It took hours to put out the fire.
The children had to wait until Garrett and Company left, but once the Indian was burning they had another problem on their hands. The flames -- both from the exploding Harvester and Redbear's burial -- swept through the fields swiftly, ravaging the corn like a horde of angry bugs. With a lot of hard work and countless buckets of water, the children finally managed to subdue the fire. However, it was hardly the victory it should've been. Many of them had been injured in the fight, and those that weren't injured were exhausted. But above all, they were mourning for those they had lost -- for their friends, for their siblings, and for their leader.
Esther was numb. She helped put out the fire, then took the ones who were injured to the Doc Appleby's old office for first aid. But when that was done, there was nothing left to do but wait -- as they had waited in Gatlin. So she left the doctor's office, which was now filled with confused, sniffling children, and began wandering the empty streets of Hemmingford. Her parents were gone. Her best friend was gone. And worst of all, Micah was gone.
i didn't think you'd really kill him
It had to be done.
... why?
The child she carried was supposed to be one concieved for love of me.
so? you told me it was
Oh, it was at first. But the love for me grew into love for one another, and the purity of the child was spoiled.
... THAT'S why all this happened?! because two people LOVED each other?!
Don't give me all the credit, Esther. None of it could've happened without you.
When she realized the conversation was over, Esther looked up to find herself in the cornfield. She was merely ten feet away from the twisted hunk of metal that used to be a Harvester.
"I'm so sorry," Esther whispered to her hands. "I didn't want it to be this way, for either of you -- I'm so sorry..." Slowly, she sank to her knees and clasped her hands in prayer. It seemed the only thing left to do. "Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it -- as it --" She couldn't remember the rest, and somehow that seemed the final blow to the one good God who might be listening. Esther gave up and just pressed her face into her palms, fighting sobs. "Forgive me," was all she managed before surrendering to the tears.
She had no idea how she ended up in the clearing.
Esther had a vague memory of Micah's face and voice, but it was a fleeting one that she couldn't quite grasp. Now she stood before the remaining Children, mixed of Gatlin and Hemmingford and waiting for her to speak.
"My brothers and sisters," she said evenly, her voice loud and clear, "we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, but we will not be afraid. Because the Father is watching over us. We have lost many a good follower tonight, and some of you are badly hurt, but we must not give up. Your hope may be shattered -- and who is to blame for that?" There was a long, uncertain pause before someone said hesitantly,
"The outlanders?"
"Yes!" Esther swept a hand behind her at the charred fields. "Who is to blame for our wretched harvest, one that will not bear pure corn until the next harvest moon?"
"The outlanders." This time it wasn't so tentative, and more children joined in.
"Who is to blame," she went on, her voice nearly a shout now, "for the brethren we have wrongly lost tonight?"
"The outlanders!" Nearly all of them now.
"And who is to blame for the unjust and untimely death of our brother, our leader, and our friend Micah?" Esther half expected them to yell, "YOU!" And wouldn't that be right? But they continued as they had been, some of their voices angry now --
"The outlanders!"
"Yes, my brothers and sisters," she went on, shaking away the silly worry. "The outlanders have done this to us, as they did in Gatlin. But they cannot break our spirit. He Who Walks Behind The Rows will watch over us always, even when it seems He is not here." Esther took in a deep breath. "I will take Micah's place as leader. He has spoken to me, and He says this is as it is written. The lost lamb will be found, and the flock will rise up again." She extended a hand at the crowd. Jedediah was at her left, and he slowly gave her what she wanted -- Micah's long, silver machete. It had survived the fire, if not a little worse for the wear. But it was still his. Esther lifted it slightly, watched as the early morning's light glinted off of it, and remembered Micah.
He Who Walks Behind The Rows welcomes you.
Anything beautiful comes with sacrifice.
He rewards us in many ways.
I love you too.
She remembered Kasey too.
Best friends forever.
For a very brief moment, she hoped that wherever they were, they were happy. And that she was making them proud.
"We will show the outlanders that they have not won," Esther went on, her voice a little quieter. "We will show them by continuing on as we always do, by keeping the Word of the Lord and using it well." She took another deep breath, then swept the machete's point slowly over the crowd. "Who among us is 19?" After a long moment, a girl with short brown hair slowly raised her hand.
"I am," she said hesitantly. Esther took one more deep breath, then smiled.
"Come forward," she murmured. "Come forward."
Jedediah began preparing the sacrifice.
