Chapter 3

September 

Los Angeles, America

*...sin, the world is so sinful. Be careful of whom you associate with, for the devil lives among us…*

   Please, God, just let it end soon. The prayer flitted through my mind. There and gone so quickly I couldn't quite grab hold to it.

   It was too hard to sit in a pew and listen while father Reed went on with his sermon. Too hard to listen to sister Ellen, play the piano I had once played.

   To hard, and I'd been too weak, too sad, too destroyed by the dreams I'd always had. Too overwhelmed by my guilt and my inability to forgive God for letting me see this dreams, and myself.

*...We are the salt and the light of the world. Let us shine our light and give Satan no room to overcome the world, it is written…*

   I remembered every night and those red eyes, they never stopped haunting me. It had been a while since I'd cried over what I'd lost, and I didn't plan to cry now, but I couldn't stop thinking about the dream that had woken me. The amber-eyed male and how he'd stripped me of every shred of my innocence.

   My heart jumped as I remembered those eyes. I didn't know who to talk to about all this. I loved Tracy, but I just couldn't….Without me willing them to, my eyes turned to father Reed. Could I really tell him about this dreams? Would he think of them as a figment of my imagination, like everyone else? Could I trust him with this?

   After the sermon, I watched everyone leave at looked around for father Reed. When I saw him, I examined his face with serious intent. The mood in the room turned more subdued. "Nice seem, father."

   He turned with a smile. "How would you know, Lydia. Everyone could see how drifted and unattentive you were, a few hours ago. Now you tell me, what's going on with you. Since your return from the mission trip in Porto Alegra, you seem…distant."

   He couldn't understand a restless spirit. He had no idea what it was like to wander with no purpose. Could he see how my self-assured air could be covering up a disquiet hidden deep inside. But he was already in over his head thinking only about himself…again.

   A chill washed over me. "Nothing is going on, with me. I am perfectly fine…just tired with everything that has been going on. Especially with the kids at the orphanage." Well, that was partly true.

  Father Reed continued with a brisk nod. "Have you heard from Tracy so far."

   "Tracy? Yes, I've spoken with her several times."

   "Then I'm sure you've noticed the way she has of flitting around from thing to thing. She doesn't seem to have much interest in anything concerning the church, which is fine for now. But I'm afraid if she doesn't fill her time with something beneficial, she'll get herself into trouble with higher authorities."

   I tilted my head, trying to understand why father Reed had stopped her to discuss Tracy's flighty personality. "And what can I do to help?"

   "I hoped you'd consider finding a way to include her in some of your work with the orphanage. If she had a cause, something to care about, she might lose a little of that restlessness that could get her into a mess."

   Father Reed stood with his hands on my shoulder waiting for my answer. "Let me think about it, father. I'm sure there's a way to involve her in working with the children."

   "Thank you, Lydia, my dear. Now, you have a nice day and make sure you stop by for tonight's service."

  With a smile, father Reed turned and walked away, a spring in his step that belied his age.

*

   "We aren't there yet?" I turned from scanning the dark alley at the sound of Tracy's voice, as if looking for some unknown danger. I moved faster so Tracy could join me, both of us shivering when several errant drops of rain hit our heads. Tracy dabbed her damp face with a handkerchief. "Those poor children will get soaked if we don't make it soon."

   My eyes swept the road. "I expect us to arrive any moment."

   Tracy bounced on her toes as if it would bring us closer to our destination. "Is everything ready? With all you had to do these last few weeks, I can't imagine any item could remain undone."

   Stiffling the urge to roll her eyes, I brushed a stray lock of hair from my face. "Yes, everything is ready." I took a calming breath of cool damp air. I had to remember that all this work hadn't been for the benefit of the old biddies in the orphanage. It was for the children who were set at the orphanage. Finding good families for each of them was worth being treated as a work-horse for a bit.

   Thinking that I might not be able to get to the orphanage in time, I started to walk forward. But a sudden tug on my hand hauled me backward, a short scream escaping my lips before I saw a man pulling on my bag.

   I struggled but his hold on the bag were too strong. It wasn't until there was no weight on my hand, did I realize that he'd succeeded in taking my bag. 

   My mind raced. I couldn't lose that bag, my whole life is in that bag. My phone, my nunnery entrance from the church. The stuffs for the kids at the orphanage, including donated clothes for them—i couldn't lose that bag. I just couldn't.

   I tried running after him, but I couldn't quite keep up. Thinking that I might be able to stop the man before he went too far, I started to take a short cut.

   "Lydia! Lydia!" Tracy called out to me, even from miles behind.

   The chase after him seemed to take forever. "Hey! Stop there! Hey!" While I was thankful the horrible man didn't try anything with me other than take my bag, the silence gave me too much time to think and worry. How long would it take for someone to realize where I was? After I'd run out in anger, would Tracy even bother to worry about me?

   Panic rose in my chest but I forced it down. I couldn't fail the kids. They needed me, I would help them out. I had to.

   After running a few more distance, moving to the other side of the road, I was relieved to hear muffled sounds. Two voices, one deep and one more like a growl. At least, I finally caught up with him.

   I gasped for air in between words. "Why did you take my bag?"

   A male voice scoffed loudly. "He stole your bag, can't you see that?"

   My heart jumped as I found myself looking almost straight into the palest of amber eyes. Even in the midst of my terror, I'd known he was. I'd recognized the sharp angles of his face, the scar that sliced through his eye brow, the broadness of his shoulder. I'd dreamed about those eyes dozens of times, relived those nights everyday for months.

   "Elaine," he called out.

   I almost missed his words while trying to determine if I was still in those numerous dreams I had. "What? Oh no, my name's not Elaine. It's Lydia…Lydia Martinez."

   His face hardened and I couldn't believe I'd already managed to get on his bad side. Standing in front of me with a serious expression as he handed my bag over to me, he didn't look like a man who smiled often, but I thought he might look even more handsome if he did.

   "Here…I don't need your bag anymore, just let me go. Please." The man who stole my bag pleaded.

   My brows furrowed in confusion as I wondered why he sounded so scared.

   "Stealing from weak little girls. Well…" He hesitated, grabbing hold of the thief by the throat, then slammed him against the wall. "If you really want to steal, I can help you. I'll give you guys and you can go Rob a bank."

   "What sort of advice is that?" I watched the thief struggle to get away, but the man held him in place as if he weighed nothing. "We should try to save his soul and not ruin him more. We can't advice him to continue stealing."

   My heart fell when his lips turned down in another frown. I had offended him again. He started look away even as he spoke. "Darling, some souls aren't meant to be saved."