Cult of the Hexad (Afterlife saga Book 6) (10 page)

“Hey, are you alright?” The question made me laugh and when I heard the unnatural sound coming from me I knew I was close to losing it.

“Oh dear, Denis look, she’s soaked to the bone.” I heard a woman call out to who I assumed was her husband, who was walking towards me.

“You stay in the car, Lucy.” The man warned probably worried I was some crazy person. Well if they heard any of what I had been through in the past forty-eight hours then they would be driving me to the nearest nut house.

“Oh Jesus, you’re only a young girl.” The man said and the name Jesus was one I hadn’t heard in a very long time. It at least told me one thing and that was they had nothing to do with the Colony. He took a few steps closer to me and I found that I had finally hit my limit…or at least my body had, because he caught me just in time for me to collapse.

My world turned black.

‘Bring them here Kay, bring them and save us all… He’s looking for you Kay…Let him find you’

“…Who?”

‘Your Demon.’

I woke with the whispers still dancing along the edges of my mind but I instantly knew there was something else wrong. For a start the bed I was lay in was the most comfortable I ever remember sleeping in and waking up warm and cosy was definitely a new experience. This was when the horror of last night started to creep its way back in. Suddenly I bolted upright and called out for the only person in this world I wished was by my side.

“Ari!”

“Oh lovey, you’re awake.” A lady’s voice spoke and my mind had to focus on getting my eyes to work. I started to push myself up and this was when the lady started fussing.

“Be careful now, your fever only just broke and you need lots of rest after what you just went through.”

“Wh…” I had to clear my throat and drink some of the water she held out for me before continuing my question.

“What I just went through?” I had to be sure I hadn’t said anything last night or this comfy bed might actually be the property of a mental ward.

“Yes, getting stuck in that storm like that and walking all that way…we looked for your broken down car for a bit but you must have walked miles! My husband thinks you must have gotten lost in the woods or something as he looked the next day for your car and still couldn’t find it.” Unbeknown to her generous heart, she had just offered me the perfect excuse.

“It was stolen.” I said lying and no longer worried too much about the fire and brimstone we had always been threatened with growing up.

“Oh gosh no! How terrible.” She said shaking her head and I felt guilty but to be honest if she knew what I had really been through, then I think I would have received a little bit more than an ‘oh Gosh’, so I felt better knowing I was sparing her the truth.

“That’s just terrible, you poor dear.” She said patting my hand and giving me a warm smile. She was a middle-aged woman with kind eyes and a pretty face. Her hair was cut into a cute bob and I could tell that only one side wanted to do as it was told, as it flicked out against the other side that curled under. I bet it drove her nuts like it did my own mother…but wait, where had that thought just come from? My mother didn’t have hair like that.

“You must be starving!” She said shocking me with her enthusiasm. She got up and said, “I bet you could do with some nice warm soup and crusty bread…that always sorts me out when I am poorly…I will be right back.” Then she left but before closing the door all the way, she popped her head back in and said,

“Silly me, I never asked your name?” I smiled at her and said,

“It’s Katie.”

“Well Katie, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Lucy, my mom was addicted to ‘I Love Lucy’ reruns…” She laughed once and then said,

“Anyway, my husband is called Denis and he and I both welcome you to our home.”

“I don’t know how to thank you…” I started to say but she laughed again,

“Oh now, it’s no bother. I am just glad we found you when we did…now I will just go and get that soup, you rest up honey.” After she left was the time I finally broke down. I just couldn’t help it or the soundless sobs of helplessness that bubbled over. I covered my face from the shame I felt at leaving my sister.

I just couldn’t understand why she didn’t grab my hand when she had the chance. None of it made any sense, especially everything she had said before we got separated.

Thinking back to it all made my head spin and the same words of despair played back over and over…

‘Our whole lives Kay…it was never real…we were never real!’

It was chilling the way she had said it, like she truly believed this was the case. But how could she think this? After a lifetime of memories together, after everything we had been through, how could she think none of it was real?

Nothing made any sense anymore. It was as though all her words were jumbling themselves up in my head and only ones like…
Lies… save the world… they won’t kill me…not yet…
were lighting up as though this was the key to it all.

“Here we are all nice and …oh dear! Your nose…here let me help you.” Lucy placed down her tray and rushed to my side handing me tissues from the bedside. I looked down to see blood on my chest and realised I was having a nose bleed. I took the tissues and placed them under my nose to soak up the blood.

“Bath…room?” I asked with a muffled voice. She pointed through a door and as I stood I would have fallen if Lucy hadn’t been there to steady me.

