It stops today

She lay along the trail, hurt and wounded. “Come on, get up. He’ll kill you if he finds you.”

I don’t care. He’ll kill me, anyway. She said to herself. Fight, fight. Why should I?

If not for yourself, for those who will come after you. You think he will stop killing with you?

No. She almost heard the word shouted in her mind. He will keep on killing until he’s stopped.

But why me? Why do I have to be the one? But what if his next victim is a child? What if his next victim was your child?

She struggled to her feet. Her leg hurt horribly. He had shot her. The bullet, small caliber possibility, a 22 caliber. Nude, she had no gun, no weapon of any kind. Jerry had shot her in the leg on purpose. He used the pistol in his belt. He had a clear shot. She had stared at him. Waiting for his next command. He had ordered her to remove her clothes. She had steeled her mind. He was going to rape her. He would not be the first. Occupational hazard. Street walker. prostitute. Customers who wouldn’t pay. He smiled, pulled the pistol out of its holster. She waited. He shot her. The bullet entering the fleshly part of her thigh. Crumpling to the ground, she screamed in pain. She had felt nothing like that. It felt as if her entire body was on fire. Blood trickled down her leg. He prodded her with the rifle barrel. “Come get going, you ain’t hurt.”

“You shot me.” She shrieked at him. “You shot me.”

“You ain’t hurt. You get going or I‘ll kill you right here. Now get.” He fired the rifle next to her butt. The dirt splattering and stinging her skin. So, she ran hobbling down the old lumber trail. She cried. Tears streamed down her cheeks, dripping off her chin. She expected a bullet in her back at any time.

Now she lay by the trail waiting to die. Her thoughts returned to Grace Baptist Church. Was she five or was it six. Six because she had just started first grade. She wandered into the Sunday school room all by herself. The other children looked up. She was late. She wanted to run away. To go back home. The teacher, Miss Iyda, smiled. Getting to her feet, she stepped to the door. “Well, hello there. What’s your name?”
She couldn’t leave now. They would all laugh at her. “Lucy Murry.” She said in a quite small voice.

“Welcome Lucy.” She turned to the class. “Class say welcome Lucy. “
They chorused her. A little girl jumped up. “Larry, would you help her, please?” A little boy jumped up and almost tipped over his own feet. A titter of laugher ran throughout the room. The boy, his face red, helped set the chair in the circle.

“Thank you, Larry. That was very nice of you.” Miss Iyda said, smiling.

“You’re welcome.” Larry said some of his dignity restored. That day, she learned of Daniel in the lion’s den. She made friends with the rest of the class. Nancy and Larry were now married and had a year-old baby boy.

She never received Christ, even with Iyda Dejaa urging. Now, in what she believed to be the last minutes of her life, she reflected on it. “God.” She whispered earnestly. “Please help me. I’m about to die out here. I’ve done some pretty rotten things. Please help me and …save me.”
There was a crash behind her. He had found her. She stood up. God would not help her. She had done too much. Closing her eyes, she turned, preparing herself for death. More rustling. Cursing. She opened her eyes. Two state police officers were wrestling Jerry to the ground. She tried to cover herself with her hands, not doing very good. They snapped handcuffs on his wrists.

Lucy lay back down on the ground. The wound in her leg still felt like it was on fire.

One officer spoke into his radio. “Dispatch, we have the suspect in custody. Female victim appears to have a gunshot in the upper thigh. Better send medical”

“He kidnaped me and raped me.” Lucy said, covering herself the best she could.

“You can’t rape a prostitute.” Jerry said, laughing.

“How about the other ones you killed?” The other officer said.
“I wanta lawyer.” Jerry said, his face draining of color.

“Soon as we get you to jail.” The officer handed Lucy her clothes.

“Medical should be here in a few minutes. Is there someone we can call for you?”
“Yes.” Lucy said, thinking of Nancy.

She lay back, thinking of her life. It changed today. Soon, the paramedics were there treating her gunshot wound. The Lord had already healed her heart.

One officer repeated to Jerry his rights.

5years later

Leaving the Disney night light burning, Lucy closed the door to a crack. She smiled. “Good night, honey.”
“Good night mommy.” Three-year-old Allan said sleepily. She joined her husband in the living room.

This Sunday she would teach her Sunday school class about Daniel and the lion’s den. Perhaps there would be a little boy or girl who had never heard of how God interceded in this wonderful story. She knew personally how God could intervene when there looked like there was no way out. Thanks to The Lord and her Sunday school teacher she was alive and had a family.