Saving Her Shadow

by Lutishia Lovely

  Bruce wanted to avoid the front steps melee and drove them around to a back entrance. There was a smaller group of reporters there too, but they formed a human shield around Raina and ushered her into the courthouse. Her outfit had been chosen with care, a smart yet age-appropriate navy pantsuit paired with a cream-colored knit top and bone-colored sling-backs. Her hair was parted in the middle and slicked back into a ponytail at the nape of her neck. She wore little makeup and sensible jewelry. Her stomach might have been jelly but on the outside she looked young yet capable, poised, and self-assured. The closer they got to the judge’s chambers, the more frantically the butterflies in her stomach flittered. She’d be seeing her parents today. Whether or not she’d see her sister was still up in the air. How would they react when they saw her, she wondered? Would there be any sign of recognition, of friendship or love? Would Jennifer’s eyes portray warmth and understanding, or would they be daggers ready to pierce her heart? These thoughts pounded in her head to the beat of her heels against the cold tile floor. The hushed tones of the massive hallway and three-story-high ceilings were in stark contrast to the noisy protestors and supporters outside. Raina kept her eyes straight ahead, buoyed by the presence of Bruce on one side of her and Valarie on the other. After handling business with the clerk, the trio reached the judge’s chambers and stopped just outside his door.

  Valarie turned Raina toward her with a hand on each shoulder. “Are you ready?”

  Raina nodded.

  “In there, you’re going to have to verbalize your answers. Might as well start now.”

  “Yes, Miss Valarie. I’m ready for this.”

  “Good girl. Inhale.”

  Raina took in a deep breath.

  “Exhale.”

  She blew it out.

  “Now, once inside these doors, don’t forget to keep breathing.”

  The first thing Raina noticed once inside was that her parents were not there. Instead it was Sean—whom she knew by his internet photos—a woman, and another man. Of course, this meant there was no Abby, either, causing Raina’s heart to drop along with her stomach. The other thing was that the image she’d created for a judge’s chamber—dark, imposing, with lots of wood and books—this one did not look like that. Judge Madeline Atwater’s place reminded Raina a bit of Valarie’s office. At once, she felt more at ease. Immediately after formalities were over, the judge called the room to order.

  “We’re here for the custody case of Reed v. Reed. All parties, or their representatives, are present. Let’s get started.”

  Two hours later, Raina and the team left the courthouse. Valarie had acted as lead attorney and gave a clear, succinct argument for why they were there and what Raina hoped to gain by becoming her sister’s custodial guardian. When asked to testify, Raina had poured her heart out in that chamber, left all she had on the table. But she was by no means confident that she’d win the case, or had even gained the judge’s sympathy regarding Abby having medical care. Her parents’ lawyers had laid out their case well, too. They’d cross-examined her with ruthless tenacity. She’d flinched inwardly but otherwise held her ground. Sean also presented a video testimony by her parents, through which she learned what had happened when they took Abby and fled to Tulsa.

  * * *

  Abby’s eyes fluttered opened. She squeezed them shut and opened them again, adjusting to the dimly lit room as she took in her surroundings.

  Where am I? “Mother!”

  Seconds later a familiar face swam into view. “It’s okay, Abby. I’m right here. Are you thirsty?”

  Abby nodded. She watched Jennifer’s shaky hand reach for a pitcher of water and pour her a glass.

  “Where’s Father?”

  “He’s talking with the head healer, honey. They’re getting ready to put you on the ILLUX machine. It will circulate the good energy, take out the bad, and make you feel all better. Won’t that be great?”

  “It will. I don’t like being sick.”

  “That doesn’t happen to the illuminated, don’t you remember? Your body is dim, that’s all. The machine will help it brighten.”

  “Mother, where are we?”

  “We’re in Oklahoma.”

  “Is that far from Kansas?”

  “Not too,” Jennifer answered with a shake of her head. “Just one state over.”

  “Will it take a long time to . . .”

  “Circulate the good energy?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m not sure how long the procedure is. I think it varies from person to person, depending on how much energy needs to shift. We don’t care how long it takes, honey. Your dad and I are going to be right here, every step of the way.”

