Saved - Chapter 1
Title: Saved
Notes: I love a good cult so of course I am intrigued by everything that has been going down in Texas over the last couple of weeks with the FLDS. Personally, I have nothing against polygamy and everything against child abuse, yet I am the first to admit that my knowledge about what is actually occuring at these compounds is severely limited. The following story is completely fictional and has been written for entertainment purposes only.
1
“How much longer do you think it’s gonna be?” Rainey surveyed the dirt beneath his sneakers, making deep valleys into it with the side of his shoe.
“I don’t know, not long. Can’t be much longer.” Turning his head and squinting into the sun, Caiden finally looked down the length of the long, empty highway. Still nothing. He had promised himself that he wouldn’t look for at least ten more minutes; that was fifteen minutes ago. If Rainey was going to ask, Caiden had to look, couldn’t let Rainey think he had given up on them getting out here.
“Sorry, I know you don’t know, it’s okay.” Caiden lowered his head again, the heat of the sun saturating his skin. “Got some water left, you want it?” Rainey was holding up the beat up canteen that they had used on every camping trip they’d ever gone on; its worn green canvas fraying at the edges.
“No, we should save it, might need it for later. If you need it now though, go ahead and drink it. We’d be in a lot of trouble if you fainted out here.” Rainey picked up a small rock and threw it gently at Caiden’s shin.
“That was one time and the doc said it was just because I didn’t have enough iron. Probably since you take all the seconds when when mama makes her roast.”
The boys fell silent, each of them thinking on that pot roast, the kitchen it was made in, the quiet buzz of voices at every meal. Caiden had turned seventeen just three weeks ago. It was a birthday they had both been dreading and it had finally come. At fifteen, Rainey still had a couple more years until he was a man but Caiden’s time was up and there was no turning back the clock.
Only a week before, the boys had sat huddled together on the upper bunk in their bedroom, whispering in the dark. It was time. Rainey had seen Mr. Campbell talking to Father in the dining hall that afternoon. Father had nodded solemnly, listening at length, not saying much himself. After a time, he shook Mr. Campbell’s hand and walked away, looking straight ahead. That evening Rainey had pressed his ear againt the thin, white, plaster wall that seperated the children’s room from the one that Caiden’s mother and one of the other wives shared.
“Sara he must go, he has not followed the rulings of the church. You know what must happen.” Caiden’s mother was silent. Soon Rainey heard the heavy footsteps of their father leaving the room, quiet sobs followed. Rainey wished he could go to Sara and tell her it didn’t have to be like this. Caiden hadn’t done anything wrong, there was no reason he had to leave; but he stayed where he was. Sliding down onto the floor, he rested his head against the wall, biting down on his lip hard, Sara’s soft crying keeping his own weakness at bay.
She was a good mother to her seven children, but she had been raised in the church, and to speak against one’s husband was a sin that was not easily forgiven. She had already lost an older son to the world; she had know that Caiden’s time amongst them was not long. Yet Dorrin was different. He had rejected the ways of the church, he had been wild, never content with the life that God had provided him. At least that is what she told herself when word of his drinking made its way around and he was escorted off of the grounds and told never to return. He had pleaded to stay, and she knew that he must have been terrified, he had never been off the compound grounds before. She herself had only been outside a handful of times. He had to have been desperate to beg like that. Dorrian was a proud boy, not one to ask favors. When he was nine he had worked an entire day with a fractured wrist. He only told his father that he had hurt it, earlier in the morning at the pump, after Caiden had yanked at it playfully and Dorrian had winced in pain. Dorrian had been gone for three years and now it was Caiden’s time to go.
Not all mothers lost their sons, but Sara’s husband Nathaniel was not favored in the town. He came from a line of kin that had caused upsets generations ago, and these things were not forgotten. Nathaniel himself was a good man, followed the doctrine, contributed regularly, managed his wives and children with a fair and even hand. It was his simple misfortune that had begotten him several boys in addition to being graced with four lovely girls.
“Remember when he showed us how to make those slingshots?” Rainey was still looking down, his voice low. Dorrian had shown them how to send a stone flying a good fifty feet. Rainey had been unexpectedly talented at it, hitting target after target with amazing accuracy. He had been ten, Caiden twelve, the two of them going out behind the church every afternoon, setting up cans and knocking them down; Rainey usually hitting twice as many as Caiden.
