Page 8

8

Lara

The other women Melody and Delilah convinced to join The Golden Light sit down next to me in a large building full of long wooden tables and benches on each side. The setting reminds me of summer camp Rina and I attended every year growing up. When a little girl who looks no more than six or seven with short but wild curly blond hair sets a silver pitcher and a stack of red plastic cups in the center of the table, it definitely makes me think of those weeks I spent at Camp Tioga.

I smile at her to silently say thank you for the drink because the heat of the day has made my mouth parched. She smiles back but then a look of pure terror comes over her, and she hurries away. Looking around for what could have frightened the poor child, I see the woman named Nadine who just gave us our introduction to the group staring in her direction, her dark eyes narrowed as if in anger.

Quickly, I look away, sensing her expression is only a hint at her temper. I don’t need to make any waves while I’m here. I want to try to fly under the radar while I’m looking for Rina, so the last thing I need to do is draw attention to myself by noticing something I don’t think I was supposed to.

With a hint of rage still showing in her eyes, she says in a sickeningly sweet voice, “Ladies, please eat and drink as much as you’d like. I know the bus ride was long, and in this heat, I’m sure it wasn’t the most comfortable hour and a half you’ve ever spent. There’s more than enough to eat and drink, and I see little Kinley coming right now with a tray of cookies her mother made this morning. Enjoy!”

I look around to see a different young girl who looks slightly older than the other one but with the same unruly curly hair. Kinley’s is longer than the other girl’s and even blonder. She’s dwarfed by a huge platter she struggles to carry, but Nadine doesn’t move an inch to offer any assistance.

As she attempts to walk as fast as possible to deliver her mother’s cookies, I watch in horror as she trips over her little feet, and the platter with all its goodies flies out of her hands and lands on the floor, scattering the cookies all over the place. I hurry over to her expecting her to break into tears, but she simply looks petrified and stares up at Nadine in utter terror.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do it,” she says in a tiny, trembling voice.

Worried Nadine might scold her or worse, I turn to look at the woman and stare her down. This child did nothing wrong. I will not let her be punished.

For a second, it’s like the whole world is frozen in place. No one moves, including Nadine, but I see in her eyes she’s furious even though her smile hasn’t faded at all. I’ve read that homicidal maniacs act like that with expressions that don’t match their eyes. I don’t know if she’s dangerous, but I can see quite clearly she’s fighting with everything she has inside her to pretend she isn’t angry.

Then, as if someone starts the world again, she says in that same sickeningly sweet voice, “It’s okay, Kinley. Here, let me make sure you’re okay.”

I know I should move and let her get close to the little girl, but the terror in the child’s eyes makes me stay put next to her as the woman crouches down to inspect her knees. They’re a little red but not scraped, thankfully, and Nadine gives her a kiss on the cheek to make her feel better.

“A-OK. Run along now and go to your mother, okay? Tell her we need more cookies.”

Kinley nods and then jumps up before running away. As I stand to rejoin the group, Nadine smiles at me, but it’s the kind of grin that a crocodile gives someone right before devouring them.

“She’ll be fine.”

“I was worried she may have hurt herself. Perhaps she should have some help with the next tray. I’d be happy to walk with her. Just tell me where to find her and her mother,” I say as sweetly as I can, hoping she can’t tell how much I disapprove of her right now.

“Thank you, Lara. She’ll be fine.”

Again with the fine. God, I hope her mother helps her this next time because if poor little Kinley drops another tray of cookies, I have a feeling Nadine isn’t going to be able to hide how furious she’ll be over another mistake.

As I sit down next to the other women, the girl comes walking into the dining hall all alone once again with a plate of cookies. This time the tray’s a little smaller, so she has no problem delivering her treats to our table. She smiles up at Nadine, but even as she gets a kind look from her, I swear I see terror in her eyes.

“Please, enjoy these cookies and some lemonade. It’s been very hot today, so we don’t want anyone to become dehydrated or get sick. I’m going to thank Kinley’s mother for her wonderful baking, but I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

She walks away behind the little girl, and we all reach for a cookie from the pile on the blue platter. Each one is shaped like a star, and I have to say I’m a little surprised they aren’t in the shape of that sun with beams coming out I’ve seen on nearly everything associated with this group so far. Then again, maybe that would be too hard to make into cookies. I’m sure the star shape is meant to symbolize something, like we’re all capable of being superstars in the world.

My first bite of Kinley’s mother’s cookies surprises me with how delicious they are. Buttery and light, they’re instantly addictive. Everyone around me gobbles them up, and I can’t deny how tasty they are. Even though I didn’t think I was hungry, I take a second and then a third one.

After a couple minutes, one woman stands up from the bench and grabs the silver pitcher in the center of the table. Tall with wide shoulders that seem big for a female, she looks around at all of us and asks, “Would anyone like some?”

We all nod and reach for a red cup, and she pours for each of us. Lifting her cup in the air, she smiles. “To having all we ever wanted in life!”

It seems like a nice toast, so I lift my glass with the rest of the women and then glance into my cup to see what looks like pink lemonade. I’m thirsty enough to drink anything after three cookies, so I take a big gulp and revel in how good it tastes as it slides over my tastebuds and down my throat.

“This is the best lemonade I’ve ever had,” the woman with short black hair says before pouring herself another glassful.

