The Cult (Cult 1)

I walked over to the window, right up to one of the Malevolent, and slammed the picture onto the window, the picture of the angel facing outward so he could stare at that instead of us. I pressed my palm into the pieces of tape and made sure it stuck nicely. “Look at that, asshole.” I turned back to the supplies on the bench and ripped out more pages, adding the tape, and slamming it down on the glass to block their faces.

The more of the windows I covered, the more they crowded into the remaining space, trying to keep us in view so they could continue to stare at us. In silence, I worked, the girls staring in surprise, the Malevolent squeezing into less and less space.

When the whole window was completed, all that could be seen were their slight shadows when they moved. They remained there even though they couldn’t see anything anymore. Then they departed and left.

I carried everything to the windows on the opposite side of the church and continued my work, seeing the Malevolent that were once on the other side now joining the others. They crowded together, their faces occupying every single space in the window so they could get a glimpse inside.

I ripped the tape and plastered the pictures over the window, repeating the same steps until it was completely covered. Now all that remained were the shadows, but another layer of pictures should completely hide them. It was much darker in the church now, but there was still enough sun from the windows that we didn’t need to turn on all the lights. I turned around and faced the girls again.

Laura looked incredulous, as if she couldn’t believe I’d just done that.

Beatrice had the same fearful look, as if she expected consequences for this.

The two girls at the front stopped their worship and now just stared at me.

But Claire smiled.

“I don’t like those things.” Claire sat beside me on the bench, looking at the blocked-out windows before turning back to me. “I don’t like this place. I want to go home.” She had light-colored hair like her father, similar blue eyes, and she had such a beautiful innocence that it broke my heart that she was there.

None of us deserved to be there—but her most of all. “I want to go home too. But we’ll leave eventually.”

“Because my dad will save us?” She turned back to me, searching my gaze for hope, like I somehow knew her father well enough to make that assumption.

“Yes. And even if he doesn’t, we’ll figure it out.”

“You promise?” Her voice dropped, like she was still afraid, like she needed some kind of reassurance.

I wasn’t her mother, and it felt wrong to make a promise I couldn’t keep, especially to a child, but I did…and I meant it. “Yes.”

She nodded, more to herself than anything else.

I was getting all of us out of this place. We were outnumbered and far away from civilization, but I believed every problem had a solution. It just took a long time to find that solution sometimes.

Laura and Beatrice talked quietly as they sat together a few feet away, keeping their voices low.

I was alone and I was scared, but I couldn’t imagine how scared Beatrice was since she wasn’t alone. She had to keep not just herself alive but a whole other person. That was a difficult hand to be dealt.

“So, you know my dad?” Claire’s blond hair was in a braid down one shoulder, and her wings were crumpled behind her.

“No. I just met him the one time. But I could tell how much he loves you.” I gave her a gentle smile.

“Yeah, we’re best friends.”

“I’m sure you are.” All I knew about him was that he was a contractor, so I doubted there was any chance he would find us. I doubted even the police would find us. We couldn’t wait around for someone to come save us. We needed to make a plan to get ourselves out of here alive. But I let her believe that her father was a hero, because I was sure he was a hero to her heart. “I found some crayons and colored pencils. You want to color?”

“You did?” she asked in excitement.

“Yeah, I’ll get it for you.” I went to the closet and grabbed the items, along with the book of sketches. There were no demons inside, just angels floating in the clouds or lounging by a lake. It seemed harmless for her to look at it, and it would also keep her mind occupied so she wouldn’t think about the terror that existed outside these walls.

When I returned, Laura had left. I gave Claire everything, and she turned to the first page to see an elegant woman dressed the way she was. She pulled out a pink colored pencil and started to add the color.