“Austin, don’t you trust me?” Deb asked him at the entrance of the compound. The steering wheel vibrated in his hands. They were sitting in his father’s rusty red truck. A cool breeze swept through open windows, sending a chill down his spine.

“That’s not it,” he responded.

“Then come on,” she said, lurching forward in her seat. “Everyone’s waiting!”

His foot let off the brake pedal. The old machine rolled onto the property. Its slow pace matched his own reservations. Deb grabbed his arm to reassure him. He needed it.

The crunch of gravel followed their entrance. Along the main road were various fruit trees being harvested by some of the occupants. Deb told him about the beauty of the compound months ago. It was all true. The rolling grass fields lead to small hills to the stream that cut under the road and went well into the horizon. Sunlight hit the morning dew that rested on the uncut blades of grass. It was a sea of shimmering green. To the west stood a forest of tall trees. From what Austin could make out, men were working on taking the trees down for lumber. Between the road and the forest were dozens of small cabins with gravel walkways connecting them all. He wondered which one was Deb’s.

“Hey, Abby!” Deb shouted from her window. A group of girls stood by a pear tree talking amongst themselves. “That’s my roommate.” Austin looked closer and saw they were all wearing the same sundress, but dyed different colors. The short one with red hair perked up and waved at them. Austin pressed on the gas a bit. The road in front of them stretched to a hill just beyond the grove.

“That’s where I live,” Deb said to him, moving closer to him to get a better look out the window. They were passing the cabins. Her body was nearly in his lap and he could feel she wasn’t wearing a bra under her shirt as she pressed against his arm.

“Which one?” he asked, unsure if he should move.

“The one with the stained glass as windows.”

Austin ducked his head to see out his window better and shifted closer to the window, attempting to create some distance between them. He spotted the one she was talking about. Red and blue window panes stood in place of regular glass reflecting the sunlight.

“I see it,” he said. Deb leaned back in her seat.

“Abby and I live there,” she explained. “Oscar says that boys and girls can’t share cabins unless they’re married.”

“Why?” Austin asked.

“I’m not really sure,” she responded. “He explained it to me when I first got invited to stay, but I can’t remember. He explains it better.”

“If it doesn’t make sense to you, then why would you let him tell you what to do?” Austin asked.

“It’s not like that. We just have a system. Don’t start with all the questions yet. I brought you here because I want to be here and I want you with me. You’re my best friend. I hope after talking to Oscar you’ll choose to stay but minimally, I want you to understand why I chose to live here. That’s what you wanted, right?” She was pleading with him. He could feel he upset her.

“Yeah,” he mumbled. “I don’t know if I’ll stay, but I want to meet this guy. This Oscar. You devoted your life to him, after all.” He laughed, trying to change the mood. She shoved him. He didn’t know she wanted him to stay. This was new information to him.

It was true he wanted to meet the owner of this place and learn about where she lived, but there wasn’t a single part of him that wanted to stay. Maybe if it was for her… if that’s what she wanted…

“Pull in there,” she said, pointing out a row of cars and trucks.

The cool breeze from the windows vanished as the car came to a stop. Austin turned the engine off, opened the squeaky door, and hopped out. It felt good to stretch his legs. The drive was over two hours to get to the small town of Ivory Springs and another half hour to reach the compound.

In the moonlight of a midsummer early morning, Deb had crawled into his room through a window he left open the previous night. This was not terribly unusual, especially during the summer, but the alcohol on her breath concerned him. He lay in bed asleep as she slipped under his thin blanket and wrapped her arms around him. She often cuddled him while they watched movies, but never in bed, never at night when no one knew they were together. Waking from some unimportant dream, he could remember feeling her soft hands and arms against his chest and shoulders. In the haze of sleepiness, he could smell the whiskey mixed with her scent filling the space between them.

“I’m leaving,” she had said to him in a voice that made his heart flutter.

“What?” Austin asked, sitting up. Her hands fell into his lap.

“Haven Hills,” she said in a slur. “I’ve been staying there all summer. That’s why I haven’t been around so much. I’ve decided to live there though. We’re eighteen now. Done with school. Done with all these dumb people. I’m leaving.”

“You’re not serious. When?”

“In a few hours,” she said, grabbing his thigh and pulling herself closer. “I’ve got my bike and a bag. I wanted to see you. I was with Kevin and Jay and some of the old gang. I thought you’d be there too. Did I say bye to them? I guess it doesn’t matter.”

Deb’s head was pressing against his arm. She was struggling to keep herself up. The curtains moved to the sound of wind moving through the window.

“I thought you got a job,” Austin said, trying to get a handle on her. She was sweating. He could smell it in her hair. “That’s what your mom said when I asked. She said you were working.”

“I have been!” she responded, as if accused of lying. “I work really hard. We all have jobs in Haven. It’s the only reason I am allowed to stay. No one gets to stay for free.”

He didn’t say what he wanted to say. From what he heard of the place, it was some kind of scam to get people to give the leader there all their money and belongings. That wasn’t the worst of the rumors, but none of them were good. Instead, he said, “can you even ride your bike?”

“I’m fine! Don’t try to talk me out of it. You’re the one leaving all of us anyways. Not all of us got lucky enough to get a scholarship. One-way ticket out of this tar pit. You’re leaving me.”

