The Cult Of Seven Devils

Chapter 15: It was her distant wailing.

Hunter wasted no time and ran to Dahlia to let her down. Quinn and Itsuki sat in shock after watching Jaime's body fall to the ground. "Let's get you down," Hunter said to Dahlia out of breath."Is..she dead?" Dahlia asked while catching her breath. She didn't believe Hunter would shoot Jaime, but that's what your loved one would do for the sake of your heart. "I don't know," Hunter replied, "But it should buy us some time for now to get out of here." Hunter was finally able to cut the ropes that choked Dahlia's hands and feet. She fell into him letting her body wrap itself into his chest. Hunter was shocked for a moment and didn't fully process it until he heard Dahlia whisper, "I love you." Suddenly, he fully embraced her, and together they locked body, mind, and heart in the form of one hug. With the voice of happiness, he whispered back, "I love you too." and it felt like he was floating. They jumped off the sacrificing platform and reached Itsuki and Quinn. "Dahlia!" Quinn screamed with joy as tears poured down her face. She jumped in Dahlia's arms and they embraced each other for what felt like forever. "I missed you," Quinn mumbled, "I thought we would never get you back." Dahlia began to cry as well, thinking back on when she was abducted and how she thought she was going to die and never be found. She thought she was gonna be a burden from that point forward as her friends would have to carry on the weight of looking for her dead body if it were still to have a place on earth. Itsuki ran and joined the hug. He felt light even after everything that had taken place. They all laughed with tears of joy running down their face, deeply embracing each other for what felt like forever. Quinn and Itsuki looked at Hunter. He had his head down covering his face because he knew that he would never be forgiven for all of this. The pain, and the suffering, were all because of him and his rash decision. Just because he didn't want to listen to the people who cared for him most. He felt guilt and shame, their eyes staring at him in disappointment. In his mind, it was fair. He looked up and saw them staring at him menacingly. He walked up to them expecting to be shut down like he shut them down. "Hey," he said quivering, "I know you both are upset with me and you have every right to be." He didn't know how to continue because there was nothing fair about what he did. It was wrong and utterly rude because that's not what friends do. "I just want you to know that I'm sorry," he continued, "I'm sorry for everything. You don't have to accept my apology because what I did was not right...and friends aren't supposed to hurt each other, the way I hurt you. I was dumb enough to let Jaime manipulate me but not listen to my closest friends. It's okay if we never become friends again. But, I just want to get it out that-" But right in the middle of giving away his feelings, Itsuki and Quinn ran to Hunter and hugged him. "It's okay you big dummy," Quinn said chuckling. "Yeah, but you are gonna pay for most of this," Itsuki added. He grasped both of them back and felt like he was finally his old self again. The one that Jaime tried to get rid of, but deep down Hunter knew who he truly was and that was someone who spent time protecting and loving his friends. No matter what. "Thank you both," Hunter laughed. 

Suddenly, Jaime's body started to rise, but it didn't seem normal. She started coughing and twitching. It was like something out of a zombie movie. It was almost as if she was reincarnated out of thin air. "You thought you could just shoot me dead, huh?" she asked as she slowly rose from the ground. The others stood in shock wondering how she was still alive. What is she? "How- How are you still alive?!" Itsuki shouted in fear, "Just what are you!?" Jaime finally stood on her two feet but she just stood there. She wasn't even looking at the teens who were shaken with fear. Jaime sat there, staring into the blazing fire that sat in front of the Cult Church. Her eyes widened, so wide the fire glared back at her. Her head was leaking blood so much that everyone was concerned about whether she would just drop dead soon and they had a gut feeling, that maybe she was something other than this facade of "Jaime." "I've gotten that question before," Jaime replied still staring into the fire, "My mother asked me that question...right before I shot her dead for the sake of the cult. The children at the orphanage used to ask me that too, right after I killed their friends in front of them for the sake of the cult. Countless civilians used to ask me that while I dissected them and used them for my many experiments...for the sake...of the cult." She began to walk toward the fire and play with it. Moving her hand around the ridges of the fire as if she were guiding it. The others knew she wasn't okay. Not mentally or physically. But there was nothing they could do. All they knew was that they had to find a way out. Either one way or another, before she killed them which is what seemed like her grand plan.