Teej

Thanks for commenting, guys. I think we lost some people...
Here's more, but it may be a while before I get more up. The art of perfecting is a tedious thing... ;)

The room was quiet, everyone asleep but me. I stared into the darkness above me and sighed. Twenty minutes ago, my watch had informed me it was 12:35, but I still couldn’t sleep. My mind was distracted by the horrific sounds outside: cracking, shattering, whistling… not to mention the rain that was still pouring hard. I shuddered as something hit the house with a thud somewhere above me. I sighed again and turned on my side. This-- tossing, turning, and listening to the not-so-peaceful rain-- was getting old. I needed to do something, needed to calm my nerves so I could get some sleep.
I finally sat up, careful not to hit my head on TJ’s bunk, and pushed my feet over the edge of mine. Bending over, I pulled my ugly green duffel bag from under the bed and tucked some of my brown hair behind my ear to keep it from getting in my view. Quietly unzipping the bag, I pulled out my flashlight and turned the beam on low. Rifling through the bag’s contents, I used the dim light to find my Bible.
Lifting my legs back onto the bunk, I winced at the creaking it made. I sat my pillow up and leaned back, pulling the blanket over my legs again. Balancing the flashlight between my shoulder and chin, I studied the book I held on my lap. It had been a year, maybe more, since I had read it without being told. I had struggled a lot with God and reading the Bible after Landon had died, and still wasn’t totally back yet to where I had been with God. I took a deep breath and opened my Bible to a bookmarked page in Philippians. Through the dim beam of light, I read:

‘Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’​

I looked at the bookmark, remembering that I had found this verse once when Landon was away at a paintball tournament. I quietly gave a short laugh, thinking that my worry back then was nothing compared to the severity of my situation now.
Shaking off the thought, I turned to another verse, also bookmarked, but not before looking up quickly at the sound of another large crack. The peace gotten from the verse wavered as the sound filed the air. I shivered, forcing myself to relax as I looked back down at the open page.
Romans 8:38-39
‘For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’​

This verse I recognized as the one Landon had bookmarked before he had given the Bible to me for Christmas. Looking to the bookmark, I read the note he’d left me, smiling at the sloppiness of his handwriting. “Remember, Jen,” it said, “nothing in this world, not above it, not below it can separate us from God’s love. Nothing. Your big bro, Landon.”
I gently shut the Bible and closed my eyes, holding back the tears. The Christmas Landon had given me the Bible was the last one before he died.
Reaching down, I set my Bible on the floor beside the bunk and turned off the flashlight, putting it beside the book. I wiggled back under my covers so I was lying down again, and I whispered a prayer. I told God how scared I was, and begged him to keep us safe in this storm. And there, a soft, gentle peace filled me. One that I hadn’t felt for a really long time.
I closed my eyes and went to sleep.
 
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This is very nice, Kk, but I have a couple questions. When will this start going back to "Teej"? That's your title, but she's only mentioned in spots. I see how Jen is one of hte main characters, but it seems feels that you're going away from your title. You may want to bring Tj back into things, or else your title may seem misleading to others.

The other thing is that it seems to be going a bit slow. I know you're trying to get all of these things in, and they're all very good points, but it just seems lagging after a while. I'm sorry if this is a "zinger" post to you, but I just want to let you know these things so you can improve on them. That's all. :eek:
 
Lady Callandra said:
When will this start going back to "Teej"? You may want to bring Tj back into things, or else your title may seem misleading to others.
The other thing is that it seems to be going a bit slow.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your comments; you should see soon why the story is titled the way it is. If you don't, you can help me pick out a new title! ;) Things will get faster in a bit.