Rainey’s mother Arleen had taken ill that summer so Rainey had moved in with Caiden, and Sara, and the girls. Their father lived in the east wing of the building, opposite them. Caiden and Rainey shared a room, Caiden sleeping on the top bunk since Rainey was afraid of heights. Caiden didn’t mind missing more than half of those cans on the days they spent behind the church. Might have missed some on purpose, truth be told.
“Yeah, I remember. You were a pretty good shot as I recall. Maybe you can use some of that talent of yours and catch us some dinner.” Rainey smiled weakly and wiped the sweat off of his forehead. They hadn’t had a proper meal since they had walked away from the compound two days before.
“We gonna camp again tonight you think?” Rainey was biting down on his lip. He always did that when he was trying not to cry.
` “Maybe, maybe not. Was hoping we could find someplace to stay.” Rainey bit the inside of his cheek to keep from asking where they might stay. He knew that Caiden was as lost as he was, asking would only make it more real.
They had left the compound on Tuesday afternoon. Caiden wearing the backpack that he used for camping. It was heavy, loaded down with several bottles of fresh water and one change of clothes. If they were going to be walking for any amount of time they would need that water. The rocky Utah landscape was dry and unforgiving. Rainey clutched the handle of his suitcase, its brushed metallic sides reflecting the sun as he moved. Caiden had told him to take a backpack instead, but Rainey had insisted on the suitcase. If they were going on a trip he wanted to take a suitcase like a real traveller, not the backpack that he had been using for camping since he was a little kid. Caiden hadn’t argued any farther; he’d put Rainey’s things into the backpack once they had gone through the water and they were out of the desert.
Once the boys had hopped effortlessly over the rusty compound gate, they looked around. This was okay, everything was the same. No dogs were chasing them, no men with guns telling them to head back to their building, the sun and the rocks and the brush looked exactly the same as it had before.
“Which way?” Rainey had looked back and forth down the road, clutching the handle on his suitcase tightly.
“Well…Zion is that way, so the road that connects to Salt Lake must be the other way.”
The boys started walking west, the water in Caiden’s backpack sloshed back and forth, sounding like an ocean they had never laid eyes on. The sun had been low and the sky was streaked orange and red. Caiden was glad that they had agreed to leave at this time of day, it was his favorite. The earth was always a little bit cooler, the painted sky made him feel closer to God. Walking in an easy silence, bourne out of working side by side over half their lives, the boys made their way down the endless highway, each one grateful to have his brother by his side.
Notes: I love a good cult so of course I am intrigued by everything that has been going down in Texas over the last couple of weeks with the FLDS. Personally, I have nothing against polygamy and everything against child abuse, yet I am the first to admit that my knowledge about what is actually occuring at these compounds is severely limited. The following story is completely fictional and has been written for entertainment purposes only.
1
“How much longer do you think it’s gonna be?” Rainey surveyed the dirt beneath his sneakers, making deep valleys into it with the side of his shoe.
“I don’t know, not long. Can’t be much longer.” Turning his head and squinting into the sun, Caiden finally looked down the length of the long, empty highway. Still nothing. He had promised himself that he wouldn’t look for at least ten more minutes; that was fifteen minutes ago. If Rainey was going to ask, Caiden had to look, couldn’t let Rainey think he had given up on them getting out here.
“Sorry, I know you don’t know, it’s okay.” Caiden lowered his head again, the heat of the sun saturating his skin. “Got some water left, you want it?” Rainey was holding up the beat up canteen that they had used on every camping trip they’d ever gone on; its worn green canvas fraying at the edges.
“No, we should save it, might need it for later. If you need it now though, go ahead and drink it. We’d be in a lot of trouble if you fainted out here.” Rainey picked up a small rock and threw it gently at Caiden’s shin.
“That was one time and the doc said it was just because I didn’t have enough iron. Probably since you take all the seconds when when mama makes her roast.”
The boys fell silent, each of them thinking on that pot roast, the kitchen it was made in, the quiet buzz of voices at every meal. Caiden had turned seventeen just three weeks ago. It was a birthday they had both been dreading and it had finally come. At fifteen, Rainey still had a couple more years until he was a man but Caiden’s time was up and there was no turning back the clock.
Only a week before, the boys had sat huddled together on the upper bunk in their bedroom, whispering in the dark. It was time. Rainey had seen Mr. Campbell talking to Father in the dining hall that afternoon. Father had nodded solemnly, listening at length, not saying much himself. After a time, he shook Mr. Campbell’s hand and walked away, looking straight ahead. That evening Rainey had pressed his ear againt the thin, white, plaster wall that seperated the children’s room from the one that Caiden’s mother and one of the other wives shared.
