Symbols

A group of friends finds a girl in the streets that has just escaped a cult after almost being used as a sacrifice

As we stepped out of the restaurant, we heard the blood curdling screams. It sounded fake, like something from a horror movie. The three of us looked at each other, eyes wide with terror. None of us could see what was happening, but clearly it wasn’t something we wanted to stick around for. “We should go, before somebody shows up!”

“No! What if somebody needs help! We should figure out what’s going on!” Danielle always had a strange sense of adventure, but it was the bad kind of adventure. The get you arrested kind of adventure. But for some reason, we were stupid enough to go through with her plans.

“I agree with Danny, somebody could need help. We should at least go look.” Of course Mike would want to go with her. They had been friends since they were born. Their moms had met in college and became best friends. So naturally, their children had to be best friends, too. They’ve been thick as thieves since they can remember and have done everything together. Mike has always followed with Danielle’s plans, no matter how crazy.

“Knowing our luck we would get there just as the cops showed up, everybody else would have scattered, and whatever is happening would be pinned on us! Y’all can go all you want, I’m staying right here.” I said the words with more confidence than I really had. They both knew that I would go if they went because I was the lost puppy that followed the person that fed it. They stared at me with challenging grins and turned their backs to me, a sign that they were fixing to go with or without me. When they began walking away, I tried to hold my ground, but as the creeping feeling of being alone and in danger got stronger, I dashed to catch up with them.

When we got to the scene, we realized it wasn’t a scene at all. It was almost to dark to see but the lady who was screaming was dashing through the crowd, trying to get away from somebody. As the crowd began to scramble, we saw a girl, maybe 17 or 18, stagger through the sea of bodies. Blood was running down her arms and dripping off her fingers, leaving a steady trail marking where she’s been. A part of me said to follow the trail, figure out where she came from. Another part told me that her staggering and swaying was from blood loss and she needed help, but I didn’t know which instinct to act on. It’s not like I could have helped her, but then again, so what if I found out where she came from? I couldn’t do anything about it.

I realized I had frozen in the middle of the sidewalk, staring at the girl. When I came to, I looked around to see I was alone. Both my friends had disappeared. But when I looked back at the girl, I found them kneeling beside her as she stared at me, as if I was the one that was supposed to be over there helping her. Her eyes were an icy blue, so pale they were almost white. She had pale white skin so thin you could see her veins, and long, tangled strawberry blonde hair. Danielle had used her scarf to wrap up one of the girl’s arms in an attempt to stop the bleeding. “She needs to go to the hospital!” I didn’t realize I was screaming until I looked at my friends and noticed they were staring at me with looks of aggravation. They were closer than I remember them being…Had I been walking this whole time?? The girl’s gaze was hypnotic. Once you got hooked, you couldn’t look away.

About that time the sirens started. We looked at each other quickly. Instinct told us to run. This wasn’t the first time we were in a situation that involved the police, and that wouldn’t help us work our way to the good side of this. The cars pulled up and came to a screeching holt. There were three of them. All of the officers got out of their cars, guns pulled. “Step away from the girl!”

“She needs help! She needs to go to the hospital. Please, help her!” Danielle was screaming at the cops, refusing to leave. When the police realized we didn’t have weapons, they lowered their guns, and began trying to pry my friends away from the girl. Mike went with ease but Danielle was fighting back, refusing to leave the girl until somebody helped her. The cops told her that they were getting an ambulance to come and that she needed to let the girl have her space until help came. After some arguing, Danny finally went with the two cops that had been wrestling her. The three of them approached Mike and me. Danielle joined us, standing slightly behind Mike. 

“Did you three see what happened to this girl?”

Danielle was the first one to step up, since she was the bravest out of us three. “No, officer. We just heard a lady screaming and running away, and when we went to see what happened, we found this girl following the lady, blood running down her arms, walking around like she was drunk. We don’t know who she is or where she came from, all we know is she needs help. Oh, and I would like my scarf back when they are through with it.” The officer looked at her quizzically. Just when I was starting to think he didn’t believe her, he said he would go found out who she was and let us know if they found out anything else, and they would return Danielle her scarf. As the officer walks away, we hear more sirens and see the ambulance pull up.

After about 20 minutes of waiting, the officer returns. “Her name is Alex, she’s 18, and she claims to have just escaped a cult. I don’t know that I believe her, though. She seems so out of it, she might not know anything and she’s just making all these answers up for the sake of not seeming crazy. I mean, what are the odds she ACTUALLY just escaped a cult?” The officer kinda laughed when he pronounced the last word. He had a point, that was kind of hard to believe from somebody that nobody know and who seemed so disoriented. “Oh, and he’s your scarf back.” The cop hands Danielle a blood soaked scarf. She held it by the tips of her thumb and pointer finger, like it was a dead rat. The blood dripped from the scarf and Danny pretended to gag.

