“Time is precious, but truth is more precious than time.”

-Benjamin Disraeli

The next morning they arose early. Seth and his family led them to the opening in the cliff wall. They had given them skins full of water and dried meat and fruit. “Go all the way to the top of this path. There you will find a hut. That is where Enoch told us to tell you to go. A little beyond that you will find what you seek.” Jaius looked up the passage through the rock. It looked like a ramp that was cut through the rock wall. It looked to go up to the top, but he couldn't see tht far up the path. He turned back to Seth. “Thank you Seth for letting us stay the night. I hope we can repay the kindness someday.” Seth looked down at his daughter. “You already have Son of Maleric.” Kalima went up to Alianna. “I see your pain Hyress and that it runs deep, but I believe that you will soon find healing for it.” Alianna looked into her eyes and suddenly reached out to her and hugged her. Kalima embraced her. Alianna felt such a warmth flow over her. It wasn't just a normal hug, it was a mother's hug. The one reserved for her children when they were hurting. She didn't want to let go. Kalima seemed to understand her need because she didn't let go. Jaius watched, somewhat jealous and not sure why. After a few minutes Alianna backed away and wiped at her eyes. “Thank you Kalima.” She said and then she hugged Maliea. When she turned to him she seemed just a little bit lighter. She even smiled a little bit. When she joined Jaius they both turned to wve goodby to Seth and his family. They waved back and then they both turned and started up the pathway. It was a long climb to the top. It took about an hour, they weren't trying to get there fast either. Both of them were excited to find what the big secret was, but they also were afraid of what they might find at the end of this path. As they reached the top they seemed to come out on a broad flat surface like a plateau but it seemed to go off in each direction in a circular shape. There seemed to be a rim about a mile from them straight ahead. They could not make out what lie on the other side. Off to their right they saw a fence beyond the fence lay a number of small buildings and one larger hut. Behind the hut lay rows of what looked like wheat and corn and other crops. “This must be what Seth was talking about. “The hut.” Jaius said as he placed his hand on the pommel of his sword. Alianna looked at the building with fear in her eyes. “What's wrong?” Jaius asked her. “Jus...just worried about what we are going to find there.” Jaius took her hand and squeezed it. “Whatever it is we will face it together.” She looked down at his hand in her's and smiled slightly. “Together.” She said. Hand in hand they walked toward the hut. “Hello!” jaius called out.” For what seemed like forever nothing happened. Then the door to the hut opened and a woman came out. She was holding a child that looked like he was three, but she also was pregnant. She had long dark hair, piercing eyes, and had an almost otherworldliness about her, and she wore animal skins that also seemed to be more then just regular animal skins like Seth and his family wore. She came out of the hut and moved toward them. A girl about their age came out behind her holding another little boy that was about six years old. She came up to them and looked at them with curiosity, and fear. “Hello.” Said Alianna stepping forward. “I'm Alianna and this is Jaius. Enoch sent us here”. The mention of Enoch's name seemed to relax her somewhat. “Our son Seth said that there would be two coming to us from Enoch. I wasn't sure if I believed him, but now I see he was telling the truth. My name is Eve, my husband Adam will be in from the field soon.” Both of their mouths drooped open and they both collapsed to the ground and then fainted.

When they came back around they were lying on beds of furs piled on the ground of the hut. The woman knelt next to them, placing a cool cloth on their heads. When she saw them stir she moved back away. Jaius sat up and helped Alianna sit up. Alianna looked at the woman with wide eyes. “You said your name was Eve, and your husband was Adam?” “Yes, my name is Adam and this is my wife Eve.” came a deep voice from behind them. They turned and saw a man sitting at a table. He was tall and had dark wavy hair and a short beard. His eyes were as piercing as the women’s and had the same otherworldliness about him. A boy about their age sat next to him. “You are the ones that Seth told us about, the ones Enoch foretold would come before he left these lands. What are your names?” Jaius swallowed hard. “I am called Jaius, Son of Maleric, and this is Alianna who is called Hyress.”

Adam looked at them as if studying them under a microscope. “I know of this Maleric, he is a son’s, son’s, son of our son Cain. You bear no resemblance to him though, how are you his Son?” As soon as Adam mentioned they had a son named Cain Alianna began to tremble and she shut her eyes. Jaius looked at her with concern, but then slowly answered. “I defeated his real son Jekk in combat. Maleric then adopted me as his own and named me his Son.” Adam nodded as if this was not unusual. “My dear, what troubles you?” Said Eve as she looked at Alianna who was openly distressed. She was sweating and shaking and breathing heavily. “Ali...Ali are you okay?” “Pa...annic att...ack..” She said through too quick breaths. Eve stood and knelt down next to Alianna and wrapped her arms around her. “Shhh. Be calm daughter, all will be well. Do not let despair overcome you.” Eve began to hum a soft soothing tune. Slowly Alianna relaxed somewhat and allowed herself to be cradled. Jaius looked at Adam. “Why did she just call Alianna her Daughter? You are not our parents?'' Adam looked confused at the question. “Are we not?” He answered plainly. “All who are alive came from Eve. That is why I gave her that name. She is the mother of all living. You are human and alive and so you must have come from our union.” the plain matter of factness of his tone hit Jaius like a punch in the gut. “It can't be. The bible is just a bunch of stories, its not real.”

Alianna looked up into Eve's eyes and stared deeply into them. “Are you really Eve? Mother of Caine and Able?” She asked softly. Pain and sorrow washed across Eve's face as Alianna mentioned the names of her two lost sons. A single tear rolled down her cheek. “Yes, daughter, they were my sons. The first that Elohim gave to us.” “I'm sorry for your loss.” Alianna whispered. Then there was a silence that came over everyone. To break the silence, because he couldn't stand it for too long, Jaius asked “Who is Elohim?” Eve looked at Adam with confusion. “You do not know of Him?” Adam said with shock in his voice. “He is the Eternal one. The creator of all things.” “Do you mean God?” Jaius said in a little above a whisper. “Elohim is how he has revealed himself to us.” Eve said with sadness still heavy in her voice. A heaviness fell over Adam also. “You must leave now.” Said Adam as he stood up. Jaius looked at him in surprise, Alianna bowed her head in shame. “I'm sorry, for bringing that up.” She said, Eve looked at her sorrow heavy on her face. “It is not just our child or the mention of Elohim who we miss dearly. It is your presence here. Seth said that Enoch instructed that you must go all the way west, to the edge of the plain here, and there you will look upon the thing which we cannot bear to look at. We live close to it, but we cannot bear to go near the edge. The Memory of what was is so powerful that we would leap off the cliff just to be that much more near it for even the briefest second. It is the knowledge that you are going there that weighs so heavily upon us, jealousy crouches at our door, and every second that you remain here it’s hunger for us deepens. You must go, else we risk succumbing to it.“ Said Eve.

