《Cult Princess - Book one》


 Chapter 1: The Family Across the Street

    Being born with the name Angel is special. It makes you feel like you are close to God. At 11 years old, I was interested in what other girls were interested in. Things like which music should be listened to and what clothes to wear. I sent as many text messages as anyone else and I had an app for everything! I was popular enough at school and had friends.


    My family was like any other family. I was an only child.o pit We were upper middle class which meant we never needed anything and being the only child, I never had hand-me-down clothes and could get what I wanted. We live in a nice two-story house and it was furnished with very modern furniture. We had 2 cars and I loved my bike.


    Dad was an accountant. He was a thin man that looked like he never did sport or could work at the gym. He always wore a necktie and explained it was part of his identity. Dad worked a lot, but this did not matter. He argued that someone had to pay for two cars and a bike. Although he worked hard, he always had time for me. Sometimes he would come home and tell us to wear our best clothes because he was taking his two favourite women on a date in some posh restaurant.


    The other woman was, of course, my mom. Mom and Dad really loved each other and would put Romeo''s and Juliet''s love to shame. Mom was always a happy woman and loved dressing like a hippie. She loved cooking and baking and seemed like she was always in a good mood and was always so optimistic. Even when she was disappointed about election outcomes, mom would say it''s only for 4 years! I had a good relationship with mom. She would help me with everything, including my homework


    I had nothing to complain about!


    We were not very religious. We went to church once a week and I said prayers before I went to sleep. Otherwise, my mom was very spiritual. She read books and looked at documentaries that dealt with spiritual matters. I think this was the influence of Granny, that was as Catholic as they get.


    When It was my 11 years old birthday, we noticed a moving van at the house across the street. I was in the front yard watching them move in. I could see a man and a woman and a girl my age. This made me so happy as I thought it was great a girl my age would be a neighbour. We could be best friends and do things together. We could even share secrets.


    I rushed over and introduced myself. I found out that the girl''s name was Ellie. She looked very odd. She had her hair in single pigtails and wore this grey dress that went from her head to her feet. It looked like it came from the dark ages. Still, I did not want to judge her.


    I told her that my birthday was later and she could come over to help me celebrate it later. Her mom looked at me sternly and announced that they did not celebrate birthdays. It was against their beliefs. I must have stood there in shock and did not know what to say. Ellie was also very uncomfortable as she explained that she had to get back to work. Her mother praised her for remembering that work comes before social activities.


    That night we had a cake that mom baked. Grandma was also there. They all noticed that I was quiet. I told them about the new family and they did not celebrate birthdays. I was confused. Why should a birthday party seem so bad? This also meant that Ellie never had a birthday party in her life. She must have been so sad not to experience this. Dad understood me and said they did sound strange.


    Mom smiled and said that we should properly welcome them. So she decided that we would bake an apple pie the next day and officially welcome them to the neighbourhood. Mom was just happy that a young family was moving in, not any dangerous people.


    When we went over to present the apple pie, they looked totally shocked. Ellie''s mom asked her husband if they were even allowed to eat the pie. This was totally strange hearing an adult ask if they could eat an apple pie. Ellie even whispered that she never tasted one. Her Dad told them that the prophet would not mind. They took the pie and said thank you.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Then Ellie''s mother got all excited and told mom that she also had a present. She gave mom a small book and said that she hoped mom would read it. I thought it was strange that they all were so excited about giving mom this book. The name of the book was ˇ°Salvation through the prophetˇ±. It sounded like a book that I had no wish to read.


    Mom agreed that the new family was different. She would not use the word strange as she thought this was so negative. Mom was insistent that we get to know this family.


    That afternoon, I saw Ellie in the front yard so I went over to speak with her. I tried talking about cell phones and iPods and the music I liked. I was shocked when she said she did not have a cell phone or even a tab. She did not have many clothes and she did not have toys. She was very different and after a while, I did not know what to say to her. I made some excuse that I had to do some homework. Ellie seemed very sad that I was going.


    I thought about her the next day when we were at school. I expected to show her around the school and help her get friends. I was afraid that she would be teased because of her clothes and she was so different. I knew that she needed a friend to protect her and maybe show her how a girl like her should be. The problem was that she did not come to school. This made me think all day that she was probably afraid to start at a new school. I knew that I would be afraid!


    That night at supper, Mom told us that she read the book that the family gave her. It was about a preacher that called himself Prophet Alberto. He tried to study as a priest when he was young but was kicked out of the seminary. Later after years of working in a factory, he had an experience where he heard God''s voice. God told him the only way to heaven was to live apart from the world and create a community that is totally dedicated to God! So the prophet did this. He started preaching about the holy town and hundreds of people started following him and they soon established their own town called Paradise.


