Take Me To Church (A John Lennon Story)

Chapter Nine: Don't Let Go Of Me

The days blurred together.  He wasn't certain how long that they were locked in the basement, but he soon found a way out.  There was a window that he used all of his strength to lift her through.  John and Ariel escaped in the middle of the night, and hurried to his aunt's house.  She cried as she found her missing nephew and immediately called the police when he told her what happened.  

Ariel was brought to a hospital.

And her father...to jail.

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When I came to, I began to scream and cry.  The nurse had to restrain me.  "John!  Father!"  

The nurse hushed me.  "Shh...it is alright.  Your father isn't here.  But...I believe John is here.  Please...relax.  Everything is going to be fine."  

A few minutes later John came into the room.  His eyes had dark rings and he looked a bit thinner than usual, but he smiled when he saw that I was awake.  But before he could embrace me, I said, "No!  Please, don't hurt me!"

He kneeled next to my cot.  "I'm not going to hurt you...I promise.  Are you...are you comfortable?  Can I-"

"Where's my father?"  I sat up feeling dizzy.  He said that the police were in custody of him.  He won't be able to hurt you now."  John did not know whether to smile or look sympathetic.  The nurse left to give them some privacy.  "I hurt all over...how long as I asleep?"  

He asked what I remembered.  "Not a lot after...what he did." I felt sick and hoped that the churning in my stomach would go away.  Perhaps if I stopped thinking about it the feeling would leave, but how could I stop thinking about it?  

And John saw it.  Everything he did to me.  "You were in and out of consciousness when we were in your father's basement.  I helped you get out the window, took you to my aunt's house and then to the hospital.  Since you got here, you've been asleep for nearly a day."  Then a woman walked into the room.  "How are you feeling, love?"

"Ariel, this is my aunt Mimi."  The woman gave me a shy smile.  I attempted to.  "John is always speaking fondly of you."  

She said that there was a story in the newspaper about the local preacher who trapped his daughter and her friend in his basement and tortured them.  After hearing that, John and I felt sick.  It was the last thing we both wanted: our shame to be public.

Aunt Mimi left to get her and John coffee.  "Did he do anything to you?"  My boyfriend shook his head.  "No...but seeing you get hurt was torture enough...and while we were down there he didn't feed us.  I've been having trouble eating.  I did lose wait though...which is good for me.  I was a bit pudgy before."  

I immediately shook my head even though it made me dizzy.  "No, you were fine before.  Don't say that.  You were perfectly healthy and now you look...weak."  

"I can't help it.  You're in a hospital, and you've been hurt badly.  How can I possibly do anything normal while you're in pain?"  He carefully sat down on the bed, mindful of my legs.  My heart began to pound.  Please don't touch me...

"But it doesn't hurt that bad anymore."  

"I saw what he did to you and that's going to hurt for a long time emotionally and physically."  John said quickly.  In a quieter tone, he added, "If I had just fought against him, even with my hands tied...he might not have been able to hurt you."  

As much as I wanted to reach out and touch him, I felt afraid too.  It was just what my father had wanted; for me to be afraid of touching someone or being touched, especially by John.  After what he did to me...would I ever want to have physical contact with someone again?  "It wasn't your fault though.  If anything it was mine.  He had leverage over you because of me."  I knew that I shouldn't cry, because that would only make the situation worse.  However silent tears began to trickle down my cheeks.  When John reached out to wipe them away, something inside me suddenly exploded.  "No!  No!  Leave me alone!"