Chapter 8
“ S o, what do you do around here all day?” The girl finishes her bowl and then moves into the living area, slumping herself onto the couch where I woke up beside Mitch this morning. I still can’t believe that happened, but all I seem to be able to focus on is the fact I didn’t have any nightmares. I slept without my memories haunting me.
“Ummm, well, I prepare dinner for when Mitch gets home, I watch some TV, and sometimes I read.” I lift up the book I’m getting through for the third time since I’ve been here.
“You read this?” Savannah doesn't look impressed when she lifts up the worn copy of Moby Dick.
“Quite a few times, that and the Secret Garden are the only books here.”
“You know, if you need anything, all you have to do is ask. Me and the girls have been looking forward to meeting you,” she assures me.
“I appreciate that. And I don’t want you to think I’m rude but?—”
“You don’t have to explain, we all understand,” she cuts me off and I smile at her, despite not entirely believing what she says. I’m sure they would feel just as awkward around me as Josie does.
“So, you and Mitch?” I can tell she’s trying far too hard to stop herself from grinning, and I don’t know how to answer her. I don’t know what to think of what happened just now myself. I can’t remember the last time I slept without Solomon or Abraham creeping into my head and turning everything black again.
“Mitch is a very kind man.” I shrug, not wanting to talk about something so private with a stranger.
“And he’s hot as fuck ,” she points out.
“He’s handsome, and he’s patient. He’s really good at playing the guitar too, you should hear him, sometimes he even sings an?—”
“Oh, girl, you got it bad.” Her head shakes and laughs.
“Got what bad?” I stare at her in confusion.
“The hots for Mitch, and I can’t blame you, he’s good for his age.”
“He’s not that old.” I realize how defensive I’m sounding and decide I need to be much more guarded, this girl doesn’t make it easy though.
Of course, I like Mitch, he’s been so kind to me since I came here, and yes he’s nice to look at, too. I’ve never really considered his age to be an issue. I actually like his gray hair and beard, I couldn’t imagine it being any other color.
“I don’t think age matters at all. If you like someone and they treat you right, no difference between you should matter.” Savannah shrugs and I take in what she says. Just for a second, I imagine that our ages would be the only obstacle stopping us from going beyond what we are.
I know nothing about normal relationships, I barely know anything about the normal world. Up until a few days ago, I was content with that. Now, suddenly it seems like a curse that I want to break free from.
“I don’t think it will ever be that simple with me,” I tell her the sad but honest truth, which surprises me. Something about the way she is makes me feel like I can speak what's on my mind without it being judged or analyzed.
“Nothing around here is ever simple, and nothing great comes without taking a little risk. Don’t rule anything out,” she tells me.
“Mitch has a scar on his chest, where did it come from?” I blurt out curiously, remembering those bumpy letters I felt under my fingertips.
“You mean the brand?” Savannah bites her lip awkwardly. “I’m not really sure how much I'm supposed to tell you. I think it’s best you ask Mitch yourself.”
“Did someone hurt him, too?” I think about my own scars, the permanent reminder of the pain I suffered, and hate to think about him suffering too.
“Hurt him? Honey, he wasn’t forced to have that done to him, he earned it. I know it’s all kinds of strange but you gotta look at the brand as a lifestyle choice,” she explains, and while I try my best to understand, none of it makes sense.
“So he wanted that?”
“Like I said, it’s best you talk to him, and not just to ask about the brand. You should tell him how you feel… I’m sorry, I have to go pee.” She rolls her eyes and quickly gets up to make her way to the bathroom. I sit in the silence and stare at the blanket that's on the couch beside me.
It may not seem like a big deal to most people that I let Mitch hold me last night while I slept a deep, wonderful sleep without fear and torment, but to me, it’s huge progress. I don’t know if Mitch shares the same kind of feelings that I do, but I like the idea of offering him more. I’d like him to hold me like that every night.
I get up and head into my room, picking up my journal and taking the pen that's on the nightstand, hoping I can speed this progress up a little bit more.
The thunder rumbles heavily and rain has been dripping through the gap in the door, trickling down the step for hours. I watch each of those drips form a puddle, until the light from outside fades and I get sent back into the blackness.
The hatch creaks open a few hours after sunset and as Abraham cautiously takes the stairs, holding the lantern in his hand, I will for him to slip and break his neck.
“Hello, Everleigh.” His voice comes out powerful yet calm, just like it does when he gives his sermon on a Sunday. “I hope Solomon has been keeping you well.”
I nod my head but keep my eyes on the floor. I can’t tell him about the way Solomon touches me when he tends to me. I fear them both far too much.
“We have been unable to locate your sister. Do you know where she might be?” Abraham asks, moving closer to me and gripping my chin so I have no choice but to look at him.
“I swear that I don’t know. Please let me go home,” I beg, watching his old, wrinkled face turn blurry through my tears.
