Chapter 7

Stat

2.21.2005
1:30 am

The screen of darkness lay over the land. The town square was crowded. The night was crisp and bitter to the bone. The groups were together, those who could actually speak with each other. They were no bigger then seven people to a group. It doesn't change from high school, society is built upon the foundation of the school systems. Change doesn't blow live our of proportion anymore. Though tonight was different. One white sheep walked through a den of lions.

People looked towards the lady walking down the street. She was the embodiment of hope. Her face shined in the night. Her body was as bare as the air. People pointed and glanced. People made fun and jutted insults. She walked for a purpose, making a stand in a world shattered. She didn't know where she had awoke or why her clothes were off. As she passed each person, their eyes whitened, they were unable to view the miracle. There was darkness in their hearts and it could not comprehend the light.

Miracle lady reached her destination but few saw her or remembered her as she walked through the darkened town. The small wooden hand painted sign affixed to the yard in from of her life. This building was her legacy and she was here to find the hurt one. The lady arrived in the room; she had last been with the hurt here before her vision was shut by death's door. She fell to her knees when her vision filled with emptiness. The room barren completely. The receiver left. How could she provide the hurt girl with her hope?

Light slid across the darkness and the darkness left; once the light burned out, the darkness set back in.

Something reverberated a slam throughout the house and a creak sounded behind the closed door. The knob turned swiftly and a presence entered the room.

~

"Mrs. Eliana?" The presence questioned.

The moonlight shone into a basin of clear liquid, illuminating the room. The little girl took a small step forward. "Mrs. Eliana? Are . . . are you OK?"

The woman turned to face the child. The girls eyes plastered with the color of snow. There was darkness in her heart. The woman was still void of clothing.

"My child, remove your shoes. For the ground you stand on is hallowed. I must ask for your forgiveness. For when I first was told about your sin, I thought you had done something to deserve what you had done."

Outside the room lay to bodies paralyzed, the girl's future parents. They weren't allowed to enter the room. The girl removed her shoes, even without her vision. She placed her weight on the floor, and sat there awaiting what the women's next demand was.

The woman moved closed and placed the basin at her feet. "You haven't done anything to deserve what has happened to you. You are perfect in His eyes. So there is something that I must to show myself that I am still the servant to everyone and that I am no better then the next person."

She lifted the girls feet and placed it in the basin, took her hands and started to wash her feet. "For you see, the Master washed those who served Him, feet. To teach them a lesson in humility, you must place yourself below people before you may raise other up. Even if they don't raise you up, you must give them a gift freely give without reward or recognition."

The woman finished washing the girl's feet and dried them with the towel she had on her lap. After she finished, her body fell to the ground unmoving, though, she was still breathing. The scales fell out of the girl's portals. She could finally she that this was in fact Mrs. Eliana.

"Mom, dad. Help. Mrs. Eliana has fallen again."

The parent's had started to awaken just after Mrs. King had finished. Kris ran in, Ace ran to to get help by calling 911, Julie sat there in awe of what had just happened. The basin was glowing still but there were impurities in the water. They didn't dull the glow at all. Instead, the water shone even brighter.

~

Eliana was back in the hospital, awake. They wanted to test her to make sure there wasn't any latent problems, such as blood clots or other dangers. Really they just were wishing to find the Fountain of Youth in her body some where.

~

Two Months Later
3.21.2005

"Sweetie, are you going to get ready to go to Aunt Eliana's?"

"Yes, I was just making her a card."

"Great, we need to meet Ace at His law firm. We are going to leave here in about a half hour."

"OK, mom. I'm going to get dressed so we can leave here. Then can I work on my card for Aunt Eliana."

Julie ran up to her room. She took out a green dress shirt. Next she opened her pants drawer and to out a pair of tan jeans. She undressed and redressed in better clothes, clothing that made you looked dressed up. Julie went to the bathroom, brushed her teeth, and combed her hair. She then went back down to work on her card. Her mother was waiting for her at the bottom of the steps.

"Honey, could you get your crayons and card for Eliana? She called and wants us to go pick up a couple things she forget for supper tonight. She also wants you to pick out a movie to watch while we talk about out lives, so we also need to stop at the movie store to get you a movie, then we need to go clear back up town to get you father, so we can get to Eliana's to give her the stuff for tonight."

Julie had already retrieved her jacket and card making utensils. "OK, mommy. I'm ready to go."

"OK, honey. Just let me get my jacket, purse, and car keys then we can get going."

"OK, I'm heading out to the car to wait for you."

"Alright, I be out soon."

A Christmas melody preceded from the van, "Why you singing those songs now?"

"Because mommy it's the most important season. If Jesus was never born then we wouldn't really have any point to live or celebrate other holidays."

"Yeah, that's right. Where'd you hear that from?"

"My Sunday school teacher."

"Isn't that who it always is, I shouldn't even have to ask."

The clicking of a right light flashing sounded, brakes skidded, and the car barely passed without ramming into their side.

"Whew, that was close!"

"Mom, if you wouldn't mind, I would like to get there alive!"

"I hear you, and second that."

They rushed the store and took it by surprise, they quickly and efficiently retrieved what they need for dinner later.

"OK, once we get through this stinkin' long line, we are going to go rent a movie. Is that great?"

"Yeah, that's fine. I just can't wait to see Elia . . ."

"Julie, where are your manners?"

"Mrs. Eliana. Sorry."

"That's fine."

It was finally their turn to go through the congested checkout line, after the person in front of them needed a price check that took about five minutes. "Goodevening, how are you doing this evening?"

She phrased her greeting into one word. "Fine, thanks."

The cashier quickly check her out.

"That will be twenty three dollars and eighty cents," she handed her three tens, "Out of thirty."

"And you're change is six dollars and nineteen cents. That's eighty, ninety, twenty four, twenty five, and thirty. Thank you have have a wonderful day."

They were out packing the back of the van before anyone around them had left. Kris slammed the trunk shut. "Let's go get that rental."

