Children of Eternity Omnibus Page 3

  “But—”

  “No buts, young lady. You two follow me. The rest of you sit here silently and seriously think about the reverend’s sermon and what it means to you. We’ll discuss it when I return.” Miss Brigham took Samantha by the arm and led her back down the path with Prudence following in tow like a scolded puppy. They stopped at a small clearing, where Miss Brigham instructed the girls to kneel before a rock. “You girls pray for God to forgive your transgressions. Repeat after me, ‘Lord, forgive us for having sinned against you and the sacred Way you entrusted to Reverend Crane.’”

  Samantha and Prudence repeated the words, Samantha with no enthusiasm and Prudence with whole-hearted fervor. “Good. Say it again,” Miss Brigham instructed. They repeated the phrase twenty-five times in all. “Now, what have you learned?”

  “We shouldn’t read books?” Samantha said.

  “Yes, and what else?”

  “We shouldn’t tell lies?”

  “Yes. Any lie at all sets us on a path to Hell. I want you to consider this while I check on the other children. You may return when you’re ready to behave.”

  After Miss Brigham stomped back up the hill, Samantha got to her feet. “Where are you going?” Prudence asked. “She told us to stay here and think.”

  “You can sit here and think until you turn blue. I’m getting out of here.”

  “Where will you go?”

  “I don’t care. Anywhere is better than here.” Samantha started back towards town, but Prudence got in her way. “You can’t stop me. I’m leaving.”

  “You can’t go! He’ll find you.”

  “Who?”

  “Mr. Pryde. He lives in the woods and makes sure no one gets in or out unless the reverend says so.” Prudence looked around her as though expecting Mr. Pryde to jump out of a bush.

  “I’m not scared of him,” Samantha said, though she didn’t remember ever seeing Mr. Pryde before.

  “Samantha, please, it’s not just him. He has dogs. They’re terrible, monstrous things, like a pack of rabid wolves. Anyone who tries to get in or out without permission, he sets them loose. They’ll tear you to pieces.”

  “I don’t care. I’d rather get torn apart by wild dogs than stay here another second.” Samantha crossed her arms and stamped her foot for emphasis.

  Tears started to stream down Prudence’s cheeks. “Samantha, please. You’re my only friend. I don’t want to lose you.”

  “You don’t even know me. I don’t even know me.”

  “That doesn’t matter. You’re the only one who hasn’t treated me like I’m different.”

  “If you lost some weight you’d have plenty of friends,” Samantha said. At this, Prudence’s tears turned to sobs that doubled her over. A cold lump formed in Samantha’s stomach. Prudence had shown her nothing but kindness and Samantha repaid it by hurting her. She put an arm around Prudence’s shoulders. “I’m sorry. I’ll stay. For now.”

  Chapter 5: The Woodshed

  Samantha and Prudence returned to the hilltop to find the boys clustered on one side and the girls another with Miss Brigham standing between them. “Ah, good, Samantha and Prudence have decided to rejoin us. Since we have a new student, I think it would be good to review the dangers that lurk all around us.”

  Miss Brigham held up a stone and dropped it in the grass. “Our island is but a pebble of goodness surrounded by evil.” Miss Brigham knelt down to draw a circle around the stone with her finger. “Around us is the sea. The waters here are very dangerous. Children, you must never, ever try to swim in the sea. If the waves don’t dash your darling heads against the rocks then the creatures that live beneath the surface will pull you down and devour you.” The children flinched as one.

  Miss Brigham drew a smaller circle in the grass to the left of the rock. “Over here, far beyond the horizon, is the mainland. This is a very dangerous place. There are bears and other vicious animals that would tear you to pieces. And if those do not get you, bands of savages roam the country.”

  A brunette toddler raised her hand. “Miss Brigham, what’s a savage?” the girl asked.

  “A savage, Rebecca, is one who does not believe in God or The Way. They worship heathen gods.”

  Rebecca raised her hand again. “What do they look like?”

  “They have red skin and black eyes. They wear animal skins for clothes, when they wear clothes at all. And they speak in their own heathen tongue.”

