Terri saw a bench by the corner, so she made her way over to it and sat down. There were many questions in her mind. Where do I go from here? How do I explain what happened? How do I get some identification?

"Trust Him," Jenny said, in a voice that made Terri relax. "Everything will be fine. Maybe you should check your purse?"

Her purse? How had she not noticed it? She lifted the small beige bag that hung from her shoulder. It had some weight, so there had to be things inside. She opened it, and found a wallet, a cell phone she had never seen before, some tissues, a compact and some lipstick, a jingling change purse and a key ring with some keys that she didn’t recognize.

She opened her wallet. In a clear pocket was her driver’s license, with her picture! The address was the one for Ruby’s house, and the name said Terri Jackson. Further examination found a social security card with Terri Jackson’s name and an unfamiliar number, a few pictures of Terry, Jenny and Ruby, and an ATM card for a local bank. She also found some money, almost a hundred dollars in mixed bills.

"Well, isn’t this interesting, Miss Jackson?"

Indeed it is, Miss Jackson, she thought. The best thing to do would be to go to Ruby’s house, apparently. It wasn’t that far away, but Terri was not prepared to walk there. She could see a City Bus coming so she raised her hand and when it stopped, she got on, paid the fare from her change purse and sat down. Since neither Terry nor Jenny had owned a car, they were very familiar with the Bus system. She rode to the Bus Station, transferred to the correct Bus and got off near Ruby’s house.

One of her keys fit into the lock, so she opened the door and went in. She half expected to hear Ruby’s voice, asking who it was, but all was silent. As she walked through the house, she saw pictures on one wall. She reached up and stroked Ruby’s picture, and tears coursed down her cheeks.

"I know she is happy where she is, but still…I will miss her so much."

I hope she gives us a good reference,Terri thought, and heard Jenny giggle. As she looked at the other pictures on the wall, she noticed some changes. Along with the photographs of Jenny and Ruby, there were pictures of Terri! They showed her at different points in her life, and there was even one with all three of them!

"We...are my sister!"

As she wandered around the house, there were more traces of Terri. On a bulletin board by the kitchen phone, there several phone numbers listed, including one that read “Terri’s Cell”.

"Let’s go upstairs."

Terri knew what she was thinking, of course. She made her way up the stairs and went to the Storage room. When she opened the door, she discovered that instead of a room full of boxes, there was a comfortable maroon painted bedroom. It was large and almost completely square. The left side wall was white with several maroon stripes running vertically down the wall, and there were several white wooden boxes stacked together, some with books, and some that were set-up like shadow boxes with things and pictures from events that made up Terri’s “life”. It was amazing. In one was Terri’s high school diploma, with her mortar board and tassel, and a picture of her in her cap and gown. The polished wooden floor had a multi-colored square rug that was partially covered by a full size bed that sat in the right front corner with a white head board and a white comforter on it. A white door on the wall led to a walk in closet with several clothes and a dresser inside.

There was a white armoire in the left rear corner, next to a red office chair and the window. Inside she found Terry’s computer and DVDs. This was a real surprise, as she knew she could never go back to Terry’s dorm room and she had been worried about these things. She knew she would never need the clothes and other supplies that were there.

Finding she was hungry, Terri walked down to the kitchen. She made herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and took inventory of the pantry and the refrigerator. There were enough groceries for a while, but she knew she was going to need some money soon, and that meant a job.

"You could always go to the Coffee House for a while. We know the job well, and the people are nice. That would keep us afloat while we look for something better."

Terri liked the idea. She decided to go to the Coffee House in the morning. She grabbed a soda and headed out to the living room. She wondered if the kidnapping had been in the news, and if they had caught the man who had assaulted Jenny.

She had to wait for a few minutes before the news began, and the lead story was that they were searching for Terry! It turned out that they were afraid he would commit suicide, and there was a massive search for him. Well, she thought, they will never find him!

Just then, there was a knock at the door. When Terri got up to check, there were two Police Officers standing outside. How had they found her? Terri began to panic.

"Calm down, sweetheart, they don’t know you are Terry-kind of. Just see what they want, okay?"

Terri smacked her forehead. Of course, she was right, how stupid!

There was another knock, and Terri answered the door.

“Yes, can I help you, officers?”

The officers had their hats in their hands. Neither one of them felt comfortable making these calls.

“Ma’am, are you related to Ruby and Jenny Jackson?”

“Yes, Ruby is my great-aunt, and Jenny is my sister. My name is Terri Jackson, is there something wrong?”

The officer cleared his throat, and the other officer looked as if she could cry.

“Yes ma’am. I'm afraid that there was an incident yesterday, and both Jenny and your Aunt have passed away. We have been trying to notify someone, and when another officer noticed someone in the house, we were dispatched immediately. I’m sorry for the delay.”

Teri acted as though she were in shock. She staggered back to her chair, and the Officers came in to make sure she would be all right.

“Ma’am, is there anyone you can call?” The female officer asked, with a sympathetic look. “I hate to leave you alone after this kind of news.”

“I’m afraid not, please, I…” She turned away. She thought about Ruby, and the tears came easily.

“My parents were killed in the flood, and I have no other living relatives. My friends are on vacation, and there is no way to reach them at this time. What happened to them?”

“Your sister was kidnapped and assaulted yesterday morning. Your aunt went to see her, and they both passed away in the hospital. We are currently searching for your sister’s fiancée, Terry Brandfoth, but no one has seen him since last night.”

“Terry would never…”

“Oh, no Ma’am, he isn’t a suspect.” The male officer, whose name tag read “Andersen”, said. “We are merely concerned with his mental state, as he was quite distressed. If he comes to see you, would you please call us, or have him call us. Several people have expressed a concern for his safety.”

“Oh, of course!” She said. “Oh, I hope he is okay!”

“Yes Ma’am, we do too.”

"If you find him, would you have him call me? I am quite worried, now."

“Yes, Ma'am. Are you sure you will be okay here?” The other officer, whose tag said “Jones”, asked

“Yes, I’ll be all right. I want to be here if Terry shows up. He was very much in love with my sister. Um, Ah, What do I need to do about …about my Aunt and my sister (sniff!)?”

“The bodies are at the Coroner’s office, Ma’am.” Officer Andersen told her. “You’ll need to bring some identification, and they will try to help you to the best of their ability. If you need assistance tonight, even just someone to talk to, we have counselors available 24/7. Here is a card with their number. Please feel free to contact them at any time. They will be happy to help you.”

“All right, Officer. Thank you for your time and consideration.”

“You are very welcome, Ma’am. I’m sorry we had to bring you such news.”

“I know it is your job, officers. I don’t believe I could do it, myself. You have my thanks.”

Sobbing, she closed the door and sat down. She didn’t need to pretend, as she was thinking about going to the Coroner’s. It was real. Jenny and Ruby were dead, and she was alone. She couldn’t even call Terry’s family. He was gone, too, in a way. It was very depressing.

"You will never be alone, my love. I will always be here with you, remember that. We will get through this. Remember, there is a purpose for our existence, or He would not have allowed this. We have something important to do."

Terri was still crying, but she knew Jenny was right. Of all the people on Earth, she could never be alone, and she took comfort in that. She realized she was tired, so she turned off the TV and went to bed, hoping she could sleep.