Against The Twilight

David gulped. \"I spaced. You're right. So, if you're wiling, breakfast sounds heavenly. We better feed Darla well. She'll be on an airplane during the lunch hour. They either don't serve food any more, or they give you something that makes you wish they didn't serve food.\" The girls laughed. \"What time does Darla have to leave?\" Cindy asked. \"Her father will be arriving at the airport around ten in the morning.\" \"Then you better leave here about nine and I better have your breakfast ready at eight. I have to be at work at ten.\" \"If you want to, Cindy.\" \"I think it will be dreamy using your awesome kitchen.\" \"I'd hate to deprive you of a dream. I'll be down by eight. Good night.\" \"Were you going to pray with us?\" Cindy said. At this time David was in no mood to pray. If he said no, he realized he'd feel guilty later on. He nodded. Cindy held her hands out. Darla got the hint and grabbed Cindy's hand and reached out to David. Both females stood there with hands outstretched. David didn't have much choice. Cindy got yet another chance to touch him. He gently took their hands and began to pray. When he finished, Cindy began. Her prayer wound on and on like an old phonograph record with a groove in it. When they finally finished praying, Cindy squeezed his hand. \"The family that prays together stays together.\" Darla smiled. \"That was pretty cool. Maybe my family could pray like this together. I might not have run away if we shared this kind of love.\" \"Prayer is the glue that holds life together,\" David said. \"That and sleep. I had the prayer, so now I'll go fill my prescription for sleep.\" He walked away without looking back. The two girls stood watching him until he closed his bedroom door. Darla leaned toward Cindy and semi-whispered, \"You're in love with him, aren't you?\" \"Is it that obvious?\" Darla nodded. \"Good! Maybe David will get the hint and make a move. I'd love to cook his breakfast every morning.\" Darla giggled. Cindy joined her and then gave her another big hug. *** 51

David felt a touch on his arm. \"Move over. Make room for me.\" He slid over in the bed. Another body slid in beside him. \"Cindy, what are you doing in here?\" \"I was cold. I figured you would warm me up.\" \"This isn't right.\" \"David, you know I want you. Isn't it time you did something about it.\" \"No! It's time you went back home. You're not welcome in this place.\" David watched in shock as her face started approaching his. He tried to put up his arms to ward her off, but they wouldn't obey his commands. He tried to slide out the other side of the bed, but his movements were all in super slow motion. Her lips parted as if preparing for a kiss. Just before she reached the goal, her face changed from Cindy to Heather and the open lips revealed fangs. His lips gave way to a new target: his neck. Just as the incisors ripped into his skin, he sat straight up. Where is she? He punched the bed on the side of him. No one was there. He let out a big sigh. It was just a dream. Oh, Lord, why did you let me suffer through that nightmare? Those two women are dominating my waking hours. Why can't I escape them at night? There was no answer. David lay there for a minute and then got out of bed. He hoofed it across the cold floor in his bare feet and twisted the lock shut. He then retraced his steps and dove back under the warm covers. Better safe than sorry my mom always said. Lord, I pray right now that you send me a good dream. Show me someone I can help or something I can do. *** The next morning after a hearty breakfast, David and Darla loaded up the car. \"Are you sure you don't need to pick up anything from your old residence?\" Darla nodded. \"Absolutely sure. The only thing I had was basically hooker clothes. I won't be needing those where I'm going.\" \"Thank God.\" \"I have been. And thank you, too, David. I don't know what would have happened to me if you hadn't swooped in on your white charger to rescue me from the evil troll.\" 52

David laughed. \"You've been reading too many books. You couldn't be any more welcome, but remember, I was just following God's orders. I didn't really do anything on my own.\" \"You obeyed – and you risked your butt to save mine. How do you do that?\" \"Do what?\" \"Get instructions from God. I used to pray, but I never heard Him talk to me. Are you like a saint or something?\" \"I don't know what I am. I just know that I've come to a point that I can hear Him quite clearly. When I ponder this situation, I always compare it to a radio. When you want to listen to a particular station, you have to change the frequency to match that of the transmitter. If you don't have the dial turned just quite right, you get reception but not very clear. And if you have other radio stations right next to that frequency, they prevent you from understanding what is being said because you get sounds coming from both of them. I think that situation is like trying to walk in the world. If your attention is focused on the temporary things of life, you get interference when you try to listen to God. You have to shut out the world, or the small still voice of the Holy Spirit doesn't get through.\" \"Why didn't God give him a loudspeaker or microphone or something?\" David chuckled. \"Good question. To tell you the truth, and I don't know of anyone else who makes this claim, but I think God makes it a little difficult sometimes. I believe He wants to challenge us to get out of our comfort zone and stretch ourselves to meet Him halfway. Paul talked about the testing of our faith. If God talked freely with everyone, no one would require faith. I've heard of Him talking to non believers before. It seems He normally talks to those who are very close to Him and those very far away. The ones in the middle struggle to hear His voice. Many of my friends are jealous of my gift. I tell them they can have it too if they'll totally sell out to Jesus.\" \"What do they say to that?\" \"They don't want to hear it. The world is tugging on their heartstrings and they just won't let go of the junk that hinders their walk with God.\" \"What kind of junk?\" \"Worldly pleasures which dull their spiritual senses. Stuff like watching movies or TV which feature content contradictory to God's word. Holding on to grudges. Getting caught up in fashion and keeping up with the Jones family.\" \"Who are the Jones family?\" 53

David laughed. \"Sorry. That expression must not be used in the younger generation. That simply means trying to keep pace with the neighbor in regard to toys. You know houses and cars and boats, oh my.\" \"It's not easy figuring out all this religious stuff, is it?\" \"Some people spend their whole life trying to figure it out. Unfortunately, lots of them give up. Others never start.\" \"I always found it was boring. You know, sitting in church listening to some old man drone on about stuff that doesn't seem to be part of my world.\" \"Darla, playing church can be extremely boring. Following Christ as a disciple never gets boring. Unfortunately again, most people never really become true disciples. They wave their hand when someone asks them if they want to go to Heaven, but they don't want to sacrifice anything to honor God. After the example of Jesus sacrificing Himself for us, you'd think we'd get the message. It should be a real 'duh' moment to figure out that living the way God intended for us will lead us into all kinds of excitement and blessings in addition to sacrifice. But you have to be listening for God's voice, so when He calls you to do something for Him, you get the message.\" \"He'd never ask me to do something.\" \"Why do you say that?\" Darla twirled a strand of hair. \"Because I'm such a loser. I mean, I was a hooker. How much lower could I go?\" \"What you did certainly was not pleasing to God. He has used lots of people who were on the wrong road. He just needs to get you on the right road again. Just because we've made mistakes in our past doesn't prevent us from ending up one of God's chosen. What you have done doesn't make you what you are. Does that make sense?\" \"Not really.\" \"In other words having been a prostitute only makes you an ex-prostitute when you quit. There's a website you might want to check out. It's called x-Hookers for Jesus. Those are people who got out of the business and have given their lives to the Lord.\" \"Wow. They actually tell people what they did?\" \"Absolutely. If I'm not mistaken, their goal is to help other prostitutes escape from that lifestyle.\" \"I'll Google it when I get home. It'll be so nice to have a computer again.\" David smiled. \"And a lot of other things, I'm sure.\" \"You got that right. Is that the airport?\" \"It is.\" 54

\"I never thought I'd be nervous to see my father. This is so weird.\" \"No doubt he'll have butterflies in his stomach as well.\" Darla's face brightened. \"Are you serious? To see me?\" \"This will probably be the most joyous moment of his life. Even better than when you were born.\" \"Cool!\" 55

