Rachel peered inside the first room. It was a library, holding shelves full of black leather-bound books that were placed in alphabetical order. Nothing was out of the ordinary, nor where there any evidence of violence that anyone had been in there for a while, for there was a pile of dust coating the surface of every book and shelf. However, compared with the entrance, the library was practically spotless.

  She went to one of the books and opened it up, curious about what the cult would have. Being left unsurprised that the book was about sex positions and how to pleasure your partner spiritually. The books would go into graphic detail about everything, like when to stimulate a female partner by pressing your thumb on their clit to promote arousal, and when is the optimal time to climax to induce the most amount of carnal ecstasy.

  Curious, she grabbed another book, and it too went into detail about sex positions, but for same-sex couples. Even going into the different acts of foreplay and how the hand can be used to massage a partner lying on their back. Though the book is graphic and shows multiple photos to illustrate its points. They were all written in a clinical and detached manner, coming off more as a biological textbook about the human body than anything else.

  To her, it demonstrated that sex performed within a cult is more of a ritualistic and standard matter that doesn’t involve love or joy. Though some points talked about what part of the penis is the most sensitive, which area of the anus or anal tract can be stimulated and when, and the pressure points that can incite euphoria inside both men and women. They don’t come off as something to improve enjoyment or excitement, but to achieve some sort of goal. A goal Rachel was unsure what it entailed, but it seemed to be geared towards having the carnal activity over and done with like it was timed.

  From a few skims, she deduced that it all was formulaic and followed some sort of schedule. As all the movements and positions were clinically described, when two or more partners would climax at the same time or nearly the same time. The sex performed doesn’t become art or a form of bonding, but an act of science that was timed and calculated to perfection. What made it interesting to her was that none of it felt like the carnal acts were controlling or a demonstration of some sort of hierarchical power structure enforced by the cult.

  Yet, she couldn’t figure out what goal the cult wanted to achieve. What that goal was would require her to read through every book, something she didn’t have time for. But one word kept being prompted up at nearly every opportunity. “Garu’da”. Rachel speculated was some sort of deity the cult worshipped or a cosmic thread like karma. By looking at the word, she felt a sharp pain at the back of her head. That is one ugly word. She thought to herself before putting the last book down.

  However, the idea of it being a deity or some religious construct was inconclusive, for there were no context clues that made it so. Though she theorised that the cult could’ve used the Abrahamic religions as a basis, as most people in Wales were Christian. But with what she had read, she concluded it could be a made-up word the cult used to communicate an idea with one another that they would understand.

  Before she was about to leave, a whimper was heard from around the corner. Rachel held her breath, sticking to the wall as she peered around the corner to see what had made the noise. Shivering in the corner, naked, terrified and covered in ritualistic wounds. She was a young woman, and she was bleeding between her legs and all over her arms and back. From the details that Rachel could make out with her camera, it seemed the woman had a C-section recently, but the doctor didn’t bother to apply stitches. Revealing an open gash from which a grey ooze leaked out.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  ‘Jesus!’ Rachel said aloud before turning on her torch to reveal herself to the woman. ‘It’s okay, I’m here to…’

  The woman screamed when Rachel spoke, kicking her feet and slamming her hands on the floor before standing up. As she did, bits of her organs fell out of her and splashed on the ground while part of her large intestine dangled between her legs. The woman seemed unaware that her organs were hanging out of her.

  Rachel backed up as the petrified woman picked up a large book and raised it above her head in a threatening manner. ‘Hey, hey. It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you.’ Rachel raised her hands to keep some distance as the woman took a few steps towards her.

  ‘Rahk’ti!’ The woman replied harshly. ‘Rahk’ti! Rahk'ti!’ The naked woman waved the book around like a weapon as she shouted and forced Rachel to move away from the door so she could make her way library’s entrance and escape.

  Before the woman could scream again, a roar echoed throughout the mansion, causing the building to shake violently before it abruptly stopped. A loud thud came above, which caused the roof to rattle. Then another came, but closer and more intense than before, like it wanted to announce its presence.

  The woman dropped the book, petrified by the roar, like she was a scared child being scolded by a parent. Besides running away, she went on all fours and crawled back to her hiding spot. She grabbed bits of organ that fell out of her and pressed them against her face to hug them like a stuffed toy. She cooed like a baby, all while she rocked back and forward as the heavy steps got louder and closer.

  Heavy footsteps banged above Rachel’s head. Dust trickled down like snow as the creature above bellowed and huffed. It was getting closer, and Rachel needed to hide before it got to her.

  Thinking fast, Rachel placed the camera down on a shelf facing the entrance to the library while she went into the closet to throw everything to the side to make space to hide inside. As the heavy footsteps got closer. Rachel covered her mouth with her hand and bit into her palm to control her breathing to keep herself hidden. Meanwhile, her free hand pinched the closet door tightly, holding it in place to prevent it from opening by any means necessary.

  The naked woman outside mumbled to herself an incoherent chant as something large walked inside the library. It let out a low growl before charging at the woman, knocking everything over to grab her. Rachel couldn’t see what was happening, but she heard the bloodcurdling scream as something snatched the poor soul and dragged her out of there. Then, the woman’s screams came to a sudden halt. Plunging the world back into silence.

  Rachel counted her breathing, trying to calm her mind as the scream of the woman echoed throughout her mind. She was well hidden, and it was a good spot that kept her alive as that thing took that woman away. But staying in one place wasn’t safe, and she needed to get out of there.

  Slowly, she pushed the closet door open, revealing the library in total disarray. Every shelf was knocked over, and on the ground was a trail of blood that led to the exit.

  ‘Shit!’ Rachel whispered to herself as she tried to find her camera amongst the rubble. To her luck, she was fortunate to find her camera at the corner of the room was mostly undamaged. However, as she flipped open the screen to see what had entered the room and took the woman, the whole thing had shattered. Making her unable to play back the events of an innocent woman’s death.

  Though the camera could not play back the footage or help her see in the dark, it could still help her record evidence of the evils that were committed in the mansion. Reaching for her torch, she felt more determined than before to figure out what had happened.

  She decided to journey deeper into the mansion to find more clues and hopefully her husband.