Dare to Die
By Karyn Knight
Herded with the other prisoners
By Karyn Knight
Herded with the other prisoners
into the dank putrid-smelling room, Stacey leaned against a brick wall, sliding down to the cold cement floor. Subconsciously, she tugged at her gray jumpsuit and slowly rubbed her arms, trying to keep warm. She stifled a cough.
The police officer's words came rushing into her mind. "There is no God. There is only the here and now. There is no God to rescue you."
No God to rescue me?
She thought of her parents, gunned down by the police who came to arrest them for violating the United States' loyalty laws passed before they were even born. They'd found her hidden in a closet and dragged her away, taking her to camp. Taking her here.
Why were Mom and Dad so foolish? All they had to do was stay quiet. Practice the faith in secret. Stay safe.
But no, they had to speak out and tell people about a God who came down to this Earth, born as a baby among men, who died to save them. Died to save His people from their sins.
But where was God now? He was a Savior, wasn't He? Why did He let His people die like that? Murdered in cold blood?
Stacey looked around her at the other prisoners. They huddled together, spoke in faint whispers. Most were older than she was, but she saw one or two who looked her age. She wondered what they were thinking. Had their parents been killed, too? Were they feeling the same grief that threatened to swallow her up?
The humming of the electro-field shut off and Stacey looked up, expecting to see more prisoners arrive. But instead, a guard stepped inside, followed by a man in a business suit.
She stifled a gasp as she recognized him. Uncle Ernest! What was he doing here? He couldn't be another prisoner, could he?
"Stacey. Stacey Ramiro." It took her a moment to realize her uncle was calling her name. "Stacey Ramiro?"
She was confused. What was going on? Were they going to torture her? But this was her uncle. Surely he wouldn't do anything to hurt her. She stood and waded through the crowd, approaching him.
"Stacey!" He placed his arm protectively around her shoulders and ushered her into the corridor. "Are you all right? I heard what happened."
She couldn't say anything, didn't know what to say, so she just nodded.
Uncle Ernest led her inside an office and seated her in one of the chairs by the secretary's desk. Another guard came in holding a cup of coffee and gave it to her.
Stacey accepted it gratefully and took a few sips. "Uncle Ernest? What's going on?"
"I talked to the commanding officer, Stacey." He sat next to her. "I explained to him that you didn't have anything to do with the underground. Just trying to be an obedient daughter, caught up in something you didn't understand. I was able to convince him to let you go."
"Really?" A burst of hope went through her.
"Yes. There's one condition though." Ernest took an electronic pad and pen from the desk. "All you have to do is sign this and you're free."
Free? It sounded too good to be true. Setting the cup down on the desk, she took the pad and started to read it, scrolling down toward the end.
Her heart sank. She had to pledge undying loyalty to the state. She had to renounce the illegal actions of her parents. She had to deny God's existence.
Again the officer's voice echoed in her mind. "There is no God. There is only the here and now. There is no God to rescue you."
"I..." She licked her lips. "I... " She glanced up at her uncle's expectant face. Freedom was so near; she could almost taste it. All she'd have to do sign her name. Sign and she would be free.
But deny God? The very thought scared her. "What if..." Stacey was afraid to ask the question, but she knew she had to. "What happens if I don't sign?"
A frown flickered over her uncle's face, before he replaced it with a smile. "I won't be able to help you, Stacey. You have to sign if you want to go free. If you don't, you'll be returned with the other prisoners."
To my death. "But Uncle, I'm not sure I should sign it."
"Stacey, all you have to do is sign." His voice took on an urgent tone. "It's just words on a screen. It doesn't mean anything. You're the only family I've got left. I've already lost my sister and her husband; I can't lose you, too!"
Stacey hesitated. She wanted to sign. She fought to keep her hand from betraying her and scribbling her signature on the bottom of the pad.
"Stacey," he whispered, "you can believe quietly, in your heart. Wouldn't it be better to live than die?"
Why did Mom and Dad die? They could have lived. They could have taken the easy way out, but why didn't they? What was so important to them that they risked death?
