Jessie stood shocked without blinking eyes. Maybe she wasn't able to grasp the fact that her sister, who left ten years ago and never cared to contact, has now gathered so much courage that she stood in front of Jessie. 

Her piercing stare made me uneasy. I shifted at my place uncomfortably, brushing my hair behind my ears. Suddenly, the atmosphere was tensed, so much that it became difficult for the people to breathe.

"Hey, Jess! Where are you lost? Wouldn't wanna hug your only sis?" said Emma, making an attempt to lighten up the mood. 

Emma's statement brought Jess out of her thoughts. She turned towards Emma first, and then her gaze stopped back at me. But this time, there was something else in her eyes that hit me for a moment. However, before I could interpret anything, a fierce blow was incurred by my innocent cheek. To get this straight - She slapped me! And, damn, I tell ya', A slap it was! 

My face turned red. It was heating like a stovetop. I wasn't prepared for this, so I stumbled upon my feet on one side. Emma and Ross's hands covered their mouth as a gesture of shock. 

"Accounts settled!" Jess exclaimed in a faint voice. 

Jess then brought her hand forward, gesturing to hold it as I stood half bent with one hand on my crimson cheek. Jessie's eyes were watery as if she, now, needed a warm hug to calm down her storming senses. 

I grabbed her hand to stand up. Then, hugged her tightly. My eyes filled with tears too. This time these were the tears of joy. But my lacrimals knew I wouldn't let them flow out. So without delay, the ball tears were swallowed, and a sweet smile crept on my face. 

Emma and Rossie's expressions changed from 'OH!' to 'Aww!' They both came around us too to join us in our hug. 

After a while, when all of our reunion stuff was done, we were back on the road. I had put my hoodie on, which covered most of my face. Jessie was walking beside me and on her other side followed Emma and Rossie.

"You still haven't answered my question of why be so secretive?" asked Rossie, confused about my behavior. 

"Long story! Maybe some other day. Right now, we need to discuss Chelsea." I stated, my gaze fixed straight on the road as a train of thoughts occupied my mind. 

"What are the cops saying, Emma?" Jess spoke for the first time. 

I took a glance at her expressions without turning my face. She has normalized now. I inhaled a sigh of relief and turned my attention to Emma, who was saying,

"I had a discussion with Sheriff Dickinson. And unfortunately, it wasn't a pleasant one." Emma paused and looked up at Rossie's face. 

"No offense, Ross! But I don't think the police department is capable of finding my sister. They say she left home willingly with some of her friends." Emma stated hesitatingly.  

"That's the reason why I came out. I think we need to do something ourselves. You're with me?" She added.

"Is that a question!?" Ross exclaimed with a radiant and confident smile. 

Jess also nodded in assurance. 

"Who are these friends?" I asked out of turn.

"Uh… Uhm…" Emma wasn't ready for the answer. So, she took a halt for a few moments.

"That Macasky's sister, I guess. Daniella. Yess! That's her name." Emma said thoughtfully. 

"Let's start from her house. Inquire from her parents what's the case. About her car. About her previous day. Everything you could gather." I said in an instructing tone. 

Emma nodded her head taking notes in her mind. 

"I won't be accompanying you there!" Jess spoke suddenly, looking a little scared. 

"It's Phil Macasky's house. I don't have the guts to face him." She cleared herself as she noticed everyone's puzzled gaze.

"Okay. No worries. Me and Ross. Both of us will go." Emma announced, turning towards Ross.

Ross accepted, giving a slight jerk to her head. 

"Fine. Meet us in the evening. We will be at Mrs. Landy's place. We'll try gathering required information regarding disappeared children." I stated firmly, parting our ways. 

We finally reached our destiny, Mrs. Landy's house, after a long, silent, and awkward walk. Jess was about to knock when I spoke out,

"About what happened earlier, was a slap all that you had against me? I mean, you forgave me in turn for a slap?" I asked.

I was puzzled by Jessie's behavior. Although she appeared to be sane, there was something in her behavior that has been tingling my sixth sense. 

"What do you wanna listen to, Ann?" Jessie sighed. 

Folding her hands on her chest, she turned towards me with complete attention. 

"Everything that's going on in your mind!" I said in the same accent. 

"I don't think you would wanna know it," Jessie said, dropping her down to think something and then lifting it up again. 

"Tell me!" I was stubborn.

Jessie sighed once again and started,

"I knew you have been--" 

Jessie's sentence couldn't complete as Nana, that is Mrs. Landy, came out from the backyard and said in her cheery, surprised voice,

"Oh! If it isn't my sweetest two sisters together!" saying, she started walking towards us. 

I was all smiles when I caught sight of her. That beautiful wrinkled smiling face. Her tender looks and her affectionate gaze. All money on the earth combined cannot buy the love that you feel near such caring people. 

By the time I could come out of my thoughts, she had reached us and was patting both of our heads tenderly. The feel of her wrinkled, rough hands was incomparable to any other feeling. Truly elders, their blessing, and love are worth more than anything in this world.

