“Where do you guys think I should  go with all this stuff?,” Elisa said as she put the lid on the  plastic storage container and dragged it into the living room.

“I don't know. The diner, maybe ?” Sawyer suggested

“Sid is expecting me back , " I reminded them from my seat on the couch,"You may want to distract him,”

“How the hell am I supposed to distract Sid ?”

“Tell him that story about you having a crush on your roommate freshman year,” Sawyer said.

“I lived here my freshman year of college and I lived alone.”

“I know that but, Sid doesn’t know that.”

“Okay, fine just please remember the plan—“

“We know,” Sawyer said, putting his arm around  her  and kissing the back of her neck, a rare act of  public intimacy between the two.

Elisa dragged the container to the door and headed for the stairs closing the door behind her.

Sawyer walked to the closet and slipped his sports coat on,  he looked like he was about to sit next to me on the couch but, hesitated and instead took a spot standing next to the window.

We were still getting used to each other.

After we decided Sawyer’s parents was the most immediate issue, Elisa took control of the situation. She took all of her stuff out of the apartment while coming up with stories and lies for Sawyer’s parents to explain any holes that might come up in our living situation. Sawyer had suggested she stay and we could tell them she was a friend staying with us but, Elisa told him she did not want to meet Sawyer’s parents like this. Under false pretenses.

Apparently, the Millers had decided to take a spontaneous vacation-cruise to the Mediterranean and because their ship left from a Florida port they decided at the last minute to swing by Miami and visit their son. They were expecting to stay the night and then catch their cruise in the morning, but our plan was to have them out of San Costa by tonight. Elisa was adamant about heading back to Louisiana as soon as possible.

“Okay, I see their car,” Sawyer said looking out the window, “Are you ready ?”

I nodded my head.

 I wasn’t really but what other choice did I have ?

We were  lucky that the one thing Elisa did keep in the kitchen was cookie dough and as I heard a knock on the door the timer beeped and I went into the solitary of the kitchen  to put the cookies on a plate.

 i heard the door open and screams of delight and greeting  from Sawyer and his parents and my nerves set in. I had never actually met the Millers before, I wonder what they would think of me.

 I slowly walked out and put the same fake smile I usually had at work.

They were a lot younger than I expected, they looked to be in their mid 40’s.  Mrs. Miller was holding Sawyer in a tight embrace, repeating the phrase, "I can't believe it's been so long since I've seen my boy,"

  Mrs. Miller had the same soft facial features as Sawyer, her sandy brown hair spilled down to her waist, flowing freely.  Mr. Miller had Sawyer’s  curly hair it was all  over his head in a messy , unkept fashion, he had a large smile on his face and had his hand on his wife’s back. He looked up to see me watching their little reunion.

 “Look at her,” Mr. Miller said acknowledging me and came over and hugged me bringing me into the reunion,” How are you Juliana ? Is Sawyer treating you well ?”

“Yes, he is great, Mr. Miller,” I responded,

“ Oh, please call me Mark . . .  I still think Mr. Miller is my father,” He laughed.

 “ And call me Olivia, I mean it. You are so darling,” Sawyer’s mother said giving me a hug too,” You two remind me of Mark and I all those years ago.”

They started walking towards the living room, surveying the apartment looking at everything in awe.

 “This is a lot smaller than your last place, Sawyer is everything alright ?” Mr. Miller asked taking a seat on the couch.

“Uh, no  I mean everything is fine but,  well  the thing is I had to take a new job because I—“

“Sawyer wanted to be able to be around when the baby came,” I interrupted.

Sawyer wasn’t as good at lying as I had become and I was afraid he had forgotten it.

“And,” he continued, “We had to cut back a little but, it’s fine.”

“Well,” said Olivia,”It’s small but, I guess you kids call it quaint.  But hey-- it’s your life not ours. So, speaking of life where is the nursery going to go ?”

We hadn’t thought of that one and Sawyer and I shared an awkward stare trying to figure out who would take this lie.

“Well, uh we—“

“We can just . . . put it everywhere, I don’t  know. Cookie ?,” I said pushing the plate towards her.

“Oh, by the way,” said Olivia,” Where is  your---“

“It’s  being cleaned at the jewelers it fell down the sink.” I explained, realizing she had seen my ring was missing.

“Oh— actually I meant where is your bathroom ? I didn’t even notice your wedding ring was gone. What do those things mean anyway ? I never had or needed one and this one isn't going anywhere,”she laughed as I pointed down the hall.

