Oblivion

Chapter Eight

The first thing I could feel upon waking up, was pain. Everything throbbed and ached from the top of my head, to the tips of my toes. Opening my eyes made it all worse. My head felt several sizes too large, my shoulders and back felt like the bones had been replaced. Hard, sharp metal took their place and tore into my muscles with every breath I took.

The light sent my world spinning and my vision blurred, tears falling down my cheeks and off my chin as I blinked. I could faintly hear footsteps over the warbling sound of blood rushing through my ears. I wanted to cover my face, but my arms remained suspended at either side of my head.

I couldn't move!

I whimpered, struggling in my bonds as the footsteps approached me. I instinctively kicked without opening my eyes to the blinding light and a hand wrapped around my bare ankle. It was large, warm, and heavily calloused. Elijah!

"Relax and breathe, Megan. I don't intend for this to last very long," he said softly and fear sent my eyes wide open.
He had crouched down beside my legs with his head cocked to one side watching me. He wasn't looking at me in any sort of harmful way. In fact, he looked rather sad and disappointed. He released my ankle and stood up, walking around me and out of my view. I heard metal scraping and dropping on wood behind me, sending my heart and mind racing.

I looked around and found Jacob a few feet away. His hands were tied with rope to a thick beam above his head. His toes barely reached the floor leaving him virtually dangling from the beam overhead. Across the other side of the room was a table with someone buckled down to it. I couldn't recognize the person from my spot on the floor.

Jacob's head hung limp against his chest, his eyes looked shut. Despite the painful looking position he was in, he hung limp and unconscious, or he was good at faking it. More noise came from behind me and someone stepped out of the shadows across from me. It was the doctor, Doc Wilson, everyone seemed to call him.

"Elijah, you're going to terrify her to death doing that," the doctor commented and the banging around behind me stopped.

"Do not test me right now. None of this would even be necessary if not for a single, manipulative, bored harlot flouncing around, preying on weak willed young men," Elijah snapped angrily and I flinched seeing his pant leg in the corner of my eye.

"Your son is just as much to blame in this situation."

"I told you, years ago, they needed to be separated permanently, before irreparable damage was done. Now look where we are," Elijah spat, literally spitting on the floor, which I noticed now had a drain and slanted down toward it.

"And what is the use of having her here?" Doc Wilson asked, gesturing toward me.

"First, you have no right whatsoever to question anything about my family. Second, it's a learning experience. Third, she committed her own transgression due to the situation with these two. Two birds, one stone. It's a matter of efficiency." Elijah walked over to Jacob and slapped the side of his face until his eyes opened. "Good morning sleeping children!" Elijah said loudly and the person on the table started moving around, groaning softly.

Jacob gradually became aware of the situation and struggled against his ropes but couldn't get any leverage. He had been hanging too long for even adrenaline to allow him the strength needed to free himself. I cringed hearing a loud snap after the third time he tried to force his body weight up. Elijah, however, started laughing, almost hysterically.

"Are you finished?" Elijah asked his son who slumped in the ropes and I swear I saw tears roll down his cheeks as he nodded affirmative to his father's question. "Good, now then-"

"Wait... What the? Dad? Daddy, what's going on?" I recognized her voice. Grace was on the table growing panicked and frantic by the second.

"If she won't be quiet, I'll gag her," Elijah warned.

"Grace, hush," Doc Wilson told his daughter who tried twisting so she could see the rest of the room.

"Now then, welcome one and all to the Judgement Room. Grace, Megan, I know you have both heard the cautionary tale of the Judgement Room, haven't you?" Elijah asked and I nodded when he looked at me, afraid to speak and give him reason to turn his sudden rage on me.

"If you're lucky, you will have your own real life experience to use for those cautionary tales. So, first up are the charges of fornication, deceit, and betrayal. Jacob, before the Lord, and these witnesses, how do you plead?"