  Helena raised her hand, glancing back at Samantha as she did so. “I think Samantha is a savage.”

  “No, dear, Samantha is not a savage.”

  “But she looks like you said they do.”

  “That may be, but Samantha believes in God and speaks in the Lord’s tongue.”

  Samantha raised her hand. “Then where did I come from? Are there other towns on the mainland?”

  “I’m sorry, dear, but there are no other towns like ours. There are only the savage villages where they live in tents made of animal skins, not buildings like we have.”

  “Then how did I get here, Miss Brigham?”

  “That’s not for me to say, dear.”

  “She’s a savage,” Helena said. “Samantha the savage!” The other girls around Helena took up the chant. Samantha’s face turned red, but she bit down on her lip to keep from crying. Prudence reached over to squeeze her hand.

  “That’s enough, children. Samantha is one of God’s children like the rest of you.”

  “I’m sorry, Miss Brigham,” Helena said, but then she looked back at Samantha and stuck out her tongue.

  “I believe now is a good time to discuss Reverend Crane’s sermon,” Miss Brigham said. She paced from one side of the meadow to the other, her hands clasped behind her back. “The reverend talked to us about the value of truth. Truth is central to The Way. It is the greatest virtue we can live by. When we do not tell the truth, bad things happen not only to us but to those around us as well.” Miss Brigham stopped her pacing to wave in Samantha’s direction. The other children turned to look at her. “Samantha lied during this morning’s service, forcing Reverend Crane to punish her—”

  “I didn’t lie!” Samantha said.

  “Young lady, during class you must raise your hand and wait for me to call upon you before speaking,” Miss Brigham warned.

  “I’m sorry. But I didn’t lie about the snake.”

  Before she could say anything else, Prudence touched her arm and put a finger to lips. Samantha crossed her arms and then looked down at the grass to avoid the gaze of the other children. “As I was saying, my dears, truth is central to The Way. We must always tell the truth, not only to keep our souls clean but to avoid hurting the others counting on us. For instance, last week Wendell lied about stacking the firewood. What happened after that, Wendell?”

  A young boy with a head of curly red hair said, “I had to sit in the shed to think about what I did.”

  “Yes, Wendell, that is true. But what else?”

  “John had to find the firewood,” Wendell said.

  “That’s right, dear.” Miss Brigham pointed to the dark-haired boy who had supplied Helena with the snake. “John had to gather up the wood and as a result Phyllis did not have enough fuel for the oven, which delayed dinner for all of us. So you see how a lie can affect us all. Little Wendell’s lie nearly caused us to go hungry. This is why Reverend Crane stresses truth above all else.”

  Samantha raised her hand. She waited for Miss Brigham to acknowledge her this time. “What if we’re lying to protect someone else?Aren’t there times when you should lie?”

  “No, dear, there are no good lies and bad lies. You children must never, ever lie under any circumstances.”

  “Has Reverend Crane ever told a lie?” Samantha asked.

  “Of course not, dear. And you must raise your hand each time you want to ask a question.”

  Samantha raised her hand again. “You mean the reverend is perfect? Isn’t God the only one who is perfect?”

  �
�Reverend Crane is not perfect, my dear, but he does not tell lies to us. The reverend upholds The Way.”

  “If he doesn’t lie then how is he not perfect?”

  “Until you learn to raise your hand before speaking I will not answer your questions,” Miss Brigham said. Samantha put up her hand, but Miss Brigham looked away from her. “Now, for today I would like to quote from Proverbs. ‘A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue.’ What do you think this means?”

  Helena raised her hand. Miss Brigham pointed to her. “It means we shouldn’t tell lies.”

  “Very good, Helena. I want all of us to keep this in mind not only today, but every day. The next time we think about telling a lie, we should remember the Lord’s words and think about how our lies can hurt those around us. Now, children, let us take a moment to reflect and pray silently.”

  As the children prayed, Helena looked back at Samantha with a smug grin. Samantha stuck out her tongue, but did so the same moment Miss Brigham looked in her direction. “Samantha, what are you doing? You’re making a mockery of prayer.”