Ding. The door bell went off alerting the personnel their was a intruder, until proven otherwise. "Hello, is there anything I can help you with today?"

The brunette finally appeared from under the counter. Her beauty was priceless. The outfit only added to it. She reminded Kris of that one angel from Touched By an Angel, the one that looked good no matter what she wore.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, we were just looking for a good kid's movie that just came out but we're not sure what we want. Could you help us find that?

"Yeah, I think I have just what your looking for," she looked at Julie and gave her a wink. "If you could just follow me, I'll show you were it is."

"Thank you, so much. Your a life saver. Excuse me but I didn't catch your name?"

Chapter 6

Human Error

11:25pm

Kris and Ace waited for hours to hear something on Mrs. King. They kept getting the same response from the doctors.

"Are you family or relatives of Mrs. King?"

The answer was obvious, "No."

"Well, then you will just have to wait! Like everyone else is doing!"

They wanted the slightest clue that she was going to be OK. The girl waited between the parents. She moved very little and hadn't spoken a word since Eliana dropped to the floor.

Ace looked at Kris, "They could surely tell us something of the sake of . . ." He lipped the rest of the message to her and pointed to the child in between them.

They sat for a moment without speaking , finally a doctor started walking straight toward them. They thought they were finally going to get some answers until he turned down a hallway aways from their current position.

Julie lifted her weight and strolled down the corridor. She quickly closed the gap between them and the passage the doctor had descended down. Julie grabbed hold of the doctor's coat.

"Doctor, could you peas tell me what is happened to my mommy?"

"Um, is your father around?"

"No, she's the head at my orphanage. I was brought in with her."

"I guess your close enough to family then. I don't think I can tell you information though cause of your age."

"My adoptive parent's would like to know then they can tell me."

"OK."

"Thanks you."

Julie and the doctor came around the corner. They were headed straight to them this time.

The girl took the dollar the doctor had given her towards the vending machines. "Nurse! Could you please stay with her till I update these two on the status of Mrs. King?"

"Yes."

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs . . . I didn't caught your name."

"James. I'm Ace and this is Kris."

"Good to meet you," greeted the doctor. "Julie tells me she one of the closest things that Eliana has to family, and she told me to tell you the status on Mrs. King. So, that you could update her on it."

The doctor describe to them how Mrs. King was admitted as a heart attack patient. The ambulance had started the treatment, then the team at the hospital had finished the treatment.

"But Mrs. King has currently been moved to a room. Their she entered cardiac arrest, and died around 12:02 pm. The reason is still unknown they are going to take her down to the morgue, if you want you can all go in and see her."

"Honey, I don't want to she her I have seen enough for the night."

"I . . ." Her lips puckered up and she began to cry, "I would like to see her."

It was Julie, there without the assistance of the nurse.

Ace stood up, "I'll take her to the room. Which way is it and what room. Hun wait here. We'll be right back."

"That way," the doctor pointed to the right hallway. "The room is number two twenty-five."

Ace lead Julie to towards the room. Julie's head hung low.

"Ace, you don't have to come in with me. I would like to see her alone for a few minutes before . . ."

"You can just see her. I really don't need to."

"Here's the room. Yell for me, if I'm needed."

She slowly cracked open the door, and then shut it behind her.

The machines attached to Eliana were dead; no noise, no beeping, no flashing, no glowing lines, no rhythm. The tubes snaked out of the unmoving body everywhere at least it seemed to be everywhere for the little girl. Light illuminated the body that lay supine on the bed.

The vision brought tears to the little one's eyes. Her mother, her guardian, was dead. She walked over to the body and put her hand on the slightly warm hand, it was more cold then warm. The joints didn't move very much, they were stiff. Her veins were visible all over, popped out.

Julie leaned down to kiss her guardian one last time. A tear gradually formed at the corner of her eye. This tear was different, it produced a flash of light. She was unable to see. Her eyes turn white. Blind from the miracle being produced by her eye.

The clear-twisted-with-crimson tear fell right into the opened mouth of the lady on the bed.

Julie's white eyes slowly changed back to their original colors. Eliana had a red and clear lump on her lower lip. Was it was a drop of blood and water? Julie quickly wiped it off.

That's strange.

When it touch her skin, it produced another flash of light. Julie feel to the ground. Eyes white. Chest unmoving.

~

Vision formed in the mist of her unconsciousness.

The guild one of past dreams came unto her.

"Mom?"

"Do not fear, for I AM is with you. My dear, the Almighty has heard your cries. Most of all He has felt your pain, and saw this moment in your life so unbearable that he has chosen to bring your guardian back to you. For you see it was not her time, and she is just resting there a while."

The winged one disappeared.

". . . yo . . . alri . . .t?"

~

The vision was replaced with her father's face, his lips were moving slowly. His speech was hard to understand.

"Are you alright?"

She slowly shook her head up and down.

"Yes, I sorry. What happened?"

"I don't know I came in looking for you after twenty five minutes of you not coming out. I was worried."

"Is Eliana alive?"

"No, honey. She's still there on here death bed. See," he pointed toward the bed. "Don't you remember she died?"

"But . . ." She couldn't finish her statment.

"But what?"

"Nothing, I must have been dreaming."

"Come on let's go home."

As they departed from the room, Julie looked back just to make sure death was present.

~

The family of three went home. They gathered things for a meal in no real hurry. No one touch much of what they had on their plate. Two spoonfuls was the most that was eaten by one of the individuals.

Kris and Ace told Julie that she could get a bath then get around for bed. She summoned a tube full of water from the well for a bath. She laid in it for about a half hour, cleaned herself, let the water go down the drain.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

It the middle of the third ring, someone answered the phone.

Moments later Kris was yelling, "Julie get done quick. We have to go back to the hospital, now."

She dried off in a flash, got dressed and ran out the door.

Kris quickly put on her shoes. Ace burst out of the downstairs restroom, "What's with all the shouting and rushing?"

Kris looked up at Ace, her mouth dropped, "Honey, we have a guest. Get a towel on."

