Breaking Point

By Lisa Renfrow

The only things Tessa and Grady have in common are their school classes, or so it seems. Seventeen-year-old Tessa is the kindhearted daughter of the village baker who longs to be able to express her faith beyond the four walls of her home. She is determined to find a way to have the Silentium Directive overturned and find freedom for herself and her neighbors in Cadence. Grady, a few years older than Tessa, has lived his whole life cut off from other people simply because of who his mother is, a Center Pointe official and currently the mayor of Cadence. When Grady's uncle Hugo unearths an ancient text, both Grady's and Tessa's families become entangled in a centuries-old government plot to stifle the faith of every believer in their nation. Will Tessa find the freedom she has sought, or will her self-righteousness betray her? Will Grady discover who he really is beyond his present introvert condition? And will they find out they have more in common than they could ever imagine?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 16, 2019
• ISBN: 9781644714324

Book preview

Preface

In a land where hope had once been a key element of society, darkness closed in to breathe fear into the lives of all believers. Seventeen years ago, it had been made illegal to speak about the Saving One in public and to own a copy of The Seed. Life became challenging as the years rolled by. People grew fainthearted. The young people became hopeless for their futures. The older generation feared that the legacy of faith that they were born with would die with them at the coming of their passing. However, there came a time when common people were empowered to do uncommon things in order to awaken hope for their community.

Chapter 1

Mornings always came way too early for Tessa. Even though she knew she needed to be up way before her neighbors, she tended to be up late into the night. She pulled her long blond hair into a ponytail and brushed her loose tresses away from her soft brown eyes. After Tessa labored to get dressed and ready, she found her way downstairs to bake the daily bread and pastries alongside her mother, Ada. The early morning hours flew by as Tessa and Ada baked their goods: breads, rolls, turnovers, and fritters. Before they knew it, the clock was striking seven, and their regular morning customers began to flock to their shop door. Ada unlocked the door and greeted the neighbors as they came into Brantons’ Bakery for their daily bread and sweet treats.

Even though freedom of speech was limited in their public shop, the exchange of encouraging words and concern for each other’s families was always enjoyed by the givers and receivers alike. It was during those simple times when Ada could find out how she could help her neighbors. Friday morning’s exchanges were extremely helpful. She heard of quite a few people who were having a difficult time holding onto their beliefs. Many had abandoned all hope that their lives could ever return to what they once were. Her neighbors were afraid for their lives and the lives of their children. They began to reason that it would be easier and safer for them to relinquish all of it rather than take a chance of getting in trouble. This trend was gaining popularity for the last few years, and Ada couldn’t figure out how to help, but today she finally felt as if she had a breakthrough. As the bread supply was running low and the customer flow was dwindling, Ada asked Tessa to watch the counter.

As he did every business day, Grady, the mayor’s son, came in. Grady was a tall and handsome twenty-year-old young man. He had dark hair and piercing blue eyes. He showed up for the same order every school day. He had begun this predictable morning routine ever since he laid his eyes on Tessa.

Grady started by saying, I can’t believe all the poems Mr. Ashton expects us to try to write. I have a tough enough time thinking of what to write in my daily journal.

I have actually enjoyed learning how to write all the different kinds of poems. What was your subject for the haiku last week? asked Tessa.

Since that one was short, it was actually pretty easy. I wrote about the garden out behind our house, answered Grady.

"Don’t you mean mansion? I’ve heard that it has at least thirty rooms," Tessa said.

Grady explained, You heard a slight exaggeration. It’s not that big. I mean, it’s bigger than the average home, but no, it doesn’t have thirty rooms.

Turning back to bakery business, Tessa asked, Would you like your usual order? I saved back a turnover for you; we were running low.

Grady answered, "No. I mean yes. That’s not all I came in for today. I wanted to find out if you had a partner for the literature project. I’ve asked a couple other people, but nobody has agreed to work with me.

Well, let me ask my parents first and find out what they say. I can give you my answer tomorrow morning when you come by, said Tessa.

