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The old church

The Sisterhood

By Teena L. JamesPublished 3 years ago 19 min read
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The old church
Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash

The church

We're here! We have finally arrived at the cabin. Me and my best friend Robyn. We decided we needed a break from our mundane jobs and the stress that comes with them. So, we have driven 3 hours to a cabin in the woods. Peace and quiet is all we want for the next 2 weeks.

Of course it's dark when we arrive. Robyn is looking a little uneasy as we unpack the car.

"Did you hear that?" This coming from the girl who's never set foot outside her comfortable little city. I tell her it's nothing just the night sounds of the forest. She is not relieved.

"Oh my God! What is that sound?" This from Robyn again. "It sounds like someone is outside screaming." Again I tell her that it's nothing to worry about. "It's just nocturnal animals." Well, maybe I should have used different words. She screams at me, "What do you mean by night animals? I knew I shouldn't have let you talk me into coming out here. I won't be able to sleep with that going on outside. It's like the jungle has awakened from a nap. Why is it so loud?" I again try to reassure her and offer to open a bottle of wine. "Let's finish unpacking and we'll turn the radio on and the music will cover the night sounds. Ok?" "Ok, but we'll have to sleep with the music on or I'll never get any sleep." , she answers.

After a relatively good night's sleep, we decide to venture outside. There are a few trails leading from the cabin, so we decide to take a walk and see nature. It's absolutely beautiful today. We have sunshine and it's just slightly cool. Perfect!

As we stroll down the trail, Robyn notices something off in the distance. It appears to be a building of some kind. We go to check it out. We are now off the trail and now I'm not so sure about being out here in unfamiliar territory. Robyn is now quite a ways ahead and I hurry to catch up. Well now. It seems we have come upon an abandoned church.

Robyn says, "I wonder if we can get inside?" I say, "No way am I going in there. It would probably fall down around us." So what does Robyn do? She starts looking for a way in. And guess what? She finds one around back. The door is open. And my best friend who is afraid of her own shadow goes inside. And what do I do? I follow her in. Oh my! It doesn't look so abandoned on the inside. Someone is still using this place. I grab Robyn and pull her back outside and tell her we have to go. She wants to explore some more but I have a bad feeling about this. We head back to the cabin.

Once we're inside, I tell Robyn that there is something bad going on at that "church" and we need to stay as far away as we can. Robyn has a funny look in her eyes but agrees with me.

Later that evening we are sitting on the porch and a sound comes out of the woods. Robyn jumps up and screams," There it is again! What is that? It sounds closer than before." I let her know it's probably some kind of bird. "Bird!", she exclaims. "That sounds more like a person screaming and something hissing!" And she runs inside and I follow her. "Robyn, it's ok. There are lots of animals that hunt at night and make noises. They are not going to bother you. So don't worry.", I say to her. She decides to go to bed and I am not sleepy so I grab a book and get comfortable on the sofa.

I hear the door close. Am I dreaming? I have fallen asleep on the sofa and now I lay here listening for other sounds. Is someone on the porch? Robyn? No way! She wouldn't go out there when it's dark. I get up and check Robyn's room. She's not there. I check everywhere and no Robyn! Now I'm frantic and rush outside. No one's on the porch. Where could she be? I get a flashlight and check around outside while calling her name. No answer. I think to myself, surely she didn't take off down the trail. It's the only other place I can think of to check. I run down the trail and all I can think about is the "church". Soon I can see it in the clearing. I run over, peek in the window and I can see something or someone moving around inside. I quietly make my way around back and go inside. "Robyn?", I whisper. "Are you in here?" As I move into the chapel area, I see her. She's standing at the front with a glazed look in her eyes. She doesn't hear me calling her name. What is going on? "Robyn!", I scream. Suddenly, out of nowhere a ghostly apparition flies overhead and hisses. I am now completely terrified. This place must be haunted! Again, whatever it is flies over again and is screaming and hissing! I grab Robyn by the arm and pull her out of there. With all the noise she finally comes around and I'm asking, "What in the world were you doing in there?" And she says, "In where? Why are we out here? What are you doing?" "What am I doing? I've been looking for you and you were in some kind of trance! Let's get back to the cabin." I say.