Chapter 7 Darla and David were standing in the hallway that led from the arrival gates to the baggage pickup fifteen minutes before the monitor indicated the plane was down. As soon as Darla spotted her parent, she ran toward him. He did the same. David was surprised that they didn't knock each other to the ground. He walked up to where the two were locked in a tight embrace. \"Mom didn't come, I take it?\" \"We can scarcely afford two plane tickets. Three would have been out of the question. She really wanted to be here though. She sent some of her chocolate drop cookies and pumpkin bread.\" \"Oh, my gosh. I forgot what treats taste like. I can't believe I was so dumb to run away from so much good stuff to get into such a nightmare world. I'm so sorry, Dad. I really screwed up big time.\" \"Darla, I just hope you learned that there is no place like home.\" \"And I didn't even have to put on the ruby slippers to find that out.\" \"Is this your rescuer here?\" David stepped up and held out his hand. \"David Justice here. Don't let her tell you differently. God saved her.\" \"Her mother and I were praying like a bunch of football players before a last second field goal to win the game. It looks like it worked.\" \"I'd say so. It was a God thing from start to finish.\" He handed Darla's father an envelope with the three hundred dollars in it. \"What's this?\" \"A little contribution from Alfred for the plane ticket.\" \"Wow, thank you. I'd have to say that this experience has breathed new life into my faith walk. It had gotten pretty shaky the last couple of years. If I'd have stayed on the right path, perhaps this whole thing could have been avoided.\" \"Dad, don't beat yourself up. What's past is in the past. What's important is what we do today.\" \"Wow. Did those words come out of my little girl's mouth?\" \"I'm not so little any more. After this misadventure, I feel really old.\" \"Hopefully, after you've been home for a few days, the memories of this will fade away.\" Darla shook her head. \"I don't want them to. I want to use them to find a better life and maybe to help someone else down the road so they don't make the same dumb mistake I did. Or maybe I can help them to recover after they do.\" 56

\"I'm definitely impressed by your maturity, honey. I look forward during our flight home to finding out what additional wisdom you've latched onto. Speaking of return flights. We only have about thirty minutes to get to our gate. I'm afraid we'd better say goodbye to Mr. Justice.\" He held out his hand again. \"I really don't know how to thank you.\" David shrugged. \"Seeing that smile on Darla's face is all the thanks I need. You might do one thing for me.\" \"Name it.\" \"If you run into someone in trouble, pass it on. You can pay me back by helping someone else.\" Darla's father gave a thumbs up signal. \"I'll do all I can.\" He watched as his daughter gave David a big hug. \"I'll never forget you David Justice.\" \"I hope not. I think the feeling is mutual there.\" \"Give Cindy a hug for me.\" \"Darla, did Cindy tell you to say that.\" \"Not exactly told me. She suggested that it might be a good thing to say.\" David bit his lip, but not quite hard enough to draw blood. \"We have to scoot, honey. We'll give David a call when we get home so he knows we're alright.\" Darla released her embrace, waved one last time to David, and then walked out of his life. He knew she'd like to stay in contact, but when people got busy, the best intentions of maintaining contact are usually forgotten. There was not much time for him to dwell on it. He got a distinct impression from the Holy Spirit that his presence was needed elsewhere. When David arrived at the nursing home, he wasn't quite sure yet what his mission was. \"Lord, what did you want me to do here?\" Go to room thirteen. The occupant is ready to end the precious life I gave him. He has a call on his life that you need to reveal to him. David wandered the hallways until he found room thirteen. The door was shut. When he knocked, a harsh voice inside growled, \"What do you want?\" David stood there for a minute wondering if the man would open up or if he was waiting for an answer to his question. Finally he said, \"God sent me to talk to you.\" The noise of a wheelchair moving across the floor gave David the knowledge the man was headed his way. He wasn't sure if he was coming to lock the door or open it. When the door swung open, he stared into the eyes of the man whom he was sent to. 57

\"What do you mean God sent you to talk to me? Are you one of those cult members coming by to get me to convert to your religion?\" David shook his head. \"No. I just came here because the Holy Spirit said you were about to take your life and that would be a mistake.\" The expression on the old man's face altered dramatically. \"How could you know that? I was just getting ready to swallow an overdose of pills that I've been saving up for a long time.\" \"I haven't been peeking in your window or tapping your phone. The only way I could know is if God told me.\" \"That makes sense, but it also sounds like nonsense. Why would God care if an old codger like me who is worth nothing to the world decides to come home early?\" \"Maybe we could take this conversation inside. You probably don't want to share this with all your neighbors.\" \"Shoot. They're all so deaf we'd have to use megaphones to let them eavesdrop. There might be some staff members walk by though, so I think you have a good idea, sonny. Come on in.\" David obeyed and found a chair in the corner. The old man closed the door and swung the wheelchair around to face his visitor. \"Why do you want to kill yourself?\" \"Put yourself in my position. I sleep, I eat, I take medicine to keep me alive so I can sleep and eat some more. What is the purpose of my continued meaningless existence?\" \"Why don't you do something that adds meaning?\" The old man scratched his head. \"I was thinking of taking up football, but at my age my fingernails break pretty easily.\" David laughed. \"Maybe you should entertain other residents with your sense of humor.\" \"I tried. They don't understand my jokes. Half of them are senile and the rest always ask me to repeat what I said. The only body part that works well for me is my mouth.\" \"Then use your mouth.\" \"How?\" \"I'm not sure what the Lord had in mind. Let's pray about it.\" \"Go ahead. You don't need my help.\" David bowed his head and uttered a fervent prayer for insight. By the time he reached the \"amen\" part, he knew what the man's mission was all about. \"God wants you to be a warrior.\" 58

The man stared at him for a minute. \"I thought my hearing was pretty good, but I thought you used the word 'warrior' so maybe it is time I get a hearing aid like the rest of the folks.\" \"Your hearing is fine. I did say warrior.\" \"Are you trying to mock me? Look at my feeble body. I couldn't kick my way out of a wet paper bag. I'd be beat up by most five-year-olds. How dare you make fun of me?\" \"Hold on a second. My name is David, by the way. What's yours?\" \"Stan.\" \"Stan, I'm not mocking you. God wants you to be a warrior with the parts of your body that still function. Your mouth is not your only asset. There is nothing to prevent you from becoming a prayer warrior right here in your little own room. Consider it your prayer closet.\" \"I'm not very good at praying. I've been asking for my legs to be restored for a couple of years. Nothing. No answer telling me to shut up or anything. Just silence. I don't have faith in prayer any more.\" \"Maybe you were asking for the wrong thing. What if God wants to use your handicap to help you discover your purpose in this life?\" \"Why does He beat around the bush like that? Why can't He just tell me what to do?\" \"I don't know. Maybe He has and you just haven't listened. If you're going to sit there in your chair and ask God to grant you things, then you won't be a prayer warrior. In order to be considered a warrior, you have to engage the enemy. You'll have to pray for others. You'll have to pray against strongholds. Go after abortion or pornography. Wage war against human trafficking. There are plenty of issues in this world that need the assistance of the Almighty. I can guarantee you that you won't run out of things to pray for.\" The old man's face brightened. \"Pardon my language, but do you think I can actually raise a little hell with Hell?\" \"Absolutely. God didn't send me over here to get you excited about nothing.\" \"Am I excited?\" \"Not quite yet, but you will be soon. I sense there are others here in this home who would be willing to be prayer partners. Perhaps you can even form a group.\" \"Like a gang?\" David grinned. \"You want to be a gangsta for God?\" 59

