Held (Gone #2)

by Claflin, Stacy

  As they continued to walk, more people came out of homes and buildings to watch the newcomers. What were they hoping to see? The only thing they could see was how tall they were and maybe their eyes, but no one came close enough to get a good look.

  Macy tried to tell what she could of the people, but they were mostly nondescript, all wearing the same white clothes. The girls and women had their hair pulled back in tight buns, some of them wearing odd, white hats. The guys all had super short hair, and again, some wore hats, while others didn't.

  Finally, they stopped. The horse and cart stopped first, and then Macy and Eve stopped also. She looked around, seeing a few small homes on either side of the dirt road. They all looked the same. Which one was going to be their new home? Not that it mattered. Wherever they moved wasn't going to be her home.

  Jonah walked to the house closest to their left. He opened the door, not appearing to have unlocked it. Were there no locks?

  Seemingly out of nowhere, about a dozen men showed up. They removed items from the cart and carried them into the house.

  Eve took Macy's hand again and tugged. They stepped back several feet.

  "We'll let the men do the heavy lifting. Once everything is inside, you two can settle in. Remember to keep the covering on until it's removed in the ceremony. Then and only then can it come off."

  Chills ran down her spine. "Why doesn't anyone have a coat?"

  "We don't wear coats. Suffering and trials lead us on the path to purity."

  "What about when it snows?"

  "No coats. Some go out in it specifically to become more pure. Sometimes it can turn into a fun competition." She smiled, her eyes shining.

  Yeah, that sounds like a great time, Macy thought sarcastically.

  Before she knew it, she and Chester were inside the chilly, little house, unpacking. She got the shivers again. "Is there no heat?"

  "You're not to speak until spoken to, Heather."

  Macy's stomach dropped. She stepped back. Was he going to hit her? Lock her up? Make her wear a letter?

  "You're free to speak—don't worry." It sounded like he was smiling behind his curtain of white. He actually sounded joyful. "Just don't forget it when other males from the community are around. About the heat: electricity is believed to be one of the evils of the world. See that wood stove?"

  "Yeah." She looked at the small, black stove in the corner.

  "I'm told those keep the homes nice and toasty. Would you like me to start a fire?"

  "Yes, please. I'm freezing."

  "Have a seat and make yourself comfortable."

  Macy stared at him. Was he serious? He wasn't going to put her to work? She sat on the couch, pulling a heavy afghan over herself.

  "Your new mom made that. She made a lot of things in here."

  "Have you even met her?" Macy asked.

  Chester picked up a log from next to the stove and shoved it in. "Yes, although not in person yet. We've been corresponding through letters. She's excited to meet us."

  Macy looked around the room, feeling like she'd stepped back in time. Everything looked like the Little House on the Prairie. A few years before, she and her mom watched all the seasons. Macy never would have guessed the show would become her life one day.

  Chester looked at her through his head dress. "It might take a bit for this to warm the place up. Why don't you unpack your room and get settled in? That way you don't have to worry about it after the wedding."

  "Uh, sure." She rose, keeping the blanket around her.

  "I'll get the rest of our stuff ready."

  She found her bedroom. It was a tiny room with just a bed, a shelf, a desk, and small dresser. Obviously, they didn't have a wide variety of clothes, so a large dresser or a closet was unnecessary.

  Macy set a box on the bed and opened it. She gasped. Her teddy bear was on top. It was the one that she had had at home—her real home—that Chester had stolen and teased her with. How long would she have it back? Picking it up, she smelled it. It mostly smelled like the farmhouse, but when she breathed deeply, she could smell her home.

  Images of her room filled her mind. She heard a noise outside the room and stuffed the bear next to the pillow. Could she find a place to hide it so that Chester couldn't take it away again?

  Disagree

  As soon as school was out, Alex texted Zoey again. She hadn't texted him all day, and he needed to know what was wrong or if everything was okay. He had texted and called a bunch of times during lunch, but her phone had to have been off because it kept going to voice mail.

