//------------------------------// // The Book // Story: A Lot Can Happen in a Year... // by The Lone Doctor //------------------------------// Marble needed answers. She tried the library, but there were no books that even slightly covered what she was worried about. Talking to people was out of the question because she was afraid Pinkie or her friends might find out. All she knew was that there were secret clubs in downtown Canterlot which catered to such girls, and that was it. She had no idea what to do. Some of her questions were solved: she was curious as to why she never had a crush on any of the boys during the few dances she went to, and now she knew. But now came more questions than ever. Are there other girls besides Sunset that are like me? Why don’t I know of any? Is the Order alright with this? These questions and more raced through her mind. After several weeks of trying to find answers, Marble turned to the only stable rock she knew that could reliably provide an answer. The Bible. So to the setting of crickets and cicadas on a hot, humid night, with a window opened, Marble sat at the writing desk in her room, the Bible that she brought with her from Lancaster County laid out across the desktop. For several hours, Marble struggled as her eyes burned and her head ached, only stopping for meals and bathroom breaks, looking over the Bible meticulously and whispering prayer after prayer in Pennsylvanian Dutch . Finally, to her horror, she found her answer. Leviticus 18:22, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman, it is an abomination” Marble gasped. She felt her blood turn cold, her heart sinking similar to how she felt when she was caught with her hand in the cookie jar when she was younger. This… this can’t be all of it… she thought. The Lord may see this as an abomination, but isn’t there a chance I can be redeemed? With cautious trepidation, Marble continued to read on with trembling hands, a sense of morbid dread filling her thoughts. She found her answer to her thoughts two chapters later: “If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination, they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.” Marble’s heart skipped a beat. Even if the passage had directly referenced a man, by all sense of logic, it would apply to her as well. Her heart sank as she felt hot tears fall down her cheeks, her whimpers turning into cries as she considered that should her parents find out about this, she would lose them for sure. She couldn’t believe it. Why? She thought. Why did I have to feel this way? Is this a test for me on my Rumspringa? She felt torn. If she wanted to stay with her family, she’d need to never mention this to anyone. She’d need to fix herself, save herself from damnation. She’d have to cut off all correspondence with Sunset. That thought alone tore her apart. But on the other hand, if she continued to see Sunset, if she stayed with her, there was no chance she would be able to see her parents for a very long time, if ever, especially if word came out about what she felt. With that, Marble cried. For the second time in her life, she felt alone, truly alone.