"Why are you standing here, girls? Come on in! Let's get you some hot chocolate to drink." Nana said in her always cheerful tone. 

"Who could resist your hot chocolate, Nana. Hehe!" Jessie chuckled, and we both followed Nana inside the house. 

After a considerable time of careless chit-chat, three of us could be seen seated at Nana's hall room couch. 

"I hope we'll get a lead from Phil's house about Chelsea's case," Jessie said anxiously. 

"Yes! I am positive we will at least get some clue from that place." I stated confidently.

From time to time, both Jess and I unconsciously glanced at the clock that hung on the wall. It has been thirty minutes since Emma and Rossie left for Phil's house. Both of us were desperately waiting for them to get back. 

"That poor soul. Innocents always get such troubles." Nana said with a sorrowful tone. Nana's statement caught our attention. 

First, both of us looked at Nana, who sat completely unaware of our gazes watching TV. Then, we turned towards each other as if trying to discuss through our eyes the interpretation of what Nana just said. Finally, we turned back at Nana, and I called her out to grab her attention. 

"Nana!" I said in a firm voice.

"Yes, my dear!" She turned her face towards us. 

"What did you mean about innocents getting into trouble?" This time it was Jessie who interrogated Nana with dubious looks.

"Oh!" Nana said with a surprised voice. "Haven't you read the famous Legend of our town?" she asked, a bit shocked. "Ah, today's generation! Always running away from reading!" she pitifully completed her talk. 

"Nana!" Jess addressed her again. 

"What's this legend? Do you know what happened to Chelsea?" Jess asked with suspicion and fear encompassing her voice.

"Oh," Nana started in a careless tone. "It's just an old legend," she said.

"It says there is a devil's army residing in this town. It comprises of - The Dark-eyed Knights, The Women of Sacrifice and the Devil himself." Nana took a pause. 

Both of us watched Nana without flickering an eye. The ticking of the clock's hands made the entire situation a lot edgier. 

"The kids are, then, taken as servants for the flesh-eating beasts," she continued. "These kids are divided into two categories - The innocents and The evil ones." Nana completed her story giving a showdown tone. 

"But that's just a legend! And you know how much I love describing legends!" And the cheery Nana was back. 

Warding off all the tension in the atmosphere with her sweet chuckle, she stood up to leave towards the kitchen. 

Nana left me, and Jess dazzled. As an attempt of figuring things out, I yelled from where I sat so that Nana could hear, 

"Where do they take the children?" 

Nana peeked out of the kitchen door and said in a smiling tone,

"To Marmoris!" 

And then, just the next moment, Nana was again inside the kitchen. We watched each other helplessly undertaking speechless conversations when suddenly, the doorbell rang. 

Jess ran towards the door, and as expected, it was Emma and Rossie. However, there was an uninvited guest with them. Phil Macasky. 

"Hey, Jessie!" he said with a sheepish smile.

Jessie's mouth opened slightly. Memories of the past started flashing in front of her eyes. She was brought out of her trance by Emma's voice.

"Phil, you go have a seat. We'll catch up. We need to talk to Jess." 

Phil, nodding like an obedient child, headed inside the house. Rossie closed the door behind her and turned towards Jess, whose face was flaming red. 

"What is HE doing here?" Jess growled in a low voice.

"Look, there's some information Phil has which we need to present before Ann. We were compelled to bring him here." Emma reasoned with Jess.

Jessie held her forehead, trying to calm herself down. She took some deep breaths and normalized herself. 

"Fine!" This was all she could say.

Emma sighed a relief.

"Everything's going to be fine. Trust me!" Ross reassured Jessie, placing her hand on Jessie's shoulder. 

All this talk was done in a low, murmuring voice. So, the people sitting inside couldn't hear a thing. 

After a few moments, three of them entered the hall room. Jess sat next to me, opposite to where she previously sat. The couch was long. Jess sat at the end of it, followed by me, then Emma. Phil sat at the sofa chair towards Emma's side. While Ross sat on the sofa chair towards Jessie's side. 

Basically, Jessie was sitting at a position where she would least face Phil. 

"I got some notes from her room last night, and we had a small fight over it," Phil said, removing a fluffy envelope from his pocket. 

"If you could recognize this language. I asked Daniella, but she just started bombarding me for spying on her, and we couldn't really have a talk," he added.

He handed over the envelope to me, and I drew one letter out of it. The language was English, but the statements were haphazard. It was as if a child wrote random words on a paper. 

"Are those threat notes like mine?" Ross said as if she remembered something. 

"Like yours? What do you mean?" Emma asked, lifting an eyebrow. 

"Yeah! I received one. Some days ago. I've it! Wait, I'll show you!" Recognizing everyone's confused gazes, Ross started searching for the note inside her small purse that she carried with her. 

"There it is!" she said after a few silent moments.

Ross passed the piece of paper towards Emma. Emma's expressions changed as she read the dialogue. 

"See you, Sneakster!" Emma murmured to herself. 

"What is it, Emma?" Jess asked, studying her expressions.

"I guess I know who wrote this letter!" Emma affirmed, narrowing her eyes.