Pleasure's Spear

by Shannon Cook

  I'm sorry.

  With Love, Alex."

  Alex's father sighed deeply. "That party was a huge mistake." He placed the letter down onto the table. "We should've asked if it was alright with them. Instead of forcing it on them." Nate hugged his wife tightly and began to uncontrollably cry.

  Chapter 6

  A couple of days later, Mandy's father Lee sat down at the breakfast table drinking coffee and began reading the morning paper. While he was reading the paper, he came across Alex's obituary. "Well, there's one less gay person in this world. Good riddance!"

  Barb sat down with her cup of coffee. "What do you mean by that Lee?" she asked.

  Lee turned the paper around and pointed to the obituary. "Mandy's lover Alex passed away."

  Barb was shocked! "I wonder what happened."

  Lee just shrugged and sipped his coffee. "Who knows. Just good riddance is all I have to say."

  His wife just glared at him. Was his hatred of homosexuals that intense that he didn't care that a young woman was dead? That he didn't care that there are two grieving parents mourning the loss of their child?

  "How do you live with yourself?" she snapped.

  Lee looked up from his coffee at Barb. "You know better not to question me!" He set his coffee cup down with a thud. "I am the man of the house!"

  Barb rolled her eyes. "More like the boy of the house! You are acting like a child!" she shouted. "Why do you hate gay people so much anyway?" she inquired.

  "My parents and my church always taught me the being a homosexual was one of the biggest sins in the world. That if one engages in homosexual activity or accepts it, they will be damned to hell for eternity." Lee told Barb. "I will never accept that lifestyle choice."

  Barb got up from the table and slammed her palms onto the table in anger. "Newsflash!" she sternly shouted. "Sexuality is not a choice! It's born into them."

  "Well, our daughter didn't get that trait from me!" Lee snapped accusingly.

  "Wasn't your grandmother a lesbian?"

  "We are not talking about that!" Lee snapped. "She left my grandfather for a woman! It broke my grandfather's heart!"

  Barb shook her head. "I can see why she left him. Especially if you and him are anything alike!"

  Lee raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What do you mean by that?" he asked his wife.

  "Let's just say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

  For the next year, over at the mental hospital, Mandy endured horrific conversion therapy treatments four times a day. She tried faking that the videos didn't affect her in a sexual way, but her heartbeat would always tell the truth.

  She spent every night crying, and in sheer pain from all the shocks that entered her body. Her skin filled with burns as a result of the doctors intensifying the amount of electricity that she was getting shocked with. She knew she had to get out of that place. But she didn't know how.

  While Mandy was living in hell, Lee and Barb's relationship went downhill. Barb wanted to file for divorce, but she was too scared to. The arguments became more intense, but Lee never placed a hand on her...yet.

  It got to a point where Barb refused to sleep in the same bed as her husband. Instead, she spent the year sleeping in her daughter's bed.

  One morning, Barb was sitting in the den reading a book. Lee came over and stood in the doorway. "What is your deal?" he asked his wife.

  Barb peeked up from the top of her book, glared at Lee for a second then went back to reading.

  "I know you're ignoring me. Fine, but just hear me out. We are better off without that monster living under our roof."

  Barb put the book down. "How could you call our child a monster!" she shouted, "You're the monster!"

  Lee stormed into the room, snatched the book out of Barbs hands and tossed it across the room. "How dare you call me a monster!" he shouted.

  Barb stood up and stood face to face with her husband. "You took my baby away from me!" she screamed. "I wish you would start considering other people's feelings and not just your own!" She sat back down and began crying. "I just want my daughter back."

  Lee walked over to his wife and smacked her across the face. Hard. "Snap out of it!" he scolded. "This is for the best!"

  "For who?" Bard asked. "You are the only person benefiting from your actions! While everyone else is suffering!"

  A few days after that incident between Mandy's parents, the mental hospital where Mandy was got raided by the police. The police found out that that place was treating people inhumanly. The government ended up shutting the place down, and they took every one of the patients back home.

