"If a Strange Church suddenly appears in your Town, LEAVE IMMEDIATELY!" Creepypasta

on the drive home for spring break the very first thing I saw of my town was an enormous and many sped church that had not been there before I did a double take and drove by on my way in each Spire was formed of six separate bands of crimson metal spiraling upward in a motionless pouette that crested in a wicked Point slicing the air sharply enough that little trails of clouded moisture could be seen racing from their tips in the humid North Carolina afternoon the six spires along the front of the otherwise bone White Church

were higher on the sides and lower in the middle forming the impression in my sight of the bottom row of some set of horrible demonic teeth only the sheer mundanity of the surrounding environment kept me from immediately labeling the place as evil over there was a wooded enclosure for dumpsters nearer was a wide parking lot with a scattered assortment of the rundown decade old cars typical of my small town and directly in front of my car as I sat staring was a garish child made sign for a coming bake sale I shuddered and then decided

that I would never buy cookies from such a horrifyingly poor choice of architecture well unless they were really cheap or unless they had the rare pistachio flavor I loved it was just a building I told myself feeling strangely threatened the next thing I saw after I shifted into drive and continued on was a raised axe chopping down on something behind an approaching row of bushes watching intently as the green angled past I sighed with relief and waved at old man Kar he smiled and waved back before continuing to chop wood a small pile of split

logs had already built up along the side of his house and he threw another piece on top as I turned and lost sight of him numerous children were playing in the yards on my street I slowed to make sure I didn't accidentally hit any as they ran this way and that throwing balls or Screaming one was sitting on her Porch Looking downcast and I watched her as I passed she did not move frowning I pulled into the driveway of my home and got out to begin grabbing my stuff from the trunk well what could I

do I carried my backpack and duffel bag inside while bracing against the inevitable family rush but it never came wandering through the house in a days of remembrance and happiness at being home after so long spent at College I smiled as I found my mom in the kitchen hey I'm back that's great she replied her tone genuinely warm she kept her eyes on her work I'm making a pie I'll be done in just a minute I watched her full dough with flower covered hands for a moment surprised my mom had always been a rather hardcore

anti-traditional when did you start making pies a lot of things have changed since you've left me with an empty nest she teased still focused on the crust she was making I've had to pick up hobbies to fill the time Claire doesn't keep you busy I joked right back she didn't answer moving on through the house I called out for my younger sister but no reply came heading upstairs I dropped my stuff off in my room sat on my old bed gazed around at all the stuff I'd partially forgotten about and generally took in a refresher

on my old life nothing in this room had changed a single bit and it felt good to know that not everything was constantly in transition classes friends dorm rooms it all changed regularly and even that pattern would shift when I graduated nothing was solid nothing felt real nothing except this unchanging room even my sister would be different I hadn't been able to make it home for winter break so she would be half a year older now and at that age half a year was an eternity getting up and heading down the hall with a smile

I carefully tapped on her door there was no response CLA I'm coming in I called carefully after another few beats I pushed open the door and gagged the smell was horrible her room was cluttered nearly Beyond beond recognition food wrappers littered the floor like a thick carpet of leaves in a forest and stacked piles of dirty clothing filled the corners in far greater amounts than she had ever owned a few flies batted bodily at the window and I picked my way across the uneven floor and opened it to let fresh air in what the hell

was this there was no way mom didn't know about this two when I'd mentioned Claire's name she hadn't responded were they having some sort of bitter teenage your parent conflict rooting through the garbage I found my sister's well-worn diary apologizing under my breath I opened it and leaf through summer normal entries fall normal entries in October the writing turned heavier as if she was writing angrily the entries turned to talk of conflicts with our mom as I'd expected but one strange line caught me off guard tried to call Nathan but mom took away my phone

