Chapter 16
FALLON TRIED TO BELIEVE AS much as she was able and tried to believe more than ever. She wanted more than anything to travel to the time of the Gospel of John, after all. No matter how hard she tried; however, she wasn’t victorious.
It didn’t help when she watched Erin and then Daniel disappear—right in front of her. They left her behind and she was frustrated with herself because of her little faith. Evidently when it really mattered, her faith didn’t hold up and wasn’t as strong as it needed in order to be able to travel to John.
She also felt worse about herself when she celebrated since she witnessed the lack of faith in the others because all three members of the A-Team were still with her in the modern-day. She knew she shouldn’t gloat even though they proved that unbelievers couldn’t go because they didn’t have the spiritual understanding.
What Fallon didn’t expect was what happened. She watched as Adora picked up a nearby paperweight made of pewter and the letters F-A-I-T-H. Then, Adora promptly hit her across the top of the head with it before Fallon even had the chance to defend herself or block the blow.
Fallon also didn’t expect what occurred when she became conscious. It was a strange sensation when she woke up in the dark and couldn’t move her limbs. She felt paralyzed. Needless to say, between the absolute dark and the paralysis, her heart began to race, her skin got goose bumps from the cold and from fright, and she tried to figure out where she was, what was wrong with her, and if she was in hell. Did she go the wrong way?
She was terrified and couldn’t think logically and recognized it was the case. Her main question was: Why? Why couldn’t she think straight and what happened to her made her paralyzed?
Fallon attempted again to move, but was unsuccessful. Nonetheless, she felt a strange sensation at her ankles and wrists. What was it?
Wait a minute.
She tried to move one more time while in total darkness and discovered it only added to her confusion. Could she move her elbows and ankles? It seemed like that was the case. How was that possible? What did it mean? How could she be partially paralyzed? Was that even possible?
Fallon’s head throbbed. She wanted to rub it, but couldn’t.
That’s right. Adora hit her over the head with a heavy paperweight made of pewter.
Adora actually hit her.
ADORA hit her.
Adora HIT her.
Adora hit HER.
The words and different emphasis went through her mind as she tried to make sense out of everything.
Why for goodness sake?
Did Adora kidnap her?
Why?
Fallon allowed that to run through her mind for a moment. Adora knocked her out and now she couldn’t move and was in a cold place, inside, and was in total darkness.
Think, Fallon. Think, she told herself firmly. She didn’t care if it was hard because of her headache.
She was tied up! Why did Adora tie her up and leave her in a dark and cold place?
Fallon realized she had goose bumps from head to toe and it felt as though they were at least one-inch tall each. She was freezing and all alone. The thought didn’t provide much comfort. Where were Erin and Daniel? Last time, they were only gone 5-10 seconds even though they lived three years in the times of John. Did they know she was gone? Did they know Adora kidnapped her?
She heard something begin to stir. What was that? She held her breath and closed her eyes since it was dark and she couldn’t see anyway, but more importantly, she closed her eyes so she could hear better.
“O-u-c-h.” She heard somebody moan. Who was it? She recognized it was a male.
She decided to take a risk and be the one to initiate conversation. She was pretty freaked out as it was and really didn’t want to think too much. She was well aware of how her mind could play tricks on her and she wanted to avoid the trap.
“Are you okay?” She asked the stranger.
“No. My head hurts. Fallon, is that you?”
“It is. Is that you, Billy?”
“Yup.”
“Oh, thank God. I’m tied up and my head hurts. The last thing I remember was when Adora hit me. What happened to you?” Fallon wanted to know. She felt a little better now since Billy was here, too.
“Bear with me. I’m pretty out of it.” Billy’s voice was weak and raspy.
Fallon’s, on the other hand, shook because of emotion, confusion, and fright. “I’m sorry. I woke up a few minutes ago and am trying to make sense of things and where I am, how I got here, and why. I hope I can help make sense of the lousy situation because you were conscious more than me, Billy. Although, I have to admit, I’m not sure why you’re here and if I can trust you.” She babbled and she really didn’t care. She was upset and wanted answers.
“After Adora hit you, I went ballistic and yelled at her. I asked her why she hit you and how that was unacceptable. She looked at Caleb and he took the same paperweight and came after me with it. We struggled and he ended up distracting me enough that she hit me over the head with another paperweight and it was the ‘H-O-P-E’ one. I think they lost faith and hope.” Billy explained to Fallon.
