SHATTERED

╣THREE╠

    Ethel was surprised when she saw her stepdad in the entrance of her school. She wanted to go home without him seeing her but, unfortunately, their eyes met and he smiled, waving at her.
“Hey your dad?” Sylvia nudged her with her elbow.
“No!” Ethel said sharply.
“So who is he to you then?”
“My driver” she lied.
“Alright, I don't want to keep you waiting. Bye!” Sylvia waved at her, disappearing into the crowd of students that were hanging around the entrance of the school. Ethel wondered why Mr Wilbur would come to pick her up from school, she normally goes home herself, so why did he come?
“Why did you come?!” she scowled.
“Is that how to greet? Anyway, get into the car.”  he said grabbing her hand. She jerked away, opening the back door of the car and entered.
  “Your Mum is in the hospital, that's why I came to pick you up.” he told her as he pulled out of the parking lot of her school.
Ethel's heartbeat quickened. “What have you done to her?!” she yelled at him.
“Nothing, good news… you have a baby sister.” he looked at her through the rear view mirror.
She rolled her eyes muttering,“Who cares?”
“Who was that beautiful brunette with you?”
“My classmate.” she hesitated before answering.
“Hmm” he sighed.
“Won't you come out of the car, do you want to sleep in there?” Rex said after he had parked the car in the garage.
Ethel opened the door and got out of the car, slamming it shut. She scurried into the house. She went to her room, throwing her backpack on the bed, she sat on the bed sobbing, she covered her face with her palm. She reached for the framed photo on the nightstand and took it. Starring at the photo, she shook her head. Her dad was a tall muscled–up   man. He was nice to her and her mother, she didn't want to believe all what her mother had said about him, maybe if she had the chance to talk to her father she would ask him if he really killed someone. She held the frame close to her chest with memories of her dad lingering in her mind.
A jolting knock on the door made her jump in fear.
“I made dinner, do you care to eat?” Rex said as he opened the door.
“I'm not hungry.” she said, her voice hoarse.
“You’ve been crying?” he chuckled. “I will be waiting for you at the dinning room.” he said before shutting the door.
Ethel walked to the door and locked it and then walked to her bed and sat, she took her bag unzipping it so she could do her assignment. She took out her notebook and sighed in frustration. Putting her books into her bag, she zipped it close. She took of her shoes an her uniform and layed on the bed, she didn't care if she got punished for not doing her assignment.

              ➰➿➰

“Don't!” an authoritative voice said. Logan shuddered, dropping the bottle of the poisonous liquid to the ground. Beams of light focused on his face, blinding his vision from seeing who it was. The person unlocked the cell gate and walked in.
“Give me what you have with you.” The man hunkered down, stretching his hand to collect it from him.
“I am sorry, I can't. Let me do it…I can't bear to leave in this world any longer.” he sobbed.
   The man was dressed in a police uniform.
“What will you gain, by taking your life?” the man said softly.
“Freedom… freedom” he croaked.
“Freedom? I guess you don't know what freedom is?”
“I know, I once had freedom before I got locked up in here.” he sniffed looking down at his hands.
“No, you didn't. You never had freedom, that's why you committed a crime. If you had freedom you wouldn't have ended up here.”
“Sir, I don't understand what you mean?” Logan looked up at the man.
“Of course, you do the man stood up “or maybe our definition of freedom is different. What's your own definition of freedom?”
“The state of being free, of not being imprisoned or enslaved.”
“Well, mine is the state of being free from the shackles of sin.”
Logan got up and sat on his bed. “You can have the freedom you're talking about and still be in bondage.”
“I don't still understand.” Logan wiped his dried tears away from his face.
“See,” the man placed a hand on his shoulder “Freedom, can only be gotten by one way and through one person. He said, I am the way the truth and the life, no one cometh unto the father except through me.”
“Who said it?”
“The one who gives freedom… Jesus Christ.” the man smiled warmly.
“Jesus?” Logan chuckled, “I have heard that name before.”
“What do you know about him?”
“Some people say, he died for our sins, he was a sinless man and he rose up again on the third day. I don't believe it.”
“Jesus, had been in existence before the earth was created and he is the son of God. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life.”
“Sir,…You must be one of those people who believe in that… can I ask you a question?” Logan pinched the bridge of his nose, anger building up inside of him.
“Please, ask.” the man said sitting beside him in his bed.
“What makes you think Jesus Christ exist?” he starred into the man's eyes without breaking eye contact.
“Nature.” the man answered.
“Is that your answer?” Logan snorted taking his hand through his brown disheveled hair.
“Can I ask you my own question?”
“Yeah”
“Why do you think God doesn't exist?”
“Well… I don't see him… we can't see him.”
“Don't say that because I do see him.”
“You do?”
“He speaks to me… he is real.” the man checked his wrist watch and stood up. “I have to go now” he said tapping Logan's shoulder.
“But, you haven't answered my question.” The man brought out a pocket bible from his breast pocket “You'll find all the answers you need here.” he smiled at him giving him the bible.
“Thanks.”  Logan said after he collected it from him.
“We’ll talk some other time.” the officer said and left.