“Oh dear, here let me help you.” I let her lead me into the bathroom, grateful for her help as I had never felt so weak. It made me wonder how long I had been out there in the storm, wandering the road in search of my sister. I reached the sink and moved the tissue to assess if it was still bleeding or not. Thankfully it looked to have stopped, so I placed the used tissue on the side of the sink and then washed away the dried blood on my chin. 

“Now don’t overdo it but if you feel like a shower then please help yourself. I will find you something better than one of Denis’ old T-shirts to wear. I am sure my daughter Kelly is the same size as you…”

“Oh but I couldn’t take…” I started to protest by saying she had done so much for me already when she interrupted me in the kindest way possible.

“It’s no bother, if anything you are doing me a favour.”

“I am?” I asked surprised how it was possible I could be doing her a favour when all she had done was help me.

“Sure. Kelly left all these clothes, half of them still have the tags on I think…a bit of a shopaholic my Kelly, but anyway, she went off to college and left me with a few bags in the attic that I never got round to taking to the thrift store.” By the time she turned around to hand me the towels she found me sobbing again.

“Oh no honey, what’s wrong?” She dumped the towels on the toilet seat and rushed to hug me from behind.

“I’m sorry, it’s just that you’re so kind and…and…” I think she got what I was trying to say as she pulled me in for a proper hug and for the first time in forever I cried in the arms of someone other than Ari.

“It’s alright…that’s it, you get it all out… its okay.” She cooed whispering softly and rubbing my back in soothing circles. I pulled back to look at her and said,

“You are the kindest woman I have ever met.” To which she blushed and hugged me again.

“Well aren’t you a sweet child. Right time to get yourself washed up. I will grab those clothes for you and you can choose what you like, heck you could have the whole lot if want…now tut, tut, like I said you would be doing me a favour.” She said stopping me again from protesting.

“Thank you Lucy.” She gave me a warm smile and then left me to have a shower. I shook my head at how lucky I had been to have such loving people find me. I knew they had most likely saved my life as I don’t know how much longer I would have lasted out in that storm.

I pulled back the shower curtain wondering when the last time was I had experienced a
real
shower. In most aspects living at the Colony had been like travelling back in time and being forced to live in poverty. I knew the house had bathrooms but it was rare we were allowed to use them other than to go to the toilet.

Washing ourselves had become something we
had
to do, not something we ever took pleasure in. Especially in winter when sometimes you would first have to break the ice that had formed on the top of the water bowl before washing yourself. Summers were something to look forward to in more ways than one, as it also meant not shivering in your bed until you finally fell asleep from the day’s exhaustion.

So stepping into the shower now was like basking under the hot rays of sunlight only Heaven provided. I think I could have stayed there all day, with the hot water pouring down on my skin. Even using the shower gel felt like a new experience, especially having one that smelled so nice. Harsh and clinical smelling soap was the only thing we were granted when washing, so this almost had me salivating for the taste of fruit. To the point I had to resist from licking the bubbles off my skin.

Again, washing my hair with shampoo
and
conditioner was something I only remembered from when I was a kid. All the things the outside world must take for granted, because let’s face it, unless it is taken away from you, then you rarely have the chance to miss it.

I was just rinsing the last of the soap from my skin after wanting to wash myself for the second time when I heard a noise. At first I thought it must be Lucy, maybe wondering why I was taking so long. So I turned off the water and stepped out of the bath the shower head was over. I grabbed a towel to wrap around myself and did the same with my hair. I then opened the door a crack and frowned when I found it empty.

“Strange.” I muttered turning back to the mirror over sink. It was all foggy from the steam so I raised my hand to wipe it clear…

And screamed.    

Chapter 8

All Hail the Modern Age

Looking at my reflection in the mirror should never have to be shocking. Yes, there were a few times I had been hit across the face when living at the Colony and looking at the proof of how much you hated your life was never a pretty sight.

But this was something else.

Blood once again poured from my nose but this time when I looked down there was nothing to show for it.

“What the hell?” I asked aloud and then looked back up to my reflection thinking maybe I had simply imagined it all. But looking back only confirmed my fears and blood was everywhere. It ran down the mirror in streams and everything I moved to the side it would flow all over again from the same place my nose was. I couldn’t understand what was happening, or more like why for that matter.

A sudden knock on the door had me squeaking in fright.

“Sorry Katie, did I scare you? I just wanted to let you know I found those clothes and put them on the bed for you. I was also going to reheat your soup for when you got out, so take your time.” The whole time Lucy spoke I frantically tried to rub the one way blood from the mirror in case she came in.

“Umm…thanks, that sounds great.” I said trying to sound normal whilst getting nowhere with the phantom blood that refused to go away.

“No bother Honey.” She said before I heard the bedroom door close and I turned back to the mirror. I grabbed a flannel off the side and turned on the taps in my next desperate attempt to be rid of the sight. I was just lifting it to the glass when freaky turned into freakier. My reflection was the first to change and my other self started to shake her head making me drop the wet cloth back into the sink with a splat.