\"That has a certain amount of appeal to me. I'll be a terrorist for the Trinity, a jihadist for Jesus, a hooligan for the Holy Spirit.\" \"To tell you the truth, Stan, I don't think God wants you looking in the mirror to see how spiritually buff you've become. He just wants you to pray and draw near to Him. He will fill you with a sense of peace and satisfaction that nothing in the world can offer.\" Stan looked disappointed for a second. \"I suppose you're right. That means a superhero uniform is out of the question.\" \"Probably. You'll need to put on an invisible uniform.\" \"What's that?\" \"The full armor of God. The shield of faith and the breastplate of righteousness and –\" \"I get the picture, sonny. I've read the Bible once or twice.\" \"Good! And now I think I've accomplished what God sent me to do. I'll leave you to figure out how you're going to respond.\" \"Thanks, David. Aren't you that guy who leads the worship service once in a while?\" \"That's me.\" \"I'll let you know how it's going the next time you're in the service. Or you could stop back and visit me again.\" \"That would be great, Stan. Nice talking to you. God bless.\" David got up from the chair and held his hand out to the old man. Slowly and obviously painfully, Stan raised his hand to grasp David's. The young man uttered a quick prayer over the aging body and then disappeared into the hallway. He felt so good he was just about to start whistling when Cindy came around the corner, headed directly at him. She had fled his mind for almost an hour. \"David, did you come up to see me?\" \"Ah, no, I didn't. God sent me here to talk to Stan down in room thirteen.\" \"Oh. I hope you did something to improve his disposition. He's a pain in the neck and the pain seems to be moving downward, if you get what I mean.\" \"I'm not sure, but I think Stan will be a different man from now on.\" \"That is music to my ears. How did things go with Darla's family reunion?\" \"It was great. Made me feel very happy for both of them. They've probably got some challenging times ahead, like we all do, but I think they're gonna be alright. I think they learned how close they came to losing something very precious and they'll take pains to avoid letting it happen again.\" 60

Cindy smiled both with her mouth and her eyes. \"I hope so. It's a good thing that a hero like you was available to make it all happen. Do you get high on rescuing people?\" \"I have to admit it's a kick whenever God does something special in my life. That doesn't necessarily mean rescuing someone.\" \"You're a good man, David Justice. You're going to make some lucky lady a wonderful husband.\" David felt his face grow warm. He could imagine the shade of red it reflected. Now what do I say? \"You too.\" Cindy frowned. \"I'm going to make someone a wonderful husband?\" \"No, no, no! I meant you'll be a great wife.\" The smile returned. \"I can't tell you how much it means to me to hear you say that.\" \"Well, I better let you get back to work. I don't want to get you fired on my account.\" \"I suppose you're right. As always, it was great talking to you. Bye.\" She resumed her journey down the hall. David took one look at her retreating figure. He had to admit she was not hard on the eyes though a little chunkier than he liked. And what am I doing looking at her figure? I'm supposed to only look upon a girl's heart. If I don't, I'm going to fall for the wrong female. Like Heather Culebra for instance. She is very pleasing on the outside, but I'm afraid she's as hollow as an empty pumpkin on the inside. I guess most people are until God gets their attention. He sighed as he exited into the crisp autumn air. Lord, you need to give me clear directions in the marriage department. 61

Chapter 8 Heather twirled her hair as her publicist revealed her latest brainstorm. \"So you think if I get my name in public as a philangelist, I'll increase interest in my books and movies?\" \"That's philanthropist. Yes, you sometimes have to give money away in order to make some. All the big stars flaunt their charitable giving. It makes them look like just down-to-earth compassionate folks. Image really is everything. It doesn't matter if you're a witch if you put across the image of an angel.\" \"You had to mention that word, huh?\" \"Angel?\" \"No, witch. The nemesis on my premises for the debate would love to call me a witch, I'm sure. He's on the warpath against everything he considers to involve the occult.\" \"Sounds like he needs to get laid. Maybe that would soften him up. Would you volunteer for that job?\" Heather coughed. \"Excuse me? I hope you're joking.\" \"I was, partially. In a way it would be rather poetic. Crusader for Christian culture succumbs to seduction of sultry sorceress.\" \"Wow. That's more alliteration than the big black bucks one I remember from literature class.\" \"I wanted to be a poetess, but I discovered that a publicist makes a lot more green stuff. Anyway, you could take the wind out of his sails and perhaps put the wind in your own 's' 'a' 'l' 'e' 's' while you're at it by showing the world he's just another hypocrite.\" Heather giggled. \"I suppose I shouldn't tell you this, but I invited him to go to Mexico or someplace on the Caribbean.\" \"No way!\" \"Yep. He turned me down and proposed the debate instead.\" \"Take him to Mexico after the debate.\" \"I certainly reserve the right to extend another invitation. We'll see. Also my new novel is shaping up along the lines of what you described.\" \"What do you mean?\" \"The vamp taking down the religious bigot.\" \"You serious?\" Heather changed her voice to sound melodramatic. \"Deadly.\" \"Bashing Christians, especially the fundamentalists, is in vogue right now. You can't go wrong with the press. They'll eat it up and promote you for free. I love it. You and I make quite the team.\" \"Flattery will get you everywhere. Now where were we in regard to the charitable contribution?\" 62

\"Let's donate some money to a big name AID's cure organization. And sign up to sponsor one of those disadvantaged kids in the third world. It'll only cost you twenty bucks a month, but it looks good on your résumé.\" \"Sounds good to me. You're the expert on twisting, I mean shaping, public opinion. You make the choices, and I'll sign the checks.\" \"Perfect. It's nice to be trusted.\" \"You've earned it. Just please never do anything to make me regret doing so.\" \"Wouldn't dream of it sweetie. I know better than to kill the swan who lays the platinum eggs.\" \"I gotta run. I have a book signing and zillions of adoring fans waiting for me.\" \"OK, Heather. See if you can fool them again.\" \"Alright. Bye.\" Heather hung up the phone. \"What did she mean by fooling them again? I'm not sure I like that statement.\" She finished putting on her face while she ruminated and stewed over the fact her publicist thought she was fooling her fans. *** A week later David was working at the rescue shelter when Chris approached him. He held out the book David had loaned him. \"You decided not to read it?\" Chris shook his head. \"I read it already.\" \"Really! What did you think?\" \"It was everything you said it would be and more.\" \"Awesome.\" \"Now I have to tell you the bad news.\" David frowned. \"I hate it when there's good and bad news.\" \"I won't be around the shelter for a while?\" \"What's going on?\" \"I'm going to Africa. I got hooked up with Iris Ministries, and I'm headed to Mozambique next week.\" David was stunned. \"Holy cow, you don't mess around, do you?\" \"Not once I've made up my mind.\" \"Wow. I can't get over it. You're going to get really stretched over there. The only thing they have is God and each other.\" \"I picked up on that in reading the book. That is one of the things that attracted me. I've lived in our artificial and materialistic 63

society my whole life. Just once I'd like to be in a place where people are loved and love back without weighing the cost.\" \"Have you told your wife?\" \"She thinks I'm nuts. She doesn't care what I do anyway, as long as her monthly maintenance check arrives. This will give me the perfect opportunity to get my mind off my own troubles and worry about other people. I had some time off that I needed to use or lose, so this was perfect timing.\" \"I hope you have a great experience and that God moves mightily in your behalf.\" \"Thanks, David. I appreciate your support and your recommendation on reading material. I'm going to read everything that Heidi has written.\" \"I have more of her books. When you get back, hit me up, and I'll lend them to you.\" \"That would be awesome.\" Chris patted him on the shoulder. \"I better get to work. I'd hate to get fired from my volunteer position.\" David began walking back to his post when the Holy Spirit tapped him on the shoulder and suggested he drop a gift off at one of the tables. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He only had twenty dollars in it. The message he had received was to give twenty dollars to the woman sitting in front of him. He excused himself, presented the gift, and made his getaway. It dawned on him that he'd needed to get gas on the way home. I just gave away the last of my money. I can use my debit card though so I'll be alright. *** Heather and Hercules walked along the sidewalk after her book signing. It had been very successful as usual. The bright sun casting its beams from a cloudless sky injected even more optimism into her. After a good night's sleep, she'd be headed to a new city and another set of fans to gush over her. Life was two thumbs up for her right now. On one of the street corners, a bedraggled black woman stood against the side of a building. A cane with a white tip leaned next to her. The woman held out a straw hat. A pang of conscience struck Heather. Can I just walk on by? There's nobody here to see I'm being charitable. Even the recipient won't know that it was Heather Culebra who gave her a donation. Maybe I should save my money for other causes. The hopelessness of the situation wouldn't release its grip on her. She stopped and opened her 64

