Cult of the Hexad (Afterlife saga Book 6)

by Stephanie Hudson

  I smiled at the thought of the disappointment I would see written across her face when she opened that door to see me unaffected by the experience. Thanks to Ari I had been well fed and had a comfortable and peaceful night’s sleep.

  In fact I went to sleep that night looking at the moon shining bright through the small triangle window that was situated above my make shift bed, thinking about what life out there could offer us. At first I had been too scared to fall asleep in fear of what I might see. I knew I was being a wimp but after yesterday I thought it for a good reason. So when I woke to the glaring sun coming through the same window I was surprised to find I’d slept the night through without a single dream.

  Now I only had minutes until I knew it would be time to leave my simple sanctuary when Ari came to get me. It had me wondering if Ari had also had a dreamless sleep and if that in itself wasn’t a message of things to come? I felt myself becoming increasingly anxious as the seconds ticked by. I didn’t know how I knew it but tonight would be different, I could just feel it.

  I had already packed up all the evidence of anyone being here just in case it was found. I buried it under one of the hay bales until we could get rid of it at a later date, as we didn’t want to take any chances. Not now we were so close to freedom. In a lot of ways it felt like being in prison and the month leading up to our release date was like being on parole. Although going by that logic, then yesterday’s antics weren’t going to do me any favours in that department.

  I looked outside the window to see it wouldn’t be long before it would be getting dark and the leaving ritual would begin.

  “Come on Ari, where are you?” I asked out loud.

  “Alright Steve McQueen, keep your hair on.” Ari said scaring me when she seemed to come out of nowhere. One of my dad’s favourite movies was the Great Escape from the 1960’s, so I knew why she called me this. I remembered it being on in the background often as me and Ari played with our Barbie dolls on the living room floor.

  That had been when we were a real family. Back when our mother had been loving and kind, reading us stories before bed and letting us lick the spoon when baking. When we would go on family holidays and enjoy days out together. But after my father died, it was as though my mother had become a different person. She simply piled us both into a car the second my father was cold in the ground and drove across the country to her brother’s Colony, here in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

  “I was worried.” I admitted.

  “You know that causes wrinkles, right?” I rolled my eyes as she laughed.

  “Come on, we’d better get you back. Mother’s busy ordering people around as usual.”

  “And Uncle?” I asked hoping he too was out of the way.

  “I haven’t seen him since sermons this morning but Thomas said something about a meeting at Father Jacob’s Homestead this afternoon.” I frowned at this but Ari just shrugged it off as normal.

  “Come on, it will be fine.”

  “I don’t know, I guess I just have a weird feeling is all.” I said holding myself around the stomach like I could feel the snake of doubt coiling around tighter and tighter down there.

  “I do too if I’m honest but either way, we have to get you back.” I gave her a small smile, feeling slightly better that Ari felt the same as I did. I guess it was a weird twin thing but if one of us didn’t agree with the other, something kind of felt off balance.

  “No guts, no glory.” Ari said taking my hand and giving it a squeeze. I nodded, squeezed her hand back and repeated what had once been our family’s moto thanks to our father being in the army.

  “No guts, no glory.”

  We made our way down the rickety ladder and ran to the barn door at the other end. Ari held up her hand motioning for me to stop before I opened the door.

  “What’s wrong?” I whispered watching as she placed her palm on the door as if waiting for a signal from somewhere. She frowned once before shock widened her eyes.

  “Quick! Get back, get back now!” She warned and we both ran back for the ladder as if our lives depended on it.

  “Get up them, go, go!” I didn’t need to be told twice, that was for sure. I grabbed the splintered wood and climbed getting to the top and over the edge just as I heard voices. I turned round to see Ari’s head right behind me but when I heard the wood snap her head disappeared.

  “Ari!” My desperate call was answered with an umpf sound where she had hit the floor. I ran to the edge and looked over to see her limping out of sight.

  “Hide!” Her warning was clear…

  They were coming.

  I did as I was told only hoping she was both okay and out of sight from those that were now opening the door. I had ducked down behind the bales of hay just hoping they couldn’t hear my heart pounding out its fearful beat as I could. However, I still couldn’t help but sneak a look as I knew they wouldn’t be able to see me from down there, not at this angle.

  Two men that I only usually ever saw at feasts had walked in the barn and opened the doors wide before motioning with their hands for something to come through. At first I thought it must have just been for some old farm equipment, like one of the machines that must have broken down during use. They usually remained here until they got round to fixing them or until the right parts were delivered, that I gathered came with that mysterious van that showed up once a week.

  However what the next two men heaved in had me scowling in confusion. It was a giant metal X shape attached to a wooden frame and on one side had two wheels, so it could be tipped and pushed in as it was now. It must have been pretty heavy considering the struggle the four of them all had getting it in.

  The only one I really recognized was named John and he took off his cap once it was in place to wipe the sweat from his brow.

  “Did the Fathers say what this was to be used for?” He asked one of the others who was stood closest to him.

