Wednesday, February 26, 2014

About yesterday...

      I've seen so much of God's power and beauty. It makes me wonder how much I've missed or taken for granted. How about you?



 

 






         I went through all day yesterday thinking it was Monday so I didn't prepare anything for my blog. I apologize to the few who actually read what I post. I'm not sure what I'm going to do next but I'll think about it for the next few days.
        Since I made a mistake about the day, should I write a short story called, 'It isn't Monday?' How about 'About yesterday?' Comment and let me know what you think. I will be back next Tuesday with...something. :)

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Leave a comment and let me know what you think!!


                                                 Beautiful!!









~ Chapter Twenty-Four ~



Jedidiah heard dis-jointed voices speaking in low tones. Where was he? Where was Janna? He groaned and sat up, nausea poring over him in waves.

“Slowly Jedidiah.”

That voice was so familiar. “Wilson?”

“In the flesh.”

“But how?” Jedidiah tried to swing his legs over the bed but was stopped by cold metal. His eyes popped open. A hospital bed? “What is going on here? And how did  you get back to the states?”

“They gave me an emergency leave. I’ve been here for a week.”

Jedidiah swung disbelieving eyes toward Janna’s brother. “What are you talking about? Where is Janna?”

“Janna is in a room down the hall.”

Jedidiah’s heart sped up. “Is she…?”

Wilson held up his hands. “She’s going to be fine. David Watkins stabbed her thirty times, but thank God, he didn’t hit anything vital.”

Horror washed through Jedidiah. “Thirty times?” His words trailed off.

“Yes.” Wilson brought a hand up and rubbed at his five o’clock shadow. “She lost a lot of blood and it was touch and go for a few hours but God was with her.”

A thought crossed Jedidiah’s mind. “Where is Jessie?”

Wilson gestured to the other side of Jedidiah’s bed.

His gaze followed Wilson’s hand. A smile spread across Jedidiah’s face for the first time since waking. “Hey buddy.”

“Are you okay Jediah?”

Tenderness welled up inside him, which he tried to squash, but was unsuccessful. The little tike had wormed his way right into his heart. Just like his new mommy. The way he mis-pronounced his name was so endearing…

“I’m gonna be fine. How is Wilson here treating you?”

Bright gray eyes turned and smiled up at Wilson. “Uncle Wilson is fun!”

Jedidiah laughed. “That’s good to hear. Are you taking care of Hairy and the cats?”

“Cats, as in plural?”

“Yeah. Janna has a cat, and the kitten I brought her from the storm.”

“I didn’t see a kitten.”

Sorrow filled him. He wondered what happened to the cute little fur ball. “Can I see Janna now?”

Wilson grinned. “It’s about time you asked. She’s been waiting for you to wake up all week.”

Confusion roiled around in his head. “Why was I asleep again?”

“David Watkins knocked you out with a pipe. The doctors said you would wake up eventually.”

“Was I in a coma then?”

He shook his head. “No, not really. You were responding to stimuli, they just couldn’t wake you up. There was some swelling in the brain. They figured you’d wake up when it went down.”

“I failed Janna.”

Wilson shook his head. “No you didn’t. You saved her Jedidiah, just like I knew you would. If you hadn’t come to her rescue, he would’ve stabbed her to death. Slowly. His plan was maniacal and demented. The police found a diary in his motel room. What he wanted to do to her…” He broke off.

Jedidiah met his gaze. Tears shimmered in Wilson’s green eyes. “He was going to torture her, kill her, and chop her up. Then he was going to spread her body parts all over the city.”

Jedidiah’s stomach rolled and nausea took over. He held up a hand. “Hold on, Wilson. Don’t talk.”

Wilson nodded. “I know. Believe me, I understand how you feel. She’s my sister and the only family I have left. That’s why I needed you to guard her.” He grinned. “I didn’t realize you were going to fall in love with her, though.”

“I didn’t either. They just happened.” He nodded his head toward Jessie, who’d come over and took Jedidiah’s huge hand in his little sticky one.