I swallowed unhappily that wasn't at all how our family usually operated had my sister been suffering for months without being able to contact me the last entries devolved into huge angry script single sentences took whole pages I hate her I hate her but that had been 3 months ago on the entry marked December 25th no more writing followed for nearly the whole diary the very last page seemed to have something written on the back but it had been stuck to the binding by small brown splatters that I assumed were coffee stains I tugged at the

paper a bit before deciding not to mess with it better not to leave evidence that I'd read her diary dropping the book I headed downstairs and stood with my arms crossed watching my mom working on a second pie crust something wrong between you and CLA she didn't respond I took in a deep breath if you don't want to talk about it that's fine but at least tell me where she is she just kept tugging and pulling the flattened dough I was beginning to feel strange about all this seriously where's Claire mom when she continued saying

nothing I grabbed her arm at that she finally turned and looked at me with flaring anger you mind your own business Nathan I'm just trying to hold this family together the best I know how and right now I'm making a godamn pie she'd never sworn at me before I pulled back in confusion things have not been good with you gone she continued turning back to the crust her tone became almost sweet I know I'm not in the best mood right now when we go to church tomorrow we can talk all right okay I backed away

then and headed for the front door we'd never gone to church before what had caused her to start going now the thought of my mother entering that bone white church with its teeth of red spires made me Shiver I wanted to find CLA but that same girl was sitting on her porch staring at the ground cutting through the chaotic swarms of playing kids I approached cautiously she was a longtime neighbor but she'd been little last we'd seen each other and I wasn't sure if she remembered me hey Madison are you all right she looked up

in Wonder from behind unkempt brown hair you mean me making a show of looking around I said who else is there popping up onto her sneaker clad feet she grabbed my wrist do you have any food it was pure Instinct I pulled back my hand food what I shook my head hold on leading her back up her own porch I knocked on her front door after not getting an answer I slowly inched my way in while looking around I recognized the bald head in the living room approaching the big soft chair with the girl in

toe I coughed her father continued watching television but asked who D um it's Nathan sir your nextdoor neighbor stepping closer I moved into his sight he tilted his head to look past me ah nice to see you boy get out away though kindly I don't know if this is my place I said nervously he was known to be a Gruff man and very direct about his views on raising his children but I think your daughter's hungry he didn't respond did you hear me he said nothing I reached forward and poked his bare shoulder next to

the yellow stains in his airt he snapped his head to look at me and growled screw off I'm busy his attention turned back to the television just as quickly shaken but un willing to leave the girl hungry I led her into the kitchen while constantly checking to see if her father was getting up at no point did he even so much as glance at us the cupboards were empty of immediately edible food but there were still substantial stores of goods that could be cooked with amateur hands I got stuff out and made a meal making

sure to show her how to do it herself in case her father continued to neglect her she listened intently through each step of the process taking in every detail once it was done she began wolfing down the food like she was starving sitting awkwardly at her kitchen table while her father continued to ignore us I asked have you seen my sister CLA mouthful she gave an exaggerated nod where at after taking a big swallow she told me the school that's where all the big kids go on a Saturday she didn't seem to understand the question

well find me next door if you need any help okay her nod this time was small and utterly relieved I still felt the urge to stay but the need to make sure my sister was safe was stronger with a pained sigh I headed back out into the afternoon heat but the Swarms of children were all gone the neighborhood was deathly silent no buzzing mosquitoes no birds and no lawnmowers the Symphony of a normal Carolina afternoon had abruptly ended while I'd been inside as I stood looking around intense confusion I cited a small boy hiding in

a deep Bush staring at me in fear before I could ask him what was going on I heard a footfall but this was no normal footfall I was outside on a hot and humid summer day near a wide Lane flanked by houses yet the echo was that of a formal shoe hitting polished marble between High pillars in some vast cathedral-like space the slow and measured wrap wrap wrap and their following Echoes seemed to be coming from down the street and I began to see something moving past the bushes and trees to my right the hiding

child gestured frantically wary I moved out to the sidewalk where I could see a distant figure walking down the center of the street whoever it was they looked to be wearing white robes with a red hood that obscured their face behind me the boy in the bushes began sobbing and I had the sudden Instinct that he was not not afraid for himself but for me looking up I sighted a horrified teenage girl hiding in the thickest parts of a nearby tree her eyes shifted rapidly from me to the approaching robed figure and back and she

