Tahn had gone. He would be back soon enough. The teacher had gotten them this far. And he would continue to take care of them, no doubt.
6
O n her sixth day alone, Netta rediscovered the cave with some dismay. She limped her way toward it slowly, turning everything that had happened over in her mind. She was afraid to face the man again, but she knew she needed help. Perhaps he might let her rest here till her ankle was stronger and then give her directions out of these trouble-some woods.
No sound came from the cave. That wouldn’t be unusual for him, of course. But he had said he would bring children. They must be deep inside.
The water standing at the cave’s entrance had drained away. She leaned against the rock wearily. It was hard to be back here. Just because the man had told the truth about her family didn’t mean he could be trusted. What about Karll, an innocent man?
She looked long into the mouth of the cave, wondering if she should hurry away while she still could, before her presence was known. But how far would she get? And which way?
There had been nothing easy about the past few days. Even with the woman’s provisions, she’d had a pitiful time in the elements, and it wasn’t likely to get better. So with a sigh, she ducked her head to enter the cave. “Lord, give me strength,” she prayed.
The passage was dark, and she didn’t like it. But shortly, she expected a candle glow ahead. She followed the narrow passage by touch, careful not to make a turn in the wrong place. But there was no glow. For a moment she feared she had turned wrong, but then she felt the peculiar hump in the wall that the man had shown her, and she knew she’d gone the right way. She went on farther with dread in her heart. Even when she knew the great chamber was just ahead, there was no light. There was no one here.
She sat on the floor of the cave rock in the depth of darkness. Her throbbing ankle demanded rest. What had happened? Was he dead? What about the children he’d been so worried about?
“Lord, I don’t understand!” she cried. “I can’t find you in any of this. I feel so alone!”
She just sat for a moment, letting the blackness soak over her soul. There was no one to help her. No one. Tears filled her eyes, but she wiped them quickly away. It would do no good to cry. She would have to find her way to safety again somehow.
She got on her knees and began to crawl for the entrance, unable to bear the darkness any longer. She knew there was a bag of candles in there somewhere, but without the flint the kidnapper had carried, she had no way to light them. It would be useless to stay inside.
“Lord Jesus,” she spoke as she crawled out. “The children he was talking about, do help them. What kind of life could they have with a killer for a teacher?” She sighed. “I don’t understand him, Lord. He seemed a dreadfully hard man. Why is he concerned for little ones? How can such opposite things rest in the same heart?”
When she was close enough to the entrance to see the fading light of sunset, she stopped and watched the darkening sky. It seemed strange to be so alone. She wished there was someone by her side, if only to take her mind off her own hurts. She thought of her mother, who had been dead for more than five years. She’d always said, “Seek a way to help someone else when you are troubled, and it will better you every time.”
So in the evening’s quietness, she curled up on the cave rock and prayed for her cousins by name, one by one, until she fell asleep.
It was sunny when she woke, a warmer day than it had been before. How good it would feel to have an opportunity to wash. If she’d had light inside, she might have gone into the cave’s running stream. Or if her ankle had felt better, she might have sought a stream out here somewhere. She’d have to do something eventually. It certainly would do her no good to sit and wait for someone to happen along and find her. Especially
6
O n her sixth day alone, Netta rediscovered the cave with some dismay. She limped her way toward it slowly, turning everything that had happened over in her mind. She was afraid to face the man again, but she knew she needed help. Perhaps he might let her rest here till her ankle was stronger and then give her directions out of these trouble-some woods.
No sound came from the cave. That wouldn’t be unusual for him, of course. But he had said he would bring children. They must be deep inside.
The water standing at the cave’s entrance had drained away. She leaned against the rock wearily. It was hard to be back here. Just because the man had told the truth about her family didn’t mean he could be trusted. What about Karll, an innocent man?
She looked long into the mouth of the cave, wondering if she should hurry away while she still could, before her presence was known. But how far would she get? And which way?
There had been nothing easy about the past few days. Even with the woman’s provisions, she’d had a pitiful time in the elements, and it wasn’t likely to get better. So with a sigh, she ducked her head to enter the cave. “Lord, give me strength,” she prayed.
The passage was dark, and she didn’t like it. But shortly, she expected a candle glow ahead. She followed the narrow passage by touch, careful not to make a turn in the wrong place. But there was no glow. For a moment she feared she had turned wrong, but then she felt the peculiar hump in the wall that the man had shown her, and she knew she’d gone the right way. She went on farther with dread in her heart. Even when she knew the great chamber was just ahead, there was no light. There was no one here.
She sat on the floor of the cave rock in the depth of darkness. Her throbbing ankle demanded rest. What had happened? Was he dead? What about the children he’d been so worried about?
“Lord, I don’t understand!” she cried. “I can’t find you in any of this. I feel so alone!”
She just sat for a moment, letting the blackness soak over her soul. There was no one to help her. No one. Tears filled her eyes, but she wiped them quickly away. It would do no good to cry. She would have to find her way to safety again somehow.
She got on her knees and began to crawl for the entrance, unable to bear the darkness any longer. She knew there was a bag of candles in there somewhere, but without the flint the kidnapper had carried, she had no way to light them. It would be useless to stay inside.
“Lord Jesus,” she spoke as she crawled out. “The children he was talking about, do help them. What kind of life could they have with a killer for a teacher?” She sighed. “I don’t understand him, Lord. He seemed a dreadfully hard man. Why is he concerned for little ones? How can such opposite things rest in the same heart?”
When she was close enough to the entrance to see the fading light of sunset, she stopped and watched the darkening sky. It seemed strange to be so alone. She wished there was someone by her side, if only to take her mind off her own hurts. She thought of her mother, who had been dead for more than five years. She’d always said, “Seek a way to help someone else when you are troubled, and it will better you every time.”
So in the evening’s quietness, she curled up on the cave rock and prayed for her cousins by name, one by one, until she fell asleep.
It was sunny when she woke, a warmer day than it had been before. How good it would feel to have an opportunity to wash. If she’d had light inside, she might have gone into the cave’s running stream. Or if her ankle had felt better, she might have sought a stream out here somewhere. She’d have to do something eventually. It certainly would do her no good to sit and wait for someone to happen along and find her. Especially
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