THE OVERCOMER


By Tessa Harvey



CHAPTER EIGHT
(Continued)


Stella was obviously stunned in shock, stumbling, leaning on the older women.

Sam was struggling. He kept calling for his mother. She was walking away on her high heels, wearing her tight fashionable skirt. She was going home and leaving him. He bowed his head in desperation. Desolate, he saw the dark blue of the car diminish into the distance.

He kept calling "mum, mum", but no-one heard. No-one.

Then he went looking for Stella, calling her name. He saw her running towards him in her beautiful, white-flowing wedding dress. She had flowers in her hair and her shining face was full of love for him. But she ran on by him and he groaned aloud.

"Steady son," he heard his father and there was a strange roaring noise. He struggled, feeling heavy and weak. "Dad?" He could hear sirens. He heard his dad pray: "In Jesus Name!" Then he was asleep.

He awoke to blinding light. "Hold on, son", a strange voice spoke with calm authority. Mr Jenks, Sam thought, relaxing. I must be in sick bay at school.

He slept again.

When he next awoke, Stella was beside him. She looked tired and pale with dark shadows below her eyes. "You look very pretty," Sam whispered. "I feel good now. Don't worry."

At that moment a doctor came in and was pleased to find him awake. "About time," she joked. "Fine way to treat a new bride! Sleep all the time!"

"We are still going away," Sam declared, struggling a little to sit up. It was painful but not too difficult. The doctor raised the bedhead a little.

"When can I leave?" he asked.
"Whenever you like," was the reply. You just need some pain meds and antibiotics. Keep the shoulder as still as you can for a while. How long are you away?" The doctor was slim and not much older than Sam and Stella. She had a calm, confident manner and had introduced herself as Doctor Tania Andrews.

"You were lucky the bullet went through your shoulder," she announced, sweeping back the bed cubicle curtains. "It could have been your heart."



                                    ====================



CHAPTER NINE


Solomon expressed similar sentiments when he came later to take Sam home, where Stella was preparing a meal for him.

"It wasn't luck," Sam said grimly, sitting on the edge of the bed, dressed in casual clothes. A nurse had put his arm in a sling.

"I stumbled on a broken bit of step. The church steps are old and they saved my life. I clutched Stella as I fell and she stumbled also. Have the police found anything?" They had not and they never did. The would-be murderer had left no trace. Nor was there anything to connect the factory fire with any one, though it had been established that it was arson. Kirby himself had disappeared.

Stella and Sam went away for two weeks after a beautiful re-scheduled reception.

The time away was much needed for them both and they determined to let themselves heal in every way as the near tragedy did not steal their joy. Sam ordered a new wedding dress identical to the one ruined, so that Stella had no marred memories.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE OVERCOME By Tessa Harvey CHAPTER FOUR "Can you tell me what happened, Elias?" the man asked. Elias swallowed, nervously. His throat felt dry. Seeing this, his father passed him the cup and watched the boy drink. Haltingly, Elias said how he had fallen asleep and awoke to screams. As he recounted the accident, he began to relive it. How he had seen the truck approaching, how they had skidded on ice into its path.  As he was flung out of the car, he saw the dark blue car crushed beyond hope of a living survivor. He began to sob. Slowly his father reached out to clasp his son's undamaged hand. "We had to have the funeral service, son." He cleared his throat. "We recorded it for you." There was a long silence. Then Elias asked: "Dad, when I get out of here, I would like to go to a school nearer you." (To himself he thought I never want to travel that road again. If only I could hear my mother say "my lovely son" just one more time)....
Read more
THE OVERCOMER By Tessa Harvey CHAPTER THREE Real terror began a few days later back at the boarding school. Absentmindedly, trying to solve a maths problem in his head, Elias took a huge gulp of the evening cocoa. The resulting taste horror nearly made him spew the whole lot across the table and onto the wall. With difficulty, and trying not to draw attention to himself, Elias tried to dribble as much as possible back into his mug. There were muffled giggles from Kirby and Dunstable and cronies. They must have used half a salt cellar in his drink. Instinctively he tried to school his features into indifference. Later, thirsty and unable to sleep, he decided to get a drink from the bathroom. He closed the door quietly, realising too late he was not alone. Recently he had been warned to not try so hard at schoolwork and to be more amenable to the bullies demands for money and extra food. As he was now thirteen and had very little in the way of extra fo...
Read more