Saving Faith

This is my first real short story. I took a creative writing class, and this was a major assignment.

The alarm shrieked, warning Andrew it was time to leave. His body flew, adrenaline pumped through his veins pushing him along at a ridiculous speed. He did not know what reality was and was not. Had he just robbed that convenience store? Did he just jump in a dumpster? He could hear the sirens wailing. Something sticky was covering his already filthy clothes, his face and hair. The sirens grew closer, Andrew held his breath, and then they faded until they were nothing but background music. He crept out, cautiously, tension controlling his body. He moved with a cat like gait. His once lean and muscular body looked starved. His once shiny curly brown hair was sticky and dull. His face was pale and serious; it had lost its youthful joyful glow. His eyes were no longer bright, but hard and cautious, life on the street had changed him. Glancing around, he saw an old abandoned warehouse sitting in darkness across the alley. Crossing the alley he ducked in by way of window.
Shattered glass from recent gang activity crunched under his foot, one brave little piece came up past the sole of his shoe and cut his foot. Rolling his eyes he limped on looking for a staircase with roof access. Shadows danced along the walls and floor taunting and teasing his senses. A breeze blew in from the lack of windows. Distant sounds swirled in, alerting him all the more. At the end of the corridor was the staircase. He bounded up the three stories to the roof like a mountain goat. The old wooden door that had not been opened in years, stuck only for a second. A good hard kick broke the hinges with a groan. The city lay out before him, covered in a blanket of purple. The sky was on fire with bright oranges, pinks, reds and dulled with a deep violet. Shadows jumped off of buildings and lay unmoving, flat on the ground. Across town he could see the police cars desperately searching for him. A smile broke his normally serious expression.
“At least they won’t find me for awhile.” He grumbled, kicking a stone across the roof as he moved to the edge.
Andrew knew that his arrest was inevitable. He had just robbed a convenience store! The guilt swept through him, he quietly mumbled,” Lord, please forgive me.” Sitting on the edge of the roof he thought about how much his life had changed in the past three years. Three years ago he had been on fire for God. He was going to lead kids to Christ, kids who were from troubled lives, kids who lived like he did now. The irony of that stung him.
Those three years seemed like an eternity ago. His dad, James, was still in Iraq, it was just him and his mom, Laura, at home. Andrew hated to think of James, he wouldn’t refer to him as Dad. Just thinking of calling him dad made him want to spit. James had sent a letter in the summer of ’06, saying that he was going to do something, for them. After it was done they would be rich, a week later his whole company was blown up, all except James, he was accused of treason, working with Al-Queada, killing American troops for cash. Laura was devastated and for awhile so was Andrew, but as the case progressed he grew less certain that James wasn’t guilty. During the trial he sat dutifully by his mother. The last day of the trial he told both parents that he believed James was guilty and he hoped that they sentenced him to death. That day James was convicted of treason and Laura lost her mind. Afterwards she disappeared for three weeks and the police found her huddled in a box twenty miles from her home. She was put into an insane asylum, because Andrew, 18 at the time, could not take care of her. Andrew cursed James every day; he was the ruin of Andrew’s life, faith and family. James was not the reason he left though.
Suddenly out of nowhere three police cars came to a screeching halt, sirens wailing and lights molesting the shadows.
“Great, they found me,” Andrew sighed, “well no use resisting.”
He stood up when an officer with a bull horn said, “Sir there is no reason to kill yourself, the punishment for robbery is not that bad.”
“They think I’m going to kill myself,” he said to himself, “well no reason to keep letting them think that.” All of the sudden a black Honda came careening through the alley. Tires screaming, the police jumped out of the way, fearing for their lives.
“What an idiot, that driver is,” he thought. But the car came to a sudden halt and out stepped the girl of his dreams, who had been his support during the James trial, who he had been engaged to, the girl who had broken his heart. Mariah.
The brakes squealed with agitation as Mariah turned the corner and came to an abrupt halt, the officer she figured to be in charge gave her a dirty look, she didn’t care. All she could think about was that he was found. Like the Prodigal Son story, “he was lost and now he is found, he was dead and now he is alive.” For three years she had searched high and low for him with no avail. Now finally her Andrew was found. Ready to commit suicide and having just robbed a convenience store, but alive! She remembered that day after the trial and the incident with Laura, Josh had found her crying and because the engagement had not been announced, he thought that to cheer her up she needed to be kissed. By him of all people! The memory of his hot sweaty mouth on hers was enough to make her gag. All poor Andrew had seen was her in another man’s arms. If only he had been 30 seconds earlier, then he would have known and not have left. She realized it must have killed him to see her in another man’s arms, especially Josh’s, the slimy dirt cake he was. The past three years she had to fight him off with a stick.
Pushing her thoughts aside she looked at the roof, there he was. Even from a distance she could see the physical differences. He was skinnier, his face harsh. For an instant she saw the same light in his eyes he used to have when he would look at her. It was gone all too soon, but there was still hope.
“How long has he been there?” she shouted at the chief.
“We got the call saying he was here about a half hour ago, before you talk to him we are going to get him down, he may be dangerous.” He said calmly.
Mariah rolled her eyes; Andrew was about as dangerous as a ladybug. She may have made him mad but he was not dangerous. The police chief by this time had already forgotten her and was barking orders. Eyeing the door where she could get in she sprinted as fast as she could, ignoring the yells.

