[IC] 𝕽𝖚𝖒𝖘𝖕𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖆

[MissCapnCrunch]

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29. 2018

Bright and early within a local church, Joseph, an elderly man with a lot of respect within Marrowbone looked from face to face of the group of young adults that were about to celebrate their first year of Rumspringa, a rite of passage. For some this would be the last time they would see their family, their friends, their community. Not many children kept away until their 21st birthday, so it wasn't of real concern. He bowed his head before speaking, a safe prayer for travel:

"Lord, be our children's guide and protector on the journey they are about to take. Watch over them during this time. Protect them from accidents. Save them from danger. Save them from sin. Keep the, free from harm to their body and soul. Lord, support them with your grace when they are tired and weary. Help them be patient and kind in any trouble which may come their way."

The wordy prayer was not yet finished, but another Marrowbone member by the name of Levi came into the room, a medium box in his arms. He set it down quietly as to not disturb the send off of these children, but Joseph and a few of the group looked up to Levi, his youthful smile a bit on the devious side.

Joseph cleared his throat a bit annoyed but continued,

"I pray that these children will safely reach their destination, and that they will return safe and sound, sooner than later. Lord, keep them always mindful of your presence and love. Blessed are you, Lord our God, you who hear our prayers. Amen." his eyes met each of the youth once more, slow and intense in his gaze. The other gentleman, Levi waited to speak as Joseph put his hands on each and everyone of the teens, before he wished them once again for safe travels.

Once Joseph was out of ear shot, Levi chuckled. "Good morning!" he cooed, walking over to the box he had brought in and opened it up. "This year was one of the most fun times in my life, but I missed my family after awhile and ended up coming back after my 21st birthday. I was a different man, but I did come back. One of my brothers didn't make the same choice and now you will be staying at his other home while you are gone."

Levi handed each of the youth a brown paper bag, each bag included: a house key, a basic prepaid cellphone, a banking card, and a small roll of bread for the 3 hour bus trip ahead of them. Levi let them look at the items a little bit before speaking again, "Weird huh? You'll learn what all that stuff does in no time." he pointed to the bank card, "That works like money, you have all been given 1,000 dollars each, use wisely for food and other bills you might rack up. The rent is paid for, so don't worry about that." he scratched his eyebrow, looking at the kids; some with excitement others with clear nerves. "Let's get going, you'll miss your bus."

Over fifteen stops, and three hours later the children arrived in New York City, the snow plowed away but the cold air crisp with the sun not as high in the sky but still fairly daylight. They got into the station with their luggage in hand when a woman in a fur coat approached them. Her voice boisterous and somewhat shrill, she exclaimed, "Welcome!" with a bit of surprise the woman quickly explained herself, "I'm Tommy's girlfriend Ashley, he was busy today so sent me to go get you." she smiled again, ushering the children off into a passenger van.

If they didn't know any better this could have been a recipe for disaster.

However, it was not a ploy and the children arrived at the house not too long after, if it could be called that. The exterior was something that was familiar in material but not in upkeep. Ashley helped slightly, opening the door for them and helping haul in the smaller of the luggage. She seemed in a rush as she spoke, "So, there is only 6 rooms, and I see there are 10 of you this year. You'll have to figure it out. There are three rooms downstairs and three upstairs, each have two beds. Boys will be down here, and girls get the upstairs. I don't care if that doesn't stay that way." she winked, as she continued her spiel that Tommy had instructed her to do, "Uh, besides that um my number and Tommy's number is on the fridge. If you wanna go home, call or text that. There is a library near by if you need computer until you guys can." she shrugged, having this been her first year, unlike the previous girlfriends who had a few years practice under their belt.

"Bye then!" she said awkwardly as she made her way through the door and sped off to only God knows where.

Mercy, a member of this year's group spoke up as she removed her heavier winter jacket and placed it on her large trunk she had brought with her, "Let's find our rooms first every one, so we can unpack. Then let's make some lunch girls, I'm starving!" she started for the stairs as some of the other girl's began to follow.

[Ejected]

_{{"When you fight yourself to discover the real you, there is only one winner."}}

It was a bright Saturday morning in the small Amish community of Marrowbone, and Elizabeth King felt nothing but pure excitement and anticipation as she stood before Joseph at the front of the church. Masking her face was an innocent, neutral look of intent, but her mind had been in a completely different place since she'd finished packing her things the night before. There was a certain gleam in Elizabeth's eye when she daydreamed about all of the places she'd eventually get the chance to visit, the exotic foods she'd get to taste, or the new things she'd get to learn. Truth be told, Elizabeth was ready to spread her wings and take on New York City with her group of childhood friends; never in a million years, however, would she even think about admitting this horrible truth to her family.

