Somewhere in the Trees

ten

I don't pay attention to anything else going on. I can hardly even hear anything as I close my eyes. I don't feel good. I don't want to be stuck here, I don't want to meet this man.

I've learned about cults in some of my classes before, and I know that their leaders are typically very narcissistic, and their charm and manipulation can make even the strongest of people weak-minded. I refuse to become one of the people I saw carrying wood or filling buckets of water or cooking food.

"Kiran... and Declan."

I look across the table at Kiran, who's chewing on his nails. I can hear his foot tapping anxiously against the glossy wooden floor. Next to Kiran is Declan, who looks exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes.

"Declan," Abe says again, and Declan looks over at him.

"What?" Declan asks. His voice is hoarse.

Abe stands up from his seat at the head of the table. I'm surprised by how tall he is. He makes his way over to Declan, who's seated across from us. He looks down at him and says, "Stand up, son."

Declan doesn't look at him. He just rubs his forehead, his eyes closing for a second.

"Stand up," Abe demands, his voice louder, echoing off the walls of the small dining room.

"Deck, just do it," I hear Kiran say to him quietly.

Declan looks over at the people in the corner, who now have their guns pointed towards him. He sighs heavily and stands up with the support of the table, and then he stands in front of Abe. Abe has a few inches over him, which is surprising since Declan is quite tall.

"Look me in the eyes, boy," Abe requests, and Declan lifts his head to do so. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Then, Abe holds his hand out for Declan to shake.

Declan stares blankly down at Abe's hand.

I look over at Scott, who's watching and desperately trying to suppress a grin. "See, my Abe. I told you," Scott reports slyly. "He has shown us nothing but disrespect. I don't see that he is fit for our family."

Abe pulls his hand away and analyzes Declan by looking him up and down. Kiran and I share a concerned glance - are we all about to watch Declan get shot? I don't like the guy, but I still don't want to see that.

"We'll find out tonight," Abe says with finality, still staring at Declan with an expression too difficult to decipher. What does that mean? I stare puzzled at the two of them, expecting Abe to elaborate, but he doesn't.

Scott smiles. That can't be good - he hates Declan.

"Have a seat," Abe barks as he returns back to the head of the table.

The people in the back and Elsie continue to point their guns at Declan. Declan looks at all of them before he slowly sits back down. Kiran whispers something to Declan but it's too quiet for me to hear. Declan nods in response.

"Everybody eat," Abe says with a smile as he gestures across the table. "Don't let it get cold. It's very delicious. Our finest chef, Gloria, makes the best eggs. And you must all be starving. It's been a few days, no?" He looks at Scott for confirmation.

Scott nods. "Two days."

Holy shit. Two days? Two days since we were captured? I can feel it in how hungry I am, how thirsty and how filthy my hair is. It's greasy and caked with mud from laying on the filthy floor all night, falling around my face in strings. All I want to do is shower, put moisturizer on, and lay in my fluffy blankets next to Liam. I would give anything for that right now.

"Don't be shy," Abe says, still grinning. "You'll all have to eat at some point."

Zoe picks up her fork and eats some of the eggs. I follow suit, picking up my fork slowly, observing how Kiran, Alice, and Declan aren't moving a muscle.

"I'd rather not get drugged again," Declan tells Abe, saying all of our thoughts aloud.

Abe keeps his smile on his face as he looks at Declan. "We need you all to be strong and healthy. Especially you. Why would we drug you?"

'Especially you'? Why do they keep singling him out?

Fuck it. I don't even care. I pick up my fork and start eating the eggs. I'm so hungry. I start shoveling the food in my mouth so quickly I can barely even chew it. It feels incredible to finally eat.

"So, Kiran," Abe says in a conversational tone as he puts a forkful of eggs in his mouth. "You're our new doctor, our medic."

Kiran furrows his eyebrows and laughs nervously. "I'm not a doctor."

"But you were going to become a doctor," Abe says. "A physician. Specializing in cardiovascular disease, correct?"

My muscles tense. You were going to become a doctor. Just another reminder that these people don't think we're ever going to get out of here.

Kiran is slack-jawed as he says, "Well... yeah."

"How do you even know that?" Declan asks from beside Kiran. He's staring at Abe with such hatred and disgust in his large brown eyes - a look I've never seen before, even through the arguments we've had where we can hardly even stand to be near each other.

Abe laughs. "I do my research. I know you were studying chemistry, with plans to become a Biochemist. I am very honored to be in the presence of two incredibly intelligent young men, who will make wonderful contributions to our family."

"We don't want to be in your weird cult," Declan tells him, his tone loaded with anger and frustration.

"Hey! We don't say that word here," Scott snaps suddenly from behind Declan.

Abe shoots Scott a look, making Scott instantly falter and back away to his spot against the wall. Then, Abe takes a sip of his glass of orange juice, his eyes wandering towards Zoe, Alice, and me.

"You ladies are beautiful, and I'm sure you're intelligent as well, but that is not a necessary quality for our ladies here. What matters is you're able to complete traditional duties of a woman, such as reproducing, giving birth, raising children, pleasing our men, cooking, and keeping our community tidy," Abe says, his voice soft and gentle as he delivers the most sickening, sexist words I've ever heard.

"What if we don't want to... reproduce? And give birth?" Alice asks quietly from beside me. I'm glad she asked that.

Abe looks at Alice. "Dear Alice, we will never force you to do anything you are not willing to do."

I immediately relax as I close my eyes. Thank God. That was one of my biggest concerns, though I tried desperately not to let my mind go to that point.

"However," Abe says after a long pause. My eyes open again and my palms start to clam up. "You must understand that if you do not do what is expected of you, we will just get rid of you, as you will not serve any other purpose for our family."

Suddenly, the food I just ate feels like it's going to come back up. My heart pounds as I sit up straighter.

"So if we don't reproduce," I say - the word tastes bitter on my tongue and feels odd to say, it's like we're animals or something - "we'll be killed? Is that basically what you're saying?" I can't stop my voice from shaking as I stare at him, waiting for an answer that will tell me I have it all wrong.

Abe's eyes land on me for a long beat. He wipes the edges of his mouth with a napkin and places the napkin on his empty plate. Then, he clears his throat and says:

"That's exactly what I'm saying. See, I knew you were smart."