Cats In the Cradle

33. Daniel

Emma was really struggling during her period. I'd seen what my mom and sisters went through every month, so I knew it could be awful.

But hers seemed to be really, really awful.

For 3 days, she did little else but lay in bed and cry, and nothing I offered seemed to bring her any relief. There was a very tiny stash of feminine items in the bathroom, but she quickly went through those.

She told me I could go to the neighborhood market to get more, and that everything was free there. I still could not understand how this weird community operated. Most people grew at least a few fruits and vegetables. Many people had cattle, chickens, pigs, goats, and horses.

I'd seen the financial reports, obviously, so I knew there was income, and I knew that that income was spent on electricity, supplies, construction, repairs, toiletries, and other essentials for their odd society. But the majority of the population wasn't allowed to leave. And they didn't have any currency.

So who exactly was bringing in the money?

It felt weird to be able to leave the house again. It hadn't even been that long since our wedding, but it felt like everything had changed. The community felt so serene and holy when I arrived for my welcoming party. Now it was eerie and haunting, carefully hiding away all the secrets and the pain of its occupants.

I jogged down to the market to grab some pads for Emma, feeling very much like a real husband. Or just a close friend. The "purchasing" process was extremely quick and easy, and I made my way out of the tiny store in no time.

But when I reached the exit, there was Orion. He had a small group of people surrounding him, smiling up at him while he fed them more bullshit about Light and spirits and whatever the fuck else he was blathering on about.

I badly wanted to bash his face in with my foot, but there were way too many witnesses right now.

And plus, I didn't want him to see the pads. I had a feeling I needed to keep that information private. The entire point of us being locked inside was so I could impregnate her as soon as possible. She hadn't been tattooed yet, either, so it just seemed safer to hide the fact that she wasn't pregnant.

I tried to discreetly dart past Orion, thinking he was probably too wrapped up in spewing pure shit to notice me.

"Daniel! So wonderful to see you out and about! Enjoy your honeymoon?" He called out jovially, drawing the attention of literally everyone to me.

Fuck.

He excused himself from the group surrounding him and made his way over to me. I hid the pads behind my back and tried to kind of smile. I had a feeling it came out as more of a grimace, but whatever. I tried.

"I've been wanting to speak to you. We need you to go back to work at the office, get everything balanced for this month, set the budget and allocate funds for next month and whatnot. We have several prospective members in the process of joining, so we need to buy more construction materials. Very exciting." He beamed proudly, and I tried to force a smile again.

"Very exciting. Yes, of course, I'll go back to work and get started on...all of that. When would you like me to go in?"

"Today would be ideal, honestly. I have someone doing the bookkeeping so it won't be too much of a mess for you, but I would like to get the budget sorted out immediately. If not today, then definitely tomorrow morning."

"Ok, tomorrow then. And...How do I access my money from my salary? Is there a bank around here?" I peered up at him, genuinely curious if he expected me to work for free, now that I was an official member.

"Your income will go back into the community to help keep things running, of course. Everyday, citizens of our community sell fresh meat, eggs, milk, and produce to nearby communities to bring in money. Community leaders, like Mr. Augustus, work in The Outer World and a large part of their income goes back into our church and our community. It helps pay for the electricity, toilet paper, tattoo supplies, burn salve, feminine...products. Necessities."

My blood ran cold. He definitely knew that the doctor still hadn't been by. And I guess he'd also noticed the package of pads in my hand.

But I tried to stay casual, knowing he'd likely relish in my discomfort. "Oh ok, yeah. I was wondering...how that worked. So cool, my entire salary... does not go into my bank account now. Very cool." I smiled slightly more convincingly at him.

"Alright, well I'll see you around, Orion... Thanks for letting me go back to work." I guess.

"No problem, Daniel. Very happy to see you and Emma adjusting so well to married life, son. You've got an impressive stamina." He laughed.

So, so weird and fucked up.

But I forced a laugh. "I guess I get that from my dad! Becoming more and more like him everyday, it seems." I joked, and we both shared a great laugh. Just a...fun laugh between new friends.

"Very happy to hear that, Daniel" He said genuinely, making my skin crawl. Why was everyone so obsessed with my father here? I swallowed down my disgust and just smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, well... Excuse me. Gotta get home...to Emma..." I mumbled, awkwardly walking past him.

I could feel his eyes still on me as I walked back home.

As soon as I made it home, I went to the master bedroom and told Emma what happened.

"He knows you haven't been tattooed. He knows you're not pregnant. Like he went out of his way to hint at that. Something is fucking wrong here. I need to go see the doctor myself and drag his ass here to get this fucking done." I told her anxiously, now restlessly pacing back and forth in the room like she was a couple of days ago.

"I think you should..." She said quietly. "Mama and Lars still seem unsettled. And Lars works closely with Orion, so he would know if something was amiss. You should find out what's causing the delay."

"Ok I will. I'll go right now. But I need you to stay inside the house. And Orion wants me to go back to work tomorrow, so whenever I'm not home, you need to stay here with all the doors locked. Don't let anyone in. Don't go anywhere without telling me. Not until we get this tattoo done." I told her seriously. I know I probably sounded controlling and a little paranoid, but I didn't trust Orion at all.

And I might literally fucking murder him if he touched her—even hugged her—one more goddamn time.

Emma looked a little annoyed, but this was not up for discussion.

"Emma, look at me, love." I commanded her sternly. "I'm not fucking joking. I know Orion has a key, but still... Push some furniture against the front door or something. Do not fucking leave the house without me, until the tattoo is done. The doctor will hopefully come by today, and then it won't be an issue anymore. But if he can't make it today, you're not stepping outside of this house without me."

I knew Orion knew. And he had way too much power. He could easily break in. Or just let himself in without breaking anything. But maybe if Emma was out of sight for now, he'd put her on the back burner. And then by the time she had the tattoo, it would be too late for him to do whatever he was thinking about doing.

Emma still didn't say anything, though. She looked anxious. And still a little annoyed.

So I softened my tone slightly, but I wasn't going to let this go. "Emma, I'm not trying to control you. I'm not trying to...hold you hostage. But I need to access the computers at work, try to reach my family or my Aunt Lara somehow. So I need to go back to work. Which means you need to stay home until I know for sure you'll be safe if you go outside. Tell me you understand."

She stayed quiet for a while, and I was just about to lose my shit when she looked right at me and said, "What are you going to do to me if I don't understand?"

Then she blinked innocently at me.

And fucking smiled.

What the fuck.

...Freak???

Freak.