When I awoke, everyone was still in the basement. The sounds of cracking and howling were absent, but there was still a faint patter of rain, mostly drowned out by the voices around me. I carefully sat up and pushed my feet off my bunk. Cringing at the cold cement floor, I quickly walked over to where Tori, Shay, and TJ were playing Monopoly in the corner that had unofficially become the ‘game corner.’
“Morning, Jen,” Shay greeted me.
I nodded to her. “Hey, guys. What’s going on, anyway?”
Tori looked up from the game board. “Sleeping Beauty has finally awakened!” I shot her a sarcastic smile before she continued. “Jake and Deidre are outside, ‘evaluating the damage’ and we’re stuck down here until they come back. They say it’s still raining pretty hard.”
“And windy, don’t forget that,” TJ added, studying her ownership cards.
“Hey, how’s your foot today?” I asked her.
She shrugged but didn’t look up. “Fine as can be, I guess.”
I frowned, confused. I sensed that TJ was distracted, or maybe that wasn’t the right word. Detached? Was that it? Whatever it was, she was acting different today.
My ponderings were interrupted by footfalls on the stairs. Deidre emerged, wearing a rain-spattered poncho with the hood up. Des, who had been talking to some kids, quickly crossed the room.
“What’s going on?” she asked Deidre.
Deidre looked dismal. “In all the years I’ve known Jake, I’ve never seen a knot of his come undone. But that storm ripped the first rope out and beat up the boat pretty bad. It is a very good thing he double secured it. Unless everyone doesn’t mind not skiing, tubing or wakeboarding, we might go home today.” She paused and whistled to get everyone’s attention, even though she had most of us upon entering the room. “Listen up, people. It’s safe to go upstairs, but don’t go outside yet. Go to your rooms and pack your stuff up. When the rain stops, we’ll be doing some clean-up. Got it?”
A few scattered ‘yeah’s were heard around the room, and Deidre stepped out of the doorway and made an “after you” motion with her hands.
“Well, I guess we’d better get our stuff from down here first,” Tori commented, looking up at me, then around at TJ and Shay. “If we’re going home today, they might want to get an early start.”
The three put their game away and we silently went back to our bunks and gathered our things. My Bible and flashlight were still on the floor, so I placed them in the bag with a few other things I had gotten out. By then, a few people had started up the stairs, but most were still packing. Shay was ready, so we climbed the stairs together.
“You haven’t eaten yet, have you?” Shay asked as we reached the top. I shook my head and turned for the next stairway that would take us upstairs. “There were some granola bars and juice downstairs, but you could probably find something better in the kitchen. That’s what I’m going to do. I don’t like granola, so I didn’t eat any.”
Shay chattered on, and I nodded occasionally to indicate that I was listening. Finally we reached the ‘girls only’ hallway and went to our separate rooms. Tori and TJ were still downstairs, so the room was quiet. There wasn’t much left of pack, and I finished quickly. I decided to try Shay’s idea and raid the kitchen.
Going back down the stairs, I felt a bit sneaky as I slipped into the empty room. Nothing interested me in the fridge, so I grabbed a banana from the counter. I peeled it and walked over to the sink to lean my elbows against it. The kitchen was an outdoorsy style like the rest of the house; the curtain of the kitchen window was a green print with bears on it. Pushing back the colorful curtain, my eyes widened at the horrific sight before me.
Yes, we definitely had some cleaning up to do.
 
Sorry this is so long overdue. Even though I've written the story once before and everything, it's totally different now and I hit a wall. So don't expect anything stellar, and it's pretty short!

