Chapter Text
“Huh...” was all Layla could really say as she leaned against the doorway and looked out towards the mountains. When she had first arrived, under a cloud of family tragedy and the combined anxieties and hopes of moving, she only briefly acknowledged Hope County’s natural beauty and didn’t take in much of the sights. Being a lifelong native of Montana and having taken many trips into the wilderness had also desensitized Layla to her surroundings, so it was only on her third day after moving in with her sister and nieces that she noticed the sign.
“Hi, Aunt Layla! Whatcha’ lookin’ at?”
Layla turned to smile at her nieces, Hazel and Fern coming towards her. She was not only happy to see Hazel walking about, her injured arm in a sling, but both girls looking clear-eyed and bright even after the recent family problems. Hazel had been the one to address her, her younger sister looking at Layla with a curious glance and head tilted in wonder.
“Oh, well, that. You guys know what that eyesore is all about?” Layla asked, jabbing her thumb outwards and looking back at it with a skeptical look.
She saw Hazel and Fern’s looks turn into disgust, Hazel’s eyes rolling so far into skull Layla was afraid they would be lost while Fern sighed.
“Well, it’s a giant “YES” sign, for one thing...” Fern said. Hazel then interrupted bluntly, “Aunt Layla’s not stupid, Fern, she can read.”
“It’s okay, Hazel, it’s good to see that it is indeed a “YES” sign. What’s it for?”
The girls looked at each other before Fern said, “Mom said it’s Mr. Seed’s type of preaching. The Power of Yes. It’s for the purpose of gathering new followers.”
“It’s sooo stupid! Like, he takes motivational speaking way too far!” Hazel added. “He even has dumb billboards all over the county. Nice way to show you have money to throw around when you’re not busy being a greedy lawyer, a-hole!”
“Whoa, whoa, now I don’t have time to unpack all of that, kiddos! Who’s “Mr. Seed” and why is he going around talking about “yes” so enthusiastically?” Layla said. “That doesn’t even sound like a real name, why am I only learning of this now?”
Fern cleared her throat and Hazel fell quiet, though she gave an eye-roll at Fern’s excitement to explain. “Well, his name is John Seed. He’s part of this group called Eden’s Gate—they’re like Pastor Jerome’s church, but they follow their own doctrine, one that Mom thinks is not God’s true voice—and they’ve been here for a while. Mom tells us they’ve been here since I was maybe five, or six. They’ve really grown bigger and louder really recently, but John’s the loudest. Did you see the boards with his face on it while you were driving here?”
“I didn’t really notice. Was too busy worrying about Clover barfing in the car, and having Grandma and Gramps micro-managing the move for me,” Layla said, a warm smile as she saw the girls chuckle. Always good to see them happy. If that poor excuse for a father was still alive, I’d kill him myself for ever hurting them.
“Well, we’ll point some of them out to you next time we’re on a drive,” Hazel said. “There’s some with weird symbols and phrases, but most signs here in the valley have John’s dumb smug face on it, talkin’ about how “we’ll love you and we’ll take you.” Sounds like a creep planning to kidnap people to me.”
“Anyways,” Fern said, her voice rising over Hazel’s, “John Seed is the “face,” I guess you could say, of the Project. His brother, Joseph, is the leader, but John handles all the finances and PR, I guess. He’s kinda handsome.” Fern blushed a bit and rubbed the back of her head with a small giggle. “He’s also wealthy, too. If it wasn’t for him being a part of Eden's Gate, I’d say he’s like a prince.”
Hazel made a gag noise, but didn’t say anything. Layla said as her brows furrowed, “Your mom never talked about these crazies before, and she knows how much I love ragging on crazies like this. Why is Eden's Gate bad?”
The girls went quiet, with Fern shifting in her chair and looking away while Hazel bit her lip and narrowed her eyes. Hazel then spoke up.
“We always went to Pastor Jerome’s church, but it changed when Da-that bastard started going to the Seed’s services and talkin’ about how—how great they were, and how “The Collapse” was real, that Joseph was the only righteous voice.” Layla noticed how Hazel’s good hand clenched and unclenched at her side. The girl then spoke loudly, startling the two, “They’re crazy! They’re not good Christians like Pastor Jerome or Mom! Mom became frightened at even the drop of their name when she got pregnant with Todd, and you know she’s scared of nothin’! That bastard wasn’t the nicest, but he became downright looney and obsessed with Eden’s Gate, even ready to sell our home to John. And I hear things in town. About John buyin’ up places, and weapons being brought in, and-and weird shit goin’ on in the Whitetails and to the east. People disappearing when they make Eden’s Gate mad. They even have a statute of that lyin’ prophet of theirs nearly complete out in the Henbane!”
“Wha—? A statue?! That can’t be legal!” Layla sputtered. What had I gotten into by moving here...and what has Tess not been telling me?
“They can pretty much get away with anything these days. Poor Mayor Minkler is cowed by the Project and Sheriff Whitehorse has been overwhelmed by people quitting or...“leaving,” one might say,” Fern said. She then shivered. “Some of the members came to one of Pastor Jerome’s services. They stood outside and shouted how Jerome was a false shepherd, that the Collapse was coming and the Father was the only path to salvation. Dad and a few others walked out to join them...Mom was very upset with him after that.”
“Don’t call him “dad,” Fern!” Hazel snapped, but softened up. “He wasn’t our “dad” for a long time, and he sure ain’t now after what he did. The fight, y’know, the one where he...he shot us and took Todd away and killed himself...it was about Eden’s Gate,” Hazel said, her voice low. The girls looked ready to cry and Hazel wanted to scream. “Eden’s Gate is evil. I just...They’re bad news.”
Layla then came to the girls and hugged them, rubbing their backs comfortingly and a kind smile on her face. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. These people sound like every doomsday cult I’ve studied, but guess what?”
After a pause with her nieces who looked confused, Layla said with a sly smirk, “Your badass Aunt Layla is going to be a deputy with the Sheriff’s Department, and you know I don’t let anything slide when it comes to BS, right?”
“Hell yeah!” “Language, Hazel! But you’re right, you are tough, Aunt Layla.”
“So, if John, or Joseph, or any other Seed tries to come around and harass you or Tess, I’ll go and kick their loony-tune as—butts, alongside Clover? Right, Clover?” Layla’s dog lifted her eyes towards the trio, but she didn’t leave the couch as she let out a small gruff. “Darn straight! No one will mess with my family or their friends, so there’s no need to be afraid anymore, okay?”
Weak smiles returned to the girls’ faces as they looked a bit calmer. Layla then stood up and said, “Tell you what? We’ll go see your mom at the hospital, go to whatever favorite restaurant you like for dinner tonight and take some eggs along to hit any Johnny Appleseed billboards we see. Sound fun?”
“Oh my gosh, yes!!” Hazel said. “Fern, you up for it?”
“Yeah. Will you be okay?” Fern asked. Hazel let out a small huff and flicked her good hand.
“Pfft, I’m fine! I bet I can throw better with my one hand than you girls!”
“Oh, we’ll see about that, young lady!” Layla scoffed as the girls laughed and went to prepare. Before she walked off, Layla gave one last glance at the large white “YES” sign. Unease settled into her stomach, but she shoved the bad thoughts away for happier times with her nieces, to keep things good after all that’s happened to them.
She did allow one snide thought: I wish I had a grenade launcher to shoot that shit down. That would be awesome.