Next to her, a plain-looking young woman with light brown hair I’m guessing is around my age nods. “It is. I usually don’t like lemonade, but this stuff is incredible.”

I want to say we’re probably just thirsty so that’s why what I’m guessing is pretty ordinary pink lemonade tastes so refreshing, but as each woman around me raves about how good it is, I decide being different in this case isn’t going to help me. I’m not here to make friends or find the way to get all I ever wanted, but it won’t help me find Rina by making myself stand out as a contrarian.

Anyway, what does it hurt to let them believe this lemonade is the best drink they’ve ever tasted?

Everyone’s tongue loosens with the snacks, and it doesn’t take long for us to be comfortable enough to introduce ourselves. The woman who poured the lemonade starts first, and I learn her name is Bethany and she lives on a farm not even a mile away.

“My parents would kill me if they knew I was here, but when I met Charlotte this morning and she started telling me about this place, I wanted to see for myself if it’s that great. All I can say is if everything else is as incredible as those cookies and lemonade, I’m in!”

Everyone laughs at that as they nod their agreement, and the woman directly across from her on the other side of the table is next to speak up. “Hi everyone! I’m Mary. I know. Who names their kid that in the twenty-first century, right?” she asks with a nervous chuckle.

The one I judge to be the youngest of us sits next to her and shakes her head. “I think it’s a pretty name. You know, names our grandmothers used to have are all coming back into vogue nowadays. That’s why my mother and father named me Anna.”

She suddenly stops talking and turns her body toward Mary. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to horn in on you.”

Mary waves off any concern and smiles big to show off perfect teeth. “It’s okay, Anna. Nice to meet you!”

Relief washes over the younger woman’s expression, which now seems incredibly innocent, but she lowers her head to hide her face when she does. I watch to see if I can figure out what she doesn’t want us to see, but her chin practically touches her chest, so all that’s visible is the top of her head and the straightest part possible through dark brown hair.

The one next to her raises her hand as if we’re all still in school and says, “Okay, I guess I’m next. I’m Cheyenne, and I guess I’m the exact opposite of them. My father says that my mother chose my name from some book he can’t remember, but because she’s dead, I doubt I’ll ever know what it was.”

Something about how easily she confesses all of that makes me think she’s repeated those sentences many times in her past. Maybe kids in grade school made fun of her name, so she came up with a justification for why her parents gave her it that made everyone feel bad for picking on her. Or maybe she’s joined other groups like this and that’s her standard introduction.

Whatever it is, the way she mentioned her mother being dead causes a momentary pall to come over the group. I’m the only one who hasn’t explained who she is, but now it feels awkward to just pipe up with my name and how I got here. So I wait for a little while and smile when Bethany turns to look at me as if she’s decided it’s time to move on from the brief sadness Cheyenne interjected into what had been a lighthearted time.

Everyone else follows Bethany’s lead and looks at me, so I smile and say, “I’m Lara, and I guess I’m here because a girl named Melody saw me sitting on a park bench in Wilmington and started telling me about love. She asked me if I wanted to feel pure love, and here I am.”

My introduction is technically true but leaves out the real reason I agreed to come along when Melody and Delilah asked me to join them. I can’t afford to have anyone know the truth of why I’m here. Not if I want to find out what happened to my sister.

Mary looks across the table at me and sighs. “Lara. That’s such a beautiful name. I bet your mother researched pretty names and chose that one when she first saw you.”

A chuckle explodes out of me, horrifying her and everyone else around the table, so I quickly explain, “Oh, maybe. It’s just that if you met my mother, you’d know she probably didn’t do much research at all. I’m guessing she saw a movie one night right before I was born and remembered my name from some character.”

Next to me, Bethany looks at me with nothing short of pity filling her eyes. “You don’t know why your parents chose to name you Lara?”

I shake my head as four pairs of eyes stare at me like I’m some kind of alien. “Not really. My mother definitely had a reason for my sister’s name, but she’s never given any reason for naming me Lara.”

Before I can change the subject, Bethany asks, “What’s your sister’s name?”

Damn. I let my guard down for a tiny moment and now I’ve gotten myself into a discussion I don’t want to be in. Quickly, I think of a different name than Rina and a reason my mother chose it.

“Mina. My mother loved the book Dracula, so she always said she wanted to name her daughter that.”

Anna nods like she understands. “My older sister has a name like that too. She got to be named Daisy because my father loved The Great Gatsby. I guess younger sisters get the short end of the stick, huh?”

I smile like I agree with her assumption that my sister is older than I am and look around for Nadine. As much as she makes me uneasy, I’d love for her to interrupt this little chat session so I don’t have to make up any more lies. When I see her walking back into the building, I’m oddly thankful for her return.

Her arms spread wide, she smiles and says, “Ladies, let’s get you introduced to some of the other people in our little group. I think you’re going to really love meeting people just like you, people who believe that they deserve to have all they want in this life.”

The other four women hurriedly stand and walk toward where she’s waiting, so I follow them, even though I’m pretty sick and tired of this positivity thing she likes to preach. I don’t think she believes it for a second, so to me it rings hollow.

None of what The Golden Light has to say means a thing to me. It’s all puffed up words, and if I didn’t think that before she reacted to little Kinley’s mistake, I knew it by how hard she had to work to keep her rage under wraps. This group, whatever they truly believe, isn’t what they claim, and I don’t want to stick around long enough to find out what the truth is.

All I want to do is find Rina and take her home.