Grady said, That’s fine. Thanks for saving that turnover for me. See you at school in a little while.

After the last few customers came in and bought what was left, it was time to close the shop for the day. The morning was a profitable one, for everything that day had been sold. They even took some special orders for the next day since they ran out of turnovers and fresh wheat bread.

As Tessa was locking the door and pulling the curtains, her mother returned to the bakery shop. Ada wondered if the mayor’s son had come in this morning. She had noticed several months back that he had a steady morning routine, but so did many of her customers. She believed, though, that his frequent visits were not for the bread and morning sweets alone.

Ada asked, How did we close out the morning, Tessa? I noticed that you accumulated a few orders on the counter.

For starters, we sold out of all our goods, and there are a few special orders for tomorrow and the next week. The Tolberts made a special order for some turnovers. The Murphy family will be celebrating a birthday next Tuesday and ordered a special cake for their youngest daughter. Sadie is going to be five. Mrs. Murphy said she likes rainbows and kittens, answered Tessa.

I suppose I could put a figure of a kitten at the end of a rainbow. That would be cute, replied Ada.

Tessa said, I wouldn’t have thought of that. We are going to be especially busy for the next few days.

Ada commented, We may have to start earlier or measure and mix some ingredients together the night before in order to accomplish everything, but it will be worth it. Did the mayor’s son come by today?

Tessa replied, Yes, he did. It was a good thing I put back a turnover for him.

It was nice of you to do that. He will be graduating with your class this year, won’t he? said Ada.

Tessa answered, Yes, he will. Speaking of school, Grady asked me something. There is a project in one of our classes that can be done with a partner, and he asked if I would be interested in being his partner. I told him I would ask you and Dad. He asked some others, and he said they all turned him down.

Ada answered, Let’s gather up our orders and money and continue this discussion in our kitchen.

Tessa picked up all the paperwork and Ada gathered the money to carry into their home. Tessa and Ada sat at their kitchen table and picked up their conversation where they had left off.

Ada started, He is the son of the mayor, and you would have to be careful with what you say. Ada went on, With that being said, Grady may simply be trying to make a friend. It must be difficult being in such a position that so many people could be scared to talk to him because of who his mother is.

Tessa replied, I suppose you might be right. He usually sits by himself at school and I rarely notice him visiting with anybody.

Ada summed up, Let’s see what your father says about this situation. In the meantime, let’s finish this paperwork so you can leave for school. It sounds as though I have some work to do on those special orders for the next few days.

Chapter 2

There is something to be said for ignorance that many might not realize or recognize. You don’t notice what you’re missing until you look for yourself. This rolled around in Grady’s mind all the way home. For the last few months, he’d been having a mental battle over his feelings for Tessa. Her kindhearted manners and simple beauty were a breath of fresh air to him. Each time she would greet him, he felt warmed inside by her smile. Her Thank you for coming in was a song to his ears.

The battle rang on over these feelings of adoration and infatuation. His practical and logical thinking suggested that the farther he stayed away from their kind, the better off he was. He was better off not knowing their beliefs. He was better off keeping to himself, finishing school, getting out of this quiet little village, and starting his own life. He made it this far in his life without being involved in the religious system. Grady thought, What’s the use for it now? He reasoned that it probably wouldn’t be of value since he was practically grown up and ready to be on his own. He made up his mind that he was better off being ignorant about the whole system. According to his mind, he preferred not to find out.

His heart, however, kept being drawn to Tessa. His heart kept wondering if what she had would work for him. The void in his life was becoming a chasm that he felt he couldn’t escape by himself. He was beginning to feel like he couldn’t count on his own strength anymore, but he didn’t know of another that would stand in the gap for him. He felt rejected and alone. He felt as though there was no hope for him, the mayor’s son. The feelings of hopelessness and abandonment came over him in waves at times, and he was swept away into evenings of sorrow.

