For some context: Paul and I first met at work. He was a new hire. His job on the team was simple, just data entry. I was tasked to train him. Show him the ins and outs of the job and how things ran around the office.
He was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when we met. Eager to get to work. It was refreshing to see, but I figured that attitude of his wouldn’t last forever. Once he became a slave to Corporate America and drowned in the monotony of the work, his spirit was sure to shrivel up and die. Everyone’s eventually did.
Since I was his trainer, we grew close quickly. When I wasn’t showing him what to do he was asking questions. Sprinkled in with work related inquiries, he was asking me ice breakers to get to know me. Even after my job was done, he still came to me when he got confused with the program or couldn’t figure out how to properly input some data. Eventually he would just come to my cubicle and chat me up when there was down time. We got to know each other pretty well during those conversations.
Surprisingly, we had pretty similar interests, hobbies, and political beliefs. We both liked running, nature, video games, and a nice glass of wine.
I’ll admit I was kinda sweet on him. I liked his work ethic, and a few weeks in, his joyful optimism still clung to him like static. I found myself actively seeking him out. One place he frequented was the water cooler. Whenever I’d see him there, I would tell him all about the hottest office gossip- something I never did with new hires. It was during one of these water cooler chats that Paul worked up the nerve to me out.
He was funny and had a great personality. For a guy in his late twenties, he wasn’t unpleasant to the eyes either. He had short brown hair, the cutest baby face, and the most mesmerizing blue eyes you’d ever seen. He was tall and had a medium build on top of it. I enjoyed our conversations and felt there could be some chemistry between us, so I said yes.
A few nights later Paul took me out to a nice steakhouse for dinner. We talked for hours, mostly just talking nonsense, but we also discussed more meaningful topics. At one point he asked me if I was religious. I told him the truth, I wasn’t. My parents weren’t and I’d never had a specified interest in any of the major religions. His reaction was pretty lackluster and I wasn’t too worried about it. It was just another one of those get to know you type questions.
When I returned the question, however, Paul’s entire demeanor changed. He tried to dodge the subject and when I pressed him, he grew nervous and squirmed in his seat. I teased him for a bit before leaving it alone. I wasn’t really all that pressed about it, and figured Paul would tell me when he felt ready.
I wish I’d seen that for the red flag it was at the time.
Other than that, the night went rather pleasantly. We parted ways after dessert, and our date ended after we shared a tender kiss.
We went on quite a few more dates since then and began dating. A few months in, things were getting pretty serious between us. We even planned our first weekend getaway together. At that point in the relationship we had never been… intimate with each other. Paul was a virgin and he was saving himself for the right girl. I hoped that would be me.
To me, the trip was supposed to prove that and I’d have the honor of deflowering him.
He’s the one that suggested we go on it in the first place. Things had gotten pretty busy and stressful at work and we were both in desperate need of a break, so that’s when he suggested we go on a romantic weekend getaway.
Paul really got me excited for the trip. He wouldn’t stop talking about all the things we were going to do. He booked a lakeside cabin in the middle of the woods and we planned to go on a lot of hikes and just enjoy each others company in the sweet embrace of Mother Nature.
Alas, then it was finally time for us to embark for the trip. Paul came and picked me up at my place and we headed off. The cabin was about a two hour drive away from the city we lived in. I had gone home after work and it took me a few hours to get all my stuff ready, so we didn’t leave until late in the evening. Paul didn’t mind too much because there would barely be any traffic.
We got there late, but the sight of the cabin made up for it. The architecture was beautiful. It was built with these huge dark oak logs and the back end of the cabin that faced the lake was mostly floor to ceiling windows. To be honest, it worried me how much Paul must’ve paid to rent it. It seemed to be out of both our price range.
Paul and I kissed out front while he carried the bags in. It quickly turned into a steamy make out session. I wanted it to be more, even trying to initiate, but he pulled away. The smile on his face made the knot in my stomach melt away. Left in its place were fluttering butterflies.
He went inside and put our things up. I stayed outside a moment. I was feeling inadequate, that maybe I wasn’t the woman he was looking for. Maybe he’d never want me the way I wanted him. Then I remembered the smile on his face and the look in his eyes. “I’m not ready yet, but almost,” they seemed to say.
I went inside the cabin and joined Paul. After exploring the cabin, I went to bed. Paul soon slipped under the sheets and joined me. We fell asleep spooning.
