chapter 10
Five meters across Laney Street stood a church under construction. Imita Gwen and Lisa Harvey stood just at a distance examining the building that was high as the Greek Acropolis.
Imita beheld the map in her hands worryingly. She glared at the building in front of her, back at the map and then at Lisa, who was full of her phone.
''What Immy, what are you staring at me like that?" Lisa brushed off the hairs in her face, and sat on top of her suitcase. ''It's the right place, is it not? Lisa looked up towards Imita, her brows raised.
Imita glared skeptically. She was fuming because she was so exhausted and Lisa blameworthy.
"This place is derelict. There is no one to ask .Neither are the people across the street ready to help. All this is your liability Harvey, how dumb were you not to ask her about her hometown, Huh? She was your best friend. What the hell did you guys even talk about? Imita asked yawningly, while wiping off the precipitation that had built up due to scorching sun. ''Gosh. Am so hungry' 'she mumbled and clutched her stomach.
''Can we get something to eat first?''
''No, not until we find her.'' Lisa dropped her cell phone in her bag, and stood akimbo. ''Where do we start?
'' Well, start by telling me when you two last talked" Imita said sluggishly.
''Two years ago, I think.'' Lisa didn't look up. ''I lost all contacts, she disappeared like as if she never existed. That bitch didn't call me like she promised. It took me years to find this place. It doesn't exist anywhere on the Google location maps. I only dreamt of it''
''Come on Harvey, what do you mean you dreamt? Good. Now we are basing on dreams not facts. Imita threw her hands up in air due to exhaustion. What are you, a dreamer? For a moment, none of spoke. The only sound was Lisa's heels tapping faintly on the paved ground and her stomach grumbling.
''Come on Lisa, anything else I should know about?"
''When I woke up, I found a map of this place on my bedside table .It had this bloody trail. When we moved, it also started moving. That's why we are here" Immy shook her head in disbelief. ''Why do you tell me this now? You could have told me when we were still away in Castrovillari or on the plane. Dear Heavens, Lisa you are unbelievable. Btw how did we manage to get here to by plane,? you said it doesn't exist anywhere on the maps''
'' I don't know about that and would you have believed me if I had told you in the first place?" Lisa frowned.
''No. of course not.'' Imita shrugged.
''Then good. Don't be such a grumpy bunny. I won't leave without seeing my best friend. 'Lisa walked up the stairs and headed for the door. Imita just looked on her mouth falling open, unsure of what to say. Everything sounded like a lie yet it felt so true. She stared at the map in her hands. Suddenly when Lisa moved, the bloody trail moved too.
''Damn it, that's creepy. She crumpled the piece of paper and threw it down the stairs. Imita stood up, rubbed the dust off her butt and turned, heading for the last step. Yet in a nutshell, someone's steps could be heard.
''Lisa, you here that? This place is not completely derelict. There is someone" Imita stepped away from the entrance. Lisa retraced her steps backwards, until they could not move anymore. A harsh repulsive force repelled those frontwards, till they fell face flat on the ground.
''What the hell was that?" Lisa asked while curling her knees, holding onto her hurting stomach. Imita sat up, knees propped forwards and clutched her head in pain. ''Gosh I feel dizzy" she winced while getting up. Her eyes gazed about, and saw something she thought that she would never see. Her eyes froze open as fear gripped her. Her mouth muscles were at work before her brain cells would think
''Lisa!" she called while staggering backwards till she couldn't move more because of the church walls. ''What? Can't you see am in pain? 'She rolled her eyes aggressively
''I saw a fire breathing someone' 'Imita said quietly amidst rugged breath
''Get it together Immy, those things only happen in carnivals,"
''Nope, it's a fire breathing witch, like the one in the book I read, and she's coming straight at us" Imita stammered.
''What?'' Lisa' face wrinkled, a prominent line appearing between her eyebrows. Her mouth fell open, as her eyes beheld the one that made every muscle in her body tremble.
''Tell me where she is before I learn how to explain to your unknown so called parents who by the way didn't teach their kids not to be nosy….. Just how they turned to ash in the first place." She hissed.