Guilt, shame, disappointment, hypocrisy, betrayal; these words float like rotten driftwood through Luke’s mind while he holds Sandi and drifts off to sleep after spending the evening in bed with her.   Learning about Sandi’s pregnancy with his child has introduced a whole new world of confusion, uncertainty, and doubt. His thought processes had always been so clear and direct when the entity was a part of him. Luke’s personality is such that he only speaks when there is a tangible, concrete thought he is able to express. And right now, the entire situation seems to have decayed into an unworkable mess. So he says … Continue reading Chapter 8.22 – Static

Luke and Anna lovingly attempt to recapture the remarkable bonding they had shared together a few nights ago.   It has been a catalyst for triggering fundamental changes in both of them. Family members fortunate enough to witness the transformation can only describe it as falling in love. Some of these changes seem insignificant, and are easily attributable to the euphoria of a new romance.   A number of other changes, however, are hardly insignificant. Anna’s addictions, having been neglected for too long, begin to assert their authority. No longer feeling alone, Anna completely surrenders to to her new-found faith. But the price of her … Continue reading Chapter 8.21 – Withdrawal

Forensic testing on drugs found in Anna’s apartment, uncover a very real and disturbing fact. Somebody had tried to silence her.   The drugs had been purposefully tainted with a toxic combination of chemicals that would have killed her in short order, had Luke not intervened when he did. Luke provides a good description of the jukie he had confronted inside her apartment, and gives investigators the knife left behind from the scuffle. There is little chance it will do any good, however. The military is generally pretty thorough about cleaning up after gaffes like this. The junkie Luke fought is likely already a … Continue reading Chapter 8.20 – Lullaby

Luke drives home from the airport with Sandi, who is still dazed and asking why she hadn’t seen the facts for herself.   Luke ran to catch a plane as soon as Sandi’s father had been neutralized. Sandi hadn’t argued a bit when he bought an additional ticket on the same flight home. Many, many emotions (some of them conflicting) surface, rendering Sandi mostly unable to speak. Anger, grief, shame, embarrassment, disappointment; they all run the gambit through her already emotionally charged personality. But these emotions are highly concentrated as a result of the encounter with her father at the airport.   Sandi calls Luke early that next day. … Continue reading Chapter 8.19 – Afraid