"You are going to come back home, right Lizzy?" John King, Elizabeth's seven year old brother, had asked her the night before as she folded a few articles of clothing and stuffed them into her suitcase. Of course Liz wanted to just nod her head and give her baby brother all of the reassurance he needed; she wanted to be able to tell him that this wouldn't be the last time they'd see each other. Instead, she gave him a long hug and several kisses before telling him to head to bed. Elizabeth simply didn't have the heart to tell him, or any other of her family members, that she was itching to get away. She couldn't bear to think of how they'd react if she told them that she was already contemplating what it would be like to live the rest of her life outside of Marrowbone.

Elizabeth was suddenly shaken out of her daydream when Joseph approached each of the teens, laying hands on each of them before letting Levi take over. It was in that moment that Liz began to pay close attention to what was being said. When she was handed a brown paper bag, she simply took a quick peek at the items inside before waiting for Levi to continue. Soon, the group of teenagers were boarding their bus, and Elizabeth made sure to sit as close to Eli and Eddy as possible. She ended up snagging the seat directly behind Eddy; unfortunately, she was stuck sitting next to Willa Huyard. Liz always thought that Willa was a nice girl, but the way she always tried to do things the way Liz did them had slowly begun to irritate the young woman as time went on. It was almost like she idolized her or something.

The journey to New York City seemed to be a long one thanks to all of the pit stops the bus had to make on the way, but Elizabeth was wide awake throughout the entire trip. Her eyes lit up as soon as the bus crossed state lines, and her heartbeat quickened once they'd arrived in New York City. "Look!" The young woman said in a hushed tone a she tapped her two closest friends on their shoulders and pointed out of the window, "There are so many people! So many lights and tall buildings!" The woman nearly pressed her face against the glass window as she spoke, trying to take in as much of her surroundings as she could. This was where she was going to live for the next few years. This was her new home.

As soon as the bus finally arrived at the station and the teenagers took their first steps onto New York grounds, a woman wearing a beautiful fur coat quickly approached them. Elizabeth took in the woman's entire ensemble as she introduced herself as Tommy's girlfriend, and the girl couldn't help but immediately feel out of place in her bonnet, plain dress, and Winter coat. She snapped out of this quickly, however, when Ashley began ushering them off into a passenger van. Soon they arrived at their destination, and a smile found its way upon Elizabeth's face once more as she stepped foot into where she'd be living for the time being. That smile faded, however, when the group was informed that there were only six rooms and that they would be separated by gender. She couldn't help but frown in Eddy and Eli's direction as she took her own coat off and began up the stairs, following close behind Mercy.

Elizabeth was standing outside of one of the rooms when she came to a sudden realization: Since there were three rooms and five girls, there was a strong chance that Willa would want to be her roommate. Without another thought, Liz approached none other than Adelinde Miller, tapping her gently on the shoulder so she'd turn to face her. "Hey Ade, you mind if we bunk together since there are only three rooms? I'll even take the couch if you don't want to share a bed."

[alexfangtalon]

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Ade

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The night before the beginning of the fateful trip, Ade and Eliza yet again got into a fierce argument. The arguing was over nothing. Eliza was merely going over a few things to watch out for in the big world, and Ade didn't want to hear a word of it. As usual, Eliza tried to put her foot down, but Ade just slammed her bedroom door in the oldest daughter's face. Not the best way to say goodbye for the next few years but it was unlikely the two would actually say goodbye despite how much they may want to. Elysia, however, was concerned, like always, that this argument would drive the sisters apart forever. The worry was warranted as Ade was about to leave for Rumspringa.

The youngest of the three silently entered Ade's room and, without a word, Ade could tell what her sister was thinking. "Don't worry, Lysi. I'll come back. Nothing can keep me away from my best friend." The younger girl looked up to Ade and in a silent voice asked, "Promise?"

"Promise!"

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The troublemaker Ade acted as the perfect angel as Joseph said his prayer. Usually, she'd try and cause problems, but she knew that the sooner he was done, the sooner they could set off. Looking at the items handed out by Levi Ade tried to figure out what she'd do first with the 1000 dollars. She wasn't planning on going crazy, but she knew she wanted to try something fun. On the long drive, Ade tried her best to keep away from Samuel. She successfully prevented him from sitting beside her, but he ended up behind her which may have been worse. The whole ride she could feel his eyes just watching her. He was probably the only part of Rumspringa that she wouldn't like.