  He found an empty seat on the bus and sat by himself, hoping everyone would leave him alone. He was tired of all the questions about Macy. As if it wasn't bad enough that he had to deal with his sister's disappearance, he also had to put up with everyone's stupid questions and comments.

  He sent another text, and just as he hit send, someone sat next to him. He groaned, not caring if he hurt anyone's feelings.

  One of the jocks looked at Alex. "Hey, dude. Any news on your sister?"

  Alex jumped up. "You really think if there was, I'd just be sitting on the bus?"

  "Whatever." The jock shrugged and went to the back.

  Alex looked out the window, ignoring everyone else until he reached his stop. The house was empty. His dad had had to go back to work not long after Macy disappeared, and his mom often went out look for Macy or passing out fliers.

  After eating a banana, he threw his bag into his room and headed back outside. If Zoey wouldn't answer his texts, he'd go to her house.

  When he got to her house, only two houses away, Valerie answered.

  "Sorry to bother you, Ms. Carter. I didn't know you were home." Maybe that was why Zoey was ignoring him.

  "You're never a bother, Alex. I'm just working from home today. Zoey hasn't been feeling well and I wanted to keep an eye on her."

  "Is she okay?" He regretted the urgency in his voice, but he couldn't help it.

  "I think all the stress of the last month has finally caught up with her. You should take care of yourself too. The doctor gave her some vitamins to help with her energy. You might want to look into getting some if you're tired."

  He was already on anti-depressants, but he wasn't going to tell her that. He hadn't even mentioned it to Zoey. She probably wouldn't care, but it was still embarrassing. "I'll keep that in mind, thanks. Can I talk to her?"

  "I think so. She's locked herself in her room. Want me to check on her?"

  Zoey appeared around the corner behind her mom. "I'm up. Can I walk around the neighborhood with Alex? I bet some exercise and fresh air will do me some good. Right, Mom?"

  Valerie looked relieved. "I'm so glad you want to get out of the house." She gave Zoey a hug and then tousled Alex's hair. "I love that you two are still close, even with Macy missing. How are your parents, Alex?"

  He shrugged. "Still getting along, but upset about Macy. Sometimes I hear them crying when they think I'm not listening. It sucks."

  "I wish I could do something to make this better. I'm worried sick about Macy. If anything ever happened to my Zo, I don't—"

  "Mom, please don't." Zoey pushed her way around Valerie and stood next to Alex. "We won't go far, okay?"

  Valerie nodded, still giving him a look of pity. "Do you guys have someone making you dinner? I haven't heard from homeowners' association. They were the ones putting that list together.

  Zoey grabbed Alex's arm. "Mom, if they need you to make dinner, they'll ask."

  Alex nodded. "After everyone from the HOA made our meals, some church took over. I think there are even some other churches that want to help too. We're covered for a while, but thanks."

  Valerie leaned against the door frame. "Oh, good. Okay, you two have a good walk. Be home by dinner, Zo."

  "Okay." Zoey managed to give that one word three syllables. She yanked Alex down the driveway. "Can you believe her? I swear, she never knows when to stop talking."

  He shrugged, pushing
some of his bangs out of his eyes. "She's not so bad. Did you turn your phone off? I texted you, like, a million times."

  "I slept all morning and then I forgot my phone at home on the charger."

  "You should at least check it, you know. I was worried something had happened."

  "Sorry." She looked like she meant it. "I just haven't been feeling myself lately. I need more sleep or something."

  "Is that what the doctor said?"

  "Something like that." She looked up at the dark clouds. "It's going to snow again. I hope Macy's somewhere warm."

  Alex's heart sunk. "I hope so too. But she's smart. She can take care of herself."

  "Not smart enough to come home."

  Alex scowled. "It's okay to admit it hurts. You don't have to say crap like that."

  Zoey rolled her eyes. "Did your shrink tell you that?"

  He pulled his arm from her hold. "What's with you?"

  Her eyebrows came together. "I'm. Tired."

