ISABELLA BLACKWOOD

"Thank you for walking me home," I looked up to Zach, trying not to show how much I was shaking from the cold. Zach's eyes flitted around as he fidgeted with his hands. He was on the verge of looking frantic.

"Of course, Isa," he flashed a lopsided smile that didn't reach his dark eyes, "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" The moonlight illuminated his paler than normal complexion, and he wore a worried expression. His lean frame almost seemed to buzz.

"Yup!" I offered him a smile, hoping to ease him. He looked anxious. Really anxious. I debated asking him what was wrong but decided to hold my tongue. I was scared of coming off as overbearing.

"Goodnight Zach," I said, turning to walk through the chain link gate. He didn't look at me, his eyes scanning the land behind my house.

"Goodnight, Isa," he called out shakily, my back already turned towards him. I could hear his footsteps retreat as I approached my front door. I should tell him to text me when he gets home, just to be safe. That's not weird, right? Shivering, I pulled out my phone, still facing the front door. I scrolled through my contacts, searching for his name. The sound of heavy footsteps and the clang of the chain link fence sounded from behind me.

"Zach?" I called, whirling around. My eyes had trouble adjusting in the dark, though I could see the silhouette of a man approaching me. That's definitely not Zach.

"Zachary!" I quietly yelled, hoping to whatever god was out there that he was close enough to hear me. No response.

"Sir, please-," I started, but then his face came into focus. It was Harvey.

"Harvey?" my voice quivered as I hunched away from him, "How do you know where I live?" He paused for a moment, a remorseful expression on his face.

"Isa...Isabella, I'm so sorry," he clenched his fist, a white rag dangling in his grasp. My eyes flitted down to it, then back to his face. His dark curls sat atop his head in an unruly mess. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy. His stature was still, too still, and he donned the same leather jacket from the night before.

"Harvey what's going on? No. Stop! Don't come any closer!" I stammered, "Harvey, what's wrong with you?" Harvey continued his slow but persistent walk towards me. My body was pressed up against my front door as I desperately searched my pockets for my keys.

"I didn't want to do this Isabella. I'm sorry. I hope you'll find it in yourself to forgive me," he rambled, getting closer.

"Harvey do not fucking move, or I swear I will call the cops," I shrieked. Harvey glanced down to the phone in my hand, as if noticing it for the first time.

"No, Isa," he shook his head, and before I could blink he lunged at me and ripped the phone out of my hand, pocketing it. I screamed in fright, squirming against him as he pinned me against the door. His warm, muscular body didn't even budge. The smell of cigarettes was more nauseating than comforting now.

"Zach? Zach! Zachary!" I started screaming, violently thrashing in his hold. I was in full fight or flight now, not even registering my rapid heart beat or breath. Harvey quickly placed the rag over my mouth and nose. It was wet and smelled sickly sweet.

"Shh, shh, shh, shhh," He quickly hushed, nervously looking around us, "He can't know, Isa. Please, he can't know. I don't want him to die too." My eyes widened and I froze for a second. I could feel the blood drain from my face. What the fuck? He seemed to realize what he told me, his eyes also widening a fraction.

"Fuck. I'm so sorry Isa, please," his eyes watered, and he looked away from me. I continued to struggle silently. Any attempt at screaming for help was effectively muffled by the cold, wet rag and his firm hand. He still refused to make eye contact with me.

"I thought I had more time. They're forcing me to do this Isa. I have to, you don't understand. I can't lose the Path, or they'll kill me," his voice wavered. He was crying now.

"I'm so sorry. I think you're so amazing and sweet. You don't deserve this Isa. This isn't my choice, I prom... I... so so... ...se."

☽☾

I watched Mom through the window as she stood on the back porch again, wistfully staring out into the forest. It was a crisp and cloudy morning. The slight breeze felt biting, yet her body swayed peacefully with it. She tugged the sides of her gray cardigan tighter around her slim but strong body, humming an unknown melody. Her dark, curly hair was done up in a haphazard bun. It looked identical to mine when she'd let it down. Setting my warm, vanilla coffee down, I shrugged on my enormous maroon hoodie and joined her. She glanced over at me, offering a small but graceful smile.

"That was your father's hoodie, you know," she murmured, her tone melancholic. The mentioned garment felt heavier, safer.

"I didn't know Mama, no." She hummed at this, shifting so she could face me.

"Your father was a good man, Isa. He loved you so much," her eyes watered, and she sniffled, "I love you too. More than you'll ever know." A sinking feeling took over my gut. She was hiding something.

"What's going on, Mama?" I questioned, holding one of her cold hands in my warm ones.

