SHATTERED

╣FIVE╠

       The prison cafeteria was filled with prisoners seated  waiting to be served. As Logan sat, he felt a  rough tap on his shoulder, he turned his head to see who it was.
“Hey dude, stand up this is where we sit!” A man muscularly built said rudely to him, he was with two other guys. He knew this where the bullies in jail.
“I'm sorry, there are other empty tables that you  you three can sit.” Logan look at the man from head to toe. if this man wanted to fight with him, he is ready, by the way, he had learnt karate in college and he had the black belt, he isn't scared of him. “You dare talk to him that  way?!” The man standing beside the huge man yelled, shoving Logan's shoulder. Logan rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulder. He didn't even stand up.
“You don't know me, do you?” the huge man poked him on his chest with his finger “Because if you do, you would have stood up as soon as you saw us coming.” Logan stood up. He ran his tongue through the roof of his mouth, glaring at the man. “If you know me, you won't stand here talking to me.” he said through clenched teeth. The two other men laughed at him.
“You must be brave for you to challenge me.” The huge man scoffed.
“Accept my challenge, if you beat me in arm wrestling you sit here, if not I sit here” Logan said to him. There was a prolonged silence as the men glanced at each other.
“Okay.”the man agreed.
Logan sat down while the man start opposite him as they  interlocked their arms.
They were timed two minutes for the challenge. Logan looked around, his table was already surrounded with other inmates. The huge man became exhausted as he tried using all his strength to pin Logan's arm down. As it was approaching the last minute of the challenge, Logan used all his strength to pin his arm down.
“…3,2,1"  the inmates  counted and the time keeper whistled signalling the end of the challenge.
“Great loggy! Great loggy!” the inmates cheered him as they hugged him, some ruffling his hair. Logan grinned widely feeling like a, athlete who had just won a gold medal.
“I bet you know your place now” Logan said to the three men who were surprised and disappointed as they left. He sat down as soon as his food was served, he scrunched his face as he took a spoon full of the rice, it was too spicy although he managed to eat it.
“Great loggy.” he said to himself, chuckling softly. That will be his new nickname in jail.

            ➰➿➰

The police ransacked Rex's home in search of Ethel. Thelma couldn't believe it when Rex told her that Ethel was missing during the early hours of the morning. As soon as he told her she immediately contacted the police and signed a missing persons report. She paced around in Ethel's room trying to figure out why her teenage daughter was kidnapped. She walked to the window opening the draperies, the window was open and she found something intriguing on the window sill– dried blood. Could it be that she was injured by the kidnapper before the kidnapper escaped with her  through window or was she raped?
“No! No!” she closed her eyes tight trying to shake off the horrible thought that crossed her mind. She took out her phone and snapped the dried blood stain on the window sill and went out of the room.
“Mrs Wilbur, we have searched the entire neighbourhood yet we didn't see any trace of her but I assure you we will not rest until we find her.” The criminal investigators said.
“Thank you,” she smiled bleakly “I have something to show you.” she said switching on her phone to show him the picture the had taken.
“Hmm” he sighed. “The forensics saw that too. They've gotten fingerprints and DNA. If you find anything strange please don't hesitate to call us, okay? ” he said to her patting her shoulder.
“I will” she said as she walked him to the door, shutting it behind her.
She plodded to the sofa and slumped into it.
“Thelma,” Rex said as he opened the door walking into the house. “Are you okay?” he asked her as he walked to the sofa raising her head from the arm rest and sitting there, he placed her head carefully on his laps stroking her hair.
“You know I am not.”  she sniffed.
“Why are you sulking over spilt milk? I spoke to Detective Zachary, he said either she was kidnapped o she ran away.”
“My daughter will never run away unless something is wrong!” she sat up, yelling.
“What if she actually did?”
“I know my daughter Rex,” she sobbed “She wouldn't run away from me” she covered her face with her palm placing her elbows on her lap.
“Maybe someone made her run away” Rex shrugged his shoulder.
“Don’t tell me that! You don't understand…you don't understand what it means to loose a child.” she rose her head up, her face red from crying.
“I do, I care about her.” he touched her shoulder but she flinched from his touch.
“Don’t touch me!” she stood up abruptly “Don’t touch me until you find my daughter!” she yelled at him before walking away to the room.