“Crap, what is she doing here?” Andrew muttered under is breath, pacing across the roof. There was no way he was going down now, at least while she was down there. He was doing fine, other than the robbery charges he was going to be charged with; he didn’t need her coming and breaking his heart again. He had moved on, she had made her choice and so had he. Though why she had chosen Josh of all people was beyond him.
“I don’t need this, I don’t need this,” he muttered again and again.
“Don’t need what? The robbery charges or…” Her voice was drowned in sarcasm; it seemed like old times. It was enough to almost make him smile.
“No, I don’t need another encounter with you so you can break my heart again,” He hissed, eyeing her as if she was a wild animal crouching to attack.
“If I was here to break your heart, would I do this?” She said trying to have some volume control, failing miserably too.
“Just like old times” He thought.
She lifted her hand in such a way he thought she was going to flip him off, something out of character for her. Instead she showed him her ring finger, which held the ring. The ring he had saved for months to buy, that he had proposed with, the one that she had worn around her neck until they were ready to announce their engagement.
“Why… why do… why is that…?” He stammered unable to complete a sentence.
“I wear it because; I love you and am waiting to marry you.” She said.
“What about Josh? I saw you-“Andrew questioned, the tears streaming down his face, his voice cracking.
For a moment all he could see was Josh holding Mariah. His gloating eyes filled with arrogance and triumph. Andrew had left town then and there, stopping for no one. Ignoring Mariah’s cries and pleading.
“Josh has no meaning in my life, expect as a target.” She said, rolling her eyes at him.
They sat down on the edge of the roof. Mariah let her shoes fall, hitting the chief. For three hours they talked.
“How is my mother?” Andrew asked fearing the answer.
“She recovered about six months after you left. She misses you a lot. I told her about the engagement.”
“How did she take that news?’
“She took it quite well, said ‘well we had better find him then hadn’t we?’ It’s been her and me since my dad left after my moms death. I have Saturday night dinner with her and we share the pew at church. She really misses you.” Mariah finished quietly.
“Well I guess I had better go turn myself in, so we can have that wedding huh?” Andrew asked standing up, offering her his hand.
“Yeah but you can forget any wedding if you get any tattoos, especially on your head!” She joked.
“You always were a party pooper,” Andrew whined, poking her ribs gently.
“I know, but I do have standards.”
Their laughter drifted throughout the city, like a lullaby.

The dress fit beautifully, it flowed three feet behind her. Just enough lace, but something was missing. The pearls, that’s what was missing. Laura scratched her brain, trying to think of an excuse to not get them. Her mother had given them to her on her wedding day, and instructed her to give them to her daughter. But seeing as Laura only had Andrew, it would be right to give them to Mariah. She silently left the room and went into her room. Everything was in boxes. She would soon be moving out of this big lonely house into Mariah’s quaint little family cottage. Andrew would be out of the county jail in a month and two weeks after that he would be a married man. It made more sense for her to move out to a smaller house, and them to have a large house sized for a family. Everything would be perfect.
She picked her way through the maze of boxes, right to the box labeled “Wedding”. Taking a deep breath she dropped to her knees, it seemed that when she opened the box she was in a different time. When James was just out of basic training, He bought her this house as a wedding gift. He didn’t know how he would be able to afford it but he would. He always did. Stifling the tears she quickly went through the box, trying not to look at the pictures that filled the box. Finally she found the string of dainty pearls.
“Finally,” she breathed, quickly picking her way out of the room that felt stifling.
Stopping in front of the door, trying to compose herself a tear slipped out of her eye. How long had it been since she had opened that box? Since she talked to James? Not since the trial, he had written her a letter about a year ago, but she had burnt it had not even read it. Smiling she walked into the spare bedroom where Mariah was dressing.

“Mariah, I wanted you have these, to wear at your wedding and give them to your daughter on her wedding.” Laura said handing Mariah the pearls.
Mariah’s eyes watered. She had seen Laura wear these pearls almost daily up until after James had been convicted.
“Thank you Laura,” She said thankfully, “I really appreciate them, it means a lot to me.” After a quick embrace they parted and Mariah stepped out of the dress with Laura’s help. She was so thankful for Laura; it was hard to think that her mother was dead and wouldn’t be there for her big day. She could not believe that in less than two months she would be married! Andrew had been studying the past year for his Pastoral degree; He would be an amazing youth pastor. She was really blessed.
“Thank you Lord,” Mariah whispered, “I pray your blessing over us, and thank you for your saving faith.”
 

Reviews

[Ben]

Hmmm... this is pretty good.