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Maddie gradually drew her gaze to me and laid her cheek upon her knee She stared at me with a wistful expression "Because she has fallen in love, Lilah She has found theme a watery smile, she added, "We should all pray to the Lord that we shall be as equally blessed That we find someone to love us co children ere forced to be with men we did not love Would you not welcome the affections of a man whom you chose? A ?"

My aped at her answer "No, I would not! How shall we ever find salvation from the devil’s clutches in this place, littered with his willing denizens! You know our scripture, Maddie We can only be absolved frohteous will of the prophet and the Lord Through the chosen disciples Not just any s! I have seen how they seduce the woreen eyes seeaze out to the dark sky through theof our "cell" My stohtened in fear

She had lost her faith

Bella had died

Mae was living a sinner’s life

I was the only one left who followed the righteous path, the only one left who could keep us on the righteous path

A loud bang sounded downstairs Maddie and I ju our bodies to the bed in fear The laan to rock back and forth Raucous laughter rang out from the room directly below… froht, I fisted the sheet until I feared the material would rip with the strain and I let out a loud sharp scream Weeks and weeks of frustration exploded fro into the wall

That is it! I thought, losing grip of htened ray dress and reached forin place overin a deep breath, I ?" Maddie half-shouted in panic Her green eyes grew large as she watcheda request for their sinful shenanigans to cease at once! I am tired, Maddie I cannot sleep with that incessant noise, and I dare not go downstairs for fear of being inappropriately touched by one of the sinners The manner in which they look at us is salacious, as if we are forbidden fruit they wish to devour! I am tired… so tired, and I just cannot take any h lack of sleep I cannot eat due to h absolute fear of ill becohtening to the point that I cannot breathe I grow faint and feel like I ah I aan shaking her head at me "Lilah, please Leave it until Mae returns Those erous You sahat they did to our people at the commune Do not incite the theer rely on Mae She has lost her way, forgotten the prophet’s teachings She has become too involved with Styx She will not listen to reason That leavesfor so on her thuain Any mention of our faith did that to her I could see the dwindling devotion toward our prophet in her eyes The way she rejoiced when Brother Moses was killed a few long weeks ago confir The Order was si the Lord’s hen the elders tried their best to rid us of the devil in our frequent celestial joinings

Squeezing my eyes shut, I drew in another deep breath Then I quickly unlocked the four bolts of the door and turned the knob After an internal count of three, I sed my fear and wrenched open the door, only to let out a deafening shriek as I stu the breath fro on a chair in the narrow hallway directly opposite our apartment door was the tattooed heathen, Flame I knew he sat there all day, every day I had spied on hih the peephole in the door I did not know if he was out there to make sure we did not try to flee, like ere prisoners in this place, or whether he was there to guard us Very rarely did he leave his post