Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: HOT (08/10/17)
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TITLE: Fire and Brimstone | Previous Challenge Entry
By LeslieJean Anderson
08/16/17 -
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“Pet, that’s what the Bible says.”
“Sounds goofy to me, especially in this day and age. It’s just something to scare ignorant people into compliance.”
“Well, I’m not going to argue with you. But I’d advise you to pray about it, baby.”
Petunia went to her room and tossed her Bible on the bed. “Just a bunch of myths and stories,” she muttered to herself. Then she pulled out her phone and called her boyfriend.
Six months later, Petunia sat in her car and called her boyfriend again.
“Charlie, I need to talk to you right away. Can we meet in the parking lot where we did before?”
A few minutes later Charlie opened her car door and slid in, putting his arm around the girl.
“What’s happened, Pet? Your old lady kick you out of the house?"
“No, but she might when she finds out you got me pregnant.”
Charlie stiffened, and withdrew his arm. “That can’t be true. You told me...”
“Well, I made a mistake. But you said you loved me, so it’s ok, right?”
“I did say that, but it’s definitely not ok, Petunia.”
A few minutes later Charlie opened the car door, got out and slammed it hard. Seconds later he was gone, tires screeching in his haste to get away.
Petunia sat in the car stunned. Then a sensation she’d never felt before enveloped her body. Waves of shock and shame rolled over her, causing her entire body to feel like it was boiling. Every nerve began to pulsate and tingle like it was on fire. Her veins felt like acid had been injected into them. Her hands shook and her stomach lurched. Hot bile started to creep up her throat towards her still-open mouth.
Breathing heavily, Petunia continued to sit in the car, motionless. She broke out in a cold sweat. A few minutes later, a police officer knocked on the window. He motioned to her to roll her window down.
“Ma’am, are you ok? I saw a guy leave your vehicle and peel out of here a few minutes ago.”
Petunia just stared at him, speechless.
The officer asked her to step out of the car. Slowly she complied, and then promptly collapsed, out cold.
When she awoke, she was in the back of a police car. Another officer had joined the first one, and he turned around when she moaned.
“Ma’am, we are taking you to the hospital. You fainted, and we want a doctor to examine you. We found your mother’s number in your phone, and she’ll be meeting us.”
Petunia’s memory returned, and the scorching waves started again. The stomach lurching returned. And then they pulled up to the emergency room doors. There was her mother, standing by the curb.
“Pet! Baby! What happened?” cried her mother as she rushed to the car door.
A few minutes later Petunia was in an examining room with a doctor asking her questions. She mumbled a few answers, then she began to cry. She curled up in a ball, great heaving sobs escaping her lips.
Her mother stood by helplessly, trying to comfort her. “I’ve never seen her like this, doctor. I don’t know what in the world happened.”
“We’ll have to take some blood samples to rule out some possibilities,” he said. Just then Petunia turned over and said, “I’m going to throw up.”
A nurse rushed to get her a pan. The doctor turned to Petunia’s mother and said quietly, “I’m also doing a pregnancy test.”
An hour later the tests came back. The doctor brought the results into Petunia’s room. There was no hiding it now.
Petunia’s mother turned to her daughter “Pregnant? You’re pregnant? Is that all? Thank God. I was afraid you’d had a stroke or a concussion. Or an overdose. Or a breakdown of some kind.”
Petunia covered her face and began crying again, but instantly her mother’s arms were around her.
“Baby – don’t cry. We’ll work it out somehow. We have each other. And I’ll have a grandchild. God will help us.”
Her mother’s words were like a cool, healing waterfall on Petunia’s still-feverish head and singed nerves. She held onto the woman until her sobbing lessened.
“Charlie dumped me tonight when I told him,” she whispered. “I’m so ashamed.”
“It’s ok, Pet. God will forgive you, I promise. Everything will be ok. Trust me.”
750 words This is a work of fiction.
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