“My fault? I didn’t tell you to go around kissing boys.”
“What did you expect? It sounded wonderful in the books.” Helena started to sob. “And now it’s going to get us killed!”
“What books?” John asked.
Samantha patted her apron pocket and took out Forever Young. “I found these in Miss Brigham’s cellar,” she said. “But we can’t say anything about it or else everyone is going to get in trouble. Right, Helena?”
“They shouldn’t get in trouble. You should be the only one punished. You’re the one who started reading them. The rest of us just listened.”
“That isn’t going to matter,” Samantha said. “He’s going to punish us all, even the little ones. Is that what you want?”
This struck a chord with Helena. Her sobs eased and after a moment she shook her head. “No,” she said.
“Good. When the reverend asks what happened, you two say I told you about kissing. Maybe he’ll go easier on you then. But don’t mention the books, all right?” They agreed to this too quickly for Samantha’s taste. Now if only she could find somewhere to hide the book.
She looked around the church, but couldn’t find anywhere to conceal the book from Reverend Crane’s watchful eyes. Then she looked over at Helena and remembered her first service when Helena had scared her with the dead snake. Samantha jumped behind the bench and got down on all fours. She pried the board loose and dropped Forever Young onto the dead snake. She returned to the bench and folded her hands in her lap as though nothing had happened.
The front door to the church opened, but again it was not Reverend Crane. This time a pale-faced Miss Brigham led all the children of Eternity into the church. The boys took their seats on one side and the girls on the other. Miss Brigham sat next to Samantha, putting a trembling hand on her knee. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I did what I could for you, dear.”
From her apron, Miss Brigham took out a handkerchief to dab her eyes. Samantha gave her hand a squeeze. “It’s all right. I’ll be fine,” Samantha said.
The back door to the church opened and Reverend Crane entered, dressed in his black suit. He strode to the podium and then glared down at the assembled children. “My children, a terrible sin has brought us here today, one that cannot be allowed to go unpunished. Three of our community have defiled The Way and made a mockery of its holy teachings. Now they will receive the Lord’s judgment. Samantha, Helena, and John, rise.”
The trio did as instructed, all three looking down at the floor to await their fates. “Helena and John, is it not true you engaged in the sinful activity of kissing?” Helena and John nodded. Behind them, the others murmured in disbelief. “And is it not true you also were naked in each other’s presence?” Again they nodded. This time the other children gasped with horror. “And were you not—”
“Reverend, may I speak?” Samantha said.
“Young lady, I will get to your part in this in a moment. For now, be still and seek the Lord’s forgiveness.”
“But, Reverend Crane, I have something to confess. This is my fault. I’m the one who compelled them to do those things.”
“You? Very well, explain yourself.”
“I told them about kissing. It was something I remembered. I must have made it sound so good they felt the need to try it. So you see, it’s my fault.”
“Is this what happened?” Helena and John nodded once again. Reverend Crane scanned the other children’s faces, his gaze coming to rest on Prudence. “My child, you appear troubled. Do you have something to add to this account?”
Prudence’s entire body trembled with fear. She could only shake her head in reply. “Prudence, you know lying in any form violates The Way. To lie in God’s house will most certainly earn you a place in the fiery pit. Tell me, do you have something to add?”
“I told her not to do it, Reverend. I told her it was wicked, but she wouldn’t listen to me,” Prudence said. She fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands.
“Prudence, don’t!” Samantha shouted.
Reverend Crane dismounted from the podium and went down the aisle to kneel beside Prudence. He put a hand on her back, patting it gently. “There now, my child, confess your sins and receive the Lord’s forgiveness. Tell me what happened.”
Prudence told him everything.