  "No, it's something more than that. What's going on? Tell me."

  "Nothing," she said, way too fast.

  "Whatever. Don't tell me. I'm only your boyfriend who loves you." He walked faster, forcing her to speed up if she wanted to catch him.

  "Alex, come on."

  He stopped and turned around, letting her catch up. He grabbed her arm, forcing her to stop too. "You're keeping something from me. Why? Just tell me something so I'm not completely in the dark."

  She yanked her arm away. "I'm just under a lot of stress. I'd think you'd understand that."

  "Don't give me that. If you don't want to tell me what's bothering you, just say so."

  "Fine. I don't want to talk about it." She crossed her arms and stared at him.

  "At least you're finally admitting it. Let's go smoke. I really need one after today."

  A strange look came over her face. "I'm going to skip that today."

  "Really? Why?"

  "Because. Got a problem with that?" Her eyes were shining. Was she about to cry?

  Alex felt bad, but at the same time it irritated him that he didn't know what was going on. What was she keeping from him?

  "I've been thinking about cutting back, Alex. Let's just keep walking."

  They walked through the neighborhood, not saying anything. Alex tried to think of what he would have done to make her so mad.

  Irritation continued to build in his chest until he couldn't take it any longer. "If you have something you don't want to tell me, that's fine. Just don't take it out on me. If I did do something to you, just tell me. I deserve that much."

  Sounding bitter, she laughed. "It's not like that. Look, I have some things I need to figure out. Once I've got my thoughts organized, I'll let you know."

  "Does it have anything to do with me?"

  "You're not going to give up, are you?"

  "Nope."

  "Maybe I should just go back home."

  "Maybe you should." He stared at her.

  "Alex, please don't do this."

  "Don't do what, exactly?"

  "This."

  "Congratulations. We're having our first fight. Call me when you're ready to make up." He spun around and headed back home, more frustrated than before. He would have been better off not even going to her house. Ever since Macy disappeared, they had stuck together, telling each other everything. Why was she pulling away now?

  He walked fast, muttering to himself, not knowing if Zoey was following him or not. Part of him wanted her to be so they could talk about whatever was eating her, but part of him also hoped she had turned around and went home the other way. He didn't need her to take her crap out on him. He had the rest of the world for that.

  Hopefully, whatever was going on with Zoey was temporary. But what if Macy's disappearance was too much for her now? Could she be ready to move on with her life? What if she wanted to get rid of every reminder of her best friend, including him? He stopped and leaned against a tree.

  Zoey wouldn't want that, would she?

  A minute later Zoey walked in front of him and stopped. "I didn't think you'd ever stop." She sounded out of breath.

  Alex narrowed his eyes. "Are you going to break up with me? If so, just tell me."

  "What?" She looked genuinely shocked. That was a good sign.

  He frowned, not showing her his relief. "You heard me."

  "Break up with you? Why would I do that?"

  "How would I know? You won't tell me what's going on."

  "So you jump right to me dumping you?" Her lips formed a straight line.

  "No. It took forty minutes of walking and thinking to come to that. Best I can figure—since you won't tell me anything—is you don't want to hurt anymore, so you're moving on with your life. Getting rid of all the Mercers from your life."

  "Why would I do that?"

  "So you don't have to deal with the pain of Macy being gone. I'm just a reminder of her."

  She looked at him like he was crazy.

  "It sounded better in my head." He looked away.

  "Oh, Alex." She wrapped her arms around him. "The last thing I want is you out of my life. I don't know what I'd do without you. Besides, I know Macy's coming back. Sure, it's been like a month, but she'll be back. If she doesn't, she knows I'll beat the crap out of her."

  Alex breathed in the sweet smell of her silky, jet-black hair. It smelled fruity. "I'm glad to hear that. The part about not dumping me."

  "You'd have to try a lot harder than that to get rid of me."

  Dinner

  Macy moved the curtain a little and peeked outside. It was starting to get dark already, but that wasn't surprising, given that it was December. But what did surprise her was how many people were outside, wearing only their white garb. Did they wear any layers underneath?

