A/N: Sorry for the delay. Hopefully this will make up for it. Also, I tried to update yesterday, but I typed out the wrong chapter. So, here's the correct chapter.
Chapter 15 A Proposal
"It is with inexplicable grief that I must come up here to tell you that one of God's children, and my first child, did not survive. God does not want us hanging onto the past, though. Rather, he is calling us to look into the future as our days here on Earth are numbered." It was the evening service, and Sal was preaching. Just that morning, Kate had lost her first child. "Today, I want to talk to you about your calling in these final days."
Lizzie was sitting the back of the chapel. Kate had been excused for the next few days while she recovered. Lizzie knew she should pay strict attention to what Sal was saying. Not only had she made a game of disproving what Sal preached with her bible, but with everything going on with Kate and their escape, Lizzie needed every slightest hint about what Sal was thinking.
Kate and Lizzie's plan right now to escape was to have Kate act like she needed Sal more than ever to make him feel more secure. Meanwhile, Lizzie would keep a low profile.
"In the name of God the father." Sal had completed his sermon. As hushed amens filled the room, Sal didn't leave his position at the pulpit. "Now, usually this time is used for silent reflection, but God has called something to my attention that cannot wait. I got a request from a young man here at Lamb of God for a certain female's hand in marriage, and God has put it on my heart to give him a chance to ask her." A hushed whisper spread through the room. Lizzie's heart started pounding. What was wrong with her? It's not like this had anything to do with her. She wasn't close to any male at the present time, and she hadn't been close to Derek in a long time. Lizzie's heart dropped. Derek. "Derek, I do believe you have a question to ask a certain woman in this room."
Derek confidently rose out of his seat in the front pew and joined Sal behind the pulpit. Derek began to speak. "I know that we've had our differences in the past, and I know that we haven't always seen eye-to-eye, but that doesn't change the fact that I love you. There is nobody in Lamb of God who I want to marry besides you," Derek said, looking directly into Lizzie's eyes in the back pew. Derek left the pulpit and started walking down the center aisle towards the back where Lizzie was now standing. His eyes never left her's as she met him in the aisle. Derek took Lizzie's hand and got down on his knee. "Lizzie," he said, "Will you marry me?"
Lizzie didn't know what to do. She had always liked Derek. He was the one who held her hand as her life crumbled around her, and he had risked his position at Lamb of God to be with her. But there was also Kate and Sal and her need to escape. Lizzie knew she couldn't ask Derek to run away with her and Kate because he was on top with Sal. Lizzie couldn't let Kate down, not after everything that had just happened, but Lizzie could actually see herself finally settling down at Lamb of God with Derek at her side.
"Lizzie?" Derek said, snapping her out of her thoughts.
"No…" Lizzie said slowly. "I mean yes," she quickly corrected. "I mean, I don't know. I- I need to think," she mumbled, letting go of Derek's hand and running out of the chapel.
For the first time in a long time, Lizzie knew where she was running to. And for the first time in a long time, Lizzie was running to a person who she knew she could trust.
Lizzie was out of breath by the time she made it up to her room. Kate was quietly sitting on her old bed reading Lizzie's beat-up bible.
Kate looked up as Lizzie barged through the door, out of breath. "What happened?" Kate asked, panicked.
Lizzie flopped down on her bed. "I don't know what to do," Lizzie wailed.
"Lizzie, tell me what's going on," Kate's voice was still panicked.
"It's Derek. He wants me to marry him."
"And you said no, right?"
"No."
"You said yes?" Kate sounded angry.
"I don't know. I told him that I don't know. There were so many people, and he loves me, and he even got down on one knee. And what he said to me…" Lizzie's voice trailed off.
"Lizzie, look at me." Kate's voice sounded desperate. "You can't marry Derek. You spent months telling me that we didn't belong here, but no matter how hard you tried, I wouldn't listen. I had to lose a child, my child, to come to terms with the truth you had been telling me all along. Lizzie, I don't want you to have to lose something as precious as a child to see what the right answer is."
