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Back When She Returned Save as PDF
Chapters (48)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT
  3. CONTENTS
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. ONE
  6. TWO
  7. THREE
  8. FOUR
  9. FIVE
  10. SIX
  11. SEVEN
  12. EIGHT
  13. NINE
  14. TEN
  15. ELEVEN
  16. TWELVE
  17. THIRTEEN
  18. FOURTEEN
  19. FIFTEEN
  20. SIXTEEN
  21. SEVENTEEN
  22. EIGHTEEN
  23. NINETEEN
  24. TWENTY
  25. TWENTY-ONE
  26. TWENTY-TWO
  27. TWENTY-THREE
  28. TWENTY-FOUR
  29. TWENTY-FIVE
  30. TWENTY-SIX
  31. TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. TWENTY-NINE
  34. THIRTY
  35. THIRTY-ONE
  36. THIRTY-TWO
  37. THIRTY-THREE
  38. THIRTY-FOUR
  39. THIRTY-FIVE
  40. THIRTY-SIX
  41. THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. THIRTY-EIGHT
  43. THIRTY-NINE
  44. FORTY
  45. FORTY-ONE
  46. FORTY-TWO
  47. FORTY-THREE
  48. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“You’ve denounced the world, much like Jesus. In the same way, you’ve curbed your earthly appetites and desires. The only thing left is to denounce the devil by putting the self to death.” He gave me a second to gather my composure before ordering me to stand. I stood slowly.

“Take off your clothes,” he said.

My clothes were the same ones I’d been wearing the day I left my life. I’d lost so much weight that my jeans hung on me, the waistband rolled over to keep them up. I stepped out of them and tossed them to the side. I stood in my sports bra and underwear, since I hadn’t worn my T-shirt in a long time. I’d torn it into strips, one to hold my hair back and the others to use as cleaning rags. Cleaning my small space gave order to my days. Wiping my body down with the same rag day after day was pointless, but it made me feel like I was still a human being.

“All of it.” His voice filled with threat.

I knew what he was asking me to do, but I couldn’t get my arms to move. My body froze. I willed it to move, but it refused. The crack of his belt against my leg snapped me back into my body. I fumbled with my underwear, pulling it down to my knees. The mortification never got easier.

“Turn around.”

I turned away from him, facing the brick. Shame burned my cheeks. I understood why Jesus wept blood in the garden of Gethsemane.

“The Lord says we must put to death the evil deeds of the body.” His belt cracked against my bare skin, making me jump. “Let those who know the Lord renounce all wickedness.”

Another smack. And another. Each one harder than the last. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from crying out.

“Do you feel the sin leaving your body?”

I stumbled over my words, the pain making me stupid. The next hit almost knocked me to the ground. “I belong to the Lord so . . .”

It was gone. I couldn’t remember. Where did it go?

“What does the word say?”

He barely gave me a chance to respond before smacking me again. My stomach heaved into my throat. Suddenly I remembered. “I belong to the Lord so crucify me,” I blurted out.

He unleashed on me. I lost track of how many hits. Tears burned my eyes. My backside screamed in pain. I didn’t recognize the sound of my cries.

“Please, please,” I begged over and over. It was as if he couldn’t hear me, or if he did, my words meant nothing. My knees buckled, and I crumpled to the floor before everything went black.

SEVENTEEN

SEVENTEEN

MEREDITH

NOW