Kult
The kids were finally asleep. Closing the door as quiet as humanly possible, she backed out of the room and started walking down the long hallway towards the steps. She checked her wristwatch and groaned. After six exhausting hours of Keeping Up With the Kyle’s, Julia was beat, and she still had at least another hour before Uptight Mom Kyle and Hot Dad Kyle would be home. How was she going to pass the time without falling asleep herself?
Nearing the top of the stairs, she stopped short. To her left was a set of three doors. The door to the right was a small closet, to the left an entrance to the sizeable second-story porch that wrapped the circumference of the building, and dead center — the master bedroom.
Let’s have a quick peek. One look won’t hurt.
Turning the knob slowly to be sure it wouldn’t squeak, she nudged the door open and closed it carefully behind her. Sliding on her phone flashlight, she quickly scanned the walls. Finding a switch, she flicked it on, illuminating the yet unexplored bedroom.
“What the hell?” she whispered under her breath. It was by far the strangest bedroom she had ever entered. At first glance, it appeared to be a typical bedroom, furnished with a bed, two night tables, and a large dresser; upon further inspection, the details carved into the furniture was otherworldly. Demon-like figures and foreign symbols were etched into every available surface. She surveyed the walls and leaned in for closer inspection. What she had thought to be a dull cream paint color was pale text, flowing together in intricate shapes, a language she could not begin to comprehend.
Is it Latin?
A dark red jewelry box on the dresser caught her attention. A variety of perfumes and trinkets stood atop the chest as well, but she was especially intrigued by the box. She tried to interpret the language written across it and failed. It was just like the text written on the walls.
She slowly lifted the lid and was momentarily confused. It wasn’t a jewelry box at all, but a collection of souvenirs. Pulling what looked like photographs from its depth, she shuffled through them, becoming more and more horrified with each new image.
What kind of sick cult are these people involved with?!
Dropping the pictures back in the box, she hastily shut the lid and began to retreat from the bedroom. She wrenched out the door and let out a startled scream.
To be continued…
Inspired by the prompt: A babysitter is snooping around her employers house and finds a disturbing photograph.
Originally published at https://devanzimmerman.com.
