The Girl Behind the Red Rope Read online

  He pulled back before I reached him and I remembered my manners. We were back in Haven Valley and he wasn’t bleeding to death. I should know better. Regardless, I’d never been happier to see him.

  “Jamie!”

  “Hello, sister.”

  His hands were wrapped around the water glass on the table, fingers still bandaged. His face was covered in bruises, mostly purple, but some orange and yellow, which meant they were healing. He wore a simple black shirt, but it didn’t fully hide the lumpy bandage strapped around his chest where he’d been gashed. They’d taped another white bandage across his left cheekbone, underneath a swollen eye. He looked as if he’d been dragged through a field by a horse, but he was alive and on the mend.

  I sat across from him and tucked my hands into my lap. “I didn’t know you were coming home.”

  “Of course he was coming home,” my mother said, placing a large bowl of soup in front of Jamie. She laid her palm on Jamie’s healthy cheek and smiled. “Soup?” she asked me.

  I nodded, even though I had no appetite and still felt a bit queasy. I studied Jamie as he picked up his spoon and began to eat. He looked different. More than just all the bruising. Something new filled his eyes. An eagerness.

  “Is it silly to ask how you’re feeling?” I asked.

  “Like I’ve been dragged across a field by a horse,” he said, and I laughed.

  “You look like it.”

  He chuckled, then grimaced. “Ouch!”

  “Sorry.”

  Mother set a bowl of soup down in front of me, and I pulled away from the pungent odor. It made my stomach turn. I sat back, hand over my chest.

  “Are you alright?” my mother asked.

  “Yes, sorry. Just a bout of queasiness.”

  “Odd.” She placed the back of her hand against my forehead and held it there for a long moment. “Are you coming down with something? I can’t even remember the last time you were sick.”

  “I’m just tired.”

  “You don’t have a fever.” She returned to the stove and walked back with a bowl for herself. “If you really aren’t feeling well you should go to bed early. Tomorrow’s a big day.”

  “It is? Why?”

  Mother stole a look at Jamie and beamed with pride. “Your brother’s been asked to speak in morning Chapel.”

  I looked to my brother, stunned. “What for?”

  Jamie swallowed a spoonful of soup and set his spoon back in the bowl. Patted his lips with his napkin. For a long second we all just sat there in silence, waiting for him to speak.

  Jamie cleared his throat and shifted in his chair, then drilled me with clear eyes. “I understand the truth in a new and terrifying way,” he said. “I came face-to-face with evil and survived to tell others how threatening the darkness really is.”

  “Rose agrees,” Mother said. “She spent the afternoon with Jamie.”

  “Neither of us should have survived,” Jamie continued. “We were sent back for a reason.” He paused for a moment, holding me with that piercing gaze. “Do you know what your reason is, dear sister?”

  I sat stunned, frozen, unable to formulate my next move. His words set my nerves on edge. We’d always been the best of friends, watching over each other, but now he’d accepted a greater purpose and I didn’t know where I stood with him. He wasn’t shunning me, but he might if I didn’t fall in line with him.

  He broke off his stare and picked his spoon back up. “I suggest you find some clarity,” he said, then took another spoonful of soup.

  My mother reached out and set her hand on mine. She gave me a gentle squeeze, smiling. “Maybe you should go to bed, honey. You do look tired.”

  I took a shallow breath and nodded. She was right. Every inch of my body was drowning in exhaustion.

  I reached up to grab my soup bowl, but my mother tapped my wrist. “I’ll take care of that, you just go.”

  “Thank you.” I hesitantly turned back to Jamie. “Good night.”

  “’Night,” he said. His air of grandeur was gone, but his words played back in my mind, clear as day. I suggest you find some clarity.

  I stood and left the room. A part of me wanted to rush back in, shake Jamie, and demand to be told what he knew that I didn’t. But I’d faced enough drama for one day.

  I’d finished dressing for bed, drawing my sheets back, and turning the lights down low when a soft knock sounded at my bedroom door. My mother walked in, then closed the door behind her. Her eyes were shining as she walked to my side and sat on my bed. She patted the place beside her and I sat as well.