Then the next morning I woke up alone. I panicked for a second, thinking Paul had changed his mind and decided to ditch me. But, the smell of breakfast cooking in the kitchen wafted into our room and my anxiety settled. Paul must’ve been in the kitchen.
I have abandonment issues, and it rears its ugly head every time I get to a good point in any relationship. There’s some baggage I have that I haven’t told Paul about yet. Somehow my brain thinks he knows and that he’s searching for a way out of the relationship, which in turn makes me look for a away out- hurt them before they hurt mentality. It sacred me. I didn’t want to lose him. Paul was good, he felt good. Right.
I slipped into a pair of shorts and one of his oversized t-shirts. I met Paul in the kitchen. He was cooking bacon and eggs.
“Good morning,” he smiled, flipping an egg.
I replied back with a stretch and a yawn, “Morning babe.”
It seemed I had come at the right time as Paul just finished cooking the food. He put two over easy eggs (just the way I like them) on my plate next to a few pieces of bacon and two slices of freshly buttered toast. I waited for him to join me at the table with a plate of his own.
“I went and got groceries,” he said between a mouth full of eggs.
“Clearly,” I pointed to the food sitting in front of us. The only food we brought with us were road-trip snacks. Nothing of actual nutritional value.
We finished breakfast in a calm silence. I cleaned up the kitchen since Paul cooked. When everything was spick-and-span, I joined him on the couch. He was reading a book.
“Let’s go for a walk,” I suggested.
Paul put the book down and nodded with agreement. He went into our room to change into more athletic attire.
We set out with full water bottles and a backpack full of snacks.
We picked a short and easy trail. This morning we wanted to go on a relaxing stroll. There was time to go on more vigorous and challenging hikes later.
I admired the view on the trail. Sun shone through the trees and birds chirped as they soared through the air. The scenery looked like it came straight out of a fairytale. “This place is wonderful.”
“It’s beautiful, Paul started, “but not nearly as beautiful as you.”
I blushed and playfully punched him in the arm. “What made you choose this place anyway?”
“A lot of things. I’ve hiked up in this area before and figured you would like it. The scenery is jaw dropping, as you’ve already figured out. It’s a special place, for a special woman.”
I blushed even harder as my heart started racing. I grabbed his hand and held it tight, never wanting to let him go.
We finished our walk and returned to our cabin around midday. Still tired from traveling the day before, I took a nap.
It was late afternoon when Paul woke me up.
“Laura, wake up,” he whispered in my ear. His breath sent pleasurable tingles down my spine. “I have a surprise for you!”
I sat up and looked at Paul. He was giddy and had the biggest smile on his face. In his hands was my favorite yellow sundress. He handed it to me and I slipped into the bathroom to put it on. I pulled my long blonde hair into a ponytail and applied a small amount of makeup. A little foundation, concealer, some blush, a bit of mascara, and finally some of my favorite rose colored lipstick.
I emerged looking my best. I twirled around I’m my dress, leaving little to Paul’s imagination.
“Follow me!” He cheered racing out to his car. I hopped in and he started driving down a bumpy dirt road. Trees whizzed past as we drove by the lake.
“Where are we going?”
“Dinner,” he replied with a sly smile.
My stomach rumbled a bit in excitement. It wasn’t long until he stopped the car and we both got out. He came up behind me, rubbing his hands down my hips. We swayed in tandem with one another before he covered my eyes.
I giggled like a school girl as he led me to our destination. It was a little ways of a walk from the car and I almost tripped us about a hundred times. The whole experience was romantic and fun.
Finally we stopped and he released his hands from over my eyes. We were in a large meadow. Smack dab in the middle was a large red and white checkered blanket and a wicker picnic basket. It looked straight out of a fairy tale.
I pecked him on the cheek before running to the picnic area and admiring the spread. He had sandwiches, an assortment of cheeses, fruits and meats all laid out on a charcuterie board. There was a bucket full of ice and a bottle of wine. I wondered when he had time to do all this. I hadn’t napped for that long.
“Dig in!” Paul said, joining me. I started sampling all the food while he opened the wine and poured each of us a glass.
He handed me mine while taking a sip from his own. I pulled him into a quick but passionate kiss. We laughed and giggled before I also took a sip of my wine.
