CHAPTER 4

20 years earlier

Adaji wakes up to heavy knocking at the door. Through the door she hears a voice

"Adaji, it's time to wake up you can take a shower down the hall and then join us for breakfast in the dining hall".

Adaji looks through the window and can tell its early dawn, she wasn't used to waking up this early. But she quickly got up, took a shower as fast as she could the last thing, she needed was to upset the people who had taken her in. She hurried down the hall till she saw a large door with the word words dining hall printed boldly on it. She pushed through the door and what she saw surprised her.

Everyone in the massive room was wearing all white. The girls were wearing shapeless white gowns like the ladies she had seen the night before. Their hair was pulled back into a bun not a single hair out of place, the boys were wearing white shirts with white trousers and even a white bowtie and the whole hall was segregated with the boys on one side and the girls on the other. As she entered all eyes turned to her, she quickly averted her gaze down. Then grabbed a tray and went up to the serving ladies, a big dallop of spaghetti was dropped on to it. She was trying to find a seat when a very attractive lady with ginger hair approached her smiling and said

"Hey, I'm Maggie the grandmaster told me about you, the new recruits sit over there "she points to a table that Adaji hadn't spotted when she entered, there was two other people at the table, and they were the only people wearing normal clothes" and we would get someone to explain the rules to you in a bit".

"Okay, thank you I would go over there" Adaji replies.

She makes her way towards the table and sits down. She offers the two girls a small smile. Little chatter can be heard in the background

"Is anyone else getting very creepy vibes right now"

The first girl says she couldn't be much younger than 25

"I really don't care right now, As long as it provides safety from me and my child "

The other girl replies

Up until now Adaji hadn't given much thought to the child she came with

"Yeah, I'm with you" she says to the second girl

"My name is Adaji, what are your names?"

"Elizabeth" the first girl says "Aliyah" the second girl answers"

After that all three girls focus on their meals, from theirs faces one could tell they were each running from something bad. All the noise in the hall immediately stops Adaji looks up to see a young man had entered the room. His appearance quite a contrast to everyone else as he was wearing all black. He then says

"Can, All the newcomers come with me please"

Adaji gets up with the other girls and they all follow the strange man out of the dining hall, out of the church and through the back exit. There she can see many small houses all lined together side by side. He then leads them into another massive building though not as grand as the church. This building was just a giant hall, three seats are arranged Infront of a stage the girls take their seats and then a man climbs the stage and goes to the podium to address them.

"My name to you is Leader Andre, I welcome you to this community here everything would be taken care of for you all you have to do is your own part for the community. You will be assigned a house which you will share with other girls, every day the roster changes for who is to clean, cook and wash. Do your own part and everything would go fine. Any questions?

Aliyah pipes up "What about my child?"

"Your child is being looked after by well-seasoned nannies you can see your child every day, the reason we separate is so that all the children can stay together. You can go see her after this meeting if that would calm your worries"

Aliyah nodes in response

"You will be watched this whole week to see if you are compatible with rest of us, If you pass you will become an official member, I wish you the best of luck, Maggie would be waiting outside to show you to your assigned houses"

With that he leaves the stage then exits the hall.

Present

When I come to it, I try to move my arms, but I can feel that they are chained to beams over my head. I realise I'm in the punishment room a room meant for people who committed the most heinous crimes against the church, all my surroundings were dark apart from the light that comes through the window at the top of the room. I hear a door being flung open, the room fills with light, and I can now see my surroundings. I'm in the middle of an otherwise empty room my two arms are chained directly to two beams above my head. Then the grandmaster enters the room.

"It hurts me to see you like this. When you commit sin, you don't hurt me, but you hurt yourself". He proudly proclaims.

I don't say anything and force myself not to meet his eyes. He squats to my level on the ground then uses his hand to lift my face up to his. He then says

"I can see you do not feel regret for your actions, you got a woman killed, you will stay in the punishment room until till tomorrow night"

I finally muster up the courage and say

"You are a monster"

He just smiles at me then says

"Make that two days then, after your punishment you will have to go through the purification ceremony, no more pushing it off. Remember I do this because I love you"

He then leaves the room and leaves me to the darkness. I think of Vivian and of how I got her killed maybe he was right, maybe it will be better if I just accepted my faith. Time goes by quickly and soon the door is flung open and in enters two helpers Ruth and Peace they come towards me and unchain my arms I can barely carry myself; they say nothing as they carry me upstairs to the bathroom, they scrub my body down and then carry me into my room and onto my bed.

Ruth then says, "Your ceremony is this night, get some rest". I just lay on the bed and think of my life and how by this time tomorrow I would no longer be human.