Decisions.

Jenny was feeling antsy. Or did a word even exist that described the emotions roiling inside of her guts? It was impossible for her to express, and luckily, there was no need to at the present moment, not verbally anyway. Before her lay two paths, of the non literal variety, and she was unsure which to pick.

On her plain wooden table lay two letters each that led too very different decisions.

Once more her eyes scanned the first paragraphs of each. The first, on her left, was lettered in eloquent and beautifully styled cursive, yet the very uniformity and perfection of each letter told him that it had been printed and not written.

“Dear Mrs. Archer,

We, Her Majesties’ Royal Academy of Performing Arts, would like to congratulate you on your successful application to join our prestigious school. With only 1000 of the world’s top young musicians, dancers and actors, this is truly an accomplishment of which you should be proud of.

Even as she read the words again, a cascade of self fulfillment, achievement and a strong sense of pride filled her heart. She had worked hard for this, and it was her right to go!

Yet the other letter contained words which were not will formed, whose paper was dirty and yellowed.

To Jenny,

Hey beautiful, it’s me, I don’t know if you’ll get this, or if I’ll see you again. I just want you to know that I love you, and will forever, in this world or the next. If you’re reading this letter, it means that I have been missing for at least a month. Attached should be my last known location. I don’t want you to come after me, it’s too dangerous… but I don’t want you to get angry with me, even if I’m not around anymore.

Slowly something began to rise up the deep within her gut. The lump moved to her throat, then, with increasing speed, out of her eyes and down her face. Tears had begun to flow, tears of frustration, anger and grief. Why her? Why now? How could that irresponsible jerk gotten himself lost, or worse even killed, at this precise moment? At exactly when he should be around to share this victory and accomplishment with! Why had these letters arrived on the same day?

Looking up at the ceiling, she cried out to the one person with all the answers. Her voice was broken, and in one of the rare times, she didn’t know what to do. “God, I know you’re out there, you’ve watched over me from the time I was a baby. You have guided my steps since I was young, shown me the path which I should take. Now God, please, light my way once more.”

Silence echoed through the house… broken only by the quiet sounds of her sobbing. Suddenly a light began to glow outside the window, a soft yellow glow that began to build in magnitude and intensity with each passing moment. At first she didn’t notice, but when she did Jenny stared in wonder at the phenomenon, knowing that it was dark outside, and there were no streetlights on that side of the house. Then, without warning, a bright flash, almost like an explosion, went off inside the room, yet there was no force or no heat.

When all had faded, the young woman opened her eyes, blinking away the spots. It was then that she noticed the table. One of the letters had been burnt to a crisp.

She had an answer.