He quickly covered his private region with both hands, and his checks filled with blush, "Sorry, not used to her yet. I think I'll go wrap a towel around me, now."

"Thank goodness, there was a wall between you and our guest!" She yelled after him. "You need to get dress with more then a towel we're headed to the hospital. They called and said, 'We need to go in for an emergency.'"

"They just said an emergency?" He came up pulling up on his pants, his black tight underwear wher visiable. His muscular hair chest was uncovered. He fiddled around with his botton and zipped his pants, and looked up at Kris, "HONEY."

"I forgot we have a guest," he quickly pulled his shirt on. "Sorry about that sweetie. Your dad isn't used to little one, and I'm used to freedom walking around in whatever I . . ."

"Wallace Owen James!" Kris shout louder then need be. "She only a kid, she doesn't need to know that kind of stuff yet." She exclaimed and added in a rushed manner, "Never, make that never. She never needs to know that!"

Ace blushed. He was glowing as red as a stop light. Julie smiled and giggled. Ace smiled, it was the first time he had seen the child smile and heard her laugh. Kris was already out the door starting the car.

"Come on, Honey. Let's go get in the car."

~

The family sat in the doctor's office of the hospital. He finally came in, they had only been waiting twenty minutes.

"Good evening, again."

"Good evening," Kris and Ace said in unison.

"Hel-wow," said Julie.

"We found out what happened to your friend. We found a package, the one the syringe was in, laying on the table. Someone administered the wrong medicine. After the discovery was made, we called down to the morgue to make sure they took blood work. Of course they had. They were just about ready to do the autopsy."

"Doctor," Ace interrupted. "I don't see what the emergency was, though, could you just get to the point."

"I'm getting to it. After about fifteen minutes, the mortician flew into my office sreaming that the body was gone."

"Eliana, Eliana is gone?"

"Wait how's that possible?"

"We know of a few bodies that have been stolen from the morgue and brought back the next day violated. We take sample from around that area, and have found them to have been raped."

"What?"

"Yeah, sick isn't it? Some people are strange. So all I can tell you is to wait till morning that's when most other's had been returned. The police have tried to catch the perpetrator but some how he get's past them or gives back the body somewhere else in the hospital. One he even laid outside the front door."

"Could you stop?" Kris yelled. "We have a young on in the room."

"Oh, sorry I didn't remember."

"Would you like to take her out in the hall now?"

She answer in a harsh tone. "You're done now, right? Then what's the point."

"I guess your right."

"I know where she is," said Julie.

Chapter 5

Heart Attack

2.20.2005
9:30 pm

The words hurt as they came out of my mouth. It was the first time to tell someone about it. It wasn't the first time they had raped me. They touched me, all over my body. They hurt my body, so much that I couldn't have children in the future, or so that is what the doctors thought.

~

Kris was slammed with the words. They hit like a rhinoceros charging after someone on their territory. She had the same story, Kris' uncle had raped her but she had never told and had forgotten about it. The brain is a powerful anesthesia, it blocks out what it can't process, and hinders memories that are to painful for us to work through. Tears fell down her blushed checks, she was burning up from the memories processing through her mind. Every time she had stayed with her uncle or that he had came over, he had abused her body in some sexual way.

Ace looked at Kris with a strange look. He couldn't image why she was crying so profusely, the scene taking place was emotional enough to produce a few tears from a bystander but only the victim should be crying as much as his Wife was. He quickly drew her close to his warm body to comfort her. She had to let it all out.

"He raped me."

Was that my wife's voice?

"My uncle raped me as a child till becoming an adult when I could tell him if he did it again he wouldn't be able to reproduce anymore. Of course that didn't stop him from trying at night or even during the day, he had become a sex addict. When he couldn't get any from me, because I began to sleep with a knife under my pillow, he raped the girl next door from where he lived, in front of her mother holding a gun to her head. The husband came home and tackled my uncle, the guy was wounded in the shoulder but his wife had escaped to the neighbor's house to call the police. The police barracks was located about two blocks away; it didn't take them long to get there and surround the place. My uncle was dead in about forty-five minute, they shot him about ten times, he just wouldn't stop coming towards them. Finally a shot to the head finished him off. I asked my parents if we were going to his funeral, I was the person that had cried the most. No one else shed a tear. I couldn't image how his soul must have been saddened at how people acted that attended his funeral."

Kris had to recollect her thoughts.

"The coffin was even defamed, spray painted with the words sicko on the sides by teenagers that had broken into the funeral home and thought it would be a good joke. But as much as my aunt was mad at him she was more angry at the teens who had played the stupid joke, not that the situation wasn't bad enough on her."

Kris stopped for a moment, the memories were becoming too painful and the temperature she had reached wasn't helping her concentrate.

"She committed suicide two weeks later. She left a note telling us that she couldn't take it anymore, couldn't take the pranks that the teens were playing on her. I don't blame her I couldn't imagine some of the stuff they did, I think I would have killed myself too if someone kept reminding me that your husband had committed a heinous crime. We are only human and can only take so much. I cut myself to relieve the pain, it was the only pain that I could control. The truth was I was trying to kill the memories and myself, not control my pain. My mother found me one night in the bath tub, both wrists slit, well really one and a half; I had fainted before I got to finish the other. They said it was a miracle that I had lived, and the scars were nearly impossible to see after about two years. Though, I did spend the whole three years after the incident in a state hospital for the mental people. I did at least have a female therapist that I told my whole story to as long as she didn't tell anyone, well she didn't tell anyone. So I just went on with my life and eventually forgot about it till this girl brought up her story with the chef and the gardener. I can't image having two grown men using your body as they pleased."

Ace now understood why his wife was crying so much.

"I know I can't either, we will talk about you later tonight. For now, we have to get the girl some help. Who knows they could do it again tonight?"

"Come on you two, let's go wake up Mrs. King. I think it's time for her to know what's going on here."

~

Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock.

Mrs. King finally replied to the knocking after she awoke from her sleeping, "What is it honey?"

Eliana though it was one of her precious gems.