  “I’m scared, Mother.”

  “Shh. None of that kind of talk. There is nothing to be afraid of, absolutely nothing at all.”

  “But what if I don’t get better? What if I die?”

  Jennifer found herself giving the same pat answer that, had Ken told it to her in the car earlier, would have gotten him chopped in the throat.

  “There is no life. There is no death. There is only Light.”

  Jennifer felt Abby’s head. Her concern grew. For the past few days the fever had gone down. Abby’s skin felt almost normal. But she was still lethargic and her appetite was weak. Now, she felt warm again. She looked at Abby, who yet again appeared to be sleeping. Jennifer stepped into the hallway.

  “Yes,” came a kind voice from behind. “Can I help you?”

  “Light day to you,” Jennifer said, bowing slightly.

  “Keep shining. You’re the mother of the young girl from Kansas, the one who will undergo the energy treatment?”

  “Yes, my name is Jennifer. Jennifer Reed.”

  “My name is Pat Thompson. Everyone calls me Mother PT.”

  “Nice to meet you, Mother PT. What can you tell me about this ILLUX machine, and what makes it different from the ones we’ve used before?”

  “Power, dear, such that allows the Light to penetrate more deeply, and the recipient to be healed more quickly. Just last month I experienced dizziness and shortness of breath. Two hours on the energy machine and voilà! Good as new. It was invented by our founder, the esteemed Supreme Master Seer Daniel Best. Being a faithful member, you already know this, of course. It was an idea inspired directly from Divine Light and holds the very essence of life within its coils.”

  The mother was very, well, motherly. Jennifer felt her tense shoulders loosen, the muscles relax. “How long have you been in the Nation, Mother PT?”

  “Almost since the beginning,” she proudly responded. “Supreme Master Best founded the Nation in 1952. I joined in ’57 and have been here ever since.”

  “You’ve always been here, in Oklahoma?”

  “Oh no. I’ve traveled all over the United States and other countries, spreading the Light. I spent time in our West Coast center, in St. Louis, trained teams of practitioners from the Atlantic to the Pacific and everywhere in between.”

  “It has to have been so satisfying, this work. Living your passion, doing what you were born to do.”

  “Living in purpose isn’t easy. Every life comes with its ups and downs. The secret is to remain in the light so that no matter what comes, you can still see clearly. The path is always easy to find when following the light.”

  “I agree that it’s not always easy,” Jennifer said, thinking back to how skeptical, vulnerable, and fearful she felt just hours ago. “Following the light. I’ll admit to being trepidatious about this procedure. Almost a decade into the Nation, yet there was a moment when I doubted and felt a more conventional approach might be what my daughter needs.”

  “Doctors only pretend to know what they’re doing,” Mother PT responded. “That’s why they call it a practice. They practice on patients and get paid for learning. Practitioners come to earth armed with an inner knowing and we heal for free.”

  As they chatted a bit more, the sun began rising. Jennifer wasn’t aware of how much t
ime had passed. She bit back a yawn. Just then Ken came around the corner, accompanied by a slight, white-haired, white-bearded man with a weathered face and pale blue eyes. For a moment, Jennifer’s eyes widened.

  “Is that . . .”

  “No, child. That is not the Master. Though there is a close connection. It’s Benjamin, Dr. Daniel Best’s youngest son, the one who embraces the Sun light but shuns the spotlight, if you know what I mean.”

  Ken nodded. “A man after my own heart. You may not remember, Dr. Best, but I met you several years ago at one of our conventions. It was just after the latest updates to the ILLUX machine. You spoke on those innovations as well as the commitment made by the Nation on creating natural pathways to optimum health.”

  “I do remember,” Benjamin said. “It is a pleasure to see you again.”

  “Likewise.”

  Jennifer wasn’t sure that Benjamin actually remembered her husband, but the smile on Ken’s face was proof that it didn’t matter.

  Brief introductions were made, gratitude offered. Then it was time to get the procedure underway.