    Dad sighed when he heard this and said it sounds like a religious cult. I really did not understand what that meant.


    All I knew is that she did not come to school all week. This made me ask myself if she was allowed. I thought a lot about her. Maybe it was because she was so different I felt sorry for her that she was so strange. How could she live in a world without the essentials such as a phone or tablet? She needed to be more aware of fashion and take pride in what she wears.


    When I came home from school, I noticed that the family put a huge wooden cross in their front yard. Dad noticed it too and he was not happy about it. This caused a disagreement between mom and dad. Mom thought they should be allowed to have a cross where they wanted. Dad just thought that people should keep religion to themselves. I listened to them both and to be honest, I did not know what to think. I knew they were different and it seemed as if this did not bother them.


    During the weekend, I spoke with Ellie again. She told me that she is not allowed to go to school as the children and teachers there did not know the truth and will end up corrupting her. She followed the prophet. The prophet considered his followers as the angels of God. There was no need for materialistic goods. She did not have a phone or the nice clothes that I had, but she was an angel and had no need for them.


    I thought about this discussion when we were at Church. Ellie was not at church. However, she seemed to have huge faith in God. I thought she was weird. I mean she was not interested in fashion or cell phones or makeup or anything like a normal girl would be interested in. When she talked about her religion and how she likes it, it was as if she was reciting a poem.


    Then I figured out why I found her odd. Ellie never smiled and never seemed to be relaxed. Her eyes seemed blank as if she was a shell. This made me think that under the surface of being an angel and her religion, she was a sad girl.


    I spoke to her again after church and my fears were confirmed. She admitted that the prophet wanted his angels to toil and work hard. Everything they possessed was owned by him. They did not have to worry about materialistic goods or food. He provided everything. This meant that the angels just had to work. Ellie said in a low voice that she often wondered what it was like in the world outside her Church. She admitted that she would love to have a friend.


    Then she started to panic as if she realized she said something wrong. She told me she had to go.


    ˇ°Waitˇ± I shouted, ˇ°We can be friends!ˇ±


    ˇ°You...You really want to be my friend?ˇ±

 Chapter 2: So Different

    Ellie seemed shocked that I wanted to be her friend. I smiled and assured her that we are now friends. After I went back home, I could not stop thinking about Ellie. She was not like any other girl I know. The fact is that Ellie would not survive in school. She would be teased and an outcast! Still, there was something special about her that made her interesting. Maybe it was that she was so obedient and did not think about popularity. She was like the Amish people.


    Dad did not think much about them and said they would probably lower the value of property in the area. He was afraid more ˇ°Religious freaksˇ± would move to the area.


    Mom was the most positive about the family. She thought that modern society was so worried about economics and having as many things as possible. She thought that we forgot the spiritual side of our lives and why humans really do exist. Mom really thought it was refreshing and inspiring to have a family that put God first living close by. She really wanted our family to be friends with them and learn from each other.


    Mom wanted to show them that despite we had everything that one could desire, we were still believers. To do this, Mom invited them to our Church. They said that they had to think about it, but after a few days, they agreed to come. Mom was so excited that they would come, that you would think it was Christmas Eve. We had to get up earlier to get ready for the event. I had to wear the best dress that I had. I hated the dress as it was frilly and was something mom would have worn when she was a child. Then she put my hair in pigtails and ribbons at the end. I hoped God would appreciate all the trouble we were going through.


    We met the Sullivans at the Church. Oh, I forgot to tell you that was Ellies last name. Well, now you know. Anyhow they were at the Church wearing the poor clothes they always wore. It was obvious that they didn''t put any effort into impressing God.


    The service was the same as usual. The priest said what he usually said and we sang the songs that someone wrote 200 hundred years ago. Then the priest talked about how much God loves us, and if we did not like it we would be in hell for eternity. The Sullivans stood up in the middle of the service and walked out. I looked at Ellie and she had a sad face. I couldn''t believe that someone would dare to walk out of the service.


    The priest must have thought the same, as he talked to mum and dad after the service. He told us that the Sullivans were obviously members of some religious cult and we should be careful with them. They would brainwash us until we joined the cult. If we joined a cult, we would lose our possessions, identity, and freedom. We would be slaves for some man that has fooled so many people.