The only thing that would even come close to pulling him out of this dire effect was spending time in the garden behind the mansion, his home. The garden was filled with trees and bushes and well-kept flower beds. The small pond was alive with frogs and small fish, while the gazebo was placed strategically in the path of the perfect sunset for every night. When Grady went out into the garden, he felt he could slough off the weights of the day and be himself, though he did not fully understand who he was or who he was supposed to be. He would gaze out over the field and beyond the mountains as the sun would set. The warmth of the fading sunlight would spill over him and wash away the cares of the day. He couldn’t figure out how it made him feel content, and he did not care.

Now you’ve done it. You’ve put yourself out on a limb. You should climb back to safety or expect to fall to your doom, ran the thoughts through Grady’s mind. As he made it back to his home from the bakery, the battle raged louder and stronger. His heart began to pound within his chest, and his head was aching from all the quarrelling thoughts. He decided that he must be coming down with something and opted to stay home from his classes that day. There’s no way I will be able to concentrate on anything in this condition anyway, he justified to himself.

After he put away the bread and his mother’s turnover, he shuffled to his room, turned back the covers of his bed, and prepared to lie down. All at once the phone rang. As he went to pick up the receiver, he hoped that it was not the school checking up on him. He gave a sigh of relief when he noticed that it was only Becca Thorne. They had become friends when Grady and his mother were at Center Pointe several years ago. They had known each other since they were nearly eleven years old and had been each other’s company until Grady and his mother were required to move for her work. Though a call from Becca was welcome, it was unusual and somewhat disturbed him in his present state.

Grady answered the phone, Hello?

Becca answered, Hello, Grady. This is Becca.

Hey, Becca, how are you doing? Grady asked.

Becca went on, I’m okay. I wanted to call you and let you in on something. Mom and I are going to be doing some traveling, and we will be stopping by your quaint little village. Isn’t that great? We can visit and catch up. I imagine it will be sometime early next year, but I’m not sure. You remember how they keep everything so hush-hush at Center Pointe.

Grady agreed, Yeah, they were always cleverly keeping everybody in the dark concerning most everything.

At least you will have something to look forward to. I’ve heard how boring those small villages can be. Plus, it will be nice to catch up with you, said Becca.

Grady replied, That will be nice. I’m going to have to let you go, Becca. I’m not feeling very well. I look forward to your visit in a few months. Take care.

With a concerned voice, Becca said, I’m so sorry, Grady. I hope you feel better soon.

After Grady hung up the phone, a sudden chill came over him. He suspected that it must have been because he was feeling ill, so he snuggled himself under his covers and went fast to sleep. Though Grady was able to drift off to sleep rather effortlessly, he was unable to rest quietly. He kept tossing and turning in his bed while disturbing visions interrupted his slumber.

Grady observed himself walking down a long dark corridor with dim gaslights showing the way. There were no doors or adjacent hallways to walk down; there were only tall black walls on either side. As he passed each gaslight, the flame would fade out, leaving him no other direction to go but forward. He could hear the faint sound of what seemed to be a familiar tune, but he could not figure out when or where he had heard it. It comforted him and made the journey down this darkened way not quite as scary. Then, all at once, the gaslights started to flicker as a strong breeze blew toward Grady. The wind became so strong that it was difficult to hear the soothing music. He continued down this ominous path, not knowing what to expect. Grady wished that he was walking with somebody, when his father appeared beside him, holding his hand.

His father, Alec, spoke to Grady while they walked side by side. He said, I only wish I had more time with you, my son. It’s possible that you don’t remember me, but I always loved you and your mother. You were my joy in this sad cold world. I had wished to leave you a legacy of life, but that was stolen away. I had wished to leave you a hope for a brighter day, but that was stolen away. I had wished to watch you grow old and be with you for a long time, but I was stolen away. Do not let them steal you away from your destiny. Find him, and you will find your path and save many.