“You speak too much of what is too private to discuss woman.” said Adam. “And you do not speak enough about what is most important.” Said Eve aciddly over her shoulder. Anger flared on Adam's face. He stood and glared at them. “Leave now. Head west to the edge and look upon what cannot be had and despair. Let sorrow fill your heart until it bursts and you die with just the briefest glimpse of what was lost.” He said the last part with his teeth clenched and his finger pointing to the door.

Jaius shrank back a little from the anger Adam was displaying, Alianna shuddered and rose to her feet. Jaius took a deep breath, squared his shoulders and stood. “Thank you for your help. We will be leaving now.” Was all he could get out. He took Alianna by the hand and led her to the door. Her head was bent forward and her hair had fallen to cover her face. Jaius opened the door and went out and then shut it. He looked toward the other end of the plateau and took a deep breath and started walking. He had never felt a wrongness like he had just felt in that house. A sorrow, and anger, resentment that seemed to go beyond normal human experience. “Jaius, Jaius...” A small voice was crying out behind him. He stopped and turned, at the same time Alianna’s head popped up and turned around. The young girl from Adam and Eve's house was running after them with a small pouch in her hand. Jaius stopped and waited till she got to them. She stopped and shyly handed the small bag to him. Jaius reached out to take it but the girl pulled back and moved over toward Allianna and handed it to her. Alianna looked concerned at the girls move but then gently reached out to take it. “Thank you. Can you tell me what this is?” The girl looked down and then glanced up at Alianna wringing her hands together. 'My mother asked me to give this to you Alianna. It is one of three. It is a fig from the Garden. It can sustain life where only death seems to rule for a time. She said you would know when to use it. It was on the fig leaves that they used to cover themselves. It fell off when they plucked the leaves.

Alianna stared at the girl, her hand frozen in the action of taking the bag. The girl became confused at her hesitation. Jaius had caught it too. The word “Garden” had hung in the air like it was glue. After a minute Alianna shook her head and then completed the task of taking the bag. The Girl smiled slightly and then turned to start to leave. Alianna reached out quickly and drew the girl into a hug. The girl stiffened as if this was unfamiliar to her, but soon she softened and melted into it. “Thank you.” Alianna said. After a minute she let the girl go and the girl smiled and then ran back to the hut. Alianna stood up and turned and walked over to Jaius. She held the bag in her hand toward him. “Jaius, did you hear what she said? Where she said this was from?” He nodded slowly. “The Garden, but it can't mean the Garden of Eden Ali, that's just a story, an allegory for the perfection we all hope to obtain. At least that is what Father Phillip said in Religion class.”

She looked at him, wanting to believe him, what he was saying. She had had Father Philip too and heard the same thing, but being here in this place seeing what she saw back in that hut, she was finding it hard to deny. “I know Jaius, I had Father Philip too, but you were there back in that Hutt. Their names were Adam and Eve Jaius, and they had a son Able who was killed by a son named Cain, and a son named Seth whom we met, and he had a descendant named Enoch. I can remember almost everything I've read Jaius, especially if there is a story involved and I remember the Bible mentioning all of them, and now, just a short distance from us, are we going to look down from this height and see the Garden of Eden?”

He looked down and a tear leaked out of his eye. Alianna moved over to him. “I'm sorry Jaius, if I said anything to hurt you.” He looked up into her eyes. “It wasn't you Ali, it was...that hut, that family. The hurt, and sorrow and pain and regret and anger within them was so palpable it was like a physical thing in that room. I..I it felt like, like it was me too.” He said another tear leaking out. She hugged him. “I know Jaius.” She said softly. “I felt it too. It was like looking into a mirror of my whole life. Pain, sorrow, anger, regret, it's like everything in us, but then also this overwhelming sense that there was a time when life wasn't like that. A time that Adam and Eve actually lived through. When there was no pain or death, when....” She stopped, her breath caught in her throat. The passage from Genesis came up in her mind. “...When God walked with them in the cool of the day.” Tears flowed freely from them both as they both felt fully the emptiness that had grown in them. “The emptiness that consumed that hutt like a black hole, it was the absence of God Ali.” Jaius said through his tears. “But we're Catholic!” He complained. “We've been baptized and gone through confession and we're about to be confirmed. Why are we feeling like God is absent from our lives?” “Maybe we missed something or messed up while we were here.” Maybe because I treated Nisa so badly.” She said morosely. “Or maybe what I did to Jekk.” He said sadly. Slowly they drew away from each other and looked at the other. “What do we do now, Jaius?” She said, hoping he had a plan of some kind or some insight that would fill this hole. He looked at the hut, and then away from it, westward toward the edge of the plateau. “The only thing we can do now, Ali, go west as far as we can, like Enoch said.” He held his hand out to her. She stared at it unsure if she could bring herself to take it. To take one more step west. In the end though the emptiness drove her to take it. The briefest hope that maybe they would find something to fill it at the edge of that cliff.

They walked the mile or so to the edge in silence. Holding hands but each lost in their own sorrow at fully feeling the emptiness that had been there for as long as they could remember. When they came to the edge they looked down. Far off in the distance a large river flowed from the west as it meandered toward them until it came to a stone wall. The wall glowed with a light of its own. The river passed through it and on the other side of the wall were trees. Trees of every shape, size and kind. There were also every type of flower and bush they had ever heard of and some that they couldn't recall ever seeing. Birds of every kind could be seen flying above the trees and even from here they could hear loud roars and calls of animals. The wall went around in a large circle that looked to go for a few miles in each direction. Inside was filled with the trees and bushes. Where the wall faced them there were five arches. Out of four of the arches came a branch of the river they had seen coming from the west. Somewhere inside the wall the river must have split into four branches. The branches exited through the four arches and then spread out below them and entered the cliff face at four different points. In the center of the Garden two larger trees rose above the others. A brilliant light shown from one of the trees, this one had very large leaves that concealed all beneath it. It was a light like no other they had seen. It seemed to bring life to the entire Garden just by the light that came from it. All the colors of the plants around it seemed enhanced in its light. Then a short ways off from it there was another unique tree. The normal day light from the sun seemed to swirl around this second tree, but that light seemed to fight against a deep shadow that came also from that tree. Almost as if the daylight was at war with the darkness.

