The Potter and His Clay.

Face the Darkness.

She looked at the house in front of her, her hands shaking and her heart heavy, she wiped her face with the back of her hand and with a push of her leg, she made her way up those stairs towards the big wooden doors. She pushed through the doors and made her way down the aisle,  she began to shake uncontrollably due to the sobs that was slowly flowing out. She suddenly collapsed at the bottom of the alter and looked up to the cross that hung proudly on the wall, few feet away from her. She lets out a shaky breathe and lets out a cry, she began to beat her chest as she finally let the tears to freely pour, 

"I asked" she began, "I asked you-to get rid-of them" she stammered, "I need you to take them back! Please I can't-" she groaned as her chest felt tight, "I don't know why but God, I can't go through this again!" she wailed, she began kicking and shaking her body convulsively, as she protested in her tantrum. She fell back onto the red rug as as she felt powerless, she froze as she squeezed her eyes shut and whimpered quietly, her eyes slowly reopened and she stared up to the wooden ceiling and lets out a soft breathe. 

"I miss her" she whispered, she gripped her chest and bit her lip "I miss her so much Dad. Please, take this pain away from me" she placed her hands on her temples "I need you to take these memories away from me completely". 

***

She wrapped her arms around her daughter as they watched the fiery sun slowly set from the top of their apartment building, she kissed her daughter's head and placed her chin on it.  They sat in a beach chair as they embraced each other warmly, surrounded by a beautiful roof top garden, that they had worked on for the past year.

"You know, I love you, right?" she whispered as she began to sway side to side, Eliza looked up at her Mum and smiled with a nod "yep" she responded, revealing her missing front tooth, she chuckled and took her cheeks into her hands with a gasp "did you get cuter?" she asked with a awed expression 

Eliza lets out a giggle and moves into her chest as she snuggled into her warmness, she wrapped her little arms around her mother's waist, "I want us like this forever" she sighs, her mother pats her daughter's back softly as she looked out to the fading sun. They stayed there in each other's embrace until the stars painted the night skies, not knowing what the future had instore for them.

***

Doris looks up from her computer and sees Pastor Thompson locking his office door, "leaving, Pastor?" she asked, her spectaculars at the bridge of her nose, he looked at Doris and sighed "yes Doris, I'll see you tomorrow-"

"Pastor, could you lock the church doors before you leave?" she asked with a bright smile "the church choir came in a few hours ago for a prayer meeting and they didn't lock up"

Pastor Thompson forces a small smile and nods tiredly "of course", he makes his way through the choir changing room and opened the door to the alter pool, he walks around it. He stopped in his tracks as he hears sobs, he walked over around the chairs and looks down at his Granddaughter sprawled on the floor

"Eliza?" 

he quickly got to her side and pulled her up, she sat up and looked at her Grandfather with red puffy eyes and her tear soaked cheeks

"I-I" she stuttered "I miss her" she lets out as she broke down again, Pastor Thompson pulls her to him and wraps his arms around her, "I miss her too honey" he whispered, rubbing her back soothingly.

~~~

They sat quietly on the long wooden service chairs and stared at the picture of Jesus carrying the cross on the stained glass window. Pastor Thompson waited patiently for his Granddaughter to say the first word, he shifted in his seat and looks back to the window,

"they're back" she finally says, almost in a whisper

Pastor Thompson looks at her with dreadful eyes and paused for a second, "the nightmares?" 

she nodded motionlessly, "the screams are louder than before", she looks at him, her eyes dull and heavy, "I can't" she says weakly, "I don't have the strength this time pa" her chest rising, as she breathed heavily, looking away "I don't think God-" 

he takes her hand, "hey" he says, "look at me", he shook her hand gently, she looked at him as her lower lip began to quiver. He placed his hand on her cheek "God has always been there, don't tell me God doesn't see you" he pleaded

"then why?" she whispered "He's abandoned me and left me to be tortured by my past"

"maybe He's trying to show you something" he adds, he looks straight into her eyes and holds her gaze, he shook his head slightly and took her hands into his own,

 "no more running". 

~~~

Theodore turns around and sees Jonathan standing where Ethan's car was parked, completely baffled as he was. He stormed towards him "YOU!" he yelled pointing threateningly at him, fuming in anger, he grabbed his collar "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY TO HER?!" 

Jonathan glared at him , "I didn't say anything" he spat, Theodore raised his fist, ready to let it collide with his face. 

"THEO!" 

they looked over to Ethan who was running over to them, he pulled his hand away from Jonathan's collar and pushed him away. 

"What the heck's wrong with you?!" he scolded, Theo focused back onto Jonathan, as he exhaled and inhaled angrily "he said something to Eliza and now she's gone" 

"what?!" Ethan exclaimed, he turned to Jonathan with a puzzled look "what did you say to her?" 

"I didn't say anything" Jonathan repeated getting more annoyed, 

"LIAR!" Theo yelled, lunging forward, Ethan groaned and pushed him back, "Stop it!" he yelled 

"I didn't say anything! She was hitting herself and shaking when I saw her" he explained, "so I opened her door and I stopped her" 

an overwhelming fear and worry washed over him as he pulled out his phone from his pocket and began to dial her number 

"what's wrong with her?" Jonathan asked worriedly, Ethan ignored him as he listened to the dialing tone, "come on, come on, come on" he says anxiously 

" The number you're calling cannot be reached, please try again later"

Ethan groaned and looked at Theo "let's spilt up, go to the beach, I'll go check the house", Theo nodded and ran off towards the boys he was talking to, 

"I'll give you a ride" Jonathan says as he turns without a response, Ethan sighed and followed him over to his car.