"Out Of The Fog And Into Hell" Outlast 2 AU

Chapter 2 "Further Into The Depths"

     As they disappeared into the house, the trio seemed to quiet down. The inside seemed primitive… almost as if it were taken straight from the nineteenth century. Kat's flashlight lit up quite a bit of the inside. On one of the walls hung a crucified Jesus, and a picture of a rather disturbing, overweight man was put next to the small figure. 
     It felt as if the man was glaring straight into Kat's soul, even if his eyes were hardly able to be seen with the grittiness of the photo. A shiver went down her spine as she turned away from the picture, opting for what looked like a plate of half eaten corn and chicken legs. The three cringed at the sight.
     "I don't know if it's the rotting food or what, but it sure as hell does not smell like someone's lived here for a very long time." Sam grimaced, clenching her jaw as the smell invaded her nose.

     Both Sam and Evie got their own flashlights out of their bags, and as they clicked them on, the entire inside of the house- or rather- hovel, was illuminated. There was dried mud caked on the floor, boots lied next to the doorway.
     Evie, being overly snoopy, went to a nearby desk. She saw what looked like a note, yet it was hardly legible with its chicken scratch lettering.
     She picked it up; if she squinted just right, she was able to read a few of the words that coat the yellowed page. 
     '...dream of…. Papa Knoth… to fill my womb… and be rid of… unholy child...'. And with that, Evie's face contorted into a sickened scowl. She put the note down, and despite wanting to tell her friends, she decided not to. Though, questions swirled in her skull. Who is Papa Knoth? The writer's father? Her cringe only worsened as she thought of it.

     Kat and Sam, however, continued to look through the house; searching for anything that would help them in getting back to where they should be. They need tires… but they sure as hell won't mind if they need to roller skate to get to Marissa and Alyssa. 
     "I don't think there's anything here. Let's check another house." Sam points to the front door with her flashlight. She lets out a yelp and almost drops her source of light as she sees a figure standing in the doorway.
     "Thou shalt bathe in Ezekiel's blood." The man in front of them spoke, a large metal pipe was held in his hand. Evie and Kat both went rigid as they stared the man down, their eyes wide. 

     Sam's legs pushed her forward as she knocked into the man, effectively making him fall over. He hit the ground with a thump, and the two other girls dashed after their friend. They ran further into town, yelling out for help. Yet, no help came. Only the heavy fog that seemed to follow wherever they went seemed to be their only company besides themselves.
     The man called out for others, and whoever he was calling to responded in strange biblical talk.
     "The outsiders! Their wombs are filled with evil! They carry Satan's child! All of them!" He barked, his voice echoed among the town, bouncing off of walls.

     The ladies all continued to run until they had reached a towering figure, a cross with a man hung from each of the cross's arms. His head hung low, and a rotten smell radiated off of him. Whoever this man was, he was long dead.
     In spite of the crucified man, the trio continued, Evie lagging behind slightly as she wheezed; out of breath.
     "What the fuck even is this place?" Sam hissed between her pants, her body trying to keep up with the sudden burst of adrenaline.
     "Somewhere I don't want to be. Where did we come from?" Kat replied, then questioned, her short curly hair fell in front of her face as she looked behind herself.

     "We went the wrong way. Whatever this hellscape is, we're going to have to get out of it the hard way." The two other young women cursed under their breath. They slowed down as their legs burned. They reached a slightly forested area, a small swing set sat in the far back of where the trees thinned. It seemed like the fog had lifted ever so slightly...
     In front of them rocked a small wooden rocking horse, its worn down frame creaked as the wind gently swayed it back and forth. Wooden crosses dotted here and there in some spots, messily placed in the ground. Baby dolls and their bodiless heads litter the dirt.
     "What the fuck?" Evie glared down at a doll, its glassy eyes peered right back up at her. Feeling as if she were being watched by tens of hundreds of eyes, she turned her head to look at Kat, who was fixated on something else entirely.

     Both Kat and Sam seemed to be unable to tear their eyes away from the two unblinking ones from among the trees. Their lights shined on whoever it was, and the figure backed away further into the darkness of the trees. A frigid chill ran down their spine as goosebumps started to raise on their skin. If they weren't scared yet, they sure as hell were now.
     The three forced themselves to continue on walking, even though they wished to turn back. They knew that the man had friends, and they were damn sure that their intentions were anything but good.

     The friendly chit chat between the trio of friends returned, but it felt tense and forced. The area became silent as quickly as it burst with voices, even if the noise brought comfort.
     As their breathing calmed, Sam, Kat, and Evie all remained silent while their feet padded against the dried leaves, twigs, and grass. The fog, wherever they went seemed to follow them relentlessly. Though they were able to see past the thick grey mist now, their flashlights barely shined any more than a few meters ahead of them; the light being caught in the cloud.
     However little their path was illuminated, they kept going, filled by either fear, or determination. Though, both seemed highly likely.

     They came to another structure, a stairway that led downward into another room. The three shared the same look of concern and fear. They'd have to go down, with the other sides being blocked off by chain linked fences with barbed wire entangling its top. This time, Evie heads in first, only to regret it seconds later. Going down the stairs, the putrid stench of death hung in the air of the stairway and only became stronger the further down she went.
     She came across a small bassinet made of wood and straw, filled with blood. Around the ground was also covered in the same shining crimson liquid. As the other two came down and saw the sight, they forced down the sudden rush of bile back down their throat that filled their mouths.

     Just as soon as they had entered the room, they had left into another, which was possibly even worse than what the room before was.
     Before them lied over a dozen mutilated fetuses, though they weren’t merely haphazardly strewn about on the floor, no. They were intricately placed in a cross-like formation, that of which shone from a hole in the ceiling, being illuminated on the floor by the gentle white rays of the moon. Their faces morphed into ones of horror and utter disgust as they covered their mouths.

     “What the hell is this place?” Kat whispered against her palm, her chocolate brown eyes unable to look away from the sight. Sam gagged, the bloodied bodies and smell finally starting to truly take over. She shook her head violently before stepping over the small bodies and getting away from the horrendous sight. The other two follow close behind, stuck to their friend like molasses.
     They kept on going until the three reached a dead end- a locked gate. Too tall to climb over, and too large to go around. Though, a hole that seemed just deep enough to slip under lied in the dirt road and directly below the gate.

     The trio of friends looked from one to another, and Kat led the way as she knelt down to crawl under the fence. The others followed close behind, helping each other up as they came out of the dip of mud and dirt.
     There was no going back now, not for any of them.