It's NOT Okay, Babies Do Know

Book excerpt: The Deep South, where Victoria Ramsey grew up, is often referred to as the Bible Belt. However, it was only on rare occasions that Victoria's aunt would come over and take her to church. The church was located very far away, deep in the back woods. There were no houses or businesses close to the church. A dense thicket of tall pine trees lined the road that led to the church. The drive to the church was frightening, Victoria's aunt would speed down the dark, winding dirt road through the woods. From the backseat, Victoria could only see the beams of the car's headlights flashing across the clay red road and the nearby tree line. There was silence inside the car. No one said a thing. It was as if everyone was holding their breath. The only sound came from outside the car, tires screeching as they turned sharply to avoid running into the deep ditch alongside the road. Occasionally, her aunt would break the silence by stating, "The devil is trying to stop us!" Then Victoria would remember her mother's last words before getting into her aunt's car. "You better listen to that preacher! The devil's gonna getcha!" Victoria grew up believing that at any moment, the devil would leap out and capture her. This created much fear and by the age of six, Victoria believed she was a sinful little girl that no one loved or would ever love. So for her being wanted by the devil made perfect sense. The truth wouldn't be revealed until much later as to the identity of the real devil.