The sound of my parents’ names made me ache. I missed them so much it hurt. But I was doing everything I could to get back to them, and I was sure they were doing everything they could to find me.
He smiled. “None of that matters now because you are here, and you have made us so proud. We have always known you are an inspiration, and nothing gives me more pleasure than seeing you grow into a beautiful young woman who is willing to take her destiny with such grace and elegance. It will be with a heavy heart that we let you go, but I know it won’t be long before we are reunited again. Fifty years, or whatever we may have left, is nothing compared to the eternity awaiting us.”
I wondered if he actually listened to himself.
“Thank you,” I said. “I know my transition hasn’t been easy on anyone, but I didn’t know the truth.”
“Oh, we know,” Fiona said, “And we all understand. No one has ever thought badly of you.”
I couldn’t have cared less if they thought badly of me.
“Okay, good, I don’t want them to,” I lied and smiled.
I wanted to throw myself in the lake now so we could get this thing started and over with. Glancing at the clock, I counted down. Five hours.
AFTER EATING BREAKFAST together, we had to help set up the hall. “Are you coming with us, Scarlett?” Willow asked, linking arms with Skye. She and her twin sister were the only teen girls here. There were four children, but they weren’t yet teenagers. I tried my best not to remember names or make much of an effort with anyone other than Donald and Fiona.
It would be too tragic to hear children talk like the rest of them.
“Yeah,” I replied and then turned back to Fiona. “Is that okay?”
She smiled brightly. “Of course, it is. We are now headed to the barn so we’ll see you there in a few minutes.”
“We won’t be long,” Willow said. “We just want to talk to Scarlett a bit; we haven’t had much chance to yet.”
And this was the only chance they’d get. One way or another, I wouldn’t be here in two hours.
“It has been a strange and busy week, hasn’t it?” Skye said.
“Understatement,” I muttered. I didn’t want to talk to these girls or be their friend. That was pointless.
“Right. Yes, obviously,” Willow said. “I’m sorry we didn’t get to spend much time together. Noah told us you’re an amazing person.”
Skye grinned and added, “Not that we didn’t know that already.”
How often did Noah talk to them about me? Were there weekly reports? I fisted my hands. No, don’t think about that. I couldn’t look back, not now.
It had to be in the past.
I had to trust him.
“Well, thanks.” We started to walk towards the barn at a leisurely pace. The same pace me and Imogen walked anywhere at.
“What’s high school like?” Skye asked, completely taking me by surprise.
I frowned. “Um, it’s okay, I guess.”
“Sorry,” Willow said, “We just haven’t been to a public school. Obviously.”
“No, you never got the chance to experience that. Noah hadn’t even had a movie night before…” I stopped myself. What the hell was I doing? Why was I talking about this? It was sick. We weren’t friends and never would be. And I couldn’t talk about what happened with Noah so casually when it still burned.
“He said he will miss that. I know he is a lover of the outdoors, but he did enjoy the films,” Willow said.
I wanted to hit her. I knew he enjoyed it. He may have lied about everything but he reacted to the movies, and you couldn’t fake laughter like that. I hated that she was trying to make me feel better about Noah. I didn’t want to talk about him with anyone. It was private, and it still hurt.
Skye touched my arm, and I fought hard not to whack it away. “We are very glad you’re here, Scarlett.”
Through gritted teeth I replied, “Thanks.”
They walked in ahead of me, and I stopped to look up at the brass clock above the barn door. One hour and forty minutes.
I stepped into the building and something that felt like an explosion went off in my head. I cried out and gripped my forehead. Everything slotted into place, and I felt dizzy. Memories came flooding back all at once making my head pound.
The barn inside looked identical to the warehouse. I saw the final ceremony, the one after the cleansing. I was little. I started to cry when they laid the leaves on the ground inside the stone circle. They held me down. Dad had a knife. I was screaming. There was fire. The curtains were alight. Hot. Too hot. People ran, trying to find something to put the flames out with. Chaos. Terror. Pain.
Then Mum – Marissa – grabbed me. And…darkness.
I couldn’t breathe. Turning, I ran out of the barn and leant against the wall outside. Oh God, that’s what they were hiding. I was scared before but now I remembered, everything was a million times worse.
Don’t cry.
I didn’t want them to know something was really wrong. I wasn’t supposed to not want this.