The Lotus's Flame

Kaitlyn Part 3

Kaitlyn woke up in a beautiful mood; today was when she would earn independence. The sun never seemed so bright, and the sky was never so blue. Yes, today would be the beginning of a new life for her. She hoped it would be a life of joy, no complications, just easy sailing. A life where her father could no longer scare her so terribly or contradict her choices in life. She rushed downstairs, eager to say goodbye and be on her way. When she entered the kitchen, she was shocked to find her parents were not there to see her off; in their place was a note.

Kaitlyn, your mother, and I saw no reason to see you off. The simple fact is we were not pleased with your sinful choice to go away to college instead of joining the church, which you were raised to do. With this said, I want you to remember that as God sees sin in our eyes, I, too, will see it in yours on spring break if you commit any. If I do see it, you will be punished. Reverend Rick Martin.

As Kaitlyn read the end of this disturbing letter, she dropped it to the floor and began shaking with fear. Never had her father's words seemed so cold and cruel; she feared this man more than ever. He was eviler than she had thought and must feel nothing for her. Feeling like a caged animal, Kaitlyn grabbed her bags and fled quickly. She found herself running to the town bus station. Her feet were swollen, and her legs were numb and trembling by the time she boarded the bus. She was entirely out of breath, yet relieved to be away from her father. Once she had taken her seat on the bus, she felt a little safer and less shaken.

Later while riding the bus to the airport, Kaitlyn's thoughts refused to let go of those words in her father's letter. She could hardly ignore his anger towards her and her decision to leave. She suddenly dreaded spring break, even if it was six months away. Tears fell from her eyes as another memory flashed into her mind.

Kaitlyn had just turned seventeen and was coming home from her first date. Her date kissed her cheek, and her father witnessed the kiss. He went into a sudden rage, and he hit her date, pulling her into the house. He forced her to undress in front of him, then pulled his razor strap from the closet. Kaitlyn had known her father was about to whip her but the moment he caught sight of her naked flesh the look in his eyes changed to something she did not recognize. It was a look that still made her skin crawl and her heart drop in her chest to this day.

Kaitlyn's memories came to an abrupt halt when the bus's breaks screeched, letting her know she had finally reached the airport to board her plane to California, where her college was located. Inside the airport was loud, with crowds of people everywhere being scanned before boarding their planes. Kaitlyn trembled as her nerves became a bit frazzled. She fought this as she walked to stand in the long line of folks waiting to take the flight to California. She handed her bags to security to be scanned and walked through the human scan. She was relieved that it did not take long to get through them, it all went very smoothly for her. She took a deep breath, smiled at the lady who took her ticket, and walked onto the plane. She was seated next to the window in the center, this made her feel a little more at ease. She had never been on a plane before, but she was confident that she would be fine.

Kaitlyn opened her new journal, a go-away gift from her boss when she told her she was going to college. She began to write:

Kaitlyn Marie Martin: On March 16, 2020, Today I woke up feeling content that my future was bright and that I would finally find happiness in my life. I woke up feeling like the day could not possibly be brighter, however, the moment I walked down those stairs my hope was crushed. Again, the cruelty of my father hath no end, proof being the horrid threatening letter he left for me to find. I know he hoped that this threat would scare me from leaving him and his precious church to go off to college. I decided six years ago when I started saving my server tips and allowance from my mother that college was to be my only hope of escape from the horrid abuse my father bestowed upon my mother. I also decided to start a journal where I first confessed all the abuse I suffered, as well as watching my mother suffer throughout my life. Today is the first entry in this journal. Where to start is hard really, my memories have been forever scarred into my brain yet pushed away by fear and desperation to try and forget. So, when these memories come to me, I shall write them at once, but first for now is this letter he left for me.............