Sinners Row

Chapter 3 - If Nightmares Were Dreams

Rachel quickly ran away from the cemetery and across the road, and back to her front yard. Once in her front yard, she bent over and placed her hands on her knees. She could feel her heart pounding inside her chest, the feel of a cool sheen of sweat that was now forming on her forehead. Her breathing was heavy, and she was having a hard time trying to catch her breath.

She stayed in that position for several minutes until she started feeling better and then stood up straight and looked towards the house and saw her husband's large red truck sitting in the driveway. Upon seeing that her husband was home a wave of relief washed over her and she quickly ran to the front door, finding it unlocked she turned the knob and went inside, slamming the door closed behind her and slumped down to the floor.

As soon as he heard the door slam shut, Derrick immediately turned the TV off and turned around and looked behind the couch and saw his wife propped up against the front door, crying. Quickly, he stood up and walked over to her looked at his wife who was shivering with fear and crying. Seeing her like that worried Derrick to no end. And it scared him to see his strong-willed wife, a whimpering mess.

Derrick crouched his large body down to his wife's petite form and reached out and took her into his arms and asked in a calm tone. "Precious. What's wrong, why are you crying?"

Rachel turned her head to the side and looked up at him with tears streaming down her face. She took a couple of deep breaths of air and then answered. "I think I just witnessed a murder happen across the street at the old Bethel cemetery, Derrick. We need to call the cops."

Her husband looked at her curiously and a bit bewildered at what she had just told him and asked. "What do you mean you think that you just witnessed a murder, Rachel? What did you see over there?"

Rachel shivered a bit and then cleared her throat and replied. "I got tired while waiting on you to get home. So, I got up and went to bed. And not too long after I went to bed I heard some loud chanting outside the bedroom window and saw a large crowd of robed figures carrying torches that gave off an eerie red light. I went to the window and watched them go into the old Bethel cemetery. So, feeling curious I followed them into the cemetery and hid behind a stone mausoleum and watched a guy who I treated at the hospital earlier named Miguel, kill a young man in the middle of some weird circle."

Derrick sighed and then asked. "Miguel? Did this guy's last name happen to be Gonzalez?"

Rachel nodded her head and then answered. "Yeah. His name was Miguel Gonzalez. I remember it clearly from his paperwork from when I treated him. But, why do you ask?"

"Because that very Miguel Gonzalez is a very well known satanic cult leader here in Charleston. He's a prominent man here in this town. Promise me, Rachel. That you will stay as far away from him as you possibly can. I would hate to see anything bad happen to you." Derrick said.

"Of course, I'll stay far away from the man as I can. He creeps me the f**k out. But, can't we call the cops about this Derrick?" She asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Her husband shook his head and replied. "Just don't worry about it, Rachel. There is nothing that either one of us can do about it anyways. Now, come on, let's go to bed it's getting pretty late and we both have work tomorrow." He said, and then helped Rachel up and walked her to the bedroom and got her in the bed, and covered her with the covers and kissed her on the forehead.

Once she was in the bed, Derrick walked back into the living room and locked the front door and then went to turn off the light. As he was turning off the light, he swore to himself and said. "Son of a b***h. I can't believe that the bastard is back at it again." And then turned off the living room light and went into the bedroom where he passed out beside Rachel.

The next morning at the hospital, everything was going pretty smoothly at work and Rachel figured that today was going to be a good day. However, that was until a file was placed down in front of her. Figuring that it was another elderly patient who had been admitted for forgetting to take their medication like they were supposed to, she grabbed the file and looked at the room number that was written on it and walked to the room.

As soon as she got to the door, she heard a voice that sounded very familiar to her. Quickly, she opened the door only to see to her horror that it was none other than Miguel sitting there on the hospital bed, smirking at her. She wanted to slam the door and run away screaming bloody murder. But, she didn't want to cause any added stress to the other patients that were there seeking care. So, she sucked it up and went inside, closing the door behind her.

Rachel walked several steps towards his bed and then stopped and placed her hands on her hips and asked. "What are you in here for this time, Miguel? Did you cut yourself this time again? Or did you break something?"

Miguel laid back on the bed and placed his arms behind his head and then crossed his legs over each other on the end of the bed and then replied. "No, sweetheart. I'm not here for medical treatment. Actually, what I'm here for is to see you."

She stared at him for several minutes. She was shocked by his answer and it angered her that he would have the balls to show up at her place of work just to talk to her and not be here for medical treatment. She had other people that needed her care and she wasn't about to stand here and listen to what this bastard had to say to her.

Quickly, she turned on her heels and started heading towards the door. But, as she did she heard Miguel speak again. "Where do you think you are going?" He snarled out as he sat up on the bed, losing all joking manner that he had in him.

"I think I'm leaving. I'm going to help out the real patients that actually do need me. That's where I'm going." She replied, not even bothering to look at him.

This angered Miguel to no end and he immediately got off the bed and walked over to where Rachel was still standing at and grabbed her by the arm and spun her around to face him. Not liking the fact that a cold-blooded killer was standing so close to her, Rachel started backing away from him until her back was against the wall and she was now trapped between them both.

As she started pushing against his chest, trying to get away from him. Miguel reached out and brushed his hand against her cheek and gave her a devilish smirk and then asked. "Oh, come on now, Rachel. What's wrong don't like a real man touching you?"

"Of course, I don't like you touching me. Why the hell would I like someone other than my husband touching me!" Rachel screamed as she continued to try and push him away from her to no avail.

Miguel grabbed her hand away from his chest and held onto both her arms tightly and said with an amused laugh. "Well, what do you know, the little caregiver is innocent. Now, come on sweetheart. Why don't you let a real man show you what love actually is."

As soon as she heard that a bubble of anger that had been forming in the pit of her stomach finally erupted, and she lifted up her leg and kneed him right in the nuts, and he quickly let go of her and kneeled down towards the floor, clutching his crotch.

Miguel looked up at her with a painful look on his face and then said to her as he watched her open the door to leave. "You'll regret this, Rachel. I will have you no matter how much you try to hide from me, I will find you. That I can promise you!" He wailed and then watched her leave the room in a huff.