Chapter 20: The Sacrifice
The reverend waited a moment to make sure Prudence had finished. Then he patted her on the head and straightened to his full height. “Thank you, my child. You have cleansed your soul with this act of contrition. God bless you,” he said. He then looked around the church, everyone cringing as they prepared for the worst. “My children, this is truly a sad day for our community. We have brought the devil into our midst. He did not come in the form of a black angel or a serpent, but in the form of an innocent girl, whom we adopted into our bosom as one of our own. Instead of repaying our kindness with gratitude, she sowed chaos and deception everywhere she went.”
Reverend Crane approached Samantha, who stood her ground not out of courage, but terror. Even as the reverend closed within a foot of her she could not get any muscles in her body to function. To her surprise, Reverend Crane put an arm around her shoulder as he had in his kitchen. “My children, this girl we named Samantha Young is none other than Lucifer himself. She has told you fabulous lies from her unholy books.”
Samantha at last found the courage to shake off the reverend’s arm and shout, “They weren’t lies! You’re the one who lies to them about savages and monsters. You don’t want them to know the truth because they might get the courage to leave this place.”
“This girl—if this demon-spawn can be called a girl—has deceived you all. She has told you these tantalizing lies to steer you from the true path.” The reverend clamped one hand on Helena and the other on John. “She has caused these children to sin against the Lord and The Way. She has sullied the soul of every girl in this community with her lies.”
“Samantha isn’t evil! She’s nice,” Rebecca called out.
Reverend Crane shook his head. “Her influence has corrupted you more than I thought. Very well, then. I will bring your souls back to God as I have been charged to do. As the Lord has instructed, we must remove the infected flesh from our bodies to cleanse our souls. This cancer must not be allowed to spread any further.” With this, Reverend Crane grabbed Samantha by the arm and dragged her down the aisle towards the front door. Miss Brigham threw herself in front of the doorway, barring their way.
“Reverend Crane, I too would like to make a confession,” she said. Her eyes met Samantha’s and a sad smile came to her face. “Samantha has done only as I instructed her.”
“Miss Brigham, no! Don’t listen to her.”
“My dear, there’s no point in carrying on this charade any longer. Those books came from my cellar. They belong to me.”
“You brought this plague into our community?”
“These books aren’t evil,” Miss Brigham protested. “They’re full of adventure and magic and love. I wanted the children to share in this, so I gave the books to Samantha and asked her to read them to the other girls.”
“No, she’s lying. Reverend, please, she’s—”
“Quiet, you wicked child,” the reverend snapped. His face turned dark, his lip twisting in a snarl. “Once more you have defied The Way and you have defied me. I entrusted you with the care of my flock, but I see now you are a wolf in disguise.”
Reverend Crane released Samantha. She rushed forward to throw herself between the reverend and Miss Brigham. “Don’t do this,” she pleaded with Miss Brigham. “This isn’t your fault. It’s mine. I’m the one who found the books and read them to everyone. I’m the one who deserves to be punished.”
Miss Brigham reached down to wipe the tears from Samantha’s eyes. “I’m sorry, dear, but this judgment has been a long time coming. I’m proud of you, Samantha. No matter what happens, never forget that.” She looked around at the other children,
a smile once more on her face. “Goodbye, children. I will see you again.”
Reverend Crane tore Samantha away and then escorted Miss Brigham out the door. Samantha tried to follow, but found someone holding her back. “Don’t,” Prudence said. “There’s no good in you getting killed.”
“This is your fault!” Samantha wailed. “I was going to take the blame. Why did you tell him everything?”
“I didn’t have a choice. I don’t want to go to Hell.”
“Miss Brigham is going to be punished, maybe even killed. How can you stand here and accept that?” Prudence said nothing, looking down at the floor in shame. “Come on, we have to find some way out of here.”
“But Mr. Pryde is out there,” Wendell said.
“And his dogs,” Rebecca added with a shiver.
“So what? There are thirty of us and five of them. We can do this if we all stick together. Who’s with me?” No one came forward or said anything. “Fine. I’ll do it by myself.”