wallet. It was full of twenty and hundred dollar bills. There also were a couple of ones. Heather grabbed two of the singles and dropped them in the ladies hat. She thought for a minute and then pulled one of them back out. The lady couldn't see what was going on, but Hercules could. After they had passed the woman, Heather turned to Hercules. \"I don't usually give to panhandlers. There's a lot of con men and women out here trying to talk me into giving away my hard earned money.\" Hercules did not respond. \"There is no way of being sure that lady was blind. I didn't want to give her too much, but I felt like I needed to give something.\" \"Miss Heather, you don't have to justify yourself and your actions to me. I'm your hired hand.\" \"I didn't want you thinking I was a cheapskate or something.\" \"Ma'am, as long as you pay me a good wage, I'll never consider you less than a queen.\" \"I'll give you just thirty years to stop talking like that.\" Hercules laughed. \"I don't suppose you'll have me around for thirty years. You probably will get married sometime in the near future and then you won't need me any more.\" \"I don't know, Herc. I used to think that too. If the right man came along, I might be willing to get married, but maybe not. In reality, I don't need a husband. After all, he'd take me away from my writing so I could take care of his needs and wants. Maybe I should just stay a rich and famous spinster. You and I can be like the old couple in Driving Miss Daisy. You'll be my trusty bodyguard until I'm putting my teeth in a glass at night.\" \"One problem there, Miss Heather. That man was a chauffeur, not a bodyguard. When I get too old to kick some butt, I won't be much good to you.\" \"Oh, well. When we get that old, I probably will be just a regular citizen then. All the hubbub about my books will have died down and nobody will pay any attention to me. I won't need a bodyguard.\" \"Does that worry you?\" \"You mean being a non-celebrity?\" Heather asked. \"Exactly. It's kind of nice being somebody, isn't it? I mean I think it would be hard to go back to being just another face in the crowd.\" Heather nodded. \"It's a steep climb to get to the top of the industry. It's a very short fall back down to the bottom. The old 'what have you done for me lately' attitude is prevalent in all walks 65

of life. I'm not sure how much longer I can keep churning out best sellers.\" \"You're just in the prime of your life.\" \"I know that, but I don't know much original material I can pull out of my hat. Perhaps at some point, I'll totally run out of things to say. That's another reason for me to save my money. I don't know how long this ride is going to last. I want to make sure I have the future taken care of.\" People carrying signs across the street captured Heather's attention. \"What's going on over there? People are always protesting something.\" Hercules peered in the direction Heather had pointed. \"Looks like it's an anti-abortion rally.\" \"Oh, my achin' butt. I should have known. Some of David Justice's brothers and sisters out trying to make life miserable for everybody else.\" \"Why do you say that? They're just trying to speak up for unborn babies who can't speak for themselves.\" Heather stopped in her tracks? \"Are you anti-abortion?\" \"I'm not thrilled about the thought of an innocent baby being ripped apart by some doctor who took an oath to preserve life. It just doesn't set well with me. I don't usually go around telling people about how I feel, but you asked me.\" \"Holy crap! Big strong and ferocious Hercules has a heart for fetuses. Will wonders never cease? Well, I personally think women should be able to choose what goes on with their body, so I'll thank you not to bring up the topic again.\" \"Yes, ma'am.\" \"I don't know why these stupid people can't stay home and do something constructive like read my books or watch my movies.\" \"Yeah, it's about time they get their priorities straight.\" Heather studied the face of Hercules for a second. His features did not reveal whether he was being sarcastic or not. She decided to let the matter drop and continued her walk to the parking lot where they had left the car. *** David pulled his vehicle into a Shell station and got out. He opened his wallet to get his debit card. A twenty dollar bill waved slightly in the wind that penetrated the leather container. \"What the heck? I gave my last twenty away at the shelter. I must have overlooked one.\" He plunged the card into the slot and retrieved it again. As he was putting the nozzle of the hose into his tank, a 66

dilapidated car pulled into the gas station. David had only seen a couple of cars like it in his lifetime. He couldn't remember the name of it. After he got the pump spitting the liquid which mobilized an entire society, David walked around to get a look at the car across from him. He discovered that it was a Pacer. The young woman who drove it stopped the pump at two dollars. She had not even gotten a gallon into her tank. A couple of youngsters made a fuss in the car. The poor woman looked like she was frazzled. The small still voice spoke to him again. He walked over and handed the woman his twenty dollar bill. \"I think you need to put more than just fumes into your tank. I know this won't put a lot of gas in, but it's all I’ve got.\" The woman peered at him suspiciously for a minute and then took the bill. \"I thank you and my children thank you. I just had enough money to get us home. I'm not sure what I would have done after that. You're an angel.\" \"Nah, but I have one with me.\" The woman laughed as she put the nozzle back in her tank. David went back to his own vehicle pondering how nobody would believe that he had an angel guarding him. When he arrived home, he noticed a tow truck at his neighbor's house. His neighbor was standing out by the truck. David felt led to join her. \"Hi, Sue. What's going on with your car?\" \"I haven't been able to make payments. They're repossessing it.\" \"Oh, my. I'm sorry. Is there something I can do?\" \"Unless you can pull a thousand dollars out of a hat, I'm afraid not.\" \"How are you going to get to work?\" David asked. \"Not a freaking clue. I'm between a rock and a pickaxe.\" \"You won't be able to pay your rent if you can't get to work.\" \"And then I'll get evicted and the kids and I will have nowhere to go. I don't have any family I could move in with. I'm at the end of my rope.\" \"I don't have a thousand dollars in my pocket, but I do in the bank.\" He walked over to the truck driver who was positioning the car to be hoisted unto his truck. \"Are you authorized to take the full due amount in lieu of towing the automobile away?\" \"That I am. Nine hundred seventy five dollars and eighteen cents is the total that will drive off the wolves – for now. And my fee is fifty dollars for picking up the car, so the grand total is one thousand twenty-five dollars and eighteen cents.\" \"OK. Hold on for five minutes. Sue, perhaps you could get the man a cup of hot coffee to nurse while I'm gone. I'll be right back 67

with a check.\" He took off running toward his residence. He feared the man would get antsy if he had to wait too long and would pull out with the car in tow. When David returned with check in hand, the driver was sitting on the bed of his truck, chugging java juice. David handed him the check. The man folded it and tucked it inside his pocket. \"I suppose I better give you a receipt for this.\" \"That would be good,\" David said. After finishing the coffee, he handed the cup to Sue. \"I appreciate the caffeine pick-me-up, ma'am. I'll draft a receipt for you and get my truck out of your hair.\" Sue looked over the man's rig. \"If the truck got in my hair, I think that would be the epitome of a bad hair day.\" The man laughed. \"You have a point there.\" Sue raised her hand to her hair and moved it around. \"Where? Is this it?\" David joined in the laughter this time. The man waved to them as he pulled his truck out of the driveway. Sue turned to face David. \"I don't know what to say to you, mister. I will get that money back to you as soon as I can.\" \"I'm not sweating it.\" \"I know you're not. You have too much faith in God to sweat the small stuff.\" \"Bingo. I'm glad you noticed.\" \"Can I give you a hug as down payment on that loan?\" David smiled. \"I can't thing of a more stable currency in the world.\" After dispensing her promised hug, Sue said, \"I better get back in the house with the kids. I want you to know that I'll be thanking God for you and asking that he blesses your socks off.\" David walked back to his home, took one sniff of the autumn air, and retreated inside. He remembered his empty wallet and decided he needed to put some money back in it. He went to his stash and pulled out two twenties. When he opened his wallet to deposit them, he discovered one twenty bill already in there. \"Wait a second. Am I going crazy? I know that there was only one twenty earlier and I gave it away. Then I gave it away again. And it's still here. Is this wallet haunted or something?\" How dare you give the devil credit for something I'm doing? \"Oh, Lord, please forgive me. I never thought that you would be replenishing my cash as I give it away.\" 68

