Saturday's Child (14 page)

One thing he did know. The woman in his arms had stolen her way into his heart and he wasn’t sure what to do about it. All he knew was that he had to keep her safe.

12

Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. Psalm 22:12

The water boiled just as Jack’s car pulled up outside the farmhouse. Taking the kettle off the heat, Aaron went out to meet it. He opened the car door and held it open for Meggie. “Hey, you must have smelt the kettle. It’s just boiled.” He kissed Meggie’s cheek, then held out a hand to Jack as he rounded the car to them. “Thanks for coming.”

Pastor Jack shook Aaron’s hand. “The least I could do. I agree with Meggie that something should be done.”

“Before the church hires my land for the bonfire?” Aaron asked.

Pastor Jack held his gaze. “Not just that. You can’t live like this. Especially after what you and Meggie told me. She showed me the marks on her arms.”

“I wish I could have prevented it. Nancy said something years ago, but…”

Pastor Jack drew his Bible from his jacket pocket. “The important thing is we stop it now and prevent anyone else getting hurt.”

Aaron led them inside. It wasn’t warm outside, but he might as well have stepped straight into a freezer.

A stifled gasp came from his left.

Color drained from Pastor Jack’s face. He staggered, clutching the door frame for support.

Aaron grabbed his arm. “Jack, are you all right?” He guided him to a chair and sat him down. “Jack?”

The pastor sat there, almost struggling for breath. “Just give me a minute.” He closed his eyes, his lips moving in obvious prayer.

Meggie turned to Aaron, worry in her eyes. “What do we do?”

“I don’t know. Call someone maybe?”

She nodded and pulled her phone from her pocket. She typed quickly. “I’m texting Cadfael. He knows what’s going on and he’ll pray. Having back up won’t hurt.”

“Good idea,” Aaron said as he sat with Jack. His pastor friend was grey.

Meggie’s phone beeped almost instantly. She opened the message. “Cadfael says he’s in a staff meeting with several elders and the ministry team. They’ll pray for us and Pastor Jack.”

Aaron nodded. “Good.” He glanced back at his friend, slumped in the chair, hands over his face. Aaron didn’t know if he should drag Jack out of the house or let him remain there.

Pastor Jack still whispered, continuing to pray. His fingers clutched his Bible tightly, white against the black leather.

The salt shaker flew across the room and crashed against the wall. The pepper pot flew after it. Aaron twisted, but it caught his arm before landing on the floor beside him.

Meggie jumped. Her hands trembled as she gripped her phone. “Should I ring my brother? Or call Pastor Bruce and get him to come over as well?”

Before Aaron could reply, her phone rang.

“Hello?” She closed her eyes, relief mixing with the fear on her face. “Cadfael, I was just debating calling you. He’s right here.” She held the phone out to Pastor Jack. “It’s my brother, Cadfael. He’s a pastor and wants to speak to you. He said he feels he needs to pray with you before you begin here.”

Pastor Jack looked blankly at the phone, as if he were having trouble focusing, then nodded and took it. “This is Pastor Jack Chambers speaking.”

Aaron glanced across the room at the mirror. For a moment, he was sure he saw four reflections. He blinked hard and looked again. Three people—Jack, Meggie, and him. Just as there should be.

Then there was a fourth. Exactly as Meggie and Nancy had described. Red eyes, narrowed in hatred. Pointed ears, and sharp teeth. The cowl pulled around the face, the figure seemed to be pushing the glass forward, as if it were trying to break through. His insides jarred violently, and Aaron backed away, standing between the mirror and Meggie. “Jack…”

Pastor Jack stood, still pale, but color gradually returning. He handed the phone back to Meggie. “Your brother and the elders of his church are praying for us now.”

The front door opened and slammed shut. Footsteps in the hall seemed to grow closer and the door to the hallway flung open. But there was no physical presence standing there.

“Get out!”
A deep voice reverberated through the kitchen, shaking the glass in the dresser and making the lamp shade swing from side to side.

Meggie screamed in terror.

Aaron grabbed her, holding her tightly, his own heart pounding violently as brutal fear gripped him.

Meggie tugged on Aaron’s arm. “We should get out of here,” she cried.

