The Chosen One - Carol Lynch Williams Page 0,38

twisting this way and that.

The Prophet is in my face. I can smell his breath. It’s sweet as sugar. “If he will have you, you will be free.” The words come out slow, one-at-a-time slow.

At first I think Joshua, if Joshua will have me, then I’ll be free. Uncle Hyrum sets me loose and looks at me with such an angry glare that I realize the “he” is my uncle. For a moment I have hope. Uncle Hyrum is so angry. So angry.

Maybe, just maybe, I won’t have to marry him.

Maybe, just maybe, God has heard my prayers and I’m safe.

Maybe, just maybe, I can be with Joshua.

“Apostle Carlson, will you still take the girl?”

I look to my uncle, whose arms are like bands, shaking my head. My nose is still running. I wipe my lip and when I pull my hand away, I see blood.

“I can keep her in line,” he says after a few moments. “I’ve trained the others. I can train her.”

I don’t know why, but my knees give out. I fall to the floor. From where I’m lying, I can see Joshua. He reaches for me. He’s bleeding and his eye is swollen shut. I crawl fast as I can to him, reaching his hand, grabbing it for a moment. A shiny shoe smashes into our hands and I scream.

“This isn’t truth,” Joshua says, pushing himself up. “None of this is. We didn’t do anything.”

“Blasphemer,” Uncle Hyrum says. His voice is a hiss, the way a snake might sound if it could talk.

For a second I think of Satan, and that snake in the Garden of Eden. Did he sound like Uncle Hyrum does?

“You don’t beat people to keep them in line,” Joshua says. I’m not sure how he gets to his feet, he’s that hurt, and seeing him like this, because of me, makes me weep. I sob. He’s next to me in a moment, touching my hair, pulling me to my feet.

“Take him away,” Prophet Childs says.

“No!” I say. I’m loud. I put my arms around Joshua’s waist and hold tight to him.

“Wait, wait,” Joshua says. “Just listen.”

But they don’t. Brother Nelson and Brother Laramie reach for Joshua. It’s a short tug-of-war as they pull him away from me. They wrench his arm up behind him.

“Stop it!” I’m screaming. “Let him go!”

Joshua swears and shouts how this is not God’s true church. “God would never demand this,” he says, and his voice is all alone in the room.

There’s not another sound until Prophet Childs says, “Get thee behind me, Satan.”

And he turns his back on Joshua and looks out the window toward the Temple again.

I try to follow as they drag Joshua away. I throw myself after him.

“Run,” Joshua says to me. “Get free, Kyra. Find me. Find me when you can. I’ll be waiting.”

“I’m going with him,” I say to Prophet Childs. I try to run past Uncle Hyrum, but he grabs me again.

“Let me go.” My voice is one I don’t recognize.

The door closes.

For a minute I think I might scream every bit of life out of me. But I bite my tongue.

“The ceremony will still be,” Prophet Childs says.

“I won’t do it,” I say.

The Prophet looks back out his big window. I wonder how the God Squad will get Joshua out of this building without being seen. Or maybe they don’t care who sees what they’ve done. Of course they don’t. Standing here, I remember more than one person paraded down the street for others to see. To teach us all a lesson. Sometimes those people showed up in church meetings. Sometimes we never saw them again. Not a lot of people. Mostly The Chosen Ones do what they are told. But I’m not so sure I can.

“Only you can save him,” Prophet Childs says after a few quiet moments.

My whole body goes cold. “What do you mean?” My voice is a whisper.

Uncle Hyrum rocks back on his heels, but the scowl never leaves his face. He squeezes my wrists in his hands. Pinches at my skin.

“Only you can save Joshua Johnson,” Prophet Childs says. He doesn’t look at me. Just keeps staring out at the Temple.

I say nothing.

“You marry who God has chosen for you to marry.”

“You do as God tells you to do.”

“You are obedient.”

Now Prophet Childs turns and faces me.

“Or else.”

The Prophet looks at Uncle Hyrum. “Discipline?” he says.

Uncle Hyrum gives just one nod of his head. “Girl, you have your first lesson to learn right now,” Uncle