Altar Bound

Alice stood in front of the antique mirror and slid her hands down the silky soft material of a white dress. It could've been taken right off a statue with the way it layered and clipped together over her shoulders.

With the jewelry her father had given her, and the way her blond tresses were styled, Alice looked just like an ancient goddess.

She smiled at her reflection, bringing more color to her naturally rosy cheeks. It was the evening of her eighteenth birthday and the whole day had been one exciting surprise after another. Now, Alice was getting ready to attend her costume party and she couldn’t be happier.

Like most kids who grew up in small communities, she was easily excitable. Every year, they celebrated the same festivals, holidays, parades, picnics, et cetera—which were fun, but predictable.

Plus, everyone knew each other. Alice's community had one school that all the kids attended, no matter what. Since every family was considered equal when it came to social status and net worth, there was no separation of classes, either.

They were all given the best of the world through higher education and expansive electives such as art, literature, music, and poetry. Yet, none of them had ever stepped foot outside their community. Alice's parents had explained that despite how beautiful and complex the world sounded through the lenses of literary masters, those days had long since passed.

Now, the world was a ravaged landscape of poverty, disease, hate, and evil predators waiting to take advantage of innocent children. That was why Alice and her peers had always been kept inside the community, where they were safe, healthy, and relatively happy.

If boredom was the price to pay to escape the terrors of the rest of the world, Alice couldn't complain. Besides, she was eighteen now. And though she knew her family wished she'd stay in the community, everyone was allowed to explore and see the world for themselves once they reached the legal age to do so.

None of their young adults had ever failed to return. And they always brought back terrifying stories about the outside world that only confirmed the reasons their families were so protective.

“Alice?”

She turned from the mirror as her mom entered the room, already dressed in her costume and appearing like a more powerful, sophisticated goddess than Alice could ever pull off.

Her mom's golden hair was a darker shade, her features far more refined. Alice shared a bright smile with her, as she came closer.

“Look at you,” her mom said, standing behind her in the mirror and placing her hands on Alice's shoulders. “My beautiful daughter, all grown up. You have no idea how special this night is, Alice.”

She could see the evidence of tears in her mom's eyes and turned to face her.

“Oh, Mom, don’t cry. It’s just another birthday.”

Her mom's chuckle was a little watery but she still smiled. “No, sweetheart. This is the most important birthday you’ll ever have. As your mom, I’m extremely proud that we’ve made it to this night. But I’m also sad that you’re not my little girl anymore. You’ll understand when you have children of your own, honey.”

Melting, Alice laid her hand over her mom's and held it. Her mom squeezed hers gently in return with another brilliant smile.

“Oh, ladies?”

Alice's dad knocked lightly on the open door before entering and she smiled.

“Wow, Dad.”

They were all wearing similar, ancient Roman costumes, but his was a deep red and gold that made him appear like someone rather important. It also highlighted how physically fit he’d kept his body over the years.

He beamed at them and spread his arms. “Wow to me? Look at you. My two beautiful girls,” he praised as Alice and her mom joined him. “Now, we’re going to be late for our own celebration if we don’t hurry.”

Alice and her mom laughed when he didn't hesitate to start leading them out of the room.

“I thought I was supposed to be the anxious one?” Alice teased.

“I’m sure you are, sweetheart,” he conceded, patting her hand as they made their way down the sweeping staircase to the foyer. “But it’s an exciting night for all of us. Our daughter has finally reached adulthood. That can only happen once, you know?”

She supposed he was right. Their community had always celebrated grandly when someone became a legal adult. Of course, as a minor, Alice hadn't been allowed to attend the costume parties before, so she was excited to finally see what all the fuss was about.

Outside, she climbed into the back of a luxury town car with her parents, and the driver settled behind the wheel.

“Oh, here, darling,” her mom said, opening her coin-bag style purse and pulling out a tin of lip gloss. “I forgot, I was going to let you borrow some of this for tonight.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Alice brightened even more, accepting the tin.

