guidance on which way to go.
"Father, how much further?" Caleb called. "Some of the younger females are struggling."
Caleb's dark eyes stung him through the mist that rose up from the forest floor. How he wanted a son like himself, instead of one so like his wife. All that sadness and longing in her eyes, the day he'd left her to die in the well. That pity.
"Two more miles. Arrange for some of the others to take on the baggage of those in need."
"Can't we stop for a bit and rest?" His people grumbled audibly. They looked wet and tired, a sea of gray flowing down from him. Such weakness. He would have to drive that out.
And he would breed another to take Caleb's place. He already had a female in mind for the job. She smiled at him in the crowd, holding the promise of submission. But time was running out to groom a new son.
"We do not stop." Adrian's voice rose over the line of people before him. "You all took the oath to come here. Hard work lies before us in breeding our new community. Understood?"
He didn't wait for a response but turned around and plunged faster through the woods. His people followed in silence, as he knew they would. If they didn't they knew the consequences. As did Caleb. His son had no special privilege here.
At last Adrian stepped out onto a paved road. It stretched far into the distance, where welcoming lights beckoned them across the final mile. They reached the main intersection of town. A car flashed by, radio blaring. Faces stared out at them. He realized how out of place they looked, this robed group out late at night. He motioned for his people to follow him single file down the sidewalk. A handful of people sat behind windows drinking. They pointed at Adrian and his people as they walked by. "Gillian's Bar" flashed in neon green above the doorway in the late evening hours. A man and woman, heading into the bar, stepped back from the sidewalk to watch them pass. Freaks , he heard the man say. Adrian erased the memory of the encounter from these strangers' minds in the seconds it took to pass them.
"Father," Caleb hissed in his ear. "Where are we going?"
A large building rose at the far end of a parking lot. "Ray's Lots" blinked over and over.
"Here is where we go."
A fat woman pushed a cart filled with bags to her car, the only car left in the lot. She stopped and stared at them. Her hair framed her face in tight curls. A blue and white striped dress strained to contain her breasts and belly.
"Good evening, brothers." She nodded to them.
Adrian motioned for his group to stop. He smiled at the woman's assumption that hidden in these robes were church folk. She smiled back.
"Good evening, madam," Adrian drawled.
"God bless you." She grabbed his hand. Repulsed by her bloated, clammy hand he forced himself not to pull away. Perhaps he could use her for those who did not obey him by forcing them to breed with her. He almost laughed and then looked at her with a serious face.
"And God bless you, my child," he said.
"What church are you with? Are you having an event in town?"
The woman fingered a cross at her neck. A church. It hadn't occurred to him until then what a perfect word this was for their procreation. "It's the Church of Elyon."
The woman frowned. "Never heard of that one. You're not one of those crazy cults are you?"
Caleb stepped to Adrian's side. Let me work her mind, father . "What's your name?"
"Sally."
"I'm Caleb." He smiled at her and shook her hand, taking Adrian's cue. "We're just folks who follow God and Jesus. We seek food and a place to stay nearby. Our bus broke down outside of town. Can you help us?"
"What a nice young man you are. Of course I can help you!" She abandoned her cart and pulled Caleb toward the store. "My cousin runs this superstore and can stock you up with food. And the Mercenary Motel is just down the street."
Impressed with Caleb's mind control of the woman, Adrian followed them into the store. His people streamed in behind him. Sally
"Father, how much further?" Caleb called. "Some of the younger females are struggling."
Caleb's dark eyes stung him through the mist that rose up from the forest floor. How he wanted a son like himself, instead of one so like his wife. All that sadness and longing in her eyes, the day he'd left her to die in the well. That pity.
"Two more miles. Arrange for some of the others to take on the baggage of those in need."
"Can't we stop for a bit and rest?" His people grumbled audibly. They looked wet and tired, a sea of gray flowing down from him. Such weakness. He would have to drive that out.
And he would breed another to take Caleb's place. He already had a female in mind for the job. She smiled at him in the crowd, holding the promise of submission. But time was running out to groom a new son.
"We do not stop." Adrian's voice rose over the line of people before him. "You all took the oath to come here. Hard work lies before us in breeding our new community. Understood?"
He didn't wait for a response but turned around and plunged faster through the woods. His people followed in silence, as he knew they would. If they didn't they knew the consequences. As did Caleb. His son had no special privilege here.
At last Adrian stepped out onto a paved road. It stretched far into the distance, where welcoming lights beckoned them across the final mile. They reached the main intersection of town. A car flashed by, radio blaring. Faces stared out at them. He realized how out of place they looked, this robed group out late at night. He motioned for his people to follow him single file down the sidewalk. A handful of people sat behind windows drinking. They pointed at Adrian and his people as they walked by. "Gillian's Bar" flashed in neon green above the doorway in the late evening hours. A man and woman, heading into the bar, stepped back from the sidewalk to watch them pass. Freaks , he heard the man say. Adrian erased the memory of the encounter from these strangers' minds in the seconds it took to pass them.
"Father," Caleb hissed in his ear. "Where are we going?"
A large building rose at the far end of a parking lot. "Ray's Lots" blinked over and over.
"Here is where we go."
A fat woman pushed a cart filled with bags to her car, the only car left in the lot. She stopped and stared at them. Her hair framed her face in tight curls. A blue and white striped dress strained to contain her breasts and belly.
"Good evening, brothers." She nodded to them.
Adrian motioned for his group to stop. He smiled at the woman's assumption that hidden in these robes were church folk. She smiled back.
"Good evening, madam," Adrian drawled.
"God bless you." She grabbed his hand. Repulsed by her bloated, clammy hand he forced himself not to pull away. Perhaps he could use her for those who did not obey him by forcing them to breed with her. He almost laughed and then looked at her with a serious face.
"And God bless you, my child," he said.
"What church are you with? Are you having an event in town?"
The woman fingered a cross at her neck. A church. It hadn't occurred to him until then what a perfect word this was for their procreation. "It's the Church of Elyon."
The woman frowned. "Never heard of that one. You're not one of those crazy cults are you?"
Caleb stepped to Adrian's side. Let me work her mind, father . "What's your name?"
"Sally."
"I'm Caleb." He smiled at her and shook her hand, taking Adrian's cue. "We're just folks who follow God and Jesus. We seek food and a place to stay nearby. Our bus broke down outside of town. Can you help us?"
"What a nice young man you are. Of course I can help you!" She abandoned her cart and pulled Caleb toward the store. "My cousin runs this superstore and can stock you up with food. And the Mercenary Motel is just down the street."
Impressed with Caleb's mind control of the woman, Adrian followed them into the store. His people streamed in behind him. Sally
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