Initial draft. Ch.3-4. Updated June 1st, 2022
Date Published: May 17, 2022, 5:56pm
Written By: SSJ5Cloufiroth
As much as I appreciate gushing, unconditional praise, I would also appreciate kind, patient, constructive criticism and suggestions to guide and improve my writing.
Chapter 1
It was a small waterfall that poured down the rock face, tall enough only to conceal a small cave behind that one could fit inside, if she didn’t mind getting wet. A pond pooled below it, letting out through a stream that gently turned this way and that, snaking past where the trees let allowed guests in these woods to see. It was a spot largely untouched by civilization, but the faintest of trails revealed that some knew of the retreat.
Lightweight shoes sat in the shade as she danced; she much preferred the feel of the slightly wet grass on her bare feet as they stepped rhythmically, with purpose and repetition. A slender frame did little to reveal the poise and dexterity of a girl, no longer a child but short of her looming maturity, praising the Lord with her own personal temple near that waterfall. She adorned herself with a skirt of many cool colors suited to her movements, flaring and flashing about with blues and purples in complement of her dance.
In the cool of the day, she enjoyed an apple before replacing her shoes and walking back down the faint path she has traveled from. Approaching a bridge, she was confronted by an impatient looking boy. His face scowled, partially veiled by his unkempt hair. “Parisa, you just about missed supper! Again!”
“I’m sorry. I brought something to eat, so I’m okay!”
“It’s not just about you having food, we’re supposed to be together! To have time as family to talk and bond and whatever else. And it’s Saturday! We eat with the others on Saturday! You know that! Do you realize how upset mom and dad get when you’re out like this?”
“I’m sorry, Leonard. I’ll make it up to you.”
“How? By dancing or something? Save it for someone who’d appreciate it, like Joshuel. Or maybe he’d like to hear your secret…”
Parisa looked annoyed. “You wouldn’t!”
“Maybe I would if it would keep you from worrying our parents. There are snakes and stuff out there!”
“Alright! Alright! I’ll make sure not to be out alone so much!” And with that, she followed her younger brother over the bridge to a large building.
Inside, she came to the table as a young man smiled at her, pulling out a seat. He was not as much older than her as Reuben, but he was a tall and a solidly-built man with short, disciplined hair. He appeared far different from her short, delicate body and long, untamed hair, save for being thrown into one massive ponytail, but she felt quite comfortable with him around.
After grace, the three families seated at the large table began a simple meal of soup and plenty of bread. Besides the tall boy, Parisa sat with her parents and younger brother and sister. Two other families sat across the table. At the ends were two older men, one dressed cleanly like a religious figure and one quite a bit rougher looking.
The former spoke to the rough man. “Br. Valdez, how have their martial arts come along this week?”
“Reuben and Joshuel have progressed great as usual, but they’ve been butting heads a little lately.” The tall boy with Parisa, and a young man across the table from him, both lowered their heads somewhat with shame.
“Leonard has been slowly picking up some of the techniques, making good progress.”
Parisa’s brother held his head up high and spoke. “One day I’ll take over as head of the dojo!”
Br. Valdez gave him a skeptical look. “I don’t mean to hurt your self-esteem or anything, but you’ll probably never be as ruthless as Reuben or hit as hard as Joshuel.” This time, Leonard looked down while the older boys smirked.
The elder spoke again. “Yes. Reuben and Joshuel are like a dragon and a tiger. Parisa, it’s true that they’ve been teaching you some, isn’t it?”
Before she could speak, Leonard interrupted. “She mostly plays with a long stick. She must want to be a pole dancer.”
Valdez looked displeased with him. “Don’t make her embarrass you, Leo. You’re not showing a good attitude, as a disciple of the Savior OR a martial artist. Your belt is fixing to be white.” The boy was silent the rest of the evening as the elder spoke.
“Sister Laberrè, how is sewing coming along?”
“Very nicely. Leah is such a sweetie with helping Parisa and Tamar learn more advanced patterns.” The woman motioned to her daughter, a shy looking woman with braided hair.
Brother Valdez then asked the elder, “Are they learnin’ much, Anderson?”
“Parisa’s just about set to graduate, Leonard and Mia are doing fine. Luke and Jake struggle a little, but Leah sometimes tutors them. Jenna is doing well.”
“Parisa’s graduating? Didn’t she have another year?”
Elder Anderson smiled. “She’s progressed quite nicely, she’ll be ready by beginning of Spring.”
The elder then turned to Parisa’s father. “Brother Pahlavi, how do things look in surrounding communities?” He looked somewhat grim.
“Whatever’s behind the propaganda against us is intensifying their efforts. Tract after tract telling things that aren’t true or are missing context. ‘Deseret cult losing children to burnt sacrifices.’ ‘priests consume man’s blood in gruesome ritual.’ It’s not only affecting how others respond to our message, but to us personally.”
Elder Anderson closed his eyes for a moment or two, perhaps even a couple of minutes, before speaking again. “Well… I think I’ll have a solution for that tomorrow. I’ll go over it during Sunday School.”
Dinner continued without real surprise or devation. With the stars shining clearly outside, the close knit people of Deseret prepared for sleep. Parisa was visiting with Joshuel before going home to her bed, the two alone in his room. It was a small room on the second floor, above the dojo. “So you’re not leaving? That’s what most of the older people have done.”
“No, I like it here. All I want is to keep training under Br. Valdez and learning about power from Elder Anderson.
“Power? You mean the Gospel?”
“Yes, power. He talks about Priesthood power, and authority from God. If I had enough power, I could live out peacefully doing whatever I want indefinitely. Hitting things and moving heavy things will only give me so much power.”
“Hm… I don’t know if I’m that interested in power, but the scriptures keep telling me I need to love not just other people, but everything.” She was startled by loud, sudden snorting in the room next door. The two chuckled some.
