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A chill ran down her spine as she spotted the open window. She shouldn’t be so careless. A howling wind caused branches of the large oak tree on the side of her room to scratch the bedroom window. A storm must be blowing in. She made it home just in time.
Weather in Louisiana had always been capricious. A perfect afternoon could yield a thunderstorm by evening. Rain showers could become horrendous downpours in the blink of an eye.
The air was thick with the coming of summer; sweat dampened her skin. The dank smell of the slow moving river invaded the room from the open window. She could hear the hum of the traffic, a steady rush that drowned out the other sounds of the city. She walked over to the window, closing it and making sure that it was locked.
For a fleeting moment, a feeling of impending evil pierced her mind. Her blood chilled with the looming dark thought.
Once she secured the window, she made her way to the bathroom. She needed to shake this uneasy feeling and went to run her bath water before undressing. A hot bubble bath would help calm her nerves. She refused to give in to her fears and allow herself to jump at every shadow. She was safe in her small room.
She finished undressing and stepped into the tub, letting the bubbles caress her body. She was ready to climb into bed with a good book and forget this night ever happened. With more working girls on the streets at night, it was becoming more difficult to earn a living.
The bathroom was nice and steamy from the hot water in the tub, reminding her of the fog that rolled in from the mighty Mississippi River. When the water began to cool, she stepped out of the tub. Grabbing a towel, she wrapped it around her body, wiped the steam off the mirror and stared at her reflection. The years on the streets were taking a toll on her body. The meth had stained her teeth. She couldn’t believe that this was what had become of her life.
Slipping on a pair of sweats, she turned off the bathroom light and headed back into her bedroom. The hotel room wasn’t much, but the rent was cheap and she didn’t have to share it with anyone else. She’d found a romance book in the trash can today, and it caught her attention. This was a luxury for her; she could rarely afford a book to read. Tonight she would lose herself in the book, dreaming that she was the woman being made passionate love to and not some john wanting to find a quick release.
She climbed into bed and pulled the quilt over her, making sure she was nice and snug. Reaching under the mattress, she made sure her security blanket was still safe and sound. She had cut out a small hole underneath the bed and stuffed a wallet in there with her life’s savings. She had saved up a couple of grand, and soon she could move away from here. She planned on catching a bus to Lafayette and starting a new life, something that didn’t involve spreading her legs for men. She figured she needed a few hundred more to get a hotel room there and find a job. She had learned to live cheap, so that was not a problem. The streets were getting dangerous. It was time to move on. When she left, she wouldn’t look back.
She knew she could ask her sister for help, but she didn’t want to disappoint her. After all, her sister was a successful business woman and might not take the news well that she was a street walker and a drug addict.
Not long after she had fallen asleep, something jolted her awake. He pounced before she could react. He was too strong to fight him. His nails dug into her face as he forced her to breathe in the ether soaked rag. Her body weakened fast. Everything became hazy as she succumbed to the drug.
She woke up freezing. She was not sure which was worse, the bitter cold or the terror that paralyzed her body. It all came back to her at once, the intruder overpowering her in her room. She felt around, trying to ascertain where she was. She feared that someone had her submerged naked in ice. Her skin was covered in goosebumps, and her teeth couldn’t stop chattering from the cold. She tried to see through the darkness that enveloped her. The cold seeped deep into her bones, the pain became all consuming. Once again, she slipped into darkness.
When her eyes fluttered open, she was in a different place. She tried to move her arms and legs, but someone had restrained her to a table. Terror washed over her body. Who could have done this? What did he have planned for her? The swaying of the room made her nauseous. The movement reminded her of being on a boat. She wished she had taken heed to the rumors. The rumble of the engines confirmed that she was on a boat.
She observed her surroundings, hoping to find a means of escape. She heard someone coming, and fear washed over her as her captor came into view, only it was too dark to make out his face.
He grabbed a fist full of her hair and forced her to look at him, “Please, if you let me go I won’t tell anyone. I swear!”
He studied her face for a moment and then let go of her. Looking into his eyes sent a shiver down her spine. His eyes were soulless, devoid of life. “I cannot free you until you are saved.”
As he groped her breasts, she cringed. She wished she could slap his hand away. Tears streamed down her face as she wondered what he planned to do to her. She hollered out, “Help! Somebody please help me.”
He sneered at her, “No one can hear you out here. I chose this place because you need to be cleansed. You are a sinner.”
She could not come to terms with what was happening. It had to be a nightmare.
“I’m not a sinner. I promise you.” He reared back and slapped her hard across the face. She immediately tasted blood. Pain and terror gripped her body.
“Liar! I have watched you. I know what you do.”
She swallowed hard, hoping to force the terror back down. She pulled at the restraints one more time, but he had made sure she was tightly secured. She was his prisoner, and there was no way to escape.
She watched his facial expressions change as he picked up the hammer and waved it in the air. It appeared that evil had consumed him all at once.
She feared her life would come to an end by the hands of her captor. At any time, this could be her last breath. She felt the hammer come down on her knee with a deadly thud. She prayed death came fast. The pain was excruciating, and she wasn’t sure how much more of this torture she could take. She had no idea the human body held so much blood. Her blood coated the walls.
As her body grew weaker, he asked, “Are you ready to confess your sins to Almighty God?”
She let out a chilling scream that became lost in the night. “Oh please, why, oh why won’t you just let me die?”
“Not until you ask God for forgiveness.”
After all the pain she had endured, she was ready to do anything to make this end. “Please forgive me for my sins? I am truly sorry.”
As he hoisted her onto his shoulder, and carried her onto the deck of the boat, the night air clung to her bare skin. She was grateful to be out of that room. It was pitch black out here except for the soft glow of the moon. She wondered what he had planned for her next. He had tortured her, but never once did he rape her. He kept talking about cleansing and salvation.
***
GOD’S MISSION FOR THESE sinners helped him find an inner peace. His skin tingled and his pulse raced as he thought of the next soul he would save. It was God’s will, and he would not disappoint Him. As he performed God’s will, he remained calm, knowing he was saving this world from another evil temptation. No sweaty palms or jittery feelings would keep him from performing his task at hand.
Tranquility came over him as she asked for forgiveness. His mission was almost complete. She must be cleansed. He was mentally and physically exhausted, but he still had a lot to do before he could crawl into bed.
Alone at the helm, he headed out during the predawn darkness. He listened to the soft rush of water as Marie II cut through the bayou water on its way to the Gulf of Mexico. Guided strictly by instinct, he headed out to complete God’s mission.
Beyond the dim glow of the instrument panels, the boat ran dark. Not even running lights revealed his location.
The air hung heavy with a humidity that clung to him. There was a chance of thunderstorms this afternoon.
He aimed a flashlight into the blackness of the night and confirmed that no one else was out there. He turned off the flashlight and let the darkness envelop him once again. Dawn was fast approaching, and he must cleanse her before daybreak.
This was the time of day he preferred the most. Here he was miles from shore, surrounded by emptiness while the rest of the world slept. This was where he felt closest to God.
He had learned from experience some sinners refused to confess to their sins, even after having pain inflicted on them. It was a slow and tedious process. He didn’t want them to die before begging God for forgiveness.
He tossed her overboard. Her body splashed loudly as it hit the murky water. As she thrashed about against the surface of the water, he threw the cinder blocks overboard to send her to her watery grave. He closed his eyes and imagined the water embracing her before swallowing her whole.
He said a novena as he set her soul free. She could no longer tempt men into committing such atrocious sins. This would be her final baptism. God would be able to forgive her for all of her sins. The bayou waters would cleanse her soul, allowing her entry into the Kingdom of God.