Imagine (8 page)

“So you’re telling me that whipping young women and treating them like servants is for their own good? To pr
otect human kind from people like us, do I understand you correctly?” I can barely contain my anger; these people are absolutely out of their minds.

“
Our lifestyle may not seem fair. It may appear unexciting and no fun at all, but trust me, we have noticed great results living this way. There have been no incidents of darkness over the last forty years, the only event that had occurred was when a Young Creator chose the wrong path and did not accept our ways. It is the safest place on earth for someone like you.” he tells me. 

The look on his face is so
serious; I know that I’m in trouble because even if none of this is for real, these people seem to believe it to be. Sometimes people, sick people, create their own realities. Perhaps this is a cult?

H
ow on earth does he know about the car and the dogs? I told no one about what happened. How do they know I was responsible?

“I just don’t understand.” I tell him in as calm of a voice that I can muster.

“I know. It’ll take time, but trust me when I tell you that you will adjust. Life here will soon seem normal to you and you will eventually enjoy living here.”

The B
rother’s face has now taken on a more reassuring, gentle look, as if he can sense my fear.

“There are a few rules that we must go over to begin with” he says calmly as he hands me a small sheet of parc
hment, I scan what is written on it.

1.
      
Young Creators will cause no harm to their Guardians or mentors using their powers.

2.
    
Young Creators powers are only to be used under the supervision of a Guardian.

3.
    
Young Creators will only perform tasks that are deemed appropriate by their Guardians.

4.
   
Young Creators will never question the decisions of their Guardian.

5.
    
Young Creators may not learn to use a weapon, or learn to fight.

6.
    
Young Creators will accept any punishment deemed necessary by their Guardian.

While I am reading he adds “You will have your own Guardian assigned to you. We have someone very special picked out just for you.” He leaves his chair and opens the door.

Keagan enters the room, as if on cue.
“Keagan here will be your Guardian”. He tells me.

“You have got t
o be kidding me, anyone but him!”

I just can’t, every time I look at Keagan my heart hurts. A deep sense of betrayal when it comes to him has washed over me. I really cared about him and I just cannot believe that he is a part of this. I wonder if he got close to me b
ecause he liked me or had ulterior motives.

“Eddie
has informed me of your relationship and we figured Keagan would be the perfect Guardian for you. Don’t you agree Keagan?”

“
I am here only to serve the greater good and will hold true to my oath.”

Brother Lorrus has a self-satisfied look on his face
and with a nod dismisses Eddie, who leaves the room through the same door; his place next to me is taken by Keagan.

My heart drops, can this situation really get any more messed up? I am still trying to come to terms with my current
circumstances and I am constantly getting new things thrown at me. I’ve got to get out of this place but to do so I’ve got to play it smart. 

As if reading my mind Keagan pipes up “I know that you might be thin
king of escape at this point, let me tell you that it will not be a possibility for you. We have everything fenced off, armed guards protect all of the entrances, and most importantly I know you and how your mind works.”

I ke
ep forgetting how well he actually knows me; I didn’t realize how well he could read me though. I better be careful around him.

“So what exactly does that mean?” I ask glancing back and forth between Keagan and Brother Lorrus.

“It means that I am responsible for you, I will ensure that you stay on the path of light and not fall victim to the darkness. I will use every means possible to make sure that we accomplish this goal.” Keagan says with pride.

“Keagan will help you in your transition and get you used to your new lifestyle. Be warned you get two weeks of trans
ition time where the rules are relaxed to enable you to adjust. After these two weeks however, you will be held completely accountable for your every word and action” Lorrus tells me.

“What about Chelse
y? Is she a Young Creator too?” I ask.

“No, she was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. She is here
merely so we can make sure that you do the right thing. A bargaining chip.” Keagan replies. 

With that h
e takes my arm and starts leading me out the room.

“Wait I’ve got so many more questions, how do you even know that I am a Young Creator?” I ask Brother Lorrus over my shoulder as I am being lead out the door as forcibly as I had entered.

“Keagan will be able to answer any more questions you have.” I hear him say as Keagan shuts the door behind us.

X

Imagine a family

Keagan leads me out of the Brother’s room and out of the beautiful building. The wagon we arrived in has been moved, so we start heading back down the dirt road on foot. There is no sign of Chelsey at all, I worry about her. I wonder if she is just as confused and frightened as I am. What kind of a friend am I? She’s only caught up in this mess because of me!

“I can’t believe that you are a part of this, I thought that you were a good person,” I say to him.

“I am a good person! I know that you’re hurt, angry and confused right now but with time everything will make sense soon, you will understand why all of this is necessary.“ He holds my gaze and I’m drawn in.

I
have to remind myself that he was a big part of all of this kidnapping. What is wrong with me? I really need to snap out of it, he’s the enemy here surely? I just wish it wasn’t him that I will be spending a lot of time with over the coming days. I still don’t completely understand the whole Artemisian, Guardian thing but I have a feeling it is going to be interesting to have Keagan as my personal babysitter.