"Guilty," Jacob answered quietly. He didn't lift his head. He wouldn't look at anyone else in the room.

"Smart choice. On the charges of premarital sexual relations, manipulation, treachery of the heart, and lustful inclinations. Grace, before the Lord, and these witnesses, how do you plead?"

"Innocent!" Grace screamed, fighting her restraints. "We haven't done anything wrong! He never wanted a girl brought in for him. We were going to ask you to allow us to be together. Jake, tell him the truth! We haven't done anything wrong. We've been married since we were kids in the eyes of the Lord!"

My eyes widened in surprise, yet Jacob said nothing. He didn't defend her statements in the slighest, but Elijah looked intrigued.

"Jacob, look at me. Is anything she just said true?"

I watched Jacob slowly lift his head and saw the bruises, still darkening on his face and neck. His eyes were blank. Dead. There was an overwhelming emptiness in them that terrified me more than Elijah's anger. He opened his mouth and spoke slowly, "Parts are true."

"Which parts?" I snapped without thinking as anger rose inside me. "I'm not going to be someone's second choice, which parts are true?"

Elijah said nothing as his eyes bounced between us, he was enjoying watching it play out in front of him. Jacob never looked at me and I pulled on my ropes, kicking my feet.

"Answer me, damn it! You keep telling me to trust you and acting like you really like me, then this? Tell the truth! I deserve that much considering I never asked for any of this in the first place, yet here I am, trying to make you happy with me, for what? So you can go to her behind my back every chance you get?"

That got his attention. He finally looked at me and I saw all my pain reflected in his eyes. My chest ached because I knew he was lying when he spoke next.

"All of it was true, until I met you," Jacob lied without changing his tone or even blinking.

Grace gasped and panicked again, "No. No, Jake, don't lie! Please don't lie. Jake, please, just tell him the truth."

Jacob looked down at the floor, "I spoke the truth. I told you things were over for us when she was brought home. You're the one who waited until now to spring this on me."

"I can't help the timing that much. I didn't know until a few days ago!"

"So, you knew before Megan was moved into the house, but waited until afterward so you could upset the apple cart?" Elijah inquired and Grace's face turned red. "I see... Well, this is an interesting turn of events. The charge of betrayal will be dropped from you, Jacob. Now Grace, I'll be kind and give you a second chance to enter your plea."

"We weren't doing anything wrong, he's lying to you!" Grace cried as Elijah approached the table.

"You really want to stick with an innocent plea?"

I assume she nodded as she sobbed because Elijah shook his head and sighed before walking away. "In the case of the Inopportune Bastard, the court finds both, Jacob Eaton and Grace Wilson, guilty. Jacob Eaton will serve a punishment of Deprivation and fifty lashes. Grace Wilson will serve a punishment of Harlot and Disgrace. Doctor, begin the procedure."

Grace started screaming as soon as her father moved, pleading for him not to listen to Elijah. I couldn't look away as the doctor further restrained her and cut into her flesh with a scalpel. Blood dropped off the table, onto the floor and down the drain. Jacob fought his restraints and started yelling in agony when he pulled on his injured shoulder too much. I remained silent, tears ran down my face but I never made a sound.

She kept crying even after the cutting stopped and the doctor injected her with some kind of medication that put her to sleep, or sedated her. Grace went silent and Elijah turned his attention to Jacob.

"You know what has to happen, Jacob, stop acting so surprised. Onto our final case, on the charges of negligence and betrayal, before the Lord and these witnesses, Megan, how do you plead?" Elijah asked me and I blinked in confusion. He seemed to be a little merciful with me. "Negligence from leaving the doors open, which could have injured Malcolm. Then making everyone chase you through the woods for hours risking our health, homes, and families. Betrayal for running away and injuring yourself in the process."

I looked between the table and Jacob before answering, "Guilty."

