Glory Be

Chapter Thirty-Three

That night, a shot rang out through Red Hawk. Its echo pressed up against and through every home. Shaking the wooden walls and floorboards. Isaiah shot out of bed in an instant. The sound striking his unconscious like a mallet to a gong. He whipped his head around and blinked as he came to his senses.

"What?" Isaiah muttered as he toppled out of bed.

Hurried footsteps sounded from outside his door. Quickly he stepped out into the hallway, trying to get a grip on reality.

"Isaiah," A hand landed roughly on his shoulder. Isaiah looked up and saw his father. Usually so put together, the man before him now was disheveled from sleep, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, uh, yeah," The words struggled to come out. The loud echo still rang in his mind, "What was that?"

"I don't know," His father stated, his eyes now trained straight ahead at the door, "I'm going to go locate the sheriff and see. Come with me."

"Okay..." Isaiah harshly swallowed, "Where's David and Adelaide?" He asked as he began to follow his father's footsteps.

"I've told David to stay back and protect your mother and sisters, so he's staying here," His father said.

"Oh," Isaiah mumbled, still becoming lucid.

His father broke through the front doors and walked onto the street. Isaiah's bare feet hit the dusty ground. Rocks embedded themselves in between his toes as he walked. He watched his father walk in the dying shadows. People were waking from the noise and lighting their lanterns. Brightening the path for his father to follow.

"Reverend!" Someone yelled from their house.

His father stopped in his path. Immediately he ran a hand through his hair, making sure it was neat, and then turned on his heal. He located the person at their door and gave them his full attention.

"Hello, Mrs. Coleman," Reverend Merrick said, "Are you okay?"

"I'm well, Reverend," She pleading with her eyes, "What's going on? That was a gunshot, right?"

"I believe so, but I'm not caught up on the current situation unfortunately. I urge you to stay inside till things get settled," The Reverend heeded, "But I promise, once things are figured out, I'll stop by an explain everything."

Mrs. Coleman nodded and clasped her hands together.

"Okay thank you Reverend," She said.

"Of course, bless you," The Reverend wished before continuing to walk.

Isaiah followed behind with quick steps as he dodged pointy rocks in the road. He watched his dad have that same conversation with several other neighbors. He didn't even look bothered by getting constantly stopped. Isaiah's eyebrows relaxed and he looked into the darkness. It was a good character trait to have. To be kind without reason. Isaiah looked back at his father, wondering if he really didn't have a reason. No overarching reason for his actions. Did he truly believe in all of his philosophies?

Finally, the father and son spotted the Sherrif upon his horse. He was commanding orders at his deputies, intensely focused on the issue at hand.

"Where could he have gone?" The Sheriff announced with frustration, "Find him! Surround the town's borders! Now!" His deputies shouted back their agreements and took off on their horses. Isaiah steadied himself right behind his father's shadow, as he approached the Sheriff's horse, which looked nearly ready to take off.

"Sheriff! What's going on?" The Reverend yelled.

"Reverend, I don't have time for this," The Sheriff growled back. A torch lit his face from below, casting him in a devilish light.