  Mandy was thrilled! Finally, that hell was over! A young male officer came walking up to her. "My name is James, and I'm here to take you back where you belong. Home."

  Mandy smiled. "I'm Mandy. Thank you, officer James."

  James opened the back door to his police car, and Mandy got in. It was a long drive, so Mandy just admired all the scenery around her.

  When James arrived at Mandy's parents house with her, Lee was sitting on the front porch. Lee got up from his chair and stood at the top of the steps with his arms crossed.

  James opened up the back door of his police car and Mandy got out. He walked up to the house with Mandy. "Is this your daughter sir?"

  "Was. Unless she's learned her lesson."

  James was confused. "Lesson? Lesson on what?"

  "She's gay."

  "What's wrong with her being gay?" James asked Lee.

  "Get her off my property!" Lee snapped. "She is no longer welcome here!"

  Mandy began crying. She didn't want to be back home. James could tell that home wasn't the best place for her, so he decided to take her back to the station instead. "I think you should come back to the station with me." James told Mandy.

  Mandy looked at James wiping the tears away from her eyes. "I would like that."

  James and Mandy walked back to the police car. James opened up the front passenger door. "You can ride up here. It's a little more comfortable."

  Mandy and James got into the car and left. The ride to the station started off quiet until James spoke up.

  "My sister is a lesbian." James told Mandy during the car ride. "She moved far away from here about a year ago. If she was still around here, I'd ask her if you could stay with her. Her name is Kate. She's a wonderful person!"

  "I would've appreciated that. Thank you."

  "Do you have anyone you can stay with?"

  "I can only think of one person. My girlfriend Alex. She lives on the farm on Spring Hill Road."

  James pulled his car over and looked at Mandy sitting in the passenger seat. "You didn't hear did you?" His voice was somber. "Alex hung herself in the barn last year. Apparently, there was a party that day and she watched her girlfriend get beat up by her father." James paused. "Wait, are you that girlfriend?"

  Mandy sat there in shock. She couldn't believe that her girlfriend was dead! Her heart felt heavy, and she began to sob. "Yes, I'm that girlfriend." She leaned forward and hid her face in the palms of her hands.

  "What happened that day?" James asked as he put his hand on Mandy's back trying to comfort her.

  Mandy looked up from her hands and looked at James. "My father found out about my sexuality, and he beat me up so badly, and then took me to that terrible place!"

  "I'm sorry is not a strong enough phrase right now." James said to Mandy. "My mother has a guest bedroom. She's a sweet lady. I'm sure I can ask her if she'd be willing to let you stay there until you get back on your feet again."

  "I'd like that. Thank you."

  James made a call to his mother and explained the situation. His mother was more than happy to help out. Instead of taking Mandy back to the station, James drove Mandy over to his mother's house in the next town over.

  When they arrived, James's mother was sitting on the front porch in a rocking chair. They got out of the police car and walked up to meet her.

  "Hello, mom. This is
Mandy." James said.

  "What a pleasure to meet you, Mandy." James's mother Sally said opening her arms for a hug.

  Mandy gave Sally a hug. "Thank you for opening your home to me."

  Sally smiled. "Not a problem. You've gone through a lot, I just want to help you gain your faith in society again."

  They stopped hugging. James walked over and gave his mother a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, mom. I'll call you later after my shift ends." James turned and began to walk off the porch.

  "Wait!" Sally shouted.

  James turned around. "Yes, mom?"

  "Aren't you going to stay, and have something to eat?"

  "I wish I could, but I need to complete my routes."

  Sally smiled. "Okay son, keep everyone safe. I love you."

  "I love you too mom." James replied as he continued down the porch steps, and got back into his police car.

  Mandy and Sally watched James pull out of the driveway, and head down the road. Sally turned to Mandy. "Let's go inside."

