She nods hurriedly and rushes towards the door.
“Have you ever had a normal childhood, Hayley?” I say to her back, my heart pounding. “Have you ever been to the beach? Or eaten ice cream in a cute little diner? Or had a boyfriend who isn’t old enough to be your grandfather? It’s a beautiful world out there. He’s keeping you in here against your will.”
She’s frozen on the spot, and I wonder if she’s going to scream for a moment, her body is so tight.
“Have you ever been on a rollercoaster?” she whispers so quietly I barely hear her.
“I have, Hayley, and so can you. If you let me get out of here, I’ll get you out, too.”
“I d-d-d-don’t remember what life is like out there.”
“It’s amazing, and it’s fun, and you can just be a kid and worry about things like being late for school.”
“I don’t remember school,” she says softly.
I take a weary step closer. “Hayley, I can help you. I promise you that. I won’t let anyone hurt you; I’ll get you out of here.”
“No,” she says quickly. “No, I can’t.”
“Hayley, please.”
A man appears in the doorway and glares at her. “Hurry up.”
She scurries out, and I reach a hand to the empty space.
God dammit.
I was so close.
I have to get out of here.
***
“Get up.”
I let my eyes flutter open. I jerk upright, realizing I fell asleep against my will. Josh is back and standing by the bed. My skin prickles and I scurry off the other side, body still weak from sleep.
“What do you want?” I say, my voice thick.
“Step forward.”
“Get fucked.”
He makes an angry sound in his throat and raises a hand, waving it. Two men approach me, with clenched fists, and I launch back over the bed and roll off the side closest to him. He lashes out, curling his hand around my wrist. I scream and launch a foot in his direction, kicking him so hard he takes a few shaky steps backwards. I roll to my hands and knees and charge towards the door. I don’t get far. A hand catches my ponytail and launches me up. I scream as pain shoots through my scalp. Tears burn under my eyelids, but I swallow them down, refusing to let my fear show.
“Let me go!” I scream.
“Cuff her.”
A second later, my hands are jerked behind my back and I’m being cuffed.
“You’re going to come and watch one of our ceremonies, maybe learn a thing or two.”
No.
“No.” I squirm, but the men behind me are bigger and stronger. I’m shoved out of the room and dragged through the shed.
When we get outside, it’s night and the campfire is roaring, surrounded by a solid fifty people in white gowns. Vomit rises in my throat and I try to dig my heels in as my feet drag through the dirt. Even though nothing happens—I just keep moving and fighting. The people part as he walks through ahead of me, bowing down, worshipping him. Sick. It’s sick. As we reach the center clearing, he puts his hands out either side of him and says, “My children, tonight I have a new member.”
“I’m not a fucking member!” I spit, and a few gasps can be heard.
“As you can hear, she’s defiant. We’ve had a few non-believers in here, and we’ve managed to show them the way. I’m confident she’ll soon believe, too.”
He can keep dreaming.
“Now, we shall begin.”
He closes his eyes, arms still out beside him, and he starts chanting. Everyone starts swaying from side to side, closing their eyes and chanting with him. It makes me feel ill and I try to block it out, but their chant becomes louder and louder and they seem to fall deeper into it with every passing second. Even the men holding me murmur the words I don’t understand.
I want it to stop.
“Bring her forward.”
My eyes dart to the left where the crowd parts and a young girl is brought in. She’s naked, possibly about seventeen, and her hair is pale blond and falling around her body in long waves. I struggle in my holders’ grips, but they don’t move. No. She’s too young to be caught up in this. “Let her go!” I yell. “You sick bastard. Let her go.”
The girl’s eyes flicker to mine, and she looks scared. She doesn’t want to be here.
“Silence,” Josh barks.
The girl kneels down before the fire, hair falling over her frail body. I can’t watch this. I won’t watch this. I scream and thrash, forcing my body to make the biggest scene I can by moving as much as possible. I do this until Josh storms forward, curling a hand into my hair and pushing downward. The men holding me kneel, forcing me down with them. My knees hit the dirt and my head is shoved down so I’m bowing.
“You will be silent or I’ll make sure you’re taken care of in a way you will not like,” he hisses into my ear.
Tears finally break free and roll down my cheeks.
He stands and goes back to what he was doing, beginning another chant. I clench my eyes shut and don’t open them again.
Not even when the sounds around me threaten to haunt my mind forever.
CHAPTER 23
I’m curled on the bed.
I don’t want to move.