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“It seems so isolating and... sorry... boring. No offense.”
“None taken. I’ve lived other places, but something always draws me back here. Do you really love the city that much? Did you find peace there?”
“I didn’t. I’m not sure I was really looking for it though,” King admits.
“But now you are?” Her mouth curled into a smile.
“You ask a lot of questions.” Keeping his voice playful, he was trying not to persuade her to stop.
“We like to get to know people here. In a real way. That requires questions. But if you’re not comfortable —”
“I don’t mind. Honestly, no one has asked me much about myself for a while. It was more my job to be seen, not heard.”
“Intriguing. I look forward to hearing more about what you did for work. Follow me out back; we’ll take the four-wheeler and see if we can get you a nice meal.”
“Aren’t you going to lock up?” King asked, gesturing at the door.
“There’s no lock on it. If someone needs something when we’re not here they are welcome to it. They leave a little cash. Whatever they can.”
“I was born with a heavy dose of skepticism. Doors are made for locking. Protect what’s yours. No one else will do it for you.”
“I was born to trust. And it’s always worked out for me.” She picked up the hem of her dress as she led him to the four-wheeler parked behind the small building. “I’ll go slow, but the path can be a little rough. You’ll have to hold on.”
“I’ve never—”
“You’ve never been on a four-wheeler?” She glanced over her shoulder at him as she patted the seat for King to join her.
“I’ve never been the passenger. Everywhere I go, everything I do, I usually drive. I always know where I’m going.”
“Maybe it’s time you let someone else lead you for a little while.” She patted the seat again.
It was sweet, but knowing the context of a cult, there was also an ominous cloud around the words. Is this how they got people? Save them. Get them food. Convince them to stay and then gain control over their free will? He wasn’t sure if she was being nice or manipulative, either way, he’d keep his guard up. There was nothing new there. He’d lived that way most of his life.
CHAPTERTHREE
Bailey
There are always people coming and going on the edges of Cinderhill. Travelers who had gotten turned around or needed a quick stop on a longer journey. Not many came into the heart of the village. The term village was generous. It conjured up images of brick buildings and little store fronts. This was not that.
“What is this place?” King asked over the sound of the engine as Bailey parked by the pavilion in the center of the community. Parking the four-wheeler there was the rule. It was for anyone to use any time. Just like everything in Cinderhill. Nothing belongs to anyone; it all belongs to everyone.
“Cinderhill is an organic sustainable community that listens to the land and fosters a positive, fruitful, and conscious relationship with the people and the environment.”
“Okaaay.” King drew out the word as he glanced around the open courtyard that was surrounded by raised box gardens and small cinderblock homes. She always loved to see this place through the eyes of an outsider. Especially one who was a self-proclaimed city dweller.
“It’s probably a lot to take in for a city guy like you, but Cinderhill is a really special place. I grew up here. We have everything we need and nothing we don’t.”
“How many people live here?” He got off the four-wheeler and extended his hand to Bailey. Reluctantly she took it, noticing it seemed like a reflex action for him. He was generous in his movements. Thoughtful. But it came across more like a dutiful reaction. A muscle memory of having to be obedient rather than just making kind gestures.
“Thirty-eight right now. It goes up and down. People come and go.”
“If it’s so great why does anyone leave?” He arched a brow at her and seemed to be holding his breath. This man was flesh and blood but seemed to be held together with skepticism and anger. It wasn’t that he was walking around brooding or mad. His stare was piercing and slightly unsettling in its intensity. He was shadowy in a mysterious way she felt the need to guard against. Men like this, charming and domineering in size, were dangerous in her experience. Not that they would strike out like a coiled snake, but they expected something. Their charismatic smile made them somehow entitled to respect and power. She hadn’t decided if that was King yet, but she knew by the look of him, it could be so. He was pleasant enough, but it took obvious effort to hold his smile and relax his shoulders.
“People get what they need from here and then they move on. Or they hate it here and realize they miss the creature comforts they grew up with and leave. This place is perfect to me, but it doesn’t mean it’s perfect for everyone.”
“And you live off the land?” He ran his hand over the leaves spilling out of one of the gardens. “That must be a ton of work?”
“It is, but when you all work together, it’s amazing what you can get done. Everyone pitches in. And most importantly, people need far less than they think. Food. Water. Friendship.”