"Nothing, baby. You're just growing up too fast," she let out a pained laugh as she changed the subject, "You're 18 tomorrow, an adult! Aren't you excited?" My anxiety eased at this, pondering over my birthday tomorrow. I fought back the smile threatening to emerge on my face.

"Yes!" I giggled. Another small smile graced her lips.

"What do you want to do? We can do anything you want; the world is your oyster."

"How about we go to the diner? Banana pancakes sound so good," I started, my voice airy, "Then we can invite my friends over in the evening and have cake. Let's make a strawberry cake. Oh! and we can play some board games?" I rambled, my tongue tripping over the words racing out of my mouth. The potential of tomorrow flooded my thoughts with joy.

"Of course, Isa," she laughed, "Tell your friends at school today." She checked her wristwatch, her sleeve pulling back a little, exposing a small bit of the tattoo she had. She never allowed me to see it though. Maybe it was inappropriate, or she regretted it. Maybe she'd let me see it when I turned 18. The mere thought filled my curious brain with false hope.

"Shoot, Isa. You gotta hurry. You're gonna be late for school," she panicked, shooing me inside of the house. I looked back at her, not missing the longing glance she shot towards the forest before following me inside. I had tried asking her about her affinity towards the woods before, but she'd never give me a straight answer. She'd always tell me something along the lines of how she just liked the view. I knew it was more than that, though.

I didn't know that would be my last morning on the porch with my mom.

☽☾

"What? Are you sure?" Was that Harvey? I was lying on a hard surface. Is this concrete? It was dark. I couldn't see anything. Wait, no. My eyes were closed. I can't open them? Why can't I open my eyes?

"Yes, Harvey, you fucking idiot. Look at her I.D.," a harsh female voice answered.

"Oh shit."

"I'll tell The Father. You stay here with them." A set of footsteps retreated. Them? Who else is here? All I could hear now was the tapping of (presumably) Harvey's feet as he paced back and forth. A few minutes later two sets of footsteps and muffled voices could be heard entering the room.

"Harvey," a deep male voice called. He sounded older.

"Father," I heard some shuffling, and felt someone crouch down near my feet.

"The High Priestess said you have found my brother's child?" he sounded like he was in disbelief. What the fuck?

"I believe so, Father. Her name is Isabella Blackwood."

"She looks like the spitting image of her mother, Adriana," his voice incredulous, "Why have you not informed me of this earlier?" He knew my mom? My mother knew these people?

"I...I never found out her last name, Father." An audible slap followed that, and the body near my feet swayed.

"Stupid boy."

"I beg for your forgiveness, Father," Harvey's voice sounded small, timid even.

"If I may Father," the woman from before began, "Harvey has also brought back a second sacrifice, Zachary Allen." Zach is here? I started trying to move my heavy limbs. They felt as if they were made of lead.

The older man (The Father?) chuckled, "My child! Why didn't you tell me before? Is he also a recluse? Will anyone notice?" I managed to move my right index finger at this point.

"No, Father. He works at the same store as Isa...Isabella. They have all the same shifts, and from my research she is the only person he is in contact with. The store owner is the only other person who is in contact with Isabella, and I have liquidated both of their personal cellular phones." I was finally able to crack my eyes open. Three hazy figures stood above me. Well, Harvey was kneeling to the right of my feet looking up to an older man in a crimson red cloak. The woman stood slightly behind the man, also donning a red cloak. We were in a room seemingly made completely of concrete. I shifted my eyes to the right and found Zach laying just a foot away from me, unconscious. Various bruises and cuts littered his face, and his nose looked broken. What happened to him?

"Father! She is waking," the woman exclaimed, extending an accusatory finger towards me. The older man made eye contact with me, filling me with more fear than confusion. Even Harvey looked over his shoulder at me, a terrified expression painted his feature. His left cheek was painted a bright red, his usual brown curls were a disheveled mess, and a drop of cold sweat ran down from his hairline. My heart nearly ached for him until I remembered he was the one who got us in this situation to begin with. The Father hummed, making all of us look up at him again.

"That's fine, child. She still shouldn't have control of her body yet. No need to put her under again. We will perform the Marking Ceremony. Fetch the High Priest, and meet us in the Anointing Room." He then turned to Harvey, who was still kneeling.

"Harvey, take the sacrifice to the holding cells. Then, take Isabella to the Anointing Room. I want you to witness her baptism as you are the one who brought my niece home. It is an honor only high ranking members have. You are receiving a promotion, my son. I will prepare the bath." He then looked over to me.

"Welcome home, Isabella," The Father grinned, before departing the room, taking all of the tension with him. An uneasy feeling settled into my stomach. By this point, my vision was clear, but I still had no control over my body. The High Priestess followed in short, leaving just Harvey with Zach and I. He fully turned around to face me.