For so long, my faith has been borrowed, resting on their shoulders. But now it's time for their faith to become mine. I can't deny Him.
"I'm sorry. I can't sign this, Uncle Ernest. There is a God." With boldness entering her voice, she said it again, loud enough for the guards to hear. "There is a God! I know it. And not just any God but a God of love, of justice and mercy. A God who was fully revealed in Jesus Christ, my Lord and my God."
Her uncle was frantic. "You're committing suicide!"
With tears trickling down her cheek, Stacey knew she had a limited window of opportunity. "Uncle, you need Him. You need to surrender your life to Him."
One of the guards came forward and grabbed hold of her arm.
She willingly let him take her away into the corridor. "Mom and Dad didn't die for nothing. If Christ isn't worth dying for, He isn't worth living for."
Then the door slid shut, both literally and metaphorically. The guards took her down the corridor and returned her to the cell.
A momentary doubt crossed her mind. She wondered if she just made a huge mistake. If she just squandered the only chance to be free, to live. But she knew she was safer in God's hands. If He provided a way to escape without needing to blaspheme His Name, she'd take it, but if He meant for her to go to glory, so be it.
Exhaustion finally overtook her and she fell asleep. She awoke to the sound of several guards coming in to round the prisoners up. So I am to die today.
"Lord, help me," she whispered as fear rose up in her heart. "I will not be afraid, for You are with me." Shaking, she followed several others as the guards herded them outside into the bright sun. She squinted and shaded her eyes, all the while they strode closer to the fence surrounding the complex.
A row of gunmen stood with their rifles, and the prisoners were lined up in front of them.
God help me!
An officer paced back and forth behind them. "If any of you want to live, all you have to do is renounce God and we'll let you go."
Not a soul said a word.
The officer nodded to the gunmen and they took aim. Stacey stared straight ahead at the rifle pointed directly at her. Seconds to live. Seconds to die. A dozen gunshots filled the air.
}
~~~~~ <~
}
The police officer's words came rushing into her mind. "There is no God. There is only the here and now. There is no God to rescue you."
No God to rescue me?
She thought of her parents, gunned down by the police who came to arrest them for violating the United States' loyalty laws passed before they were even born. They'd found her hidden in a closet and dragged her away, taking her to camp. Taking her here.
Why were Mom and Dad so foolish? All they had to do was stay quiet. Practice the faith in secret. Stay safe.
But no, they had to speak out and tell people about a God who came down to this Earth, born as a baby among men, who died to save them. Died to save His people from their sins.
But where was God now? He was a Savior, wasn't He? Why did He let His people die like that? Murdered in cold blood?
Stacey looked around her at the other prisoners. They huddled together, spoke in faint whispers. Most were older than she was, but she saw one or two who looked her age. She wondered what they were thinking. Had their parents been killed, too? Were they feeling the same grief that threatened to swallow her up?
The humming of the electro-field shut off and Stacey looked up, expecting to see more prisoners arrive. But instead, a guard stepped inside, followed by a man in a business suit.
She stifled a gasp as she recognized him. Uncle Ernest! What was he doing here? He couldn't be another prisoner, could he?
"Stacey. Stacey Ramiro." It took her a moment to realize her uncle was calling her name. "Stacey Ramiro?"
She was confused. What was going on? Were they going to torture her? But this was her uncle. Surely he wouldn't do anything to hurt her. She stood and waded through the crowd, approaching him.
"Stacey!" He placed his arm protectively around her shoulders and ushered her into the corridor. "Are you all right? I heard what happened."
She couldn't say anything, didn't know what to say, so she just nodded.
Uncle Ernest led her inside an office and seated her in one of the chairs by the secretary's desk. Another guard came in holding a cup of coffee and gave it to her.
Stacey accepted it gratefully and took a few sips. "Uncle Ernest? What's going on?"
"I talked to the commanding officer, Stacey." He sat next to her. "I explained to him that you didn't have anything to do with the underground. Just trying to be an obedient daughter, caught up in something you didn't understand. I was able to convince him to let you go."
"Really?" A burst of hope went through her.
