Wait to start the song.

Ashley clung tightly to Josh's hand as his parents glared down at him. "You want to take her out of the community?"

"Just for a couple hours. We'll come back, obviously," Josh told them, allowing Ashley to interlock their fingers and hide her face against his sleeve.

"She's still a virgin. It's too easy for her to escape and never come back," his father decided.

Josh looked down at Ashley. She had to stay a virgin if he was going to get her out of here. How could he make them believe she'd stay? They had to get out of here tonight before the only person who could help them left.

Josh was startled by Ashley's quiet voice. "Because Josh and I already talked about having babies," she whispered. "I still want to."

The Dun household was quiet. Josh's siblings looked up from where they sat in the living room, each looking shocked. Josh squeezed Ashley's hand softly. She was trembling.

"That's not an easy process," Josh's mother said in a much more gentle voice.

"But it's worth it," Ashley replied quietly. "Josh told me what we'd have to do. I understand. I want to do it."

His parents looked at each other. Josh had never been this terrified in his life. He had to get her out of here, but part of him was scared that she was starting to accept this situation. Did she still want to leave, or was she starting to justify letting Josh hurt her in order to keep him? Josh couldn't do that.

"Be back by midnight," his father decided. "Come back without her and I'll turn you inside out. Got it?"

"Yes, sir."

Without waiting for further instruction, Josh pulled Ashley to the door. Once on the porch, he helped her into a pair of his sister's shoes. She wasn't allowed any of her own yet, but Josh refused to let her walk outside in October without them. He pulled his own shoes on, ignoring the eyes of the members of The Family that stayed on him and Ashley.

"Still wearing white," he heard one of the elder women mutter.

Ashley tugged nervously that the childish dress she wore, grabbing Josh's hand when he stood back up. "They're watching."

"They always are," Josh whispered back as he led her down the porch steps and toward the edge of the community.

"Still haven't deflowered her?" Josh heard a younger voice call.

He looked over his shoulder to find Pete, whose dark eyes were watching Ashley far too closely. Josh ignored Pete. Despite being his best friend within The Family, Josh didn't fully trust him. He didn't trust anyone when it came to Ashley's safety. No one understood how important it was that she got out of here whole.

"Oh, come on. I'm kidding. Fuck your wife whenever you want. I don't care," Pete laughed out.

"What do you want, Pete?" Josh asked, not slowing his pace as he led Ashley through the community.

"I heard the elders talking," Pete told him simply.

"About what?"

"They don't think you want a wife too much." Pete twisted the ring on his fourth finger. "They think you're like me."

Josh glanced at Pete out of the corner of his eye. His grip on Ashley's hand tightened slightly. He was grateful that she was staying quiet. Even if it was out of fear, she was doing a good job.

"Why would they think that?" Josh asked as he helped Ashley step over a large puddle of mud.

"She's still wearing white. If you did want a wife, they figure you'd have taken her by now. You haven't though, so maybe you want a husband." Pete smirked when Josh rolled his eyes.

Ashley looked nervously at him, clinging to his arm. He understood her fear. When she got out of here, she'd still have satanic symbols on her body. She'd still have memories of this place. No one would ever fully understand what she'd been through, except maybe Josh.

"I like having a wife. We're just waiting," Josh replied, settling for just picking her up and carrying her across the mud when bigger puddles crossed their path.

"For what?" Pete asked, raising an eyebrow.

Josh's mind reeled as he looked for an excuse. His eyes scanned the trail before them before reaching the sky. He pointed at the moon. It would be finished waning in a week.

"The next full moon," Josh told him.

Pete looked up at the sky in confusion before looking at Josh with wide eyes. "Are you two going to do the fertility ritual?"

Ashley nodded, hiding her face against Josh's shoulder. Pete grinned at Josh. Josh just held Ashley closer.

"Wow. Definitely not gay then. Too bad you didn't tell them before we left," Pete replied simply.

"Why?" Josh asked.

Pete shrugged. "No reason. So where are we going?"

"You're going home," Josh told him.

"And why would I do that?" Pete asked with a smirk.

Josh raised an eyebrow. "Because we don't need your help choosing a blood sacrifice for our baby."

That shut his friend up. "Oh. Right. That's kinda personal. Okay. I'll see you guys later. Happy hunting or whatever."

Start the song. It's Lookout, Lookout by Perfume Genius.

Josh watched Pete turn around and walk back to the community, his heart pounding in his chest. He carried Ashley over the rest of the puddles before setting her back down. She clung to him still, looking around nervously.

"What if people recognize me?" Ashley whispered.