  Sally showed Mandy to the guest room. "I hope this will do." she told Mandy as she opened the bedroom door. "It isn't much."

  Mandy just smiled. "It's perfect. Thank you." She put her head down. The realization of everything happening was overwhelming. "If you don't mind, I would like some alone time."

  Sally placed her hand on the back of Mandy's shoulder and lightly rubbed. "Take as much time as you need." she said in a comforting tone. "You've gone through a lot. I'll be in the kitchen cooking the most delicious meal you will ever have. Come down when you're ready dear."

  Sally left the room, and Mandy closed the door. She sat down on the edge to the bed. She didn't know if she was more happy, or more upset. She took out her phone, and found a picture of Alex. A tear slowly left her eye, and trickled down her cheek.

  "Why did you do that? Why did you take your own life?" she said to the picture of her late girlfriend. "I know why. You did it because you felt guilty. It wasn't your fault. It was my father's fault. I wish I could've been there for you. Maybe you would still be here today."

  She put down her phone and laid down on the bed with her feet dangling off the side of the bed. She stared at the ceiling. She began hearing chirping outside the window. She turned her head towards the window. That's when Mandy saw a brilliant red cardinal was sitting on a branch right near the window. She smiled and felt at peace. Deep down, she knew that cardinal was Alex visiting her.

  Mandy got up and went to the kitchen. Sally was in the midst of putting dinner into the oven. "I hope you'll enjoy this." Sally told Mandy. "It's an old family specialty. I only cook it on special occasions."

  Mandy took a seat at the table. "You didn't need to go through all that trouble just for me!"

  "Yes, I did." Sally came over, and sat down at the table with Mandy, held both of Mandy's hands in her hands, and looked her in the eyes. "This is a special occasion. You're finally free from the hell you were living in."

  Mandy began thinking of everything that was said to her during her conversion therapy. How insecure they made her feel. The way they tried to make her hate who she is. Then she began to think about her father. How could her own father hate her for who she is, and send her to such a horrific place!

  Sally could see something was bothering Mandy. "What's wrong?" she asked softly.

  "My father took me to that place." Mandy replied quietly. "He thought he could make me straight by taking me there. I was living in that hell for a year."

  "Did it work? Are you straight now?"

  "No, I still love women."

  "I don't know you too well yet, but I am proud of you." Sally told Mandy with a smile. "Never let anyone change who you are. Human sexuality is not a choice. Many people claim that it is a choice, but science has proved otherwise. While you are here, just promise me one thing okay."

  "Okay."

  "Just always be yourself."

  Mandy smiled "I promise."

  Chapter 7

  A couple of days after Mandy moved in with James's mother, James was going through the impound lot near the police station checking on all the vehicles that were impounded for over a year. While he was checking the VIN numbers to try and find the owners to each vehicle, he discovered that one of the vehicles was Mandy's.

  James dismissed the impound fee for Mandy. Later that day, James brought Mandy's car over to her. When he arrived at his mother's house, Mandy and his mother were working on the garden in front of the porch. "I figured you'd need this." James stated as he walked up towards Mandy holding out her car keys to her.

  Mandy smiled. "Yes, it would help. Can't find myself a job without transportation! How did you get it though?" she asked. She assumed that her car was still at her parents house. She had no idea that it had been impounded.

  "I was going through the local impound lot and while I was checking the VIN numbers, I noticed that this one was yours. Considering where you were, I used my authority and got it out for you for free."

  "Thank you so much!" Mandy said with excitement. She looked around and noticed James didn't have a ride back to the station. "Do you need a ride back to the station?" she asked James.

  James laughed. "That might be good thing. Thank you."

  James walked over to his mother and put his arm around her. "I think I'll accept that lunch invitation you gave me a couple of days ago mom."

  Sally smiled. "Wonderful!" she said happily. "I will go inside and make up a few sandwiches!"

