“Romans 8:28,” I whispered under my breath. “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.” I closed my eyes and thought, I know you love us, God. I know when Abby and I went to the altar and gave our lives to you, the Holy Spirit entered, and you became a part of us. Softly, my shoulders tugged with the few tears that dripped from my eyes. I trust you. I trust you.

  With a sudden jolt of hearing the lock unlock and the door swing open, there was hope. We scrambled to our feet as our eyes adjusted to the brightness before us. We heard people outside, so that gave us hope that she’d made it.

  I glanced at Pauline, ready to shout that we were in here. But with wide eyes, she held her hand up and shook her head. The same two men entered the crate, and with both of them holding someone’s arms, they dragged the person in here and threw them to the ground.

  As they walked away, under their breath, they snickered. “Stupid, b… ,” the voice trailed off, then raised again. “She thought she could get away. Now, maybe she’ll learn her lesson.” The other man laughed.

  My eyes glared at the body lying on the floor. I recognized the white cotton sweater and realized it was Abby. My eyes widened and I ran up to her. “Oh, my gosh, Abby.” I turned her onto her back. “You’re gonna be okay.” I examined her body. Her face was beaten, and blood dripped from her brow. I couldn’t help the mournful cry that left my lips. My trembling hands touched her face lightly, then trailed down to her stomach. I lifted her shirt and saw more bruises. I saw her unbuttoned pants, and a trail of blood flowed down her legs. “NO! no, no, no, no.”

  “Maddy,” Pauline begged me to be quiet.

  “NO!” I spoke. “NO! I DON’T CARE!” I lifted Abby onto me and held her face close to mine. I couldn’t help but rock back and forth, caressing her sweet face as I groaned aloud. “It’s going to be okay, baby. I am right here.”

  Abby let out a raspy gasp, then she said in a whisper, “I got to a phone in a machine.”

  “What?” I softly whispered, “Abby no, I told you to keep running.”

  She coughed then said, “I called for help.” She coughed again, and as I heard her breath get weaker, she whispered, “I am so sleepy. Will you tell me a story?”

  My voice in unison with my tears cracked. “Of course, I will. Do you want to hear about Elijah and His epic retrieve to heaven?”

  “He is so lucky,” she choked out. “He didn’t even have to die….” She stopped talking.

  “Abby.” I put my head against hers. “Abby, wake up. You need to hear how it happened. You never finished it remember?”

  She gasped again, so I knew even though she couldn’t respond that she was listening.

  Let he who hears, listen. So, I told her Elijah’s end. “When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?’

  ‘Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,’ Elisha replied.

  ‘You have asked a difficult thing,’ Elijah said, ‘yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.’

  As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, ‘My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!’ And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.

  Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back, and stood on the bank of the Jordan. He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. ‘Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?’ he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over. The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, ‘The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.’”

  Her breathing stopped and I tucked her into me as I whispered, “May the Spirit of the Lord take you into His loving arms. Revelation 21. ‘He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people,” I sniffled saying, “and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes…” I paused to catch my breathing, crying, “and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.’”

  I held her for as long as I could. Soon, the men grew paranoid. They didn’t know what she did, but they assumed what was right. They rushed into the crates and held a gun to our heads. First, they grabbed Pauline, and took her out, then Chad.

  As I was left, with the gun to my head, I glared at the man.“You are going to pay for this … whether from your sins toward her, or from the judgment of my God in heaven. You will pay for the blood you took today!”

  The man didn’t say a word, he just held the gun to my head. About five minutes later, as I was still holding Abby, the second man came back in and tried to take her away from me.

  “Get up,” the man with the gun said. “If you make a sound, you won’t be crying for your friend because you will be with her.”

  I hesitated to get up. I knew that with my faith in Abby, help was coming. I just needed to wait them out.

  “Get up!” He pressed the gun to my head. “I will not hesitate to pull this trigger.”

  “Don’t,” the second man said, “Master wants her and because of her bitch of a friend, the cops are coming.” He grabbed my arms and started to peel them away from Abby. “Use your strength instead of threats.” He tried to shake me off her, but I kept holding on to her. “She’s a fighter,” he laughed out.

  The first man grabbed Abby’s body and pulled her the opposite direction of me. I was forced to let go and when I did, I grabbed the man’s head within my chains and locked his head in my arms.

  “Richard,” the man locked in my arms said urgently, his voice strained.Top of Form

  “Let go of him!” Richard roared.