It was the fifth archway that seemed to draw their full attention away from this awesome sight. On either side of the arch stood two very tall beings. They had six wings, one set covered their face, one their feet and the third set fluttered behind them making them fly. They had eyes covering each set of wings. Between them standing in the middle of the archway was a glimmering object. It rotated and flashed in every direction so fast that it was hard to tell what it was. Jaius recognized it first, because He loved swords so much. He drew swords constantly and watched every movie he could with swords in it. He could make out the blade and hilt and flames surrounding it. It spun in every direction. Jaius usually didn't remember anything that he read, but this verse he remembered because it had a sword in it. “... and at the east of the Garden of Eden He stationed the Cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.” He said aloud, eyes fixed on the whirling sword. Alianna gasped and looked at him and then back to the beings and the sword.

Both Jaius and Alianna dropped to their knees. They could feel just the smallest glimmer of the peace and serenity from that place and it seemed to make the emptiness in them even greater. They both began to cry, heads bent down and their shoulder's shaking. They felt it, the weight of what had been lost. The loss of Eden that covered them like a funeral shroud the moment they were born. They understood why Adam and Eve never came back here. After a few minutes, or a few hours, neither could tell, they both looked back at the center gate and found that all of the eyes on the Cherubin's wings were looking up at them and the sword, even though it still spun it also was pointed right at them. Fear gripped them. They both stood and once they reached their feet the sword shot out from its place at the gate and streeked toward them, even though it still remained spinning at the gate. Before they could react it split into two and drove itself into them. Alianna felt the impact, but she did not feel it in her body, but deep deep in her soul, it went deep into that emptiness she had just been wallowing in. She looked over at Jaius just as he was turning his head to look at her. Then she saw the sword appear out of his back. There was no blood but it did force something out with it. It looked like a shadowy reflection of Jaius and the sword was impaled in the reflection's chest and the reflection fell to the ground like a normal body would if impaled by a sword. Except Jaius’s physical body still stood upright looking at her. She then realized that she was looking at him as one would be looking at him if one was laying on her back on the ground. Then everything went black.

There was a forceful but padded sounding thud near her. She slowly opened her eyes and saw a massive paw in front of her face. Then another and then two more, then a swishing tail. She glanced up and a massive Lion was walking past her. Golden fur that practically glowed and a rich amber mane surrounding its head. It walked over and sat down in front of a flowing river. Alianna stood up, her whole body shaking with fright, and an indescribable thirst filled her body. Even after the most arduous soccer practice she couldn't remember such a thirst. The Lion looked at her. Within its eyes she saw the most perfect definition of peace and at the same time a power that terrified her. “Wait”. She thought. “I know this scene.”

“If you are thirsty, you may drink.” She heard in her head as the Lion looked at her. “Are you not thirsty?” She heard the deep bass of the Lion's voice in her head again. Alianna nodded. “I'm dying...” was all she could get out. “ Then Drink” she heard the Lion say. “I...I cannot...” She said far too afraid to move. “Then you will die.” “I..I'll go look for another stream.” she said with resignation. The Lion's eyes bore into her ver soul. “There is no other stream.” The words reverberated inside her very heart. “Alsan'' She marveld in her head. Then the scene changed and she stood at the top of a hill. There was a large stone table with ancient writing encircling it. The same lion lay on the table tied to it with ropes. Its glorious mane had been ripped off and its golden fur was pale and matted. A large knife stuck out from its side. Suddenly the ground quaked and shook and Alianna fell to her knees. While her head was down there was an ear splitting cracking sound. She looked up and saw that the stone table had cracked in two and the Lion was gone. Then over the hill the Lion emerged glorious and larger than before. There was a wound in its side and each paw had a circular wound in it. “Wait, this is like the book, but in the Book Aslan didn't have wounds and nothing happened to his Paws in that book. Why is it different?” The wounds reminded her of something, however, but she couldn't think of what. Then the Lion's voice echoed in her head. “I go by a different name in your world. You must come to know me by that name, and learn to follow me there.” Alianna's mouth fell open. She remembered Aslan saying that to the Pevensee's but the Chronicles of Narnia had never told her what that other name was. But then all the scenes she had just gone through faded and she stood in front of a large wooden beam. She looked up and saw a man on the wooden beam, with another wooden beam crossed horizontally toward the top. His arms were spread out on that beam and there were nails piercing his wrists and his feet. His head was bowed and a crown of thorns lay on top of his head. Blood poured forth from his hands and feet and side and head. She had seen this image hundreds of times in their home and at church. “Jesus.” she whispered.

Then there was a huge shaking of the ground and she looked over to the right and there was a rock wall and a large round stone. The stone was rolling away and a bright light with the outline of a man in it filled the entrance to a cave. Then she remembered the wounds of the Lion and the stone table cracking and the voice saying that she needed to know him by a different name. “Jesus! Aslan is Jesus. That...that was the point. Aslan was supposed to represent Jesus. “There is no other stream.” Those words pounded in her heart. Then it hit her. “That's it. That is the answer. Jesus is the only one who can quench this thirst, who can fill this hole in me. Suddenly she was back at the river with the Lion sitting by the stream looking at her. This time He had scars on his paws and sides. Her heart swelled. Suddenly she realized what the thirst was. It was the arid wind that was all the sins she had committed in her life. They all began to flood past her, like watching a movie, and she could see how awful they were. When she had told her mother she hated her, and the wound that stamens caused her mother's heart. When she told Keri Bellows that she hoped she would die, the evil way she had treated Nisa, and the hatred that she had toward Alison. Her Sin's are what formed the structure of the emptiness in her heart. She looked into those deep, infinite eyes. Those eyes pulled at something hidden deep in her that resisted coming out, but those eyes were stronger then her resistance and from deep in her heart and up to her lips ``I'm sorry.” Suddenly the paralysis that held her lifted and she ran toward the stream and drank and drank and drank and the arid desert of her sins were washed away and peace and hope flooded the emptiness in her heart. When she had drunk her fill she turned and saw the Lion looking at her, and now in those eyes she saw love, a love so deep and meaningful that it filled every last part of her. She rushed forward and threw her arms around the Lion, reveling in the warmth of this hug. “I love you Alianna, with and everlasting love.” She heard the deep caring voice in her head. “I love you Jesus.” She said with a joy she couldn't describe filling her. She heard His voice in her head once more. “You need to forgive her Daughter.” And Alianna saw a hospital bed with a young girl in it. She had lost all her hair and looked gaunt and almost dead. “Who is she? She didn’t receive an answer and then Her eyes opened.

