ITALY, JUNE 2024:

Sitting on the terrace by the coast is calming and beautiful. I stare out at the crystal waters thinking about how I came to be here. My parents escaped a cult when I was about 2 years old and they love retelling the story, though they say it’s not supposed to be for entertainment.

They turned in a cult to the police due to unlawful executions in order to get what they believed in to become a reality. They thought that people who disobeyed the law deserved “severe punishment” even if it was a small misdemeanor.

My family was almost all eliminated for turning them in but somehow my parents were able to pull a few strings and migrate to Italy’s coast.

My life here has been rather normal, we’ve never moved, I go to Istituto Marymount High School. But a part of me feels like I’m stuck somewhere I’m not meant to be. It’s great here but I feel purposeless.

After the last bell rings and I’m out of school for the day I walk to the candy shop across the street from the school. I’m walking over to the usual shelf and reach for a chocolate bar but someone’s hand is on the last one. I look up to see a tall guy with wavy, sandy blond hair and dark brown eyes.

He chuckles and says “take it, it’s yours,” his smile is bright and almost perfect except for one tooth beside his top front teeth that’s slightly crooked but it’s perfect.

“Thank you,” I say with a slight smile and grab the chocolate before heading up to the front to pay. He grabs out 2 bucks and puts it on the counter with a wink. “Oh no, you don’t have to do that,” I say calmly, though I’m rather surprised a perfect stranger would offer that.

“Please, let me.” He smiles at the guy behind the counter and presses a small piece of paper into the palm of my hand that was behind my back. He winks and walks out. It was by far the strangest encounter I had ever had with anyone.

I unfolded the paper once I was back outside. It read, “Meet me at 10 on the corner near Via Cavour.” I thought it over on my way home and as I laid in bed that night. I was a nervous wreck because if I did go I could die but who’s to say he doesn’t know where I live. Besides, I’m curious as to why he invited me there.

I let my curiosity win against my better judgement. I snuck out my window and walked a couple miles to Via Cavour. Once I reached the corner I saw him standing there, leaning on a light post. His eyes shot up as I walked toward him and he gestured for me to follow him.

“Where are we going?” I blurted without thinking.

“Not far, just figured you should see this.” We walked in silence for about 15 minutes before arriving at our destination. We were somewhere I’d never been before. The buildings around us were old and some were falling apart. My smile faded as I saw a house in the center of the destruction.

That’s my old house. My mama used to show me pictures all the time. She made it sound like it was so far from where we lived now. All that was left of it was a dark frame and a few charred walls that were still standing.

“This is what happened when your family left the cult,”

“How do you-“

“I know a lot more than you think but that’s not the point. Your parents betrayed us. But, I think you would like it here.”

“What?! You’re crazy! No way!” I turn to walk back home when his strong hand grabbed mine and tugged me back next to him.

“Listen. Please. Haven’t you ever wondered what exactly your parents decided to leave?”

I stand there turning the words over in my head before nodding.

“This cult has a bad rep, but they’ve done nothing wrong. Your parents did. We believe that you have a soul and we believe in God, but we also believe in protecting his people. When they were wrongly accused of things we found ways to save them. But your parents took it a step further. They used to burn houses of people that wronged us which isn’t the point of this at all.”

I stared into his eyes in horror and disbelief.

“When your parents were caught they blamed it on the rest of us, saying that they were trying to get out and stop us. They betrayed us.”

I stand staring at my feet now questioning everything my parents have told me. Why is it that I trust this guy I only just met over my parents, my own flesh and blood? As I think about what the cult believes in I start to think that maybe my parents were wrong to leave. I agree with everything he’s said but if I go, that means I leave my parents for a stranger.