Entry #9

"It Is Finished"
by Esther Avila


Jan stood by a large window, unable to move, as she watched a single lightning bolt pierce the darkness. She shivered as she pulled an old torn blanket closer to her body.

She had sought the house as a refuge from the storm. Her mountain bike and wet clothing lay in a heap on the front porch.

"You really ought to get away from that window."

Jan turned her expressionless face towards the raspy voice.

"You don't scare me," Jan replied in a firm voice as she glared at the man who had just assaulted her.

"You can't run," the male voice said. "There's no where to go. Come. Tell me your name."

Jan turned her attention to the power pole. It gave her comfort as she thought of Jesus dying on the Cross.

She felt alone and betrayed. Could this be what Jesus felt?

"I said, tell me your name," the man demanded as he stripped her of the blanket and jerked her by the hair.

Her naked body fell hard on the cement floor.

The man struggled to keep his balance. This was not supposed to happen.

Even through blurry vision, Jan noticed his petrified face as he grabbed at the curtains while another bolt of lightening gave him a fraction-of-a-second glimpse at the thick substance pooling around her head.

"It is finished," she whispered as she closed her eyes.