Against The Twilight

desired. It can't come as a shock to anyone that we have succeeded. To question that success shows both a bias and a naivety which to me needs to be questioned. So, Mr. Justice, why do you require an explanation? And why don't you hit us with your explanation so it's all out in the open.\" David nodded. \"Very well, if you want me to put a stake in the heart of the matter and also vampire lit, here you go. You want to read and see the supernatural. Fine, I'll give you a peek at the supernatural that will knock your shoes off. You say these books are just fantasy and are all in fun. I say 'not so fast.' In order to expose the true purpose and reason for success of this literature, I need to bring up the 'c' word. You wonder which word I am talking about. Try conspiracy on for size. Who is conspiring against whom? And what is the goal? Any person with a modicum of social consciousness understands that our world seems to be full of good and bad. Exchange the word evil for bad here. Why do people safeguard their children when they go to the store? Why are kids not supposed to talk to strangers or accept rides from strangers? Why are there certain sections of town you don't visit after dark? Because of the presence of evil which leads to destruction of human life, health, and happiness. Whenever you talk supernatural and good, the term God is mentioned. I hate to be the ultimate in name dropping, but I have to invoke deity here to explain the situation. We have a battle royale going on between God and his enemy whom we shall refer to hereafter as the devil. They battle for control of the Earth and control of men's minds. \"God is all powerful and the devil is a puny coward who has one talent. He is deceptive. He is the father of all lies, and his plan is to thwart the plans of God who wants all people to love him and find their meaning for life in Him. He has to deceive people into believing his lies, or he accomplishes nothing. And the devil is not an idiot. He doesn't drop by a neighborhood near you and say, 'Hi I'm the devil, and I'd like to lead you down to Hell.' Obviously most humans would be smart enough to avoid his plans in that situation. He has to use subterfuge and subtle persuasion. The battle over Harry Potter is well publicized. God said that he hates witchcraft and those who practice it will not inherit a spot in the Heavenly choir. Satan knows that God hates witchcraft so he delights in parading the very thing that God finds odious in front of people who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ, aka the Son of God. When he can get those people to accept the Trojan Horse of witchcraft into their homes in any guise, he knows that his demons now have access to the residents of that home. And he knows that the Christian witness of that family will be severely diminished. I 101

don't think there is any failure of people to understand this situation. The big debate comes in dealing with Harry Potter over whether this is just a series of kids' novels with a fun topic. The Bible is explicit in denouncing witchcraft, and thus Christians and Jews have grounds for resisting Harry Potter in the fact it makes witches the protagonists, aka the good guys. \"Let's move to the world of vampires. There is no edict in the Bible about vampires. The word is not even mentioned. We're not even sure what the original source of the word is. We can trace it back to 1600th century Slavic. Thus the existence of vampires is definitely up in the air, whereas witches have their own websites in the 21st century to cater to recruits. So why am I up in arms about vampires when they appear to be only figments of our collective imagination? That is a very fair question. Let me first introduce the concept that vampires do indeed exist. These are not the creatures from the Bram Stoker novel, but there is one unmistakable trait of a vampire, in the past and today. They always sustain life by drinking blood. So what's my problem with that? Two words: Jesus Christ. The Son of God came to earth to die for the sins of the world. He told His disciples that they must eat of His flesh and drink of His blood if they were to have life. Obviously this belief is only cherished by people who believe it. And also something that should be obvious is that drinking of blood other than the sacrificial blood of the Lamb of God is as odious and as reprehensible to God as witchcraft. I would say even more so, because this mocks or attempts to mimic the very sacrifice that Jesus made. Most vampires drink human blood. The concept that the blood of humans brings life is in direct conflict with the gospel of Jesus Christ that there is life only in His body and blood for all that accept it and live according to his commandments. There really are people who drink human blood. You can find videos of such people on YouTube. You can find books about such people. One such self-confessed vampire, William Schnoebelen, says that human blood is the most addictive substance he has encountered. And this is a man who tried everything in the way of drugs and sexual orgies and other perversions. These confessed vampires did not kill their victims to get the blood because they found volunteers to donate it. You might say it was an internal transfusion. However, the presence of evil and mockery of God is still present in the practice of drinking of blood whether criminal activity is involved or not.\" \"That's very interesting, David. Heather, what is your take on this aspect?\" 102

\"One word suffices for this argument: paranoia. These fire and brimstone preaching Bible thumping bigots get up on their soap opera and rev up their propaganda machines and spew out fear the way the neighborhood gossip spews out rumors. Their MO never changes, just the text of their arguments. They operate out of fear. They find the devil in every nook and corner and underneath every bed. Everything is a danger to their precious religion. They march in parades and picket and write letters to the editor and blog and write letters to their congressmen. Need I go on? I felt like bringing in a two pound loaf of cheese so Mr. Justice could have some cheese with his whine. I resisted because I thought it might be uncouth for a man of his stature to cut the cheese on national television.\" The crowd roared their approval. \"I want the audience to take a good look at David Justice. Isn't he a fine specimen of a man?\" She held up her arm to invite the audience to respond. There was considerable clapping and a couple of wolf whistles. \"Isn't it a shame that he is wasting his life and his libido tilting at the windmills of the occult? Wouldn't he be better off taking his woman to bed instead of looking under the bed for the boogeyman?\" The crowd laughed and cheered again. Heather had them eating out of her hand and was loving every minute of it. \"I think I'll let Mr. Justice serve again. I don't want to get too far ahead of him and discourage him from embarrassing himself further.\" David smiled. \"Ms Culebra is very amusing. By the way, do you know what your name means?\" \"Heather is a plant.\" David shook his head. \"I mean your last name.\" \"It's Spanish. I think it is an animal – a peacock or something equally beautiful.\" \"Nice try. It means snake or serpent. Hopefully most of the viewers realize the shape that Satan took to entice Eve to eat of the Tree of Good and Evil.\" \"Are you insinuating that because my name means serpent that I'm evil or that I'm deceptive?\" \"I'm not making either claim. I'm just pointing out facts. Let the viewers come to their own decision. Now in regard to my quixotic activity, let me point out that in no way do I operate from fear. I'm not afraid of the devil or witches or vampires.\" \"Oh, my.\" \"Cute. I'm not trying to bolster my religion because I don't claim a religion. I claim a relationship with Jesus Christ. I do what 103

He commanded me to do. I run the good race and fight the good fight because He commissioned me to do so. I do not attempt to promote a church or a doctrine of a particular church. I only focus on Jesus Christ. You can settle for religion if you want to have men make commandments which are burdensome or even contradictory to the commandments of God. As for me, I choose not to get into that arena. So I speak for the cause of Christ alone. And not from fear but from concern, not for my benefit but for others. I do not promote myself or a particular sect, but speak the truth in love for the benefit of those listening. Let him who has ears to hear, hear. I want you to just consider the possibility that I'm right. Stipulate for me that there is a God almighty. Stipulate for me that the devil also exists. And the last stipulation is that they are at war. How would a combatant in the position of the devil operate? He would try to skew every single fact dealing with God's creation and confuse men so much that they wouldn't know right from wrong and up from down. \"That is exactly the situation we have on the earth today. People argue incessantly concerning the truth about global warming, evolution, morality, and most of all religion. We are always searching for truth but we never arrive at a consensus. And even if we did, would consensus of all humans override reality? Definitely a majority cannot do so. Life is like a big test with one question. We all write down our answer and wait for the theme to Jeopardy to stop playing so we can find out if we have the right answer or not. If I'm telling the truth here, people who call evil good and good evil will be in deep doo doo with God. If I'm all wet, then it doesn't appear to be a big deal. If you refrain from entertainment glorifying vampires and witches, what harm befalls you? Is there a dearth of entertainment on the planet for your hedonistic pleasure? Not even close. In essence there really is nothing lost in abstaining from such materials. It's like I told you that cantaloupe causes cancer. There are about a zillion foods that are edible for human being so restricting cantaloupe from the diet is not going to put you in jeopardy of malnutrition or rickets or beriberi. However if cantaloupe actually is a carcinogen, you'd be risking death to eat it. Think about it people. Is it worth risking your eternal life in order to partake of questionable materials? You have a lot at stake here, pardon the pun dealing with vampires.\" \"So, David, are you saying that everyone who reads a vampire novel is going to Hell?\" Holly asked. \"Absolutely not. It is not the reading that is a problem. I can read the Satanic bible for research on Satanism, but that doesn't jeopardize my position with God. However, if I read that book with 104

the idea of glorifying the content and author of that content, that's a different story.\" \"What about for a Christian? Will a Christian go to Hell if they enjoy such literature?\" \"I am not the judge of mankind. The Bible says that each man will stand before the Lord and be judged for what they have done and left undone and will be forced to give account for every idle word they speak. Where they spend eternity is between them and God. All I know is that I don't want to disgrace my Lord and embrace His enemy in any fashion. Let me couch this in sports terms. Let me choose a college rivalry which epitomizes enmity. I can think of a few, but let's go with the Michigan and Ohio State rivalry. Let's say you believe that Ohio State is the university of universal truth and the football team is the only true team in the country. You love the school and you love the colors and the Buckeye logo and everything about Ohio State. And suppose someone tells you that the Ohio State shirt you like to wear is really a Michigan shirt that is designed to fool you. 'No way', you claim. You'd rather die than wear a Michigan shirt. Then one day when you go to a game, the ticket taker asks you to take off your shirt and turn it inside out. When you do, you discover a Wolverine in maize and gold on the other side. How would you feel? I don't think any disciple, even a lukewarm one, wishes to aid and abet the enemy of their Lord and Savior. And for that reason I whine, as Ms Serpent, I mean Culebra, classifies my protest.\" \"Very interesting, David. Did you know I was a Buckeye alumnus?\" Holly asked. He shook his head. \"Good analogy. That one I could totally relate to. I bleed scarlet and grey. Victories over Michigan were sweet.\" \"I went to UCLA,\" Heather said. \"That's nice, Heather. Now David, I have to say that this conspiracy theory about the devil intrigues me. I see a picture of playing Clue. The answer is always the devil did it in the kitchen with a pipe wrench, or the devil did it with a knife in the bathroom. Our goal is to find our way to God, and the devil keeps putting up fake goalposts or putting a barrier around the real endzone so we don't find it. My God, if this is true, we're playing a cat and mouse, or perhaps better said a chess game, against the devil every day of our lives in order to prevent from being lured to damnation.\" \"Holly, you've just captured the essence of what I'm trying to say. I'm impressed.\" \"I understand the essence of what you're peddling. I call it snake oil,\" Heather said. 105