My nose still poured with blood but my reflection didn’t seem to mind. She simply raised up her hand and tapped on the side of her nose before looking down at the blood. The crimson streams started to waver before joining the multiple lines together and then flowing down the mirror further to form words.

No, not words, just one word…         

‘AFTERLIFE’

“Afterlife? What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked frowning as the red letters spelled out something I only knew as life after death. What was it trying to tell me exactly?

“What do you want from me?”
I whispered feeling myself shaking with fear at seeing myself this way, so I gripped onto the sides of the sink as I waited for my answer. I followed the rivers down the mirror until finally they formed another message,

‘FIND IT’

“Find it? Find what…death?” I asked now feeling even more confused. It wanted me to find death? I looked back up when the girl in the mirror that was me started shaking her head to indicate ‘no’. Then the blood spelled out one last word until it was all lost…

‘HOME’

“Home?”

After my strange encounter with myself in the bathroom I was left even more confused than last night. What were these visions trying to tell me? The only Afterlife I knew was what we learned of Heaven and Hell, and considering our teachers turned out to be monsters, I didn’t think that was going to be much help. And how much could I really trust in something that was suggesting I needed to first die in order to get my answers, unless…

‘Afterlife’ was the name of a place?

As soon as the thought entered my head the light literally went on above my head as Lucy had just flicked the switch upon entering. I would have laughed under different circumstances, however seeing Lucy struggling with her tray had me rushing over to help. I took it off her and the delicious smell coming from the bowl had me salivating. My stomach must have sensed food was near as the rumble that erupted even Lucy heard as she started laughing.

“I guess someone is hungry.” She said nodding towards the small table that was over by the window bay. I placed it down and pulled up the chair ready to dive in but out of habit waited until I was given the blessing to do so. Lucy frowned at me as if confused and then gave an odd look to the Colony’s clothes I had been wearing that were now hung over the back of a chair. It was as if something clicked so she said,

“Oh please, go ahead and eat child, don’t wait around on my account.” My stomach sang up its Halleluiahs and I dived in. After only a few silent minutes watching me eat Lucy started laughing.

“My word Child, but I don’t think I have ever seen someone enjoy my food as much…that’s not to say I am a bad cook mind you, but well, I guess you must have been starving, when was the last time you had a good meal?” I gave her a small embarrassed smile before swallowing my mouthful of fresh bread and answering her.

“I’m not sure but I can’t ever remember tasting soup so nice and bread so fresh.” Lucy gave me a sad smile back and after a deep sigh got up.

“Then let me get you some seconds.” She came over and once again waved off my polite objections. Whilst she was gone I looked out of the window and onto a cute decking area that had two wooden chairs with a small table between. The view when sat there would have looked out to a well maintained garden, with a sweet little pond surrounded by mature trees. There was even a BBQ under cover and I could actually picture the life Lucy must have. Her and her husband, Denis sat there on hot summer days watching the sun go down with a glass of wine.

I turned back to the room and finally started to take in the details. A cute patchwork comforter lay on the bed using the colours of the American flag which followed through in the whitewashed pine furniture and the red and blue rag rugs that lay on the wooden floor. Pictures of boats on the harbor and trees in fall told me someone was a keen photographer in the house and I wondered if it was Lucy’s husband Denis.

As a whole it was so warm and welcoming that it put Mrs Collingwood’s ‘homely feeling’ rooms to shame. It felt safe and secure in a way I had never known and I found myself wishing I never had to leave. Even looking down at myself now and seeing how different I looked had me feeling a sense of belonging in this new world that I never thought I could have. But the guilt that went with any of these feelings had tears burning to break free. It wasn’t fair to feel this way when I knew Ari was still out there somewhere, or even worse, a prisoner to those monsters of nature.

All of these new things I had only ever dreamt of experiencing them with Ari, so walking out of the bathroom to find all of these clothes to choose from was conflicting. I had felt my heart leap at seeing all the colours and soft comfy materials but then the pang of regret would hit and all I could see was a pile of clothes that would look great on my sister. 

In the end I had pulled on a pair of jeans that despite the dire circumstances still had me smiling at the feel of denim once again. I then picked up a T-shirt that still had the tags on as Lucy had said. It had Route 66 written on the front which I covered up with a soft grey knitted sweater that had a big rolling neck and long wide sleeves. Looking at myself in the mirror for the first time dressed like this had me staring open mouthed in utter shock. For the first time in my adult life I looked …well…
normal.

I had even plaited my hair to one side deciding I never again in my life was wearing it in a tight and uncomfortable bun at the base of my neck. Looking at me now no-one would have guessed the life I had run away from but one look at that dress Lucy had washed and she knew. Her face said as much, so when she brought me back seconds I wasn’t surprised when she started asking questions.

