The Beloved Daughter by Alana Terry Read Free Book Online Page A

providence which led me to the detention center, because it was there that I met the Old Woman.
    Starved and battered, my body broken after years of punishment for my alleged sins, I was dying. I had been feverish for several days and was already beginning to hallucinate. Visions of eternal torture and unrest tormented me. I didn’t remember enough of my father’s Bible to know if I would be welcomed into a blissful paradise when I died or if a future of even greater torture and torment awaited me. I knew I should be frightened, but my body was too weak, my brain too affected by the fever to think clearly. In my delirium, I couldn’t even tell if the beings walking outside my cell were real men or not. At times I imagined they were either angels or demons coming to escort me to my eternal destiny.
    “What about this one?” one of the creatures said.
    “She’s not going to last long anyway.” The voices sounded disorganized and chaotic. My eyes were closed. Rainbow-colored waves crashed and spiraled around in front of me.
    “All the better. I still don’t understand why the commander agreed to her request.”
    “You know her story. No one dares to deny the Old Woman anything.” The creatures were in my cell. I opened my eyes but couldn’t focus on anything. Black boots came closer and then receded until they were small specks in the distance.
    “When did the prisoners in solitary confinement earn the right to request cellmates?”
    The two bodies picked me up by my hands and feet. At their touch, I realized the men were made of flesh and bones. I tried to twist myself free. Did they think I was already dead? Were they there to bury me prematurely? I wanted to call out, but my mouth was parched and my throat burned.
    “You know how it is with the Old Woman. Even the Commander is afraid of her.”
    “After what happened, I don’t blame him.”
    They carried me down a set of stairs. I never knew there were more levels in the underground detainment center. Was this where they stored the corpses? I strained to free myself from their hold.
    “She’s convulsing.” The guard at my arms grabbed me even more tightly.
    “Looks like the Old Woman’s guest might not be as good of company as she expected.” The men chuckled while bright and magnificent colors spiraled in front of my eyes. I no longer felt the men at my hands and feet, nor could I sense my body swaying between them. A spiraling rainbow danced before me, lulling me into a painless, dreamless slumber.
     

     
    The next thing I saw was a pair of blue eyes staring down at me. I blinked and sat up with ease. The burning fever that raged through my body for the past several days was gone. My throat wasn’t sore or swollen anymore. I readily found my voice.
    “What happened?” I asked, staring into a face full of deep wrinkles and furrows. I had never before met a Korean with such eyes.
    “You are well again,” sang out a deep, craggy voice. “The Lord Almighty has granted you healing.” Was this an angel? I glanced around to determine if I was dead or alive. My body no longer ached, but I was confined in a small cement cell. I still wore the same oversized prison uniform I was given years ago. It was stained with blood and bile. This was certainly not heaven, but I felt healthier and stronger than I had in weeks. I couldn’t be in hell either.
    “Where am I?”
    The Old Woman’s entire face smiled. Her blue eyes twinkled. “You are in the humble cell of Myong Kyung-Soon. And I welcome you, blessed child. You are my very first guest in twenty-three years.”
    I stared at this ancient, blue-eyed Korean. She reached into her prison uniform and pulled out a piece of bread. I wondered if my mind was deceiving me. During my time as a prisoner, I had forgotten the taste and texture of bread entirely.
    “Please eat with me, righteous daughter.”
    “You know my name?” I questioned.
    The Old Woman studied me for a moment. “Yes, you are a righteous