We make our way back to the cabin. Robyn's too tired to talk so we go to bed. In the morning, I make breakfast and wake Robyn. As we're eating, I ask her about last night. She says, "I was having this weird dream about that church. There were a lot of people there and the candles were lit. They were having some kind of meeting. I don't know. It was very vivid though." I tell her, "When I found you I couldn't believe you went outside after dark. Your eyes were sort of glazed over and you wouldn't answer me. Do you think you were sleepwalking?" She replied, "I've never sleepwalked that I know of. I do remember going there in my dream, so maybe. I don't know. It's all just so weird." We let it drop and decided to just hang out around the cabin.

Later that evening, I decide I'm going to stay awake and see if anything weird happens. Call me crazy, but I am feeling like something is going on.

Around 11:50 pm, I hear Robyn's door open. I creep out of my room and see her going to the front door. I decide to let her and I follow her out. Down the trail we go, straight to the old church. We go inside and again Robyn makes her way to the front and is just standing there. Is she sleepwalking or in some kind of trance? I don't like this at all. I stay hidden in the shadows so I don't disturb anything. Within a few minutes, someone else enters the room very slowly. I don't know what to do. So I just wait. This person moves up front and stands beside Robyn and seems to be in the same trance. I wait. Time passes and no one else enters. I make my way up front slowly. I grab Robyn by the arm and start pulling her out of the building. As I do she comes out of the trance and doesn't understand what's going on. I tell her to stay there and I slowly go back inside and see the other person standing there just like Robyn had been. I grab them and pull them outside. This seems to break the trance. I ask them who they are? "Jen," she says. "What am I doing out here?" I ask her, " Do you not remember coming here?" She says, "No. I don't remember anything except going to bed." I tell her to walk back with us and we will get her back to her cabin in the morning. "We have got to figure out what's going on.", I tell them both. " I'm going into town in the morning and see if I can find out about the church and then maybe we can figure out what is drawing you two to it."

The next morning I take Jen to her cabin which is just on the other side of the forest from us. I tell her I will let her know what I find out and that she is welcome to come over this evening for dinner.

I go to the library in town and ask the Librarian if she knows anything about the church in the woods and she looks at me strangely. She says she doesn't really but she can point me to the newspapers and give me a general time frame to look at. She gives me one year, 1975, and a month, July. I get comfortable at the microfiche machine and start scanning pages. Well, well. I think she knows more than she's willing to tell.

July 1975. The church was built in 1959 and began its life as The First Presbyterian Church. By 1962 the congregation had dwindled to only about 6 people. In June of 1975, there were rumors of strange things happening at the church. By July the police began to investigate and found that there was the worship of another kind going on at night there. When the word had gotten out about this, the townspeople ran the "preacher" and his followers out of town and the church was left to ruin. I print this out so Robyn and Jen can read it.

I decide to go to the diner and get a coffee. While I'm there I ask the waitress, whose name is Mary, if she has heard or knows anything about the church in the woods. She looks at me and whispers, "We don't really speak about that." I ask her why and she says, "That's a bad place, and bad things happened there. There are lots of rumors of devil worship and sacrifices. Every so often someone swears it's still going on. Be careful who you ask about it. Some locals don't like outsiders asking questions because it will shine a bad light on the town. And be careful staying out there. You never know what is rumor and what could be the truth." I finish my coffee and head back to the cabin.

When I get back to the cabin I see Robyn and Jen sitting on the porch. Robyn says," Jen has been telling me about the dream she keeps having and I told her it is exactly like mine. We both remembered something else that happens in our dreams. We both hear a woman's voice calling out 'Sister, come to us. Come to the old church and meet with your sisters.' Maybe we are just super susceptible to the other side. I don't know. We're both just really worried." I let them know what I found out. They both look rather anxious and scared. I ask them how they feel about it what I found. They both state that they have an uneasy feeling as if something is about to happen. Jen asks, "Do you all mind if I stay with you tonight? I'm a little scared and I'm all by myself out here." We let her know she's welcome to stay as long as we're here and we will go with her to get her things.

