CWRC Anthology

SAVED BY GRACE PART I

© 2022 by Emilia. Leya. Banda

Brought to you by Christian Writers and Readers Club.

----
Part one

The grinning face stared at me from the darkness beyond my bedroom in a corner. As the man inched toward me I could feel my heart accelerating, goosebumps erupted throughout my body. My teeth were grinding and my muscles were as stiff as a board, my chest heaved as my breathing increased with each steep step this treacherous beast took.

"You were never loved, I will destroy you! No one will notice your absence once I'm done with you.." He said repeatedly.

My legs gave way as I shook uncontrollably, paralyzed from fear.
"Plea-please, have mercy on me." I said while kneeling down. My sobs got more audible and the man couldn't help but laugh.
"Mercy? I've only just started."
Suddenly the room got dark, I couldn't breathe. The mist was unbearable, the creepy figure ship shaped into what looked like a dragon. It grew even wider and taller! I knew it was over, I looked at it and it made way to pounce on me. Terrified I let out a scream and....
*BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Tori Allison woke up with a start, that was the third time that week dreaming of such a nightmare.
Confused and out of breath, she sat on her bed hugging her knees while rocking back and forth.
It was just a dream for Tori, to get a grip. Stop being so scared all the time, I'll never be that girl scared of a silly dream. Never be a weakling, never again...
Tori shook her head at the thought and got ready for the day ahead of her.