“Well, Olivia and I have been on the road for a bit,” said Mark “Why don’t we get some dinner at the place , the diner you used to manage and fill Juliana in on what being a Miller is all about,”

“Dad, I would love to but—I have to travel for work tomorrow, it was last minute we are leaving tonight so—“

“Where are you going ?” he asked

“Gainesville,” we said together.

Mr. Miller just laughed, “That son of a bitch sure can pick them,”

“Dad,” Sawyer said in the same tone  he had said my name so many times.

“I’m sorry, sorry, sorry , it’s good you two are practically reading each others minds,” Mark grinned, “After 3 months of marriage to your mother we nearly ran out of things to talk about. I was getting better conversation from the  Grey Goose.”

I looked at Sawyer to see how I was supposed to respond to this but, he looked just as confused as I did.

“I’m kidding, come on,kids” he clarified.

“I see somebody used my Organic Lily Body Scrub,” Olivia said walking back into the room

I looked to see one of the only wedding gifts we had left in her hand

“Don’t worry I get it from a little shop in Hawaii, I’ll order you some more,”  she said, touching my hand,”By the way Sawyer,why is their a towel in the bathroom with the letter E R V on it ? I love the pattern on it”

“I don’t know,” I said, again another bad lie but, she seemed unbothered and was already talking about the next topic.

For the next 40 minutes I sat politely  and listened as the Miller’s went on about the things I knew about  Sawyer—like his obsession with doing everything perfect and things I didn’t know about him --like that in high school he blasted metal music when he was frustrated about something .

 I could not get over how affectionate and laid back  they were, Olivia couldn’t keep her hands of Sawyer, like if she let go of him he would disappear again for 3 months.

After a little convincing Sawyer got them to agree it would be best to simply order some take out from the local Thai Food place instead of going out.

As soon as Sawyer hung up the phone we heard a knock on the door and then some hushed words, that sounded like arguing.

I looked over to see Sawyer heading towards the door.

“I’ll just get that,” he said nervously.

Before he could reach the door, it opened and Elisa and Sid toppled in.

 “Oh shi—I’m sorry,” Sid said, he looked embarrassed I wonder if it was a first for him

“I told you,” Elisa said under her breath to him

“Uh, Mom and  Dad this is Elisa,” Sawyer said, as his parents came up to shake their hands “Elisa worked with me, I told you guys about her and this is Sid, he has my job now.”

They shook their hands and I felt guilty. Elisa was Sawyer’s girlfriend she deserved a hug too.

I saw Olivia was taking a long stare at Elisa.

“Do you live here ?” Olivia  asked nonchalantly.

“No, I mean yes,—I live in the building.”

“No, I mean in this apartment, I saw a towel in the bathroom with the initials E R V and I noticed a picture of you under the fridge. I mean , just wondering.” She said and walked off.

Sawyer and Elisa exchanged a series of looks I couldn’t decode.

“Sid,I think you should go,” Sawyer said I sensed a change in his tone, like he had just made a decision about something.

“You don’t have to tell me twice. I guess I just didn't imagine you actually had parents but,okay” Sid said and walked out, the open door.

Elisa mouth an I’m sorry to Sawyer but he just smiled at her.

“Mom, Dad the truth is well, Julie—Juliana and I we are divorced and she is not pregnant ”

They both looked surprised and slightly confused.

 “Why did you lie to  us ?,” Olivia said and then she  realized what was going on,” You put together this whole thing for us ? Sawyer if you know anything you know, Mark and I just want you to be happy. What made you think you had to lie for our sake ? I mean sure having a grand child would be great but, we can wait.”

“It's just I know how important United Light is to you and —“

“Sawyer, don’t be ridiculous” his father said, “United Light, as important to us ? Not really, it was just a phase for us, a way for us to relive our childhood. It’s not really our life anymore, we always thought going back there was your choice.”

“You didn’t have to lie,” Olivia  said to me,in a motherly voice rubbing my back,” So, what happened ?”

“We realized Neither of us wanted it,” Sawyer explained, “We are still good friends and I care about Julie but, in full disclosure Elisa and  I have been dating for 5 months now . . . “

It should have been awkward but as Sawyer’s parents tried to make sense of the situation, I watched them in contempt. The kind of warmth and understanding they shared I had never experienced that kind of affection from my parents, I just didn’t expect it.

Had I really given up my chance of being apart of that ?

I felt like Sawyer could tell them everything , he  told them about us getting divorce and how he moved in with Elisa, but, he left out the jail time and probation.