You have sought My face and My will instead of seeking the gifts of My hand. And for that reason I will pour out My gifts upon you that you might share with others. David fell to his knees and poured out his gratitude for the next half hour. When he arose, he felt led to check his email. He deleted an assortment of junk emails. He was just about to delete a message about a must-see video on YouTube, when the small still voice let him know that video was the reason he had been led to his computer. He clicked on the link and watched in rapt silence for the next few minutes as a large young man named Kirk Martin told his story of selling his soul to the devil in order to get a recording contract for his heavy metal group. Two days later an offer came. Before he could sign the contract, God intervened to rescue Kirk from the contract. \"Lord, this is great, but it brings up a question. Why did You intervene in this man's life and not in the lives of others who have sold out?\" How do you know I didn't intervene? \"Well, they don't seem to have their testimonies on YouTube of being saved.\" Not everyone who has seen My power responds to it and to Me. I gave them a chance and they turned it down. This man responded and as a result will be with Me in Heaven. \"Sorry I doubted You. I'm not sure what the lesson is that I need to take away from this video.\" You have inquired of Me in the past why you need to keep fighting the Harry Potter war. You understand that the books and the movies have already been out, had their impact and made millions of dollars. It is too late to close the barn door in your opinion. What you don't understand is that all of that impact can be reversed. The world will always accept Harry Potter, but the body of Christ will not. You must persist in giving My people a chance to see the truth and be set free. \"I will continue until You tell me to quit or until my work on Earth is finished.\" Also I wanted you to understand that some people have given themselves totally over to the enemy, but they are not lost until their final breath. Your persistence in loving some of those people will result in their eternal salvation. David was overwhelmed. He felt love being poured out on his trembling body. The purpose of that love was very clear to him. He was supposed to give it away to others. Also understand, my son, that those who totally sell themselves out to Me and allow Me free reign in their life will be 69

considered lowly on the earth but mighty in the kingdom of Heaven. \"I hope I fit in that category, Lord. I'm trying to give all I have to You.\" Give Me your total trust and you will arrive at your desired destination. \"I do trust You, Lord.\" Then quit worrying about a spouse. And quit worrying about the world closing in around you. I have everything under control. \"I'm sorry. I should have realized that I was putting myself in a position of trying to orchestrate the coming of Your kingdom on Earth. I will do nothing unless You tell me – just like Jesus did when he was on Earth.\" Many are called but few are chosen. Welcome to the small remnant. David continued basking in the warmth of God's love for another hour. The glory left his presence about the time he was due to retire for the evening. It was important that his spirit directed his activity, but it seemed important even to God that he took care of his body. As he flipped off the night light, thoughts of Cindy entered his head. The face of Heather Culebra pushed its way into the mental picture. \"I'm not going to worry about it. It's all in Your hands, Father.\" 70

Chapter 9 The next evening, after a stressful day at work, David picked up the phone and called Chris. He described his time in the presence of the Lord. Chris totally immersed himself in the conversation. \"So you were worried about a wife?\" \"I didn't think I was worrying. I just thought I was thinking about it a lot.\" \"You definitely want to be careful. Being single is lots better than being married to the wrong person.\" \"Yeah. You don't have to belong to MENSA to figure that one out.\" \"I didn't even know you were dating.\" \"That figures. I'm not. I just haven't found someone who makes my heart go 'zing' – if you know what I mean. Well, except for one gal, but she's not a qualified candidate.\" \"Not a believer?\" David groaned. \"If she is, she's a totally misguided one.\" \"The Lord can reel her in, you know.\" \"Sure, He could. That would certainly put things in a different perspective. I'm not holding my breath though. It looks like she'd be a hard egg to crack. Anyway, I don't want to talk about my love life or the absence thereof. God told me to quit sweating it, so I'm retiring that subject from my conversational repertoire. I just wanted to tell you that I felt that God wants you to quit worrying about your spouse as well. He wants you to surrender your marriage to Him. He can resurrect it if you put it on the altar.\" \"That's funny. I had listened to a guy talking about marriage on the Sid Roth show. The guest on the show wrote a book called Two Fleas and No Dog.\" David laughed. \"That's a hilarious title.\" \"I know. Craig Hill said that men and women were like fleas, both looking to find a dog to supply all their needs. When they get married, they find out that what they thought was a dog was just another flea. So neither of them feel their needs are getting met. And then Satan throws a monkey wrench into the whole shooting match and causes each one to lash out at the other or to think they are being attacked when they really aren't. Now that my marriage is on the brink of extermination, I see how important that marriage is to the kingdom. The devil is raising havoc among God's people because they don't understand the criticality of it.\" \"Wow. You're growing up spiritually right before my eyes . . . well, my ears in this case.\" 71

\"I just hope it's not too little and too late.\" \"I just wonder if you kept your eyes on Jesus and kept your mind from hoping or despairing or anything else concerning your marriage, if you wouldn't find that you could walk on thin ice.\" Chris chuckled. \"That's the marital version of walking on water, I assume?\" \"Bingo.\" \"So, bottom line, I need to quit worrying about any aspect of my broken relationship.\" \"That's my gut feeling. Praise, worship and prayer, but no worry.\" David bit his lip and waited for his friend’s response. \"It makes sense to me. I'll go with it.\" \"Blessings upon you for your faithfulness. Now, I gotta go rustle up something to soothe my savage stomach, which is trying to do its best imitation of a helicopter. Catch you later.\" \"Probably not until I get back from Mozambique.\" \"My prayers are with you. Bye.\" \"Thanks. Ditto, brother.\" *** Heather lay in the motel bed watching a steamy movie. She felt her body respond to the passionate scene on the screen. The vicarious stimulation was not satisfactory. Thoughts of having a man's arms around her right now coursed through her head as hormones did the same through her body. She imagined what it would be like to make love to David Justice. Was he one of the frozen chosen? Or was he a real tiger when he took off his religious robes? I want satisfaction! I'm one of the most eligible bachelorettes in the world and here I am going without. This is all wrong. What am I going to do? A knock sounded at her door. \"Who is it?\" \"Hercules.\" \"One second.\" She started to grab her robe, but then thought twice. I need a man. Hercules certainly fits that category. His timing couldn't have been more perfect. She undid one of the buttons in her pajama top on the way to the door. She studied his muscular physique and came to the conclusion that she needed to start the game. \"Come in, Herc. I'm glad you stopped by.\" \"You are?\" \"I have a proposition for you.\" \"And that is?\" \"Make love to me.\" 72