repeatedly tilted her head forcefully away from that stranger as I stared at her all right I could take a hint full of apprehension but not sure why I began to run if the robed figure had spotted me it gave no indication its eerily echoing footfalls continued at the same measured Pace as I fled down the other end of the block heading for the school distance did not dim the sound of hard shoes slapping on marble one block away then two then three I still heard it as if it was right on top of me and

still as if we were in a temple-like space together only when I reached the chain link fence surrounding the School's football field did it stop and even then the cessation was completely abrupt the last footfall echoed in my ears with the cilent undertone of a toothed and confident grin unseen behind a red hood I didn't wait or look behind I ran for the gymnasium bursting within I ducked as a baseball bat arked for my head I tumbled on the smooth floor and held up my arms as figures rushed at me wait a female voice shouted

it was familiar but older somehow that's my brother clambering up I stared around at the population of what might have been a school dance in another set of circumstances half a high school of kids all along the range of teen years stood watching me in return sleeping bags and low cloth barriers had been erected like some sort of refugee camp and massive stockpiles of supplies lined the back walls underneath our school's sports Victory banners from near these Stacks came my sister thinner yet Fuller of face somehow Nate she hugged me tightly and a surge of

pent up worry flooded through me CLA what the hell is going on here what about the rest of the world she asked desperately did you bring rescue rescue I shook my head and gazed at the dirty and stressed faces Beyond hers rescue from what an older boy stepped forward so nobody knows what's happening here no they were all deadly serious CLA let go of me and turned to the others she spoke loudly so that everyone could hear then that means the rest of the world is safe we should make a run for it she shivered

mightily with hope as she turned back to me with wide eyes do you have your car there was the swearing again what had happened to my family and the town Claire you have to tell me what's happening I just got here and I I don't understand she looked to the older boy who had spoken and he grabbed me by the arm and led me roughly toward the doors back to the football field cracking open one he pointed that happened a source less chill breath rolled across the back of my neck as I spotted the white

robed red hooded figure standing on the other side of the chain link fence watching us it made no move to enter yet did not Retreat who is that more like what the boy shook his head he was the priest at the new church nobody's sure when it was built sometime near the start of the school year it was just there but a lot smaller than it is now only a few people were going I asked staring at the distant figure with horror well yes but that's not what I meant the church itself was smaller then

finally breaking my gaze away I studied his face for sincerity what is it being added to where's the construction equipment he just shook his head and backed away CLA rushed close and pulled at my pockets your cell phone she got it out of my pocket and frantically tapped at it before handing it to me open it we have to call someone unlocking it I gave it back and she frantically began dialing holding the phone up to her ear she paced the gymnasium while the large number of other students watched her hopefully it seemed each of

them had their own Corner among the sleeping bags and short cloth cubicles and they had all become very used to remaining in place peering back outside at the robed figure I asked the older boy what does he want hell if we know but any Kitty captures is never seen again he responded holding his hand forward I'm Marcus gripping his hand I told him it's good to meet you Marcus I don't know what's been going on here but we're going to put a stop to this he pursed his lips but said nothing on the other side

of the gymnasium CLA began sobbing leaving the door to jog to her I accepted both her sudden intense hug and the phone lifting it to my ear while she remained wrapped around my midsection I listened there was a strange background clicking noise and a hoty cilent whisper Nathan I gulped yes you are nearly of age you are invited to attend the Church of the Sacred way partially dragging my sister along with me I moved to a window and looked out the robed figure moved slightly with the words being spoken indicating that it was him talking

but his white clad arms were by his sides did he have a cellular device under his red hood how had he intercepted her call how only adults May attend the Church of the Sacred way I hope you realize what an honor this is I do I told him just to keep him talking while I tried to figure out how that distant figure was speaking to me what do I have to do simply come to the cathedral tomorrow at noon all will be revealed to you child where was his goddamn phone I could see his hood

