A Time in Heaven by Kathy Warcup

through another window in the shed. He picked up a large branch from the ground and swung back to smash it against the side of the building, when Katie screamed for him to stop.
    Jesse dropped the branch and just stood there starring at the ground.  Katie ran to him, and looked at his face.  He looked like he had just lost the most important thing in the world to him.  And in a way he had .  If he didn’t get off this island, there would be no tour, no record contract.  His music career would be over.
    Katie knew what he was thinking.   She put her arms around him and tried to comfort him.  “Jesse, don’t give up yet.  They could still come . ”
    Jesse broke free of her.  She could see that there was anger in his eyes now.  “Don’t you see?!  No one is coming for us!  I don’t know why. It makes no sense, but they are not coming.  We are stranded on this damn island they call Heaven.  Well Katie, it’s not heaven, it s hell!” This time he went to Katie to be consoled .  They stood together hugging for a long time. “I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have you right now .” He told her.
    It was dark now, and with the cloud cover, they couldn’t really see much of the path back to the cabin.  Jes se had left the flashlight on the table .  He hadn’t planned on having to use it again.  He took Katie by the hand and they slowly started to make their way back to the cabin.  Sadie bumped against Jesse’s leg so he was able to find her lea sh. They all inched their way back .
    At the cabin Je sse found the flashlight. It gave him enough light to ignite the lantern and to start the fire in the fireplace.  Katie gave Sadie something to eat and a fresh drink of water. The mood was pretty glum as they got ready for bed. Katie kissed Jesse and curled up in his arms.
    Jess e couldn’t sleep.  He lay in bed with Katie in his arms.  The clouds had gone so that the full moon illum inated the cabin now.  The moon light made her look like an angel. He gently touched her face.
    He couldn’t help think how fortunate he was to have found Katie on this trip , He hadn’t expected to ever fall in love again , but he had – to the remarkable woma n lying in his arms.   He quietly watched her breathing for the longest time. He finally fell into a peaceful sleep.
    Near dawn, Katie’s stirrings woke Jesse up. He softly kissed her and she settled back to sleep. As he watched her, his thoughts went back to the fact that they had somehow been abandoned here, and he wasn’t going to make his comeback in the music world.  He had waited so long and had worked so hard to make it happen. Now all of it was going to be gone.   He looked back at the woman beside him.  Maybe things aren’t so bad, he thought to himself.  He ever so lightly kissed her.
    Although the possibility of his music career being lost was devastating, Jesse soon came back to the real ization that this situation he and Katie have found themselves in , was a real threat to their lives. Food was going to be a problem.  There was still some food here in the cabin, but not enough to last but a few days.  Jesse wondered if maybe there was food in the other cabins.  They would have to check it out tomorrow.  He thought that most of the food probably was in the pantry at the lodge.
    Keeping warm was another big concern. Winter was comi ng soon to Alaska.  The cabin had a fireplace for warmth but not much cut wood. Beside the fireplace there was only a small propane stove that made any heat.  Although there were four more tanks at the other cabins, there certainly wasn’t enough propane to last long.  Again his thoughts went back to the lodge, and the huge fireplace with plenty of fire wood. He had also seen a huge pile of wood in the back when they left the building with Smith that first day .
    Oh, but the lodge!  He’d almost forgotten about the body in the upstairs hall. How would he ever get Katie to go back there? God, he