\"Hmm. Now that's something you should be able to recognize, Ms Culebra.\" \"Eat a rock!\" Holly cast a stern look at Heather and turned back to David. \"One thing that always fascinated me are demons. We use that word all the time. Demon rum, demonizing someone, and so on. What is your personal belief about demons and how do they impact Christians?\" \"That's not really on topic,\" Heather said. \"Thanks for your input, but if you don't mind, I'll retain my job responsibility as the host of the show, and you can keep your role as guest.\" She turned back to David. Heather's face curled up into the hissing cat position. \"And another thing, in some of the vampire stories they won't drink human blood but only animal blood.\" Holly did not acknowledge her comment and focused on David's face. \"Talking about demons and Christians is a real can of worms. Some people believe that if you belong to Jesus Christ that demons cannot influence you in any way. Others believe that Christians are even more subject to demon attacks because they are a threat to the devil, and non believers are already doomed to Hell. And a large group of people are convinced that demons negatively impact the lives of most of the Christian population because those Christians in a past or present time have opened up doors to let the demons in and give them permission to stay. Some of your audience is familiar with the movie The Exorcist. Those types of things really do occur. The typical Christian exorcism is far less dramatic than the representation in that movie. Demons are subject to obeying commands issued in the name of Jesus Christ. As long as the person is not allowing the demon to stay by permission, the demons have to leave when commanded to go in the name of Jesus.\" \"Fascinating. Have you ever participated in an exorcism?\" David nodded. \"I've witnessed them. I've never been one of the people doing the praying and commanding. I can testify that I have seen manifestations of demons, and I have seen lives drastically altered when demons were cast out.\" \"I remember seeing an old episode of StarTrek where these bug like creatures got into people's bodies and took over their personality. The challenge for the crew was to figure out when someone had been invaded. That seems a lot like what would be true if demons inhabit people.\" \"I remember that one.\" 106

\"You're a trekkie too?\" Holly asked. \"When I was younger. One important element here to bring up is that the Christian world is divided right down the middle on the topic of the supernatural. One side of the spectrum insists that all miracles and supernatural visitations by God ceased with the Apostles. Another segment believes that God speaks to us today, that people can heal, cast out demons, and receive prophecy from the Holy Spirit. Segment A believes that those hearing from God now and doing and proclaiming signs and wonders are being deceived and are influenced by the devil.\" Holly leaned toward him, a sure sign he had her interest. \"And which camp are you in?\" \"I find nothing in the Bible that indicates the gifts of the Spirit ceased. Absolutely none. Jesus said that His followers would do greater deeds than He had done Himself. Was that a prophecy that only lasted fifty years? I don't think so, and no tangible evidence supports that argument.\" \"Wow. A controversy within the Christian church itself. Now let me play the devil's advocate. If group A thinks that group B is influenced by the devil, is it possible that group A is really under the influence and is bad mouthing group B as a result?\" \"That is exactly the kind of comment that I would have made if I talked long enough. Your insight has spared me the effort. Absolutely, the body of Christ has to consider that Satan would throw confusion into the teachings of men to mask his own presence, or to minimize the amount of exposure he gets. You see if Christians recognize that the devil is working in a situation, they have the authority to kick him out. I understand that there are scriptures that indicate there will be people led astray by signs and wonders. There is some scripture evidence for them to hang their hat on in this arena. However, the signs and wonders that are being warned of in the Bible are not done by those professing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world. Those miracles are performed by those who are into new age philosophies that deify humans. Those are the areas where deception may draw away the very elect. \"A Christian can't run to every location where miracles are occurring. Discernment is necessary to determine if the miracles are of God or of the devil. If Jesus Christ is not glorified and claimed to be Lord, then the devil is running the show. If the devil could cause Christians to do signs and wonders in the name of Jesus, and then show the other fruits of the Spirit such as joy, love, longsuffering, etcetera, then how in the world would anyone be able to tell the counterfeit from the real signs and wonders? It 107

would be impossible. So group A, as you've labeled them, throws out all signs and wonders so they don't have to worry about being discerning in that area. Yet they invoke the word discernment all the time. I don't understand why they need discernment because they've already pre-discerned that the gifts of the Spirit have ceased. Bottom line is that Jesus said that the real believers would know each other by their love and by their fruits. If someone has both of those, is preaching Jesus Christ and Him crucified, and is manifesting signs and wonders, I don't understand how they can classify those signs and wonders as coming from the devil. That is absolutely void of any logic.\" \"Wow. If I understand this correctly, not only are you battling against the occult which you claim is featured in Harry Potter and vampire books, but you're also fighting against elements within Christianity. Do you enjoy fighting?\" \"Holly, I detest fighting. I just want truth to go forth. I really want to serve as a bridge between group A and group B. I'm trying to make sense of this situation. I really feel the non-charismatics need to at least recognize that God is involved in the signs and wonders and pull off their critical dogs. If they don't want to participate in the Holy Spirit activity, that is fine, but to label such activity demonic is extremely dangerous and very divisive. Jesus wanted His believers to be in unity.\" \"Maybe I can inject some comments here and interrupt your mutual admiration society meeting?\" \"Oh, yes, Heather. I almost forgot you were there. David's observations were so intriguing I couldn't let them pass by without clarification.\" \"Were you going to answer my statement about animal blood?\" \"Drinking of animal blood is forbidden in the Bible as well. It's not as objectionable to us, but both practices are off limits according to God's word.\" \"Only if you accept the Bible as God's word, Mr. Justice. Now, you mention a wide split in major Christian beliefs. How does that split impact how those people look at Harry Potter and my books and other so-called objectionable materials?\" \"Excellent question, Ms Culebra. The majority of people who believe in the miracles and speaking in tongues, etcetera, are against the hidden agenda of the occult. The majority of people who don't believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit are perfectly willing to accept Harry Potter and vampires. In some cases they will even criticize those who state that Harry Potter is evil. A major Christian 108

author came out with a book on writing and in it he mocked those who attacked Potter. It is a very interesting situation.\" \"Abraham Lincoln said that a house divided against itself shall fall. How long until the fall of Christianity?\" Heather asked. \"Mark Twain said that the news of his death was greatly exaggerated. I think the same is true of Christianity. What I see happening is those who truly embrace the Lord are on fire for Him, and He is pouring out signs and wonders upon them. The physically blind see and the deaf hear. Unfortunately we seem to have a lot of spiritually blind and deaf people running around, but the strength of the faithful seems to be augmenting.\" \"Do you mean the nuts seem to be getting nuttier and the fruits are getting fruitier?\" Heather asked with a smirk decorating her face. \"No, the white is getting whiter and the black is getting blacker.\" \"And my novels are part of the blackness?\" David nodded. \"That's what I'm here to say.\" \"Are you advocating that books like Heather's are banned?\" Holly asked. \"I don't advocate legislating morality. Hatred, prejudice, drunkenness, etcetera are things which are wrong, but it's a very slippery slope to censor the written word. At some point it might backfire. My view is that truth will win out if given a fair chance. Let Heather write her books. And let me stand up and say that they are unhealthy. Each person must choose for himself or herself whether to partake. No human should have the control to squelch opinion unless it is blatantly contrary to the laws of society. For example, if someone published a book explaining how to put together a home made bomb and strap it on your body so you can walk into a crowded mall and take out as many people as possible, I'd say that is tantamount to yelling 'fire' in a crowded theater. It is my opinion that Heather's books are dangerous. We probably won't know for sure until we die. My opinion really is of no consequence in the long run. God's opinion is the only one that matters in the end. The Bible says we should avoid even the appearance of evil. Those who love God should want to only spend their time on things that are beautiful, uplifting, and pleasing to their Father in Heaven. I'm just a messenger here to try to help people who confess Christ to avoid anything that will hinder their walk with Him. My message really has no significance to non believers. Everything I say is foolishness to them who reject God.\" \"And foolishness to some people who believe in God as well.\" 109

\"Yes, Heather, that is correct. Or maybe you can use a more blunt word. Forest Gump said 'Stupid is as stupid does'. People of understanding are very careful not to call people and things stupid. Often they exhibit their own ignorance when they do so. I can only say to use your imagination. If God truly exists and there is a time of judgment, how many people who loved God will be sorry that they obeyed Him? And how many who didn't will be sorry that they didn't and will realize that they indeed were the stupid ones?\" \"Food for thought there,\" Holly said. \"Thank you, David. By the way, folks, David also has written a book about what he is speaking on here today, so if you find his views interesting, you might want to check it out. I plan to. I have to admit my vision for today's show was that of a ranting, fire-eyed and fire breathing preacher against the calm and attractive voice of reason, but this turned out totally differently. David, you have been eloquent in your presentation of your ideas and I have to admit, I see where you're coming from. Thank you for appearing on our show. Heather, I thank you as well. I personally have found this conversation fascinating and I hope all of you viewers have as well. \"Choosing what we believe and how to live is serious business. We really need to spend more time thinking about those things than we do in choosing which automobile we're going to buy or where we're going on vacation this year. Now, as previously planned, you viewers will decide who you think won the debate today. You can vote online at our website, or call the number on your screen right now. Audience members can vote using the ballot handed to you by an usher when you entered. Just drop it off in the boxes at the exits. And now we'll have a commercial break. When we come back, we'll have the story of a blind man who earned his PhD despite his handicap. Don't go away.\" Heather got up and stormed off the stage without a word to her host. David thought he saw steam coming out of her ears. He got up to make his exit. \"David, I'd love to talk to you more offline, if you want to hang out backstage until the show is over.\" \"It would be my pleasure, Holly.\" He walked the reverse course he had taken thirty minutes earlier. No cameras followed him this time. He gave thanks to God during the entire walk. *** Back in Stan's room at the nursing home, the small troupe of prayer warriors clapped when David's portion of the show ended. 110

\"He did really good. Do you think he'll win?\" one of the women asked. Stan shook his head. \"He won't win the vote. Jesus said that broad is the road to destruction. The majority of people are going to reject truth. That's just the way the world works. David's goal was not to win the debate, but to win souls. And to convert those who think they are already converted. I think he touched some lives tonight.\" \"Do you think our prayer helped?\" the woman asked. \"I like to think so. We really won't know what impact we have on the world until the hereafter.\" \"Do you believe that we'll know then?\" Stan shrugged. \"I sometimes believe that when we're in Heaven we'll be able to play back our lives like a video recording of a football game and see all the places where we did something that helped others.\" \"What about the things we did wrong? Will we see those too?\" \"Good question. I think we'll see all of those things when we stand before the great white throne. After that is through, perhaps the memories of all failures will be erased. All of this is pure guesswork on my part though. It's like speculating whether there will be golf courses in Heaven. Or if Fluffy and Rover are allowed into Heaven. I don't have any answers. And none of those things has any bearing on our daily lives or our salvation. So why talk about them when we can be busy on things we know are important?\" \"You're right. I just find it's just fun to talk about stuff like that sometimes. When you reach our age, a lot of things we used to talk about aren't interesting any more.\" Stan smiled. \"True. By the way, you must be new here. I've never seen you before.\" \"I've been living in the home here for about a month. I just heard about your prayer meetings so this is the first time I've been here. My name is Florence, but you can call me Flo.\" \"I'm Stan. I once knew a Flo a long time ago.\" \"What a coincidence. I knew a Stan many years ago too. Of course I have known lots of Stans in my lifetime. That name is pretty common.\" \"Yes, it is. It's a good thing that my last name is memorable.\" \"What is it? I'm not guaranteeing that I'll remember it at my age, but I'll give it a shot.\" \"Mankowitz.\" 111