“That was really good, Billy.” She couldn’t help but chuckle when she heard the story and his punch-line. He said it as a joke, but did he mean he really thought that way to any degree? Did he believe they lost faith or hope? If he did believe that in any way, he might actually be growing in faith and hope. She wasn’t about to point it out to him, though.
After all, Fallon didn’t want to push Billy too much and be a stumbling block from him learning about faith in Jesus Christ. She refused to force Jesus on anyone, but she took seriously her responsibility to share about Him with everyone either through words, actions, or most of the time through both.
“Billy, did Erin and Daniel return back to modern-day?” Fallon knew they didn’t or he would have said so by now. So she braced for his reply.
“No, it wasn’t like last time.”
Sure enough. He told her what she didn’t want to hear but knew was truth.
“But, don’t miss the fact that all four of us saw them disappear. Also, don’t miss the fact that both Adora and Caleb are still here.” Billy reminded her of the full truth of the situation.
Fallon knew he had a point. He witnessed it for himself and saw what happened, and what failed to happen, with his own eyes. “What do you think about that, Billy?”
“I guess I want to learn more about God, the Bible, and the Book of John.” He shared with her where he stood on the subject and she immediately began to pray for God to fill her mouth with His words so she knew what to say to Billy from here.
“Billy, you wouldn’t believe the stories Erin and Daniel shared with me from their first travels to John.” Fallon’s voice grew in animation as she remembered how Daniel and Erin brought the Bible to life with more color, detail, and passion when they told the stories they re-learned from the Gospel of John.
“Since we’re in this strange predicament, I think that would be wise.” Billy didn’t seem to hesitate.
Fallon hoped she would bring him to believe in Christ when it was all over with and after she shared what she learned. This was her priority at the moment.
ADORA NEVER COULD HAVE FATHOMED this would be the outcome of the scenario. It was so far from her scope of understanding she could barely think rationally at all about why she would be left behind and the know-it-alls Erin and Daniel would be able to return to the times of the Book of John.
She was far more superior intellectually speaking (never mind every facet of herself: looks, contribution to the project, wisdom, knowledge, skill, the way she lived). Therefore, she was befuddled why she wasn’t successful. Was it because of the vermin she was with now? Did they rub off on her and hold her back because of their lack of any of these superior qualities?
How could Erin and Daniel make it, but she didn’t?
She wasn’t surprised that the oaf Caleb was still present in the time of the modern day. No. Adora wasn’t surprised about that at all. Nonetheless, she had to admit he was the next in line in her opinion to possessing her exceptional qualities and was her favorite in the project. He still lacked, though. Nobody could be as perfect as she was. She learned long ago to be realistic about this facet and she was less disappointed because of this new mindset. She was rarely surprised when people showed what they were really made of and how they lacked.
Her entire purpose for living was to prove God and the Bible weren’t truth. She never believed God was real and the project was to prove this fact. However, she learned the last three years in her perception how the Bible might very well be mostly a good book to live by because it made people better. She didn’t agree with all of it, but thought some of the precepts were pretty decent. She had to admit it. Granted, most of the Christian stuff was hokey and she disagreed with, she had to admit the stories were good and she appreciated the morality the Bible shared.
Who could disagree with the Golden Rule? (Author’s Note: It’s not in the Bible at all.)
Or, what about God helps people who help themselves? (Author’s Note: It’s not in the Bible at all.)
Or, what about God makes everything good for people? (Author’s Note: Romans 8:28 was taken out of context in this question.)
However, the Christian stuff was worse than even she realized before she traveled to the times of the Gospel of John. Far worse. People weren’t just mildly brainwashed. It was a major issue in her estimation because the indoctrination was so deep that it was difficult to refute. She was even more determined to share the real truth with the world and expose Christianity for the fraud it was and help Christians to become self-fulfilled and self-actualized.
Adora had no doubt whatsoever she would return to Bible times. It was merely a matter of time. She had no idea why she wasn’t successful this moment; nevertheless, she would be triumphant eventually. She just needed to analyze the data she had and see what she missed. However, she thought when she noticed Fallon was still around, it was far more critical to keep the woman with her and prevent her from going to the Bible times. She wanted to help Fallon become herself again and not the messed up woman she became because of the so-called Jesus Christ. (Whatever, she thought when she thought of him.)
She hit Fallon because she couldn’t take the chance the woman would disappear. She wanted to tell Fallon what she and Caleb learned when they traveled to the times of John. Adora recognized this was the only way to get Fallon’s attention and was the only way to try to save her. So, Adora did what she had to do.
By Stacy Duplease
of Stories by Stacy
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