Chapter 32: Interlude Part Three

Adam sat back down on the sofa with Holly and his mother. The break was over and Delilah looked ready to finish her story.

“You remember where we left off. Even now the memory is painful.”

She sighed heavily.

“I ... don’t really remember much of the rest of that night. I don’t know how long I crouched there, hiding as I watched my grandfather have sex with Lilian. Although sex is the wrong word. He violated her, claimed her as his. He used her again and again. Seeming to take a great deal of pleasure in making her mother interact with her as well. All those women, so dull-eyed and obedient. Doing whatever he wanted ... I don’t know what was going through Lilian’s mind that night. If anything. She ... didn’t seem all there. A fact that only drove home the following morning when I went to see her.”

Delilah had spent the morning pacing around the compound, avoiding everyone. She’d checked Lilian’s home at first light, but her little sister had just sleepily said that Lilian hadn’t come home yet. Delilah had left in a daze. Her mind was whirling with everything she had seen. It had been burnt into her brain. She’d seen her grandfather having sex before — sometimes right out in the open, although he usually confined things to the hall an his private quarters. But last night ... Delilah had never seen him like that before.

Lilian had commented only a few days ago that she’d barely ever spoken to the leader of their sect. Delilah had acknowledged that, but she’d never really given it much thought. The same way that she had never really acknowledged that the way she was treated was different.

No one else got to call the leader ‘grandfather’. Only Delilah.

Even taking that into account, Delilah could scarcely believe it. Lilian had been born here, the same as Delilah. He’d watched her grow. Known she was Delilah’s best friend. And yet he had...

“ ... she was supposed to be the first of the new generation. We were going to change things...”

Delilah’s eyes prickled painfully as she blinked back tears.

Around her, the compound was filled with women doing their various chores. It was mundane, something she had witnessed every day of her life, but now it held a sinister edge. Delilah had always joked about how dull the older women had seemed. How they barely smiled or laughed ... they just did their chores. Did as they were told.

But if they just did as they were told...

“ ... they were lying yesterday. Everything they said to Lilian. They were just keeping her calm. Hiding the truth.”

Delilah mumbled to herself, chewing on a thumbnail. It was a habit she’d never been able to shake, no matter how much her mother had tried. She’d wanted Delilah to be perfect. Flawless. Not a young woman with ragged and torn nails. The same way she had kicked up a fuss whenever Delilah had gotten sunburnt.

Now the concern seemed sinister.

Delilah licked her suddenly dry lips, whispering.

“Are they doing that to me as well? Is everything a lie?”

It didn’t really occur to Delilah to question the power that her grandfather seemed to display. After all, all she had ever known was this place. The Shining Faithful of Serenity. Delilah had grown up on her grandfather’s sermons. All the adults in the sect acted like it was all true — so why wouldn’t she? It was just something she had taken on as faith.

Now it scared her.

Delilah caught a glimpse of her mother — Lilian’s also — walking out of the hall. She recognised the look on her mother’s face. It was the one she wore when she was searching for her daughter. Delilah had seen it often enough. Usually while she was giggling and hiding with Lilian.

She ducked back behind one of the buildings, keeping her mother in sight. More importantly, it told the teenager something else.

“Lilian must be out as well...”

Keeping out as sight as much as she could — even though it wasn’t likely that the other dull women would do anything if they saw her — Delilah made her way back to Lilian’s home. It was dark, closed up. She knew that Lilian’s sister would be out with the other children, performing their chores.

Delilah’s heart was pounding as she stood at the doorway. She took a deep breath.

“ ... Lili?”

Delilah opened the door to Lilian’s house a crack, peering inside. The curtains were drawn, and the interior was dim.

“Lilian? Are you there?”

Delilah opened the door further, putting one foot inside the threshold. She was about to leave when she spotted someone sitting on a chair. Just ... sitting there in the dark.

Delilah recognised her friend.

“Lili! Are you alright?”

Delilah walked into the cabin, letting the door close behind her. She took a few hurried steps towards the seated teenager, but then paused. Lilian had turned her head towards her. Even in the dark, Delilah could see the faint smile she wore. It was the one that she always saw on the women of the compound.

“Delilah. What are you doing here?”

“What am I — Lili! Why wouldn’t I come and check on you?”

Delilah walked forward and took hold of Lilian’s shoulder. Her friend didn’t react beyond turning to look at the hand holding her. Lilian gave Delilah that same faint smile.

“Check on me? Whatever for? You should be doing your daily chores. I have responsibilities now. I don’t want to have to report you, Delilah.”

Delilah stared at her for a long moment, her mouth agape. She turned to the nearest window, and yanked the curtains open. Lilian blinked owlishly at the sudden light hitting her in the face. Delilah made a small sound of distress.

Lilian’s face looked sunken, hallow. There were dark circles under her eyes, and she looked years older than she was. Delilah shivered to see the remnants of what looked like bite marks on her neck and the upper swell of her breasts. Lilian was wearing the same robe she’d had on the night before, but it looked stained. Torn in some places.

Delilah crouched in front of Lilian, taking her hands. She stared up into her friend’s face, her voice a whisper.

