9.

"Oh Lord, please! I know you love me... I love you too.. I know you'll accept this, accept it tonight... you can do anything you want.. accept this tonight..," she pleaded.
"Oh Lord, please summon me... take me to where you are. Let me meet you tonight." At 9 years of age, she was praying .. rather begging to die.

"At 9 years of age?" you ask me, "seriously?"

Ahan 9, I say - she'd rather die and meet with her Lord, than face this man or the consequences he would bring about and leave her in, forever.

"One messed up kid!" you say. I smile and nod.

But look at it this way, at 9 - she was much more assured of her Lord's Mercy than any mortal man. She knew that even if she'd die, she'd be fine with the Almighty. She just thought people in her own world, on the Earth wouldn't be all that kind anymore.
She just felt that by dawn - if she were dead, her Lord would be making space for her amongst the departed souls with perhaps a word or two about what she had done.
But if she lived to see the dawn of a new day - she would be worse than dead. She'd be alive among mere mortals who would punish her for her imperfections.. for her decisions.. for not breaking but smashing the rules to smithereens..
Most of all, she felt that one look at her and the Lord would understand why she did it - she was wrong but it was "understandable".. it was part of what she did as His human. Others would never get it.. she'd never be able to convey it the understandable-way because owning up to it would include all the guilt and embarrassment that would be a punishment itself.. they would just be disappointed and heartbroken.. they would never understand.. they'd say she was only and totally wrong.. she'd be stuck in that light forever.

Of course, at 9 years of age she didn't realize that the Lord wasn't just Merciful up there.. He was equally so for those of us still walking the Earth... that He was just as capable of making His creations be kind as He was of being Kind Himself. He understood even while she was alive.. and He made it all fine.. with all the people involved.

And obviously, having learnt that lesson.. it's impossible for her to not expect His Mercy again and again... and let Him be all she hopes from.