TJ found me gawking at the window in the kitchen a few minutes later.
“Jenny? Oh, there you are,” she said as she walked in. “What in the world are you looking at—oh.” She stopped beside me, her words cut off as she saw what I saw. Pure devastation. The window was facing the lake, but we could see off to the side of the house where there were trees snapped in half. We stood still and quiet for a moment.
Finally TJ spoke. “Uh, we gotta load the vans now. Des told me to come and find you.”
I looked at her. “Do you need help carrying your bags down? I don’t know how you’re going to do it with crutches.” I meant it in a concerned way, but that’s not how she took it.
“Who are you, my mother?” TJ snapped. I made a mental note to give her space; she was touchy today; real touchy. She sighed before adding, “C’mon. Everyone’s waiting.”
I stayed in the kitchen and watched TJ hobble out of the room. This attitude was new for TJ; defiant and independent instead of shy and uninterested. I pondered her angry words before trailing her out into the living space. As she had said, my peers were pouring down the stairs and out the door, all talking and laughing on their way to the vans. I started against the current, going up the stairs to get my bag instead of down to load it up. I knew I didn’t have much to pack since I had taken most of my stuff when we were confined to the basement. Getting up there was the problem.
When I finally made it outside, everyone was there. Some were by the vans, helping Deidre and Desiree load belongings. Others were just standing, too shocked by the damage to do anything. I added my bag to the pile and glanced around the yard. I didn’t see TJ anywhere, so I decided to walk around the house. Maybe she was on the deck or something.
Rounding the corner, I spotted TJ sitting on the slope down to the dock. She was alone. For a moment, I hesitated. She obviously wanted to be here by herself, and I had offended her earlier, so I probably wasn’t her favorite person to see. Still… I felt like she was my responsibility, being her foster sister. And having TJ mad at you wasn’t a good thing. Before I could decide, however, Aaron came running around the house, calling to me.
“Jenny! There you are. C’mon, we’ve got to start cleaning up. I think the guys are supposed to clean up outside while the girls clean the inside.”
I glanced at Teej, sitting alone, staring at the lake. Sighing, I turned to Aaron and followed him around the house.
TJ would have to wait.
 
Nice add to your story. :D I'm sure that you'll get past that wall soon, if you haven't already.

Nice job putting Teej more into the story again. I'm sorry if I was out of line, but..yeah. :eek: Nice job, Kk.
 
Many apologies, everybody, the next part is taking a bit longer than planned. But, I am past the wall I seemed to have hit, so just hang in there- I'll post it soon!

EDIT: I have edited (changed/added some to) the piece with the references in it. In case you still don't know what one that is, it's at the top of this page. I would suggest reading through all of it; I added through the whole piece, not just a specific paragraph- though thats where most of it is. Thank you for your patience and the next piece will be up soon. This is a recording... ;)
 
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^see above post^

Okay, here is FINALLY more- sorry it took so long... Long story-don't ask.
Just enjoy! (hopefully)

After we had scoured the house and the guys had picked up every branch, limb, stick and twig outside, we were ready to go home. And we were going home. Jake wouldn’t budge on that one- and he wouldn’t say why. None of us knew what to make of the ordeal; some said that maybe something Jake had seen had scared him out of his wits. Still others, the practical ones, thought we were leaving in case more bad weather would come. Secretly, I wondered if Jake had had some kind of nightmare about the storm, like me. Of course, none of us said these things to the leaders, and they didn’t say anything of the matter to us. So, we piled back into the two vans (and Suburban) and were off. Well, almost off. We stopped in town at a local park to eat the picnic lunch that Deidre had packed. After we had had our fill of PB&J, oranges, and chips, we were off—for real this time.
We were assigned to the same vehicle we had come up in, so I was again with TJ, Tori, Caleb, Aaron, and Lindsay. This time TJ, Lindsay and I were in the back, the boys took the middle bucket seats and Tori claimed shotgun. The conversation quickly died after we left the park, and Lindsay was the first to drop into the land of nod. From my estimations, Tori took second, followed by Caleb, then Aaron. And finally, me.
My dreams were on and off, snippets of the original nightmare with me running, tripping, spraining my ankle, and Landon. My final dream I found very strange. I don’t remember a lot, but there was something about TJ being chased by a giant red snake with horns. I didn’t know what to think of it, but I woke up in a cold sweat.
Glancing around, I saw that I wasn’t the only one awake besides Deidre, our driver. Teej was staring out the window at the scenery, and I realized I didn’t know if she’d fallen asleep or not. I debated about whether to interrupt her or just leave her be. I was about to tap her shoulder or at least say something when I recalled how moody she’d been that morning. But, I reasoned, I should really see how she’s doing.
Being satisfied with this answer, I started, “TJ?”
“What?” TJ answered without turning from the window.
I stopped. It sounded as if… as if TJ had been crying. “Are you okay?” I ventured, trying to be gentle.
“I’m fine.” TJ’s voice was defiant and quiet, but hoarse. “Just leave me alone, okay?”
My replying “okay” was lost in my throat as we bumped on down the highway, and I slowly began to realize something. Something about the red snake with horns…
I realized that there was a battle going on for TJ’s soul.
I took a deep breath and prayed like never before.
 