Wilson shrugged. “Hey, it’s all good. Not only will I be gaining a brother, I’m gaining a nephew. I didn’t think she was ever going to have kids, and here I’ve got one who’s already walking and talking.” He winked at Jessie and he giggled. “Should we go see Janna now?”

Jessie shook his head. “Yes. She’s prolaby lonely.”

Jedidiah chuckled. He loved that little boy.

Wilson helped him into a wheelchair and was in the process of rolling him out the door when a doctor and two nurses blocked their path.

“Hey, where are you taking him? We have to check him over and do vitals. He was unconscious for a week,” the doctor said as he held up a staying hand.

“Look, sir. You’ve waited a week. Can’t you wait a little longer? My sister needs to see him. It’ll speed-up her recovery.” Wilson affected a wheedling tone and Jedidiah admired him. He was quick in his thinking.

The doctor tilted his head to the side, considering. Finally, he said, “You have ten minutes, not a second longer.”

Wilson didn’t need any more affirmation. He wheeled around the doctor and nurses and took off down the hallway, Jessie holding onto his right pants’ pocket.

####

Wilson pushed Jedidiah through his sister’s hospital room door and immediately, her face lit up. She wasn’t moving very quick yet, but her pleasure was obvious.

“Jedidiah!” Tears popped up in her eyes and slid down her cheeks in silence. “I was so worried about you.”

Wilson pushed Jedidiah over to the side of her bed and helped him get up from the chair. His hands came up and gently framed Janna’s face. “I love you so much. Don’t ever scare me like that again. Promise me,” he whispered.

She smiled. “I can’t promise, but I can promise to try. I was beginning to think you were regretting your decision to marry us and decided to stay unconscious forever,” she returned.

“Not a chance.” He bent his head, brushing his lips across hers. His hands came up and buried in her silky hair.  He said, “I was so scared.” And then he kissed her, making sure not to touch any of the many bandaged areas dotting out all over her body.

####

From across the room, Jessie looked up at Wilson and asked, “Are they married now Uncle Wilson?”

 He smiled down at the little boy. “Not yet, Buddy. But I have a feeling they will be.” He picked the child up and settled him in his arms and they looked on at the tender scene unfolding before them; as two people affirmed their undying love for each other.   The End


Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Sorry this is a day late. Life intrudes again...


                            
                               More of God's awesome creations...


 








 
 




                              ~ Chapter Twenty-Three ~


A bright light shone in Janna’s eyes and she awoke with a start. She tried to sit up, but couldn’t. She pulled upward with her shoulders, but nothing. Her eyes popped open and she twisted her head in every direction, checking the surroundings. Terror filled her when she realized she was cuffed to a hospital bed. The metal but into her wrists and she gasped. She heard movement in the room and looked to her right once more. She was face to face with her tormenter.

“Tsk tsk, my dear. You might as well stop that, it isn’t going to do you any good.”

“Why are you doing this? What did I ever do to you?” Tears of frustration blazed hot trails down her cheeks.

“You have to ask why?” He shouted. “You took away five years of my life.”

“What? How can you blame that on me? You attacked me. You…raped me.”

Angry blue eyes seemed to drill holes to the very depths of her soul. “I might’ve known that’s how you would see things,” he spat.

“How do you see things?” He was going to kill her. She might as well say what she felt.

“For six months you walked past me, yet ignoring my existence, teasing me with your angel’s voice, singing and smiling in such tender love and regard. You snobbish witch,” he screamed.

Janna could see the insanity in his eyes, but was powerless to escape, or stop the words flowing from her own lips. “I wasn’t teasing you! I was singing to the Lord.”

“Lord shmord. There’s no such thing. Get over it.”

His voice had gone flat and this scared her more than the bright lights trained on her face or the cuffs restraining her wrists. He took a menacing step toward her, and she screamed. “Get away from me, you freak!” She continued to scream. Wordless streams of sound that did nothing to calm her frayed nerves and pounding heart.

His hand came out and grabbed her wrist. That’s when she saw the scalpel in his hand. She became frantic, trying to pull away and screaming even louder, desperation issuing forth from her gut. “Get away. Stop. Please. You don’t have to do this. We can get you help.”