Jacob snapped to attention, staring at me as Elijah smiled and crouched down beside my legs, "Good girl. Megan Delaney, the court finds you guilty and your punishment will be Marks of Remembrance. I think three will be sufficient. If you fight and scream, it will be seven, understood?"

I nodded my head and looked passed Elijah at Jacob who seemed stunned by my compliance. I heard the blade flip and lock once it was out of Elijah's pocket. My eyes didn't leave Jacob, even as the blade sliced through the soft skin of my arm. I whimpered, tears fell down my cheeks and chest, but I didn't scream, and I didn't fight. Three times I felt the blade slide through my flesh, then my arms dropped down. I found three horizontal slashes on my left arm, dribbling blood which tumbled down onto my already filthy clothes.

Elijah wrapped a clean cloth around my arm, "Put pressure on it. Come on, Hannah will help you once you're upstairs. Isn't she a wonderful mother?"

He scooped me up as if I weighed nothing and carried me into the darkness. I could still see Jacob, staring in the direction Elijah had walked, his jaw still slack from my composure through my punishment.

"She is," I answered Elijah as he began ascending the stairs and I realized I had been in the basement.

Hannah was twirling around with Malcolm in the living room, the baby giggling hysterically as she dipped him low enough he hung upside down. Elijah beamed watching the pair playing and I almost forgot about what just happened. He seemed so normal.
Malcolm squealed with excitement, "Papa!"

Hannah spun around, her cheeks flushing pink realizing she had been caught. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry. Malcolm wanted to play and I was suppose to be waiting."

Elijah set me on the couch and held his hands out for Malcolm who practically jumped. Once he had the boy securely, he kissed Hannah's cheek, "It's all right. Help Megan get cleaned up and settled for the night. I'm sure she's tired. Malcolm and I will entertain each other while you're busy. Won't we? Let's go see what that brother of yours is up to, huh?"

Malcolm squealed again and Elijah bounced up the stairs with him. Hannah smiled watching them, "My goodness, these boys will burst my heart one day."

I stayed quiet, unsure what she meant after the last few days I had. Hannah disappeared and returned with the first aid kit, kneeling down in front of me. She worked on my arm first as those were the worst of my injuries aside from my, probably sprained, ankle.

"Hannah?"

"Hmm?" she replied as she worked on sealing and bandaging my arm.

"Did you always love Elijah?" I asked, needing to know how she managed to keep her sanity or appear to keep it.

She sighed, pausing briefly in her task. "No, not always. There are still times when he's not the man I did fall in love with, but you take the good with the bad. Jacob just has to grow up, and he will if you give him time." She started working on my smaller scrapes, "I do love Elijah, and I love my sons, but I know, first hand, this life takes adjustment. I felt like you. Unloved, hopeless, useless, insignificant, then Isaac brought me here for Elijah, just like Elijah brought you here for Jacob. It takes time, especially after the ceremony, you will adjust to your new life much better once it's not so dramatic and new."

"Are you allowed outside?"

She smiled, "When there isn't a new girl who will run in the house, yes I am. You might get that privilege one day as well, if you learn to behave."

"How do I behave better?"

"You follow the routine, the rules, you participate with the family, you undergo the ceremony with Jacob, and getting pregnant quickly won't hurt either. But after running like you did, it will be a while before that privilege will be an option. There we go, I'll warm you up some food, then we'll get you into a bath."

I watched Hannah bustle around the kitchen, listening to the thudding, giggling, and squealing upstairs. It seemed so bizarre to me that Elijah could be so cold and cruel to Jacob one moment, then fun and loving with Zak and Malcolm. The whole family confused me.

But what if Hannah was right? What if Jacob and I could find a piece of happiness? Maybe I should give him a chance to redeem himself.

