her mind automatically. I suppose I’ll be cleansed of that as well. Father Speer never delivered the lashes, but something told her it wasn’t because he took an issue with violence. And that same something told her he wouldn’t have the most gentle hand.
His whip had been left behind on the farm. He showed her what appeared to be a modified belt - cut thinner at the end that would be hitting her back. Did he make that for my benefit? Or earlier? “Lift your shirt.” She shivered as she bared her back to him and the to the girls.
“How many?” Lia asked.
“Twenty.” His voice was low. “You deserve more for what you’ve done with that man. But we can be merciful. You were led astray because you were afraid and you lost faith in your family, but you’ve come home to us now.”
“Yes, Father.”
The very first strike took her breath away. She knew right away, there was going to be blood; she wouldn’t be standing by the end.
She wasn’t wrong. Just a few lashes in, she could feel the hot wetness of her own blood trickling down her back. Just a few strikes in, she could feel her knees shaking, threatening to give out, could feel the floor calling her closer. “Six. Seven.” Her already hoarse voice was soon raw; her nails broke on the wall in front of her. “Eleven. Twelve.” She felt like her back was one fire, like it was being torn apart.
When she finally hit the ground, he kept on, counting out each strike relentlessly, “fourteen, fifteen, sixteen.” She shook violently with barely audible sobs by the time he reached twenty.
“Lia has atoned,” he said to the girls. He was out of breath. “She is forgiven. Her sins are no more.”
“Her sins are no more,”the girls echoed.
She was dizzy. She barely registered that it was over. Sobs tore painfully from her throat. “We need to stitch her up, Father,” one of the girls dared to say.
“Do it.”
If nothing else, the pain cleared her head. Time slowed as if she were in a dream. Someone moved a table from the far end of the room. The hands that lifted her from the floor rested her on her stomach across the cold, hard surface. Gentle hands washed the blood away with clean cloths and water. Father Speer looked on from the doorway, listening, supervising. Watching over them.
“It isn’t as bad as it looks,” Danielle assured her, sinking down to her eye-level. The girl was blurry through her tear-filled eyes. “There’s only a couple spots that need to be sewn together.”
“We still have some antibiotics in Simone’s pack.”
“I’ll get a fire started on the roof so we can boil the needles.”
“I’ll get her some water.”
They worked together to take care of her. Though her back throbbed, she finally relaxed. She was forgiven. Things were right with her family once again. My sins are gone. My heart is clean.
But has Call been washed away as well?
◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙
She encountered him sooner than she’d expected or been prepared for. Father Speer allowed her to rest on his cot once the girls had finished taking care of her. Simone watched over her as she dozed, as the others gathered water from the containers they used to capture it on the roof. “Rained last night a little,” Simone explained, “So we should have enough for a little while.”
Lia didn’t speak but Simone didn’t seem to mind. She chatted away about how they’d been surviving and what they planned to do and what sort of place she hoped to settle in next. Above all other concerns the silly girl wanted her own room.
Father Speer appeared in the doorway halfway through the girl’s rant about Yvonne’s snoring. “I have a task for you, Lia, if you’re up to it. It’s important.”
“What is it?” she asked, her voice painfully scratchy.
“Leave us,” he said to Simone. She scurried out the door, and the minister shut it behind her. “Their president keeps banging on the door and demanding to speak with
His whip had been left behind on the farm. He showed her what appeared to be a modified belt - cut thinner at the end that would be hitting her back. Did he make that for my benefit? Or earlier? “Lift your shirt.” She shivered as she bared her back to him and the to the girls.
“How many?” Lia asked.
“Twenty.” His voice was low. “You deserve more for what you’ve done with that man. But we can be merciful. You were led astray because you were afraid and you lost faith in your family, but you’ve come home to us now.”
“Yes, Father.”
The very first strike took her breath away. She knew right away, there was going to be blood; she wouldn’t be standing by the end.
She wasn’t wrong. Just a few lashes in, she could feel the hot wetness of her own blood trickling down her back. Just a few strikes in, she could feel her knees shaking, threatening to give out, could feel the floor calling her closer. “Six. Seven.” Her already hoarse voice was soon raw; her nails broke on the wall in front of her. “Eleven. Twelve.” She felt like her back was one fire, like it was being torn apart.
When she finally hit the ground, he kept on, counting out each strike relentlessly, “fourteen, fifteen, sixteen.” She shook violently with barely audible sobs by the time he reached twenty.
“Lia has atoned,” he said to the girls. He was out of breath. “She is forgiven. Her sins are no more.”
“Her sins are no more,”the girls echoed.
She was dizzy. She barely registered that it was over. Sobs tore painfully from her throat. “We need to stitch her up, Father,” one of the girls dared to say.
“Do it.”
If nothing else, the pain cleared her head. Time slowed as if she were in a dream. Someone moved a table from the far end of the room. The hands that lifted her from the floor rested her on her stomach across the cold, hard surface. Gentle hands washed the blood away with clean cloths and water. Father Speer looked on from the doorway, listening, supervising. Watching over them.
“It isn’t as bad as it looks,” Danielle assured her, sinking down to her eye-level. The girl was blurry through her tear-filled eyes. “There’s only a couple spots that need to be sewn together.”
“We still have some antibiotics in Simone’s pack.”
“I’ll get a fire started on the roof so we can boil the needles.”
“I’ll get her some water.”
They worked together to take care of her. Though her back throbbed, she finally relaxed. She was forgiven. Things were right with her family once again. My sins are gone. My heart is clean.
But has Call been washed away as well?
◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙
She encountered him sooner than she’d expected or been prepared for. Father Speer allowed her to rest on his cot once the girls had finished taking care of her. Simone watched over her as she dozed, as the others gathered water from the containers they used to capture it on the roof. “Rained last night a little,” Simone explained, “So we should have enough for a little while.”
Lia didn’t speak but Simone didn’t seem to mind. She chatted away about how they’d been surviving and what they planned to do and what sort of place she hoped to settle in next. Above all other concerns the silly girl wanted her own room.
Father Speer appeared in the doorway halfway through the girl’s rant about Yvonne’s snoring. “I have a task for you, Lia, if you’re up to it. It’s important.”
“What is it?” she asked, her voice painfully scratchy.
“Leave us,” he said to Simone. She scurried out the door, and the minister shut it behind her. “Their president keeps banging on the door and demanding to speak with
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