  “Grace, I was thinking just now . . .” She paused, choosing her words carefully. “How long have you been feeling nauseated?”

  I thought about it. “Couple days?”

  “And you’re exhausted, which makes sense considering all you’ve been through.”

  “Yes.”

  “Do your breasts ache at all?”

  I knew immediately where she was headed and I clutched my chest, gasping.

  “Well?” she pressed.

  “Yes, but . . . You . . .” I wasn’t sure how to put it. For several seconds we sat there caught up in the wonder of what she was suggesting.

  She reached her hand up and lovingly placed it on my face. “Sweetheart, I think you might be pregnant.”

  WORD OF JAMIE SPEAKING HAD SPREAD, AND ALL OF Haven Valley eagerly waited for what he might say at morning service. The idea of news from beyond the border was both terrifying and intriguing. I could feel their eyes stealing glances at the pew where we sat, Andrew on one side of me, my mother and Jamie on the other.

  But half of my mind was on a different matter entirely.

  I’d needed to sleep, but hardly had. Every couple hours, dreams stirred me awake. Thoughts of the child that might be growing inside me, of the pleasures and happiness the small life would bring, the adventure that would be uniquely mine. I was a bundle of nerves.

  To be honest, I was struggling with some fear as well. How could I be a mother in such turbulent times? What kind of world would my baby grow up in? What if something was wrong with the baby? What if there was darkness in Haven Valley masquerading as light? There was no backing away from Andrew now. I only hoped he was pure and would make a good father.

  My mother had stolen into my room as I woke to see how I was feeling. Her joy was contagious. The way her eyes sparkled when she looked at me, the way she gingerly touched my shoulder and held my hand. It was a different type of love than I’d ever felt from her. She’d suggested we see Dr. Charles that morning after Chapel to confirm the pregnancy.

  But I already knew. Once the idea had been brought to light, an inner knowing had taken over. I could feel it in my bones. I was pregnant. Andrew was the father and I didn’t know what to think about that, but I was going to have a baby! For now it was a secret between my mother and me. I didn’t even feel the need to talk to Lukas about it. In fact, now that I was going to have a baby, thoughts of Lukas seemed a little irrelevant.

  Lukas was only in my mind. My baby was flesh and blood.

  Rose’s movement caught the corner of my eye as she and her children walked up the center aisle to their places on the front bench. My gaze followed them as they moved, little Stephen glancing my way and offering a tiny wave, which I returned. Evelyn walked beside him, and there was no hiding the bandages peeking out from the edge of her long sleeves. Her rash must have worsened. That wasn’t good. My heart broke for her.

  How would I be if my child broke out in a rash? Probably a basket case.

  The family sat, and Harrison appeared from the small doorway to the right of the stage. The shifting congregation settled as he stepped up to the podium and spread his arms to open with morning prayer. We joined him, our voices rising as one.

  “With true sight and pure hearts, we come before you, God of righteousness, and we commit ourselves to your laws. We ask that you lead us away from sin as we fend off the evil that threatens our holiness. Let the ear
th be ravaged by your perfect wrath, and let us stand apart, your chosen flock and faithful servants. Amen.”

  The Chapel fell silent. Rose stood and made her way to stand beside him at the front of the stage. With a nod at him, she turned to face us.

  “As you all know, the foundation of our community has been shaken to its core in the last several days. It would be reasonable to assume many of you have questions. I asked that we trust the sensibilities of Jamie Weathers as he wandered out beyond the perimeter. I would ask that you trust his voice now. His survival is not without purpose.”

  She nodded at Jamie, who stood, stepped into the main aisle and walked to the stage. A curious hush held the people of Haven Valley, but I could almost hear their concerns.

  Jamie faced the gathering, face flat, eyes bright. “I have seen the face of darkness released on this world,” he began. “It spoke to me, whispering its vile hatred, and told me the worst is yet to come. We’ve wondered if the Fury have finished their purge of the earth and left it in peace, but I’m here to tell you that they feed on souls still and are more vicious and monstrous than we could have imagined.”

