the hot summer sun faded from a bright yellow to fluorescent orange, dipped into the ocean, 
disappearing from view. adelle gazed with mild interest and glassy eyes as the sky exploded in rays 
of color and beauty. a breeze blew, salted air that filled her to her soul, making her close her eyes 
and believe that this was real, believe that this moment was infinite and never to end or go downhill.
 a smile graced her deep red lips as she fingered the hem of her ruffled floral print dress, so silky 
and lovely and entrancing. her long ash blonde hair gathered at her shoulders, and her green eyes 
twinkled with mischief. she tossed aside the notebook lying on her lap, tan with leaves and flowers 
embedded in the cover, the papers bound by a thin ribbon of twine. she stood gracefully, smoothed her 
skirt, and began to walk. the tall heels of her white sandals made clicking noises on the pavement as 
she sauntered across the parking lot to the park next door to the apartment building she inhabited. 
the forest loomed before her, beckoning and crying out to her to bring her magic, her teasing laugh, 
her intoxicating presence into its midst. grinning, she walked straight to the wooden bridge where 
she knew he would be. why wouldn't he? she knew he couldn't resist her. 


'you are so stupid,' he berated himself as he stood looking out at the trickling water of the brook 
below the bridge. his eyes burned and stung with his helpless tears, his heart hammered in his chest 
and cried to him to be sensible. 'go back to erin,' it cried desperately. but even if he did, he knew 
he wouldn't be able to stay away long. she was just that alluring. he heard the click of her heels 
and smelled the lilies of her perfume before he even saw her. his tears faded and his heart stopped 
crying and tormenting him. a smile wreathed his face as she came into view, the beauty and essence 
of her captivating him instantly. a sly smile spread across her face as she took in his presence, 
his hastily assembled clothing. he looked down at his unkempt appearance and blushed in shame, 
knowing nothing but excellence would do for her. he had set his mind on not coming, staying with 
erin and studying with her. cuddling and being with her and her beautiful, loving eyes gazing at him. 
her head resting on his chest as he stroked her hair and felt happy and content. here he was not 
happy and content, here he was plagued by searing emotions ramming into him and forcing him to want 
something more than just erin, more than the incredible love and devotion she bestowed upon him. more 
than the beautiful and fulfilling way she followed Christ. she stepped closer to him and ran her 
finger along his face, tracing his jaw, playful and dancing eyes watching him closely, waiting for 
his reaction. waiting for him to crumble at her feet. which he did, as soon as she said his name. 
"robert," her smile widened into a wicked grin. "you came." 


erin lay curled on her bed in a faded blue comforter, trying to fill the hollowness that inhabited 
her heart. tears fell from her hazel eyes onto her cornflower blue pillowcase. she clung to her red 
cloth-bound bible and prayed feverishly for him to come back, for him to be with her right now and 
hold her in his arms, reassure her of his love. he had gone so suddenly, without even saying he loved 
her, without telling her where he was rushing off to. hurriedly slipped his jacket and shoes on, 
leaving her to sort out a mess of homework papers on her own-the things he said he would help her 
with. they were having so much fun, laughing and talking and being so together and right. she was so 
close to making him a christian, like her. to finally converting him, all her hard work and witnessing
 paying off. but then he looked at the clock and then left. and now he was gone, and her work had 
been finished with a solemn and subdued countenance, tears in her eyes. "robert," she mumbled over 
and over again as she fell into a troubled sleep. 


somehow, his hands found her waist. her arms encircled his neck, and her perfume intoxicated him, 
shutting his brain and rational thought process down for the day. he stared into her eyes, those 
twinkling, laughing, shimmering eyes that he could never read. underfoot, the trickling brook 
serenaded them, the evergreens provided privacy, all working together against his normally sharp 
logic. it all went out the window when he looked at her, though. she sighed deeply and he couldnt 
control himself any longer. lowering his face to meet hers, he kissed her. the last shred of reason 
within him screamed at him to stop, this is wrong, erin is the one, not this temptress forcing him 
into feelings and longings he never wanted. his grip tightened around her as she began massaging his 
neck with her slender hands, the intensity of his kisses steadily increasing until he felt about to 
burst with it all. the tears started up again, tears for the horrible wrong he was acting out, tears 
for the feeling of not wanting to stop, longing to give in to this young beauty once and for all. 
finally, erin's confused and slightly hurt expression blinked bright in his mind, and he stopped. 
adelle's eyes remained closed even after he pushed her away from him. he tried to breathe, had to 
hold onto the railing to keep himself from collapsing on the wooden planks of the small bridge. tears 
streamed down his face as he thought about what he had done, how deeply he had hurt his wonderful 
girlfriend. finally, adelle heard his choking and breathless state and opened her eyes. stepping 
closer to him, she smiled innocently as he backed away from her as quickly as she progressed further.
 "stay away from me," he managed to choke out as he scrambled to get away from her. she reached out 
and grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him back to her. her once magically bewitching gaze had 
turned to pure fire and seething. he looked at her in terror, still hypnotized by the very fragrance 
of her. her expression changed as she saw his face, slipping into the charming loveliness of before. 
"where do you think you're going?" her voice took on its usual irresistably playful note. 