shifting with the movements of his mouth child I thought you said only adults were invited all the uninitiated are children the sacred way is how you become an adult you must witness the truth and accept your holy responsibility in this life will you be there Nathan my fingers had become ice cold around the phone sure the strange uneven clicking in the background continued for a moment and then the phone went dead bits of Frozen moisture had formed around the screen and I carefully placed it on the floor and backed away many of the students had

their heads in their hands and sat hopeless While others had gotten up and were discussing plans for escape CLA let go of me and bitterly joined these discussions but much a do was made about other students that had set off for nearby towns without result when they asked me if I'd heard anything from anyone about the situation here I had to tell them I hadn't surely if a terrified teenager had shown up warning of a strange threat back home someone would have done something are you safe here I asked them Marcus nodded it doesn't come

on the school grounds for some reason he looked over at those talking about running it's not going to work trying to run is stupid nobody's made it and that thing is always out there I think we should fight fight yeah follow me he took me deeper into the school through Halls lit only by afternoon sunlight the complex was quiet and empty save for one room that held a Man drawing equations on the walls numbers and signs covered the entire room floor to ceiling and he had begun again darkening the nonsense Math and Science into Oblivion

Marcus took some food out of his pocket and threw it in before closing the door and moving on leading me into the science lab he showed me an array of prepared bottles we've had months to figure this out but we can't get close to the church at my Approach he stopped me with a hand careful it's more or less Napal wao stepping back I held up my hands I don't know did it invite you he glared at me intently I'm not did it invite you I gulped again yes with masked Fury he said quietly then

I think you should put these under your jacket and take the priest up on his invitation when you get inside burn that god-forsaken place to the ground he was serious joining the others in the gymnasium again I told them I'm going to go get my car and look around I can outrun the priest yeah they nodded and others agreed to act as a distraction while I slipped out Claire clenched her hands and then we make a run for it Marcus watched me from behind the crowd I glanced at him and then at my sister sure

evening was coming on as the other students made noise and I ran toward the opposite side of the school I'd attended this place for 4 years and now it all seemed so alien I recognized some of the kit on the walls and there was even a photo of the soccer team that still had me in it from our local championship year but without electricity and by the orange evening light all these reminders of my life at home were twisted and off-putting bursting out into that familiar front parking lot I aimed for a wide Ark around

the priest's assumed location it was only a few blocks but my heart slammed in my chest throughout was something Supernatural really going on or had everyone just breathed in fumes or chemicals and lost their minds all I knew for sure was that my little sister was scared and that I had left her here in the clutches of danger for half a year I would not leave her again I was the man of our family it was up to me as I completed my Wide Circle I saw the axe again this time glinting yellow and gold

old man Kar smiled and waved as before I approached thinking that he might be unlike the others who hardly responded to me and not at all to younger kids as I neared the corner of his house I saw what I had missed before and I ran away as fast as I could pushing into my house covered in sweat and full of Terror I stomped into the kitchen where my mom was making pie crusts stop I shouted at her grabbing her arms she screamed and fought violently against me pushing me off when she grabbed a knife

I backed off and she returned to her activity immediately I felt like sobbing but I only let a few tears fall this was no time to lose it the next room held evidence of her Madness old man kar's backyard had been filled to the brim like a lumber yard and similarly the Next Room beyond the kitchen was piled high with thousands of pie crusts at her I shouted why why are you choosing this monotonous repetitive nonsense over your own kids I must remain worthy she murmured back without looking at me working hard means you're worthy

but it's pointless you're not doing anything she hummed a little tune before saying the world needs its pie crusts vement now I spat machines make pie crusts mom you're not accomplishing anything if you don't work hard your garbage she whispered kneading dough useless flesh to be discarded full of fear and pain I ran out into orange gray fading Twilight my car was right there in the driveway but I ran next door and entered without waiting the neighbor girl's father sat watching television and she was in the kitchen having middling success at cooking another meal at

