Page 94 of The Cult

“I like your watch, Dad,” I remarked, my eyes drawn to the green-faced timepiece on his wrist. The brown leather straps were weathered with age, but it still looked cool.

He smiled down at me, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Thanks, buddy,” he replied, his voice soft but filled with pride. “It’s a special watch. My dad gave it to me a long time ago, and one day, I’ll give it to you.”

My heart skipped a beat at the thought of inheriting such a precious gift. I wanted everything that belonged to Dad. I even dressed up like him last Halloween. “Didn’t you wanna dress up like a superhero or something?” he’d asked when he took a picture of me and Maddy, who wore a purple fairy costume. “I am. You’re our hero,” I’d answered. Now, I get to keep his watch in the future. This day couldn’t get any better. “Really?” I exclaimed, my excitement bubbling over.

“Really,” he confirmed, his gaze lingering on mine. “But you know, Abel, a watch is more than just something you wear on your wrist. It’s a reminder of time—the most precious gift we have.”

I furrowed my brow, trying to make sense of his words. “What do you mean?” I asked, tilting my head.

He paused, his steps slowing. He was thoughtful for a minute before he spoke. “Well, buddy,” he began, “do you remember the river we saw when we went to Yellowstone National Park?”

“Yeah. The big one!” A smile tugged at my lips when I thought about our family trip a couple of years ago. It was so cold, but we didn’t care. We were in awe at everything we saw. The geyser, the buffalo herds, and the colorful lakes.

“Exactly. Time is like a river. It flows constantly, never stopping for anyone or anything. And it’s up to us to make the most of the time we have, to fill it with love and laughter, with memories that will last a lifetime with family and loved ones.”

“I can do that.” I nodded. That would be easy, because I loved my family. “You, Mom, Maddy, and me.”

“That’s right.”

“Oh, and Uncle Tobias,” I added.

“Yeah, and Uncle Tobias.” Dad chuckled.

Uncle Tobias was my dad’s best friend and the most handsome man I’d ever seen, other than my dad. “When is he gonna come visit?”

“Not sure, bud, but I’ll give him a call.”

We approached the school gates. Cars were lined up to drop off other kids, but Dad and I loved to walk. It was our exercise. “Here we are,” he said, squatting to meet my face. “I’m sorry things are rough right now.” His face dropped momentarily, but his beaming smile returned after a split second. He fixed my collar and combed my hair with his fingers. “But it’ll be better soon. I promise. Everything will be back to normal.” He leaned closer and kissed my forehead. “Go on. You don’t wanna be late for class.”

“I love you, Dad,” I said before running away.

“I love you more,” he countered, something he said whenever Maddy and I said those words.

I looked back before I entered the building and found my dad wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. Maybe his eyes were itchy again.

He waved when he saw me staring. I waved back before blowing him a kiss. A kiss that he caught and placed in his heart.

***

Tobias caressed my trembling arm, a lifeline anchoring me in the middle of the storm brought by the evening’s brutality. His reassuring words echoed like a mantra. “I’m right here,” he murmured, his voice soothing. Each repetition carried a promise of strength that I clung to desperately. His touch seemed to chase away the shadows of doubt that threatened to envelop me.

Slowly and painfully, I opened my eyes, allowing the harsh reality to flood back in. Our kitchen materialized around me, the walls closing in once more. But this time, I was ready. Ready to face the emptiness, ready to confront the pain, ready to carry on knowing that somewhere, somehow, Dad was watching over me. It was my turn to get us out of here. I needed to be strong for my family. I blinked my tears away because I refused to buckle.

“We have to get back,” Tobias said. He had been by my side, trying to offer comfort to me, my mom, and Maddy. “Before they find out we’re gone.” He squeezed my thigh before rising from the floor. He reached out for me, and with a heavy heart, I allowed myself to be pulled up.

He was right. We had to go back. We needed to find out what happened to the guys so we could get the fuck out of here before we lost another person. But the thought of leaving my family behind, especially after tonight, felt like an unbearable burden weighing down my already fractured soul.

“Go, Abel,” Maddy urged, her words carrying a somber tone. “I don’t want you to get in trouble.” Her eyes pleaded with me to leave, to spare myself from more danger.

Mom was gone; her ghost stared at the dingy walls of the trailer, the hell that had been her cage for a long time.

“I’ll take care of Mom,” she said, rubbing our mother’s arms. “We’ll be okay.” Maddy’s eyes were red; her eyelids swollen. She was brave. Like me, she had been forced to grow up too soon. Innocence never lasted in The Creed.

“I will make them pay,” I vowed, my voice trembling with conviction. I didn’t know how, but The Creed would not get away with their sins, even if it killed me.

“We need to bury this,” Tobias said, holding the black box with Dad’s hand.

“No!” I yelped. “What about his things?”

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