I can't remember when I first saw the path, but I know I was younger than most people. My parents had been taking me to church for most of my life, so perhaps that's why. The first memories of it were faint, but I knew from the moment I had seen it, it had taken my breath away.

Nothing showed the beauty of light like the pure white path that pierced straight through the darkness around it. These gorgeous flowers grew around it. There was every color imaginable lining the path. A beautiful, continuous hum weaved a tune that came from every way.

But best of all was the man who walked with me. If you asked me to describe him, I wouldn't be able to. He was just perfect with a soothing voice and a warm presence. Every step I took, He was right beside me, His holed hand holding my own. Whenever I stumbled, He was quick to catch me.

For the longest time, I walked the same straight and narrow path. I was perfectly content. I never got tired of the view, and the man always made me want to smile. Life was simple and full of laughter and happiness. An easy walk with only little stumbles here and there.

AS I got older, though, things changed. The straight path was still there, but I started to notice others. There were there random paths that branched off. They didn't look as white as the path I walked on. Some were just a dull white while others were a dark grey. The flowers died away within a few steps into the other pasts. Creepiest of all, though, was that when I passed them, a whispering voice cut through the usual music.

This way. Trust me.

That path will get harder.

These are easier.

I know you don't want to do that. Don't listen to that stupid, bossy man.

What the voice said always changed, but it was always just so tempting. They also always showed up when I was confused and said exactly what I wanted to do, even if I didn't think I should. I did my very best never to walk toward them, but one time, curiosity got the best of me.

After I broke my mommy's plate, the little voice whispering for me to lie nearly drew me away.

Before I got too far, the man's grip on my hand tightened just enough to get me to turn toward him. "I won't stop you from going that way," He said, "but I will ask that you stay with me."

I only thought about it for a moment. Then I smiled at the man. "Of course I'll stay," I said.

This didn't just happen once. I kept walking past these paths, and I kept feeling this urge to walk toward them. Whenever I tried, the man asked me the same question. Each time I stayed.

At least... I would really like to say that. But at one point everything changed. I went years without much problem. Years walking aside the man. Years resisting the temptations of the whispers. Until I saw the path with the boy standing at its start.

The man was perfect in His own way. He was like this safe blanket that kept away the dark and made me all warm and fuzzy. Yeah, maybe a lame description, but as I said before, I'm not really able to describe Him.

This boy was very different. He looked perfect in a way the man didn't. There was this edgy, exciting feel to him that greatly contrasted with the feeling of the man. The mere sight of him made me feel thrilled without knowing why.

I hadn't realized I was moving toward him until the man placed a hand on my shoulder. "Are you sure? Won't you stay here with Me instead?"

Rather than agree instantly like I normally would, I paused and looked back at the boy and frowned. I had walked straight for so long, it would be weird to walk off the path. But this path wasn't all that different, I suppose. It just barely veered the other way. And the path behind him was as beautiful as the one I walked on. Everything about the new path was interesting and new.

"Come on," the boy said, giving me a charming smile. His voice was the same as the one that came from the whispering paths. Maybe I should have been scared.

I wasn't. In fact, I took another step toward closer.

The boy nodded. "That's right. This way. I promise you'll enjoy it. Also, I mean, you could always turn back if you really want to."

Of course! Why hadn't I thought of that? If I didn't like what was on the other path, there was nothing wrong with turning around and going back to the man.

That decided it. I turned to the man. He looked sad, and I almost changed my mind. In the end I figured what I had to say would make Him feel better.

"Don't worry. I'll come right back."

I'm sad to say I never did. I left my original path and followed along with the other boy. At least I wasn't wrong – he was exciting. He showed me just how much fun I could have. A small bend of the rules here. A little lie there. And every once in a while some earthly pleasures that the boy made sure to tell me over and over were okay. All those rules the man had taught me weren't as strict as they seemed or they didn't mean what I thought they did.

I can't tell you if I was happy or not. Can you really be happy when this little piece of you always feels wrong about what you are doing? Some things were truly irreversible and others had been buried below lies. I guess I was having fun.

But sometimes I didn't think it was worth leaving the man behind.

I must have been rather caught up in everything the boy talked me into doing because I didn't notice the changes as they slowly began to occur in the path. I wasn't aware of the darkening flowers. Wasn't aware of the music giving away to whispering voices. Wasn't aware of the path slowly turning black.

