He realized that the home she was talking about was the one with God. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” he whispered. “I’d do anything to help you. But I can’t create something out of nothing. I need help from you. Tell me something, anything, like where you were when he caught you. Who is this person? Do you know him?”
Her soft voice whispered, “No.”
“You don’t know him?”
“No,” she repeated. “I don’t know why you’re punishing me. I don’t want to be punished anymore. I just want to die.”
He knew all too well that death was coming for her, unless he could get there first. “I’m not punishing you.”
“God is,” she whispered.
“Why would God punish you?” he asked in confusion.
“He’s punishing me,” she said again.
“You’re not making any sense. Why would God be punishing you?”
“I wasn’t supposed to do it.”
“Wasn’t supposed to do what?”
“It was more of a lark than anything.”
“A lark? What was a lark?” he asked.
“A date with a stranger.”
He winced at that. “Is that how he found you?”
“Yes,” she said on a breath. And she slowly sank deeper under the shadows.
“Wait, wait, please,” he cried out. “Stay awake.”
“No,” she replied. “I’m so tired. I just want to go. Let me come home.”
And she started to cry again, deep heart-wrenching sobs that broke his heart. “You don’t have to keep paying for this. It wasn’t your fault,” he told her.
“Yes, I do. I do,” she admitted. “This shouldn’t be me here. It’s not like me at all.”
“Did you know who…?” And he stopped because she just said it was a stranger. “Where did you meet him?”
But she didn’t answer.
“Can you tell me anything? What does he look like? How old is he? Is he older than you? Is he younger than you?”
“Older,” she whispered. “I don’t know why I should be punished. It was just a date,” she cried out.
“Just a date. But with the wrong somebody. You didn’t know until when?”
“Until he caught me. I didn’t know until he caught me. I didn’t believe it at first, until he hurt me,” she whispered through her sobs. “Then how do you forget?”
“You don’t,” he admitted gently. “Once you’re caught by a predator, it’s damn near impossible.” She started to cry again, and he wished he had words of wisdom to give her. But obviously she was suffering and had been suffering for a long time. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered.
“I’m just so ready to go.”
“When did he come back?”
“He hasn’t been back in so long. Dear God, please, I know that I haven’t been good. I know that I probably don’t deserve to come to You, but please, make this stop. Please take me with You.”