“Stand firm.” Pastor Jack’s voice, deep, resolute and full of authority, filled the room. “Lord God. We stand in Jesus’ name, and bow before the Maker of heaven and earth. The One before whom every creature and spirit bows, on the earth, under the earth and in the heavens above. We ask that You stand with us—”

“Get Out.”

Doors opened and slammed. Pictures vibrated against the walls, and a chill wind blew around them.

Whispering voices muttered curses and ordered instructions to leave now.

Meggie stepped closer to Aaron and he wrapped his arm tightly around her, willing to do whatever it took to keep her safe.

Pastor Jack continued speaking. “Stand with us now. Lord, you have power over all the forces of darkness and evil. We ask that You let Your light shine in every corner of this house. We ask that You exert Your power now, that Your glory might be seen and that Your will be done.”

“Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name.” Pastor Jack began moving slowly towards the presence as he spoke. A vase launched off the mantelpiece, missing him by inches. Unfazed, he continued to pray, his words becoming more and more specific and authoritative as he rebuked the evil spirit in Jesus’ name, calling on the Lord to cleanse and reclaim this house.

Aaron’s faith, though meager and unused, was there, dim, but present, whilst Jack’s strong conviction radiated light from every fiber of his being. The darker the room was, the brighter he shone. Aaron marveled at the man’s faith. The way the room gradually stilled as Jack dedicated the house back to God.

“Walk with me,” Pastor Jack said. “Both you and Meggie pray with me in each room.”

They made their way around the house, with Jack praying the whole time and in each room. Aaron kept Meggie in his arms, determined nothing was going to hurt her. Her heart pounded alongside his, and in his mind, he repeated the Lord’s Prayer.

As they entered the red room, a high-pitched scream pierced the air. Aaron tugged Meggie closer to him, her trembling form an ironic source of comfort—as though focusing on protecting her gave him an added strength.

“In the name of Jesus, I rebuke you,” Pastor Jack said.

The bed began to vibrate fiercely, raising off the floor and slamming back down in a violent tantrum.

Meggie tried to pull away, fear emanating from her, but Aaron held her closer.

“Get Out.”

“Our Father, Who art in heaven…” As they prayed in unison and agreement, the red room slowly seemed to warm. The bed settled, the wall hangings rested.

Aaron gave Meggie a gentle, reassuring squeeze as the three of them moved to the next room.

Tanis’s bedroom and the front parlor couldn’t be blessed. They were both locked and Aaron couldn’t find the keys.

Instead, Pastor Jack placed both hands on the door and prayed for the rooms.

Aaron glanced down at Meggie. She shot him a faint smile, the terror in her eyes not diminishing. He hugged her tightly.

When they got back to the kitchen, Aaron realized with a shock that almost two hours had passed. “Thank you.”

Pastor Jack sat down. He looked exhausted. “You’re welcome.”

“I’ll make that tea.” Aaron picked up the kettle, put it back onto the heat, and joined them at the table. “It’s amazing that whatever it was backed down like that. It’s some gift you have, Jack.”

“It’s not me,” Pastor Jack said. “Don’t do as the apostles did when they “rejoiced” because the demons were subjected to them in the name of Jesus in Luke chapter ten. Jesus gently rebuked them and said, “However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven’. This was God’s work here, not mine.”

Aaron looked at him. “OK.”

Pastor Jack nodded. “It’s very important you’re careful the next few weeks, Aaron. Don’t do anything to encourage it back.”

Aaron frowned, trying to think. “Isn’t that in the Bible? Chase one out and seven take its place?”

Pastor Jack flicked through his Bible. “Yes. Matthew chapter twelve, verses forty-three through forty-five. “
When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean, and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.
” You need God back in your life, Aaron.”

He nodded. “I know. I’m getting there. I was planning on coming to church on Sunday.”

“It’ll be good to see you back. We’ve missed your fellowship. More than anything right now, you need to be with fellow believers, but more importantly than that, you need to build your faith. What I did won’t be enough if you don’t. You can’t give the enemy even the smallest piece of attention or the slightest hint he is welcome back. The tiniest crack in the door is all he’ll need. I will carry on praying for you, as will the other elders, but you must do the same. Read the Bible, pray and put on that armor of God to protect yourself.”