Now I love a good red, but this wine must’ve been the bitterest one on the shelf. I made a mental note to tell Paul what brands to avoid getting.
“It’s almost time,” he whispered in my ear as I plucked a juicy grape off a stem and shoved it in my mouth.
Paul stared at the sky. The sun was starting to set in the horizon, painting the sky with a pastel ombré of yellows, oranges, and reds. Off in the distance you could faintly make out the silhouette of the moon.
My heart fluttered. I thought I knew what he meant. The romantic picnic, the secluded area, the view! He definitely wanted to have sex with me, and he chose the most beautiful place to lose his virginity.
“I- I’m ready. I l-love yo- you…” I stammered out, suddenly feeling a little woozy. My eyelids grew heavy like they were made of lead and my tongue felt like sandpaper. My vision went fuzzy and an overwhelming feeling of tiredness flooded through me. Paul caught me as my body fell limp. Then I blacked out.
A cold draft caused me to stir. My head ached and I felt stiff. I opened my eyes and saw why. I’d been bound to a wooden chair with itchy rope. My mouth was covered with a strip of duct tape.
I struggled trying to break free. It was a fruitless attempt. The rope was tied too tight. The only way to get out of these bonds was to either be untied or cut through the rope. Unfortunately for me, I left my switch blade at home.
Quickly abandoning my escape attempt, I went to examine my surroundings instead. I sat in a cave. There were wooden torches lining the walls, burning just bright enough to cast eerie shadows that danced across the walls. The ceiling had a large opening in it, revealing a portion of the night sky. The stars were out and the full moon was rising. It would’ve been a comforting sight had it not been for the satanic looking alter set up underneath it.
Some people wearing red robes lingered on the other side of the cave. They seemed to be waiting around in anticipation. Once noticing I had awoken, they eagerly made their way up to me. Weirdly, they knelt and started bowing.
Obviously I’d been abducted by a cult of some kind. I deduced they wanted to use me as a human sacrifice. Why else would I be bound and gagged next to a creepy looking altar? The kneeling and bowing felt like they were honoring my soon to be sacrifice. It was really creeping me out.
One robed figure came up to me while the others stayed bowing. I squirmed in my seat, trying to struggle free from my bonds. I was terrified of what they wanted to do to me. My mind was still a little fuzzy and I couldn’t exactly remember how I’d gotten there. What sacred me even worse was I didn’t know what had become of Paul.
The person stopped and rested their hand on my shoulder. I couldn’t see their face as the hood of their robe covered it almost completely. Suddenly they reached for the hood and pulled it off.
A startled, muffled, noise came from my mouth, the gag restricting any words from coming out. They couldn’t understand what I said, so delicately, they removed the duct tape.
“Paul?!” I questioned again, confused as to why he was there. Nothing about my boyfriend remotely screamed “Hey look at me, I’m in a cult!”
Suddenly it all made sense and I remembered everything. Luring me away from the city, the secluded cabin in the woods, the meadow, the bitter wine? He drugged me! It was all a ploy so him and his freaky cult could sacrifice me!
“Release our guest from her bonds,” a deep disembodied voice suddenly ordered. A tall and slender looking blonde man emerged from the caves shadows. He wore a similar robe to the others, except his was black. Clearly this man was the leader.
He stepped into the moonlight where I got a good look at him. He seemed oddly… familiar.
Doing as ordered, Paul started untying the rope that bound me to the uncomfortable little chair. He whispered in my ear as I rubbed my now free, but sore, wrists, “Just for the record, I love you too.”
Anger bubbled up in my gut. He really had the audacity to say that? I stood up and uppercut Paul in the jaw with everything I had. He fell to the ground, losing consciousness briefly. He came to and started rubbing his jaw.
The other cult members gasped and guffawed. Good, they should be scared. I was not a woman to be messed with.
“Relax my disciples,” the leader said calmly, “she is frightened and confused. She does not yet understand.”
“I understand plenty! What the fuck, Paul?!” I screamed.
He picked himself up off the ground. “You wouldn’t have come if I told you!”
“Damn right I wouldn’t!” I retort.
“Now is not the time for a lovers quarrel,” the leader said, gently guiding Paul back to the others. Then he approached me.
A soft smile formed on the man’s lips as he held his hand out to me. I took a tentative step back. “Forgive me, Laura. I would’ve used more tame methods to get you here, but I feared you wouldn’t have come knowing the truth. This was the safest way.”