In the big apple, Ade's eyes were wide, and her jaw was dropped. It was so beautiful. All the lights, the people, and the splendor. Over the years, Ade had many a dream of what the big city would be like, but this far exceeded all her expectations. Arriving at their new home for the next few years was very exciting. Usually, Ade tried to hide this kind of joy she was feeling, but the smile on her face shone brightly. It didn't last too long though as they were informed some would have to share rooms with others. This wasn't entirely bad, but Ade wasn't all to close with anyone here. She could consider most of them friends, but she was hoping for someplace to have alone time. She was trying to figure out if there was a way to guarantee her getting a room on her own without any issue when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Being asked to bunk with someone was just great. She didn't want to be rude because that would only cause issues, so she tried faking her reply saying, "Sure. I'm fine with whatever really. Just don't wanna risk getting anyone sick. I've had a bad cough for the past few days." Instantly, Ade mentally slapped her forehead. That was a terrible lie. The only thing that could save her now was the hope that Elizabeth would take pity on the nervous girl, or if she somehow believed her.

[FemShep]

Laughter filled the small house as Zeke chased his younger siblings through the house before bedtime. He scooped them up into his strong arms and carried them to the room they shared with him, he let the older children share a room, so the younger ones could enjoy his calming presence. They said their prayers as the did every night and he tucked them into bed just as his father called for him to come to his parents’ room. Zeke kissed his sibling’s goodnight and promised to be right back.

“Are the children in bed?” Levi asked sternly.

“Yes, Father.” Zeke nodded, knowing what was coming next since tomorrow was the start of his freedom, the start of his Rumspringa.

Zeke dutifully removed his long sleeve shirt, eyeing the belt that was already in his father’s hands.

***

The next morning Zeke’s mother made him a light breakfast knowing her son would be a ball of nerves. He was dressed in his best clothing as his father instructed, his long sleeves ending perfectly at his wrists. “I will miss you, Mother,” Zeke said as he kissed her good-bye.

Aden and Joshua were arguing about who would get to move into Zeke’s room while he was away. Catching the look on his father’s face Zeke stepped in, tussling the boy’s hair. “You be good while I am away, Mother will send me letters and I don’t want to hear of this squabbling nonsense. You have to set a good example for the others.” Zeke got down on their level and lowered his voice so only they could hear, “Don’t give Father a reason to find a replacement for me.” At that the boys straightened up, they knew how much Zeke protected them.

He said good-bye to his sister’s, promising to have a letter for them to read every Sunday. He would be missed by all of his siblings, his mother and even his father would miss him. Zeke would not miss the expectation he would be leaving behind. This was a chance for him to find himself and do something for himself for a change. His father expected him to look after the others on Rumspringa and he would out of habit, but this was their chance too. He sat dutifully through the Elder’s blessing and got on the bus, sitting in the front with his small roll of bread, wondering idly what New York City would be like. He winced slightly with every jostle of the bus but hoped no one noticed, hopefully too caught up in their own excitement.

They arrived at the house and Zeke was uncharacteristically quiet, relieved that his father wasn’t around pushing him to be a leader in some way. He grabbed his luggage, not bothering to ask if anyone wanted to be his roommate, it was inevitable he would have one and he didn’t mind who. He entered the room and put his luggage away in the closet for now, he would have to find furniture. Perhaps that is what he would do with the thousand dollars they had been given. He remembered one of the girls said she would be making lunch and headed back to the main area of the house.

“Are we set up with groceries already or do some of us need to run to the store?” Zeke asked curiously.

[Silent Whispers]

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_{Local Church ► New York City
Interacting With: Elizabeth King}

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Edgar sat in the local church, partially listening to Joseph but mainly looking up at the ceiling with his head leaned back. His father nudged him as he sat up immediately then stared forward while rolling his eyes slightly. It was seemingly the same thing every single year and he has heard this enough times to mimic what was going to be said next. Edgar mouthed the words silently to himself as his father looked at him, shaking his head but held back a laugh.

He was handed his brown bag and opened it as soon as he got it. Edgar started to rummage through the bag now, just to see what was inside before he zipped it back up as they were about to prepare for their departure. His mother hugged him tightly and told him to be careful while his father slapped him on the shoulder with a smile. "I'll be sure to call you guys as soon as we make it." He informed towards his parents then turned around to walk towards the bus now. 'If we make it.'

The thought quickly left his mind as he got on the bus and sat down, eyes trailed to look out the window at everyone that was present to watch them leave. Three-hour trip? Edgar put his headphones inside of his ears and cranked up some tunes then leaned his head back as he was slowly drifting off to sleep already.

The hours went by more quickly than Edgar had hoped for. He had missed most of the scenic places and views that had passed by. Once they arrived, he had gotten off the bus and stared at the building they were staying at. His ears twitched whenever someone started talking but they were mainly going over the familiarities of the place and such then said bye. 'That was quick.' Edgar thought as some girls were already heading upstairs and Elizabeth had asked Adelinde to be her roommate.

"I thought we were rooming together, Eliza. I see how it is." Edgar muttered loud enough for her to hear as he slumped a little on his feet. He had gone into his awkward pose before he walked passed them and started to trot up the stairs.