    On the way home in the car, Dad was smiling and told us that the priest was very wise. Mom, on the other hand, was frustrated. She asked should we not love one another, or was that just when we were at Church?


    I was just happy to get out of my dress when I came home. Granny was visiting us and it seemed like the only thing we talked about was the Sullivans. I wondered what we talked about before they moved here. Granny must have noticed this too, as she said that she noticed that mom was obsessed with this family. She joked when she asked mom was she thinking of converting to their strange religion.


    Mom didn''t get to answer, as Dad came in with a huge smile on his face. He told us that he just spoke with his boss and he was just got a promotion at work. This meant that he had to go on a trip for a week or two weeks. He had to help an important client. So the rest of the day was helping Dad pack. Mom tried to be happy about his sudden trip and said that she and I would have fun together.


    The next day after school mom was waiting at the door. She told me that we had to visit the Sullivans and hope they were not mad about the service. I do not understand why Mom was so worried. In a way, it was rude of them to leave something we invited them to.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Mrs Sullivan apologized for leaving the Church. She said that they felt uncomfortable there. It was like we were not really praying. We were just reciting prayers that we recited every week and singing songs that we had no relationship to. She said that God''s spirit was not in our church and it was torture for them to be there.


    Ellie and I let the adults talk and sat under a tree. I told her about my dad and his promotion and he was away on a business trip. There was silence after I said this, and Ellie put on a sad face again. She did not understand why some people wanted promotion after promotion and just wanted to be richer. The prophet thought that money and the race to get more money. It only causes pain and stress.


    ˇ°God will provide for us. It says so in the Bibleˇ±


    I felt like she was against my dad and the way she lived. This confused me as we were a normal family. We were the ones that did not stick out. I told her this and asked her would she like to have some nice things in life, like nice clothes and a cell phone and whatnot. Ellie had to think about this and finally said that she was an Angel of the prophet. She was happy and did not need to be a slave to society.


    I was not in a good mood when I came home. Mom, on the other hand, was in a great mood. She had another book that the prophet wrote himself. This was a book on how people should live and how the town ˇ°Paradiseˇ± should be like heaven on Earth. I had no intention of reading that book.


    To be honest, I was tired of my neighbors and their religion. Why could they not keep their religion private like everyone else? It was good that Granny visited. I told her what Ellie said, and she said it''s best not to be around the Sullivans. We baked a cake to think about something else. Mom did not help, as she was engrossed with the book she had. I could see that this worried Granny. She confessed at one stage that she was afraid that Mom was being converted to this religious sect.


    Dad finally came home and he was disappointed that mom only wanted to talk about the prophet''s book and she wanted Dad to read it. He had no intention of doing that. He nearly exploded in rage when mom said that she invited the Sullivans for food. I never heard my Dad sigh so much. In the end, he surrendered. He must love mom a lot to do this!


    The dinner with the Sullivans came. It was simple food. There was no wine but we had water. Dad said a quick grace before meals. This was something we usually never done. I thought this was sweet as it was nice giving thanks to God for the food we were about to eat. This was not good enough for the Sullivans, so we had to say Grace before meals their way. This felt nearly as long as the Church services! Mr Sullivan went on and on and when we thought he was finished, he just continued. I was afraid that the food was getting cold. When the prayer was over, we started eating. My family did not say much. The Sullivans were talking about how great the prophet was and how great their lives were.


    It did not help that mom was asking so many questions. They talked that they lead simple lives that consisted of work and prayer, and not having access to anything. They felt so close to the prophet and God. This made Dad question why the prophet has such a high status. When the Sullivans spoke, it was as if the prophet was God''s right-handed man. There was silence as the Sullivans did not answer Dad''s question.


    The dinner ended in the worse possible way. Mom said that she had a great idea. Our family would live as simple as we could for a week. We would not look at TV or go online or use our cellphones. We would try a week at being like ˇ°Angels of the prophetˇ± and living a simple spiritual life.


    This upset dad, and he told mom that he wanted to speak with her in private. I do not know why they thought it was private. We could hear everything they said. Dad started by saying that he did not want to be an ˇ°Angel of the prophetˇ± or join any religious cult. He was happy with his family and job and the way we lived.


    Mom thought different than Dad. She said that we had a comfortable life, but there was something that was missing. She wanted a deeper spiritual life and a life where she was closer to God. We did not have to join another religion, but they could inspire us.


    I was not asked what I thought.


    Dad ended up surrendering and said we could be simple people for a week. He was doing this because he loved mom so much!


