Reaping of the Wives

UNFORGIVING FLUORESCENTS

"I've seen enough," Hannah's voice suddenly rang out above the water pounding on the tiles.

Noah quickly pulled his hand away from me, dropping the rag onto the floor. He lathered the bar of soap with his hands and focused on washing my hair. Flicking his eyes from mine, to his mother, he cautiously watched as Hannah rose from her seat without taking her leave.

Once all three of us were sufficiently cleansed and rinsed, the water shut off with a loud clang echoing throughout the pipes. Fresh towels were handed to us and we had barely enough time to pat ourselves dry before the towels were discarded in a heap on the floor and we were lined up to stand in front of our respective husbands.

Each of our gowns were neatly folded and stacked upon one another in the older woman's hands. Hannah had a calculating stare that was somehow more unnerving than her husband's. She was still observing our faces. Our eyes. Each of her sons.

She slowly approached Camilla first and handed her a gown.

"I see hatred in your eyes, but it's not held for your husband." Her deep brown gaze looked to Jonah. "It's for him."

Cami lifted her chin unapologetically. "You're damn right," she seethed through clenched teeth.

The moment the words left her lips, her head was snapped backwards from Caleb's fingers tightly winding through her long auburn hair. He stepped forward until her back was pressed up against his chest, his other hand reached around to grip her jaw in a painful vice as he jerked her head to the side.

His voice had a chilling calm to it as he spoke.

"That's no way to speak to Mama," he shook his head in disapproval. "Apologize, Wife, before I make you feel sorry for the next several days."

"I'm sorry," Cami rushed out, blinking terrified brown eyes up at him.

"Don't tell me," he jerked her head forward to face his mother. "Tell her."

"I'm sorry," she whined out as Caleb's fingers tightened in her hair. "I'm sorry f-for being rude."

Hannah gave her a forgiving smile, then a nod of approval to Caleb.

The domineering man leaned down and spoke in her ear, "One more word out of turn from you and I'll break your fucking jaw. Understand?"

"Yes," Camilla nodded profusely. "I'm sorry, Husband."

Caleb patted her cheek sharply enough to make her wince. "That's a good girl. Now get dressed." He released his hand from her hair and stepped back while she immediately began unfolding the white gown.

"Why do you hold so much hatred for Jonah in your heart?" Hannah asked.

Camilla's eyes shot to the woman's. It was an inquiry I knew Cami never wanted to discuss. She would take the knowledge that Ava was her sister to her grave before giving them that information to be used to their advantage.

Please be smart, please be smart, I thought over and over again.

"Because she's just a child and she shouldn't be here."

Hannah gave a slow nod. "By that reasoning, Jonah is also just a child."

"He shouldn't be here either," Cami said. "This isn't something they should be subjected to."

The older woman stepped closer and I felt every hair on my body stand on end. Despite her lowly place in their world, there was still an undeniable power that emanated from her. It was clear we were even lower than her.

"Subjected to?"

The way she mimicked Cami's choice of words made my blood run cold.

"What, pray tell, are they being subjected to? The Lord's intended ways for a husband and wife to love one another? Is that such a terrible thing?"