  “Let’s go take a look at our little angel,” Dr. Best said, referenced as such for an honorary doctorate and not a medical degree.

  They entered the room to find a sleeping Abby, who indeed looked like an angel. Jennifer noted the long, dark lashes against her gently sun-kissed skin, and thanks to her father, the blond highlights in her hair.

  The doctor lifted Abby’s hand and placed it in his own. He placed a finger on her wrist. “Such a cute little thing, I tell ya.”

  “We love her dearly,” Ken said.

  Jennifer nodded, her smile in place, even as she watched the doctor’s thumb roll over Abby’s wrist as though searching for a pulse.

  The doctor cleared his throat and pulled out a pair of thick glasses. “Mother PT,” he called. “Come over here, please.”

  “Check her heart rate, will you, while I set up these pulse points.”

  “Moderate or full body?” Mother PT asked, placing two fingers on Abby’s wrist, and then on her throat.

  “We’ll go for the full treatment,” the doctor replied. “Have her up and these good people on their way in no time at—”

  “What is it?” Jennifer interrupted. Mother PT’s movements had gone from slow and steady to fast and frantic. “What’s going on, Mother PT?” she repeated, growing more frantic as well.

  “Is everything all right?” Ken asked. If there was any fear in him, it wasn’t showing.

  Mother PT managed a brief, tight smile. “Everything is always all right in the Light. But your child? She isn’t breathing.”

  * * *

  Mother PT’s smile threw her off. It was incongruent with the next words that flowed from her lips. Everything was all right but Abby wasn’t . . .

  Breathing?

  “Abby!”

  The guttural scream felt wrenched from the throat of a terrified mother. It bounced off of the gray cement walls and shattered the quiet of an overcast morning. The sound seemed to break everyone in the room out of a trancelike state when, in the seconds after the ex-nun’s pronouncement, no one had seemed able to move.

  “Abby!” Jennifer lunged toward her child, grabbed her by her shoulders and shook her, gently at first and then with more fervor.

  “Mrs. Reed.” Dr. Best spoke decisively as he stepped forward, a hand on her arm.

  Jennifer shook it off.

  Dr. Best looked at Ken. “Get her.”

  “Honey.” Ken pulled Jennifer back as Mother PT pried her fingers from around Abby’s shoulder. Dr. Best began rapidly placing the energy connectors on the meridian points of Abby’s body. Mother PT began CPR.

  “Leave the room, please.” A whirring sound broke into the melee when Dr. Best turned on the ILLUX machine. Green, red, and yellow lights flashed. He adjusted dials, then clasped iron brackets onto Abby’s wrists and ankles. Her entire body began shaking.

  “What are you doing?” Jennifer broke away from Ken.

  Dr. Best blocked Jennifer’s beeline to her daughter’s vibrating body. He turned and pushed toward Ken. “Get her out of here!”

  “She’s back with us!” Mother PT said. “We have a pulse!”

  “Honey, let’s go!”

  Jennifer fought, but she was no match for a muscular, determined husband who ushered her out of the room just as a young woman in what looked to be white scrubs hurried by them.

  “Is my daughter going to be all right?” Jennifer asked her.

  “Speak to the Light!” the woman said, before opening the door, sliding inside, and just as quickly closing the door behind her.

  “The Light shines forever,” Jennifer mumbled, a general chant used in times of despair. Ken’s deep voice joined her whispered fervor. They paced the hallway in front of where their daughter was hooked up to the ILLUX and repeated the phrase over and again. Intermittently they shielded the door and themselves, sent light to their daughter and conducted a half-hearted attempt at meditation. Both were too nervous to sit still for long. When the door to the room opened fifteen minutes later, Jennifer jumped to her feet and sprinted toward it.

  Dr. Best closed it quickly. Jennifer grabbed the knob and gave the door a yank. It was locked.

  “Open this door!”

  “Not yet,” the doctor calmly replied.

  “Why can’t I go in there?” Jennifer shook the knob again. “I need to see my daughter!”

  “And you will, later, once she has been totally energized.”

  Ken walked up and placed a firm arm around his wife. “Jennifer, stop. You need to calm down. Our daughter is okay”—he turned to Dr. Best—“isn’t she?”