“Even Br. Valdez’s snoring?”
“I guess so, yeah.”
“What about if you get hurt, or sick?”
“Well, I don’t know…”
After a moment of silence together, they stood up.
“Parisa… You’re going to be sixteen in a few weeks.”
“Y-yeah…” Both wanting to speak, neither speaking any further, they looked into each other. Parisa felt her heart beating faster. She began to feel wet in her groin. She registered it only as it trickled down her leg some, prompting her to hide it by pressing her legs together. The two broke it off before getting anymore heated, bidding good night as Parisa walked down the stairs and outside.
She left partly out of decency, but partly because she realized she had peed in her panties. In the dark, she was stopped by a boy closer to her age. “You were visiting Joshuel at night again?”
“Oh! Saul! Yes, I was. Why are you out here?” Thankfully, he probably couldn’t see what she had done due to the dark.
“Well… We’re both gonna be sixteen soon, um… Wi-will you marry me?” She wasn’t surprised; Reuben’s younger brother had shown interest in her for as long as she could remember. “I-I know you spend a lot of time with Joshuel, but, um, we’ve known each other for a long time and he just popped up one day. So if, uh, you aren’t sure about him…”
She leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead. “Saul, you’ve been a good friend to me. I’ll need to think about your offer, okay?” He smiled a little and nodded, running back to his house.
In her room, Parisa removed the dandelion-adorned barrette and let down her hair, brushing it out before closing her door. Quietly, she pulled out a bag from under her bed. Inside was a package, resembling that of baby diapers. Instead of a baby, however, they depicted a young teenage girl sleeping. She pulled out one sized for her nearly-adolescent hips and set it open on the bed before pulling off her skirt, her wet maillot, wet leggings, and wet panties. She laid on the diaper, securing it to herself with an expertise and efficiency suggesting years of experience, then quickly hid the remaining briefs under her bed. Her secret, aforementioned by her brother: She is nearly a sixteen year old bed-wetter. An unsolved stain on her grace and strength and a dancer, as well as her image as a nubile young woman. After finishing, she let her nightgown drape over her secret before going back out to clean her teeth. As her parents beckoned, she came to pray together as a family, as they did every night. In good spirits, they shuffled out of the room toward their own beds.
Little Mia spoke out as they separated.
“I don’t want to keep wearing diapers at night. I’m not a baby!”
Their mother answered sympathetically. “Don’t worry Mia, you’ll grow out of it one day.”
Parisa rolled her eyes. “‘One day’? You mean when I’m twenty-five or something? At this rate I’m gonna diaper my first baby at night while my husband diapers me!”
“I know, I know, just give it time.”
As everyone went to bed, the mother and father sat together on their bed. The father spoke up. “So when are you going to tell them?”
“Tell them what?” She asked as she laid down on her back.
Br. Pahlavi pulled out a package of diapers much like Parisa’s, and began to put one on his wife. “If there is a ‘one day’, it hasn’t come for you yet.”
“My mother, my sisters, me, my daughters… What’s with the girls in my family?” She asked to no one in particular.
In another home, Saul was on the floor, hammering out pushups as Reid watched impatiently. “You’re just going to keep yourself awake. Give it up! You can’t beat Joshuel. Give Mia a few years, she looks a lot like Parisa did at her age.”
“I… Can’t… Give… Up!” Saul let himself lay face-down, breathing heavily. “What does he have that I don’t, anyway?”
“Well, he’s not even twenty but he’s the tallest guy here. He’s probably going to squat four digits one day. He isn’t awkward or overbearing like you are.”
“Isn’t awkward? Do you even remember what he was like? What was it, two years now? Three? He was just there, sitting in the woods like an idiot.”
“Yeah, he almost knocked out Br. Valdez. Yohan had to do some weird exorcism and he was just fine.”
“But he was weird! Why does she like him?”
“I know, Saul. You feel like he isn’t ‘one of us’, right? There’s something wrong with him, something different. He just popped in and took your girl.”
“You feel the same, don’t you?” Reuben only pat his brother on the should before leaving him.
Chapter 2
“Get up!” Parisa jumped up in bed as Sis. Pahlavi called to her. “We’re ready to go and you haven’t even gotten out of bed this whole time?! Are you fifteen or are you five?” The teen sprang into hurried action, throwing off her gown and stepping right into her Sunday dress. It took her not even a whole minute to get her hair right. The rest of her family was stepping out the door as she shoved some dry cereal into her mouth and drank it down with a cup of milk. It was halfway through their short walk, after calming down some, that she realized she was still wearing her wet diaper under her dress. She contemplated going back to change into panties, but decided not to upset her parents further.
Every Sunday, the community met inside a meetinghouse, within which was a chapel. Parisa’s hair was down but neat, with only a sego lily tucked into the side. She had traded her white one-piece and showy skirt for a dress, with lace along the bottom to circle her legs. In fact, everyone was dressed with their best clothes-men and boys sporting button-up shirts with coats and long pants, while women and girls toted either bright dresses or conservative skirts.
Each family sat in a separate pew, while Joshuel sat with Br. Valdez and a man with long, blond hair tied together. The service was straightforward; a hymn and a prayer as Elder Anderson presides.
"We now have the opportunity, as we do each week on the Sabbath day, to partake of the sacrament in remembrance of our Lord and Savior. We follow His example, and wish to be with Him and like Him one our worldly trials are over.” After another hymn and prayer, the congregation took small morsels of bread and sips of water.