For at least the next hour Samantha paced furiously from one end of the church to the other, searching for a way out. In vain she threw herself against the door and against the windows, but they refused to budge. She tried to pry boards loose from the floor, but couldn’t. Meanwhile, the other children resumed their seats, staring ahead to wait for the reverend’s return.
The door at last opened and a collective gasp went up at the sight of Pryde standing on the top step with one of his dogs at the heel. “Reverend wants you all in the square,” he said. The children shuffled towards the door, Samantha leading the way. She imagined finding Miss Brigham crucified like Christ or perhaps something even worse.
Miss Brigham was nowhere to be found in the square. Instead, Samantha saw a pile of firewood in the center of the square. The books and magazines from Miss Brigham’s cellar topped the pile. Samantha’s heart sunk; she knew what would happen next.
Reverend Crane stood next to the pile bearing a torch. “My children, the symbols of Miss Brigham’s treachery must be eradicated. This fire will cleanse their evil from our community forever. Once more Eternity will become a shining example of God’s way.” With this, the reverend lit the pile. As the fire grew higher, Reverend Crane instructed the children of Eternity to bow their heads. Samantha positioned herself between Rebecca and Wendell, squeezing their hands to reassure them nothing bad would happen to them.
“Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name,” Reverend Crane began. Samantha mouthed the words to the Lord’s Prayer as she watched the books start to burn through teary eyes. When the flames reached the top of the pile, Rebecca pressed her face into Samantha’s skirt, no longer able to witness the destruction. Samantha patted her on the back and vowed to save Miss Brigham from a similar fate.
Chapter 21: The Siege
When the fire burned down to ashes, Mr. Pryde brought forth three wooden posts, planting them deep in the ground within a foot of each other. “My children, the corrupt items Miss Brigham brought into our community have been purged. But we must still deal with those who sought to flaunt their defiance of The Way. Samantha, Helena, and John must atone for their crimes,” Reverend Crane said.
Pryde yanked one of Samantha’s braids, tearing her away from Rebecca. He unbuttoned the back of her dress to expose her back before lashing her arms and legs fast to the center post. He repeated this procedure with Helena and John, binding them to the other posts. From his robes, Reverend Crane produced a coil of leather. “Those who defy God must feel the sting of the lash to be given a taste of what awaits them in the afterlife if they continue their evil ways.”
Reverend Crane came to stand behind Samantha. Her back stiffened in anticipation of the whip. With a crack like lightning, the end of the whip raked across her back. Despite preparing herself for the pain she couldn’t keep a scream from escaping her lips. Behind her, the toddlers whimpered.
She had no time to prepare herself for the next blow, this one digging even deeper into her back. She bit down on her lip to keep from screaming again as the reverend continued to slash her flesh with the whip. When tears came to her eyes, she thought of poor Miss Brigham who faced an even worse punishment. I won’t give him the satisfaction of crying, she thought.
Twenty-five times the whip tore into her back. Blood trickled down her lip and into her mouth from where she’d bitten into it. Her back crackled with pain to the point where the world around her spun and dimmed, but she never screamed again after the first time nor did she cry. “You have borne witness to God’s punishment of evildoers. Know you now what awaits you if you continue on the dark path,” the reverend said.
“Please don’t do this!” Helena wailed. “I’ll do whatever you want. Just don’t hurt me.”
“I am sorry, my child. It is for your own good I must do this,” Reverend Crane said.
“Let me take them for her,” Samantha croaked. “I’m the one who led her astray. Her sins are mine.”
“A noble idea, but I’m afraid the judgment cannot be changed. She must accept the sentence the Lord demands.” With that, Reverend Crane yanked the whip back and then brought it down hard across Helena’s back. Her scream echoed throughout Eternity, causing Pryde’s dogs to howl in response. At last tears came to Samantha’s eyes.
“Stop it, please! Leave me alone!” Helena shouted. When Reverend Crane stopped after five lashes Samantha thought he might be finished. Instead, he waited for Pryde to gag Helena and then continued carrying out the sentence. Samantha managed to turn her head enough to look into Helena’s eyes and see the terror in them as the whip stung her again and again. Tears flowed openly down Helena’s face, bringing a wave of grief crashing down upon Samantha for having caused this.