“Lili...”

Lilian was blank for a moment, but then something resembling her old smile appeared on her face. It was different though. Distant. She affected a laugh, but it didn’t ring true.

“Delilah, what are you doing down there on the ground? You should know I can’t indulge in any childish games like we used to. I can’t sully myself without permission.”

Delilah blinked. She looked incredulous.

“ ... childish games. What are you — wait. ‘Sully’?!”

Lilian still had that same distant half-smile. She urged Delilah to stand up.

“Now, now. Don’t act so hurt. You knew things would change for me. I’m part of it now.”

“Part of what?”

For the first time a spark of life came back into Lilian’s eyes.

“Everything.”

Delilah took hold of Lilian’s hand. She looked pleadingly into her friend’s eyes.

“Lili — what’s wrong with you? We were going to change things. Remember? But this isn’t you! I — I saw you last night. I was watching. What happened ... please. Tell me you’re acting, or —”

Lilian frowned. She pulled her hands out of Delilah’s.

“You were watching? You weren’t allowed.”

“Lili — that doesn’t matter! I saw —”

“No. You could have ruined everything! It was a sacred rite. You had no right to do that. It was my time. Mine!”

Delilah blinked.

“‘Mine’? I heard that said last night as well. Are you?”

Lilian was still glaring.

“Am I what?”

“His?”

Lilian shook her head in bafflement.

“I don’t understand you. We’ve hated being treated like children for years. And now that I’m finally being treated like an adult who matters —”

“No!”

Delilah grabbed Lilian’s shoulders, shaking her.

“That’s not what we wanted! We didn’t want to become one of the — the sheep! And we certainly weren’t going to — to do that! With him! Even yesterday you were relieved when they told you it wouldn’t happen.”

Lilian looked confused. Then she cocked her head to one side, a pitying smile on her face.

“Oh. Oh, Delilah. You always had such strange notions. I was just telling you what you wanted to hear. You did so go on about it.”

“No...”

Delilah staggered back. She felt dizzy. That wasn’t true. Lilian hadn’t been lying to her all this time. She couldn’t have been.

“Lili. You don’t mean that! What about the night before your ceremony? We spent it together. The entire night!”

Lilian shook her head slowly.

“Oh, Delilah. We were just being kids. I have no time for pretend or games now that I’m an adult. It didn’t mean anything.”

“Didn’t mean anything...”

Delilah’s world was crashing around her. She hadn’t thought anything could be as horrifying as watching what Lilian had gone through last night. But seeing her friend looking blankly at her ... listening to her refute all that they had shared as some kind of childish game...

That was worse.

Lilian awkwardly patted Delilah on the shoulder.

“There there. It’s alright. It will all become clear when you have your ceremony. You’ll forget about childish concerns. You’ll be able to focus on what matters.”

Delilah licked her lips.

“And what exactly ‘matters’?”

“Why, accepting your place in this world! Pleasing and serving our chosen leader! Delilah — it’s the greatest thing ever. Words ... words can’t even describe it.”

Delilah backed away slowly from the fervour she could see in Lilian’s face. It made it even more horrific that her eyes were still so empty.

“No. No, I’ll never go through with that. I wouldn’t —”

Delilah hugged her stomach, feeling sick. The thought of her grandfather touching her like that ... she could never! But then she remembered that strange sense of arousal she had felt when she had spied on the ceremony. She had gotten excited — she hadn’t been able to help it. Where had that come from? Could it have been...

Delilah turned and rushed towards the door. As she left, she heard Lilian laughing softly.

“You shouldn’t be scared — it’s beautiful! And don’t worry — as a favour for all that we’ve shared I won’t let anyone know that you were shirking chores again. Now I must prepare myself for more communing with —”

Delilah slammed the door shut and ran outside.

Delilah was breathing fast. Everything was wrong. So wrong. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know what was going on! It made no sense. It was like her entire world was crumbling around her. Was anything what she thought it was?

She tried to hold onto one inescapable truth. She didn’t believe that Lilian had been lying to her all this time. It just wasn’t possible. She knew her friend too well! But if that was the case...

“ ... then something else has happened. That ceremony. That rite. It changed her.”

Delilah had seen the dazed and blank look in her friend’s eyes last night — she just hadn’t wanted to believe it. But now Lilian was talking and acting just like every other woman in the compound.

Delilah uneasily eyed the great hall in the centre of cluster of buildings. The last thing she wanted to do was to go back there. But there might be something in there that could help. Information.

She had to know.

Once more, Delilah snuck into her grandfather’s private quarters. It had been nerve-wracking at first, but no one was there. Even the hall proper was empty. Sometimes her grandfather did the rounds, inspecting the women at work. Sometimes he even disappeared up into the hills above. Delilah didn’t know which it was, she was just glad he wasn’t there.

She couldn’t stand to face him now. She didn’t know what she would say.

Her grandfather had a small office in a side room off from his main chamber. Delilah had never gone in there before. She hadn’t needed his admonishments to never invade his private space, even as a child. It hadn’t interested her.