    When my parents came back, Mr Sullivan was smiling. ˇ°Now that this is settled, I think we should invite you to one of our prayer meetings. It is only polite that you were so kind as to invite us to your Church, we should invite you to one of our prayer services.ˇ±


    Miss Sullivan clapped her hands and said this was so exciting.


    I was still thinking about how I would survive a week without my cellphone.

 Chapter 2: So Different

    Ellie seemed shocked that I wanted to be her friend. I smiled and assured her that we are now friends. After I went back home, I could not stop thinking about Ellie. She was not like any other girl I know. The fact is that Ellie would not survive in school. She would be teased and an outcast! Still, there was something special about her that made her interesting. Maybe it was that she was so obedient and did not think about popularity. She was like the Amish people.


    Dad did not think much about them and said they would probably lower the value of property in the area. He was afraid more ˇ°Religious freaksˇ± would move to the area.


    Mom was the most positive about the family. She thought that modern society was so worried about economics and having as many things as possible. She thought that we forgot the spiritual side of our lives and why humans really do exist. Mom really thought it was refreshing and inspiring to have a family that put God first living close by. She really wanted our family to be friends with them and learn from each other.


    Mom wanted to show them that despite we had everything that one could desire, we were still believers. To do this, Mom invited them to our Church. They said that they had to think about it, but after a few days, they agreed to come. Mom was so excited that they would come, that you would think it was Christmas Eve. We had to get up earlier to get ready for the event. I had to wear the best dress that I had. I hated the dress as it was frilly and was something mom would have worn when she was a child. Then she put my hair in pigtails and ribbons at the end. I hoped God would appreciate all the trouble we were going through.


    We met the Sullivans at the Church. Oh, I forgot to tell you that was Ellies last name. Well, now you know. Anyhow they were at the Church wearing the poor clothes they always wore. It was obvious that they didn''t put any effort into impressing God.


    The service was the same as usual. The priest said what he usually said and we sang the songs that someone wrote 200 hundred years ago. Then the priest talked about how much God loves us, and if we did not like it we would be in hell for eternity. The Sullivans stood up in the middle of the service and walked out. I looked at Ellie and she had a sad face. I couldn''t believe that someone would dare to walk out of the service.


    The priest must have thought the same, as he talked to mum and dad after the service. He told us that the Sullivans were obviously members of some religious cult and we should be careful with them. They would brainwash us until we joined the cult. If we joined a cult, we would lose our possessions, identity, and freedom. We would be slaves for some man that has fooled so many people.


    On the way home in the car, Dad was smiling and told us that the priest was very wise. Mom, on the other hand, was frustrated. She asked should we not love one another, or was that just when we were at Church?


    I was just happy to get out of my dress when I came home. Granny was visiting us and it seemed like the only thing we talked about was the Sullivans. I wondered what we talked about before they moved here. Granny must have noticed this too, as she said that she noticed that mom was obsessed with this family. She joked when she asked mom was she thinking of converting to their strange religion.


    Mom didn''t get to answer, as Dad came in with a huge smile on his face. He told us that he just spoke with his boss and he was just got a promotion at work. This meant that he had to go on a trip for a week or two weeks. He had to help an important client. So the rest of the day was helping Dad pack. Mom tried to be happy about his sudden trip and said that she and I would have fun together.


    The next day after school mom was waiting at the door. She told me that we had to visit the Sullivans and hope they were not mad about the service. I do not understand why Mom was so worried. In a way, it was rude of them to leave something we invited them to.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Mrs Sullivan apologized for leaving the Church. She said that they felt uncomfortable there. It was like we were not really praying. We were just reciting prayers that we recited every week and singing songs that we had no relationship to. She said that God''s spirit was not in our church and it was torture for them to be there.


    Ellie and I let the adults talk and sat under a tree. I told her about my dad and his promotion and he was away on a business trip. There was silence after I said this, and Ellie put on a sad face again. She did not understand why some people wanted promotion after promotion and just wanted to be richer. The prophet thought that money and the race to get more money. It only causes pain and stress.


    ˇ°God will provide for us. It says so in the Bibleˇ±


    I felt like she was against my dad and the way she lived. This confused me as we were a normal family. We were the ones that did not stick out. I told her this and asked her would she like to have some nice things in life, like nice clothes and a cell phone and whatnot. Ellie had to think about this and finally said that she was an Angel of the prophet. She was happy and did not need to be a slave to society.


    I was not in a good mood when I came home. Mom, on the other hand, was in a great mood. She had another book that the prophet wrote himself. This was a book on how people should live and how the town ˇ°Paradiseˇ± should be like heaven on Earth. I had no intention of reading that book.


