Evangeline

They were letting them go...John had brought me outside and I could see Hudson, but the others weren't with her. She looked terrible. Her makeup was running down her face and she had bruises around her neck and shoulders. I turned towards him with an accusatory look.

"My brother and sister have already let the other three go…" he said to me.

"Evie!" Hudson gasped, making a lunge for my hand.

I reached back towards her, but before I could. She was yanked back and thrown to the ground. One of the cultists kicked her in the stomach, knocking the wind from her body.

"No! Don't hurt her!" I shouted.

They stopped and I ran to her side to help her up. She wrapped her arms around me, and I did the same to her. Hudson had become an older sister over the years. Whenever I had needed a friend, it had always been Hudson that would come to the rescue. When dad and I got into fights, she would come to pick me up and let me spend the night at her place. Now I felt like I was going to get to repay some of that kindness.

"Joey...I...I can't go with you…"

My voice broke and I felt tears fill my eyes. I felt helpless, but I would never recover if my actions or inaction led to the death of my squad.

"You don't know what you are saying, Evie." She croaked, her arms wrapping even tighter around me. "Whatever they said to you...whatever they did...you have to come with me. You have to come home."

My chin quivered and I swallowed hard. I grabbed her head gently in my hands and pressed my forehead against hers.

"You ne-need to go…" I whimpered. "Please. Don't die for this...just...just go."

I pulled away from her and gave her a gentle push towards the compound's gate. She watched me, our eyes holding each other until finally, she had to turn around and run to get to safety. My legs shook as I realized what I had just done. I had let my one chance of escape leave...and now I was stuck with John and his insane cult. I wrapped my arms around myself, and before John could place a hand on my shoulder, as he seemed compelled to do so...I pushed him away and stormed back into the house.

I requested that John leave me alone...which he had no problem doing so. I didn't know what to do with myself. When I would leave work I had my books, a kitchen of my own that I could cook and bake in, a camera that I could use to take pictures of the forest not far from my house. Here I had a spartan room. Nothing but a twin-sized bed and a nightstand with a lamp on it. Ironic given the enormity of the rest of the house. I decided to peruse the kitchen...maybe I could busy myself with doing housework or something.

The lodge was silent and relatively eerie as a result. I stepped into the open kitchen and took the time to get acquainted with where everything was and how things were organized. I managed to find a bag of coffee on one of the higher-up shelves. Problems of the vertical nature were always a pain...which is why I had a footstool at home. I didn't have that luxury here. Not wanting to make a lot of noise, I pulled myself up onto the counter and knelt on it as my hands reached for the coffee.

"Almost. Got. It."

Suddenly a tattooed arm reached in front of me and plucked my prize just as I was about to get it.

"You look like you could use some help."

I whipped around to find John standing right in front of me. His sleeves rolled up and the vest over his shirt had bright red speckles on it...speckles I immediately recognized to be blood. I looked away from him, feeling my heart pound in my chest.

"No…" I whispered, hopping down.

He sat the coffee on the counter behind me and get both arms there so that I was unable to escape. I felt like I could smell the copper from the blood...taste the metallic twinge it held in the back of my throat.

"I'm not going to hurt you…"

He brought his fingers to my cheek and I cringed as he lightly caressed me.

"What is your sin, Evangeline? If not wrath...then is it lust? Envy? Pride?...Fear?"

I didn't answer him...I kept still and closed my eyes tight as he wrapped his palm around my neck gently.

"What I would give...to let the world see your imperfections." He growled.

"John."

He released me as Joseph came into view. My chest was heaving and I pressed myself into the counter.

"Do not disrespect the mother of your child this way, brother."

John moved away from me, it was clear he had either deep respect or a deep fear of Joseph. I blinked, sending several tears down my cheeks as they both stepped out of the room. Joseph was the one to return and he offered me a glass of water as we both sat at the kitchen table.

"...It will get easier, Eva…"

I chuckled bitterly, looking skyward to keep any more tears from falling down my face.

"I can't do this...I'd rather you kill me."

He frowned and shook his head.

"You are stronger than you think...God is with you, Eva."

"The man you want me to have a child with is a beast," I hissed. "He enjoys causing others pain… how can you possibly believe he is meant to be my husband?"

Joseph took a sad breath and sipped from his own water glass.

"John...has wrestled with his rage for a long time," Joseph began. "I know how hard it will be to save him from himself...but I also know that you are the only one that can."

I laughed and shook my head.

"HOW can you be so sure?"

"Because I have faith in God and he has plans for you, Evangeline."

Faith was such a cop-out...it was how so many people justified actions and hurt they have caused others. But...somehow Joseph made me believe that his faith was more than that. He was confident. Assured that this was the right path. It was almost as impressive as it was ridiculous.

"Can I have...something to do while I'm here then? I need to keep busy...at least during the day."

He smiled at me, but it wasn't the smile that had terrified me on the airplane...it was almost endearing.

