Trust And Hope

Chapter 7

Fear sank in my stomach. Everything was white. And it wasn't just like a white room. I mean it was bright white. Like everything was glowing steadily. I had once read that if you saw all white there was a chance you could go blind. I sure hoped that didn't happen right then.

I could feel someone standing next to me. She looked like Richelle, but something told me she wasn't.

"Hi, Sadie." Her voice was Eva's. It was Eva.

"Eva?" My voice broke.

Eva looked down at me, her soft smile filling the room with sunlight. "Hello, little sister. I've missed you."

"I've missed you too-"

"Help!"

I whipped my head around to see who had cried out. Richelle. Her green eyes were frantic. "Help me!" She cried, clawing at the side of what I assumed was some sort of ledge. Leading down to what, I had no idea. I wasn't even sure I wanted to know.

I rushed to her aid, not sure what to do. "What do I do?"

"Anything!" Richelle said, her voice panicked. "Please!" Her fingertips slipped and I grasped her wrist with everything I had. I couldn't let go of her.

I frantically tried to grab hold of something behind me, but Eva was standing several feet behind me. "Eva!" I screamed. "Help me! She's slipping!"

Eva didn't do anything. She just stood there, watching us.

"Eva!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, my throat raw. "Eva, help me! Please! You can't do this! She's your sister!"

Eva just stood there.

"Eva!" I screamed again, desperation filling my chest. "Please! Help me! Her- She's slipping!"

"Sadie, stop," Richelle said quietly.

I turned back to her. "No! No, I'm not letting go-I can't... I can't lose you."

"No," Richelle said. "You can't hold me up. Let me go. Please."

"No," my voice broke. "I love you. Please don't make me. I don't want to let go."

"You can't hold me," Richelle smiled at me. Then she swung her feet against the side of the cliff.

"No, please," I begged. "Don't."

"I love you, Sadie," Richelle gave me one last smile. And pushed off.

"No!" I screamed as she fell into the abyss.

Tears streamed off my cheeks as I sobbed, banging my fist on the ground. It hurt, but I didn't care. She was gone. My sister was gone.

"Oh Sadie," I could feel Eva's hand rubbing my back.

"Why didn't you save her?" I whispered over and over.

"Oh Sadie," Eva said. I could feel her bending down and slipping her arms around me. I wanted to pull away, out of anger, but I couldn't force myself. "God won't keep your heart from breaking. But I promise you he'll be there when it does."

I woke up, gasping for air, sweat plaguing my entire body. I took gasping breaths, trying not to wake Jazmine or Sierra, but also trying to get the adrenaline rush to my head cleared out. God, my brain was racing so fast. And my head. My head was pounding. I clutched my head, trying in desperation to get the pounding under control. As my head calmed down slowly, Jazmine began to stir.

"Sadie?" she whispered into the darkness. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I said quickly. Apparently too quickly for her taste, because she sat up. I could feel her watching me intently.