Paradise Abductions

by Mia Rodriguez

  Chapter 21

  "Sorry, Stacy, I just don't like you," the Mister announces with a wicked gleam in his eye. He knew exactly what he had been doing--raising Stacy's hopes up high only to let them crash to the ground.

  Grief-stricken, Stacy's body slumps in gut-wrenching agony. In the meantime, Betsey looks at us with a bigger smirk than Stacy could ever make. I cringe.

  "I'm honored to be the head-wife of this household," Betsey purrs.

  Stacy's limp body jolts in spasms. I'm the one closest to her, so I grab a hold of her before she falls.

  "What's wrong with you?" the Mister snaps.

  "I'm sick," she says meekly.

  "I'll take her to her bedroom before she collapses," I say, guiding her towards her room.

  "She's always doing things like this," the Mister roars. "I'm so fed up with her."

  "Don't worry, Master Barstowe. I'll have you're household in tip top shape in no time."

  I feel Stacy's body stiffen up next to me. When we get to her bed, she throws herself on it and starts sobbing.

  "I bet you're happy about this," she retorts.

  "Had you ever been to the home she used to be in?" I ask her quietly.

  "No."

  "If you'd had, you'd see why I'm not happy about this at all. I wish you would've been picked over her."

  "Is she that bad that you'd prefer me?"

  "You'll see for yourself," I sigh. "You'll see."

  When I step outside the house, Miguel Is waiting for me on the steps. A fast grin forms on his lips when he sees me. It disappears once he takes a good look at me.

  "What's wrong?" he asks.

  "Life just keeps getting worse."

  "Why is that?"

  I sigh. "We'd better get going."

  As we walk towards the slave quarters, he gives me worried glances from the side, but he leaves me to my thoughts.

  "See you tomorrow," I tell him when we're at my door.

  "See you tomorrow, Frida," he returns.

  The church bells ring as we're doing our chores. What now? I wonder. Miguel meets me at the front of the destiny-bride shack, and we hurry to the church. I'm relieved that when I sit in my space, he goes to his own accustomed one. I know he's just following orders but it's starting to irritate me that I can't make a move without him.

  I wait to see what's next. Everyone is curious too. When the wedding march begins on the organ, astonished faces, including my own, turn to the entrance of the sanctum. The Mister steps in with Betsey on one side and Lauren on the other. He's wearing a black tuxedo and a top hat while his brides-to-be have simple white dresses. An awful image rushes through my mind of myself in their place.

  Eeeeeeeek!

  A painful shudder goes through me.

  When the three of them arrive at the front, Grinder meets them from the side of the sanctum. In his costume that is now becoming regular outfit for him while in church, he struts in his purple velvet cloak, his scepter, and his crown. Say what you want about the man, Bledsoe had never worn such a ridiculous thing. My, how things change.

  "We're gathered here today," Grinder says, "to join together these children of the Great Master in holy matrimony. In his infinite wisdom, the Great Master has chosen Betsey and Lauren to serve Master Barstowe so that they can improve their souls."

  What a lie, I can't help thinking.

  "Betsey, do you agree to marry into the Barstowe household in total obedience to your new Master?"

  "I do. I will serve him and the Great Master with everything I am."

  "Good child," Grinder says, pleased. "What about you, Lauren? Do you agree to serve Master Barstowe without question or any type of disobedience for the rest of your life?"

  "I do."

  "By the powers invested in me by the Great Master, I now pronounce you man and family-wives."

  I'm glad that this charade is over, but then the strangest thing happens. The Mister and his two new wives sit in the front pew. The wedding march begins again. Grinder strides to the entrance of the sanctum. Three more brides step in.

  Slowly, all of us realize what's happening. These brides used to be Bledsoe's wives. The Mister had gotten the favorite one but the other three had been distributed to Grinder. What a circus!

  Grinder and his future brides walk the wedding march to the front. I wait for another high Elder to conduct the ceremony. No one steps forward. I'm in complete shock. Grinder is going to officiate his own wedding.

  "Kneel!" he demands of his brides. They do as they're told with baffled looks on their faces. "Your old husband is gone now! I'm to be your new husband. You must respect his memory, but must completely honor your new master!"

  He moves from one bride to another snapping at them while making each promise to be completely devoted to him and never to sin against him even in the mind.

  By the time they stand up, they have to hold on to each other because of the way their knees are bruised from having been on the marble floors for so long.

  "Sit." He commands them to go to the same pew the Mister and his new brides are at.

  What next? I wonder. Why did he have them sit down? Why hasn't he dismissed us? Usually, after a wedding ceremony, we have a celebration--or rather the married people in Paradise Village do. Even though the wives would've stayed up all night doing the cooking, it's the helper-boys, the servant-girls, and the destiny-brides who serve everyone.

  Grinder strides to the entrance of the sanctum again and the wedding march begins one more time. I gasp! I take in a painful breath when I see the next bride.

  It's Jana!