  Staring at him with a burning desire for revenge, I hissed, “She was innocent, and you violated her.” I forcefully pulled his head down, praying for a swift end. I heard him attempt to scream, but my words drowned him out, “The agony you feel now pales in comparison to what you inflicted and will face...” I began to twist his neck, my resolve unyielding. “And I don’t want to grant you the chance to repent.” With a final, resolute squeeze, his neck snapped, and his body slumped lifeless.

  The weight of sorrow for her loss still pressed heavily on my heart. I fell to my knees.

  Richard was at a loss, unsure of his next move. He fired the gun in my direction, hoping to intimidate me, but I remained unfazed. The gunshot echoed painfully in my ears, the bullet piercing through the metal. Every fiber of my being was poised to confront this man with every ounce of strength I could muster.

  However, as I sat there, a small voice spoke to me. Get up and go, I am with you. Still, I resisted. My gaze remained fixed on the pool of blood where my best friend lay. Internally, I seethed with anger, demanding answers. Why? Why should I do anything you ask? She’s gone, and she’s never coming back. A firm knowing surged through my soul, unbidden. Pauline.

  In that instant, it all became clear. The Lord was working through me to save someone else.

  “NO!” I clutched my head, teeth gritted. “No, no, no. Just end it now. I’m not going with you. I’m not going with you.”

  “Get up!” Richard rushed toward me, grabbing my arm and pulling me toward the door.

  “Abby!” I wailed, summoning every ounce of strength to resist him. “Let me go! Let me go!” I kicked his leg, causing him to release his grip momentarily. I crawled toward her, wrapping my arms around her once more. Gasping, I felt the lifelessness in her body. Swiftly and unnoticed, I slipped my hand into her shoe to retrieve the knife Daniel had given me.

  I transferred it to my possession, holding onto her for one last moment before he snatched me up and jabbed me with a needle. Tremors coursed through my entire body from the adrenaline, but within a minute, I felt the drug taking hold.

  “You let her die, Lord.”

  I could feel the metaphorical chains within me finally breaking. He furrowed his brow, perplexed about whom I was addressing. His eyes locked onto mine, and I sensed he viewed me as someone who’d just escaped from an asylum. My anxiety slowly subsided, giving way to an unexpected sense of calm as my surroundings began to blur and sway. His hand guided me along our path, but the injection he administered left me incapacitated, unable to put up a fight.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Upon reaching the pier, I boarded the boat, and he secured my wrists to the railing where Pauline and Chad were. With the engine’s rumble, I offered a silent farewell to the shoreline. As the boat glided farther out, distant police sirens echoed, a bitter reminder that they had arrived just a bit too late. She did it, I thought sluggishly. Gazing into the horizon, the flashing blue and red lights were numerous, a testament to their tardiness. Helpless, I turned my gaze to the sea, resting my head on my arms.

  I couldn’t help but ponder what might have been if Abby had only heeded the Lord. Her passing might have been averted if she’d placed unwavering trust in His word alone, devoid of feelings.

  The struggle between feelings and trust mirrored the battle between flesh and spirit. I could play the ‘if only’ game all night, but it wouldn’t alter the reality or resurrect my best friend. In my heart, I held the certainty that Abby’s intentions were pure in that critical moment. As Jesus stated in Matthew 5:8, ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.’ My sanity hinged on trusting in His words, believing that she was now beholding the face of God. But who could truly know? Like Pauline and Chad, I went numb.

  As the sun dipped below the horizon, the boat continued its journey into the vast expanse of the sea. Chad’s whispers were tinged with despair, “We’re not going to make it out of here... I’m not going to make it out of here.” The refrain played on, as if the edge of insanity was skirting the borders of his mind. Again, he voiced his regrets, a festering torment before the true ordeal began.

  Pauline sat in quiet stillness, her curls veiling her face, her eyes vacant. Her countenance was inscrutable but clear ? she had shut off her emotions. Witnessing Abby’s fate had drained them of all hope.

  They hadn’t witnessed what transpired after they left. They hadn’t seen the strength bestowed upon me by the Lord, the courage kindled by the Holy Spirit, and the boldness, the absence of fear, instilled in me by Jesus. If only they had... Perhaps then Chad wouldn’t be in the throes of panic, and Pauline might reveal a trace of her trademark sarcasm. I yearned to explain to them why my fear vanished the moment Abby passed, but to them, I might already seem to have lost my grip on reality.

  The boat’s motion made my head swim with every crashing wave. It felt like an endless journey as my gaze fixated on my arm. The hairs seemed to sway in rhythm with the waves, halting briefly, then dancing once more. Is this truly happening? I lamented in my thoughts. It had to be some colossal, twisted prank Abby was orchestrating, perhaps for TikTok likes. No, I rebuffed the notion. The blood was too real. Dang it!

