Elizabeth's vigilant footsteps resounded as she made her way to the town's church which she had only attended once.
The church was not located at the centre of the town, so she had to sneakily walk all the way to the church.
The street lights were turned off, so the moon was her only source of light, paving way for her through the dark.
She passed by her apartment before she got to the church. The tall church stood in the dark, shrouded in shadows like it was negating the positive light from the moon.
Elizabeth took in deep breaths to calm her raging nerves, she resisted the urge to contact Layla, internally scolding herself for relying on someone.
She walked to the church door, pushed the door open and thankfully the large double door did not make a sound when she pushed it open. The moonlight finally penetrated into the church but the flow was cut off when the double door closed.
Elizabeth turned on the torchlight on her phone and flashed it around the empty church, checking the chairs one by one and searching under them too. She searched for a while before giving up.
She sat on the chair at the front row and sighed, "I can't believe I acted on something that stupid."
The main reason she decided to search the church was actually because of the movies she had seen before, where deadly secrets are hidden in the most peaceful places, under the guise of worship.
She glanced at the plain altar before flashing her torchlight at it. She squinted her eyes when she finally realised something, a thing she had ignored when she first visited the church for a child's dedication. The church had no statue or whatever design to showcase what it served, not even something as simple as a crucifix.
Elizabeth blinked and stood up, she recalled how the dedication happened, the child was brought to the altar and placed on the clothed table, the priest stood on the altar, blocking the view with his broad back, whatever happened after that was unknown before the child was given back to the parents. Not even the sign of the cross was made.
Elizabeth's eyes widened at this realisation, this place was not a church, it has never been. There was no cross outside the church too, it only had the shape and design of a normal church.
Her breath hitched and she quickly shot up. Making her way to the altar, she flashed her torch at the other side of the altar and there revealed a subtle seam in the ornate woodwork. The realisation hit her like a lightning bolt — this wasn't just an altar; it was a facade hiding something deeper within.
With newfound determination, Elizabeth ran her fingers along the seam, feeling the edges of a hidden compartment. She searched for a latch or mechanism, her heart racing as her fingers traced the contours of the altar's surface. After a few tense moments, her touch brushed against a small, indented button.
Holding her breath, Elizabeth pressed the button. A soft, almost imperceptible click resonated within the church, and the centre of the altar started to move. Slowly, the altar began to slide sideways, revealing a narrow passage that led into darkness. The torchlight illuminated the passage, revealing stone walls that were unseen before.
Elizabeth's heart raced, a mixture of anxiety and excitement coursing through her veins. She hesitated for only a moment before stepping into the hidden passage, the altar sliding back into place behind her. The narrow space was dimly lit by the glow of her phone's torch, and the air felt cool and musty.
As she ventured deeper, the passage seemed to wind and twist, the walls occasionally adorned with cryptic symbols that hinted at a hidden purpose for this place. Her footsteps echoed softly as she went further, the anticipation growing with every step.
She flashed her torchlight on the floor, but there were no footprints on the dusty floor, even her footprints disappeared after every step she took.
The dark place carried with it, an air of mystery and danger but Elizabeth was not swayed.
Finally, the dark passage ended and a large double door stood in front of her. Just like the church's door, this one easily opened with one push but immediately she took a step into the room, a foul smell hit her nose, dulling her senses for a brief second.
Elizabeth covered her nose with her hand and frowned at the foul odour that exuded from the room.
This foul odour was familiar since after a few years of serving her country, she had become quite familiar with this pungent smell, it was the smell of death.
Elizabeth closed the doors behind her and ventured deeper into the wide chambers until a small shadow heap caught her eyes. She pointed her torchlight at it before walking towards the heap. As she got closer, the foul smell filled the air even more.
Elizabeth clutched her stomach and dragged the black cloth that hid whatever was heaped beneath it.
Immediately the cover was peeled off, the odour waves that wafted into her nose made her stumble back.
She pressed her lips in a thin line and held her breath before she flashed her torchlight again and the sight before her made her shut her eyes tightly.
Both her and Layla had been watching if anyone would go missing and they never for once thought about this kids. Elizabeth held the tears of anguish that threatened to spill out.
The bodies that heaped on the ground where those of the kids she arrested the first day she came to town, the underage kid with glasses and his friends who were drinking at the bar.
Elizabeth felt pain and guilt, the next day when she went to the station, she never bothered to ask where the kids were and she never saw them again ever since that day.
The boy with glasses, had his lifeless eyes wide open and his glasses broken, he was at the top of the heap with his friends, some unrecognisable bodies and bones under the heap.
Their skin was pale with maggots already drilling in and out. Elizabeth threw the cloth over the heap of corpses and backed away.
Her heart lurched with every step she took away from the corpses, she checked on the tears she was trying to suppress.
"This people. Why would they do this?" Elizabeth murmured with her emotions in rumbles.
She flashed her flashlight on the wall behind the heap and blood was sprayed all over the wall, with some non-human drawings on it.
One thought came into her mind, this place was no church, it was a cult. Everyone in this town are nothing but worshippers of whatever thing they served. Even that festival…that festival was just a medium to celebrate their retarded beliefs.
Elizabeth quickly ran outside, she made sure she closed the door behind her and walked up the hidden passageway, before arriving at the main church.
She walked to the door but stopped at the sound of a voice from the outside, she quickly delved into a darker spot under the rows of chairs and hid there stealthily.