Only after the true meaning of what she had just done sunk in was Esther able to raise her eyes to look at Micah. The tears were gone, and her face didn't feel puffy or red like it had a few moments ago. Looking into Micah's eyes, Esther couldn't help but feel bitter. They were full of love, yes, but not love for her. The love was for her best friend, and try as she might; Esther couldn't help but feel bitter.
"Where's your girlfriend?" The words came before she could stop them, and there was an edge to her voice that she didn't know could come from her. Take it easy, my child. You do not wish to upset the boy as of yet. He needs to see your vulnerable side, so that he may try to mend the error of his ways. Taking a deep breath, Esther tried again. "Micah, what happened to Kasey? Did she go home?"
Micah, who had been standing on the edge of the clearing, presumably sensing Esther's anger, took a step forward. "Yes, she did go home. That doesn't matter, however. I would like to talk to you. Esther, will you listen to me?" The girl's heart filled will happiness.
"I'll listen, Micah. What do you want to tell me?" Pausing for a moment, Micah then moved closer to Esther.
"Lets go to the b-" Esther cut him off.
"Micah, I do not care of you told me that there was a pile of gold waiting, there is no way that you are going to make me go into that barn again. Anywhere but there, please?" Smiling slightly, Micah nodded his head, and began walking away from Esther.
"Follow me."
A few minutes later, the two ended up in Hemmingford's coffee shop. Sitting down at a booth, Micah looked around at their surroundings. "Look at all of the adults." A far away look came over his pale face, and for a few seconds, he seemed out of it.
"Yoo-hoo, Micah, over here!" Esther's voice broke his thought, and he smiled again at her. "What is it that you wanted to tell me?" A moment passed, and Micah was silent. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, the waitress came to take their order. Each ordered breakfast, and when she had left, Micah decided to try again.
"Esther, I understand that you're angry. I understand that you feel animosity towards Kasey and Myself, but -"
"Animosity? Are you joking? I hate her. She's my best friend, and you're the hottest little psychopath that I've ever met. Animosity is to sweet." Micah smiled again.
"You say that you hate her, Esther, but yet you still refer to her as your best friend." Her eyes downcast, Esther realized that he was right. "I'm going to continue. Anyway, Esther, I really didn't know how things were going to turn out. What happened happened. No one could have made it otherwise. Not you, or Kasey, or myself. The only person that could have changed that was He Who Walks Behind the Rows.
Yes. I understand that you 'hate' Kasey, but think about it. What would happen if you were in her place? You'd want her to stand by you. She's going to need a friend. Her parents aren't going to be able to take care of her, and like you said, you've known each other practically your entire lives." Micah's voice faded as Esther's mind wandered.
Fighting to keep a complacent look on her face, Esther had a conversation with the voices inside of her head, and didn't feel at all stupid because she knew that they were really there.
why is he telling me this?
He wants you to be satisfied with what you have
but I know that I'm not
This does not matter to him… he has her you have nothing
but she's my best friend, and I guess I am sort of happy for -
No! Silence! You love him, that much is apparent, but you still need me.
why do I need you?
You know that you aren't really happy for her. But, you can pretend to be. This will make him suppler to your charms. Work it. Work the magic that you possess. Make him love you.
how can I do that? He loves her.
I can make that happen, but you must work with me
yes…
Coming out of her thoughts, Esther was pleased to see that she had made Micah believe that she had been listening. "Esther, you must trust in me." Nodding, she turned her attention to the food, which had just arrived. Both began to eat in silence.
"Micah, " she said after they both had finished. He looked up. "I -" She stopped, and allowed a tremble to enter her voice, just as she had discussed with the Him. "I'm sorry. I should be happy for you. You're a great person, and well, there's nothing I could have done about well, what happened with Kasey. I acted like a major pain, and I hope you forgive me." Looking up, Esther waited for Micah's response.
"Apology accepted." He hugged her, and they went their separate ways.
Later, when Micah had left to go meet his friends, Esther decided (along with a little prompting from the Voice) to go visit Kasey. Reaching her house, she was surprised to find Kasey talking with Micah's friend, Jedediah. The boy said goodbye, and as he passed Esther, tipped his head at her. Waving back, Esther prepared herself for a talk with her best friend.
"Esther. I wasn't expecting to see you here." Kasey smiled, but it was forced. "What do you want?" Fighting to keep herself calm, she walked up to Kasey, and stood in front of her, almost as if she was waiting to be judged.