“If you don’t mind,” Elisa said after the Miller's had been caught up, “How did you guys get involved with United Light anyway ? It’s just my friend is on the commune and I’m worried about her.”

“Well, let me think . . . Mark and I wanted to relive our parents time, be apart of a counterculture and all of that but no one was really doing that,” she explained, “And then through some friends we heard about United Light and Adam Caine—“

“Wait,who is Adam Caine ?” Elisa asked

“Well, he is Simon Caine’s deceased father. The United Light philosophy was Adam’s pet project and Simon well he kind of took over it and made it what it its now, into a lifestyle.  Caine was so charismatic, even then and he was so young and intelligent, it was hard not to like himWe got to know Caine pretty well and we stayed in connection with United Light but, after a few years our relationship with Caine faded. The only time it really came back up was when Caine and United Light payed for Sawyer's college and we tried to keep in contact more.”

“We never wanted United Light to be our lifestyle," Mark added "That’s why we decided not to answer the summons,” Mark added

“What summons ?” Sawyer asked

“I assumed you two would have gotten one," Mark said, " In the mail a brochure from protective living talking about their new facility and the importance of all the members living together. It looked like a real great place to live but, we are kind of set in our spontaneous ways”

“When did you get it ?” Elisa asked

“ A few weeks ago,” Olivia responded

Elisa seemed to take note of this and walked away flipping through her phone.

After another 3 hours of conversation, the Millers seeing they had no place to sleep comfortably  decided to head to the port that night and Sawyer booked them a nice hotel. As we watched their car pull out of the apartment complex I turned around to see Elisa was coming out of her bedroom with a packed bookbag.

“What are you doing ?” Sawyer asked

“I am going back to Louisiana, I have to go back there,” she said

“Now ?”

“Yes, and I’m sorry if you don’t like it but, I can’t wait any longer. Don't you think it's weird I got Rosa's last phone call around the time your parents got that summons”

“Elisa, you know I can’t just leave work and I am on probation,” Sawyer explained

“I’m not asking you to go,” she

“Elisa, stop. We have to think things through completely for once. You are most likely worrying over nothing, why do you have to go right now ?”

Elisa pulled out her phone and put the speaker on.

”Listen to this,” she said

I heard crackling and then the distorted voice of Rosa Erickson.

“Elisa . . . things are..azy . . I need to  . . . try when I’m . . .   you right now . . . . don’t call me . . . Logan . . . “

“What is that ?” Sawyer asked

“I don’t know but, I’ve waited long enough. What if she is in the woods lost or something worse, so, yeah  I am leaving.”

 I could tell hearing the message had affected him.

It had affected me too.

Elisa  headed for her  car, I watched Sawyer to figure out what was going to happen next. He walked outside and leaned over the railing.

“Elisa, wait !” he shouted, “10 minutes I’m coming,”

I could see the thankful look on her face.

I followed after Sawyer quickly packing clothes and getting into the backseat of Elisa’s hybrid.

“So, what is your plan ?” Sawyer asked as the hybrid  sped silently down  the highway.

“I’m thinking it up on the way,”

***

I wasn’t sure if my body had gotten used to it but, the 13 hour straight trip did not work as much havoc on my body as I would have thought.

 Elisa only stopped when Sawyer forced her to get gas after we had been running on fumes for nearly an hour.

I could see the sign for Hickory Farms and Elisa veered off of the road and into the back path that lead to the most direct route to the commune. We drove silently through the woods for almost an hour.

Suddenly, I felt the car hit a bump, like it had rolled over something big, we were all nearly thrown from our seats but, Elisa just powered through it.

 “Pull over,” Sawyer said.

“It was just a rock,” she reasoned but stopped anyway.

Sawyer got out and came back with what looked like a mailbox handle in his hand.

“Elisa, about the commune,” he said

“What ?”

“I think we are on it.”

 “How ?”

“It looks like there are pieces of a torn down house or something,like this is where housing used to be” Sawyer said,"Wait."

He went over to  the nearest tree and started climbing branch by branch it to the top.

“What the hell are you doing ?” Elisa screamed frustrated, getting out of the car.

I opened my window so I could hear there conversation.

“The commune I can see it from here,” he said from the top of one of the trees, “ It’s been moved inward, and it looks like they have armed guards,”

“What else is new ?” she asked as he climbed effortlessly down.

“No, I mean like a lot of them. Not just one or two guiding buses in and out. Can I take the wheel ?” He asked but did  it anyway.

“What are you doing ?” Elisa asked.