Delilah hesitantly opened the door to his office. It creaked alarmingly, making her heart-rate spike. The interior didn’t hold much. Just a desk, and a few shelves lined with stacks of bound paper. She eyed all the writings with dismay. How was she going to find something in all of that?

Delilah stepped further into the office. She started moving around the loose papers on his desk, taking care to remember how they had been placed. They didn’t say anything of import, rather they looked like unconnected thoughts, jotted down at random. There were a few stacks tied together with a note that said they were ready for storage. Delilah frowned. Stored where? Underneath them was something more interesting though. A large map of the surrounding area.

Delilah looked at the map in fascination. She’d never seen a picture of their home before. Their compound was so small, a collection of buildings among the trees and hills. The coastline was included, along with all the coves and bays. There was a small mark on the map on one of the smaller beaches further down the coast.

She peered closer at the buildings of the compound.

“That doesn’t look right...”

There were far more buildings than there were now. Almost double. Plans for an expansion? And there were multiple roads that wound their way through the hills. As far as Delilah knew there were only two currently. One that led towards the nearest town, and a smaller track that led into the hills.

Delilah measured the distance between the compound and the town in dismay.

“It’s so far...”

Lilian and herself had always talked about when they would be allowed to visit the town. They’d had a vague idea they could walk it. But if everything was to scale, it looked like it would take days.

Delilah turned her attention to the second road that was barely ever used. She frowned.

“What’s that?”

There looked to be a building of some description in the hills above the compound. Even after living here all her life, Delilah had no idea anything was up there. Was it just more planned buildings? No, there were notes written next to it. They were small, hard to make out. But it listed something about nutrients and growth requirements. There was also a note with an asterisk, saying to get more shelving for the journals.

“Journals ... is that where they all went?”

Her grandfather had used to give his sermons from books he had written. There had been a lot more information back then — although Delilah could barely remember it. The sermons had changed, becoming lighter on the details. Focusing on simple obedience instead.

A noise from outside made Delilah’s head whip around. It sounded like someone coming in, and worse, that person had a deep and rumbling voice. Her grandfather.

Delilah hurriedly placed everything back where she had found it. She rushed out into the main chamber just as she saw the door handle begin to turn. She looked around wildly, trying to see somewhere to hide. She didn’t have time get out.

Knowing it wasn’t a good spot, but unable to think of anything else, Delilah ran right next to the door that was beginning to open. She stood in the shadows by a wardrobe in the lee of the door, hidden from view as it opened.

Delilah held her breath as her grandfather and someone else entered the room. She crouched down lower, fervently hoping he wouldn’t turn around. He’d caught her hiding in the past, but she’d never been actually scared of him before.

Luckily he was preoccupied. Delilah bit her lip to avoid making a sound as she saw who was with him. Lilian had entered as well, walking demurely behind him. Her friend had her head down, and her feet were shuffling.

Delilah’s grandfather put down a few things on the bed, and stretched, yawning.

“Get rid of your panties, girl, if you’re wearing any.”

Delilah shivered at his rubbing voice. Despite herself, she pressed her thighs tightly together. His voice did something to her. Lilian reached up underneath her robe and slid her panties off. Delilah wasn’t all that well hidden — she was sure he’d see her if he looked in her direction. But he was relaxed, sure in his surroundings.

She watched as he unbuckled his pants, letting them fall to the ground. Delilah could see his dick, it looked large. Threatening.

“On your knees.”

Lilian immediately sunk down to the ground. He walked over, gripping her by her hair. He turned her head back and forth, studying her. He grunted.

“Pretty enough. But those circles under your eyes don’t do you any favours. But I guess that’s on me, isn’t it.”

He chuckled darkly, gripping his dick as it hardened. He waved it in front of Lilian’s face.

“Let’s see if you remember any of your lessons from last night. Show me how much you wish to please me.”

Delilah suppressed an angry sound as she watched Lilian open her mouth and take her grandfather’s length between her lips. Her eyes were blank, blinking languidly, even as she sucked. Even to Delilah’s eyes she appeared unskilled and uncoordinated. She tried to go as deep as she could, but kept coughing.

“Useless. I’ll have to task your mother with teaching you properly. Oh well, there’s more than one way to use this mouth.”

Delilah watched as he roughly took hold of Lilian’s head, gathering up a fistful of her hair. He tilted her just the way he wanted, and then simply thrust forward. He buried his entire length down her throat in one motion, sighing in contentment.

“Ahhh. That’s better. Nothing like a spasming throat to properly milk a man.”

He leant his head back, his eyes half-closed, as he started to thrust in and out. Delilah could see Lilian’s eyes bulging and watering, her face growing red. She didn’t appear to be panicking though. If anything it looked like she was urging him on, pulling at his thighs enticingly each time he thrust his hips forward.

He used her mercilessly for almost a minute, his hips a blur. He only stopped when he noticed Lilian’s hands falling limp down by her sides. He chuckled, pulling out, letting her fall down to the ground in a heap. He crouched, stroking her hair while admiring the blue tinge to her face. Lilian coughed weakly, taking in desperate cups of air.