"Eliana, this is Ace. We have something here that you might want to be privy of."

She rose up out of bed, clothed herself in more acceptable clothing, and walked to her office. She opened the door of the office to a scene that swept her soul off it's feet. She join in on the weeping fest. Her heart was moved as the people before her began to tell her the story of the defaming of her child's body.

She was on the phone with nine-one-one demanding them to send the police immediately to the addresses that she rendered to the dispatcher. Eliana quoted the orphanage's address from memory, and the chef's and the gardener's location for the little note cards, which she kept on file for all the past employees.

The police arrived at the orphanage within fifteen to twenty minutes, the police also arrested the two rapists, by the time the others arrived at the orphanage.

The ambulance also arrived soon after the police. The dispatch said that they had ordered a female medical examiner to be pick up from the hospital to make sure the orphan wasn't simply trying to get out of the orphanage for the night.

Dr. Lione, Mrs. King, and Kristen entered the room they had designated "examination room". No one was to enter the room except the doctor and the witnesses. The entered the room the little girl sat on the table wrapped in a blanket, just in case someone had accidentally came in. The door was looked behind the three.

"Please, stand up and remove the robe please," the doctor told her softly, her instruments were already thrown out of the bag.

The room was dark, the windows were covered so no one could see in. The child didn't need a peeping tom, she already had enough distress to last a life time.

"This is a special light. It will allow me to use my super power to catch the bad guys. It is going to produce a very low glowing blue light. If at anytime you feel uncomfortable please tell me I don't want to cause you anymore hurt."

Lione turned on the light. The image that filled the Three's sight was atrocious. The doctor hadn't seen anything like it ever in her career of examining young girl's for rape. The young girl had a blue glow from her stomach down to her knees on the front. The back was glowing from the buttocks clear up to the middle of her back. This was too much, she quickly did the torn membrane exam. Both entries were torn tremendously. These perverts were ruthless.

The examiner ran from the room and quickly called the proper personnel. She was running from the inevitable darkness was descending on her consciousness.

"Through those," she cursed, as would anyone that was as furious as she was, "in jail where they belong."

The girl would never have kids, was the last thought before her mind turned to darkness.

~

Eliana was slammed against the wall when the examiner gave them her report. Mrs. Kind noticed it was difficult to move. She couldn't take the news of her little baby. She also notice a shart pain in her left arm, but it was quickly gone.

"Eliana, you don't look so good! Do you need some water or to take a step outside for some fresh air?"

Just before she finished her sentence, Eliana grab at her chest, her muscles started to restrict. Mrs. King dropped to the floor.

"Help. We need the EMTs in her, Eliana has fallen and I'm not getting a very strong pulse."

A few minutes later, the EMTs rushed through the door quickly assessed Mrs. King and lifted her on the stretcher before Kris could get out a question. As they left, the questions escaped through her mouth.

"How is she? Is she going to make it? Could you just tell me? Please? I need to know, is she going to be alright?"

They continued to ignore her battery of question and swiftly got her out of the building to the ambulance.

Chapter 4

Heart Surgery

2.20.2005
1:30 pm

Joy. Excitement. Fulfillment. This is everything we ever wanted, thought both as one. Happy sadness. Tears filled their eyes as they sat in the office waiting for the lady they had spoken with two hours earlier. The door knob turned and their hearts suddenly became a elevator and hit the top floor within point-zero-two seconds.

The lady stepped into the room. Her hair was touched with wisdom, and speckled with brown and grey hairs as well. Her face was aged though it had gone though the process delicately. She looks to be decades younger then she actually was. She had a smile on her face, and a glow to her complexion that wasn't obtainable without the use of makeup. This was the glow of true happiness, who wouldn't be happy if you gave parents what they long to have the most . . . children. She was more beautiful then a model, and she was seventy-six. She looked to be not a day over thirty-six. She filled the room with a joy that warmed your heart and your soul.

Someone who would embrace you with a hug, come home with you, and call you two, "Mom" and "Dad", oh the joy those words could bring to your soul . . . yet they could still bring unbearable heartache.

~

The envelope was addressed to the orphanage. The label was addressed with the most delicate process. The typed portion crafted with an ancient typewriter. The words were without mistake, the label placed squarely enough that the human eye couldn't see any error. This was sent by a couple with pains for children, they had carefully crafted the letter together whereras most other couples didn't. Not that she didn't like the applications, which were accumulated together in the most slipshod manner. She could tell the longing for children in any letter, whether they took on the facade of an ancient text or a letter sealed by royalty.

They had a need, she had the answer. She had a need, they had the answer. She took the letter opener in her hand, and delicately slid it across the sealed flap at the top in one quick and easy motion. She had done these thousands of times throughout the decade of her work. Some she could meet their needs, other she had to reject. This was the only thing she hated about her job.

Before lifting the application out of the envelope, she looked at the front one more time, as a smile crossed her face:

Little Hope's Foundation

Attn: Ms. Eliana Greison King

9745 Black Well Drive

Fort Dodge, IA 50501

The paper was easily accessed from the envelope. She took it out and unfolded the trifolded paper. The letter had the applicants address in the top right hand corner of the typed portion of the application. They included a cover letter and resume of each parents background. They were an exemplary couple, the perfect adoptive parents.

Wife opened a children's care center five years ago, and Husband was a children's advocate for the county. Two months after they married, they opted to be Foster parents, now they wanted children to call their own. Not that they hadn't treated each foster child as their own. Wife was physically unable to bare children, so they wanted to adopt a child. They specifically wanted a girl, not a boy. That was between the ages of three to five. They had one strange specification, which was that the child actually looked like she belong in the family. Wife wanted a blond with blue eyes, and adorable figure. Husband didn't really care.

She had the perfect child. Not exactly what Wife wanted but exactly what they needed.

She picked up the phone and called the number, which was listed below their address. Wife picked up, "Hallo?"

"Hello. This' Eliana King from Little Hope's Foundation . . ."