Jaius opened his eyes and he was walking with a man in front of him and a man behind. They were all chained together. They were trudging through the burning sand. The dry air pulled what little water was left in him right out of him. He was part of a line of about twenty men who were being led through a barren waste. There were men on horses guarding them and whipping them to keep moving. They wore armor that reminded him of Roman soldiers. They entered a village and the people of the village rushed to the well to draw water for them. The lead Roman soldier told the people to give water to his men and horses first. Eventually the people brought the water over to the prisoners. One person brought a ladle full of water to him. And the thirst and emptiness inside him became overwhelming. He reached for it but before he could take it in to his mouth, a Roman guard came over and knocked it out of the villagers hand. “No water for him.” The words pierced into his soul. Suddenly his soul was as thirsty as his body. He collapsed onto the ground. The blazing sun beating down on him. When he was about to give up and die a person stood over him, blocking out the rage of the sun. The man bent down and brought the ladle of water to his mouth. There was such a peace and gentleness coming from this man. Jaius drank deeply, the water never seemed to disappear no matter how much he drank. He felt the man gently caress his head as a father would a sick son. The water took away his thirst. “I know this scene. From Ben-Hur. It always made me cry, but I don't know why.” He thought to himself.

Then the scene changed and he was standing in a large cave. There were shadowy figures all around him. People stood at the entrance laughing at him and the shadowy figures around him, calling them names, revivaling them. “Leper, Your so Unclean, You are outcast from God and the People.” Every word hit him like a knife. He heard himself cry out. “Unclean, stay away, Unclean.” He waved his arm in front of him and he could see bloody sores and wounds covering his arm. He was wrapped in bandages. “I'm a Leper” He thought forlornly. He remembered lepers from Religion class and movies. They always were wrapped in bloody bandages like a mummy and shuffled around like zombies. Jaius could tell that these sores went deeper than just his skin, they went all the way down to his soul. As he looked at each sore he saw an image of something he had done, something wrong, a Sin. Pushing Anne down in anger, watching movies about murder and in his heart imaging it being those who were tormenting him, all the fights he got in with Sis, and one large gaping one, the ruining of Jekk. Then a man appeared among them, it was the man from before, the one that had given him water. He looked at Jaius and his eyes bore right down into Jaius's soul seeing the depth of the sores. He tried to hide them from that gaze, those eyes that only looked favorably on purity, he held his arms in front of him and yelled. “Unclean, Unclean.” The man spread His arms up till they were stretched to each side. Then the man lifted off the ground and the cave disappeared and Jaius found himself on a windswept hill. The man continued to lift up and a cross appeared behind him and he was pushed back against the cross and nails appeared in his hands and his feet and a crown of thorns was on his head. “Jesus” Jaius thought. “The man that gave me water was Jesus.” He shuffled over to the cross and fell down at the foot of it. He looked up and saw Jesus staring down at him. He didn’t know what to do so he began to recite the Act of Contrition. “Oh my God, I am Heartily sorry for having offended thee…”. The words felt like chalk coming from his mouth, like empty boxes full of nothing. So he stopped and despair encroached on him. But then he looked up again, into Jesus’s eyes and from deep within him, that which he was resisting giving had its resistance overwhelmed and drawn forth by those eyes from deep in his heart came words that were not empty boxes. “I'm...I'm sorry for everything I've done that caused these sores. Please forgive me.” He knew these sores were caused by his sins, and he also knew at that moment that just being Catholic wasn't enough to remove them, that the only way to become a saint was through the blood that was pouring from those hands and feet.

“Please Jesus, remove these sores, I know now you're the only one that can.” Jesus looked at him and smiled slightly. Then the wind came and tore through Jaius, it blew off his bandages and removed all his sores and he felt changed inside, deep in his soul. The emptiness was gone and was replaced by Jesus. Then the cross was gone and only Jesus remained. He had a white robe with a golden sash and on his arms and feet and side were the scars from the cross. He heard a voice speak, deep and loud. “Behold, Jaius McFarland. I have accepted him as a son. Henceforth, wherever he goes he goes as a child in my name. All that I have I will not withhold from him for I did not withhold even my Only Son in whom I am well pleased.”

Jaius stood in wonder as the voice moved in and out of his soul. He felt clean and alive and new. He looked into Jesus's eyes and saw a love he couldn't describe, and even more so he felt that love in his heart. Jaius moved closer and knelt down, not knowing quite what to do. Jesus knelt down too and hugged Jaius. There was such a deep filling and peace in that Hug that He didn't want to leave it, ever. He heard a soft deep voice in his head. “ You have many people to forgive, and to tell about My forgiveness, but you first must start with her.” And in his mind he saw his Sister, Jennifer, curled up on her bed crying uncontrollably as she was clutching the baby blanket he still slept with. Jaius was shocked, he had thought through the past months that she was probably the person that was most glad to see him gone, but seeing her there crying over what seemed to be him, and as he thought about her, deep inside the hurt she had given him over the years started to turn to peace and forgiveness. He looked at Jesus and nodded. The smile that he received back was more wonderful than anything he had ever experienced.

His eyes shot open and he turned his head and saw Alianna looking over at him. Tears ran down his cheeks as even though the peace remained he didn't see Jesus anymore. He saw similar tears on Alianna's cheeks. He moved over to her and set his hand on her shoulder. “Did you see Him too?” Jaius said. She looked confused for just a moment then she smiled. “Yes. Oh, Jaius it was so wonderful. First I saw Aslan, like from the movie, from Narnia, and then I saw Jesus and by the end I realized that Aslan and Jesus were the same. Aslan was supposed to help you to see Jesus through a story. Anyway, Jesus took away the emptiness and thirst from my soul and filled it with himself. Jaius none of this is what we learned about in church.” She said with a note of concern. “I know Ali, I was a prisoner dying of thirst and a man gave me water and it filled me, and then I was a leper covered in sores, except the sores were all of my sins. Then I saw the same man but then he was hung on a cross and I knew then that it was Jesus who had given me water. Then it was Jesus after he rose from the dead and I heard a voice saying that I was God's child now, like adopted, it was all like the Movie Ben Hur which is like one of my favorite movies, but like you said, all my sores, or sins were taken away by Jesus. He said I need to forgive a lot of people.” She nodded. “He told me I needed to forgive someone too. I saw an image of a girl in a hospital bed but she looked like she was dying and she was bald. I didn't recognize her.” Jaius shook his head. “I'm not sure either. I wonder what we are supposed to do now?” He said as he looked back toward the gate where the Cherubim and the sword stood guard. The eyes and sword had gone back to looking in every direction.

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They stood on the edge of the plateau looking down at the Garden of Eden. The sense of loss and utter despair were not there this time as they gazed down at it, but there was still a desire to go there. They knew that that however was not an option open to them.

