Stranded Ch. 17

"Let us get you gowned up; I know just the place for you. Piper's out sick today." She stopped at the shelf against the back wall. She took one look at me and pulled down a disposable white paper lab coat and a hair net. I put them on and followed her to a large vat.

"We keep this baby at a specific temperature to keep the wax in liquid form so that we can pour it into the molds easier. Today, however, you are going to just pour into the glass ones. Let's find you a workstation!" There was a line of tables, a few had little glass jars lined up covering half of the surface, some of the other tables had silicone molds, but I was grateful not to be doing those, they looked too complicated and the last thing I wanted was to mess things up. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. One day at a time. Something told me Dale would not handle a panic attack well.

"First thing you're going to want to do is set up the wicks. You want them as close to the center as you can get, to do that you need," she paused as she reached into a box beneath the table and pulled a handful of thin sticks. In her other hand she had grabbed some wicks and laid them on the table.

"You're gonna take this wick here, let the metal settle against the bottom, then you're gonna place your stick across the top like so." She nodded towards the pieces and I picked one of each up, following her example.

"Now they are a little long, but that is okay, we want that so you can wrap the excess around the stick, so that it holds the wick in place. Things go much faster if you prep all the jars first, I'll help you with this round, but pay attention because after that you will be on your own." She moved fast and efficiently, setting up over half the jars by the time I finished a dozen. She reached back under the table, lifting a metal pitcher, pair of special heat resistant gloves and long paint stick. We walked back to the vat, Josiah moving with us, staying within 6 ft. I found it a bit over the top but focused on Heavenly's instructions. She filled the pitcher and we hurried back to the waiting jars.

"You want to aim for the middle and pour slow, but not too slow because you want to fill the jar before the wax starts to harden. I am going to let you do it. These are going to be sold, so appearance is everything. We want them all filled the same height; I am going to hold the ruler as you go." She set the pitcher on the table and I picked it up, holding it carefully, one hand on the handle, the other on the bottom to stop it from pouring too quickly. I started working, mostly focusing on keeping my hands steady, I could feel the warmth from the melted wax but not enough to burn me. When I finished, I stood still and watched her inspect them, using a small hand towel to wipe off any excess that had spilled over.

"Not bad for your first time. Josiah dear, could you please assist? There is a pile of paperwork calling my name." His face was blank as he took the paint stick from her hand and nodded.

"You want to let them sit for at least 5 minutes, and you can set up another batch on this side of the table. You will find more jars beneath your station. When you run out of supplies Josiah will notify Kenneth and he will bring you more. You'll repeat the same process and while those set, these ones should be finished, you will cut the wick so that it is flush with the top of the jars...." She pulled out a pair of scissors but before she could hand them to me Josiah snatched them.

"Sorry Heavenly, I think giving her hot wax is already a bad idea, but sharp objects are definitely a no. I will cut the wicks."

"Understood, so, after Josiah cuts the wick, Kenneth will take them to get labeled and packed away. Any questions?"

"Why don't you have machines do this? You'd make more and it'd be a lot faster."

"That's what sets us apart is our personal touch. The Lord says the soul of the diligent is richly supplied."

"How many do you want me to make?" Heavenly giggled.

"You keep going until it's time for lunch or you need to use the toilet. I will not be far, but Josiah is more than capable of answering any questions. It was very nice to meet you." I felt frozen in time as she walked back to her desk and for a moment I just stood there, the noise of the warehouse overwhelming; to be surrounded by so many people and yet still feel so alone. It felt cruel, had that been Dale's intention by bringing me there? I sighed internally; I do not know why I bothered trying to figure out his intentions at all.

"Get to work." Josiah barked, startling me out of my thoughts. I set the jars down and set up the wicks. After I finished pouring those, I unwound the wick and Josiah cut them. Kenneth came to collect them just as Heavenly had stated, giving me space to set up another batch. And on it went, dozens at a time, my arms began to ache, my lower back screaming from hunching over and by the time Josiah informed me it was time for lunch I just wanted to go home and sleep. The only bonus I could focus on was the vanilla scent that tickled my nose.