“My dear girl, you are home.” He plants a kiss on my forehead. “The Lord needs Addison's repentance. Your sister was bound to me, she carries my seed in her womb and she has endangered herself and my child by leaving,” he informs me, his tone is still calm, but I feel the force of his rage burning through his eyes.
“I had no idea she was going to run. I promise. You have to believe me. Please let me speak to my parents.” If this man hears the voice of God, surely He must be telling him to be merciful.
“Your father is ashamed. He knows that his daughter has failed him and he is prepared to offer you as the sacrifice.”
“The sacrifice? To what?” My legs are shaking, struggling to hold me up.
“I lost a wife.” His hand rests on my shoulder and he peers down at my dirty nightdress with a sick smile on his lips.
“You will serve me as she was expected to, and you will be punished for her sins every day until she returns to be punished for them herself.” He spins my body so I’m facing away from him, slamming me front first into the cold, damp wall, and when his rough hands lift up my nightdress I start to cry.
“Please don’t,” I plead with him when his fingers start to knead at my flesh, groping and pinching at my skin.
“You are here to service me, Everleigh.” He bears his weight against me, pressing me tighter against the brickwork. Something hard rests between my ass cheeks and I shudder at the thought of what it could be. I know what happens when a man lies with a woman. I know that him putting himself inside her is what causes her to get pregnant.
“Sir, I can’t have a child. Not down here.”
“A child?” He scoffs a cruel laugh at me. “A child?” His voice becomes louder and echoes from the walls. “My dear girl, you will not be getting a child.” I feel my shoulders sag with relief. “You are not the chosen one, only those chosen by our almighty Lord receive such rewards. Like I said, you are here to service me.” I try my best to think of how, and when I hear him spit and feel something heavy press against my back passage, I’m not prepared for what comes next…
I shut the journal and put it away when I feel that cold shiver start to creep over my skin. Pulling myself back together I head out the bedroom and find Savannah sitting in the living room stroking her hand over her stomach.
“There you are. I was wondering where you got to.” She raises her smile up to me.
“Are you okay?” I check, noticing how she’s cradling her tummy, it’s obvious that she’s expecting.
“Yeah, we’re great, she’s just having a little fidget in there.” She looks down at her bump proudly. “Cole sits for hours at night with his hand over me trying to feel her, but she’s most active when he’s out working. I swear his voice just soothes her off to sleep.”
“How do you know it's a girl?” I sit beside her and ask out of curiosity.
“Because I’m impatient and I had to know. The sonographer had written it down on a piece of paper so me and Cole could decide together when we found out, but I ripped open that envelope before we even got in the truck.”
“Sonographer?” I try to keep up, there are so many terms I have to learn.
“Sorry, I forgot you lived on another planet.” She laughs. “The doctors have a machine that allows them to look inside you and check that the baby is doing okay.”
“That's amazing.” I learn more every day about how incredible the world I’ve been sheltered from is.
“She’s off again, do you wanna feel?” Savannah looks at me hopefully and I nod my head because I really do. I slowly stretch out my hand, placing it on her tummy, and when I feel a little wave move under my palm, I smile.
“Wow.”
“She’s strong, and she’s gonna need to be. I’ll bet her daddy will have her on a horse before she can walk.”
“And your husband, he treats you right?” I check, suddenly feeling a sense of protection over this girl and the child that wriggles inside her.
“Everleigh, here, all the men treat their women right. They protect us, they love us and they would never hurt us.” She places her hand over mine.
“Mitch is the same. He may come across as scary sometimes and he can be a miserable old coot, but he has a heart as big as his… you know.” She winks at me and makes me blush.
We both turn our heads and look toward the door when we hear a truck pull up. “You should talk to him, tell him how you feel. I saw the look on his face this morning, and I heard the way he spoke to you. I’ve never heard that man speak so softly in all the time I’ve been here.” She stands up and makes her way to the door. “Don’t waste all this wonderful time you have now you're free, looking back. If you do, you might as well be back wherever you came from.” I freeze when she unexpectedly kisses me on the cheek. I’m not used to human affection, but instead of panicking I smile.
“Thank you,” I call after her before she sees herself out.
“Hey, darlin.” Mitch strolls in as she leaves, and when I see him I get this overpowering urge to run at him and throw my arms around his neck. Though I refrain, staying rooted to the spot and suddenly realizing that I’ve spent the whole time he’s been gone distracted by Savannah.
“Oh, no. It must be lunchtime, I haven’t prepared anything.” I rush to the kitchen to see what I can put together. Mitch left here without having any breakfast, he must be starving.
“Whoa, steady up. It’s fine, I can make myself a sandwich.” He frowns at me.
“No, I’ll make something better, you didn't eat breakfast. We have some leftover beef, I can make some pastry for a pie. It won’t take?—”
“NO!” He raises his voice to interrupt me, and his skin looks a little paler than usual. “No pie.” He lowers his tone again, looking repulsed by the idea.
“I’ll just make us a sandwich.” He smiles to assure me that everything’s okay, but the way my heart flutters in response to it makes me certain that things are going to get complicated.