Page 50 of The Cult

“Oh, no. I don’t think that at all. I just wondered why you were here eating with me. I’m sure you have far more important people and business to focus on right now.”

Micah reaches over and pats the top of my hand as it rests on the table. “I have nothing more important to do at this moment, Nash. I hope the lemonade refreshed you. It’s a hot day out today, so keeping hydrated is important.”

I smile and take another sip of my drink before asking him about how different he looked the last time he visited me. “Why were you wearing a shirt and shoes yesterday?”

“What do you mean?”

“You never wear those, but yesterday you were wearing both. I know it was a hot day like today, so it seems odd that you chose to start wearing a shirt and shoes. I’m just wondering if something’s going on. As one of your guards, I should know about it if anything’s changed.”

He gives me a strange look like I’ve said something odd. Taking his time to respond, he answers, “I’m not sure what you’re talking about, Nash. I often wear clothes. Society generally frowns on people walking around naked. I do have new sneakers, though. Is that what you mean?”

Why is he talking about society and what it expects? This is The Golden Light. We don’t give a damn about what society thinks we should do to fit in. That’s one of the main reasons why Micah began this group. We don’t conform to what’s expected of us, so we left society to come live here on this farm.

“I mean none of this makes sense. You don’t care about society or wearing clothes. And stop acting like wearing shoes is perfectly normal for you. You never wear them or a shirt. What’s going on here?”

He pats my hand again to try to calm me down. “It’s okay, Nash. There’s nothing to be raising your voice about. We’re just having a friendly conversation, right?”

I pull my hand back and stand up from the table. “Stop acting like everything is the same as it’s always been. You don’t wear a shirt or shoes. Ever! And where is everyone today? Nearly a hundred people live here on this farm, but I didn’t see a single soul coming over here. Where are they? What have you done with them?”

Micah looks up at me, and I see not anger but worry in his eyes. Why?

“It’s okay, Nash. Just calm down. Everything is going to be fine. You said you wanted to go back to your room, so why don’t you do that for the rest of the day until dinner?”

Shaking my head, I try to speak, but nothing comes out. It’s all the better anyway since he’s speaking riddles today.

I need to get out of here and find Lara. She should have been outside so I could see her on my way here. Did Micah have Nadine do something with her?

Just before I reach the screen doors, I turn around and start to ask him, but it’s no use. He wouldn’t tell me anyway. Nadine has some special power over him, and I have nothing that can beat that.

He says something about going back to my room, but I can’t do that now. Something is very wrong here, and I need to find Lara. I promised her I’d get her phone first, though, so I need to do that before I get her so we can leave this place.

I step out into the hot sun as that thought fills my mind. I’ve never wanted to leave here until now. This is my home. After finding my girlfriend cheating on me, I thought I had nowhere to go. I was lost, and Micah saved me. He made me see there was more to life and I could have all I want if I just believed in myself.

Where is that man now? What has happened to him? What happened to the promise of great things coming to us if we allowed ourselves to believe we deserved them?

Something has changed with The Golden Light, and I don’t know what it is, but I can’t stay here anymore.

24

Lara

I wakeup and know I’m not in the bed I’ve slept in since I arrived here. Looking around, I see the walls are white and not wood like at the cabin.

Everything after the moment I fell to the ground near the gate feels fuzzy to me now. I want to remember, but it’s like there’s a wall between that information and every other thought in my head.

Oh, God! Did they feed me while I was out? That would explain the fogginess of my mind. Whatever they put in the food and lemonade everyone consumes packs a punch. Why everyone just lets it happen is beyond me. They have to know they’re being drugged, and they’re okay with that?

Sheep. That’s what these people are. Sheep. They have a leader in Micah, and they follow him wherever he says they must.

Well, I’m not one of his flock. I refuse to let myself be one of his little lambs he orders around. I don’t care if he sends Nadine and her thugs in to handle me.

I sit up and swing my legs off the bed, noticing I don’t have any clothes on other than my bra and panties. My tan dress they made me wear sits draped over the chair in the corner, and my shoes are on the floor nearby. I shiver at the thought that some stranger undressed me while I was unconscious.

None of that matters, though. What I need to focus on now is getting out of this place, so I pad across the room to the window and look out. The view seems different than I expected. All I’ve seen of the farm is my cabin, the central compound, Micah’s room, and the gardens in the field. This view of green grass and a courtyard in the center of a white building looks like it doesn’t even belong on the farm.

Fear tears through me, and I grip the windowsill in terror. Did they move me to another location? Nash mentioned there were others. Is that why nothing outside this window looks familiar?

Oh, God. If they moved me, I won’t be able to find him to help me get my phone. I missed my big chance to escape, so I’m going to need that to get away from here.

---