Sunshine's not sure how she feels about the little medium situation that went down. Mom keeps referring to him as "the idiot guy." That's been... fun. Dealing with her, even more so.

Just when Sunshine was starting to think her mother was getting better.

On another note, she's meeting up with the paranormal expert again soon — LeMaster. After that quickened, panicky voicemail she received from him, she's a little apprehensive as to what he's going to talk to her about. Something to do with the ghosts? Maybe he's found a lead?

But why is she in grave danger?

Hopefully he'll give her some good information.
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Later that day, Sunshine is back in the park, swiveling her head around as she tries to spot the paranormal expert. She begins to walk forward toward LeMaster, keys jangling in her hand as she strides. He's standing under a large oak tree, coral-orange sweater buzzing around her eyes. His hair is just as dorky as it was the last time, and he's pacing around, clearly disturbed.

"Hey," Sunshine calls. She blinks when LeMaster quickly rushes forward, an englarged picture of the bagged ghosts in his hands.

"Um," he begins, voice shaky. He breathes in deeply, hands shaking. "Before I proceed, I — I need to know from you, full disclosure, is there anything you're not telling me?" He looks — well, he looks worried and genuine. He's much different from their last meeting.

"No." Sunshine narrows her eyes slightly.

LeMaster doesn't seem relieved. "Okay," he breathes, swallowing. "I went to my guru and — I found some answers.." He trails off.

"Okay," she urges gently.

The man touches his chest. "Can we sit down?"

"I — sure.." Sunshine raises a brow but joins him beneath the tree, settling upon the soft grass. LeMaster curls his fingers around the roots of the large trunk and trembles.

"I believe this photo.." He closes his eyes and turns the bagged family to Sunshine, trying to calm himself. "Is from.. an ancient order — a, a cult."

"A — a cult?"

"The earliest, documented.." He sounds to be out of breath. "Evidence we have of this cult is from the late 19th century. The — the late 1800's." LeMaster wipes black hair from his face. "The, the, this cult — the name is a well-kept secret. It's really just called.. 'The Cult' by those not in the know."

Sunshine feels her spine tingle. Where is he leading with this?

"But what, but what they would do is, is they fear this demon, and — and this demon, they believe is.. is nurtured, and soothed by the sacrifice of a first-born daughter... in the family." His gaze trickles with fear. "What they would do is they would put a bag over the daughter's head — as, as a sacrifice offering to the demon — and, should the daughter survive, there was.. no curse, and the family is safe. Should.. the daughter perish.. the curse has been lifted from the family and the family is now safe for generations."

She bends her head forward and rocks her face in her hands. This — this is where her ghosts came from? The little girl, Anna? She was — she was sacrificed so long ago? But what about the man? The father?

"In the 1930's," LeMaster continues, voice lower, "the press got a hold of the story and.. the police immediately became involved and, and made it their mission to stamp out the cult and put an end to the order. And they told the public that's just what they did, it was squelched."

He waves his hands in front of his body. "Well.. that was in the 1930's. This photo —" LeMaster turns another picture around of a young girl swallowed by thick, heavy shadows. A pale white light illuminates her face. "Is from 1958. And again in '72." He draws the paper back and shows another young girl sprawled out in the sunlight. His eyes water. "And finally.. 1989."

Sunshine's lip quivers at the sight of the motionless, awkwardly-angled child on a tile floor, head bent backwards and hair a mess over her body. "O — oh my gosh," she whispers.

"So — so it is my belief that the cult is still alive and thriving. They've just gotten better at hiding." He inclines his head forward and pants.

"Yeah..?"

"Little girl." He squeezes his eyes shut. "Does your mother know.. about these pictures?"

"No? Why —" She stumbles over her words and brushes brown hair back from her face. She can't forget everything that — everything that's happened, with her mom acting so weird and aggressive and freaking out and the medium and —

"You need to be honest with me, does your father know?" He gazes at her with sharp, intent pools of amber.

"I don't — I don't like what you're implying, my dad... isn't.. around.."

He shakes his head slowly. "Okay. Okay, if you're not gonna be honest with me there's — there's no further we can go." LeMaster looks down and places the photos on his lap.

"I'm leaving," she says, too shaken up to even trult argue.

"Please," he returns, widening his arms to his sides.

"Um. Yeah." Sunshine turns and begins to walk away, but he stumbles to his feet.

"Wait," LeMaster calls, walking toward her with concern. "Whether or not you believe.. does not mean this is real or not real. It is real." A pause. "I do not wish to be associated with this anymore, please do not contact me again. Goodbye." He backs away, staring at her. "Goodbye."

"O — Okay.." She watches him turn and quickly lumber off.

What the hell just happened?

Sunshine makes her way back to the car and numbly falls in to the seat, blinking slowly. "Okay, seriously," she begins, annoyed. "What is he talking about? I am not part of a cult." She grits her teeth. "At all! Neither is my mom, my dad, I —"

She looks down and shakes her head. "He's crazy. Did you see what he was wearing?" Sunshine inhales, trying to calm herself. "I'm not.. part of a cult.." She scrunches up her nose. Maybe she isn't so convinced. "He doesn't know what he's talking about. I have to get out of here."

She's about to jam the keys in the ignition before she freezes. Sunshine turns her head to the side and presses her eyebrows together. "I feel like somebody's watching me," she whispers, unnerved. "I — I'm getting out of here."
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Sunshine gets back from the park and sees her mother's car. She knows she needs to talk to her, but is a little apprehensive of what she will say. It's not like Kat has been in a good mood for the past week and a half. Why would it change now?

This should be interesting.

She enters the house and spots her mother laying on the couch, a pillow tucked under her head and a colored blanket tangled around her legs. "Hey mom," she greets. "Um, so I had my.. second meeting with.. LeMaster today in the park."

Kat wipes a hand over her face, rubbing her tired eyes. "Who..?"

"The paranormal... cult, expert, guy." Sunshine sighs and sits on the couch across from her mother.

"What's his name?"

"LeMaster."

"Oh." She doesn't really react.

"Yeah, he prefers it." Sunshine rolls her eyes. "Over his girly name. So."

Kat yawns and Sunshine throws her keys on the glass table.

"Anyways," she continues, looking up at her mother, "he just, uh... kind of frightened me, told me some things about — about uh.." She bites her lip and watches Kat lift her body, facing Sunshine. "About a cult and.. he showed me, showed me dead little girls and.."

"What?" Mom's eyes widen with shock.

"Yeah, um." Sunshine shakes her head. "But uh.."

"Why did he show you pictures of dead little girls?"

"It had to do with the story or the.. cult thing, so." Kat blinks harshly. "But anyways, he implied our family had something to do with it, and I was just wondering if you knew.. anything.."

"Had something to do with what?" Oh, there it is, the mom voice.

"The.. cult..?"

"That our family has something to do with the cult." Kat looks unamused.

"Yeah."

"Well he's a little cray-cray." She scratches her nose.

"Mom... I'm serious."

"I'm serious too!" She stares at Sunshine as her daughter doesn't respond. "What? Yes — our family, the family tree has a long... standing.. cult activity. I forgot to tell you about that. We die of cancer, we have heart failure, and." She narrows her eyes. "Cult activity."

"Okay. I didn't know." Sunshine throws her hands up in defense and Kat rolls her eyes. "You don't know anything." She walks away, grunting. "Seems she's back to her cranky attitude."

i think uncle tommy is arriving soon :o