"But, Derek, he's-"
"Charming, polite, funny, smart? I know, but so was Sal. He opened doors, cracked jokes, read book, and got me pregnant because I was convinced that he was a great guy."
"But Derek's different."
"True, he's younger and much more attractive, but you have to realize that Derek believes in Lamb of God just as much as Sal does."
"Thanks, Kate." Lizzie knew what her answer should be, but she still wanted Derek. Saying no was not going to be easy.
"I'm gonna go on a walk," Kate said, slowly rising from her bed.
Lizzie stood up too, and touched Kate's arm. "Are you sure that's the best idea? I mean, its dark out, and after what happened this morning-"
"I think you need some time alone, and I really want to walk. Actually, before I go, I do have a question for you. How did Sal tell everybody else about this morning?"
Lizzie stared at the floor. "He told everybody that he was sad that his and God's child died, but that it was more important to look into the future."
"So, my child is pretty much forgotten now?"
"Maybe it's good that everybody forgets. They won't see that you're grieving, so we will be able to make a more subtle escape."
"Maybe," Kate answered quietly. "I'm gonna go on my walk now. I need to do something to help me clear my head."
"Okay, but be careful," Lizzie said as Kate left the room.
About two hours later, Kate still wasn't back from her walk, and Lizzie had been worried for at least the past hour, but she had also had some time to think.
Lizzie wondered why Sal would let Derek marry her. For one, Lizzie wasn't exactly on best terms with Sal, especially after she wouldn't give her bible up. Plus, Kate had just lost her baby that afternoon. Sal knew how close Lizzie and Kate had gotten towards the end of Kate's pregnancy. Not only that, but Sal had lost his child too. Was the man willing to celebrate and lead a very joyful occasion just hours after his loss?
The more Lizzie thought, the more suspicious about Sal and Derek's motives she became, and the more worried she became about Kate being out walking alone.
Just as Lizzie was about to go out looking for Kate, she walked into the room.
Immediately, Lizzie said, "Kate, something is not right. You just lost your baby this morning, and now this evening Sal is encouraging me and Derek to get married."
Lizzie looked at Kate, who was wearing a terrified expression on her face. "Kate, what's wrong?"
"Tell me everything that your bible says about end times."
"Well, Matthew ten verses 21 to 22 say, 'Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All me will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.'"
"How? How will they be put to death?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know, how will the brother kill his brother and the father his child?"
"What's going on, Kate. You're freaking me out."
"Just how will they die? You know, like will they beat them or burn them or poison them?"
"Well, in Jeremiah five verse 14, God says, 'Because the people have spoken these words, I will make my words in you mouth a fire and these people the wood it consumes.'"
"Are you serious?" Kate whispered, her eyes wide.
"Kate, don't freak out about it. Jeremiah is simply warning the Israelites about what will happen to them if they don't start following God instead of their idols."
"No, Lizzie. You don't get it. I overheard Sal say something about how we must die before the end. Sal is gonna kill us. All of us."
"Are you sure? Who was he talking to? What were his exact words?"
"I didn't hear the entire context, but he was praying out loud. He said, 'How shall we perish?' and then he added, 'I promise that we will be with you before the end. Fire burns amongst my followers.'"
"That could have meant anything. The fire part came from Psalm 106 verse 18. It says, 'Fire blazed among their followers; a flame consumed the wicked.' Only the wicked are killed," Lizzie said trying to soothe Kate, but Lizzie didn't feel any better about just the wicked being killed. Lizzie had heard of a cult in California that was all poisoned by the wine they took during communion, because the leader believed that the end for them had come and it was God's will. "Maybe he's just talking about how we're all on fire for Christ."
"What if we're considered wicked?"
"No…wait. Sal's always said how we're all sinners, which would mean that we're all wicked."
"But we're all followers, too."
"Let's just listen to what Sal says tomorrow. Maybe it will give us a clue as to what he was saying."
"Lizzie, there may not be a tomorrow."
"I know, but we should take a chance. Just don't drink any wine."
"What?"
"Never mind."
A/N: Is it any good? Let me know what you're thinking.