\"You weren't kidding. That is unusual. Wait, the Stan I knew had a name that was very similar. Actually, it might have been Mankowitz.\" \"That would really be a big coincidence.\" \"Yeah. It probably wasn't Mankowitz. The old brain doesn't work like it did when I was younger.\" Stan smiled. \"I wished I could say that I don't know what you're talking about. Growing old is Hell, but it beats the alternative.\" \"Maybe. Some days I'm ready just to go home.\" \"Again, I understand where you're coming from. I almost did, but I discovered that God wants me around for a while longer. He still has work for me to do.\" \"That's nice, Stan. I'm happy for you. Now, I better get back to my room. It's past my bedtime.\" \"Good night, Flo.\" \"Goodnight, Stan the Man.\" \"My Flo used to say that to me. She knew I was a big Stan Musial fan.\" \"Who's Stan Musial?\" A disappointed look crossed Stan's face. \"He was a baseball player. Baseball isn't the same without people like Musial, Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, Eddie Banks and the rest of the old timers.\" \"I wasn't into sports. I see you remember names.\" \"I'll never forget my heroes.\" \"I remember a lot from yesteryear. Yesterday is another thing altogether.\" Stan laughed and turned around to talk to the others who had joined the prayer meeting. He turned once to watch Flo shuffle out of the room with her walker. The picture of his Flo burned in his memory. Her straight and athletic walk had always been so attractive to him. He wondered what his new friend Flo was like in her youth. *** Heather hurled her blouse against the hotel wall. Her skirt followed. \"I am so angry!\" \"I noticed,\" Hercules said. \"Don't get funny with me. I'm not in the mood for any, and I accent the word any, backtalk. I can't believe the way she stabbed me in the back. Why didn't she just get down on the floor and kiss that idiot's feet and other parts of his anatomy?\" 112

\"Are you sure you're not blowing this out of proportion? The latest tally shows you're winning in a landslide.\" \"So what? She humiliated me in front of my fans. Did she forget who I was? Did his dark eyes hypnotize her? I think it was that football analogy he used that turned the tide. She's a sports fanatic and he used her team as an example. I don't get it. But she's going to. I'm going to wreck her career! She'll rue the day she decided to cross me.\" 113

Chapter 13 David was busy filling book orders for the whole week following his television appearance. His rankings on Amazon jumped up to 22,000, not that he noticed. One of his friends informed him. The number of emails he received jumped up sharply as well. He was performing his semi daily email duty when he found a correspondence from Heather's mother. She invited him to the house for lunch. \"Oh, no. I'm not going there again. Heather just wants another crack at me. I'm not going to spend any time with that woman – until she totally surrenders to Jesus.\" He wrote up a thanks but no thanks message and poised his mouse cursor above the SEND button. Before he clicked, he read the original message one more time. The wording of it indicated that Mrs. Culebra wanted to speak to him. If she was trying to talk him into courting her daughter, she would be disappointed. He felt the nudge of the Spirit telling him that there was something else behind the request. After deleting the first response, he wrote an acceptance message and clicked on the button. He thought about Heather for a moment before resuming his email reading routine. \"Lord, I feel like I've been judgmental with Heather. She is strong willed and off base, but she is potentially one of Your daughters. I lift her up in prayer to You now. I ask that You touch her spirit with Yours. I pray that You touch her heart and fill her with a love for You and a recognition of what she is doing in the eternal scheme of things. Please lead her to repentance and bring her into Your kingdom. And I ask for a blessing on her mother as well. In the name of Jesus. Amen.\" To his big surprise, he found an email from Darla telling him that she and her family had watched him on TV. She told him how proud she was to know him. More importantly to David, she gushed about how well things were going at home. Their whole family had changed as a result of her misadventure and timely lesson from the school of hard knocks. David made what he referred to as the 'sign of the yes' as he rolled his hand into a ball, extended his forearm into the air, and pulled downward like he was pulling a train whistle. He looked at the clock when he finished the task at hand. Every day it took him longer to read and respond to his emails. More hours in the day would sure be nice. Another day without an 114

email from Cindy. It looked like perhaps she had given up on him. In a way that was good, but for some reason it made him feel slightly empty. He had not wanted to crush their friendship but rather just to nip her crush in the bud. Maybe he had been excessively blunt. Or maybe she was too immature to handle the situation gracefully. Maybe it was time to write another book. Perhaps he could write a romance novel and satiate his hunger for a love relationship through his imagination. It didn't take long before the Holy Spirit squelched that idea by reminding him that he was supposed to find his love from the Lord at this time and then all things would be added unto him at a later date. \"In that case, I need some of that love right now.\" He put on some soaking music and spent a half hour at the feet and in the lap of his Heavenly Father. *** David searched the driveway to make sure that Heather's car was not parked there. If it had been, his plan was to bail out on the luncheon engagement. There was no sign of it, so he parked and walked up the driveway. Memories of running away from Heather's embrace last time flooded in on him though he tried to dam them up. The scent of her perfume seemed to hang in the air outside the house although he knew that was impossible and was just another memory forcing itself upon him. The only thing that kept him from bolting now was the feeling that God was up to something, and he didn't want to miss out on the action and perhaps spoil his Father's plans. Mrs. Culebra answered the doorbell almost immediately. She led him into the dining room. Ghosts of his past visit were all over the place. He could remember almost every word that had been said on that fateful Thanksgiving when he had escaped with his chastity. The two shared a nice lunch and the conversation started out with small talk about the weather and current events. \"By the way, David, I thought you were wonderful on TV the other night.\" \"Thanks.\" \"In fact, I think you should have won that debate.\" \"Are you serious? Heather is your daughter.\" \"Yes, she is, but that doesn't mean she's right all the time. She's a pretty smart girl, but this writing fame has turned her head. She's not the same person she used to be. She was raised to be humble. I'm not sure what got into her.\" 115

\"That's usually what happens when people become famous. It has to be a real temptation to just revel in all the hoopla and the adoration.\" \"Sounds like an excuse to me. I still don't like it. Anyway, I was very interested in what you said. I've always had some nagging doubts about these vampire stories, but I didn't want to be a thunderstorm dumping on Heather's picnic, so I kept my mouth shut. After hearing what you had to say, I'm having second thoughts.\" \"Have you said anything to Heather?\" \"Not yet. I wanted to talk to you first. I don't know quite where to start though.\" \"Does it have something to do with God?\" Mrs. Culebra nodded. \"When my husband was alive, we used to go to church some, mostly Christmas and Easter. Heather went to vacation bible school when she was a kid and said she gave her heart to Jesus there. She never really seemed interested in God or church as she got older. She was most interested in boys and having fun.\" \"That's pretty typical.\" \"Anyway, I never really got more involved than superficially with the whole scene. But hearing you talk that night made me realize that something is missing from my life. I saw people at church when I went that had that certain aura around them that I could never seem to obtain. I saw that same thing on you when you spoke that night. I'm not sure what it is, but I think I want it.\" \"I guess you would be talking about the joy and the peace of the Lord.\" \"Sounds good to me.\" David nodded. \"It's a very simple concept, but very difficult sometimes to attain. It depends on how bad you want it. Are you willing to die?\" \"If I die, what good would joy and peace do me?\" \"I'm talking about a symbolic death of your self as you surrender your life to Jesus. Just going to church doesn't bring this kind of supernatural joy and peace. You have to die to self and be reborn as a new person with a new heart that is dedicated to Jesus. And then you have to spend time in His presence to receive the glow of the Lord.\" \"That sounds awfully radical. Can't I just light a candle or donate some money or say a prayer? I don't want to do anything crazy or be a fanatic or anything.\" 116

\"I'm sorry, Janet, but you can't get what I have by developing a superficial relationship with God. You have to want more than three dollars worth of God.\" \"What?\" David smiled. \"That is a famous quotation. The speaker says he doesn't want enough of God to explode his soul or disturb his sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine. He doesn't want enough of God to make him love a black man or pick beets with a migrant. He wants ecstasy, not transformation. He wants the warmth of the womb and not a new birth. He just wants three dollars worth of God in a paper sack.\" \"I don't have a problem loving a black man.\" \"Good for you. How about wanting transformation and a new birth?\" \"That's the part I'm having a problem with.\" \"I know. Most do. That's why I said it was easy and hard at the same time. But, I can guarantee you that you won't find what I have in a three dollar bag of God. You have to pour it all out on Him so He will pour it out on you. Do you have a Bible?\" \"There's one lying around here somewhere. It's probably covered with dust.\" \"Blow it off, and let's open it up. There are some things I want to show you.\" She went into another room and returned in five minutes with a King James version of the Bible. He opened it up and began showing her scripture verses. After ninety minutes of conversation, she decided she was ready to commit her life to Jesus. David explained the kinds of things she needed to say and then let her make her personal covenant with God. When she had finished, she had a radiant smile on her face. \"I feel different! Is that all I need to do?\" \"I figured you would. But remember, that feeling is not what you told me you were after. You wanted to have what I have. I didn't get this in an instant. It's been a process. First of all, as we saw in the scripture where Jesus gave the great commission, He said that those who believe and are baptized would be saved. I'd highly recommend that you find a church that practices immersion baptism, which is how John the Baptist dunked Jesus.\" \"I assume yours does?\" David nodded. \"Then what's to prevent me from going to your church?\" \"Not a thing. I didn't want to give you the idea that I was recruiting for my own body. That's not where my heart is, but if you 117

choose to go there, I'd be very pleased and so would my fellow members.\" \"Good. Then that's settled. I want to be baptized ASAP.\" \"We'll have to talk to the pastor about that, but I'm sure it will be no problem. Now, I need to finish talking about the process you have to go through to get what I have. The feeling you experienced is just the beginning of the process of sanctification that will lead you to a life of holiness. You'll need to learn how to continually surrender areas of your life, until it all really belongs to Him.\" \"I thought I just did that?\" David smiled. \"Words are easier to issue from our mouths than actions from our brain and body. It's like going to the gym thinking you are in shape because you work out all the time and going to a class that focuses on a muscle group you don't exercise much – for example your abs. Your stomach muscles will hurt for days afterward, and you'll realize that you had an area of weakness that you needed to strengthen. God will expose the areas of your life that need surrendering as you go. But just like Rome was not built in one day, neither is your character. Just remember that He doesn't expect you to have it all right coming out of the starting gate. You'll learn at His pace or your own, whichever is the slower.\" \"And I thought I would be made perfect by taking this step.\" \"Jesus was the only one who was perfect. Every day we should move closer to perfection as Jesus said that His Father wanted all men to be perfect like Jesus, but in reality we never fully get there on this side of Heaven.\" Mrs. Culebra frowned. \"I hope I'll get some help along the way.\" \"Absolutely. God is your first line of help, but the rest of the body of Christ is willing to help out where they can. I even have a mentor in mind for you.\" \"Another lady about my age? Or are you going to try to line me up with a new husband?\" David laughed. \"You'll have to find your own husband. I'm not very good dealing with matrimonial material. The person I have in mind is male but is old enough to be your father.\" \"I never knew my real father or mother. I found out after I grew up that I was adopted at birth. My parents weren't married and so my mother gave me away.\" \"I'm sorry, Janet. Did you ever try to find them?\" \"I wasn't sure I wanted to. After all, that's a pretty big rejection to be given away.\" 118

