The Faith of a Mustard Seed

Chapter Eight

     Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

     The LORD is my light and my salvation-whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid?

      I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.

      I reach out for your commands, which I love, that I may meditate on your decrees. Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope. My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life. The arrogant mock me unmercifully, but I do not turn from your law. I remember, LORD, your ancient laws, and I find comfort in them.

      He replied, "Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

      The faith as small as a mustard seed.

     Faith.....faith can move mountains.....hmmm my head hurts.....I hurt......What happened? Why am I so cold? My throat aches and burns. What happened to me? The last thing I remember is coming home from school, and then.....my punishment..... Jasmine's eyes suddenly flew open, her heart racing, as she takes in the room around her. Instead of being in the cold bathroom she's lying on the hard wooden floor in her room. The sky outside is a pale pink color that only comes with the dawn.

      Her body aches and cramps as she tries to get up only to realize that her hands are chained together by a heavy manacle making it difficult to spread them more than a few inches apart. As Jasmine hesitantly looks down to discover the extent of damage, her eyes begin to fill with tears, her heart breaking even more, and an unknown unnamed feeling begins to fills her chest making her breathing even more labored.

      Her hands weren't the only parts of her body to be bound. Mike had tied the space above her knees tightly together with a coarse rope, and every time she moved her lower half, even a little, the rope scratched and irritated the bruised sensitive skin. He then had bound her legs together with the same type of rope, only this time just below her knees, making it impossible to separate her legs, and in a final attempt to make it impossible for her to move around Mike had tied her ankles tightly together.

      Trying to get a handle on what has happened Jasmine tries to sit up, but each attempt fails. Crying out in frustration, her tears threatening to fall, Jasmine screams with all the force she can muster. Only the house remains quiet, her scream unheard. Reaching her hands up to her face, her tears falling freely unchecked from her eyes, she can feel thick heavy leather straps stretched from the top of her head to underneath her chin and back up again pulled tightly locking her jaw in place.

     Another wide leather strap runs from the back of her head completely covering her mouth and locked tightly in place. The unknown feeling in her chest doubles, breathing short and ragged as she tries to pry the straps off her head, but no matter what she does the straps refuse to budge. Closing her eyes, Jasmine tries to calm down, she attempts to move her tongue to try to lick her dry cracked lips only to discover a small wad of cloth had been shoved into her mouth pinning her tongue down and absorbing any and all moisture in her mouth.

      Giving up Jasmine curls into a small ball with her tears pouring down her face the unknown, unnamed feeling spreading through her chest, as she falls into a pain filled exhausted sleep.