The Edge

Tola: Epilogue

She had seen others struck for their wrongdoings. She just never thought it would happen to her.

It shouldn't have happened to her, because she was good. That was what everyone said: that she was the best of all of them, God's light on this planet. But she'd still be struck. Tola didn't even know what she'd done to deserve it. Yes, she'd talked to the outsiders, but she'd been careful with the questions she asked and how she asked them, so sure that nothing she said was displeasing to the Lord. She didn't think it was wrong to talk to them at all. Wasn't that part of their mission? To bring others to the Lord?

She'd been so sure.

But despite all her certainty, she was alone in her room, nursing a bruise on her cheek and trying not to cry. If they heard her crying, someone might come back for more discipline. The first time had been bad enough; a second time would be more than she could bear.

Tola's worries were quickly silenced by the sound of tapping at her windows.

She froze. It was probably one of the outsiders, most likely the tall one, Gideon. She didn't want to get in more trouble by talking to him...but, at the same time, she desperately wanted to talk to him. He seemed to know things, to be calm and practical and kind. Maybe he would be able to help her make sense of things. So, despite her nerves twisting her stomach into knots, she got up and carefully walked to the window.

She could open it still; they had been too busy with other things to lock it. Tola didn't open it any further than an inch, though. She didn't want to anger anyone. "I can't come out," she whispered. "I'm in trouble."

"Did they hit you?!" Gideon asked immediately. She was surprised he could tell, but then again, she had a few candles lit and the moon was full. Besides, it felt large enough for him to see. "Tola, what happened?!"

"I..." She sniffed quietly. "I asked too many questions. They said it wasn't right to question my elders, but I just wanted to know..."

She couldn't talk anymore. She started crying, quietly but openly. The pain was so strong she almost missed Gideon reaching through the window to take her hand and squeeze it.

She squeezed back.

It was a small thing, the smallest seed imaginable. But it was the seed that grew into courage. The courage to finally be free.

.

.

(Author's Note: This story was cross-posted from singlequantumevent.com. If you'd like to see more stories like this one, including ongoing stories and ones that haven't been posted to WattPad yet, check out the site! )