The central building was larger than the rest of them and was also built to a much higher standard. However, it was strange to see that the wooden structure had no visible windows and just a single set of double doors at its front. An odd symbol that looked like an eye with a single teardrop hung from a beam above its entrance, giving the impression that it was some sort of place of worship.
At the front of the compound, a large guard tower sat next to the main gate, which appeared to be locked tight. Guards armed with all manner of firearms patrolled the perimeter, with a lone man as lookout in the tower itself. Whatever this place was, it was heavily defended by a ragtag militia, who were dressed in a similar fashion to Jolee. Vests, torn jeans, open shirts and the like. If the people there had money, they spent it on defenses more than their own clothing.
The compound was secluded and located far away from any towns or cities. Any other form of civilisation was likely miles away from there, so accidental trespassers could be kept to a strict minimum. It was the perfect location to stay off the grid and remain hidden from the authorities or any potential enemies.
The car pulled up to the main entrance, with Jolee winding down his window to wave his arm outside. One of the guards signalled back and proceeded to unlock the gate before pushing it open. As soon as there was enough room, Jolee began to pull slowly forwards, driving through the opening and into the heart of the community.
Children ran past, laughing and playing in one of the grassier sections of the encampment while their elders stopped mid chore to watch the car as it pulled up in front of the main building. As the vehicle came to a halt and its engine stopped, Alice could hear the distant hum of a power generator, but she wasn't able to pinpoint its exact location.
A few feet away lay a circle of stone which surrounded the well and main water supply. Beyond it, a communal area complete with fire pit and an open shelter with picnic tables and benches beneath. A little further away were a series of drying racks, full of damp clothing that was left out to dry in the sun.
It was a relatively peaceful looking place if you ignored the armed men strewn around its edge. Although it was also was understandable that they were there, as the McKays had been attacked before. Alice still hadn't been told the reason why they had become a target in the first place, but had given up on asking her companion for more details.
Jolee honked the horn briefly before opening his door to stand up and step outside, leaving it ajar as he moved away from the vehicle. He stretched his arms, shaking his legs out to get rid of any cramps from the long drive.
Alice followed suit, sliding off her seat to walk over and stand right next to him. She still held one arm up to her side, hand resting against the part of her torso that hurt the most. She had a mild headache, but at least the ringing in her ears had ceased.
All the people who had been staring as they entered the settlement began to approach, gathering round the pair on all sides and forming a tight knit crowd. Even the children ran over to join the group, stopping mid game to see what was going on. There were at least thirty to forty people, not counting the guards who remained at their posts. If all of them were meant to be related to her in some way, Alice had only just begun to realise the full extent of how large her family actually was. All of them were talking amongst themselves, with Alice as the subject of their conversations.
The wooden doors of the windowless building in front of them swung wide open. A second later, a woman strode out into the light with confidence, closely accompanied by two younger men who acted as escorts. The very moment their feet met the bottom step, the crowds chattering terminated with some urgency.
Whoever the trio were, they were either highly respected or possibly even feared by everyone else present. They came to a halt a short distance from Jolee and Alice, with the two men standing slightly behind the woman who was clearly the person in charge. All three were nicely dressed and well kempt in contrast with the other inhabitants of the camp, making it known that they were the leaders of the community there.
The woman herself was taller than Alice, but not by far, with long and curly red hair that draped down past her shoulders. As she smiled brightly, her red lips seemed to leap out from her porcelain skin. A long green dress, with thin straps hung loosely from her slim frame, almost covering the brown, leather sandals that were strapped tightly around her feet and ankles. Although she only seemed to be a decade or two older than Alice, her eyes were deep pools of blue that were full of a level of wisdom that only someone of a more advanced age could achieve.
The men who escorted her were clearly brothers and possibly twins. Their short cropped hair and clean shaven faces were purposely low maintenance and so was their general appearance. They were at least six and a half feet tall, with strong athletic builds that were hidden beneath plain white shirts and khaki pants, with smart shoes to match. The long sleeves of their untucked shirts were rolled up, showing tattoos on their tanned forearms that were identical to the marking on the building behind them.
Alice was still busy taking it all in when the woman took a couple of steps forward, arms reaching out in greeting.
“Riley, you can't imagine how long we have waited for this day. I'm so happy to see that you're well. You've grown to be more beautiful than I could have possibly imagined.”
The woman's face betrayed feelings of elation, causing Alice to feel emotional herself. She could almost guess the next words to come out of the woman's mouth.
“I know you don't remember me, but my name is Caitlyn McKay. I’m the matriarch of this community, but more importantly… I'm your mother.”