  Frustration coursed through me as I shook the pole to which I was bound. “Ughhh!” The bones in my wrist throbbed as I strained to free my hand from the cuff. Gasping for air and in agony, I turned to them, my voice a desperate plea. “Why aren’t you two fighting? He’s just one man!”

  They remained silent, and I surmised they were likely subdued by the same injection. A sudden wave of nausea washed over me, contorting my face as I groaned. Every passing moment seemed like an eternity before I’d be sick. Then, the sound of waves meeting rocks reached my ears, signaling our approach to land.

  The engine sputtered, and the man reduced our speed. The cries of seagulls filled the air, and I could feel the wind tug at the boat. Soon, he pulled a lever, and the anchor plunged into the water. My heart raced in anticipation of the unknown. I held fast to the knowledge that God was with me, but my flesh always tensed in the face of uncertainty.

  Once we reached a port, he disembarked. Common sense dictated that he was likely seeking help.

  Twenty minutes later, my intuition proved correct. A man and a woman trailed behind him. The whole situation was repugnant, but what unsettled me even more was witnessing a woman participating in this heinous act of stripping away free will. With my understanding, I knew women were meant to be nurturers. I hadn’t yet discerned their motives, but I was certain I was about to uncover the truth.

  “They are pretty beat up,” Richard said.

  The woman’s countenance changed from serious to angry within a second. “What in the hell did you and that dumb piece of shit do to them!”

  He held his hands up, quick to defend himself. “He was the one…”

  She held her hand up. “I don’t care. You know they have to be presented when they arrive. They aren’t supposed to look like they just got back from a ring match.” She rushed to him, pulling her handgun from her pants. “I ought to end your worthless life.”

  Spit came out of the man’s mouth as he pleaded for his life. “We were told to handle them as we see fit. H…”

  She hit him hard with the gun in the head. “I said I didn’t care! You were supposed to follow the rules.” He fell to the ground and started to whimper. “Bus,” she commanded the other guy who was with her. “Go get Tauriel. Master isn’t going to be happy with the way these two look but hopefully, Jace can make them look like nothing happened.” The guy left, and she paced the boat until her anger struck again, and she slammed her foot into Richard. He gasped but didn’t say a word.

  Pauline observed everything, as did I, while Chad kept his face hidden behind his arms. A few moments later, Bus walked in with Tauriel. The woman said, “We’re gonna take them to Jace.” She swiftly came up to me and unlocked my hands. “Get up. I swear to you if you make a run for it, I will end your life.”

  I scrambled to my feet, the best I could on the drug, and listened. I walked off the boat and inhaled the sea’s fresh air. For a moment, because I felt so crazed, and the sea was so calming, I almost forgot I was abducted. Until we were instructed to walk up this curvy hill with guns pointed at our heads. I heard the bang of the gun go off in the boat and swiftly turned my head.

  Tauriel came out, and as far as I’m aware, the boat never left. As I continued to walk alongside Pauline and Chad, I remembered every step like a matching game, the best I could.

  It was very hilly, with rocks, and palm trees. There wasn’t much to look at, though. We stopped by this big white truck. They told us to get in, so we did. There were poles in the truck’s bed to each side, and they cuffed us again. I observed the woman, Bus, and Tauriel jump off the bed and shut it. Soon, they got in the vehicle, and we began to ascend the island hills. I still felt nauseous the further we got into the depths of this unknown place. I saw more palm trees and some birch. It began to look more like a forest the moment we stopped. I heard someone get out, and by the sound of the voice, it was the woman whose name I didn’t know.

  “I have them in the back. Jace, the two women don’t look so good. Before we send them into the house, I need you to take them to your quarters.”

  “Sure thing, Sas.”

  Mhm. I thought. Sas. What kind of name is that? The bed of the truck’s door opened again, and Tauriel grabbed Pauline and me. Chad, still hiding his face, turned to look at me. In his eyes, I saw the depth of fear like never before. His lips trembled, and tears ran down his face. As Tauriel put my cuffs back on, I looked into his eyes and whispered to him, “Call on the name of Jesus, Chad.” Tauriel yanked me forward, and then I hopped off the bed. Before we saw what was behind us, Tauriel pulled some blindfolds from his strap.

  “No,” Sas said. “They aren’t leaving. Let them see where they will live.” He turned us around, and Sas stood footsteps away from us.