  “It was made clear not to ask but…” The other man took a step closer to John and whispered this next part.

  “…I am sure it is needed for tonight.” John looked shocked for a moment and looked as if he was going to say more when the man he had been speaking with warned him to say no more with a simple head nod to the others. Their behavior made me wonder if there weren’t others in the Colony that had the same questions as I and Ari did.

  I never realized it as much until now but seeing these four the way they were had me also wondering how much of the Colony was divided between those that choose this life and those that had been forced into it like we had.

  There had been times, especially in the last eight months when people had arrived here and not taken kindly to this way of life. They hadn’t lasted long within the Colony but by all accounts given, they had been allowed to leave again as they were within what was called the ‘Deciding age’. If they were not then they would remain here under a ‘guardian’ family in the hope of one day converting their corrupted minds to the ways of our Hexad Gods.

  Those of course that were the ripe old age of twenty five and chose to leave were classed as unworthy in the eyes of the Hexad, the Colony’s six Fathers and cast back into the unclean world as it was known. They were then known as the Fallen Bloods, the ones unable to be saved and were seen to the Colony’s border never to return…the lucky bastards I though bitterly.

  However on the rare occasion there were those named the Righteous Bloods that were welcomed to stay as they thought of this place as their salvation. These were quickly elevated in their positions and rose up in the ranks quickly. So it was no wonder that the Colony was divided but the trick was knowing who was who, as speaking against the Colony was classed as a heinous sin. It was one of the reasons Ari and I never spoke to the others in fear that there was a Righteous Blood lurking in the shadows, waiting to catch us.

  Some would actually act like the Fallen, just to lure you into a false sense of security before the entrapment was complete. Through this, plans of escape had been prev
ented countless times and those punished were too traumatized to ever try again, let alone speak of it. No, they simply had to wait their turn and hope the years in this place were both kind and swift.

  Thinking on these thoughts had me wondering why it was only the women who had the ceremonies when their time came. Thinking back, I don’t ever remember saying goodbye to one of the men when they left or it even being spoken about. People just seemed to ‘disappear’ from this life. I suppose it helped that we were encouraged not to become too close to people other than immediate family and even then it wasn’t expected.

  The reasons they gave for this, for people in our age bracket especially, was it wasn’t looked upon favorably if you were known as being friends with someone who could choose to become one of the ‘Fallen’. You would often be shunned for having bad judgement and this could go on for years.

  The Colony was a lonely place to live in at the best of times but being shunned was like living on a deserted island full of natives that hated you being there. It was a depressing existence that was for sure.

  And now looking at these four, you could see there was a definite division in the ranks, as for a start, no Righteous Blood would ever question one of the Fathers. It looked like this John and his friend were clearly counting the days until they could become the Fallen, just like we were.

  I looked at John again, knowing it was definitely the guy Ari had pointed out once. He had a red and angry line leading down from the side of his temple to the middle of his cheek, one that was still healing from his fall. The story Ari told me was that John had been found unconscious in the woods that surround the Hexad lands and brought here to be saved. He woke remembering very little other than his name and that he had been out searching for his friends when a storm hit.

  Having no shelter and unable to find his way back in the dark he fell, hitting his head and therefore losing his memory. From the way Ari told it, it seemed that our Uncle had taken quite a shine to him, believing he would fit in here nicely. She also told me that she overheard a conversation mother was having with one of the other ‘mothers’ about how Uncle believed he had been sent here for a higher purpose. She then went on to say how Uncle thought him to be a fine suiter for his daughter, Rory as now the Gods had made her ‘The Chosen One’ she would be in need of a good husband.

  As far as I had just observed, I think my Uncle was counting his chickens before they hatched. The guy looked ready to bolt at the first opportunity and that was from way up here. Saying that though my Uncle was a scary man and one I wouldn’t want to have to say no too, especially when it included his precious daughter.

  But it wasn’t the usual personality traits of a scary man that had you lowering your head when he walked past you. It wasn’t like he had a quick temper and roared in your face if you did anything wrong. He didn’t scream or shout or even appear angry when he was. That was what you feared the most…

  The unpredictability of it all.

  There was never a warning to what my Uncle would do. He would remain the same no matter what he was feeling. So it was that eerie calm that you feared the most. That simple silence and controlled look of disdain that left you feeling like deadly, bitter ice was creeping along the ground and making its way slowly up your body. That not knowing of when he would lash out suddenly without warning or even without reason. You would just look up from the floor from where his blow had delivered you and all you would see is him staring down at you smiling. It quickly became a look you loathed but above all, one you tried everything in your power to avoid.

  So no, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for John and what my Uncle no doubt had in store for him.

  Shortly after their conversation came to an abrupt end due to the other Righteous Bloods getting closer, they all left the barn. Ari wasn’t stood next to me but I knew we both sighed our relief at the same time. We left it a few more minutes before moving from our hiding places just in case one of them decided to come back for any reason.

