My dad was doing that as well. After dropping us off, he was going to head to Cork airport in the hope that the car would be spotted on CCTV and lead police to think we’d maybe left Ireland.
We weren’t stupid, once Jonathan and Marissa discovered Scarlett wasn’t at Imogen’s they would call the police. Eventually, the police would find out where we’d taken her. I had no doubt that they’d call the police, despite what it would do to them. They loved Scarlett and put her life before theirs. They were nothing like Eternal Light.
An hour later, Fiona came out of her house looking as calm and composed as ever. Scarlett’s clear distress hadn’t bothered her at all then. For me, it felt like taking a knife.
I held my hand up, leapt to my feet and jogged over to her.
“How is she?” I asked.
“She is doing well, Noah.”
“Can I see her?”
I hoped she didn’t pick up on how desperate I was. Scarlett had every right to hate me, and when we met again, I knew it wouldn’t go how I wanted it to but I had to see her.
“I don’t think that is a good idea,” Donald said, shutting his front door behind him. My dad had stopped beside me, too. Why did I get the feeling that I was being kept away from her?
“Why not?”
“Noah,” Dad said, “I know you’ve formed a friendship with her, but it’s unlikely that she will want to see you until Donald and Fiona have had a chance to explain and educate her.”
Well, how long would that take? Once the rituals started, she had just seven days. Would I get the chance to talk to her at all before she was gone? The thought filled me with dread. I hated that I might not get to hear her voice again.
“I understand that she’s angry with me, but she doesn’t know anyone here. She knows me and surely we don’t want her to feel alone?”
“Absolutely,” Donald said, smiling. “We all want exactly that, Noah, but she’s not even been here three hours yet. It is too soon. Give us today to talk to her and tomorrow we will bring her out in the community before the rituals start. Alright.”
I didn’t like it. Donald’s words used to be gospel. I believed everything he said, but now he didn’t satisfy the questions I had. And there were a lot of questions.
“Alright, I respect that. I just want this to be as easy on her as possible. She’s a good person.”
Fiona touched my arm. “We understand how you feel and know your intentions are good. You will get to see her and spend time together before the ceremony, we promise.”
Now I was confused. In my community, you never made a promise you couldn’t keep. Never. Even though I was questioning Eternal Light, I knew that Fiona would not break that promise.
I could see her soon.
I ached to hold her. Something she would never let me do again.
Scarlett
I SAT MOTIONLESS on the sofa, same thing I’d been doing for what could’ve been minutes, hours or days. But it’d only been two and a half hours. I still couldn’t believe it’d all happened. Noah was someone I trusted. I never thought he would betray me. I never thought he’d be involved in a damn cult. He hurt me more than my parents.
His lie wasn’t to protect me it was to hurt me. Kill me.
Donald had come back, but Fiona was still…somewhere. He looked completely clueless as to what to do with me. They tried talking, but I didn’t want to talk. They didn’t listen when I shouted, screamed and pleaded with them to let me go so why should I do anything for them? All they kept saying was ‘let us explain’ and ‘if you’ll allow us we can show you the truth’. I didn’t want to hear it.
The sun was starting to disappear, and I felt my heart go with it. My parents thought I was staying at Imogen’s, and Imogen would cover for me. They took my phone, which I was positive Noah would use to text Mum, telling her I was at Im’s.
I was so stupid.
Fiona came back after about half an hour and knelt in front of me. “How are you doing, Scarlett?”
What a stupid question.
“Awful,” I replied. “What are you going to do to me?” I wanted to hear her say the words. What part of killing your own child made sense to her?
“We are not here to hurt you. This is where you belong. We have brought you home. We are going to protect you, and you are you going to save us.”
But it wasn’t real. Their idea of how I would save them was all in their mind. I rubbed my hands over my face and shook my head. “That’s not what will happen. How can you not see that?”
“Scarlett, you have only heard the version Jonathan and Marissa have told you. They took you and poisoned your mind. I ask that you open it and allow us to show you the truth.”
“I have questions,” I said.
“You may ask us anything,” Donald said.
I didn’t want to talk about the sacrifice right now. That could absolutely wait for a time when I wasn’t wound so tight, angry, scared and heartbroken. I wanted them to acknowledge it but I sure as hell wasn’t ready for it.
“Who is Evelyn?”
“They told you about her?”