Read Online VOLITION (Perception Trilogy, book 2) by Lee Strauss, Elle Strauss - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lee Strauss, Elle Strauss
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day,
and we accept it as it comes.”
Taylor put his feet up on an empty chair. “Ran into another
humanoid, yesterday.”
An uncomfortable pause settled in the room, the flickering
candlelight reflected spookily on each face.
Taylor looked at me. “Do you want to tell’em, Noah?”
I narrowed my eyes. He was baiting me. “You go ahead.”
“The thing charged Noah’s battery. I told him we should go
somewhere else, but he insisted.”
Chairs shifted as everyone turned to stare me down.
“You bringing the devil on us, boy?” Ike asked.
I leaned back in my chair. “No. I just got my battery
recharged. So we can leave .”
“But you ain’t gone yet, are ya?”
I snorted. “I can’t control the weather.”
“Like I said—” Ike looked at each of the serious faces around
the table, “—he brought the devil on us. We lost our fall crop!”
I balked. “I thought the Lord made each day?”
“Today was a pretty good day,” Taylor said smirking.
I pushed my chair back and stood with tight fists. “Do you want
to take this outside?”
“Whoa,” he said with hands up in fake surrender. “We’re
pacifists, remember.”
“What in God’s name is going on between the two of you?” Finn
said.
Neither of us answered, and Taylor fell back into his chair.
“Whatever it is, it’s nothing hard work won’t cure. The both of
you get outside and shovel the driveway.”
“But, it’s dark and it’s snowing heavily,” Taylor said. “It’ll
just need to be done again in the morning.”
“Nothin’s getting’ shoveled in the morning. It’s Sunday.” Finn
motioned for Philip to clear everything away.
Then his gaze settled on me. “We’ll be seeing you and Miss
Morgan at chapel?”
The good thing about Sunday morning on the commune was that
everyone washed up the night before. Water was brought to a boil in the
kitchen, and a big tub was filled and soap added. The ladies went first and
then us guys. It was kind of gross but better than nothing.
Laundry had also been done so we all had clean clothes as well.
Everyone smelled a whole lot better, which was a nice change, especially since
the cold weather kept the windows closed, so not much in the way of
circulation.
Breakfast was a lighter affair, too. I asked Philip where the
chapel was and he said right there in the living room.
Zoe stood in the hallway and waved me over.
“I’d really like to talk to you,” she whispered. “Can we take
off?”
I nodded. If I had to choose between being alone with Zoe or staying
here to listen to Finn go on, it was an easy choice.
We selected a couple winter coats, scarves, mitts and wool
hats, then slipped out the back door.
“Where to?” I asked.
“Somewhere out of sight.” She pointed. “Behind the shed.”
“Lead the way.”
The snow was crisp under our feet and we sank about six inches
with each step. The snow still fell, but it was lighter now. My lungs burned from
the cool air I breathed in, and my breaths shot out in rhythmic puffs.
We stopped to rest when we could no longer see the house.
“What do you think they’ll do when they realize we’re gone?”
Zoe said. “And unchaperoned?”
I chuckled. “I don’t know. It’s not like they can
ex-communicate us.”
“They could send us to bed without supper.”
“I suppose, but it’s worth it.”
Zoe’s wool hat was pulled down over her ears and her dark hair
stuck out barely touching her shoulders. Her nose was already red from the
cold, and snowflakes had gathered on her eyelashes.
Adorable.
“I’d never seen snow before coming here,” she said. She scooped
up a little in her mitt and licked it with her tongue.
I couldn’t stop staring at her mouth, and decided then and
there it was worth forgiving her.
“Me neither,” I said. “It’s not so bad, except that it’s cold
and wet and keeps you from leaving a crazy commune.”
Her eyes lit up. “Yeah, besides that, I don’t mind it either.”
The
and we accept it as it comes.”
Taylor put his feet up on an empty chair. “Ran into another
humanoid, yesterday.”
An uncomfortable pause settled in the room, the flickering
candlelight reflected spookily on each face.
Taylor looked at me. “Do you want to tell’em, Noah?”
I narrowed my eyes. He was baiting me. “You go ahead.”
“The thing charged Noah’s battery. I told him we should go
somewhere else, but he insisted.”
Chairs shifted as everyone turned to stare me down.
“You bringing the devil on us, boy?” Ike asked.
I leaned back in my chair. “No. I just got my battery
recharged. So we can leave .”
“But you ain’t gone yet, are ya?”
I snorted. “I can’t control the weather.”
“Like I said—” Ike looked at each of the serious faces around
the table, “—he brought the devil on us. We lost our fall crop!”
I balked. “I thought the Lord made each day?”
“Today was a pretty good day,” Taylor said smirking.
I pushed my chair back and stood with tight fists. “Do you want
to take this outside?”
“Whoa,” he said with hands up in fake surrender. “We’re
pacifists, remember.”
“What in God’s name is going on between the two of you?” Finn
said.
Neither of us answered, and Taylor fell back into his chair.
“Whatever it is, it’s nothing hard work won’t cure. The both of
you get outside and shovel the driveway.”
“But, it’s dark and it’s snowing heavily,” Taylor said. “It’ll
just need to be done again in the morning.”
“Nothin’s getting’ shoveled in the morning. It’s Sunday.” Finn
motioned for Philip to clear everything away.
Then his gaze settled on me. “We’ll be seeing you and Miss
Morgan at chapel?”
The good thing about Sunday morning on the commune was that
everyone washed up the night before. Water was brought to a boil in the
kitchen, and a big tub was filled and soap added. The ladies went first and
then us guys. It was kind of gross but better than nothing.
Laundry had also been done so we all had clean clothes as well.
Everyone smelled a whole lot better, which was a nice change, especially since
the cold weather kept the windows closed, so not much in the way of
circulation.
Breakfast was a lighter affair, too. I asked Philip where the
chapel was and he said right there in the living room.
Zoe stood in the hallway and waved me over.
“I’d really like to talk to you,” she whispered. “Can we take
off?”
I nodded. If I had to choose between being alone with Zoe or staying
here to listen to Finn go on, it was an easy choice.
We selected a couple winter coats, scarves, mitts and wool
hats, then slipped out the back door.
“Where to?” I asked.
“Somewhere out of sight.” She pointed. “Behind the shed.”
“Lead the way.”
The snow was crisp under our feet and we sank about six inches
with each step. The snow still fell, but it was lighter now. My lungs burned from
the cool air I breathed in, and my breaths shot out in rhythmic puffs.
We stopped to rest when we could no longer see the house.
“What do you think they’ll do when they realize we’re gone?”
Zoe said. “And unchaperoned?”
I chuckled. “I don’t know. It’s not like they can
ex-communicate us.”
“They could send us to bed without supper.”
“I suppose, but it’s worth it.”
Zoe’s wool hat was pulled down over her ears and her dark hair
stuck out barely touching her shoulders. Her nose was already red from the
cold, and snowflakes had gathered on her eyelashes.
Adorable.
“I’d never seen snow before coming here,” she said. She scooped
up a little in her mitt and licked it with her tongue.
I couldn’t stop staring at her mouth, and decided then and
there it was worth forgiving her.
“Me neither,” I said. “It’s not so bad, except that it’s cold
and wet and keeps you from leaving a crazy commune.”
Her eyes lit up. “Yeah, besides that, I don’t mind it either.”
The
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