  Every eye was glued to Jamie. I could see the pain and fear that now filled my brother’s eyes, and my pulse quickened.

  “We have to be more careful than ever. Darkness masquerading as light seeks to steal our holiness. We have to resist the temptation to look for hope in anything but what Rose has taught us. We must maintain purity and vigilance until the last day.”

  The crowd stirred as he spoke. Fear spread over them as the idea of what he was suggesting sank in.

  “Are you saying we aren’t safe inside Haven Valley?” Colin asked, breaking the silence. “I thought we were protected inside the perimeter.”

  “The perimeter keeps us safe from the Fury as long as we remain true,” Jamie said. “As long as we are pure, they’re powerless.” He hesitated. “But that doesn’t mean they aren’t among us already, whispering their temptations even as they whispered them to me.”

  Many gasped.

  Rose held up her hand to still the auditorium, and Jamie continued, eyes flashing a certainty I hadn’t seen from him. “I’m telling you, the temptations I gave in to are no less damaging than the Fury itself. Evil is evil, however it shows itself. And I can tell you that the great testing that’s been foretold is coming as the end draws close. Evil is desperate to own us, and only through submission to the laws that keep it at bay will we survive and receive our inheritance. Watch your heart, watch your neighbor, watch for the demon who appears as an angel.”

  People murmured questions among themselves, many nodding in agreement. Jamie stood silently, having said what he’d come to say.

  Colin stood and spoke above them all. “After you betrayed us once, how can we trust you?”

  Jamie took a moment to consider, then nodded once. “Because I yielded to the temptation of doubt. I’m ashamed to admit that I questioned our ways. I longed for a different life. I was given the opportunity to live outside of the law, and it nearly killed me.” His eyes roamed the audience. “I should have died out there. But I was spared to deliver a message against doubt. I know now that the rules we follow and the fears that help us see the right path are what guide us. If we stray from the path, we will suffer a greater hell than the hell I encountered.”

  What about me? I wondered. What were they thinking of me? Why was I spared? What was my purpose in this? I dared not look, but I could practically feel the stares of others on me. Would they forgive me after Jamie’s confession?

  An image of Bobbie filled my mind. She’d said the worst was to come and that I would need her.

  “Be ever vigilant,” Jamie continued. “Take every precaution. When you feel fear, know it’s your discernment instructing you to run away. Avoid and protect your hearts against anything that might compromise the law.”

  Without another word, he left the podium and walked down the steps. Whispered concerns filled the auditorium as Harrison took center stage again, urging all to pray and seek only goodness.

  Jamie walked back to our pew and sat down beside me. Our eyes met for a moment, and in his I saw a darkness that I could not fathom. My palms were sweaty.

  Whatever Jamie had experienced beyond the perimeter had changed him.

  IT WAS JUST ME AND MY BEDROOM WALLS AS THE light of day faded into night, calling me to rest. But it wasn’t just me, I thought as my hand instinctively moved to my stomach. Dr. Charles had confirmed what I had already known in my heart. I would tell Andrew the next time I saw him. The thought gave me butterflies.

  Echoes of what Jamie had said hung in the air. An unspoken cloud of caution and suspicion had settled over the entire community. I hoped they would forget my part in Jamie’s indiscretions, but I hadn’t returned to warn them as he had. If anything, they were even more suspicious of me now. At least that’s what I imagined I saw in their eyes as they quickly diverted them from me after morning Chapel.

  Maybe I really would need Bobbie. She was an angel, right? She had to be.

  Watch your heart, watch your neighbor, watch for the demon who appears as an angel. On repeat, Jamie’s words whispered through my mind. I felt their urgency acutely, as I would now have to ward off evil for both myself and my baby.

  “I can help you with that.”

  I spun around and she was there. Bobbie, standing in the same corner she had before, with the same startling beauty and glimmering eyes.

  I glanced at the door. Still closed.

  “Congratulations,” she said, her eyes cutting to my stomach and then back to my face.