"Kasey… I -" She stopped, and allowed a tremble to enter her voice, just as she had discussed with the Him. "I'm sorry. I should be happy for you. You're my best friend, and well, there's nothing I could have done about well, what happened with Micah. I acted like a major pain, and I hope you forgive me." Looking up, Esther waited for Kasey's response.
"Esther, I never wanted to hurt you. Micah never wanted to hurt you. It just kind of happened. Apology accepted. Actually, I kind of wanted to apologize to you too." She smiled, and Esther forced herself to smile back. "Hug?" Nodding, Esther hugged Kasey, and when the two girls pulled apart, Kasey looked at her friend. "Will you help me?"
Not knowing what the question was, she sat in silence and waited for an explanation. Kasey too waited.
"Oh! I'm sorry. Will you help me pick a name for the baby? I'm kind of leaning toward Christian, or maybe Joseph. What do you think?" Esther bit back a scream, and looked into her friend's eyes. Although a part of her couldn't help feeling excited that her best friend was going to have a child by a gorgeous boy, and that this child was conceived out of love for not only the boy but out of love for the god, a huge part of Esther was insanely jealous.
"Um, Kasey? I don't think that I can do that. I have to go home now. All I wanted to do was apologize. I'll come over later, and help though. Is that ok?"
"Yeah, Esther. I probably should go talk to Micah now. I need to ask him a question." Esther turned to leave, but at the same time, Kasey called after her one more time. "Esther." The girl stopped. "I truly am sorry."
Esther's blood ran cold. She really meant it. Kasey really was sorry. "And I know that you love him, probably even more than I do. You deserve this, not me." With that, Kasey walked into the house, leaving her best friend standing on the porch, tears in her eyes. The worst part was that Esther didn't know whether the tears were angry tears or sad tears.
Right then Esther would have traded the world to take back what she had done, but knew that it was too late. Sadly, she turned around and began walking home. Esther only hoped that she'd get a chance to show Kasey what she meant as a friend.
I've got them. I've got all three of them. Now is my time. Nothing is going to destroy what I have worked so hard to create. Not the boy, not Kasey, and certainly not Esther. He Who Walks Behind The Rows smiled to himself. Yes… my plan shall work this time. The Gatlin prophecy shall be fulfilled. The seeds have been planted, and yet, no one knows this yet. Except me.
An evil laugh rang out, and the cornfields trembled. Something was about to happen, and the citizens of Hemmingford wouldn't be able to stop it even if they had the powers of every single known deity that wasn't evil on their sides. He Who Walks Behind the Rows had come to Hemmingford.
"Where's your girlfriend?" The words came before she could stop them, and there was an edge to her voice that she didn't know could come from her. Take it easy, my child. You do not wish to upset the boy as of yet. He needs to see your vulnerable side, so that he may try to mend the error of his ways. Taking a deep breath, Esther tried again. "Micah, what happened to Kasey? Did she go home?"
Micah, who had been standing on the edge of the clearing, presumably sensing Esther's anger, took a step forward. "Yes, she did go home. That doesn't matter, however. I would like to talk to you. Esther, will you listen to me?" The girl's heart filled will happiness.
"I'll listen, Micah. What do you want to tell me?" Pausing for a moment, Micah then moved closer to Esther.
"Lets go to the b-" Esther cut him off.
"Micah, I do not care of you told me that there was a pile of gold waiting, there is no way that you are going to make me go into that barn again. Anywhere but there, please?" Smiling slightly, Micah nodded his head, and began walking away from Esther.
"Follow me."
A few minutes later, the two ended up in Hemmingford's coffee shop. Sitting down at a booth, Micah looked around at their surroundings. "Look at all of the adults." A far away look came over his pale face, and for a few seconds, he seemed out of it.
"Yoo-hoo, Micah, over here!" Esther's voice broke his thought, and he smiled again at her. "What is it that you wanted to tell me?" A moment passed, and Micah was silent. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, the waitress came to take their order. Each ordered breakfast, and when she had left, Micah decided to try again.
"Esther, I understand that you're angry. I understand that you feel animosity towards Kasey and Myself, but -"
"Animosity? Are you joking? I hate her. She's my best friend, and you're the hottest little psychopath that I've ever met. Animosity is to sweet." Micah smiled again.
"You say that you hate her, Esther, but yet you still refer to her as your best friend." Her eyes downcast, Esther realized that he was right. "I'm going to continue. Anyway, Esther, I really didn't know how things were going to turn out. What happened happened. No one could have made it otherwise. Not you, or Kasey, or myself. The only person that could have changed that was He Who Walks Behind the Rows.
