The Sacrifice Part Eight

Hello, all! I’m back once again, with the next part of The Sacrifice! Unfortunately, because of a miscalculation on my part, it will not be finished today, but next Tuesday. I hope you enjoy part eight!

Part Eight

Bethany was telling Matthias of the encounter on the hill when Abbie burst in, exclaiming “He came back! The Prince is back! He isn’t dead!”

            Bethany sighed. “Abbie, what do you mean?”

            “I saw Him!” Abbie exclaimed. “I did! He told me to tell you that He’ll come see all of us soon!”

            Bethany gasped, remembering the strange words of the man on the hill. He will return . . . can it be?

            Matthias, however, shook his head. “It can’t be. How could the Prince of Peace have come back? I saw him hung.”

            Abbie insisted “I saw Him! I really did.”

            “I believe you, Abbie.” Bethany said. “Someone told me that He wasn’t gone, and you wouldn’t lie about something like this.”

            Matthias shook his head. “She saw someone who looked like Him, that’s all. Don’t encourage her, Bethany.”

            Bethany frowned. “Matthias, if He could bring others back from the dead, why couldn’t He come back Himself? Why couldn’t the Great King bring Him back?”

            Matthias crossed his arms. “Believe what you will, but I won’t believe it until I see Him for myself, and that is my final word on the subject.”

            Bethany sighed. If only you weren’t so stubborn, husband of mine.  

Is Matthias right? Bethany? Has the Prince of Peace really come back, or is this just a trick? There’s only one way to find out: check back soon for the conclusion of The Sacrifice! In the meantime, please comment! I’d love to hear what you think!

-Sarah

The Sacrifice Part Seven

Hello, everyone! Guess what I’ve got! If you guessed a book review, you are wrong, unfortunately. However, if you guessed another part of The Sacrifice, you’re right! I’m trying to finish it fairly quickly since it is, after all, an Easter story. So, without further ado, the next part of The Sacrifice!

Part Seven

Abbie looked up at the looming clouds. It had been dark and overcast ever since the Prince of Peace was hung; and this turned the garden, which was usually a cheerful place, into a dreary land of gloom. Still, it was better than wandering around inside the house with nothing to do. I wish that the Prince was still here. I miss Him.

            Footsteps came from behind Abbie. “Hello, Abbie.” The voice was kind and strong, and oddly familiar.

            Abbie didn’t look to see who it was. She didn’t really care. “Hello.”

            The footsteps came closer. “You seem sad, Abbie. What’s wrong?”

            Abbie sighed. “The Prince is gone. I miss Him.”

            “He is not gone.”

            Abbie frowned and began to turn around. “What do you-?” She saw who the speaker was and her face lit up. “You’re back! How?”

            The Prince of Peace, for it was He, smiled. “With the Great King, anything is possible, Abbie.” She ran to Him, and He hugged her.

            As soon as He released her, Abbie turned. “Mama and Papa will want to see You! Will You come?”

            The Prince of Peace shook His head. “Not yet. I must still greet others before I see them. Go tell them that you have seen Me, and that I will come see them soon.”

            Abbie nodded. “Yes sir!” She hurried away. The Prince is back!   

Is the Prince of Peace really back? Will Bethany and Matthias believe when Abbie tells them? To find out, check back tomorrow for Part Eight of The Sacrifice! In the meantime, please comment! I’d love to hear your thoughts on my writing!

-Sarah

The Sacrifice Part Six

Hello, everyone! Ready for more of The Sacrifice? I hope so, because I’m posting the next part today!

Part Six

Bethany walked quickly along the streets towards the Death Hill, talking to herself. “I can’t believe they actually did that! The Prince of Peace was the best person to ever walk these streets! I heard that he healed a lass who’d been blind from birth, and I think he brought another young lady back from the dead.” Still chattering, she reached the Death Hill and began to climb its rocky slope. “And to think He died a criminal’s death! Him, the Great King’s Son! It’s enough to make one wonder what the world’s coming to!” She looked up at the tree and gasped. “He’s gone!”

            It was true. The rope noose hung, bloodied where it had dug into His neck, but His body was nowhere to be seen. Two guards sat at the bottom of the tree, obviously unconscious. Bethany dropped to her knees. “Oh, Great King, what happened?”

