CHAPTER 10

MIRIAM'S POV

I felt the cool air across my face and realized that I probably was in an open space as I simultaneously opened my eyes to gaze at the hay above me. It had to be hay, made into a rough covering over what seemed like a wooden shed. I realized I had been laying on a really big rock and got up immediately. Looking down, I lifted my camisole and discovered my stomach was wrapped with a bandage like material. Where was I and who had brought me here? I wondered as I looked around.

I suddenly could hear someone approaching and quickly, I ducked as I hid behind the rock and listened. The person walked and stopped right in front of the shed as he suddenly dropped something.

"Miriam?" He called out to me.

It was Eli and I slowly made it out of my hiding spot.

"Where are we?" I asked him.

He smiled as he rushed over to me and grabbed me in a tight embrace. I tried to stop him because of my large bandage but it was too late as he grabbed me tightly in an embrace. Surprisingly, I did not feel any pain. My mind was in a blank state.

"Miriam, I thought I was going to lose you after all these days." He said to me,

"Wait, what? Days?" I muttered.

He broke the embrace as he grabbed me by the shoulders and looked me into the eyes.

"You have been out for days, Miriam." He said to me,

"How many days?" I asked him.

"Three." He said to me and I was instantly weakened.

I have been out for three whole days? That seemed like a record that I had made. I drew away from him as I walked back to the rock and sat down. Eli looked really worried about me as he asked if I was okay. I waved him aside as I needed to clear my head gradually. I had not even given thought as to why and how we ended up here. Now, I needed to focus on my mind that was totally blank as a clean sheet. I tried to think but nothing seemed to be coming up at the moment. I just might be needing a little bit of help from him.

"What happened? Why are we here?" I asked him.

He came to sit beside me.

"You do not remember? Jason? The fire?" He asked me.

Wait, a dang minute. At the mention of the fire, it struck me suddenly as a wave of fear washed all over me. There had been a fire at the house right after Jason tried to kill me. I had been really weak when I made a request to Eli to go find my kids. But why was there only the two of us? Where were they? I wondered as I looked at him. I needed to think positively, I reminded myself as I turned my head with a smile.

"Eli, where are they?" I asked casually and he looked confused.

Let's not assume the worst now, shall we?

"Who are they? What are you talking about?" He asked me looking really blank like I had thrown in a one billion dollar question.

"My kids, where are they?" I asked him.

He looked shocked the moment I stated that and shifted uneasily.

"Oh, that." He said.

"Yes, that." I answered almost immediately.

"About that..." He began but paused to look at me.

"Yes, about that, go on." I goaded him.

"I could not get them." He said to me,

This had better be a prank that he was trying to pull off on me and he had better know that it was not really funny to play pranks with the lives of my kids. That would be unacceptable. He had to be hiding them around here somewhere, right?

"What do you mean you could not get them?" I demanded on the verge of losing it at this point.

"I mean I could not, Miriam. I tried to. I swear but the fire got to them before I arrived in their room." He said to me,

"That's impossible. It was such a short time. You could have gotten them certainly." I pointed it out to him.

"I don't think so. Their room seemed like it had been set on fire first and if we are being logical, we were both put down for sometime when it happened." He said to me,

I was not buying this. I rose up quickly and walked out of the shed as I glanced around.

"You're joking and I know it. Alright kids, hide and seek time is over. Mom needs to see you now." I said looking around and waiting for the tiniest sound from any point but nothing happened.

He walked out of the shed towards me as he looked really solemn.

"Miriam, it's just the two of us here." He said sadly.

I turned to look at him with so much pain and anger.

"You're joking right? You've got to be joking right now." I said, searching his face for answers.

"I wish I am." He said looking down.

"Damn you!!!" I cried out and started walking away from him.

"Where are you going?" He demanded from me.

"To do your job properly. You obviously did not look or rather did not care enough to look for them because they're not your kids and I bloody hell get it!!!" I yelled.

That had to be it. He did not care because they were Jason's kids and perhaps, they had been rescued.

"Miriam, stop." He said to me,

I continued walking fast now.

"Do not ask me to stop, you selfish person." I said to him as I moved on.

I heard him approach as he rushed over to grab my hand.

"Miriam, listen..." He began.

There was a sudden surge of energy and anger within me as I turned and pushed his chest backwards.

"No, you listen!!!" I yelled at him.

I had not even put much effort into that push but then, he flew all the way through the air and crashed into one of the holds of the shed causing it to fall over him. He tried to sit up but clutched his chest hard as he coughed out blood and then looked at me.

"What have I done?" I muttered as I stared at my hands in horror. There were claws over my nails.

Suddenly, I could hear flesh mending together and quickly raised the camisole and tore away my bandage to stare in horror at my healing wound.