“Who’s there?” Mary demanded.
Nothing moved but the shadows on her wall. They grew larger each moment, devouring every last ember of light until they turned on Mary. “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,” they whispered as they closed in to devour her.
“There are none righteous, no not one,” the voice said, growing louder. “The wages of sin is death!” Even in the darkness, Mary could see the outline of a strange monster wagging a finger in her face. It opened its mouth, and red flame poured forth as it laughed. “And you are a sinner!”
Unable to resist their accusations, Mary felt herself being swept into another world.
Dreadful visions of terror passed through Mary’s mind. They seemed so real she could not decide if she was dreaming or if she had indeed fallen into a world of misery and torment. Amid the taunts and jeers of her accusers, she heard the unmistakable wail of human agony.
Searching the dark caverns of her soul, Mary spied a hideous creature. She wanted to flee but could not, for chains held her to the wall.
Mary cowered as the creature approached, and though not a word was spoken, the chains fell from her wrists. She tried to run.
“Come,” the creature said, gripping her tightly.
“No!” she pleaded. “Where are you taking me?”
The creature did not speak but pulled her toward a door. Through its open portal she could hear cries of terror and feel scorching heat blast her face.
“No!” she screamed. She fought to free herself from the hideous creature but to no avail.
A brilliant light suddenly flooded the darkness surrounding her. The light was pure and holy. She realized she was no longer held captive, but still she was unable to move. She shaded her eyes from the light, and that was when she saw him.
An angel stood between her and the dreadful door where the monster had been taking her. The light shone from the angel’s hand, and without knowing why, Mary fell prostrate at his feet.
She felt a warm hand take her own, and she rose to her feet. The terrible creature was gone, and a man stood before her, smiling. “Come,” he said. “You can find peace through faith in Jesus Christ.” The man held a tiny silver key in his hand with the letters FAITH raised upon its handle. Light poured from that key and filled the depths of Mary’s dark mind with hope. She could almost hear Walley saying, “Faith is the key.” With great fear and trembling, she reached out and touched the key.
Ella Walton tucked her little Bonny into bed. “Lord,” she prayed, wrapping a blanket about the child, “surround my Bonny with Your love, and guard her sleep.” Kissing the tiny forehead, she whispered, “Good night, my love.”
“When will Daddy come home?” the little girl asked.
“He’ll come as soon as he can, sweetheart,” Ella said softly.
“But what if Daddy’s dead?” the child persisted.
Ella was silent for a moment. The idea troubled her deeply. “Bonny, we don’t know where or how Daddy is tonight, but Jesus does. He is watching over Daddy right now.”
“But Mommy,” the little girl asked. “If Jesus is watching Daddy right now, how can he watch over me?”
Ella laughed. “Jesus is big enough to watch over everyone,” she said.
“Wow!” Bonny whispered.
“Now, you need to go to sleep, dear,” Ella said, tucking the little girl under her quilt.
“Momma?” the little girl quizzed.
“What is it, dear?” Ella asked.
“I wish Daddy could tuck me in.”
“I do too, sweetheart,” Ella said, trying to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat. “Good night, and sleep tight.” She rose and stepped from the room where other children also lay bundled in their cots.
Ella stopped at her own cot and sank to her knees. She was nearly too tired to pray, but prayer seemed to be her only source of strength some days.
She was about to begin when she heard another voice. “Ella, are you all right?” She looked up to see Leone, the newest addition to their already crowded home.
“Hi, Leone,” Ella said. “Yes, I’m fine. I was just getting ready to pray.”
Leone dropped to her own cot and began pulling worn shoes from her feet. “If you pray as hard as you work, I should think God would have to listen to you.”
Ella smiled. “You know that’s not why the Lord listens to people.”
“No?” Leone studied Ella for a moment. “Why does He listen, then?”
“The Lord listens because He loves us and cares for us,” Ella explained. “Our smallest need is His concern.”
“You don’t believe that, do you?” Leone asked.
“I certainly do,” Ella said, laughing.
“Didn’t your old man get shipped out just like mine?” Leone asked.
“Bob volunteered,” Ella corrected. “And yes, he left with the others.”
“Well, look at you,” Leone said. “You slave all day, pray all night, and take care of everyone’s kids the rest of the time. I don’t understand. If God loves you like you say, why does He make you endure so much?”
“The work I don’t mind,” Ella said. “And the children I love. But it’s when I pray that I find peace and comfort for myself.”
“That’s beyond me,” Leone said with a sigh. She slipped from her dress and pulled the covers over her aching body.
“Leone,” Ella said softly. “Would you like me to pray for your husband?”
There was a long pause. “Sure, I guess so,” Leone said. “It can’t hurt.”
“Do you miss him?” Ella asked.
“He’s a drunken bum,” Leone said. “But,” she added a bit wistfully, “I do miss him.”
“Well, tonight I’ll start praying for Evert,” Ella said.
Leone rocked up on one elbow and smiled. “Thank you, Ella,” she said. “I’d like that.”
It was dark all over Waterfront, but Ella remained on her knees. Something was troubling her. “Who is it, Lord?” she asked. “Who am I to pray for? Who have I missed?” She rocked back and forth, and sweat trickled down her brow.
