Chapter 14

chapter

fourteen

The day started early.

Very early, with a droning chant that echoed through the commune, startling Ellie awake. She was surprised she'd fallen asleep at all, but she woke feeling less than refreshed. Her eyes were gritty, and her head fuzzy. She sat up and slid on her glasses. The world came into focus—hazy pre-dawn light streaming in through the bare window, the sparse furnishings of their allotted cabin, and Cal. He was already awake and alert, dressed in the commune's provided tunic and baggy cotton pants, with the green robe draped over his shoulders and the weird wooden pendant around his neck. He looked as fresh as if he'd just stepped out of a relaxing spa. His innate tenacity seemed to give him an inexhaustible resilience, a trait that both frustrated and fascinated her.

He noticed she was awake, and the corner of his mouth tipped up into a crooked smile. "Ready for another day in paradise?"

She groaned softly. She so wasn't. Not after the… whatever happened to her at the bonfire. Panic attack? That was the only explanation she could think of for the fear that had gripped her, the shortness of breath... just the memory had a chill raising goosebumps on her arms. She'd never had a panic attack before, but she'd also never infiltrated a cult before. The stakes were high, and the stress was higher, so what else could it have been?

"Yep," she finally replied, brushing off the memory with feigned enthusiasm. "Ready as I'll ever be."

Cal's smile faltered. He saw through her act, as he always did. It was one of the things that drove her craziest about him. He opened his mouth, but whatever he'd planned to say was drowned out by Serenity's sing-song voice at their door.

"Good morning, beloved friends! The sun greets us with its radiant smile. We have a day of shared enlightenment ahead."

Ellie rolled her eyes. "Oh my God. These people are weird."

Cal snorted with suppressed laughter and strode toward the door. "I have a feeling we've only seen the very tip of the weirdness iceberg. Get dressed. I'll distract her."

She waited until the door shut behind him then slipped out of bed and into the shapeless dress and robe. There wasn't a mirror in the place, so all she could do was pray her curls weren't too wild as she scooped them into a bun, grabbed her robe, and followed Cal outside.

The commune was already bustling with activity. Members moved in choreographed harmony, their movements as scripted as their words, a ballet of eerie conformity. Ellie pulled her robe closer around her as she watched them, suddenly feeling exposed despite being covered head to toe.

She glanced at Cal. He was taking it all in with a bemused expression that reminded her of Puzzle when the puppy encountered something new and strange.

God, she missed that dog.

Everyone seemed to be moving toward the heart of the commune, so they followed the crowd. With their plain outfits and robes, they blended right in as if they belonged here, which was an unnerving thought.

Cal's hand wrapped around hers, warm and comforting. "Stick close."

"Like glue," she agreed. She had no intention of navigating this place alone.

His gaze met hers, and she saw a glimmer of something more than concern there. His grip tightened as the crowd shepherded them toward the communal breakfast area. She didn't know why she'd expected a dining hall. It was more of a lawn with mats spread out, where everyone sat in neat rows.

"I feel like I'm caught in some strange version of a yoga retreat."

Cal's lips quirked into a half smile. "I've been to yoga retreats. This is weirder."

An unexpected wave of warmth washed over her. Of course he did yoga.

She noticed the methodical distribution of food and the way members were served in a certain order, which didn't seem to be according to age or gender. It seemed to go by the color of their robes, with light blue robes having their pick of food, followed by the green robes. By the time the trays reached the brown robes at the end of the table, there wasn't much left but dull oatmeal and the worst pieces of fruit. She also noticed a pattern of exchange among the commune members. If someone accepted a bowl, they would give something in return, like a piece of fruit. This was not a simple act of gratitude. It felt ritualistic, almost... transactional.

A gentle chime filled the air, silencing the communal chatter. All heads turned towards a raised platform at the far end of the lawn. There stood Hopeful in his white robe, his long hair cascading down his back, strong hands resting calmly on a wooden pulpit. His eyes gleamed with a charisma that was difficult to ignore. An anticipatory hush fell over the commune as he began to speak.

"Good morning, my Embraced. We gather here to celebrate the dawn of another day—a day filled with promise, unity, and enlightenment. As the sun greets us anew, let us be reminded of our purpose here: to love and to be loved, to seek harmony within ourselves and among one another. Let us break our fast together, not just in body but in spirit."

His words washed over the crowd with the gentle power of a lullaby. Ellie found herself reluctantly captivated by his presence. He had a way of commanding attention that was both magnetic and unsettling. His gaze swept across the crowd until his eyes locked on Ellie.

Her heart stuttered as Hopeful stared at her for what felt like an eternity. Cal's hand tightened around hers.

Hopeful finally shifted his gaze away, and she exhaled a relieved breath.

