Fiery Trap

Chapter One: At the Fountain

                                                                         

                                                                             Four years later

Rachel sat quietly as she and twenty-five people sat in a circle in a spacious room reserved for them. She listened attentively to the fellow male member that wore jeans and a plain T-shirt as he shared his testimony for this week. After he was done, everyone said amen and thanked God for what he had done in his life. Then they all stood up from their plastic, green chair. Rachel did likewise, removing her Bible from her lap and placing it back into her school bag. She held the hands of the person that stood at each of her sides. The members formed a circle as they closed their eyes and the leader for today started to pray. After some minutes, he was done. Everyone opened their eyes, released their hands, and started talking among each other.

"I guess you can't come over to the café," a heart-faced, umber-skinned female named Josie said to Rachel. A hair band pulled back her thick, brown curly hair that twirled to her shoulders.

"I have to study with some classmates right now," Rachel replied. "I wish I could come along."

"Next time, then," Josie said. Rachel waved good-bye and strapped her backpack on her right shoulder.

Pushing the glass door open, the squally wind bashed at her body, but Rachel came prepared as she tightened her black pea coat around her body. It kept her slightly warm. She trod the pathway leading to the main college ground.

It had been a year since she transferred from Dartmouth College. She loved her experience at Dartmouth, but the college just wasn't right for her. So after much research and deliberation on her options, Rachel decided to attend Dame West University. The business program was to her liking.

Rachel glimpsed at her watch; she had twenty minutes to get to the library. She passed through two, tall college boys wearing sweatpants and shirts. One of them stuffed a basketball underneath his arm. They seemed to be heading toward the campus recreation and wellness building nearby.

Rachel picked up the pace. Several strands of her dark-brownish hair lashed across her thick-rimmed glasses. She raked her hair back, attempting to clear the strands from her view. Her phone rang in her right pocket. She dug for it.

"Hello," she said. It was one of her study group members, Eugene, pestering her on whether she was on her way.

"Yes, I'm coming. Don't start without me," Rachel said. Eugene replied with an all right and hung up his phone. Rachel's cell was back in her pocket. She took another quick peek at her watch. Her group had arrived earlier than they planned. With ten more minutes until she reached the library, Rachel knew she would be the last one to arrive.

After crossing a main road, she neared a major lecture building. From the corner of her eyes, a crowd of students gushed out of the building, their lecture concluded. Straight ahead, at the opposite side of the long, bricked promenade, stood the façade of the library. A flood of students sauntered to and fro on the pathway. Rachel was now in the mix, approaching the distant, grand building. The waning sun shone in the clear blue sky. On occasion, the wind blew heavily. At both sides of the promenade, numerous students scattered on the perfect green trimmed lawn. A group of six sat on the grass in a circle, reading something. A pair of lanky, male students tossed a football at each other. One of them almost crashed into a female runner as she jogged one of the small pathways zigzagging across the lawn. Rachel slightly laughed at the way she gazed angrily at them.