"I'll let them take you," Josh replied easily.

"They'd arrest you," she pointed out.

Josh shrugged. "I could survive prison."

Ashley giggled as she pulled him out of the line of trees, excitement clearly getting the best of her. Josh kept his face neutral as he followed her. It was a habit. Never show outsiders how you're feeling. That had been drilled into his head since the first time he'd left the community.

"Did you feel that?" Ashley laughed out.

"What?" Josh asked as they walked.

"Raindrops!" She laughed out, spinning around, making her dress twirl around her.

She grabbed Josh's hands and made him spin with her. He couldn't help but laugh as she spun the two of them around. He picked her up and twirled her around as the rain picked up, making her giggle. He set her back down on her feet and hugged her, kissing her forehead. She giggled, grabbing onto the front of his jacket as she looked up at the rain.

"I haven't been outside in four months," she said excitedly. "It's beautiful."

Josh smiled as he took her hand and led her down the street. She skipped next to him, looking around cheerfully. It was too dark out for her to really see anything clearly, but she was still outside and the rain was falling.

"Come on then. Let's go find the guy who can get you back out here for good," Josh told her.

Ashley smiled up at him. "I'm really going to miss you."

"I'll miss you too," Josh replied quietly, squeezing her hand lightly. "But you deserve to live outside of the community."

Ashley smiled sadly up at him as lifted her over another puddle. "So do you."

Josh felt his heart swell in his chest. No one had ever said that to him before. No one outside of the community had even talked to him before Ashley. Maybe that's why the elders had chosen her. He needed someone who actually saw him as a person, not as a product of a cult.

He stopped when Ashley did. She was looking at him strangely, unlike anyone else ever had. His eyes widened when she went up on her tiptoes and kissed him. He watched her in absolute confusion as her lips moved against his. Her eyes were closed, so maybe his should be too. He closed them, letting her kiss him. When the kiss broke, she smiled up at him, but he could barely breathe. This hadn't ever happened to him before. He wasn't sure if he was even allowed to kiss her.

"Ready?" He asked her nervously.

Ashley smiled. "Ready."

Josh swallowed thickly before taking his hoodie off and handing it to her. Her white dress was soaked through from the rain and she had to be freezing. She blushed as she took it, and he realised that that might not be normal behaviour. He wasn't very good at this.

She held her hand out to Josh. He took it softly and led her down the street again. "Josh?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I tell you a secret?" Ashley was still blushing.

"Sure," Josh replied quietly.

Ashley stopped him again, looking up at him with soft eyes. "I know I'm not supposed to, but I still think I want to have babies with you.

Josh's eyebrows drew together in confusion. "But what about the rituals and having to raise them in The Family and...."

Josh trailed off when he realised he felt eyes on him. He looked up slowly, finding the boy from the memorial standing on the sidewalk next to a dumpster, holding a trash bag. His eyes were wide as they flicked from Josh to Ashley and back again.

Words failed Josh as he remembered his sister's fingers pointed at that boy's head, a silent symbol for Mathias to come take him. He'd be dead to the outsiders as soon as Mathias came for him-maybe dead to The Family too.

Ashley looked over her shoulder at the boy. Her eyes widened, her hands tightening on Josh's shirt. "Who is that?" She whispered.

"The next one," Josh whispered back.

"For what?" Ashley whispered back.

Josh swallowed hard. "Ash gave the signal today. Mathias is going to take him."

Ashley looked back over at the boy again before releasing Josh and running to him. Josh gasped as she ran to the boy, making the stranger drop the garbage bag and step backwards.

"What's your name?" She asked him quickly.

"I'm sorry, what?" He asked in a quiet voice.

"It's important. Please. Who are you?" She asked nervously. "I-We can protect you if you tell us who you are."

The boy looked nervously at Josh, who hadn't come any closer. He couldn't. It was bad enough that he'd allowed Ashley to be spotted, but now she was talking to an outsider-the outsider who might die because of him and his determination to get home before anyone else this afternoon.

"Protect me from what?" The boy asked anxiously.

Ashley looked back at Josh. "Are we allowed to tell him?" She whispered. Josh shook his head slowly, looking down at his shoes. Ashley sighed. "What will they do if you tell?"

"Exile me," Josh whispered. "Maybe more."

"And me?" Ashley asked.

Josh met her eyes again. The boy was watching them in complete terror. "They'd make me...." His voice trailed off. "I'd have to do it. Get rid of you."

Ashley swallowed hard. "You'd have to kill me?"

Josh nodded, looking back down at his shoes. "Yes."