Sawyer drove of the usual   the path that  I knew led to the commune and going deep into the woodland area. After a few minutes he pulled the car over deep into the dense trees.

“I think we should walk the rest of the way,” he said,” We need to hide this car so, we can get back to it.”

Elisa nodded in agreement and using the pliers in the back of her trunk she snapped off the license plates while Sawyer and I covered the car with as much leaves, branches and dirt as we could.

 “My poor car,” Elisa said.

I was prepared for another hour of walking  but it was only 30 minutes when I saw it in the distance. Or what I assumed was the commune, it was different.

The usual standard metal gate was gone and was replaced by something that was stark white, I couldn’t make out from where we were standing what exactly it was.  There were what I assumed where Tranquility Lights standing in 2 rows with 6 each  in a line, large weapons strapped across their chests.  6 were facing the perimeter and 6 facing inside the commune.   

“They aren’t just keeping people out, they are keeping people in,” Elisa whispered

We walked quietly to see  the white-thing was a large   picket fence had been put up around the commune, only it wasn’t just for looks,  it was nearly 12 feet high, there was no way to climb over it.

“Do you agree something is up ?,” Elisa said giving Sawyer a look.

Sawyer simply nodded.

“Try contacting Rosa,” he instructed her.

Elisa took out her phone and sent her a text message. We sat for an hour in the tall musty grass waiting for something that may never come when Elisa got a reply. It was not sent from Rosa’s phone but, from a computer

I’ll come 4 u at sunset. U r amazing. R.

We continued the waiting game and as the sun began to set so did our state of minds.

The sun set and the moon came up and we had no sign from Rosa.

“What if this is a trap?” Sawyer asked

“It’s not Rosa would never.”

“It just seems odd—“

“Nobody asked you to come,”

“It’s just it never crossed your mind ?”

“Sawyer I have to have faith in people . . .my friends  especially. I am just as scared as you are.”

“I am not scared,”

“That’s because you don’t know what those guns those guards have are capable of,”

"Elisa, she may not be coming we need to get out of here, maybe go into town and reforumlate."

"You go, I am staying,"

Sawyer was no match for Elisa's stubbornness and we watched in the distance our eyes focused on the moon,  the only source of light when I heard footsteps coming towards me.

We all had looks of panic on our faces, we had no kind of defense and didn’t have any plans if it was one of the Tranquility Lights.

“If it’s any kind of danger, we run like hell,” Sawyer instructed but, Elisa wasn’t listening she was looking directly behind me her eyes full of worry.

I turned around to be blinded by a small light, looking beyond the light I could see Rosa standing behind me holding a flashlight.

She was covered in dirt and mud from her hair to her shoes but Elisa ran to her and hugged her, Rosa  clutched her tightly, I could hear Rosa crying like we had saved her from something.

“Are you, okay ?” Elisa whispered.

“Yeah,” she nodded, ”Come on before shift change is over,”

I had been sneaking out for a while and I had never seen shift changes, then again I was noticing a lot of things were changing. Rosa led us around the perimeter of the white gate until we were as far away from the armed guards as possible, in the bottom of the gate a deep hole had been dug through the  fence.

We each quickly withered through the hole  and end up and dirt caked as Rosa. The other side opened out to a green field.

"Should we fix the hole ?" Sawyer asked

"No, the ran will take care of it and if not they'll think it's just rabbits," she said

She quietly led us through the green area until we go to the community center but, instead of of going to her apartment complex (that I barely remembered from last time) I saw there was a large extension  to the community center.

Rosa went to the side of the building and  quietly pulled a hair pin that had been stuck in the window out and we slipped through the open window. The inside of the community center was different, or at least this area was.

 There was a  long hallway covered in  rows of identical doors, it was almost eerie in it’s symmetry, it seemed never-ending. Each door simply had a number on it to distinguish it from  it's neighbor

Rosa walked down to door 14 and opened it leading us inside. Once we were all inside she was breathing normally for the first time.

We were standing inside what looked like a tiny loft apartment. Everything was relatively blank. On one side was a bed and a nightstand and on the other side was a dresser and another door. I couldn’t understand why she was living here ? I knew Rosa liked to sew, where did she do that in here ?  Did she even live here ?

“There is a bathroom through that door, you may want to change,” she told Sawyer.

“um,okay” he said, in a barely audible voice I could tell he was trying to make just as much sense of the situation as I was.

  When Sawyer was behind the door, Rosa began to take her soiled clothes  off and we followed suit.