    To be honest, I was tired of my neighbors and their religion. Why could they not keep their religion private like everyone else? It was good that Granny visited. I told her what Ellie said, and she said it''s best not to be around the Sullivans. We baked a cake to think about something else. Mom did not help, as she was engrossed with the book she had. I could see that this worried Granny. She confessed at one stage that she was afraid that Mom was being converted to this religious sect.


    Dad finally came home and he was disappointed that mom only wanted to talk about the prophet''s book and she wanted Dad to read it. He had no intention of doing that. He nearly exploded in rage when mom said that she invited the Sullivans for food. I never heard my Dad sigh so much. In the end, he surrendered. He must love mom a lot to do this!


    The dinner with the Sullivans came. It was simple food. There was no wine but we had water. Dad said a quick grace before meals. This was something we usually never done. I thought this was sweet as it was nice giving thanks to God for the food we were about to eat. This was not good enough for the Sullivans, so we had to say Grace before meals their way. This felt nearly as long as the Church services! Mr Sullivan went on and on and when we thought he was finished, he just continued. I was afraid that the food was getting cold. When the prayer was over, we started eating. My family did not say much. The Sullivans were talking about how great the prophet was and how great their lives were.


    It did not help that mom was asking so many questions. They talked that they lead simple lives that consisted of work and prayer, and not having access to anything. They felt so close to the prophet and God. This made Dad question why the prophet has such a high status. When the Sullivans spoke, it was as if the prophet was God''s right-handed man. There was silence as the Sullivans did not answer Dad''s question.


    The dinner ended in the worse possible way. Mom said that she had a great idea. Our family would live as simple as we could for a week. We would not look at TV or go online or use our cellphones. We would try a week at being like ˇ°Angels of the prophetˇ± and living a simple spiritual life.


    This upset dad, and he told mom that he wanted to speak with her in private. I do not know why they thought it was private. We could hear everything they said. Dad started by saying that he did not want to be an ˇ°Angel of the prophetˇ± or join any religious cult. He was happy with his family and job and the way we lived.


    Mom thought different than Dad. She said that we had a comfortable life, but there was something that was missing. She wanted a deeper spiritual life and a life where she was closer to God. We did not have to join another religion, but they could inspire us.


    I was not asked what I thought.


    Dad ended up surrendering and said we could be simple people for a week. He was doing this because he loved mom so much!


    When my parents came back, Mr Sullivan was smiling. ˇ°Now that this is settled, I think we should invite you to one of our prayer meetings. It is only polite that you were so kind as to invite us to your Church, we should invite you to one of our prayer services.ˇ±


    Miss Sullivan clapped her hands and said this was so exciting.


    I was still thinking about how I would survive a week without my cellphone.

 Chapter 3: The outcast

    The dinner with the Sullivans was a disaster. It was one big advertisement for the Prophet and his so-called Angels. The Sullivans knew that mom wanted a spiritual life and reminded her that she named me Angel. I was afraid mom would join them right there and then. This did not happen. In fact, something worse happened. We were to spend a week without our cellphones, Netflix, or TV. This was cruel and must be against every child right there is.


    I had no choice to do it. My cellphone was locked away in a desk and I felt as if I was in the dark ages again. It was like I was missing an arm or a leg. I really wanted to cry which made mom frustrated. She tried to explain that we have become so dependent on modern gadgets and things, that it was sad to see how we could not survive without them.


    What did mom know? My cellphone was the contact I had with the world. I could be in contact with my friends at any time. I could go on the net anytime or see a film. My cellphone was my best friend when I was bored. Living without one was torture. Mom tried her best by saying we could do things together, like cook and bake, and even do the garden, but this did not make a difference. I felt like I was always missing something.


    Even my friends at school began to tease me. They noticed that I no longer had a cellphone and did not believe that it was only for a week They thought I was becoming a religious fanatic. Everyone heard of the Sullivans and everyone considered them as weird Jesus loving fanatics. Now everyone at school assumed that I was now one. At first, I was teased and then after a few days, I was ignored. This was very difficult as until now I was liked at school and had friends. I was popular.


    When I told mom how her experiment of a simple life was ruining my life, she just told me this was a chance to evaluate my life. Did I really have friends that suddenly ignored me when I had no cellphone? She started to talk that a simple life was easier as I would know who my real friends were. Then she started quoting from the prophet and his ideas of friendship. I stormed off and hid in my room.