"Isa, I'm so sorry. I had no choice. Please, please, please understand. I have to listen to The Father. They'll kill me otherwise," he almost sobbed. His face was screwed up into a pained look of regret. I did the only thing I could and just stared at him. I didn't know how I felt. I wasn't sure what'd I'd say, even if I could speak.

"I'll find a way to save Zach, I promise," he told me, standing up, "I'll be right back, Isa." He sauntered over to Zach and picked up his limp body with ease, his jacket allowing me to see the faint outline of his flexed muscles. He then left the room, leaving me to my thoughts. I looked around the room. A small, barred opening about six feet high let in sunlight. The room was made completely out of concrete, even the ceiling. Two wooden chairs resided in the corner, and a table sat next to them up against the wall, also made of wood. From what I could make out, there were syringes and rope placed on it. It made my stomach churn. I dropped my eyes to the floor. Faded red, orange, and brown stains covered the entirety of it, even under where I was laying. I heard heavy footsteps and then Harvey appeared at the door. He looked at me and glanced away quickly, as if he was shy.

"We're going to get you baptized now, Isa," he began slowly as he approached me, sliding his arms under my shoulders and the backs of my knees, "It's not going to be fun. Well, none of this is, but being baptized was pretty awful for me." He lifted me up, carrying me bridal style, and walked out the door down a long series of hallways. He also went up several flights of stairs. Everything was still made of the same gray concrete and completely identical to each other. The stale air and lack of lighting nearly made me feel sick. I was puzzled at how strong he was. He never ran out of breath, and his pace never slowed. I lost track of how many rights and lefts he made before we were outside. The fresh air felt good for a second, before the cold hit. It was snowing, and I was fucking freezing, my maroon hoodie doing nothing to help.

"I'm sorry it's so cold, Isa," he murmured, his voice quieter now, "We'll be inside soon. We just have to get to your family's manor." His boots crunched in the thin layer of snow as he walked, snowflakes dusted his messy hair. I examined his disheveled appearance. He looked exhausted. His face was red from the cold, and he flicked his big, brown eyes around the forest. His nose was slightly larger than average, but it was one of the things I had initially found attractive about him. It just fit him so well. Both of his nostrils donned a small nose hoop. Has he always had those? He sported his usual black gauges, and his leather jacket smelled of cigarettes. The familiarity of him was comforting, even though I felt like I knew nothing about him now.

Huge evergreen trees surrounded us, and small wooden buildings dusted in snow were scattered around, distanced from each other. Far away, I could see an enormous brick wall. It seemed to encircle whatever place we were in, though I couldn't see where it started nor ended. I wondered if it were to keep people in or out. There was no clear path or trail to where we were headed, which meant that Harvey must know his way around this place.

"You'll receive your mark, the same one you've seen on my arm," He began explaining, "Every member receives one when they turn 16. That's when they do the baptism. I think The Father is eager to do yours as soon as possible, because you're already 20. The tattoo is the least worst part of it. At least it was for me. I just liked the pain though, still do. It was somehow soothing during the whole process." His words solidified into visible clouds in the cold air.

"I just want you to be prepared. It's going to be scary. They're going to do some very uncomfortable things to you in there. It'll be okay, though. I promise. I'll be there as well, though I don't know if that helps ease you in any way," he was rambling at this point, his voice still quiet as if he was afraid someone would hear him. I felt terrified yet numb at the same time. I had already accepted my fate, whatever it would be. It's not like I had a choice.

In a weird way, knowing he would be there was comforting. It made me feel so confused. I was scared and angry with him, but he was the only person I knew in this unfamiliar place. I'd known him for almost a year. He was a kind man. A good man. Hell, I liked him, and I think Zach did too. All of that couldn't have possibly been a facade, right?

After about ten minutes, we approached a massive building. It was made of the same dark brick as the wall and looked to be about four stories tall. Its menacing appearance was disrupted by the warm lighting I could see through the frosted over windows. There were some people milling around the front, sweeping the fresh snow off of the porch and the brick path surrounding the manor. They all wore black winter coats and long black pants with boots similar to Harvey's.

Harvey's consistent pace suddenly faltered as he looked down at me. He held the same anxious expression that I was starting to get used to. We were stopped about 20 feet from the front doors.

"Ready?" he questioned, his voice came out shaky, unsure.

I simply blinked at him.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! This chapter was initially going to be a short one. I have no idea how it ended up at almost 3,000 words. I deadass finished writing and editing this at 2:30 AM, so I'm sure there are mistakes I didn't catch. Feel free to let me know if you spot any! <3

A/N 2: Okay, I reread it in the morning, and boy, I did find a shit ton of mistakes and discontinuities. They should all be fixed now. Thank you! <3