  “She is fine,” the doctor assured them. “She needs to be allowed to continue sleeping while the machine does what it was designed to do.”

  “Really? She’s okay?”

  The doctor nodded. “She’s fine.”

  Jennifer clasped her hands together. “Yes!” She looked upward. “Thank you! Thank you for shining the light!”

  As she celebrated, Mother PT slipped into the hallway.

  “Doctor, what’s going on with our daughter?” Ken asked.

  Dr. Best turned to Mother PT, who answered, “She was severely dehydrated.”

  Jennifer joined the discussion. “Is that all? She has been ill for weeks, running a fever . . .”

  Dr. Best put a hand on Jennifer’s arm. “What’s past is past. She’s fine, now.”

  “How long before I can see her?”

  The doctor looked at his watch. “Why don’t you go to the restaurant and have a nice breakfast? You can see her after that.”

  Before leaving for Tulsa, Jennifer had been too nervous about Abby’s condition to eat. Now, hearing that her daughter would be fine, a ravenous appetite returned. She and Ken walked across the pristine campus that served as Illumination Campus Central, more commonly called Central Center. Along with the health center they’d just left and an auditorium that could seat seven hundred and fifty people, there was an educational facility for grades preschool through twelve, gym, bookstore, and Light Fare, an eatery that boasted using fresh, organic, mostly plant-based ingredients, and was popular with Nation members, locals, and visitors alike. After enjoying vegetable-filled omelets and fresh, homemade biscuits, and a quick stroll through the well-stocked bookstore, the Reeds returned to the health center and straight for where they’d last seen their daughter. The door was open. Jennifer raced inside the room. It was empty. Abby was gone.

  Jennifer panicked. She ran out of the room and down the hall. An attendant walked out of another room, typing on a tablet. She got blindsided by a frantic mom.

  “Where is my daughter! Someone took my daughter!”

  “Ma’am, please, who are you looking for?”

  “Abby Reed,” Ken replied, even as he yet again and for the umpteenth time calmed his wife.

  “Come with me.”

  The three walked down another hall to an area that had
n’t been open in the early morning hours of their arrival. The attendant walked up to a receptionist sitting behind a long white desk.

  “We’re looking for a young lady named Abby Reed.”

  “They just moved her,” the receptionist said without hesitation. “Room 309.”

  They were directed to an elevator and sent to the third floor, where Jennifer quickly spotted the room number. When they walked in Abby was sitting up in bed—eyes bright, skin vibrant, her thick curly hair brushed back into a ponytail.

  “Hi, Mother! Hi, Father!”

  It was a joyful reunion. Jennifer wept at the profound change in her daughter. She inwardly vowed to never doubt the Illumination’s healing again.

  * * *

  “You did good in there, baby girl,” Bruce said, giving her a fatherly hug and kiss on the forehead.

  “Thank you,” Raina said, with a hug to Valarie. “I’m just glad it’s over. What happens now?”

  “We wait,” Valarie said, watching a group of reporters walking toward them. “And keep making our case before judges that matter almost as much as Atwater . . . the people.”

  That night, Raina’s court appearance was a part of headline news, further sparking the national conversation and debate regarding parental rights and the need for siblings to have rights as well. Again, her phone sang with message indicators, friends and supporters wishing her the best. She was shocked when a text came in directly from Ella, saying how proud she was of Raina, to save her number, and to call her if there was anything she could do. A somber moment, a heavy matter, yet for a second all Raina thought about was I’ve got Ella’s cellie number in my phone!

  With at least the first court date over, Raina turned her attention to college. She made preparations to leave Chippewa and relocate to Kansas City. Bryce had offered to let her stay at the place where he’d just signed a lease, but she declined. She wanted to have the full college experience, not to mention be able to stay focused, and since her scholarship covered it, would be housed in the dorms. She did agree to spend a weekend with him in Kansas City, to take a break from all of the hoopla and start to get a lay of the land. He took her by the studios where he worked, talked her into laying her voice down on an upcoming track.