Josiah led me to Dale's office where I was directed to a small table off to the side, paper sack lunch waiting. Dale was on the phone, currently haggling for a cheaper price on glass jars.

"What if I arranged to pick them up myself?" He cradled the phone between his head and shoulder, as he fumbled for a scrap of paper to jot down notes.

"Okay. I'll arrange for my driver to stop by on their way back and shoot you an email with the details." He said his goodbye and hung up, joining me at the table with our sack lunches. Mary had packed us ham sandwiches, an apple, a small bag of chips and a brownie. I had not realized just how hungry I was until I unwrapped it. I was about to take a bite when Dale cleared his throat, his hands held out before him.

"I am beginning to suspect Sammy doesn't pray as often as he should, judging from your habits."

"Sorry, I'm just very hungry and it looks so good." I set my sandwich down and tentatively put my hands in his, It felt oddly intimate holding both of his hands, but I followed his lead and bowed my head while he recited a quick prayer.

I was too hungry to bother with idle chatter and once lunch was finished, he called for Josiah and I returned to my workstation. I lost count of how many candles I made, and I could barely lift my arms by the time the day was over. I found the silence on the ride back soothing; I was too tired to think and it was...peaceful. I became Emily's responsibility when we arrived back, she supervised me while I took a quick shower and changed into my nightgown, handing me a robe to keep me modest and decent. When I was finished, she handed me her black medicine bag and had me follow her around the property as she tended to some of the children and their various injuries. She checked in with Saul, who insisted his fingers did not hurt and he was ready to get back to chores. He avoided looking at me, for which I felt fortunate. Noah was the opposite, he glared at me while Emily tested the dexterity of his wrist. Timmy had stitches, Sara's brand had nearly finished healing, Carina had just lost her two front teeth and Eugene was suffering a tummy ache which he confessed was from his brothers making him eat a mud pie.

The next few days blurred together, the only difference being a different scent for the candles each day. I found the attire suffocating, but the work was a nice distraction, even with Josiah barking orders at me. I was not new to hard labor, I'd had a few jobs before, flipping burgers in high school, then I was a barista, but that was before I took off, by now I was certainly fired. On my fifth day of being at Dale's we stayed back, me in the care of Bethany, and Dale off to meet with a few of his older sons and a couple brothers, to talk business. Bethany did not speak much unless it was to give direction. We cleaned up the breakfast dishes and started prepping lunch. When she sent me to the pantry for lasagna noodles, I hesitated.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea." The last time she sent me to the pantry alone I had faced Ephraim.

"It wasn't a question."

"I'm not going alone because I am not safe!" Bethany lifted a wooden spoon in warning.

"The only thing to fear in this house right now is me if you don't get moving." Would sheer refusal be worth the potential punishment that awaited me? She was not Dale's First Wife...though Dale had instructed me to obey her. Would he be upset if I refused her order? Or would he understand the reason for my refusal?

"You got 5 seconds to wipe that look off your face and do as I say girl." Gritting my teeth, I obeyed, against my better judgement. Every muscle tensed as I walked to the pantry, grateful to find it empty. I grabbed the 2 boxes of noodles and quickly headed back. Before I turned the corner that would lead towards the dining room, I felt it. Before I could scream, or even turn around, a hand wrapped around my mouth, pulling me back into the darkness of the hallway. I felt a sharp familiar sting as something stabbed me and I began to feel sleepy. I could feel his lips as they grazed my ear and knew instantly who it was the moment he spoke.

"We are going to have so much fun, you and I." Noah whispered. As my legs gave out, he grabbed me under my arms and began dragging me backwards, my vision quickly fading into darkness.

A sharp slap woke me, followed by the taste of sulfur and my stomach clenched as I dry heaved. Nausea swept through me and I rested my dizzy head against my chest. My eyes remained open, despite the ground swimming in front of them. I felt him grab a handful of my hair and tilted my head back. I squinted against the bright fluorescent lights.

"I may have given you a bit too much, but I had to be sure it would work; couldn't have you calling for help, you understand." I blinked, my surroundings coming into focus. The walls were cement, the fluorescent lights bounced off the bright yellow paint. The room we were in had no windows, only a few doors, one behind me, and one to either side of me. There was a drain in the middle of the room, making me wonder just what exactly it had been built for.
"Where am I?" I asked, mouth dry.