Prayer was difficult tonight. Something was wrong, or someone was in deep distress, but who?
Mentally, Ella reviewed her list. The children, Bob, Leone, Evert, Linda, Ronald, Betty, Bill … Bill! “That’s it!” she whispered. “Not Betty’s Bill, but another.” Her mind raced back to Capri and her neighbors, Bill and Mary Cotton. How could she have forgotten them?
“Lord, thank You for Bill Cotton,” she prayed. “I am so glad he gave his heart to You. I am so thankful Bob has a good friend to pray and share his journey with. Watch over them both.”
Ella thought of Mary. “Lord, be with Mary just now. I know she has rejected Your love in the past, but do not turn her away. Protect her and bring her into Your special place of peace.”
A great burden rolled from Ella’s heart. She felt peace for the first time all evening. “Thank You, Lord,” she whispered. “I pray all these things in Jesus’s name, amen.”
Silently Ella crawled onto her cot. Pulling the covers over her shoulders, she fell instantly asleep.
CHAPTER 47
A New Beginning
Mary awoke with a start and lay breathless. Her heart was pounding for joy. Who was that wonderful man who offered me the light of life? she wondered. Where was he, and where have I been?
The sun filled her room with brilliant light. Joyfully she stretched forth her hand—and then suddenly stopped. Where is the key? I thought I had the key! Her spirits sank when she realized it might have been a dream. She was still in her own bed, and she was still dehydrated, weak, and ill, but she thought, If that was a dream, it was the most remarkable dream I have ever had.
She lay still and considered her experience. What was hell like? Had she just experienced it? She shudde
red. Would she still be in torment if that stranger had not shared the light of faith with her?
Faith! The word resounded in her mind. Was it faith that transported me from that horrible dark world back to this one? Was it faith that set me free?
Mary breathed deeply, rapture flooding her soul. It was good to be alive! Just as daylight banished shadow demons from this world, so faith had driven the darkness from her soul.
“It’s true,” Mary sighed. “I can find peace in Jesus. He does love me!” She felt like dancing.
Mary finally began to observe the world around her. Her room was a mess. She slowly turned her head and realized that she too was a mess. Her body still hurt, but she could see out of both eyes, and she was on the mend. She shivered and pulled the quilt over her emaciated frame.
I must look a fright, she thought in horror, and then she laughed. It was a genuine laugh that broke the silence. She laughed when she thought of someone finding her as a living skeleton. She could imagine the shock in their eyes.
Mary was chagrined: ladies should not think of such things. But even her reproof made her laugh.
Reality finally brought her down with a bump. She was weak, thirsty, hungry, and terribly unkempt. Another laugh welled up from within her and bubbled into the room.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” She laughed. “I want to be presentable! I do care whether I live or die!”
Summoning all her strength, Mary crawled to the edge of the bed in search of water. “Thank you!” she cried when she spied a bucket only two feet from the bed.
It was harder than she imagined, getting a drink. She could not reach the bucket, nor did she have a dipper in hand. Finally she eased her body to the floor and hung her head over the bucket, lapping water as a kitten might drink milk from a saucer.
Mary leaned against the bed and tried to get her bearings. “Good,” she said. The mirror was broken. She wouldn’t have to see what she looked like. Though she was famished, she knew that would have to wait. She was much too weak to navigate the steps downstairs, and she couldn’t risk anyone coming to the store and seeing her nearly naked. I hope they didn’t destroy what few clothes I brought with me, she thought.
She carefully dipped the corner of a quilt in the pail of water and began to wash her body. The more she washed, the more she remembered. Several men had carried Ed Turner out after she had attacked him, but others had pounced on her, beaten her, ripped her clothing, and raped her repeatedly.
Anger and shame boiled in her heart. That was days ago, she thought. I must put all that behind me, or I will lose the joy I had when I awoke this morning. Just because terrible things happened, they do not change the fact that Jesus loves me.
A quick wash and an attitude adjustment made her feel like a new person. “Now to get dressed,” she said. She noticed that her wardrobe had been scattered around the room. She was a bit upset to think that strangers had handled her “private things,” but that was in the past. “Let’s go on from here!” she sang out.
She was growing stronger by the minute, but she still did not trust her strength to stand on her feet. Crawling across the floor, she examined her dresses and chose a long blue frock with a white lace collar. Soon she was struggling with the difficult task of getting dressed without standing.
By midmorning, the room had changed considerably. Mary’s clothing was stacked neatly, and her personal belongings were stashed out of sight. Returning to the pail for refreshment, Mary discovered that the water was quite foul from her constant usage. She was anxious to find fresh water, but she wasn’t ready to walk to the public well, nor did she want to be seen by anyone in town. She wondered if people in town knew what had happened and if they would spurn her because of it.
She knew she shouldn’t care what people thought, but she did. Her heavenly Father had given her a new start. She was forgiven, so she should move forward.
The afternoon was growing hot when Mary decided to navigate the stairs. Her strength was returning, and the thought of food downstairs nearly drove her mad. She was able to walk across the room by grasping one piece of furniture and then another.