Kalakali said:
Okay, here is FINALLY more- sorry it took so long... Long story-don't ask.
Just enjoy! (hopefully)
Click to expand...
Lol...i'm lauging. ah never mind.
Good job K. after reading that a second time i'm beginning to see some thigns developing here...i can't help but ask; does the whole counselor thing have anythign to do with Jen's dream and the battle over TJ's soul? dont want to spoil anything but i was jsut wondering...
 
sorry, not counselor, i meant youth leader. and the 'thing' is the mysterious hint you dropped that maybe they saw something, and for whatever reason they are leaving camp and ending the trip.
 
Note: I am editing like crazy right now, adding/changing things throughout the entire story. In the editations, this actually makes more sense and fits better with the storyline. There are some things that may not seem to have the same beat as the rest of the story, but it does with the editations. Just thought I'd let you know.

When we got back to the church, Deidre unlocked the doors and we poured inside. No one was expecting us back so soon, and since we hadn’t done it from the Anderson house, we had to call for rides. TJ and I got first dibs on the phone because everyone else was still groggy and slow.
After I had called my mother, gone through a long-story-short version of why we were back so soon, and answered a dozen questions including the famous ‘are you okay?’ and ‘are you sure?’, I wandered back outside where our leaders were unloading vehicles. I picked out my belongings and went back inside.
People were milling about in the foyer, and I mixed in with them. Tori was sitting on a bench that ran along the wall and was leaning on Micah’s shoulder, asleep once again. Micah didn’t seem to mind. A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth as I turned away.
The stage in the sanctuary caught my eye, and I found myself slipping through the glass doors. I slowly made my way up to the front and climbed the few steps to the instruments. There weren’t many of them to wander through. The two people who played guitars had brought them home, so there was only the ancient piano, the in-house drum set, and music stands, with the previous morning’s music still on them. Yet as I slowly wove my way across the platform, I found a lone guitar in the corner that someone had left; forgotten and alone in the dark room. Curious, I picked it up. It didn’t look like either of the ones used in the service. I plucked a string. To my great and utter surprise, it was in tune. Something was strange here. Next to it was a stool and a music stand.
I glanced at the doors; no one seemed to notice me in here. Everyone was minding their own business. Gingerly, I sat on the stool and hoisted the guitar into my lap. The sheet music on the top was “Amazing Grace.” It felt so good to have a guitar in my hands, and without thinking, I started to play. At first I just hummed along with the old familiar tune. After a while, though, I began to sing softly.
“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound;
“That saved a wretch like me.
“I once was lost, but now am found;
“Was blind, but now I see.”
Hearing my own voice in the stillness startled me a little; like why was I even sitting here, in a place I had all but disowned, singing? I hadn’t exactly been here because I wanted to very often, but I went on.
“’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear;
“And grace, my fears relieved.
“How precious did that grace appear;
“The hour I first believed.”
I smiled. This was one of my favorite songs, yet one that I had not sung for a while. I lifted my voice a little louder in the darkness.
“When we’ve been there, ten thousand years;
“Bright shining as the sun,
“We’ve no less days to sing God’s grace
“Than when we first began.”
Finally, I looked up from the music. My eyes first went to the glass doors and everyone still milling in the foyer. Then, a movement in the corner caught my eye; I looked. It was a dark figure, head in its hands. The person looked up. My eyes widened in surprise.
It was TJ.
She got up and ran out of the sanctuary, crying.
 
