I heard a moan.
Felt like my eyelids were sealed shut from the outside. I fought to pry them open until I was sorry I did. Light shocked every fiber in my body.
“Hey.”
A woman’s voice?
“Can you hear me? Wake up.” Gentle. Kind. Was I in Heaven? Didn’t smell heavenly.
My brain sparked to life without warning. The moans, the pain, the woman’s voice—it all became too loud and clear. It’s me moaning. My brain picked up momentum, joining more broken connections in rapid succession. I watched the last twenty-four hours of my life line up for recognition.
I drew my brows together when a wave of agony rolled through me.
“You’ve been in an accident. Can you tell me your name? You didn’t have any identification on you.”
I focused on making my mouth work. “Levi…” A dense throbbing jack hammered my jaw and skull.
Dizzy. Darkness.
****
I opened my eyes to a familiar ceiling. I looked left. Bedroom window.
I let out a sigh and closed my eyes again. Home. Memories of Lloyd sneaking me out of that wretched hospital came. I owed him. Then I remembered. Today was the day I went back to work. Two weeks recovery would have to do. I needed to find Faye and make sure she was okay.
An agonizing hour and a half later, I paused in the doorway before leaving. Honestly felt like I was walking out of a grave. Thank you God.
The bus stop was five minutes away and I hobbled to it as fast as my not quite healed body allowed. I knew it was suicidal, what I was doing, but really, that was the case from the beginning with this whole ministry. Cowpies and fodder my mom would've called it if she knew. And my dad would no doubt accuse me of beatin' the devil around the stump. Any work outside of ranching was laziness and foolery.
Couldn’t stop now. I needed to find her, tell her that there was always hope and that no matter where she was and what happened, if she prayed and believed, God would answer. I hadn’t risked my life to let her fend off the wolves alone. She’d need help.
Her face popped in my mind for the millionth time since that day. She’d always been the quiet one. No happiness, no fear, no sorrow. Just an eerie emptiness in tootsie roll brown eyes. A reflection of Hell.
****
After a long day, I refused a ride home from Lloyd and sat on the lone bench in the pouring rain, jeans and black t-shirt soaked through and through while I waited for the 6:00 o’clock evening bus. My thug friends didn't show. Were they in jail? They’d rode that damn bus faithfully the entire two years since I’d come here. But then what was the point now that I was out of the picture? I’d had a hunch all along that my persecution was a high for them.
I stared out at the river forming over the normally packed street. Eerie to see it deserted. I thought about Faye again and closed my eyes, leaning back on the bench. It actually felt good, the rain beating down. I’d loved riding in the storms back at home. Thoughts of my black stallion panged me. I missed him like one missed an arm or leg. Daniel. I’ll come visit soon. I promise. They say a dog was man’s best friend, but in my world, it was that horse. And now God.
I tilted my face to the sky, letting the water hammer on the ache lingering in my flesh. Arms limp at my sides I let the rain pelt my body, imagining God showering me. It seeped into my mouth and I opened it a little.
I sensed it and brought my head forward. No sound, just an inner nudging.
A figure on the right approached the bench, making my heart falter. Could it be her? How highly unlikely.
I wanted to stare but decided to wait till they were near before looking up again. I mentally went over the snapshot I’d gotten of the approaching image. Long coat, no hat or umbrella, walking with the gait of a zombie. When dark shoes appeared out the corner of my eye, I looked up. And froze.
It was her.
My heart thundered with anxiety. She didn’t seem to recognize me. Or maybe she did. Maybe she was pissed at me for getting her beaten. Not a word as she sat, while I silently thanked God she was alive.
Needed to draw her gaze. “Hey, don’t I know you?”
Seconds passed with no response. She sat with head hung, white scalp showing through the rope-like clumps of hair plastered to her head.
Something was wrong—off. “Are you coming from work?”
A few seconds later, a chill slid down my spine at hearing low laughter. I squinted through the rain, wishing it’d stop now. Her body and shoulders shook. Maybe she wasn’t laughing. Maybe she was crying.
Her head fell slowly back, and eerie, unhappy laughter found its way to my ears.
I leaned over, carefully reaching out. “Hey, are you ok?”
She jerked toward me. My eyes dropped to a quivering gun pointed at my chest before I slowly met her blazing glare.
I carefully retracted my hand, not missing the insane contortions of her face. “I just… want to help you. Do you remember me?”
“Shut up!” Her voice growled deeper than a human’s. “I remember you, cunt boy!”
I gazed at her with my spiritual eyes and saw them. The demons of darkness hovering over her, guarding the way to her soul. She was trapped.
The surge of power that came to me on the bus returned. Warm, buzzing. “If you know me,” I began carefully, “then surely you know my master. The Christ. In His name I tell you: come out of her.” The command glided out firm.
Lightning struck close by, illuminating both the entire block and her face; a blend of shocked fury.
A deafening boom of thunder shook the atmosphere and the gun wobbled in her hands.
I stared at it, waiting for the thing to go off. Her hand trembled like she fought—or maybe fought not—to pull the trigger. Deep guttural wailing began, followed by chaotic growling and high pitched groaning.
I didn’t move a muscle. I watched.
Her hands slammed my chest and torpedoed me several feet right on my rear. Like a rabid frog, she launched. Her knees rammed my stomach and her fingers clamped my throat like pliers. I shoved my arms between hers and pushed to break her hold. Every muscle in her face stood out with demonic fury, teeth bared, snarls morphed with eager giggles. “I’m going to kill the little prick.”
I’d wrestled wild boars five times her size but she wasn’t budging. Gratefulness that the gun was no longer a threat, faded with my vision as she strangled the life from me with her bare hands.
“Demon.” The voice rumbled like distant thunder behind me. “You dare defy such an order?”