\"Yeah, but they didn't know you yet when you were just born.\" \"I know. And I did a lot of thinking about it. I wondered what I would have done if I got pregnant before marriage and had no husband to be the father. I might have given the baby away too, so I can't be too judgmental in this situation.\" David nodded. \"That's a healthy attitude.\" \"What do you mean about having difficulty with matrimonial material? You are a handsome guy. You should be beating away the ladies with a stick.\" \"Seems more like the other way around. I think I have the bruises to prove it.\" \"I don't believe it. My Heather thinks you're very attractive. I think you'd be perfect for her. You could help straighten her out. Oh, my gosh!\" \"What's the matter?\" David asked. \"After what you just showed me in scripture, I'd say that Heather is on the road to Hell right now if she doesn't change her course!\" \"I can't disagree with that.\" \"You gotta save her!\" \"Janet, calm down. I can't save anyone. Only Jesus can. I've been trying to witness to her, but she hasn't responded positively at all. To be perfectly honest with you, I would have totally fallen in love with your daughter if she had been a strong believer. She certainly makes the stars and stripes start waving in my brain when I see her.\" \"Then we have even more reason to pound some sense into her and make her see that she needs God. That would remove the barrier between you two, and I could have you for a son-in-law. Wait here, just a second.\" Mrs. Culebra stood up and walked briskly to another room. David sat there wondering what was coming next. He was in uncharted territory to be plotting with the mother of a beautiful girl for her spiritual and romantic conquest. He looked at her picture on the wall. Perfume filled his mind again. He allowed himself to daydream about having Heather in his arms again with a wedding ring on her finger that gave him free reign to release his passion from its cage. It should be against the law to be that beautiful. Mrs. Culebra returned carrying a box. When she popped the lid, David looked in and saw it was full of photographs. She pulled a pile out and handed it to him. He sheepishly accepted the pile and began to shuffle through them dutifully as to not offend her. As he found picture after picture 119

of this gorgeous woman showing various poses and different looks, he felt his heart was melting. No longer was he perusing the pictures to prevent hurting a mother's feelings. He wanted to see and know more. All the pictures toward the top of the box were recent photos. David noticed that when he got to the high school pictures, the object of his passion was not so attractive. Even further down in the pile were grade school pictures that were not flattering at all. She had really blossomed. \"Do you notice something unusual?\" Janet asked. \"I don't know. Like what?\" \"Like a change from an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan.\" \"Oh, that. Actually, it was pretty hard not to notice.\" Janet smiled. \"Heather had a lot of grief when she was younger. Some of the kids teased her about being spooky looking. She got the nickname Spook. One reason she wanted so badly to succeed in writing is that it made her feel like a special somebody. She had never felt that in school and craved it after she graduated.\" \"Wow. Then she wasn't the stuck up beauty queen as I had always assumed.\" \"Assumptions make us look like idiots sometimes.\" David grimaced. \"I'm guilty as charged. I think we need to lift her up in prayer.\" \"So you want to get her saved so you can marry her?\" \"Janet, I'm not sure that is a righteous prayer. I can pray for her salvation without worry of a conflict in interest. But if I get something out of the deal, I think that would make me motivated by selfishness. I can't ask God to save her so I can have her.\" \"I suppose there is some nobility in that stand. Maybe that kind of attitude is learned in the process you were talking about. Since I haven't yet learned that lesson, there is nothing to prevent me from praying for the son-in-law that I want.\" \"Certainly, I won't prevent you. If things should work out in that manner, I'd be just as happy as you.\" David couldn't help but notice the gleam in Janet's eye. 120

Chapter 14 David met Janet at church on Sunday and introduced her to the pastor and several of his friends. She set an appointment to meet with the pastor concerning baptism for the next day. David was thoroughly enjoying the sharing of his world with the woman who had quickly become near and dear to his heart. And then he saw Cindy. It had been a couple of weeks since he had last seen her. He felt guilty in not taking Janet to meet her, but not for long. She approached them. \"Good morning, David.\" She held her hand out to Janet. \"Hi. I'm Cindy.\" \"Janet Culebra. Nice to meet you.\" She turned to look at David and discovered him studying Cindy. Cindy looks different. She's lost some weight I think. And she looks radiant. He had been worried that she would smother him with her normal flirtatious conversation, but she barely paid attention to David before she bid Janet goodbye. He watched her depart up the aisle. \"Pretty girl,\" Janet said. \"She's not competition for my Heather, is she?\" David blushed despite his best efforts to keep the blood in the lower part of his body. \"She's just a friend.\" \"Do you look at all your friends like that?\" \"Like what?\" \"Do I need to give you a play by play call?\" \"Believe it or not, I've been trying to avoid that gal. She was throwing herself at me.\" \"Someone might have to give you lessons in avoidance. I wish you'd avoid Heather like that.\" He stuttered a poorly conceived excuse. \"David. I'll drop the subject and let you off the hook. I don't want to cause an apoplectic stroke before you even get my daughter to the altar.\" David wondered if the sigh of relief he felt inside could be heard. After church David treated Janet to lunch. After eating, they stopped at the nursing home and dropped by Stan's room. The door was wide open, but nobody was home. They stood there for a moment with David trying to figure out what to do next. 121

\"Are you looking for Stan?\" a voice behind them asked. \"Yes, we are,\" David said. \"Tess?\" \"Janet! What are you doing here?\" \"I'm going to get mentored in walking the Christian run, or something like that. When did you start working here?\" \"About a week ago. I'm a nurse.\" \"What a small world. How's your husband?\" \"I have no clue. He's in Africa right now. I think he's coming back in a couple of days, but I don't care. We're separated and waiting for a divorce trial.\" \"Oh, Tess. I'm so sorry! You guys were such a cute couple, though I have to admit I haven't seen him since the wedding.\" \"When we were newlyweds. Now cute is not a word anybody would apply.\" \"So what's your husband doing in Africa?\" \"Some kind of missionary work. He's on this religious kick. I think he's gone off the deep end of an elevator that doesn't make it to the top with a picnic basket that's a sandwich short.\" Janet chuckled. \"I don't know anything about his situation, but I am on a religious journey of my own. And that's why I'm here. We'll have to get together some time. It's been a long time since your parents moved away. The people who moved in next door have never been friendly, so I really miss you and your family.\" \"Thanks. I see Heather's doing great. I'm so proud of her.\" \"Me too. This man here is going to marry her, I hope.\" Tess turned and studied David. \"You're a lucky man.\" \"Yeah, maybe,\" David said. \"By the way, Stan is down in the lunchroom. His prayer group is now so big they can't fit in a room. If you want to join them in there, go right ahead. I need to get back to my rounds. I'll give you a call, Janet.\" \"Perfect. Nice running into you.\" David led Janet to the lunchroom. \"What is Tess's husband's name?\" \"Oh, gosh. It's been nine years since I saw him. I can't quite get it off the tip of my tongue.\" \"What's Tess's last name?\" \"That I remember. Franklin.\" David shook his head. \"Unbelievable!\" \"What is?\" \"Her husband is a friend of mine. In fact his trip to Africa is partly my responsibility. He told me his wife had kicked him out of the house. I was praying for reconciliation, but it doesn't look good 122

for that. I was hoping that God would get a hold of her heart while Chris was laying his life down over in Mozambique.\" \"Maybe I can give God a little boost.\" \"Are you serious?\" \"Of course. I'd like to share what I've got with everyone. I believe that's called sharing a testimony.\" \"That it is. Well, you might be exactly what the good physician ordered. Oh, and by the way, Janet, I'd really appreciate it if you didn't introduce me as your future son-in-law.\" They reached the entrance to the lunchroom. There were fifteen people present in the room. Not all of them were senior citizens. They quietly approached the group and bowed their heads. When the prayer time was over, Stan wheeled himself over and greeted David warmly. \"Is this that beautiful woman you were telling me about?\" David's face burned red yet again. \"No, Stan. This is . . . ah . . . her mother, Janet Culebra.\" Stan held out his hand. \"Enchanté madame. Welcome to our humble home. You realize you could ruin your reputation hanging out with a guy like David.\" Janet laughed. \"I'll take the chance. Luckily I didn't have much of one to start with.\" \"Stan, if you can quit spewing out bad jokes, maybe you can do some mentoring with Janet. She is a baby Christian and wants to get weaned off the milk as soon as possible and move on to the meat. I don't have time to give her enough attention, but I figured you and your friends here might get some joy in sharing yours.\" \"Absolutely. We'd be delighted. If I was thirty years younger, I'd make you feel even more at home.\" \"If you were thirty years younger, I'd let you.\" Stan blushed this time, and David got to laugh. \"We have prayer every afternoon at one fifteen. That way the staff doesn't have to take everybody back to their rooms and then fetch them again for the prayer meeting. So if you're free at that time, just drop by any day. Also Friday nights at seven thirty.\" \"I am free almost every day. I'd be delighted to drop in and join you.\" Florence pushed her walker over to the group, and Stan introduced her. The older lady studied Janet. \"For some reason, you seem very familiar to me. Perhaps we've met.\" \"Maybe. Perhaps you knew my adoptive parents.\" \"You were adopted?\" 123

\"Yes. My mother dropped into the hospital, dropped me out into the world on August 15, and then dropped out of my life.\" Florence grew pale. \"What year was that?\" \"1955.\" Florence let out a little cry and started to swoon. David grabbed her before she took a tumble. He helped her over to a chair. The rest of the group gathered around her. Shortly after, she assured them she had recovered and that she was ready to return to her room. Stan offered to accompany her back, but she refused. Janet watched her go. \"Well, Stan, you don't have to drop thirty years to go after that one, or is she married?\" \"No, she's a widow. Believe me, I've thought about it, but what use is there getting my hopes up about a relationship. I'm in a nursing home for criminy sake. I can't really take care of myself, much less another human.\" \"I guess I had a wrong first impression of you,\" Janet said. \"What? What do you mean?\" \"I got the impression that you weren't a quitter. I guess I read the signs wrong.\" \"I'm not a quitter!\" \"Then don't give up on love! Love can overcome almost any obstacle. Let yourself have another fling at happiness.\" Stan turned to David. \"Is the daughter like the mother? If she is, you better not let her get away.\" Janet smiled. \"You old faker. You only flirt with women who are safe. Try talking that way to Florence or one of the other ladies around here like you do to me.\" \"Maybe I will.\" Janet laughed. \"'Maybe' – one of those cotton candy words like 'if' and 'when.' And tomorrow might fit into that category also.\" \"Are you going to protect me here, David?\" \"Stan, you're on your own. I told Janet you are wise in the ways of the Lord. If you can't handle a little adversity, I might have had an inflated opinion of you myself.\" \"That's not fair. You're ganging up on me.\" David smiled. \"It'll keep your mind sharp. Well, we better get out of here before Janet talks you into going to a diamond store and shopping for wedding rings. Take care of yourself, old friend.\" \"You just had to use the 'o' word. Take off! Go sow some tame oats.\" He wheeled around and joined a group of his peers. David took Janet back to the church to get her car. \"Did you see who was in the prayer meeting?\" Janet asked. \"I don't know many of the old folks by name.\" 124

\"I was talking about a young lady.\" \"Oh, I noticed a younger person there, but I didn't see a face. I was too busy watching you make Stan squirm.\" \"I'm pretty sure it was your Cindy from church.\" \"My Cindy? By the way, Cindy is also a nurse at the home, like your friend Tess.\" \"Then that could have been her.\" David shrugged. \"Makes no difference.\" *** Janet returned home and went directly to the telephone. \"Heather darling, I just spent the afternoon with the most adorable man.\" \"Mother, I don't think I'd be very keen on having a step- father.\" \"How about a husband?\" \"What?\" \"I went to church and spent the afternoon with David Justice.\" \"You went to church?\" \"I have some news for you, dear. I've given my life to Jesus Christ!\" Heather made an audible gasp on the other end. \"Did Justice have something to do with this?\" \"He walked me through the Bible explaining all about Jesus and his sacrifice and stuff. It was a choice I had to make.\" \"I don't really want to hear about it, Mom. I've had a tough week. I'm tired of traveling. And I'm getting tired of being nice to people all the time. I'm about ready to scratch some eyes out. And David Justice is about the first person I'd operate on.\" \"Honey, be nice.\" \"I don't have to be nice. I'm a superstar. I can be who I want to, and if people don't like it, they can shove it.\" \"Including me?\" \"We won't go there.\" \"Maybe you'd like to come over and go to church with me. It sounds like you need some stress relief.\" \"Maybe you should come over here and get drunk with me. Sounds like you've let David Justice brainwash you. I'll have to take you through deprogramming.\" \"Oh, hogwash, Heather. You haven't a clue what a joy it is to give your life to God. I've never been happier.\" \"Yeah right. How long has this been going on? Like three days or something?\" 125

