I hobbled over them toward the cabin, Joshua grasping my elbow. A half moon and bright stars lit our way. If I’d been out with friends in a rural place like this, away from the lights of the city, I’d have been amazed at the starry sky. You couldn’t see such a thing in Southern California. But now the night mocked me. How could the sky hang with such beauty when my world had turned so black and terrifying? Two steps led up to the porch. Joshua still held on to me as we climbed them. He pulled a key from his pants pocket and unlocked the door to the cabin. I cowered beside him, trapped and trembling. I couldn’t go inside with this man. I couldn’t. This man—this prophet of God—was the man who’d stalked me two years ago. Who’d insisted I’d one day be his. That man had been arrested and sent to prison. But now here he was, leading me into a dark cabin in the middle of nowhere. Panic clawed at my throat. I shoved it back down. Please, God, protect me. Show me what to do.
