Time Trap

by Danele J Rotharmel

  “What finally changed your mind about God?”

  “Perseverance on Sam’s part. He knew I was one of the walking wounded, and he gave me time to process my beliefs. He was always willing to be my sounding board about God.”

  “He’s a good man,” Laura said softly.

  “Yes, he is,” Peter agreed. He paused. “The summer I turned eleven, Sam took the church kids camping in the mountains. For one week, we separated ourselves from the world and focused on God. Every night we had special church services, and as we sang praise songs, I could feel the presence of the Lord. It was so thick that it made the hair on my arms stand up. I knew then that God was real—not just an idea or concept—but a real force—something alive.”

  Laura smiled. “God can be pretty hard to ignore when He chooses to reveal Himself.”

  Peter nodded. “The final night of camp I couldn’t sleep, so I took my Bible and climbed a ridge to watch the sunrise. I wanted to give my heart to Christ, but I was so angry at Mom and Dad that I felt like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders. I opened my Bible at random and read Matthew 11:28, Come to me and I will give you rest—all of you who work so hard beneath a heavy yoke.

  “I knew God was talking to me, but I resisted. I asked God how I could trust Him after what my parents had done to me. I opened the Bible again, and the first verse I saw was Psalms 27:10, For if my father and mother should abandon me, you would welcome and comfort me. The wind blew the Bible’s pages, and I looked down and saw John 14:18, No, I will not abandon you or leave you as orphans in the storm—I will come to you.”

  Peter sighed. “All my resistance just melted away. I sat there staring at John 14:18 until I was bawling like a baby. I told God that I’d commit my life to Him on one condition.”

  “What was that?” Laura asked softly.

  “I didn’t want to be a Christian like my parents. They claimed the name of Christ, but they didn’t follow His commands. They were Christians when it was convenient and forgot about God when it wasn’t. If I followed God, I wanted Him to make me a spiritual rock.”

  Laura laid her head on Peter’s chest and squeezed his hand.

  Peter gently stroked her hair. “As the sun rose, I turned my life over to Christ. When I walked back to camp, Sam met me on the path. He took one look at my shining face and enfolded me in a hug. That morning, I felt the approval of my Heavenly Father and the approval of the man I looked to as an earthly father, and the unconditional love I felt from them washed all my pain and bitterness away.”

  “Thanks for telling me,” Laura whispered past the lump in her throat.

  He tightened his arms around her. “How about you? How did you become a Christian?”

  Laura raised her head and smiled. “I grew up in church. Mom and Dad always made sure our family was in our pew whenever the church doors were open. Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, and Thursday night for prayer meetings—we were at them all. My brothers used to joke that if one of us dropped dead before church, our parents would simply scoop up the corpse and prop it up in our pew. Dead or alive, we knew we weren’t getting out of services.”

  Peter chuckled. “Compulsory attendance?”

  “And how!” Laura grinned. “When I was little, Mom used to let me lay under the pew with a coloring book to keep me occupied. One Sunday night, I stopped coloring and listened to the singing. Each song seemed more beautiful than the last. As voices soared during “Sing Hallelujah to the Lord,” I felt as if my soul was soaring too. Right then and there, I told Jesus that I loved Him and wanted to serve Him. I felt so overwhelmed with joy that I started to cry. Daddy reached down, scooped me up, and held me. He knew what was going on. People in the church were raising their hands in worship, and Daddy gently raised my hands too. Momma snuggled close, and we all worshiped God together.”

  Peter nestled his cheek against her hair. “I’m glad you have happy memories of your parents.”

  “And I’m glad you made happy memories with the Ablemans.”

  They were silent for a moment.

  “Here’s another question for you,” Peter said. “What’s your funniest memory of Dan and Gil?”

  Laura giggled. “Do you remember how antsy Dan was the semester Gil was supposed to enroll at NSU?”

  “Sure. He kept looking all over campus for her.”

