Into the Dark [SLOW UPDATES]

VI

(A/N: Another awesome banner of Kai at the side made by @illusions- :))

Blood is a weird dark shade of red.

There was so much blood.

I cringed when I heard the tearing of flesh and the agonized and haunting screams of the man as the other locals teared him apart.

They were monsters.

Kathleen whimpered. I bit my lip and covered her eyes. She tightly wrapped her arms around my waist and I felt her crying on my side.

The whimper and the sobs made them scurry away, leaving just some parts of the man's bones on the ground, and his ribs still hanging on the rope that's tied to a branch of a tree. On the ground, there were still some of his flesh soaked with blood. The pool of blood made the snow on the ground colored dark red instead of white.

"That's a ritual," Madrigal suddenly whispered beside me. I jumped up at the sound of her voice, making the bush where we were hiding behind rustle a bit. "They do that whenever they really need to. It serves as their main . . . food."

I frowned. "But that is . . . cannibalism."

She nodded. "Yes. That was what I told you."

I shivered and crossed my arms. "I did not know you were serious."

She sighed. "I'm sorry you had to see that. I just thought it would be easier for you to understand it if you actually see it."

I did not reply. Kathleen's arms were still around my waist, but she was not crying anymore. There were just a few hiccups and gasps, but she remained quiet, anyway.

"Listen," she said, her voice coming down to a whisper and, once again, she looked around as if somebody would be listening to us. "This place is dangerous. You need to leave."

I nodded. I can leave Kai. We can leave without him. I know Kathleen will never forget about what he did, so if I will have to leave him if it is needed.

But . . . he is her brother. We cannot just leave him here with these . . . cannibals. But Madrigal is here, she can take care of him. But . . . But . . .

"Well hello there, Madrigal," a sinister voice said. It was obvious that he was smiling, and it was obvious who it was.

"What do you want, Benjamin?" Madrigal wearily said, but it was obvious from her eyes that she was tensed, the small muscles of her arms becoming tighter.

Benjamim chuckled and Madrigal pulled me up, telling me to stand up.

I looked for Benjamin, but I could not see him. I could only hear his voice like there were speakers everywhere.

Madrigal pulled me and we started to run again. I was holding Kathleen's hand as we ran after Madrigal. She led us back again at the highway, but Benjamin was already there. She took a step back, almost bumping into me.

I pursed my lips when I saw Kai beside Benjamin. His face was straight as he looked at Madrigal, though Benjamin was smirking as he eyed me and Kathleen.

"They're a nice addition to our collection, don't you think, Madrigal?" Benjamin asked. I heard Madrigal grunt.

"Oh, come on, don't be mad." Benjamin teasingly smirked. "I wonder what they'll think of you when they know your dirty little secret?"

I frowned. I do not know her secret, and I do not care what it was. But Benjamin made it sound that it was something related to us; he made it sound like it was about us.

"Do you know what she's hiding from you?" Benjamin asked, his eyes shifting from Madrigal's to mine.

"Shut up!" Madrigal yelled through gritted teeth. Her back was facing me, though I could imagine her face as her eyes narrowed and her brows furrowed.

"Oh, you should know." Benjamin smiled, walking closer to us. "You see, it happened yesterday—"

"Don't you dare!" Madrigal leaped at Benjamin, but Kai was faster. He blocked Benjamin and tried to hold Madrigal in one place. He was bigger and stronger than her, so she ended up hanging from Kai's shoulder.

She pounded her hands on his back, as her stomach was on Kai's shoulder and her head was facing his back. "Put me down!"

But Kai did not even look like he was being affected by Madrigal's fists as he just stood there a few steps beside Benjamin, his eyes set straight and his face unmoving.

"You see, it happened yesterday," Benjamin continued after clearing his throat. I did not know whether or not to listen to it since Madrigal did not want us to. Besides, she is still my friend and I respect her self-privacy. As much as I wanted, I could not stop Benjamin because I do not know what he will do to me if I do so. The morning was quiet, and only Benjamin's voice could be heard, so I was forced to listen.

"I saw Madrigal running away from this village, so as her older brother, I followed her to make sure she wouldn't get hurt." Liar. "I followed her until she stopped at a gas station. She climbed and hid at the top of the station, so I thought that I should hide as well."

I looked at Madrigal. Her clothes were still the same as yesterday's. It was a normal gray dress, and it reached to her knees. I remembered the gray cloth I saw hanging from the edge of the roof of the gasoline station. Was that her?

"And, well, there was a large vehicle that parked, and a bald man came out. He went to the comfort room, and all that, but as he walked out, I sighted Madrigal walking towards him, her back pressed close to the wall, like she was hiding from him," Benjamin said.

Wait, so she was really there? The bald man he was describing was Mr. Bentley? But . . . how?

"I don't know what it exactly was, but she put something on his mouth and it made him unable to talk properly," he said. "She somehow made him go up the top of the station. They didn't talk much, but Madrigal said something to him and he just kept shaking his head. And then boom! She pushed him off the edge."

What?

It was not true. Madrigal would never do that.

I looked again at Madrigal and it was when I noticed the small rip at the end of her dress. I remembered the cloth Kai's father was clutching when we found his body. It was the same shade of gray as Madrigal's dress.

It was all so coincidental that I could not believe it.

"Don't believe him, Veronica. You know he's a liar," Madrigal said. Her voice was pleading, but I did not know who I should believe.

"I'm not evil. She is," Benjamin said. "Right?"

I bit my lip. I could not think. I could not process what he said. I do not know what to say. I . . . I do not know.

I shakily took a breath. "I do not know what to believe."