Faye jerked her head up and brief silence reigned before shrieking fury exploded from her wide mouth. Blue fire plunged into her chest in the form of a blade and the thing squealed before climbing out the top of her head looking like a bar-b-cued spider. He perched on her skull with his too many limbs and looked down at the hole burned through his chest, gasping like his feelings were hurt. His blood red gaze snapped to mine, and slowly, a vengeful sneer formed on his face. Your fault it clearly said.
More low rumbling came from behind me and the demon’s terror returned at once, sending him screeching into the darkness.
Pinned by Faye’s now limp body, I craned my neck to see who was there with us or what rather. The street was deserted.
I finally became aware of my heart slamming my chest. I gasped and swallowed, laying there catching my breath.
Faye finally stirred and lifted her head. Our gazes locked and she looked around, confused. “What…” She met my worried look and held me in an uncompromising stare, beginning to tremble.
“I got you,” I whispered.
Her face contorted again and panic rose in me like a tidal wave.
A heartbreaking sob burst from her. At first slow then surging with mournful wails. I fought my way to sitting and helped her to the bench. As soon as I sat next to her, she lunged for me again.
Only an embrace. Thank God.
I hesitantly put my arms around her shaking body as hell gushed out of her. “It’s okay, it’ll all be okay.” I forced my voice to soothe. “You don’t need to worry anymore. I’ll figure out a way to help you.” I stroked her hair, barely touching. “Do you have any place safe to go?”
Her head shook slightly as the wailing continued. She seemed to want it to stop but it surged with a vengeance.
“Just let it out. Don’t fight it. It needs to come out.” Now that I found her, I didn’t want to lose track of her. “You’ll come with me until we figure something out.”
Continuous crying was her only response. I remembered the gun and glanced all around for it in the twilight. Water surged over the streets into the storm drains.
Storm drains. I searched the road and the curb. My eye caught on something that might be it. I eased Faye back against the bench and went to inspect. God yes. It was only a few feet from the gutter. I glanced around at the still eerily deserted streets and kicked the gun into the roar of water being sucked into the dark hole.
I returned to Faye and she clung to me the second I sat. Minutes later, the bus came. The rain raged through it all and now lingered in a light mist. Seemed like everything was over, just like the storm.
****
I could think of no place to go except home. Faye would rest there till morning and I would call the church to get her some help. She would get my bed and I’d take the couch.
She fell asleep on the bus ride and when I tried to wake her, she was out cold. I lifted her into my arms and carried her the block to my house, glad the rain had stopped. Glad that Faye was alive.
I finally got home and was met with the predicament of retrieving my house key without setting her down. Impossible. I kicked open the flimsy door.
My gaze locked on her face, making sure I hadn’t startled her. The light from the street lamp bathed her and I stared. It was the first time I had seen her so… I couldn’t think of the words as I studied her, ignoring the scream in my muscles from the day’s overuse. Without all the ugly sin marring her features, she looked innocent. I angled my head and my stomach flipped when I realized it. She was sweet as a newborn filly. Perfect and beautiful.
I carried her to my bedroom avoiding obstacles, grateful she was dead to the world. Specially my world of stinking mess. I’d have to clean while she slept. I laid her carefully down onto my bed. Still she hadn’t moved. I stared at her, unsure of what to do next. I went to the one window and opened it, then turned back to face my dilemma.
Here I was, a celibate man, alone in my home with a woman. A woman you just realized is beautiful. Problem was, she was soaked to the bone and I needed to remove at least her coat and maybe shoes. I could close my eyes. Yeah, and see with what? Your hands?
I sighed and pondered the problem. I went to the bathroom and came back with a few towels and very carefully, draped one over her soaked head. Her face seemed more angelic by the second. I threw the remaining towels on the floor and tried focusing on another aspect of my quandary that didn’t include looking at her.
I stared at her shoes. Think like a doctor. This is a patient, dying with pneumonia. You need to do something about the wet clothes.
Maybe I could turn her on her side and remove one arm from her coat while her back was toward me. Then cover her with my sweat soiled bedspread and roll her on her other side. I’d just use the blanket as a visual and physical barrier. Yeah, that might work.
Halfway through my plan, Faye bolted up in the bed, screaming. I’m pretty sure I made it to the corner of the room in one leap. After she had no more breath she sat panting, then looked frantically around.
She saw me and we both froze. The look on her face said she was about to go ballistic in fear, like she didn’t remember me or what had happened at the bus stop. My back and hands against the wall behind me, I suddenly wanted to dissolve into it. Please, please let me look harmless.
Her eyes rolled in her head and she fell back on the bed.
I stood like a statue for five minutes, watching. When I heard light snoring, my limbs relaxed and I let out a slow breath before tip toeing back to the bed. I was ready to take my chances with her getting pneumonia rather than try to finish what I had started. What if she woke up while I was removing her coat and misinterpreted it?
I went for more blankets and piled five on her. God would protect her.
I finally stumbled to the sofa in the living room and collapsed onto it, tossing my plans to clean up. A loud moan escaped as a violent shiver shook my soaked body. All the day’s events slammed me. Somehow, God had worked things out. But what now?
My tired mind began to swim.
You’ve gotten in over your head.
God will help me. He always does.
Tori. What did she do to Faye?
As tired as I was, the thought of it made me rigid. Something bad, that was sure.
I tried to pray. I knew deep down that I needed to pray for Tori but that wasn’t going to happen right now. She’d officially earned a position next to my father in my mind. What a cruel, heartless woman. I’d have to fast for a month before I could utter one prayer for her.
My mind continued to roam. I no longer had the strength to steer it where I wanted and soon, images of Faye’s innocent face floated away and the familiar worn path I'd taken for the past two weeks called to me.