Trevor slowly walked down the quiet halls of the hospital. Isolated conversations of friends and family visiting their sick loved ones could be heard in the rooms he passed. A strong odor of cleaning supplies filled the hallways, taking Trevor back to the times he would come to visit his father. Ever since those days, Trevor had always hated hospitals. He found it to be the most frustrating, cruelest place on Earth. Every time he'd come in, it would seem his father was twice as sick as he was the day before. Trevor would walk into that room every day and have to look into his father's dying eyes. Yet, at the same time, it seemed everyone else in the place was getting better. Far too often he'd come in to find that his father's latest bedmate had made a miraculous recovery and was allowed to go home to their family. Who got to decide who lived and died? The doctors? Why were they saving other patients but not his father? Who were they to give or take a life? The most haunting question, however, was what God would let this happen?

His father would always tell him to believe in God's "grand design". He'd say that there was this greater plan that they all were a part of and that everything happens for a reason. Trevor felt his father had far too much faith in God. He never understood why either. He felt that if God really was looking after them, then his father wouldn't be getting sicker by the day.

As Trevor made his way into Alex's room, a similar line of thinking found its way into his mind. In the room, Trevor found Alex's mother sitting by the bedside, holding Alex's hand.

"Oh, Trevor, it's so good to see you." She said, looking up and wiping away the tears from her face. "I'm so glad you could stop by. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, thank you. How are you all doing?" Trevor asked.

"Oh, we're holding in there." She said. "Doctors said he's in a stable condition, so we're all just really grateful right now."

Trevor looked down at Alex asleep on the bed. He wore the usual light blue uniform and had an IV being fed into his arm. Taking it all in, Trevor felt like Alex looked identical to his father all those years ago.

"Trevor, it's good to see you." A familiar voice called from the doorway. Trevor turned to see Alex's father walk into the room.

"How you doing, Trev?" He asked.

"Fine."

"Glad you were able to come and check in."

"Yeah, me too." Trevor said.

Alex's father looked at Trevor with sorry eyes, a look Trevor never thought he'd get from him.

"Hey, honey, why don't you go down and grab something to eat? It's about time for lunch, you should go see what they got here."

Alex's mother nodded her head, stood up, and walked out.

"Trevor, there are some things you and I need talk about."

"You know this is all your fault right?" Trevor said, not taking his eyes off of Alex in the bed.

"I didn't think there was anything I could do to help you."

"You turned us away. We needed your help and you said no. Alex is here because of you."

"He's here because he tried to help you."

"What?"

"He was attacked because he was interfering. Otherwise, they would've left him alone."

"What do you mean?" Trevor asked.

"When they start, they have a specific group of individuals to take. They only hunt down their select twelve. No one else is ever involved or touched. Alex was doing everything he could to help you. I'm not sure exactly what he did, but it was obviously something they didn't like. So, they tried to get rid of him."

Trevor thought back to their conversation on his porch when they were attacked.

"Whatever he did that day made them feel threatened. Now when I say that never happens, I mean exactly that. They have never attacked anyone that hasn't been on their list."

"I'm sorry, but how do you know all this?"

"It's a long story, but just trust me when I say this isn't like them. They try to..."

"No, please. I have time. I'm tired of being in the dark on this. I just want answers."

"Listen, I was only trying to protect my family. Obviously, it's too late for that now. You're not ready for the full story, but I'll tell you everything you'll need to know."

"Well, I'm glad we had to wait until Alex was hospitalized before you did anything to help."

"Look, I'm sorry. I never meant for anyone to get hurt."

"But you were fine with leaving me out to dry?" Trevor said back. He clenched his fists in anger.

"We can sit here and argue back and forth about who's in the wrong here all day, but point is I'm here to help you now. So take it or leave it."

Despite his reserves about Alex's father, Trevor knew he needed to know what information he had.

Alex's father reached into his pocket and pulled out a small medallion.

"Do you what this symbol is for?" He asked, pointing at the insignia on the front. "This is the Johnson's family crest. I know you've seen it before."

"Yeah, it was on the floor of your study and on the kid's diary that Alex found."

"Yes, it is. Do you know why it was on the floor of my study, though?"

Trevor thought about it for a moment.

"No, I really have no idea."

"It's for protection. Back then, the Johnson family placed their crest on most of the more expensive pieces of property. Pigs, cattle, and especially their slaves. This seal was branded on each of them. It's the only thing they fear."

"Wait, they're actually afraid of something?"

"They crave control. They feed off of your fear and pain. This crest is a symbol of when they were the ones living in agony, a time when they were the ones being controlled. Here, it's yours now." He said, handing the medallion to Trevor. An overwhelming sense of calm came over him like he felt when he walked into the study for the first time.

"This will at least give you a fighting chance against them."

"Thank you, sir. I do actually feel better."

"It's harder for them to find you when you're wearing this. I won't say it's one hundred percent effective, but it's a start. I'm hoping this takes back some control from them, giving you just the slightest edge."

"Thank you. You're right, I do actually feel better. Like, I have a better grasp on everything."

"Sometimes, there's nothing in this world scarier than losing control. You feel lost and insecure, scared about what the future's gonna bring you. When that happens, all you need to do is step back, take a deep breathe, and take back the reigns. There's no scenario you'll come across in life that you won't be able to handle. The good lord makes sure of that."

Trevor gave Alex's father an inquisitive look.

"With all this going on, and knowing everything you know, you still believe in God?"

"Trevor, you'd be surprised how far a little faith will get you." Alex's father said. "They'll likely try to come for me for telling you all this, but since I'm not really on their list, my other medallions should keep me safe. I want you to come back to my study when you get the chance, there's a lot more I have to share with you if we're gonna beat this."

Slowly, Alex opened his eyes and sat up in his bed.

"Oh, hey Trev. When did you get here?" Alex said.

"Actually, not too long ago. I was just sitting here talking to you dad for a bit."

"Well, thanks for stopping by man. I don't know if they told you but they said I'm gonna be alright. Just gotta sit tight for awhile while they check everything."

"That's great man. I'm glad to hear it."

"Yeah, it's a miracle. Thank God, right?"

Trevor was still uncertain of where he stood in terms of his faith. However, today it sure felt like someone had been watching over him.