11 - Dark Past and Bright Future

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"SOFÍA!!!!"

Seven-year-old Sophie heard her mother going up the stairs and quickly hid under the bed, lying flat on her stomach and covering her mouth not to make a sound.
It was now pitch black all around her, no more moonlight coming in from the window and her mother still didn't install back the light bulb she took away a few weeks ago to teach her not to be afraid of the dark.
The door flew open and in a flash, she saw her mother's feet just a few centimeters from her face. She stood there for a few seconds before turning around and leaving, angrily slamming the door behind her.
Sophie was still too scared to move but after a minute she finally stuck her hand out and slowly tried to crawl out when suddenly her mother stomped on the tips of her fingers.
Sophie shrieked in pain and pulled her hand back in, protecting it with her other hand just as she felt being dragged out from underneath the bed by her ankles.
Her long, black skirt rolled up as she was dragged on the floor, revealing the light yellow bruises on her knees. Her mother looked at them with disdain, quietly growling through her teeth.

"Seems you are already forgetting how you should behave." She grabbed her arm and swung her up on her feet, bending down and holding Sophie's chin tightly in her hand. "Padre Delgado was here, he told me everything you little spawn of Hell."

She grabbed her arm again, dragging Sophie out of the room and down the stairs.

"Mamá!! mamá!!" Sophie was screeching, squirming in the tight grip and trying to get out, but in vain. "Te lo ruego por favor, mamá!!!"

Her begging had no effect and her mother dropped her in front of their small altar in the living room.

"Why do you keep doing this to me, you wicked child?! Taking Lord's name in vain! You need to fight Satan's temptation to sin!"

"I will, mamá!"

Her mother again grabbed her chin tightly, piercing her with her dark eyes. "He is after your soul, Sofía! He lurks everywhere in the dark corners and just waiting to take you with him to Hell! Do you want to go to Hell?"

"N-No." Sophie stuttered and was darting with her eyes around the dim-lit room, scared that Satan himself will slowly emerge from the shadows and take her away.

"Then kneel and pray for forgiveness from our Lord and hope he will have mercy on you." Her mother said coldly and let go of her.
Sophie turned to the altar, clasping her palms tightly together, and began to whisper her prayer while her mother left the room.

"I beseech Thee, O Most Blessed Trinity,
to shed the fire of Thy merciful love upon this most frigid heart,
to let shine upon this most darkened mind,
the light of the Son, in whom alone is every grace and truth.
Have pity on me, most Merciful God, and regard not my sins and offenses,
but in Thy mercy forgive me yet again,
and grant me the graces to serve Thee now in fidelity and truth."

She shivered as she heard her mother entering the room again but kept repeating the prayer over and over again, obediently kneeling and doing her best not to start crying not to make her mother even angrier.

"Alright, we can now only pray that was enough." Her mother stopped her after several minutes and dropped a toothbrush and a toothpaste into Sophie's lap. "Now start brushing your teeth to clean that dirty mouth of yours so you remember not to ever, EVER, swear again!"

Sophie hastily nodded, put the toothpaste on the toothbrush, and began to brush her teeth as she kneeled in front of the altar. Meanwhile, her mother kneeled down next to her and began to read out loud from the Bible, softly stroking Sophie's hair with her free hand.
They kneeled there for several more minutes, Sophie feeling the blood in her mouth mixing with the toothpaste but was too scared to stop since her mother didn't say she could. Soon after the stinging was burning through her gums and she began to choke on the toothpaste.

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