Then a wind began to blow, it started softly like a caress against their faces but gradually it grew in strength. Before long Alianna's long hair was blowing straight into Jaius's face and was making it hard to see. They gripped eachother's hands more tightly and he held his hand up in front of his face. The wind kept increasing till he was afraid that they would be blown off the cliff. Then, just as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. When they opened their eyes they were surrounded by trees and a creek bubbled along its course about five feet from where they stood. Jaius looked around and so did Alianna. She then looked back at him. “Oh no Jaius, are we back in the clearing where Maleric found us?” The same fear had encroached on him. He looked at the water, but did not see the glowing crystals, and he heard an odd sound in the distance that was somehow familiar. “I...I don't think so Ali, i'm not sure...” all of a sudden he began to cough and dropped to his knees, a few seconds later so did Alianna. They spent about a minute coughing as the air had seemed to change. It became less pure, and was now filled with other things, it tasted terrible. After another minute they had calmed down enough where they could look up at each other. It was then that they noticed they were in the same clothes they had had on when they were taken. The clothes were worn and didn't look new anymore, but they were the same. The only thing that remained from their journey was the satchel that Alianna carried that had the two jars that Enoch had given him and the bag from Adam and Eve and the Thron shard. His sword and everything else was gone. Even the knife shard that Alianna had had with her. Slowly they stood up. Jaius listened to that strange sound in the distance for a minute and then his eyes light up. “Ali” he said excitedly. “What?” “I think we're back, back home. Ali I think that noise is the noise of cars on the Highway.” She listened closely and after a few moments her eyes lit up too. “Jaius, I think your right. We have to get home Jaius, I...I have to let my mom and dad know I'm okay.” He nodded excitedly. “Me too. I'll walk you to your house first.” She nodded with a huge grin on her face. They took each other's hands and ran through the woods toward what they desperately hopped was Reid St. After a few minutes they were running up an incline and stopped as their feet touched a sidewalk. They looked down at the sidewalk and then behind them at the steel railing that indicated the bridge that ran over the creek, the one Alianna would always stand at and stare down the path of the creek trying to imagine the land that lay beyond what she could see.

“I don't have to imagine it anymore.” She thought. The reality of them knowing now for sure they were home made them both hug the other and jump up and down with delight. When they stopped they looked at eachother. “Oh Jaius, we are back, its Black Canyon and this is Reid street and my house is just up the road. “ She said gleefully. He smiled a huge smile, but then it faded. “What's wrong, didn't you hear me, we are home Jaius.” He nodded. “I know Ali, I heard you, it's just what are we going to tell everyone what happened to us? Why we were gone so long?” Her smile faded some too and she looked down thinking. “Well.” She said raising her head and looking at him. “Maybe no time has passed, like in Narnia and it will all be okay.” He wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Its a bit hot for spring Ali, kinda feels like August. I'm just saying we should figure out what we are going to tell them before we get there, just in case.” She looked a bit sullen at the reality that he had hit her with, but then brightened up. “Well we can't tell them what really happened, they would never belive us, and I'm sure some scientist would want to run all these tests on us. I...I think we should just have amnesia. Say we can't remember.” He was about to nod, but then something caught in his heart. “But that would be lying Ali.” “I know Jaius, but its all we can do. They won't belive us and so might send us to some phych hospital or something if we tell them we went back in time and saw the Garden of Eden.” He was about to protest again, but couldn';t come up with a good retorte, everything she said was true. Unsure of any other alternative he slowly nodded his head. “Amnesia it is. Oh wait, the satchel, they will search it and then the whole amnesia thing might go out the window. I need to hide it somehwere till I can come back and get it.” She looked really worried. “Where?” She said. Jaius looked around and then his eyes lighted on a familiar bush. It was the one he had hidden in when he was watching Ali stand at the bridge crying. “I know where to put it.” He ran over to the thick bush and dove inside. He put the satchle on the ground and covered it with dead leaves and some dirt. He then exited the bush and ran back over to her. She sighed with relife and he could see the joy of being home coming back to her. He smiled too and then they took eachother's hands again and ran up Reid St and at the top of the hill as the street ended and the golf course lay across from them they turned to the right and ran down the block and skidded to a stop in front of Alianna's house. She just stared looking at it for a few minutes, drinking in every last inch of it. Tears already forming in her eyes. Soon they became aware of voices coming from the back yard. She heard her dad's and Mom's voice and her heart leptinto her throat. Jaius also heard his parents voices. He looked confused, but she pulled on his arm and mouthed “Come on.” He shook his head and then walked quickly after her. They went around the garage and as they came even with the back edge of the house. They each took a deep breath, looked at eachother and then took a step forward.

As they emerged from the side of the house into the backyard they herd a loud scream, almost a screech, from their right and the sound of glass breaking. They turned to look to their right and Alianna saw Olivia, her new friend from the mall, staring at them with her hand over her mouth and a broken pitcher of what looked to be coolaid at her feet. Tears forming in her eyes as all she was able to squeak out was “Ali...” Alianna smiled and nodded. Suddenly there were screams and gasps from their left. Someone crashed into Jaius and knocked him to the ground. “Jaius, Jaius Jaius.” Came a young girls voice, it was Anne's voice. Alianna turned and saw her dad running over to her, her mother just a few steps behind. She felt such joy as her dad got to her, scooped her into his arms and gave her the gentlest bearhug she could imagine. There was a moment where time seemed to slow down and her father looked at her with wonderment in his eyes. He mouthed her name, but couldn't seem to find his voice, tears starting down his cheeks. “Ali' She heard her mother scream as she got to her. Her dad put Her down and her mother threw her arms around her and began to rock her back and forth. “Oh my Ali, my sweet dear beautiful Ali, oh you really are here, its not a dream. Oh thank God Ali you're alive. Oh Ali, Oh i've missed you. I...I thought you were gone...” Her mother said softly as she began to cry. “I'm okay mamma, I'm home now.” Her mom just held her and cried and her dad wrapped his arms around them. “Alwi” “Ali” Came two small voices and small arms that wrapped around her too. She smiled as Simon and Sarah joined them.