Alice didn't know how to react. She had always wanted to discover her origins and meet her true family, but she hadn't thought about what to do if the moment ever came. Caitlyn had clearly expected as much, stepping forward again to hold her daughter tightly in her arms. She rested her cheek against Alice's for a few seconds before raising her head to make an announcement to all those gathered.
“Bear witness! The one who we thought lost has returned to us. Let us all welcome my daughter, Riley McKay, back into the fold with open arms!”
The crowd rushed in to surround them, cheering loudly as they took turns to rest their palms upon Alice, in what she presumed was an expression of kinship. Although it seemed a little odd at first, she now felt like she may actually belong there. Her journey was over sooner than she expected, as she was surrounded by the very people she had set out to find. This was indeed her true family. This was her home.
Chapter Six: Blood is thicker than water.
It was a little cooler outside than Alice was used to, especially for mid afternoon. It likely meant that the compound was further north or at least at a higher altitude than Kansas. It wasn't that much harder to breath, so she chose to believe that it was the former. No-one had been particularly forthcoming about their exact location and she didn't know how long she had been unconscious for after the crash, so they could have been practically anywhere. Either way, she had no current plans to leave, as she wanted to stay there and learn more about her people.
As soon as the so called welcoming ceremony was over, Caitlyn had sent Alice over to see the community healer. It was the closest thing the settlement had to a doctor or nurse, using a selection of herbal medicines and alternative treatments that someone who actually attended medical school would likely frown upon.
As for Jolee, he had disappeared off to attend to his duties, whatever those might be. It seemed that everyone within the encampment had their own specific assignments that they would carry out on a daily basis, which made Alice begin to wonder what part she could play in order to pull her own weight around there. What role could her family possibly have for a country girl and waitress from Kansas?
As soon as Alice had been patched up and provided with a change of clothes, her mother insisted that they take a walk together around the edge of the compound in order to talk more privately.
Caitlyn kept her eyes
on Alice while they made their way along the interior of the fence that skirted the edge of the settlement. She never looked away, as if she was scared of losing her daughter again the very moment she was out of sight. It made Alice feel uncomfortable at first, but she got used to it after a little while.
There had been long periods of silence as they took the time to simply enjoy each other's company, but Caitlyn was pleased to answer any and all queries that her daughter had, within reason.
“My husband was a brave man. Ethan, your father, lead your brothers against those who had invaded our lands, giving the rest of us time to escape and relocate here. Gregory, Cedric, Xavier and Alaric sadly lost their lives standing alongside him, but their sacrifice saved us all. Only myself, Elijah and Dariel remain from your immediate family at least, but everyone else that you meet here are related to you in some shape or form.”
Alice made mental notes of the names, a little saddened by the fact that she would never know her father and her four deceased brothers. At least her mother and two other brothers remained. She pondered for a moment or two before asking one of the questions that Jolee had been avoiding.
“What did the men want? Why did they take me?”
Frowning as she gave her response, Caitlyn clearly still had a strong hatred for those that had stolen her families lives. She almost spat out of anger as she spoke.
“Those barbarians who took so much from us didn't agree with our beliefs or way of life. They sought to harm us and scare us from what they considered to be their ancestral home, and they would kill us all if given the chance. You were our only daughter and the youngest of seven, so they must have thought that they could turn you against us and hurt us more than simply taking your life. They were right to think that, but thankfully didn't get the chance to carry through with their sinister plans.”
It wasn't a full answer, but it would do for now. Alice wanted to know more about the men and their motivations, but didn't want to upset her mother further. She thought about asking others around the encampment or maybe just rephrasing the question at a later date. For now, she decided to find out more about the people she would learn to call family.
“If you don't mind me asking… What is this place for? What is it that you believe in?”
Caitlyn wasn't even slightly annoyed at her daughter's questioning. In fact she seemed to be happy that Alice was taking an interest. The anger faded from her face and was replaced with an expression that could easily be mistaken for pride.
“I'm glad you asked that question, but I'm afraid that it's too soon to answer. All things come to those who wait. I will be more than delighted to teach you in the coming weeks, but for now it's best that you take the time to settle in and get to know the people here. We have all waited so long for your return that there is absolutely no reason to rush anything at all.”
Alice nodded, not really knowing how to progress the conversation further. Her questions were being answered to some extent, but like Jolee, most of the responses were vague and just left her with even more questions. Before she could say anything else, Caitlyn interjected once more.
“We have a set of rules which you will learn over your stay here. However, all that you need to know right now is that you should never enter the main hall under any circumstances. You will be allowed access as soon as the time is right. Until then, you are free to explore the rest of the compound at your leisure.”
Nodding in agreement, Alice found herself feeling curious about the contents of the building that resided within the center of the settlement. What could be inside that was so important that they had to hide it from her? Whatever it was, it wasn't worth the risk of jeopardising her blossoming relationship with her mother, so she respected her wishes on the subject.