            A tall, strong-looking man appeared at Bethany’s side. “Lady, what is wrong?” he asked. His voice had an odd quality to it that Bethany couldn’t place.

            “He’s gone!” she whispered. “Who could’ve taken Him?”

            The man’s voice seemed to have a smile in it as he said “Why do you look for those alive in the place of death? Go, and tell the others what you have seen and heard here.”

            Bethany stood and looked at the man. “Who are you to tell me this?”

            The man said “I am a friend who you do not know. Do not fear, Bethany, follower of the Great King. Go, do as I have said.”

            Bethany turned, something about the man’s words putting hope in her heart. “Very well, sir. Thank you!”

            The man’s last words followed her down the hill. “Watch for Him! He is not gone!”

What is going on? Does the strange man speak the truth? To find out, check back soon, when I post part seven! In the meantime, please comment! I’d love to hear what you think!

-Sarah

Dramatic Butterfly

Hello, everyone! I'm back, with some more of my photography! Today's picture is one that I took a while ago, at the butterfly exhibit at the Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

I call this picture "Dramatic Butterfly" because I thought that the lighting was rather . . . well . . . dramatic! I did it that way in Photoshop, so that it highlighted the butterfly and detracted attention from the plants. So, what do you think? Please comment and let me know!
-Sarah

This Week . . .

Hi, everyone! It’s finally Friday, and that means that it’s time for an update on what I’ve been doing!

·        My stories aren’t going very well. I only got a page or so written this week. Fortunately, I’ve almost gotten all three of my main characters together! I am hoping to get a lot done next week, and even more done after school is over.

·        Speaking of school, the Standardized Test is quickly approaching, and though I’m not very excited about that (I may know the material, but it’s a big test), I am excited about what comes after the Standardized Test: the end of school!

·        I have decided that there is no such thing as the perfect weather, at least not around here. It always seems to be either too hot or too cold. This is because it’s been very hot summery weather this past week, and before that it was really cold, at least for spring. Oh well. At least it’s warm and not snowing.

·        I have found something new to read at last! The book is called Black, and it’s the first in a four-book series by Ted Dekker. Although I haven’t been able to read it yet, between school, some other books I’m rereading, what little writing I’ve done, and doing stuff on the computer, I’m very much looking forward to it!

Well, that’s about it. Thanks for stopping by!

-Sarah

The Sacrifice Part Five

Hi, everyone! Sorry for posting so late again! I hope that once school is over, this will be fixed and I’ll start posting earlier. Anyway, I’m here, with the next part of The Sacrifice!

Part Five

Abbie watched as her mother bustled about the small room, pulling things from the shelves and putting them in a basket. “What are you doing, Mama?” she asked.

            Abbie’s mother, Bethany, turned to her daughter. “I’m getting ready to go somewhere, Abbie.”

            Matthias appeared in the doorway. “Dear, you can’t be serious about this. You know what the Elders will do it they find out.”

            Bethany shook her head. “Matthias, you worry too much. He’s a friend of the family. It’s not against the law. Goodness knows that He’s been hanging there long enough. Besides, they won’t dare bother me. I’m friends with most of their wives.”

            Matthias sighed. “Bethany, dear, you know the laws as well as I do. According to the Elders, He is a criminal, and anyone who takes His body down will be treated as an accomplice, no matter who the person’s friends are.”

            Abbie broke into the conversation. “Mama, where are you going?”

            Bethany resumed her work as she answered her daughter. “I’m going to get the Prince of Peace’s body, or what’s left of it after several days in the open, and see to it that His body is taken care of properly.” She turned to Matthias. “Don’t you dare try to stop me, Matthias. The Prince of Peace was the truest friend any of us had. It’s the least I we could do to give Him a proper burial instead of letting His body hang there for the crows.”

            Matthias sighed. “Very well, dear, but be careful.”

            Bethany smiled. “Of course, Matthias. When am I not careful?”

            “May I come, Mama?” Abbie asked.

            Bethany shook her head. “Not this time, Abbie.” She sighed. “Not this time.”

            Abbie frowned, but she didn’t protest. It won’t do any good anyway. She glumly left the room, leaving her parents to prepare for Bethany’s task.

What will happen next? Will Bethany complete her task without getting in trouble with the Elders? To find out, check back soon for Part Six! In the meantime, please comment! I’d love to hear what you think!

-Sarah
Update: Part Six!