Anne was crying and couldn't stop saying his name. He looked up and saw his mom running over to him with his dad not far behind. They knelt down and each one took his face in their hands and looked deep into his eyes, each unable to speak. “Hi Mom, Hi Dad.” He said with a smile. “Oh Jaius, oh your home, your home.” Was all his mom got out before she pulled him into her arms. “I am so glad your alive and home Son.” Said his dad, which is more emotion than his dad had ever shown him. He hugged them both tight. “I'm not going anywhere ever again.” He said as he felt a love from his parents that he had not felt in quite some time. As he opened his eyes though he saw someone standing a bit off from them with her head down and her hand over her mouth crying. It was Sis. He couldn't get up but after a while his family released him and he stood up. He started to move toward his sister but was hampered by someone still holding on to him. He looked behind him and Anne was still there with her arms wrapped around him walking with him. “Anne, its okay, I'm here you can let go.” “Nope.” She said. “I'm not letting you go, Jaius. You aren't going anywhere ever again.” He was about to protest, but decided it wasn't worth it. He went over to his sister and touched her hand that was at her side. She looked up at him. Tears filled her eyes and she tried to draw back but he held her hand firmly. “Hey sis.” he said. She shook her head. “No, I don't deserve a hug, or anything else. I treated you horribly and I will understand how you can't forgive me, but...but I'm so glad your back.” He moved forward, dragging Ann with him and threw his arms around his sister. She struggled at first, whispering that she didn't' deserve it, but after a few moments she returned the hug and all three slummed to the ground. Sis cried into his shoulder. “I'm so sorry Jaius, so sorry for the horrible way I've treated you. I've always loved you, but, but I just couldn't show it right, it always came out wrong. I Love you Jaius and am so thankful your alive.” “I love you too Sis.” Just like that, he felt the connection with his sister again, the one they had shared when they were younger, before Anne was born.

Alianna looked over her dad's shoulder from the middle of this family group hug and saw Jaius huging his older sister. She smiled. A joy she couldn't describe filled her heart. She was safe, home, and she had learned the truth about salvation. She knew that it was Jesus that had removed all her sins, not confession or the church. She wanted to stay in this moment forever. A moment where everyone she loved was here and she was safe. After an undetermined amount of time, from her point of view, her dad began to stand up lifting her into his arms and walked back to the circle of chairs that had been erected around the fire pit in her backyard. Her mom didn't let go of her hand and sat down next to her. She pulled her chair close and laid her head on Alianna's shoulder still crying softly Alianna laid her had on top of her mother's letting it sink in that she was home, safe, and loved. She saw the others as they sat down. Jaius's parents, and his two sisters. Jaius sat down right across from her and smiled. She smiled back at him, his younger sister had her arms wrapped around his in a death grip. The rest of the chairs were taken up by Olivia and her mom and a tall man with dark hair who she assumed was Olivia's dad. Olivia was a mixture of huge smile and tears coming down her cheeks, her mother wore a similar expression. Alianna’s dad was the first one to speek. “Ali, Jaius, can you tell us what happened? Where have you been for four months?” Alianna looked across to Jaius searching his eyes and face for any hint of anything else that wasn’t a lie but also wasn’t telling them the truth, but she caught a slight shake of his head. She sighed. “We...we can't remember Daddy. We were by the creek down on Reed street. I...something really bad happened at school and I couldn't take it anymore, so I ran away from school and Jaius followed me to make sure I was okay. He found me at the creek there and then there was a weirdly strong wind and that is the last thing we remember clearly until today when we found ourselves in the same place by the creek. There are flashes of memories, woods, rivers, cliffs, but not sure what it means.” She said, ending in a little above a whisper. The lie seemed to burn in her heart. “I'm sorry God, I don't know what to do.” The burning died down but not the push inside her to tell the truth. Her dad looked at Jaius. “Jaius, do you remember anything.” Jaius closed his eyes but then shook his head. “No sir, Just the same as what Ali said.” Her dad sighed but nodded his head. “We need to let the authorities know, and you both should definitely go to the Hospital to get checked out, especially since you can't remember.”

Fear clouded Alianna's face and she could see the worry on Jaius's, but there didn't seem like any hope of getting out of the authorities or the hospital. Her mother must have seen her face. “Jonathan, do we have to. I mean, do we have to right now? Can't we just enjoy this reunion a little longer?” She said pleadingly still with her arms wrapped around Alianna. Her father was about to speak but then shut his mouth and looked at Alianna and saw the concern and fear. He sighed and nodded. “We can wait awhile, but probably not more than a few hours.” he said smiling at Alianna who smiled slightly noting the way his eyes were watering up when he looked at her. She mouthed to him “I love you Daddy.” He couldn't hold back anymore and went over and joined his wife in embracing her. Jaius's family were doing similar. Taking turns hugging him or telling him how much they loved and missed him.

After more then an hour had passed in this way Anne leaned in and whispered to Jaius. “I need to talk to you, alone.” Jaius looked at her a bit worried. “Can it wait?” She gave him a level stern look and shook her head. He sighed. “Okay, lets go over by the trees.” He said. He got up, and his parents looked concerned. “It's okay, Anne just wanted to tell me everything that has happened since i've been gone.” They looked a bit confused, but also didn't stop him. He got up and walked over by the row of pine trees that lined the back of the yard. When they got there he looked donw at Anne. “What's up?” He said a bit worriedly. She started at him fore a few seconds, which made him even more uneasy. “Why did you lie back there? Why did you lie about where you were for four months?” She said in a tone that was trying to sound even but was covering over a pot of worry, fear, and anger. Jaius took a step back in shock. “What...What do you mean?” “Come on Jaius, I've been the closest friend you've had since we left Pittsburgh. Every-time you lie this little muscle twitches right above your left eye. It was twitching the whole time you were agreeing with what Alianna said.” He raised his hand and touched the area above his left eye. He sighed and shook his head. “Look Ann, okay, I wasn't telling the truth. We decided not to because, well, no one would believe us, and even if they did they might ship us off to some lab or science center somewhere to be test subjects for the rest of our lives.” She looked shocked that she had been right. “What, were you abducted by Aliens?” She said stepping back. Jaius laughed and shook his head. “That, people might believe.” He sighed. “Look Anne, you are the one I tell everything too, and of everyone you're the one I trust, but...” and he looked into her eyes with as serious a gaze as he could muster. “...Can I trust you to believe me, and not tell anyone?” She still looked afraid, but after a moment nodded and said “You know you can trust me to do both.” She said looking into his eyes with complete sincerity. He nodded his head and took a deep breath. “Okay, well , I don't have time to tell every detail, but here goes.”

