95. Innocents Pay The Price

As Emily's car was charred, the only option left was for Helena to teleport them to the Church.

The next day, before they could go to meet Father Murphy, Emily said, "Before going to the Church, I think it would be better if we meet the Jackson family first."

"Why do you want to meet them, Emily?" Helena asked looking at everyone who was just as confused by her suggestion as she was." Diana thinks that Scarlett killed you and if we go there, John could tell Diana that whom she thought of being dead is alive. We cannot risk losing you."

"I agree that one of Diana's pawn is there too but John could harm anyone. It's their right to know so that they could be beware. And as far as my 'death' is concerned, you, Ryan, and Clyde could go and search the entire house where the family is living in and then only if everything is clear and there's no sight of John, I'll come. How about that?"

The three nodded in agreement before Emily watched them disappear.

After waiting for a few minutes near the reception as Emily got discharged the next day, the three of them teleported back to the hospital and told her that the coast was clear.

The next second Emily, Clyde, Helena, and Ryan were outside a place which was not the Jacksons' residence but a motel.

"This isn't the Jacksons' house." Emily's eyes scanned the old motel building covered with the chipped coat of pale white paint. "Maybe they didn't want to drive all the way across nearly three towns."

They all walked inside the motel which had lifeless bodies laying on the floor.

If Diana had taken the souls of the people here, why would they decide to stay here? Emily thought. Maybe because first, this place is not far off from the hospital and second, Diana wouldn't return to the same place twice - well, at least I don't think. So, it is a safe hideout if you think like that.

"C'mon, this way," Clyde gestured the rest up the stairs. The three of them followed him until they stopped in front of room 113. "Here's where they are staying."

Emily took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Just a minute," In no time Emily knew it was Rose's voice. They stood in the hallway in front of the door before watching the doorknob move right. With a creaking sound, the door was opened and Emily was greeted by John's mother who was unaware of the danger she and her husband could potentially be in. Rose gestured Emily inside the room and closed the door followed by the creaking sound.

"Hope you are feeling alright, Mr. Jackson," Emily said politely looking at David who was laying down in a bed.

"I am, Emily. Thank you. But what happened to you?" David asked concerned looking at Emily's burns.

"It's...just nothing." Emily tried to come up with an excuse but nothing that can be called a good explanation came to her head.

When David and Rose still gave her the worried look, Emily said, "Don't worry, I am alright now." Emily smiled hoping that they wouldn't ask any more questions as she didn't know how to answer them.

"Emily?" Rose's question gave Emily a hint of what she was going to ask next but she waited. Either it could be about John or about her visit to the Church and what Father Murphy told her. The night she and Clyde had returned from the Church, she didn't get a chance to tell her, and then after that were the nightmares and then she and Clyde went to the Golden Gate town to meet Scarlett. She bet John didn't tell her. Or maybe she wanted to ask something else?

"Yes, Mrs. Jackson?"

"Dear, where were you? We were so worried. John told me that he didn't see you that night you returned from the Church and after you had the nightmares. We searched the entire hospital and asked people if they had seen you but they all gave only one answer - no. We tried your phone but it was out of coverage. We told the hospital where we will be staying in case if you didn't find us there. We were so worried and then John told us that maybe you could've gone back."

Emily could clearly feel the worried feeling which Rose's voice reflected.

"Emily, we know that it must've been hard for you to stay away from your parents and choosing to help your friends over going to a safe place with your parents and Tom - which we are really grateful for - but you should at least inform us. God forbid if something happens to you, what would we tell your parents? On top of that, you are like our daughter, Emily. We have lost one to Diana, we cannot lose you."

"I'm really sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Jackson. I promise I'll be careful and tell you where I am the next time."

"It's alright, dear. You are safe and sound, that's what counts." Mr. Jackson smiled.

"And don't worry Mr. and Mrs. Jackson, we haven't lost Hannah - not yet. There has to be a way to get her back. And we'll find it. It's not over till it's over."

Hearing the brave words of Emily somehow filled their hearts with the hope that maybe there might be a shot still left for them. A ray over the horizon that could somehow turn all this back to the way it was before.

"But first, can you tell me Mrs. Jackson where's John?" Emily asked looking around.

"He just went outside to get some fresh air. I told him it's not safe outside but you know teenage boys, they do whatever they want to. We just told him to be careful and not to go far."

"Mrs. Jackson, I'll just come."

"Don't go too far, Emily, it's not safe outside."

Emily closed the door and went outside and so did Clyde, Helena, and Ryan. Something was definitely on her mind.

"What's wrong?" Ryan asked looking at the troubled expressions on Emily's face.

"Mrs. Jackson just said that John went to get some fresh air."

"Yeah, so?" Helena asked looking a bit bewildered.

"So this, Helena, did you check the periphery of this area too?" When Emily didn't get the answer she continued in a quiet voice, "What if John was outside this whole time? What if John saw you three coming here? Or maybe worse what if he knew I came here too?"

