When The Light Dims

CHAPTER 5: SOPURU

"Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest"
-Joshua 1:9

I spent the next couple of minutes banging furiously on the wooden door. I yelled for help expecting David to stop this expensive joke. It had to be a joke. He couldn't be serious about leaving me, or could he? I pressed my ears against the door, paying attention for any sound of movement. Not a cough nor sneeze. Then it dawned on me that he won't come back for me.

I gave up banging, allowing my minute stature slide to the floor. I rubbed my hands together wishing I had brought my jacket with me. Staring into the darkness of the room, my imagination began to play tricks on me. Images formed in the darkness as horrifying, creepy creatures caused me to shiver. I hid my face beneath my arms to protect myself. The sound of the wind blowing against the door made me yelp and jump away from it. Hot tears filled with the hurt of betrayal rolled down my cheeks. Never had I felt so lonely.

I wondered at my present predicament and remembered there was someone I could always count on.

"God, I am afraid." My throat clogged as I forced the words out. "I need you," I cried.

At first, no comfort came. Then, I heard the soft whispers of the Holy Spirit. The words that I needed to hear came slowly to me.

Be not afraid for I am with you wherever you go.

That reminder was all I needed to get back on my feet. I didn't feel alone anymore. I was not alone. Frantically, I searched the small room, looking for a way out. I rummaged through the tools hanging on the walls; panting and searching desperately for anything that could break or crack open. Then I saw it. Hope filled my heart as I saw my only means of escaping: a hammer on the topmost right of the shelf. It illuminated in the presence of the moonlight radiating through the small window.

I used the bottom steps as a ladder to get to it. The shelf wobbled as I placed my right leg on the next step but I held my grip. I ignored the creaking as I aimed for the top. Forging ahead, I stretched my right arm to grab it. My fingers brushed its cool metal head but missed. I stretched further standing on one leg. I almost had it when the shelf tumbled down, crushing me under its weight. The tools rained down. I let out a sharp cry as one hit my forehead. In an attempt to free myself, I pushed the shelf. It made no difference. It was leaden. My feeble arms sunk under its weight. I couldn't do it. I shut my eyes and imagined the possibilities of dying out here if I didn't try again. "You can't give up", I told myself.

With gumption and enough strain that I could hear my joints groan, I gave it a final massive push, freeing my upper body then my lower legs completely. As I stood, I felt a hot and thick liquid flowing down the right side of my face. I brought myself to touch it. My insides churned at the sight of my blood. I pushed down the urge to throw up and grabbed the hammer next to me. I struck the door continuously with full force, intending for the center. The first hit had no effect but after three attempts, the middle shattered. A loud bang came from the other side of the door. The knots flew from their hinges and the door shifted from its position. Immediately, I dodged the falling door. My rescuer stood at the entrance with a black ski mask and in black clothes. His black menacing eyes and the muscles bulging out of his shirt were the only conspicuous qualities about him. This didn't feel like a rescue.

I opened my mouth to scream but he was faster than me. He lunged at me, clamping his hands over my mouth. I struggled to escape from his tight grasp. My hands found the hammer. Thrusting my weapon, I hit him in the groin. My abductor yelped, loosening his tight grip on me. I made my way out of the shed hurriedly, my only goal to get to the cabins. After endless minutes of running, I stopped for a moment to catch my breath and figure out where I was heading but could not recognize my surroundings. The darkness made it harder to see where I was going. An owl flew straight ahead. I followed it. I didn't know if it was the right direction but I had to keep going.