Alianna saw Jaius get up and go to the back of the yard with his sister. A concern grew inside her. “Where are they going?” Before she could think anymore on it Olivia stepped between her view of Jaius. “Hey Ali....Umm...Would it be okay if I talked to you for a minute?” Alianna caught the concern in her friends voice which set her even more on edge. Something was happening and she needed to know what. She drew back and looked at her parents, neither one of them wanting to let go of her yet. “Its okay Mom, Dad, I'll be right here, I'm not going anywhere, ever.” She smiled trying to reassure them. Her dad took a breath and nodded and let go. Her mom however gave a disproving look to Olivia, who took a step back. “I'm sorry...It..it can wait.” She stammered. Alianna touched her mom's hand. “Mom, its okay, really, I'm not going anywhere.” Her mom looked at her and then back to Olivia. “I'm sorry dear, please forgive me, I just don't want to let her go for a second, but I know that isn't good either.” She said smiling to Olivia. “You two go ahead.” She said giving Alianna one last big hug. Alianna huged her mom and then stood and walked with Olivia over to the door that lead into the large family room that their Dad had added onto the back of the house when she was little. Olivia smiled and then went in and sat down. Alianna sat next to her on the couch and smiled. “Whats up?” Olivia looked really nervous and rung her hands and looked away for a minitue with her eyes closed. Alianna saw her lips moving slightly but couldn't tell what she was saying. “Olivia, what is it, did something happen while we were gone?” Oliva took a deep breath and looked back at her. “Ali, I ...I don't know how to bring this up, but...but when you were telling about what happened to you and Jaius I...” She took another deep breath. “...It felt like you weren't telling the truth. I felt a...a check in my spirit like what you were saying ...was a Lie? I'm sorry, Ali...I don't want to accuse you of that, I just can't ignore this feeling in me, it won't go away.” A tear escaped Alianna's eye and she looked down. “Oh Ali, I'm so sorry, I knew I shouldn't have come over. I took you away from your parents and now I've hurt you with this messed up accc...” “Your right Olivia, I did lie. It's been burning inside me since I did it. I asked God's forgiveness, but I think I need to confess it too, and what happened. I'm sorry for lying to you.” Olivia stared at Alianna, her eyes going wide. “Ali, you, you have the Holy Spirit in you, I...I feel it, the peace of His presence especially in how you said what you just said. That kind of conviction doesn't come unless He is here. Ali...your saved! When did you accept Jesus?” Olivia said excitedly. Alianna took a deep breath and looked up. “That is part of the story I need to tell you. I just ask that you try to believe what I am telling you is true, and please don't tell anyone else. Jaius and I are afraid they won't believe us, or worse they will and then we'll be shipped off to some lab somewhere and never come home.” She looked pleadingly at Olivia. “I...I won't tell Ali, but I can't ...can't promise I won't be able to lie if someone asks me.” Alianna was about to protest, but then she felt the rightness of what Olivia said and nodded. “This is what happened to Jaius and I four months ago.”

Anne stared at Jaius as he finished with them appearing back at the same place they left from. The whole time he was talking to her she kept looking up at his eye, waiting to see the telltale twitching that would say he was lying. She never saw it. She kept looking into his eyes, looking for any sign of what he was saying not being true. It finally hit deep in her heart that what he just told her was true, that it felt true in her heart. Her legs felt week and she sat down hard on the ground, the weight of what he just told her forcing her down. She tried to speak, but only a little squeak came out. She closed her mouth and tried again. “So...so what your saying is that Adam and Eve, the Garden of Eden, its all real, the Bible is real and true? Jesus is real?” Jaius sat down next to her and looked her in the eye. “It's all true Anne, I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't lived through it, but I was there and so was Alianna.” Her eyes began to tear up. “What do I do with that Jaius?” She said in a broken voice. “All these years I just thought the Bible was a bunch of stories, and ways to live a good life, but now it is true, that means that there is a Hell, and how do I know I am not going to go there. I only go to confession when Mom and Dad do and that isn't that often, and I don't say the rosary or light the candles or anything else like that.” She said in almost a panic. “Anne, its okay, you don't need any of that, you just need to believe that Jesus died and rose again and took your sins.” Her face still looked really troubled. “I...I don't know what I believe Jaius.” He gave her a hug. “Its okay Anne, I'll tell you whatever I learn, I'll try to answer all your questions. I do need you to do one thing for me though.” She recomposed herself a bit and took a deep breath. “What?” she said. “So, we weren't sure what we would find when we got back and so I had a bag with me from that other time. I stashed it in that large bush near where the creek passes under the road on Reid st. It's inside the bush, can you go and get it for me. I'm afraid if I try to leave everyone would freak out, or wouldn't let me.” She took a deep breath and nodded. “I got your back Big brother. Just tell them I had to go the bathroom if they ask.” “Thanks Anne.” She smiled, gave him another hug and moved off toward the house

Olivia looked at Alianna with wide eyes filled with awe as she finished her story. “After the wind died down we found ourselves back in the woods near Reid Street and so we headed to my house since it was closer.” Alianna finished.

Olivia was speechless for a few moments, but finally she spoke. “Wow Ali, first...” She moved closer to Alianna and placed her hand on her hand and looked into her eyes. “I am so sorry for the hurt that you went through the loss of friends and the torture that woman put you through. I...I can't even begin to understand what you are feeling right now with all of that, but I am so amazed at how God drew you to himself through all of this, how He revealed His Son to you.” Alianna smiled and nodded her head and placed her hand over Olivia's. “He is amazing and powerful and beyond anything I can put into words. The glimpse of the Garden gave Jaius and I just the briefest understanding of what it must have been like in Eden before they ate the fruit. As for my heart, it is definitely full, but I don't deny that I honestly haven't even let myself process the tough things that happened. I guess that will come once everything calms down here.” “I'm here for you Ali, if you ever want help with that processing. I'm a great listener.” Olivia said with a smile. Alianna smiled back at her. “Thank you Olivia, thank you for being here when I needed a friend.” Olivia gave her a hug and Alianna returned it. When she drew back Olivia looked at Alianna. “Would you have gone through with it Ali if Maleric had not betrayed you, would you have married him?”

