Aunt Mae leads Ellie and Vince into her spacious kitchen, where they have a heated discussion about Ravenwood.18Please respect copyright.PENANA004ZzQL8i7
Aunt Mae explains that Ravenwood is no ordinary town and that there are secrets hidden beneath its surface. She goes on to say that Ravenwood's citizens practice ancient rituals and view outsiders with suspicion.18Please respect copyright.PENANAezvAjv6brO
Ellie and Vince are taken aback by this information, and they begin to question everything they thought they knew about the town. They are determined to find out more and discover the truth behind Ravenwood's secrets once and for all.
"Were father's rumors true?" Whispered Ellie "That the town had a cult underneath the city hall?"
Aunt Mae hesitates for a moment before she speaks.18Please respect copyright.PENANAwlNtKJWMCC
"I never believed those rumors, I always saw them as nothing more than children's tales. But now..." she trails off, deep in thought.
She looks up at Ellie and Vince with a somber expression on her face.18Please respect copyright.PENANAAmwaLeqTKL
"Maybe your father uncovered something that others didn't want him to know. Something dangerous..."
Ellie and Vince exchange a look, concerned by what Aunt Mae just said.18Please respect copyright.PENANAb0L68XDGvg
The three of them are deep in thought, trying to piece together the clues and make sense of the situation.
A light bulb popped into Vince's thoughts as he recalled what Aunt Mae had just said. "Wait, what do you mean he might've uncovered something? If the cult is hidden and no outsiders are allowed... Does that mean?" Vince's sentence trailed off as he stared at Aunt Mae in anticipation.
"Does that mean..." echoes Ellie, looking at Aunt Mae in the same manner as her brother.18Please respect copyright.PENANAjapabFcngP
Aunt Mae looks up at the two of them with a grave expression on her face.
"I believe your father knew too much, and he paid the ultimate price for it. If the cult is real and your father got too close to uncovering their secrets, they would want to shut him up... permanently."
At this point, everyone is in shock. The realization of what happened begins to sink in.
Ellie's thoughts raced around and around thinking of all the possibilities, did her father join the cult and find out too much before he decided he wanted out? Did they kill him for it? What about their mother, could this be the same thing happening again?
"Aunt Mae, can you tell us about the cult?" Asked Ellie a few minutes later, breaking the cold silence.
Aunt Mae takes a moment to consider her words, seeming hesitant to speak about the cult.18Please respect copyright.PENANAXZKtxARHOn
"I only know bits and pieces of it," she says finally. "There are dark rituals, sacrifices... and a very secretive manner. It is said that only the mayor and a select few are fully initiated into the cult."
A strange feeling comes over everyone at this revelation.18Please respect copyright.PENANAvcOQ5IEfny
"Aunt Mae," Vince would speak slowly. "Do you know anything about the mayor's involvement?"
Aunt Mae would sigh softly before speaking.18Please respect copyright.PENANAqHykJOVMyX
"The mayor is very secretive about his involvement with the cult," states Aunt Mae. "I have never seen him partake in any of their rituals, but I do know that his presence is crucial to the cult's success."
Aunt Mae goes on to explain that the mayor has a lot of control over Ravenwood, and he is the only law enforcement in the entire town.18Please respect copyright.PENANA3TMg4H42M8
"That gives him a lot of power, and I would not put it past him to use that power for his own gain," Aunt Mae concludes.
Vince and Ellie would share a look.18Please respect copyright.PENANAhmW1DkRuhx
Vince would be the one to speak. "What do you mean you've never seen him partake in the rituals? From what I'm gathering only those apart of the cult or attempting to be in the cult, are allowed in the rituals..." Vince would tense as if growing suspicious of his adoptive aunt, had this much really changed since he and Ellie left? Was their only safe place... Not safe?
Aunt Mae sighs, seeming to know what Vince is thinking.18Please respect copyright.PENANAPzzyvZTL1f
"I am not a part of the cult, Vince," she states, trying to reassure him. "But from what I've seen and heard over the years, I can tell you that the mayor is the leader of the cult."
Ellie nods in agreement, confirming her suspicions about the mayor and her aunt.18Please respect copyright.PENANAObjAgUGKsS
"But what about the sheriff, Griz?" Ellie asks hesitantly. "Isn't he the one in charge of the law here?"
"The thing is, Griz is a part of the cult," Aunt Mae reveals.
Two lies already, Ellie was keeping tabs in her head keeping her body language calm and collected unlike her brother Vince, Mr freaks a lot. He never knew how to hide it but he knew when it was time for Ellie to take control.
"What is his role in the cult?" Ellie would ask keeping her tone hushed.
"Sheriff Griz is one of the few people the mayor trusts," Aunt Mae reveals. "I don't think Griz is a high-ranking member of the cult, but he is a trusted enforcer. He makes sure that the mayor's orders are carried out, and he is ready to punish anyone who dares to cross the town's unspoken rules."
The siblings look at each other, realizing that they are in danger.18Please respect copyright.PENANANfC604Herg
"We need to get out of Ravenwood," Vince whispers softly.
"But how?" Ellie whispers back.
"By any means possible. We'll have to investigate from afar but we can't be here any longer." Vince would whisper.
Ellie would nod just enough for only Vince, hoping that they were quiet enough for Aunt Mae not to hear.
"We should head out, we're staying in the next town over... It was nice talking though, Aunt Mae" Ellie smiled, starting to stand up, Vince following after her.
"Oh, you're leaving already?" asks Aunt Mae, sounding surprised. "But it was lovely talking to you both."
Ellie and Vince nod and say goodbye, then make their way out of Aunt Mae's home and into the cold night air.18Please respect copyright.PENANADYU3AJO8rz
The two would share a look before getting into the truck and beginning the drive to the next town over. A wave of relief washed over them as they left the borders of Ravenwood in the rearview mirror.
"You noticed it too didn't you?" Vince would ask looking over at Ellie in the passenger seat.
"Yeah... She's hiding something" Ellie would nod her head staring out the window in deep thought, "She isn't the same Aunt Mae we met as kids, she lied more than once in that whole conversation."
"I agree," says Vince. "It was like she knew a lot more than she was letting on. But why would she lie to us?"
Ellie thinks for a moment.18Please respect copyright.PENANAER4VsJNpZQ
"Maybe this cult has something to do with it," she suggests. "Maybe she's working with the cult, and she doesn't want us to find out the truth."
Vince nods, and the two of them continue driving in silence, their minds racing with possibilities of what's really going on in Ravenwood.
Vince hums softly, clearly in deep thought before speaking again.18Please respect copyright.PENANANuYeWj39vE
"She definitely knows more than she's letting on," he says quietly, "we need to get the truth, Ellie."
Ellie remains quiet for a moment before she speaks.18Please respect copyright.PENANAZ7mxEMj9I4
"It makes me wonder..." she says hesitantly. "Did our parents find out about the cult and get killed by them?"
Silence hangs in the air. Vince had no response to her question but his silence gave Ellie the answer. Whatever happened to their parents, it was because of the cult.
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