  “No, I didn’t mean anything. I thought I swallowed a bug,” she said. Miss Brigham considered this a moment and then shook her head. She walked down the rows of girls to stand before Samantha. Miss Brigham looked Samantha in the eyes; Samantha met her gaze without flinching.

  “Young lady, we have just finished discussing the importance of truth and moments later you lie to me. This is unacceptable behavior. Come with me.” Samantha rose to her feet and followed Miss Brigham down the rows of children, keeping her head high while inside her stomach churned at the thought of what terrible punishment awaited her now.

  Miss Brigham led her down the hill to the edge of the fields. “I am sorry to do this to you on your first day, Samantha, but you must learn to follow The Way. Reverend Crane does not tolerate sinners,” she said.

  “I did lie about the bug, but Helena stuck out her tongue first. And she scared me with the snake this morning.”

  “Shifting the blame to others is worse than lying,” Miss Brigham said. “You must take responsibility for your own faults and not expect anyone else to pay for your sins.”

  “Didn’t Christ die for our sins?”

  “You are a very trying child. Perhaps some time in the shed for contemplation will straighten you out.” Miss Brigham led Samantha to a square building made entirely of stone. Inside, Samantha found stacks of wood neatly bundled, leaving only a few inches of empty space for her to occupy. A primal fear gripped her, the darkness pressing all around her. “Now then young lady, I want you to sit in here and wait for me to return. Consider what you’ve done and ask God for forgiveness.”

  “I don’t want to go in there. Please, Miss Brigham—”

  “I’m sorry, dear. This is for your own good. You must learn to respect the rules.”

  “I will respect the rules. Don’t make me go in there.”

  “Don’t worry, dear, nothing can hurt you in there. I’ll return for you shortly,” Miss Brigham said. She tried to gently shove Samantha into the shed, but Samantha took hold of the doorway, refusing to let go. “If you keep this up, I’ll have Mr. Pryde force you inside.”

  The thought of Pryde and his dogs loosened Samantha’s death grip on the doorway. She trudged inside and sat on a pile of logs next to the door. Once Miss Brigham closed the door, an impenetrable darkness smothered Samantha. “It’s not so bad,” she said, her voice quivering. “There’s nothing but wood in here. The only thing that can hurt me is a splinter.” She tried to laugh, but couldn’t. Tears came to her eyes instead.

  She jumped off the pile of logs and clawed against the door. “Let me out!” she screamed. “Please, let me out. I’m sorry. I won’t do anything bad again.”

  She kept scratching against the door until her fingers bled. Then she balled her sore hands into fists to pound on the door. She continued pleading until her voice went hoarse. Why didn’t Miss Brigham let her out?

  She finally collapsed next to the door, covering her face with her apron. Nothing in here can hurt me, she told herself over and over again. This thought did little to comfort her. The smell of decay from her dreams filled her nostrils and again she heard voices mumbling. “No, don’t hurt me,” she pleaded.

  At last the door opened. A hand touched Samantha’s shoulder. She pushed it away only to hear Prudence say, “Miss Brigham said I should fetch you for lunch.”

  Samantha bolted out of the tool shed and hugged her friend. “What happened to your hands?” Prudence asked.

  “I cut them on a log,” Samantha said. As she left the shed, Samantha decided it was not a lie. She was only withholding some of the truth. As long as Miss Brigham didn’t find out, what harm could it do?

  Chapter 6: Children At Play

  In the meadow, Samantha and Prudence stood in line to receive their lunch. A girl almost as fat as Prudence lorded over a box of sandwiches, moving the line along with brutal efficiency. “Next!” she barked after shoving a sandwich wrapped in paper to Samantha.

  “Who’s that?” Samantha asked.

  “That’s Phyllis, the cook,” Prudence said. They sat down in a secluded spot near the trees, away from the whispered conversations of the other girls. Prudence unwrapped her sandwich and took a greedy bite. Samantha took a cautious nibble of hers, swallowing the tasteless, crusty bread and salty bit of meat with difficulty. She wondered how Prudence got fat eating such terrible food. “She makes all our meals.”

