Redstone: Sanctuaries
Chapter 21: Disarray

The first thing that should not be done if accidentally looking at a ghost is to remove eye contact carelessly. Jose knew that from Graham.

Graham was one of his informants at Redstone. For a few pieces of gold, the man would help him figure out many things. As soon as Jose told him about his planned visit to the wheat fields tonight, Graham gave him some advice.

One, if you hear strange sounds from a distance, immediately take refuge or leave. According to the myth in Redstone, the closer the danger, the farther away the noise is.

Two, stay calm. Fear has a scent that can be smelled by evil.

Three, if accidentally met with otherworldly creatures, do not lose eye contact.

Once he realized that he had broken the third advice, Jose quickly returned his sight to the front. But the shadow was gone, there were only ends of wheat swaying in the wind. Blake walked over to him, as did Boris. Their steps are stagnant, not rushed. Clearly the two of them did not see anything that had just been hovering over the wheat field.

"This flanked?" ask Blake from far away. His hand was still clutching the weathered mine rope.

"Burn!" exclaim Jose. He glanced around nervously. Cold sweat ran down his back from behind his clothes. His hand gripped the flashlight tightly. It was dead, but it was bought this afternoon. "Boris bring oil and matches. Burn it out!"

"Wicked," someone whispered in Jose's left ear, making him jump in shock to the right.

But the one beside him was empty air.

Far in front of him, Boris had already burned the rope carried by Blake. Jose immediately ran over, watching how the tinge of chocolate was burnt to ashes.

"What do we really do?" Blake asked. The young man's face was riled up, but there was acceptance there. Despite not seeing what Jose was facing just now, he could feel the cringe of the situation. He also felt a difference in the atmosphere between before and after the rope was burned.

"I'll explain it on the way," Jose promised. "But we better get back first. Take Devon to the doctor."

"It seems unnecessary, sir," Boris said. His eyes stared at the parked car.

Jose turned his head, now astonished to see Devon— here wearing Weston's coat, staggering across the fields, heading towards him.

"What did Weston do?" jose muttered astonished.

Blake walked over to his partner, but Devon did not stop. Devon continued walking, though several times stumbled to a fall. Jose ignored. He stood still with Boris, making sure the ropes they burned were completely reduced to ashes.

"Sphere!" exclaimed Devon as soon as he stayed a few steps away from Jose. Breathing snorted. "I mean, my lord! Your wife ... she .. needs help!"

Jose turned his body to face Devon, who was now out of breath in front of him. "What?"

***

Mary took the roses out of the vase and carried them with her hands, intending to use them as weapons.

The vase was porcelain, but on the skin of his hand it felt like ice. Maria moved her hand so as not to be in pain. His foot treads carefully across the corridor. The door to his room was slightly open.

Mary bit her lips, held back emotions. He's afraid. The shadow he saw while crossing the courtyard had come from the direction of his room, the strange creature was probably there right now, waiting for him. Maybe it's just a weird shadow, maybe like Susan.

Maria put her back on the wall opposite the door to her room. He hugged a vase of flowers in front of his chest, making him a shield even though not very useful.

One step at a time, I definitely can, Maria braced herself. His eyes were rubbed several times to clear his sight.

He shifted his steps slowly, watching the gap of the room vigilantly. His heart was beating so fast that his chest started to hurt.

Just a few meters away, Maria thought. The cold gets more and more, biting down to the bone marrow. His body began to tremble from head to toe. His scalp is like being pulled. You've faced the devil, Maria. Something like this is nothing. This is just a child's toy.

Mary tried to strengthen herself, but when she got right in front of the opening of the door and her eyes found another large round eye looking back at her, the limit of her tranquility shattered. Mary was screaming hysterically. He threw his vase firmly forward to hit the door, then ran fast towards the ladies room. The creature was chasing, Maria could feel it. His back was bristling and his knees were heating up.

The thing he was looking for was on the sideboard. He grabbed her while continuously lunging, locking himself in the wardrobe.

A sheet of icy-cold cloth grabbed Maria's face. It was like getting into the fridge. He curled up in the corner of the closet after fumbling in the dark, hooking the inner closet lock. Her hands were shaking violently, but Maria was trying to pull the tightly wrapped wire holding the lid. He knew it was impossible to remove the wire with the strength of his hand. The goal is simply to shift the bond over the jar until it can open the lid and remove the tooth bracelet from inside.

Something walked into the room. Maria stopped moving when she heard a strange sliding sound followed by a knock on the wood of the closet. His heart missed a full second of shock. The world seems to be beating on every tap. Maria's whole body shivered violently. He forced himself back to focus on the glass jar in hand. His nails hurt from gouging frozen wire. There are no results. He began to sob, desperately slamming the jar against the wall of the closet with his left hand while his right hand held the lock of the closet door.

The wardrobe was two meters tall, half a meter wide. Maria got enough space to take shelter, but she knew her hiding place would not help. Now the sound of a knock on the wood closet turned into a loud scratch. Maria slammed the jar. Free hiding. He has already been found. On the dings of the umpteenth time, the iron wire shifted and the jar opened.

It was pitch black in the closet, but Mary could feel the salt spilling on her instep. He fumbled happily, looking for the dental bracelet that should be in there. His heart was pounding frantically when all he could get was a cold grain of salt. His finger groped the jar, scribbling its contents, but nothing he found. The bracelet wasn't there.

Didn't Susan put it? Maria confusion.

Did anyone take?

Or is that thing not here?

Did I take the wrong jar?

Maria stopped herself once she realized that the atmosphere was so quiet, so quiet. Nape's crashing. He gave a great goosebump when he realized that he was not alone in the closet.

It rests on a closet panel baffle, on ice-cold solid wood. But there was something behind his back. Sticking to him, breathing down his neck.

Maria closed her ears and screamed in panic.

His arms were tightly gripped and his body was shaken violently. Maria shook her head in the fight, screaming again.

"Mary!" the voice called out loudly, shaking Mary from the cold darkness.

There is only one person in the world who calls her Mary.

Mary opened her eyes and raised her face. Breath restrained.

***