Hercules looked her over. \"Excuse me?\" \"Do you have wax in your ears? To put it bluntly and succinctly, I need some sex. I hear that men need it worse than women so you probably could use some yourself. So you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours, both literally and figuratively. But just to set the air straight, this has nothing to do with relationship. Do I make myself clear? You're still just an employee. You'll just be guarding my body a little closer that most bodyguards.\" \"So is this part of my new job description? What if I don't like the extra duty?\" \"You certainly don't have to do it. I think you'll want to volunteer for extra assignments after you get your first taste. Oh, one thing. No kissing. I consider a kiss something I share with someone I love. You ain't the guy, capish?\" Hercules cracked his knuckles as he took a long look at the woman in front of him. \"Do I have to treat you like some porcelain doll or something?\" \"Don't get kinky, but don't be afraid to be a real man but still a gentleman. Give me something I can write about in my next book.\" Without uttering a word, he reached down and picked Heather up. With almost no effort, he carried her to the bed and laid her down on the bedspread. \"Did you want to have a notebook nearby?\" She laughed. \"If you're as good as you think you are, I'll be able to remember every detail next week.\" \"In this case, you'll probably want to include a tribute to me in the credits in the front of the book.\" He grabbed the remote, flicked off the TV, and joined her on the bed. *** On Sunday morning, David was dressing for church when it dawned on him that he had promised to go to lunch with Cindy. He looked in the mirror. His attire left a bit to be desired for a formal date. \"Should I put on something more appropriate? But if I dress up, I'll be sending a signal to Cindy that she means a lot to me. I don't want her to let her hopes get sky high and then shoot her down. I don't want to hurt anyone, Lord. What shall I do here?\" There was no answer. \"OK, I see the handwriting on the wall. You told me to quit worrying. I'm going to obey. I'll just wear what I have on, and I'm just going to enjoy my time today no matter what happens. I'll be with You and that's more than enough for me.\" Obviously Cindy didn't care to conceal her desires to impress David. She was dressed up as if she was riding in the Easter 73

parade. David loved to see women in a dress. Cindy didn't have the greatest figure, and she certainly wasn't the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen by a long shot, but she had an air of charm around her today. The pastor asked them to hold hands with the people next to them during prayer. David couldn't help notice the softness of the tiny hand he held. The words of the prayer were lost in the moment. The lunch was a pleasant experience for David. He could tell that Cindy's head was up in the clouds. In a way he felt glad that he could brighten another's life in such a fashion. On the other hand, he felt guilty because he wasn't able to offer more. He swore that when he dropped her off at the church after the meal that she tried to bait him into kissing her. If he was accurate in his interpretation, she certainly came up empty for her efforts. A kiss meant a whole lot more to him than something to bestow on any girl who offered her lips. He decided it was time to lay his cards on the table. He was pretty sure he had a royal flush as the blood surged to his face. \"Cindy, I wanted to make something crystal perfect, I mean perfectly clear. I don't want to hurt you, but I feel I have to get this out in the open. I'm not really interested in you as more than a friend and a brother in Christ.\" David half expected her to break into tears. Instead a funny gleam came into her eye. \"What makes you think that I am?\" He was unable to explain. She patted him on the shoulder. \"Thanks, friend, for the nice lunch. It was fun. Now you can go home and breathe a sigh of relief that it is all over. You've survived an afternoon with the wicked nurse of the west.\" She got out of the car and shut the door. The word \"slammed\" went through David's mind as the sound reverberated in his head. Did I just scorn her? She almost looked the furious part from 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.' Is it possible to be friends in a lopsided relationship? I'm not worrying, Lord, but this situation does have me feeling like I've been hung out to dry. Help me find joy in this situation and any other situation that comes up when life happens. Teach me not to wait for the storms to pass but to learn to dance in the rain. David didn't feel sleepy, so he decided to forego his afternoon nap and visit Stan at the nursing home. When he reached Stan's closed door, he could hear talking inside the room. It didn't take him long to figure out that someone was praying. The voice changed as the prayer continued. He bowed his head and silently 74

participated. A female voice took over. David was contemplating leaving the scene when a wheelchair pulled up beside him. \"Aren't you going in, young man?\" David looked into a pair of red rimmed eyes. He figured the speaker was about ninety years old. \"I didn't want to disturb them by knocking.\" \"Hogwash. Just walk in. It's a public prayer group. You can open the door for me.\" David nodded. He pushed the door open and watched the occupant of the wheelchair navigate the crowded room. There were seven people in the confined space when David pushed inside and closed the door. Stan nodded at him. The fervent prayer went on for almost another hour. David was amazed at the passion that Stan had acquired since the last time they had spoken. When the prayer meeting concluded, the rest of the participants went back to their own rooms while David stayed with Stan. \"Well, David, you've changed my life.\" \"Not me. God changed your life and so did you in responding to God. I didn't do anything except pass the message the Father sent for you.\" \"No matter. What is important is that I'm having a blast. If my group gets any bigger, we'll have to reserve the lunchroom. I feel younger than I did at sixty-five. It seems like I can still make a difference in the world, even though I never step foot outside this blessed place.\" \"Blessed?\" Stan smiled. \"I know. I used to complain a lot about this facility and the people running it, but I found that when my attitude was rearranged, that I had been a bit harsh. These people are doing the best they can, just like the rest of us. I figured out I needed to cut them a little grace.\" \"Excellent adjustment, sir.\" After making a mock bow, Stan patted his Bible. \"It's all in here. And I'm trying to get it all into here.\" Stan beat on his chest just above the heart. \"I thought I'd drop by and encourage you, but it turns out that you've given me a booster shot of faith.\" \"Is there anything we can pray for in your life?\" David bit his lip. \"I'm good . . . well, yeah. As long as you are beating on the gates of Heaven, you could lift up a friend of mine in prayer.\" \"What's her name?\" \"How did you know it was a female?\" 75

\"For a young buck like you, it's almost always a she. What's her name?\" \"Heather.\" \"Is this a love interest?\" \"I don't think so, but I'm not sure.\" \"David, I hope you don't mind me saying, if you don't know, who does? You're not being straight with me. You've got to know deep inside, and maybe you don't have to use drilling equipment to get down deep enough to find out the truth.\" \"I know at your age, you've had people tell you that things are complicated. Well, this really is complicated. I found the gal overwhelmingly attractive physically, but she ah . . . \" \"I think I get the picture. You're feeling guilty because she's such a beautiful woman and she doesn't love the Lord. And there are probably other women who aren't so beautiful who love the Lord and need husbands but you don't feel anything for them.\" \"Stan, are you a prophet?\" The old man chuckled. \"I don't know about that, but I do know for sure that I'm old. I've lived a lot of life. Maybe some of the mistakes I made can be avoided by others. If so my pain was not in vain.\" \"I'm not quite tracking with you here. Maybe you can provide more specifics.\" \"I was just waiting for your permission, sonny. Your situation is certainly not unique. The same thing happened to a young man near and dear to my heart. It was me when I wore a younger man's clothes as Billy Joel sang in The Piano Man.\" \"You had to choose between two different kinds of love?\" Stan smiled. \"That's a good way to put it. I call them Hollywood love and Godlyhood love.\" \"Which one did you choose?\" \"I said I went through pain. That should give it away. I chose the beauty queen. She was something else.\" \"And she married you?\" \"You act surprised that a beautiful woman would marry someone like me. I wasn't always eighty-something and confined to a wheelchair. I was considered something of a stud in my youth. So, yes, I got her to the altar. And then I went through Hell.\" \"I'm sorry.\" \"Me too. Not that I went through Hell. I learned more about life and God during that time than the rest of my life put together. Part of what made it Hell, is that I had to watch the other girl I loved move away and eventually hear from her family that she married someone else. Ironically, by the time my wife ran off with another 76

man and filed for divorce, I was convinced the girl I let get away was more beautiful than the queen of Sheba that I married. I'm sure I was guilty of coveting my neighbor's wife, Lord forgive me.\" \"What if my beauty queen is also beautiful inside?\" \"Then you'd be a lucky man to have both. Just remember that physical beauty fades. Don't let physical attraction dominate your thinking. The Bible says we're not to be unequally yoked in marriage. Some people translate that into a command not to marry an unbeliever. It certainly means that but goes beyond.\" David scratched his head. \"What do you mean?\" \"Back in Bible times they yoked oxen together to do work like pull carts. We don't use animals any more in America to do stuff like that, so we don't understand the concept of yoking very well. The one place I see that being done is with the sled dogs in Alaska. If you yoke two dogs together who run at different paces, you have a problem. The slow dog will get upset with the faster dog for pulling him along. The faster dog gets frustrated with the other dog for slowing him down. Neither is happy.\" \"I'm not sure what running has to do with marriage.\" \"Paul said to run the good race. I think the Christian walk, as we call it, should not be a walk but a run. You both should be running to the Lord and for the Lord. If that is your common goal, you will be happy despite the problems that arise. But in the Hollywood type of marriage both people are seeking their own selfish interests. At some point their interests are going to cause their heart to wander to someone who offers more.\" David blew out a deep sigh. \"Figuring out what is the right thing to do is not an easy task.\" \"You got that part right. I really don't think that God has one particular woman for each man. But I do believe that He knows which ones will work out. It is important to let His will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.\" \"Yeah. I understand that part very well. I seem to be doing pretty good in that area except where it comes to women. I'm not sure what His will is here. He talks to me about other things, but in this situation He just said not to worry.\" \"Then why are you worrying?\" \"Because I don't want to make the wrong choice. Sounds like you did, so you can understand why I don't want to walk down that path.\" Stan nodded. \"People will give you what they consider sage advice and tell you to follow your heart. I tell you to follow your God.\" 77

