The baby moved inside the womb, pushing Mariah to sob harder. “Please, please…” she repeated.  Those were the only words she had left.  She had begged, pleaded, cajoled and argued, but the result was the same; no one paid her any heed.  She was too young, they had said, and the adults always know best.

Her mother was standing next to her bed holding and patting her right hand.  The minister was holding her left.  Between the two of them, Mariah was secured.

“Honey, stop crying.  You know this is for the best,” said her mother, not glancing at her daughter but fixating her eyes on the dark-clad minister, batting her lashes at him.

“No please, please…” The baby moved again.

“Mariah, you have been mistreated by some animal. We know and we are with you.  But your lies must stop and the first thing that will heal you from this monstrosity is eradicating the result of this sin.”

Mariah shook her head.  But by then the anesthetic had started working, numbing her extremities and sending her head in a pit of drowsiness.  She wanted to shout at him.  He was the liar not her, how could her mother not see?  But her mother was not even looking at her child, her attention was entirely dedicated to the tall, grey haired man across the bed.

This was the first time Mariah had been in his presence since the deed, the ‘monstrosity’, and she felt her skin crawl at his touch. His sweaty palm encasing hers reminded her of his sloppy, wet kisses three months ago.

Her baby moved again.  Mariah tried to hold her belly one last time, but she was completely numb by then.

“When you awake, you will be healed my child.  Your sins will be eradicated, your life will start anew, back on the heavenly path.  Isn’t that what you want?”

“Amen!” the daughter heard her mother’s over-zealous voice say and after that, dark oblivion swallowed Mariah.

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Another Trifecta Challenge.  The key word this week is Heal: to restore to original purity or integrity.