Prisoner of a False God

Continuation of Summer in the Shadows and Secrets, Betrayal and Chocolate

Lacey awoke to a heavy head and a dimly lit room. The only source of light was a battery-powered lantern in the corner. After her head pains subsided, Lacey looked around and saw a door across from her. Stumbling to her feet, Lacey rushed to the door, only to have her hopes of an easy escape dashed by the unmovable knob. Banging on the walls and shouting for help yielded similar results. Turning around, Lacey suddenly took notice of something on the ground that she'd stepped over in her rush to the door.

A small square package wrapped in brown paper. A red adhesive bow was stuck to the top of the box, reminding Lacey of the happy Christmases she spent with her parents before her mother's diagnosis. Her heart heavy, Lacey tore the paper away and opened the cardboard gift box to find a familiar book inside.

Her father's Bible. But it was the note on top of it that really caught Lacey's attention: Until you can rededicate yourself to a life with God, you'll have to stay here, detached from the earthly temptations that have led you astray. It hurts me to do this, but I do it because I love you and I want to save you from the path you're taking.

"Lacey, it's me. Step away from the door and I'll come in." The gruff voice surprised Lacey. Instinctively following her father's orders, Lacey stepped back onto the other side of the room. After confirming she wasn't near the door, Mr. Reynolds unlocked it and came inside. Carrying a tray containing a plate of roast beef and a bowl of macaroni, the pastor set Lacey's dinner on a desk that only now became visible to her in the darkness. Beside it, in the far corner of the room, was a mattress with a blanket and pillows on it. Stepping back into the light of the lantern, Mr. Reynolds faced his daughter.

"Dad...what is this? Where am I?"

"What's important, dear, is that you're somewhere where you can heal. I know this must seem scary, but the only way you can return to the righteous path is if I keep you away from everything--and everyone--that's leading you astray. We won't have to worry about any distractions along the way. I've told your boss and everyone else that you'll be spending the rest of the summer with your grandmother in Ohio."

"You...you can't just leave me locked up in here."

"I'll bring you food and a fresh change of clothes every day, and once every two days, I'll take you to get cleaned up. Once you've started to show enough progress, you can come home so we can continue your journey back to the Lord together."

Lacey couldn't believe the words that were coming from her stern but usually level-headed father. "Wh-why are you doing this?"

"Believe me, Lacey, this is the hardest thing I've ever had to do as a father. But I love you too much to let you lose your soul to these unnatural desires." With that, he turned and opened the door. "I'll be back tomorrow with breakfast."

As soon as the door closed behind Mr. Reynolds, Lacey heard the lock click back into place. Dismayed, Lacey ignored her dinner and curled up on the mattress that was now her new bed. This has to be a nightmare, Lacey. Dad would never do something like this, it can't be real! Just go to sleep and everything will be fine, Lacey thought as she covered herself with the blanket. But as Lacey knew deep down, her situation was all too real...

***

The weeks that followed were the hardest that Lacey had ever gone through. As he promised, Mr. Reynolds came every day with food and a fresh set of clothes, and every two days, he'd bring Lacey to a bathroom where he presented her with a grimy tub filled with lukewarm water for her to bathe in. It was through these visits that Lacey ascertained where she was being held: the abandoned farmhouse next to the barn that was once Marissa and Lacey's hideout. Guess he wants me to atone for my sins in the same place where I was committing them, Lacey thought bitterly. Every visit would also see Mr. Reynolds grill Lacey about Bible passages, growing increasingly frustrated with each question she got wrong and each verse she was unable to recite. "If you want to get back in good standing with God, you have to put in the effort," Mr. Reynolds would often snarl.

But as she tried to memorize as much information as she could, all Lacey could think about was Marissa. Where is she right now? Does she realize I'm missing? Is she at the barn right now, waiting for me? The thoughts rang out in Lacey's head every day. Soon enough, Lacey's thoughts of Marissa brought back to mind all the talks they had about her father. And with that, the anger that Lacey had always held against her father for how he made her feel about herself came rising back to the surface with a vengeance. She'd always managed to suppress her emotions before, but after weeks of captivity and maltreatment, Lacey had had enough. Grabbing her father's treasured Bible, Lacey flipped to Leviticus and tore every page out. After ripping them to bits, she went on to thoroughly shred the rest of the book her father had used to decimate her self-worth for 17 years, leaving a paper-strewn floor for her father to find when he came with dinner.

"I'm so disappointed in you, Lacey. And in your lack of progress. Can't you see I'm trying to save you?" Save you. Lacey snickered at those words, knowing now how completely empty they were. She stepped closer to her father, her eyes bearing no love for the man who now looked at her as if she were a feral animal.

"You're not trying to save me. You kidnapped me, and you locked me in this room to try and force me to be your perfect straight daughter again. But no matter how long you keep me in here or how many Bible quotes you shove down my throat, I will never be straight. God doesn't hate me being gay. The only person who hates me for being gay...is you."

A sharp slap across the face sent Lacey falling to the floor. Knocking over the desk and sending the food he'd just brought in flying, Mr. Reynolds stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Lacey laid still for a bit as she heard her father leave the farmhouse, feeling where Mr. Reynolds' hand had made contact. But even with a throbbing cheek, Lacey felt a strange sense of satisfaction. After weeks of being held hostage, she'd finally told her father exactly what she thought of him and his insane plan to mold her back into the child he wanted her to be. Not even the fact that her dinner was now on the floor could dampen Lacey's unexpected pride.

But as Lacey went to salvage some of that spilled food, she realized something that sent a whole new wave of joy through her body. As her father stormed from the room to get away from his "disgrace" of a daughter, she hadn't heard a doorknob lock click sound off behind him...

To Be Continued