“This is sooo gross,” she said, cringing. “Why did you let me use my favorite scarf, Mike!?”

“It was the only one you had, what did you expect me to do, just tell you ‘Hey! Don’t use that, it’s your favorite! Just let her bleed out, it will be fine, I promise.’ No! I didn’t want the poor girl to die!” I grabbed Mike by the arm and pulled him away from Danielle. He wasn’t fun to be around when he was mad and she had just enough fire in her to fight back with him, which was never a good idea.

“You need to calm down man. You know it isn’t worth it. She just didn’t think it through so she wants somebody else to blame it on. Don’t let her get to you.” It was all I could say to help. Mike was one of those people who didn’t listen to anybody so it was a miracle if he did for once. “Besides, we should probably follow the ambulance to the hospital to follow up on…A…Alex…? Something tells me there’s more to her story than she is telling.”

“Alright, you’re right. Let’s go.” I stared at his back as he walked away. He ACTUALLY listened. I smile to myself and do a quick fist pump as I follow him to the car.

When we get to the hospital, we ask the receptionist about Alex. The lady looks at us for a second, as if confused by the request, then suddenly looks scared.

“Are you talking about that girl who just came in?? The one with the symbols on her arms?? You guys want to go see her, voluntarily??” She sounds scared out of her right mind. She thinks for a second, then starts again, whispering this time, as if she was telling us classified information that would get us killed if the wrong person heard. “Are you here to take her back??”

The three of us look at each other. Danielle steps forward, clearing her throat. “Umm, excuse me. Take her back? Take her back where?” She looks around the room as if there was supposed to be a secret passage that opened when she said the words.

“You don’t know? Why are you here if you don’t know her or anything about her?? I would stay as far away from that girl as I possibly could if I were you guys.” She went from scared to motherly in a single second. I knew there was more to this girl’s story but how much more??

“If you wouldn’t mind just telling us where she is instead of warning us with your pathetic vagueness, that would be greatly appreciated.” Mike had his hands on the desk, leaning in toward the lady, his voice as stern as he could get it. I think he was trying to not laugh at her.

“Sure, whatever. Go at your own risk though. 10th floor, room 4733. Knock yourselves out.”

“Thanks.” Mike glared that the woman for a few more seconds before pushing off the desk and walking away. I couldn’t tell if he was actually mad or if he was just putting on a show. “Alright, lets find an elevator,” he said in a low, exhausted tone. He was a little aggravated but not bothered enough that we needed to worry about it.

I had been to this hospital plenty of times. I knew where practically everything was. As I led my two friends to the elevators I finally noticed that something felt off. Mixed with the sterile, don’t touch anything, hospital feel I was used to, there was an unnerving feeling that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. Like something was there that I couldn’t see.

We pile into the elevator and hit the button for the 10th floor. As the elevator begins to whisk us away, I notice that the usual music isn’t playing. In fact, there was no music at all, just buzzing. Not static buzzing…Within the buzzing, there was a steady beeping noise. It kind of sounded like a heart monitor. I didn’t think much of it at first, then it stopped. I thought maybe the music was just messed up and they had fixed it and expected it to start again, but instead the buzzing and beeps began again. I counted the beeps this time. When I got to six, they stopped. After a few second, they started up again. Six beeps then silence. I started to get nervous but couldn’t tell why. I looked at my friends, who either didn’t notice the sounds, or didn’t care. As we got to the 5th floor, my nerves amped to high and I started to panic.

“Hey, are you okay?? What’s wrong??” Danny was by my side, trying to slide me down to the floor before I passed out. “You’re not afraid of elevators are you?”

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’ve never done this before, but something just doesn’t feel right. I’ve felt like someone…or someTHING was with us ever since we got here. I think I just need to get into a more open space.”

Just then, the elevator reached the 6th floor and came to a jerking halt. We waited for the doors to open thinking that maybe somebody had hit the button for the 6th floor going up, but they never opened. Mike pressed the button to open the doors. He pressed it again and after nothing happened he slammed on the emergency button. “No, no, no. This can’t be happening. We HAVE to get out of here!” His voice had rose an octave or two and kept rising the longer he talked. Mike was claustrophobic, but he could usually get through it. I suppose we had found the exception. As we worked to calm him down, the buzzing started again. After six beeps, the elevator started up again and Mike let out a victory cry.