Yes. I understand that you 'hate' Kasey, but think about it. What would happen if you were in her place? You'd want her to stand by you. She's going to need a friend. Her parents aren't going to be able to take care of her, and like you said, you've known each other practically your entire lives." Micah's voice faded as Esther's mind wandered.
Fighting to keep a complacent look on her face, Esther had a conversation with the voices inside of her head, and didn't feel at all stupid because she knew that they were really there.
why is he telling me this?
He wants you to be satisfied with what you have
but I know that I'm not
This does not matter to him… he has her you have nothing
but she's my best friend, and I guess I am sort of happy for -
No! Silence! You love him, that much is apparent, but you still need me.
why do I need you?
You know that you aren't really happy for her. But, you can pretend to be. This will make him suppler to your charms. Work it. Work the magic that you possess. Make him love you.
how can I do that? He loves her.
I can make that happen, but you must work with me
yes…
Coming out of her thoughts, Esther was pleased to see that she had made Micah believe that she had been listening. "Esther, you must trust in me." Nodding, she turned her attention to the food, which had just arrived. Both began to eat in silence.
"Micah, " she said after they both had finished. He looked up. "I -" She stopped, and allowed a tremble to enter her voice, just as she had discussed with the Him. "I'm sorry. I should be happy for you. You're a great person, and well, there's nothing I could have done about well, what happened with Kasey. I acted like a major pain, and I hope you forgive me." Looking up, Esther waited for Micah's response.
"Apology accepted." He hugged her, and they went their separate ways.
Later, when Micah had left to go meet his friends, Esther decided (along with a little prompting from the Voice) to go visit Kasey. Reaching her house, she was surprised to find Kasey talking with Micah's friend, Jedediah. The boy said goodbye, and as he passed Esther, tipped his head at her. Waving back, Esther prepared herself for a talk with her best friend.
"Esther. I wasn't expecting to see you here." Kasey smiled, but it was forced. "What do you want?" Fighting to keep herself calm, she walked up to Kasey, and stood in front of her, almost as if she was waiting to be judged.
"Kasey… I -" She stopped, and allowed a tremble to enter her voice, just as she had discussed with the Him. "I'm sorry. I should be happy for you. You're my best friend, and well, there's nothing I could have done about well, what happened with Micah. I acted like a major pain, and I hope you forgive me." Looking up, Esther waited for Kasey's response.
"Esther, I never wanted to hurt you. Micah never wanted to hurt you. It just kind of happened. Apology accepted. Actually, I kind of wanted to apologize to you too." She smiled, and Esther forced herself to smile back. "Hug?" Nodding, Esther hugged Kasey, and when the two girls pulled apart, Kasey looked at her friend. "Will you help me?"
Not knowing what the question was, she sat in silence and waited for an explanation. Kasey too waited.
"Oh! I'm sorry. Will you help me pick a name for the baby? I'm kind of leaning toward Christian, or maybe Joseph. What do you think?" Esther bit back a scream, and looked into her friend's eyes. Although a part of her couldn't help feeling excited that her best friend was going to have a child by a gorgeous boy, and that this child was conceived out of love for not only the boy but out of love for the god, a huge part of Esther was insanely jealous.
"Um, Kasey? I don't think that I can do that. I have to go home now. All I wanted to do was apologize. I'll come over later, and help though. Is that ok?"
"Yeah, Esther. I probably should go talk to Micah now. I need to ask him a question." Esther turned to leave, but at the same time, Kasey called after her one more time. "Esther." The girl stopped. "I truly am sorry."
Esther's blood ran cold. She really meant it. Kasey really was sorry. "And I know that you love him, probably even more than I do. You deserve this, not me." With that, Kasey walked into the house, leaving her best friend standing on the porch, tears in her eyes. The worst part was that Esther didn't know whether the tears were angry tears or sad tears.
Right then Esther would have traded the world to take back what she had done, but knew that it was too late. Sadly, she turned around and began walking home. Esther only hoped that she'd get a chance to show Kasey what she meant as a friend.
I've got them. I've got all three of them. Now is my time. Nothing is going to destroy what I have worked so hard to create. Not the boy, not Kasey, and certainly not Esther. He Who Walks Behind The Rows smiled to himself. Yes… my plan shall work this time. The Gatlin prophecy shall be fulfilled. The seeds have been planted, and yet, no one knows this yet. Except me.
An evil laugh rang out, and the cornfields trembled. Something was about to happen, and the citizens of Hemmingford wouldn't be able to stop it even if they had the powers of every single known deity that wasn't evil on their sides. He Who Walks Behind the Rows had come to Hemmingford.