Growing up, Alice and the other girls hadn't been allowed to dabble too heavily in cosmetics. They were made well aware of how bad it was for their skin. Even the adult women used them sparingly, and only all-natural products.

The faint hint of berries reached Alice's nose as she dabbed the gloss over her lips, then licked and rubbed them together.

“Does it look okay?” she asked.

“Perfect, dear.” her mom said, sliding the tin back into her purse.

By the time the car turned down the familiar lane in the woods, which led to their largest community center, Alice was so excited that her blood felt fizzy. A permanent smile graced her face because she couldn't recall ever feeling so happy and content in her whole life.

“Ooh, wow,” she gasped, when the old stone building finally came into view.

Large braziers of fire lined the way, and all the windows were lit up from within, glowing in welcome. The driver dropped them off right in front of the entrance, then left. It was unusual. The gravel parking lot was typically packed with cars for regular services, but Alice knew it would be hours yet before she and her family needed a ride home.

The costume parties were an all-night event, hence the reason everyone else had sent their drivers away, too.

Alice's dad led the way inside, and she was at once hit by the warmth and delicious fragrances of incense and oils being defused into the air. They only seemed to add to the happiness swimming through her mind and body.

The moment they stepped into the lobby, they were greeted by all the adults of the community, who cheered and rushed forward to wish Alice a happy birthday.

She got pulled into the crowd of costumed citizens, dazzled by how fabulous everyone looked. They swept her up with warm hugs and the sincere joy they expressed for her special day. A brass goblet found its way into Alice's hand, filled with honey mead, which she wasn't even old enough to drink. But everyone insisted it was tradition for the occasion, so who was she to argue?

She sipped at the bittersweet wine, the heat of alcohol mingling with the berries still coating her lips to make her body feel even more gloriously floaty and tingly. After what felt like an hour of being moved around the crowd, talking with everyone and hearing how excited they were for her party, Alice's mom reappeared to pull her away.

She was with a trio of young women who'd only turned eighteen in recent years. Madeline, Jordan, and Lisa all giggled, declaring how happy they were that Alice was finally joining their ranks as they led her from the lobby into a hall usually reserved for staff members.

Alice had certainly never been in the restricted area before. The carpets were the same pitch black laid throughout the entire building. The dark stone walls were decorated with oil paintings and glowing sconces. Near the end, the group of women opened a wooden arched door on the left and ushered her into a dressing chamber.

A vanity table with a tufted stool and an old wardrobe stood against the wall, an antique full-length mirror between them. A long sofa and armchairs surrounded a coffee table near the center of the room. Alice's mom set a case down there and opened it.

“Why are we in here?” Alice asked.

“To finish getting you ready for your big night, darling,” her mom said, approaching her with a bottle of clear liquid.

She glanced down at her costume and frowned. “But I’m already ready.”

Her mom laughed lightly and pulled the stopper from the bottle.

“Not quite, dear,” she said. “You see, your celebration is unique, Alice. It’s something that only happens once every three hundred years.”

“What?” Alice asked.

Her brows furrowed deeper before she laughed at how silly that sounded. She gestured to the three other young women.

“Mom, they just turned eighteen over the last few years, themselves. You’re not making sense.”

“That’s because we wanted this to be a surprise,” her mom explained.

She started rubbing the liquid between her palms before spreading it all over Alice's bare neck.

The faint fragrance pleased Alice's olfactory glands at once, the layers of scents intoxicating to inhale. Her body started floating even more than before, as happy contentedness washed over her again.

Alice's eyes must’ve drifted closed because they suddenly fluttered open when she felt fingers brushing against her skin, removing the clips on her shoulders. The material of her costume slid away, and she peered around. The three other women were undressing her, while her mom continued spreading the delectable oil over her skin.

“Mom…?” Alice wasn't even sure what to ask at first. It suddenly seemed so difficult to hold onto her thoughts. Then, she recalled what her mom had said. “What surprise?”

“Your wedding, dear.” She smiled. Her blue eyes sparkled like sapphires, warm and dazzling, full of pride and love. “You’re getting married tonight.”