There was a light in that ghost town.
Nicolas mind raced with a thousand thoughts.
"Is that hallucination or a trap?"
"Should we go there or wait until sunrise."
"I guess we should wait."
Sierra with her cautious mind came up with that thought.
Then a sound came from behind.
ROAAAARRR
It was the sound of monsters.
"I guess we should head there. We will know that only after going there. That it is our safe haven or our graveyard."
"It's better than standing here waiting to die."
Nicolas and Sierra go through the side of the town where they didn't encounter any monster or any abnormalities.
"Isn't it to quit compared to before?"
Nicolas can't digest the thought of going there without any issues.
"It could be calm before the storm."
"Well, it should be."
"BTW, one thing I don't get it."
"What?"
"How did you know something was wrong in the town and why did you fear so much from changing street than monsters?"
"Well there is a saying that if a town is shifting. Get out of there as soon as possible cause it will devour you at midnight."
"Well, back then we spent night in the hatch before. Nothing happened that time than why now?"
"I don't know."
They reached near the house where the light was shimmering in the window.
The light was of lantern. An oil lantern. The house had a deck in front of the window. Where railings were attached. Was it for safety or was it for view? They didn't care.
"Let's get in."
Nicolas was so desperate to get inside and finding out about the house.
"Entrance isn't this side. It should be other side."
"The entrance in not here either."
"Sierra—Why isn't thare an entrance in this house?"
"Guess it is hidden to be safe from danger."
The house had no visible entrance. It was so wierd that a house has no door to enter in it.
"Nicolas— Did you notice it."
"Notice. What?"
"There is a hole only in this area under the deck."
"So what?"
"I am just saying that a variable should just be checked. Go and see what is under it"
"Fuck, if any monster eat me just my workers a message that their boss was a very courageous person. He fought until the end"
"Nothing's gonna happen. If something happens. I will pull your leg."
Nicolas probes and goes under the deck. It was so dark he couldn't see a thing in there. He pulls the lighter from his pocket and lit it.
"What is this?"
There was a vent. Nicolas pulls it out.
"Sierra come on. I found the way."
"Yeahh."
He enters the vent and a trapdoor was upward from one meter after it. He opens it and get into the house.
"Sierra."
"On the way."
Nicolas grabs Sierra's hand and pull upwards and shut the trapdoor.
"Is anybody here?"
Nicolas asks while searching the rooms.
"Aahh"
There he saw a old lady around in her 80s sewing the worn out clothes in the lamp shimmering light.
The lady also saw them. She asks a question with calm demeanor.
"How did you get in here?"
Nicolas became hesitant cause they entered the house not by proper way.
"M.. mam, we were travelling in the train but chains of coincidences takes us in this town. The we can't leave it. So please could we stay here until we find a way to leave this town."
The old lady replied without giving much thought.
"Okay, you can stay."
"Hmm?"
"You can stay as long as you want."
That was an unexpected answer from Sierra and Nicolas thought.
"Don't you have any problem with our staying here?"
"Why would I have problem with two people coming to an old hag house. I should be happy about that you two can make my final days without being lonely in this town alone."
"No. No. We didn't mean anything like this and thanks for us to take in."
A question suddenly came to Nicolas mind in that moment.
"Are you the person that came to the hatch where the steam heating engine is."
"Yes, i was the one."
The old lady replied with a smile.
"We have so many questions. Why is this town like this? why are you here? And why is the hatch and this house is safe from the other houses?"
Sierra's questions were no limit after seeing someone was living here.
The old lady replied
"Calm down, first you two get some sleep. Your conditions aren't looking fine. We will talk afterword."
They didn't say anything. They looked exhausted. Clothes that were covered on dust and blood. Irregular breathing.
"What's your names are?"
"Sierra"
"Nicolas"
Are you two couples?
Nicolas and Sierra immediately looked away, their faces turning red.
"No no we aren't."
The replied in a flustered way.
"Haa haa haaa"
Old lady laughed after seeing the expressions of those two.
"Okay, Sierra— you come to my room and Nicolas you go to the that is last in the corridor. Other rooms are dusty."
"Thanks you mam for taking us in."
"Oh god, just go to sleep."
The night gone and day came. Nicolas and Sierra didn't wake up. They were so exhausted from yesterday events.
"Wake up. Sierra it's gone late."
"Ughhh"
Sierra saw the old lady was in the door with a cup of tea in her hands.
Sierra takes the tea and replied.
"Thanks for the tea, mam."
"Drink it and go fresh yourself. I am going to wake other one in the mean time."
"So warm."
Sierra first time feel warmth after coming to this ghost town. For the last few days the survival was the top priority. But after coming here she felt comfort and peace like a home.
**AFTER SOME TIME**
They sat across each other get the answer of questions about the town.
"Well... If you need to know your questions we need to go around forty years before."
"I am Claire and lived with my husband Steve. We were happily married. And our son who was 17 years old Jonathan."
"My husband was well known shaman. His father. Grandfather all were shamans in the family. But Jonathan didn't wanted to be a shaman."
"Then One day Jonathan suddenly disappeared. We searched everywhere in town and best town in thought he left the home for not being a shaman and persuade him to take home but didn't find a single clue about his whereabouts.."
Old lady continues.
"We searched for around two years for him. But nothing can be found."
"After his being missing for five years. A letter came to us. It was written on that was he became a big merchant and wanted to see us."
"Well... My husband found ominous entry coming from that suspicious letter... But a parent love for the child is always bigger than anything."
"That was the when real misfortune starts."***