Luring Light - K.E. Osborn Page 0,75

is them pulling my shirt over my head.

Then everything goes black.

***

It’s like I’m floating but not on a bed of clouds.

On something much, much harder.

Something uncomfortable that’s poking into my body.

I’m trying to gain my bearings.

The low beating of djembe drums rumbles in the distance in a steady rhythm. My eyelids slowly flutter open, and that’s when I realize I’m being lifted through the air on a stretcher of twigs laden with vines and flowers.

I try to sit up, but I’m still a little too out of it to gain enough strength to do much. All the bobbing with the movement of the disciples carrying me is making me nauseous. I look down, noticing I’m dressed in a flowing white dress. I have no shoes on, no bra, and I’m way too fucking scared to feel if I have my panties on still.

The disciples are leading me down the hill toward the lake, a guard of honor lines me either side.

It starts with women all wearing wreaths of flowers around their heads. They’re holding pottery jugs for some fucking stupid reason.

As I get closer to the water, there are men, and they’re wearing fucking ram heads with the same symbol the women have etched into their chests.

My hands begin to shake, my breathing shallow as a rush of adrenaline shoots through my veins, waking me up a little more. I manage to sit up on the bed of twigs and vines as the disciples reach the edge of the lake, lowering my bed to the ground.

I try to make a run for it, but my legs are unsteady, and I end up running straight into a disciple. He grabs me, hauling me down into the water where Wyatt is waiting. Bringing my fist up, I slam it into the disciple’s stomach as hard as I can, his stupid ram head falls off him and into the water with a mighty splash as he lets me go. Again, I move to run, but two more men stride through the water, grabbing me around the upper arms so tight I know it’s going to bruise.

I let out a whimper.

I should have fought harder when I had the chance.

They drag me back over to Wyatt and make me stand in front of him. My head scrambles, trying to figure what all this craziness is about as Wyatt holds a sharp knife in his hand with that same devilish glint in his eye as before. My heart slams against my chest rapidly as the cold water laps at my thighs.

“Ivy, you will be cleansed by the blood of all the fellow farm members, then branded to show you belong to the family.”

Tears glisten in my eyes as I hear the word family.

I think of Eva.

I have no idea if she is okay or if I will ever see her again.

I think of Wyatt’s family. His son, Void, how he died so I could live.

But I don’t want to be here.

I don’t want to live in this world without Void.

I let out a sob, my body hunching over in my grief.

Wyatt steps forward right into my space, his hand moving to my chin, lifting my eyes to meet with his. “There you are, cleansing yourself already of all that pain you feel. Let it out, Ivy. Let it out while I free you.” His other hand moves to the top of my dress, ripping the material apart. I let out another sob as my left breast is exposed to everyone who’s here, including Void’s father.

He lets out a low growl as he signals to the three women who drugged me. They walk over with their stupid headwear and potted-fucking-jugs while I stand, sobbing, exposed, and shaking as they surround me.

“Be one with the family, Ivy,” Wyatt calls out.

“Welcome to the farm,” everyone replies as the three bitches bring their jugs up, pouring the contents over my head. The red liquid slides over my face, the feeling unlike anything I have experienced before. I clench my eyes and mouth shut, the warm liquid floods over me while I shudder, feeling the fluid envelop me completely.

“You’re a part of the family now, Ivy. All that’s left is to cleanse you,” Wyatt informs me, wiping the liquid away from my face.

Finally, I take a deep breath, opening my eyes to blood smears all down my body. I let out a shriek as I try to wipe the liquid off me in a panic, my heart hammering in my