Sunday morning she looked at her arm before she did anything else. She touched it. It was cold and it looked more like grey plaster than skin. She knew her arm was well past the point of no return. She would call the doctor tomorrow. She packed a bag she used when going to the hospital, checking that everything she would need was in it. She packed spare batteries for her MP3 player and downloaded some additional songs to fill two four gig memory chips. She checked her bank account and made sure everything was up to date. She even put in automatic payments that were a little high on a couple of items that were out three to four weeks. About two in the afternoon loneliness and fear gripped her. She finally pulled out Darin’s card and dialed the number. He answered on the second ring.

“Hello.”

“Hi, Darin?”

“Yes. Karen?”

“Yes.”

“I was just looking up your number.”

“Darin, I a hate to ask this, but I am so, well, some things are really, I can’t explain but I just don’t want to spend the evening alone.”

“Neither do I. And I was going to ask if you wanted to go along with me for the evening but I wasn’t sure you would want to. I play keyboard and sing in a band that does gigs in Christian Coffee Houses. I didn’t know if you would like that. It is only about fifty miles from here. Do you have to be home to get up early for tomorrow?”

“Actually I have two weeks off.”

“Then you are probably planning something and this will not work. Sorry.”

“Actually I have nothing planned, at least nothing that this would conflict with. But do you think I will fit in?”

“Actually after last night I am sure you will. We are trying to show our young girls that they can be pretty, loving, active, and even a little sexy without being slutty.”

“Well. That’s a big order. But I could try.”

“Can I pick you up in an hour? That will give us time to get something to eat on the way.”

“Sounds good. How should I dress?”

“What you had on yesterday was nice. It would be fine. Jeans would also be good. Just wear what you think will be comfortable. This is for young people. They don’t expect flashy, just real.”

They ate in a small restaurant down the street from the place about four, by six she was helping him and the others set up for the night. He kept trying to keep her from doing things he felt would result in her hurting herself. Finally show time came and she stood near the back and watched as they performed. He played keyboard and sang some backup. She was so at peace as she listened to the words. Her faith had been tried, it had been battered. But she knew that without it she would not be able to go on. And the words they were singing were the ones she needed to hear. The group went from one song to the next for nearly an hour. Finally the leader stopped and looked around.

“We have a treat for you tonight. Darin has been with us on keyboard for over three years now. He does a little backup singing. We’ve wanted to use him more on vocal, something he has done so well in the past but he has said “no” to us till tonight. We are going to do one more song, then take a break and come back in about a half hour. Darin asked that we do this one, the rest of us don’t know it well. He offered to do lead if we would. So it is yours Darin.”

Karen: Chapter One – The Attack

Karen 11: She Reunites with Darin
Karen Chapter 13: Darin Sings to Her