Her words brought him to a halt and he stood still as a statue. He asked slowly, “We who?”

“Uh…I meant me. Me.” Lord please help me. It isn’t Jessie’s or Jedidiah’s fault this is happening to me.

He reached out and slapped her face, hard. Stars danced behind her eyes and she struggled to focus, terrified he would cut her before she could see. She pulled at her wrists, feeling the tender skin under the harsh metal and the resulting blood that flowed from the open wounds her movements caused. “Please. Have mercy on me.”

He cackled. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m going to enjoy this. You don’t know how much.”

She opened her eyes just in time to catch the flash of the scalpel as it glinted in the bright lights above her head. She felt a sharp, hot pain in her neck and screamed again, this time in horror. It was happening now. He was killing her. Several more sharp pains issued from different parts of her body. She twisted and turned, trying to get loose, but it was no use.

                                                             ###

 

Jedidiah scooted around the building, his movements as quiet as a cat with a mouse in its sights. Dear Lord, thank you for sending me to that kid. If he hadn’t seen that monster putting Janna in the back of his truck I wouldn’t be here right now. Please let me get to her before anything bad happens. He kept the prayer running through his mind the whole time he sidled toward the back entrance of the abandoned gas station.

Just as he reached for the knob on the door a scream pierced the air.

Jedidiah’s heart pounded and he grabbed the knob, all thoughts of being quiet gone from his mind. He raced down a short hallway and stopped in horror as he entered a brightly lit room where Janna was the center of attention. Her tormentor stood above her, cackling insanely as he stabbed her over and over.

Jedidiah leapt into action. He jumped on the man’s back, pulling him to the ground. He reached for the hand holding the scalpel and easily unarmed him. The scalpel clattered to the floor.

“Jedidiah!” Janna screamed. “Thank God you found me. Help me!”

He couldn’t take the time to talk to her. He had to immobilize her attacker.

They rolled around on the floor, each throwing punches, some connecting, some not.

The sound of sirens in the distance gave Jedidiah the last push he needed. He punched the man in the face and he went limp, falling to the floor in a heap.

He jumped up and ran toward his love just as the sirens stopped right outside. “Janna, I’m here.” He reached the bed, the hand in his pocket already clutching the key to unlock her. “I’m so sorry. I’ve failed you so…” Pain exploded in his head, and it was lights out.

###

Janna gave a weak smile despite the pain emanating throughout her body. At that moment it didn’t matter how bad she was hurt. Jedidiah was here. He’d come to rescue her!

A dark shadow fell across Jedidiah’s face, and her tormentor appeared behind him. Though he was much shorter, the lead pipe in his hands evened the score. She screamed in horror as the pipe came up and cracked down on Jedidiah’s head with a loud thwack.

“There! That’ll teach you to interrupt my torture chamber,” the maniac screamed.

He didn’t hear the sirens. He doesn’t know the cops are right outside the door. Nausea overcame Janna and she threw-up, spewing vomit all over her tormenter before blacking out into peaceful darkness.

 

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Here's the next chapter...

                                     Some pictures to enjoy...





 


 
Chapter Twenty-Two


“As I was finishing my jog Hairy saw something and took off after it. I thought it was a squirrel. It must’ve been him.” She tried to quell the hysteria she heard in her words, but failed.

Jedidiah came to her and pulled her into a loose embrace. “I’ll keep you safe, Honey. You and Jessie.”

Janna buried her face in his shirt, inhaling his clean masculine scent. She gave a muffled, “I know.”

Jedidiah rubbed her back in comfort, causing alarm of a different kind to speed up her spine. She took another deep breath and pulled away. “Jedidiah, where is Jessie?”

He dropped onto a bar stool. “He’s at Leisel Wells’ house. She advertised at the store looking for a babysitting position. Don’t get upset. There’s no way he could know about Jessie, or where he’s at right now.”

She dropped onto a stool beside him. “I hope not. This whole parenting thing is hard to get a handle on.”

“If its any consolation to you, I think you’ll make a great mother. Tilly chose well.”