  “Well, I was there when he finally caught sight of her. She was coming out of Student Union after a campus tour. When Dan saw her, he looked like he’d been struck by lightning. He stumbled and fell over a bike rack. After doing a complete summersault, he landed with his feet all snarled up in the spokes. It took him forever to get untangled.”

  “That sounds about right.” Peter laughed. “Dan’s been head over heels for Gil since middle school. It’s only fitting that he physically went head over heels when he saw her again.”

  “What’s your favorite funny memory of them?” Laura asked.

  “If I tell you this one, you’ll have to swear yourself to secrecy. Gil would skin me alive if she knew I told. Can you keep a secret?”

  “Cross my heart.”

  “Gil’s first semester in the TEMCO Program, she came to my office and asked to be transferred out of Dan’s class.”

  “Why ever for?”

  Peter chuckled. “She told me that she and Dr. Ableman were just not compatible!”

  Laura shrieked with laughter.

  * * *

  “I call this one Peace Prevails,” Nicole said with a soft smile. “It’s one of my favorites.”

  She watched as Zeke studied the painting. It was of a fawn lying beside a tranquil mountain lake while storm clouds loomed overhead. The painting was both soothing and frightening at the same time. Critics had written that it was as if her brush had stolen a single moment of time in which turmoil was conquered by serenity. Brushstrokes Weekly had called it a triumphant success.

  “It’s magnificent,” Zeke said quietly.

  Nicole smiled at the sincerity in his voice. “That’s high praise,” she said lightly. “Are you sure you’re not complimenting me too highly?”

  Zeke’s eye’s caught hers. “I know what I admire.”

  Nicole blinked rapidly. In the ensuing silence, her boyfriend came up behind her and laid a possessive arm around her shoulders. For some reason, his action annoyed her.

  “Who’s your friend?” Brandon asked, tightening his arm around her.

  “This is Zeke Masters,” she casually replied. “Zeke, this is—”

  “I’m Nicole’s boyfriend,” Brandon interrupted, drawing her closer to his side. “I’m Brandon Fairbanks. You may have heard of me.”

  “I know who you are,” Zeke said blandly. “Anyone who picks up a magazine is sure to see a picture of you parading around in your BVDs.”

  Nicole watched as Brandon narrowed his eyes. Zeke held Brandon’s gaze and offered his hand. Still keeping his arm around her, Brandon reached out and firmly shook it. Nicole watched as the two men stared at each other and tightened their grip.

  When the “handshake” was finally over, Nicole studied the two men. The comparison seemed ludicrous. Brandon’s good looks put Zeke’s appearance to shame. Brandon’s features were perfect—Zeke had a large nose and thick glasses. Brandon’s suit was expensive—Zeke’s was old and neatly mended. Brandon’s bodybuilder physique was impressive—Zeke seemed gangly in contrast. But there was something about Zeke that made Brandon seem overdone and…cheap.

  Nicole shrugged out from under Brandon’s arm. “Do you think you could give us a moment while I finish showing Zeke my paintings?”

  Brandon dropped his jaw. Glaring at her, he turned on his heel. Nicole bit her lip. If she knew men, she knew she was in for a scene a little later. Shaking her head, she decided not to let it bother her. After all, tonight was her night, and she enjoyed showing her work to someone who hadn’t seen it before.

  Moving on to her next painting—a nightscape with the moon illuminating a broken canoe—she
looked over at Zeke and caught her breath. The computer tech’s eyes had taken on a decided gleam behind his glasses.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  In the cold darkness, Laura snuggled beneath the blankets and nestled against the warmth of Peter’s shoulder. Contentment wrapped around her like a gossamer scarf.

  “Laura,” Peter said quietly, murmuring against her hair. “I have another question for you.”

  “Mmm?” she said in a sleepy voice.

  “What was your first kiss like?”

  Laura stiffened against his arm and pulled away. “What kind of question is that?”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hit a nerve.”

  “You didn’t,” she replied. “It’s just that we’re straying into rather personal territory, aren’t we?”

  “More personal than Fay Hennly?”

