“I was so scared. But I knew that I couldn’t really show it. Since Adrian and I were older than Casey and Julie, we took it upon ourselves to protect the younger kids. Casey was only a year younger than us, but he was a very sheltered kid. He panicked and became frightened easily. But in our own ways, we all took care of each other. When he came back after breakfast…”

They were all gathered in the common area when David Negal returned to the cabin. He stood and scrutinized each of them before his eyes landed on the girls. “Which one of you has been sexually abused?”

Neither girl answered, but it wasn’t hard to see the answer. Julie stiffened and moved the slightest bit closer to Adrian. Sy also stiffened, his memory flashing to what his father had done to him the night before his expulsion from his family’s lives. Negal didn’t miss either reaction. His eyes landed on Sy, “Step forward.” Sy did as told, feeling suddenly naked and vulnerable. “Bring the little one and come with me.” 

Sy heard her sound of fear at Negal’s words and when he turned, she was huddled into Adrian’s side. Sy approached her and she looked at him with that same terror in her eyes. He reached out his hand and she took it, seeking what protection she could find in this place. Sy wrapped an arm around her, keeping her close, and guided her outside where Negal waited. When they were in front of him, he turned and began walking to another cabin a bit behind their quarters. Sy and Julie dutifully followed without being told, both afraid of what would happen if they didn’t go with him, and what would happen when they got to their destination. 

They followed him through the door and stopped just inside. This cabin was bare of furniture, lamps, or any way to keep track of time. There were two chairs in the middle of the room. Each of the arms and front legs of the chairs had restraints attached to them. When Julie saw this, she whimpered. Sy wanted so badly to comfort her, but he had no words. There was no comfort. They both knew that they were in for something unpleasant; they just didn’t know what that might be.

“Both of you go sit down,” Negal commanded. While he didn’t yell or raise his voice, his tone left no room for argument. And neither did his stature. 

With great trepidation they sat in the proffered chairs and two people came from the darkened corner to secure the restraints over their wrists and feet. Sy looked over at Julie once the restraints were in place. She was already silently crying, fear overwhelming her. “It’ll be alright, Julie. Okay?” She looked at him and shook her head, undiluted horror clearly written on her face. “We’ll get through this, okay. I promise. We’ll get through this.” She nodded this time, knowing what he was trying to do. Despite it all, it did make her feel a bit better.

The lights were centered, like a spot light, directly on them. They could not see who else was in the room with them other than Negal, nor their numbers. Negal stepped from behind them and began to speak. Sy could not see him, but knew he was just beyond the light.

“Who abused you, Sy?” Negal asked without prompting. Sy noted that he really didn’t seem like he much cared, but that it was a leading question to something bigger. 

“My father. Once. The night before he brought me to you.” Sy’s tone was dripping acid as he felt the shame of that moment flood him.

Satisfied, he turned to Julie. “What about you?”

Julie’s tears hadn’t stopped, but now they fell a bit harder. She’d never told anyone before, and didn’t want to answer. But she feared not answering more. “M-my s-softball coach.”

Negal smiled, evil and triumphant. “When did he start doing that?”

Julie sobbed harder. “When I was six.” Her words were chopped up between escaping sobs.

Negal’s smile widened. “I have an exercise that we’re going to do several times a week. You both will experience a non-sexual touch from the opposite sex.” At his words Julie’s cries got louder and Negal became impatient. “Shut it, now!” he bellowed at her, his face becoming red and veins becoming noticeable along his neck and forehead. “If you can’t suck up your fucking tears, I’ll lock you in the hole until you can control yourself.” His demeanor changed back to a moment ago, like a strange Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. “Now. As I was saying.” 

Negal motioned for the group to stand and approach. Sy heard movement all around him, but couldn’t see a thing beyond the light shining in his eyes. Suddenly and without warning, he felt multiple pairs of hands along his body. He was being touched nearly everywhere. He felt caressing hands along his thighs and shins, his calves, chest, face, hair and shoulders. He tried to escape their touches, but he couldn’t move. He felt like a chained animal at an unwilling petting zoo. He wanted to scream, but no sounds would come forth.

“This went on for so long. I’m not sure how long, exactly. A couple hours, maybe. Felt like so much longer. They kept on until we stopped fighting and gave in and just…let them touch us. It was then that he let us out of the chairs.” Sy looked at Sam then, the first time he’d made eye contact through this telling. “I hated it. I didn’t want them to touch me. Julie…she didn’t say a word when it was done.”

Once they were free from the chair, Julie leaped up as if on fire and ran to Sy, burying her face into his side, her arms going around his middle tightly. He could feel her quiet tears soaking into his shirt. He said nothing as he watched the people, eight of them, he counted, file from the room. 

“Back to your cabin, let’s go.” 

The two of them followed Negal without a word or a second command to do so. When the door was secured behind them, Julie detached herself from Sy and ran to Adrian, her sobbing freshly renewed. Adrian hugged her tightly, rocking the girl slightly, her head resting atop Julie’s head. As she consoled the younger girl, Adrian and Sy made eye contact. Each of their expressions told of what they’d each been through for the last few hours. And what was more, they knew that the day was still young. 

Sy collapsed into an armchair and spied the time. Nearly lunch. Without warning he jumped, startled, the sudden physical contact making him squirm. Sy looked at Casey, who had touched his arm to garner his attention, his eyes watering. “Please don’t touch me right now.” His tears fell and he looked away.

“I’m sorry,” Casey said softly, removing his hand from Sy’s arm. “I’ll just sit here with you, okay. I won’t touch you…but you won’t be alone, either.”