“How about this?” he asked, trying to reason with his best friend. “Why don’t I take you? I get it. This is what you want. I’m not going to stop you. I’d feel better if I met this guy in charge and you didn’t ride alone in the middle of the night drunk. You can sleep off the alcohol. We can take my dad’s truck.”

“Fine,” she said. “You’re leaving me.”

Again, Austin held back what he wanted to say. What she said was true. He was leaving in about a month out of state to his first pick college. She was wrong that he got lucky. It was hard work proving he was worth their time. He didn’t want to argue with her. If only she knew he was doing it for both of them. He wanted to offer her a better life. He loved her. The person, the boy he was now, wasn’t worth her time. The best he could offer her is the same pathetic life as any of the guys they graduated with could. She deserved more.

“Meet me outside.” That was his response just a few hours ago. He could still remember the smell of her hair.

Standing beside the truck now, he wondered if she had ever thought of him the same way. Sure, they were close; they were best friends. It had been that way since birth nearly. Small towns, strong connections. He watched her exit the car. Her long brown hair flowed behind her as she skipped to the back of the truck. She wore a hangover well, he thought.

A few strides closed the distance as Deb reached out to grab his hand. She pulled him to a long staircase that wrapped the side of the tallest hill along a small ridge of others. From what he could tell, this was the middle of the compound. The forest acted as a natural barrier to the west side while a short barbed wire fence wrapped around the east and south. Adorned along the northern border stood a tall stone wall that seemed under construction. He guessed the fence must be temporary while they extend it.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Deb asked.

“Yeah,” he admitted. The hills were alive with people of all ages. Some of them appeared to be families, and all ranged from very young to elderly. Each one seemed to be working on something. From all appearances, it looked like a paradise smothered in harmony. Nature and man existing in a steady cadence with one another.

Even with all this around him, his eyes fell on Deb. She was ascending the stairs in front of him. It was hard not to look at her. He looked away, not wanting to see something he was not permitted to. A part of him wished he never would be with her, romantically.

Of course, he was attracted to her and not just the way she looked, but her person. He loved the adventure inside her. For years, they hung out and explored many hobbies and interests. She was really into collecting rocks and reading and being outside. She never hesitated to help anyone, even if they had been mean to her. They could talk for hours and she would listen to every word he said. She made him feel like he was a real person. Coming from a place and a home like his, sometimes he convinced himself none of this could be real. Outside their hometown, no one knew they existed. How could he be sure he was real? With her, he never questioned it.

Nothing in this world would make him put their friendship at risk. Not even being with her. Deb never expressed that she saw him like that, anyway.

“Oscar lives here,” Deb yelled back at him as they reached the last step. A large building made of stone and wood sat before them. The structure wasn’t tall, but at the top of the hill, it stood like a fortress. The outside walls were almost entirely made of windows. Deb grabbed at the front door and let herself in. “Anyone is welcome anytime.”

“Is that so?” Austin asked himself as he followed behind.

Inside the home, he could smell the natural wood that ran along the floor and made up the walls. A spacious room with wooden and stone furniture presented itself to them. At the center of the main wall stood an enormous stone fireplace that looked like it was used the night before. On the floor, a few rugs made of the same material Deb’s dress was made from were placed in front of it. Austin felt at peace with the stunning landscapes acting as natural portraits between each tall and wide window pane.

“Wow,” he said without thinking.

“Oscar!” Deb shouted into the building. Somewhere behind the wall with the fireplace, Austin could hear water running and pots and pans clinking together. The sound stopped and out from a hallway walked who Austin assumed was Oscar.

The man was older than Austin was expecting. Oscar looked to be somewhere in his late forties, with long clean brown hair and a full beard that was beginning to gray. The man was fit for someone who lived off the land and towered over both Austin by half a foot. He was wearing a pair of thin glasses that were barely hanging on the tip of his crooked nose. The rest of his outfit was this loose fitting brown shirt and pants that again looked to be the same material as the rug. Austin’s first impression was that he had a kind face and a welcoming attitude in the way he carried himself and smiled at the sight of the pair of them.

“Ms. Cohen!” he shouted. A kind voice, he had to admit.

“I told you to call me Deb,” she responded. Austin found it weird to hear someone call her by her last name. She ran up to him, returning his smile. “I brought a friend with me. My best friend, Austin. Say hi!”

“Hi,” Austin responded. It was more of a reaction than a proper greeting. She left him standing at the door. “I’m Austin.”

“Hello, Austin,” the man said. “Come on in. Have a seat. Deb, is he here to ask to stay? You know the rules.”

“No,” Deb replied. “I mean, I don’t know. He said since I’m moving here, he wanted to know more about this place.” She ended the sentence as if she wanted to say more, but Austin and Oscar exchanged a look.

“That’s true,” Austin said. The three of them found seats around the fireplace. Austin and Deb sat together on the long couch while Oscar sat in a rocking chair. “Deb came to me last night and said she was leaving and that she was going to live here. Back home, people talk about this place. I wanted to know the truth. You see, I’m leaving town as well, but not for a couple of months.”

“Where to?” Oscar asked.

