7 Chapter 7

The chapel was very small. So was the parish house. It was a chapel for a small Town. The priest led the shaking duo to a wooden dining table where they sat waiting for him to attend to them as he had gone to make coffee. Lucy wrapped her hands around her son as his breath steadied on her touch. The voices had stopped but he was still scared besides he kept hearing it in His mind. He wondered why it was so important for him to stop painting.

He cried softly as he remembered the death of his siblings and his father. He felt guilty that they had to die because of him. He hated himself for causing their death. If only he had stopped painting he thought with a sigh. But he had no choice. He promised himself that if he got out of this he will never paint again, he would try to stop the trance. He would obey his Father and study medicine. Unfortunately his father won't be able to see him. He loved his father and siblings.

"You  guys look shaken." The priest commented immediately he came in with the coffee. He saw mother and son cry and he felt sad. He dropped the hot coffee on the table. His Cook was on her day off so he was all alone. Manuel tore himself away from his mothers embrace with difficulty. He made to take the coffee when Lucy stopped him her palm pressed to his.

"Thanks father but We are full." She smiled at the priest. His face was expressionless as he starred at them but he was very much angry. After  a few seconds he regained his composure and smiled.

"Sure! So what happened this time around?" The priest asked looking all concerned.

Lucy respected father Josiah but right now she couldn't trust anyone not even her self. "The usual. His father got brutal with him again and I just had to take him out. We will live at dawn." Lucy explained casually. Her lie was so smooth even Manuel almost believed it. "Thanks for having us."

But then it wasn't all a lie. She was close to the truth. How do you explain to Someone something you Don't understand yourself.

"Are you ok?" Father Josiah asked Manuel and he nodded. Father Josiah nodded back. "I'll show you to your room." He smiled standing up. They stood behind him as he led them and Lucy could sense danger. Manuel could hear the voices they were whispering, a hushed whisper but he could hear it.

Father Josiah held the door open for them to enter and closed it immediately they did. It was only then did they realize that he was not taking them to an ordinary room. It was no room. When they noticed what was going on Lucy and Manuel started banging at the door. "Let us out they screamed." But father Josiah was no longer there and the chapel was so far from other houses In the village. They were alone.

After thirty minutes of banging and screaming they stopped to look around. Lucy never letting go of her sons hand. The room was empty. Very empty. The floor was adorned with a red carpet. That was the only thing in the room.

"Mum I'm scared!" Manuel cried shivering. Lucy wanted to comfort him but her voice couldn't come out as she was scared too. Soon the voices started drawing closer and closer. "We told you not to paint! We told you not to paint!." They screamed. At first the voices came out faint as a hushed whisper, then high pitched wails. Soon they started screaming. A million voices screaming one thing. A message to Manuel. "We told you not to paint!" Manuel didn't understand what they were trying to say. Was it a Warning? Or just a chant? However, he knew that they were angry.