At the End of the Day

Chapter 7 A visitor

   We got up and got dressed the next morning. Today is the day Johnson is coming to talk to us. We have to get ready there is no telling when he is going to come, what his requirements will be and when they start? We have to be ready for any thing.

   It was late in the afternoon before we heard a knock at the door. We went to answer it but when we opened the door it was not Johnson. It was a stranger with a gun.

"Hello there. You are coming with me." and he grabbed my arm and was pulling me out the door.

"Wait! Wait! Please don't take her. Take me instead."

"What?!? No! You can't Josh please don't."

"Beth. Please. I don't want any thing else to happen to you." the guy was let me go and started pulling on him. Johnson came up "What is going on?"

"Johnson I want you to take care of Beth. Please treat her right. You are the father of the child inside her. Don't let any thing happen to her. Beth I love you."

"Please don't take him!"  I screamed. Johnson grabbed me and held me close. I was crying and begging as they walked away.

"Beth stop! There is no other way for either of you. It's safer that he goes and not you." There was a long silence that filled the house.

   "Beth I'm sorry. I didn't want it this way at all."

"Please just leave me alone." I went to the first bedroom and locked myself in it. I sat in the corner and cried.

   I just got married only to have him taken by those people that were on the news. I always though it would never happen to me and now... Now it has. I will never be happy. Every one I love gets taken from me.

   I heard a knock at the door.

"Hey Beth I fixed some thing for you to eat. You really need to eat... Beth please open the door. I just want to help you." I got up and opened the door. I could not trust him because of what happened but I would at least let him try to help if he wants to.

   He sat next to me on the floor.

"You know Beth I know what you are going through. I loved a woman dearly. Her name was Heather. She looked a lot like you."

"What happened?"

"We got married and a week later some men came and said if I didn't give them all I had they would kill me. Heather walked out of the kitchen to see what was going on. Two of them grabbed her before I could get to her two others held me down. I watched as they raped her. I could do nothing. It went on for hours. One of our neighbors came by and called for help. They shot him and 30 minutes later the police came. On the way out the one guy shot at me. Heather jumped infront of me and took the bullet.

   I watched as she died in my arms. There was nothing I could do about it."

"Why did you rape me then?"

"Beth I really am sorry for that. I saw you and I have never saw any one look like her as you do. I never had children with her. We never even had our honeymoon." I was heart broken for him.

"I watched as they took Josh from you and I relived every second of it as they took him. I felt so bad for you. You had to live what I lived thorugh. I just wanted you to love me the way you love Josh. I thought that I could have a second chance. I don't expect you to love me after all I've done to you but I do want you to at least trust me."

"I could learn to trust you."

"I know you won't trust me all at once but I'll be fine with just knowing that there is hope."