“College, out of state. I just felt that it would give me some peace of mind knowing I’m leaving her in good hands. Not that I’m leaving forever. I’ll be back each summer. Everyone’s acting like I’m dying. Anyway, you said Deb knew the rules. I thought this place welcomed everyone.”

“We do,” Oscar replied. “What I meant is that you can’t just bring your boyfriend to stay with you. Yes, we take everyone in that needs a place to stay and a chance to start a new life. We don’t offer handouts, though. Everything you see here didn’t come easy, and it wasn’t free. We work for what we have together. From the look you’re giving me, I’m guessing you’ve heard differently. Honestly, that’s fine. Without experiencing this place firsthand, you couldn’t possibly understand. I’m sure you got a glimpse of it as you came in. We’re all working.”

“Except for you?” Austin asked. Oscar laughed in response. “I don’t see why that’s funny.”

“I get how it can look that way,” Oscar explained. “I’m in this big house on this hill looking over everyone. That’s what it looks like. I mean, it’s true. This is where I live because of this family. I didn’t ask for it but I will not be unthankful for it either. I appreciate it. This gift. Each morning I invite anyone who wants to have breakfast together to come into my home and I will cook for them. A simple meal, since I am one man, but enough for everyone, and afterward I clean it all by myself. It takes time, but for these people that work so hard for me and this place, I’d do it for every meal. Like I said, though, I am only one man. When I get done with this, I go down to each worksite and see if anyone needs help and take an inventory of what can be used and what can be sold.”

“Sold?”

“Austin,” Deb said, grabbing his arm.

“No, Ms. Cohen, it’s a fair question,” Oscar responded. “When I was just a little older than you, I inherited a lot of money from the death of my parents. Enough that it set me for life, if I was smart. I found myself feeling very fortunate and decided that I would give back. This is how I do it. I am trying to give people here a purpose, or at the very least, some breathing room. Not everyone gets to go to college or has a family to take care of them or inherits money beyond comprehension. I’m sure you understand what I’m saying. If you came from the same small town as Ms. Cohen, then I bet I could guess what that home life is like. Unfortunately, these factory towns trap themselves. Produce and reproduce so that their children can produce. It’s a vicious cycle for a human being. We aren’t meant to live to work. I try to flip that idea on its head and give people the opportunity to work to live.”

Deb let go of Austin’s arm. He wasn’t sure how he felt about this man or this place, but she was smiling. Something was telling him to not let up. Maybe it was the way Oscar answered his question without addressing it at all. “How?”

“Well,” Oscar said. “We have many different ways someone can contribute. Ms. Cohen here works in the vineyard. That could mean a number of different things, but we make our own wine and some work on that or some tend to the plants themselves. There are some men who work in the forest for gathering wood for fires at night and for new construction projects. Others work on the farm taking care of the animals and their livings spaces and gathering eggs. The older women enjoy making our clothes and turning the sheep's wool into yarn. I could go on. There is so much work here to be done for us to live the way we do. The important thing is this: we do it together for the same reason, to take care of one another. This world can be cruel. I hope that this place can show people that love is possible.”

Austin couldn’t help himself. He laughed. “You don’t know what we’ve been through!” he said. “Do you think I feel the same as you? I don’t get to go to college. I earned that. You just randomly got your wealth. It’s not the same. If you knew what life was like for us, you wouldn’t be trying to give back. Love is possible, but not like this.”

Deb was staring at Austin with disbelief. He knew that not only did he insult Oscar, but he hurt her as well. This is why he came to this place, though, to confront this man. The old man didn’t flinch or show signs of backing down. Austin expected this, after all, someone capable of controlling all these people wouldn’t fold to some kid asking tough questions.

“That’s exactly why I’m doing this,” Oscar replied. The two of them locked eyes. “You want the truth?”

“Oh yeah,” Austin said, moving to the edge of his seat.

“The truth is, I don’t have any money left from that inheritance. It was our backup for a while, but we’ve grown so large I purchased the land the forest occupies. Previously, it was a deal between the owner and me that he got a cut from anything sold here, but I didn’t think it was fair to everyone. Now, we have to sell lumber or produce or eggs to local factories and surrounding restaurants to accrue some things we can’t make, like tools or glass. Not yet anyway. That’s the end goal. To be fully sustainable off of the land.”

“Okay,” Austin replied. This guy has an answer for everything. “What about the rules? That doesn’t seem very fair to say anyone can live here if they just contribute, but there are rules? Like Deb said, guys and girls couldn’t live together.”

“Yes,” Oscar said, leaning back in his chair. “I have rules. The one you are talking about is for the safety of the minors here. We get kids that run away from their homes and want to stay here. I’m fine with that, but for their own safety and to minimize children having babies, I’ve instituted that they can’t live with someone of the opposite sex. I don’t want some teenagers thinking this is a place they can come and have unprotected sex and that we’ll handle the consequences of all their mistakes. That’s not what this is. Married couples can live together. Sure. They’ve already committed their lives to each other, but anyone who isn’t married can’t live with the opposite sex.”

“Honestly, Austin, another condition of living here is that this community is not the end for you. You have to prove that this is just temporary. Of course, it might be easier if I only gathered loyal members and kept them and controlled them, sure. That’s not who I am, and I don’t want that responsibility. I want to help, but I don’t think I can solve everyone’s problems. I’m only one man. Now, I’m not trying to be rude, but I was finishing up my work for the day. If you’d like, we can continue our conversation, but it will be while I make my rounds.”