    Later Mom and Dad came in and asked me what the problem was. I told them that everything changed. We were a happy family and since the Sullivans moved in, we changed. The only thing we talked about now was the Sullivans and their prophet. I looked at mom and asked did she not care that Dad and I were not interested in the Cult and the Sullivans. We were tired of all the religious talk and wanted things back to normal.


    ˇ°How do you think I feel?ˇ± Mom asked. ˇ° I was also happy for my life and thought that I had everything that I wished for. Then this family moved and they prioritized life differently. It made me question my life. I read the books and heard what the Prophet wrote and suddenly I was confused. What good is our life when it''s based on how we look and not who we really are? How good is our life when there is no spirituality? I would join the cult as I feel like it is the best place for me. However, I am not joining them as you are my family and I can see the Prophet has not convinced you yet.ˇ±


    Mom pleaded with us that we would accept that she found a new spirituality and we do not judge her or the Sullivans. This made me think that we should support mom more. If she was happy with this new religion, then we should be happy for her. It''s not like she was forcing us to agree with the Sullivans or their religion.


    Dad understood mom as well and it explained why our family seemed so obsessed with the Sullivans. He loved mom a lot and he did not care what she believed in. Dad went as far as to start to read the books that Mom got from the Sullivans. It was his way of showing mom some respect and trying to understand her.


    The good thing was that mom gave me my cellphone back. This was great news. However, I found out the phone didn''t help. My old friends were now convinced that I was secretly a member of the religious cult across the road. They ignored me at school and some even blessed themselves when they saw me.


    For the first time in my life, I felt lonely. I had no one to speak with and no one to hang around with. I was an outcast at the school and after a while, it was a relief just to go home. I would stay in my bedroom and read some books or look at youtube. I was afraid that I was going to get depression. When I spoke with granny about it, she told me that loneliness was one of the worse things a human can experience. She agreed with mom and dad that said it shows that my old friends were not really friends. Real friends do not ignore or make a person an outcast!Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Ellie was there for me. She started visiting me and hanging around. At first, she did not say a lot. Then she started opening up more. She was proud of being in the cult and she really had a strong faith in God. However, she became interesting when I could see who she was below the surface. She told me once that she did not like that the cult was so dominant. She questioned if the prophet was always right. She disagreed especially when he said that women should listen to men and men were superior. After Ellie admitted this, we became closer friends.


    I liked the fact that Ellie was more open and I could see who she really was. As all my friends totally ignored me, I started visiting Ellie a lot more. I think I was changing. I was no longer judging her or thinking that she was weird. I think that this was because people who I thought were my friends showed me their true colours. It was far more simple with Ellie. I did not have to impress her with music or fashion. I could see that she was friends because she liked hanging around with me.


    The same could be said for her parents. Sure they were Angels of the Prophet and their life was built around this. However, I could see that they were happy and were a close family. They were not stressed and yet they seemed to be always busy. They followed the prophet''s rules and this made them happy. The prophet had a lot of rules, but they were made so people helped each other and they all felt wanted. I found out that their religion was a community. It was like one big family.


    Unlike I was before, I was starting to understand why religion was so appealing. Maybe I left my guard down and became more and more interested because of the way I was shunned at school. Maybe it was because I could see that mom was happier and I also wanted to be happier.


    Even Dad was changing. He read all the books about the prophet and his teachings as he could. Dad did not want to join them, but he did think that our Church could learn something from them and likewise. Mom was happier that both Dad and I were not so critical about The Sullivans.


    Things became very bad when we went to our Church for service again. We should have suspected when the priest told us all not to let modern religions let us stray. We should keep strong in our faith and our Church. We should pray for those that were being brainwashed and so forth. We should pray but not support. I looked at mom and dad and they were looking down and afraid to show their face. I heard others look at us and whisper as they stared at us.


    When we got home, Dad was not in a good mood. He did not like how the priest spoke and how everyone ignored us after service and avoided us as if we had some disease. I told him that the same was happening at school. Everyone thought we were in the prophet''s cult. Mom tried to calm down. Things would get better.


    ˇ°Treat others like you want to be treated,ˇ± Dad shouted, ˇ°This is what the Bible says. Where are the compassion and friendship at our Church? I tell you firmly that we are not going there. We will go to the prayers that the Sullivans invited us to. I read everything about what the prophet said, and he is against all forms of bullying and hatred.ˇ±


    I went over to Ellies later that day. I told her what was said at Church and everyone ignored us. This made Ellie sigh and told me that people were afraid of her religion. She told me that she liked how everyone at Paradise lived as one big family. No one was poor and no one was rich. No one was hungry and no one was ignored. I just listened as she advertised for it once more.


