Light of Faith by H.L. Davis

I sink beneath a tree, heart racing. My eyes dart from left to right, see shadows rising from the ground to swallow up the already gloomy forest. Within seconds, total darkness shrouds my vision. I clasp my necklace. 

How will I ever find the path now?

Around me, all is still. Hushed and unseen.

Then a low voice breaks the silence.

“Brielle. You are most welcome.”

It’s him.

Fear has found me.

I hear his heavy breathing, feel his invisible hands grab my form as he seeks to shake me into submission. Alarm mounting, I hold tighter to my necklace—a gift from the Prince.

“What is this trinket you clutch in your hand?” Fear asks in velvety tones. “From the Son, perhaps?”

I lick my lips, my reply a whisper. “His messenger gave it to me. It’s called Faith.”

“Faith?” Fear spits the word like a poison. His chuckle echoes through the blackness. “If this prince truly loves you, Brielle, why would his path lead you here, into my forest? This is a hungry, haunted place. Where souls are slowly devoured.”

More noises erupt. Deep growls. Cackles. Shrieks of suffering. A cacophony of terror that swirls all around me. Somehow, above the din, Fear’s whisper comes through: 

“This is where Faith dies.”

I can’t move, can’t breathe, panic squeezing the air from my lungs. My thoughts reach out desperately for something, anything to help my hand hold onto Faith.

Then I remember what the messenger also brought me from the Son. The page crumpled in my pocket.

The Song of Promise.

My lips form the words slowly at first. If I didn’t feel the vibrations in my throat, I would not know I was singing at all. The dreadful symphony still surrounds me, escalating each second.  But I sing. Line by line, verse by verse.

“Stop!” Fear hisses.

I fight Fear’s hold of my trembling limbs and stand, defying the darkness with the sound of the Son’s promises. I can hear my words now, my voice growing stronger, rising above all else. I proclaim the Prince’s vows of love. Of protection. Of his great plans for me. 

“This is my realm!” Fear’s voice rages. “Here I am king!”

The hand gripping my necklace begins to glow, Faith’s light escaping my fingers and charging into the darkness. The shadows shriek and flee. Around me, the silhouettes of trees appear once more. Fear gives a final, deafening roar, then melts away as if he had never been.

A path opens before me in the wood. Racing toward it, I continue to lift my song, Faith’s light still shining.

H. L. Davis is a Christian, wife, and homeschool mom who calls the South home. She first discovered the joys of writing at ten years of age, and it is a craft she is delighted to pursue once again. When she isn’t brainstorming ideas and weaving words into stories, she enjoys reading, graphic design, and quality time with her family and friends. You can find her on Instagram @h.l.davis_stories or at her Substack, hldavisstories.substack.com.