Captive

It’s the end of a long and exhausting day.  You say goodnight to your loved ones and slide your feet across the floor to your bed.  The soft pillow and mattress hug your tired body.  Your muscles finally relax, your mind stops racing, and you doze off.

 It might have been the vibrations of the thud caused by the doorknob slamming against the wall—somewhere—downstairs…Or was it the smashing sound and cracking wood, just seconds before that thud?  Something unnatural pierced your dreams and pulled you awake.  Maybe it was the sound, still continuing, of thundering drums spreading throughout your house.  You’re frozen, but instant courage surges through your body at the thought of your child.

 You spring from your bed and reach for the bedroom door.  The sudden explosion of force causes you to recoil, but not before the whipping door catches the back of your hand.  Pain.  Fear—someone is in front of you, several people, and you can’t see their faces.  Why? Everything is happening too fast.  Your mind tries to…they lurch at you with a black cloth aimed at your face.  Darkness!

 You awake on cold stone.  Your muscles hurt.  Where is this?  You spread your fingers wide and rub the floor until you hit a wall.  Your hands help construct a mental picture of the room, too short to stand straight and too narrow to stretch out.  You’re alone, but somebody put you there, the same somebody that has to be outside the room.

“HELP!”

 No answer and no contact forces your mind to attempt  solving this problem…problem?  This is more than a problem!  You’re in this room and your loved ones…oh God!  What happened to them at the house?  Are they okay? 

“Somebody, ANSWER ME!  Where’s my family!”

 Still no contact.  Another day passes.  What did you do?  Your mind wanders to places you long forgot about.  Was it that dumb thing you did in high school that caused this?  Surely not.  What about that time in college, with that group?  No, one night couldn’t justify being locked away.  For the life of you, you can’t figure it out.

 Another day passes.  Still no contact.  You start remember all the wrong things you did in the past, even that time you pocketed that piece of candy.  You’re going crazy.  You hear your name echoing off the cold wet walls, but it’s in the voice of those left in the house.  Your mind can’t take this torture.  Your body can’t go another day without food.  All you need is…

 “Hey.”

You shoot up, smack your head on the low ceiling, crumple to the floor, and pull yourself to the door.  A rectangle of light appears and a set of eyes find you on the floor.  Contact!  Someone else is out there.  You’re not alone.  You start to speak, but a thousand questions bottleneck in your throat.  Before your mind untangles the words, they speak again.

“They’re going to put you to death.”

Shriek—Snap!  The light is gone.  They eyes of judgment vanished.  Put you to death?  Why?!  What did you do?

The next few hours feel like forever.  Your mind focuses on self preservation and justification.  You want answers!

But then you shift your thinking to your loved ones.  Are they okay?  Will they be fine when you’re gone?  You simply want to see them again.

Then you accept the sentencing.  You face your fears.  You know you’re going to die soon, and all you want is to see your loved ones one last time…one last hug…one last kiss.  You want to say goodbye.  The coming death now looks better than the confinement of this cell.

 The ground begins to shake.  That rectangle of light returns and spreads to the edges of the entrance.  Fresh air rushes into the cell and caresses your face.  The outside world has finally been given to you, but only for a moment as they are going to lead you to your death.  In the sudden brightness, you can only see the hand that is inches from your face.  You reach out and grab it to stand.

“Let me help you.”

You shake your head at the words.  Help?  Why would they want to help?  They haven’t answered any of your cries.  They haven’t spoken to you about your family.  They have offered you nothing this entire time.  Then it hits you.  This person is not with those who captured you.  A swift hope rises in your soul. 

The hand that helped you up touches your face.  It wipes away the tears you didn’t know you were crying.  The hand gently brings your face to his chest, and strong arms slide over your shoulders, across your back, and firmly squeeze you…safety.

In that moment, you become as before; you want answers and answers and answers.  But his voice shakes away the questions and brings stillness to your heart.

“I’m here to represent you.  The charges against you call for death.  You’ve come to realize that you’re guilty, but I’m here to take your place.”

You begin to cry harder.  Images of your family bombard your mind.  They will get to see you again.  You will experience freedom once more.  Your life isn’t over, and your death sentence is  being taken by…

“Why?” you ask.

“Because I love you.”

How could they love you?  They don’t even know you.  You don’t even know who he…

“Who are you?”

The single word sticks with you for the rest of your life.  You whisper it when you hear your child’s laughter, when your spouse kisses you, when that blessing comes at the right moment.  That word ignites every passion you feel and joins happiness to your soul every day.  That single word frees you from your sins that held you captive in that cell.

And every time you say it, you feel as free as when he rescued you…Jesus!