Nelly's Story

After starting her new job in the city, Nellie would spend her weekends with her parents and her younger sister. She had moved from her parent’s farm to a small apartment in the city. It was close to her job so that she could walk to work. Nellie’s new house often felt lonely and empty, so she enjoyed her weekend visits with her parents. She was teaching three English classes and a Literature class at the college. So grading papers in her office and preparing for classes took up most of her evenings. This was her first semester as a teacher and her first time living away from her parent’s home.

During her interview for the position at the college, she had to face a panel of professors who each asked her several questions. One of the questions she was asked was whether she could teach a religiously diverse group of students, even though their beliefs were different than her Christian beliefs.

After the interview was over, the Dean shook her hand and smiled. She couldn’t tell from his demeanor whether she had a chance at getting hired or not. She was nervous the whole time, and she felt like she had completely blown her interview.

Later that week, however, she got the phone call she had been waiting on. She was offered a full-time position with the English department. After she finished the call, she ran to her mother and excitedly shared the news.

That weekend her mother took her shopping. She needed sensible clothing and shoes now that she was a professor at a college. They spent hours at the stores trying on different outfits. After settling on several blouses and slacks, they found a pair of shoes that would go with just about anything. Afterward, when they were satisfied with the clothing, they went to the salon so Nellie could get her hair cut in a sensible style. She had always worn her auburn hair in a long ponytail. She would have to get used to a businesswoman bob cut.

Her first day at the college was exciting. The English department was in the oldest building on campus. It was a three-story building built of gray stone blocks. The stone had weathered, and it had dark streaks running down the facade. The windows were at least ten feet tall. The window ledges were made of light gray marble. The grand entrance had a wide staircase that narrowed as it reached the large double doors. The doors were heavy dark oak. Each door had etched glass windows that ran down their center.

She started up the staircase, and a young woman met her at the door. “You must be Nellie. Follow me; we have a lot of paperwork to fill out. The young lady guided her to the business office and asked her to sit in a chair next to a desk. After the young lady was seated, she began pulling papers out of a file drawer next to her desk. “We have a butt load of papers for you to sign.” Nellie smiled at the young girl. “And you are?” Oh, I’m sorry, I’m Jamie, and I am the department secretary.

After a full morning of signing papers and then being briefed on things about internet usage and how much it would cost if she lost her keys as well as the fraternization policy, she was more than ready to leave that office.

Just as she had finished with her paperwork, the Dean met with her and then took her around to meet the other professors in her department. Nearly everyone was welcoming and friendly. Several of them joined her for lunch. Some of them gave her advice, others just visited. However, one of the Professors stopped her in the hall and told her, “I know you go to Church, I don’t like churchgoers, and I don’t like you.” Then he said. “You people represent everything that’s wrong with this country. Don’t plan on being here long.”

Nellie told the head of her department, Professor Amanda Rain, about the incident. Amanda told her not to worry. She said, “He is just a grouchy old man. He has been there for years, and he likes to intimidate the new staff.”

She had only been working at the college for a few months when she received a note in her mailbox at the college. The note read, ’They are coming for you.’ That evening Nellie called her father and told him about the note. He asked, “Have you been watching the news? Our politicians are calling Christians enemies of the state. The President has asked Homeland Security to investigate all Evangelical Churches. So you need to be careful.” Nellie said quietly, “We are Evangelical Christians.” He said, “I know Hun; that’s why you need to be careful.”

That evening when she was watching the local news, the reporter was talking about the Evangelical threat. The reporter accused the Christians of election fraud and using social media to influence the US election outcomes.

A few nights later, she watched the news when the President announced that he was creating a new cabinet post. He was appointed a Religious Czar to look into the widespread dissent among religious groups in the U.S.”

She looked up at the television when she heard the reporter talking about a breaking news story. The reporter was saying that war had broken out in the Middle East. Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon had attacked Israel. In response, Israel had bombed Damascus. The city was in ruins. Israel had also bombed the Syrian President’s palace killing the President and members of his family. In response to Israel’s attack, Muslim protests had spread across Europe and the U.S. There was a video of Muslims smashing Church windows and attacking Christians on the street.