  The three of them went inside and went into the kitchen. James and Mandy assisted Sally with making the sandwiches. They all sat down at the kitchen table and had a great visit for a little bit. When they finished eating, James looked at his watch. "I hate to eat and run, but I need to get back to work."

  "Thanks for stopping by my dear." Sally told her son. Everyone got up from the table and James gave his mother a kiss. "I love you mom." he stated.

  "I love you too. Stay safe out there!"

  "I will do my best."

  Mandy and James walked out of the house and got into Mandy's car, and she drove him back to the police station.

  While Mandy was gone, Sally called her daughter Kate who lived across the country.

  "Hello, mom!" Kate answered the phone excitedly. "How have you been?"

  "I've been doing wonderful darling!" Sally said happily. "I have a wonderful house guest staying with me for a little while!"

  Kate was so happy for her mother. She knew that with her living across the country and James always working, her mother spent many days alone. Yes, she had many friends but most of them were busy a lot. "I'm so happy for you mom!" Kate stated with excitement in her voice!

  "Kate, you would love my new house guest!" Sally told her daughter. "She makes me feel so young again!"

  "That's wonderful!" Kate's voice was filled with joy. "Tell me a little about your new house guest."

  "Well, she's about your age and she's just like you!"

  "How is she just like me?" Kate inquired.

  "She's a lesbian." Sally paused for a moment. "Are you seeing anyone right now?"

  Kate was silent for a moment. "Yeah, but it isn't going so good."

  "What's wrong honey?" Sally asked. "You're not still dating Veronica?" she paused. "Are you?"

  "Yeah..." Kate responded. "I know you told me to break up with her last month, but when I tried she had a mental breakdown. She began threatening my family."

  "Don't let her control your life." Sally told her daughter. "If the relationship doesn't make you happy, get out of it."

  "Yes, but mom...what about your safety?"

  "Does Veronica know where I live?"

  "No."

  "Okay then." Sally said. "Please break up with her. I hate knowing my child is upset with their relationship."

  "Okay mom, I will."

  Sally got off the phone and went into the kitchen.

  When Mandy arrived back to Sally's house, Sally was sitting at the kitchen table with two cups of hot
tea. "Have a seat Mandy!" she said.

  Mandy walked into the kitchen and sat down.

  "I hope you like tea." Sally said. "I want to have a heart to heart talk with you."

  "Okay," Mandy responded as she took a sip of her tea. "What do you want to talk to me about?"

  Sally smiled at Mandy. "When did you know you're a lesbian?"

  Mandy had to stop and think. At that moment, she realized there were many signs of her sexuality during her early childhood. "There were so many signs," Mandy told Sally. "I didn't know what they all meant until I kissed a woman for the first time when I was sixteen."

  "Have you ever kissed a man before that?"

  "Yes, many times during junior high. I hated it!" Mandy answered. "I knew I was different and I did my best to try to fit in with the rest of my peers."

  "It's okay to be different. My daughter is a lesbian too." Sally told Mandy. "I was shocked when she came out to me. But I accepted her right away. Sexuality doesn't change who a person is because that person has always been that way."

  Mandy sat quietly with a smile on her face. Her own father doesn't accept her for who she is, yet there were many others who do.

  "Tell me, are you happy with how you look?" Sally asked.

  "What do you mean?"

  "I'm going to give you some money. Go out and get your hair done. Any way you want it."

  Mandy was surprised! "Are you serious? I've always wanted to cut my hair short, but I knew my father would kill me if I came home with short hair!"

  "I'm serious. It's time you create your own identity." Sally got up and grabbed her purse. She pulled out some cash and handed it to Mandy.

  Mandy gave Sally a huge hug. "Thank you so much! I will be back soon!"

  Mandy found a local salon. She went in and got her hair cut and styled. When her hair was finished, she looked like a whole new woman. Mandy's self-confidence spiked when she looked in the mirror.

  When she arrived back to Sally's house, she couldn't wait to show Sally her new hairstyle. She ran inside, and James was over visiting his mother in the living room