\"This is slightly unbelievable. I came here to see if I could help you. Instead you end up telling me some of the best stuff I've ever heard on the topic of marriage. A week ago God had to intervene to prevent you from killing yourself. Yet you had all this valuable wisdom inside you. How could you consider not living just to share it with the world?\" Stan turned away to look out the window. \"People perish for lack of vision. I didn't see that I could still be useful to God or anybody else. Most of the world doesn't want to hear my message of wisdom. There is nothing more frustrating than to have spent a lifetime accumulating wisdom that nobody else wants. Or in my case here at the home, that nobody else can understand. I started feeling sorry for myself and focusing on my disabilities and my limitations and got my eyes totally off the Lord. I let the devil blindside me. He talked me into having a pity party, and I let him extend it to a year around event. So don't be overly impressed with my wisdom.\" \"Don't beat yourself up. It happens to the best of us. The key is turning back and being restored. Looks like you've done that.\" \"I've come quite a way in just a week, thanks to the amount of prayer I've sent heavenward and the time I've spent soaking in the Lord's presence.\" \"The change is obvious to me. You know, in order to exorcise your frustration, maybe you need a platform where you can get your wisdom in front of people who are receptive.\" \"How am I going to do that?\" \"I can think of two ways. Write a book or a blog.\" \"I know what a book is. But what in Tarnation is a blog?\" \"Have you ever used a computer?\" Stan shook his head. \"Not really. They were just getting them down at the plant when I retired.\" \"Did you ever use a typewriter?\" \"Fastest typist in my high school typing class.\" \"Perfect. A computer is just a typewriter where you can make corrections easily and have multiple versions of everything. I got a new one recently and have been wondering what to do with my old one. It's kind of a clunker so nobody else seemed to want it. I'll bring it over, and you can get started on your book.\" \"I don't know how to use the dang thing.\" \"I'll help you with that too. And when you get the book finished, I'll help you get it published.\" Stan scratched the back of his neck. \"I don't know, sonny. You're a busy man. I don't want to stretch you too thin on my account.\" 78

\"I appreciate your concern, but remember I am trying to do what God wants me to. I'm convinced you have something to say to the world that will bless God's people.\" \"That's all I want to do.\" David smiled. \"Then let's do it. By the way, did you ever marry again?\" \"Never did. I decided that I had blown it. I was in love with someone that I couldn't have. I never found someone again that I felt was right.\" \"Where is the woman you let get away?\" \"I have no clue. I lost track of her. What I do know is that as a result of all my bad choices, I'm all alone in the world. Got no kids or grandkids to come by and make me smile and laugh. And that is why I truly appreciate what you've done here. Those other things would have been nice, but the most important thing is for me to get my daily sustenance and reason to live from God. Jesus said that He is the vine and we are the branches. A branch that gets disconnected from the vine will always die. I had been disconnected and you came along and plugged me back in.\" \"Stan, I don't know what to say, except that I am equally excited to see what God is doing and will do with your life. So, I'm just as grateful for the opportunity to be part of it as you are. And rest assured that I will put the wisdom you've shared with me to use.\" \"One word of warning, don't get carried away here, sonny. Don't ditch the pretty girl just because she's beautiful. She might be the right one that you don't want to get away.\" 79

Chapter 10 Heather stared out the window of the airplane. Memories of her first flight just a few years before flooded into her consciousness. She had been so thrilled to look out at the mosaic patterns of green and yellow and brown framed by the ribbons of roads that divided the land into each individual chunk of the quilt like pattern. She looked upon the same type of scene today, but it did not move her heart at all. She had been on so many planes since writing her first novel that nothing about flying was pleasant. Travel was just a necessity in her line of work. Places were starting to look the same to her. She hated to admit it, but the world was starting to get boring. She'd conquered all of the mountains in her profession. What was left to do? She thought of Hercules behind her in the coach section. Since their first sexual encounter, her life had gotten into a new routine. The excitement of that adventure had faded, but it was still a good thing. She had all she needed from a man, protection and physical satisfaction. And the best part is that she had no commitment or responsibility in return. She was totally in control of the relationship, or lack thereof. Having control over her life was one thing that still made her high. Thoughts of her previous life when she felt like a guppy out of the aquarium could always be summoned up to make her feel satisfied that she had overcome the feelings of inferiority and conquered the world. I went from a zero to a hero. I need to revel in this new position and enjoy every moment of it. The trouble is that I feel like I need more of something. I can't put my finger on what it is, but there is something missing. I'm satisfied but not content if that makes any sense. Wait, what was that quote about satisfaction from George Bernard Shaw? Something like \"as long as I have a want, I have a reason for living because satisfaction is death.\" I guess I shouldn't want to find satisfaction, but I do. I feel like I'm playing pin the tail on the donkey here. I keep jabbing the tail into the picture but I can't seem to get it in the right place. Maybe I should start seeing a shrink. All my rich friends do. On the other hand, none of them seem content either. What the Hell is going on with me? I'm not hungry, and I'm not content. How did I get myself into No Man's Land? Or should I say No Woman's Land? And a better question is how do I get myself out? 80

She pulled her laptop out from under her seat and opened it up. Maybe if she got back to her novel, she'd get out of the funk she was in. After trying to recapture the direction of the manuscript, she starting thinking about David Justice again. If I'm not mistaken, all these thoughts of needing more never entered my head until he came along. Somehow he is the source of this problem. Shaw says I need to have a want. And a want should be something that is not too easy to obtain. Here is a perfect desire for me. I want David Justice. I want to capture him body, and soul and spirit too. And if I can't get him, then my desire is to crush him like the wanton boy kills the fly. Her fingers begin to streak across the keyboard. Now I'm back in the saddle again and in full stride. The real me has returned with a vengeance. After the plane landed, Heather strolled to the baggage pick- up area. Hercules walked just behind her. She had told him that it was wise for him to do so to protect her backside. In reality, she felt it relegated him to a position of inferiority. He was her obedient little doggie tagging along on her heels. It felt good to steer a three hundred pound man with her little pinkie. How high would she get when she conquered David Justice? And what would she do for an encore? What if the boredom returned after that? Heather sidled up beside two ladies who were having an animated conversation. She couldn't help but eavesdrop. \"I heard some guy on television the other day slamming vampire lit. He said it was of the devil. I'm a Christian, but I don't believe in the devil.\" \"I don't know. Jesus talked quite a bit about him. I think it's better just to ignore him anyway, so it's like he doesn't exist. The one area where I do see the devil in action is with those charismatic types who claim that God is raising people from the dead and healing people of blindness and stuff. Those are the people that scare me.\" \"I hear you. Of course since I don't believe in the devil, I just think they're nutzo. This guy that was on TV is one of the fruit and nut baskets. He went off on Harry Potter too. Sheesh. My kids wouldn't read a book until Harry came along. They read every single one of them. And some of those books are thicker than War and Peace. It was wonderful to see them devour the written word. I was so impressed that I read the books too. They were delightful.\" \"Absolutely. I heard an expression the other day that God wants fruits of the spirit and not religious nuts. I guess those guys that attack everything that they don't like are the people that phrase talks about. Did your kids read the Twilight books?\" 81

