Mercy Point

Chapter 1: Disappearance

"Something's wrong" Sierra said more to herself than anything.

Sierra moved quickly across the room to the telephone that hung on the wall. The phone rang as she put her hand on it. She looked pale, as her trembling hand picked up the receiver.

"Hello?" Sierra said

"Person to Person call for Sierra Jones" a static filled voice answered back

"Yes, I'll accept" Sierra's voice trembled

"He's gone. He's dead! I know he's dead!" A tearful voice which belonged to Kennedy, Sierra's twin sister said before Sierra could even say anything.

"What do you mean 'He's dead?' Sierra responded

"He went in…."

"He went IN?" Sierra said in disbelief.

"Yes"

"Why?" Sierra asked suddenly not wanting to know the answer.

"He has to go get a body, that was two days ago." Kennedy cried, "He isn't back yet"

Sierra was silent, as her sister sobbed at the other end of the phone, this meant only one thing, and she didn't want to think about that. She shivered.

"Do you have a car?" Sierra asked, bringing herself back from her nightmare.

"No, he took the car to get the body" Kennedy replied.

"Sit tight, I'll be there in an hour, pack a bag with a few essentials, I'm coming to get you."

"Okay" Kennedy said confused. "Why?"

"You know why… It's started." Sierra said in a matter of fact tone.

Sierra hung up the phone sharply, and grabbed her purse, heading out the door, slamming it behind her. She ran down a flight of stairs, almost tripping over the bottom step. Heading out into the cold autumn evening, she shivered as she entered her SUV, turning the key and adjusting her rearview, she swore as she pulled out of the driveway. She drove down Main Street, toward the bridge that headed out of town. She looked down long enough to get a cigarette from her purse and light it, when she looked up a tall creepy looking man was standing in the middle of the road. She let out a scream as she slammed her foot on the breaks. The vehicle stopped just inches from the old man, when she regained her composure she realized it was the town pastor, Preacher.

"Good Evening, Sierra" Preacher nodded. "Going somewhere in a bit of a hurry aren't we?" Now you must understand, Sierra could not stand this man, but yet she was somehow forced to be respectful, he was a creepy old guy who seemed to always reek of death, and old moldy books, her sister had been taught by this man, when they children, Sierra however had been taught at the school in Angel Grove. Preacher had always given Sierra the creeps, and tonight was no different.

"Yes, Preacher, I am on my way to go get my sister…" She trailed off knowing not to give too much information about a private family affair.

"Ahh yes, Kennedy, she was one of my more favorite pupils, bring her to see me when you return." Preacher said in what Sierra noted was an almost commanding tone of voice to which for some reason she felt compelled to comply with.

"Yes sir, I will" Sierra replied yieldingly.

Preacher left the middle of the road. Sierra proceeded forward toward the bridge, crossing it with a certain pounding in her throat like she was escaping a level five maximum security prison. She drove on through the winding roads, careful not to veer off the path, as it always did, it started to rain, but this was a strange thick rain that seemed to steam as it hit the ground. Sierra knew why, she didn't like the fact that she knew why, but be that as it may she knew she had limited time to reach her sister, and get her back to Mercy Point. Her mind slipped to thoughts of her friend Kelly… "No.. not both of them!" she screamed in the confines of the car. She put her foot down harder on the gas pedal, as she roared through the forest ridden pathway, her thoughts raced wildly, horrible visions raced through her head of corpses, fires, maggots, and lightning. Ok, calm yourself, Sierra, you are obsessing, you need to be strong for your sister, she needs you. Sierra sighed. She checked her watch, she should be there any moment. Sierra strained her eyes to see the light of the sign at the entrance to Angel Grove. She let out a sigh of relief as she saw the glowing sign, that welcomed her, as she entered the town the rain stopped. She knew this would happen, it always did, there was no explaining it, it just always happened.

Sierra drove down Main Street to Angel Grove Cemetery, and up to the house, in which the caretaker, Sierra's brother-in-law, lived. Sierra honked her horn, the curtains moved to the side to reveal a very pale, sickly looking girl about 24, with long dark hair. Kennedy waved to Sierra and put up a finger, Sierra muttered to herself "come on come on!" Kennedy came running out of her door, and climbed into Sierra's vehicle, threw her suit case in the back, and was trying to unsuccessfully buckle her seatbelt when Sierra peeled out of Kennedy's driveway. Kennedy smacked her head against the window in the process.

"Jeez Sierra, you act like if we don't head back this instant, we won't be able to get back"

Sierra glanced at her sister with a haunted look. Kennedy gasped and went even paler than she naturally was. Sierra nodded solemnly. They drove in silence out of town. As they exited Angel Grove the rain resumed pounding on Sierra's windshield. The vehicle ascended up the hill and back into the forested maze, which lead to Mercy Point. The girls resumed there quiet way until they got to the crossroad that everyone feared so much. This was a place where if you choose wrong you put your life in the hands of a force much larger than yourself. Sierra did this on an almost daily basis. Kennedy however did not, and Sierra could feel the fear flowing out of her sister as she pulled to a stop. The road was clear, so filling her heart with hope she drove on.