Water Walker: Episodes 1-4 Part 33

"Why are you tied-"

"Not now, Bobby! Just do what I say. There's a phone in that dresser over there." She motioned with bound hands at the long dresser against the wall. "In the top drawer under my socks. I need you to get it for Mommy."

Bobby glanced over his shoulder into the hall. "Is Eden running away again?"

"No, Bobby. Eden's just running an errand for me. Now I need you to do something for your mother. Can you do that? I need you to get the phone out of my dresser."

He stared back, frightened.

"Why are you tied up?"

Eden was moving quickly-she could feel it in her bones. Maybe already at the shed . . . Maybe already coming back!

She couldn't afford to frighten Bobby, not now.

"I'm playing a game, darling. I'm practicing getting free so that I can protect you if anything ever comes to hurt us. You can help me by getting the phone. I need the phone. Hurry!"

His eyes brightened. "A game?"

"Yes. Yes, a game. Hurry, Bobby, please hurry!"

Now fully engrossed in the notion of a game, Bobby tore for the dresser, grabbed a drawer, and yanked it open.

"Not that one! The next one. Under my socks."

"This one?" He pulled the end drawer open, and peered inside.

"Yes. Under the socks. Do you see it?"

Bobby reached his hand in, fumbled around for just a moment, then jerked the small black cell out and held it high.

"Got it!"

"Now bring it here." It was all taking too much time. "Hurry!"

Bobby rushed over and stuck the phone out. But she didn't think she had the dexterity to operate the phone herself.

"Open it."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. Open it and push the power b.u.t.ton. Hurry!"

He flipped it open with his stubby fingers and dumbly stared at the keys. He'd never used a cell phone, had he? No. Neither of them had that she knew of.

"Hold the red b.u.t.ton down."

"This one?" He showed her the phone.

"Yes! Push it. Hurry."

He did and the phone's small screen came to life. He grinned.

"Got it!"

The doorway was still empty, but Eden would be back. Any moment and she would be back.

"Now push the one b.u.t.ton and then the call b.u.t.ton. The green one at the bottom. Hurry!"

Once again he held the phone up to show her the one b.u.t.ton. "This one?"

"Yes! And then the green b.u.t.ton."

With great purpose, he pressed the one and then the green call b.u.t.ton with his forefinger.

"I pushed it."

"Good! Now set the phone on the pillow."

He laid it down and she wriggled around so that she could press her ear against the receiver. It was ringing, she could hear that much. She wasn't sure what she was going to say when Zeke answered-the thought of confessing her failure again was as unnerving as having her finger broken, but she knew she had to face her own sin and confess.

"Mother!"

She whipped around to see Eden in the doorway, staring at her.

"I'm helping Mommy get free," Bobby said tentatively.

Eden's eyes shifted to him, then back at Kathryn, and then back to Bobby again.

She can't see the phone. It slipped off the pillow and my body's blocking her view.

"Go to your room, Bobby," Eden said.

"I'm helping Mom-"

"Go to your room!"

Bobby stared at his sister, dumbstruck. It was probably the first time he'd ever heard her anger directed at him. She had to stall them.

"No, Bobby," Kathryn said. "Stay with me. Stay with your mother."

He looked between them, confused.

"Bobby, you can't help Kathryn get free. I tied her up because Zeke ordered her to hurt me and she didn't want to disappoint him. She's not thinking straight right now and so we have to leave her tied up until someone can come to help us. Now go to your room and I'll come get you as soon as we're ready to go."

Kathryn blinked at the stunning rebuke. A small voice in the back of her mind told her that there was some truth to what Eden had just said. But that too was only the voice of temptation. She had to keep Bobby here-Eden wouldn't dare hurt her as long as he was here to watch.

"No, Bobby! You can't listen to Eden right now. She's under punishment. If you leave, she will hurt Mommy."

His eyes were wide, uncomprehending. "Eden won't hurt you, Mommy."

