Waiting for the Moon

All white, she realized suddenly. The buildings were all white. Not some, not most. All.

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"Is that not odd?" she asked him. "All of the buildings are the same color. In the last town-"

He turned to her, looked at her for the first time in three days. "You really don't remember, do you?"

She wasn't certain how to answer. Perhaps she'd misunderstood. "I told you-'

"I know what you told me. I just thought ..." His massive shoulders shrugged. He turned his gaze back to the road. "I thought you might be lying."

"Oh, no. I do not lie."

He nodded, but didn't look at her this time.

She stared at the town, watching with increasing curiosity as the houses got bigger and bigger. What kind of house would they live in? What kind of people would be their friends and neighbors? "The town is well taken care of."

He jerked his hat down on his head suddenly,

in a nervous gesture. "It's not really a town, Agnes. Not in the ordinary sense."

She waited for him to say more, to explain, but he said nothing. Nerves jangled in the pit of her stomach, and for no reason that she could fathom, she started to talk. "I cannot imagine living with other people so closely. Lethe House is so isolated. I shall miss the beach. How far are our neighbors?"

It was a second before he answered, but in that second, she knew that something was wrong. "I haven't made myself clear, Agnes. We are members of a religious group known as the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing. Believers, for short. Although, in the world, they call us Shakers."

He was talking so quickly, using so many words she didn't know. "I misunderstand."

"Whoa, girl." He drew back on the reins and brought the wagon to a halt. Ahead, the sleepy little village awaited them, long rows of white buildings on either side of the road, the buildings perfectly alike, perfectly spaced. It was gray and cloudy, but even at this distance,

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Selena could see that there were no flowers growing along the fence lines, no gardens in front of the houses.

"There is much you will need to relearn about our ways, but I haven't time to teach you now." His gaze skittered to hers, then darted away. "I suppose I should have been teaching as we drove."

"You can tell me all of it once we get home."

"No. We aren't allowed to speak on such an intimate level. It's contrary to order."

She frowned. "I misunderstand. We are married, you and I, are we not?"

"Not to the Believers. There is no such thing as marriage here. There is only the community. We live as one big family, the men separated from the women. You and I came to the community married, but we don't live as man and wife here. We're just Brother Elliot and Sister Agnes."

Selena got a sick, sinking feeling in her stomach.

"You'd best get in the back of the wagon now," Elliot said, getting down and offering her his hand.

"In the back?"

"It isn't permitted for a woman and man to sit so closely. I ... I'll tell them you rode in the back the whole way."

Selena gripped her umbrella in cold fingers and placed her other hand in Elliot's big, callused palm. Lifting her skirts, she climbed down the squeaky step and plopped onto the wet road. Her boots sank into the oozing mud.

She looked up at Elliot, trying to think of what to say now, what to do. But no words came.

Elliot squeezed her hand. "I'll always be here for you, Agnes. Always." He made the vow in a quiet, solemn voice, then led her back to the tail of the wagon and helped her climb in. She settled on the cold, wet planks and drew her legs in tight to her chest.

Elliot started to turn away.