To be honest, when we entered the church I was sort of disappointed.

Anybody who's anybody could feel the overboard sense of ending surrounding us. That was undeniable. However for a grand setting, one where a spirit even possessed someone to paint it, it was rather...boring.

Shelves lined the walls to the left with, what I could only assume was, charity events, donations needed, that stuff. Steel chairs with red cushions made up the back three throws with a raised platform for the piano and the choir. The church had the traditional carpeting and as you moved closer to the altar, the black steel chairs were replaced with the traditional wooden benches.

The altar wasn't high either just two steps but I could imagine being in the audience, listening to the sermon. The choir singing, the candles flickering. I could even imagine Revd Siphiwo doing his gospel and etc here.

The strangest thing, personally, was that the atmosphere had completely changed yet again. Gone was the overwhelming silence felt before, the despair as we approached the church. Now it was light. Normal.

God I missed normal.

Revd Siphiwo moved through the church and to the altar. Just before taking the steps he bowed then proceeded to light the candles. We remained silent throughout his process.

"So Zake came here, hey?" Shay broke the silence, also gaging the church.

"If I remember correctly his family used to sit somewhere on the right." The Revd recalled as he lit the last candle. "Third bench but Zake was mostly never here."

The lights flickered for an instant, yet no one seemed to take note.

"What do you mean he was never here?" Shay continued.

"Most teenagers were at youth most days. I can recall though that in the beginning he didn't want to go." The revd stared at the third bench on the right. "But I suppose that changed when he met Zinhle."

Strange thing is no one reacted. It was as if normal to hear about another girl in Zake's life. Whether it be one from a lower grade at school or a church, it was not surprising. Though personally I was wondering why she wasn't here.

"Why are there scratches everywhere?" Tshepang asked. I didn't understand what she was asking but suddenly I could see it too.

All over the walls, from top to bottom, were deep, thin grooves etched. They looked as if some giant had dragged their nails down the walls. The marks seemed to go around the golden cross and plaques littering the wall but that didn't make me feel any better.

The lights cut out. We could barely see each other in candle light. One of us was hyperventilating.

"That's strange..." Revd Siphiwo thought before moving to a light switch and trying it. Nada. "Perhaps it's the breaker, I mean we don't have loadshedding today."

He moved to a side door in search of the breaker. He wiggled the doorknob. The same result. The door was locked.

Bang!

The churches front doors shut. The very doors we walking through a moment ago. I couldn't hear wind blowing or anything to rationally explain.

Kete ran to the doors. She tried them but they wouldn't budge. Even the Revd was panicking slightly.

Somewhere from within the building a gust blew. The gust blew out every single candle but one.

"Zake?" Revd Siphiwo rang out. I couldn't see where he was. "Zake is this you?"

"Back to back now!" I shouted, slowly back up until I hit my friends.

"Zake if you are here," The Revd paused. ", then do something. Make a noise."

We held our breaths. No noise, not a single drop. I whirled my head from side to side.

A silent creek ran out from the back of the church. Almost as if someone was walking.

"Someone's walking there..." Toni's terrified voice whispered.

"Why are you here?" The Revd continued. Then thought of a better idea. "Can you knock something? Like this."

A knock came from where Revd Siphiwo was, resounding around us. I could feel whoever was next to me quivering, shaking their head.

Knock!

I jumped. The knock seemed close, on one of the benches. The group moved away.

"One knock for yes, two for no." The Revd shouted, clearly afraid. "Are you here for your friends?"

Knock!

The bench next to us shifted from the hit.

"Are you angry with us?" The knock came fast, from the altar. Clang! From the sound of it, one of those poles with the cross on top got knocked over.

This was bad. If the Revd was gonna continue one of us was gonna get hurt.