  Laura relaxed against him. “I’m sorry, Peter. You’re right. Nothing could be more personal than Fay Hennly and the drive-in.”

  “Well then?”

  “I can’t describe it,” she muttered self-consciously.

  “You don’t remember it?”

  “No…it’s never happened yet.” She felt Peter jolt. “It’s not that shocking,” she sputtered. “You’d think I’d confessed to robbing a red kettle at Christmas time, not to being unkissed.”

  “Laura—”

  Suddenly, a sneering voice hissed from the darkness above, “So, are my little flies awake?”

  Laura felt her blood running cold as the disembodied voice chuckled in a way that seemed frighteningly insane.

  “Where’s Phoebe?” Peter demanded, leaping to his feet.

  “Poor Phoebe’s fast asleep,” Spider replied. “She’ll never wake again.”

  “I don’t believe you!” Peter exclaimed, standing beneath the hole in the ceiling.

  “Believe what you want,” Spider snapped. “But I killed her slowly, and I enjoyed it.”

  “You brute!” Peter shouted in a voice throbbing with rage.

  Spider chuckled.

  “What do you want from us?”

  “All in good time,” Spider hissed. “Time’s a funny thing, Director. You play games with the timeline every day at TEMCO, and yet you get upset when someone else wants their turn to play. You need to learn how to share your toys. See, I’ll teach you how to play nice. I’ll share my toys with you.”

  Suddenly, something was dropped down the hole. Laura heard the sound of shuffling as Peter gasped. Spider’s laughter echoed through the darkness and faded away.

  “Is he gone?” Laura asked, trying to see through the blackness.

  “Yes,” Peter tersely replied. “Pick up the blankets and turn on a flashlight, but don’t come any closer. Stay right where you are.”

  “Oh, Peter, what is it?” she cried in dismay.

  “I wish you didn’t have to know, but I need to be able to see.”

  Laura flicked on the light and bit back a scream. All around Peter were giant tarantulas. He was waving his arms, trying to brush them off his back. Biting her lip so hard that it bled, Laura tossed the blankets against the wall and ran to his side. With her bare hands, she began sweeping the spiders from his body.

  * * *

  In Colorado, as Alex paced and prayed, a blue light flashed through his living room. Shep yelped and ran behind the couch to hide. Alex raised a brow as he watched his dog squirming into the tiny space. Shep was loyal, but he certainly wasn’t brave. Walking over to the blue light, Alex stood and waited. He recognized a Wave Trapper portal even if Shep did not. He just didn’t know why Poppa was contacting him.

  As the blue wave congealed into an established time portal, a man in his eighties entered the room with a leap and a bound.

  “Poppa,” Alex said, “it’s good to see you. What can I do for you?”

  “I don’t have time to explain,” Poppa replied hastily. “I need your help, and I need it urgently. Grab the blanket from your couch and come with me.”

  Alex didn’t argue. Although visits from Poppa were rare, whenever he did arrive, it was always because of important business. Bundling the blanket beneath his arm, Alex said simply, “I’m ready.”

  “I knew I could count on you. Follow me.”

  * * *

  Nicole smiled at Zeke as she described another of her paintings. Her hands moved expressively, and her eyes sparkled with excitement. Suddenly, she remembered how bored Brandon got when she talked about her work. Her sentence about pigmentation stumbled to a halt. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m rambling. I must be boring you.”

  Zeke shook his head. “If I were bored, I’d tell you. Please, continue.”

  Seeing that he wasn’t just being polite, Nicole gave him a dimpled smile and continued describing her methods. Her smile widened. Zeke may not have been as handsome as Brandon, but he was definitely a much better listener.

  * * *

  Laura shivered in the dim light of the flashlight. All in all, it wasn’t as bad as it first appeared—there were only ten tarantulas. Four of them had died upon impact, but the other six had survived. She felt sick as Peter crushed them and kicked their remains in a corner.

  “The way you brushed those spiders off my back was the bravest thing I ever saw,” he said, walking to her side.