"Somewhere far away from the house so no one can hear your screams." I looked out the door to my left, revealing an even larger room, the walls covered in weapons, protected behind another wall made of thick bars. Soldiers of God, did you expect them to fight sinners with bibles and prayer?

I pulled my arms, rope digging into my wrists as I realized they were bound behind me.

"What do you want? You going to rape me too?" I demanded, pulling my gaze away from the weapon room. Was this what my future was going to look like?

"You can start with an apology; you should have kept yer damn mouth shut. And to be honest, I'd rather stick my dick in a woodchipper." He slammed the door to the weapons room shut and walked across to the other side of the room, hand brushing against the tray of instruments carefully laid out.

"I'm sorry."

"Nah, you gotta make me believe it." He lifted a scalpel, and I could hear myself literally gulp.

"I am really, really sorry you got in trouble. But I was more afraid of your father and what he would do if I lied."
"That was your first mistake." He stalked closer, bringing the scalpel within inches of my face.

"You see, some of my brothers and I, we're still convinced Marcus and the others did stop at your place that night." I could feel the blood drain from my face, but I did my best to remain neutral. He was never going to let it go, though I could hardly blame him.

"And the conclave already settled that."

"You practically fucked the devil himself to keep you and Sammy out of trouble. You honestly expect me to believe you're innocent?"

"I didn't have a choice," I snarled.

"Where are my brothers, and you better tell me the truth." My stomach dropped as my heart skipped a few beats, a cold sweat breaking out. Not now.

"I-I don't know where they are, I haven't seen them since the day of the ceremony."

"So, you both continue to claim, but while Marcus and they have run off before, they always came back after a couple days, or at least called. None of them are answering their phones. Even in a drunken stupor, Marcus would not worry Mother and Father like this."

"Maybe they lost their phones. Maybe..." He slapped me so hard it left my ears ringing.

"I have all the time I need to get the truth out of you one way or another."

"You'll be punished for it." He scoffed, pulling his shirt off, showing me the destruction across his back as he made his way back to the tray.

"I've already been punished." He set down the scalpel before picking up a small ball-peen hammer, testing its weight in the palm of his hand.

"Nothing compared to what he'll do if you harm a single hair on my head."

"Perhaps, guess that depends on what truths I discover and how quickly." He walked around behind me, checking the binding around my right wrist to the chair before undoing the rope around my left. He dragged a small side table over and instructed me to put my hand out. I shook my head, holding my arm tightly against my chest. I was easily overpowered, he forced my wrist out, but I kept my hand curled into a fist.

"Spread your fingers or I'll smash your entire hand, and I won't stop there," he growled.

"Sam's going to do a lot more than break your wrist this time." There was no way I would be able to hide broken fingers, and there was no way either Arioch or Sam was going to let it stand.

Noah yanked Mariam's garnet ring off my finger, setting it on the tray beside the rest of his tools and a whimper escaped. I wanted to be brave, to show him not even a hint of fear, but I found the task nearly impossible.

"Please, Noah. I-I'll do anything you want, but I can't help you if I don't know anything."

"I don't believe you! All I want is the truth." He lifted the hammer, and I opened my hand, spreading my fingers wide. I would rather have a few broken fingers than a broken hand. That is if he stops at a few fingers. I heard the crunch of bone before I felt the shockwave of pain explode up my arm. I screamed and screamed, my ring finger throbbing in unison with my heartbeat, the pain so intense I almost couldn't breathe. I tried breathing through my teeth, but it was too much.

"See, doesn't take a whole lot of force, I could break all your fingers with ease. Where are my brothers?!" I shook my head, gasping and sobbing.

"Please, I told you...I don't know." He didn't give another warning, the hammer came down a second time, smashing my pinky. I howled, my hand on fire, fingers puffing up like cooked sausages as I struggled to get free.

"LIAR! Do you know what he whispered in my ear as he was putting me to sleep? Before he broke my wrist?" I shook my head. I did remember the look of terror on Noah's face right before he passed out.

