There's something wrong with Phoebe

13 - Lily

“You get it? All you know is wrong,” said Jack. I glanced at the new girl laughing at her shocked expression. Jack was quite intimidating the first time you heard him preach. He was just trying to make us better, but they never believe what he’s saying at first.

“We have a new kid with us. Her name is Phoebe,” said Jack. Everyone looked at her, and she blushed. “Well, stand up,” he said. Her face reddened further as she stumbled to her feet. “Look me in the eyes!” he commanded, and her teary gaze met his, and he smiled. “Better. Now, tell us about yourself.” Phoebe frowned.

“What?” Jack’s eyes widened.

“I asked you to do something. Do it!” Phoebe fumbled with her hands.

“My name is Phoebe Gold. I’m fourteen. I have one sister and one brother. Their names are Kayla and Thomas. My parents are Alice and Robert Gold. My best friends are called Kristen, Emma and Katie. My boyfriend is called Alex. I like sports, and singing and some dance. I like photography. I have a kid called Crystal. I don’t know where she is.” The whole room erupted into whispers as she said the last couple of sentences. I glared at her, shaking my head.

“Right,” said Jack, getting down from the box he stood on at the front of the room. “All that, my dear Phoebe Gold, is a lie.” She looked confused, frowning. “You simply made that up…in your head!” Jack said, edging closer towards Phoebe, who kept looking at the floor and then remembering what Jack had said.

“I know who I am,” she answered back, and the room all sucked in air. She’d just said that Jack was wrong. Jack smiled menacingly.

“No you don’t,” he said, shaking his head. “You know nothing,” he snarled, putting his face right up against hers. “Yes, your name is Phoebe. But the rest of it…is what you’ve been made to believe.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You don’t have a kid called Crystal.”

“Yes I do! I’ve held her! You’ve held her!” I’d never heard a new girl protest so much.

“I haven’t,” he said. I’d already told her about this. She didn’t have a child. We weren't meant to acknowledge the existence of them. They weren't ours.

“And my siblings are called Kayla and Thomas!”

“Where are they now?” Jack said, grinning.

“At home! Where I should be! Because you stole me in the woods!”

“Oh, Phoebe. Your mind is messed up. You were meant to be here. This is your home. You are part of this family. Understand?"

“No,” she said.

“All of us here are working towards the same goal. We must get rid of those who did us wrong. This is our country, Phoebe. We’ve been made to believe it is somebody else’s. But it is ours. We will get it back.”

“Are you mad?!” Phoebe said. I saw the violence in Jack’s eyes before it became apparent in his movements as his hand slapped Phoebe’s cheeks.

“I think it’s time we played a little game, Phoebe. Do you remember that?” She nodded, squeezing her eyes to prevent crying. I saw a tear escape them anyway and roll down her right cheek. I didn’t know why she was crying. Jack’s games were the best. They were rewards! “Off we go then. Maybe at the end of the game, you’ll know what’s right, and what’s wrong. You’ll remember whose family you are part of, won’t you?”

Phoebe went with him, head bowed. I shook my head in frustration. Why couldn’t she conform? New girls were so irritating.