“I am so glad you are here,” she said as she put on a set of blue pajamas and set clothes out for Elisa and I,

“What is going on ?,” Elisa said, taking a seat next to Rosa on her bed, I kept my distance in the corner.

“About a month ago there were little changes, a lot of unions remember I told you ?  At first I thought it was wedding fever and I was just gossiping but I realized these weren’t even marriages,” she said “ He just paired everyone off , they had about 12 marriages. I thought that was just Caine getting attention but, then they started making the commune smaller and things got weird--”

 She wiped a tear off her face and Elisa put her arms around her

“Caine-- he started inciting all these strict rules, no one was allowed to leave,  no technology for communication except for UL use, a lot of the homes got torn down and they put all the single women 16 and older in these dormitories and the boys in another. A lot of the other families,like ones of older adults are living together-- sharing homes. He is giving speeches that are mandatory and they are about the evils of society and how UL needs to make a stand –and the crazy part is everyone is okay with it and agrees with everything he says no one questions it. I mean only  I stayed to get my mom out but she wants to stay and by the time I got the strength to leave for myself, they weren’t letting people out.”

“Where’s Logan ?” Elisa asked and Rosa wiped another big tear, she looked like she was about to relive a painful memory. I braced myself to hear the worse.

“Caine wanted to put him in a union with another woman, a child really she was only 17 and Logan refused, during one of Caine’s addresses in front of everyone.  I came home and  most of  our stuff was gone, I was told to move in here and they told me Logan was excommunicated and that’s when I called you.”

“How has no one on the outside caught on to this ? ”

“ This commune is in the middle of nowhere and to the locals everything is the same. United Light still sell them the same goods and anyone who would speak against Caine isn’t allowed out. They keep us all in close quarters, Caine evern requested all member not living on the commune to  come to the commune.”

“I heard," Elisa said, thinking back to what the Millers had said.

Sawyer came out of the bathroom to catch the end of the conversation.

“Will we get caught here ?” Sawyer asked

“No-- honestly I don’t know.  Most of the girls here are new to the commune so they may not recognize you and Juliana. I guess we can  tell them Elisa and Juliana are  new and that Sawyer is Elisa’s brother or something. We just need to get through tonight.”

“And what happens in the morning ?” Elisa asked.

“You guys are going to help me figure out what Caine is hiding. I need to see Logan”

***

While I had not been allowed out much in my 18 years on the commune, I could tell that commune life was different.  In the morning Rosa  got up and went to ‘work’.

 She explained she had to go or someone may get suspicious of her and she was already seen as a threat because of what Logan had done. She came back a few minutes later with a bag of fabric and bags of hangers. She was working  from her room today. Instead of making clothes for her own pleasure Rosa had been given specific designs to make based on popularity at the local shop and none of the money went to her.

“Where is all the money going ?” Elisa asked

“I have no clue,” Rosa said, “In this new United Light you could still do what you wanted but first you have to help the 'United Life'. I’m not proud of it but,I need to stay here to be with my mother,”

I knew this piece of information--the idea that United Light needed money-- didn’t help the fact that Brad wanted his  500,000 back but, I had yet to bring that up again. I was away from Brad and that was what was the most important now.

I couldn’t believe the trouble I had gotten myself in.

“Tell me,” Sawyer said,“How do you plan on figuring out what Caine is hiding ?”

“I think we need to get into his house, it’s where he keeps everything that would be the first step.”

“How do we get into his house ?” Elisa asked.

“I don’t know,” Rosa admitted, “Look, I know I don’t have the best plan but I need to know what he is doing so, I can find my way out.”

 

We  spent the next 3 hours trying to help Rosa as much as we could in complete silence as soon as we reached her quota for the day, she decided to go downstairs and bring some food up, which was great because we hadn’t eaten in nearly a day.

“Juliana, can you come and help me carry some of the stuff.”

“Me ?”

“You are the least recognizable and you look like you fit in.”

I did need to get out of the cramped corridors of the room. I was also sure Rosa was giving Sawyer and Elisa time alone.

 As I walked down the hall I saw every so often there were framed pictures of couples standing together, they all looked around Rosa’s age if not older. They looked like art.

“What are these?”I asked, almost afraid I would see my own face.

“I have yet  to figure that out,” she said,” I imagine it is an incentive seeing as families get the nicer homes and more privileges but mostly it’s creepy.”

I followed her down the hall and through a stairwell and we were in the community center. It was crowded and full of unfamiliar faces, most of the people looked lost.