seeing me her jaw trembled come on I told her we're getting the hell out of here something's horribly wrong with this whole town she nodded and took my hand what about my dad putting her behind me I approached the bald man in the chair what to say to him if you don't work hard sir you're garbage useless flesh to be discarded right he glared but kept his gaze locked on the television I do work hard it's my patriotic duty to watch and listen we got to stay in the know got to stay vigilant for the

first time I actually looked at the screen I'd assumed he was watching a show or the news number not at all the images on that Lit screen were at first nonsensical but then as my brain began to make sense of them I started to parse the moving shapes and Blood and Bone landscape upon which they moved upon Hills of quivering flesh a white robed and red hooded figure walked talking calmly and consistently about truth in the sacred way these words simultane ously made no sense to me and yet were almost understandable Madison said I've tried

to listen to it it's just random noise I don't understand it at all but I could almost I was nearly an adult come on let's go to my car running outside I kept her hand held tight curving around the bushes to my car at top speed but white and red emerged from behind green and Madison was slower to sto than me as I stumbled and fell roughly to the side on the pavement of my driveway I heard her scream in abject Terror and I saw white robes open to reveal Gore covered bones in front of

a vast Valley of living grotesqueries the landscape from her father's television was inside that entity behind blood dripping bones a gateway to nightmare revealed itself until those robes closed once more and she was gone looking up I saw six spiraled sharp Crimson teeth set in a white bone jaw just barely visible under the Hem of that red hood the priest was grinning see you tomorrow Nathan I screamed incoherently in Rage and sorrow but Madison was gone and the robed entity began walking away down the street with those same eerily echoing footsteps on unseen marble for

the moment I was exempt from its hunt for I was already slated for another fate I screamed angrily after him before leaping up and getting in my car I would run that demonic thing down with the weight of Mankind's machinery and it would become blooded bone dust under my wheels I turned the key in the ignition but nothing happened for a time I was nothing but screams of rage and fists pounding on the dashboard under the shroud of night in a town that no longer had electricity to hold back the darkness I resorted to Bitter

walking now that I knew I would not be captured directly I had an idea a what I would find given that my car did not work and my phone had literally frozen over but the satisfaction of being right was little consolation the road I had come in on now ended in a wall of softly glowing Crimson Mist that smelled of iron and pain in a way this made some of the older denisons of our area correct there was nothing outside of our town the rest of the world was just a concept and our local community

was all that mattered walking back to the school took time but I had no thoughts just Hollow hurt something had crept upon my home like a cancer and it now had all of our elders in its grips we were alone and I was next the younger kids had done well in surviving this long but it was all inevitable there was nowhere to go and no Escape time would March forward and age all of the remaining children into adults and then it would have us I entered that gymnas to find CLA Marcus and three others awake

and on watch CLA was relieved to see me but to Marcus I said we fight he did not smile he simply nodded our fires were already matched in Fury my sister was finally able to sleep now that I had returned and I sat watching over her through the dark hours of the night the kids had done well in the business of stockpiling food and maintaining some semblance of order and I was impressed that teenagers had done all this without guidance Claire had told me while falling asleep that before it had gone down permanently the internet

had filled their heads with random knowledge and together they'd collectively been able to cover the range of necessary skills and plans that was their defense she reasoned knowledge allowed Independence and independent thought was somehow the enemy of that creature that stalked them while guarding her that night I thought long and hard about that would I have enough independent will to choose differently than my elders from my mom's mention of going to church tomorrow they expected me to join them and I'd seen more than a little bit of violent reaction when I'd attempted to go against

their set Minds violence was scary but the thought of my sister being taken into that place of suffering I'd seen was too much I was walking there now half in its world and half out the sloping Hill squished and oozed bile under my bare feet and the air was fire and Agony the disjointed bones of ancient beasts protruded as mountains on the horizon and a river of blood flowed past as I stumbled toward a closed great eye in the sky it began to open the slightest glare searing my very spirit with the infinite tortures of

