My heart sped up and my stomach twisted. No! Out of all the family members that could have come through that door, the worst one was always the Minister.
“She’s in the bathroom,” Kansas said. “Leave her alone.”Kansas, always the protector argued with him.“We need food.”
“All in good time.” The Minister spoke to him as if Kansas were a petulant child demanding candy. “I hear that Eisley has become a woman.”
Something about the way he said that word sent chills down my spine. What did that mean? I was a girl. Eleven. I remembered because that was the one thing they’d let us celebrate. Birthdays were important here.
“You leave her alone,” Kansas shouted. “Feed us!”
Loud, solitary steps echoed through the room as they came closer to where I was hiding, and then with a loud jerk, the bathroom door was thrust open.
I shrunk into myself as I stared up at him, my hands still stuffed between my legs, holding the blood-soaked towel.
The Minister grinned so wide, I wanted to cry again. His smile was terrifying. If he was giving you attention, that was never a good sign.
“There you are. Little Eisley isn’t so little anymore, is she?”
I didn’t respond. I had learned not to.
“Leave her alone,” Kansas repeated from behind the tall, thin man in the black robes.
The Minister crouched down and reached for my chin. He gripped me tightly, forcing me to look at him. His piercing blue eyes, jet-black hair, and pale skin made for a startling creature. A monster.
“One of the Mothers informed me you have begun to bleed. Is that true?”
I gulped; my throat dry and scratchy.
He reached for the towel I was still clutching and raised it, showing both Kansas and me the blood that stained it.
I closed my eyes and hung my head in shame.
“She needs to see a Mother,” Kansas said. “She’s hurt.”
“She’s not hurt.” The Minister chuckled and stood, letting me go. He shoved the towel into one of his deep pockets. “This is a good thing. A wonderful thing.”
“How can it be good?”
I peered from behind the Minister to see Kansas shaking with rage.
“We’re starving. You’re punishing us because she’s bleeding?”
The Minister returned to our room.
I hurried over to Kansas, throwing my arms around him.He held me close, protectively, as the Minister looked around the room.There wasn’t much to see. Stone walls, stone floor, a sink, and a mattress.
“We have been busy, preparing.”
“Preparing for what?” Kansas snapped.
“The ceremony, Kansas.” The Minister was good at keeping his tone level. He put his hands behind his back and nodded. “We could not attend to you because we needed to focus on getting things ready. I had to buy new video recorders, clothing, and rings. Those things take time.”
“We are going to die if you don’t feed us.” Kansas’s resolve began to break. He was as weak and tired as I was. “Please, give us something to eat.”
The Minster sighed deeply and nodded. “A Mother will come to attend to you. You will need to be bathed, fed, and dressed before we start the activities.” He turned and grabbed the handle to lock us in, but he paused. He nodded to the corner of the room and then looked back at us.
“Wake up Constantine. We can’t perform the ceremony if he’s dead. We need all three of you.”
Rule 6 - Eisley
