AN: Wow, I know this may seem out of the blue compared to my other story, but I felt this was something I could do with my writing for the Lord. Here is little background on why I decided to write this story. Ester has always been my favorite character in the Bible apart from David. Why? Because if you really look at what she was asked to do, never once does it mention her complaining. She does exactly what her Uncle asks her to do. How awesome was she?! Following the Will of God without any idea of what was going to happen. I admire her so much.

So I wanted to tell her story a little more personally. I have no idea how her story actual came to be written, so my writing will not be entirely correct. I have changed small pieces of the story to fix my view on this. Another thing, it is set in an alternate universe. No, it doesn't contain monsters (other than some scary religious zealots) but I have renamed the characters and given it a different setting (which is very similar to the original but not quite the same).

One more thing worthy of note: Ester takes place in the Old Testament. Which means that some of the religious views expressed as the story continues are in direct contrast with Christianity and its beliefs ie sacrificing animals and such will purify the body. Jesus hadn't come and as such his teachings also had not come. I don't want anyone getting the wrong idea at all. My point with the story is to show the courage one little girl had and the results which are almost to awesome to be true. So, with my ridiculously long author's note out of the way, please enjoy.

Disclaimer: This story is based on the book of Ester located in the Old Testament of the Bible. Therefore, most of the plot and characters are not mine.

The Story of a Woman Lower than Dirt

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Prologue

Before I tell you of my story, there is something you must understand.

I live in a time beyond the time you know. It was a peaceful time for our people. We lived by the sea and across the fertile valleys. We never lacked for food as harvest after harvest yielded uncountable crops. Fish were easily caught in the port cities and sold cheaply for their high number. We wanted for nothing in our paradise. Illness took little of our people.

We were coveted by the world; yet, none of them could take from us our wonderful gifts – for they were given to us by the Almighty. The One True God. He promised us this land if only we remembered and praised his holy name.

We did. We prospered. Gallant kings ruled over us as our territory expanded under God's divine protection…

That is until we faltered. Instead of following God's order to kill all of our enemies, we showed them the mercy that was not ours to give. Our men adopted them into our lands, and we lived in peace with these impure people.

For a time, no punishment made itself known.

Our sin grew before the Glorious Lord's eyes. Men forsook the women of our tribes and instead were drawn to the foreign beauties of the conquered lands. Those women – evil beauties – tricked our men. They stole the favor that was for us, their own women. With bewitching smiles, they turned our men's hearts form the True God to their own wicked arts – calling upon the names of things that were deaf. They did it to please those temptresses.

No sin could be greater. They forsook Him to follow the foreign gods of their tainted wives.

I am told this is what caused the Great Wrath to fall upon us. The once favored people prostituted themselves to other gods – idols made by human hands. The Lord would not stand by and watch any longer. His wrath was swift and cruel.

We were conquered. We became slaves.

It is only now that our men remember the True God. They call out to him for help – deliverance from the curse they brought on themselves. Our God will show no mercy to them. We are all to be punished.

That will not change by their easily swayed hearts.

Many years have passed as we remain under conquered rule. By the Lord's hand, we were not killed instead we were allowed to live peacefully with our captors as long as we obey them. It was a simple request.

I am a woman. One of the many slaves to the Killertian Empire who took our freedom over a hundred years ago.

I wish to tell you a story you may not believe, for woman are nothing in our culture except mothers and wives. We do not speak, nor do we act on our own. Unless married, we have no rites.

We are the dust. Even lower still as conquered dust. I rank lower than most as I have never known my birth mother or my honored father. Before I could remember them, they lost the life that was given to them by the Almighty.

Yet, somehow the Lord Almighty chose to use me. A lowly woman – orphan – in his grand design to do what no man could do.

How? I believe you will have to listen to my story to hear that answer.

This is a prologue: aka not an actual chapter and is shorter than the story. I have about the first third of the story completed so I'm going to upload the first chapter tonight as well. I hope that you enjoy. If you have any comments, I would be happy to hear them and answer back. Please review.