Tainted Chapter Two: Safe

Tainted Chapter Two: Safe

Their footsteps echoed through the dark, a tiny beam of light pointing through the infinite shadows. The church was practically in front of them. Ophelia hurried towards the door, hoping Marco was still behind her and hoping that the church really would be safe. She scrambled inside, placing the pen light they found in her bag. "Hello?" she called in to the seemingly empty church. "We hope no one minds us being here!"

Marco followed closely behind, keeping his hand in his pocket incase he needed to pull out his switch blade. The church was huge. Even in it’s decrepid state, it was oddly beautiful.

Pushing Phe in slightly, and shutting the church doors behind them he simply shook his head. "I see no point in asking, I imagine we're alone here..."

What would it even matter if they were welcomed or not either?

Phe blushed. "Yeah, but it doesn't hurt to see if there are others in our situation." She looked around her, briefly. "Do you think we should look around?

Sliding his hands into his pocket he started up the aisle of the church, looking around, studying the altar and the tapestries. "I think we should wait...if there is any trouble I'd rather we not find it."

Stopping at the altar he narrowed his eyes. "Phe, how much do you know about this place?"

She paused to think about it. "Not much. My father used to hate it when he'd have to drive some one out towards the Silent Hill area after a party. Oh! And I came here once during a school trip, but I'm letting you know it was nothing like this." she said, looking around at the church. It was creepy looking with all this decay and destruction, but it was beautiful in its own way, and she felt pulled to it. "Why do you ask?"

Leaning against the rusted, decaying alter he sighed but laughed a little. "I am sure that it's different then this." He said turning and looking at her, leaning against the altar still and folding his arms over his chest.

"Well might as well be honest, I've been on an," he paused, wondering about the best way to pharse it. "An information hunt." He pulled his camera from his pocket, so caught up in the moment that he didn’t notice as his wallet dropped to the stained floor. It lay there, unnoticed and forgotten. There was a pull, the feeling he had, had back in the police station. A familiarity and this dizziness, a pressure on his heart.

Leaning over to pick up his wallet, Phe asked, "What are you looking for information on?" She held out the wallet back to him. "This doesn't seem like a place where you'll be able to find it really..."

Without looking twice he snatched the wallet from her hand and stuffed it back into his pocket, looking slightly disgruntled, before turning his digital camera on. "Yeah, not the best place for answers, at least for anyone else.”

Phe nodded and sat down in one of the pews. "The paintings here are strange, and this place is even stranger." She opened up her backpack and peeked in it, making sure everything was still there. "Do you think this place is safe, Marco?"

Turning off his camera once more, he slipped it into his pocket, thinking perhaps he may need to get pictures of this place later... for future reference.

He took notice of the paintings on the wall and shook his head. "Yes this place, the paintings, the town, its all so strange yet I don't know why..." Taking a deep breath he moved away from the altar and sat down on the pew beside her. "Have you ever had that feeling where when you are somewhere that's where you're supposed to be?" Knowing he probably made no sense, he laughed.

"I hope, those creatures out in front if the police station seemed...harmless." Though as freakish as they were, he didn't want to take any chances.

"I suppose I do." she said, with a frown. She shivered slightly as the wind blew a burst of cold air through the church. "Perhaps we should've gotten weapons from the police station." Phe said as she drew her knees up to her chest. "Maybe the fog will let up soon and we could get out of here."

Marco shivered slightly as the cold wind blew over him. Smiling he wrapped an arm around her waist, winking, he pulled out his switch blade and flicked his wrist, causing the blade to snap out. " If anyone tries to attack us, we'll be fine." It was even that smile that seemed uncertain. If he needed to he'd run back to look for weapons.

"Hopefully the fog does let up...I'll get you out of here."

She nodded. "Alright . I believe you, Marco." Phe yawned. "Would it be alright to stay here for the night do you think?"

Putting his knife away he nodded some. He stroked a a strand away from her eyes. Even knowing they probably should keep moving, he couldn't deny this girl one of her last creature comforts. "You look tired, sleep a little. I'll watch over you."

"Alright." Ophelia said, taking his hand, squeezing it gently. Smiling he held tight to Phe's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze in return. As she had fallen asleep, Marco ran his fingers through her wavy hair.

The sun broke through a tall stained glassed window, shining against Ophelia's eyes. Groaning, she sat up. It was daylight out and the world it seemed, had temporarily gone back to normal. The church looked in much better repair than it had before, but it was still in need of some attention, and the paintings still as disturbing as the night before. She yawned and sat up.

Marco had fallen asleep off and on during the night, but finally when he did fall asleep he was out like a light, as though he hadn't slept in days. Laying with his head to the side, he held onto Phe all night.

The whisper of the doors to the church echoed slightly through out. Boot heels snapped sternly almost on the tile. A tall stately woman with ashen hair, and burning, golden eyes, walked slowly up towards the altar, glancing at Marco and Phe, but paying them no heed. She stopped at the altar and held her hands, cupped together over it, chanting something.

Phe scooted closer towards Marco as the strange oddly dressed woman, floated by them. She watched her with wide eyes. Gently she shook Marco. "Hey," she whispered. "Marco... There's a strange lady here..."

Weakly Marco moved some, feeling Phe press against him. Sleepily, he opened his eyes to see what she was talking about. When his eyes caught the sight of the woman at the altar, they snapped open completely and he stared. "Phe, maybe she's just a member of the church."

