When All Hope is Lost (Book 2)

The Open Door

I woke with a start. Beads of sweat trickled down my forehead. I gave a sigh as I remembered the cruel dream that had plagued my mind. Mr. Plumber had been chained up to a stone wall. A large guard held my hands firmly behind my back. I was going to be forced to watch Mr. Plumber get whipped! Another burly guard entered the room, flourishing a whip. He raised his arm, the whip in hand. Mr. Plumber turned his head a little to look at me. As the guard brought the whip down hard, Mr. Plumber's face softly changed into Immanuel's! The whip was just about to tear the flesh from his back when a bright light blinded my sight from the scene, and a voice spoke to me. "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray . . . laid on him the iniquity of us all." That was when the dream faded away into darkness. I had heard a great cry of distress before I awoke.

I glanced at Decoy. She lay peacefully on the hard stone. A smile played around the corners of her mouth until at last she laughed aloud. She was, of course, still asleep. I guess she must be having an incredible dream! I stuck a loose strand of my hair behind my ear to keep its stench away from my nose. It had grown out while I was busy with the Adrielans Guard and rotting in my cell. I chopped it off the day before Ezra found me . . . Ezra . . . Stop it Fae! Stop right now, he is gone, nothing will change that. There is no use crying over it... Lord, Adonai, please help me.

Suddenly, Decoy's eyes snapped open, and she shot up. When she saw it was just a bunch of rambling guards, she sat back down trying to fall back asleep. To my surprise, the guards stopped outside my cell door. Stuffing in a ragged old blanket, they continued on their rounds.. Who in the world could have sent me a blanket? I didn't know where Sarah and her mom were. Nowhere near, I was sure. Then who . . .? As the guard was turning to leave Decoy once again shot up, following the guard with her eyes until he turned the corner.

"It couldn't be..." she whispered, her voice trembling. I decided not to ask and turned back to the unexpected gift. My shaking hands carefully unfolded the tattered material. Something white fluttered to the floor. I reached for it, but in my attempt to grasp it, I had let the blanket fall to the floor. It sent a poof of air, and the paper fluttered beyond my grasp. When I finally had it clenched in my shaking hands, I held it up to the high window. What? What in the world? Instead of sensible Asterian, queer markings filled the paper. Shrugging, I tucked it into my pocket.

Taking up the blanket, I wrapped it around my bony shoulders. A clinking sound brought my attention to the darkest corner of the cell. Something small had clattered over there. I groped about until my fingers grasped something small and cold. Scooting over to the door, I held the object up to the light. It was a key! The key was clearly well used, but there wasn't a hint of rust on it. The end of it looked like a key might, but the handle was very strange. Quickly scanning the area for guards, I thrust the key into the hole. Nothing happened. It wouldn't fit! Panic hit me. I tried again, but to no avail. In my rage, I threw the key at the wall, however it bounced off the wall, and through the bars into Decoy's cell. She must have fallen back asleep, but the key hit her on the elbow, and she woke. Wincing, she pulled herself up and rocked back and forth, holding her arm. My hand went to my mouth. "Decoy! I am sorry! Does it hurt?" Decoy glanced up and laughed. "No, it doesn't hurt. But you are a pretty good shot. Whatever hit me, hit my funny bone!" I relaxed, and laughed along, glad she wasn't hurt.

"What did hit me?" Decoy asked, looking around her. When she saw the key, her eyes lit up. "Where did you get this?"

"Uh . . . I think it came out of the blanket the guards handed me. A note came along with it, but it is in some foreign tongue."

Decoy became excited. "Let me see it!" I handed her the piece of paper. She studied it, her face growing blissful. "Jerry, that was you, you genius idiot!" she murmured.

"Excuse me?"

Decoy looked up. "Oh, I am sorry. My husband." Refusing to answer any more questions, Decoy slid the key into her lock, and slipped out of the cell. I gathered that the blanket must have been slipped into my cell instead of Decoy's. She tiptoed over to my lock and slid the handle into the hole. After I had arranged the blanket so it looked as though I was sleeping, I crept out of the cell, and through the open door. I then quietly closed the cruel cage. When I heard the voices of the guards, I looked with panic at Decoy. She only smiled.

The same guards as before rounded the corner, spotting us instantly. There were 3 guards, two of them looking as if they couldn't be older than 18, one with dark shaggy hair, the other with a blonde buzz, the third guard seemed to be around 40 with unruly ginger hair.

I tensed myself ready to fight. But before I could make a move, the older guard burst into a smile, and ran towards us arms open wide, saying, "Tria! How I've missed you darling."

Decoy embraced him, her face filled with so much joy I thought it might explode any second. Dumbfounded, I stared at the Decoy and the older guard and then back at the younger two.

Decoy pulled away from him, tears brimming her (what color are her eyes?) eyes, "How in the world did you get in here? They have this place locked up tighter than a woman's corset!

"I'll explain everything later dear, but right now we best be getting out of here. I'd imagine those guards we knocked out should be coming just about now..."

"Wait..." I began, "Earlier there were four of you. Where is the other one?"

He turned to me and examined me as if he was just now noticing me, I prayed that the darkness and dirt shielding my face would be enough for him to not notice me striking resemblance with Kaya, that was a conversation I did not wish to have at the moment.

"Tria, who is this?" I released a breath that I didn't know I had been holding, he doesn't recognize me.

Decoy blushed, "Oh um, Jerry, meet Fae, Fae, this is my husband Jerry." She smiled broadly, "Fae was my cell neighbor."

The young blonde guard turned to her, "Decoy we don't have time for charity, we didn't plan for 3 people."

"3 people?" I questioned, completely ignored.

"No, no, you don't understand, Fae here is an Adrielan like us! She is in here for protecting some Zyanyan followers."

The blonde boy growled. "Zyanyans?"

The mention of Ezra and his siblings stung but I forced myself to take a couple deep breaths and shove the painful feeling back down.

Decoy rolled her eyes, "Now Kylo, remember what we talked about. People don't choose what country they were born in or what their people have done. In fact it doesn't really matter." She pointed an accusatory finger in his direction, "We. Love. Everyone."

Kylo scowled but nodded.

"Wait, can someone answer my question, please?" I asked.

"Oh yes of course, she should be back... just... about... now!" With a flourish of his hands, Kylo waved at the corner, perfectly predicting the time that a young woman came into our view, followed by a familiar older man.

"Mr. Plumber!" I cried running towards him, pushing by the fake guard who had brought him here. I embraced him and tears flooded my eyes, "I'm so so sorry, we should have come for you sooner. We could have saved you." I released him and slowly examined him, raising my hand to cover my mouth as I gasped, "oh... Mr. Plumber, what did they do to you?!"

His old body was covered in bruises and swollen, infected cuts. He attempted a smile and said, "I'm fine, dear girl. I did what Adonai asked and he has kept me alive for whatever reason. I shall continue to serve him until he decides it's time for me to come home."

One of the younger guards interrupted, "Hate to interrupt this... touching reunion," he began, his dark hair sweeping in front of his eyes, "But we really should get going." His bored, unsympathetic tone caused a flame of annoyance to spark inside of me, but I nodded and allowed him to push to the front of the group, and lead the way.