Although the focus of this sacrament is on the Savior’s life and teachings, Parisa’s main focus was on the cool, clammy garment bunched under her bottom and between her legs. Instead of asking for forgiveness or help to love others, she was asking in her mind questions such as ‘Can anyone smell me?’, ‘How far forward can I bend before it’s seen?’, ‘I’m not the only teenage girl whose ever worn a diaper in church, am I?’, and ‘I didn’t pee when I woke up, I really need to go, and I can’t leave yet. Will it leak if I just pee right now?’
As the meeting ended, they left the chapel to different Sunday School classrooms. The men and boys attended one, while the women and girls another. As a bursting Parisa rounded the corner, Joshuel came from the other direction, and the two collided and apologized to one another. Parisa, however, was now flat on her bottom, quickly pulling her legs together to prevent a show, completely soaking an already wet diaper, in church, in front of her boyfriend. She wasn’t sure if it was her face or if she didn’t close her legs enough, but she must’ve revealed that something was up, because Joshuel asked her with concern, “Sorry again, is something wrong?”
“Oh, uh… N-no, I’m fine, sorry.” She brushed down her dress, as if it weren’t already hanging down.
“Hey, Elder Anderson said that he wants to see some of us after Church today.”
“Okay. Did he say what it was about?”
“He’d only say that it was a good opportunity.”
After another hour or so, Elder Anderson met with Parisa, Joshuel, Reuben, and Leah in his office. Try as she might, Parisa could not avoid making the smallest “squorsh” noise as she sat down, though no one seemed to notice.
“Well may youth, my fine youth, graduates of education, learners of skills, how is your day so far?” There were merely nods, and one or two quiet answers of ‘good’.
“Now, do you remember the discussion we had last night? When it came to information going around about us that wasn’t true? What do you propose we do?”
After some silent thought, Leah spoke up. “Shall we bake bread or cookies and take them to town?”
Reuben joked next. “We find who’s writing it and break his fingers!”
The elder tilted his glasses up. “I went to the Lord with this very question, and you know what He told me? He says it’s time for younger, less experienced, less stubborn, more dedicated ‘missionaries’ to carry His Spirit to them.”
Leah looked worried. “What does that mean?”
“It means that we’re going to prepare you to take the Gospel to Salem, to Alphus, and perhaps even more places. This, of course, is entirely dependent on your willingness to serve the Lord.” The four looked at one another.
“I want you to think about it and pray about it this week. This coming Sunday, I want you to fast before giving it a final thought. If it seems like something you should do, come tell me.”
Reuben spoke up, “So you’ve spent a lot of time helping to teach us and care for us. Like, you’ve helped build things and grow food and stuff. I get that. We owe you. But how can we trust you to just throw us out like this?”
Anderson furrowed his brow in concern. “Reuben, I’m not throwing your out. Nothing like that. For starters, remember that I said it is all up to you. Furthermore, it’s not for me. Things around here will only be more work if you leave! This is to bring the blessings you’ve enjoyed to others in the world. Reuben seemed to calm down as he continued. “Not just to people who may investigate or join the Church, but to uplift other wards and branches. So I want you to consider it for yourselves, without just trusting what I’m telling you. Ask the Lord yourselves in prayer. Fair?” The four nodded.
A little later in the day, Joshuel sat by a tree outside. In a meditative pose, he held a stone in his open hands. Leah wandered out toward him, a few large sticks in her arms. “Joshuel? Are you okay?”
“I’m okay.”
“That’s good. What are you doing?”
“Well… In Sunday School, they talked about how God respects agency, and doesn’t force anyone to do anything. I was also told that ‘the most persuasive thing in the world is love…’
“Okay…”
“… So, I figure if I can’t force this rock to move with my mind or my will, then maybe I can persuade it to move by helping it feel like I love it.”
“That’s so smart!.. Is it working?”
“No, no it’s not.” Joshuel stood up and dropped the rock. “Are you gathering wood? I’ll help.”
Reuben approached them. “Help? You talk to rocks-no, you think to rocks, and expect them to move. Thinking that you love sticks isn’t going to gather them up to burn. I’ll help you out, Leah.” Joshuel didn’t respond as the two walked further into the woods, following to help gather regardless.
Leah looked about cautiously as they walked.
“The path is overgrown…”
“I don’t think anyone comes this way, anymore.” The canopy was getting thicker than in more familiar parts of the forest, contributing to the darkness of twilight setting in. The abundance of loose wood lying around was accompanied with an increasing uneasiness in the party. They could hear the chattering and sneaking of animals, likely cautious of their visitors. The three almost turned around when they found Parisa, looking off at nothing in particular.
“Parisa? Do you see something?”
“I feel something… Like, there’s something important near here. But I also feel anxious…” The boys became alert and put up their guard. They met low, animalistic eyes nearby. They stared at each other until Leah screamed. Looking to the side, they saw two wolves rush in from the side, while the one they had been watching rushed out from under the brush.
Parisa had her pole with her and Reuben drew a sword. Leah took the longest stick she had been holding and held it up like a spear, though terrified. Still empty-handed, Joshuel looked to Parisa. “You feel confident with that?”
“I-I think so, do you want it?”
“No, keep it.”
A wolf leaped at Leah. Without thinking about it, Reuben carved down its body in one motion. Another bit at him, but he held it at bay until Joshuel’s roundhouse knocked it back with an audible cracking sound. Josh then darted over to Parisa while Leah rushed up and plunged her stick into the broken beast’s face repeatedly, as hard as she could.
Parisa kept out of the last wolf’s range, but was having trouble injuring it or scaring it away. She was able to put out its eyes, which make things easier for a moment. With a brave leap, it pulled her staff down and pounced her, throwing her onto her back. Immediately, Joshuel reached around the creature’s neck from behind and wrestled it off of her. He held it in one place until Reuben’s blade plunged through its heart, ending the threat.
Joshuel helped Parisa up while Reuben calmed Leah down.