"Oh my goodness, that was a quick reply. Did we get accepted already? I can't believe you called already. I'm just about speechless, yet about drawn to tears at the same time. Thanks for getting back with us so soon," Wife continue to speak in the I'm-so-excited tone for about two minutes straight, until she used up all the oxygen in her lungs and couldn't possibly go on explaining her blissful state. Gasp.

Eliana finally got her disappointing words in. "I'm sorry Miss but you have not been approved yet, but don't give up hope. I'm sure you will get approved, you two have great references, I can't imagine why you wouldn't get approved. Just keep praying and I'm sure God will vouch for you two. I was just calling to see if you and your husband would have time this week to come in and see the great child I have personally picked out for you?"

"Oh my, would we ever!!! Could we do it later today?"

"Sure, just name the time."

"Would one-thirty work?"

"Sure thing, Honey. See you then, can't wait to meet you two!"

~

"Hello," said Eliana.

Wife could no longer hold back the levee of sorrow the was collecting at the edges of her portals. A tear streamed down. It was a gradual consummation of the dryness on her check, as Eliana consumed the hurt and loneliness of her heart.

Wife ran to Eliana and greeted her with her embrace. Her tears rested on Eliana's shoulder. After a few minutes, Wife allowed Mrs. King to breathe and eventually her brain was re-oxygenated.

Husband arose and strolled over to Eliana. He grasped her hand in a firm gesture of greeting, "Hello, the name W-Ole, just call me Ace, James, Ace is what everyone calls me." He rolled his eyes thinking of the stupid name that his father had thought up for him, he couldn't image what his father was thinking about when he named him. Or maybe he was high or drunk? Who knows. "Oh, and this fine woman I call my Wife is Kris, short for Kristen."

"Great to meet you, Ace JAMES, Ace. Kris, how 'bout you take a burden off and take a seat, please," she motioned her arm toward the comforting chairs, they apply practically no pressure on the cushion of your body. "The girl, I have personally chosen for you, will come in soon. She was getting dressed in her best garments."

Kris wiped her tears and blew her nose on a tissue, she had located in a box on Eliana's desk. She sniffed and finally spoke, "His name is really Wall . . ."

"Sshhhh," she was interrupted by Ace. "Don't tell her like you tell everyone else, the name is Stupid. I mean my name's not stupid but it's a dumb name. Just please let me seem cool or sweet or whatever the kid's say these days, and DON'T tell." He had even furnished the floor with his knees to beg her to not tell. "Please?"

Oh, the lame puppy eyed long-winded pleeese. How it melts my heart, sometimes! Not falling for it this time. Some one needs to brush the dust off this old kite and fly it. I can't image why, I married such a kine-to-the-cool fellow.

"I can't believe you actually acknowledged his lame James Bond imitation. No one, and I mean no one has even picked up on it, since well some crazy woman, such as myself, fell for his pathetic "hip" charm and his cunning smile. Really you don't have to be so kind, I mean look at what it's gotten me because I acknowledged it. He might look like a man on the outside but on the inside he is secretly hoping to be acknowledged as Superman or James Bond in his case. Well really you can just call him a Headcase for all I care. But his name is really Wallace."

"D'oh. Man, what's come over you, did someone force feed you soured curds? OK, I really don't know what curds are but it sounded good. Don't worry this is really just us kidding around, and pulling your leg."

"Don't you wish. Could you just grow up for a minute?"

Kris sat starring at the ceiling looking seriously angry. Ace sat there staring at her, then looking at Eliana with her much surprised look, her eyes looked like they were going to pop out of there sockets. Ace lipped her a message, I really don't know what the matter with her is. She isn't usually like this.

"Well, let's lighten the mood a little for the kid," Eliana suggested, scratching her head in confusion. She thought this was the perfect family. Maybe she had judged a little off, once in all her life. They sat not speaking for quite some time.

"HAH," loudly broke the silence. "Got you all. And you can blame Ace for this little charades game. He is always telling people that I can't be cool or ever take time for fun or games."

"Thank God, you had me scared the for a moment," said the observing in unison.

"You two really though I was serious?" She busted out in laughter.

"How about we bring in the precious little one? And please no more heart attack catalyst, please? I thought I was going to drop over dead there for a little while with how you were talking about him."

"Uh, Sorry."

"Please. Come in, honey." yelled Eliana in a tender sweet tone.

The door creaked open, and someone stepped in. Little footsteps reverberated through the air. The future parents-to-be turned around slowly and were astounded by the beauty surrounding the subject standing before them. She had a natural glow of beauty. Smiles inched across their faces, a diligent parade of happiness, she was perfect. She was blond with brown eyes, beauty was her strong suit. A cute disposition settled her body. Most of all she had his nose, and her face. She was the completion of their family.

The orphan tilted her head in humility, after a moment of them staring down at her beauty. Darkness covered her beauty though sadness covered her facade. She was broken and Kris would fix her, or so she hoped.

"She's perfect, " they said in unison.

For the rest of the day, they played with her, talked to her about everything, spent time with her, took her out to a fancy restaurant with permission from Mrs. King, and finally folded her in the thin comforts of the orphanage's bed. They felt sorry about how much they had and how nice it was, and how all the orphans were content just to have what they did, not one complaint from one of them.

They went to shut the door to her room, a voice broke the silence, it was a new voice they were unfamiliar with. "Please, come back. Please, I need to tell you something. Please, I need help."

They soon figured out that it was the orphan they had spent the day with. She had not said a word all day. The words brought wetness to their forefronts and slowly slipped down Wife's cheek, Husband quickly batted it back.

They walked back in and sat on the bed, "Honey, tell us what's on your mind."

Wife could barely get the words past the mound in her throat.

The orphan explain her life to them. That she had been raped by her father after he had killed her mother, then turned the gun on himself in the aftermath of doing the deeds. She went on to tell them that she had been switch from one set of parents to another because of the night terrors she experienced from witnessing the "bad things" her father had done. They, she quoted their heartless words, said, "We just can't take the screaming, and the caring that this child needs is unobtainable. We didn't sign up for this! We don't want her anymore. We can't stand her!"

