The Mark

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Here it is. I knew there was a ring to pull here somewhere."

Henry grunted a few times until Anna realized she was standing on the trap door, and quickly apologizing, moved to the side. He lifted the door and carefully laid it on the floor, revealing a black hole.

"You go in first. I'll lift the door back into place once I'm in."

Anna tried to take a deep breath and move toward the opening, but all she could muster was a whimper. She put her hands to her face and began to sob. It wasn't like her to struggle with emotion, but she found she'd reached her breaking point. She heard Henry take a step toward her and felt his warm arms wrap around her again.

"I know this is a lot to take in," he whispered gently in her ear. "I'm not going to leave you, and the hard part is over. Getting here was a big deal, and I am so proud of you. This tunnel leads to safety. Soon you'll feel much better."

Anna stood in his embrace and let his words soak in. He had never lied to her before. In fact he was the most honest man she knew. And what was the big deal about a black hole? Hadn't she gone through worse to get here? After a moment, Anna decided she could do this, and she pulled away from Henry and looked down at the dark opening in the floor. Before she even asked, he answered her question.

"Charlie left us a flashlight. It should be on the floor by the bottom of the ladder."

Anna felt around the circumference of the opening. Eventually her fingers rested on the rounded wooden end of a ladder. She sat and put her feet into the hole, reaching with her toes until she felt a rung on the ladder. Henry put his hand on her back to steady her as she care fully lowered herself into the tunnel. Climbing down, an even greater darkness enveloped her.

And I thought the barn was dark. I'm not sure I can do this. In a few moments her feet touched solid ground, and she let out a sigh of relief. She could hear Henry replace the door and then start down the steps. She quickly bent down and felt around for a flash light. Just as Charlie had promised, the flashlight was at the base of the ladder. Anna decided that no matter who he was, this Charlie guy was getting a big hug when she met him.

Henry was nearing the ground when Anna clicked on the flashlight. The light was a welcome sight for seriously sore eyes. Anna turned the beam toward the ladder so Henry could see what he was doing as he took the final three rungs with ease. She felt a tickle on her neck and without thinking swatted at something that was working its way toward her shoulder. She shivered and mussed her hair with her free hand, hoping any other unwelcome pests would fall away. Her hair felt damp, either from perspiration or even worse, lack of shampoo and water. This was no time to worry about cleanliness, she told herself as she glanced down at her filthy tee shirt. She lifted her head and watched as Henry turned around and flashed that familiar crooked grin at her.

"Nice to see you again." He reached for the flashlight. "Do you want to lead?"

"Uh, no, thanks," Anna stammered, as she handed the flashlight to Henry, hoping he wouldn't notice her hair.

Henry touched her shoulder. "Are you feeling any better?" "Yeah, thanks," she replied. Now that I'm with you.

Henry pointed the flashlight up the hole they had just descended. It was about twenty feet to the top and Anna could see the wooden trap door back in place. Henry turned and scanned the tunnel with the light. There was only one direction to walk, and the ceiling was low, forcing Henry to duck as he walked. Though she was considerably shorter, Anna still felt cramped.

As she followed Henry closely, Anna's thoughts continued to reel with the details of the past few weeks. Colors flashed before her mind's eye-the yellow police tape across her front door, the gray sky hanging over the fields of dying brown corn stalks, the orange glow from the bonfire on the street, the body of little Isaiah covered with a crisp white sheet. She shivered in the dampness of the tunnel and reached for the hem of Henry's shirt. Holding it made her feel connected, safe.

Occasionally they would pass a familiar strong odor in the tunnel, but Anna couldn't place the smell. Tree roots? Sewage? Then she remembered where the memory came from. As a child she would go camping with her parents. Fresh pinewood had a distinct smell, strangely like vomit more than anything else. She twisted the end of Henry's shirt tighter around her finger and covered her mouth and nose with her free hand.

Oh, dear God, how did it come to this? Did You really try to warn me? How could I have been so blind?

A thought came to Anna, and she suddenly glanced behind her into the darkness. Her heart was pounding again, and the sweat was starting to return. What if they were being followed? Was that a light she saw or... no, it was nothing. She looked back at Henry and decided it was too frightening to look behind her again. What could she do if she saw a light? She was already moving as fast as she could, and there was only one way to go. Trust was a new concept for her, but for now she would have to trust Henry. And God. Especially God.

The tunnel had been dug through layers of soil, rock, and large tree roots that protruded into the tunneled-out area, tearing at Anna's arms. The beam from Henry's flashlight was pointed ahead of them, so she didn't always see the dangerous limbs. Twice she tripped on roots and loose stones, stumbling into Henry's back. The first time he stopped and asked if she was all right, then he kept on moving and she did her best to keep pace.