The Life of the Wife

Chapter nine

CHAPTER NINE

JOHANNA

I woke up at ten past three in the morning to see Aiden fast asleep so I crept out of bed and started to make my way down stairs.
As I tip toed down I noticed a light coming from the bottom, and as I got further I seen that it was their grandfathers light on with the door open. I wasn't sure what to do so I just tried to pass by unnoticed to get to the kitchen.
'Johanna.' His voice was trembling and weary and I immediately froze to the spot, directly in from of the room.
'Come in please Johanna, I'd like to meet you.' I turned to see an old man sitting on the edge of his bed, tired and frail. As I walked into the room the smell of it was overwhelming with sage.
I stood up straight by the dresser with my hands entwined into each other in front of me.
'You are fitting in very nicely, I like to see acceptance in a young lady. So many try pretend they have independence but you know better, don't you?' He heaved his words, lifting his body up with a walking stick and wobbled over to a wheelchair by a dozen computer screens, turned off of course, but I knew what they were for.
'Will you wheel me to the kitchen for some warm milk?' He swayed his arm, inviting me to take the lead and I got behind him and grabbed the handles.
'Careful now, Johanna, I don't like to go too fast.' He quickly grabbed an inhaler from his pocket, raising his shaking hands to his mouth.
We had gotten to the kitchen and still I hadn't said a word; being in his presence was strange. I felt his powerful spirit around me and it had me excited but scared. He was the creator, and he was having warm milk with me like he was just a normal person.
'Oh I am so proud of Aiden, my dear. He has grown into quite a strong young man, has he not?' He eyeballed me waiting for a reply, and I pushed out my words as hard as I possibly could.
Y-yes sir.' He smiled and took a sip from his mug, keeping his vigilant eye on me all the while.
Things were silent for a few minutes as we just looked at each other. The silence was broken when Garnet walked in, dazed and confused.
'Grandpapa, I'm sorry I'm late I completely slept through my alarm, luckily Mark was still up and woke me. Again, please forgive me for being rude.' She wiped her eyes and yawned, still puzzled. She probably didn't expect me to be awake.
'Shall I take you then?' Her eyes crossing between myself and her grandfather as if it was a tennis match.
'Tonight I think Johanna will take me.' Before anyone could argue or refuse he lifted his hand to tell us not to. Garnets gaze didn't leave me as he instructed to wheel me outside, not that I wanted to horn in on Garnet, but I felt I didn't have a choice.

'Where to sir?' I said, wheeling him off the balcony.
'The prayer chamber, please Johanna.' I had never heard of that place before and he sensed my confusion.
'Just take us to the hall and I will show you from there.'
I wheeled him across the dirt road, making crackling noises from each movement. When we arrived at the hall I noticed the tub was no longer there, and it looked as if our group cleanse didn't happen.
'Go around the seats over to that door on the far right.'
I never noticed the door before, had it always been there? Of course it must have. I wheeled him over and he leant towards the door, pulling out an old key and turning it into the mechanism causing the door to abruptly open. I felt so nervous as he swung it open and I wheeled him in.
'Close the door please, Johanna.'
Once I had closed the door, locking us in I turned to a large, dim lit room of people looking at me, and it sent shivers through my body.
I looked at them all, most of them scared. I recognised two almost straight away. The first was Dianne, who was sobbing alone on a stool on the right. The second was George, an older man Adrian had successfully cleansed a little over two months ago.
'I am Gabriel, and I am your teacher, this is Johanna, my granddaughter.' I had never been called a granddaughter before, it made me feel special. Gabriel went on to light some candles and placed them on a shelf on the wall opposite the door. Most sat up to pay attention, but some just stayed in their weary positions.
After reading a little over four passages, and explaining them, the lesson was over. Dianne wasn't taking it very well and cried even louder, which seemed to have made Gabriel very cross. He tried to ignore her as he asked everyone to get some sleep, and for George to step forward.
'George, I think you are ready to leave, and what better time then with Johanna here with you.'
George stepped towards me and bowed, so I curtsied back. He really was cleansed, the last time I seen him was when I went to the cellar to bring him some lunch, and he spat at me with his bloody saliva.

As I opened the door with the key, Dianne shot up and sprinted for the door so I quickly slammed it shut. Gabriel shot up too, and tackled her to the ground, resulting in him on top of her. I was stunned by the amount of force and energy the old man had.
'You are not chosen! You are filth!' He screamed in her face, and pulling out a blade. George seen my terror and held me, shielding me from the horror show that had just unfurled. It didn't stop the stabbing sounds and screams though, all sixteen of them.
When it fell silent again, George let go of me and Gabriel wobbled into his wheelchair again, catching his wheezy breath and taking mighty heaves of breaths through his inhaler.
'Johanna and George, will you wheel me back home and tell Mark of this failure please.'
None of us talked throughout the walk home.

Once we got home, George helped Gabriel into his room and I knocked on Mark and Garnets door. There was mumbling and muffled steps but the door eventually swung open, revealing Mark in only boxer shorts. I swiftly covered my eyes and told him of the situation, he asked for a minute and closed the door.
Mark came downstairs where I was waiting and asked me to come and help. I'd only ever helped Aiden before so it made my nerves go insane. We wrapped Dianne in cloth and I lifted her legs while Mark lifted her upper body. I always got a small shock at how heavy a dead body really was. We put her into a wheel barrow and Mark wheeled her out, asking me to follow.
We made our way to the rocky area where I suspected there to be a cliff, there was; a really deep one with sharp, rocky edges sliding their way down to darkness. We picked up Dianne's lifeless body again and swung her like a hammock before releasing her to the cliff. For a slight moment it looked as if she was floating but she soon fell down to the abyss. We said a prayer for her and went home.

I was so tired by this point and just wanted to drop into bed and cuddle Aiden until sunrise, which was soon.
'See you tomorrow Jo, good job tonight.' Mark patted me on the shoulder and hopped up to his room. I was about to do the same when I realised George was sitting on the chaise just left of me.
'Pretty crazy night, don't you think?' He's words sounded like a distant whisper.
'You get used to it.' I wasn't yet, but that's what Aiden would always tell me.
George's expression kind of dropped, like it wasn't the answer he wanted me to say. I had so many questions for him, but I was tired, and kind of twisted from side to side trying to choose what I wanted to do. He huffed a sort of grunt giggle and smiled at me, it was almost cute.
'Are you happy to have been successfully cleansed?' There, I said it, the questions had started.
'Of course. I was so close minded before, which reminds me, I'm so sorry for the way I acted towards you the last time we encountered each other.' I smiled at his apology and sat down on the sofa opposite him and we talked until the sun rose over the mountain.

============================================================
Uh oh speggetio!! Things aren't looking like a fairytale crazy cult ending after all!

What did you think?

Wow, I'm coming into chapter ten already. This is going crazy fast.

Share with your friends!