“Brother, please… I am not what you think I am,” Audrey pleaded for her life, pleaded for her freedom, even though she knew it was all in vain. “I am begging you, brother… I am no sinner!”
“Liar!” Elijah yelled, kicking his boot into her side, Audrey letting out a loud sob, holding her stomach with a wince. A bruise began to form over her ribcage, her tears doing nothing to sway her brother’s opinion. “I will lock this door, and you will pray! I hope to God that he hears you, otherwise… may you rest in hell.”
And with that, Elijah slammed her bedroom door behind him, the click sounding to show that there was no way out. Audrey was left in darkness, bringing her knees to her chest, hugging herself as the tears blurred her already obstructed vision. She would be stuck in this shell for the rest of eternity, whether living with her brother or married to some man she hated without meeting.
Taking in a sharp breath, she brought one arm to her eyes, wiped her tears with her sleeve, keeping her opposite hand to her side and she swallowed down her feelings. Instead, she leaned her head back on her bed, closing her eyes as remembering the night before, falling into it as if it were a dream. God, she wished it wasn’t a dream. The moment had been perfect and she wanted to see Constance again that day, but it seemed futile to even believe that.
The room darkened even more around her, but the sun shone outside. It shone down on the mess that Union had become overnight, and soon enough… Audrey would become a big part of that mess.
───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰ ───
A click sounded at her door and Audrey’s head flinched upwards, eyes opening once again and she staggered to her feet, her ribcage trembling with agony. Her bedroom door was opened quickly, Elijah standing in the threshold with his hand on the handle, knuckles white with how hard he was holding it.
“Pastor Miller has called for your attendance,” Elijah spoke to her in a manner that most would mistaken as calm. Audrey knew it as pushed-down fury. “You are to come with me.”
“What does he want?” Audrey asked with confusion, Elijah stepping forward, grabbing her by the upper arm, fingers digging into her skin. She winced and he only squeezed harder, heaving her upwards, and out into the front room.
“We shall see.”
“You do not even know?”
Elijah looked down at his sister with a glare, lips tight in a straight line. “We shall see.”
Audrey understood she should keep her mouth shut and he opened the door of their house, dragging her behind him as they made their trek across Union’s grass, the sun watery in the sky. There was a lack of people around them, something that struck great concern through Audrey’s body. The market looked deserted, a splatter of blood trailing from the well, and the people who were outside were throwing fearful looks around them, bringing a chill to Audrey’s skin.
“Brother, what has happened?” she whispered to him and Elijah sighed.
“Sin has happened,” he explained shortly, teeth gritting shortly after. “It has plagued our village. Our Union. We do not know who it has spread from.”
Audrey could hear the accusatory tone and swallowed thickly, staring directly ahead at the Meeting House, Elijah marching up to the entrance and firmly knocked. There were a number of thumps inside and then a creak, one of the oak doors opening up the smallest bit, Pastor Miller’s face thrown in shadows.
“Who be there?” he asked, voice raspy and Elijah’s face flickered with confusion before falling back to apathy. He would not question the Pastor.
“‘Tis Elijah Goode, bringing you Audrey Goode,” he said briefly, pulling his sister in front of him, holding her by the shoulders to make sure she didn’t run. “You requested her presence, did you not?”
CHAPTER THREE
Start from the beginning