“Reuben, my leg is bleeding, my leg…” Leah looked down to find where her leg was bleeding from, but found no blood. She had merely wet herself during her fright and exertion. Parisa dusted herself off while Reuben cleaned off his weapon. Having had enough for one day, they hurried back to the village.
At her house, Parisa couldn’t find any notable injuries on herself or her friends, and they sat at a table with some fruit.
“There IS something there! I could feel it! Like something was calling for me, beckoning me to discover it!”
Leah looked at her skeptically. “Even so, it’s not safe to just wander out into the woods like that.”
“Well, that’s where you all come in. I need some bodyguards to help me figure it out.”
Reuben laughed. “What if we don’t?”
“Then you’ll be letting a poor, delicate little girl at the mercy of cruel, loveless nature.”
The man rolled his eyes. “Not even I can let that happen…” He almost joked. “But what’s our payment?”
“Payment?”
“Well, yeah. Bodyguards don’t work for free. What’s in it for us?”
“Well… Ah… What do you charge?”
“Two Senum, and that’s a discount.”
“What?? I don’t have that!” Joshuel reassured her.
“I’ll do it for a dance. A special one.” Parisa began to blush some, with Reuben and Leah listening.
Leah added, “I’ll help if you make me a sheet of brownies.”
Reuben gave a sigh. “… Eight pence. You’ve got to have that much.”
Parisa looked at her friends and considered for a moment, twisting a bit of her hair around her finger. After some thought, she put her hand out. “Okay, we’re in. Tomorrow morning?” The others smiled and put their hands with hers, before they threw them up in a cheer.
Alright, that seems to be fixed. Placing a blank line between paragraphs is what seems to do it. But if I can’t space out paragraphs, and putting some spaces to indent the first line of a paragraph doesn’t work, it makes for a rough read
Chapter 3
The sun was just beginning to shine through Parisa’s window. She was up out of bed earlier than normal, excited for their adventure. She did some warm-up stretches and recited simple dance moves. Rushing through the motions of getting ready, she realized she still had her soaked diaper on. She made her moves again, but more slowly and with focus. She considered her slight change in weight and how it impacted her motions, making them smoother and giving her a lower center of gravity-a boon to her many hip-lead motions. When she realized that she was dwelling on wearing a wet diaper with something other than immediate disgust, she took it off and threw it out. Afterwards, she was primed and ready. She took a small oat cookie from the counter, grabbed her pole, and met the day.
She walked down to the dojo first, knowing that Joshuel would be there training first thing. She watched quietly through the window first. He took two cement jars, hoisted them up off the ground, and pressed them overhead before dropping them onto a soft mat on the floor. She watched him repeat the motion several times. “One of those jars looks like it weighs more than two wolves.”
After he sat to take a break, she walked in and sat with him. “Good morning! That looks very heavy.”
“It… Is…”
“Maybe this will help.” She handed the cookie she took to him, which he took with a smile.
“Thank you!” He could speak with more control now, and downed the cookie in one bite. “What’s gotten you up so early?”
“We need to go into the dark woods and see what’s there, remember?”
“You really still want to?”
“It isn’t just some curiosity. I have to do it. Something is waiting for me, or for someone, I don’t know. It’s the Holy Ghost pushing me.”
“If you say so, then I trust you. Let me finish up here first, though.” Satisfied, Parisa went to get Leah. Clucking could be heard as she got closer. She greeted the chickens as she walked by to the front door and knocked. A girl about ten or eleven let her in.
“Good morning, Tamar!” She didn’t really answer her, but led her in.
“Leah, your friend’s here!” Leah was sitting at a table, eating eggs with their parents. Parisa looked embarrassed.
“Oh, I’m sorry! You didn’t have to let me in if you’re still eating.” Leah took her plate to a nearby sink.
“Oh no, you’re okay. I’m just about ready.”
The girls went to a set of partial walls on a foundation, down past where he lived. He was already waiting outside, with a curved sword strapped to his side. “Here Leah, this’ll help you out.” He handed her a pole with a blade fastened to the end. “I can teach you how to use it well later, for now all you have to do is poke dangerous things.”
They came back to Br. Valdez’s dojo. Joshuel was outside, also wearing a sword. It was straight, forming a cross with its hilt. Armed and ready, the party walked down the road. Gradually the path narrowed, losing definition until fading into the surrounding forest substrate. Although somewhat spooky, they took the time to admire the shaded beauty often not found in the brighter, warmer areas of the woods in which they lived and often worked.
The only opening in the treetops they could find rested above part of a lake, the sun’s light glistening off of its surface. Parisa knelt down by it, cupping her hands in the water to bring to her lips. Leah looked questioningly. “How do you know it’s safe? What if there’s something bad in the water?”
“I don’t know, but it looks so clear and feels cool in my throat. It feels good to drink!” They wandered about, looking for something but very much unsure of what, until approaching a mound. “Here! Look, everyone! There’s a big hole in the side, here. We can fit in here!”
Joshuel walked up to the hold. “You can fit through that just fine. I couldn’t get one shoulder through there.”
Reuben eyed it carefully. “Yeah, it might be a rough fit for people who actually weigh three digits.”
Parisa looked self-consciously at herself. “Well… I guess I’ll look and see what’s in there…” She crawled into the hole while her friends stayed watch outside. The hole led to a tunnel, angling down about twenty-five or thirty feet.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, but the rocks in the dirt are scratching my chest.”
Leah called down. “Stop bragging!” After taking a few steps back, Leah felt several tendrils forcefully grasp her, holding her arms to her sides. “YAAHHH!! HELP!” The boys looked only in time to see a massive spider latched onto Leah, holding her with its legs while its fangs injected venom into her. In only a second, they were almost next. Reuben drew his sword just quickly enough to sever a few of his spider’s legs and pull away, while Joshuel overpowered another by yanking his arms free, beating it like a bag with a flurry of punches before thrusting through with his own sword.
