After her abduction, Ver was thrown into one of the store rooms in this wretched place. The dust and lack of air left her constantly coughing and lethargic. She ignored keeping track of the time because her mind was too broken. The night the fucking Holy leader was supposed to meet her never came. That goon had lied to her. They gave her a single baked bun and a bottle of water for her days in captivity and that was it. She refused to eat it the first day in fear of getting drugged, but hunger soon made its way into her stomach, and she was forced to eat the day-old, stale bun.
Ver made sure to at least save the given water and drink it in sips throughout her captivity. She slept as much as she could to save her energy, but that was becoming tiring quickly. Were they going to just let her rot here her entire life? Was this their means of punishment to quell her rebellious nature towards her mother? Was she going to die here and never be free?
Thoughts like these kept on creeping into her mind. Soon her apprehension grew into desperation. She was willing to do anything if it meant she would regain her freedom. She vowed to never talk back to her mother, take blame for everything that happens in their life, and just fucking shut up.
As though hearing her desperate plea, the door to the store room slowly creaked open. And every promise and vow that she made to herself was thrown out of the window. As soon as the door was completely open, Ver launched herself to escape. The goon was taken aback and was slow to stop her which meant her slipping away from his hands and running past him.
"Stop right there!" Ver heard the goon shout behind her and panicked. She put all the strength left before running but froze when she saw something that made her blood freeze.
An ever-smile on his face was far too familiar to everyone in this town. It always gave her chills and filled her entire being with dread. The same seemed to happen now. All strength in her body drained like it had never been present in the first place. Her thoughts became muddled and her legs felt heavy as the supreme leader of the 'Blindfaith' church stood before her.
The man appeared in their town when Ver was maybe five years old and slowly turned everyone in their town to his side. The ones that didn't believe his preaching and his god were beaten and locked up into submission.
In her high school, some of her classmates agreed with her and realized that he was a fraud, but they too soon succumbed to society's pressure.
"Well, who do we have here?'' His holiness stepped towards her slumped figure, "Isn't this our little Ver?''
Veronica felt like bugs were crawling on her body when he caressed her cheek, "You have become more plump," he squeezed her cheek, "So ripe. You are perfect, my darling"
When he removed his abhorrent hand from her face, Ver let out the breath she was holding back.
"Take good care of her. I don't want her damaged before the Sermon'' With those final words, the leader left the corridor, leaving Ver in the mercy of the same goon that had chased after her.
The latter forcefully pulled her up and dragged her somewhere completely opposite to the store room. Ver observed her surroundings and soon saw something that looked like a green room. Two women in uniformed dresses looked like they worked in the church.
"Get her ready'' the goon pushed her inside and left with those words and a closed door. And she was sure that it was locked from the outside. He wouldn't take another chance of her escaping.
Ver sighed and decided to turn her attention to the women in the room. Any hope of asking them for help dissolved when she observed the look on their faces. They looked at her like a sudden bother that had decided to appear in their perfect lives. Ver refused to believe that their life was perfect in this hellhole.
"I suggest you don't make it more difficult than necessary," one woman said, "Take a bath and wear this, you have a long night to endure"
That almost stopped her heart. Ver couldn't help but ask, "Am I to serve his holiness in the bed?" That notion was not bizarre because she had heard about it happening to other women, but what made her more worried was that she also heard the women completely disappearing from the face of the earth once they were selected by the leader. Nobody knew what happened to them, and no one seemed to question or think it was weird. Even the sheriff of their town turned a blind eye to it, for he was the biggest follower of this church.
And the woman answered proving her doubt to be true, "Offcourse, why else would you be brought here?''
The other woman pushed Ver into the bathroom and entered behind her, "Though I suppose that it is an honor that you don't deserve"
"I don't mind switching places with you then'' Ver snapped back, "You go to him if you think it is so good"
The woman smirked, "I see this is what made you end up here. That sass mouth of yours will get you killed someday''
"I hope for that too" Ver replied not lowering her head, "Anything is better than this''
"Enough of this chatter'' the woman standing outside said stopping them from talking further, "Get on with it Melissa, wash her up and we will be done with it''
"I can wash myself'' Veronica wanted to have even a little bit of control in her life.
The girl inside the bathroom sighed and threw a towel at Ver and said, "Be quick"
Ver turned on the shower and removed her clothes. It wasn't like she had much choice. Her fate was sealed now that she was inside this place. Did her family know about what was about to happen to her? She couldn't help but think. Her mother, who looked down on people who had sex outside marriage, would she think of her own daughter going through this? Ver knew the answer to that last question better than anyone else. Kate, being a religious zealot, would think that a pervert of a holy leader fucking her to be a blessing and her salvation. Although Ver wasn't a Virgin herself, it terrified her to come to terms that she was about to be forced by the pervert.
Tears freely streamed down her cheeks together with the water from the shower. Rubbing off the dirt from her body, she finished her bath before putting on the dress provided for her. It was a white altar robe that is normally worn during sermons. Once she was done, Ver stopped to look at herself in the mirror. Dark curls and a haggard face. In her pure white dress, she looked like a lamb that was ready to be slaughtered.
"Hurry, we don't have all day" She heard someone call her. Ver took a deep breath steeling herself for what was to come. Losing her mind now would only mean giving up. She had to believe in herself and make the best of the next opportunity she would get. It could end her life, but Ver was ready to die trying.
She would never allow that pervert to touch her.
After going out, her hair was dried and styled up. No makeup was applied to her face.
Ver was then taken to the main dias of the church while the audience sat facing her. She saw many familiar faces amongst the crowd. Her family, neighbours, and friends sat there and looked at her like a spectacle. Her ex-fiancé was seated in the front seat with her sister by his side. She didn't miss their intertwined hands and closeness. So this was the woman he loved? Her sister?
Gabrielle, her younger half sister had a smug look on her face as she rested her head on Rick's shoulder. It was like she was trying to rub it in the fact that she stole her sister's fiancé. Was this something to be proud of? Ver just thought that they deserved each other.
Trash belonged in the trash can.
"This is an auspicious day for all of us" Veronica turned around when she heard His Holiness talking on the mic, "Veronica Smith is chosen to be one of God's brides"
That basically meant he would be fucking her in proxy to his God.
He smiled at her as he continued, "Like the other wives, she will be provided with, protected from harm, and will be loved by none other than our supreme Lord"
'Bullshit' Veronica thought while he added, "Praise the Lord and receive his blessings!"
"Praise the Lord!"
"Praise the Lord!"
The crowd started chanting while Ver felt like dying. She refused to look at her mother for she knew she wouldn't like what she would see. If her mom really liked her, by now she would have stopped the sermon and taken her back home. Every hypocrite here knew the fate of that man's brides but did nothing to stop it. They thought of this as an honor but Ver knew it better. This was a sacrifice. Her end.
From that point on, everything moved slowly for Veronica. Her hands were tied behind her back, and a black piece of cloth covered her eyes before she was ushered somewhere.