Pathway

Hi, everyone! Yes, I know that usually I post a review today, but I decided to switch it to a picture, because of an unfortunate lack of new reviews. Since I know that several people want to see more of my photography, I decided to post a picture.

This is a picture of a stone pathway at a local public garden. I entered it in a contest last year, but it didn't win anything. What do you think of it? Please comment and tell me! I'd love to know!

-Sarah

The Sacrifice Part Four

Hi, everyone! Sorry for posting so late, but I’ve got the next part of The Sacrifice! Hope you like it!

Part Four

Matthias couldn’t look away. He wanted to, but at the same time he wanted to watch for any sign from his Prince. So he gazed, spellbound, as the Prince of Peace hung, the simple rope noose cutting into His neck. Matthias could do nothing. How could this happen? What has become of the Great King’s promise? His mind raced, remembered the words of the Prince of Peace. “I am the Way back to the Great King, the Truth, and the Life for those who believe. No one comes to my Father unless it is through me.

Matthias looked up at Him. The Elders were moving off, satisfied that their so-called enemy was gone. The Prince of Peace was still, and Matthias knew that he would move no more. The man fell to his knees. “Why, Great King?” he cried aloud. “Why? You said that You would send a Way back to You; You sent the Prince of Peace, but now he hang at a rope’s end. How could You let it end this way?”

Abbie’s small voice broke into Matthias’s misery. “Papa? Please don’t get upset. Please, Papa.”

Matthias looked back at his daughter. Oh, Great King, how can I tell her?

Abbie’s eyes were filled with tears. “Papa, please don’t get upset; please don’t. Didn’t you say that the Great King is in control? Won’t He take care of us?”

The simple words hit Matthias like a hammer. Of course! The Great King has a plan! He has to. Matthias knew that he was probably grabbing at straws, but any hope was precious now that the Prince of Peace was gone. Matthias looked once more at the still figure of his Prince. The dark clouds broke for a minute behind Him, letting the sun shine through. Matthias rose to his feet. I have to go on. It’s what He would’ve wanted. Picking up Abbie and placing her on his horse, he swung up behind her. Glancing one last time at the still figure on the hill, he spurred his horse to head for home. I must go on.           

What will happen now? Is the Great King’s plan destroyed? There’s only one way to find out: check back soon for more! In the meantime, please comment with your thoughts! I’d love to know!

-Sarah

Easter Trips and Spring Sunshine: My Week

Hi, everyone! I’m back, with an update on what I’ve been doing, and an explanation of why I switched the normal update schedule for today and Friday. Why? Well, read on to see!

·        My story is going ok. I’ve got two of the three girls together on arguing terms, at least, and the third is on her way. Unfortunately, I didn’t get much work done on it this weekend, only a paragraph or so.

·        What I did do this weekend, however, makes up for that. You see, we went to White Sulpher Springs this weekend. White Sulpher Springs is a hotel run by Officer’s Christian Fellowship, and it has retreats for various holidays throughout the year. We’ve been there several times in the past, so I was very excited about going. Unfortunately, it rained the first day, so that wasn’t much fun. Fortunately, it was warm and sunny the second day. While we were there, I got to see one of my pen-pals, which made the weekend much better and made up, more or less, for the rain.

·        On that note, spring weather is finally here! It’s supposed to be in the eighties all week here! Although, that might be more along the lines of summer weather. I, personally, don’t really care. I’m just glad that it’s warm at last.

·        I have found two new books to read: The Emperor of Nihon-Ja by John Flanagan, and The Thirteen Clocks by James Thurber. The former is the final book in one of my favorite series, Ranger’s Apprentice. The latter is a new book which I received a recommendation on from a friend. I am very excited about these, since I’m haven’t read anything new in weeks.

Well, that’s about it. Thanks for stopping by! Please comment and let me know how your Easter was. I’d love to know!

-Sarah   

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Pansy Face

Hello, everyone! I'm back, with some of my photography! I know that normally I'd be posting an update on my week today, but I'm switching today's entry and Monday's entry, for reasons I'll explain on Monday. So, my picture for today!

This is a picture I took a while ago. It was the first picture I entered in a Photo Club contest. I named it PansyFace because it looks like it has a face on it. What do you think of it? Please comment and let me know! I'd love to hear your opinions!

-Sarah