"I told you...you aren't a prisoner here. This is your home. What would you like to do?"

I would not raise a weapon to my own people...and Joseph made it very clear that he did not want me taking any unnecessary risks. It limited how I would actually be useful. I thought about the little boy that had approached me. How timid and sweet he had been. I no longer had the dandelion he gave me, but whenever he saw me...he always brought me another one.

"Are there a lot of children in the community?"

"A fair amount. Did you want to do something with them?"

"I could...help with schooling? Or maybe help in the daycare?"

I watched as Joseph's expression changed and he almost looked normal. Like we were a brother and sister having a chat over coffee. It was nice. It felt good to have at least one normal evening this week. We talked for quite some time. I told him more about my life...how I had always hoped to have my own daycare...how I had been engaged once before. It was like I couldn't help myself. He was so eager to hear more to learn more. It felt like…he actually cared. And...he didn't judge. My mistakes weren't something he lorded over my head. They just were...and then we moved on to the next topic.

"Did you grow up believing in God?" He asked.

I frowned but nodded.

"Why did you stop?"

I took a deep breath, sad that the liquid in my glass was only water and not a stiff glass of whiskey.

"I felt...I suppose feel...like He turned his back on me...on the world. How can a God exist in all of this...bullshit. If he does exist, how can he look at his creation and not feel utter disgust for what we have done to not only the planet...but those we share it with."

My frown deepened.

"He's never helped me...Never listened to my prayers..."

I looked at Joseph.

"How can I possibly be... this …for your people? Are you certain you have the right...woman?"

He nodded fervently and squeezed my hand.

"Trust in His plan, sister. You had made your own when you were younger, as we often do, and God required that you go down a different path. It brought you to us...to your real family."

The glow of morning was starting to peek through the window of the kitchen and it was only then that I realized what time it was. I rubbed my eyes tiredly, definitely wishing I had cut out conversation short. Joseph seemed fine, awake, enthused. And with a final smile, he left, leaving me with a head full of new thoughts and new questions.

I stood from the table, making myself busy by brewing coffee for myself...and perhaps John should he reappear. The smell of a dark roast comforted me and I closed my eyes briefly.

"Morning."

His voice pierced through the fog of my exhaustion and I quickly turned to see John entering the kitchen. He didn't have a shirt on...only a pair of pajama bottoms. Tattoos and healed scars covered his body. Words that I could only assume were his sins that he chose to put on display for those around to see. In my rebellious days, I would have found him to be extremely attractive...now I just found him terrifying.

"...I made coffee…" I said, offering him a cup.

"I can see that." He smirked, taking it.

I poured myself some and took a seat across from him at the round wooden table. We sat in silence. I sipped my coffee and finally, the lack of sound was causing my ears to ring.

"Why did you join Eden's Gate?" I asked suddenly.

He looked almost surprised by my sudden inquiry and for a moment I thought he would strike out at me in anger...but no...instead he offered me a playful smirk and pulled my chair out for me.

I took my seat and watched as John took his own across from me.

"I resented my life for a very long time, Evangeline…" he began. "Every day felt like it meant nothing in the grand scheme of things. I was reaching success in my career...but… that just didn't translate with my own soul. I was a lawyer for a long time...hoping that rebuilding my shithole of a town would be enough for me… but it wasn't…"

He took a large gulp from his coffee and watched me. I felt uncomfortable underneath his stare… like he was trying to dissect every layer of my being. John wanted to see through me and beyond that...and it frightened me.

"...what about you?" John asked suddenly. "Tell me about your...life."

In the history of awkward dates...this one was on a whole other level. I couldn't read him...I couldn't tell if he actually cared. Joseph was so different. So transparent. He didn't hide behind a mask of himself. John...John felt like there was just this shroud covering his face. Vacant. Nothingness.

"Um...well...what do you want to know?"

"Why did you become a cop?"

At least he didn't dance around a subject...I took a deep breath and shrugged.

"To make my dad happy…" I sighed. "Couldn't give him a grandkid...so...I figured going into law enforcement was the next best thing. I...like helping people, ya know? So...I thought that this would be a good career for me"

For a moment I thought John looked sympathetic...but in an instant, it was gone and I was back at his regular blank slate of a face. He didn't add much to the conversation...clearly more used to interrogating those he met over actually having to chat with them...but somewhere I could sense he was trying to make some headway.

"So...I uh…" he said, standing finally. "I have some work I have to do...Joseph told me you were up all night...so...maybe take a nap or something?"

I didn't want to admit how nice that sounded, but I nodded anyway. Only when John left did the full extent of my exhaustion settle in. My eyelids felt like they were being weighed down with sandbags and the faint throb of a headache started working its way on top of my forehead.

Placing our cups in the kitchen sink, I meandered to my own room and welcomed the sweet embrace of the bed I had been given.

(I HOPE YA'LL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER! PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YA THINK :D)