Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: BRAND (01/12/17)
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TITLE: Branded for Life | Previous Challenge Entry
By Trudy Newell
01/16/17 -
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The searing pain in my neck and right thigh brought me back to the present. Nothing made sense. "What was that horrible smell?" I could hardly breathe.
A thick curtain covered the window, but enough light filtered through for me to see I was not alone. Three other girls slept on cots. One of them moaned. The door creaked, and two men walked in. One had a gun.
“Hello, girls, feeling better?” said the taller of the two.
The other man laughed, “Things will get better once the tattoos heal. We’ll get you all fixed up.”
Then “Mr. Laughter” came over to me. My heart pounded as he bent over, embraced me, keeping his fingers busy.
“Oh yes, my little Kelsey, you’ll do just fine.”
Shocked and horrified, I fainted.
When I awoke, it was morning. The light was on, and the other three girls were gone. Their cots were made up, apparently waiting for others. A lady, “Queenie”, came in with breakfast.
“Good morning, Kelsey,” she smiled, “hope you like scrambled eggs.”
I wasn’t hungry. I felt queasy, and my head ached.
“Eat up,” She urged, “You don’t want cold eggs.”
It looked inviting, so I nibbled a piece of toast and had a few bites of egg. Before I knew it, the food disappeared. Guess I was hungry. The headache subsided.
“Queenie” took the plate and left. I was alert now. I overheard “Queenie” and “Mr. Laughter” talking in the next room.
“Treat her well. She’s a cutie. Reserve her for our top-paying customers. Give her a day to recover. Put her in Suite Five.”
After a shower, “Queenie” fixed my hair and added make-up. What a transformation. Then came the designer clothes that must have cost a bundle. Wow! Maybe this wasn’t going to be so bad after all.
When I was shown into Suite Five, the nightmare began. I was properly introduced to “Mr. Laughter” or Jim. I saw my tattoos. There was a great big “J” on my right thigh. On my neck a smaller tattoo branded me “property of J.”
That first night Jim and two different men, on business in Chicago came. Piece by piece the designer clothes came off, while they enjoyed the ‘show’. By the end of the night my innocence was gone as they ravaged my body.
The next two weeks were a blur. Almost every night three or four men would come, and if I didn’t please them, they could be rough. I was traumatized.
God is good, and rescued me. I didn’t know much about Jesus, and never went to church except on Christmas and Easter. But I cried out to God, and He heard my prayer.
That same night a man came into my suite like all the others. I dreaded what was ahead. But he took me out of the building. There were all kinds of police and a crowd of people. I was dizzy and fainted.
When I awoke, I was laying on a couch. A lady sat next to me.
“You’re at Hope Recovery Center, and you’re safe. I’m Miss Linda.” She smiled, “Would you like something to drink?”
I drank the orange juice she offered.
Here I found more love and support than I had ever experienced in my life. After two days of rest, I felt much better. But every night I woke up screaming. I had nightmares about Jim, with his laughter echoing like a sinister song in a minor key.
Miss Linda would come in and give me a big hug. “It’s okay. Do you want to share?”
“This big ‘J’ is a constant reminder.” I sobbed. “I’ve been branded for life.”
“Kelsey, let’s take the big ‘J’ and turn it into a big JESUS.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
Miss Linda told me about Jesus, and how he came to give new life and forgiveness of sin. I knew this was what I needed, and trusted the Lord Jesus as my Savior right then and there.
I am now thirty years old, and married to a wonderful Christian man. We have two daughters and a baby boy. God turned my darkness into light. I still have the tattoos. But Jesus changed the brand into a reminder that I belong to Him completely.
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