Page 14 of Regressive

He falls back against the pillow, releasing my hair. His chest covered in a thin sheen of sweat.

“Damn,” he sighs, hand running through his hair. “Guess I should thank Silas for that, huh?”

Or me, I think, but bite it back. No. It’s not about me. It’s about him. And if anyone should be thanked, it’s the women from the gathering last night. They are the ones that gave me the courage to take this step.

“I hope that was good enough,” I say, grabbing a section of the sheet to clean up. I wait to see if he’s going to say more, but when I look up from the mess, his eyes have fluttered shut and his chest has the rise and fall of a sleeping, satisfied man.

I’mon the way to the Center when I notice the construction. I’d taken a different route, stopping by the butcher to request an order for dinner that night. The small shop is two blocks over from the community center and there’s a scenic route I sometimes like to take to the gate out of Serendee. The land is unused and a bit isolated, spotted with pines. Now it’s been cleared, the ground has been churned up and flattened into a smooth surface of red clay. Large dirt moving machines are scattered across the field—community members on the construction team are busy at work.

I pause, staring at the space, wondering if I missed some announcement or news. Usually, construction or buildings are presented during one of Anex’s talks. Was I too distracted by my circumstances to notice? Did it come out during the lecture when I sat in Rex’s lap, and he pushed his hands between my legs?

It’s after I’ve walked away that I see a familiar face. Clarissa, the woman that supervised my Domum, is coming down the road. Her expression brightens when she sees me and we rush together in greeting.

“Imogene,” she says, “you look well.”

“Thank you, as do you.”

Clarissa looks the same as always. Modest blue dress, hair swept behind her head in a tight bun. She’s single—and revealed to me that Anex never gave her an Order. She’s wise and understands Serendee in a way I don’t think I fully comprehended when we shared a home.

The sound of a machine moving draws my attention back down the hill. “I didn’t know they were building,” I say, admitting my possible Lapse. “Do you know what it is?”

“Anex hasn’t officially announced it yet,” she says, giving me relief that I’m not completely clueless. “But,” she lowers her voice even though no one is around, “it’s going to be a new childcare center.”

“A childcare center?”

“Yes, for infants and toddlers. An opportunity to reach the youngest members of our community—sharing The Way as early as possible.”

This is new. Children born into Serendee stay at home with their mothers or fathers or maybe are watched by a relative or neighbor. It’s one of the foundations of the community—slowing down, making time to raise children in The Way. There has never been any kind of formal care for the smallest members of the community. But I can see the need. As the community grows, so do our obligations and time commitment.

“Anex asked me to help set it up.” Clarissa beams, clearly proud of the assignment. “He recognized the success I’ve had with the girls living in the Domum.”

I grin back. “That’s an honor, but not a surprise, not with your years of service to the community.” She blushes, something I’m not sure I’ve ever seen her do before. “I can’t wait to see what you come up with.”

“It’s become his number one priority,” she says. “I think that’s why he hasn’t announced it yet publicly. He’s just moving fast, but you know how he is when he’s excited about a new project.”

She’s right. Anex gets a vibration about him when he’s in the middle of something new—somethinggreat—for the community.

We part, my heart feeling even lighter than before. Progress is being made in Serendee. Our leader is expanding and focused on the future. It’s a wonderful time to live here.

That’s the attitude I take with me back to the Center. A hum of excitement running through my blood. It’s time for me to do my part. To ready myself for Enlightenment.

It’s time for Correction.

9

Levi

“She came to you again,didn’t she?” Anex asks. There’s no question about who ‘she’ is. There’s only one she. “Seeking Correction?”

I didn’t tell him when he called us in for the meeting, unsure of how to handle Imogene’s need for discipline and the information about the women’s group. He figured it out anyway. I guess there was a part of me that had hoped she would come to my room again and let me meter out punishment there in the privacy of my bedroom. I should’ve known Anex was aware. He’s always aware.

“Yes. Just like you said, despite all the conflict and Rex filling her mind with questions, she’s on the path. She craves discipline.”

He gestures to the door in the back hallway of The Center, and I follow him down to the basement. We stop in the small area adjacent to the main room. Imogene should be here any minute for our scheduled session.

“Good.” He walks over to a cabinet hanging from the wall. “I know this has been challenging for your Levi. Rex is testing your loyalty to both him and The Way. It’s a hard place to exist—harder on you than it is on Elon or Silas. You’ve always been so devoted and followed my teachings as closely as possible. I know what I’m asking of you has been hard.”

“I understand,” I tell him. “I trust your judgment. The number one goal is to keep Rex in Serendee, and so far, we’ve accomplished that.”

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