That's a terrible thing to hear from someone that is supposed to love and care for you, no wonder she has so much pain. Who could deal with what she saw at age six, I don't think I could handle it at the age of eighteen make that at any age, thought Kris.

"And . . ." she burst into tear.

"Please tell us," they said again in unison. "We want to help you."

"I can't. He said he would kill me, he said it would hurt more next time, He said he would make me bleed like a p . . . pi . . . pig."

Kris and Ace looked at each other shocked by the words coming out of this dear little one.

How could all of these terrible things happen with a loving God in existence? Because he doesn't exist! I have been frustrated with faith since, well I can't even remember a time that I wasn't! How do You allow all this suffering, thought Ace.

"Tell me I will ki . . . I'm a lawyer and I can help you, but you have to tell me who."

"I can't . . . I just can't." Fear gripped her mind and wasn't letting go.

Ace took her in his I'll-be-your-shield grasp, "I will never let him hurt you again. Listen to me once you tell me, we, my wife and I, will go talk with Mrs. King and get you out of her tonight, under protection of the court. I'm calling a judge to send a . . . well to put it in a way you will understand honey . . . it will keep you safe. But you have to tell me."

"The uh, the um, the gardener and the chef both . . . they both uh," she burst into tears. He took her in his arms again, this time she recoiled at the thought of a man touching her again. She had jumped the first time he held her too but Ace hadn't noticed it. This time it was noticeable, Kris had even see it.

"They raped me."

Chapter 3

Blood

12.2.2004
11.30 pm

Bright light flashed through the night's sky. The little girl's mind flashed to that moment when the flash blinded, the sound deafened, and the grey matter splattered.

Julie's bed hugged her as she flew under the covers and dug into the bed. She was underneath the covers, hiding herself from the scary dark world that was around her.

She was broken on the inside; no one could understand what she had gone through. Everyone she talked to seemed to think they knew what she was going through; the truth was they didn't know the half of it. To be forced to lay there by the brutal force of your loved one, they didn't know that unless they had encountered the situation before.

Something secret taken, how could it ever come to this, she thought. I must have brought it on myself, I must have been bad, real bad to get this punishment.

How could anyone accept me? Who could ever protect me?

As she pondered the destruction that had occurred, her mind wandered deep into darkness.

~

Lights flashed. Colors swirled. Voices faded. Darkness became light. Light became color. Color became pictures. Pictures became scenes. Scenes became people. People became voices. Voices became memories of the subconscious, dreams.

A girl was in the mist of darkness, she was tucked to her knees. Darker shadows lined the darkness around her; she was trapped. The dark figures pounced on her, then a bright light flashed into the darkness, and the figures exploded. A bright glowing figure, floated to her, she had wings! The figure lifted the girl's chin, "Fear not for I am with you. He will never fail you. She will never forget you. Blood is the connection. Blood is the key. Blood is the answer. Only His blood will save. Blood is the hope, mine is your guide."

The figure's light grew dim, and her features grew faint. "I love you!" The presence of the winged had left.

~

"Nooo, mom don't leave me."

She wept in her world, the sphere she had placed around herself, her own haven.

The figure watched and listened as the child sat up and cried out, the sight brought weakness to her eyes, she couldn't help her, she couldn't calm or sooth her like she wanted to.

~

Demi's eyes popped wide, I'm losing it.

Sleep came back fast. But the next morning she wouldn't forget the spectacular visions of gilded figures in the night aiding her Beloved.

~

Six Years Later
12.2.2010

The razor glistened in the light. The hotel room was large, fully stocked and expensive. Light beams pierced through the crystalline glass. Bright beams reflected off the metal razor decorated in the middle with a cut out fancy design. Tape covered the other sharpened surface, to keep the instrument from being dangerous to the human touch.

The girl used the knife to cut through her fatal layers. She slowly and cautiously slid the blade to make the incision on her wrist. Blood pooled to the surface.

Hope had come.

~

Ouch. The woman grasped her wrist. The pain was a burning sensation, yet complete euphoria laced over the pain. The pleasure was addicting.

More, More, I must feel it more.

She lost herself to the moment of pleasure, finally she pulled herself together.

"What is your name?"

"Demi."

"What is your occupation?"

"A Children's Advocate."

"Good, now get back to helping the poor children."

She took the job to ease the pain of not being able to cope with the reality that she didn't have a child.

Demi had experienced moments like this for the past couple months, and what was worse was scars showed the world that she cuts, even though a razor had never touched her skin. Linda, her boss, saw the scars the night after the first addictive moment; she was forced to go through a month of therapy or lose her job.

The scars still remained and more kept coming.

~

Blood covered the floor beneath the girl laying on the floor. Julie's eyes fluttered open. The vision of red covered her vision of sight.

I should be dead. I surely cut deep enough this time.

She composed enough strength to lift the arm to her eye level. The miracle replaced the vision of blood, just as it had happened the past nine attempts to leave this world behind her. Not a sign of a razor piercing her flesh could be seen, the wound was gone.

The blood was the only evidence that the self-inflicted wound had in fact occurred.

Hope was all there was left.

Chapter 2

Transfused

9.15.2004
1:45 am

From the shattered glass doors and the twisted metal frame to the back wall embellished by the ambulance, the detritus and blood painted the floor of the ER. Now an extension of the back wall, the emergency vehicle produced the most red-paint. The nurses and interns checked for survivors, through the twisted, battered, broken, tossed, wrapped-around-a-column bodies. A fire caused by the ambulance caused an explosion, which summoned immediate response from other hospital personnel.

Nineteen out of twenty ER patients and personnel had died immediately. The last died a slow painful death after an IV pole slammed through her right leg and came out near the hip, the explosion had turned the rod into a spear, piercing flesh and shattering through the bone.

The emergency personnel flattened on impact. They opened the doors of the demolished vehicle. A small stained red body tossed on the floor of the small lab. The doctors immediately called for help, they were scared to move her because of the impact. There was no telling how that could have further injured her. A trauma surgeon ran into the ER and screamed for people.

