When Night Breaks

“Tell him to get out of the house? Why?” I heard the panic rise in Samantha’s voice.

“Because I don’t think it’s safe to be with Alice,” I answered, keeping my eyes on the road in front of me.

Samantha hesitated for a moment but reluctantly pulled out her cell phone. She dialed Leo’s number and I could hear my best friend on the other end. He asked few questions; he knew the drill when something was wrong. Get to safety first and ask questions later.

Samantha ended the call after Leo assured her he would be okay. I tapped my finger on the steering wheel searching for the right words to tell Samantha.

“Jay, what is going on?” she asked.

“I think that the McKenzies are behind my mother’s car accident. I also think they’re the ones who killed Rose. Both wrecks happened exactly like Leo’s parents’. It can’t be a coincidence, especially since Alice just showed up.”

The horror grow on her face as she realized her friend had died because of someone in my past. Deep down, I blamed myself. If it weren’t for me, the McKenzies wouldn’t even know Samantha or Rose existed.

“You’re saying they killed my best friend because they want to…what? Get revenge on you? Send a message?” she asked as tears spilled over onto her cheek. I removed my hand from the steering wheel and placed it on top of hers.

“I don’t know for sure. I have no answer as to why they would pick Rose, but it seems pretty clear that they’re the ones responsible.”

“And you think Alice is in on it?”

“Maybe.” I had no other explanation for Alice’s survival or for her finding not only me but my hideout. If she was in fact working with the McKenzies, it meant they too knew where Leo and I lived.

A heavy silence fell between us as I drove along the highway towards the hospital. My mind went to Cole, the younger brother I knew nothing about until a few weeks before. He was just a child, innocent and unaware of the monsters that lived among him. He and Julia were suffering -- much as Rose and Leo’s parents suffered -- because of my existence.

As I pulled the SUV into the hospital parking lot, I felt my heart pounding against my chest. I was going to walk into a very public place to see if the mother I just met would live or die. Samantha, sensing my nervous energy, placed her hand on my knee before we stepped out of the vehicle.

“They’ll be okay, Jay. Let’s just pray about it, maybe?” she suggested.

“Pray?” I asked.

“Yes, pray. To God,” she said, puzzled at my response. “Jay, you do believe in God, right?”

I saw the panic in her eyes once more. It was if she was internally pleading with me to say yes. The truth was, I did believe in God. When I was younger, my brother would read me stories from the Bible; I knew all about Moses, Abraham, and Jesus. But once I saw -- and truly took real notice -- of the hideous being I had become, my faith was shaken. There was anger inside of me towards God. How could allow one of His people to be made into a monster? And why would He still want me to be part of His people after what I had become?

But then, I met Samantha. It was as if all the prayers I never actually prayed out loud had come true. Her faith was unwavering and never once did she doubt. We had never mentioned my faith or religion -- I guess she assumed I believed the same way she did. Even after years of questions and anger, I knew that if anyone could make me believe again, it was Samantha. Yet, I still had my doubts..

“I believe,” I said, half lying. Samantha shook her head, before bowing it, and closed her eyes. I followed suit and listened as she spoke to God and asked for healing for Julia and Cole. She spoke so beautifully, as if she were talking to an old friend.

After the prayer, we entered the emergency room waiting area. It had a certain smell to it; disinfectant spray mixed with sickness. The white tile floors, white walls, and white ceiling gave the room a cold and lifeless feeling. People were sitting in the chairs in the waiting room, and thankfully none of them looked up at me.

I saw the nurses station in the middle of the room and slowly made my way to it. No one was allowed back with the patients in the ER unless being buzzed through a set of locked, double doors.

An older woman with graying hair was typing at her computer when Samantha and I made our way up to the desk.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” Samantha said, speaking for me on account of my nerves and lack of hospital experience. “Could you tell us what room Julia Hite is in?”

“Are you immediate family?” the nurse asked.

“Yes. My boyfriend,” she motioned towards me, “is her son. He just got the call about the accident and wanted to see her.”

I was shocked at how calm and convincing Samantha was. It wasn’t a lie that I was Julia’s son. But, I was still unsure of how she would feel about me visiting, if she was even awake or conscience enough to know I was there.

“Sure, she’s in room 104, through those double doors,” the nurse said as I heard the doors beside us click to unlock.

We made our way back in the emergency room and soon I located room 104. Samantha held my hand as I slowly walked inside. Julia was lying in the hospital bed with tubes and an IV hooked to her. Cuts and bruises were covering her arms and face and she was not conscience. I felt extremely overwhelmed at the sight of her.

Before I had a chance to step any closer, I heard a man’s voice behind me.

“Can I help you?” I turned to face a man I had never seen before.

“Uh,” I started, but couldn’t find the right words.

“Hi, we’re just here to see Julia,” Samantha answered.

“Who are you?” the man looked at me.

“I’m her, uh, son,” I said.

“Her son? Julia never mentioned she had another son. I’m Cole’s father.” The resemblance wasn’t there, as I expected considering I thought Cole looked like Jeremy.

“How is he?” I asked, the eagerness in my voice evident.

“He’s going to pull through. Are you sure that you have the right Julia?” I could tell he was apprehensive to believe that I was her son.

“Yes. I’m sure. She is my mother,” I turned and looked at the woman lying still. “Will she pull through, too?”

“The doctor said he thinks she’ll be okay. She’s still on the ventilator, though. They’ll try to wean her off of it and see if she’s able to breath on her own. Look, I’m going to go back and be with Cole. It was nice meeting, although not under good circumstances. I’m Randy, by the way,” he said.

“I’m Jason,” my real name felt strange on my lips. “I’ll be praying for Cole.”

“Thank you,” Randy turned and walked into the room across the hall, where I saw a small child lying in a hospital bed just like Julia’s.

I reached out my arms and wrapped Samantha up. It felt good to hold her; having her pressed against me calmed my nerves. I asked her in there was chapel in the church; it was something I had read about often in books but didn’t know if it really existed. She said that there was indeed a small chapel inside the hospital and I asked her to take me to it.

A door with a stained glass window was on the other side of the hospital. We entered to find the church empty. There were only a few pews but a big wooden cross stood at the front near the alter.

“Do you want me to go with you?” she asked.

“No, I think I should do this alone,” I told her as I made my way to the front. Sitting down in the second pew from the front, I looked bowed my head. Tension rose up inside of me, and then released back out as I began to speak to a man I hadn’t talked to in years.

“Dear God, it’s me Jay. If You’re listening, then I apologize. I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to come to You. I need Your help, God.”