24/06/2026
📖 LET HER GO
✍️ By Rena De Creative
Episode 6
That night, Lola returned to her hostel carrying a mixture of hope and uncertainty.
Mercy's words echoed repeatedly in her mind.
"You're not alone anymore."
It was a simple statement, yet it brought a comfort she had not felt in years.
After taking a quick bath, Lola sat on her bed and stared through the window. The campus was gradually becoming quiet as students settled in for the night. Usually, this was the time fear began to creep into her heart.
Nighttime had become her enemy.
Still, she remembered Mercy's encouragement and decided to pray.
"God," she whispered, her voice trembling, "if You are truly there, please help me. I'm tired of being afraid. I'm tired of fighting alone."
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she poured out her heart the best way she knew how. Eventually, exhaustion overtook her, and she drifted into sleep.
But sometime during the night, the dream returned.
Lola found herself standing in a familiar dark forest.
Immediately, fear gripped her heart.
The cold wind blew through the trees, and the darkness around her felt alive.
She knew this place.
She had been there many times before.
Slowly, she turned around.
Then she saw him.
The same terrifying man who had haunted her dreams for years.
The same man who had once tied her to a tree while she cried helplessly.
His face was hard and merciless.
Before Lola could run, he grabbed her arm.
She struggled immediately.
"No! Let me go!"
But his grip tightened.
Without saying a word, he dragged her deeper into the forest.
Branches scratched her skin.
Sharp stones cut into her feet.
The harder she resisted, the more forcefully he pulled her.
"Please!" she cried. "Leave me alone!"
But the man paid no attention.
Panic overwhelmed her.
She searched desperately for help, but there was no one.
Then suddenly, one person came to her mind.
Mercy.
The friend who had listened.
The friend who had believed her.
The friend who had promised she would not face this battle alone.
"Mercy!" Lola screamed.
The man continued dragging her.
"Mercy! Help me!"
Her voice echoed through the forest.
"Mercy!"
Again and again she cried out, fighting with every strength she had left.
Then suddenly,
Lola sat upright on her bed.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly.
Sweat covered her body.
Her hands trembled.
For a moment, she couldn't tell whether she was still dreaming.
The room was dark and silent.
Slowly, reality returned.
It had been another nightmare.
She wiped the sweat from her forehead and tried to steady her breathing.
The dream had felt so real.
Yet one thing lingered in her mind.
In the middle of all that fear, she had called Mercy's name.
Not because Mercy had all the answers.
Not because Mercy could magically make everything disappear.
But because Mercy had given her something she had not felt in a very long time.
Hope.
Lola glanced at the time and realized morning was only a few hours away.
She remained awake, waiting for daylight.
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow she would finally meet the woman Mercy had spoken about.
Tomorrow she would tell her story.
Tomorrow might be the beginning of the answers she had spent years searching for.
The next morning, Lola woke up exhausted from the night's events.
A few hours later, her phone rang.
It was Mercy.
"Good morning, Lola."
"Good morning," Lola replied softly.
Mercy immediately sensed something was wrong.
"Did you sleep well?"
There was a brief silence.
"The dream came back."
Mercy's heart sank.
"What happened?"
Lola explained everything.
How she had found herself in the forest.
How the man had dragged her.
How she had screamed.
And how, in the middle of the dream, she had called Mercy's name.
When she finished speaking, Mercy remained quiet for a moment.
Then she said gently,
"It's okay. You're safe now. And today, we're taking the next step."
Lola nodded, even though Mercy couldn't see her.
"Thank you."
"I'll be at your hostel by noon. My mentor is expecting us."
By noon, the two friends stood in front of a modest house just outside the school environment.
Lola felt nervous.
Her palms were sweaty.
Part of her wanted answers.
Another part of her was afraid of what those answers might be.
Mercy noticed her hesitation.
"It's going to be okay," she reassured her.
A few moments later, the door opened.
A woman in her late fifties stepped outside.
There was something calm and welcoming about her presence.
She smiled warmly.
"Welcome, girls."
Her eyes settled on Lola.
"You must be Lola."
"Yes, ma."
The woman nodded.
"I'm Pastor Grace. Mercy has told me a little about you."
She invited them inside.
As Lola stepped into the house, she felt a strange sense of peace.
Not because all her fears had disappeared.
Not because her questions had been answered.
But because, for the first time, she was no longer carrying her burden alone.
Pastor Grace led them into the sitting room and waited until they were seated.
Then she turned her attention fully to Lola.
"My dear," she said softly, "Mercy told me you've been struggling for a long time."
Lola nodded.
Pastor Grace leaned forward gently.
"Start from the beginning."
Lola took a deep breath.
For years she had hidden her story.
For years she had suffered in silence.
Now, at last, she was about to tell someone everything.
And perhaps, somewhere within that story, lay the key to her freedom.
To be continued in Episode 7...
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