Page 73 of Whispers of Fire

What is this?

More than a dozen signatures are in the lowest part of the document. All Elders, including my own father, Jezebel and Greta’s dads too. Reading as fast as I can, I freeze as if a bucket of ice falls on me.

**Vow of Silence Elders' Covenant**

We, the undersigned Elders of the Faithful Lambs, do solemnly vow to uphold the sacred silence entrusted to us by our Shepherd. In reverence to his divine guidance, we pledge our unwavering loyalty and commit to safeguarding the secrets of our community. We shall not speak of the Shepherd's actions nor betray the trust placed upon us. We pledge to keep silent, even unto death, ensuring the purity of the Faithful Lambs remains unblemished.

We shall never divulge the murders of Marie Carlson, Loena McKenly, Adeline Rowe, Mackenzie Richard, Anna Floyd and Savannah Halter.

We vow to keep silent the traffic in which those women have been used for the sake of our community or the pleasure of our leader. We shall never bring to light the location where their bodies have been buried.

We affix our signatures to this covenant, forever bound by the bond of silence.

Signed on the 12 th of March 2023 by Gabriel Blackwood, Aiden Sterling, Declan Hawthorne, Marcus Frost, Oliver Grayson, Nathaniel Reed, Sebastian Cross, Lincoln Pierce, Alexander Clark, Christopher Harris, Emerson Parker, Paul Atkins.

Emerson Parker.

My father.

My own father’s hands dripping into the blood of six innocent women, girls barely out of their childhood, raped and used by a monster.

Savannah's name lingers in front of me.

“ Have been used for the sake of our community.” How could anyone describe her death as a useful event for our community? She drowned to death in front of all of us. The signature of her tormentor, Paul Atkins, makes my blood pump harder and my jaw clench. Right when I am about to let my emotion take over me, a high-pitched noise rings out from somewhere in the distance, jolting me out of my state.

He’s coming back, oh my god, oh my god.

My blood runs cold as I freeze in place, my heart hammering in my chest like a drumbeat. Without hesitating one more second, I snatch the document and stuff it into my bag. With one last panicked glance around the room, I bolt for the door and burst out into the large white corridor.

This dress is suffocating me, or is it the air?

The footsteps are getting closer, but I turn right into the stairs before anyone has the chance to see me. Close call, but I haven’t been caught. Clutching the document tightly in my hands, I lean against the brick wall, trying to process what I just discovered.

Criminals. Our Elders, the Shepherd. All of them are criminals hiding in plain sight.

With trembling hands, I unfold the document and scan it once again. It's a betrayal of everything I've ever believed in, a betrayal of trust that cuts me to the core.

This is so wrong. Beyond anything I ever thought possible.

It was all a lie, since the beginning.

The Faithful Lambs, the Ascension, the Divine, the clothes, the rituals, everything.

My life has been a lie from the moment I took my first breath.

The sound of the bell jolts me back to reality. Hastily, I tuck the piece of paper back into my bag and force myself to run to my next class. But the nausea churns in my stomach. I can't shake the feeling of betrayal, the bitter taste of deceit lingering on my tongue. I stumble into the nearest bathroom, the tears finally coming, mingling with the bile as I empty my guts until there’s nothing left inside me but bitterness and anger.

Kneeling on the floors, I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, noticing the scars Mr Collins’ punishment left on my fingers.

Watching my wounded skin, I make a promise to myself.

I won't be another dead girl on their list.

Vox

The week has gone so fuckin’ fast, I barely had the time to blink. Rose came each night, sleeping in my home, a new routine I've become addicted to. But I know better. Rose isn’t meant to stay with me. Her community has other plans for her.

She arrived at school around eight today, right when I was riding my Harley to the club. Can't forget the shape of her body against mine, her innocent eyes and the way her chest rises quicker each time I cup her cheek. She's on my mind like a goddamn addiction.

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