“
I’m hurt, angry and confused. Keagan, you meant so much to me, and I thought that you felt something for me too. I don’t think that I have ever been so betrayed by anyone my entire life.” I cannot even look at him, I really feel like he has taken a piece of my heart and just chewed it up and spat it out.

I stare straight ahead and pause before asking
“So what do we do now, Mr. Keeper?”

“
To start with, you better start learning to curb that smart mouth of yours or you’re going to find yourself in a lot of trouble. Even during these 2 weeks grace you have!” he scowls at me. “We are going to your house to set everything up and I will explain what exactly our relationship is going to be.”

“Yes Sirrrrr!” I reply with a s
arcastic salute. I think my sarcastic comment upsets him because his grip tightens. Keagan stops outside a small house, a wash basin sits out front. He picks up a piece of yellow soap.

“I guess I wasn’t clear.
I’m going to have to demonstrate what happens to those that do not listen to the advice of their Guardians now so you learn for the future.” With that he takes the soap dunks it in the dirty water that sits in the basin and closes in on me.

At first I don’t
understand what’s going on, is this some sort of game? Then, as he gets closer, it dawns on me with what he’s about to do. I guess maybe after everything that happened between us he feels like he has to prove himself to these people.

A small crow
d of people has assembled, they are all watching quietly in anticipation. The crowd consists mostly of women and children, but there are also a few young men present, I presume they are Guardians.

“Come here, Trish!” Keagan tells me while beckoning me clos
er with his index finger. I look at his hand the same hand that has held mine many times, the same hand that stroked my cheek during our first and only kiss.

Instead of doing as he asks I take a step back. Before I know it Keagan is on me and I can taste the bitter soap in my mouth. I’m
gagging on the putrid taste of the soap. It feels terrible on my tongue and I try not to swallow. After what feels like an eternity Keagan removes the soap and tosses it to the ground. A toothless elderly lady picks it up, rubs the dirt off of it on her smock and returns it to its home in the basin. Keagan then continues to pull a knife from his pants pocket. I stare at the knife and I’m scared for my life, but to my surprise he cuts the rope still loosely binding my hands.

“Hopefully you understood the lesson, just know that this is your
 lenient time but if you continue this unacceptable behavior you will be feeling a lot of pain” he tells me as he turns and walks away. The crowd begins dispersing in silence, as if the entertainment was now over.

Any romantic notion
s that I had about Keagan and I have completely disappeared now. When I look at him I feel nothing but hate. Rubbing my hands I follow him quietly, the horrible soapy taste still in my mouth.

We arrive at a tan colored house after a few minutes’ walk. It too has a basin out front and a beautifully carved front door, it depicts a fight scene
between a gorgeous woman, with long flowing hair and a knight in heavy armor sat upon a horse. 

The house is a tiny little hut. Keagan holds open the door and signals for me to enter, the warmth of a friendly fire greats me. The hut is one large room, sectioned off
, by what look like woven grass screens, into multiple areas. On the far right of the house are the fireplace and a small kitchen. When I say kitchen I mean that there a pot suspended over the fire and a small area that looks like it is used to prepare meals. A few feet away from the fire is a small wooden table with four chairs around it. On the table are four plates and cups. In the center of the table sits a pitcher made of clay. 

There are two other areas separated by curtains hung from the ceiling. When I walk over and inspect the area I find that one looks like sleeping quarters, a large comfortable looking bed is covered in a dark brown
comforter; thick luxurious pillows sit at one end. I notice a simple sleeping bag on top of some sort of animal skin at the foot of the bed too. The other area is a shower cubicle. The shower itself looks like something out of a camping magazine; you have to add cold and hot water into two large containers that are attached at the top.

Keagan walks over to the table and fills two of the glasses with water from the clay pitcher, he hands one to me. I gulp it down without i
nvitation, desperate to wash the taste of that horrible soap from my mouth.

As I hand him back the empty glass without a smile or thank you I co
ntinue to look around at the hut. I spit my last mouthful of water out into the fire. The taste is not completely gone but my mouth feels a little better.

Keagan is already sitting at the table
relaxing; sitting back with his legs stretched out and crossed in front of him.  I take the seat across from him with a heavy sigh.

“So what should I expect
from living here?” I ask. I figure I might as well figure this out and try to focus on anything but how much Keagan has hurt me.

“Brother Lorrus told you a littl
e about the Creators and how they turned from light to the darkness. My people, my ancestors, The Artemisians, were trusted to come up with a way to prevent Young Creators like you from following in their footsteps. These women had the ability to create things out of only the particles in the air and their imagination. They never had to work a day in their lives. At first seeing other people happy by doing good deeds and bringing new beauty into this world was exciting and entertaining for them. But soon due to greed, personal gain and a never ending need for entertainment, the younger Creators took to other things to fill their time.” He pauses to take a sip from his own glass of water.