Oscar stood and motioned for them to stand. Austin agreed he wanted to continue talking to the man, but Deb had work to do. “I have to meet up with Kelsi and see what needs to be done today.”

She opened the front door and ran down the stairs toward one of the hills. In the sun along the second tallest hill was a lush vineyard with a dozen people working. Austin and Oscar stood at the front door, back in the fresh air of the summer day. “This is why we are alive,” Oscar said. Austin wasn’t sure if he was even talking to him, but he nodded.

The two men walked down the stairs. Austin kept glancing over in the direction Deb went, but couldn’t spot her. Oscar must have noticed because he made the comment that he would finish by checking on the distillery.

“You have to understand where I’m coming from,” Austin said to him as they walked past his dad’s truck.

“I do,” Oscar replied. “None of this seems real.”

“You want me to believe you do all of this out of the kindness of your own heart?” Austin asked. “That you live in a house atop of hill overlooking all your subjects while they work and you earn and that you keep nothing for yourself?”

“Look,” Oscar said, taking a deep breath. “I can say all the right things. I could go up there and show you records of all the sales from the wine and wood and everything. I could show you what I purchased with that money; the cattle, the property taxes, or the infrastructure. I don’t think I’ll ever convince you. That’s fine. You don’t have to believe it. I’m not asking for blind faith. That is what makes this work, I think. I’m only asking for what anyone is asking from me. You want to live here free from judgments and pain? Fine. I can give you that. I can offer a safe place where you will be heard and taken care of, but you have to give that to everyone else. Fundamentally, that’s what this is about.”

“It’s hard to believe,” Austin responded. “You are placing so much trust onto people who haven’t earned it.”

“Maybe, but maybe we aren’t meant to decide where trust should originate. I’m only one man.”

“Hey, Oscar!” someone shouted over at them. Austin and Oscar had been walking beside the cars, making their way toward the cabins. Beside the main hill built into the natural landscape stood two enormous steel doors. Each one was outlined with rivets and solid, thick hinges. A single handle protruded from the right door. It reminded Austin of what he’d imagined a bank vault might have. Oscar was listening to one resident reporting on the new construction of the cabins. Austin felt drawn to the doors. They didn’t look right among the tall grass and dirt.

“That’s where we keep product that needs to be kept cold,” Oscar said, making his way back to Austin.

“Seems like a lot.”

“We use the natural insulation from the earth to keep the cold in,” he explained. “Right now, this is the only building with electricity. We just recently finished the plumbing for the property. I didn’t want us to rely on those kinds of things, but I compromised. Some ideas from the outside world are much more practical when you plan to house many people. Running water is one of them. Come on. I’ve gotta check in with the lumberyard.”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Oscar walked away, beckoning Austin to follow. Something didn’t sit right with him. “Can I see inside?” Austin asked.

“No,” Oscar replied, his voice becoming low. “We don’t open that unless we are removing inventory or adding. Just cracking one of those doors costs too much to justify letting you take a peek. Trust me. Come on.”

Austin contemplated letting himself in. Then he noticed the keyhole just below the handle. He would have to leave it alone for now. Looking over at Oscar, the look he was giving him told him not to do whatever it was he was thinking. Trust above, secrets below. He shrugged and moved toward the old man. Satisfied, they walked together through the cabin area.

The gravel path from the foot of the main hill flowed down the center of the little village. At the north end, where they were coming in, stood a larger cabin that appeared to be a mess hall and a schoolhouse. Inside were dozens of kids. Austin couldn’t see them through the windows, but he could hear them. From their vantage point, he could make out chalkboards and two teachers. They were in their element, giving lessons. After the steel doors, seeing this sight made Austin feel less concerned. Standing opposite the large cabin was a small church. Peering through the open doors, he saw an older man in all black sweeping between a row of pews. Everyone’s working. They continued to walk through the small structures while Oscar explained some of the plans. Mostly the plans involved building more cabins, but the old man spoke with grand passion of all the dreams he had for their inhabitants.

“To the south there,” Oscar said as he pointed down the path. “An amphitheater. There are so many talented people that never got the chance to express themselves out there. I want to give them that platform, literally.”

“Where would they find the time?” Austin scoffed.

“What do you mean?”

“All they do is work.”

“That’s not all they do.” Oscar chuckled. “Yeah, right now it looks that way. I have to also admit I can sometimes make it seem that way too. But I trust the people in charge of each area to assign everyone a certain amount of work each day. It’s up to them how long it takes to get it done. No one gets assigned something they can’t handle. Once it is done, they can do whatever they want with the rest of the day. I think that’s fair. If you can trust your boss to have your best interest in mind, man, imagine how good life could be. Have you had a job before?”

“No,” Austin admitted.

“One day you will understand. It won’t even take that long. We also get one day out of the week when you don’t have to do any work. You get to choose which day.”

Austin watched the man smile with each word he spoke. He didn’t like how he felt like he was doing everyone a favor, while in return getting free labor and the product of that labor. If he was to express this, he knew he’d get some nonanswer, so he kept the thought to himself. Either way, the place was impressive.

