Chapter Seventeen- When Heaven Weeps
Simon saw the worried look on the faces of the females in the house. Matt, Robbie and himself were clueless to what was going on, but Ruthie, Lucy and his mom must have known what was coming. He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach, like something was wrong, terribly wrong. But he didn't know what it was. And he was sure he wouldn't want to know it once he finally found out.
Lucy didn't know what the family meeting was about, but she knew who it was about. Something must have happened to Jennifer, and she felt like it was her fault. A million things ran through her head. Why didn't I tell my Dad sooner? Should I have stopped her at school today? Lucy had tried to get her mom to tell her what was happening, but Annie had refused. So she waited with the rest of the Camden clan for her father to get home.
When Reverend Camden pulled into his driveway, he shut the van off and took a deep breath. This is going to be hard, probably the hardest thing I've ever done, he thought to himself. He got out of the car and walked into the house, and into the living room, where his family had gathered.
No one said anything when Eric walked in. He looked at them, his eyes red from stress and tears. He started to speak.
"Jennifer was kidnapped tonight. She wrote a letter to all of us because she was planning on running away before she got kidnapped. She wanted the whole family to know the truth about her."
"Dad, what are you talking about? What do you mean the truth?" Simon asked, looking at his father.
"Simon, just let me read the letter first, then I'll explain what it doesn't clear up." He cleared his throat before he read the piece of paper.
"Dear Camdens,
First of all, I want you all to know that you are the best people I've ever known. Without you I don't think I would be here right now. I want everyone in the family to know the truth about me, so here it goes. I'm a runaway. My Dad died two years ago and the state sent me back to my abusive mom. My mom stabbed me the chest, so I ran away and stayed at a shelter in Talbrook, but it didn't take her and her boyfriend Duke long to find me. They told the nurses at the shelter I was a prostitute, so they kicked me out and Duke dragged me back. I got the beating of my life, and I swore to myself that would never ever happen again. So I came to Glen Oak and got a job at the Diner, and Mr. Fredrickson also let me stay in a
back storage room he doesn't use.
I know that's a lot to take in right now. I'm sorry that I didn't tell everyone sooner, especially Reverend and Mrs. Camden. Maybe if I would have told you instead of Lucy, I could have stayed. But I have to leave now, they know where I am and I can't let Duke take me back. I don't want him to hurt your family; I wouldn't be able to live if something happened to any of you."
Reverend Camden took a breath there. Annie and Lucy were crying, and Simon looked angry. Ruthie, Matt and Robbie just sat in disbelief. Eric continued.
"Lucy, I have something to say to you. I don't hate you for telling. I'm so sorry about blowing up at you at school. I shouldn't have, but I thought it would make it easier for me to leave. I'm so sorry if I hurt you. You're the best friend I ever had, and I'll always remember you.
Reverend and Mrs. Camden, thank you so much for trying to help me. I would have let you, I promise, but I didn't want anything to happen to you or your family. Like I said, you are wonderful people. I will always remember the love that never seemed to stop pouring from your hearts. Thank you.
Simon, I know you must be mad at me right now. You must hate me for not telling you, and I don't blame you. I should have told you, but I was afraid. Very afraid. I didn't want to lose you Simon. I didn't want to tell you so that you would feel sorry for me. I wanted you to like the real me, the person without a horrible past, and you did. I'll never forget you Simon, and I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me.
To everyone else, thank you so much for your generosity. Robbie, Matt, I wish you both the best of luck in everything you do. Ruthie, thank you for telling your parents the truth about me, it was brave of you and a very smart thing to do. It's just too bad that it came to late for me. Goodbye Camdens, I hope to see you again one day.
Love, Jennifer Baker"
By the time Reverend Camden finished the letter, everyone was crying or at least teary eyed. Finally Annie spoke up.
"So, do they know who kidnapped her? Did anyone see anything?"
"They have a good suspicion that it was Duke or Jen's mom. Mr. Fredrickson heard her scream and ran out to see the car drive off. That's it."
"Is there anything we can do for her now?" Matt said, his face full of concern.
"Sergeant Michaels and his men are doing all they can. She wanted to tell you, but she didn't know how." Eric said, his face full of anguish.
"Who knew about this? All of you? Am I the only one that didn't know?" Simon said angrily, standing up.