“So
we have found that if a Young Creator is kept busy and has a mission. A mission to take care of a household and her Guardian, then that Young Creator should never have the need to seek entertainment elsewhere. We do not encourage the use of imagination. As you have undoubtedly noticed, everything around us is kept very simple and life here is not as easy as in the modern world. I know that living this way will take you a while to get used to but it is now your duty to provide for us both, to cook, clean and take care of anything else that we might need to get by.”

“Wow, that’s enough to keep anyone busy, doing things the old fashioned way.” I reply.

”Exactly Trish, m
y mother will be here first thing tomorrow morning to introduce you to your new lifestyle and teach you everything that you may need to know in order to be able to provide for us. Just remember, this is all meant for your own good and ultimately for the protection of the human race. I will, of course, be here for you every step of the way.”

It’s a very well-rehearsed speech and Keagan speaks with such convi
ction. He truly believes every word that is coming out of his mouth. The reality of all of this is slowly sinking in; my heart is beating crazily, as if it’s trying to escape from my chest, just as I am desperate to escape from here. Will I be able to get myself out of this mess? It will take patience, careful planning and commitment on my part. After all, it’s not just my escape I’d have to plan. Chelsey would have to come too.

“Will I get to see Chelsey
soon?” I look at him with big worried eyes hoping that he thinks I’m afraid and vulnerable.

“She is going to need time to adjust just like
you; we try to keep new members secluded from everyone else for the first two weeks so they can become comfortable with our lifestyle. But you will get to see her at some point, I’m sure” he tells me this with a reassuring smile on his face.

Keagan gets up from his position in the kitchen chair.

“I was not planning on you meeting my family until tomorrow but I guess we’ve got to get some food in our stomachs, let’s see what Mom’s got cooking tonight. Follow me.”

Meet his family, the family that he has told me so much about. I wonder if he ever spoke of me to his mother and father and if they are anything like what he told me
, or if it was all lies too.

I follow him out of my new home, shutting the beautiful door behind me. We cross the dirt road, to another wooden hut. This one a dark
er brown, the door also covered in carvings. I stop and take a look at the door.

“What’s with the doors and a
ll of the other carvings?” I inquire.

“Remember both Brother Lorrus and I mentioning all of the horrible things the Creators did when they became bored?” he asks.

“Yes I remember” I glance up and meet Keagan’s gaze.

“Each carving represents one thing that happened during the dark times, they are a permanent reminder of why these drastic measures are necessary.” He points at the pi
cture on the door to illustrate his point.

It depicts a scene out of my worst nightmare. A long bridge is crumbling into thousands of pieces, people and horses are plunging to their death b
elow. I see the looks of hopelessness on the people’s faces as they fall; others are hanging onto the bridge struggling for their lives. They have looks of horror and desperation on their faces. That’s not the worst of it though. The part of the carving that gets to me the most is the sight of a little girl stretching her hand over the edge of the bridge, trying desperately to grab onto her mother who is plunging into the darkness below. I see a young woman standing off to the side, her long curly hair streaming behind her; she is looking at the scene playing out in front of her with a smile, the joy plain to see.

She must be the Creator responsible for this mess. It makes me sick to my stomach that anyone
gets a thrill out of something like this. I look at Keagan and I
Imagine
that I have the same sad look on my face that he is currently wearing as he opens the door and I follow him into the house.

“Keagan! What a wonderful surprise!” A middle aged wo
man with dark blonde hair and the same midnight blue eyes that Keagan has comes rushing over to him and throws her arms around him tightly. I see Keagan’s face lighting up and that smile, the one that I had gotten so used to when he looked at me, crosses his face. It makes me remember those times we spent together and I quickly focus on Keagan’s Mom to wipe those thoughts away.

The woman turns her attention to me and gives me a warm smile. “You must be Trish, I have heard so much about you.” To my surprise she wraps her arms around me and squeezes me tight
ly too, I can’t help but break out in a smile. The feeling is short-lived however, as I glimpse up and catch Keagan’s expression. Instead of that big smile he had just seconds ago he is now wearing a look of frustration upon his face. I guess my earlier question is answered he did tell his parents about me, but what does that mean about how he felt about me? 

“Mother let the girl go! She is not here for hugs! We are here simply for some food and to introduce her to you and Dad.” He tells her while he is pul
ling me away from her and further into the house by my arm. I just give her a smile as he guides me towards a large wooden table with benches on both sides.

I was too preoccupied with meeting Keagan’s Mom to really notice my surroundings
, but now they have my full attention. She has definitely made this her home; instead of the dirt covered floor that is in the other house, this one is covered in beautiful, homemade rugs. The walls are covered with simple sketches and carvings; the fireplace is pretty big too. It is surrounded by a sitting area, soft pillows cover the floor. The entire house is set out to ensure that every space is used in some way, and I have to say I like every inch of it.

The front door opens and in walks Keagan’s father, he looks just like his son.

“Marcus, hello honey! I’m so glad you made it home. Dinner is almost ready”

“Hey, Helen” He replies

“Keagan brought his charge, Trish, over for dinner” Keagan’s mother tells her husband as he walks over to her and with a smile gives her a soft kiss on the lips and then puts his arm around her waist.