\"Four.\" \"Exactly my point. The newness will wear off, and you'll be looking for a new hobby.\" \"Not this time.\" Heather laughed. \"That's what you said the last four times.\" \"Laugh if you want to. Just you remember this, if you find yourself in a pile of trouble and you can't work your way out, you just call on Jesus. He's waiting for you.\" \"No, Mom. Hercules is waiting for me. We're about to have a little party.\" \"Just remember what I said. I love you.\" \"Love you too, Mom. Just don't put any more pressure on me with the religious stuff. I'll quit coming home.\" \"I just hope someday you find out what a marvel it is to love God and to want to share Him with everyone around.\" \"Don't hold your breath! I've got a reputation to uphold. Now, I gotta go. Bye.\" Mrs. Culebra hung up the phone after the sound of the dial tone pierced her soul. *** \"What's up with your Mom?\" Hercules asked. \"She caught religion. She wants to start an epidemic, starting with me.\" \"That's pretty sudden.\" \"No kiddin'. I hope this lasts about as long as her fitness freak days. She joined the YMCA and went down there about four times before she decided she'd rather carry the weight of doughnut holes than dumbbells.\" Hercules turned on the TV. \"What did you do that for? No football allowed, remember.\" \"I wanna catch up on the news. I haven't heard it lately.\" \"Maybe my mom will be on it. I can see the headlines. Mother of Heather Culebra goes insane. Fans wonder if the condition is genetic and the same fate awaits their favorite author.\" Hercules put his hands to his lips. \"Sorry!\" Heather shook her head and headed to the kitchen. When she came back in carrying a tray of snacks, she heard a mention of abortion and Planned Parenthood. Hercules was totally focused on the tube and ignored the tray she set down next to him. \"They've gone too far!\" he almost yelled. \"I'm not deaf, yet, but I will be if you keep that up. Who's gone too far?\" 126

\"Planned Parenthood. They told their people to go out and recruit abortions in order to increase their revenue. That's just all wrong. If they want to be there in case someone needs an operation, that's one thing, but to go out and persuade people to kill their baby so they can improve the bottom line is out of line.\" \"Who was that lady?\" Heather asked. \"She used to be the director of a Planned Parenthood clinic. Combined with what is going on at their organization and watching a sonar of a baby being destroyed by an abortion procedure was enough to not only make her quit her job, but she's joined up with the Pro-Life group that was praying for her.\" \"Oh, God. More insanity. I wonder if it's something in the drinking water.\" \"Why do you consider it crazy to stand up for life? It seems to me that it should be something that gets praised and not condemned.\" \"Hercules, why don't you stay out of politics and leave the thinking to people who are smart?\" \"Like you?\" \"OK, you got me pinned down. I'll have to confess.\" \"You just think you're smart. You think because you wrote some B-rated novels that sold a lot of books that you're an expert on every topic in the world.\" \"Careful big boy, or you'll be sleeping on the couch.\" \"I'm afraid you've got me confused with someone who actually cares.\" \"Ooh. Good one, Herc. Now I'm warning you for the last time. Pull in your claws, settle down, and everything will be OK. Let's just turn off the TV and forget all about abortion.\" \"I'm sorry. I can't forget it.\" \"Well, you better, or you can forget about collecting your paycheck.\" \"Good idea. Maybe I can find a job guarding a nice person.\" He got up and walked into his room. A few minutes later he came out carrying suitcases. \"Where do you think you're going?\" \"In case you didn't get my subtle resignation, let me try again. Take this job and shove it.\" \"Screw you, you big jerk! I'll get a bodyguard who's not a bleeding heart. And maybe I'll get one who doesn't eat five meals a day.\" \"Good luck.\" He piled the suitcases in his car and came back for three more loads. He pulled out without saying goodbye. 127

Heather watched the car disappear down the street. \"You'll be back. And I'll make you crawl when you do.\" She grabbed a pillow off the couch and hurled it into the wall. A few more items followed, a couple which were breakable. She stared at the fragments of glass. \"Screw it. I'm taking a break. I'm going to drive up to the mountains and get away from all this crap.\" She threw some clothes in a suitcase, dumped them into her trunk along with some food, and exited the driveway in the same direction Hercules had gone. An hour later she was cruising in the wilderness. She loved to get away from traffic and push the accelerator to the floor. She had climbed to a point where the scenery was breathtaking. The driving was also perilous because the road dropped off steeply in many places. The thrill of driving a mountain road was a high for Heather. She'd done it a hundred times. Her anger at Hercules bubbled up again as she rehashed his resignation. She reached for her cell phone, and looked down to find the button to dial him. She neglected to keep her eyes on the road, which prevented her from seeing the sudden curve in the road. The front of the car had already encountered grass and weeds when Heather looked up and saw she was headed over the edge. She screamed and tried to jerk the car back onto the road. It was too late. The momentum made it impossible for her to stop. The car flew twenty feet through the air before encountering terra firma once again. The impact stunned Heather and the car continued to plunge downward through grass that was taller than the vehicle. She got her foot back on the brake and jammed it to the floor. The car slid sideways as the tires attempted to find a foothold. The tree that stopped her downward journey came up so fast that Heather didn't even get a chance to scream. 128

Chapter 15 Heather awoke with a headache. Her air bag had deployed and protected her from some of the impact. The main damage had come from the side however and the twisted metal frame coupled with the airbag had become Heather's prison. She could move very little. One of her arms was pinned along with both legs. She didn't detect any serious pain that would signal fractures. She could see in the rear view mirror that she had some minor cuts on her face. \"Looks like I came out of this pretty lucky. Now I just have to wait for somebody to send the cavalry. Hopefully somebody saw me, and they're calling 911 right now. Wait, where's my cell phone?\" She maneuvered her body just enough that she could see the phone on the floor. In any other circumstances she could have bent down and retrieved the device easily. In this situation, she could get her hand close enough to brush her finger on the metal, but not close enough to grasp it. She let out a big sigh. \"I just have to wait until the ambulance shows up and they cut me out of this glorified sardine can.\" As she tried to pass the time, she thought about cars she had seen ahead or behind her. She had not been paying a lot of attention, but she didn't remember seeing any cars. Well, it doesn't matter. My skid marks on the pavement and tracks through the grass should allow the authorities to locate me. She wasn't worried. This little break would give her time to think about her new novel. Maybe she should include a car wreck. She could write a very vivid description of such an event now she had lived through one. When life handed her lemons, she was going to get out the juicer. And when she got back to civilization, she was going to make Hercules pay for this. It was all his fault. If he hadn't gone postal because of the abortion thing, she'd be back at her house safe and sound. And if she hadn't picked up the phone to call him, she'd still be driving down the highway toward the resort where she liked to stay. This was totally his fault. No it wasn't. The lady who converted to pro-life had a part in it. Those religious nuts who did all the praying and stirring up of trouble were partially responsible as well. There was plenty of blame to go around for this incident. She let loose a string of four letter words to vent her frustration. \"To Hell with the whole bunch!\" She realized she needed to conserve her energy so she desisted from her rants against everybody who had ever caused 129

her pain. Without much success, she tried to plot out the next chapter in her story. The sun was close to setting. If they didn't find her before dark, she'd had to spend the night here all alone. She was pretty sure there'd be no room service in this low rent district. The thought of that made her laugh. I'll have to use that line in a book sometime. She watched the night descend upon her. This was starting to get a little scary. What kind of wild animals haunted this vicinity? At least there shouldn't be any humans out here. They were really the dangerous animals on the planet. What was up with that? The difference between the scumbags who slit people's throat for a few dollars and the saints like Mother Teresa was so profound that she had to consider the possibility that David Justice was right about evil. There really were people who enjoyed hurting and cheating others. Luckily she wouldn't have to deal with them. All she had to do was go to sleep and forget all about her little problem. Tomorrow morning, they would find her, and life would be good again. She closed her eyes. It was probably about 6:00 PM. It wouldn't be light until after 7:00 AM. She was going to have to sleep a long time to avoid sitting in the dark and worrying about her prospects. Luckily she was suffering a little sleep deprivation and a few extra hours would probably be good for her. Now if she could just get to sleep. Her normal bedtime was hours away. After failing to go to sleep, she tried to extricate herself from the wrecked car. No go. She was just wasting her energy. Speaking of energy, how long can I go without food? I guess that's a moot point. I'd die of thirst before I even got a good fast going. I have a water bottle right beside the phone. And I can't reach either one. If I could slide my arm down another two inches, I think I could get that dang phone. And if pigs could fly, the airlines would really be in trouble. As far as she could tell, the glass of the vehicle was still intact. She was grateful for that little victory. It was going to get cold, and she had no blanket or other covering. Luckily she had been wearing her coat and some warm pants. That would help, but December nights could get pretty chilly. She was able to see out of the front windshield. As the darkness poured over the landscape, the stars began to come out to play. A bright moon rose behind her. That was a comforting sign. She figured she'd be able to see quite a bit with the amount of light reflecting from Earth's little companion. She studied the heavens for quite a while. She was amazed at the number of stars. In the city she could only see a small subset of what she was gazing at now. She dozed off only to be 130

awakened by a noise coming from the front of the car. A pair of something walked on the hood. They came right up to the windshield and peered into the car, evoking a scream of terror from Heather. The creatures retreated. She could make out enough of the bodies in the moonlight to figure out they were only raccoons. She let out a sigh of relief and then wondered how much moisture she had just expelled into the air. Her thirst was more pronounced now. Hunger pangs gnawed at her stomach. She thought of all the food in the trunk, which might as well have been a hundred thousand miles away instead of the hundred inches. Pain had developed in her body. She was pretty sure that most of it was from not moving from the same position for however long she had been there. She had no idea how much time had passed since her dashboard clock was stuck on the time of the accident and she didn't wear a watch. Her mind wandered through various topics. Memories of the Count of Monte Cristo came back to her. Would she carve a one in the panel of the door for each appearance of the sun? She laughed at the thought. First of all, she was not in the position to carve anything and secondly, no one was going to keep her alive with a bare minimum of food and drink. She was either going to be rescued or die in the next few days. When they found out she was missing, no doubt they would launch a military like operation in order to search for her. The trouble was she hadn't told anyone where she was going, so no one would know in what direction to search. Why didn't I call Mom and let her know? I'm such a freaking airhead sometimes! She had two new problems now. The combination of lack of movement and the chill of the night air caused her to shiver. And now she had to empty her bladder. She wondered if there was some way to recycle the liquid through again. Why isn't the body smart enough to reuse the most critical component to the survival of the owner? Why wasn't God all over that one? God. Is He up there watching me? If He is, probably He's saying I told you so. He might even be laughing at my plight. Why don't they pass a law against talking on the cell phone when you're driving? Oh, that's right. They did pass one last year. I just never pay attention to it. She slept off and on all night long. Finally when she awoke for about the fortieth time, in her estimation, the light penetrated the darkness again. She had survived a whole night all by herself. There was no bodyguard, and no David Justice, and no god who got her through the ordeal. She was feeling quite proud of herself until she had to make a momentous and embarrassing decision. The pain of holding back her urine had become extreme. She 131