Each cabin was taken care of from each nail to knot. The same architect had a hand in their construction. Austin tried to imagine living in one. To wake each morning in the middle of a field alongside like-minded people. He couldn’t imagine it. Most mornings at home were silent. His two parents lived in disgust with each other and their lives hardly concerned themselves with their son. The only time he could remember gaining praise was when he got accepted to college with a full scholarship. It was like the straight A’s in high school and excellent scores on state exams had meant nothing until his parents believed they could profit from it. With each building they passed, Austin could feel his skepticism growing.

The two men reached the last cabin. It was Deb’s. He wondered if she had done the stained glass herself since none of the other windows were colored. Next door was a crew working on planning new buildings. Oscar left Austin standing alone. The sounds of nature and men and women working in unison rattled off the wooden walls. The sun was beaming through clouds. It was almost noon. Oscar returned and let him know he needed to go let the lumber yard know where to put the most recent haul.

So the two men walked in silence to a worksite just before the forest. Austin stopped short before entering worn-out paths from trucks and other machinery. Oscar went ahead. Everyone shouted hello and good morning as the old man made his way to one of the trailers. Austin took the opportunity to watch, to observe.

A pair of men were working a stump grinder into the ground. A woman was holding a clipboard while she watched some other man yell out orders, and a group of men were at the base of one of the larger trees working a chainsaw. There was a mix of older tools and new technology being used. This is one of the main expenses Oscar claimed he spent his money on. Austin was looking for a lie and so far only the steel doors posed any mystery. If there was one thing he knew for certain, people don’t care about other people.

The loud bang of the trailer door rang out over all the work. A man walked out, yelling behind his back. At the same time, a truck was driving beside Austin so he couldn’t hear what he was saying. Oscar slowly walked out with a meek look. He put his hands up as if to say everything was okay and strutted across the yard.

“What was that about?” Austin asked as he ran up.

“Oh, that,” Oscar replied. “Well, Austin, as much as I like to think we are building a paradise for everyone, some people here think I do too much. That was Leo. A bit of a hothead, but his heart is in the right place. He’s lived here for several years now and I casually mentioned that I thought he should look at moving on. Right now, he’s the supervisor of this project, but I could assign it to any of these men or women. They’re all capable. He thinks he’s established himself as someone we can’t do without. That’s simply not true. I’ll keep working with him. My next stop is the vineyard. It extends a large majority of the property connecting this site to the farm.”

Oscar didn’t really give Austin a chance to respond. The old man walked along the boundary of the site until he reached another worn out path. This one went straight through a row of vines with either side having hundreds of vines stretching out into the distance. Austin knew his perception was off, but after a while it felt they were walking at the center of an ocean of grapes. All the while, Oscar was explaining their process. The picking, sorting, and cleaning, before determining which to use for wholesale and which would be fermented. He explained all of this, but Austin was searching between the rows for Deb. He had said she worked out in the vineyard. A few different people could be seen walking along the trails.

“Austin!” It was her voice. Deb moved through the plants as she ran up to the two of them. Her long brown hair was in a ponytail. She was wearing the same dress from early, now damp from sweat, along with a worn out baseball cap and frayed leather gloves. There was a bit of dirt on her sun kissed cheeks but she was smiling. It was hard not to smile back. “What do you think?”

“This place is impressive,” Austin responded. “The people here seem to care that they’re here, and from everything Oscar has told me, there’s more to come.” The two men exchanged looks. This response surprised Oscar. In truth, Austin was saying such positive things because of what he was about to announce. “I want to live here for the rest of summer before I go to college.”

“Really?” Oscar and Deb both asked at the same time. Austin laughed.

“Yeah,” he said. “I know it won’t be easy and I’ll have to earn my keep, but I’m starting to believe in your vision, man. I want to be a part of this.” Deb squealed and jumped onto Austin for a hug. “If that’s okay with you, Oscar.”

“That’s what this is all about,” he responded.

“Oh, I’m so excited to spend the rest of summer with you!” Deb said into his neck. He nodded, letting his arms release her from him. “Have you thought about where you want to work?”

“I thought the distillery seemed interesting. Do you guys need help there?”

“We do,” Deb responded. “I know Xander has been begging for an assistant. He’s a nerd, like you, but he’s cool, also like you.”

“Makes sense to me,” Oscar said softly. He was staring Austin down. This isn’t what he wanted, Austin thought to himself. He was hoping someone that was going to ask a lot of questions wouldn’t want to stay. Too bad. “I’ll talk to Ms. Anderson about setting you up in a cabin. I think Leo’s roommate just moved out. Right now, that’s the only space we got open. That alright?”

Austin nodded.

“I’ll let her know,” Oscar said. “I’m going to go talk to Xander about the progress out here. In the meantime, make yourself at home. Take the day to yourself. Tomorrow you start working.”

Three long weeks of hard work passed. What Austin had imagined was a life of leisure and reward turned out to be endless hours of constant focus.

If the sun was in the sky, Austin was in the distillery. Dusk meant dinner, conversely dawn meant travelling between his cabin and the lab. It was in those transitions of blue to red and orange to purple when Deb would walk beside him along gravel paths. They would joke and laugh about everything. Sometimes it was about how unbearable living with Leo could be.