After eating the overly full plate Hannah had placed in front of me, she whisked me upstairs into a hot bath. I was surprised to see the ancient-looking porcelain claw foot tub overflowing with white foam. The whole bathroom smelled of strawberries and sunflowers, a stark contrast to the bleach and dust smell of the basement. Hannah stayed with me, washing me gently, helping ensure my hair was clean. She even brushed it for me once I was preparing for bed. She told me all about her hopes and dreams for Jacob and me.

I heard only pieces of what she said, I was enthralled by such a bonding moment I had never shared with my own mother. Hannah wrapped me up in a blanket and kissed my head before she retired to her nightly routine with the boys. I sat on the edge of the bed listening. She read Malcolm the end of one book and started a new one before he fell asleep. She sang a few songs I never heard before to Zak, then I heard the door click shut to the master bedroom and made a point of trying not to listen anymore. They were together almost every night and it was rarely a quiet event. I couldn't believe how their sons slept through such noise, then again, perhaps it was only new to me.

The house grew silent, I could hear snoring if I stuck my head out of my room. I hugged the wall and quietly made my way to Jacob's room. I blinked when I found the room spotlessly clean, just like I left it when I had cleaned. The bed looked completely untouched and the room was utterly void of Jacob's presence.
I figured he would be sitting in his room or sleeping, but he was nowhere to be found. I couldn't fathom Elijah leaving him down in the basement, perhaps he was outside for the evening as part of his punishment. I didn't know what the punishment of Deprivation meant.

I stared at the empty bed, thinking about everything that happened since I moved into the Eaton household. Then I noticed the shelf above the bed and one of the worn out books had papers peeking out from the bound pages. My curiosity got the better of me. I quietly climbed onto the bed and reached for the book, carefully remembering exactly how it had been on the shelf so I could return it.

I sat on the edge of the bed and examined the faded cover. It was an old composition notebook, something I hadn't seen for years, even in school. The black and white pattern had been worn off and there were dirty fingerprint marks I knew had to be Jacob's. I couldn't read his handwriting, which littered many pages, all of them dated with a month and day, yet I didn't get the sense this was a diary of any kind.

Unable to make out the contents, I turned the pages until I found one of the loose papers. It was folded, intricately, and had different handwriting on the front that said Jacob with hearts around his name. I quietly unfolded the paper and read the much neater handwriting that I knew didn't belong to him.

It was a love note, from Grace. She went on about the future they would have together when they were older. How she would get her father to speak with Elijah about arranging the betrothal for them to be together forever. I felt sick to my stomach as the note continued into less appropriate subjects, mainly how intimate the relationship between them had grown.

Unable to read the entire note without vomiting, I folded it and placed it back where I found it. It hurt knowing he could treat me how he had, yet have promised his heart to someone else. He didn't want me, he wanted her and would be forced to settle with me instead. He would hate me. I couldn't blame him for that. I would hate me if I were in his place. If I hadn't come along, they might be together.

I returned to my room and sat on the bed with my back propped against the metal headboard. It was getting later and later, but I couldn't sleep. I continued remembering what I had read in that note.

Sadness and anger boiled inside me. He would never be genuine with me, he would do as was expected of him. I would spend my time here knowing he was only going through the motions.

I didn't want this.

Roger popped into my head as hot, angry tears rolled down my cheeks. He was genuine. He went out of his way and risked getting into trouble just to spend a little time with me. If I had a choice, I would choose Roger. If Jacob was going to run off with Grace every chance he got, why shouldn't I risk the chance and time with Roger?

The sun peeked through the curtains before I realized it was morning. The bars cast shadows on the wall and I heard movement in the house. I knew I would wish I slept, but instead climbed off my bed and into the shower before all the warm water was gone.

I wouldn't be miserable. Even if I could never leave and was forced to stay with Jacob, I refused to spend the rest of my days in a miserable, loveless lie. Maybe one day I could even tell Jacob and we might come to some agreement. The possibility filled me with purpose and hope as I dressed to face another day in this strange new world.

Author's Note: Part of this chapter was missing. Problem solved. Enjoy!