(This is a story about lesbian love. If you do not like to read about lesbians and their love, I suggest you find another story more to your tastes. Thank you.)
(Author's note: This story is very much connected with The Devil's Advocate, parts 1 and 2, as well as Fortune's Wiles, part 2. For full appreciation of this story, it is suggested that these be read first.)
Chapter 1
"My friends, my brothers and sisters in Christ who is our lord and savior, I beg you to be pure, to follow God's will, his commandments. Let not your person be deceived by the devil, Satan, that deceiver from the start. Do not permit him to lay hold of your heart or your mind. He is a sly one, and he ever looks to see who he can snare.
"Now there are those these days that are godless, and their minds have already been deceived; they are caught up in the ways of the worldβthe devil's world, the devil's ways. Beware of all of those who try to tell you things that are very ungodly, that will earn you an eternity if the fiery depths of hell.
"There are many who are now saying that we should allow men to marry men, women to marry women. Do not be fooled! Homosexuality is an abomination before our God, and they are doomed to burn in the everlasting fires prepared for them in hell. Yes! Prepared for them! And God has already warned them, and us too, with his displeasure with them by visiting that plague especially for them as a sign to us all. AIDS is God's scourge on them. Beware! Be wise! Be ever Godly!
"They will burn in that fiery furnace for their iniquity, for leading so many astray. Will you be one of them? One of those who will scream for mercy when you are dead and not in God's presence, but are a servant of the devil unto eternity? The bible is clear. The word of God is known to us through it--thou shalt no lie with another of the same sex as you would with your husband or wife. If you do, you are an abomination to God and doomed forever and ever!"
Quite often he shouted. As he spoke, I sensed the sweat of worry on my body. I was damned! Oh, God, please help me; forgive me. I don't want to live in hell for eternity. I don't! Help me. Help me please.
And always, my mother and father were shouting their approval of all our preacher said. 'Amen, brother!' they would shout continually. I was in hell already, my mind worrying that somehow I would tell them how I felt within myself, how I quickly turned my head so many times whenever I noticed a cute, or pretty, or beautiful girl, or even an older woman.
This body of mine that is damned wanted to be with them, with one of them. Any one of them! Oh, I burned to be with one, but I didn't want to displease God, and I didn't want to burn in hell. What was I to do? What could I do? Would this never end in me?
"Brethren, God said that all such should be put to death. We don't do that anymore, but maybe we should. We're bringing God's wrath down on ourselves. We need to purify our society, our communities, even our churches.
"No, I don't know of any here that are homosexual, but you never know. As I said, as the bible tells us, the devil is a wily one. Let us pray that none here have succumbed to his temptations."
Once, when he was really worked up to a fever pitch, he had scared me so much that I went up at the altar call and gave my life to God, to Jesus, for I didn't want to burn in hell. As I went up, I cried.
"My child, why are you here now? Are you answering the call to belong to Jesus, to profess him as your savior?" he had asked gently, his loud, searing voice suddenly gone.
All I could do was to nod.
"Do you confess that Jesus is your lord and savior?"
"Yes," my voice squeaked the word out.
"And do you wish to be baptized, to be buried to this world, and to rise up a new person in Jesus' kingdom?"
"Yes," my voice became stronger, my crumbling mind desperate to be relieved of its miseryβmy misery.
"Are there any others here who would follow our dear sister Anise, and give their life to God, to proclaim Jesus as our savior?"
I just knew I was doing the right thing. I may not have been twelve yet, but I had already started having my period. And I was becoming more and more aware of other girls, even grown women. I needed to be saved.
When it was the moment to go and change into the baptismal gown, I wondered if it would be him doing the baptizing. It was, but he had one of the women of the church to help me change. I couldn't wait to be baptized for the woman, Mrs. Alexander, was one of the one's who had caught my sinful eye. I dared not look at her, and dared not think anything at all for if I did, I knew I'd be saying or doing something that would damn me forever. I had to be baptized, and quickly. Jesus had to help me. He had to!
The gown was thick, and nothing showed through, but to make sure, I had a pair of thick cotton panties, and a similar bra for my breasts were already out, a signal to all to have sex with me, that my body was ripening, and most likely wanting. We had each of us changed behind separate screens, so that was good, I thought then.
With the preacher, Mrs. Alexander stood in the baptismal font near to me. Very carefully, the pastor raised his right hand over his head, and pronounced the words of the baptismal rites. Mrs. Alexander held my hands as I was submerged, then helped me up. As my head was out of the water, I saw her smiling brightly at me, happy.
But I wasn't!
The new woman in me that cried out for another woman felt her hands in mine and wanted to hold her close, to let her know what I felt for her. My tears came again, but all thought it was from the knowledge that I now belonged to Jesus, that they were tears of the joyful knowledge that I was saved. Still, it worried me that someone would know, would see past and know what all the others didn't know.
When we went back to put on our clothes, I was shaking somewhat, and worked to control it. I thought I was successful until I heard Mrs. Alexander.
"Oh, darn it. Anise, would you mind helping me. I don't know why, but I can't seem to latch my bra back. Mercy, I've never had this problem. Please?" she entreated me softly, coming out from behind the screen.
She was in her nylons, heels, and panties, the bra straps being held loosely by her, yet revealing a portion of what I imagined were her gorgeous breasts. The little I saw of their outer sides certainly looked gorgeous to me--gorgeous and deliciously sweet even back then. My nerves began their unwanted dance within my body.