Their first couple of nights together were filled with awkward silences. Then Leo complained about where Austin was leaving his shoes. This opened the floodgates. Every ounce of existence Austin held within bothered Leo. He suspected anything or anyone could never satisfy this disgruntled man. Leo enjoyed being in charge, in control, and he wasn’t afraid of voicing any opinion. Austin was reasonable and knew he wouldn’t be there for very long, so he mostly complied. One thing he wouldn’t compromise on is sleeping with his window open. The nights were cool and without the breeze, the unconditioned air would keep him awake all night.

Deb told Austin that his heart was in the right place, which he noticed was the same phrase Oscar had said to him, but he expected that kind of response from her. Her heart was unforgiving and generous, a dangerous combination, in his opinion.

“You okay?” Deb asked him one morning.

“What?” he responded. He looked at her, remembering where he was. “Yeah, I’m okay.” In truth, he was lost in his thoughts.

“How are things in the lab?” she asked.

“They’re fine. Xander had me moving equipment all day. You know how he gets.”

“He likes moving his workspace around. He told me it helped him think differently or something. Seems exhausting if you ask me.”

“When you’re the one moving it, yeah,” he said with a chuckle. “But he has his processes, and he’s a lot smarter than me with this stuff. I don’t know. I was just thinking, this is my last week here. Leo reminded me this morning after complaining about the window again.”

“I remembered,” she said. “It’s been nice having you here, though. Our walks give me something to look forward to. I also like seeing you sometimes between the doors, running around when I’m working.”

“You look for me?” he asked, unable to hide the surprise.

“Well,” she said. He looked over at her. She was blushing. “You’re my best friend. You’ve gained some muscle in the last couple of weeks. I mean, some of the other girls have mentioned it to me. They ask me if we’re together. Like I have to give them permission to talk to you.”

“Do you?” he asked. He didn’t mean to ask that question. The real question he wanted to ask was if she was looking at his muscles.

“I tell them to do whatever they want,” she said. “Do they come up and talk to you? Should I be telling them something different?”

The sound of the crunching gravel filled the silence between them. Austin’s skin felt warm and his heart felt light.

“People talk to me all the time,” he responded. “If it was for any other reason for work, I haven’t noticed. I only want to talk to you.”

“I only want to talk to you, too.” Austin’s hand brushed against the side of her arm. The tips of her fingers latched onto his. They walked through the morning mist, holding the light connection between them. As they approached, some of the other vineyard workers were smiling at them. Austin watched Deb smile back in a giddy excitement. They stopped at the entrance to the lab.

“So,” Deb said, turning to look at him.

“So?” he asked.

“We’re together now?” she asked back. This was the first he’d ever heard uncertainty in her voice.

“I guess we are,” he answered. With confidence, she slipped her arms around his body and pulled him to her. He wasn’t expecting it. The smell of her hair filled his mind. Home. He wrapped his arms around her. She squeezed tighter. She was so warm.

“I’ll see you after work,” she said into his chest while she let go. He didn’t want to release her, but he did. She turned away from him and ran to their barn. He watched his girlfriend join her friends as they laughed and celebrated. A firm hand landed on his shoulder.

“You finally did it?” Xander asked.

“What?” Austin asked, not really sure if any of this was real.

“You know,” his boss explained. “A lot of the guys here have tried to get her. She turned them all down. Do you wanna know why?”

“Why?”

“She told each of them she had no room left in her heart. Her heart belonged to her best friend.”

A full day of work flew by.

Austin stood at the same spot he had parted from Deb this morning, waiting. He watched Abby leave the barn alone. That was odd. She and Deb usually left together.

“Hey Austin!” Abby called out to him. “Deb went with Oscar to go over some things. She told me to tell you not to wait on her. I can walk with you if you’d like.”

“No,” he responded. “It’s alright. I can see some of the girls waiting for you. Are you guys having another bonfire tonight?”

Some of the more social members had parties at night. Abby said something to him, smiled, and ran over to the girls. He didn’t really care what it was she said. Something didn’t feel right. As much as Oscar had made it seem he was involved in their work, Austin had hardly seen him over the last few weeks. It seemed even more odd that he needed Deb for a one on one. He stood for a moment, looking at the sun as it fell below the horizon, wondering what he should do.

Xander walked out behind him and asked if he was going to the party tonight. Austin always said no, and he did once again. The two parted ways as he walked down the gravel path alone. Without Deb by his side, the events from the morning seemed like a dream.

The chirps of crickets joined in a choir of gravel crunching beneath his feet. Through the vines, Austin could hear a roar of laughter beyond the grove. The breeze licked his calloused fingertips. A cacophony of life and pleasure surrounded him, but he felt uneasy, like someone was watching him. This was isolation. He increased his pace.

A fog creeped from either side of the path as if the ground was on fire. He started running. His feet slipped off the loose gravel. Panic took him home. The cabins burst into view and flew past his vision until his door appeared in front of him. His hand wrapped around the cold handle and he threw the door open.

Leo was sitting at their dining table smoking. “Do you feel it?” the man asked.

Austin was trying to catch his breath. The question caught him off guard, but he responded, “What?”