Early the next morning, she jumped out of bed and started her morning routine. After getting ready for work, she rushed out the door. As she walked to work, she had the feeling someone was following her. Suddenly two police officers stepped in front of her. One of the officers asked to see her identification. Then he said, “This is her.” The officer arrested her. While they were handcuffing her, she tried to ask them why she was being arrested; they would only say it was for her protection.

They drove her to a jail compound, and she was taken to the front desk. One of the officers simply said, “We have another one.” Then an officer came through a door and lead Nellie down a hallway, into the jailhouse.

She left her with an angry-looking man who was carrying a bundle of clothing. He escorted her to a jail cell. He pushed her into the jail cell and then dropped the bundle on the floor. He said, “Strip down.” As she started to undress the officer stressed: “remove everything including your undergarments, and place them in this bag”. He tossed a brown paper bag on the floor and then watched her as she got undressed. When she put the last of her clothing in the brown paper bag, he took it from her. The man said, “Lift your hair.” He shined his flashlight at the sides of her head. He looked in her mouth and told her to lift her tongue. He looked at her armpits and her breasts. Then he shined his flashlight in her most private areas and he ordered to spread them open. After he looked at the bottom of her bare feet he said, “Get dressed.” He pointed to the bundle of clothing on the floor.

As he left he shut the heavy metal cell door. She lifted the orange jumpsuit and an ugly brown pair of flip-flops out of the bag and looked at them. A stern voice came through the door. “I said get dressed.” “I need my underclothes.” She replied. “Where the hell do you think you are…The Hilton? Get your nasty ass dressed now.” Nellie put on the jumpsuit and zipped it up, then slid her feet into the hard rubber flip-flops.

Every day now for nearly a week Nellie awoke in the same dark gray room. Twice a day she watched as the tray slot it opened. She swung her legs over the side of the bunk and stepped over to the door to take the tray from the officer, and then she thanked him. He never answered, but continued on his way.

She sat on her bunk and opened the cover to her tray. The tray held a pale yellowish clump of beans and rice with a few small diced vegetables mixed in a watery sauce, and next to that was a dry cube of bread. Every meal had been the same the entire week. Her jail cell was small, maybe eight feet wide and ten feet long. Her only view outside of her cell was a long slender window on the door, which the officers used to peer in occasionally. The walls, floor, and ceiling were unpainted concrete. The only light was a single bulb in the ceiling. In one corner of her cell was a metal toilet with a small sink. Her bunk was a three-foot by eight-foot slab of concrete in the back of her cell. The concrete slab had a thin gray mattress with a fitted sheet and a wool blanket. She had a small pillow that was covered with the same gray vinyl as the mattress.

After she finished her meal she set the tray on the floor. Silence filled her cell. Then, once again two police officers charged through her cell door and grabbed her. They handcuffed her wrists together so tight that it felt like the metal was cutting into her wrist. Then one stood behind her and held her arms while others stood in front of her and then once again, the man in front of her slapped Nellie so hard that she almost lost consciousness.

The man behind her grabbed her by the hair and pulled her face up so the other man could slap her again. She felt like her knees were going to buckle. The man behind her jabbed his fist into her spine. “Stand your ass up.” He said.

She tried to speak when the man in front of her grabbed her throat and squeezed. Her face felt like it was burning, and she felt her blood rushing to her head. He let go of her neck and grinned, then said. “We don’t want anything from you.” He said, “We were told to question you. I keep telling them that you are being uncooperative.”

After they left she pulled her blanket off of the bed and pulled it over her shoulders so that it hung around her like a cape. She stood in the middle of her cell and cried for a while. This attack was more brutal than before. Finally, she sat on the edge of her bunk. Her stomach was cramping now so she laid down in the fetal position.

She was awoken to the sounds of screams from somewhere close by. Her face felt numb and swollen and her head ached as she tried to sit up. She heard loud distorted voices and more screaming. Nellie covered her ears. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. The screams were even louder than ever before and the loud voices sounded cruel. Finally, it all stopped, and then a heavy metal door slammed. The muffled voices and footsteps faded with their harsh laughter.