Later in the evening, I tell Robyn and Jen that I'm going to stay up and keep watch in case they sleepwalk again. Whatever is going on it's not affecting me and I will be able to wake them up. They agree.

Again, around 11:50 pm, I hear doors opening and closing. Here they come down the hall to the door with that glazed look in their eyes. Here we go! I follow slowly behind to be able to see where they go and what they do. We end up back at the church. But this time I notice lights inside. I see shadows moving also. Robyn and Jen have gotten way ahead of me and I have to catch up. They are already inside and there are others. I have to hide. There are candles on the table up front and someone in a hooded robe. I can't see their face. Others are standing facing the front and all of them seem to be in a trance. The hooded figure begins to chant something. It's in a strange language. Suddenly the ghostly thing from the other night swoops down and screeches! I almost give myself away before I can stifle my scream. It's just a barn owl. It must live here and we have disturbed it. The people up front are beginning to kneel at the feet of this hooded figure. They are now chanting the same strange language. I don't know what to do. I make my way back outside and walk until I have a signal on my cell phone. I call 911 and report what I've seen. They are sending someone. I wait.

Eventually, a police officer arrives and we make our way back to the church. All is quiet and no one is there. The officer looks at me and says, "I'm assuming you just spooked yourself and thought you saw something. Where are your friends? We might better head to the cabin and make sure everyone is ok." I tell him, "I'm not spooked! I saw what I saw. There were at least 4 or 5 people in there and they were chanting." He says," Sounds like you've been listening to too many stories from the locals."

We get to the cabin and go inside. Both Robyn and Jen are fast asleep. I look like an idiot to this cop. " You all need to stay away from that church. Somebody might get hurt with it being so old.", he states. I thank him and see him out.

Somethings going on and I will find out.

In the morning I tell the girls what happened last night. They remember nothing. I let it go and change the subject. I plan on going out by myself tonight to see if I can at least find out who the hooded figure is.

I leave that night at 11:40 pm in the hopes I get there before anyone else and catch a glimpse of the one in the hood. I hide in the back behind the pews. A few minutes and in walks the hooded figure. As they walk around chanting and lighting the candles the hood slips off and I see their face. It's the Librarian! I must have gasped out loud because she looks my way. But before she can come and see what made the noise, others begin to walk in. I have to get out of here. I belly crawl along the wall and out of the room. I'm racing back to the cabin and encounter Robyn and Jen. I grab them and shake them out of their trance. I tell them to follow me back to the cabin. Once inside, I tell them what I found out. We are so freaked out we can't sleep.

The next morning I go back into town and to the diner. I speak with Mary and ask if she remembers the names of the preacher or any of the others that were ran out of town. She says,"The preacher's name was Stephen Helmsly and he had a wife named Kary and two daughters, Emily and Maci. I don't remember the others." I ordered a coffee to go and thanked her. I went back to the library and kept my emotions in check while I let the Librarian know I was just finishing up my research. I made a note that her nameplate said, Marie Jones. I sit down and start digging. I go back a few years looking for anything about the preacher. Aha! I found an article welcoming the preacher and his family to the church and the town. He has a daughter named Emily Marie. Marie? Could it be the same Marie? I need to get online and check this out. As I'm leaving I stop by the desk and ask," Ms. Jones how long have you lived here? It's such a quaint town. I've really enjoyed my visit." She answers," Well I guess I moved here when I got this job. So around 1992. It really is a nice town. Is there anything else I can help you with? Did you find what you were looking for?" "Yes and thanks for your help," I reply.

When I return to the cabin, Robyn and Jen are fixing dinner. While they work on that I go and get my laptop and start researching Ms. Jones. I look for local marriage licenses and nothing. Maybe she just changed her name to move back here. Hmmm. So let's look up Emily Marie Helmsly. There she is. Born 1965 here in this little town. Father is Stephen Helmsly and mother Kary. No sister listed so she must be the oldest. It looks like after 1991 there is no more info on Emily Marie Helmsly. So that must be when she changed her name. Let me see if I can find some pictures. Yep. It is definitely the same person. What exactly is she doing back here? Picking up where her father left off or what? This is creepy!