Rosa picked up some fresh fruit and bagels  in a bag and handed it to me to carry while she carried cartons of juice.

“Let’s go,”she said

As I looked behind me into the cafeteria, I couldn’t deny that despite some people looking overwhelmed in the new environment most of them seemed happy.

I walked with Rosa back  towards the staircase and was made it back down her hallway at door 10 when I  suddenly saw my parents ahead of me, standing with a girl I did not recognize.

I just stood frozen a few feet from them

“Juliana, what are you doing here ?” My mother asked.

 “What did you do to you hair ?”My father demanded, referencing my brighter shade.

“Where is Mr. Milller ?”my mother asked

They both looked angry at me.

But why should they be ?

I felt tears but, I had to let them hide, I wasn’t going to be reprimanded for crying.

I went back to thoughts of Sawyer’s parents and how accepting they had been of his honesty so, I gambled.

After all maybe my parents would sympathize with all the bad decisions I had been making lately. They could take pride in being right.

“Sawyer and I are not married, I don’ t love him but, I’m in so much trouble and I nee-“

Before I could tell them how their daughter needed help I felt my father’s arm pulling on me.

“We need to talk to Caine, is Mr. Miller here ?, ”my mother asked

“No,”  I lied and then considered how close, just 2 doors away  Sawyer actually was and started shouting, “Sawyer is not here ! I came alone, mother !” I was hoping Sawyer and Elisa would hear me and not come out.

“What has gotten into you, Juliana ?” My father said.

I did unthinkable things I pulled away from my father and fought against him  as he tried to drag me away.

“Juliana, what is wrong with you ? Why are you acting this way ?”

“This is just like what Caine said,”I heard my mother say.

“Just please let me go, please pretend like you never saw me,” I begged

I heard footsteps running up behind me, as I turned my head  I expected to see Sawyer and Elisa but instead   I saw 3 young Tranquility Lights running towards us. Two of them   took me and led me away , I had learned not to trust and I saw the third one had a syringe, as soon as he put it near my arm  I reached for it and threw it as far as I could

Not this time.

 I could see it had  landed into the  trash

“Don’t give that to me ! I will throw it in the trash !” I screamed, “Mother, please help me, don’t”

I saw my parents watching in fear , when I suddenly felt a sting in my arm and everything turned bright.

 

***

I woke up in my bed.

My bed

I saw the familiar rose colored bedspread with a design of farm houses and decorative roosters, everything was in it’s place

Even that key, with the ribbon the same color it had been before I left.

Had it all been a dream ?

Sawyer didn’t exist, Elisa didn’t exist and Cortland didn’t exist.

Why did that statement make me so sad ?

Especially seeing as none of them existed

I didn’t dwell on this thought long because one look at my hair told me different, but,maybe it was still all a dream

Maybe

Maybe

No.

I could hear some consoling ,talking I easily recognized Caine and my parents voices.

I needed to tell them my side too.

I reached to get out of bed to see their was a plasticuffs holding  me to the bed, I saw the red lines forming on my wrist and realized the position my body was in and what state of mind I was in. My head felt heavier than the rest of my body,and even though I was wide awake my eyelids were heavy.

I felt tired but, I got together some strength and I pulled at the cuffs, they were plastic after all, I was sure if  I pulled hard enough they would snap.

The cuffs were stronger than I imagined and all I did was move my bed. I started calling for help but my mouth wasn't my own and I could barely form words. I continued struggling with the cuffs making as much as noise as I could until  my parents, Caine, and 2 Tranquility Lights were at my door.  I wasn’t expecting such a crowd.

Caine nodded to my mother and she cut the plastic of the cuffs and I could feel the blood flow back to my fingertips.

“Dad I—“

“You have no right to speak, you have  behaved in an ungrateful way and your mother and I are very ashamed of you. We should be upset with Mr. Miller but you have proven that any dissolution of marriage was your own doing," My father scolded me.

A large part of me hoped this was an act they were putting on because Caine was there but,I could not see any love or understanding in my father eyes.

“Your parents are very loyal to me and my philosophy,” Caine said “People like them are ideal and keep this place in all of its glory. Now, you may not know this but, under our rules as they stand now, disobedience such as yours would have you excommunicated. However, Melanie and Dan well, they do not deserve that.”

“We are so sorry, Caine,” My mother said,”I tried to tell her. I did.”

“It’s alright, I will spare your daughter and reward you all,”

“What do you mean ?” my mother asked

“Well, since Juliana and Sawyer did not work out,” Caine said “Juliana will become my wife.”