With his exhausted body still telling him how tired it is, he decides the best place to rest is in a church, free from interruption. Within minutes, he is at St. Cross Church and he walks in the front doors. He walks to a pew and mumbles, “ a pew is a pew" and collapses onto one. A weathered old woman at the church notices the boy on the pew and rushes over to check out his vitals. After going in the back to notify the pastor, he agrees with her taking him home. She helps the stranger up and moments later is driving home. Parked in the driveway, she helps the young man out.

She starts to carry him to the door when her gruff older neighbor comes out and says, “Need help over there, Ms. Karla?"
Karla says, “Well, you could be a gentleman and open my door for me, James."
James, also known as the Ret. Col. James Cantrell, replies, “As you wish, Ms. Karla Lime."

James opens the door and follows her to make sure she's ok. As Karla puts the young man in the bed of her guest room, and thanks James, they go to the living room.

"Would you like some tea James?" says Karla.
With an endearing smile, James responds, “Yes, please."

After accepting a cup of tea, James sits down and speaks up.

James starts off with, "So, who's the young man you brought in Karla?"
Karla replies, “Some young man that was lying on one of the pews. Seemed very tired and looked bruised."

James nods at the answer and sits back for a minute.

Noting his curiosity, Karla repeats James' attitude. "How's life been treating Col. Cantrell?"
With a brush to his brow, James replies, "Well, there ain’t been a day when my eyes burn with a stinging sweat, at least not yet. How about you?"
Karla aims her head down in disappointment and replies, “I still haven’t heard anything about Nona. I still wonder if I should worry anymore."
James responds, “Keep up with the praying. You'll find her sometime."

James gives her a big hug.

Karla says, “Thank you very much. I needed that."
James says, “Well, I gotta get going Karla. My favorite show, Mad Season, is going to be on in a little bit. Keep me up to date on that young man, will you?"
Karla says, “Will do Col. See you tomorrow."

*****************************************

With a quiet sound pecking at his ears, it becomes louder, and within minutes, his memory struggles hard to recall a vivid memory. Some day feeling so far away, almost a grammar school setting, and learning about a bird identified as a Crow. After walking for ages, he came upon a tombstone with etchings on it. In order to see them, he looked closer and saw two letters: N and F. Brushing away the grass, everything whited out.

He sits up in the bed, looking around to see where he is, yet nothing is familiar. The stranger notices a picture of Karla's young daughter and the flash of a 30 something rocks him hard. She has large hazel green eyes that peek out from under a fringe of dark lashes. She tiptoes up to press her lips against his ... He then falls onto the ground, unconscious again.

*****************************************

Karla gets up and goes to the guest room to what she heard coming from the room. She notices he has fallen out of bed and goes to him. He has regained some color but is still pale as a ghost.

She puts him back into bed and asks, “Who are you? And what am I supposed to do with you?"
Kneeling down at the side of the bed Karla prays, “Dear God, take care of this wandering soul. He appears to be in great pain."

She then repeats the Lord's prayer, crosses herself and goes back to bed for the night.

*****************************************

The young man has another dream, this one different from the first one.

He's with a woman, who seems to be in her late 20's. They peer around the corner of some building and hear loud voices. Not loud enough to make anything of it, though. But then he sees movement, seems like it’s his own and then a mess of blurred images. Pain; then it stops momentarily. Voices are abound and finds it difficult to breathe. A moment later he feels extreme anguish and hatred only to be stopped permanently. He’s still asleep but exits the dream towards a black place of nothingness.

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