a massive Eternal mind gone mad and I opened my mouth to scream but found that I had no lungs Marcus shook me awake don't sleep on the verge you'll dream poorly still shivering I said poorly Christ he nodded It's Beginning for me too I would have been next if you hadn't come back so your plan yes Morning Light was streaming in through the windows of the gymnasium I won't let you down I looked at cla's face peaceful in sleep still older than I remembered if I don't come back I'll take care of her you should

go before she wakes up and tries to stop you yes that was a good idea I wasn't sure I could leave if she was screaming and crying for me to stay wordlessly Marcus and I went to the chemistry lab I dawned the heavy jacket he' picked for this occasion and we carefully stocked Pockets he'd sewn inside with a dozen bottles of pseudo Napalm feeling terribly like a suicide bomber I stealed myself and began walking toward the ghastly Church on the horizon as the sun rose in the sky mixing with streams of blank-eyed adults as they

made their pilgrimage I tried to control my breathing the stress felt nearly overwhelming and I was worried there was a real risk I would pass out I had Napalm strapped near my chest and I was walking toward a monstrous otherworldly Church among a river of fanatical Believers what hope could I have what chance would was there to survive this the bone white red sped Church loomed even larger than I'd remembered it this time I could see that the vehicles in the parking lot were run down and unused and the dumpster hosted a thick cloud of

flies on what looked like discarded flesh this building might once have started out legitimate but something had overtaken it and corrupted its former use the white robed red- hooded priest stood outside the church both nodding at its incoming flock and guarding against any possible action by the children from the school at seeing me it stepped forward and I feared I'd been caught out but it just raised a blood dripping skeletal hand and Drew a hot liquid symbol on my forehead welcome child shaking badly I automatically said thanks do not be nervous all will be made

clear inside okay stepping past I continued on with the stream of Believers and approached the wide and tall doors they were white but at this distance I could see off coloring like teeth in a gumless mouth they waited to swallow us I held my breath as I crossed the threshold and my instinct was correct the air on the other side held subtle fire and Agony like it had in my dream and I knew then that this was a pocket of hell and judging from the inside it was growing the corrupted approximation of a church all

existed within but in Unholy form long red dripping bones formed pews the walls were fleshy and had human skin in patches and the windows were instead hundreds of little eyes that constantly turned this way and that studying the patrons below the light came from small floating flames and a closed great eye rested on the far wall above an altar of Filth and the priest's waiting Podium where I might have expected a cross below that great eye instead there beat a tremendous heart the church was alive too scared to yet make my move with the Napalm

I found my mom and sat next to her I'm Glad You Came she told me giving a genuine smile for the first time since I'd come back I hope they don't discard your flesh you're a smart boy with great potential I've told everyone that a 100 times skin crawling as the wetness on the bone Pew worked its way through my jeans I said um thanks Mom I guess her eyes lit up shh it's time the priest stood starkly for a moment inside the doors which closed like a jaw behind him then moving forward he held

both the eyes of the congregation and the eyes on the walls I watched heart pounding as he ascended to the podium and said we have a new member today Nathan approach smiles and cheers arose as I stood and began carefully stepping along the intestinal lining that formed the center aisle I stood at the front and the priest approached looking back I saw my entire Adult Community present they were all here and all exuberant for me to join and up on the balcony overhead I saw a choir of missing children Madison stood among them her eyes

wet from tears but her mouth opened to join in their horrific song of clicks and screeches she wasn't Dead part of me was relieved the priest was talking but I'd taken too long a small sliver of light appeared from behind me and I knew then that the great eye was opening that leathery hemisphere of Flesh was parting I turned to face it and the light reached my face to say that I screamed then would be an understatement every single neuron in my mind flared with the truth and I could suddenly feel my soul I had

one it was real and it was screaming with every fiber of its existence while my mind burned and my soul screamed every cell in my physical body rejoiced this was from whence they had come these trillion little animals that formed my every tissue and internal liquid and like recognized like if heaven was a place of spirit hell was a place of Flesh and we humans were the Unlucky Minds caught between the pole began to rip me apart but the image of my sister sleeping on that hard gymnasium floor hungry and scared blocked out the pain