  She knew. Of course she knew. She heard my thoughts, saw my fears. I was completely vulnerable around her.

  Bobbie took a step forward, and for the first time since meeting her, I felt some comfort. She noticed and smiled. “Good. You should get comfortable with me.”

  “I asked you to leave,” I said.

  “That was before you knew what you now know.”

  “You said you wouldn’t come back unless I asked for you.”

  “But you did ask for me. Not with your mouth but with your heart. With everything coming, do you really want to be alone to fight for yourself?”

  There it was again. The idea that something was coming. A warning to be on the defense against the invisible force that would crush us all.

  “You need me,” Bobbie said. “Especially now.” Again she dropped her eyes to where my unborn child grew.

  I put my hand on my stomach, as if I could somehow protect my baby.

  “Sooner or later you’ll realize that I’m here to keep you safe,” she said. “Both of you.”

  “Why?”

  “I already told you. You’re my only concern.” She flashed me a grin. “Don’t you feel important?”

  I didn’t know how to answer that.

  Bobbie spread her arms wide. “Think about it, Grace. You were chosen, set apart. Maybe not in the same way you think, but definitely chosen. Now you carry a child who longs to be born in light and beauty.” She lowered her arms. “For all you know, that child will change the world.”

  I said nothing, but her words filled me with new hope.

  “Invite me to stay, Grace. Claim me, and I will stand by your side in the face of what’s coming,” she said.

  Watch your heart, watch your neighbor, watch for the demon who appears as an angel.

  “Which is why you need me,” Bobbie said. “I can help you, but you have to let me.”

  “So I should invite you to stay.”

  “Yes.”

  “Claim you.”

  “Yes.”

  “You’ll protect me.”

  “And your baby,” Bobbie said, walking toward me. “Let me help you. Let me ensure the safety of your child.”

  My pulse surged with a deep knowing that what she said was true. And with that knowing, I began to awaken to a new purpose. Jamie had found his, and there in my room I found mine.

  I was in Haven Val
ley to bring a beautiful new baby into a beautiful new world. And Bobbie was my guide. Suddenly I wanted nothing more than to have her by my side. I decided right then and there that Bobbie had to be an angel.

  “Then I invite you to stay.”

  My angel’s eyes grew bright. “Now you’re talking.”

  Chapter

  Sixteen

  BEN PULLED THE TRUCK TO A STOP AND PLACED IT in park. The engine died and he sat for a long moment, listening to the machine ticking as it cooled. All the time spent searching, sitting behind this wheel, working through his demons to finally end up at this small town, this tiny hidden corner of the world.

  Haven Valley.

  The road in had been overgrown and riddled with potholes—anything other than a four-wheel-drive truck wouldn’t have stood a chance. But they’d made it. At least to within a hundred yards.

  He felt all his emotions at once. Terror, joy, desperation, guilt, love. All the emotions that had been with him along the journey here. He was trying to release his expectations of what might happen when he entered the town, but it was proving difficult.

  A small hand reached for his, and he turned to see Eli looking at him proudly. “We made it,” Eli said.

  “Yes, we made it,” Ben replied.

  As if to object, his body shivered and he hacked into his hand. The world spun and he closed his eyes to regain composure. He took several breaths, deep as he could, though each draw brought pain.

  “You going to drive up?”

  “I think we’ll walk from here.”

  “Walk? It’s a long way.”

  “A car might seem more threatening. We’ll walk.”

  “Okay.”

  Eli shifted to climb from the truck.

  Yes, Ben thought, we’ll walk. He stepped out and made his way to the front of the truck where Eli was standing, staring at the compound nestled in the depression of the earth.

  Dated buildings, constructed close together, stood on either side of a single paved road that went nowhere beyond what appeared to be a perimeter of sorts, marked by a thick red rope. Gardens and fields to the east swayed in a gentle afternoon breeze. Some livestock grazed—a few cows and goats. Chicken coops stood nearby. All that was required to support a small community. It looked peaceful. Inviting even.