Paragomania

[6]

You had lived among these people for nearly four days. Every single day was the same. You woke up and were left to sit in a chair and listen to people talk about anything they wanted. Not only were you slightly disturbed with how cultish everything was, but every day you were counting down until you were 18 and free. 40 days. For now, you had no access to your bank accounts or whatever your mother had left for you, but it would all be yours soon.

That Ainsley kid seemed nice. You rarely actually spoke to him, he just floated around you when you were out of your room. This vegan diet was good, but you were lacking in proteins, which they didn't offer any substitutes for. Since you had arrived, there had been a party nearly every evening in celebration.

People would be waking up for their morning chores soon. You had been pretty much left to wake up whenever you wanted, just like 'Father Carlisle'. But you didn't like that very much, because unless you woke up on your own, then you'd be practically swarmed with 'followers' until you went to bed.

Your phone alarm went off for 5am. You turned it off and glanced at the screen. 27% left. You would have to find a way to charge it. It'd been four days of only using it for alarms and it was already at 27%. There was no electricity in the commune, so you were trying to figure out a plan. That's partially where the plan to get into town came from.

You dressed yourself up in nice warm clothing. It was getting colder by the day, with temperatures dropping past freezing every night, but you were warm in your big house.

You snuck out the front door, glancing every which way for anyone who could possibly see you. You slipped down the path ways, staying close to the buildings and keeping an eye out. When one of the houses opened its front door, you ducked behind one of the other nearby houses so the person couldn't see you. You had to make it to the fields before anyone else got there.

A day before, you had been shown this really pretty area near the fields, where the wall around the commune opened up just a bit for a small waterfall to trickle into the crops. It was quite lovely, and rather smart on the side of the commune. You could only guess how lovely it would be as the sun came up.

You finally made it to the part of the massive wall that encased rows and rows of crops. The sun was starting to turn the sky a brilliant shade of orange. The geese flew high in the sky, heading south for the winter. You couldn't help but smile at them. Geese were some angry mother fuckers, but they sure were pretty from afar. You snuck across the walkways surrounding the crops. In the furthermost wall there was a break. The mountain standing over the commune was beautiful. Not too tall, and facing the east so the sun rose and cast its shadow into the forests rather than on the crops.

The waterfall was gushing, as it usually did. The wall was cut out perfectly to allow the waterfall to wash into the small rivers between rows of crops with raised beds for specific crops.

A wheelbarrow sat near one of the rows of crops with a blanket draped over it. It looked like the perfect spot to sit and watch the waterfall. You glanced at the rushing water as you approached the wheelbarrow. The water was very pretty, especially reflecting the sunlight into the commune before the sun hit the crops itself.

Ainsley was awake and ready, having spent the better part of another night staring at his ceiling. He headed down the walkways towards Father Carlisle's house. He wondered what the two of you would get into today. He was enjoying being at your side, even though you never really looked at him. That was fine, you were a god, you were busy with more pressing matters. He couldn't expect to distract you from saving their souls. He glanced at the path towards the fields, seeing a figure in the distance near the waterfall.

You sat down in the tipped wheelbarrow, resting into the cold metal gently. But there was something poking your back, like a small brick. Maybe a sack of potatoes or something. You stood up and lifted the blanket. It was certainly not a sack of potatoes.