“Your car wasn’t stolen was it?” I almost choked on my food at this point.

“It’s okay, I understand why you would lie about it, after all I can imagine that the Amish lifestyle isn’t for everyone.” My first thought was the guilt I felt in lying to someone who had helped me but then confusion took over and I had to ask,

“Amish? What’s that?” After this question it was now Lucy’s turn to frown.

“You mean you weren’t in an Amis
h
community?” My face must have said it all.

“But your dress and…” I decided it was time that I confided in her.

“I escaped from a deeply religious Colony that me and my sister Ari were forced to go to when our father died in a car accident.” Lucy gasped in shock and this is where my story began. I told her everything I could remember, sparing her the gruesome details when I could. I ate my food as she asked questions and left out anything unworldly as I didn’t think she would believe me if I started accusing the Fathers of being Vampires. The only reason we knew what they could be in the first place was thanks to some monster cartoons we used to watch as kids before life at the Colony began.

I told her about only being able to leave once we had hit the right age, shocking her when I told her mine as she must have thought me much younger. I decided to warp the truth and said that my sister and I had this choice taken away from us so we knew the only hope we had was to leave. When she asked about my sister was when I found myself breaking down and admitting she had been recaptured just after I had made it over the wall.

Lucy talked about going to the authorities with this information but after I explained that everyone is controlled under fear and that they were unlikely to find any proof of my allegations, she agreed it wasn’t such a good idea after all.

“So what are you going to do?” She asked once I had finished the last of my meal. I put down my spoon and looked out the window before answering with the only plan I had.

“Ari was in contact with someone from the outside. I know if I can find him then he will know people that can help us.” Lucy gave me a nod and then said,

“I know what you need.”

“What’s that?” I asked smiling when she took my tray. She stopped just before leaving and said,

“Dessert…oh, and the Internet.” She then winked at me and left me wondering what was an ‘Internet’?

Lucy spent the rest of the day teaching me a crash course on the computer, eating lemon meringue pie and being introduced to the marvel that was Google. I couldn’t believe you now had a library at your fingertips and could learn about everything at the touch of a button! I wanted to go crazy on it and I would have if Lucy hadn’t been there. She thought it best if I go slow and first start to learn more about ‘her’ world as I kept putting it.

Being born in the early 90’s meant I still knew about the existence of computers but by the time we were forced into the Colony having personal computers in your home meant having a TV with a keyboard, mouse and a computer tower plugged into it.

Our father had one in his office at home for work and he allowed me and Ari to play games on it every so often, which was probably why it felt so natural to me after being on it after only a few hours. Even if this was the case, I still couldn’t get over how small and compact they now were. Lucy told me that since laptops came down in price hardly anyone these days bothered with ‘Desktops’ which I gathered meant the one like my father had.

I just remember Ari playing a game called Lemmings and getting angry when all her little men went splat off a cliff.

“Ari would have loved this.” I told Lucy when she showed me a few of her favorite sites. She loved one called Pinterest where she got most of her recipes and craft ideas from. She also talked me through ‘Social Media’ and explained sites like Facebook and Twitter. She told me this was how she stayed in contact with her daughter Kelly and also one called Skype where they could actually see each other through ‘Video Calling’. It was all amazing to learn about and I was in awe at how far the world of technology had come. But then there was the other side to it all, the one I chose not to speak to Lucy about as I didn’t quite understand it myself.

It was the strange feeling that as soon as I was shown something new it felt more like I had just been reminded instead of seeing it for the first time. Almost what I can imagine waking from a coma was like and being reminded of the life you had been sleeping through. I tried to ignore it but the more she showed me the harder that became.

“I must say, you pick things up really quick.” Lucy had commented proving to me that it wasn’t just all in my head. I guess if I was to really think about it then a lot of things didn’t seem that lost to me but more like simply forgotten. Even the clothes I was wearing felt more natural to me than if I had been wearing that horrid dress for the last eighteen years. The food, the smells, even the shower had all felt like life had at last found me again and I wondered if there was more to these feelings than I allowed myself to believe.

Using the laptop now was no different than Ari suddenly being able to drive the way she did last night. How was that possible after a lifetime of living together and never once seeing her in the driver’s seat of a car or me with a laptop on my knee, yet we had both taken to it like old times? None of it made any sense and it wasn’t long before I was given the time alone to think about this.

Lucy had left the room to make dinner for tonight and no doubt in time for when her husband Denis returned home from work. She had left me with the laptop to continue exploring and given me enough tips about looking for someone on the Internet. She had tried asking me questions about this ‘friend’ of Ari’s but when I couldn’t answer any she just patted me on the knee and said,