couldn't wait for her rescuers. After trying to figure out how she must have done it as a baby, she decided just to pretend she was wearing a big diaper. After relaxing the muscles she had been squeezing to prevent a leak, the evacuation began. The relief was immediate. So was the presence of an offensive odor. The warmth that had been immediately present when the liquid had issued forth gave way to cold as the air dissipated the heat. She was grateful that she had cracked the window slightly before the accident occurred. Otherwise she might have been in danger of using up the oxygen. An occasional puff of air on her cheek also helped alleviate the feeling of claustrophobia she experienced from time to time. Talking to herself had helped her cope. Now her throat was dry enough that she knew she needed to preserve all the moisture she could. From that point forward, only her thoughts were available to comfort her. The problem was that her thoughts were also tormenting her. She waffled back and forth between positive and negative. She knew she needed to focus on the positive, but lassoing the wind would have been easier than stopping the pessimism from whispering in her ear. Maybe I can think happy thoughts like Pollyanna. How can I be grateful for this accident? She ruminated on the possibilities for a long time without coming up with any satisfactory answers. She was tempted to yell out when her cell phone rang. She tried to move enough to pick it up. She did brush it again but only managed in pushing in further away. She wanted to cry, but she truly believed that big girls don't cry and any liquid lost to blubbering over her dilemma would only hasten her demise from dehydration. Her next hour was spent wondering who the caller had been. She went through the gamut of possible characters. The next step was to figure out who she hoped it was. Who would be the best chance at getting her help? Hercules? Mom? My publicist? David Justice? Ha. This is all his fault. If he hadn't transformed my mother into a Jesus freak, then I wouldn't have been stressed out enough to fight with Hercules. And I'd be . . . where would I be now? Oh, no. I was supposed to be at a book signing today at the mall. I hate to disappoint my fans. I'd hate even more to disappoint them by dying. Hey, they'll miss me when I don't show up at the bookstore. It's a good thing I had that engagement. My absence there will trigger the alarm and the boy scouts will be out beating the bush to find the superstar. . 132

*** Mrs. Culebra was contemplating visiting the nursing home when her phone rang. She hoped it was David. \"Hello.\" The female voice on the other end disappointed her. \"Mrs. Culebra?\" \"Yes, this is she.\" \"This is Heather's publicist. Do you know where she is?\" \"Last time I talked to her was yesterday afternoon and she was at home. I have no clue where she is today.\" \"Bummer! She's not answering her cell phone. That's not like her. She has a book signing this afternoon. I was calling to remind her and find out how things were going.\" \"Did you try the cell number for Hercules?\" \"Heather never gave me that number.\" Janet frowned. \"Oh, well, I have it. Why don't I call him? I'll have Heather call you as soon as I can reach her.\" \"That would be wonderful. Thanks, Mrs. Culebra and sorry to bother you.\" \"No problem. Take care.\" As soon as Janet hung up, she dialed the number on the business card on the refrigerator. Heather wasn't answering her cell phone for her mother either. After leaving a brief message, she hung up and dialed a second number on the same card. Luckily Hercules answered. \"Hercules, thank God I got you. Are you with Heather?\" \"Nope. I quit my job last night.\" \"You quit? Then you have no idea where she is either.\" \"That's about the size of it. Did you try her cell?\" \"She isn't answering. Is there any chance I could sweet talk you into going over to Heather's to see if she's home?\" \"You got me worried now. I'm on my way. I'll call you when I find out anything.\" \"You're a prince!\" \"Tell that to Heather.\" \"I hope to get the chance. Bye.\" Janet paced the kitchen for a few minutes. Should I call David? No, it's too early for that. She could have forgotten to take her cell phone with her and just ran to Starbucks or the grocery store or something. It's probably no big deal. Fifteen minutes later her phone rang. \"Hello.\" \"Hercules here. No sign of Heather at home. Her car is gone.\" 133

\"In a way that's good. She probably just forgot her phone when she left.\" \"Or maybe she's still mad at the whole world and refused to answer.\" \"Did you guys have a fight or something?\" \"You might call it that.\" Janet bit her lip. \"Heather doesn't handle rejection very well. Having you quit is a form of that to her.\" \"Yes, ma'am. I'll check a few more places she might be. If I have any luck, you'll be the first to know.\" \"Thanks again, Hercules.\" For the next three hours on the hour, she called Heather's number without success. Before she got a chance to try again, an incoming call increased her worry. \"This is Heather's publicist again. I just got off the phone with the owner of the bookstore where Heather was supposed to show up at one o'clock. She was a no-show for the book signing, and the book store owner is not very happy. Some of the customers were ready to riot.\" \"I can't raise her either. I have Hercules looking for her.\" \"Why isn't he with her? I thought that bodyguards stuck closer to you than your underwear.\" \"Not when they quit.\" \"When did that happen?\" \"Last night.\" Janet heard a sigh on the other end. \"The plot thickens. Well, I've done everything I can on my end. I'll wait for you to contact me when you know something.\" \"Will do. Bye.\" Janet hung up the phone and stared at it for a moment. \"I think it's time for prayer. If I hurry to the nursing home, I can enlist the help of the prayer warriors there.\" Without bothering to even put on makeup, Janet followed up on her plan. Fifteen minutes later, she crashed the prayer party and requested assistance in invoking God's protection on Heather. After they prayed, the girl Janet had met at church came up to her. \"So you're Heather Culebra's mother?\" \"Proud to admit it -- usually.\" \"I watched her and David debate on television.\" \"That was fun. I love both of those two young people. I'm hoping they get married.\" \"David is going out with Heather? I thought they were adversaries.\" \"He came to our house for Thanksgiving.\" 134

\"No wonder I never see him around any more. Well, Mrs. Culebra, I hope that Heather turns up soon. I know you must be worried to a frazzle.\" \"Frazzle is a good word to describe it. Thanks for your concern.\" \"My shift is just about to start. Off to work for me. Bye. God bless.\" As Janet watched Cindy disappear, Stan approached her. \"She's a wonderful girl,\" he said. \"Is that so? I've been trying to figure out if she's the genuine deal or a good counterfeit.\" \"She's got a heart of gold. I'm trying to get her lined up with David.\" Janet gulped. \"Do you have a match making license?\" Stan laughed. \"Nope. I'm not certified. I put together good marriages anyway.\" \"I hope you fail on this one. I wanted to ask your opinion about something. How long should I wait before contacting the police concerning Heather?\" \"I understand your concern. You don't want to cry wolf if she's just gone on a shopping spree or something. But if you don't hear from her by tomorrow, I'd go to the authorities.\" \"Good idea. That's what I'll do. Thanks, Stan.\" \"Glad I could help. Take care of yourself and keep the faith.\" \"Yeah. That's what I need to do. Keep trusting in God. If I don't, I'll soon be fitted for one of those funny jackets where the sleeves go backwards.\" *** The phone had rung again several times. Heather jumped every time it did and then got upset with herself for her reaction. Get a grip, girl. This type of confinement was torture to a type A personality like herself. She hated to waste a minute of her day. If she could have only been in a position to read some good books, this experience wouldn't have been a total waste. She snoozed on and off during the sunlight hours. She felt somewhat bad because she was afraid she wouldn't be able to sleep during the night when the darkness increased her claustrophobia and other fears for which she didn't even have a name. When the sun went down again, Heather knew she had gone twenty-four hours without anything to eat or drink. And she knew she was doomed to wait at least another twelve hours or so. She couldn't remember the last time she prayed, but she was at a point 135

when she thought it wouldn't hurt to send up a little prayer. She racked her brain for something to say. Finally she mentally repeated the prayer of her youth. Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. And if I die before I wake. I pray the Lord my soul to take. Now she started wondering about God and her soul. Is there really a life beyond this one? Do I really risk missing the lifeboat as David Justice suggests? The twinkling of the stars and the occasional passing of a jet or satellite provided her only entertainment during the evening hours. Her capacity for enjoying the panorama of the sky was limited by her increased level of discomfort and elevated level of worry that no one would ever find her. She couldn't help but wonder what the last moments are like for a dehydration victim. The fear which she had initially suppressed broke through with a vengeance. She realized how badly she wanted to live. She scanned the sky again. In an attempt to get her mind off her perils, she started counting the stars. After reaching a few hundred, she gave up. There were too many. She pondered how the stars came about. She was familiar with the Big Bang theory, but in witnessing innumerable heavenly bodies overhead, it dawned on her that there were more holes in the scientific theories of the origin of the universe and life than in a prairie dog colony. Perhaps there was room for a creator in all of that speculation that scientists spent their days arguing about. God, if you're really up there, I could use a little help. She pondered what her mother would go through when a missing persons report was filed. Heather was sure that she'd freak out. A vision of her mother running to and fro like a kid on Halloween brought her a combination of chuckles and pain. Her mother truly made her feel loved. Her stomach did not hurt so much now. It was funny how it really hurts when you miss a meal, but if you go a whole day without food, the pain seems to fade away. The chill descending upon her caused her to daydream of a steaming mug of hot cocoa with marshmallows bobbing in the hot liquid. She tried to use mind control to will her body to produce some warmth. She was sure all of her mental effort had not generated even a fraction of a watt of energy. Nothing seemed to be going her way right now, so she was not in the least surprised. Another on and off night of sleeping left her less than refreshed even though she had probably slept more in the last thirty-six hours than she had for a long time. To add to her discomfort, another one of her fears was realized. She needed to eliminate some solid waste. She fought it back for an hour before 136

she gave in and let Mother Nature take its course. The smell in the car was almost enough to gag her now. It was impossible to ignore the fact that when the rescue team did arrive, she was going to die of embarrassment. We're just freaking animals. We take in food and water and ditch it out the other end. We sleep and we wake. Old age robs us of our vitality and youth. And then we die. Is that all there is? Is there any sense to this stupid game? Is there a way to win it? The phone signaled that the battery was almost dead. Heather was starting to think that might be her fate as well. 137

Chapter 16 Janet placed her first call on Tuesday to Heather's cell phone around eight A.M. Still no luck. At nine A.M. she tried one last time. When that attempt failed to raise her daughter, Janet called the police in the city where Heather lived. She explained the situation to the police. The man took her report, but felt it was his duty to tell her that they probably would not be able to do much unless they discovered some revealing evidence in Heather's home. The policeman asked if she could let the police in to investigate. \"I do have a key. I have a couple of hours to drive to get there.\" \"Alright. Give us another call when you get there.\" Janet hung up. Her mind twirled in a hundred different directions. She felt compelled to call David. He would probably be at work already. A sense of relief drifted over her when she heard David's unmistakable voice. \"David. Heather is missing.\" \"Are you sure?\" \"Reasonably sure. No one has seen her for almost forty hours. I'm going down there to open the house for the police. It seemed like a good idea to let you know, so I gave you a call.\" \"Why don't I come with you?\" \"Don't you have to work today?\" \"I switched days with someone who wanted yesterday off. So today is my day off. Do you want me to drive?\" \"That would be awesome. I'm such a nervous wreck that I'd probably cause a wreck.\" \"I'll be on my way as soon as I can get ready.\" \"Thank you so much, David. I can't tell you how much this means to me.\" After hanging up, she went to get herself ready. She had just finished her toilette when David rang the doorbell. \"Perfect timing. Let's boogie.\" \"Works for me,\" David said. Janet explained everything she knew about the situation on the way down. Lots of gruesome ideas went through his head, but he didn't see any reason to utter those possibilities in front of Heather's mother. 138