  “Home?” Pauline asked as if she was unsure.

  “Yes. Very good,” Sas replied. “Home.” She stepped over to me and announced to us everything there was to know about this island. “You see this big gate?”

  We both looked, then nodded.

  “Well, beyond this big gate is attached to a fortified wall, call it like how you see it, prison, military base, heck even a castle with fortified walls. I don’t care. All you need to know is, once you walk through those gates, you’re not coming out.” She turned around and glanced at them. “Maybe, just maybe, you’ll grow to like ’em.”

  I couldn’t help myself. “Grow to like them?” I scoffed. “How stupid do you think we are? I could never like anyone like you.”

  She turned around with her hand flying toward my face. She smacked me across my cheek and said, “You will not mock me.” She grabbed my face within her hand and squeezed it. “If you never like this place for the rest of your life, you betta act like it ? if I see a hint of dissatisfaction on that pretty little face of yours, you will get flogged. Make a smile and make it stick. Do you understand what I am saying?”

  The harder she squeezed, the angrier I got. I hesitated with a glare filled with my emotion. She squeezed even harder, practically fusing my cheeks together. In pain, I gasped out, “I understand.”

  Finally, she let go and looked at Jace. “All right. They catch my drift.”

  Jace, with her head down low, fixed her glasses before walking us to her quarters. She laughed lightly under her breath, I guess to lighten the tension she was just around. It amazed me how brainwashed these people were into thinking that what was happening was okay. She said, “Before you guys think of plans to escape, just know, the guards will shoot you on sight.” Her sweet voice said, “I’m just letting you know so you guys don’t die.”

  I blinked as if she was mad. “I don’t understand. H-How did you end up here?” I scoffed. “You… you know what this is and you work here.”

  She turned around with her hands folded against her chest. “You have it all wrong, miss.” She tightened her lips before saying, “I was brought here the same as you.” She shrugged. “Once the Master saw my talent, he promoted me.”

  “P-Promoted you?” Pauline’s eyes grew wide.

  “Yes. He saw in me my gift of fashion. So, I dress all his servants and favors. Man and woman.”

  The look of disgust on my face was displayed. “Favors? Servants? Like cleaning?”

  She laughed out loud and waved at me. “Gosh, you are so funny.” She shook her head. “No, I mean as in servants who do as he commands, and as for favors, well you want to be one. So, when he holds his fancy parties here, the woman and men are dressed to impress, if you know what I mean, and I am their designer.”

  I widened my eyes to the sudden revelation. Oh. My. Gosh. I started to breathe heavily and blurted out. “T-This…” I paused, trying to force my words out but the knot in my throat was very dry. “Sex trafficking.”

  “Ugh,” Jace squished her face. “We don’t say that term here.”

  I gaped at her as my eyes grew wide. “Are you even real?”

  She laughed out loud again and turned around. “Of course, I am real.” Her voice moved further away as we loathed to move. She stopped and turned her head to the side. “If I were you, I would follow.” She cleared her throat when she still didn’t hear us move. “I would hate to have to call Tauriel. When he comes, nothing good ever happens with him.”

  Pauline and I glanced at each other and decided to follow her. The gates were opened and before us, I kid you not, a white primitive castle was within these walls attached to the width. Along the lengths were cobblestone homes. The entire place seemed like it took up ninety-eight percent of the island.

  What in God’s name is this place?

  “Most of these homes are more like businesses. The Master likes to keep his servants and favors entertained, so he built this less like a prison and more like a community.” She shrugged again. “Well, because of what his servants do…” She paused then looked at us both. “Think of it as gifts. All the gifts you could ever imagine…”

  “For the price of your free will,” I spat over her. “Are you kidding me?” I was livid. The amount of derangement this Master was displaying was mind-blowing. He really thought if his servants were gifted, then the service they gave was good. As I glanced around the area, I wholeheartedly knew I was in the heart of the devil’s kingdom.

  “I am not joking,” Jace replied. “He could have held us in a worse situation than this.” She tilted her head and said, “This is his mercy.”

  I started to gag in my mouth, and the more I gagged, the more I ended up throwing up the acid in my stomach. Whatever he injected me with started to project out of me the moment I let it all out. Acid protruding out of my mouth burned the back of my throat. My stomach tightened with each muscle spasm as I kept throwing it up. I groaned, swiping my forehead and mouth. Once I got to my feet, I breathed through my mouth, asking, “Do you have mints?”

  “Right this way,” Jace gestured with her hand. “I’ll tidy you guys up, then you’ll meet the Master.”