  “Is it still brave,” she asked in a trembling voice, “if I felt like vomiting while I was doing it?”

  “That makes it even braver.”

  “Glad you think so,” she muttered, running her hands over her arms. “It just had to be spiders, didn’t it? Why couldn’t he have thrown down snakes or beetles instead? I could’ve dealt with them without turning a hair.”

  Peter gave her a gentle smile. “When Spider comes back, we’ll put in a request.”

  Giving a shaky laugh, Laura watched as Peter slowly walked around their prison. He shined his flashlight into every corner, inspecting the walls for creepy crawlies. She knew he was conducting the search for her benefit, and she appreciated it.

  “Peter,” she said hesitantly, as he shook out their blankets, “do you believe him?” She pushed her words past the growing lump in her throat, “Do you think Phoebe’s dead?”

  Peter’s face looked tortured. “We haven’t heard a single sound from her. Surely, we would’ve heard something if she were alive.”

  Laura swallowed back tears. “Please, let’s not give up on her yet.”

  Peter rubbed the back of his neck and sat down on the floor. “We won’t give up until we see her body. Whoever this guy is, he likes to play mind games. We can’t trust what he says.”

  As Laura prepared to sit down, she hesitated.

  Peter glanced up. “Problems?”

  “I know the spiders are gone,” she said in a tight voice, “but I can’t stand the thought of sitting on the floor right now.”

  Without saying a word, Peter held out his hand. This time, Laura gladly slipped down and perched on his lap. Burying her face in his shirt, she shuddered. “It just had to be spiders.”

  Peter nuzzled the top of her head. “If he throws down mice, remember this moment—I’m sitting on your lap then!”

  Giving a watery chuckle, Laura nudged his shoulder.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  Stepping through the portal, Alex entered his brother’s office in Hawking Hall. “What are we doing here?” he asked Poppa. “Is Dan around?”

  “No, he’s at the hospital with Gil.” Poppa turned off the Wave Trapper and adjusted its settings. “I don’t have time to explain, but I’m initiating a time portal just for you. When I do, you must move quickly. On the other side of the timewave is a woman in great need.”

  Alex’s heart skipped a beat. He was sure Poppa was talking about the mystery woman he’d been keeping in his prayers.

  From Dan’s desk, Poppa handed Alex a key and a yellow thermos. “Take these things and your blanket. Their use will be self-explanatory. Go through the portal, get the woman, and bring her back here. Ignore anything else you enco
unter. Your mission is to be focused solely on the woman. Her captor left her for dead, and when he returns and finds her alive, he’ll slit her throat. You must be quick to prevent her murder.”

  “But who is she?”

  “Her name is Phoebe, and she’s perhaps the most inspirational person I’ve ever met. In my time, she’s a fierce advocate for victim’s rights and a nationally known speaker. She has a long, hard road of recovery ahead of her, but she’ll make it, and when she does, her story will become a beacon of hope to countless millions.”

  Poppa paused and put a hand on Alex’s shoulder. “You must be more caring, more compassionate, and more patient with her than you believe yourself capable of being. In her despair, she’ll take you to your limits, but stand by her. If you do, you’ll see Phoebe come back to life mentally and spiritually.”

  “But who is she? Is she a TEMCO employee?”

  Poppa chuckled. “She’s your future wife, my boy—that’s who she is.”

  Alex took a quick step back, separating himself from Poppa’s hand. “What are you saying?”

  “Probably more than I should.” The old man laughed. “Just know that Phoebe’s a valuable person to many of us in the future—including you. She must be saved, and you’re the only one who can help her get through the dark days ahead.”

  Poppa took a second Wave Trapper from his pocket and placed it on Dan’s desk. “Don’t worry about Shep and your other animals. After I see you on your way, I’ll make a second portal and go through myself to tie up loose ends.” Poppa peered out from beneath bushy brows. “When you get Phoebe, bring her here and wait for me. She’ll require medical aid, but you’ll need me to procure it for you. Considering that a time crime’s involved, I’ll need to bring in special help.”