"Mom, Dad, Ruthie and I knew but not the whole time..." Lucy said, but Simon cut her off.
"So let me get this straight, she didn't tell me about any of this. She was just going to go out with me and not tell me?" He spat back, his temper flaring.
"Simon, don't do this, it was hard for her. She didn't want to lose you." Eric said, grabbing his son's shoulder in a supportive way.
"Don't touch me." Simon said as he jerked away and stormed upstairs, slamming his bedroom door.
The whole family looked at one another in disbelief and horror. Eric had known that Simon would take the truth pretty hard, he just wished that Jennifer could have told him herself. The rest of the family looked to Eric for guidance.
"He's upset, give him some time. In the morning I want you three in your cars looking around the neighborhood," Eric said to Lucy, Robbie and Matt, "Simon will go with you, Annie you can go with Robbie and Ruthie can go with Luce. I'll go alone in the van. All right?" They all nodded in agreement.
"Let's all get a good night's rest. We won't be of any help if we don't." Annie said, ushering kids out of the living room. Once they were gone she went upstairs with Eric. They got into their pj's and laid down.
"Do you think they'll find her Eric?" Annie said softly.
"I don't know, but I hope so." He replied as they both feel into a restless sleep.
The next morning came and they all got ready to help in the search. Matt went to Simon's door and threw it open.
"What do you want?" Simon said, he was sitting on his bed dressed in the same clothes as the night before.
"We are going to help look for Jen. You're with me." Matt said, his eyes searching Simon's.
"I don't want to go. Leave without me." Matt went over and sat next to his brother.
"Simon, you don't really want to stay here when she's missing like this do you? It makes you completely helpless. If you come with me we might find something, anything to lead the police to her. The faster we move the faster she's safe." He looked at Simon.
"Why couldn't she have told me? I... I would have protected her. I could have done something." Simon said, his eyes full of tears. Matt hugged his brother to him.
"That wouldn't have been possible. There was no way you could have stopped it. We can't worry about the past. Let's just focus on finding her. Are you ready to go?"
"Let me get my coat."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thanks to all my loyal fans!!! These next few chapters are going to be heavy on the emotions, so grab your tissues!!! Review please!!!
Simon saw the worried look on the faces of the females in the house. Matt, Robbie and himself were clueless to what was going on, but Ruthie, Lucy and his mom must have known what was coming. He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach, like something was wrong, terribly wrong. But he didn't know what it was. And he was sure he wouldn't want to know it once he finally found out.
Lucy didn't know what the family meeting was about, but she knew who it was about. Something must have happened to Jennifer, and she felt like it was her fault. A million things ran through her head. Why didn't I tell my Dad sooner? Should I have stopped her at school today? Lucy had tried to get her mom to tell her what was happening, but Annie had refused. So she waited with the rest of the Camden clan for her father to get home.
When Reverend Camden pulled into his driveway, he shut the van off and took a deep breath. This is going to be hard, probably the hardest thing I've ever done, he thought to himself. He got out of the car and walked into the house, and into the living room, where his family had gathered.
No one said anything when Eric walked in. He looked at them, his eyes red from stress and tears. He started to speak.
"Jennifer was kidnapped tonight. She wrote a letter to all of us because she was planning on running away before she got kidnapped. She wanted the whole family to know the truth about her."
"Dad, what are you talking about? What do you mean the truth?" Simon asked, looking at his father.
"Simon, just let me read the letter first, then I'll explain what it doesn't clear up." He cleared his throat before he read the piece of paper.
"Dear Camdens,
First of all, I want you all to know that you are the best people I've ever known. Without you I don't think I would be here right now. I want everyone in the family to know the truth about me, so here it goes. I'm a runaway. My Dad died two years ago and the state sent me back to my abusive mom. My mom stabbed me the chest, so I ran away and stayed at a shelter in Talbrook, but it didn't take her and her boyfriend Duke long to find me. They told the nurses at the shelter I was a prostitute, so they kicked me out and Duke dragged me back. I got the beating of my life, and I swore to myself that would never ever happen again. So I came to Glen Oak and got a job at the Diner, and Mr. Fredrickson also let me stay in a
back storage room he doesn't use.