"He told me if I touched you again, he was going to kill me and bury me with my brothers. So, you see, I know that you are lying. I'll make your death quick if you just tell me where they are buried."

"Did you ever think maybe he was saying whatever he thought would hurt you most?" I screamed, an animalistic sound ripping its way free from my throat and Noah backhanded me.

"I will break every bone in your goddamn body if I have to." He shouted as he lifted the hammer again. I turned my head away and shut my eyes, but the falling blow never came. When I opened my eyes, I saw Zeke, standing behind Noah, the hammer now in his hand and Dale standing a few feet behind him. He glared at his son, taking two steps forward before grabbing him firmly by his ear and dragging him from the room. I sobbed in relief as Zeke turned his attention to me, tossing the hammer aside.

"H-How did you know?"

"I followed him so I could show Papa; he said I'm not allowed to help on my own because of what I did to Ephraim. I ran the whole way back." He freed me, sticking close by as I tried to stand, legs still wobbly, a fresh wave of pain washing over me. My fingers were already discoloring, now three times their normal size.

"Thank you for coming after me, Zeke." My lower lip quivered.

"I promised little brother I'd look after you. To do better this time around." He reached a handout towards me and I took a step back. He closed his hand and brought it back to his side with a huff, scowling but nodded to himself. I held my hand to my chest, the pain a dull roar if I didn't move my hand.

"We should get going before Papa starts to worry." He turned and left, not bothering to reach for my hand a second time. I snatched back my ring from the tray, slipping it onto the ring finger of my right hand.

The door behind me led to the rest of the bunker, and as I stared up at the sunlight coming from the open hatch, I shuddered. How long would I have been trapped under here if Zeke had not followed us? How long before Noah killed me? Judging from the tools Noah had laid out, I had doubts he had intended to make the interrogation quick. Dale and Noah were standing face to face in the clearing just outside, shouting at one another, Noah's lips were pressed together in a fine line.

"I told you he confessed it to me."

"And the conclave found there to be no evidence! They ruled and that is the end of the matter. I am getting tired of having to repeat myself. I got better shit to do then hunt down disobedient children!" he spat the last word.

"Everyone knows they're lying and nobody is willing to make them tell the truth! It's like you don't even care that they're gone!" Noah accused. No sooner had the words left his mouth then he was stumbling backwards, hand holding his face. He swung back, but Dale blocked, punching Noah in the gut before straightening him out and grabbing the front of his son's shirt in both hands and shaking him a little.

"Don't you ever tell me I don't care! Everything I do is for this family! It does not matter if we think they are lying, or we know they are lying; the Conclave decided and we must follow it. You know what happens to those who go against them! Do you think we could survive losing anyone else?!"

Zeke waved his hand in front of my face and I followed him to a nearby path where two 3-wheelers were waiting.

"He can ride back with Papa." I hesitated when he nodded to the empty seat behind him. I had avoided touching him, and I was in no rush to do so now. But I also did not want to try and squeeze between Dale and Noah, so I climbed on, holding onto his shoulders with my uninjured hand.

"Don't worry, I've driven before. Once." Then he twisted the handle and we sped off, forcing me to grip him more tightly than I wanted, gritting my teeth as every bump jolted my bones. Trees flew by but I kept my head down and eyes closed. When we made it back, he sent me inside while he parked the 3-wheeler in the barn. Emily rushed to greet me, a bag of ice in hand as she led me inside to set my fingers. I sat down in her little room, weeping.

"We're gonna let some of the swelling go down before I try to set them. Meanwhile, I'm gonna give you something for pain."

"You can't tell him, please."

"Shh, it's alright. Tell who?"

"Sam, you can't tell him what happened. He's going to be so mad." She looked at me as though I was being hysterical. Was I hysterical? I was not irrational. I knew it was not going to end well once he found out.

"It wasn't your fault sweetie, he'll understand."

"I'm not worried about me..." I whispered. She pulled one of her glass vials from the locked cupboard and a fresh syringe from a drawer. I watched as she carefully measured out the right dose and plunged it into my arm. A warm fuzzy feeling engulfed me, and I smiled, pain fading away.