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“TJ!” My startled cry reverberated through the empty room. I quickly put the guitar down and started for the door. I had a feeling she hadn’t left crying because my music had moved her.
I was to the doors now; as I pushed my way through, I looked around. With everyone standing, sitting and moving about, it was hard to see, to look for TJ. She had disappeared into the crowd, and I had no idea which way she had gone. My eyes darted through the faces, still not finding the one I was looking for.
“Shay!” I called. She turned to me, surprise on her face. “Have you seen TJ?” I asked, jogging closer. The surprise turned to worry.
“No, why? Jen, what’s going on?” she asked in a concerned tone. “Tell me, Jen.”
I glanced behind me, as if I might see TJ. “I’m not sure exactly. I was playing in the sanctuary…”
“Playing with what? You have better common sense than that, Jen. I know you. You weren’t playing on the computer for power point, were you? That sounds like something Blake…”
It was my turn to cut her off. “Playing the guitar, Shay. Chill. I was playing “Amazing Grace” and TJ was in there. Except I didn’t know it, and when I was done, she ran out, crying. Did you happen to see which way she went?”
Alarm shot through Shay’s eyes. “No, I… I didn’t.”
“Hey.” I put my hand on her arm. “Look, I’m not sure if it’s something to worry about or not. I’m just trying to find her- to talk to her, you know? She’s… well, she’s been having a rough day.” I thought about mentioning how snappy she’d been earlier, but decided against it.
Shay relaxed a little. “Yeah, maybe it’s nothing.”
“Yeah, maybe. And besides, Mom will be here soon to pick us up, so…”
“So we’d better start looking.”
“Right. How ‘bout you go that way, and I’ll go check the classrooms.” I pointed, indicating which way Shay should go.
Shay nodded, her face mixed with determination and worry. “Okay,” was all she said before she turned and started off.
I also turned to the direction I was going to look and began to weave my way through the mingling youth. I was headed to the west hallway- the education wing. I told myself to remain calm as I started pushing open doors and scanning rooms. When I reached the end of the corridor, there was only one room left. The youth room.
This time, I slipped in instead of looking from the door. TJ wasn’t in here, either, but it was cool and quiet here; a place to think. I collapsed on the overstuffed couch and closed my eyes, leaning my head back. What had just happened? TJ had run from the sanctuary. Yeah, but why had I been there in the first place?
I thought back to when I was playing the guitar that was strangely in tune. It had felt so… wonderful to sing that song again. It was a feeling I hadn’t felt for so, so long, and it made me ache inside. I wanted to feel that wonderful, peaceful feeling again- just like I had playing the guitar and praying in the middle of the night during the storm.
Is this what I’ve been missing?
The thought startled me, but it made perfect sense. I had been angry with God after Landon died, and I distanced myself. Oh, sure, I still went through the motions- going to church and youth group, praying before meals, that kind of thing. But I don’t think I’d really forgiven God for taking my brother away. Before he had died, I’d been strong in my faith, having moments of awe-inspiring peace, like I had just had, often. I hadn’t really noticed the distance before; I hadn’t consciously pulled back so far. But at this moment, alone with my thoughts in the dark, cool youth room, the distance was painfully clear. A tear slowly rolled down my cheek and my thoughts surged on ahead. When I had prayed that night, it was personal. It was like I was coming to God with my whole heart for the first time in almost two years.
God, I’m so sorry.
The prayer echoed through the deepest corners of my heart, and I knew God heard it. The tears were coming faster now, freely spilling down my face. I hadn’t been this sincere or simple with my prayers for a long time.
“Jen?”
Slowly, I opened my eyes. Shay was in the doorway, looking very hesitant. “Are… are you okay?” she asked slowly.
I was silent for a moment, and then replied, “No, Shay. But I will be. What’s going on?”
“Jen, your mom’s here, and we can’t find TJ.”
 
Steph, you have no idea how much that means to me. I'm totally honored that you like it. I've been working hard on it.
As for where TJ is... well... *mischivious grin* you'll just have to wait and see...
Oh, one more thing. Did you see the post in the previous page? That will also help explain things in upcoming posts.
 
Steph, may I ask you something? Whatever happened to Folded Pages 2? As I recall, you left them at the hands of pirates... ;) Anyway, here's more.

