{Chapter 14}
Anne was overcome with a strong tide of peace. Her heart stopped its rapid beating that had become normal since discovering Andrew had been taken. For a moment, Anne paused a moment, and let peace wash over her. She didn’t understand what it meant. She hadn’t ever felt this sort of peace before. Of course, she had felt peace once. But it hadn’t been anything like this.
“God, what does this mean?” Anne whispered. She looked at herself in the mirror. She had been trying to put her makeup on. Such a trivial thing considering what was going on right at that moment. But she had felt she needed to do something normal so that she wouldn’t go mad.
Anne watched her eyes in the mirror, trying hard not to let tears flood her eyes. She felt the peace ebbing. It had only been a momentary thing. Anne stopped trying to hold the tears back. She let them pour out and she let out a soft sob.
#
Andrew sagged on numb legs, feeling pain scorch through his body. He pulled in ragged breathes. He was almost positive that one of his ribs was broken. Every breathe he pulled in brought excruciating pain to his chest.
He could see Thomas standing in the corner smirking. Andrew didn’t feel angry anymore. A week ago, mere hours before, he would have been angrier than a hornet whose hive had been destroyed. But now, he only felt sorry for Thomas.
“How did you like that?” Thomas scowled.
Andrew coughed up a little bit of blood and said, “What if I said I’m sorry? For whatever it is I did?”
Thomas seemed to think about what Andrew had said for a moment because he hesitated. After a moment of silence, Thomas said. “That's the thing with apologies, Andrew. They are often, if not always, insincere. Someone saying, 'sorry' does not redeem them of an evil they have committed. They still have committed their sin, and can never be forgiven of it.”
“You’re wrong, you know.” Andrew whispered. Thomas’ eyes flashed in anger. Apparently he didn’t like being told he was wrong. “Romans 8:2: And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”
Thomas scowled. “Who told you that crap?”
“I read it in a book.” Andrew said quietly. He hoped Thomas wouldn’t notice the book that was sitting on the floor mere feet away. He forced himself to keep his eyes locked on Thomas.
“What book?” Thomas’ tone was fierce.
Andrew was silent.
“Tell me, or I will use this pretty little thing,” he pulled out a knife, “to gut you right here, right now.”
“You’re smart enough… figure it out.”
“Don’t test me!” Thomas slashed down in one, swift motion. Andrew felt warm blood seeping down his cheek, and he felt a gash on his cheek.
“The Bible!” Andrew said. He wished that at least one of his hands were not strung up. He wished he could put his hand to his face to numb the pain.
“Hmm…” Thomas scowled.
“I told you! I’m not lying!”
“You haven’t ever read that book. How did you read it?” Andrew made the mistake of looking at the book. Thomas turned to look at what Andrew had looked at. “Ah, so that’s how…” Thomas strode to the book and picked it up. He looked through it and, seemingly satisfied, held it closed.
“You want to see something wonderful?” Thomas said fiercely. Andrew had the feeling it wouldn’t be wonderful. It would most likely be terrible.
“No… No, I don’t.”
“You’re going to anyways.” Thomas clipped the zip ties and shoved Andrew towards the stairs. Andrew’s heart leapt; maybe he would see where he was at! When Andrew had made it up the steps, after much struggle, Thomas opened the door. A strong smell of sulfur filled his nose. He couldn’t see for a moment because of the bright morning light that flooded the room.
After his eyes adjusted, Andrew noticed that the room was below a house that had burned down recently. It was an awful sight seeing the skeleton of a house that had once held a family.
Andrew was shoved out into what had once been a kitchen. There was no roof over the building, if you could even call it that. A soft sprinkle of rain fell from the sky. If Andrew knew what was about to happen he would have protested, loudly.
Thomas pulled a lighter from his pocket. He coaxed a flame from the small mechanism. When the bright orange flame burned strong Thomas put it to the book. It burst into flames quicker than Andrew could blink.
