Page 21 of Monsters
I step forward, one foot after the other, with determination. The next thing I know, I’m running. I’ve never felt my purpose so clearly.
Save.
Her.
She stands away from the group of girls, arms wide. She’s shorter than I imagined she would be—smaller, somehow. Definitely thinner than in her picture. She twirls around with her eyes closed, wearing only a see-through, frilly undergarment. I avert my eyes and bite my tongue so hard that blood pools in my mouth. A strong sense of protection comes over me. I could murder my father right now.
She doesn’t seem drugged. Just sleepy. Weary. But in this moment, she looks… free.
Shewillbe free.
Just as I get to her, she plops down in the middle of the street, rocking back and forth, covering her ears against the shrill alarm.
I reach down and pull her up, surprised by how light she is in my arms. I creep away from the commotion quickly, and she doesn’t protest as I get us to my car without detection. I throw the blanket around her to cover her up.
“Get in the car, Evelyn,” I say, my voice gentle yet urgent.
Her eyes look up and meet mine for the first time, and it’s like someone threaded a needle through my chest, connecting us by a single stitch.
It’s because she’s Lily’s friend.
I don’t know her, but I know of her—and I know it’s my responsibility to save her.
“Get in. Now,” I add, my voice a little firmer. I step back, wanting her to get in by her own volition. I will not force her in—though I know I won’t harm her. But she doesn’t know that. She watches me wearily.
“Please,” I whisper, looking behind me. “I am getting you out of this shithole.” She looks around, obviously unaware of the urgency of our situation. I could be like my father for all she knows. I could be taking her somewhere worse. I try to put myself in her shoes. Perhaps she can see the resemblance. I could never be a monster like him. I want to scream it from the rooftops. But I don’t. So, I say the next best thing.
“Lily wants you to get in the car,” I add, pleading with my hands. I look behind her, and the guards are scrambling, rounding up the girls. It’s now or never. In a few more seconds, they will see her, and then we’re both dead.
She nods and climbs into the car, and my chest fills with relief. I smile at her and climb into the driver’s seat. I don’t bother with formalities, or the blinker. I pull out of the spot as quickly as possible, ignoring the screeching tires, ignoring the sirens that are sounding, ignoring the angry drivers who almost hit me, ignoring the stifling, suffocating heat.
It doesn’t matter.
None of it matters.
Only her.
Only she matters now.
And I knew, in that instant, that I would dedicate my life to helping her.
To helping themall.
Letting the Lion into the Lair
Evelyn Snow
Oxford,Present
Zoey is gone when I wake up, so I spend my Saturday morning making multiple cups of coffee, watching reruns of The Bachelorette, and ignoring the massive pile of laundry sitting in my wicker basket. I manage to divert my thoughts away from Benedict, the Blackfriars Brotherhood meeting, and everything that happened last night. Around noon, my mind begins to slip away, so I get an early start on some Latin homework, making sure to blast some classical music in my headphones in order to drown out the way I felt when Benedict walked away from me.
Suddenly, I bolt upright and rush to my book bag. Heart racing, I pull the thin, black book out. I’d completely forgotten about it, and I take it to my room to dissect it in peace. After I close my door, I sit on the edge of the bed and turn to the first page.The Ceremonies.There is no dedication or table of contents, and the first page looks like an iteration of the things Benedict said last night in the meeting. The first page has one passage only:
The Blackfriars Brotherhood possesses one supreme secret. The whole of its system and rituals is directed toward communicating to its members, by progressively plain hints, this all-important instruction.
There are references to the goddess, Alistair Crownley, tantric sex, sacrificial effigies, rites, rituals, and guided meditation prompts.
There is a section about moving up through the ranks—curious names such as Minerval, Magician, Knight, and Director at the very top.