  At first, it appeared that no one was paying attention to their house, but as she looked closer, she noticed eyes turning their way, scanning the home. Were they as curious about her and Chester as she was about them? No one was staring hard enough to see her curtain barely moved out of the way.

  She could hear Chester calling her from the other end of the house. Macy found him in the kitchen.

  He looked her way, still wearing the head piece. "The ceremony will be soon, Heather. We should eat something."

  Macy was glad they would remove the headpieces soon. It was challenging only looking through a slit. "Where's the fridge?"

  "There's no electricity here, remember. See that? It's an icebox, and it holds the same purpose."

  "How are we going to cook anything?" she asked.

  "On the wood stove, of course. It looks like your mom made us some stew. Can you grab a pot from over there?"

  She nodded and went to a metal rack that held pots and pans. She picked one that looked about the right size and then turned to Chester. He closed the icebox and held a ceramic bowl in his hand.

  "Set that on top of the icebox and I'll pour in enough for us to eat. We shouldn't waste any, because I don't know yet what to do with leftover food. Clearly there's no garbage disposal around here."

  Macy almost said something about not wanting to wear a "W" for wasteful, but thought better of it. He was in a good mood and she didn't want to do anything to disrupt that. She held the pot still while he poured the stew. Even though she had the fabric over her face, she could smell the meat.

  As if reading her thoughts, Chester said, "I know it's not vegan, but at least it's organic. They don't use any kind of chemicals or hormones inside the community walls. Everything is exactly as nature intended."

  Macy didn't care about the meat. She'd eaten enough since Chester took her that she wasn't a vegan anymore. Maybe someday, if she ever got away from him, she could be one again.

  He pulled the bowl away and put the top back on. "Would you put that on the stove, and then come back to find a wooden spoon? I'm going to see what else we can eat."

  She nodded, almost unsure how to respond to him being so nice. Why wasn't he barking ord
ers? His politeness was unnerving, but the last thing she was going to do was to question it. She carried the pot to the wood stove. She hadn't realized how much room it had on top, but it had plenty of room for cooking meals.

  Macy went back to the kitchen and explored the drawers until she found a wooden spoon. She went back to the living room and stirred the stew, which was already starting to bubble. Her mouth watered; whatever spices had been used smelled delicious.

  When it was warm enough, she brought it back to the kitchen where the table was set for two. A fruit salad and a loaf of unsliced bread sat in the middle of the table. Chester's back was to her at the counter.

  He turned around. "That was fast."

  She sat down and then he joined her. Once her plate was full, she realized a problem. "How are we supposed to eat with these things covering our heads? We're not supposed to take them off, right?"

  "We'll have to lift them. Just be careful not to get anything on it."

  "Okay." She pulled it out and then up, but it covered her eyes. She was able to see down, but just barely enough to see her plate. "Can we just take them off to eat? It would be a lot easier, plus we wouldn't get them dirty."

  "No. We have to follow the rules, Heather. Just be careful." He sounded the tiniest bit irritated.

  "Okay. I was just asking." Macy held onto the covering with her left hand while feeding herself with the right. It took some maneuvering, but she managed.

  When her plate was empty, she still wanted more, but she didn't want to deal with eating any more while holding the fabric. "What do we do with the dishes?"

  "Wash them in the sink, of course."

  "But there's no electricity."

  "It's pumped in from a well outside. It's not warm, but it's clean. It's a lot better than the chemical-filled crap in the city."

  "Don't you mean the world?" Macy covered her mouth, afraid he'd get mad at her for making fun of the community.

  He laughed. "You're right. It's not like what they have out in the world. I think you've been paying more attention than me. We ought to hurry. The ceremony will start soon."

  Macy took that as her cue to get up. Her mouth watered for more stew, but she ignored her hunger. She had to use both arms to pump the water into the sink. Chester had been right. The water looked clearer than she was used to.