She felt as if she was drowning. He always hugged her too
tight; the suffocation was akin to a drowning sensation. Despite the
suffocation and the nothingness that being with him sparked, she felt complete;
she needed nothing except him. He completed her in ways she had never imagined;
it seemed as if her existence depended on him.
These days, everything was a blur. She could not separate
days from nights, or nights from days. It seemed as if she was flying, or
walking on water; as if she was doing the impossible. Perhaps, she was. Or
perhaps it was all a hallucination. Was he a figment of her imagination? She
could not believe that her mind was creative enough to throw up a perfect
creature to complete her.
Am I on a drug-induced high or is it LSD we are taking, she
would often ask him. No silly, he would say, you and I are high on life, it’s
not drug induced; it’s our togetherness that makes it so perfect and we are
destined for great things together.
There were times when she was almost scared of him; his
plans for their future were certainly scary. There were times when she would
see things in a different light, as if she was looking at everything from a
third-party perspective. It seemed as if he was the devil and she his victim. But
then everything would suddenly clear up. Such weak moments would pass, and she
would again feel whole again.
Today seemed one such weak day. She heard her parents
muttering about her not being right. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her
hair needed brushing, and her eyes were bright. Too bright; they seemed unreal,
as if something was wrong somewhere. And then she heard him. Forget physical
appearances; it’s you who counts, he said to her. Together we will rule this world, he told her.
Her doubts dispersed; and she embraced him, with full heart.
Outside, there were noises; strange people talking.
Intrigued, she came out of the room. Four pairs of hands grabbed her and bound
her to a chair. She lashed out at them, trying to break free. She surprised
even herself with the ferocity with which she fought her attackers, even injuring
one of them.
She saw her stricken parents; her mother was crying silently
as her white-faced father looked on. She tried to plead with them to set her
free, to tell them that she was fine, but no words came out. Instead, she heard
herself laugh. She heard him laugh with her.
It was all very confusing, when she was hit by acidic water
which scalded her flesh. Anger blinded her as she felt pain. She heard him hiss
in fury too. It seemed he felt what she felt too, that he was with her in her
suffering. Emboldened by his support, she tried to fight the bonds. But they
were too strong; she could do nothing.
The last thing she remembered hearing was, “In the Name of
Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, strengthened by the intercession of the
Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of Blessed Michael the Archangel, of the
Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and all the Saints, (and powerful in the holy
authority of our ministry), we confidently undertake to repulse the attacks and
deceits of the devil.”