             ➰➿➰

The pews of the church were already filled up with members when Miss Sebastian and Ethel arrived. The were directed by the usher to the second floor, where they could find empty pews.
“Would you like to go to the children's auditorium?” Miss Sebastian asked Ethel when they were seated.
“No…I am okay here.” Ethel said rubbing her sweaty palms together, nervously because she had never  been to a church before and this was her first time. Miss Sebastian seemed to notice her nervousness, she smiled and said, “You would love it there and moreover you will see some of your mates there.”
“Please, I want to stay with you.” Ethel said, fear written all over her face.
“Alright.”
     They stood up as soon as the choir started singing the hymn.  Miss Sebastian shared a hymnal with Ethel as they sang:

“Incase you have fallen by the wayside of life,
Dreams and visions shattered you are broken inside,
You don't have to stay in the shape you are,
Because the Potter wants to put you back together again.

You who are broken, stop by, the Potter's House.
You who demanded, stop by, the Potter's House.
Give him the fragment of your broken life (oh–oh)
Oh, the Potter wants to put you back together again…”
Ethel didn't know when tears rolled down her cheeks as she sang the hymn.
When the choir finished singing, the whole congregation applauded them, the pastor mounted the pulpit afterwards. The pastor preached on the topic:The Potter.
“The Potter.”  Ethel muttered subconsciously as she listened attentively.
The service ended, Ethel and Miss Sebastian trekked home together.
“Miss Sebastian, who is the Potter?” Ethel asked her ‘cause she didn't really understand what the pastor preached about.

Maybe, Miss Sebastian could explain it better to me.
Ethel thought. Miss Sebastian stopped walking and placed her hand firmly on Ethel's shoulder.
“Jesus Christ and we are his clay.” she smiled.
“Jesus? Is there any way we can stop at his house so that he can fix back the shattered pieces of my life?” she asked tears welling in her eyes.
“Yes, we can do that through prayers.” Miss Sebastian said wiping away Ethel's tears with her handkerchief.
“Prayers? What do I say?” Ethel licked her lips as she rubbed her temple.
“Tell him your problem and tell him what you what him to do for you.”
“Can I do it now?”
“Of course, you can.”
“Jesus,” Ethel said closing her eyes “I don't really know who you are but, I learnt today that you fix people whose life has been shattered. I am shattered too, please come and fix me back. That's all I need.” she opened her eyes to find Miss Sebastian smiling broadly at her.
“Amen!” Miss Sebastian concluded for her.
“I think I feel different now as her told Jesus my problem. I am happy I finally found someone who could fix the shattered pieces of my life.”
“I am glad you did.” Miss Sebastian pulled her into an embrace and then they started their journey home.

                ➰➿➰

When Ethel got home she immediately went to the toilet to check if she had gotten stained. Last night, Miss Sebastian had given her a sanitary pad to use, she also explained to her how to use it. She had told her it was Menstruation and it was a sign of maturity, being her first time, she felt it was strange. She hadn't even noticed before she escaped from home not until Miss Sebastian told her when she saw a red stain at the back of her pink trousers she wore last night. After she had freshened up, she went to the living room and sat on the sofa flipping the TV on. Mrs Sebastian brought their lunch to the living room, try both sat down watching TV and eating in silence.
The was baffled when she saw the news reporter talked about her stating that she was missing. Her picture was displayed on the TV screen with missing written beneath it. She saw Rex and her crying mom begging the kidnapper to bring her back. She smiled wryly angry at them and switched off the TV.
“Why did you switch off the TV?” Mrs Sebastian asked Ethel.
“I don't want to see them… they are pretenders, they don't love me. I don't want to go back.” she shook her head tears welling in her eyes.
“It’s okay, but I have to tell the police I have found you.” Miss Sebastian set her tray of food aside as she shifted closer to Ethel. As Ethel placed her head on her chest, she stroked her hair.
“I don't want to go back to them.” she sobbed.
“You will not, not until the police find out the reason you ran away from home. I call the cops and tell them I've found you, okay?” she kissed her head.
“okay.” she sniffed, hugging Miss Sebastian.

Hello readers, just wanted to know what you think about this chapter. I really appreciate your encouragement so far, please keep voting and commenting, thank you.
I leave you with this question, where did the blood found on the window sill come from…guess? Send your answers through comment.