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Chapter 34
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Heathens Chapter 35
EllieIt hadn’t been much of a goodbye. We couldn’t be seen by anyone but my mother and father, who drove us to a private plane hangar. We didn’t meet the pilot, we didn’t have anyone to help us. We were given a ton of cash to get us from the airport to the new house, the dog, a bag each, and we were told everything would be waiting for us at the house. I had a map, notes, and not much else. My mother hugged me for ten minutes, not saying a word. She promised to write and maybe come visit some time. That could take years and we all knew it. I could be a mother. I could be a much older woman. I could never see them again. “Thank you,” I had said to my father in those final moments. He looked at me, this man, this monster, and he put his hand against my cheek. “I don’t want you to think I’m evil, Ellie. I love you and your mother more than anything else in this world. Even myself.” My eyes burned, “I believe you,” I’d said, honest in that moment. I could change my mind later. In a d
Heathens Chapter 36
Mordechai“It’s fucking c-c-c-cold! No one said it would be this cold!” I hissed, teeth chattering as I wrapped Ellie in another sweater. “Why are we outside? We should do this inside. We have fire there. We have warmth.” Ellie rolled her eyes, perfectly happy to sit on our porch with blankets and sweaters and several pairs of socks. “We just have to do the first present, then we can go in. Come on, sunset is pretty.” I sat down in my chair and tried to warm myself up. The wind against the ocean didn’t help, as it blew misty air against us. When it did, Ellie would close her eyes and inhale that smell of the sea. Of the stone on the mountains and the moss that grew on it. It was very, very beautiful, but cold on a Christmas Eve night. “You have to go first,” I said, picking up the present I had under the small tree Ellie had put on the porch. I needed two hands to lift it up. We’d saved the good stuff for the morning.“Dandelion should go first,” Ellie insisted, plucking a squeak t
Heathens Chapter 1
EllieI pressed my ear to the door, resting my hands flat against the heavy, massive oak that my mother had picked out herself. Daddy hadn’t had a single objection, just happy to make her happy. I could clearly remember sitting on the floor at five, watching people come in and hand carve the scene depicted on the wood. A fleet of angels slaughtering a band of heretics. It always made me smile.I couldn’t hear a thing other than some banging and mumbles, along with a sigh that I knew belonged to my father.“Daddy?” I called again.“Just a minute, Ellie,” he said through the door. “Bobby is cleaning up.”“I don’t mind a mess.”“You’d mind this one,” he muttered almost too low for me to hear. “Just wait.”I sighed, backing up and crossing my arms. As always, I carefully stepped only on the red patches on the long runner that stretched across our endless hallway—also picked out by Mom. I didn’t worry about my boots ruining anything, but I liked to think I had more luck on my side if I kep
Heathens Chapter 2
Mordechai“One day, I swear that I’ll stand over the graves of every single Locke left on this planet,” Jonathan sighed, tapping a pen on his desk. “I’m tired of this. I’m really, really tired.”I had nothing to say in response. Truthfully, he didn’t want me to respond. He wanted to get out all of his anger in a long, frustrated rant. I stood there, listening to every word and looking him in the eye so he knew I listened. Even if I didn’t listen, it would have been enough to be present as he ranted.Jonathan didn’t let up, breaking several things against the wall in the office in his home. So far, glass littered the carpet. Eventually a maid would come clean it up.The police had only just left the house after two hours of questioning about half a dozen people, including me. I knew nothing. I made it very clear that I hadn’t seen a thing, I hadn’t been at the docks, and asking me more questions wouldn’t get them anywhere. Thankfully, Jonathan knew how to get the police off his back. O
Heathens Chapter 3
EllieAfter ten minutes, my arm got too tired to keep brushing my hair. I finished up, shaking my hand out and wincing at the pain. My hair shined in the early morning sun from my window. My German Shepard, Dandelion, got off my bed to follow me and check out the chirping birds.I pulled the curtains and the windows open, letting fresh air in. I loved few things more than early fall at dawn. I smelled damp leaves that had fallen from the rows of trees outside. When I leaned out my window, I could see the whole west side of the estate. That included the tennis courts, one of the pools, and the apple grove that my great, great grandmother had started from one single tree.Careful to step on every other flower tile in my bathroom, I went to the closet section to pick out something to wear. I thought I could wear something that would remind Dad of his mom for this special breakfast. I picked out short overalls and a plaid shirt to go under it. She always gardened. I had the smattering of
Heathens Chapter 4
Mordechai“You study up on your backstory?” Jonathan asked me after calling me into his office.“It was pretty thorough.”“Should be. Got it off a real guy in Kansas. Don’t worry; he’s dead.”I looked down at the papers in my hand, seeing that the man had been the same age as me. His description fit as well, making it all too easy to forge the rest of the paperwork I’d need. If someone looked into anything, I could just pull from his life. His very boring, Kansasy life.“Quick question,” I said, holding up my new ID. “So Zoil was too conspicuous but the Mordechai bit was keepable.”“That’s not a word, champ, but I thought you would appreciate having your own name. You have any idea how few Jews they got in Kansas? I busted my ass to get you that.”I kept my expression blank, as if nothing he said bothered me. I’d heard worse. A hell of a lot worse. “Thank you.”“Everything is in place. As long as you stick with your new history, anything they look for is there. Couldn’t manage the soc
Heathens Chapter 5
EllieI pressed my hands together, touching the tips of my fingers to my chin as I inhaled deep. I knew I couldn’t really fight Daddy when he had made up his mind, but I also knew that he wanted to make me happy. If I said the right things, he would see things my way.“Not a chance,” I eventually said.He sighed at me. “Eleanor,” he said slowly. “My family is in danger. That means doing things that we might not like.”“Do you also have a shadow following you around all day every day? How am I supposed to live with no privacy? Girls need privacy, Daddy.”“Girls need to not get their throats slit and then become dismembered.”I felt myself go cold. “Please, Dad. Don’t do this to me. I’ll be good. I’ll stay inside.”“No, you won’t,” he laughed. “When have you ever stayed inside for longer than two days?”“I know I have.”“The flu doesn’t count. The discussion is over. Your new bodyguard is in the hallway and I want you to meet him. He’s very capable. Dandy likes him already.”I gasped. T
Heathens Chapter 6
MordechaiI’d been warned that she liked to get up at dawn. It might have been my absolute hatred of the idea that had me desperate to believe otherwise, but I got up early anyway. I rose before the sun did, finding the girl still asleep in her bed and cuddled up with her dog. The dog faced the door, ready to tear apart any intruder that might have decided to come in. He didn’t budge when I got up, gathered some clothes, and went into the bathroom.I tried not to be completely put off by the size of the bathroom. I didn’t really have the time. After a quick perimeter check, I needed to shower as fast as I could manage so I could get back to babysitting duty. Surely, she could avoid getting murdered for ten minutes. If not, then I could probably jump out the window and make a break for it before anyone saw.After stripping myself of the shirt and boxers I’d slept in, I stepped into the shower. Water sprayed me from four different showerheads, which I didn’t know if I should love or hat
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