IN LOVE'S EMBRACE

CHAPTER 43: FREEDOM AT LAST?

"Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets free the prisoners"- Psalm 146:7

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JOHN PIERCE

Marco sat frozen on the other side of the room, looking lifeless as he quietly rested his back and head against the wall.

He had been in that position ever since I managed to calm him down and narrated all that had transpired since he injected me. Initially, like anyone else would have been in his position, he was in disbelief and came to the conclusion that either a cruel prank was being played on him, or he had finally snapped.

It took a lot of convincing on Michael's part to get him to realize we weren't lying. I felt vulnerable revealing such information, perhaps because I knew it sounded silly to him. It would have been the same for me if I were in his place.

"You died," Marco stoically stated, wearing a poker face.

"Yes," I responded with a nod, knowing he wasn't asking a question.

"You almost went to hell," he continued. I nodded again.

"But Jesus rescued you and gave you another chance at life," I nodded once more, the memories still fresh in my mind.

"And that's how you came back to life," he concluded, gazing at me.

I couldn't figure out his expression, but one thing I was sure of was that I had driven his anxiety to a whole new level. He was fighting an internal battle of believing or disregarding my story.

Initially, when I told him, he had not a single ounce of belief. He went on mumbling to himself about how he had either made a mistake with the poison, or I had an antidote that I used without anyone knowing, or he had simply lost his mind. Don had pushed him over the edge.

He wouldn't listen to a thing I said until Michael stepped in. His soothing words miraculously got through to Marco, who then decided to give me the benefit of the doubt.

"You're finding it quite hard to believe," I stated, running a hand through my hair.

"Your experience defies all sense and logic," Michael interjected, and Marco's eyes flickered between both of us.

"Why?" he suddenly asked. If there wasn't a wall between Michael and me, we would have probably shared a look.

"Why what?" I threw back, raising a brow.

"Why did you divulge this to me? You could have just kept pretending to be dead until I left. By revealing the truth to me, you will..." He paused, pinching the bridge of his nose. "If Don finds out, he will have my head for being incompetent, then he'd end you himself."

I had no answer. I felt a nudge to quit my charade, and so I did. It felt right, and even if I had thought it through like this, I'd still do it again.

"The only way to save yourself is to kill me, isn't it?" I asked with a knowing look as I rocked myself back and forth.

He averted his gaze, violently scratched his hair, and released an ear-splitting scream. From the look in his eyes, one thing was certainly obvious - Marco was frustrated.

My heart clenched for him as he rose to his feet and grabbed his flashlight from the ground. His wobbly legs made their way towards the exit, and I shook my head.

A strange feeling settled in the bottom of my stomach, fighting against letting him go. I sighed. Even if I did call him back, what exactly would I say?