20
The two pairs of companions trudged up the hill with their guide ten feet in front of them. Valerian and Cecilia were next in the lineup, followed by Adam and Sarah. Sarah’s head was bowed and she bit her lower lip.
Adam glanced down at her and noticed her shoulders shook. He squeezed her hand and spoke to her in a whispered voice. “We’ll fix them.” She shut her eyes and nodded, but a few tears squeezed out of her eyes.
The copper beeches were quiet. All the birds had fled before the arrival of such cold darkness. They reached the top of the gentle slope and beheld the ruined church. Its stone walls were covered in wild vines that obscured what remained of the stained-glass windows. Many of the panes were long-broken and stared at the newcomers like a hulking, blinded monste