Parisa began trying to crawl out, but couldn’t break free of a web trap that bound her wrists. She was unable to do ought but scream and wiggle as a spider in the tunnel crawled up, afflicting her with the same cursed kiss that Leah fell victim to. While the girls were succumbing to their envenomation, the boys came to their rescue. Reuben sliced Leah free, while Joshuel thrust his blade through into Parisa’s enemy, dexterously avoiding harm to her as it fell motionless. “Here, I’ll pull you out.”
As Joshuel gently tugged her free, Parisa caught a glimpse in the corner of the small den at tunnel’s end. “Hey, there’s something big and shiny in there, like… Metal…” Suddenly, she felt sick to her stomach. “Joshuel, please let go. I… I’m…” Then, with Joshuel right behind her, pulling her legs, her stomach did a flip. Involuntarily, she pushed a load into her panties, and there was no doubt he could see her doing it. Her leotard held it firmly from shifting around, but did nothing to hide its presence.
With some effort, he pulled her out of the tunnel. “You saw something metal?”
She rested on her knees with her legs spread out to avoid smooshing her mess. “Yeah, it was kind of big. It looked kind of like a book.”
Leah looked sick and sat down. “A book made of metal?”
“Yeah. I want to go get it, after I rest up for a moment…”
Reuben started walking down the way they came. “Maybe some water will help you out. Josh, come with me.” The girls waited while the boys went to fetch some of the water from the pond they passed.
Leah scooted closer to Parisa. “Umm… Did you, uh… Did you…”
“Um… If you mean what I think you mean, then yes.”
Leah looked only slightly relieved. “We have to get the boys to promise never to tell anyone.”
It didn’t take long. After drinking water from the pond, both the girls started feeling much better. “See? That lake alone is a great treasure. I think it helps cure poisoning. Maybe it’ll work for sicknesses, too!” Parisa stood up, just slightly wobbly on her legs, compared to earlier when she couldn’t stand anymore. “Okay, I’m gonna grab that treasure down there.” Again, her friends watched while she slipped down the tunnel. Joshuel fixated his gaze between her legs, his heart beating faster than normal. Something about the poop-filled bulge under her skirt captivated him, though he was careful to stay behind the others so they wouldn’t notice the attention he gave it.
In the den, she could crouch on her feet. It was just tall enough in the center for her to stand. The metal objects were indeed jars, thirteen of them. Each was about the size you would expect to store cookies in, but had some heft to them. She had to work to hoist them up out ofthe tunnel while the others reached down to catch them, and pushed them up.
She crawled back out as Reuben handled some. “These are… These are made of gold! They’re pure gold, or pretty close!“Can we open them? What’s inside?”. At her behest, Reuben opened one of the jars for her to reach into. She pulled out a wide, wound-up animal skinny. She commented, unwrapping it, “A scroll? Let’s see… What? I can’t read it. I don’t even know what this is written in!”
"Let’s take them back and show Anderson.”
After very inconspicuously viewing up Leah’s dress, Joshuel spoke up. “We can let the girls, uh… Clean up, too…”
Their faces flushed, Parisa spoke on hers and Leah’s behalf. “Okay, we have to get something straight. Leah and I… Y-you can’t tell anyone about this, okay?”
Reuben crossed his arms. “I don’t know, this is pretty sweet leverage…”
Leah groaned. “What do you want?”
Parisa chimed in, “We can talk about it later. Let’s go home and change our panties, already!”
The painting on the wall depicted a Shepherd, whose regal bearing contrasted with His humble position. Below it sat Elder Anderson with the four, the gold plates set on his desk before them. He thumbed through the contents thoughtfully. “These scratches and shapes are a language, but I’m afraid I can’t read it.”
Leah perked with interest. “What kind of language is it?
“It looks pictographic like Dalmascan, but it’s far from it. Many of the pictograms are altered or new, and from what little the resemblance, I can’t make out any syntax.”
“How can we find out what it says?”
Elder Anderson closed his eyes. “You know, I’m pretty sure Br. Yohan would have an answer, but I don’t know where he’s at right now. He was headed for town after church yesterday…”
Parisa volunteered. “We can go ask him about it. I need to get some things, anyway.”
Joshuel asked, “What kind of things”
Parisa looked away with embarrassment. “N-none of your business.”
Reuben followed up, “Make sure to keep what you owe me on hand.”
Appearing to have jogged his own memory, the elder stood and retrieved something from a cabinet. “Here. You’ll have to camp out for a few days, so get a couple of rooms at an inn while you’re there. Remember that the girls-”
Joshuel finished his sentence. “-get a room and the boys get a room, don’t just shack with your prospective partner.”
The old man smiled. “I know you don’t understand yet, but life doesn’t always go how you plan.” Parisa and her friends went home to have lunch, and talked to their families about their plans through the rest of the day. With well wishes, they started their journey.
Chapter 4
The path through the woods to town is more traveled and open than their previous destination. It only takes about forty or fifty minutes of walking for the forest to open up into a vast, grassy plain. Leah was in good spirits. “Goodbye for now, Honeybee woods, nurturing navel of our home!”
Leah squinted as she looked into the distance. “The bridge over the river should be 340° Northwest, between thirty and thirty-five miles.” With little else to do, they began walking.
Reuben began to grow bored. “We’re probably just going to walk like this for the rest of the day and then camp out. Walk like this, the rest of the day, with nothing but grass to keep us company.”
The younger but taller man responded, “The plains between the river and Honeybee Wood are almost entirely uninhabited by people, with only a scarce farmer keeping to himself or a hunter to take advantage of game.”