Wincing, he closed his eyes just a little bit.

The woman finished doing what she was doing, her arms falling to her side in a fluid motion, and turned towards the two "Why do you seek sanctuary in this church?" she asked, her voice dripping with ice.

The woman's words seemed to hit a nerve. That was a very stupid question for her to even ask, Marco felt. He was irritated now. He really hated churches. Why couldn't they have gone some where else? Why not the hotel they had passed by on the way here? Standing, He held to Phe's hand but squeezed as a signal for her to stay seated. "We came because everything seemed a little nuts last night, is this church private?"

"No, this is not a private church, we are simply not used to," the woman looked him up and down and sneered. "Vagrants here." There was a long pause and the room fell to eerie silence. "You do not belong here in this town." she added finished after a moment.

"Vagrants?" Marco narrowed his eyes staring at the woman, questioningly. "How sure are you we do not belong? You are not the one who has a say..." Bringing his hand up to his chest he coughed some and then pulled on Phe's hand. "It doesn't matter because we're leaving anyways."

Phe looked from the woman to Marco, then back at the woman, a look of confusion on her face, eye brows knit together. She had felt very connected to that strange woman for a brief moment, and then Marco pulled on her hand, breaking her concentrarion. He seemed very frustrated by this woman, his words short anmd sharp, his hand squeezing hers, just a little too tight. Finally, after a moment, she stood. "Alright, Marco, where should we go?"

"Away from here..." Bitterly he said. There was a connection to this woman, to this place in general, his heart acting up more than usual. It was very annoying. "We're going to get out of this town. Obviously, outsiders aren't welcome." Deja vu...Shaking it off he let go of her hand and turned to walk away.

Marco wasn't exactly an outsider and of course he wasn't about to share that with this woman. As far as he was concerned it was none of her business.

Phe nodded, slowly. "Alright." She reached in her bag and pulled out the map she had gotten from the Police Station. She handed it to him. "Here. We shouldn't leave till we know for sure where we're going. And I'm... kind of hungry."

Smiling he glanced over at Phe. "We'll find you something to eat.” Taking the map, he glanced over it very quickly and then folded it putting it into his pocket. Shooting the woman one more glance he started for the door. “Unless you're someone like Flauros, you shouldn't have any say..." This caused him to stop. Did he really say that..? He didn't even understand what he said.

"C-come on Phe, let's hurry please."

The woman watched as they walked towards the door. "Be careful," she called to them. "Not all are what they seem."

"I know.." Marco responded. Those words, he knew, could be translated as almost anything, Taking Phe's hand once more he exited from the church. As they got outside the church Marco grabbed his chest again, reaching into his pocket he took out a bottle of pills, opening it up and taking two.

"That lady...was creepy."

Phe nodded, watching as Marco as he took the pills. "So, where do we go now?"

Marco dry swallowed the pill and then looked around the area. "Let's get you something to eat then we'll get the hell out of here." He said, turning and giving her a sweet charming smile.

As he started walking he grabbed her hand but stared forward looking for a restaurant or maybe a cafe. "So, why are you here?"

She blushed, glancing at their interlaced hands. "Er... I'm here because..." she trailed off, not sure, still, if she was ready to explain why she was there in this place. Finally she gathered her courage. "I ran away from home."

Briefly he only glanced over at her but kept walking. "Why, if you don't mind me ask?" Running away was very common, he wasn't innocent either.

"I had to. My home life wasn't very stable." she said with a grimace.

"It happens..." He said gripping her hand a little. "Running away can't always solve everything." He said in a stern tone. "What if there was someone who cared?"

She laughed. "Yeah, right. My brothers live in different towns, and my mother's left us, my father would be the only one to miss me, and he's the reason I ran away!"

"I am sure you mother and brothers lover you." Shaking his head some, he spotted a diner down the street so he decided to head that way. "By how you talk, he's done some pretty bad things..."

"My brothers don't notice much, and it's not like my mother can do anything about it. She's dead. And, depending on who you listen to, I killed her." Phe stared down at the ground as they walked. "The only people who really care about me are the police, but they only care for the wrong reasons."

"Oh...I..." Taking a deep breath he realized how, at this rate, he probably sounded stupid. "I'm sorry I didn't know, but...the police won't even help? I'll take you somewhere...maybe I can get you some real help"

"Why would the police believe me? After all I'm just a kid, and sometimes people just don't listen. It's not like you’re the first person I ever mentioned this to. I had a Social Worker for a while, but after the little investigation, she went away. And they couldn't find any proof..." Phe slid her free hand in her pocket. "And it doesn't matter. Any where is better than Ashfield Heights. Even if this place is creepy as hell, it's not boring." She looked up at him. "Do you know what I mean?"

"I understand what you mean..." Marco understood the situation perhaps a little better then the girl was aware of. "Ashfield Heights isn't...I don't know." Shaking his head he gave her hand a squeeze as they got to the diner. "I'll do what I can for you...anything."

She squeezed his hand in return, and smiled at him. "I appreciate that Marco. But all I want is to go in that Diner and not find a bunch of rotted meat."

"Alright, alright, but hey you never know rotted meat might be yummy." He said giving her a playful wink and made a slurping sound.

Phe shuddered and gagged a little. "Don't say that! That's disgusting!" She said laughing a little

Marco only laughed and lead Phe to the Diner, getting cold he let down his hair, though sometimes it was annoying it could cover his neck and ears.

Going to the door he opened it for her. "Ladies first."