I'd seen her as a baby I'd seen her take her first step we'd fought at times and been friends at others when my father had died it had been up to me to fill that role for her and I felt I'd failed that by going away to college but the independent I'd found there was just the sliver I needed it was time for me to join my family in swearing closing my eyes and shutting out the fire of truth I pulled out a bottle of Napalm and hurled it at the great eye above with a

roaring you the entire church trembled from its very foundations as the eye shrieked an earthquake and closed in response to the shards of glass and a man-made form of fire I pulled another and threw it at the Heart below Flames boil oiled up bringing a wave of horrific stench the priest reached for me but I ran with eyes streaming along various organs throwing naay Palm this way and that the congregation reached for me but I kicked and punched and bit against their weight and did my best to hurl the bottles away from them the jaw-like

front doors opened reflexively in pain and I paused on the other side to throw my last naal up into the glands above the crowd followed me yelling and shouting but more to throw their flaming clothes on the ground rather than chase me looking back I saw the priest standing stock still beneath the boiling great eye now in Ruins that red hood slowly lifted under a bloody boned hand and it revealed its familiar face to me you should have joined us it whispered with the voice of my father you could have had him with you again

but now never fool child under the noon Sun obscured by a towering pillar of smoke smoke I fell to my knees crying for more reasons than I could process could it really have given us our father back I would never know men and women tumbled around me on fire from my actions had I lost my mind had all this been a delusion had I thrown Napal on innocent men and women I stumbled away from the ghastly deflating pile of organs that had once been a church as it burned and smoked like seared meat and I

did not stop running or crying until until I reached my home this time the car turned on and the music on the radio revealed that the rest of the world was connected to us again driving crazily toward the school I crashed right through the chain link fence and screamed CLA it's time to go Marcus appeared first practically dragging her the other students were slower and after Marcus pushed CLA into the car I pulled away I was too panicked to wait go Marcus shouted now we'll send someone back for the others the best way out of

town was past the burning church and I wanted my mother to take the fourth seat in the car besides terrified but pulling up in the spot I'd first stopped at upon my return I watched the crowd there looking at each other in confusion the adults seemed to have no idea what was happening is Mom there CLA asked staring out the window I turned to Marcus keep the car on he noded and climbed into the front seat as I dashed out toward the burning monster that had now stopped shrieking and grown quiet Nathan my mom asked

as I pushed through and approached her Nathan oh Lord Nathan you're safe yeah on guard I studied the confused faces all around mom you need to come with me right now oh I can't leave she murmured look past her the crowd had begun in around the fly dominated dumpster it's not the best quality she said giving a small laugh obviously since it was discarded but it'll have to do she moved off to join the thickening Circle I stared in horror as grown men and women began cutting off limbs with sharp fragments of the old church

the flesh from these limbs curled away and their bones began germinating into the White Foundation of a new church their blood began hardening and spiraling up into small delicate spires on top and teeth being freshly pulled started growing into a new door I backed away slowly their truth still burned in me but it was not my truth once I climbed back into the car with a haunted look Marcus asked did you find her CLA watched me with fear and hope I could only shake my head she's gone that's not our mother anymore just go he

nodded and shifted the car into drive down the road the Crimson Mist was gone at least for now for the next hour we drove in silence and I saw Marcus hold my sister's hand at times ah we would find someone together we would convince someone the police the military the highway patrol it didn't matter someone had to be told we just had to reach the internet and spread the word knowledge and Independence right we had that we would win someone would come back here and torch that Abomination to the ground Claire and Marcus still have

that hope now that we've reached a big city but I no longer do I've seen their truth I've seen the awful inversion seen the reality of it and worse I've been looking to the sides rather than ahead like the two of them I didn't say anything but we passed three fellow small towns on the way and each of them had Crimson spires Rising above the Treetops in the distance like the bottom half of a jagged and grinning mouth