"What the hell is going on?" The boy asked, his voice trembling.

Josh looked to the boy again, taking a deep breath before speaking. "I can't tell you very much, but you're in danger."

His eyes widened. "And why do you know this?"

Josh debated whether or not he could do this, but in the end, he was the reason this kid's life was in danger. "Just...if you see a man who's got a scar under his eye, run."

"Run fast," Ashley agreed.

The boy looked at Ashley in confusion. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

Ashley shrunk back against Josh. "I don't think so."

The boy's eyes widened. "You're the girl from the memorial! You went missing. Brendon told me about you."

Ashley froze and Josh's mouth went dry. "Brendon?" She asked.

"Yeah! He said I was next. Is that what you guys mean?" He asked.

"What's your name?" Ashley asked quietly.

"Tyler Joseph," the boy replied quietly as well.

"Um, I'm Ashley. I guess you knew that." Josh's eyes widened as he looked to the girl in front of him. "This is my husband, Josh. Kind of...." She looked nervously at Josh for help, but he really wasn't any better at being social than she was right now.

"Husband?" Tyler asked.

"It's complicated," Josh replied quietly. "She didn't exactly have a choice. Neither of us did."

Tyler was looking at them in complete shock. Ashley cleared her throat. "It's a religious thing."

Tyler nodded slowly. "Right. Brendon said there were devil worshippers in the woods. He, uh, used you and your sister as examples."

Josh's stomach twisted painfully. "Lovely."

"Josh doesn't believe that stuff," Ashley told Tyler.

"He's a good person. I'd trust him with my life, and I have. You can too."

"I don't know... Why would you want to help me?" Tyler asked nervously.

Josh shrugged. "Pretty sure my wife just signed me up for it."

Tyler nodded, looking over his shoulder at his house and back. "So, a scar under the eye?"

"Yeah," Josh mumbled, looking down at his shoes. "Ashley, we should go. We have to be back soon."

Ashley nodded, looking sadly at Tyler as she took Josh's hand again, pulling his jacket tighter around her. "It was nice to meet you. Good luck, Tyler."

"Thanks," he replied quietly.

Josh began to lead her back down the street before an idea came to his mind. He turned back around and looked at Tyler, who seemed shocked. "Are you a virgin?"

Tyler's eyes widened and Ashley laughed. "Josh, not something normal people ask outright," she told him.

"Oh," Josh replied simply. "I'm only asking because he can't take you unless you are. If you aren't-"

"Well, I am so...." Tyler shifted uncomfortably. "Which is something I never thought I'd tell a devil worshipper. Wow. Okay. I'm going to just...." He trailed off as he pointed to his door.

Josh's eyes widened. He was new to socialising. He had no idea where to go from here. All he knew was that he'd embarrassed Tyler and he felt really guilty.

"It's okay," Ashley replied. "So are we. We're sixteen. That's normal." She giggled. "Especially after you get kidnapped by a cult."

Josh snickered as Ashley laughed against his shoulder. Tyler just looked scared. Josh swallowed down his laughter and looked down at his feet. Ashley wrapped her arms around his waist. He wrapped one around her shoulders.

"How are you virgins if you're married?" Tyler asked.

"It's a religious thing," Josh mumbled.

"Satanists can't have sex?" Tyler asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's complicated," Ashley replied. "And for the record, I'm not a satanist. I was raised Catholic. Kidnapped, remember?"

"You seem very okay with being kidnapped," Tyler replied anxiously, suddenly seeming to realise he'd never actually thrown the trash away. He dropped it into the dumpster before putting the lid back on.

"Only because I'm free for a minute. Josh takes care of me though. He's my best friend," Ashley told him.

Josh smiled. He'd never really been anyone's best friend before. He kissed the top of her head. She smiled up at him. He smiled back.

"Okay. Um, thanks for the warning." Tyler replied quietly. "See you at school, Josh."

"Bye," Josh replied, feeling a bit guilty that he was able to save Ashley and not Tyler.

Ashley smiled at Tyler as Josh led her away. "We'll protect you," she assured him.

Tyler smiled slightly. "Thank you. Um, should I tell Brendon that I saw you?"

Ashley shook her head sadly. "It'll hurt him less if he thinks I'm dead."

Tyler nodded. "Okay."

"Thanks, Tyler."

"I guess I kind of owe you. I'll help however I can," Tyler replied quietly. "Thank you."

He turned around and walked back into his house. Josh watched him go before leading Ashley back down the sidewalk. "Come on then. We're a five minute's walk away from getting you out of The Family."

Ashley smiled. "Then let's go!"