"Yes she will! She tied me up, didn't she?"

Eden walked into the room, eyes on Bobby. "Have I ever hurt you, Bobby?"

Kathryn scooted to keep the phone hidden but in doing so, felt it snap shut under her back. Which meant that she'd just cut the connection.

"No you would never hurt me, Eden," Bobby said.

"Have I ever lied to you?"

"No."

"And I'm not lying now. Go to your room and wait for me."

"No, Bobby!" Kathryn pleaded. "Please don't leave me! Please . . ."

Bobby was in a state of conflict, enough to keep him fixed to the floor, which was good. The longer the better.

But then he wasn't fixed, because he was suddenly turning and then running from the room, whimpering.

"Bobby!" Kathryn cried.

Before she could cry out again, Eden stepped up to the door and slammed it shut.

"How dare you use him!" she snapped, whirling back.

"How dare you tie me up! How dare you try to break my finger! You don't think G.o.d sees what you're doing? How in heaven's name can you possibly think you won't pay a terrible price for this rebellious behavior?"

"I'm only doing what you taught me to do, Mother! Isn't that what you do to daughters that stray? Break their wills and if that doesn't work, break their legs?"

"I'm the mother!" she screamed, face ripe and hot. "If I don't guide you, I will be judged, can't you see that? G.o.d is my judge!"

"Oh, I see," Eden bit off, heading around the bed. "You learned this trick from G.o.d, is that it? And you're only his instrument for torture on earth. It's your job to hate me so that G.o.d doesn't have to, is that it?"

"No, no, sweetheart! I don't hate you! I love you!"

"Of course you do." Her daughter's voice was thick with sarcasm. "That's why you're willing to see me hurt."

"Only if it's for your benefit."

"Because that's what G.o.d does, right?"

"Yes! That's what G.o.d does!"

"And if Zeke wanted to break my leg, you'd just stand by and let him do it!"

She saw her opportunity and dove for it.

"But I didn't! I didn't break your leg, Eden! He wanted me to, but I couldn't."

"But you would let him break it, wouldn't you?"

"Never!"

"You're lying."

"I would never let anyone break your leg! Never! Is that what I am to you? A monster?"

Eden glared, unimpressed.

What would Zeke do if he heard what she'd just said? It made her glad the phone had snapped shut.

She's right, isn't she, Kathryn? You're actually more concerned with Zeke's opinion than your own daughter's pain.

"No," she said out loud.

But Eden wasn't interested in her 'no' which was just as good.

"You lied to me about the key," Eden said stepping up to the bed. "This time you're going to tell me."

It was as far as she got because the door suddenly swung open behind Eden. They both turned at the same time. They both saw Zeke's tall form filling the frame.

They both went still.

Zeke studied them with vacant eyes, took in the scene, then looked down at Eden's bandaged leg. For a long time he just stood there, and all Kathryn could think was, He knows.

He knows. Dear G.o.d, he knows.

When his eyes finally settled on Kathryn they were deep and dark, like two pits that had no bottom. And then she knew as well.

Knew what he was going to do.

"The next time I tell you to do something, you will do it." His voice was low and certain and had the edge of a razor to it. "That much I promise you."

He strode into the room, walked up to Eden, who was trembling where she stood, calmly took a fistful of her hair, and dragged her back toward the door.

"This time I'll do it for you."

Eden remained silent, jaw flexed with resolve. She shot Kathryn a glance, but there was no plea for help in her eyes-only bitter accusation.

Zeke pulled her through the door and shut it behind them, leaving Kathryn alone to consider her own anguish.

She knew what he was going to do. She knew it, and she knew that there was nothing she could do to stop him. She even knew it was the right thing, because he was Zeke and Zeke always did the right thing.

But she didn't know how to react to the terror now sweeping through her. Or to the voice that wept for mercy in the face of punishment. Or the soft voice that suggested she was wrong.

No. No, she couldn't listen to those lies. Abraham hadn't and she couldn't afford to either.