"Yes. There's one condition though." Ernest took an electronic pad and pen from the desk. "All you have to do is sign this and you're free."
Free? It sounded too good to be true. Setting the cup down on the desk, she took the pad and started to read it, scrolling down toward the end.
Her heart sank. She had to pledge undying loyalty to the state. She had to renounce the illegal actions of her parents. She had to deny God's existence.
Again the officer's voice echoed in her mind. "There is no God. There is only the here and now. There is no God to rescue you."
"I..." She licked her lips. "I... " She glanced up at her uncle's expectant face. Freedom was so near; she could almost taste it. All she'd have to do sign her name. Sign and she would be free.
But deny God? The very thought scared her. "What if..." Stacey was afraid to ask the question, but she knew she had to. "What happens if I don't sign?"
A frown flickered over her uncle's face, before he replaced it with a smile. "I won't be able to help you, Stacey. You have to sign if you want to go free. If you don't, you'll be returned with the other prisoners."
To my death. "But Uncle, I'm not sure I should sign it."
"Stacey, all you have to do is sign." His voice took on an urgent tone. "It's just words on a screen. It doesn't mean anything. You're the only family I've got left. I've already lost my sister and her husband; I can't lose you, too!"
Stacey hesitated. She wanted to sign. She fought to keep her hand from betraying her and scribbling her signature on the bottom of the pad.
"Stacey," he whispered, "you can believe quietly, in your heart. Wouldn't it be better to live than die?"
Why did Mom and Dad die? They could have lived. They could have taken the easy way out, but why didn't they? What was so important to them that they risked death?
For so long, my faith has been borrowed, resting on their shoulders. But now it's time for their faith to become mine. I can't deny Him.
"I'm sorry. I can't sign this, Uncle Ernest. There is a God." With boldness entering her voice, she said it again, loud enough for the guards to hear. "There is a God! I know it. And not just any God but a God of love, of justice and mercy. A God who was fully revealed in Jesus Christ, my Lord and my God."
Her uncle was frantic. "You're committing suicide!"
With tears trickling down her cheek, Stacey knew she had a limited window of opportunity. "Uncle, you need Him. You need to surrender your life to Him."
One of the guards came forward and grabbed hold of her arm.
She willingly let him take her away into the corridor. "Mom and Dad didn't die for nothing. If Christ isn't worth dying for, He isn't worth living for."
Then the door slid shut, both literally and metaphorically. The guards took her down the corridor and returned her to the cell.
A momentary doubt crossed her mind. She wondered if she just made a huge mistake. If she just squandered the only chance to be free, to live. But she knew she was safer in God's hands. If He provided a way to escape without needing to blaspheme His Name, she'd take it, but if He meant for her to go to glory, so be it.
Exhaustion finally overtook her and she fell asleep. She awoke to the sound of several guards coming in to round the prisoners up. So I am to die today.
"Lord, help me," she whispered as fear rose up in her heart. "I will not be afraid, for You are with me." Shaking, she followed several others as the guards herded them outside into the bright sun. She squinted and shaded her eyes, all the while they strode closer to the fence surrounding the complex.
A row of gunmen stood with their rifles, and the prisoners were lined up in front of them.
God help me!
An officer paced back and forth behind them. "If any of you want to live, all you have to do is renounce God and we'll let you go."
Not a soul said a word.
The officer nodded to the gunmen and they took aim. Stacey stared straight ahead at the rifle pointed directly at her. Seconds to live. Seconds to die. A dozen gunshots filled the air.
}
~~~~~ <~
}
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Karyn Knight is a pen name for a 19 year old college student majoring in Information Systems. She is the oldest of four children and besides writing science fiction, she enjoys computers, reading, knitting and occasionally playing the piano. You can find Karyn’s other writing project Nighthawk the Series at: http://www.nighthawkseries.com
Karyn Knight is a pen name for a 19 year old college student majoring in Information Systems. She is the oldest of four children and besides writing science fiction, she enjoys computers, reading, knitting and occasionally playing the piano. You can find Karyn’s other writing project Nighthawk the Series at: http://www.nighthawkseries.com
