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Back When She Returned Save as PDF
Chapters (48)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT
  3. CONTENTS
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. ONE
  6. TWO
  7. THREE
  8. FOUR
  9. FIVE
  10. SIX
  11. SEVEN
  12. EIGHT
  13. NINE
  14. TEN
  15. ELEVEN
  16. TWELVE
  17. THIRTEEN
  18. FOURTEEN
  19. FIFTEEN
  20. SIXTEEN
  21. SEVENTEEN
  22. EIGHTEEN
  23. NINETEEN
  24. TWENTY
  25. TWENTY-ONE
  26. TWENTY-TWO
  27. TWENTY-THREE
  28. TWENTY-FOUR
  29. TWENTY-FIVE
  30. TWENTY-SIX
  31. TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. TWENTY-NINE
  34. THIRTY
  35. THIRTY-ONE
  36. THIRTY-TWO
  37. THIRTY-THREE
  38. THIRTY-FOUR
  39. THIRTY-FIVE
  40. THIRTY-SIX
  41. THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. THIRTY-EIGHT
  43. THIRTY-NINE
  44. FORTY
  45. FORTY-ONE
  46. FORTY-TWO
  47. FORTY-THREE
  48. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

We stepped back as Abner untangled the sheets from her body. She’d tied herself in knots. It seemed like it took forever to unwrap her, but when he finally did, Willow lay on her stomach. He turned her over, and she flopped on her back. Her lips were blue, her eyes wide open in terror, unblinking. He unwrapped the other blanket from around her. Her arm flopped to the ground. He put his face up to hers. Bekah and I rushed forward, pushing Abner and the others aside.

“Get off her!” I screamed.

Bekah knelt and put her head to her mouth, feeling for her breath. I squeezed Willow’s hand. “Please be okay, please,” I cried.

“I don’t think she’s breathing,” Bekah said.

Ekon pushed through the crowd and shoved Bekah to the side, moving into CPR immediately. Time stood still while we watched him, waiting for any sign of life. He worked harder and faster. Bekah and I locked arms, willing her to breathe. Abner came up behind Ekon and placed his hand on his back.

“Enough,” he said.

Ekon removed his hands from Willow’s chest and sat back on his heels.

I lunged forward. “Don’t stop! You have to keep going!”

Bekah pulled me back, hugging her arms tightly around me. I let out an involuntary sob. Ekon grabbed one of Willow’s wrists and felt for a pulse. He looked up at Abner and shook his head before closing her eyes.

Abner laid his hand on her forehead. “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.”

I jumped up and pushed him away from her. “No, we can still save her. We have to save her!” Abner put his arms around me, and I flailed against him, pounding on his chest.

“She’s gone, Kate. Willow is gone,” he said before releasing me. I crumpled into a heap on the ground.

Chaos erupted. Everyone was screaming, trying to get close to her, crying.

“Enough!” Abner’s scream cut through the noise. Everyone froze at the sound of his voice. “You must get yourselves together this instant,” he said, disgusted with us. He knelt next to Willow and whispered something in her ear. The space erupted in collective sobs. He covered her lifeless body with one of the torn sheets. The sobs grew louder. Abner put his finger to his lips. “Hush, everyone. There is no reason to cry. How many times have I told you that there is a natural order to things? How many times?”

Nobody spoke.

“God weeds out those who are too weak to survive. We are not exempt from any of God’s rules.” His eyes scanned the room, but no one returned his stare. “Let this be a lesson to all of you.”

TWENTY-FIVE

TWENTY-FIVE

MEREDITH

NOW