Elijah had been taken out of our cell by a detail of guards, and not returned until hours later. My turn came immediately after so there had been no time to speak.
I was seated before a woman who was not a interrogator but rather, for lack of a better word, a salesman.
She extolled the benefits and virtues of taking on the mark. All persuasion – no threats, nor coercion.
She did not even ask for an immediate decision.
Elijah’s account mirrored mine.
I am comforted by the overwhelming sense that someone (or someones) somewhere were praying for us. I feel it at each intake of breath. It inspires me to be praying for them and for all I know.