  “But she’s younger than I am.”

  “We all have to take part in chores. Otherwise the town would fall apart.”

  “What do you do?”

  “I’m the seamstress. After lunch, we’ll go to my workshop and you can help me.”

  “I don’t know anything about sewing.”

  “I’ll teach you.” Prudence lowered her voice. “Everyone has to contribute something if they want to stay.”

  “So if I don’t work, they’d make me leave?” Prudence nodded. “That sounds pretty tough.”

  “The reverend has to be tough, because the grownups are gone. We can’t afford to have people who don’t want to work.”

  “What if I can’t learn sewing?”

  “Then we’ll find something else for you to do. There has to be something you’re good at.”

  “Apparently I’m good at getting in trouble.”

  “It’s your first day. You’re bound to make mistakes.”

  “Not this many. I think I’m cursed.”

  “Don’t be silly.” After eating a quarter of her sandwich, Samantha decided she’d had enough and offered the rest to Prudence. “I shouldn’t. That would be gluttony.”

  “Either you eat it or it goes to waste.”

  “No wonder you’re so skinny. You eat like a bird.” At this, Samantha flapped her arms and cawed like a sick crow. Prudence stifled a laugh with one hand and used the other to yank Samantha down. “Don’t let Miss Brigham see you doing that or you’ll get in more trouble.”

  “Why?”

  “Frivolity goes against The Way. Games, jokes, and singing are all forbidden.”

  “Why?”

  “It distracts us from serious matters.”

  Samantha pointed to the other girls talking amongst themselves. “But I hear them laughing. Isn’t that against The Way too?”

  “It’s excusable if the laughter comes about from normal conversation during designated relaxation periods.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means it’s all right during breakfast, lunch, or before bed if you’re talking about something that happened. Like you getting in trouble with Reverend Crane.”

  “You think that’s funny?”

  “I don’t, but they do.”

  “Oh, so mean-spirited conversations are allowable, but not harmless jokes? That’s stupid!”

  “It’s the way things are.”

  “Maybe it’s time for that to change.” Samantha g
ot to her feet and despite Prudence’s warnings, started to zigzag across the meadow. “I’m it! Come and get me!” None of the other children stood to chase after her as she scampered across the meadow. Finally, Samantha stopped to catch her breath. She stamped her foot and said, “Fine, if you won’t come get me then I’ll race you back to town. Last one there is a rotten egg!”

  With that, Samantha took off running into the forest. She veered down the shortcut she and Prudence had taken earlier, determined to make it back to town before anyone else. The reverend and all his stupid rules. Why couldn’t they be allowed to do anything fun?

  She heard a growl and stopped running a moment before a black beast leapt from the brush. The beast hit Samantha in the center of the chest, knocking her to the ground. She found herself looking up at rows of sharp, yellow teeth that dripped brown foam onto her dress. A pair of yellow eyes glared at her with hatred. The beast’s jaws snapped at her as a snarl rose from its throat. Samantha put her hands to her face and screamed for help.

  “What have you got there?” a voice more like an animal’s than a human’s said. Samantha lowered her hands in time to see a man crash through the underbrush with three other beasts like the one pinning her to the ground.

  A wide-brimmed hat covered most of his shoulder-length gray hair and cast a shadow over his face. A pair of yellow eyes glared out from under the hat’s brim. The man wore a long black coat that appeared to be the hides of some of his former hunting partners stitched together. A foot-long knife lined with tally notches hung from his belt. From Prudence’s description, Samantha guessed this was Mr. Pryde.

  “You’re supposed to be in the meadow with the others,” he said. He let out a short bark and the dog on her chest climbed off and sat at his heels. “What are you doing here?”

  “I got lost. I’m sorry. I’ll go back now.”

  “You’re the new one, aren’t you?”

  “Yes. My name’s Samantha. You’re the one who found me.”

  “The dogs found you. They would have torn out your throat if I’d arrived a second later.”