Cult Read online



  Cult

  Rachael Payne

  Copyright 2011 by Rachael Payne

  Cult

  The day had faded into night yet she was undeterred. Lighting two gas lamps she placed them down onto the massive stone sarcophagus and ran her hand over the engravings. This find was just too good to leave even for sleep. There was a slight breeze, she felt it gently move through her long dark hair. It was getting colder but she ignored her body’s reaction to the drop in temperature, paid no attention to the goose bumps and chills.

  What she had found was remarkable, so much so that she preferred to stay in these ruins alone, her guide would not stay and she had nonchalantly told him to leave. She was always very independent, strong headed and all that interested her was her work, the study of ancient cultures.

  Using her brush she cleaned the sarcophagus top, sweeping away the hundreds of years of dust and sand. Standing up straight she took a long look at the etchings and markings, this was unusual. This she had never seen before, these pictures, the writings. It couldn't be possible. Had she just stumbled on a previously undiscovered ancient civilisation?

  Her bewilderment quickly turned to excitement and she bent down to her bag to retrieve her camera.

  Making sure the flash was on she began snapping pictures of the sarcophagus, she needed lots to show the professors back at the University, then she would need to photograph the surrounding area and the crumbling stone ruins.

  Clearing away more of the dust from the bottom of the sarcophagus she paused, camera poised in front of her. She had noticed something and she moved to get a better look.

  A stain on the stone and this was not hundreds of years old, it was much more recent than that. It was dry and not exceptionally big but it was a very deep shade of red. Cautiously she poked it with her finger, the way it had dried, the way it had formed, it had to be blood.

  Maybe animal blood? How strange. Maybe this wasn't a sarcophagus, maybe this was an altar.

  She began to feel uneasy. Something about this place wasn't right, the writing, the way her guide had been so insistent on leaving. She decided to leave, she could come back tomorrow, in the day light.

  Odd how one spot of blood was enough to make her mind worry herself, it panicked as if someone or something was here with her. She saw out of the corner of her eye a shadow move and she jumped.

  That was stupid, there was nothing there just the wind and shadows working together. Calming herself she felt foolish for losing her nerve but she still didn't want to stay here.

  Taking one of the lamps she blew out the other, it could stay here until tomorrow and she hastily placed the camera back in her bag. Taking one final look around just to make sure she wasn't being watched, she grabbed her bag and slung it onto her shoulder.

  She started to leave walking as quickly as she could over the rubble and stone that lined her way out. She stumbled and startled herself. Exhaling heavily she regained her composure and continued, walking slower this time so as not to fall.

  She felt fear, it was irrational but she felt as though something was here with her. The power of the darkness over the mind even in someone as logical and scientific as her was still unprecedented. She would laugh at this when she returned to the camp.

  Coming to a dip in the ground she looked down to her feet to watch her footing, when she looked up she couldn't scream, the shock was too great. She felt her arm being grabbed roughly and she dropped the lamp.

  Thrown into complete darkness she could see or do nothing, her entire body froze and then she felt something being placed over her head. Her body’s reactions kicked in fiercely and she began to struggle, she squirmed and twisted violently as an arm grabbed hold of her waist. She kicked with her legs and made herself drop to the floor so they couldn't keep hold of her.

  Screaming at them and to anyone she managed to wriggle the cover off her head. There were two of them, they had to be men from their outlines and strength and they were dressed in long black, hooded cloaks. She couldn't see their faces and they didn't speak. The one that had appeared in front of her hadn’t moved, he just seemed to be watching.

  The one that had grabbed her now got down to the ground and she started fighting with him as he once again tried to restrain her. With fear and terror she punched at him, she tried kicking him away and tried to push herself back. But he got on top of her, he used his weight to keep her down but she still hit at him, her anger and self preservation wouldn't let her give up. Eventually he was able to overpower her and viciously he grabbed her arm and forced it to the ground awkwardly. It was painful, his grip was incredibly tight and she wildly flung with her free arm towards his face. She felt her nails connect with his skin and he turned his head.

  There was a pause in the struggle until she started squirming again, the attacker turned his head back to her. In one foul and swift action he brought his hand back and with anger and a lot of power he launched it into her face. She no longer struggled.

  Opening her eyes she still saw nothing but darkness. Her head was covered in what must have been a cloth bag and her hands were bound tightly in front of her with rope. She was propped against the corner of a wall and her shoes were gone.

  This room was cold, though she couldn't see she sensed that it was clinical. The cold wall and floor she was resting on were a good indication but also it was echoic. As she moved her legs on the floor she could hear it, peeling her skin away from the wall made the room sound empty.

  She had no concept of how big it was or what corner of it she was in, she didn't know if anyone was there or not.

  Her face felt painful, her jaw was aching from the hit she took. Where the hell was she and who were those men?

  Her heart beat was erratic and loud, every pump she felt in her chest resounded through her body. It was fear. Utter fear of the unknown, of not knowing where she was or where they had taken her. Then there was the not knowing what they would do to her next.

  Her breathing was short and shallow until she managed to calm herself so she could listen for anything, any movement or any other sound that might give her an indication as to what was happening.

  She took a long, deep breath in and held it in her lungs. She closed her eyes and let time pass while she was trying to hear something, anything. It was silent, the place was soundless. She exhaled and let her heart beat and breathing continue in its rapid way.

  A tear fell slowly down her cheek, what had she done? Why didn't she listen to the guide when he told her she should leave? If she wasn't so head strong, so over confident in herself then she wouldn't be here in this situation. She began testing the rope on her hands, tugging at it to see how much it would give, to see if she could wriggle her hands out of it.

  She heard a noise, a small shuffle almost and she froze. Was someone here, were they watching her? It was the tiniest noise that couldn't have even lasted a second, how could she be sure she heard anything? Maybe it was her, maybe she had moved her leg without realising.

  Her legs weren’t bound, why? She didn't know but it meant she could run if she got the chance and she returned to trying to undo the rope around her wrists. It was so tight, it was cutting into her skin and she only made it worse by twisting her hands around.

  There was the noise again, this time she looked around trying to work out what direction it was coming from. That time it definitely wasn't her and she stopped playing with the rope. Someone was in here with her, maybe they were waiting for her to break free and what would they do to her if she did?

  Should she speak? Should she try and take off the bag? No, they obviously didn't want her to see them and maybe that was a good thing. What if she was just hearing things and there was nothing there? The not knowing was agonising, the stress and tension in her body were almost suf
focating her and she had to do something.

  She was going to say something but not just anything. She had to think about it as she didn't want to upset them or make them angry. On the other hand if no one was there she could look a little stupid talking to herself but embarrassment wasn't really a huge concern right now.

  She opened her mouth but the fear kept her words inside, she had to coax her brain into joining with her vocal chords to get something out. Timidly and through a broken voice, she spoke, “I know someone’s there.”

  Waiting for a reply or a reaction was terrifying, her captives might not like that she spoke out and she couldn't imagine what they could do to her. Her breaths became sharp and short and her heart beat she could hear through her chest.

  It must have been only seconds but to her it seemed like a lifetime before anything happened. Hearing the crunch of shoes moving off a plastic floor made her jolt in panic, were they moving to her? She was so afraid, so full of terror and trepidation at that moment and it only grew with each quiet step she heard. As if she were a frightened child she brought her knees up and to her stomach, her bound hands she pulled close to her chest for some kind of security.

  The steps got closer and she sensed that whoever it was was