*RIIIIIIING
The bell rang signifying the end of lessons.
"Hey Tori! Roger is having a party at his uncle's mansion, the girls and I are gonna go. You are going to be there, right?" asked a tall slightly skinny girl, with beautiful brown eyes and thick shoulder length hair.
It was one of her friends, Madison.
"Yeah totally..." Tori said lazily.
"Awesome! Can't wait." Madison said as she smiled gleefully.
Five hours later...
".... And that's how you do it girls, always raise the bar higher, never negotiate. If he doesn't have the cash you demand, walk away and go to someone that's more appealing. After that he kept calling me for more!" a red head explained across a round table. All the other girls giggled and looked at the red head, Bailey, in awe.
All except one.
"What? Scared I'll snatch Travis away from you?" Bailey said with one eyebrow raised.
Tori didn't notice she was giving a look of disgust and loath, she didn't think it was good for Bailey to have one night stands every night. What about diseases? Worse of all, she was promoting prostitution!
"We all know that can not happen." Taking a sip from her vodka, Tori looked away.
"Whatever amateur, now what was I saying? Oh yes, there's this new club downtown if you girls are up for it." And just like that, the night trailed by.
Bored out of her mind, she excused herself and went to look for Travis. Her boyfriend.
Pushing people out of her, Tori finally found Lamar sitting in a corner smoking on what appeared to be shisha.
Lamar made smoke holes out of his mouth while he had three other girls circled around him. Hands all intertwined on his body, not giving a world about what they did to him he smoked on.
"Lamar? There you are, have you seen Travis?" Tori said impatiently.
*Cough
" Ah Tori! Wagwan. Oh yeah, lil brodda? Mr. Travis? I saw a young chap walk up stairs with a chick." By now Tori was used to Lamar's deep Jamaican accent.
She feared for the worst. Knowing Travis' past of being a womanizer, she prayed in her heart of all hearts he was not cheating on her at the moment.
With clenched fists, Tori ran and half walked up stairs searching in all the rooms. Suddenly with the urge to give up, she opened an unlocked door to a sight she wished she never stumbled upon.
A wig on the floor, women's underwear, some clothes scattered all over the room and apparently they were having fun. Shattered, with loss of words Tori got the nearest object and threw it at them.
Travis was in bed with a girl Tori had never seen before.
"How dare you do this to me Travis! Who is this!?! I gave you a life you didn't deserve and this is how you repay me? You worthless bag of..."
Stamping out of the room Tori couldn't help but feel betrayed by a person who she thought loved her.
"Baby! Wait no, it's not what it looks like!" trying to run after her but realized he was naked and thought it would be a good idea to put clothes on.
"Back already Tori? Tori-" surprised that Tori was crying, he asked the other girls to leave his presence.
"Tori? Come on, what's the matter man? Pretty girl like you don't deserve to-" cut off short, Tori deserved an answer from him.
"How long did you know about this, huh?" frustrated, tired and filled with shame. The vodka started working. "....I'm sorry Tori, de man told me he stopped his foolish ways and-"
"Well you were wrong! Because I found him in that room! With a man! I! Was! Cheated! On!" screaming at the top of her voice, Tori was out of breath now. Outraged, tears falling from her face like a river, angry was an understatement.
Everyone stared at her, even the dj stopped playing the music.
Flushed with tears she walked out of the house and drove home in the drunken state she was in.
It all made sense, Tori knew Travis was cheating on her but never had evidence. Many people told her he was a womanizer.
Tori walked in the shared apartment and lay on the couch.
..........................................
"Honey? Tori, wake up, you're scaring me." Travis said with a look of concern. "You were screaming and begging for mercy, was that a nightmare?"
"You dare talk to me after what you did!" Not even looking at him, Tori got up and went to the bedroom to pack her clothes.
"Be reasonable, what are you doing? You can't leave please." Tori had never felt so sorry for herself ever in her entire life. How could she have picked up this boy, kept him in her house and expected to feel love?
After she finished packing her clothes, she got up, walked out of that door and never looked back again.
Two months later..
Tori was looking for a fresh start and decided to go to silver lake California, where she got a transfer to Brayton University of California.
Forgetting her past was something she had to master, blocking all her friends in attempts to forget her painful breakup. Which led to depression and expensive trips to the therapist. She soon learned never to compromise with anything and obviously anyone.
*Knock *knock
"Coming!" Tori shouted after nearly falling over a box.
*Knock *knock *knock!
"I said I'm coming!" Tori shouted now frustrated at whoever was knocking at the door.
"Yes?" She said after opening the door," Hello! I'm your neighbor-" The man's smile faded as he looked at Tori's tired face, with the bags under her eyes that made her look forty.
"Well? I don't have all day.." Tori jerked a look of annoyance. "Tori? It's me! Richard!" Without hesitation, Richard pulled Tori in a hug and embraced her. Before she could say anything, she was directed into her own house.
"I see I came at the right time." Richard said with a smile on his face. As if she got hit on the head with a hammer, Tori realized her childhood friend was standing right next to her smiling at her.
"Oh Richard! It's been so long and wow you look really good compared to when you were four." Tori said laughing hysterically. " Ha ha, very funny and mature Tori." Richard said sarcastically with a grin.
And together, they sorted out the mess in the house, made dinner and talked a bit.
They did everything together and enjoyed each other's company.
One day when they took a walk around campus, Tori pulled out a cigarette and a lighter. The lighter didn't work and this angered Tori a lot.
"Why do you smoke? It's not good to smoke as a Christian." Richard said. "what? Oh this? Well, I got tired so this is for my energy." Tori said with a wink.
Richard was not at all pleased "Energy? God wouldn't be pleased with your actions."
"Why even bother? I'm a sinner and I don't deserve his peace. I find peace in alcohol and smoking."
Before Richard could say anything else Tori spoke again, "I have to go, something isn't sitting right in my chest see you later." Richard watched her walk away with sadness in his eyes.
Weeks later
*Knock *knock!
"Tori! Please open up! It's Richard." Since there ordeal, Tori had been avoiding Richard for weeks now.
Richard had enough and broke open the door, only to find empty glasses of alcohol and cigarette buds everywhere. "Tori?" Richard called out but got no answer.
He went into the kitchen and found no one, he went up stairs and opened the bedroom door and found a collapsed Tori on the floor murmuring to herself.
"Tori? What is all this! Look at yourself. What's happening?" Richard asked while signaling everything he looked at.
"I figured it out, it's my inner demon. He likes it when I drink and smoke..." Tori answered, slightly shaking.
That's it... that was his breaking point.
"Listen up demon! Your time is up! This is the temple of God!" Richard began to pray and pray and the demon in Tori was getting irritated. It sprung up and attacked Richard with slaps, kicks, punches you name it. He had been praying for her for almost what looked like hours..
Until it was silent and fell to the ground. "Tori? Are you ok?" Tori looked up at him, before she could answer the vomited red and white substances out of her body.
"Argh, I don't feel so good." Richard told her what happened and she could barely believe it. " Listen Tori, God loves you so much. He sent his only son to die for you, and God being so merciful as he is.. he even gave us a choice to follow him or not."
"Richard.. I. I want to know more about Jesus." In between tears and sobs, she had never felt peace like that in a long time and wanted more. " How did you do that? Is the demon gone? And.. Eww, did that really come from me?" Looking at her own puddle of vomit, " I did nothing, this was all the merciful, glorious power of the living God."
The next few days she was learning so much about Jesus and realized that the monster, or rather, the man she saw every night was actually a demon.
Tori faced her fears and went to church, the real reason why she never went to church was that she was afraid of people judging her after she confessed her old sinful nature through testimony.
But when she did that, no one judged or discriminated against her. They showed her love and treated her like a member of their Christian family. Within a year, she got baptized.
Excited to see where her new life in Christ would turn, she couldn't wait....

----

Watch out for part 2.

Get in touch with the author of this book.
wattpad: @11sunflowerchild
Email address: emmabanda492@gmail.com