She could hear someone weeping in the distance. She looked out of the window on her door, into the dark hallway. She couldn’t see very far down the hall in either direction. She didn’t see anyone in the hall so she called out to the person crying. As soon as she did an officer came toward her door. He hit the door hard and the sound echoed through her cell.

Nellie sat on her bunk and listened to the crying. Her stomach cramped so much that it made her ball up a little as she sat. Then she heard the cell door open. The same two officers entered her cell. One of them grabbed her and shoved her against the wall. “You stand when I enter the room. Nellie was shaking as she stood. One of the men handed her a tablet and pen. He said, “They want you to write the names of everyone in your church.”

As the two men left the room she curled up on her bunk. She cried softly as she tried to picture the faces of the people in her Church. “The jokes on them, I never could remember people’s names.” She said quietly. She must have fallen asleep because she awoke to an angry voice. “Get up!” he ordered. She rolled to the edge of the bed and tried to sit. “You look like shit,” the officer said just before slapping her across her face.

She was lying on her bed, in pain when the two officers stood over her. “Just tell us who you were meeting with? Where did you meet for Church? Sit up!” The taller officer grabbed her by her hair and pulled her to her feet. He punched her stomach and a sickening pain shot through her body. As she doubled over in pain, the two officers began kicking her. She went limp and could no longer protect herself from their attack—then everything went black.

Through a haze, she remembered a soldier rolled a gurney next to her. Then he and another soldier carefully lifted her onto a backboard and lifted it onto the gurney. They hurried her out of the cell and into the hallway. They turned down the hall and rushed past the cell doors that lined the hall.

They reached a door at the end of the hall and paused for a moment. No one spoke as the door made a loud metallic popping sound. They hurried through the door, down a hall, through another door. They finally reached a double door and hurried her into an ambulance.

When she awoke again there was medical staff standing on both sides of her. A man in a white lab coat spoke urgently, giving orders to the other people in the room. The only thing she could remember was someone saying “Prep her right away.” The woman on her left cut off the jumpsuit. Then everything went black again.

Nellie awoke to the sound of someone moving around near her. She tried to open her eyes but could only open one partway. She saw a young girl soldier adjusting the drip of the IV next to her bed. She tried to speak but her throat was so dry that her words were more of a croak.

The Soldier left for a moment, then returned with a cup filled with water. “Sip this slowly.” After she swallowed a little bit of water her throat felt better. “Where am I?” She asked. The Soldier pulled the sheet back and looked at her tummy then said, “In recovery. My name is Dianna; I’ll be your Nurse while you are here.”

The Soldier left her side and went to the Nurse’s station. She seemed busy, so Nellie didn’t bother her with any more questions. She looked around the room and noticed that she wasn’t in the jail compound.

She tried to sit up a little but it hurt too much and she felt weak. The Soldier saw her and the helper adjust her pillow. “Relax a little while. You need to let the anesthesia wear off before you try to move.” Nellie didn’t remember falling back to sleep, but the next time she awoke; she was back in her cell. She was still in her hospital gown, but she was on her bunk and now she had a real pillow. She slowly sat up and slid her legs over the side of her bunk. As she sat her feet on the floor, she noticed a bag next to her bunk.

She tried to lean over and reach for it but she still hurt too much. She leaned back slowly and opened her gown. Looking down at the bruises that covered her body, and then at the wound on her belly. She saw that several stitches were holding the cut closed. Slowly and gently she scooted back on her bunk and laid her head on her pillow. She curled up on her side and before long, drifted back to sleep.

She was awakened by Dianna, the Nurse. She wasn’t sure how long she had slept but she felt weak and tired. The Nurse took her temperature and checked her pulse, then looked at her bruises and wound. Then Dianna sat down next to her and smiled. You seem to be doing ok. Nellie tried to smile, but her swollen face felt funny.

