Find all the parts of this story here.
Chapter 10: The Dawn
Part 1: Sophie
Sophie sat in the Harrison’s kitchen two days later, sipping a cup of tea his mother had gotten ready the second she poked her head out of the guest room. Laurie and Dan had happily welcomed her into their home, and that had pleased her and Sam as well. She certainly had no interest in returning to the apartment from where she had been kidnapped.
Memories still threatened to overwhelm her at odd moments. She’d had a panic attack yesterday when a neighbor had knocked, looking to borrow the lawn mower because his wasn’t working. Laurie had been surprisingly calm and understanding, holding Sophie’s hand and helping her call her own parents until she felt better. This morning, she felt somehow unsettled and unsteady, and she couldn’t help but wonder if the lack of answers was getting to her.
She didn’t have to close her eyes to picture Oliver Isolah’s face, twisted in agony, as he was taken by police from the woods. She wanted to talk to him, maybe to find some closure, but Sam had said it wasn’t possible yet. She needed to wait for the legal processes to do their jobs first. Sophie didn’t like to think of herself as impatient, but she definitely felt it now.
Forcing her mind to the present, Sophie finished her cup of tea and bowl of oatmeal before returning to her room to get dressed. Sam had worked last night again, but promised he would meet them all at church. Sophie’s car was still at her apartment, still scratched and with a broken window because insurance was dragging their feet until the police investigation concluded.
She wanted to wash her hands of the whole situation, but didn’t know how to erase the memories. Sure, she would eventually get her car repaired. Her landlord had been surprisingly sweet, reaching out to offer his condolences in the form of letting her out of her lease early with no penalty. She hadn’t decided what to do on that front, yet.
The present, she reminded herself. Focus on the present. That meant getting dressed for church.
Sam had escorted her to pack a suitcase, so she thankfully had something to wear. After a shower, blow-drying her hair, and putting on her dress and a little makeup, she felt like herself. Like she had some armor.
“Morning, honey,” Sam greeted her with a big hug when she found him in the narthex before church.
“Morning,” she replied quietly. She felt Sam studying her face, but her gaze flicked around nervously from one worshipper to the next.
Everyone seemed so normal. People laughed and hugged, old women patted the children’s cheeks, men teased and elbowed each other. Pastor Concord wandered the narthex, greeting his people like a contented shepherd.
A wolf in sheep’s clothing. The thought whispered through Sophie’s mind, and she shivered, picturing yet again Oliver’s broken expression.
“Soph?” Sam prompted. “Where’d you go?”
It took a lot of effort to drag her attention back to him, and still she couldn’t find words for the feeling related to dread that had taken up residence like a boulder in her heart.
Sam led her into the sanctuary, sat next to her, and put his arm around her shoulders.
“Tell me what’s bothering you,” he whispered.
Sophie closed her eyes, willing her tears to just please stay put for once. She hated crying in public. It took quite a few deep breaths to get herself under some semblance of control.
“He was just like them,” she whispered back, the words catching in her throat. “How can I trust them?” The tears snuck out anyway, and she bowed her head to hide them.
“Oh, honey,” Sam breathed, pulling her head onto his shoulder and letting her cry for a minute before speaking again. “The darkness that lives in Oliver and affected you may never go away. I get that it’s scary no one saw this coming. It scares me, too. But we can’t paint everyone with the same brush as him. Hopefully soon we’ll gain some insight into his mind that will put some of your fears to rest. In the mean time, I can personally vouch for almost everyone in this church. They’re my second family. No, they aren’t perfect, but I’d like to think that between my parents and I, we know people well enough to say you are safe here.”
Sophie took that in, looking around at all the unfamiliar faces sliding into pews. She considered how different this place felt compared to Resurrection, and how similar it felt to her own small-town home congregation. It was as if time moved slower in a small church. There were no screens here, no modern musical instruments. The hymnal was the same as the one at home, which her parents had also used for many years. Women of the congregation prepared the communion service every week. Fresh flowers adorned the very traditional carved wooden altar. The pews were soft from nearly a century of use.
Everything here felt comfortable. Safe. Familiar.
But she didn’t want to paint all of Resurrection with Oliver’s brush, either. It wasn’t Resurrection’s fault that he had committed such a crime. It was Oliver’s responsibility, and it was for him to repent and atone.
Repent. Sophie had her own list of sins for which to repent. In her fear she had doubted God, placing Sam’s skill above the almighty God’s. Now that weighed heavily on her heart, and as the service started, she used the generic corporate confession as an opportunity to confess what was on her mind.
Lord, grant me a heart of faith to trust always in you. Forgive me for straying. Use this fear to draw me closer to you.
The pastor’s words of absolution actually felt like water washing a dirty stain from her skin, and she breathed a sigh of relief.