“Something isn’t right about this place,” Leo answered. Clouds floated through the sky, allowing moonlight to pour into the dark room, revealing packed bags.

“Are you leaving?” Austin asked, confused. “What are you talking about?”

“Oscar. He’s kicking me out. I’m the only one that has ever challenged him. I’m the only one that didn’t let him command me, enslave me. He has lost his mind, and I used to have my suspicions. Ever since you showed up. Did you say something to him?”

“When I first got here, yeah. I haven’t really seen him around.”

“He’s avoiding you,” Leo said. “Something you said spooked him. I am just the first casualty.”

The man stood from his chair, placed his cigarette between his lips, and gathered his things. Austin moved aside as he walked through the doorway.

“I’d watch out if I were you, kid. No one can be that good.”

Austin watched him walk from the cabin area toward the car lot. Once again, he was left standing alone at a threshold of uneasy familiarity. He closed the door, hoping being inside would give him comfort. In the silence, he only felt alone. He would normally take a shower, but he just wanted to go to sleep. Maybe in the morning everything would feel normal again.

He crossed the small space between the door and his bed. He threw off his shoes and clothes. The window had been left unlocked from the previous night. Opening it brought balance to his breathing. Trying to calm down, he took a deep breath. Sleep would solve everything. He fell into bed, begging for rest.

Rows of wooden planks on the ceiling outlined his thoughts with questions. Why did Oscar need Deb? Why did Leo get kicked out? What did he mean by all that he said? Was Oscar hiding something? Was he avoiding him?

He didn’t want to think about these things. Sure, he had his doubts when he first arrived, but everything checked out. Deb vouched for the man running everything and she trusted him. Austin trusted her. He had to trust Oscar. His mind drifted to Deb.

Even now he could feel her soft chest against his own, the warmth and comfort from her embrace, and the sheen of sweat on her thighs. He imagined holding her again as he tried to remember exactly the way she smelled. He closed his eyes. Would they kiss now that they were together? He wondered. The thought made his heart flutter. Her laugh filled his mind and at the thought of her smile, he fell asleep.

When Austin awoke, the moon still hung in the sky. Only one image echoed from his dream into his consciousness: the giant metal doors.

The room was quiet. Leo’s snores were absent. Austin rubbed his eyes and threw his legs over the edge of his bed. He tried to shake the thoughts from his head by running his fingers through his short brown hair. The metal doors were still there. If he ever wanted to know the truth they hid, he’d have to break in. What better night than tonight? Oscar was busy kicking people out and distracting Deb. He was probably sound asleep. No one would have to know. Deb would know. Something told him that if he betrayed this place by breaking into some secret vault, she wouldn’t forgive him.

He would just have to bring her with him.

Before he knew it, he was dressed and moving through the cold shadows between the cabins. Even the crickets were asleep as he walked to Deb’s window. Her home was on the other side of the campus. He glanced through the red window pane and saw her. A relief washed over him.

There was a fear inside him he only now recognized. He didn’t know what Oscar was capable of. Seeing her at peace in her bed beneath covers made him miss her. Deb’s face winced and her body rocked from side to side like she was having a nightmare. Austin jolted from the window to her front door. He tried the handle, knowing she had a roommate. It was unlocked. As he opened the door, Deb let out a soft whimper.

As he entered, the door swung to the right, revealing an empty bed to his left. Deb was alone. The layout was the same as his. The cabin was one large room with a sink and stove in one corner and a shower and toilet blocked off by a curtain opposite it. Then, on either side of the door, sat a bed, one for each occupant. In the middle of the room stood a table and two chairs. The accommodations were simple, Austin figured this was because Oscar didn’t expect, or want, them to spend a lot of time indoors. How could someone be useful working if they were inside all the time?

With no noise, Austin closed the door behind him. The girl of his dreams lay in a bed in front of him. In her squirming, she must’ve pushed her blanket off of her. He could see she was wearing a thin, loose fitting tank top. She let out another whimper. He had to wake her up.

Austin took two steps to reach her bedside. He put his hand on her shoulder and whispered, “Deb, wake up. You’re having a bad dream.”

He felt the tension in her muscles release. Her eyes opened in surprise as she pulled her hands up over her chest.

“Austin?” she asked. He could smell the whiskey on her breath. The combination was nostalgic at this point. It made him miss her more. “I wasn’t asleep.”

“You were,” he responded.

She grabbed his hand and pulled him closer to her. He could feel the air from her breath against the small hairs on his neck. Her hand took his below her waist, down between her legs.

“I was thinking of you,” she said with a subtle slur. She pressed his hand against herself. He felt her hips begin to move. Her other arm wrapped around his neck and she tried pulling him into the bed.

“You’re drunk,” he said. It was all he could think. “I don’t want you to do something you’ll regret.”

“I’ve already made my choice,” she said, pulling at him. “We have nothing left to fear. You want me, don’t you?”

He could feel her seeping between his fingers with every thrust.

“Of course,” he responded.

“Then stop thinking,” she said. “You tore me down.”

Austin pulled back. “What?”

“I couldn’t resist anymore,” she said. “I never wanted to be with you, but spending all this time with you. I don’t know.” She reached for his hand.

“You didn’t want to be with me?” Austin asked.