In the same moment that Grady’s father stopped speaking, Grady no longer felt his father’s hand in his own. He was still walking down the same corridor, but he was alone again. He was confused by the words spoken to him. He played the last sentence over and over in his mind trying to figure out what he meant. Who was he supposed to find? What sort of path was he supposed to be looking for? And who could he possibly save?

Grady realized as he looked around again that the gaslights were not flickering anymore, and the breeze had died down. It was still dark, but he could hear the familiar tune again, and he began to hum along with it, hoping to figure out what the song was. After a few minutes, another strong breeze came blowing toward him. The lights flickered and the music dimmed. This time Grady was joined by his mother, Soffi.

She held his hand and simply walked alongside him for quite a while before turning her head toward him. She looked so much younger than he remembered her looking recently. She had tears in her eyes. She held a look in her eyes that he couldn’t remember ever seeing before. Soffi looked into Grady’s eyes and said in a gentle voice, When I held you in my arms when you were born, I had hoped for you so many fantastic experiences, so many wonderful accomplishments that you would be able to do. Your father and I held onto such a hope until there was no hope to be found. As parents you want the best for your children, you long to shield them from the bad elements of this world, yet no life is free from disturbances. I am so sorry.

Then, Grady’s mother vanished, and his warmed hand was left cold and empty once again. He was growing tired of the corridor and the darkness that surrounded him. Grady was feeling confined, restricted, and confused. As he looked around again, the gaslights were still and the music was clearer and louder than before. He could even hear the words to the music drifting through the air around him. He began to visualize who might be the next person that would come to him in this bizarre mix of images.

The breeze blew once again, but it was soft and gentle. Grady could still hear the tune. The lights kept glowing, and the path remained fairly well-lit. He felt the comfort of another hand in his. When he lifted his head and turned to the right, he saw Tessa. She looked as confused as he felt. She appeared baffled as to why she was in his dream. Then she took in a deep breath, and it was as if she breathed in peace. She looked again at Grady with a smile and began to speak to him, You can make a difference in this world if you try. You have to remember your past and look into your future with open eyes and an open heart. Do not fear what man can do to you. Do not fear how people may judge you. Do not dwell upon the acts of those who carry on without mercy or compassion. Set your mind on thoughts that are good and right. Reflect upon what lifts people up. Stop to consider what brings people life. Remember him who will bring you… All at once, Tessa was swept away with a flood of water. Grady was left standing alone, helpless to save her as she was pulled away from him. He could only hear her crying out to him, Find him, Grady! Find him and you will know what to do!

Grady was startled awake. His covers were twisted all around him, and he could hear himself screaming out loud. He found comfort in seeing that he was in his bed, in his room, in his home. The images and the words spoken to him through his dream were heavy on his heart. He hurriedly pulled out his journal, wrote down everything that he could remember, and quietly tucked it back into his drawer. He was restless, and there was no way for him to fall back to sleep. Grady decided to go for a walk, even though he still didn’t feel any better than before. He thought that perhaps the fresh air would clear his mind and ease his heart. He headed toward the hills outside of Cadence and didn’t look back.

Chapter 3

Seamus exclaimed, How can you possibly consider that this could be safe? Do you realize the pressure that she would be under to stay in control when she is with him? I don’t understand how you would tell her that we would consider this.

In a calming voice, Ada answered, "Seamus, Tessa is seventeen years old, and she has never behaved outside of the rules or brought danger to this family. She knows the rules as thoroughly as you and I, possibly better. Did she inform you that she requested a full copy of the Silentium Directive?"

Returning to the matter at hand, Seamus said, She did say something about getting the full copy a few weeks ago, but what of this boy? We have to sit down with her and let her understand how dangerous this could be, explained Seamus.

Ada simply gave Seamus a smile.

However, I don’t want to base my decision on fear. Ada, what should we do? asked Seamus.

Ada asked in return, I reckon you know what to do, don’t you?

After Seamus answered, Yes, I do. I should have been doing that instead of ranting.

Ada replied, "Yes, but I figured it would die out eventually. You can go