Broken Branch by John Mantooth

God to fill that void might be oversimplifying. She needed
something
to fill it, something big, something larger and greater and more mysterious than her.
    Because if there was nothing greater to the world than the laws of science and the greed of man, she didn’t much see the point of it all.
    Yet she’d risked everything to chase that mystery, to find the point to her life, and here she was paying with that very life, less sure about any divine being than she’d ever been before.
    Though there was the swamp.
    The swamp. G.L.’s swamp. She’d dreamed about it. But what about the second time? She’d been alone, and everything had seemed so real and authentic, even down to the pale moonlight on her skin.
    Could that be the place where God lived, and if so, why did He only allow her a brief glimpse? She wished very badly she could talk to G.L. again. She’d make him explain all of it, from the very first time he ever went. Why hadn’t she pushed him harder about it before?
    At some point the hunger pains began, but she tried to ignore them. She tried to sleep, thinking it was her best defense against hunger and fear, but she couldn’t.
    Instead, she thought of Rodney and Mary, and how she could possibly ever help them. It occurred to her that her best bet, her very best chance, would be to play along, to become the meek follower. There were several advantages to this, she realized. One, she would get James and Otto off her back so she could think. Two, she would have time to regain Rodney’s trust. His betrayal hurt her more than anything, but she didn’t blame him. He was frightened like everyone else, and he was only a boy. Yes, she’d play along but subvert in private, getting Rodney fully on her side. After all, no one loved him like she did. The third advantage—and she realized now, this was the most important one of all—was that when she did act, no one would be expecting it.
    She’d strike swiftly and without regret.
    She closed her eyes, breathing deeply, satisfied in the plan. She ignored the small voice inside her that wanted to remind her that things rarely went so smoothly and thought instead of the demon she’d felt inside her. She’d tried so many times to push it back down, but now she wondered if she shouldn’t embrace it. It was a demon that wanted to take her over, to lash out at anyone who might try to hurt her or her children. It was angry, and she liked the power she felt when it squirmed inside her. She’d have to control it. She’d have to let it swim inside her, feeding it with small crumbs of vitriol and promises of vengeance. And then when it was time, she’d let it fly, screaming from her belly to do the damage it wanted so badly to do.
    Much, much later, after more sleep and more worry, the hatch opened and the brightest light Trudy had ever seen flooded her eyes. She felt the demon flip inside of her and was thankful that it was there.

33
    When she stepped out into the bright sunlight, Trudy couldn’t keep her eyes open long enough to see what had become of Broken Branch. The others were standing in a semicircle around her. She saw their faces in flashes, between squinting and closing her eyes. They were solemn, but no one looked sad.
    She squeezed her eyes shut and fell to her knees. Hands were on her shoulders. Without looking, she felt certain they belonged to Otto and her husband.
    Otto began to speak.
    â€œYou see the way the Lord honors the righteous, Trudy?” He tugged on the collar of her dress, trying to make her sit up, trying to make her look.
    She raised her head and opened her eyes again. Trees were everywhere, littering the clearing. She’d never seen so many blown down, so many roots turned toward the sky. Yet there was something wrong. Despite the overwhelming evidence that the twister had come right through the center of Broken Branch, none of the houses appeared to have been touched.