Murder in the Marsh

by Ramsey Coutta

  “Daniel, how did you rescue me?” Rachel asked, amazed she was still alive.

  “Claude and I saw you and the other woman…”

  “Ms. Dunbar.”

  “…Ms. Dunbar, floating toward the rapid. We waved and yelled at you, but by that time you were so close to the rapid you couldn’t hear us. We started swimming towards you, but we were too late. You had already disappeared. But honestly, it wasn’t me that saved you Rachel. It was the Lord.”

  Rachel turned her head to better look at Daniel, surprised to hear him giving credit to God, “Did you say the Lord saved me?”

  “That’s right. I know it must sound strange to hear that from me, especially after I talked about God not intervening in our lives. But I’ve got to tell you Rachel, I’ve learned differently. God intervened to save my life and He intervened to save your’s too.”

  “I’m amazed to hear you say that Daniel, but I’m also very glad.”

  “There’s more,” Daniel said, his voice slightly breaking. “Not only did he physically save me, but He also saved me spiritually. I’ve come to a point where I realize he is my Savior.”

  “Daniel! Really?” Rachel hugged him in her excitement “I am so happy for you! When did this happen?”

  “In the marsh during the hurricane. But it really happened when I realized that there is a God that loves me despite my flaws, and wants to be involved in my life. It happened when I turned everything over to him, and gave up thinking that the only person who controlled my life was me.”

  “I can’t think of anything more wonderful to hear, Daniel. Hearing that has made it all worth it!”

  “What about you, Rachel? You’ve been through a lot also.”

  “Oh, I have Daniel. But so have Adele and Michelle. Do you know anything about them?”

  “Claude and I found them at the apartment like your note said. The apartment building floated off its foundation, but they both made it up to the second floor and are all right. When I heard you came to find us and got caught in the storm, I began to worry. How did you survive so long with the levee break and the flooding?”

  “The same as you,” Rachel said with a smile. “I guess God just had plans for me here. It got pretty scary at times, but he didn’t let any serious harm come to me. He also helped me spiritually.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, though I’m saved, apparently my faith wasn’t as strong as I thought. Fear kept me from having faith that whether I was injured or killed, God’s will would be done, and He would receive the glory. Like you, I learned the importance of trusting Him in all circumstances.”

  “Praise God, Rachel.”

  Daniel and Rachel continued to talk about their experiences for the next hour, and barely noticed the hurricane steadily dropping in intensity. When the winds finally dropped down to a stiff breeze, Daniel suggested he swim out and search for Claude and Ms. Dunbar. Rachel agreed, warning him about the alligator.

  After Daniel swam out from under the roof, he looked across the flooded landscape and saw two people paddling around in a little silver flat bottom boat they must have scavenged from somewhere. He raised his arm and yelled, and the lady in the front spotted him in the water. A few minutes later, a smiling Claude and Ms. Dunbar paddled up next to him, just as glad to see him, as he was to see them. Daniel told them to hold on, and swam back under the roof, returning with Rachel swimming beside him. Claude and Ms. Dunbar were excited to see both Daniel and Rachel safe and sound, and helped them in the boat.

  As the four of them began to paddle south towards Rachel’s apartment, they could only stare in silence at the scenes of utter destruction around them. The whole community of Port Sulphur appeared to have been immersed and destroyed. They shuttered to imagine the scene once the water receded and the rest was pumped out. The flooding covered everything, and left nothing intact. Houses, cars, boats, citrus groves, public buildings, gas stations—everything and anything—was twisted, busted, collapsed, flooded, or missing. Animal carcasses floated about freely, and cattle stranded on the marsh levee, bellowed loudly in their fright and confusion.

  After a couple hours of paddling, they finally reached Rachel’s apartment building in the same location and condition they had left it. Claude quickly bounded up the emergency escape stairs. Inside, he found Adele and Michelle safe and joyful at his return. Daniel and Rachel helped Ms. Dunbar out of the boat and up the stairs as they followed along behind. At the top, they looked in the door and down the hallway seeing the LeBlanc family in an embrace of love. As they stood at the top of the steps, they were the first to witness the sun breaking through the clouds as it set in gorgeous reds, pinks, purples, and oranges across the watery expanse of the marsh.

  “Do you think our lives will ever be the same, Daniel?” Rachel said, taking his hand and smiling as she looked up into his eyes.

  “I hope not, Rachel,” he smiled back, interlacing his fingers in hers. “I truly hope not.”