The Devil Wore A Brown Suit novel Chapter 20

I refuse to let my brother win. I refuse to let anyone have any kind of power over me. I miss my brother. My real brother, not this monster he has become. I miss my home. I miss my father. I do not even know my children. I only have flashes of memories of them.

Brooke comes back into the room. I am still on the floor. Camilla and Daniel are with her.

“Is she okay?” Daniel asks.

 “I am fine brother. I am overwhelmed that is all. I am just so happy to be back with you I had to cry it out. I am sorry. Please forgive me.” I tell him.

He comes to me and helps me off the floor. “My dear sister you are safe now.” He hands me my dress. “Camilla make sure she is dressed and on time. Brooke come with me.” He tells them as he rushes out of the room.

“Do you think he believed me?” I ask Camilla. She nods. Why is she still so scared?

 “Let’s get you ready. We cannot be late. If you are late he might hurt me. Please get ready.” She says. She is crying.

 “Okay. I will hurry. I am sorry that I delayed you.” I tell her as I wipe the tears from her eyes.

            I hurry and dress in this hideous white gown. This is ridiculous. I have to remain vigilant for these women who are risking everything to help me. Poor Camilla, I know she is going crazy. She is pregnant by an evil sadistic man. She cannot be okay. I cannot cause her or Brooke any harm. I have to be on my best behavior. I have to mind my thoughts.

Camilla and I rush to the bonfire. I do not even have time to take in how we are getting there.

She is pushing me to hurry. “We cannot be late.” She screams.

 I am on her heels as fast as I can go. I am trying to see where we are in case I need to run. What am I thinking? No matter what I cannot abandon her or Brooke. They both have to be saved. I need to be saved. There is no one left to help us. We are on our own. We, three women, will have to protect ourselves.

   We arrive. Everyone looks tired. They look beat down. Maybe he has them all trapped here. We take our seat in front of the fire. My brother is on my left. Brooke is seated next to him. Camilla smiles at Daniel.

“Brother Daniel, we made it. We are one time.” She weakly says to him.

 I bet he feels so superior to her. I smile at him. I have smiled way too much at him. He motions for Brooke to go sit with me. She kisses him on the cheek as she leaves her seat beside him.

She slowly walks in front of the fire. She pauses. She looks like she wants to jump in it. Everyone here looks like they would rather be on fire than be here with him. She shakes her head and walks over to me. “Do you mind if I sit with you and Camilla?”She asks.

I nod and move closer to Camilla. She folds her dress under her and sits beside me. “Are you ladies okay?” she asks. We both nod.

I continue to watch my brother. She shakes her head for me to stop. I guess it’s obvious I have a gross disgust for him. I am trying so hard to hide my feelings. “Perdition, you have to focus. You need to grow your powers so you can save us.” Camilla says.

 I feel bad. I am being selfish. I take a deep breath and I try to relax. “Do not panic!” Brooke says to me.

Several young ladies walk among the crowd. I cannot tell what they are doing. “Not my sister, wife, or Camilla.” He yells at them.

They continue passing out what appears to be a drink. A nice-looking young man brings the three of us each a glass of wine. I guess we get the good stuff.

“Do you trust me?” he begins to speak to them. He looks at me and smiles. He is a demon. He looks older every single minute. “Who is willing to be the next sacrifice to God?” he asks.

 I cannot move. I must continue to sit here. There is no way this is real. Brooke and Camilla reach out to hold my hand. I sit my glass of wine down on the ground in front of me. Brooke gives me a look. I know it means to remain calm. I hope I can.

 A young man walks up. “I am willing to sacrifice myself.” He says.

He walks to the fire and stands in front of it with his drink. My brother smiles.

 “See. It is that easy folks. Who is next?” he asks.

One by one for the next hour they come up and proclaim their love for him and offer to sacrifice their life. I sit here in horror between his wife and his pregnant victim. This cannot be good. This will not end well.

            A very young pregnant woman comes up to him and begs for her life. “No worries child.” He says as he checks the bottom of her drink. “Your drink is safe. I would never harm a child.”

            She is so thankful. She joins the others at the fire. “Among you, there is one drink. Just one that is poisonous. This person will die.” He says “Now I command you to walk out on faith and drink the potion. Sacrifice yourself to me.”

            Everyone begins to drink. No one is falling ill. No one is fainting. No one is dying. Nothing is happening. The young pregnant lady has not drunk yet. He goes over to her and grabs her

            . “Don’t you trust me?” he asks. She immediately drinks every drop of it to appease him.

             A young man runs to her. “I will take her place.”He says.

             My brother grins snaps his fingers. Two goons appear. These muscled up idiots grab him and throw him in the fire. The man is screaming from inside the fire. “I am your sacrifice let her be.”

            The young lady is not moving. I want to go to her. Camilla and Brooke have a hold on me. I cannot move.

             “Stop” Brooke whisper to me. The goons pick up the lifeless young lady and begin the walk back to camp with her. He motions for them to stop. He walks over to Brooke.

            “Do you want the babies or should I throw her in the fire.” He asks her.

            “I’ll take care of them. May I go help deliver them please?” She asks “Can I take Izzy and Camilla?”

             He nods. As we get up to leave he grabs Camilla. “See my dear if you disobey I will poison you and take those babies?” he tells her.

            “I would never betray you, sir.” She says as she walks away. The goons walk with her quickly to camp.

             The three of us rush back. Brooke has built a beautiful nursery for children of the fellowship. Blue, yellow, and pink painted beds are lined up against the walls. Each crib made up perfectly against the walls. I walk up to one that is decorated perfectly.

             I notice it already has a name on it; Adrianna it says above the bed. “Where is this child?” I ask.

            No one answers me. Camilla and Brooke are in the back with the young lady. There are no sounds. Just me talking to myself as I examine this creepy nursery. I walk to the next bed, it says Wallace. I continue to every bed. They all have names on them. I cannot help but wonder where these children are now.