Good day everyone! Queen of Spades here. I am so happy to talk about one of the 1st short stories I independently published, entitled "Taint on Religion". The inspiration behind "Taint on Religion" covers the themes of losing faith, desiring salvation, finding a church home, and the conundrum when all isn't as it seems.
Blurb:
After experiencing tragedies that lead her to a checkered life, Natasha has decided to go on the path to redemption. There is promise with her membership at Reverend Jamison’s church. When discoveries are accidentally made, does Natasha stay mum about what she’s learned or does she place a taint on religion?
Excerpt:
My mom told me to never stop loving the Lord or myself, no matter what happened around me. Back then, I didn’t know why she told me that. But I found out soon enough.
After the age of seven, my world came crashing down. My dad turned to the Devil, which hid Himself in a bottle. However, my dad seemed to feel great most of the time when he allowed the Devil to slide down his throat. And I guess my mom didn’t say much because of the way the Devil made my dad feel.
Later on, however, the Devil made my dad mad, and he ended up moody and irritable.
Everything that my mom and I did seemed to piss Dad off. The moodiness and anger grew inside Dad until he became a monster. That monster would make marks upon our bodies that my mom begged me not to say anything to others about. I did what she told me, but one day, the monster punched me in the eye, and I went to school with his mark on me.
The school stole me away from my Dad and Mom. I was glad to be away from the monster my dad had become, but I wished the school had saved my mom. However, I kept remembering Mom’s words: to never stop loving the Lord or myself. I didn’t have any hate towards the Lord then.
More years passed. My mom wrote me a letter, telling me that God had injected her with courage and that she was going to leave the monster. My heart rejoiced. Maybe she and I could be together again. I was eleven at the time, set to be twelve in about a month.
But apparently, God had told her too late.
While my mom dreamed of freedom, the monster sensed she was leaving and placed a tight grip around her throat. My mom tried to yell but no one could hear her. The only thing the neighbors heard was a single gunshot. My dad had fought with the monster for a while but believed he had no other choice but to damn his soul to the Devil.
"Taint on Religion" is available on my website (pdf) or in the Freebie segment of All Authors Publishing House (pdf, epub, or mobi).
Hope you enjoy.