The police arrived shortly after Janet placed the call from Heather's house. They combed through the building for about an hour. The most salient piece of evidence was that Heather's luggage was not there. It looked like she had taken a planned trip as opposed to being kidnapped. The authorities phoned the airlines and had them check to see if Heather had flown out of the airport. They found no trace of her having flown the coup via the skies. To be safe they did the same with Greyhound and Amtrak. Unless she had registered with an alias, she had not left town on either of those transit companies. They double checked all accident reports and hospital admission lists. Heather Culebra's name appeared nowhere. The officer explained to Janet that all they could do was issue an all points bulletin on Heather's vehicle and keep a close eye on Hercules since he had admitted having an argument with her and resigning from his position. Janet held up the best she could. Having David nearby was a tremendous source of support. He held her more than once and let her release the pent up tears. David would not have been so worried about her if Heather had already been saved. He was afraid if she had met with sudden death, her eternal future was less than promising. They prayed more than once that Heather would be found safe and sound. When nightfall appeared without a word, David called his boss and asked to take a vacation day on the morrow. Permission was given, so he was able to stay with Janet at Heather's for the night. The two got down on their knees and prayed for Heather's salvation and well being for over an hour. *** When the darkness descended again, Heather was almost convinced she would not be found until it was too late. It was now over fifty hours since her crash. If she wasn't located on Wednesday, she could kiss the cavalry goodbye. I'm only twenty-five. My life has just gotten started. It's not fair. And besides, I'm a superstar. The world needs me! Her throat was now so dry, swallowing was difficult. She was sure she would never take water for granted again – if she should be so lucky as to get the chance to drink again. Her whole body ached. She was able to move just slightly to try to get some circulation into her extremities. She slept fitfully again but did have some longer stretches of deep sleep. The problem with that manifested itself quickly. She 139

had some terrible nightmares. Some of them were severe enough that when she woke, she was relieved to be a captive in a lost- from-civilization automobile. Her fear of future dreams prevented her from falling asleep until her body succumbed to fatigue. She was in an intermediate state of sleep when the vision began. The image of a man being beaten viciously occupied the first segment. Streams of blood coursed down his face and back. The blood ran into a nearby river, causing the entire body to take on a reddish tinge. She stood next to the flowing water watching the swirls and eddies of the current. A voice told her to enter into the river of life and drink. The memory of her thirst was strong and she longed to quench it, but this water was tainted with blood. \"Drink\", she heard again. \"I'm not a vampire!\" she yelled back. Her body crumpled from exhaustion. Soon she would not have the strength to drink. She looked back toward the man who had been beaten. No longer was he being tortured with whips and clubs. His ravaged body now lay limp on a wooden cross. Heather cried out in recognition. And then she awoke. It was just another nightmare! She replayed the vivid dream in her mind. The words David had used in their debate came back to haunt her in harmony with the dream. He had told her the novels she had written featured creatures who mocked the man on the cross and the sacrifice He performed to give life to all who would drink from the cup of His suffering. If Jesus really did die on that cross for me, how could I refrain from honoring Him? How could I ignore Him? \"Jesus, if You're real, I choose to drink now. Give me a second chance to imbibe freely. Forgive me for being so stupid in the first place. Let me swim in Your blood if I need to.\" A sensation of warmth came over her. The light in the vehicle increased to the point Heather thought the sun was shining through, but the sky appeared to be totally overcast. And the thirst she had been suffering seemed diminished, as if she had just enjoyed a few gulps of precious liquid. You are not just a freaking animal when My spirit dwells within you. At that point you have a spark of divinity. \"Did I just hear a voice? Or was that just my thoughts? Am I hallucinating or am I having some kind of God encounter? God is that really you?\" A feeling that she could only describe as liquid love flowed through her body. Nothing she had ever felt on earth matched it. \"Oh, God, forgive me for doubting you and hurting you by my behavior. I pray You stay here with me until help arrives.\" 140

She awoke a while later with the memory of the warmth and light still vivid in her memory. A vision of David Justice brought a sense of delight to her as well. *** Janet couldn't decide whether no news was good or bad. As she paced through the house between jags of crying and imbibing coffee, she pondered how many times she had watched a mother on television talking about her missing child. She had never been able to totally relate to them. Now she could. And she felt even more compassion for those whose children were found lifeless or never found at all. She always heard them use the term closure. It was too early for her to wish for closure. Right now she only wanted to hear her daughter's voice. It was possible that Heather was just being a pill. Maybe the combination of stressful events caused her to just want to get away from it all for a while. Perhaps she was upset at Hercules and her mother and just wanted to inflict some pain on them. If that was the case, she certainly had been effective in that regard. She had to exhibit will power not to keep bugging the police to find out if they had learned anything new. It was a good thing Heather was a celebrity. News outlets had spread the word of her disappearance. If Heather was at a resort or casino or something like that, she would see the news stories and realize her mother must be on a bed of nails. Also, if she had chosen a public getaway, someone should recognize her and tip off the police. Janet watched the sun drop into the western sky. Soon it would be dark again. It appeared she would lay her head on her pillow for a third night and worry herself to sleep. David needed to go home. He had already blown one day of his vacation time babysitting for her. She could suffer from insomnia at home as well as at Heather's. The police could call her there just as easily. It was time to get back to a semblance of normality and let this play out as it may. She was accomplishing nothing by being here. \"David, are you ready to go home?\" \"Are you giving up for tonight?\" \"Pretty much. I don't know what else we can do.\" David put a finger to his lips and chewed his fingernail slightly. \"The Lord reminded me of one thing. We have prayed that Heather is found, but we never asked Him to reveal to us where she is. The Bible says we have not because we ask not. I've been negligent in not thinking of this sooner.\" \"Let's try it. If we get no answer, we're outta here.\" 141

\"Fair enough.\" The two got down on their knees and David poured out his heart for God to reveal to them the location of Heather. \"Oh, my gosh! I saw a picture in my mind!\" Janet almost screamed. \"A picture of what?\" \"It was a shot of a highway with a view of mountains in the distance. And there was a road sign that said 'Scenic view - one mile.' I've seen that sign before.\" \"They're pretty common,\" David said. \"No, I mean I've seen this particular sign. I've been on this road. It's been a few years. Ohhh, come on Janet. Think!\" \"Relax. If God gave you the picture, He'll bring the rest of the information to you.\" \"Maybe it wasn't God. Maybe it was just wishful thinking on my part pulling up an old memory. After all, I'm just a new believer. I can't receive visions from God yet, can I?\" \"Of course you can. Now relax, and let's pray a little more.\" He continued to pray asking God to help Janet remember where she had encountered that sign. Five minutes later, Janet let out a squeal. \"I've got it! It's on the way to a mountain resort we used to go to when Heather was younger. She might have gone there.\" \"Let's call and find out.\" Janet nodded and ran to the phone. \"Thank you, Lord. Sorry to pray and run, but I think You'll understand.\" After talking to the clerk at the resort, she hung up the phone with a scowl. \"Dead end.\" \"So what could that picture mean?\" David asked. \"Could she have been headed to the resort and something happened to her car? Of course she would have called to make a reservation in that situation and the clerk would have had that information.\" \"Not necessarily. Their business at this time of year is not real brisk. Ski season hasn't started yet. We sometimes just popped in for a stay without a reservation.\" \"Do you have any idea how far away from us that sign is?\" \"I'd guess about sixty miles.\" \"Are you ready for a trip?\" David asked. \"Should we tell the police?\" \"What for? They'll think we're nutcases if we tell them that God gave us a vision of where she was. If psychics had told them, that would be a plausible story. God isn't allowed to be in the miracle and signs and wonders business.\" 142

Janet nodded. \"I guess you're right – on both counts. We'll do this ourselves and call in help if we get in over our heads.\" \"Exactly. Do you want to bring Hercules?\" \"Hercules? We don't need a bodyguard. Let's get going. Oh, we'd better get some flashlights just in case. I think Heather had some stashed here in case of power outages.\" She left and returned with two powerful lanterns. She checked the batteries and satisfied herself that they had sufficient charge left. They grabbed coats and some blankets. At the last minute, Janet ran back and got some water and some granola bars. \"Do you think we'll get hungry?\" David asked. \"Actually, this stuff is for Heather. She's been gone for three days so if she had an accident and is still alive, she'll need some nourishment. If we don't find her, we'll probably both be hungry on the way home since we're leaving before supper.\" \"OK, where do I go?\" Janet directed him to the entrance to the highway which she had seen in the vision. \"I just hope I can see the sign in the dark. I won't even know for sure when we're close because it's been a while since I went up that way, and it's pitch dark out.\" \"Sounds like you need to use Holy Spirit power – again.\" \"I'll try.\" *** When darkness arrived with no sign of rescuers, Heather was resigned to the fact that this was the end of the road for her. She had made peace with God, so she no longer was fearful of death. She hated to leave the world so soon after finding the reason she had entered it in the first place. Maybe that was a good thing. It would spoil everything to be thrust back into the crazy jungle where she existed. She wished she had ended the conversation with her mother on good terms. She had not told her that she loved her. If only she could scratch out a note, she'd leave a fitting goodbye. Unfortunately she couldn't move enough to scratch her nose. Luckily it had stopped itching. She fell asleep but was awakened by a dream again. She had seen teeming masses of people and strange creatures having a big party. They all hoisted up cups to their lips. Heather had assumed it was their alcoholic beverage of choice, but when she looked into one of the cups, she saw blood. All of the assembled participants waited for something. At last a hideous creature appeared before them and summoned them to share a toast with him. He lifted his own glass high. 143