“No! You can’t!” Andrew screamed. He lunged for the book but Thomas shoved him to the ground. “Must you destroy everything?” Andrew began to sob. His only hope was being burned right in front of his eyes. “Do you ever think that maybe you’re the one who sins? Don’t you ever realize that you are a beast? You think you’re so holy, when really, you’re a beast who loves to prey on those who can’t help themselves! You need to take a look at yourself and realize that you are not a good person!”
“Shut up!” Thomas watched the bible burning on the ground. “Don’t you ever realize your whole innocent façade is annoying? It gives me a headache. I think the world will be better off without your nagging little voice!”
“Fine! Then kill me right now! The world would be better without me. Or, maybe you are just saying that to make yourself feel good. You think that killing someone will make up for every wrongdoing you have ever committed.”
“Shut up!” Thomas pulled out his gun in one swift, fluid motion and shot into the sky. “I’m tired of hearing your talk! Stop trying to deceive me!” Thomas leveled the gun at Andrew’s forehead and said, “One more word, and I’ll shoot you.”
“I though you wanted to kill me long, and slow.” Andrew didn’t even care anymore. Life was losing its purpose. He couldn’t wait to just leave his lousy life behind. But then, Andrew remembered his mother. What must she be going through? Andrew began to feel his will to live surge.
“You’re right, I do.” Thomas lowered the gun. Andrew shoved himself from the ground then. He didn’t think about the pain in his foot, or his ribs. He only thought of living. He shoved his body into Thomas’ gut. The gun went off as it flew out of Thomas’ hand and hit the concrete. Thankfully, it didn’t hit anyone.
Andrew pummeled Thomas with his fists. “I’m tired of endless beatings! I’m tired of feeling afraid every waking moment! I am tired of living like a freak!” Andrew punched harder and harder until Thomas was bloody and he had stopped struggling as much.
Andrew rolled off of Thomas and ran to the gun. He picked it up and aimed at Thomas. “You’re going to do what I want now, alright? No funny business or this all ends here and now. I don’t want to kill you. But I will if I have to.” Thomas rolled over and shoved himself off the ground. He laughed a long cackle.
“You won’t kill me,” Thomas said smoothly.
“Don’t presume to tell me what I will and won’t do!” Thomas started to sidle over to Andrew. “Stop moving!” Thomas didn’t stop. Andrew shot half an inch to the left of Thomas’ right arm. Thomas stopped. Andrew yelled at the top of his lungs.
“If you were going to kill me you’d have done it already.”
“Don’t believe I won’t do it.” Andrew’s heart was pounding so loudly in his ears it was causing him to lose concentration.
“You’re not like me. I can tell. I could always tell. You’re a weak, sinful being. But you could never kill someone. Let alone your own father.”
“Shut up! You’re not in a position to talk, Father!” Andrew said bitterly.
“You won’t kill me.”
“Stop talking!” Andrew stepped back, but still held a defensive position. He didn’t want to give Thomas a chance to overtake him. “We’re done here.”
“We’re only done when I say so.”
Andrew felt white-hot fury building up in his chest. “You’re heartless. You are so lost. My sins have been paid for by bloodshed already. So there is no need to kill me.” Andrew tried to say this as calmly as possible. It didn’t work out very well. It came out rigid and full of anger.
“So it begins, you found a little savior and now you think you can judge me,” Thomas was still moving inch-by-inch toward Andrew.
“Who cares if I’m judging you? You think you can judge me. But, I’m telling you, I was already judged and tried innocent. So you need to get over your sadistic plan and start judging yourself, not others!” Andrew could feel his face becoming tight. His eyebrows were arched downward and he could feel his face becoming hot.
Andrew didn’t see what happened next coming. Thomas whipped out his knife and flicked his wrist. Andrew had pulled the trigger exactly one millisecond before the knife embedded itself in his chest. White hot pain scorched through his chest and body.
Andrew saw Thomas falling to the ground mere seconds before his vision became cloudy, and darkness came over him. “Help me.” He said silently.