Parisa didn’t mind the walk. Some of the flowers would bloom a little early in the year, inviting bees and butterfliesto begin their work. She would see a wild horse here or there. She couldn’t break them in, but she enjoyed seeing them gallop and play.
The sun had begun to set as the river had just appeared at the horizon. Joshuel dropped the two tents with his own bag of supplies, such as food and a bedroll. After gathering some wood, he and Reuben set the tents up as the others started a fire and began making dinner.
“Josh, things are getting pretty serious with you and Pari over there…”
Joshuel started to blush. “… Really?”
Reuben smirked, knowing he hit a soft spot. “You aren’t trying to hide it or anything, are you? Because you’re doing a terrible job of that.”
“… I like her dancing.”
Reuben turned his face a little, staring at him with one eye. “You like her dancing? That’s it? Watching her ‘assets’ sway around?”
Joshuel shook his head. “It’s not just that. She loves doing it. She loves feeling her body move, she likes the sensations of everything around her. She cares for her body, like the temple for her spirit that it is.” Reuben’s expression shifted a little as he continued. “I’m kind of like that. The other girls are fine, they’re friendly and nice and everything, but Parisa really likes to do things together.”
The older companion appeared to think for a moment before speaking again. “Are you going to ask her to marry you on her birthday?” Joshuel only blushed and avoided his gaze. “Don’t look down like that, be proud of it! Saul doesn’t have a chance, and it’s not because you can punch his lights out thrice over.”
“I know. I don’t mean to upset your brother…”
Reuben shook his head. “What do you care more about, his feelings or yours? Be honest with yourself and do what you’ve got to do. At least Pari’s in good hands. Besides, the only other girl your age is Leah, and she’s off-limits.” He chuckled. “Besides… Pari pooped her panties. That’s not a rare trait in girls, but I can’t say the others have done it at such a mature age.” Joshuel’s eyes darted. “I noticed how hard you stared at her in that tunnel, and you didn’t do it until she had a built-in cushion.” He didn’t know what to say, but Reuben patted his back. “Look, I don’t know where you came from, but it’s clear that you’re sure different, don’t sweat it. Pari’s different in her own ways, so you’ll get along just fine.”
“… Is it that uncommon? Leah did it, too.”
“Don’t you dwell on her little… Well, big accident… I said she’s off-limits.”
Away from the boys’ talk, the girls were having their own banter and Parisa prodded the food with a spatula. “When’s he going to ask?”
Leah bit her lower lip. “Who ask what?”
Parisa giggled. “Hasn’t Reuben asked you to marry him?”
“Y-yeah… My parents don’t want to let him until he builds a house for us to live in.”
“That’s why he keeps working on that? I thought it was just going to be some sort of nice shed for animals!”
Leah snorted with a small smile. “He wouldn’t make something so nice for animals.”
“No way, is that really the only thing in your way?” Leah only nodded. “I gotta tell Josh so we can help him get it done! I want to see your wedding!”
“Joshuel hasn’t even started on someplace for you two, you should figure that out before helping us…”
Parisa’s face flushed, but she couldn’t help but grin. “He hasn’t asked.”
“You know he’s going to. He’s probably just waiting for your birthday or something.”
“Well… He might plan on just taking over the dojo.”
“You know, talk like that used to make Reuben jealous, but starting that house seems to have given him something else to think about.”
“I can see how a guy wouldn’t want to admit someone else is stronger, or fights better, or stuff like that. But Joshuel’s different about it. Like, he doesn’t just fight at the dojo to do it, it’s like he’s pushing to get stronger and faster for its own sake.
“Its own sake…?”
“Yeah! Like, his body is a temple for his spirit. He wants the most of it that he possibly can.”
Her friend nodded. “Yeah… But for now, they both probably have the same thing on their minds…”
The four sat around the fire, eating potato pancakes. “We should get to town either late Wednesday, or early Thursday.” Later on, in the girls’ tent, Parisa laid in her sleeping bag as she pulled off her panties, bumping and rustling around as she tried to indiscreetly put on her diaper. Leah gave her a strange look, but didn’t ask.
The sun had just started shining over the horizon. The party had risen early, taking in the morning light and eating well for the day ahead. Crossing the bridge over the river, they continued for another several hours, stopping for lunch and other short occasions. It was nearing dinner time, so they settled, and started again the next day. As dinner approached again, they had made it to Salem.
“I know this isn’t the biggest city around, but it’s so HUGE compared to Deseret!” Parisa threw her arms in the air and spun on her toes.
“Where do you suppose Yohan is?”
“The Salem branch building is up this road a ways and to the West.” As they walked, the busy passersby gave varied reactions. Some smiled and waved, others looked with suspicion.
When they entered, a clerk stood up from a couch near the foyer. He wore a dark suit and had a smile. “Brothers and sisters, it’s good to see you! You haven’t all four been here together since shortly after Joshuel appeared!” The girls gave him a hug, while the boys shook his hand. Reuben spoke.
“Br. Marsh, we’re looking for Yohan. Has he been around?”
“He was here on Monday, but I haven’t seen him since. If he comes back, I’ll let him know you’re in town and that you’re looking for him.” Joshuel looked puzzled.
“Monday? But he was in Deseret just the day before. He didn’t take a horse that I know of.”
The others thought about it for a moment before Br. Marsh conceded, “That is very strange, isn’t it?” Is one of us mistaken?”
“I know he was at Deseret, I sat and spoke with him.”
“Well, I can confirm that he was here, in person, speaking with branch Bishop Rigdon… But we can worry about that later. What was your business with Yohan? Perhaps I can help?”
Reuben revealed, “We found something that seems like old records, but Elder Anderson can’t read the writing. He suggested we ask for Yohan’s help.”