Stopping at her bedroom door, she caressed the wooden panels lovingly. Mary could still smell the lacquer and paint from her father’s workshop, and she whispered, “I’m sorry, Daddy! I didn’t mean to tarnish your good name.”
It was either remembering her father or the walk across the floor that suddenly drained her energy. She struggled to lift the latch and slip into the hallway. She was so exhausted by the time she reached the stairs that she had to sit down and scoot down the staircase one step at a time.
Fumbling into the kitchen, she found to her extreme joy a pail of clean water. It wasn’t fresh, but it was clear and wholesome in appearance. Her bread had molded, but by carefully tearing the green away, she found the rest quite palatable.
Mary set the table with what food and drink she could manage to prepare and collapsed in a chair. Bowing her head, she genuinely thanked her heavenly Father for His providence.
The afternoon gave way to evening, and then daylight faded entirely. Still Mary sat alone in the gloomy kitchen, planning her next move. Food and water had strengthened her, but she was reluctant to make the arduous climb to her bedroom.
She would not light a lamp or a fire. There was no reason to call attention to the house. Though she had thanked her heavenly Father for Jan several times through the day, she was not ready to encounter him tonight.
Anger flared deep within her as she thought of Jan’s use and abuse of her, but she did not want to go down the dark road of hatred again. Suddenly she froze. She heard the latch on the front door click and the hinges squeak as it opened.
She held her breath. Was it Jan? Suddenly a more terrifying thought came to her: was it Ed Turner’s friends again? Mary truly wanted to forgive those men, but the thought of seeing them tonight turned her resolve to putty.
A floorboard creaked. Mary hardly dared to breathe. Heavenly Father, she prayed silently, protect me!
“Miss Mary,” a voice whispered in the hallway.
Walley had called her that, but so had Jan. Oh, please, please let this be Walley, she prayed.
“Miss Mary,” the voice called again.
Mary grew more confident. “Is that you, Walley?” she called.
Movement in the hallway stopped.
Mary mustered all her courage and called, “Walley, I’m in the kitchen.” Even as she spoke, she wondered if she had made a mistake.
The floor creaked again, and Mary jumped when a small silhouette appeared in the doorway. “Walley,” she whispered, “is that you?”
“Miss Mary,” the lad cried, his voice nearly squeaking for joy. “You’re alive!”
Mary struggled from her chair, and Walley was at her side, hugging her with all his strength. “They said you were dead, and the sign on the door warned of plague,” Walley whispered.
Dead? Plague? A sign on the door? What is that all about? Mary wondered. Suddenly she recalled Jan’s parting words. He had threatened her with something, but she’d missed what it was. Had Jan tried to isolate her from help or from danger?
In her weakened condition, she sat back down. “Walley,” she confided, “I’m not dead, but I surely would have been before morning—but for the grace of our heavenly Father.”
Walley held her hand. His keen eyes searched hers, confusion written on his face.
Mary looked directly into the lad’s eyes. “I’ve given my heart to Jesus, Walley!”
CHAPTER 48
A Daring Escape
They laughed and cried together. Mary had never seen anyone so excited.
“I’ve prayed for you every day!” Walley exclaimed. “I wanted you to know how much Jesus loves you!”
“Your prayers have been answered, Walley,” Mary said. “The Lord has given me a new start. But I don’t
know where to begin.” She confided in the child as if he were her brother.
Walley suddenly jumped to his feet. “We have to get out of here!”
“Why?” Mary asked in surprise.
“Captain DeKlerk’s men will be looking everywhere for me, and those phony quarantine signs on your door won’t stop them. Everyone knows we spent a lot of time together. This house will be one of the first places they’ll search. You are no longer safe here!”
“Where will we go?” Mary heard herself ask.
“Do you know the back road that leads to Waterfront through the forest?” Walley asked.
Mary nodded. She had played on that road as a child, but she had never followed it all the way to Waterfront. ”But it was a long time ago,” she said.
“But you know where it starts on the edge of town?” Walley asked.
“Yes.”
“Good,” Walley said. “We’ll try to get to that road tonight and travel as far as we can. If something should happen to me, you must follow that road until you come to Waterfront.”
Mary’s eyes widened. “Are you in some kind of trouble? Twice you have alluded to the fact that someone is or will be looking for you. Why?”
“I’ve been confined to the kitchen,” Walley said, “but tonight I was asked to run an errand for an officer. I took a note to Commander Powell. He was detained, so I waited. When Commander Powell finally came, I handed him the message and ran.”
“Why did you run, Walley?” Mary asked.
“I—” Walley hung his head. “I opened the note and read the message.”
“Walley!” Mary exclaimed. She didn’t know if she was more put out about him reading the officer’s note or that he had tricked her into reading from the Bible.
“Master Devia is bringing more troops from the west. In a few days, a huge army will march on Waterfront. Someone has to warn Philip as soon as possible.”
Mary turned pale. “Did you run straight here?” she asked.
“No.” Walley grinned. “I made sure several men saw me near the river. I hid along the docks and used back alleys until I came to your house. I couldn’t leave town without knowing …”
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