The yellow walls had odd stains in places, perhaps the result of water damage or smoke. The group went down a hall to a door with a padlock on the outside.
"She keeps trying to run away," Frank explained apologetically. "We had no choice." He opened the lock with a key.
When he pushed open the door, the odor of urine made Aaron wrinkle his nose in disgust. Brittany sat on a bed in the center of an otherwise barren room. The windows were broken, and there were security bars on the outside like a prison cell. Brittany wore only a white, sleeveless nightgown.
"We're still trying to get a doctor to come help us," Frank said. "She wrecked her own furniture. When you rescued her, did you notice her arms?"
Aaron walked into the room. Many scars marked both of Brittany's forearms, some old and pink, and some so fresh they were still red. The scars were perfectly parallel, like the ties on railroad tracks.
"She was wearing long sleeves before," Aaron said. "Brittany, who cut you?"
"I did it for Simon," she said proudly. "These scars are badges of love."
He sighed. Poor girl.
Marina knelt in front of Brittany and said in soothing tones, "Hi, Brittany. My name is Gretchen. May I ask you a few questions?"
"May you go fuck yourself?" Brittany said.
"A pretty girl like you shouldn't use language like that. I just want to know more about Simon. He sounds like a wonderful man."
"He's not just a man. He's the Messiah!"
"Why do you say that?"
Brittany switched into a sing-song pattern of speech. "On five occasions Simon was visited by the angel Sraosha. The first time he learned the true nature of the Earth. The second time he learned the true nature of the heavens. The third time he learned the true nature of plants and animals. The fourth time he learned the true nature of love. The fifth time he learned the true nature of man. He created the Church of One Soul so that we may partake of his wisdom and deliver it to the world."
"Please, tell me more," Marina said.
"Simon's great lesson is that individuality leads to weakness, discord, and decay. Unity is strength. All of us must have the same goals, like the fingers on my hand." She raised her hand and closed it into a tight fist. "We will achieve nirvana only when all selfish thinking is eliminated."
"Who is we?"
"All of humanity. Every man, woman, and child on Earth. We must become a perfect social organism, like the ants or the bees."
Marina leaned forward slightly. "You want to be an ant?"
"They never question or complain," Brittany said. "They do not need money. They have no politics. To an ant, the purest joy is serving the colony." She looked up as if experiencing bliss.
"But a colony needs a queen."
Brittany nodded. "It is fortunate that Simon is the greatest leader the world has ever seen. He will guide all of us, including you."
"Why would we follow him?"
"He has devised a glorious plan to prove that he is the wisest man on Earth. This plan is proceeding as we speak, and even if corrupt governments conspire to thwart him, he will triumph."
"Interesting." Marina furrowed her brow. "What is this plan?"
"I'm too young to receive such profound wisdom. Only the innermost circle of his most loyal disciples is permitted that honor."
"Hmm. You mentioned an angel."
"Sraosha," Brittany said excitedly. "May she light my path with her divine flame of justice!"
"Have you actually met this angel?"
"Only Simon has the strength to stand before Sraosha. My eyes would burn, and my weak, feminine flesh would melt."
"Oh, I'm sure that's not true," Marina said.
The certainty in her voice caught Aaron's attention. Did she know something?
"It's true!" Brittany said. "Simon told us. He would not deceive us."
"Of course. When, exactly, did he meet Sraosha?"
Brittany smiled a little. "The angel comes on the summer solstice every two years. The last visitation was a year ago. These facts are in the writings of Simon." She looked at Marina eagerly. "Do you believe me?"
"I have
"She keeps trying to run away," Frank explained apologetically. "We had no choice." He opened the lock with a key.
When he pushed open the door, the odor of urine made Aaron wrinkle his nose in disgust. Brittany sat on a bed in the center of an otherwise barren room. The windows were broken, and there were security bars on the outside like a prison cell. Brittany wore only a white, sleeveless nightgown.
"We're still trying to get a doctor to come help us," Frank said. "She wrecked her own furniture. When you rescued her, did you notice her arms?"
Aaron walked into the room. Many scars marked both of Brittany's forearms, some old and pink, and some so fresh they were still red. The scars were perfectly parallel, like the ties on railroad tracks.
"She was wearing long sleeves before," Aaron said. "Brittany, who cut you?"
"I did it for Simon," she said proudly. "These scars are badges of love."
He sighed. Poor girl.
Marina knelt in front of Brittany and said in soothing tones, "Hi, Brittany. My name is Gretchen. May I ask you a few questions?"
"May you go fuck yourself?" Brittany said.
"A pretty girl like you shouldn't use language like that. I just want to know more about Simon. He sounds like a wonderful man."
"He's not just a man. He's the Messiah!"
"Why do you say that?"
Brittany switched into a sing-song pattern of speech. "On five occasions Simon was visited by the angel Sraosha. The first time he learned the true nature of the Earth. The second time he learned the true nature of the heavens. The third time he learned the true nature of plants and animals. The fourth time he learned the true nature of love. The fifth time he learned the true nature of man. He created the Church of One Soul so that we may partake of his wisdom and deliver it to the world."
"Please, tell me more," Marina said.
"Simon's great lesson is that individuality leads to weakness, discord, and decay. Unity is strength. All of us must have the same goals, like the fingers on my hand." She raised her hand and closed it into a tight fist. "We will achieve nirvana only when all selfish thinking is eliminated."
"Who is we?"
"All of humanity. Every man, woman, and child on Earth. We must become a perfect social organism, like the ants or the bees."
Marina leaned forward slightly. "You want to be an ant?"
"They never question or complain," Brittany said. "They do not need money. They have no politics. To an ant, the purest joy is serving the colony." She looked up as if experiencing bliss.
"But a colony needs a queen."
Brittany nodded. "It is fortunate that Simon is the greatest leader the world has ever seen. He will guide all of us, including you."
"Why would we follow him?"
"He has devised a glorious plan to prove that he is the wisest man on Earth. This plan is proceeding as we speak, and even if corrupt governments conspire to thwart him, he will triumph."
"Interesting." Marina furrowed her brow. "What is this plan?"
"I'm too young to receive such profound wisdom. Only the innermost circle of his most loyal disciples is permitted that honor."
"Hmm. You mentioned an angel."
"Sraosha," Brittany said excitedly. "May she light my path with her divine flame of justice!"
"Have you actually met this angel?"
"Only Simon has the strength to stand before Sraosha. My eyes would burn, and my weak, feminine flesh would melt."
"Oh, I'm sure that's not true," Marina said.
The certainty in her voice caught Aaron's attention. Did she know something?
"It's true!" Brittany said. "Simon told us. He would not deceive us."
"Of course. When, exactly, did he meet Sraosha?"
Brittany smiled a little. "The angel comes on the summer solstice every two years. The last visitation was a year ago. These facts are in the writings of Simon." She looked at Marina eagerly. "Do you believe me?"
"I have
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