When we finally made it to the 10th floor, I felt like years had passed. The doors opened and Mike darted out into the hallway. I couldn’t help sharing his feeling a little bit, but I was still chilled to the bone. The uneasy feeling from the first floor had intensified on the 10th floor and it was so strong it almost made me sick. Did they really not feel this?

“Hey, Jordan, are you feeling okay? You look like you saw a ghost or something. Maybe you should sit down.” I give Danny a look that was a mix between shock and hurt.

“Do you seriously not feel that?? Like…like something is creeping up your spine…or like something is breathing down your neck that isn’t supposed to be there??”

“Umm…nooo? Are you sure you’re ok? Should we get a nurse over here?” She honestly sounded concerned, which was a first for her.

“No, forget it. I’m fine. Let’s just find the girl. Room 4733 right? Okay, this is room 4728…4729…” As we walk down the hall the feeling gets even stronger. It’s all I can do to keep from doubling over. My legs start to get weak and the room starts to spin. When I finally start to go down, I feel strong hands catch my shoulders and lower me down. Mike.

“Jordan? Jordan, can you hear me?” The light that was being shown in my eyes was blinding, and the chair I was in was extremely uncomfortable. I groan and try to push the light out of my face with little success. The nurse is stronger than I expect, and that’s when I realize it’s a male nurse. “Hey, take it easy. You don’t need to be doing to much right now, especially not trying to fight somebody off.” His voice was husky, but calming. I tried to relax, slowly remembering what had happened. I kept feeling like somebody was right behind me. With that thought, I realized the feeling was gone.

“Where am I? I mean, other than a hospital, where in the hospital?”

“You’re sitting outside room 4733, your friends are inside talking to Alex and asked me to stay out here with you.” Great. Now I’m gonna have to go in there after and look like the outcast. On second thought, maybe I will just wait outside for them to get done. “They told me to send you in whenever you came to, since you were the one who wanted to talk to her.” Of course they did. I thank the nurse for his assistance and he leaves. I muster up every ounce of courage I have and open the door. As I step inside the room, everybody looks at me.

“Hi umm…Alex? How are you feeling?” I didn’t recognize my own voice. It was much stronger and deeper than I expected it to be. The girl looked at me with curiosity.

“I’m feeling fine, thank you. How about you?” Her voice was light but hoarse, as if she had been screaming for days. I didn’t understand why she was asking me and I think the puzzled expression on my face gave it away and she reached up to touch her head. As she lifted her arm, I noticed that her cuts had been cleaned up. I also noticed that the cuts looked like symbols of some sort and that they went down the inside of both of her forearms and were on both of her hands.

“Umm…I’m fine, thanks. What are those symbols?” The question was out of my mouth before I had a chance to stop it. I cringe inwardly as the girls eyes widen with surprise.

“That’s a bit personal don’t you think? Why should I tell you?” She said the words with more of a challenging tone, rather than an offended tone like I expected. I didn’t have a good enough reason for her to tell me. I didn’t know this girl, I didn’t know where she came from, I knew nothing about her. So she had a good point, and I didn’t have a good answer.

“That’s a good question… I mean you don’t have to tell me, it was just a question… You never know who might be able to help you.” As I said the last few words, her expression softened and she gave me sheepish smile. Maybe that was the answer.

“I suppose you’re right, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. The story behind the marks is a hard one to believe if you weren’t involved. You’ll either believe me or you won’t but I’m telling you, it’s all true.” She paused and looked at me, waiting for a sign that I would believe her. I gave her a slow nod and stared at her with curiosity. “Okay. When I was 8, my mom and dad took me away to a place in the middle of nowhere. There were a few bunker type buildings. We were 3 out of about 40 people. Everybody listened to one guy. His name was Daniel. He was our leader. As I got older, he was like a big brother to me. I was the youngest member of the group and he had taken me under his wing the second we stepped foot on the grounds. As I got older, he would tell me stories about how every 10 years, God needed a young, female sacrifice. My first year in the cult he told me that God had just gotten a sacrifice that year, so he would need one when I was 18. I was too young to understand what that meant at the time, and by the time I WAS old enough, he had stopped telling me the stories and I had forgotten about it.”

A nurse walked in to check on Alex and give her some medicine. One dose was a pill and the other was a shot. Alex quickly swallowed the pills dry, like she had done it a million times, but she flinched when the nurse brought the needle close to her arm. “Relax your muscle and it won’t hurt as bad.” The words were out of my mouth before I had time to think about them. That’s just what I had been told when I was a child since I had always been scared of needles. Alex immediately listened, the nurse gave the shot, Alex thanked her, and she left. As the door softly clicked behind her, Alex continued her story.