Helena received fifteen lashes in all. She passed out after the thirteenth one, her unconscious body recoiling the final two times as if she had been stabbed with a hot poker. Reverend Crane put a hand to her forehead, brushing hair from her face. “Sleep, my child. May Almighty God share his wisdom with you in your dreams,” he said.
When it came time for John’s turn, the reverend handed the whip to Pryde. Samantha couldn’t be sure, but she thought she saw a smile cross the man’s lips. The reverend gagged John before the first lash. When it came, the whip ripped into John’s back with a fury that caused fresh pain to lance through Samantha’s wounds.
Pryde used the whip with such brutal efficiency Samantha thought he might stay at it all day. John did not last half as long as Helena, passing out on the fifth lash. This didn’t bother Pryde. The reverend finally grabbed Pryde’s hand after twenty lashes, taking back the whip. “It is finished,” the reverend announced. “Now my children, return to the dormitories and prepare yourselves for bed. There will be no dinner.”
“What about them?” Prudence asked, her voice trembling.
“You may take them with you. They have received enough punishment for one day.” Reverend Crane started across the town square, then paused and stooped before Samantha. “Miss Brigham has purchased your freedom this day, but any further disruptions and you will share her fate.” He turned his back before Samantha could reply.
When her bonds came loose, Samantha pitched backwards only to fall into the arms of Prudence. “Leave me,” Samantha said. “Let me stay here.”
“Mr. Pryde’s dogs would tear you apart.”
“That’s what I deserve.”
“You don’t mean that. We must get you in bed to rest. In the morning you’ll feel better.” Samantha didn’t have the strength to put up a fight. She let Prudence walk her through the town square and into the dormitory. Phyllis dragged Helena while two boys carried John between them. Pryde watched the scene from the church steps, a satisfied grin on his face.
In the girl’s dormitory, Samantha found her bed torn apart as if by Pryde’s animals. A group of older girls stood nearby, straw from the pallet clinging to their dresses. “What is the meaning of this?” Prudence asked.
“She can’t stay here. This is her fault,”
Phyllis said. “Her and her stupid books got us in trouble.”
“They were Miss Brigham’s books. And you didn’t seem to mind when Samantha was reading them to you,” Prudence said with a venom Samantha had never heard in her voice before.
“We didn’t know any better. She tricked us like the reverend said. She’s evil,” Phyllis said.
Prudence took Samantha down the aisle and into the room where she had first woke up in Eternity. This time she had to lie on her belly, her head facing the wall. The pain in Samantha’s back continued to burn like a plate of hot coals. Prudence brought a damp cloth to dab at her wounds.
“You don’t have to do this because you feel guilty,” Samantha said. “It’s not your fault.”
“I’m doing this because I’m your friend. Friends look after each other,” Prudence said. She left the room for a few minutes, returning with her pallet. She sat by Samantha’s side, moistening the cloth as needed.
Then came the sound of a hammer pounding near the window. “He’s locking us in,” Samantha said. Prudence went to the window and reported that Mr. Pryde had boarded up the windows. She went to the door in the main room and found it blocked as well. “We’re trapped,” Samantha said. She tried to get up, but the pain in her back made it too difficult.
“Lie still. The reverend will let us out in the morning.”
Samantha wanted to argue, but didn’t have the energy for it. She fell into a deep sleep, waking later to the sound of the whip in her ears. She gasped until the stiffness in her back reminded her of where she was. Rebecca had taken over for Prudence, who slept next to Samantha. “Are you all right?” Rebecca asked.
“I’ve been better,” Samantha said. She tried a smile, but it turned to a wince a moment later. “Thank you for asking.”
“Could you tell me a story?” Rebecca asked.
“I don’t have a book.”
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