Appreciation for her new waitress welled up inside her. It was good to know someone had some kind of confidence in you. “Thanks Maddy. Do you think you could get Jedidiah the special. I’m pretty sure he’s hungry by now.”

“I am.” He grinned, his shiny white teeth contrasting with his tanned skin.

They laughed and Maddy disappeared in the kitchen. “Are you going to be okay if I leave, or do you want me to stay?” His blue eyes searched hers in earnest. “I hate this. I had no clue the game was going to change like this and I’m unprepared.”

“You’re human. I still trust you Jed,” she whispered.

He reached over and laid his lips on hers.

The sheer gentleness of the kiss caused her heart to skip a beat and then thump against her ribcage. She was caught between not wanting it to end, and not wanting it to go on. His lips were warm and comforting, and she wanted that so bad. No. She pulled away, almost in slow motion. It was hard to make yourself stop something you didn’t want to. “Jed.”

The way she said his name brought tears to her eyes. After so many years of loneliness, she’d fallen in love. How could it happen so fast? She hadn’t seen it coming. The stress of the last few days became too much and she sobbed into her hands.

Maddy ran out of the kitchen. “Are you okay?”

Janna tried to answer, but only sobs came out.

Jedidiah grabbed her hand and smoothed it with his. “It’s going to be okay, Janna. I’ll take care of everything. I won’t let anything happen. I promise.”

“It’s…it’s not that,” she cried. “I know you will. It’s just been so emotional the last few days. My whole life has changed and I feel so out of control.”

“You need to pray and ask God to give you peace. He is faithful to restore your joy,” Maddy said.

“I know. I don’t even know why I’m crying, it just happened.”  She grabbed a tissue from her pocket and wiped her nose. “I’ve got to go wash my hands now.” She slid off the stool, trying to smile.

“Yeah, I don’t want snot on my dessert,” Jed said.

“Really? I wasn’t aware you were getting dessert,” Janna replied, trying to put some sass back in the conversation.

“Oh yeah. If I’m going to be part of the family I might as well start collecting on the perks.”

Janna gave an exaggerated gasp. “Whatever.” She headed off to the ladies’ room, her previous fit of emotion already a thing of the past. Thank you for such a good man, dear Lord.

The women’s restroom door was standing open, but she didn’t pay much attention even though it was a pet peeve of hers to make sure they were kept closed. Euphoria swept through her. She couldn’t remember ever having such a crush on a man before. She entered the double-stalled restroom and closed the door behind her. The bright yellow room made her smile even wider. The wicker table beside a full-length mirror held a box of tissues and she pulled one and swiped at her nose. “Get it together, Janna.”

She caught a flash of something in the mirror behind her just before an arm came around and put her in a choke hold. “Yes Janna. Get it together cause daddy’s home.” He cackled while he held a smelly rag over her nose.

 

Janna awoke with a start. The room was dark and smelled of oil and sawdust. Where was she? Panic swept through her. Where was Jedidiah? He’d promised to take care of her.

She tried to sit up, only realizing she’d been tied when the plastic bit into her wrists. Her heart pounded so loud in her chest she could hear it. Dread filled her with such coldness she couldn’t have moved if she tried.

Cynical laughter filled the darkness.

“You might as well quit fighting it, my love. I’ve had five years to make my plans. You took those years away from me. Now it’s my turn.”

Her blood ran cold once more. He’s going to kill me, dear Lord. Please make sure Jedidiah takes care of Jessie. Silent tears of sorrow and regret trailed down her gritty cheeks. Her life was being cut short. What had she done to deserve this?

“What? Nothing to say?”  He cackled. “Oh yeah, you can’t talk.”

She heard shuffling as he moved near. She pulled back from his hands, but he just reached over and pulled the greasy-tasting gag from her mouth. “Sing to me.”

“Wh…What?”

He snorted. “You’re such a snob, my dear. I said sing for me.”

“No.”

A hand came out and dealt a thundering blow to her face. She heard the cracking of her nose and felt something warm and wet run down her cheek as the pain lulled her into unconsciousness.