Chapter 21 #2
The lady steps forward and shoves the bag into my chest disliking what I’ve just revealed. Even though Beckett and I haven’t said the actual words to each other, I know we feel that way.
A loud knock shakes us out of our staring match.
“Shepherd Walter wants her ready in the next five minutes,” the voice calls out.
The woman steps up to me and with jerky movements, she tears the zipper down the clothing bag revealing a plain white dress that looks to cover me from chin to toes.
“Hurry up,” she snips. “We mustn’t keep him waiting.”
She rips the clothes I’m wearing right off my body, not giving me a chance to put up any sort of fight. Once she’s tossed the material over me and zipped me up, all the oxygen from the room feels sucked out.
I can’t do this. I can’t marry a man just because my deluded father wants to continue an alliance with a man who forces young people into slave labor within his country to line their pockets with money.
“She’s ready!” the woman screams out, drawing me out of my head.
The door to the bunker opens and both men come in and make their way over to me. Panic sets in as I try to maneuver away from the men coming at me. I trip on the long length of the dress, but an arm shoots out catching me before I fully fall to the ground.
“Careful!” the man barks.
My head is starting to hurt uncontrollably, and my vision blurs. I feel physically ill like I might vomit.
Seeing that the fight has left me, the man picks me up under my knees and back and carries me up the stairs and right into the white van they all came in. I’m set in the back and the woman climbs in next to me.
“Drink this,” she orders, then shoves a bottle of water into my hand. I make no move to open it, so she grabs it and forces up to my lips.
The cool liquid rushes into my throat, and as refreshing as it seems, it does nothing to calm my heartrate and nerves.
“Please don’t do this,” I start to beg, tears well in my eyes as my body starts to shake. I’d told myself that I’d never beg any of these people after what they’ve done to me, but my back is against the wall, and my time is running out.
“You foolish girl, do you really think you have a choice?” she mocks. “You’d think after what they did to your birth mother that you’d make better choices, but it seems like the apple doesn’t fall far from that rotten tree.”
My back straightens, and my throat clogs at the mention of Mama. Does she know where she is? A swarm of emotions well up inside me. I’ve been so focused on getting myself out of this situation that I’ve forgotten to ask about her.
“My mom? What happened to my mom?” I question. I’ve been waiting for years to hear any news on her. I shake my head to clear my thoughts and focus on this wretched woman rather than what is about to happen to me.
The woman scoffs like it hasn’t been the best kept secret I’ve tried to uncover for years.
“That woman was nothing but trouble. Tried to dismantle everything Shepherd Walter built here and in the other locations,” she reveals.
“Wha- what happened to her?” I plead.
“Sent her off to a mental hospital if what I heard was right. They did a little shock therapy on her after she attempted to escape multiple times. Heard after the third treatment, she couldn’t take it anymore and jumped from the roof of the building and died.”
A wail leaves my throat as I listen to this woman speak so casually about my mom.
“Ho-how long ago was this?” I ask, sobbing.
The woman’s eyes narrow, thinking about the answer.
“Maybe four years ago? When Shepherd Walter brought this before The Fellowship it was agreed to keep it quiet. Not long after, it was suggested that he take on multiple wives to procreate to build strong leaders for the future of our cause.”
The van jolts to a halt, and I stare out the front window as a group of people are all gathered around. I’m not sure where on the property we are located, but there’s a large tent with people milling around.
“Showtime!” one of the men in the front seat calls out as he and the other one climb out of the van.
The woman reaches for the door but looks over at me before she opens it.
“Playing your part will get you farther than putting up a fight. It’ll only lead to punishment and isolation.
Look what happened to your mother, do what you’re told and submit to your husband.
Life will be more tolerable for you.” With that last parting gift, she exits the van, holding the door open for me.
When I make no move to come out, she lets out a huff.
“Get her out while I let them know she’s ready for the ceremony. ”
The two men both nod as she turns to leave. They reach in, grabbing for my arms as I’m dragged out and placed between the two of them.
The man with broad shoulders and blond hair gestures to some shade under a tree. “Let’s go wait out there until we know what to do with her.” The heat suffocates me in the heavy cloth material as spots start to form in my vision. I really do feel unwell.
“I think I need to sit down,” I hear myself say.
“Go grab a chair under the tent. I’ll stay here with her,” the dark-haired man tells the blond-haired guy.
After getting settled down on a plastic chair, a water bottle is shoved into my hand. This time I don’t hesitate to gulp it down.