\"Here's to me. May this blood give us the life we need. May all my people rise up and call me blessed as we partake of the blood we have spilled on our own behalf from those inferiors among us who have been chosen as donors. And may that lame carpenter turned messiah be forever held in derision by those who follow me. Drink up!\" She scanned the hordes of shady characters sharing in the toast. She saw little girls with Barbie dolls in hand watching the older creatures drink. As she watched, one of her books appeared in the hand of the youngsters and they shot up in height. Once again they aged on the spot and the book changed into a cup. Heather woke up. As she processed what had transpired in her brain during the dream, she was suddenly hit by the revelation that David was perfectly right. She had been leading people into accepting a form of the devil's communion. \"Oh, God, how can You ever forgive me? I have aided and abetted the enemy. My government calls that treason and the punishment can be death.\" You're right, Heather. The punishment was death, and I already paid the price. You are already forgiven if you choose to forgive others for their transgressions against you. \"But I've messed up people's lives!\" Help straighten them out. \"I can't do that unless I get out of this little pickle I got into by ignoring the cell phone laws. I promise that if You rescue me from this, I'll go before the world and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and that my books are dangerous.\" The memory of David predicting that she would make such a confession reverberated through her body and mind. God must have told David. No answer was forthcoming. Heather was back to being alone with her thoughts. She mentally noted that the promise still stood. When she fell back to sleep, angels hovered about her feeding her and giving her sweet nectar to drink. One of them had the face of David Justice. When she awoke from that dream, the face and dark eyes of the man she tried to destroy persisted into her consciousness. David, come rescue me! *** Rush hour traffic slowed the progress of Janet and David to the point where Janet had to fight back the urge to scream each time a red light or a backup in the traffic forced them to apply the brakes and idle the motor again, perhaps wasting precious minutes. They finally pulled away from the gravity of the city and entered a less traveled rural area. After forty-five minutes, 144

civilization had been left behind. After another thirty minutes, David asked Janet if they could have gone by the spot. \"It's certainly possible. I was worried that might happen.\" \"Should I turn back?\" \"The sign will be on the wrong side of the road. How far would we go before we start thinking that we didn't go far enough. I say we go all the way to the resort if we don't see it. That way I know it'll be on the trip back – if only we can find the sign from behind it.\" \"You're the boss. I'll keep going straight ahead until you give me the word.\" \"Thanks, David. As always, you're a life saver.\" \"I've always considered myself more of a tootsie roll pop.\" \"What?\" \"Nothing. Bad joke.\" \"Oh! Well, everything sounds like a bad joke to me these last few days.\" \"I hear it, Mrs. C.\" \"Mrs. C? You sound like Eddie Haskell talking to the Beaver's mom.\" \"Or Fonzie talking to Richie Cunningham's mom.\" \"That too. I really do like Janet better.\" David nodded. \"I better let you keep your attention on the road. If we haven't gone by it already, we certainly don't want to do it now.\" \"This is true. Hold on! I think I saw it.\" David hit the brake and slowed down. \"Are you sure?\" \"No, the light didn't reflect off it like the other signs. I suppose scenic views are not of much interest in the dark.\" David pulled the car over to the shoulder. \"I figure we've gone a few hundred yards past it. I don't feel safe backing up. I'm just going to start walking back that way.\" \"We.\" \"Parlez vous français?\" Janet shook her head. \"I meant we will be walking back. I want to be in on the action and besides, I'd be scared to death to be here alone in the car in the dark.\" \"Good point. You wouldn't be alone though because Jesus would be with you.\" \"I'm still a little shaky in the faith. I have more trust in someone I can see, so if you don't mind, or even if you do mind, I'm coming along.\" \"Suit yourself. Grab a flashlight.\" 145

David put his flashers on and got out of the car. After locking the doors, they started down the hill. \"So what exactly are we looking for?\" Janet asked. \"I'm not sure. Maybe tire marks. Perhaps marks in the vegetation.\" He shined the light to their left. He gave a low whistle. \"This would not be a good place to have your car exit the road. It's pretty steep out there.\" \"Should we check all along the road here or wait until we get back to the sign?\" \"Let me think. If it's not the right sign, we'd be wasting our time. Besides, we have to cover this ground again when we walk back, so let's just walk until we find the sign. Then we can search that area and perhaps a little beyond it. Then we'll backtrack to the car.\" \"Sounds like a good plan to me. But what if the spot is beyond the point we check after passing the sign?\" \"We'd miss it.\" \"If that happens, maybe we should go up to the resort and spend the night and start the search in the morning as soon as we have light,\" Janet said. \"Let's make that plan B. Plan A is to find her tonight.\" \"I concur.\" After walking less than the distance of a lap around a track, they found a sign. They hit it with their flashlights and Janet confirmed that it was the right sign. They flashed their lights on the road beside them along with the vegetation that grows along the edge of the road. They found nothing immediately around the sign. They continued down the hill. David was just about to suggest that they turn around when he saw a tire mark. He shined his lantern into the growth where the black smudge ended. It definitely showed signs of recent damage. \"Look at that!\" Janet moved to the end of the road and shone her lantern into the darkness. Nothing but air. David got his light in on the act and trained it at more of a slant so it traveled downward with the slope. Janet caught the idea and moved her light down. The growth was so thick, David couldn't spot any obvious sections that could have been kissed by the body of a car. He continued to search lower down the hill. The light reflected off of something metallic in nature. Janet trained her light on the same object. The power of their lights at that distance was not sufficient to be sure, but Janet thought it looked like the color of Heather's car. By moving the light upward, David detected that the object lay at the base of a big tree. If 146

Heather's car hit that tree at high speed, her chances of survival might not be good. \"I'd like to go down there and find out for sure if that is her car.\" \"It looks pretty steep.\" \"I know. That's why you won't be able to go. Will you be OK here by yourself?\" Janet shuddered to think of being up on the hill with David down below. Then she thought of the possibility of her daughter waiting for help and not getting it because her mother was afraid of a wild animal or passing motorist. \"I'll be fine.\" \"You might be safer than me. Here's my car keys in case I break a leg or something and can't get back up here. You don't have a cell phone, do you?\" \"Nope.\" \"Here's mine. Hopefully it works out here in the boonies. If I don't come back, you'll need to call in help to rescue me.\" He got as close to the edge as he could and flashed the light. The dropoff was too steep at that point. It was necessary that he find another location that eased into the slope. He marched along the road until he found a place where the earth came all the way up to the road. \"OK, I'm going in now.\" \"Be careful!\" \"If I was being careful, I'd stay up on the road. I want you to keep focusing your light on that object. I'll work my way around till I get lined up with it.\" She nodded. As he began his descent, she began to pray for his safety. *** Heather was awakened by the noise of gravel hitting the hubcaps of her disabled auto. Under normal conditions, her heart would have been in her throat from fear. Under the current conditions, nothing could frighten her. She detected a pale light shining upon the car window. She was sure it wasn't the moon. A short time later, a brighter light pierced the blackness of the interior of her home away from home. It looked like either she was going to get rescued, or robbed, depending on the identity of the owner of the light. A few minutes later, the glare of the light shining directly on her blinded her. She heard a male voice call her name. The owner of the voice pulled on the door handle. It was locked. Heather 147

could not unlock it. A minute later the light came from behind the tree. \"Heather, can you unlock the door?\" \"David? David is that you?\" \"It's me. Can you unlock the door?\" \"Negative. My hands are somewhat tied right now.\" \"Are you alright?\" \"I've been better, but now that you're here I feel pretty good comparatively.\" \"I'm going to break out the back window with a rock. Can you bend your head so you don't get hit with flying glass?\" \"I can't move it far, but I think I'll be OK. But I don't think it will do any good. I think they'll need that special cutter to get me out of here.\" \"The jaws of life.\" \"Yeah.\" \"OK. Hang on. I'm going to go back and have your mother call 911. Then I'll come back to you.\" \"Fine.\" David journeyed part way up the hill and yelled at Janet. She didn't respond. He climbed a bit more and tried again. This time she heard him. He passed on his instructions and when she gave him confirmation, he scooted back down the hill. The light illuminated the car once again. \"I'm back, Heather. Help is on the way. And now I'm going to pray for you.\" \"How about pray with me?\" \"With you?\" \"I've been praying most of the last twenty-four hours when I've been awake.\" \"Serious? Why are you talking so funny? Did you hurt your throat?\" \"You try going seventy-two hours without something to drink and see if you sound like Nat King Cole or Kermit the Frog.\" David laughed. \"Actually, some people say I sound like Kermit when I'm hydrated.\" Heather started cracking a big smile, but the pain brought her up short. \"No more jokes, please. I have a suspicion my lips are more cracked than my mom's garden was during the drought of 2007.\" \"Maybe you shouldn't talk any more. We'll have lots of time to talk after we get you to a hospital.\" \"I don't need to go to the hospital. I just need some water, food, a shower, and clean clothes.\" 148

\"Well, you might be released after they check you over, but no way they just open up this tin can and let you go back home after what you've gone through.\" Heather nodded because she realized he was right. \"So since I don't want you to talk, I'll start up a monologue. I'll fill you in on things that have been happening in the world since you went AWOL. I'm guessing your paper boy didn't deliver here and your Internet access is less than reliable.\" Heather fought back a grin. \"OK. I have plenty to tell you when I'm refreshed. Now I'll shut up and let you have the podium.\" David shared everything he could remember from the last four days from the world of news and sports. When he finished with those topics, he shared the things going on in his life, including her mother's walk with the Lord. He had turned off the flashlight to conserve the batteries so he'd have the necessary light to climb back up the hill. The beauty of the night sky without any competing lights took his breath away. His stargazing was interrupted by the sound of a siren and the subsequent arrival of a large vehicle which David was sure to be a fire truck. \"Don't look now, Princess, but I believe a bunch of Prince Charmings in firemen's boots just arrived. They're going to play demolition derby with your auto and take you off to the Prince's ball in their chariot.\" Heather croaked, \"That's nice. Thank you.\" Soon several bright lights could be seen bobbing on the hillside above them. David turned on his own light and flashed it toward the rescuers to help them locate their position. When the crew of four arrived, David filled them in on the situation. They analyzed the logistics of the crash scene. The tree had actually prevented Heather from falling much further. In extricating her they needed to make sure they didn't dislodge the car from its perch and let it continue the original fall. \"This isn't going to be a slam dunk,\" one of the firemen said. \"She's just lucky she didn't go off the road sooner or later than she did. This is one of the few places where the drop off is not severe.\" The men were still studying the terrain and discussing the alternatives when a pair of EMT's arrived. They joined in the conversation and brought up the topic of the challenge of carrying Heather back up the hill. David knew that just reaching the top of the hill without a burden was not an easy task. Carrying a weight would complicate it even further. After arriving at a consensus agreement, one of the EMT's notified a helicopter rescue unit. 149

Heather would be lifted out by chopper. David was wondering how it could land in this terrain, but he didn't say anything. The men went to work getting Heather free from the mangled wreck, so when the chopper arrived, she'd be ready to go. They made one trip back up the hill to get some chains to secure the vehicle to the tree so that it would not slide on them. Once they went to work with their cutting tools, the roof was opened up like a tin can in hardly more time than it took David to open a can of beans on a camping trip with an old-fashioned can opener. He was duly impressed. He thought of Janet up on the road, ignorant of what was going on and no doubt scared and worried. His desire was to stay with Heather, but she had several strapping men taking care of her. She didn't need him, but Janet did. Delaying his departure until the wonder workers actually freed Heather from her prison and gave her some water, David made his way up the hill knowing that all would be well as long as the helicopter showed up and didn't crash in the attempt to load Heather. When he reached the highway, he saw no sign of Janet. When worry mounted, he called her name. The passenger door of the fire truck opened and Janet emerged from it. \"What's going on down there?\" \"She's out of the car, and a helicopter is on the way to pick her up.\" \"Oh, my God.\" \"Yes, you should be thanking Heavenly Father right now. She dodged a bullet here. Actually a couple of them. And without that vision you had, she'd have been toast. Her body might never have been found.\" Janet threw herself into David's arms and let loose more tears. This time they were tears of joy and thanksgiving. David felt some moisture gather in his own eye. He conducted an impromptu worship session right there on the shoulder of the highway. The noise of an approaching chopper pulsated through the air. The pair found a spot on the fire truck where they could stand and be able to see over the edge well enough to watch the helicopter maneuver into position. Instead of trying to land, the crew lowered a harness contraption while hovering. Janet and David watched in awe as the harness was hoisted into the night sky lit up by lights from the chopper and the crew below. When the cargo was safely aboard, the pilot exited the holding pattern and started back the way they had come. \"Where are they taking her?\" Janet asked. 150