Out of the Darkness, Into the Light

A continuation of Summer in the Shadows, Secrets, Betrayal and Chocolate, and Prisoner of a False God

Lacey had never run so far so fast. The second she was out of the farmhouse that had served as her prison for weeks, Lacey was charging down the street. She took care to go in the opposite direction of town, not wanting to risk running back into the arms of her captor: her own father. For what felt like miles, there wasn't a single house to be found. But even with her lungs on the verge of collapsing, the desperate girl refused to slow her sprint. She feared that if she slowed down, her father would somehow catch up to her and drag her kicking and screaming back to that room.

Suddenly, a square of light broke through the darkness as Lacey raced up a hill. Reinvigorated by the light's promise of safety, Lacey used the last of her energy to reach it. Upon making it up the porch steps of the house the light square (an upstairs window) belonged to, Lacey collapsed near the front door before pounding her fist on it. Hearing footsteps approaching from inside, the terrified teen finally gave in to her exhaustion. Before fainting, she managed to get out three words to the concerned woman knelt beside her. Three words that would officially secure Lacey Reynolds her freedom:

"Call the police."

Four years later...

A soft summer breeze blew through Lacey's copper hair as she sat against the tree, covered by the mighty sycamore's shade. Sat beside her, hand gently clasped in hers, was Marissa. They both stared out at the picturesque California sky, the sun's bright rays complementing the golden yellow marigolds dotting the grass around the tree. Lacey could feel her cheek burn red as Marissa leaned over to kiss her on the side of her neck--her self-declared "drive me crazy" spot.

"I just can't believe it's been four summers already. It feels like everything that happened that summer was just yesterday." While she wasn't keeping up with the anniversary of her kidnapping and subsequent escape, Lacey always thought of that fateful year when summer came around. After escaping her father's captivity through sheer luck, the woman whose front door she'd collapsed at called 911 and she was taken to the nearest hospital. Naturally, the police came to the hospital to talk to Lacey, who told them in full what her father had done to her. Byron Reynolds was promptly brought into police custody, and Lacey's conversation with the authorities led them to the farmhouse. Upon finding the bedroom where Lacey was kept locked away, the eerie sight and DNA evidence found throughout the house was enough to ensure Byron was arrested and charged with kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment.

Marissa and her parents were at the hospital as soon as they learned what happened. Lacey's sudden disappearance sent Marissa into a spiral, as she refused to believe that her girlfriend would leave the state without telling her. When news broke about the truth behind Lacey's absence, Marissa broke into tears of joy in her living room, relieved to see that Lacey was alive and hadn't deserted her by choice. Without even thinking, Marissa hugged and kissed Lacey when she got to her hospital room, with neither girl caring anymore who saw. Marissa's parents were slightly taken aback, but otherwise were more concerned with Lacey's welfare than with her secret romance with their daughter. In the months following her abduction, Lacey moved in with Marissa and became an unofficial member of the Walsh family. Marissa's parents helped Lacey heal from what she went through, starting with getting her into therapy and helping her take out a restraining order on Byron. With the plea deal he accepted meaning he'd spent 20 years in prison, Lacey wanted to make sure she wouldn't have to see her father's face again when he was released.

Through one-on-one therapy and later a trauma survivor support group, Lacey worked to let go of the pain and self-loathing her father had left her with. It wasn't just the kidnapping she had to deal with; there was also the 17 years she'd spent being fed hate-fueled rhetoric that convinced her that the way she loved was disgusting and sinful and wrong. While the weeks of captivity had spurred her into confronting Byron about his bigotry, it didn't erase all the doubts he'd implanted in her mind. Even years later, there were days when those old feelings of resentment and shame crept back into the corners of Lacey's thoughts. But now that she had a compassionate therapist, Marissa, and a group of loving and open-minded friends on her side, her support system for those days was as strong as they came.

"Yeah. That last summer at home was...rough, to say the least." Marissa's voice broke Lacey out of her thoughts.

"That's for sure. It's just unbelievable how much we had to go through to get here." Here being Marissa and Lacey's shared dream university in The Golden State. While most college freshmen are nervous to be away from home for the first time, Lacey couldn't wait to see life outside of her and Marissa's blink-and-you'll-miss-it little town. The tougher classes and bustling college life were daunting at first, but Marissa and Lacey worked together to make the most of their four years pursuing a higher education. Now juniors, Marissa and Lacey were well-adjusted students and part of a friend group that always looked out for each other. Even better, these friends--all from differing backgrounds and cultures--helped Lacey in her quest to fully accept herself as she was. They allowed her to see that there was more to life and faith than the narrowminded dogma her father had preached about her entire childhood.

"We've sure come a long way, haven't we?" Marissa said as she snuggled up to Lacey, turning to face her. With a silent look of acknowledgment that they were finally in a good place after all they'd been through, the girls shared a tender kiss. The kiss may have turned into something steamier had Marissa's phone not gone off. Marissa turned to pull her cell out of her jean pocket to see it was a text notification.

"Oh, it's Kali. She just got to her TA meeting. We better go get ready." It was July 23, which meant it was the month's second Friday Night Fun Night. It was a tradition the group had come up with where two Fridays of every month would be pre-selected as a day to spend the evening decompressing. This evening, the decided activity would be a visit to the 10-minutes-away cineplex (complete with splurging on popcorn and gummy worms) before chilling at the 24-hour McDonald's closer to campus until they were ready to turn in for the night. Those nights were always ones the group made the most out of, so Marissa and Lacey weren't about to let their friends waste a single second waiting up for them.

But as the girls got up to head back to their dorm room, Lacey took Marissa by the hand. "Hold on, Marissa. I have to tell you something."

"What is it, Lace?"

"I just want you to know that...I'll always be there for you, no matter what. If it weren't for you and your folks, I'm not sure if I would even be here right now. You helped me get rid of all that shit that my dad put in my head and you were all there for me after I got out of that house. So no matter what happens with us, no matter how life changes us going forward...you can always count on me to be there for you if you need me. I promise."

Marissa smiled. She'd always known Lacey was strong, even when she didn't know it herself. But now, looking into her girlfriend's firm but love-filled gaze, she could tell Lacey now knew the strength she had in her. After years of consoling her and encouraging her to love herself, Marissa was now the one being encouraged by Lacey to believe their bond would always last--even if their relationship didn't. Bending down, Marissa plucked a marigold out of the ground and held it out to Lacey.

"We are always going to be there for each other, Lacey Reynolds. With this marigold, and with every last bit of my heart...I promise."

The End 💖