Escaping Jonestown by Juliea Christine (the beach read txt) 📕

The Beginning

“And tomorrow, we will make the trek to Guyana, where we will live in a utopian paradise not found here, where we will live for Christ, and live out our lives without the outside threat of those who wish to destroy us.”

Applause erupts from around me, and I have to resist covering my ears with my hands. Beside me, my parent’s faces brighten, as they cheer and clap with uninterrupted enthusiasm. My five year old sister Katie is beside me, confused. Her large emerald eyes search around, noticing the happiness on everyone’s faces. Her lips burst into a smile and she tugs on the leg of my pants.

“Luce, why aren’t you happy?” Her smile wilts as she takes in my tense posture. I open my mouth to form a lie, but I can’t bring myself to it. How do I cover for the fact that I feel we are in incredible danger?

“Lucy,” My parents are looking down at me, disappointed, “You’re being rude to Father. Please show your appreciation.”

I looked up at my dad, “Funny, I thought you were my father.” I cross my arms, and the scowl, but turn away.

I feel my sister’s fingers intertwine into mine and I feel bad for scaring her. Forcing a smile, I pick her up into my arms and tell her to clap. She beams at me and joins in with my parents. A prickly feeling erupts all over my skin, and the scene in front of me seems to fade into shadows and blocks of colors. Our leader, the ever so admired Father Jones, appears to me like a scream of red. Whenever I picture the idea of a god, I think of bright light and purity. The opposite stands before me, and I can’t help but shiver as I watch him grin at his followers, knowing he controls us, knowing that nothing will stop him. The idea is terrifying, but not quite as terrifying as this same setting in a distant, lone jungle.

The next thing I know, I’m being ushered out, along with my family. The next hours pass by in a haze, we pack and ready ourselves, but none of it feels good enough. I walk across the hardwood floors of our condo, kissing whatever independence we had left goodbye. I wasn’t sure how long we would be staying in Guyana, but the thought of never coming back made me ill. I found myself slouched over the toilet, spewing up the little amount of food I had eaten.

“Luce…” Katie’s soft voice alarms me.

“I’ll be out in a minute.” I flush the toilet and make a quick attempt of brushing my teeth and washing my face.

“Bathroom’s free.” Smiling, I go to leave her, but she blocks my path with her little form.

“What’s happening, Luce?” Tears form in her eyes, “Where are we going tomorrow?”
“Katie, listen to me. Don’t question anything in front of anyone else. No matter what happens, I am always your sister and I will always be there for you.”

Fear instills us both and I let her sleep in my bed. It is the last night I will live here, and it is the last night a sense of safety will cover me like the warm blanket that adorns us. I snuggle against her, my hand brushing through her sort hair.

“Goodnight, Katie.”

My eyes close at last, and I relax as my dream world closes in, offering me a peaceful recluse from reality.

Into the Jungle

The light hit my eyes in a bright, sharp way. The sky was clear, filled with nothing to block the intense sunlight. We’ve been here barely three days, and already we were split into groups and sent to work in the fields. Some of the women were working in the bakery, preparing and cooking food. My sister Katie was helping bake bread, which was a positive aspect on such a hot day.

The weeds seemed to possess no desire to leave as I hacked away, doing no harm. My muscles already cried out, sending a signal that I would be sore tomorrow. With no clue where either of my parents was, I felt alone.

The structures we were to live in were already set up, and several men were still working on building other small houses. Vigorous jungle surrounded the entire camp, with only a windy, unclear road out. Guards lined the edges, armed with rifles and blank expressions.

Within the next week, the amount of guards doubled, along with sermons multiple times throughout the day. Parents seemed to become the most involved, and were willing to punish their children if they did not behave. It became quite clear that we must behave.

“Luce!” A pair of tiny arms wrapped around my waist. My heart almost stopped as I bent down to hug her.

“Katie, follow me. Stay with me.” Happiness began to fill me as we held hands, walking to the dining building. We were required to eat as a family while Jones delivered a speech.

A guard watched us, his eyes heavy and black. I shivered as he called another guard over, and the town began whispering. My pace quickened as I spotted empty spots. Looking over my shoulders, the guards were gone.

“My people, I have much to say,” His face is serious and unreadable, “I must first start with, that our agricultural work is going as well as I had hoped. This is all thanks to you, your children, your dedication. We must work together, we must be a family. This why we must practice severing ties. The families you came with are now not your only families. Please, listen to me when I say this. Your wife, is no longer just your wife. Your children, are everybody’s children.”

I stared up at him with incredulous eyes, as his lips still moved, pronouncing words I did not wished to here. He would tell us of how good we are, and of how good we could be. Then, he would instill a threatened punishment. Now, he was attempting to cut off every ties we had to our parents and siblings. The claim was that he wanted us to know all of our family.

“We must practice people. We don’t want to become like the outsides. This is why we must have consequences. This is why we must have guards. If we need to teach you a lesson, it is for the very good of our family.”

His eyes scanned the crowd, studying the faces of his followers. The charisma that he seemed to have possessed willed the people to gleam with a light not seen before. My eyes stared back, a cruel and blank expression overcoming me. I didn’t want to show him any satisfaction. His eyes fell on me, and I immediately felt a change in the atmosphere.
“Take this as example, this girl, right here. She will not cohort with anyone who is not her sibling. Guards, please, separate the girl and her sister. People, watch, we are making a change, for the good of us all!”

People cheered as the guard ripped Katie out of hands. A cry shredded from my throat, and another guards gripped me roughly by the shoulders. My screams grew louder and the guard growled, covering my mouth. Applause grew louder, and I found my sounds made no such impact. I was unheard.

Dinner was soon dismissed, and many went back to work. A guard still held me, and I made no attempt to move. Katie was long gone, and I watched as everyone vanished, leaving me with a small amount of guards, and our graceful leader himself.

“Lucy,” My heart stopped. How did he know my name? He cleared his throat, “We must learn to work together. You are mine Lucy. Katie is mine too, not just yours.”

A sound of anger escaped me, “You can’t take her away. You can’t. You’re a liar if you think I won’t protect her.”

His hand harshly slapped across my face, and I held my jaw, surprised. Not that I should be, but the pure jolt of it was a strange reality. I had successfully angered him, and now I was a target.

“If you really love your sister you would want to community to protect her. Think wisely, Lucy.”

He was gone after a few moments, along with the guards. I was by myself, still holding my jaw. With a tremble, I lowered my hand. I couldn’t help myself as sobs consumed me, making my body shake in a vigorous fashion. My breath was sharp and I couldn’t stop my chest from heaving. I felt in pain, mentally and emotionally.

A hand touched my shoulder.

I spun around, expecting to see a guard holding me at gunpoint. Instead, a boy, looking to be of my age, was standing behind me, his eyes full of sympathy.

“Who are you?” I whispered.

He was silent for a few minutes, “My name is Jackson. I was near you when he singled you out. I’m very sorry, and I thought you should know that.”

I nodded, confused, “Thank you.”

His presence was an odd comfort, and I actually felt a sense of peace with him sitting next to me. He sat for a while, and then his eyes stared into mine. He opened his mouth to say something, but instead stood up, quickly walking away.

The Art of Humiliation

I had lost track of the days. At first, it had been a need for me to know the days, the times, the months. After a while, I gave up the sense of time, letting myself fully give into Jonestown. The threatened promise had held true, and I barely ever saw Katie. Talking to my parents was a rare treat, but they were too brainwashed to try to put any