bridge...forest....trees...love....God....her head throbbed with everything slamming into it. the 
sobs welled within her, choking her and making it difficult to breathe. finally, a scream erupted 
from her, jolting her from her tortured sleep. sweat glistened on her body, her hair damp with it. 
only one thought echoed in her mind. 'the park,' she realized. 'i've got to get to the park.' she 
didnt know where it had come from, a realization perhaps that it had been the location robert ran 
towards when she watched him depart from her bedroom window. slipping on her ragged tennis shoes, she 
didnt bother to change from her sweatpants and nike t-shirt. she didnt even bother to smooth her 
tangled hair before stepping outside. the crisp night air cooled her overheated skin and calmed her
 nerves somewhat. she still felt a ripple of anxiety as she walked briskly to the park. 'i'll just go
 to the bridge,' she thought, 'and look around.' the bridge was the central place of the park, surely 
she could find him from there. a tear slid down her cheek as she looked around into the dim forest. 
she was scared, afraid, petrified of the darkness that encloaked the park, that closed everything in 
with it. she took a tentative step forward into the near-blackness. then another step, and another, 
until she gained confidence and began to walk at a normal pace. Jesus was walking beside her at that 
moment, guiding her and carefully moving tree branches out of her path. 


adelle chuckled as she ran her fingers through his silky blonde hair. she moistened her lips 
seductively with her tongue, tormenting him even further. with all his willpower he tried to keep his 
hands at his sides, keep himself from responding to her attentions. 'erin, erin, erin,' he kept 
replaying her name in his head, steeling himself against adelle, against her charms and embraces. 
they were icy now, compared to erin's inner radiance and warmth. cold, nothing beneath the surface. 
he didnt want her anymore, didnt want to long for her, his longing had tamed somewhat from just 
thinking about the blazing love he had waiting for his nightly 9 p.m. phone call. a tear trickled 
down his cheek as he thought of how he might escape, how he might get away from this woman who simply 
would not let him leave, was not done playing with him yet. it was dark, it was getting late, and 
erin would be worrying for him. for the first time in his life, he began to pray to God. he prayed 
that he was sorry, that he would never take erin for granted again if He would be with him right 
now, and forgive him for what he had done. 


sobbing, erin tried desperately to find the bridge. she couldnt see 2 feet in front of her, and she 
was terrified. Jesus was right next to her the whole time, comforting her, guiding her. owls hooted 
around her, other strange noises reached her ears, clutching her heart in fear and causing her to 
grip tightly to the silver cross around her neck. her testimony to the world. stumbling on a fallen 
tree branch, she fell to the ground. 


hearing a noise, adelle looked to find the source and robert managed to slip away from her. he 
started running, but then heard a familiar noise. someone crying, and calling someone's name. 
"robert!" a female's voice. adelle? no, this was different. with a start, he realized that it 
belonged to the one he truly loved. she was crying, he had to find her. he walked to the other side 
of the bridge, but adelle finally noticed him. unhuman screams tore from her as she raced to him, 
trying desperately to grab at him. she pulled off his jacket, tore at his shirt, but robert kept 
going. erin's voice got louder, and he knew he was almost to her. he spotted her lying beside a fallen
 tree branch, sobbing desperately and clutching at her leg. "erin!" he called to her, and she looked 
up, a surprised look in her eyes. he raced towards her and touched her, her face, her arms, all over 
her until she cried out in pain when he touched her leg. alarmed, he gently picked her up. adelle was
 waiting for him when he turned around. her face was twisted into bitter hatred, no longer 
recognizable, no longer intoxicating. she reached and tore at his cheek with her fingernails, 
scratching his skin. erin buried her face in his shoulder and clung to him more tightly. finally, 
his intense love for erin and his newfound respect for God won out and he screamed. "get away from 
me!" so loud, it echoed throughout the dark forest and caused birds to scatter from their perches on 
the trees. adelle's face melted back into what it always had been, pure innocence and loving. but he 
could endure it no more and hardened his heart against her. she began to cry, and her tears fell like
 acid to the ground. she turned and walked away, never looking back. erin trembled with pain in his 
arms, and he began to carefully and slowly walk back towards her house, and didnt collapse in 
exhaustion until he had her tucked into bed, ice on the ugly sprain she had accumulated in the forest.