The three exchanged the glances of dread.

"You stay here, we'll just check." Saying this Clyde, Helena, and Ryan went to check every single place inside and outside the motel.

Emily stood in the hallway as she heard the faint conversations of Rose and David coming through the door but she couldn't hear what they were talking about.

Just as when Emily was about to open the door to wait inside, someone bumped into her.

"I'm extremely sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going," A girl nearly the age of John fell on the floor causing her blonde hair to fall all over her face.

"Here," Emily extended her hand to help her get up. She took the offer and began dusting herself off with her hands. She wiped her hands on her faded blue jeans, tucked her hairs behind her ears, and said, "I'm Alex. I live just a few rooms away. I'm really sorry about that. I was in such a rush."

"Hi Alex, I'm Emily. Are you ok?"

Alex nodded. "What happened to you?" A concerned tone reflected in her voice.

"Oh, nothing," Emily tried to brush it off. "just a minor accident with flames." She smiled and Alex reciprocated it. "If you don't mind telling me, why are you living here? There are so many people lying dead around here."

"I could ask you the same thing, Emily."

Hearing her answer, Emily got quiet. It was best to not ask such questions that you won't be able to answer when asked to you.

"I guess we all have our reasons," Emily giggled away the truth. "Anyway, why are you in such a rush?"

"Didn't you hear the news?"

The sound of her tone was serious and low enough to tell Emily that the matter is not something to joke around.

Could it be related to Diana? Emily wondered.

Emily shook her head.

"You should better watch it then. And be safe." Saying this Alex ran away downstairs.

Emily wasted no time checking out what the girl was talking about. She turned the doorknob and headed inside. "Can you please turn -"

"Rose," came the sound of David. "Could you please hand over the remote? I wanna watch some news."

It was like he had read her mind.

Rose bent over the table to pick up the black rectangular remote and extended her hand towards David. "But what's the point, David when you know what's gonna be on the news? It'll be about the killings of the innocents or about the curse delivered by those tv anchors who are still alive."

Clyde, Helena, and Ryan came inside the room after inspecting the entire area and told Emily that they didn't see any traces of John neither inside nor around the motel.

They all watched quietly as David agreed with his wife but still turned on the tv and they watched him pressing the buttons to change the channels. Some channels were pure static while some channels didn't work. Some were the news channels that showed the increase in the death toll just like Rose said but the channels kept on changing until a loud sound of Rose made everyone flinch a bit.

"David, stop. Turn up the volume," Everyone followed Rose's gaze and continued to stare at the television screen as David turned up the volume.

The scene in the video that was being shown on the news channel was utter chaos. People were running everywhere - in a wild fashion.

There were screams and cries of desperation and helplessness, and dead bodies on the floor as an inferno of fire and the dense smoke continued to eat up everything in the mall.

It didn't take Emily long enough to recognize the scene. The situation wasn't unfamiliar at all.

How could it be possible? It was 'just' a dream. Wasn't it? Emily thought.

"Wait a minute," Rose interrupted in between. "this is the same mall which is not far off from here. Emily, didn't you see the mall or the fire?"

"Amm, I took a different route." were the words that came on top of Emily's head. She did not spot any mall and how could she? They all teleported there. But she couldn't tell them that. But she was surprised as to how they didn't ask her how she came to know where they were staying after David got discharged.

Maybe they must've thought that I got the information from the hospital. Emily shrugged.

Everything was happening in the same exact order just like in her nightmare.

Please don't be a blast, please don't be a blast. Emily prayed for everything to turn out to be a complete opposite but nothing helped her.

Soon a loud bang could be heard from the speakers which even caused all of them to jerk back. And then the chandelier which was hanging in the middle of the roof of the mall swayed back and forth which felt just like it was teasing all the people about their deaths.

Emily's fingers began to curl up in a fist which got tighter and tighter as she started to feel stupid and a bit angry at herself.

If only I knew that my nightmare would come true, I must've done something to stop it.

But as they say, some things are just out of our hands.

And just like Emily's nightmare ended in the chandelier falling on the burnt man who wanted nothing but someone to help him, the scene turned even more chaotic and bloody as blood painted the floor and the victims of the conflagration.

"Why does it always had to be the innocents who pay the price while the bad guys run free?" Rose faced David.

Just when Rose and David weren't looking, Emily, Clyde, Helena, and Ryan spotted something or rather someone in the background which shook them.

It was John standing on the top floor with his hands rested on top of the railings.

"Just like I dreamt," Emily whispered under her breaths.

Emily, Clyde, Helena, and Ryan just continued to stare at the screen in disbelief. Just then the camera that was shooting all that chaotic and deadly scene lost its balance as they all saw the video playing in a completely different angle and direction. The camera must have fallen from the hands of the cameraman in the crowd.

They all can see the running feet of people going in a random direction and crushing everything that came under their feet. Due to the rampage, feet of people caused the camera to be kicked and in no time the only thing that could be seen on the television screen was static.