“We had always celebrated my birthday with big, elaborate parties, but when I turned 18, it was like everybody had forgot. Nobody got me gifts, there wasn’t a cake, no dancing, decorations. People were acting weird around me, too. They wouldn’t make eye contact and they seemed to try to avoid me at all costs. I couldn’t figure out why until Daniel called the group to a town meeting.” She paused to catch her breath and bite her lip as tears welled up in her eyes. I had to look away before I started crying, too. I don’t know what it was about her that got to me. It was like we were connected on a strange level. It was as if whatever she felt, I was forced to feel. I looked at my friends and noticed that Mike was asleep and Danielle’s face showed her skepticism. I look back at Alex and see her take a deep breath as she calms down. Sudden tranquility falls over me as she continues.

“As we all gathered around the…square I guess you could call it…Daniel looked out at us with a mixed look of excitement and sadness. ‘Today is a very important day for our group,’ he said. Some people let out brief whoops and hollers, while others put their heads down, their bodies rocking with sobs. I felt like I had missed an extremely important message. My parents had been crying for the past week and refused to come to the meeting. ‘Today marks 10 years since the last sacrifice! Also on this day, one of our own has reached the proper age for the ritual!’ That was when it finally hit me. I finally understood what was happening. I tried to run right then but some of the members caught me and drug me to the front of the crowd. Daniel looks down at me and I see a tear roll down his face. He orders my restrainers to tie me up.” She looks at her wrists and I notice, in a break between the symbols, is a rope burn on both of her wrists.

“They tied my arms above my head and tied my feet together so I couldn’t fight back. Daniel handed one of them a knife. ‘You know what to do.’ He spoke the words so quietly…They were filled with so much pain…I couldn’t see how he could go through with this…That’s when the man started to cut into my skin. The other man covered my mouth to muffle my screams. The man cut the symbols into one arm, and then the other. ‘Now her hands.’ I could hear in his voice that he was crying. If it bothered him that much, why was he letting them do it?? The man with the knife started to carve into one of my hands. I tried to fight, but couldn’t. I was getting tired from the blood loss but I wasn’t giving up. I had to come up with something. I knew that when he finished the other hand, he would slit my throat, fill a cup with my blood, and throw it into the fire. Then they would leave me to die. He finished my first hand and I knew I had to come up with something quick. I watched him move the knife to my other hand and immediately knew what I could do. As he carved the symbols into my other hand, the world started to go black. I knew I had to fight, but it was getting hard. When he finally finished my other hand, he made the mistake of bringing the knife over the rope that bound my hands and I quickly threw my hands up against the razor sharp blade. The rope snapped almost instantly and I punched the man in the nose. I guess he forgot that he had the knife in his hand, because he cut the side of his face when he brought his hand up to cover his nose. The other man hurries to try to control me but I had already pushed the first man off of me and was fighting back vigorously. I finally managed to get up and run, and when I started, I didn’t stop. I knew I needed to find the closest town, but by the time I got here, it was almost already too late.”

I stared at her with amazement. This was all today. On her 18th birthday she has come this close to dying. “What do the symbols mean?” I couldn’t help but ask. She had never actually explained them.

“They are an invitation for God. They practically say come Satan, have this body as a vessel. But you see, the thing is that if the ritual isn’t properly finished, the sacrifice is possessed for the rest of their life. So I guess that’s my fate. But you can feel it, too. The demon. It’s the reason you passed out in the hall, why you freaked out in the elevator.” How could she have known that?? She wasn’t there…Maybe Danielle or Mike told her. That made sense. And…Did she say that…Satan was God?? As if on cue, she begins to explain further.

“You see, Satan has to the real God. He can make people powerful. Make them be able to do amazing things! He can give them the power to convince people to do whatever they want. I don’t see your God doing that. I don’t see your God at all right now! With a demon breathing down your neck, you’d think he would be here to save you, wouldn’t he?” She starts laughing hysterically. The feeling of something crawling up my spine returned and I spun around to look behind me, but nothing was there. Alex suddenly fell quiet. She looked up into the corner of the room and nodded. “Since it’s your birthday, too, he wants you to serve as well, and he’s NOT taking no for an answer. Join us Jordan, we will take good care of you. Give you everything you could ever want!” Her gaze became hypnotic. I tried to look away, to look at Danielle, but I couldn’t. Next thing I knew I was moving towards Alex. I had no control over my body. As I got closer to her, I noticed she had a knife. I held out my arm, she pressed the blade to my skin, then, black.

The End

Author's Note

2nd story