“Please step into the circle,” he repeated, completely ignoring how rude I was.
As I stepped forwards, I caught Noah’s eye. No, I hadn’t wanted to do that. He didn’t deserve anything from me at all.
He watched me carefully, regret plastered across his face. Seeing him brought his betrayal back, and it stung just as much as it did three days ago. I wanted to stop loving him. Turning away, I looked down at the floor. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t be around him. He made me feel claustrophobic like the walls were closing in, ceiling collapsing.
I hated him.
“Does Noah have to be in here?” I asked, not bothering to lower my voice. I didn’t check if he’d heard, I hoped he did so he knew I hated him as much as I still loved him.
“He does, yes,” Fiona replied. “Please don’t be too hard on him, he was only doing what was right for Eternal Light. And for you.”
I turned away from her, too. There was no point in saying anything else. They were all too far into their stupid cult to understand that what Noah had done was wrong and see what they were doing was plain crazy. Not to mention illegal and something they’d be imprisoned for.
“If we are all ready, we can begin,” Donald said.
I’m not ready, but apparently that doesn’t matter.
Everyone took one step forwards. They were so obedient. He’d done a good job in convincing them he was the leader and could take them – by sacrificing his firstborn child – into eternal life. And no one questioned that. No one.
Evelyn. My heart ached for a sister I didn’t even know. I wondered if she cried when she saw what they’d done to me. Was she as scared as I felt? I wished my parents could have taken her, too.
“The Light was given to us so that our souls may be reborn, and we would be reunited upon our human death. Through her we will live on. Through her, we will be with loved ones passed. We offer her. She is the one; she is the light,” Donald said. He spoke slowly, quietly and with so much conviction I could see why the others believed what he said.
“She is the one; she is the light,” Fiona repeated and then so did the rest of them. Their voices, although were low, carried through the room making it deafening. Or it could just be deafening because they were basically chanting about murdering me.
I was so scared I wanted to run away and hide somewhere until my parents found me. That wasn’t an option. I was all I had. Stay calm. If I could just switch off while they did the rituals, I would be able to hold everything together until I found a way out. I could do that.
Donald took a knife and my eyes widened. I turned cold and spun around to face the door. Behind me, now in front, was Shaun and Bill. They were obviously there to stop me running. They each grabbed an arm and kept me in place.
I shook my head. “No! What’re you going to do? No, please don’t.” This wasn’t supposed to happen, not yet. Ice travelled through my veins. I backed up as much as I could, putting as much distance between me and Donald as I could. He had a bloody knife! “Don’t. Please, please don’t.” I had to stay calm, but I was panicking.
“It is okay, Scarlett,” Donald said.
“It’s not,” I wailed, thrashing in their arms, spilling tears over the floor. My heart beat so fast that I felt lightheaded. “Please don’t do this. Noah, help me! Please help me.” This couldn’t be happening. Did they lie about the other rituals? I started to hyperventilate, completely unable to get enough oxygen. This couldn’t be happening.
I screamed, knees buckling as another memory smashed its way back into my mind. Burning fire. A throbbing in my arm. People yelling. Panic. I could taste the panic. I was crying, but it was different to now, it was a petrified child’s cry. I was scared of my parents for the first time. Now I was scared of them again.
I came to again as a pain sliced through my arm. I screamed so loud it left a ringing in my ears. He’d cut my inner forearm. The gash was about four inches long and deep enough for blood to steadily pour out.
I watched, frozen, wide-eyed and in horror as the man who half created me held a white goblet under my arm to catch the blood. I think I was in shock. Would I know if I was? I couldn’t move, too stunned that he’d cut me, even though I knew what their end plan for me was.
Before, it was all talk but now he’d physically hurt me, and I knew there would be no convincing him to let me go. My breathing was far too fast, but my rapid chest was the only part of me capable of moving at all right now.
“Shh,” Fiona said in a soothing voice while the rest of the cult chanted in whispers.
I did what she said but not through choice. I latched onto her calm aura and kept my eyes glued on hers. Surely she couldn’t actually let her husband murder her daughter?
“I…I don’t… Why?” I rambled, trying to make sense of something that was senseless.