, Nicky took in his appearance.
Broken glasses, messy long hair, a beard, worn shirt, worn jeans and had no shoes.
He seemed familiar to Nicky.
"YOU'RE ALL SICK PEOPLE!!"
"We would have let you go, if you had kept your nose out of things."
A man with a cane, in a hat and trench coat approached him.
"A sacrifice is needed, hope you understand my dear friend."
Nicky felt his blood go cold, a sacrifice? Were they gonna kill this guy?!
Looking around him, he grabbed a rock and threw it as hard as he could to make a racket!
"What was that?"
"Cave debrief??"
"Might be that Raven."
They all stood up,"We'll be a moment.", as the guy struggled with the chains, they felt in the direction Nicky threw the rock.
. . .
Nicky came out and rush over,"Hey.", the man turned to him, shocked to see someone else.
Nicky reached into his pocket and took out a pin,"Hold still; I'll have you got, but keep your voice down or they'll come back faster.", he nods, Nicky began to pick the locks of the chains.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Click.
And there was that satisfying click of victory!
The chains fell, he stood up slowly and rubbed his wrists,"Thank you. . . Thank you so much.", Nicky nods,"We should, probably. . .?", "Yeah.", they had to go now.
So they ran, Nicky was worried about the guy not having shoes but he seemed fine.
As they ran past the shrine.
"Where is he?!"
"He's escaped! Find him!"
Oh crap.
Nicky ran out, the man stumbled and held his hand up to the sun,"Jeez. . . It's bright.", "Been in a cave for that long??", Nicky pulled himself up and out of the ditch, offering his hand,"Need a hand?", the man took it, Nicky pulled him up.
"Be careful as you walk down the path, some thorns, sticks and so on: So be careful were you step."
The man nods, taking a deep breath and taking in the sun, the fresh air and probably just being back above ground again.
"Thank you. . . Thank you for saving me. . . But, how did you find me, or. . . Why are you here or who are you?"
"Uhm; Let's say something lead me to you, I'm here for closure and I think we should talk away from the ditch/cave??", he nods,"Fair. . .", so Nicky lead the way down the path the Crow had lead him, he looked around in case he saw it.
But. . . He couldn't see anyone, or anything.
But his mind was focused on helping this man, get answers and find out who he is.

=

Nicky gave him a blanket and prepared food.
"Thank you. . ."
"Don't mention it, it would have been cruel to leave you."
He passed him a plate of food and a drink.
"Not sure if it's much."
"It's more than enough."
He began to eat, Nicky stood behind the sofa and rested his hand in his pocket with the tazer.
"So; What was all that down in the cave? Where they going to kill you. . .?"
He nods,"Yes. . . They were going to sacrifice me to that fucking Raven, because their original planned failed to make me one of them.", Nicky titled his head,"One of them?", he nods, taking a drink.
. . .
"Who are you?"
"Quentin. . . I use to investigate this place before they captured and held me hostage."
Nicky felt his heart skip several beats and felt his stomach drop.
"Quentin?"
"Yeah. . . But who are you?"
Nicky wondered if he remembered him,"Uhm. . . I dunno if you remember me, but I'm Nicky Roth, I-I know I may look different, hair is lighter and my stitches are out. . . Left a scar but; Yeah, I'm Nicky."
Quentin looked shocked, he wiped his glasses to see a little better, looking at the young man in front of him.
. . .
"Nicky?"
"Yeah; I'm Nicky Roth!"
Quentin stood up,"Oh my goodness, you look so different, though I can see your eyebags.", he chuckled,"Yeah, uh sleep hasn't changed much.", Quentin smiled, taking Nicky by the shoulders,"Oh, it is so nice to finally know you were definitely okay. . .", Nicky smiled, though Quentin was curious,"But. . . Why have you come back to Raven Brooks??", Nicky rubbed the back of his neck,"Uhm, well long story short; Closure.", Quentin was surprised,"I wanted to return, face the past and figure out what happened all those years ago. . . I felt more attached to this place, because Raven Brooks is where I met my friends and felt the happiest, even if the town was odd.", Quentin nods,"Then I got a lot to fill you in on, Kid.", with that Quentin sat down, Nicky sat across from him.
He was getting some answers.