The room was filled to the brim with books on shelves but looked as though they were placed haphazardly. Papers were strewn about the office. It looked as though the office was raided. We walked inside and looked around the desk. There was a pentagram monogrammed on a book. “Why would the priest have a pentagram book? Do you think it’s a satanic bible?” I asked.
“That is disturbing and frankly fitting for this place.” Pat said nervously. “Did you see the plane tickets on the board?”
“No. Plane tickets to where?” I asked.
“Iraq” Pat said. A shiver went down my spine. Why would a California priest be going to Iraq? I kept looking around and found a severed finger. The blood seemed fresh. Pat opened the cassock closet and took a step back. I walked over and looked inside. A stairway stood before us with cheap fluorescent lights and cement walls. “Did the floor plan say anything about a stairway with cement in the cassock closet?” Pat asked knowing the answer. I said nothing but slowly walked down the stairs. Pat grabbed my collar but pulled me back not using me as a guide. “Are you insane?” Pat asked annoyed. “It’s a secret stairwell. We need to check the other rooms on this floor before we head downstairs.” I couldn’t explain it. Something was drawing me down those stairs. Something made me want to see what was behind the door at the bottom of those stairs.
“Fine. We are a bit over our head here. Let’s go check the other room on this floor and try to contact Steve before making our next moves.” I said trying to show that I was in control.
Pat headed back for the door, “let’s go already…” I could feel his anxiety. Something was still pulling me towards the stairs. I moved slowly and quietly towards the door and we left the office. I closed the door and then took a knee.
“Steve, can you read me,” I said over the radio. No answer so I checked my cell, no bars. “If we head to the end of this hall maybe we can find a landline.” Pat nodded. I took point again as he grabbed my collar looking behind us. Every footstep seemed louder then the last one. We arrived at the opening which was definitely the gathering hall. I searched the room. It appeared to be empty. We checked under every table as we walked by until we saw a landline. I punched Steve’s number on the key pad. “It’s ringing.” I said.
“Hello?” Steve answered.
“Steve? It’s John and Pat.” I said.
“What’s up? What’s this number.” Steve said.
“It’s a phone we found in the church. Listen, we have been locked in and it appears that the radio is out.” I said.
“Yeah! No kidding! I have been trying to get ahold of you. Your little experiment is going haywire and the figures are back obscuring the cameras. They are slowly becoming more opaque and I’m almost able to make out faces.” Steve said.
“We are going to try finding Tom deeper in the church. Can you try to get a door open. Preferably the one in the front?” I asked urgently.
“Will do. There’s something I need to tell you about the figures in the screen. The faces…” Steve said. The phone cut out.
“Steve, bad copy. Steve?!” I said. I tried clicking the button on top to see if I could get the signal back. Pat walked over to the phone.
“Hey, how were you connected?” Pat said. He lifted the phone up, there wasn’t a wire connected to the phone.
“Fuck! Now I don’t know if Steve knows what’s happening or if I’m losing my mind.” I said out of frustration. The room started to cool down quickly and a chill ran down my spine. I felt as though I could see Captain Miller.
“Run and hide!” The voice of Captain Miller yelled. I saw Pat run towards the exit of the community hall. I felt the ground begin to shake. The tables separated sliding across the floor loudly as if someone was shoving them from across the hall. If it was a person they would have been approaching me. I started to run. The table shift rotated as I ran pointing in my direction. I ran out of the community hall and into the hallway but I stopped in front of the priests door. I opened the door and ran inside slamming it shut behind me. Pat had run on ahead towards the stairs back to the naive. I heard the ground creaking outside the door. It stopped just outside the door for a moment and then headed towards the stairs.
I tried to slow my breathing and sit silently for a minute. But my heart was racing and wouldn’t let my breath calm. I closed my eyes. Maybe if I closed my eyes I could calm myself. When my breathing had slowed down a bit I stood up and headed towards that cassock closet. I was going to find out what was behind those doors.
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