Br. Marsh’s face lit up. “Old records, you say? You don’t have them with you, do you?”
Leah pulled one of the scrolls out of her satchel. “We found them in some golden jars in a cave. The jars are too heavy, but we brought what was inside.”
Br. Marsh looked it over carefully, appearing to try his best at deciphering the sketches, as if he could read even a single character. “Here, the bishop is in. Let’s take them to him and see what he can make of them. He lead them down a hallway and opened an office door, peering in. “Bishop Rigdon, sorry to disturb you. I have something you’ll want to see.”
As they all entered his office, Bishop Rigdon stood to welcome them. “Deseret! It’s good to see you! Please, get comfortable and tell me what brings you out here!” They recited their business while Br. Marsh handed the writings to him, which seemed to garner much curiosity from him.
“… So, you said you found these in golden jars in a tiny cave?” With their affirmation, Bishop Rigdon sat back and thought about it for a while. Eventually, he leaned back forward to speak. “I’m worried… That this is a forgery.”
“A forgery? Someone made it up?”
Rigdon nodded. “That’s right. It’s no ancient record. Someone gilted some kind of heavy metal, like probably lead, making it appear gold. They then probably scratched in some symbols on this skin. We’ve had a couple of instances of people around here trying to discredit our church.”
Parisa looked suspicious. “Discredit it? Elder Anderson was talking about people being hostile…”
“The “record” likely doesn’t even say anything, just random symbols on something to waste your time and effort. Focus on the actual Word of God, and on following His example in doing good to others.”
The four looked disappointed for a moment, before Joshuel waved. “Well, thank you for your time, Bishop.”"You’re welcome here any time! If you’re still in town over the weekend, come have services here!”The four walked out of the room. The two older men watched carefully as they exited the front door. “Rigdon, is it really a hoax?”
The man slammed his hands on his desk, raising himself up from it. “I don’t know. The Lord’s been silent for weeks now. Something is up, I just don’t know what. Are we being led astray? Is the Elder? Have we sinned? I feel like I’m going crazy!Br. Marsh pondered, “Do you think we should move?”
“I’ll contact President Baman, maybe the capitol can launch an investigation on this. If this keeps up, it may escalate into violence. We’ll prepare to go have a meeting with Elder Anderson and get his thoughts on an Exodus.”
Joshuel shook his head as they walked back down the road, toward the inn. “A hoax? A fake? Who would put that someplace so dangerous and out of the way, then not tell anyone about it, in order to fool someone?”
Reuben insisted, “And the jars aren’t some painted lead, I know they’re actual gold. It’s too soft of a metal to be much else. It would be an expensive forgery."
Parisa shook her head. “It’s been a long walk. I’m going to go get some personal shopping done, then I’m going to the inn to relax.”
As Parisa walked into the small pharmacy, the man behind the counter smiled and greeted her. She offered him an embarrassed smile and small wave in return. “Will it be the usual, then?” She nodded approvingly before he pulled up a package. It was pink and teal, with a picture of a girl about Parisa’s age posing in a sundress. She took the package to investigate it, looking at the back. An illustration of the contents could be seen, a thick white diaper with six pink tapes on the sides. An absorbency diagram showed it to be the most absorbent product in the Depanty product line, with marketing quips such as ‘fit for a woman’s hips!”, and “redefine femininity!”
She pulled out a few copper pence and handed them to the cashier as he spoke further. “You know Parisa, Depanty is looking for models to advertise with. If you brought a picture of yourself showing one of these off, you could get a free pack and enter for a chance to show their incontinence panties and diapers. The pay is pretty nice!”
Parisa was red as a tomato. “Th-thanks for letting me know, we’ll see…” Even if she wanted to, it would be a hard sell to convince her parents to take and develop such a picture. Her thought was cut off as the bell above the door rang. Joshuel walked into the store, causing Parisa to scream and throw the package over the counter. The man jumped, startled. “Parisa?! What’s wrong?”
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE!?”
Joshuel looked very confused. “I… I was going to get wraps for my hands… F-for boxing…”
With a couple of seconds to reassess herself, Parisa calmed right down, mortified at her reaction to him. “Yes! Of course! Listen, I’m really sorry I yelled at you like that.”
After Joshuel’s business was done, he left Parisa to the clerk again. “I take it that’s the boy you keep talking about? You know, he’s going to find out one way or another…”
“I know. I know! I’ll figure something out, a good way to tell him… Thank you again, Mr. Jay.”
Reuben stared into the sky as he walked down the path. Their place of stay was in sight, when a couple of children cautiously approached him. “Hey, you’re one of those guys from the woods, aren’cha?”
The man squat down to their level. “Yeah, what do you want?”
The girl next to the boy hunkered behind who seemed to be her big brother. “Did you come to hurt us?”
“What? Now why would I do a thing like that?”
The big brother spoke out. “That’s why you spend so much time practicing fighting’n stuff, so you can gut us if we don’t come to church!”
Reuben stood up straight, not even sure of how to respond. “I don’t know anyone who’s ever done something like that.”
The girl pointed behind him. “Look out! His friend’s coming to back him up, and he’s big and mean!”
Joshuel trotted curiously up as his friend looked quizzically to him.
“These kids think we’re here to beat them up for not going to church, or something like that.”
“That doesn’t make sense. If we forced someone to seek God, it doesn’t actually bless anyone.” He hunched down to look the children in the eyes. “We’re not here to hurt anyone. If you don’t want to go to church, it’d be better for you not to go than to go because you think we’d hurt you. You have to choose freely.” This time, the small children looked unsure of what to think as the older boys walked by.