I know that's a lot to take in right now. I'm sorry that I didn't tell everyone sooner, especially Reverend and Mrs. Camden. Maybe if I would have told you instead of Lucy, I could have stayed. But I have to leave now, they know where I am and I can't let Duke take me back. I don't want him to hurt your family; I wouldn't be able to live if something happened to any of you."
Reverend Camden took a breath there. Annie and Lucy were crying, and Simon looked angry. Ruthie, Matt and Robbie just sat in disbelief. Eric continued.
"Lucy, I have something to say to you. I don't hate you for telling. I'm so sorry about blowing up at you at school. I shouldn't have, but I thought it would make it easier for me to leave. I'm so sorry if I hurt you. You're the best friend I ever had, and I'll always remember you.
Reverend and Mrs. Camden, thank you so much for trying to help me. I would have let you, I promise, but I didn't want anything to happen to you or your family. Like I said, you are wonderful people. I will always remember the love that never seemed to stop pouring from your hearts. Thank you.
Simon, I know you must be mad at me right now. You must hate me for not telling you, and I don't blame you. I should have told you, but I was afraid. Very afraid. I didn't want to lose you Simon. I didn't want to tell you so that you would feel sorry for me. I wanted you to like the real me, the person without a horrible past, and you did. I'll never forget you Simon, and I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me.
To everyone else, thank you so much for your generosity. Robbie, Matt, I wish you both the best of luck in everything you do. Ruthie, thank you for telling your parents the truth about me, it was brave of you and a very smart thing to do. It's just too bad that it came to late for me. Goodbye Camdens, I hope to see you again one day.
Love, Jennifer Baker"
By the time Reverend Camden finished the letter, everyone was crying or at least teary eyed. Finally Annie spoke up.
"So, do they know who kidnapped her? Did anyone see anything?"
"They have a good suspicion that it was Duke or Jen's mom. Mr. Fredrickson heard her scream and ran out to see the car drive off. That's it."
"Is there anything we can do for her now?" Matt said, his face full of concern.
"Sergeant Michaels and his men are doing all they can. She wanted to tell you, but she didn't know how." Eric said, his face full of anguish.
"Who knew about this? All of you? Am I the only one that didn't know?" Simon said angrily, standing up.
"Mom, Dad, Ruthie and I knew but not the whole time..." Lucy said, but Simon cut her off.
"So let me get this straight, she didn't tell me about any of this. She was just going to go out with me and not tell me?" He spat back, his temper flaring.
"Simon, don't do this, it was hard for her. She didn't want to lose you." Eric said, grabbing his son's shoulder in a supportive way.
"Don't touch me." Simon said as he jerked away and stormed upstairs, slamming his bedroom door.
The whole family looked at one another in disbelief and horror. Eric had known that Simon would take the truth pretty hard, he just wished that Jennifer could have told him herself. The rest of the family looked to Eric for guidance.
"He's upset, give him some time. In the morning I want you three in your cars looking around the neighborhood," Eric said to Lucy, Robbie and Matt, "Simon will go with you, Annie you can go with Robbie and Ruthie can go with Luce. I'll go alone in the van. All right?" They all nodded in agreement.
"Let's all get a good night's rest. We won't be of any help if we don't." Annie said, ushering kids out of the living room. Once they were gone she went upstairs with Eric. They got into their pj's and laid down.
"Do you think they'll find her Eric?" Annie said softly.
"I don't know, but I hope so." He replied as they both feel into a restless sleep.
The next morning came and they all got ready to help in the search. Matt went to Simon's door and threw it open.
"What do you want?" Simon said, he was sitting on his bed dressed in the same clothes as the night before.
"We are going to help look for Jen. You're with me." Matt said, his eyes searching Simon's.
"I don't want to go. Leave without me." Matt went over and sat next to his brother.
"Simon, you don't really want to stay here when she's missing like this do you? It makes you completely helpless. If you come with me we might find something, anything to lead the police to her. The faster we move the faster she's safe." He looked at Simon.
"Why couldn't she have told me? I... I would have protected her. I could have done something." Simon said, his eyes full of tears. Matt hugged his brother to him.
"That wouldn't have been possible. There was no way you could have stopped it. We can't worry about the past. Let's just focus on finding her. Are you ready to go?"
"Let me get my coat."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thanks to all my loyal fans!!! These next few chapters are going to be heavy on the emotions, so grab your tissues!!! Review please!!!