"There's a women. We need help, stat."

Two of the nurses, one male and one female, were trying not to get in the way, quickly ran for the huge hole in the wall.

"You," she yelled and pointed to the male. "Help me lift her onto the gurney. You," she jutted her finger at the female. "Check her vitals, and you know to do the usual checks, just do it. Ready," She asked the male.

"Yes!"

"One, Two, Three. Lift."

They lifted her weakened life state onto the medical apparatus. Quickly, efficiently, and carefully they wheeled her in through the front entrance, to the elevator, and up to the second floor. They sped out of the elevator and quickly took a left in the hallway, headed down the hallway to the next turn. They took it sharply, the body rolled, the female nurse stabilized the body.

"Whew, that was close!"

They ran down the hall and slammed into the operating rooms swinging doors. There was already a small girl's body on the other operating table. As fast as they could, they transferred the adult body to the second operating table through the second doors, a conjoined operating room, with enough room for people to pass through without being a hindrance to the other team.

Some of the team working on the girl went with the three transporting the adult. The doctor rushed into the room and started immediately. The trauma surgeon helped double the team, speed, and efficiency. They were here to save lives not to prove to the interns that they were the best, but there to actually be a miracle in somebody's life.

"We need blood."

The demand came from both rooms. Luckily, both females had the same blood type.

"We just ran out of that blood type and o positive last night around 12:30 and the next shipment will not be shipped till tomorrow. Do you want me to call the blood bank and have them rush it over?"

"No, there's no time. That would take about two hours longer then when we need it. We need blood and we need it now."

"We just brought a body into the morgue that has the same blood type, blood's still flowing."

"That won't work. Blood needs to be tested extensively before it's used on patients."

"We just found her chart. She donated blood a week and a half ago to the hospital's blood drive, and the test results came back clean."

"Good. Then get it up here stat. Go." The personnel was gone before he could finish, he knew what he had to do. "Let's hope that blood is compatible, and clean. I'm putting my career on the line, if we don't use that blood, then she's going to die."

~

Two hours and a whole body's blood gone, both were finally out of the operating room into the recovery room.

~

The girl woke first. They moved her into a room. It would be days till she would be released.

~

Two hours after the girl had been moved, the women still had not awakened.

"Her body must be having trouble restarting," stated the doctor. "It's hard to tell how long she was out their bleeding out from that glass fragment. Just to be safe we should go ahead as a precaution and put her into a drug induced coma."

The nurse brought the drugs in to the doctor.

"Oh, Sweet Jesus," she gasped as she said it. "Her husband just died about two hours ago, her name is . . ."

The doctor cut her off, "We know she had her ID in her back pocket. Demi."

~

Two Months Later

11.20.2004

Her eyes opened to a light she hadn't seen for a while. Blinding, she quickly dove off the bed and took cover. As she did the cords that we're attached to her arms and other body parts ripped out, all but the catheter because it was mounted on the side of the bed that she had leaped off. It did give a little tug from being caught on the side of the bed. The ripped out wires and cords had triggered an alarm.

Nurses rushed in. It took about fifteen minutes to get her calmed down. She motioned to them that she needed a drink by demonstrating to them with her hand how you would drink from a cup.

They brought her ice chips.

The first question the nurses were sure was going to be, "Where's my husband?"

The women got a puzzled look on her face like she was trying to conclude something, or think of something long forgotten.

She looked at the nurse that was helping her now, and opened her dry lips.

"What did you say, honey," after a while her brain made the missing links and she answered her question. "Honey, you don't have one."

"WHERE'S MY DAUGHTER. Where's my daughter. I have one! WHERE'S MY DAUGHTER!"

She went crazy, and started tossing hospital room inventory around the room and at the nurses. One nurse heard the screaming and hurried and retrieved a syringe and a bottle from the drawer behind the crazy lady. She walked up behind the patient and carefully gave her a shot in the neck.

"Where's m . . . my daugh . . . daughter?"

She finally got out before fading to darkness on the floor.

"Who's going to tell her she probably dreamed having a daughter while in her coma, and tell her that her . . . her husband died?"

"I think it would be best if we put her on suicide watch, and call a shrink for when she wakes up. She's going to need a professional to tell her and help her through this difficult time. I can only imagine the pain that she is going to be going through."

Chapter 1

DOA

9.14.2004
11:30 pm

"Nine-one-one. What is the address of your emergency," stated the dispatcher. The phone line was silent. "Hello, what is the address of your emergency?"

The little voice came on the phone, the high pitch, the shaky voice, the I-am-scared-can-you-please-help voice stated her address for the dispatcher. The dispatcher could tell from the voice that this was a little child, girl-to be specific.

Poor thing thought the dispatcher.

"What is the nature of your emergency?"

"My dad . . . really mad . . . home . . . my mom . . . he hurt . . . her blood . . . it's every where . . . send help . . . please . . . I gotta hide . . . I . . . he's . . . back!"

The dispatchers eyes filled with liquid, as she contacted the local emergency response , and police departments. Oh, please. Let her be OK!

~

The door shattered as the foot went threw the wood, splinters flying everywhere, armed bodies ran through the passage way.

Every room scanned for danger as they past each portal, when they arrived at the room at the very back of the house. The sound reverberated through the house, deafening some of the police officers.

BOOM. The shot rang out.

BOOM. The police burst down the door.

BOOM. The man's body hit the floor.

His hand covered in glistening substance. The wall behind him was covered with blood and fragments of his grey matter. His wife, what they had assumed was his wife from the nine-one-one phone call, lay on the floor. Her blood scattered everywhere, and a knife lay beside her. The pool of blood at her side was smudged. Maybe the husband had knelt beside her and realized what he had done, bloody hand prints painted her cheeks. The scene was a terrible tragedy.

Suddenly the atmosphere was filled with another familiar sound, GASP.

The gasp for air, for life, for the very breath that sustained us. It was towards the back kitchen, it sounded as though it had come from under the sink. Luckily, the cabinet doors were open just enough to know where the sound had come from. The door had blood smears on the outside.