She reached over and placed her hand on Nellie’s shoulder. “They won’t be back. The Military took this installation from Home Land Security. Nellie leaned toward her and in a hoarse voice asked. “What happened to the girl down the hall? I heard her screaming. It sounded like she was being killed.” Dianna’s expression changed, she almost looked angry. “We took custody of this installation. The situation with that girl is under control.

“Were they torturing her?” she asked. The Nurse didn’t answer. “So why was she screaming and crying?” Dianna looked irritated at Nellie but still didn’t answer. “Will the Army torture me?” “No, we don’t torture people. Nellie paused for a moment. “Can I ever get out of here?” “Yes.” Dianna smiled. “You are being transferred as soon as you are well enough to travel.”

“So you aren’t letting me go, are you sending me to another prison?” Dianna looked into Nellie’s eyes but didn’t answer. Finally, she said, “These are difficult times. They have gathered all of you up and are housing you in camps for your protection.” Nellie asked, “How is locking me in a prison and beating me supposed to be for my protection? And, who gets to decide if someone needs this kind of protection?” “You won’t stay in jail; you are being moved to a relocation camp. No one will hurt you anymore.”

Nellie was still angry; it felt good to have someone to release her anger on. Nellie asked, “How can you round us up and throw us in prison like this? “We haven’t done anything wrong.” Dianna said, “You have done nothing wrong? You and your people refuse to abandon your archaic religion even after the President orders it. ” Nellie was angry and asked, “What happened to our constitutional rights? Besides the fact that Christians started this country and it was Christians who formed our Military. And now you guys took everything I owned. You took me from a life that I had just begun, and stuck me in here and tortured me.” Nellie’s eyes felt hot and she could feel her tears welling up but she didn’t want to cry.

Dianna was angry as she stood up and faced Nellie. “Your people are the reason you are here. Our country joined the rest of the world and you Christians refused to join us. When our country joined the ‘One World Peace Plan’ you Christians protested and clung to your ancient cult. You and your people are not going to stand in the way of that peace.” Then she said. “Well, I guess we both know why you’re here.” Dianna started to leave then paused. “I might be able to help you, but you have to agree to denounce your religion.” Nellie looked away from the Nurse, toward the wall. “Be sensible you can lie. Later when you have your hearing; you’ll have the chance to make all of this go away. Just tell them that you are no longer a Christian.”

The Nurse walked out and shut the heavy steel door and locked it. Once more Nellie was alone. Nellie was wondering what she meant when the Nurse said that she was going to have a hearing. Then she remembered something she had read in the Bible. Something about not being afraid when they bring you before a judge. She couldn’t remember where it was in the Bible, but she remembered reading it. God would give her the words to say.

The next morning Dianna, the Nurse came to check on Nellie. The stitches were red and swollen and a little irritating. She had asked the Nurse if the cut was infected but she didn’t answer. After she was finished, she gave Nellie a shot to help her fight off the infection.

Every morning and every evening the Nurse came in and checked on her. She would stay and visit a little while before leaving. Nellie figured it must have been five or six days; the Nurse had just finished removing the stitches, two more soldiers entered her cell. “Get dressed. You are coming with us,” one of the soldiers said, tossing a bag on the floor. She pulled on the orange jumpsuit and slipped her feet into the ugly rubber slippers. Then a soldier handcuffed her wrists behind her back and led her out of her cell.

They led her down the long halls and out into the sunlight. She hadn’t seen the sun for over a week and the light hurt her eyes. It seemed so bright now and the air smells so fresh.

Two soldiers led her across the compound to a parking lot. As she was walking to the bus she noticed that the compound was fenced in by a tall fence topped with razor wire. They led her toward a group of prisoners who were waiting to board a bus. When they reached the group, one of the soldiers told her to turn and face away from him so he could remove her handcuffs. After taking off her handcuffs, one of the soldiers ordered them all to get on the bus.

In the line of people waiting to board the bus, she was behind a man who was tall and athletic. He stood with his shoulders slumped and looking down; he looked completely defeated. She asked him where he thought they were going. He said in a soft voice, “We are being taken to a judge who will sentence us I suppose.” “Sentence us? For what?” she asked. He didn’t answer.