Elara Whitmore grew up in a religious household. Her world revolved around going to school and church. Her parents only approved of things within the community. A small town of 3000 people formed that community.
There was only one church, if you could call it that. It was more like an auditorium. There were benches placed there with a podium where the important members would sit.
Every Sunday, everyone would walk into the auditorium, worship for three hours and leave. It was believed that 12 pm and 12 am were times the devil would come out to play. So, everyone would leave the church before that time.
Anyone on the street at this time would be considered as having dealings with the devil.
Elara grew up hearing stories of children being carried away by demons and people losing their souls when they go out at these times.
Besides church, Elara was taught that a lady should be seen and not heard. Speak softly, walk modestly, never contradict a man. Your husband is your sky and earth. She learnt to cook, clean, sew and be a good homemaker.
She was told to obey her parents as a child and obey her husband as a wife.
She has seen and experienced the consequences of rebellion.
Once, she tried wearing her brother's clothing and was punished because she wore a man's clothes. It did not matter that the supposed man was only five years old. She wore garments belonging to a male, and a woman wearing male garments was a sin.
Her punishment was 10 strokes of the cane to her hands for "stealing". Her leg was also broken and reset because she walked around in the pants. At this time, Elara was only 4.
More than once, she tried to rebel, all ending in failure. She learnt quickly that no one in their small town would help her. It did not matter if she did not believe; she needed to follow the rules. The place she grew up gave her no respite.
The punishments were so normal that people rarely questioned them. Over time, you learnt to keep out of trouble, to avoid the sins.
Some people, who were brave enough, tried to leave. Elara had seen them before, but they never got too far. Someone would always find a way to catch them and bring them back. Some you would be able to see again. Others disappeared altogether.
The following Sunday, everyone would be asked to pray for them. Those who appeared had broken limbs. The church would pray for their recovery. Those who disappeared, the church would pray that they find their way away from the demons who had taken them.
Elara saw it all happen, but there was nothing she could do. She had problems of her own.
The one thing people in the town feared was what she started dreaming about.
It started when she was five. Creatures of all shapes, sizes and statures roamed streets similar to the ones she knew. Buying and selling things, having conversations on the street. The buildings gave off a rustic charm she had not seen in her short years.
She saw vast expanses of land, deserts and mountains. They both terrified and intrigued her.
The first few nights, she was afraid. Even at five, she knew she would be punished for having dreams about demons.
Each time, the dreams were different. Sometimes she would see people, other times picturesque scenes. There were times she saw people fighting to the death.
The first time she saw such a fight, she woke up screaming, and her parents beat her. A light punishment compared to the others.
She learnt to hold back from screaming. But she started to wet the bed. She was whipped for that incident. Her bottom was bloodied, and she wasn't able to sit for days. Her mother soothed her by rubbing medicine after the beating and telling her to be a good girl.
She learned to hide it better. She didn't scream for them to hear. She used towels that would be washed the next day to hide the fact that she still wet the bed.
After a month, something changed; she began to enjoy the dreams. The places she saw were so beautiful she couldn't take her eyes away. The majestic mountains stretched on and on. Mist curled around the towering trees, as far as the eye can see.
In one dream, she saw an underwater village. A large building with a mysterious aura covered with shining pearls. Many of the houses were made of sea glass, corals and clams. Creating a unique seascape.
The dreams became her escape. A place for her to visit when everything felt wrong.
In her regular world, the slightest offence is an infraction. In this dream world, she is free to see, travel and experience. While not all experiences are good, she appreciates them just the same.
Her dreams continued until she was 16. They left just as abruptly as they came.
It left her lonely for some time. No longer able to see the beautiful sights. And that person, she especially missed him.
Without the dreams, Elara found herself alone. She never liked playing with others her age. So she mainly helped her mother with chores. She tried hard to fill her days with things that didn't include the supreme being all the people in the village seemed to love so much.
This was how she met Magdala. It was a day when she was walking around. She was pretending to pick mushrooms from the nearby mountain.
Magdala was two years older than Elara. The two girls struck up a genuine friendship. They would talk to each other at every chance they got.
Maybe it was something in their souls calling to each other. Or the possibility that they shared the same yearning for freedom.
This friendship went on for three months.
One day, Magdala confided in Elara that she wanted to leave. She knew it was difficult, and she knew she might get caught, but she didn't want to get married.
Magdala told her that she watched all the women who were married.
She saw some women hiding bruises under their long clothes. She has heard her mother more than once beg her husband not to hit her. She heard her mother whimpering when they went to the basement, thinking Magdala couldn't hear. That was not the life she wanted for herself.
So she made the only choice she could. She decided to run.
When Magdala told Elara about this, she was already set to be married in one month. Magdala told her she had already packed a bag. She found a small path through the woods that would lead to the next community. From there, she would ask someone for help.
Their community wasn't large; however, it couldn't be qualified as small. It was approximately 13,000m2. Elara knew that people patrolled the perimeter. The only time there was no patrol was during the devil's hour, as they liked to call it.
Magdala would use this one hour to pass through the community. It was the safest and also the most dangerous time. During this time, while there was no patrol, people would look out from their houses to see if anyone was outside and needed to be punished.
The hour from 12 am to 1 am was brightly lit to assist with watching.
This was the most convenient time for someone to run. So Elara, who had just found a new friend, only had a month left with her.
She knew there was nothing she could do in this instance. Magdala had made up her mind. Elara wished she were courageous enough to go with Magdala, but she wasn't. She could only wish her well and hope for the best.
The day Magdala left, she felt jittery. She tried to calm herself down, as if her anxiety would alert the people around her. She remembered what Magdala said to her once.
"Elara, if you get the chance, leave. Don't stay here. There is a world outside that is waiting for you to explore. I saw it once, you know...It was an accident, and I got beaten because of it, but I saw it. The world outside of this place. People didn't need to wear the same thing every day. They weren't covered like we are. They could go out dancing...They look HAPPY! They laugh like I've never seen anyone here laugh."
The dreamy smile on Magdala's face made Elara want to see what she saw.
The night Magdala was supposed to leave Elara stayed up later than she ever had. The devil's hour had already begun, but the night was silent. She tiptoed to her window in the hopes of seeing Magdala, even though she knew that with the position of her house, she would not be able to see her.
She wanted to feel assured, even a shadow would be enough.
She wasn't sure how long she stood there when she heard it. The alarm that signalled someone trying to leave the village.
She listened intently. Trying to figure out whether Magdala had been caught. She heard the rustling of trees, then came the sound of gunshots.
She knew who they were shooting at, Magdala. No one left their houses; they didn't need to. They could shoot her and leave her outside until the devil's hour ended.
Elara hoped against all hope that Magdala wasn't caught.
The alarm stopped, and Elara lay in bed. It wasn't until she woke up the next morning that she even realised she had fallen asleep.
As for Magdala, there was no news. No one was asked to pray for her in church, no one mentioned her. It was as if she never existed.
To Elara, it meant success. Magdala had escaped. She imagined her somewhere out there, living her life. Experiencing the happiness she longed for.