“Sara he must go, he has not followed the rulings of the church. You know what must happen.” Caiden’s mother was silent. Soon Rainey heard the heavy footsteps of their father leaving the room, quiet sobs followed. Rainey wished he could go to Sara and tell her it didn’t have to be like this. Caiden hadn’t done anything wrong, there was no reason he had to leave; but he stayed where he was. Sliding down onto the floor, he rested his head against the wall, biting down on his lip hard, Sara’s soft crying keeping his own weakness at bay.
She was a good mother to her seven children, but she had been raised in the church, and to speak against one’s husband was a sin that was not easily forgiven. She had already lost an older son to the world; she had know that Caiden’s time amongst them was not long. Yet Dorrin was different. He had rejected the ways of the church, he had been wild, never content with the life that God had provided him. At least that is what she told herself when word of his drinking made its way around and he was escorted off of the grounds and told never to return. He had pleaded to stay, and she knew that he must have been terrified, he had never been off the compound grounds before. She herself had only been outside a handful of times. He had to have been desperate to beg like that. Dorrian was a proud boy, not one to ask favors. When he was nine he had worked an entire day with a fractured wrist. He only told his father that he had hurt it, earlier in the morning at the pump, after Caiden had yanked at it playfully and Dorrian had winced in pain. Dorrian had been gone for three years and now it was Caiden’s time to go.
Not all mothers lost their sons, but Sara’s husband Nathaniel was not favored in the town. He came from a line of kin that had caused upsets generations ago, and these things were not forgotten. Nathaniel himself was a good man, followed the doctrine, contributed regularly, managed his wives and children with a fair and even hand. It was his simple misfortune that had begotten him several boys in addition to being graced with four lovely girls.
“Remember when he showed us how to make those slingshots?” Rainey was still looking down, his voice low. Dorrian had shown them how to send a stone flying a good fifty feet. Rainey had been unexpectedly talented at it, hitting target after target with amazing accuracy. He had been ten, Caiden twelve, the two of them going out behind the church every afternoon, setting up cans and knocking them down; Rainey usually hitting twice as many as Caiden.
Rainey’s mother Arleen had taken ill that summer so Rainey had moved in with Caiden, and Sara, and the girls. Their father lived in the east wing of the building, opposite them. Caiden and Rainey shared a room, Caiden sleeping on the top bunk since Rainey was afraid of heights. Caiden didn’t mind missing more than half of those cans on the days they spent behind the church. Might have missed some on purpose, truth be told.
“Yeah, I remember. You were a pretty good shot as I recall. Maybe you can use some of that talent of yours and catch us some dinner.” Rainey smiled weakly and wiped the sweat off of his forehead. They hadn’t had a proper meal since they had walked away from the compound two days before.
“We gonna camp again tonight you think?” Rainey was biting down on his lip. He always did that when he was trying not to cry.
` “Maybe, maybe not. Was hoping we could find someplace to stay.” Rainey bit the inside of his cheek to keep from asking where they might stay. He knew that Caiden was as lost as he was, asking would only make it more real.
They had left the compound on Tuesday afternoon. Caiden wearing the backpack that he used for camping. It was heavy, loaded down with several bottles of fresh water and one change of clothes. If they were going to be walking for any amount of time they would need that water. The rocky Utah landscape was dry and unforgiving. Rainey clutched the handle of his suitcase, its brushed metallic sides reflecting the sun as he moved. Caiden had told him to take a backpack instead, but Rainey had insisted on the suitcase. If they were going on a trip he wanted to take a suitcase like a real traveller, not the backpack that he had been using for camping since he was a little kid. Caiden hadn’t argued any farther; he’d put Rainey’s things into the backpack once they had gone through the water and they were out of the desert.
Once the boys had hopped effortlessly over the rusty compound gate, they looked around. This was okay, everything was the same. No dogs were chasing them, no men with guns telling them to head back to their building, the sun and the rocks and the brush looked exactly the same as it had before.
“Which way?” Rainey had looked back and forth down the road, clutching the handle on his suitcase tightly.
“Well…Zion is that way, so the road that connects to Salt Lake must be the other way.”
The boys started walking west, the water in Caiden’s backpack sloshed back and forth, sounding like an ocean they had never laid eyes on. The sun had been low and the sky was streaked orange and red. Caiden was glad that they had agreed to leave at this time of day, it was his favorite. The earth was always a little bit cooler, the painted sky made him feel closer to God. Walking in an easy silence, bourne out of working side by side over half their lives, the boys made their way down the endless highway, each one grateful to have his brother by his side.