Page 82 of Brightness

My heart beats weirdly in my ears. No, not my heart… drums. The low rumbling seems to vibrate in a steady rhythm in the distance. My eyelids slowly flutter open, and that’s when I realize I’m being lifted through the air on a stretcher of twigs laden with vines and flowers.

I try to sit up, but I’m still a little too out of it to gain enough strength to do much. All the bobbing with the movement of the disciples carrying me is making me nauseous. I look down and notice I’m dressed in a flowing white dress. I have no shoes on, no bra, and I’m way too fucking scared to feel if I have my panties on still.

The disciples are carrying me down the hill toward the lake, a guard of honor lining us on either side.

It starts with women, all wearing wreaths of flowers around their heads. They’re holding pottery jugs, for some stupid fucking reason.

As I get closer to the water, there are men, and they’re wearing ram’s heads with the same symbol the women have etched into their chests. The fuck is this craziness?

My hands begin to shake, my breathing shallow as a rush of adrenaline shoots through my veins, waking me up a little more. I manage to sit up on the bed of twigs and vines as the disciples reach the edge of the lake, lowering my bed to the ground.

I try to make a run for it, but my legs are unsteady, and I end up running straight into a disciple. He grabs me and hauls me down into the water where Wyatt is waiting. Bringing my fist up, I slam it into the disciple’s stomach as hard as I can. His stupid ram’s head falls off him and into the water with a mighty splash. Ha! He lets me go, and again, I move to run, but two more men stride through the water, grabbing me around the upper arms so tight I know it’s going to bruise.

A whimper escapes me.

I should have fought harder when I had the chance.

They drag me back over to Wyatt and make me stand in front of him. My head scrambles, trying to figure out what all this madness is about. Wyatt holds a sharp-looking knife in his hand, that same devilish glint in his eye as before. My heart slams rapidly against my chest as the cold water laps at my thighs.

“Ivy, you will be cleansed by the blood of fellow farm members, then branded to show you belong to the family.”

Tears glisten in my eyes as I hear the word family.

I think of Eva.

I have no idea if she is okay, or if I will ever see her again.

I think of Wyatt’s family. His son, Void. How he died so I could live.

But I don’t want to be here.

I don’t want to live in this world without Void.

I can’t help but sob, my body hunching over in grief.

Wyatt steps forward right into my space, and his hand moves to my chin, lifting until my eyes meet his. “There you are, cleansing yourself already of all that pain you feel. Let it out, Ivy. Let it out while I free you.” His other hand moves to the top of my dress and rips the material apart. I let out another sob as my left breast is exposed to everyone here, including Void’s father.

He lets out a low growl as he signals to the three women who drugged me. They walk over with their stupid headwear and potted-fucking-jugs while I stand, sobbing, exposed, and shaking as they surround me.

“Be one with the family, Ivy,” Wyatt calls out.

“Welcome to the farm,” everyone replies, as the three bitches bring their jugs up and pour the contents over my head. The red liquid slides over my face, the feeling unlike anything I have experienced before. I clench my eyes and mouth shut as the warm, copper-smelling liquid floods over me, viscous and pungent. I shudder and swallow down a gag, feeling completely enveloped in whatever this horror is. If they don’t get this crap off me soon, I’m going to vomit all over their stupid ritual.

“You’re part of the family now, Ivy. All that’s left is to cleanse you,” Wyatt informs me, wiping the liquid from my face.

Finally, I take a deep breath, and open my eyes to blood running in rivulets down my body. I release a blood-curdling scream as I try to wipe the liquid off me in a panic, my heart hammering in my chest so fucking hard I don’t know if I can stand it.

I’m so terrified right now, I can’t breathe.

Oh God, I really can’t breathe.

Wyatt brings the knife to my breast as I try to catch myself, but my head is swirling, and I can’t function enough to stop him. “When the wound opens, your blood will mix with that of the family, and we will be as one.”

“You’re fucking crazy!” I yell as he pushes the tip of the blade into my skin.

I shriek with the pain, but as I do, a massive blast sends debris raining down over us from up the hill. The main house goes up in a fireball, causing everyone to scramble.

Wyatt drops the knife into the murky depths of the water. “Fuck! Go check it out. Now.” He turns back to me as I pant, trying to catch my breath. “We’re not letting this go, Ivy. You will be cleansed.”

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