  I was just happy that we hadn’t been caught but one look out the window told me that could very easily change, especially if we didn’t get a move on. We had wasted enough time as it was, having to wait for those four to wheel in that monstrosity. What was it even for? But more importantly, were they right, was it for tonight?

  “Are you okay up there?” I heard Ari ask just as I was stepping over the hay.

  “Yeah but forget about me, are you okay…did you fall?”

  “I did but no damage, so we’re okay but if we don’t hurry that is likely to change.” I looked down at the ladder and was glad it wasn’t a complete right off otherwise getting down was going to be fun…as in, the variety that wasn’t actually fun at all.

  Thankfully though I only had a bit of a jump when reaching the bottom and was soon stood next to Ari who was patting the dust from her dress.

  “Let’s try again should we?”

  “Let’s.” I agreed and we both walked back to the door to try our luck again. Only as it turned out lady luck was obvious on vacation, it was that or she was on the time of the month and therefore wasn’t feeling very charitable because the door wouldn’t open.

  “Oh shit!” Ari said pushing on the door and only hearing a rattle of chains for her efforts.

  “Here’s let’s try together, maybe it’s just stiff on the hinges.” We both pushed but it was no surprise when we got nowhere.

  “They must have locked it behind them this time!” Ari said after banging on the door in anger.

  “What are we going to do?” I asked her back as she turned away from the source of our misery.

  “I don’t know but the one thing I do know and that is we are so dead if we don’t get our asses outta here and soon!” Well she was right about that. We both looked around the room as if the answer to our prayers would appear in the form of a flashing exit sign.

  “Wait! What about the window?” I said looking up at the triangle that was as least big enough for a body to fit through.

  “Do we know what’s on the other side?” I shrugged my shoulders knowing there was only one way to find out.

  “Alright, you look up there and see if there is a way down on the other side, I will stay down here and check to see if there isn’t a hole or something we could break through.”

  “Okay, but we’d better be quick.” I warned with the feeling of dread getting heavier on my shoulders by the mounting seconds I wasn’t back in that basement. Ari agreed and we both went our separate ways. I ran for the ladder and after two failed attempts at heaving myself up over the broken slats, I had finally managed to drag myself to the top. I scrambled over the hay and then dragged one of the bales so it was directly under the window for me to climb up on.

  “Any luck?” Ari’s voice behind me made me jump and I nearly slipped off the hay.

  “I’m just about to check, but I guess if you’re up here then you didn’t find anything useful.”

  “You guessed right. It might be an old barn but there has to be something said for whoever built it.” Like usual I rolled my eyes at Ari’s humour before checking out our last hope at getting out of this mess.

  “Please, oh please, oh please.” I muttered as I stepped up to the window now I was at the right height.

  “Yeesss!” I said fist pumping the air like I used to back when I was a kid.

  “I will take that as a good sign.” Ari said as she climbed up to join me.

  “Think you’re up to a bit of climbing?” I asked knowing Ari wasn’t that great with heights.

  “Like I have a choice.” She grumbled pushing open the window and releasing the stale smell of old, dusty hay. I took in a deep breath of fresh air before looking down at the sloping roof, realizing that there must have been a small room off the main part of the barn.

  “That’s where I hid when they brought that ‘thing’ in.” Ari informed me.

  “And it looks like it will be helping us again. Do you want to go first?”

  “I would s
ay rock, paper, scissors but I don’t think we should push our luck, do you?” Ari said already choosing to go first and swinging her legs round and out over the frame.

  “Probably not.” I agreed and took her hand to help steady her as her feet found the roof. She lowered the rest of her body down until she was crouching and then slowly started to slide down, using her hands to steady her pace. I decided it looked like a good enough technique, so when I swung my legs over, I did the same as she did.

  Once we both got to the edge we knew we would have to jump the rest of the way but considering it was only the height of your average garden shed, I knew it wasn’t going to be too hard. Not even for Ari who hated heights.

  “Ready?” I asked.

  “No.”

  “Good. Let’s go.” I said jumping, knowing she would do the same.

  We landed on the soft grass without damage and once we checked the coast was clear, we set off for the house. It was lucky that the back of the house was facing the old barn and that the window I had crawled out of was also on this side. It wasn’t long before the last of the twilight had gone, making things even more difficult in finding our way. This of course wasn’t the only reason it was a race against the clock as our mother had made it clear she was only letting me out just before it was time for the leaving ritual.

  “We’re going to make it.” Ari whispered when we came to stop behind a wood store just near the house. We checked first that no one was around and then made another last run for it. We both skidded on the grass as we stopped ourselves abruptly, so as not to make a sound by banging into the side of the house.

  “You ready for this?” Ari asked me and I scoffed.

  “Were you ready to jump?”

  “Good point. Now go!” She said as she was bent down holding the window open for me.

  “Sir, yes sir.” I replied before doing as I was told and sliding on in there. The ladder was still where I had left it, which was my first good sign. Once I was in I looked back up at Ari and gave her a wink, which was all the encouragement she needed to get going. The last part of this plan was to simply wait for my jailor to come and get me and no one would be the wiser.