    ˇ°I think you are not very happy,ˇ± Ellie said. ˇ°You based your life on being popular and having so many things. You had friends and neither you nor they were really yourself. At your school, you get teased and bullied if you are different. You forgot God. You forgot that humans are different. Let me ask you this... If your family joined our religion, would you not be happier?ˇ±


    I was on the verge of crying and went home. I told mom about what Ellie said. Mom gave me a hug and told me that Dad and she were discussing the same. Did we not belong in the cult? We would be much happier there.


    Nothing improved that week. We were now treated like outcasts and sinners. We went to the Sullivans prayer meeting. They called it a ritual. It was totally a strange experience. We sang some lively songs and even danced! We praised God at the top of our voice and rose our hands and waved them around. The Sullivans were smiling and mom had tears in her eyes. She admitted that she never felt so close to God.


    After, we sat outside and looked at the stars. It''s amazing how beautiful everything was when we had time to look at it.


    Just as things were silent, Mr Sullivan looked at us and said, ˇ°I think you all need to decide what future you have. I hope you will put your future in the hands of God and the Prophet. I feel so blessed that I can invite you all to our religion!ˇ±


    This was it! It was the Sullivans wanting us to join their cult!

 Chapter 4: Cult Princess

    The ritual with the Sullivans was way different from the services we went to. I could see that they really prayed with their heart and soul. It was strange singing at the top of our voice and then suddenly dancing. They played a message from the Prophet. He was talking that his followers were one big family. We should look at each other''s strong sides and not dwell on their weaknesses. Bullying and intolerance could not be tolerated In any family. As Angels, we must take care of and protect each other.


    Ellie was in a good mood after their ritual. She gave me a hug and said it was good that my name was Angel. I told her that I could finally understand why she wanted to follow the prophet. The ritual was very special and I felt closer to God. This made Ellie smile more!


    I did not expect her Dad to invite us to join the cult. I expected Dad to say a polite no thank you. However, he asked what does joining the cult mean. How would it change our lives?


    Mr Sullivan said we would have a new life. It was like being reborn. We would hand over all our possessions to the prophet''s Church. Then we would be sent to Paradise where we would get our own house. We will also be assigned jobs and we would be part of one big family.


    Dad said it''s a big step to give our house and everything away. He asked about our savings and the college fund for me. The answer was that everything would be handed to the prophet. We no longer had to worry about money. Paradise will give us food and clothes and would give me an education. We would be equal to other people and most importantly closer to the prophet and God, and happier!


    Dad said that we would have to think about it. To be honest we did not have a lot of time to discuss it. A few days after the ritual, Dad was told as his work that he was being laid off. He was in a bad mood when he heard this. He could not understand why he was being fired when his firm was employing new people. The only solution he could think of was that his employers heard that we were friends with people from a cult and it was dangerous for them to employ him. This made dad mad as he yelled it was discrimination and ignorance. He started telling mom that the Sullivans were not dangerous or public enemies.


    Things really came to a boil when the priest came. He noticed that we were not at church for a while. Mom invited him in for some tea. Nothing was really said until he saw one of the prophet''s books on the table.


    ˇ°So it is true,ˇ± he said, ˇ°Your family is being brainwashed and most likely being recruited into this religious cult. They will promise things will be better. They will promise happiness and eternal heaven. However, you will lose your souls to them. You will be damned. This cult is nothing but a tool of the devil. My advice is to come back to church and repent!ˇ±


    Dad had enough. Everyone was judging our family. Dad pushed the priest out of the house. He shouted that the priest is no longer welcome here. As the priest was walking out in shock, Dad told the priest that he was not considering joining the cult. However, after hearing what the priest had to say, he was now strongly considering joining the cult


    The priest went and I could see dad smoking and mom slumped in a chair. They seemed to be in shock that a priest was kicked out of the house. Mom was the first to say something. She thought that everyone would know about it tomorrow. Then there was silence and mom told us it was nice to be invited to join the cult. She admitted that she really felt like a bad person for kicking the priest out. Mom reminded everyone that she did not want to join the cult as we were not interested in it.


    Dad suggested we forget all about God and religion and cults and have a good time. So we went to the cinema. I usually would be so excited about this, as it was Disney''s new film. I could not help to think about how confusing my life was becoming. We were being shunned and ignored by old friends and our neighbours. Mum was totally into the new prophet and even Dad was reading what the prophet had to say. We were even invited to join the cult. This were a lot of things happening, and no one asked me what I wanted!


