The Chosen

by Patricia Bell

  Chapter 39 - Luna

  “What happened?” Luna asked the blurry lady that stood at the bed next to her. The room was cool and dark except for the machines filled with blinking lights of red and green. She tried to move but couldn’t.

  “You’ve been in an accident. Quite lucky to be alive.”

  “I was?” she said as remembrance came back to her, “I was.”

  “We made it out?” Luna lifted her head. “I’m okay?”

  “I wouldn’t go that far. You’ve suffered multiple fractures throughout your body. You lost your spleen, endured several surgeries, and received so many transfusions, I’d be surprised if any of your blood is even your own anymore. You are certainly one lucky girl.”

  The door opened slowly, interrupting the woman’s lecture.

  “Oh, come on in,” the nurse said. “You can see her now.”

  Luna stared at the doorway as a woman walked through. Luna had no idea who would be coming to see her, she had no more fam—

  “Mom?” Luna burst out into hysterical tears. “Mom? Is that you?” Is it really you? Or some cruel dream?

  “It’s me, honey. How are you?”

  “But . . . but. . . he said — I thought — you were killed by a — you’re alive?”

  “Yes, honey. Of course, I’m alive.” Her mother reached out to her. “I’ve been praying for so long to see you again.”

  “You didn’t get — no of course not — you’re here! He lied to me!” Heat filled Luna’s fuzzy brain. Naaman had lied to her. Manipulated her.

  “It’s all over now. You’re alive, and everything is going to be fine.”

  Luna looked down at the almost complete body cast that enveloped her.

  “Guess I’m not a very good driver,” she said.

  “I don’t know about that. You busted that gate like a wrecking ball and tore out of there like a racecar driver.” Linda chuckled. “At least that’s what I’ve been told.”

  “That was pretty cool. But then I lost control. It was like the thing had a mind of its own.”

  “That’s called blown tires. According to the report, you blew both fronts. Probably from all that metal flying everywhere.”

  Her mother was alive. And she wasn’t angry with her. Well, at least not on the level she would expect. Instead, she looked nervous. Like there was something more she wanted to say.

  “Honey, I want you to meet someone. Would that be okay?”

  “Who?”

  “A man.”

  “A man?” She sure hadn’t missed me that much if she’d gone out and gotten herself a man.

  “Not just any man. Your father.”

  “My —” If Luna hadn’t been shocked enough finding out her mother was still alive . . .

  “Your father. His name is Blake. It’s a long story. One we can work out the details of later, but he’s here now, and he wants to meet you.”

  “Okay.”

  Luna wasn’t sure how she felt about meeting the man who had wanted nothing to do with her for over seventeen years, but with what she’d been through, she didn’t have the energy to argue.

  “And you have three siblings as well. You can meet them when you’re feeling up to it.”

  Luna nodded. A father? Three siblings? What in the world had happened while she was gone? Her mother left the room for a moment and came back with a man in a wheelchair.

  “Luna, this is your father, Blake.”

  “Hi,” Luna said shyly. He was a handsome man.

  “Hi, Luna. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Uh . . .” She was at a loss for words. It was like maybe this was all just some kind of crazy dream, only the pain that set in proved it was not. She closed her eyes for a moment. The scene of the accident played behind her eyelids. The canned goods she’d hid under the seat. Flying through the air like grenades.

  Jonathan! Jacob!

  Her eyes popped open.

  “Where are the boys? Are they okay?”

  “I’m sorry to say that one of them didn’t make it,” her mother answered.

  “Who?” Luna cried out. “Who didn’t make it?”

  “Let’s not worry about that now, you need your rest.”

  “No! Mom! Tell me! Please!”

  As the machines beeped loudly, the nurse came in and inserted a needle directly into her arm.

  “She cannot be . . .” That was all Luna heard before she fell into a deep dream state.

  Chapter 40 – Rachel

  “No, it cannot be true. He cannot be dead.” Rachel placed her head into her shaking hands. “How am I going to raise a child alone?”

  “I’m so sorry.” Chief Collins placed a hand on her shoulder. “Shelly has agreed you can live with her as long as you need and she will help you get your GED.”

  Rachel looked up at Shelly. “Thank you. You are too kind.” But right now, I do not even want to live.

  “It will be okay, honey. If anyone knows about loss, it’s Shelly. She can help you through it.”

  Shelly nodded her head in agreement. “Girl, I got some stories that will make your hair curl.”

  Rachel let out a small smile.

  A flutter in her stomach made her glance down. “I felt something. I think it was him. Jacob Jr.”

  “You’re pretty sure it’s gonna be a little guy, are ya?” Shelly reached a hand out to caress her tummy.

  “If not, it will be Abigail.” No matter what, she loved and missed her sister.

  “Can I see Jonathan? And Rebe— Luna?”

  “I think that’s a good idea. We’ll go after lunch,” Shelly said.

  “I best be going. My husband and I have a Giraffe to feed,” Chief Collins said with a smile.