We sit down to eat and let both girls know what I've found out so far. We decide to table the discussion since I seem to have freaked them both out. We eat and talk about our lives back home. Just a nice benign conversation. When we're done, we go and sit on the porch to watch the sun go down. Just beautiful! We sit around, drink some wine, and talk. Eventually, Robyn and Jen decide to go to bed. Guess who's staying up? Yep, me. I have to figure out what's going on and keep anything from happening to my friends.

Like clockwork, 11:50 pm, and off they go. I follow down the trail to the church. I watch as they enter and go to stand up front with the others. I don't see Ms. Jones. I creep around to another window and still can't see her there. Where is she?

"Well, well. What do we have here?", comes a voice from behind me. I turn and there she is and she's not alone. A very large man is with her and she tells him to take me inside. He pushes me around and through the back door. He sits me in a chair and ties my hands behind me and puts a gag in my mouth. What am I going to do now? I tell myself to calm down and think. I wait and watch to see what they are doing up front. Some chanting and waving of smoke. Somethings on the table up front. A rabbit maybe? Is that a sacrifice? I have got to get the girls out of here before something worse happens. Ms. Jones takes Robyns hand and places a knife in it. Then Robyn cuts her own hand and lets the blood drip onto the rabbit. What is going on? Ms. Jones starts chanting again then she asks Robyn,"Will you pledge yourself to our master? Do you swear an oath to be loyal and devoted only to the master?" Robyn just stands and stares. I have managed to loosen the gag in my mouth enough to shout to the girls to get out of here. No response from them. I scream again and still nothing. I manage to get up and I run over and push Robyn with my shoulder and then Jen. Now they come out of whatever trance they were in. Ms. Jones tells the man," Stop them! We must finish this tonight!" I don't know what else she has planned but we aren't sticking around to find out. We run out the door and up the trail as fast as we can. Once we get to the cabin we hurry in and lock the doors. Robyn calls 911 and Jen unties my hands. The man is at the door and we block it with the couch and hope he can't get in. He breaks the front window and we grab the fire poker from the fireplace and start hitting him until he backs out and then he runs away. About this time the police arrive. l let Robyn and Jen tell their stories and watch the disbelief appear on the officer's faces. I walk over and show them where I still have the ropes around my wrists and the red marks from the gag that is still hanging around my neck. I guess that did the trick because they took off down the trail to the church. Of course, when they get there Ms. Jones and the man are gone. But this time they didn't have time to clean up the scene.

The police send officers to Ms. Jones' home and she must have arrived there just before them. She came to the door in the same clothes she had on at the church and there was a little spot of blood on her shirt sleeve that one of the officers noticed. They handcuff her and put her in the squad car. At the station, the police chief sits down with Ms. Jones and tells her why she is there and of course, she denies it all. The chief tells her, "Ms. Jones or Ms. Helmsly, we know you are the daughter of that preacher Stephen Helmsly and apparently you have continued in your father's footsteps. We don't put up with that kinda stuff in our little town and you should know that since we ran you all off once already. I think we will see what we can find at your house and the old church and what charges we can come up with to see if we can keep you locked up for a while. I'm afraid you might do something worse than sacrifice a rabbit the next time. Oh, and by the way, we picked up Harold. Don't look so surprised. Everybody knows Harold and he's the first person we look for when any kind of crime occurs in our little town. He's already rolled over on you and you can believe he is telling it all. Enjoy your stay, Marie.

The next morning we get a visit from the Chief. He lets us know that Marie is in jail and they will be looking into her past to see if she has done anything else to break the law. He says, "Marie believes she is the reincarnation of some high ranking witch and she is a servant of satan himself. I just think she's nuts. But it will all come out soon enough. Well, you ladies have a wonderful day. I hope this hasn't ruined your whole vacation." We all three thanked him for his help and he left.

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