There was finally a rendezvous at the inn. They paid for two adjacent rooms upstairs, sitting together in one of them. Joshuel cleared his throat. “We’ve got a couple of matters now. First, Yohan’s travel. I wouldn’t care that much on its own, maybe he just had a horse or a rugged bicycle or something, whatever. But the second point is that Elder Anderson and Pres. Rigdon are giving us differing direction, and that’s unusual.”
Reuben chimed in, “Elder Anderson is pretty convinced that these plates are something real and important. I’d rather not admit it, but he’s always right. I trust him over this Rigdon guy.”
Leah wasn’t as sure. “But what if he’s right? Elder Anderson is getting pretty old, and he doesn’t get to speak with a lot of other people like Pres. Rigdon does.
Parisa twirled her hair idly. “What should we do?” It was quiet for a time, until Joshuel knelt down. The others following suite, he led them in a prayer that they’d be able to find Yohan and sort this out. After they concluded, they sat back up on chairs and beds. Parisa placed a hand on her chest. “Guys, I don’t know how to explain my feeling, but it’s kind of like the one I had in the dark forest, near the plates. Like, I’m glowing inside or something, or when you feel comforted after being sad. I think it’s going to work out.”
Reuben hopped up from the foot of a bed and walked over to his bag in the corner. “That’s well and good, glad we can tackle that tomorrow or something. So, girls…” He almost sang the word ‘girls’. “You don’t want everyone who knows and trusts you to hear that you both took big dumps in your panties, and me and Josh want some satisfaction as payment to keep it secret.”
Joshuel raised his arm to draw attention. “Wait, are you planning something? I have nothing behind this. I really don’t mind just-”
Reuben wagged his finger. “Be quiet, Josh. You see, in the timeless struggle for dominance between men and women, an important blow was dealt against women that day, and I want to capitalize on it.” He pulled out a pack that Parisa recognized immediately. It was smaller than the ones she got, but had the same appearance. She almost breathed out her sentence, hardly able to produce sound.
“D-diapers??” She held her bottom reflexively, almost panicking as she thought to herself, ‘Does he know I wet the bed?’ ‘Did he see me in there buying some?’
During Parisa’s silent micro-meltdown, Leah sulked and looked at Reuben with puppy-dog eyes. “W-what’s your angle with this?”
“Let’s have an encore! Besides, Anderson said to pay for two rooms, but he didn’t say we couldn’t be together before bed. You two keep those on from now until we get up tomorrow, and virginity and chastity and all that is preserved.”
Deciding that he probably doesn’t know about her secret, Parisa was able to calm down some. “I still don’t get it…”
“Look, the only thing stopping me and Leah is a house, and the only thing stopping you two is, like, a week. Nothing big, let’s just ‘enjoy each others’ company’.” Opening the bag, he threw a brief to Leah and to Parisa each, as well as a couple tiny bottles of talcum powder. “Now go put them on!”
Leah slid her panties off, keeping her dress down to cover herself. She laid on her back, opening the diaper and placing it under her. She felt humiliated, but she wasn’t one to argue. She also had to admit to herself that, well, Reuben wasn’t the only half of their pair that wanted some action, and this would let her experiment just a little bit.
Parisa walked to the bathroom. “I can’t put mine on without basically undressing, so…”
Reuben nodded. Sure, sure, but Josh’ll listen to make sure you don’t cheat and ‘go potty’ now. When you’re done, neither you nor Leah get to go into that room.” Joshuel and Parisa awkwardly looked at each other before walking over to the door. Before long, Leah stood up, smoothing her dress down over her diaper while Parisa stepped out. Reuben stared at her. “Well?”
“Well what?”
“Prove it.”
Parisa’s eyes darted nervously as she lifted her skirt. The bottom to her leotard stretched tightly around her diaper, covering most of it but not leaving what was underneath to the imagination. Leah looked at Joshuel with concern.
“Joshuel, are you okay? You look like you’re ready to shout.” He closed his eyes and consciously slowed his breathing, swallowing. Reuben laughed and pushed him toward Parisa. They stumbled together as he stood and caught her. They just stared at each other, red as cherries while his hands cupped around her padded posterior. In broad strokes, she really didn’t mind, in fact-she just wished she wasn’t wearing a diaper while he felt down there. His feelings on the matter were no mystery to her, however, as she felt them press together.
Reuben interrupted by bringing everyone something to drink. “Relax! Just chill out and let’s do what we normally do. Don’t worry about the fact that our girlfriends are wearing diapers, or that they’re gonna go in them.” Slowly, awkwardly, Leah went to start making dinner in the kitchenette while Reuben laid back to rest.
Parisa led Joshuel into the other room for a moment and spoke quietly. “Joshuel, um… I-I couldn’t help but notice, you’re kind of enjoying this, aren’t you? Like, really enjoying this?”
Joshuel looked away, as if ashamed. “S-s-sorry, I…”
She reached up and tenderly held his chin. “If my wearing a diaper is making you really ‘happy’, you don’t have to feel ashamed or disgusted or anything.” Putting his hand around her bulgy bottom again, he bent down and kissed her deeply.
In the first room, Reuben stood close behind Leah as she prepared food. He would poke and prod her playfully as she did. He wasn’t so interested in her wearing a diaper the way his friend was, but he relished how dominating of a position this put him in. Leah’s passivity played into it perfectly.
The sky outside was dark, save for the many stars adorning it and the pearlescent moon. Having spent the evening chatting and lightly holding one another, the girls stood and walked toward the adjacent room. Reuben stood and walked over. “Hold up, one more item of business.” He approached Leah and looked into her eyes affectionately. “You need your good-night kisses.” Without hesitation, he planted his lips onto Leah’s firmly, holding her so she couldn’t escape-though she didn’t struggle at all. Blushing, Parisa met Joshuel’s eyes. Kissing would be awkward, but so would not doing it. After they pecked lips, the door closed between them.