MYSTober 2024

31 vignettes based on single-word prompts. One story.

17. Endure

Mordecai sat in his office, reviewing the church Bible. His service that morning had gone well, despite the dwindling flock. It wasn't just that people were turning away from the church – there were fewer people now than there were when he was a child. Mordecai wasn't worried about the decreasing population – he knew that God would provide for them.

A sharp knock on the door startled him out of his studies. "Come in," he called out.

The door swung inward, promptly followed by a tall woman named Elsa. "Hello."

Mordecai motioned towards the padded wooden chair on the other side of his desk. "Please, come in, have a seat."

Elsa dropped delicately into the chair and brushed her brown hair back over her shoulder.

Mordecai interlaced his fingers and laid his hands across the book. "How can I help?"

"Well... I'm having doubts."

When she didn't continue, he prompted, "Doubts about what?"

After another moment she looked him straight in the eye. "Why are we here?"

"Here, existing?"

"Here on this island. There's no reason for it."

"Why do you think that?"

"There are things here, like the walls and doors, and most of the things we use each day, that none of us know how to make. We're living in a world that isn't supposed to belong to us, in the shadow of people who knew way more than we do about everything."

"Our ancestors were marooned here in a vast ocean ship. We learned about this long ago."

"Yes, but why? Did they choose to come here? Were they tricked? Did something go wrong? Why would they make a choice all that time ago that would devastate everyone who succeeded them?"

Mordecai shifted back in his chair, bringing his hands to his stomach. He wasn't equipped to speak to what his grandparents were thinking all those years ago. He knew only one answer to offer for this question. "Sometimes, God places obstacles before us that we must suffer through and overcome."

"So, God is responsible for us being here, through something that happened before we were even born? Why? Why would he force this life on people who didn't even exist yet?"

"It's difficult to understand, but sometimes, God tests us, to make sure our faith is pure. He wants us to persevere, as maintaining our belief makes us stronger as individuals and as a community."

Elsa shook her head and lowered it. "I think anyone who would force people to live as an echo of who they should be, as some sort of loyalty test, isn't someone I want to put my faith in at all."

MYSTober 2024

Table of Contents

17. Endure