Aaron held his gaze for a long moment and then nodded. He brought the tea over. “Are you preaching Sunday?”

“In the morning, yes.”

Meggie picked up the last pieces of the broken vase and put them into the bin. “Think I got it all. It’s surprising how far some of the pieces went.”

“Thank you. I never much cared for that vase.”

She smiled faintly. “You won’t miss it then?”

“No. I wish I knew where my Bible was.” Aaron looked at Jack for a moment. “I haven’t seen a Bible in the house since Dad died.”

She tilted her head. “How did we get from a broken vase to a Bible?”

“I was talking to you about the vase and Jack about reading the Bible. Tanis got rid of them all—said they reminded her too much of Dad. Once, I thought I saw the big family Bible stored in the barn, but I haven’t seen it lately. I guess now it could be anywhere after the storm.”

Pastor Jack sipped his tea. “Was it just the barn that was hit by the tornado?”

“On my land, yeah, just the barn and a few trees. Was there much damage in town?”

“None.”

“That was fortunate.”

“Yes, it could have been disastrous. Why keep a Bible in the barn, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Tanis... Who knows what she thinks. She went through the whole house the day Dad died, throwing away everything to do with Christianity she could find—”

Images of a fire filled his mind. The day his dad died, Tanis had lit a massive bonfire on the top field. It had burned for hours on end. And it hadn’t been bonfire night.

“But?”

Aaron shook his head. “Nothing. I’m in town tomorrow; I’ll pick one up then.”

“You can borrow this one for now.” Meggie opened her handbag and pulled out a small Bible, holding it out to him.

He took it. “It looks new. Are you sure?”

“Yeah. That one lives in my bag. I have another at home. Just give it back to me when you get one.”

“Thank you.”

Pastor Jack finished his tea. “I should get going. I have a sermon to finish.” He looked at Meggie. “I’m guessing you’re going to stay a while, just don’t forget the staff meeting at three.”

“I’ll be there.”

Pastor Jack slid his Bible back into his jacket pocket. “Let’s pray before I leave.”

Meggie grabbed Aaron’s hand, and warmth flooded him from the simple touch.

Aaron closed his eyes, echoing the words as Pastor Jack prayed, again asking for protection for the house and those living and working here.

Aaron saw Pastor Jack out and smiled over at Meggie. “So, we have two hours. Fancy helping me up in the top field with the sheep?”

“I’d love to.”

“Cool. But first, something to eat.”

“Sounds good.” Her stomach growled, and she blushed a delightful shade of red, her hand covering her middle. “And not a minute too soon. Sorry. What are we having?”

“I was thinking ploughman’s lunch.”

“Wonderful. With pickle I hope.”

“There’s no other way to eat it.” Aaron turned to the counter and busied himself with homemade bread, thick slices of mature cheese, salad, and pickle. For the first time in years, the oppressiveness in the house was gone.

God,
he began tentatively.
I’m not good at praying. Actually I’m more than a little out of practice and rather self-conscious and probably shouldn’t ask anyway, but please let what Jack did this morning work.

He glanced over at Meggie. She’d make a good farmer’s wife, but he had nothing to offer her. He wouldn’t even have a farm in four months’ time. Despite the blistering kisses and the way she’d worked her way unbidden into his heart, it could never be.

Could it?

Perhaps he could start over in Wales. She said she was moving back there once her apprenticeship was finished.

Now he was really getting ahead of himself. But for the first time in months, he had a glimmer of hope that something good was finally going to happen.

She smiled at him. “Penny for them.”

He smiled. “I was just thinking that maybe losing the farm wouldn’t be all that bad. Start up somewhere new.”

“Could you afford it?”

“No. I’d have to get a job on another farm somewhere a long way from here.”

She frowned. “Could you do that? Work for someone else, I mean?”

He shrugged, bringing over the sandwiches. “It would be hard, having been my own boss for so long now. Even before Dad died, I was running the place. But being a farmer is who I am; it’s in my blood. And if working for someone else is the difference between being who I am and nothing, then I’ll do it.”