I took another step back. The guy knew my name. Of course he did, Paul probably told this psycho everything about me! You would want to know the kind of person you’re sacrificing after all.
“Who are you?” I asked, a sudden tremble in my voice.
“I’m just like you,” he replied.
I scoffed and rolled my eyes, “Yeah, cuz I’m a crazy cult leader right in between knitting and sewing. It’s one of my favorite hobbies actually.”
The cave filled with his roar of laughter. It sent a chill down my spine. “Max. My name is Max Maximoff,” he introduced himself, once finally calming down.
He looked up at the night sky. The moon was high in the sky, but not yet at its peak. Max looked back down at me. “You and I grew up with vastly different childhoods. You finally found a home that was filled with love. You had people take care of and support you. You had the closest thing to a normal childhood. But admit it, you always felt out of place there.”
I didn’t say anything. There’s no possible way he could’ve known that.
“Unlike you, I bounced around the system. I was never loved, never cared for. I never fit in anywhere. I had to fend for myself and learn the truth the hard way. Then I found out about you. We’re stronger than others, Laura. Different. special. God, you have no idea how long I’ve been searching for you.”
“Why are you telling me all this?” I asked.
“Don’t you see? We’re two peas in a pod, twin flames. You’re just like me, sister.”
I’d always known I was adopted. My parents wanted me to know, so it was never a secret. I also had a few memories of when I was in the foster care system, but they were pretty vague. The parentals made sure to reiterate that they would always love me as if I was their own. Even still, I never did feel like I fit in there. Not just in looks, but something else, something deeper inside. But they never once said anything about me having a sibling.
“I don’t have a brother,” I said in disbelief.
“Don’t kid yourself,” he chuckled, “you know deep down who I am and know exactly what I’m talking about.”
“No, no I don’t! I have no clue about any of this crazy nonsense you’re spewing! You’re telling me we’re the same, but in what way? This is completely insane!”
Max tsk’ed. “I could tell you, but I’d rather show you.”
Max snapped his fingers. Suddenly a figure appeared wearing white ceremonial looking robes. The person knelt in front of Max. A primal look filled his eyes as he licked his lips hungrily. I didn’t like where this was seemingly going.
“Oh great and mighty one, I give my life for you,” her voice making it apparent she was a woman. She didn’t seem to be scared at all. “May you prosper with my power.”
“Thank you for your sacrifice,” he said before slicing their throat open with a dagger I hadn’t seen him carrying before.
I screamed as she fell to her knees. Max fell to the floor with her. While she gagged and choked on her own blood, Max cupped his hands and let the life giving liquid pool in his hands. He then lifted his hands to his lips and gulped the blood down like it was water.
The other disciples quickly rushed and dragged the woman’s body away., but not before collecting more of her blood in a golden chalice. There was no alarm in their reactions. It was as if this were any other normal Tuesday night.
“I am a god!” He chuckled with blood stained teeth. He moved into a very villain-esque pose with his hands outstretched in the air. His very demeanor commanded respect and oozed with power. It was quite frightening.
“Y-you just killed a woman!” I screamed. In my frenzy I managed to trip over myself. I quickly scrambled back to my feet. Looking around, my eyes fell on the only entrance into this section of the cave. It currently sat unguarded with most of the cult members dealing with the dead body. A half-assed escape plan was already forming in my brain.
“It’s almost time, the moon is almost at its peak! Join me, sister! Free yourself and embrace what you truly are. Embrace your power!”
“You’re fucking insane!” Now felt like a pretty good time to get out of there. I made a dash for the exit, but cult members quickly blocked it. I tried to shoulder my way past, but they kept blocking me. Then Paul grabbed me. He lifted me up under my armpits and dangled me in the air. I kicked and squirmed, trying get his grip off of me.
“Let go of me! Please!” I cried out in desperation. I was starting to feel like a caged animal that was facing certain death.
Paul tightening his grasp around me. “It’s for the best, honey.”
I struggled more once Max’s stifling gaze met mine. He seemed disappointed in my reaction. Normally I would fight, but both my mind and body were screaming flight at that very moment.
“I was hoping to avoid doing it this way, Laura,” Max sighed, “but you leave me no choice. Tie her back up. Start preparing for the ritual.”