"Stand back."

They opened the cabinet doors.

The girl lay in the cabinet. The scene brought tears to the lead man's eyes, and bile to his throat. The body laid there her dress torn, half dressed, blood covering her neck and abdomen. The EMT checked out her neck, thankfully, her father had just nicked the edge of her neck, and the blood on the shirt was blood from the cut on the neck. They didn't dare check her other injuries. A female doctor would examine her, since she had been raped, she would be scared to death if a male tried to see the damages to her soul, her innocence.

She was in shock.

When they stabilized her on the gurney, they rushed her to the ambulance. They wanted to get her out of there before she became catatonic. She didn't need to see the scene. She had probably been a witness to the death of her mother, father, and the attempted murder of her body and soul.

The ambulance raced down the highway towards the hospital, its siren blasting in the night awakening every sleeping person and telling them that someone was hurt and needed help.

~

"Baby, I'm sorry that it took me dying to open the barriers in our marriage. I wish I could jump up off my death bed take you in my arms, kiss you, and tell you how much I love you. And maybe, if I had the strength, make love to you. HA, look at me a blubbering mess, confessing my undying love for you and all I can try to do is make you happy. I'm sorry I couldn't give you all you needed in our relationship. I wish I could go back, and give you the time that you needed, and deserved, but no I had my life built around my job not you and I see that now and I do really wish I could change that, but I can't, we only get one lifetime to give our love to our loved ones, and hope that we do the right thing. Oh, Demi, if I had only been as wise in my life as I am in my death, I would give you everything! Oh, my side, it hurts! What is wrong with my side? Help, Hun. Help Me. Oh, my side."

She and her tear laced eyes, face, and shirt came over to look at his side; though the shirt had snot and slobbers on it as well. She didn't see anything, so she lifted the cover.

A gasping oh escaped from her lips. The tears flowed down her checks. The stains on his hospital gown were to much for her brain to process, she did the only thing she could do; she let out a heart pounding, blood quickening, adrenaline coursing alert, "AAAHHHH. HELP. Somebody, Help him. HEEELLLPP. NURSE. NURSE."

The nurses ran to her aid.

The wife ran out the room trying to catch something . . . her breath . . . her husband's escaping soul . . . her life . . . sanity . . . peace . . . hope . . . love . . . help . . . cleansing of her heartache. She ran down the hallway, out the automatic doors, out into the down pour.

~

The EMT had called the hospital to explain the case that they were bringing, so they could prepare for their arrival.

They had just took a right-hand turn onto Black Drive, and were about a two blocks from the hospital speeding far past the speed limit, racing against rain, against death, against the clock.

~

"NNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOO."

The water splashed everywhere. The blood combined with the mud puddle. She lifted her hand to see the jagged edge sticking out the joint of the arm and the hand. The blood poured from her wrist. Her body fell, the water displaced everywhere from the force, the weight, and the speed of her body.

The light . . . go towards the light . . . oh, it is so beautiful . . . come light, come death. I will be with my husband even now . . . oh, how the gates of death do shine.

~

The ambulance had just entered the parking lot. As they speed down towards the ER doors, the lights illuminated on a dark lump in a mud puddle.

"What is that," demanded the driver to the passenger.

"Well, I don't know . . . Oh, my G . . . it's a body. Look at the hands, the head, the hair."

EERIERK. BOOM. The ambulance swerved to miss the body, slid on the slick blacktopped surface, and slammed right into the ER doors. The juggernaut of death broke through the glass sliding doors of the ER and became a crushed ornament on the far brick wall.

Prologue

Struggling

9.15.2004
1:15 am

Her body jutted from side to side as the rain poured over her running soul. The building behind her harbored her dying husband. The building . . . that building . . . a death bed . . . a slaughter house . . . sick . . . disabled . . . dying . . . confused . . . old . . . young . . . dead . . . barren . . . fertile . . . helpless . . . hopeless . . . infected . . . mutilated . . . mutated . . . too-feeble-for-the-atmosphere . . . Still-Born's . . . workers . . . helpers . . . volunteers . . . birth . . . this building was the home for all; all stages of life or death, people who work, people who did everything possible for their patients yet still were punished for their good deeds. Nothing makes sense in this world anymore . . . nothing . . . how could anybody let stuff like this happen? How can anybody make sense of their life in a world spinning into chaos at the speed of light?

She splashed, she slipped, into the puddle of life. She cried out to someone, anyone to help.

"Nnoooo, GOD, you can't . . . you wouldn't . . . please don't . . . I'll do anything for . . . bring life please . . . HELP ME!!!" Her cry out to God would bring men of power to their knees, would soften the very hardest of hearts, make tremble the most emotionally stable. "Please, kill me instead . . . I couldn't possibly go on with my life . . . No hope . . . none at all . . . HELP ME, PPLLLEEASSE. AAAAAHHHH!!!"

She slammed her fists in the puddle of life, as she screamed, pleaded, cried out, demanded that God help her. No not her, him. As her hands hit the jagged bottom, the pit was becoming a puddle of life, the deep red spread out in veins of color away from her hands. The muddy water, was becoming a crimson twisted puddle of her life.

The color filled her vision, it was coming too quickly, what had she done, as she lifted her hands out of the pool of death she saw the large piece jutting out of the side of her hand. She hadn't felt it, hadn't felt a thing, she was numb from the emotional pain overriding her mind. As she looked, the river of life was running from her delicate layers of pale covering, the letters illuminated on the jutting piece of crystal.

She read them, "H.O.S.P.I.T.A.L. Oh, God, help."

With that very last breath, she uttered for help, she fell into the crimson pool of . . . Death. Lights coming quickly towards her illuminated the clear refreshing liquid of life on her body. She was about to be impacted by the . . . Light.

Ha, God gave me a little shimmer of hope. Lord, be merciful please.

With that thought, darkness settled upon her weary soul. Falling, Falling, who can stop me, who can help me, is the answer out there somewhere? Yes, no one.