posted on Sep, 18 2005 @ 11:31 AM
Chapter 3
Adora lay on a table, and it was pitch black. For the past several weeks she had been abused in every way possible. She constantly prayed that
she would either die or be released from this hell. Her husband and four young children were always on her mind.
She was being barely kept alive, and she wondered if her captors wanted to stretch this out as long as possible.
The door opened and one of them came in; then the door closed. The man merely laughed as she screamed in pain.
Suddenly, the door flew open, and in came Adam and Cedric. "Get away from my wife!" he yelled as he jerked the man away from Adora.
Adora was crying as Adam freed her from her bonds. He had a blanket with him, and he wrapped it around her naked body. "Celina told us you were
here--she was the one who betrayed you," Adam told her.
Adora woke up with a start. Next to her, Cedric was still sleeping. She hadn't had that dream in a long time.
Celina had gone to Pastor Worthington's church. It had turned out that she was a false sister, and she'd been denouncing the church members to the
anti-Christianity group. Apparently she'd still had something of a conscience left.
It had taken Adora quite a while to heal from her horrifying ordeal in the group's lair. She felt fortunate that Cedric had been understanding
during that time. She'd been so afraid that Cedric wouldn't want her anymore, after what had been done to her, and she'd been devastated upon
learning that she would no longer be able to have children.
She felt blessed now. Cedric loved her no matter what, and she cherished her four children.
The phone rang. Cedric mumbled something as Adora reached across his body and picked up the phone. "Hawkins residence," she said pleasantly.
"Adora--this is Adam," said the voice on the other end.
Adora glanced at the clock--it was four in the morning. "Adam--what's going on?" she asked. His voice sounded urgent. She remembered that
Katherine, the middle child and older daughter, was sick and in the hospital. Suddenly she knew. "Is it Katie?"
"We don't think she'll make it," Adam said.
"I'll be there," said Adora.
***
Adora was in the hospital by five that morning. She had left a note for Cedric and the children.
Adam, Tina, and their other two children were in the ICU room where Katherine lay. Twelve-year-old Simon, a blue-eyed blond like his father, was
comforting his youngest sister, eight-year-old Marilee. "Please don't die, Katie," the little red-haired girl sobbed.
Adam got up and hugged his twin sister. "Adora, would you take Simon and Marilee to the cafeteria? They need something to eat, they've been up all
night," he said wearily.
"You two go with your aunt," Tina said distractedly. "Your father and I will keep Katie company."
Adora gave her sick niece a kiss on her forehead. Then she turned to Katherine's siblings. "Let's go," she said.
"Dad says it's that stuff in the air," Simon said to his aunt as they headed for the cafeteria. "That's what made Katie sick, he thinks."
"He may be right," Adora sighed.
The two children and their aunt picked at their breakfast in the cafeteria. Afterward, Adora led them to a waiting room, where they lay down on a
couple of couches and fell asleep. She was just coming out of the waiting room when she encountered Pastor Worthington.
"We've been praying for Katie," he said soberly. "The Lord answers our prayers, Adora, though the answer may not be what we want it to be."
"I know, Pastor," Adora said quietly.
They went towards Katherine's room, and they were just approaching it when Adam and Tina came stumbling out.
"Adam," said Adora.
"Adora--your niece is gone," Adam managed to get out.
Tears were streaming down Adora's cheeks as she hugged Adam and Tina. "Katie is in Heaven now, Adam," Adora reminded him. "She's at peace."
"I know," Adam whispered.
"You have to forgive them, Adam, Tina," Pastor Worthington told them quietly.
"I need to be alone for a few minutes," Adam said as he gently disengaged himself from his wife and sister. He looked at Adora. "Keep Tina
company, would you?"
"Of course," said Adora.
Adam walked down the corridor. Adora led Tina into the waiting room, where her two surviving children were sleeping, unaware yet that their sister
had just died.
***
Cedric was just waking up when the phone rang. He picked it up. "Hawkins residence," he yawned.
"Cedric--did you get my note?" Adora asked.
"What note? Adora, where are you?" Cedric asked as he sat up.
"At the hospital. Katie just died," Adora said, her voice sounding flat.
"Oh, no," he said.
"Honey, why don't you get the kids breakfast first, then bring them over here?" Adora asked.
"All right, I'll do that," said Cedric. "When do you think I should tell them?"
"Whenever you think is best," Adora replied.
"All right--well, I'll get a shower, get them up, and get them breakfast," said Cedric.
They hung up. Cedric got out of bed and sighed. He wondered how to go about telling his children that their beloved cousin had just died.