hurry along, darling. We haven’t got much time.”
Jack looked at Amy and smiled a little at her timely intervention and good acting. They left the post office and got back into the car.
“‘Darling’ – very good, nice touch,” said Jack.
Amy smiled as if pleased with herself and Jack’s praise.
“Right, now where?” asked Jack.
“Remember, I need to get back to Bristol early afternoon. I’ll search the web tonight, but I need to get back to my car.”
“OK, I’ll take you back.”
Jack started the car and set off for Totnes.
*****
3:36pm
The clapping died down and Rebecca Hartley looked out across the crowd of people standing in the hall. Her expression was serious and focused and, as she absorbed the power from the crowd, she smiled slightly. She leant into the microphone on the lectern in front of her and pointed towards an unseen enemy.
“We are peaceful people. We are law-abiding and God-fearing people. But, we have been ignored and made to feel like naive fools.” She banged her fist down onto the lectern.
The crowd of people erupted into cheers and loud clapping.
“And we are not going to be ignored any longer,” she continued. “We are going to march through London tomorrow and insist our voices be heard.”
The crowd began to clap again, but Ms Hartley raised her hands to quieten them so she could continue speaking.
“Friends, we insist our opinion should be given due respect. We demand this not for ourselves but for a greater good and a greater being. We demand this right for God because we know the Rapture is a message from Him and a message to His followers and believers.”
Ms Hartley waited this time for the applause and cheering to die down naturally before she lowered herself towards the microphone and took on a deeper more threatening tone of voice.
“The Rapture is a message from the Almighty – and tomorrow, we will march with Him beside us. With our belief and his guidance we will not allow anyone to stand in our way. No one, will stand in our way.”
Ms Hartley stood back from the lectern and smiled and waved at the crowd as they cheered loudly and chanted her name.
*****
4:05pm
Jack felt something block the path of his front door as he opened it. He pushed the door hard and poked his head around it to see what was in the way. A suitcase was placed in the hallway: Sarah’s suitcase.
“Sarah?” Jack called as he walked into the house.
“Daddy,” Ella said while running from the living room into the hallway. Jack knelt down to hug her.
“Jack, is that you?” called Sarah from the top of the stairs.
“What’s going on?” Jack asked.
Sarah rushed down the stairs and began to usher Ella back into the living room.
“You go back into the living room, darling. Daddy and I are going to have a quick chat in the kitchen and we need you to look after Dylan.”
“Dylan doesn’t listen to me, mummy,” replied Ella as if her mum was silly.
“Well, you just keep an eye on him then.”
As Ella walked into the living room, Sarah turned back to Jack and indicated for him to follow her to the kitchen. She asked him to shut the door as they entered.
“Sarah, Why is your suitcase in the hallway? What’s going on?”
“I’m going to my parents, with the kids, Jack.”
“Why? What’s going on?”
“We need some time apart, Jack. This isn’t working. And, I’m uncomfortable with this obsession you’ve got with the Rapture.”
Jack laughed a little. “You can’t be serious? The Rapture is all over the news and half the world felt it, but I’m crazy?”
“Everybody knows it’s some kind of mass hysteria, or natural event, that scientists haven’t been able to explain yet.”
“I never said I didn’t think it was a natural event.”
“But you’re obsessed with it. And it’s just another example of how you’ve changed. All this stuff about living naturally but taking it to extremes.”
“I’ve never insisted you guys
Jack looked at Amy and smiled a little at her timely intervention and good acting. They left the post office and got back into the car.
“‘Darling’ – very good, nice touch,” said Jack.
Amy smiled as if pleased with herself and Jack’s praise.
“Right, now where?” asked Jack.
“Remember, I need to get back to Bristol early afternoon. I’ll search the web tonight, but I need to get back to my car.”
“OK, I’ll take you back.”
Jack started the car and set off for Totnes.
*****
3:36pm
The clapping died down and Rebecca Hartley looked out across the crowd of people standing in the hall. Her expression was serious and focused and, as she absorbed the power from the crowd, she smiled slightly. She leant into the microphone on the lectern in front of her and pointed towards an unseen enemy.
“We are peaceful people. We are law-abiding and God-fearing people. But, we have been ignored and made to feel like naive fools.” She banged her fist down onto the lectern.
The crowd of people erupted into cheers and loud clapping.
“And we are not going to be ignored any longer,” she continued. “We are going to march through London tomorrow and insist our voices be heard.”
The crowd began to clap again, but Ms Hartley raised her hands to quieten them so she could continue speaking.
“Friends, we insist our opinion should be given due respect. We demand this not for ourselves but for a greater good and a greater being. We demand this right for God because we know the Rapture is a message from Him and a message to His followers and believers.”
Ms Hartley waited this time for the applause and cheering to die down naturally before she lowered herself towards the microphone and took on a deeper more threatening tone of voice.
“The Rapture is a message from the Almighty – and tomorrow, we will march with Him beside us. With our belief and his guidance we will not allow anyone to stand in our way. No one, will stand in our way.”
Ms Hartley stood back from the lectern and smiled and waved at the crowd as they cheered loudly and chanted her name.
*****
4:05pm
Jack felt something block the path of his front door as he opened it. He pushed the door hard and poked his head around it to see what was in the way. A suitcase was placed in the hallway: Sarah’s suitcase.
“Sarah?” Jack called as he walked into the house.
“Daddy,” Ella said while running from the living room into the hallway. Jack knelt down to hug her.
“Jack, is that you?” called Sarah from the top of the stairs.
“What’s going on?” Jack asked.
Sarah rushed down the stairs and began to usher Ella back into the living room.
“You go back into the living room, darling. Daddy and I are going to have a quick chat in the kitchen and we need you to look after Dylan.”
“Dylan doesn’t listen to me, mummy,” replied Ella as if her mum was silly.
“Well, you just keep an eye on him then.”
As Ella walked into the living room, Sarah turned back to Jack and indicated for him to follow her to the kitchen. She asked him to shut the door as they entered.
“Sarah, Why is your suitcase in the hallway? What’s going on?”
“I’m going to my parents, with the kids, Jack.”
“Why? What’s going on?”
“We need some time apart, Jack. This isn’t working. And, I’m uncomfortable with this obsession you’ve got with the Rapture.”
Jack laughed a little. “You can’t be serious? The Rapture is all over the news and half the world felt it, but I’m crazy?”
“Everybody knows it’s some kind of mass hysteria, or natural event, that scientists haven’t been able to explain yet.”
“I never said I didn’t think it was a natural event.”
“But you’re obsessed with it. And it’s just another example of how you’ve changed. All this stuff about living naturally but taking it to extremes.”
“I’ve never insisted you guys
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