Part 40 (1/2)

She just sat there staring at the phone, as if she were afraid of it. ”In the morning,” she said. ”I'll call in the morning.”

”Okay,” I said. ”Then let's get some sleep.” I put the phone back in my pack, then led her deeper into the forest. I unpacked my tarp and mat and laid them both out behind a thicket of scrub oak. I brought out my sleeping bag and laid it over the tarp. ”You can use my sleeping bag,” I said.

”What about you?”

”I'm okay. I've got the mat and my coat.”

She took off her shoes, then climbed into the bag.

I lay down on the ground with my head against my pack. ”Emily, how did you get involved with this group?”

”I met a boy at a dance club.”

”He was a member?”

”Yes. He was really sweet.”

”Where is he now?”

”He's a missionary. So I don't see him.”

”Did he bring other girls here?”

She didn't answer.

”Were you lonely?”

”Yes.” I could hear her softly crying. After a moment she said, ”Alan?”

”Yes?”

”What if Master El's right?”

”He's not.”

”But how do you know? He said someone would come and try to take me away. And you came.”

”Every cult says that,” I said. ”The first rule of a cult is to make you afraid of the rest of the world. Do you think that's what G.o.d wants? To make you hate the rest of His children?”

”But G.o.d's angry at us.”

”Why is He angry at us?”

”Because we don't do what He tells us to do. He hates us.”

”If you had a child, would you hate her because she didn't always do the right things?” When she didn't answer, I said, ”No, you wouldn't. You'd love her. And because you're an adult, you'd understand her mistakes and want to help her, for her good. That's who G.o.d is. If He made us flawed just to condemn us, what does that say about Him?”

She looked even more distressed. After a minute she said, ”I have a child.”