By the time I did, there was barely any light left. The voices had grown very loud – so very insanely loud. All of them blended together into a draining echo. I'm not sure how I hadn't noticed all of the changes. The boy must have been keeping me busy so I didn't notice. And it had worked.

"I want to go back," I said. I was trembling. "I want to return to the man."

The boy just chuckled. "Go back to that man, huh? How?" He smiled, and when he spoke again, all of the voices echoed him. "After how far you've gone, after everything you've done, after all the times you have broken His rules – tell me why He would ever take you back."

I wanted to tell him he was wrong. I wanted to say the man would always welcome me. But I just... couldn't. The voices began whispering all the things I had done. They weren't overly huge, but there was just so much stuff. All of those "little heres" and a "little theres" had built up over time.

The really was no reason for Him to take me back.

The boy knew I had given up. He took my wrist and dragged my further up the trail. It grew darker and darker until, finally, everything was just black. It was so cold. So loud. And so empty. The boy was there, but I only knew that because I felt him yanking me around whichever way he liked.

I did things I never would have done before. No longer was I the girl with the man. I was a girl spiraling out of control grasping for anything that would help me make sense of life again.

But I couldn't reach for the man. I had already betrayed Him so much.

Still, every once in a while I thought I heard a little voice in the whispers. They kept doing the same thing – either telling me to do more that I shouldn't or reminding me of all the things I had done. But then there would be this whisper among whispers that was so quiet I could have just imagined it.

"I'm still here."

It couldn't be who I thought it was. He wouldn't be here. I had done too much wrong. I was too deep into the taint.

There was no way He could hear my silent screams. No way He could see me slowly shattering.

"I'm still here."

Every time I thought I heard the His voice, the boy seemed to get angry. He grew more persistent, pulling me harder and farther. He would start speaking loudly along with the whispers.

"I can hear you. I can see you."

I had walked the dark path for a long time. The voice that sounded like the man's had been there for quite a while now. But I had never stopped. Until now.

I felt numb, but I pulled on the boy's hold. There was no way this was the man, but even if it wasn't... He wouldn't want me doing this.

"I can reach you. Just call."

"Come on," the boy snapped. "Keep on walking. We haven't had enough fun yet."

I think I was crying. I wasn't sure. But I kept pulling against the boy.

"No." My voice was so quiet. I hadn't spoken for so long. "I'm not going any farther."

This made the boy mad. He squeezed and pulled until it hurt. "You have nowhere else to go," he hissed. "I am all you have now."

I shook my head and squirmed. "Help." At first it was just a whisper. But it slowly grew louder. If nobody could hear me, I would make someone. "Somebody. Anybody. Please, just help me."

There were hisses. I thought I felt arms grab at me. I struggled and swatted, tears streaming down my face. But I didn't stop. It was finally time for me to fight.

"Please. Please. Please! Help! I'm done. I won't do this anymore. I don't want this. It's not worth it. I want to go back. Please. Take away this darkness already! Somebody, please, reach me. Pull me out. Somebody, save me!"

"Who do you call for?" It was the man's voice again. Reaching me even through my screams.

"Don't you dare-" the boy began.

"Jesus!" I screamed, putting all the pain and suffering I had spent since I spoke His name into that single word.

There was this demonic screech that shook the entire path. Light grew from the middle of the darkness, sending it hissing away. Even the boy growled when it reached him, stepping back into the blackness. He tried to drag me with him, but I pulled against him.

So close. I could feel Him – the man. He was coming.

Jesus!" I cried out again. "Jesus, save me!"

It was instantaneous. The boy lost his grip. He vanished. White light blinded me as the rest of the darkness disappeared. My strength left me, having been supported by that darkness I now so badly hated. I fell forward, able to do nothing more.

I knew He was there a before I saw Him. The warmth and safety that followed Him wrapped around me just before He caught me. The tears were coming harder than before as I clung to Him. The man I hadn't seen for years now was finally within my reach.

Jesus held me close to Him. "Silly child. I've always been right here, just waiting for you to finally call out to me." It almost sounded like He was close to tears. "And now you're finally back."

He was right. I was finally back. Back on the path I always should have been on – Jesus's path.

And I didn't plan on leaving again.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Cover used above made by Kayla-Writes