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She grins, eyes wide behind her glasses.
There’s a rush of excitement in the air, of darkness, and I clutch it tightly in my hands, letting it ripple across my skin. I can feel her eyes on me as I march back to this year's freshman recruits. They stand in a semicircle with black bags over their head, ropes loosely looped around their wrists to connect them, leading up to Lee, who strips off the rope and drops it to the ground.
Aries, Lee, Sebastian, and I grasp two of the recruits each by the arms, lead them to the four-wheelers nearby, and shove them roughly to the sloped cart on the back of each. It lays at an angle like a surfer's pickup sled after a wipeout. They realize what's happening and resettle, propping their feet up on the edge so they don't hang down.
Once the eight new mill members for the year are all secured, we each hop on a wheeler. I gesture to Bel, who comes running over, climbing on, and taking the spot beside me. Elyse slides gingerly beside Aries, who studies her closely in the soft moonlight. He looks curious and surprised while she keeps her gaze straight ahead. Her body is as stiff as a board. I remind myself that she’s not my problem. It’s not my job to babysit her. Bel wanted to bring her, and I’m fine with that, but she’s responsible for herself. I spare a quick glance at Seb and Lee to ensure they are ready
Both give me a nod, and we head through the trees. It's several miles out to the cliffs. We used to make the new members walk out blindfolded, but things changed after a leg break from a fall.
It's fine. They will get their dose of ceremony when we get there. Bel holds on tight to the top handle. "Faster."
I smile and shake my head but oblige, laughing as the recruits on the cart curse for every jolt and jostle over sticks and the uneven forest floor.
It doesn't take too long to reach the clearing by the cliffs. A line of citronella lanterns stands in a circle, lighting the space, obscuring the edge just ahead. Let's see if we get anyone to pussy out tonight.
Bel hops off the moment we stop, and she doesn't bother hiding the smile of wonder on her face as she takes in the lanterns and the rock on the far side of the clearing opposite the cliff edge. The rough granite is carved and pockmarked with names from every generation of Mill members.
I raise my voice and line the new members up in a row facing the rock. "The time has come to take your place among your brethren. Step up to the rock and carve your name. There's no backing out now."
I rip the hoods off their heads and nudge the first skinny kid forward. "Step forward, carve your name, and take your place."
The skinny bastard scrambles forward, and he falls against the rock in his eagerness to grab the pick on the ground nearby.
I shove two more, and Seb does the same on the other end of the line.
They step up, each carve their name, and once they finish, they turn back eager-eyed and grinning.
I hand the hoods back to each of them. “You can put this on if you’re going to be a pussy, but…there's one final rite that you must complete in order to be considered a member."
“Adios, fuckers.” Lee grins and runs toward the open space between the lanterns, disappearing in a soft mist.
The new recruits mutter among themselves, and I shove a couple of them forward. "Go on."
Bel leans into Elyse, her bright hair a contrast to Elyse’s dark braid that’s hanging over her shoulder. "You don't have to do it if you don't want to."
Seb wanders over, his hands shoved into his robe pockets. "She's here, isn't she? She can either do it, or she’ll be stuck out here by herself.”
Elyse takes a tentative step back, and I march over and cut between them. Seb hasn't stopped pushing her since that night in the kitchen six months ago. Lee, Aries, and I have an ongoing bet that she's going to punch him square in the face and quit before the summer ends.
I snag Bel's hand in mine and lead her to the edge. "Together?"
With big, bright eyes, she peeks over the side of the ledge, then tugs her glasses off her face and hands them to me. "Keep these safe."
I smile, and she jumps, dragging me along by the hand.
There's a moment of panic, of pure free fall, until my boots hit the water, and we sink below. She releases me, and I swim up to the surface. It's not a long drop, but with the mist from the small falls nearby, no one can see the water below.
Lee swims on his back a few feet away, his robe, shirt, and shorts on the rocks nearby. "Think we'll have some rejects this year?"
I glance up, and with the light above and the slivers of moonlight, I spot Elyse on the edge of the cliff, scanning the water below.
Bel waves up at her, but Elyse doesn't see her.
“He won’t really make her jump, right?” Bel asks, a hint of worry in her voice.
“Make her? I don’t know about that. If you ask me, Sebastian has it out for her for some reason. I wouldn’t be surprised if he…”
A shrill screech cuts through the night, followed by a splash.