“What?” I jumped up from the couch. Surely this was a joke… right? TJ couldn’t still be missing. It was too much, especially after the thoughts that had just been warring inside my head.
Shay bit her lip. “We’ve looked everywhere. We… can’t find her.”
“Oh, boy.” I sighed and ran my fingers through my brown hair. Shay shrugged and I started pacing. “Where would she be? She couldn’t have gone home- it’s clear across town. Besides, we would’ve seen her through the windows. Have you asked everybody in the foyer?”
Shay nodded. “No one’s seen her.”
“She doesn’t know anyone who lives around this area,” I reasoned, more to myself than Shay. “Is there anywhere we haven’t looked?”
“If you looked everywhere down here, then no, there’s no place we haven’t looked,” Shay replied.
I snapped my fingers. “That’s it!” I started for the corner of the large room.
“What’s it? Jen, tell me what we’re doing!” Shay demanded, not far behind.
I stopped and spun around, my eyes excited. “We haven’t looked everywhere, Shay. I didn’t check the attic!” With that, I turned back around and reached for the handle of the door before me. It opened easily. A cool blast of air swept down from the rising wooden steps. The sound of sobbing accompanied it, and I glanced at Shay. She raised her eyebrows.
“After you,” she whispered.
I looked at the dark stairway and took a deep breath. Placing a foot on the first step, I started up…
“Jenny! Shay! There you two are!”
I backed off the step and turned around. There stood my mother in the middle of the room, hands on her hips.
“Why… What are you doing here?” I asked, confused.
“Looking for you! Have you guys found TJ yet?”
I quietly closed the door to the attic, thinking we might scare Teej even more if she heard us talking about her. Coming closer to Mom, I kept my voice low. “She’s in the attic, and she’s crying.” I continued to debrief her of the afternoon’s events.
“Oh, dear.” Mom started chewing on her bottom lip when I was finished. She paused a moment. “Jen, hon, why don’t you go out to the car? Load up both of your things. I… I think I better handle this,” she said.
“Okay.” I turned to go, but Mom stopped me.
“Jen,” she called softly. I turned, and Mom held out her arms. I grinned and welcomed her embrace. “Welcome home,” she whispered into my ear.
She pulled back and gave me a sad smile, nodding her head toward the attic door. “I’ll be out in a jif.”
I nodded, and turned again. Shay was still standing there, erect, as if she had interrupted something. “C’mon, Shay. Let’s get loaded up,” I said. She silently followed me down the dark hallway and back to the foyer, where we found most of the teens absent- already gone home. Tori met us there with questions. I had to bite my lip to keep myself from laughing out loud at her expression.
“Where have you guys been? Why did your mom go looking for you? How long was I asleep, anyway? Did you know I was sleeping on Micah’s shoulder? What’s been going on? Why didn’t you wake me?”
Shay smiled, rolling her eyes at our flustered friend. “Long story, Tori. And maybe, someday, we’ll tell you about it.” She winked at me.
I giggled. “Maybe someday, but can you guys help me load up the car, like today?” I looked from Shay, who grinned, to Tori, who still looked riled up and had her arms crossed.
“Sure thing,” Shay said, then added, “Uh, you coming, Tor?” We both stood silent, waited for Tori respond. Finally, she huffed.
“Sure, but will someone please tell me what’s going on?”
The mood was light as we gathered TJ’s belongings as well as mine, and packed them into the trunk of Mom’s ’99 Buick. But soon, Shay’s sister pulled up and took the two of them home and it was just me, sitting in the stuffy car waiting for my mom.
As I sat there, door open and my legs dangling out of the car in the humid air, I wondered how it was going in the attic. Was Mom getting somewhere with TJ, or was the girl just being stubborn? Was TJ going to tell Mom about everything that had happened? Would she be persuaded to come down, to come home?
Staring absently down at the cement, I leaned my head sideways into the seat back. Everything in my head was running together, blurring and meshing. Things were coming at me too fast; the terrifying storm, the whole situation of finally forgiving God for taking Landon away, and now TJ and running off and everything. I couldn’t process it all, couldn’t take it in. I was exhausted. All I wanted to do was go home and crash on my bed.
The door opening made me look up, and out came my mom, TJ right behind her. I caught TJ’s gaze, and for a split second, I saw fear and firm resolve in her clear blue eyes, but she just as quickly looked away and silently climbed into the back seat.
“Well, we’re off!” Mom’s tone was a noble attempt to lighten the mood, but it didn’t help much. We rode the rest of the way home in silence.
 
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