The Stone-Throwing Game

The Stone-Throwing Game

David strolled around the perimeter of the Glass Castle grounds checking to see if all was well then with his handy dagger killed a snake that was trying to slither under the wall. Suspicions were always trying to invade the territory, but now there was one less to cause trouble. He summoned a guard who manned one of the lifts, and took the ride down to the flat land far below.

David was an Emergency Medical Worker and was always on the lookout for areas where his assistance might be needed. He rounded a corner in a shabby, little town and his lips tightened. What? A game of stone-catch was going on! The aim of the game was to say something ‘constructive’ about a missing person then toss the stone to someone else. They were a group obviously from the castle Rigid, recognised by their severe black garments, and were ganging up on some hapless unknown. Obviously they didn’t realise how unattractive their garments were to others. They considered themselves a merciful bunch, and didn’t maim to kill, which is why they wouldn’t dream of speaking directly to the person they were concerned about.

“She is such a mousy sort of person,” Ginger stepped out of her way to catch that one.

 “If she would wear her hair differently, it would sure help.” She tossed the stone towards Polly, who caught it deftly.

“Yeah, or even dye it!” The stone had come Trixie’s way.

“Wouldn’t she look gorgeous as a platinum blonde?” The sarcasm wasn’t lost on anyone and Heather caught the next stone.

“What? Mousy Millie?”  She threw the stone towards Sara. Sara let it drop.

“Sara!” They all screamed. “You let it drop!”

“I don’t like this game. Can’t we play something else for a change? What if Millie heard us?” Ginger snatched up the stone and hurled it with more force than was necessary towards Polly.

“Spoil sport, spoil sport,” she yelled.

“Coward!” Polly shouted will grabbing the stone and hurling it towards Trixie. It missed and hit Sara on the shoulder. Sara grabbed her shoulder and ran into the nearby woods.

“She always did have a holier-than-thou attitude,” Trixie huffed as she picked up the stone and continued the game.

Sara ducked down a narrow trail, wounded in both body and spirit until she stumbled and nearly fell over …what? A body!

You Are One of the Lucky Ones

“Millie! What are you doing here?”

“I must have fainted.” Millie opened her eyes and her whole body stiffened. “Oh, it’s you!”
                “What do you mean, it’s me?”

“You belong to that Rigid Castle. I can tell by your clothes!”
                Sara glanced down in dismay at her black garments that seemed to be fading now that she had left the other girls behind. “But we have never spoken together before!”

“But you were with them! The Gossips! They never have anything good to say about anyone.

I was passing by and a stone hit me. They couldn’t find it so picked up another one. I managed to get up to here, before collapsing.”

Sara groaned and tenderly flexed her shoulder muscles then sank down against a tree.
                Millie’s face instantly registered concern. “Are you hurt?”

“I also got hit by a stone. That’s what I get for associating with them.”

“No, you’re the lucky one. They generally don’t say anything nasty when one of their own is present. ” Millie gently massaged Sara’s sore muscle. “Does that help?”

“I think so. A little bit.”

“What a useless, cruel game,” Millie muttered. “I’m never going to that castle again! And I used to think they were such an upright bunch.”

“It’s all behind people’s backs,” Sara admitted, “Which makes it worse.”

They saw a youth man from a distance drawing nigh. When he was near enough to discern, Sara recognised him as someone from the Glass Castle by his medical bag. It was David.

 He stopped and bent down beside the girls who had remained huddled in the long grass.

“What has happened, to you,” He asked Millie first.
Tears sprung into Millie’s eyes at his tender voice. “Oh, it’s nothing…much.”
“But I see a nasty bruise on your forehead. Let me put a cold compress on it. It should reduce the swelling.”

“Are you Jesus?” Millie murmured as she allowed him to administer healing.
“No, but I am one of his helpers.”

“I wish there were more people like you in the world,” Millie sighed when he turned to help Sara.

“I do to.” Sara declared. “I’m sorry for all the times I’ve been mean. I’m never going to be caught playing the stone-throwing game again! It is so cruel and vicious! Not only does it hurt the victim, but it changes the participants--”

“For the worse,” Millie interrupted. The other two nodded.

“Sara! Look! Your garment! It’s changed!”
Gone were the severe lines and harsh color. It had turned into a soft radiant blue.

“Is that from your healing medicine?” she asked David.

David shook his head solemnly as he repacked his bag. “You have been touched by an invisible presence; the Angel Repentance.”