    I didn''t see much of the movie.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    I was at Ellie''s house and we talked about my family and if they were joining the cult or not. I shrugged my shoulders and said that they were talking about it. I honestly did not know what they were deciding. No one ever asked me what I wanted to do.


    ˇ°We are only children,ˇ± Ellie explained, ˇ°God and the prophet tell us that he had big plans for each of us. However, that is when we grow up. Until then we are to be obedient and trust in our parents that they make the right choices for us. Let''s say that your parents decide that you should be part of our religion and move to Paradise. That could not be the worse thing in the world. You will have friends and your parents would be happy. You are just afraid of something unknown. I am sure when it all happens, you will be so happy. Just trust in God and in the prophet.ˇ±


    I felt better after speaking with Ellie. I thought that she had a point. What did I have left here in my world? I had no friends and my family was considered strange fanatics. Maybe this was a sign from God to join the cult. At least my parents would be happy and I would not be ignored.


    When I went home, both Mom and Dad were in a great mood. Dad told us that we would celebrate in style. They decided that we would join the cult and live in paradise. I smiled and assured them that I was happy about her decision.


    I ran back over to Ellie''s house and told her that we would be joining the prophet''s family. We would be cult members! Ellie was so happy as she gave me a welcome hug. I told her that we could be best friends when we all moved to Paradise. Ellie stopped smiling and told me that she was not going back to Paradise. Her parents were known as ˇ°the fishers.ˇ± This meant their job was to live in the big normal world and tell people about the prophet and paradise. I gave Ellie a hug and understood why she appeared to be so lonely at times.


    Nothing much happened for a few weeks. The Elders at Paradise was getting a house ready for us there and discussing what our responsibilities would be. Mom and Dad were now reading everything that the prophet wrote, so this meant that all we ever spoke about was the prophet.


    I thought it was a bit sad when two men from Paradise came and Dad had to sign papers that gave the prophet everything we owned. This was money and the house! Even my bike was signed over to the prophet. We were told that when a car came and collected us, we were to take nothing to Paradise, not even a suitcase. We were to leave everything behind. This even meant our cellphones and clothes!


    Another thing we were told is that we would have no contact with anyone that was not a member of the cult. The reason was that we were not ˇ°fishersˇ±. I did not understand this and thought it was very sad. I know granny tried to visit us and ring us, but mom and Dad simply ignored her. I felt so sorry for Granny.


    The day came when we were to move to Paradise. We were given clothes that we would wear there. Dad wore a suit so he looked the same as he always did. Mom wore a blouse and a long skirt that went to her ankles. I wore a cotton dress that also went to my feet and had long arms. It was a brown dress and was something I normally would never wear. To make things weirder, my hair was put in pigtails.


    The drive was long as we drove for most of the day. Not much was said in the car except that mom seemed very excited. I just noticed we seemed to be driving to places that had no people. In the end, there were hardly any towns on our trip. The driver must have read my thoughts as he said Paradise was built in a very remote area where there was no contact with the outside world.


    We finally arrived at Paradise, which seemed like a cosy town. The houses were small but had nice gardens. We were not given a chance to rest but taken to a small stream. It looked like the whole town was there. They were dressed the same way as we were.


    Mom was the first that got baptized. She was told to walk into the stream where a man asked her if she was an angel of God and if she would be obedient to the prophet. Mom smiled as she shouted yes and then she was baptized as she was held under the water. The townspeople were delighted and started praising the prophet and God. Some were even singing. Dad was next to be baptized.


    Then it was my turn. I walked into the water and really wanted to run out again because it was so cold. The man asked was my name really Angel and I nodded. I was asked if I would be obedient and be an angel for Paradise. I nodded again which made the man a bit frustrated. He wanted me to shout it so heaven could hear me. As soon as this happened, I was lowered until I was under the water. I was afraid and I was cold. I did not take a deep breath before this happened. When I tried to raise myself, he held me under the water. Despite how much I struggled, he held me there. In the end, he helped me stand up again. I was coughing and I was cold.


    I ran to my mom after such an ordeal and could not help but started crying. Mom could not see that this was because of how cold I was and that I thought that I would drown.


    ˇ°You have tears of joy and happiness,ˇ± she proclaimed, ˇ°Praise Jesus and the prophet. You are now a child of Paradise and the Prophet.ˇ±


    In other words, I was now a member of a cult.


    The end..  for now