"We encourage sharing our thoughts, joys, and fears amongst ourselves," Hopeful continued softly. "Open your hearts to each other. Let the bonds of trust and unity strengthen us."

Her breath hitched at his words. She glanced at Cal, who was scrutinizing Hopeful with narrowed eyes. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, but she could tell he was equally unsettled.

Serenity stepped onto the raised platform, her robe swaying gently in the morning breeze. Her eyes shone with a mixture of pride and anticipation as she glanced over the crowd. Ellie noticed that when she looked at Hopeful, her gaze was full of reverence.

"Thank you," Serenity began, her soft voice carrying across the lawn. "Today I want to share a joy that's warmed my heart."

As she spoke about the joy of being a part of the commune, Cal leaned in closer to Ellie. "How long do you think this sharing session is going to last?"

Ellie shrugged lightly. She had no idea.

The breakfast continued in silence as people went up to the podium and shared their joys. Then Hopeful returned and preached some more about love, unity, and collective consciousness, interspersed with cryptic analogies that didn't make sense to Ellie's mind, but the members absorbed it all like gospel.

After breakfast, they were shuffled from one workshop to another, each more bizarre than the last. They learned about the healing properties of crystals, the commune's interpretation of astral projection, and what Ellie could only describe as an attempt at mind reading. She didn't see what any of this had to do with healing a failing relationship, but the other couples seemed to be enthralled by it all. Of course, Marla and Jeff were already indoctrinated by all of the visits—their robes were green— but now Tyler and Nico had drunk the Kool-Aid, eyes gleaming with the zeal of the converted.

As they sat cross-legged on a woven mat during an "aura harmonizing" session, the leader of the workshop—an old woman named Starlight with piercing blue eyes—began to softly chant a mantra. The other couples joined in, their voices building to fill the tent.

This was crazy. They had to know this was all crazy, right?

She slid a glance toward Cal. He looked just as bemused and raised his brows in a silent, "Can you believe this shit?"

"Are we in an episode of ‘The Twilight Zone'?" she whispered.

He snorted, clamping his hand over his mouth to suppress his laughter. Starlight scolded them and they both dipped their heads in mock contrition until she stopped glaring at them and returned to chanting.

Cal leaned in, his lips close to her ear. "Wanna make a break for it?"

They managed to sneak out of the tent while everyone was deep in meditative chanting. Once they were safely outside, they burst into laughter.

"Oh my God," Ellie gasped, swiping at the tears streaming from her eyes. "Did you see Marla's face during that crystal healing workshop? She looked like she was having an orgasm."

Cal cracked up all over again and doubled over, propping his hands on his thighs. "And that astral projection lecture? Jeff looked like he was about to ascend to a higher plane of existence right then and there."

"It's all so... ridiculous. They don't actually believe this stuff, do they?"

"Seems like." He straightened and sucked in a breath. "But, so far, this is all harmless New Age self-help crap. These people are weird, but I haven't seen any overt signs of danger."

"Are we wrong about this place?" She thought back to Hopeful's gaze on her during breakfast and shivered, rubbing at the goosebumps suddenly covering her arms.

No, they weren't wrong. Every instinct she had screamed that something was off about the commune. The rituals, the strange workshops, the weird hierarchy of robe colors—all of it was too orchestrated and too manipulative to be dismissed as benign self-help practices.

Plus, the girl had wanted to leave. Was she just a teenager rebelling against her unconventional upbringing? Or was there something more sinister at play here? And where was she now?

"Cal, we need to find out what happens when people decide they want to leave."

"I have a feeling nothing good." He made a face. "We should start by talking to some of the other brown robes if we can separate them from the flock. If they're not fully initiated, they might still be harboring doubts about this place."

"There you are!" Serenity chimed in her saccharine, sing-song voice. "You can't wander away like that! This mountain can be dangerous. We were worried."

Except she had been in the workshop, so how did she know they'd left? They'd only been gone a few minutes.

"Sorry about that," Cal said easily. "The incense was starting to give me a headache. I get migraines, and strong scents can set them off, so Ellie thought it best to get me out of there."

Ellie narrowed her eyes at him. Did he actually suffer from migraines? She hadn't known that, but it had the ring of truth to it.

"I apologize," Serenity said with genuine sympathy. "I used to get them, too, but Remedy cured me. We'll make time for you to see her later. She really is a miracle worker."

"That'd be great."

A chime sounded distantly, and Serenity paused to listen to it, then nodded. "It's time for the next session. Come."

She led them into a cabin that was set up much like theirs—a mishmash of bohemian aesthetics and modern comfort. Instead of a bed, pillows in vibrant colors were thrown haphazardly on the floor, and large tapestries covered the walls. For the first time all day, they were the only ones in the workshop.

Ellie's alarm bells started ringing, and she stopped just inside the door. "What is this session about?"