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The wo particularly pale

She takes off her coat, letting it fall to the ground A sheet is wrapped around her body, tied at one shoulder Her dark eyes look huge in her bald head, and they gaze at ether with her fingers interlocking in front of her The only thing that mars her old-world look is the pair of white tennis shoes she wears beneath her sheet

She gives us a little bow before turning towardstatements that I would expect from someone so obviously part of an apocalypse cult She just moves toward my sister quietly, then stops in front of her

My mother bows to the lady ‘Thank you for your sacrifice Thank you for volunteering’

‘Volunteering for what?’ I ask, feeling uneasy

‘Don’t worry about it, Penryn’ My mother waves me away ‘I’ll take care of this’

‘Take care of what?’ I’ with people, and I’ with people the way she is with this woman ‘Take care of what, Mom?’

Myher ‘I’ll explain it to you when you’re older’

I stand under the trees and blink several times at her It’s all I can think to do ‘When I’m older? Seriously?’

‘This is not for you I know you, Penryn You don’t want to see this’ She shoos me away

I take a few steps back and join Raffe to watch in the shadows My estures for us to move farther back, and we turn and walk away I slip behind a tree to watch when Mo at us Raffe stands beside me but doesn’t bother to hide

The cult woe A part ofwhat’s about to happen But another part ofis going on withAre they trying to recruit Paige into a cult? I feel no guilt about spying right now I’ on privacy, but I just need toon

‘I am here to serve you, Great One,’ says the woe ‘She volunteered We have a whole line of cult members who volunteered They kno i to make sacrifices’

I don’t like the word sacrifices I rush over to the down at the wo in front of her The woman loosens her sheet and tilts her head to the side to expose her vulnerable neck

I stand frozen, taking in the scene ‘What are you doing?’

‘Penryn, stay out of this,’ says Mo her as meat?’

‘This isn’t like the other time,’ says Mom ‘She volunteered This is an honor for her’

The cult member looks at me aardly with her head still tilted to the side ‘It’s true I have been chosen I am honored to nourish the Great One who has resurrected the dead and will lead us to heaven’

‘Who wants to go to heaven anyels there’ I look at her to see if she’s joking ‘You actually volunteered to be eaten alive?’

‘My spirit will be renewed asseriously, and the wo ‘What makes you think she’s the Great One anyway? The last time ere here, this camp tried to draw and quarter her’