  “What was that about?” Rachel asked after the woman left.

  “I have no idea.” Shelly shook her head.

  “HOW ARE YOU DOING?” Rachel sat across from Jonathan in the hospital. It was just the two of them. The two ex-Chosen.

  “Better than Luna, so I hear. I think she broke my fall.”

  “Not funny at all,” Rachel said.

  “I know. Rachel, I am so sorry for you.”

  Rachel stared at Jonathan. He’d grown up well before his time. There was a time when she was very young that she’d looked at him with wanton eyes. She had never been Chosen. She’d always had a wandering heart. She’d been told that many times. And in the end, it had gotten the best of her. And what did she have to show for it?

  “Jacob loved you very much. He told me so.” Jonathan’s eyes glossed. “He said he would rather die than be without you.”

  Rachel’s bottom lip quivered. She would not cry. She would be strong for her baby.

  “He left a piece of him with me.” She rubbed her belly. “One that I shall forever cherish.”

  “There is one more thing.” Jonathan’s eyes veered off to the window. “Abigail. She did not mean to tell. She did not know you were with child. She thought she was protecting you.”

  “She told you that?”

  “Jacob did. Before we left. He told me if he did not make it out alive, he wanted me to pass on the message to you. He said he promised to ask you to forgive your sister.”

  “I already have. It was not her fault. It was going to happen. I could not keep my secret for long.”

  “Good. And you should have seen her. You would have been so proud. If it were not for her, we would never have made it out.”

  “What did she do?” Rachel couldn’t imagine Abigail doing anything remotely heroic.

  Jonathan lowered his voice to a whisper. “She set the Smithfield barn on fire as a distraction, so we could make our getaway.”

  Rachel’s mouth fell to the floor. “What? Are you serious?”

  “I am. And Jacob might have made a promise to come back for her.”

  “She wants to come?”

  “Yes.”

  “We must go back for her. Do you think she is in danger?”

  “I am not sure. I fear that she migh
t be. She was almost forced into marrying him, you know that, right?”

  “What? Why?” Rachel couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Why would they force Jacob to marry Abigail? She is only thirteen.”

  “I do not know. They said it came from God.”

  “Do you believe that?” she asked. “Because I do not.”

  “No, I guess not.”

  “I have learned a thing or two since being away. Things are very different and yet they are not so much. The people here, they are not heathens or devil worshippers. They are kind and thoughtful. Shelly is teaching me to read and write. She says I can be anything I want to be. And best of all, she says we are all God’s chosen. All who come to Him are His.”

  Rachel swiped at her tears. Things would be different, that was for sure, and she would miss Jacob, but she had gained one thing that she hadn’t counted on before. Grace.

  Epilogue

  None of the three kids would come out against the sect that called themselves The Chosen. Not even Luna. With a fierce loyalty to the man who’d saved her life, and without knowing it, brought her family back together with a father and three adorable siblings, Luna felt as though she owed something to Naaman. After all, he’d taught her a valuable lesson. Family was everything. And she’d thought she’d lost hers forever.

  Luna and Jonathan became great friends and who knew, maybe even more than that, only time would tell.

  As for Linda and Blake, that issue was still yet to be sorted, but each of them agreed to put the children first and let the rest fall how it may. Linda loved Bella, Blakey, and sweet Ceecee. Together the four children filled a place in her heart to overflowing.

  The three of them, Luna, Jonathan, and Rachel, spoke of going back to get Abigail. Jacob had made a promise, and they intended to keep it. Somehow.

  Erika and Rick hot-footed it out of town as soon as the dust settled.

  “You think we will ever get those guys on anything?” Erika asked.

  “I don’t know. No one seems to be talking about anything.”

  “Yeah, I get it. They have some kind of loyalty to their people. But not even Luna. She was almost the third wife of a forty-something-year-old man. You would think that would count for something.”

  “Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, my dear.”

  “Oh, stop it. You know what I mean.”

  “Yeah, but in all the years the group has been there, they’ve not committed a single crime, bothered one person, or so much as sneezed too loudly. In fact, they are pillars of their community. Their goods are praised throughout the market, and they just seem like overall good people. Without proof otherwise, there is nothing anyone can do.”

  "You know what really gets me?" Erica said. "That man had the nerve to say he wasn't pressing charges on Luna for breaking their fence or stealing his truck. He made it sound like nothing had happened."

  "At least the old couple survived, and Luna wasn't charged for Jacob's death."

  The police report actually stated that the trailer was to blame for making an illegal turn in the middle of the street, and Luna had gotten off easy.

  “I know. I just wish that dirtbag would make one wrong move. Just one. I’ll be there when he does.”

  “Now, now, honey. Let’s not ruin our honeymoon.”

  Erika’s phone rang at the bottom of her purse. She reached in to grab it

  “Don’t you dare!” Rick gave her a warning look. “I’m feeding that Giraffe!”

  To be continued...