“Maried who?” came another voice as the screen door opened and someone stood in the door that led outside. They both turned and saw Jaius's little sister enter the house. “Umm...uh...” Was all Oliva could muster. Alianna tried to respond but her throat seemed to have seized up. Anne went over and gave Alianna a huge hug, which made her stiffen as she had no idea what was happening. “Its okay Alianna, I know what happened. I always know when Jaius is lying and so I confronted him, and he told me what happened. Thank you so much for watching out for him while you were both there. It didn't sound like he would have made it back without you.” She said with gratitude rich in her voice and her eyes. Alianna softened and took Ann's hand. “I wouldn't be here either if your brother hadn't of been there too. He saved me a number of times. And...” She looked at Olivia, and back to Anne. “Yes, I would have married him if things had gone differently.” Olivia gushed at the romanticness of it and blushed, but Anne's face became suddenly serious. “And now? Now that your back to the normal world and life, do you still have the same feelings for him?” Alianna moved back as if shocked, which she was by the sudden unexpected question. “I...” She closed her eyes, swirles of memories and emotions flooding her mind. She opened them and looked at Anne with uncertainty in her eyes. “I...I don't know Anne. There it was something we were doing out of need, but both of us also weren't opposed to it, but still from need, but here in this world I..I don't know what it looks like for us. I mean he is definitely one of my closest friends, but I..I don't know where my heart is right now. I know that's a pretty bad answer, but I don't have a better one.” Anne softened a little, but not much. “I understand Alianna, and I'm sorry for being so direct, but we thought for four months that Jaius was dead or worse and now he is back and I don't want him to go through anymore hurt. I know my brother and I think his feelings for you run pretty deep so just don't mess with him and definitely don't hurt him.” The weight of what Anne had brought up fell fully upon her, but she didn't have the capacity to deal with it right now. “I... I won't hurt him, Anne.” Was all she could get out. Anne looked at her for a moment, and then nodded. “I'm sorry, I know you've been through a lot, but I just need to watch out for my brother. I'm very happy you are back too Alianna, and I am forever in your debt for keeping my brother alive.” She got up, squeezed Alianna's hand and then went to the kitchen and opened the door to the garage and left the house.

Alianna was a bit shocked at how this girl she had never met seemed so familiar with her house. She looked at Olivia who had that nervous look on her face that people get when they are part of a conversation that they are completely unsure how to handle. Alianna decided to change the topic. “Olivia, how are all of you here together at my house. Like, it seems that my parents and Jaius's Parents are like, friends, and it's kinda far from Wilkes-Bare for you and your family to just show up, did I miss something?” Olivia smiled. “Wow, that's right, it has been four months, man do I have a lot to tell you. See, when you and Jaius disappeared the cops came right away, because I thought you might be trying to hurt yourself or...” She wasn't able to say it, and Alianna looked down. “I'm sorry Ali.” “It's okay Oliva, I was going to hurt myself, but you didn't give up and had Jaius go after me, which probably saved me.” Olivia smiled slightly and nodded. “I'm so glad your alive Ali.” She took a deep breath and continued. “So they searched the woods but couldn't find you. They had divers and people in Kyaks searching the creek for you both, but found nothing, they had men climb down into the quarry, but found no trace. Everyone in the neighborhood formed a line of people with linked hands asd we went through the woods covering every inch. They sent out an Amber alert. There were a lot of leads and tips at first, but after about a month, the tips stopped coming in and it looked more and more like we weren't' going to see you again. My mom came down from Wilkes-Bare a lot that first month to be with your mom and help her. I think, your mom took everything the hardest. But during that month My dad lost his job in Wilkes-bare and we were really worried we would lose everything. Well my mom told your mom about it, and your dad found out that my dad was a diesel engine mechanic, and your dad said he was going to hire someone to take care of their vehicles and so he offered my dad the job and My dad accepted and your next door neighbors had to move suddenly due to a family emergency and they listed their house and well, honestly it had to be all God because within 6 weeks we had moved in next door to you, so..We're neighbors.” She said smiling. Alianna looked at her with a huge smile on her face. “Oh Oliva, that is so awesome! Oh my gosh, you mean I am going to have a dear friend living right next door?” She squealed and threw her arms around Olivia. Oliva hugged her back and squealed with her. After a few moments they pulled apart and Oliva smiled and continued. “Well, I was devastated when I realized that we had found a house next door to you but you were missing. I started going to a youth group at a local church and a number of the girls there had already been praying for you and Jaius since you went missing and God is so good Ali, He brought you and Jaius back.” She said with a huge smile. “I can't wait to tell them.” Alianna smiled, she felt a flutter in her heart when Oliva mentioned God and how good He is. She marveled at the fact that complete strangers had been praying for her while she was gone. Then something nudged at her heart, a question that wouldn't go away. “Olivia, do you know what happened at my school after I ran away. Jaius…Jaius said one of the girls had blood running out of her nose and she collapsed, her..her name is Keri Bellows.” Olivia sat back and looked up and to the right for a moment, then her eyes got wide and she nodded. “Yes, she was taken to the Hospital. One of the older girls in the youth group named Jennifer, asked me to pray for Keri. Her and Amber had gone to visit her in the hospital and they said it was pretty serious. She has...um... oh how do you say it. Lukessia or something like that, its cancer in your blood.” Shock covered Alianna's face. She had done a report for science class on Lukemia this past year as her Aunt Lisa had had it when she was a kid and had helped her put it together. She remembered the picture she had seen of the kids that had it and were fighting it. They had lost all their hair due to the chemo and radiation treatments and usually had lost weight too. Then a realization flooded her mind. The image that she had seen, the one with the girl in the hospital bed who had lost her hair and was so sickly and gaunt, the one Jesus had told her she had to forgive ,was Keri. Along with this memory was a memory of the satchel that they had hidden in the bush on Reid st and the two jars and the bag that were in it.

Oliva looked at her with concern. “Ali, are you okay? Do you know this Keri Bellows?” Alianna looked at her and shut her mouth as she realized that it was hanging open. Alianna nodded her head. “She's the one that was behind all the kids making fun of me the past year, she took my best friend from me and the last thing I said to her before running away from the School was that I hope she died.” She looked at Oliva pleadingly. “Olivia, I need to get to the hospital and ask her to forgive me. I need you to do me a favor. Jaius and I carried a bag back from the past with us. We hid it in a bush on Reid Street about four blocks from here, would you be willing to go get it for me. I need it before I see Keri.” Just then, as if speaking about it brought it to her, Jaius's little sister came walking into the room breathing heavily and carrying the satchel they hid in the bush. “You mean this satchel.” She said trying to catch her breath. Alianna smiled. “Yes.” The girl handed the bag to Alinana and then sat down in one of the chairs breathing heavily.

Just then the outside door opened and Jaius walked in. He looked at the bag and Anne sitting there trying to catch her breath and smiled. “Thanks Anne, Just in time too. Ali, your dad said it was time. He is on the phone with the police right now. Alianna's smile faded, and in the distance they could hear police sirens and the noise kept getting closer and closer. Oliva moved over closer to Alianna. She bent in to whisper into her ear. “I'll get my mom to go to the hospital with you and take me. While they are checking you out, I'll see if I can find out where this Keri Bellows is and let you know.” Alianna smiled a bit and hugged her.

“Thank you.” She whispered