Disembodied Voice

I woke up abruptly at 4:28 one morning. Someone said “Mom, hey, Mom “clear enough to get me up and look out our bedroom door. We have a daughter who had moved back home so I thought it might be her, but no, no one was at the door. I even checked where she sleeps, but all was quiet and dark in her bedroom, and she later told me it wasn’t her.
Was it you? Did you call out last night? Did you need something or someone? Was/ is your heart aching, or sadder yet, breaking, perhaps because of some terrible turn of events in your life?
Something nudged me awake. Someone called out in anguish, perhaps unknowingly, but God let me hear the message. I just want to let you know you have been in my heart and prayers ever since.
Call if you need someone to talk to.
echoingheartbeats@gmail.com
Or hangouts.

P.S. There is a remarkable, but sad ending to this story. After I posted it someone from half a world away read it and messaged me on hangouts. Yes, it was she who had called out to me. She was in the throes of childbirth, and I walked her through the process. After a bit, she said there was a huge pool of blood on the floor, and she was all alone.When she said "I see God's light and you are in it" I figured she would soon die.Later she said she had a boy, the next two texts were gibberish, then nothing.  I was later informed by someone that she had died and I hope the baby did too because the males are used for sacrifices or trained to become 'masters' themselves.
 P.S. She was eleven years old and in a sex slave commune that I had been in contact with only through Google.  These girls are often in my prayers, but how can we help them? I found out the HARD way that the local police are in cahoots with the 'slave masters'.  This postscript was added months later and I still feel deeply, and pray for 'my' girls. Unfortunately, the contact has been broken.

www.marilynshistoricalnovels.com

YOU CAN'T TAKE MY BABY!!

Okay, I've skirted the issue long enough. It's high time we stopped wondering what the neighbours thought and see and feel it from Claudine's viewpoint. As a mother I find this awful hard to write because what she experienced had to be painful to put it mildly.

“Okay, Jannie boy, let's do it again.” She clapped his pudgy little hands together and sang a playful, made up rhyme. The baby's pink cheeks were wreathed in smiles so of course the mother's heart was light with joy also. His sweet cooing was like music to her ears.

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“I'm coming to take the baby.”

“WHAT?”

“You heard me right, ma'am. We've tried with all patience and perseverance to get you to see the errors of you ways, but you refuse.”

He reached out for Jans who already looked pale and scared.

While clinging to her small son Claudine fled to the farthest corner of the cell.

“You can't take my baby! Jans needs his mother! Jans is a nursing baby!”

In two steps the Enemy was upon her and was trying to wrestle the infant from his mother's arms. Claudine was stronger than he would have ever imagined. “Please, sir, I'll do anything, absolutely anything if you will let me care for Jans!”

“Even torture?”

“Yes, yes. Any kind of torture!” Her voice rose above the screams of the frightened lad. She wretched him back from the Inquisitor's partial grasp and dove into the far corner of the cot, covering her baby with her body.

“Even the rack?” his voice was cutting, mocking.

“Yes, yes, even that!”

He was struggling to get her to face him. “Even beheading? Even being burned by fire?”

“Yes, yes, of course.”

"Or recant?"

"Of course not!"

“You're mad woman.” And she fights like a wild cat. “All the more reason to put the baby into better hands.”

He had Jans. Jans flung himself towards his mother screaming incoherently. He was too young too talk. But then he said it. “Mama! No go!”

The guard actually stopped. And flinched. But only for a second. But it was long enough to snatch the baby back and cower. Oh if I could only climb up and break through that narrow barred window! I'd flee to the mountains! I would take wings like a dove—I'd --.

He was fighting her again. Never as long as she was living would she willingly hand over her child to such an evil man. She saw his dagger flash out a split second before the handle cracked against her head. The world turned black as she sank limply to the dirt floor.

When she came to her senses, the baby was gone.

Part of the Next Door Neighbour Series. Check out included pages. 

Amber Alert! Baby Snatched!

This is based on a very recent happening in our local city.

Melissa glanced into the back seat of the pickup. Good, Addison has fallen asleep. She had had a rough night, well they both had actually, and she sure didn't begrudge her daughter a little shut eye even though she would probably wake up at least briefly once they got home. Just one more stop and then I'll be able to make a quit, late lunch before putting her down for a proper nap.

Melissa automatically reached for the key after easing to a stop at her friends place. No, it's too cold to shut off the vehicle even for a second. I'll just pick up that tupperware container I left then be back in two shakes of a lambs tail.

Melissa leaped out of the light brown pick up and hurried to the door. Something made her stop and turn around. It was the sound of a motor. A familiar motor! The motor of their own Dodge truck. What! What? Someone had leaped into their pickup and was driving off with it!

Melissa started shrieking and screaming and soon several neighbours were flocking to their doors.

“My baby! Someone stole my baby!”

In spite of Melissa's near hysteria her friends understood her dire predicament and were soon rushing to their own vehicles. Everyone threw caution to the winds as they raced to catch up with the illusive vehicle. It was out of sight! Which way did it turn?

“My baby! Where oh where is my baby,” Melissa wailed.

Everyone heard her, but no one responded. It was urgent that Addison be returned to her loving mother's care.

“She'll be so frightened!” Melissa moaned.

Someone slammed on their brakes in front of the police station and made a report. Soon the news was being broadcasted all over the community, the province, maybe even the whole country. Even text messages were being flashed from phone to phone. Look out for a pale brown pickup and the license number was given. Everybody was looking, everyone was concerned. A baby! A seven month old baby separated from her mother? How terrible! It brought out the best in people.

Three long hours passed. It probably felt like weeks to the distressed young mother. All her friends were doing all they could, and she had No Idea how many strangers were also on the lookout.

“She's found! The baby is found!” How quickly the news spread in this age of rapid communication. She had been left on a farmer's doorstep. Hopefully still in her carseat and well bundled up and thankfully someone had been at home.

The criminals had been found and the baby is safe in her mother's arms. So ends the story. But no! That is not the ending! Can't you see the parallel?Far too many babes in Christ are also snatched away by the Evil One. Can't we see the danger they are in? Can't we see how lonely and frightened they also may be? Can we at least try to care for them at least as much as sweet little Addison was cared about? Sound the alarm! Another of God's children has been stolen! Don't go to sleep without uttering a heartfelt prayer for at least one of them, and do what you can to bring them back to safety.

Afraid in the Catacombs

Time for another quick peek into my upcoming novel. Around Smoldering Coals.  Two children and their mother are trying to find their way back to their home in the catacombs. This is part of what I added today, so I haven't had the time to do a whole lot of editing on it.

Tayletha took two, then three candles from a stash near the door. After such a harrowing experience she wanted the comfort of light surrounding her. The fosser saw them studying the map Cedric had made for them and looked over their shoulder.

“I can draw you a quicker route,” 

Lydda and Tayletha looked at each other. Then Lydda saw the exhaustion in her son's eyes.

“Where is it?”

He took the wax tablet and started to erase it. Tayletha snatched it back. “We don't know you! Our pateras made this map and it's good enough for us.”