The Augustine

CHAPTER-20

"Huh..how did you get that knife Shushant?" I asked. Shushant's face looks changed. He looked like he was scared. His eyes were turning left and right. He didn't look at me. "Sorry Alice...you won't get the answer from me..Don't try to get into this." He said and went away. I was very confused. I believed Jacob has the answers for my questions, but how can I meet him? Barney brought me lunch, and I was eating alone. I didn't see Shushant after I asked him that question. I didn't eat much. I went inside my room and what a shocking surprise, Jacob was there. He was starring at me. "J....J....Ja....ja....ja...Jacob..please don't kill me...i...i..i didn't do anything wrong...I just wanna find out the person behind these killings...that's it....spare me...." I literally begged. "Alice, stop. You won't believe your friend whom you know since your childhood? How will I ever kill you Alice." He said and came near me and hugged me tightly. I hugged him and asked "Then why did you raise your hands as if you are gonna smash me with that iron rod?" "Yeah..i do raised it to smash, but not on you, on Barney. I wanted to kill him. But I never expected Shushant will turn his back on us. If he didn't pierce me with that knife on my leg, I would've killed Barney the other day." He replied

Alice : But why do you want Barney killed? He is a nice person.

Jacob: He is? No...not at all.. He wants you dead..

Alice: why would he want me dead..in fact he is the one who saved me.

Jacob: yeah..he did..because he wanted to kill you with his own hands..because then only he can save himself from that curse.

Alice: no way....wait....what...did you just say a curse?

Jacob: yeah...a curse

Alice: what curse tell me about it

Jacob: fine..i'll tell you..but afterwards...now come with me

Alice: where ? this place is highly secured......yeah...this place is highly secured..then how come you are here?

Jacob : Shushant led me in

Alice : what?? Oh god...what is happening around me?? he was the one who tried to kill you...then how come did he let you in?

Jacob : No time Alice....we haven't got all day...you have to trust me and come with me...now...Shushant will join us...come

Jacob took my hands in his and went near the window and lifted it up. "Come with me." he said and I jumped out of the window and we were standing outside the first floor. Jumping to the ground would be a bad idea. So we walked alongside the wall and there was a ladder hanging there. "I brought the ladder with me." said Jacob we both reached the ground. As soon as his foot touched the ground he started running towards the woods. He stopped at a place and turned back and waved me his hand and asked me to come there. So I ran with him into the woods. When we passed half a distance from the building we heard the danger alarm ringing in that building.

Alice: They have found that I've escaped.

Jacob: yes....come on fast.. keep up with me

We were running in the woods. We were not sure of our destination. I asked Jacob where we were going, but he said he doesn't know either. So we kept running. Suddenly we heard gunshots. They fired their guns in the air, and then a guy spoke through the loud speaker. He said, "Alishia..we know you are out here...show yourself...or else we will open gunfire." I was scared. I heard footsteps approaching us. Jacob came near me. he had a small knife in his hand, the sound of the footsteps came from a bush. We both watched that bush and suddenly Shushant came out of it. He was breathing heavily.

Jacob: Don't worry Alice. He is with us.

Alice: He is ?

Shushant: yes, I am.. when you asked me about that knife, I went out of the building. I was walking around that building and I saw Jacob behind the fence. I took the gun from my pocket and headed towards the rock. He suddenly got up and pushed me away, and the gun fell away from me. He said he wanted to talk with me for a while and I agreed. He then said about the curse and so I agreed to help you guys. Sorry Alice..and trust Jacob, he is right Barney is not a good guy.

Alice: ok....fine...I trust you both...but please...for god's sake tell me about the curse...what is that curse..tell me please.

Jacob: Alice..i'll let you know if we are alive tomorrow..you have my word... Shushant how can we escape from their sight?

Shushant: um...there is a river nearby, so take this path. follow me...those guys still don't know that I'm with you..so I can only accompany you till the river..then it's all you guys..

Alice: why don't you come with us? What if Barney hurts you?

Shushant: Don't worry Alice. I'm a well trained assassin..don't you remember..ok now...come on...follow me.

We followed Shushant. An agent jumped before us from a tree, and many jumped to the ground from a tree, followed by one another. There were seven of them. Shushant without having second thoughts took his gun and pointed at them, suddenly Jacob stopped him saying that Barney will find us by hearing his gunshots. So Shushant placed his gun back and he ran towards them and began to fight. Jacob also ran and fought with them. They both were fighting and I was just starring at them. One of the agent ran towards me to arrest me, I know how to fight too. So I kicked him hard in his chest and pushed him to the ground and took his knife and pierced his neck. Then I took his pistol and I put them in my bag. I wanted to help them, so I went near them and killed two agents with my knife and the rest of them were taken care by Jacob and Shushant. They both killed all of them. We walked a while. They still didn't tell me about that curse. So I stopped in between.

Jacob: Alice...why did you stop? We have to move on.

Alice: No..I won't move unless you tell me about that curse..

Shushant: oh god...ok...fine...go on Jake..tell her.

Jacob: fine...

Jacob agreed to tell me about it after a lot of hesitation. He began "Do you know who Barney is? Well his name is not Barney cook.. its Barney Williams, son of Alfred Williams. Do you remember that story Barney told you the other day..It was partially real. But the thing is, Edmund didn't kill Alfred Williams. The truth is Alfred killed Edmund inside the asylum. One day when Edmund's parents came to visit him, they found out that he was killed by Alfred. So the whole town went to the asylum and beat him up. He escaped, but still they chased him and killed him finally. Then they sealed the asylum. Alfred was alive still, but he knew that he won't last long. So he went to his home and he performed a ritual and casted a curse upon this whole town. Then he called Barney and passed on his duty to him. His duty was to bring back Alfred alive. In order to bring him back to life now, Barney needs you. Once Alfred gets back, he will summon all the evil spirits to fulfill his dream. That's the reason why Barney needs you."

"But how can I bring him back to life?" I asked him.

Jacob answered, "Alice...Alfred has mastered witchcraft...But the reason why Barney need you is....you are special...you are gifted. Do you remember your mother?" I said no. "You should know about her then. She is a witch.." said Jacob. I was shocked. "What!! My mom is a witch? No way.." I said. "Alice you've gotta trust me...just listen to the story that I'm gonna tell you." He said.

Jacob: Your mother and my mother were witches.. they bothwent to Romania to learn and master witchcraft...they came back here after 8years and they got married. The ultimate goal of every witch is that theyshould make the satan {DEVIL} happy..in order to do that, they should makecertain sacrifices. Our moms decided to make their sacrifices on a full moonday. When the day arrived they both assembled in a graveyard to perform aritual to invite the satan to accept their sacrifices. After the ritual wasdone, my mom cut her left palm using a knife and let her blood fall in thefire. You Would've seen that knife..It's that very knife which has the cat'spaw on its handle. When your mom's turn came she did the same as my mom did.They both waited for the satan's response, but unfortunately nothing happened.Suddenly your mom went to her house and brought you to the graveyard withouteven your dad knowing it. Seeing this, my mom was shocked. My mom asked her whatis she gonna do. Your mom replied that sacrificing you would make the satanhappy. My mom tried to stop her, but she didn't listen to my mom. My mom warnedher that she might kill her if she sacrifices you, but still your mom wasadamant and poked your wrist with her knife and let your blood spill in thefire. My mom got angry and they both started fighting and ended up in killingeach other. You can check your scar on your left wrist if you don't believe me.