SEVEN: Cursed Souls

CHAPTER 19: HOUNDS (LUST)

Before Jamila's death.

Ryder woke up at ease because he had no nightmares, but the calmness in his heart would then turn to worry for this felt new to him, as if it's a bad sign.

He spent his usual day at the lair where Assassin taught him how to fight, but his mind is focused on the fact that he had no nightmares this time.

He spent the day like that until night came and James got to his room again.

"Ryder, they are preparing for the next sinner. Anonymous may come here and give you the envelope. I can't get you out," James said.

"I think it's okay since I haven't dreamt of anyone today. Let's just be ready for tomorrow. Make sure that you follow me when we get out. Last time, it was so immediate that I wasn't able to tell you."

"Okay. We'll do that, I'll get going soon. If I can get here earlier tomorrow then I'll go."

"Uhm...James, I have something to ask you. It has been weeks, perhaps months, since I got here and I don't know what happened to my parents. Can you check on them if you have time soon?"

"Of course, what was your address again?"

"Jamila knows where we live. By the way, how is she? What happened to her after you faked my death?"

"Jamila and I had an argument that we weren't able to fix for months. She doesn't tell me her problems nor talk to me anymore," James said then looked down, "It's hard because there's only three of us in the house and she doesn't talk to me and our Dad."

"Can I ask what happened to you and Jamila," Ryder asked while he is in deep thought. He is so worried about Jamila that he slowly feel his heart getting heavier and heavier as he thinks about her condition then as soon as he looks around, everything started spinning.

Ryder passed out and James was fast to catch him.

***

"Help! Please help me. Please!" Jamila shouts.

"Stop resisting," A man said while pinning down Jamila. Another tries to kiss and undress her but Jamila struggles.

"No! Get off me, no!" she yelled then kicked the man in his crotch.

"I TOLD YOU TO STOP RESISTING!" the man said then stabbed Jamila with a pocket knife. One seems not enough for him as he stabbed her again. What caused her to stop moving was when she got stabbed in the neck. The one that stabbed her froze in place while the other started to run.

***

"The cemetery," Ryder said when he woke up.

"Why? What did you see?" asked James.

"Jamila! Call your sister right now! Let's hurry out here please."

James couldn't understand so he texted Steve to come meet them at the highway and then called Jamila.

Her phone is ringing but she isn't answering. James went out and asked his members to go back to the main building then he immediately got Ryder out.

At the car.

"Steve, you have to drive now," Ryder said.

"But where are we going?" Steve asked.

"Just drive, I'll tell you where we are going," James responded.

James slept and dreamt of her sister being pulled by someone into the cemetery. He took over the wheels when he woke up.

"James, please we have to act fast," Ryder told James.

"I know, I saw her."

At the cemetery.

"James, can you remember where she is?" Ryder asked.

"I only saw her being pulled here. I don't know where she is currently at."

"Help! Please, help me. Please!" someone shouted.

"Follow the sound, let's go!" James said.

They started running to the direction where the sound came from. They heard her ask for help again, but what shocked Ryder was when he heard the exact words that the man said in his dream before stabbing Jamila. "I TOLD YOU TO STOP RESISTING!"

"Go to the right, fast! We have to save her!" Ryder shouted nervously.

They started running but it fell silent again, they can't hear anyone resisting.

They reached the location and saw a man trembling while looking at the knife in his hands. In front him is a woman bathing in her own blood, lying above a grave.

"YOU! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Ryder said, looking at the man. His heart is full of rage and he fails to think through what to do next other than to kill this man.

Sin of Lust