Deb stopped moving. “That’s not what I meant,” she said, getting frustrated. She pulled herself to a sitting position. “I meant I didn’t want to lose you as a friend. You were never someone I could see myself being with.”

They stared at each other for a moment. Austin could feel a lump forming in his throat. He couldn’t respond.

“But you changed that,” she went on. “Before, you were a good guy. Someone I could depend on. I only ever saw you studying or going to bed early or never taking any risks. You were responsible, but not adventurous or exciting. Then you came here. You decided to stay! Then you took on the work like a real man. I’ve got to see a side of you I didn’t know existed.” She reached for his hand again, clasping their fingers together.

“I’m not staying here forever, Deb,” he responded. “This isn’t who I am. I came here to make sure you were safe. I wasted weeks of my life doing manual labor with no pay just to be closer to you. I leave in one week, Deb! I have always loved you. I am the one that didn’t want to be in a relationship with you. I know who you are. What kind of girl you are. I don’t-”

“What kind of girl I am?” she yelled. “What kind of girl am I, Austin?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Get out!”

“Deb.”

“Get out!”

Austin stood from where he was kneeling. Deb pulled her blanket to cover her body. He wanted to say something. Instead, he clenched his fists and walked out of the cabin. As the door shut behind him, he started running.

His eyes burned from the wind and the tears. This is exactly what he was afraid of. Not only did she admit she never wanted to be with him, but they broke up before they ever got a real chance. He felt dumb saying the things he said. His words betrayed him. All he really meant was that she was right, and they were two completely different people. He wanted to go back and tell her he was okay just being her friend. At the end of the day, that’s all he ever wanted. He wanted to be a part of her life, forever, until the day she died. Friendship was better than marriage. It was harder to ruin. They both came from broken homes. Neither of them wanted to repeat the mistakes of their parents.

Someone screamed from his left. He stopped running. His heart was beating hard in his chest. Then another scream rang out, followed by the sounds of shouting. Austin ran toward the noise. He was moving between the vineyard heading toward the usual party spot.

“Stop!” someone shouted. Austin emerged from the grove onto a group of Haven Hill members sitting around a large bonfire. His heart stopped cold.

Every single person was clutching their heads in their hands as if their eyes were going to burst from their heads. On one guy, Austin could see the veins in his neck bulging from the strain. Abby was clawing at her face with so much carelessness that her nails ripped at her skin. The fire roared to life as Austin watched Xander lift himself from a stump and fall over into the inferno. He never let go of his head. Then Austin felt it. The pain started just behind his eyes and traveled to the top of his head and then down to his spine. He threw his own hands to his head in a futile attempt to release some pressure.

“Whoever you are, please stop!” one of the girls said as she cried.

Austin scanned the area looking for some culprit. He noticed that each of them had been drinking from bottles of wine. The wine! He moved his legs in the direction of the metal doors. Oscar must have spiked it!

Through his fingers, Austin’s vision distorted as the bonfire appeared to glisten and shimmer with black flames. He turned his focus on where he needed to go. His legs carried him away from the scene, but the sounds of agony and pain followed him.

Eventually, he found himself leaning against the cold steel.

He tried the handle. It didn’t budge. He slammed his free hand against the door. “Oscar!” he screamed with anger. He wondered if Deb had drank any of the wine.

The next thing Austin knew, he was being shaken awake.

“Wake up kid,” an old rough commanded. Austin’s eyes slowly opened, revealing a deep blue above him. The glare from a midday sun made him wince. Beside him, a man in a cop uniform was looking at him.

“What happened?” Austin asked.

“We’ve got a live one!” the man yelled behind him, ignoring his question. “Everything’s going to be alright. We almost missed you back here behind the cars.” Austin sat up.

The parking lot was full of police cruisers with their lights on. To one side, a fleet of ambulances was waiting and on the other, a group of officers were surrounding someone. In the grass beside the emergency vehicles sat rows and rows of black body bags, all full. Then it all came back to him. The bonfire, the wine, the headache, all of it.

“The wine!” Austin shouted.

“We know,” the police officer said down to him. “We’re working on collecting evidence for the trial. What’s in this?” He motioned to the steel doors.

“I don’t know,” Austin admitted.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. We’ll get to the bottom of this.” The police officer helped Austin to his feet. The sudden movement made his head spin. His memories seemed blurry. Together, they walked toward the crowd. Austin’s whole body ached. Through the crowd, he watched as they dragged Oscar from his stairs down toward the police cars. Austin sat down in one of the open doors and tried to collect his himself.

“I didn’t do it!” Oscar was yelling. “Someone else did this! I would never hurt my people! I wanted to help them!”

Austin’s eyes stung as if he’d been awake all night.

“He’s lying,” he said as he rubbed his eyes.

“We know,” the man responded to him. “It won’t be hard to prove. I’ve never heard of a poison that turns people’s eyes gray, but I’m sure the techies down at the lab will know what it is. You must not have drank enough for it to be lethal, but it still got your eyes too.”

Austin froze.

“I didn’t drink anything,” he said. “My eyes are gray?”

“Like a silver bullet.”

“What about Deb?” Austin asked, remembering she had only drank whiskey. She never liked wine.

“You’re the only survivor.”