Sy smiled softly, grateful for Casey’s vigilance. “Thank you.” Sy looked up as Adrian began to move across the room, Julie still attached to her, as they made their way into their room. They made eye contact again as she made her way passed. 

“Sy?” Sy looked at Casey with questions in his eyes. “What…what did they do to you?”

Sy’s eyes spilled at the thought, but knowing that he’d likely be in for the same thing at some point soon, told him what he and Julie experienced so far that day. 

After lunch was eaten, they all gathered silently in the common area. Adrian and Julie were curled up together, the girl still needing the safety she found within the older girl. Sy occupied the same armchair he had earlier vacated, and Casey sat on the floor at Sy’s feet. Sy smiled to himself as he looked down at the back of Casey’s head; he was an ever-present puppy dog. But Sy didn’t mind. They all needed someone to cling to in this place. 

When the door to the cabin opened again, Julie whimpered and cowered further into Adrian’s arms. No one said a word, though as Negal moved closer toward them, everyone stood and moved away from him, gathering together in the back of the room. “You two, come with me.” Negal pointed to Adrian and Casey then turned and made his way from the cabin. 

Julie let go of Adrian’s waist before turning to Sy, seeking the only comfort she could. They stood there like that for several minutes before the cabin door reopened and David Negal stepped back through. 

“Let’s go.” 

Julie’s whimpers increased and she looked to Sy . “What’s going to happen to us this time?”

“I’m not sure,” he answered, even though he had a pretty good idea. Casey had told them what had happened to them once they were split up, and he was fairly certain that’s what was in store for them next. But he didn’t want to scare Julie further by telling her of his suspicions. She would find out soon enough.

They were brought to another building that sat west of their cabin. Sy began to realize that this conversion camp they were in was more of a compound than a camp. When they entered the building it reminded Sy of some kind of church. There were no pews, but a large crucifix hung on the wall and the smell of incense hung heavily in the air. 

In lieu of pews there were several plastic, foldout chairs that were set in three rows of five. More than three-quarters of the seats were occupied with people wearing masks over their face like they were attending a masquerade ball. 

Julie looked around with wide eyes. “What the hell is going on here?”

Sy saw Negal watching them from the front of the room, standing in front of the looming crucifix. “I don’t know. But we better go over there.” Together they walked to stand in front of him, clutching each other’s hands in a show of support, their four year age gap making no difference. They were equals in this place. Equally scared and equally there against their will. 

“Kneel here,” Negal directed with a point of his finger to two pillows lying on the floor for cushioning for their knees. With feelings of trepidation, they did as told. Once they were situated, Negal turned and retrieved an aspergillum from the table behind him. 

Sy had seen this before whenever his mother had taken him to church. It looked similar to a mace-like metal ball with holes in it that, when shaken, spurts holy water out of it.

As Negal turned back to face them, Sy heard movement behind him. With as much as he wanted to turn to see what was happening behind his back, he daren’t look from the evil personified in front of him. As one the water sprayed across both Sy and Julie as more hands landed upon their bodies. Voices, starting in whispers and gaining in strength, began coming in sweeping waves as more water sprayed across their faces. 

Sy tried to hear and understand what was being said. Were they praying? What language is that? Sy didn’t know. Not until they became louder still. That was when he realized they were speaking in tongues. Soon they were screaming in their tongue language, strange hands running all over their bodies; the water never ended and much of it Sy inhaled. Sy couldn’t look as he heard Julie become frantic and begin to scream as they were moved in on by this group of groping strangers in masks. 

When it was finally over and the hands and tongue-language screaming faded and then died, Julie slumped over, her sobbing evident. Sy’s attention was drawn away from the new friend to his right as Negal started talking. 

“All you have to do is have faith that these demons will be exercised from your bodies. Love God like your lover. Say it.” They both looked at him astonished, unable to believe what they were being told. “Say it!” he bellowed loudly, making them both jump and cower away. 

“All I have to do is have faith that these demons will be exercised from my body and love God like my lover.” They said this together in broken synchronicity.

“Again!” They repeated this mantra over and over again, still on their knees, their heads down as shame began to fill them both. By the time Negal allowed them to return to their cabin, they were both in tears.

When they entered the cabin, Sy went straight to his bunk room, collapsing onto the bed. Pulling his pillow to his chest he buried his face into it in an attempt to muffle his sobs. A few minutes later Sy heard the door open and close. He heard light footsteps before they stopped and his bed dipped down next to him. “Don’t worry, I won’t touch you. But I didn’t think you should be alone, either.” Abandoning the pillow, Sy curled himself into Casey’s lap as his tears continued to fall. 

“He became my best friend at that moment. He held me as I cried for what happened that day. For being ripped away from you. He just soothed me and held me. Right then I felt safe, even though I knew I wasn’t.”

Sam thumbed tears off Sy’s face. “He sounds like he was a good friend to you.”

Sy nodded and sniffled. “He was a great person. That place destroyed him. Everything about him. First they took the light that made him shine. And then they took his life. I wish I could have met him under better circumstances. I think you’d have liked him.”

Sam smiled and wiped a tear from Sy’s cheek again. “I’m sure I would have.” Sam watched as Sy’s eyes began to droop as sleep was finally beginning to overtake him once more. “Come’ere, love.” Sam opened his arms and Sy came into them instantly. He sniffled once more as he buried himself as far into Sam’s embrace as he could. In this bubble of safety and the feeling of Sam’s lips pressing gently against his forehead, Sy fell into a dreamless sleep.