The children had to wait until Garrett and Company left, but once the Indian was burning they had another problem on their hands. The flames -- both from the exploding Harvester and Redbear's burial -- swept through the fields swiftly, ravaging the corn like a horde of angry bugs. With a lot of hard work and countless buckets of water, the children finally managed to subdue the fire. However, it was hardly the victory it should've been. Many of them had been injured in the fight, and those that weren't injured were exhausted. But above all, they were mourning for those they had lost -- for their friends, for their siblings, and for their leader.
Esther was numb. She helped put out the fire, then took the ones who were injured to the Doc Appleby's old office for first aid. But when that was done, there was nothing left to do but wait -- as they had waited in Gatlin. So she left the doctor's office, which was now filled with confused, sniffling children, and began wandering the empty streets of Hemmingford. Her parents were gone. Her best friend was gone. And worst of all, Micah was gone.
i didn't think you'd really kill him
It had to be done.
... why?
The child she carried was supposed to be one concieved for love of me.
so? you told me it was
Oh, it was at first. But the love for me grew into love for one another, and the purity of the child was spoiled.
... THAT'S why all this happened?! because two people LOVED each other?!
Don't give me all the credit, Esther. None of it could've happened without you.
When she realized the conversation was over, Esther looked up to find herself in the cornfield. She was merely ten feet away from the twisted hunk of metal that used to be a Harvester.
"I'm so sorry," Esther whispered to her hands. "I didn't want it to be this way, for either of you -- I'm so sorry..." Slowly, she sank to her knees and clasped her hands in prayer. It seemed the only thing left to do. "Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it -- as it --" She couldn't remember the rest, and somehow that seemed the final blow to the one good God who might be listening. Esther gave up and just pressed her face into her palms, fighting sobs. "Forgive me," was all she managed before surrendering to the tears.
She had no idea how she ended up in the clearing.
Esther had a vague memory of Micah's face and voice, but it was a fleeting one that she couldn't quite grasp. Now she stood before the remaining Children, mixed of Gatlin and Hemmingford and waiting for her to speak.
"My brothers and sisters," she said evenly, her voice loud and clear, "we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, but we will not be afraid. Because the Father is watching over us. We have lost many a good follower tonight, and some of you are badly hurt, but we must not give up. Your hope may be shattered -- and who is to blame for that?" There was a long, uncertain pause before someone said hesitantly,
"The outlanders?"
"Yes!" Esther swept a hand behind her at the charred fields. "Who is to blame for our wretched harvest, one that will not bear pure corn until the next harvest moon?"
"The outlanders." This time it wasn't so tentative, and more children joined in.
"Who is to blame," she went on, her voice nearly a shout now, "for the brethren we have wrongly lost tonight?"
"The outlanders!" Nearly all of them now.
"And who is to blame for the unjust and untimely death of our brother, our leader, and our friend Micah?" Esther half expected them to yell, "YOU!" And wouldn't that be right? But they continued as they had been, some of their voices angry now --
"The outlanders!"
"Yes, my brothers and sisters," she went on, shaking away the silly worry. "The outlanders have done this to us, as they did in Gatlin. But they cannot break our spirit. He Who Walks Behind The Rows will watch over us always, even when it seems He is not here." Esther took in a deep breath. "I will take Micah's place as leader. He has spoken to me, and He says this is as it is written. The lost lamb will be found, and the flock will rise up again." She extended a hand at the crowd. Jedediah was at her left, and he slowly gave her what she wanted -- Micah's long, silver machete. It had survived the fire, if not a little worse for the wear. But it was still his. Esther lifted it slightly, watched as the early morning's light glinted off of it, and remembered Micah.
He Who Walks Behind The Rows welcomes you.
Anything beautiful comes with sacrifice.
He rewards us in many ways.
I love you too.
She remembered Kasey too.
Best friends forever.
For a very brief moment, she hoped that wherever they were, they were happy. And that she was making them proud.
"We will show the outlanders that they have not won," Esther went on, her voice a little quieter. "We will show them by continuing on as we always do, by keeping the Word of the Lord and using it well." She took another deep breath, then swept the machete's point slowly over the crowd. "Who among us is 19?" After a long moment, a girl with short brown hair slowly raised her hand.
"I am," she said hesitantly. Esther took one more deep breath, then smiled.
"Come forward," she murmured. "Come forward."
Jedediah began preparing the sacrifice.