The rest of the tour was fairly uneventful, with Caitlyn showing Alice around areas that she had already seen on the drive in. She gave brief introductions to various family members who were too numerous for Alice to remember them all. It would be a major task to commit them all to memory, but she was sure that she would find the time.
Everyone Alice met treated her as a long lost relative that they had desperately wanted to meet. They offered her nothing less than their kindness and generosity, helping her find her way and giving her anything she could possibly need. She was provided with a small cabin towards the middle of the compound, near Caitlin's own homestead, which was the second largest of the buildings there and the biggest of the log cabins.
The cabin had been decorated with flowers and fruit baskets that were presented as welcoming gifts, showing how excited the McKays were to have Alice there with them. It was a little overwhelming at times, with everyone trying to introduce themselves at every turn, but it was a pleasant change from how she had been treated in the past.
The compound was the polar opposite of Birchfield, with people actually requesting her presence instead of trying to chase her out of town. Alice felt as though she was being spoiled, with daily offerings of food, homemade clothing and all sorts of crafts. It was the closest she had felt to feeling like a queen since she had seen herself in her borrowed prom dress all those years ago.
A few weeks passed, with Alice gradually beginning to learn who everyone was and how exactly she was related to them. It was a complicated family tree that had more branches than she could count. On more than one occasion she was tempted to physically draw a diagram to remember who was who and what each person's role was within the community. She still wondered what part she could play, trying to help with work, but was quickly told to rest and recover every single time she made the effort.
Alice never got to spend much time with her brothers, as they were almost always off on some errands or were hidden away within the main hall in the center of the compound, but when she did meet with them she also discovered that they weren't particularly talkative anyway.
There were ample opportunities to speak with Caitlyn though, who was extremely interested in learning everything about Alice and her life up until then. It was a nice change of pace for someone to be so interested in her, so Alice was delighted to talk about herself as much as her mother requested.
Despite the general open and honest attitudes of the folk who lived as part of the community, no-one would tell Alice about the large building, obviously changing subjects when faced with her questions. They wouldn't talk about their beliefs or anything about their social structure. Who was Caitlyn and why was she often referred to as their matriarch? She was clearly their leader, but was it political, spiritual or both? Alice was increasingly curious and found it hard to resist investigating further.
It was only Jolee that noticed Alice's increasing frustration, taking her out on multiple excursions into the woods to gather supplies from the local flora. He would always have a list of items that were needed. They would gather flowers, herbs, mushrooms and even the bark from trees if it was written down on the paper.
Alice came to realise that most people considered Jolee to be simple minded and barely worth their time, but she found him to be gentle and kindhearted, more so than anyone else. She could tell that he had a hard time keeping secrets from her, but he was also worried as to what would happen if he talked.
Alice didn't want Jolee to wind up in trouble, so as much as she wanted to know the truth, she didn't push and simply appreciated his company. Once they had collected all they needed to, the pair would take time to lie under the warm glow of the afternoon sun. They would talk about the weather, about their childhoods and their dreams. He wasn't Sam, but Jolee was the friend she desperately needed.
Alice was surrounded by family, but no-one really identified with her on a personal level as they had lead such different lives. Jolee on the other hand was a special soul who sought to understand her in a way that no-one else could. As weeks turned into months, she found that she grew to love her cousin as a brother and was closer to him than she was her own siblings, even her mother.
**********
S
leeping soundly in the comfort of her twin bed, Alice had gotten more than used to having her own space within the compound. She no longer noticed the guards that patrolled the perimeter on a daily basis and felt comfortable with her surroundings. She still wanted to know about the central building, but had been promised by Caitlyn that tomorrow would be the day that everything was finally revealed. She had found it hard to fall asleep at first, with the excitement almost too much to bear, but she had eventually nodded off, falling into her vivid and colourful dreams.
Alice was in too deep a sleep to notice the door to her cabin creak open as two shadowy figures slipped into the room. They crept slowly across the floor and right over the woven rug, stopping at the foot of her bed as they waited to make sure that she was actually asleep.
Once they were satisfied that she wasn't stirring, they split up, making their way up each side of the bed before pausing mid way. As one pulled a black hood from his pocket, holding a rope in his other hand, the other reached down to gently shake the girl awake. Their sinister plan had now been put into motion.
Lost somewhere deep within the heart of the woodlands of Birchfield, Alice had been navigating her way through the trees for longer than she could remember. Every turn took her back to the rotten tree stump below the ridge. The lair of the impossibly tall man. She didn't want to be there, but found herself unable to leave. Every direction she walked in lead her back to that very same place. There was no escape. No way out of the woods. The smell of death and decay had returned to that place, stronger and more overpowering than ever.
The Beast Inside Page 10