\"Oh, yeah. They love them too. That's when I got introduced to vampire lit. I couldn't put them down.\" \"Have you read anything by Heather Culebra?\" \"Not yet. Should I?\" \"Definitely. She is a fantastic writer. She has me hanging on her every word and every kiss.\" \"And every bite?\" The other woman laughed. \"Got to have active fangs in a vampire story. I'm surprised that the wackos haven't developed some vampire repellant spray yet. They talk like vampires are real. I wonder if they still believe in the tooth fairy. Anyway, I strongly suggest you get something by Heather. I have one in my purse that I bought for my trip.\" Heather decided it was time to step into the conversation. \"Would you like me to sign that book for you?\" The two ladies turned around. One had a blank look on her face. The other one's jaw dropped. \"Oh, my God! It's you!\" She fumbled in her purse and pulled out a paperback. \"It's who?\" the other lady asked. \"The lady I was telling you about, Heather Culebra.\" She handed the paperback to Heather. \"Please make it out to Sue.\" The blank face disappeared off the face of the lady who didn't believe in the devil. \"Oh, my gosh. What an honor. I wished I had a book to sign.\" Heather took the book from the fan's hand and pressed her pen against the paper. \"Hercules, give me one of my books.\" She finished signing and handed the newly signed copy to the owner. Hercules handed her a brand new book he carried around in his suit coat just for occasions like this. \"Who should I inscribe this one to?\" \"Peggy. I've never met a big name author before. I can't tell you what a thrill this is.\" \"Go ahead and try anyway,\" Heather said, causing the two ladies to explode in laughter. Heather chatted with the ladies until her bags showed up on the conveyor. She pointed them out to Hercules, and he hoisted them up and placed them on the floor. When his own bag was secured, he turned to his boss who stood alone after the departure of her adoring fans. \"You heard if for yourself. Christians can enjoy my books. I bet that most Christians would rather read my books than listen to David Justice rant about the devil.\" \"Whatever you say, Miss Heather.\" 82

Heather ignored the tone of his comment which reminded her of something a black servant said to his master in an old movie. \"I think it's time that I started living like the queen that I am. No more walking through airport lobbies. I want you to go hire one of those motorized carts to take us back to the parking lot.\" Hercules bowed and made his exit. Heather moved over to stand beside the bags to discourage anyone from helping themselves to her belongings. She thought about her decision. Her mother had encouraged her to stay humble no matter how much success she attained. She'd tried to walk that line, but now she could see that part of her problem was that she was living in two worlds. She needed to abandon her former life entirely and embrace the new way of living. She looked down at her clothing. Way too conservative. It was time to go shopping and pick up something more appropriate for a woman of her stature. And a new hairdo and makeup that presented more of a vampire image would be perfect for her TV debate. It was time she had a serious makeover. Sorry, mom! I gotta be me not what you want me to be. *** Cindy knelt beside her bed. Her makeup had run from the flood of tears that had gushed down her cheeks in their rush to obey the law of gravity. Sobs periodically issued forth from her involuntarily. \"Oh, Father in Heaven, forgive me for I have sinned against You. I have made David Justice an idol in my life. I was convinced that I cannot live without him. Now I see that I was out of line. I cannot live without You. I don't want to try to live without You. Please forgive me and fill me with Your presence. Take away this desire I have to manipulate David to make him love me and take me as his wife. This is not the way You want us to live. I renounce all of my plans and my hopes and my dreams. I lay my life down to You at this moment. I don't care what You give me. If You want me to be single, I'm cool with that. If You want me to marry, then I'll marry the man You pick out for me. I just want to be in Your perfect will, Father. Create in me a clean heart. And renew my mind. Father, I humble myself and cry out to You so that You will heal my land. Heal my heart and heal my spirit. Let me lean totally on You for the essence of life.\" After a half hour more of pouring her heart out to the Lord, Cindy arose. Her knees were sore, but the rest of her felt great. She put on a Teresa Hurlburt CD and let the sounds of the music relax her spirit even more. She went to her closet and surveyed the contents. \"I need a major makeover, Lord. Clothe me in humility 83

and in Your righteousness. Let not the rags of human hands hold their attraction for me again.\" She started grabbing items that she considered to be too revealing and inappropriate. She'd drop them off at the YMCA on her way to work. When she was satisfied that everything she wished to dispose of was in her pile, she went into the bathroom. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she came to the conclusion that she had been using worldly means to capture her husband. She thought of Darla. \"I wasn't getting paid for it, but wasn't my heart almost in the same place as a painted lady. I was trying to capture David's heart by being as beautiful as I could on the outside. I should have been trying to be beautiful on the inside. I'm not sure if we can even do that, Lord. You need to make us beautiful. The only way I can be madeover is to allow You to redecorate my heart. If I try to be the princess, then the change is only temporary and as soon as I quit trying, I'll go back to being Cinderella. You have to give me the heart of a princess. Lord, I give You permission to tear up what I've become and make me in Your image. Let me not care what the world thinks. Let me not care what even David thinks. I want to please You, not mankind.\" She washed all the makeup off her face. She looked washed out. \"Lord, now I look like Casper the not-so-friendly ghost. Is there a happy medium here? Show me how to put on makeup that would be pleasing to You.\" She felt led to redo the makeup. She omitted the dark liner and went with a much softer color. She applied blush sparingly to her cheeks. As she gazed into the mirror, she was amazed at the transformation of the drab countenance into one that sparkled with life but without any hint of flirtatious manipulation. \"Thank you, Lord. I think we've got this aspect nailed.\" She went back to her bed. She lay down on it face up to the ceiling and raised her hands. \"Thank You, Father for loving me! I praise You and worship You. I love You.\" She continued in that position of worship until the CD ended. Her heart was still rejoicing despite the fact that the world was calling her to return to her job. The great thing was that in her job role, she had the privilege to minister to others. Going to work wasn't totally a grind. The commute was a hassle, but once she parked the car, her stress level was not unmanageable at all. The occasional emergency reared its ugly head from time to time, but her typical day was spent dispensing medicine and love. She considered herself a lucky lady. Even the commute didn't bother her today. Red lights were opportunities for her to speak to her Father in Heaven. The 84

crowded freeway gave her more time to groove along with the music pulsating out of her CD player. It became apparent to her that attitude was a key factor in considering something intolerable. There were a few things about her job that she sometimes considered joy killers. She was going to approach those things with a new attitude and look for the positive. She wasn't sure how she could find something to like in changing a colostomy bag, but it was worth a try. In her first hour on the job, she had to drop by Stan's room to dispense his daily dose of high blood pressure medicine. She used to hate going into Stan's room because he was such a grouch. Something had changed him in the last week. His face always lit up with a big smile when she came in, and he actually engaged her in polite conversation. It appeared that he had undergone a makeover. She heard a rumor that he had started a prayer group. Every day when she arrived, she expected the old Stan to cast a shadow on her day. Not once had he failed to brighten it instead. Today was no exception. \"Stan, I have to tell you that I see a remarkable change in you.\" The old man studied her. \"Yep. You seem different to me today as well.\" \"Today is the first day of the new me. I used to sing a song about trading my sorrows and pain for the joy of the Lord. Well, I decided to not just sing about it but to live it. He's put a new song in my heart, you might say.\" \"I like the change.\" \"Thank you, Stan. And I really, really like the change in your life. Did you have a conversion experience or something?\" \"Or something. I was just rescued from the scrap heap and brought back into service. I've been a believer all of my life. However, even believers need to be converted. Jesus told Peter to be converted and to strengthen his brethren. We always use the term for converting from a heathen to a believer, but apparently converting is something that we need to do even after we get introduced to Jesus.\" \"That's what I did. I think Jesus also mentioned converting into little children. I'm trying to remain a mature woman as far as my profession goes but become like a little child in my faith. I will trust my eternal daddy even if the sky is black and the future looks dim. I trust Him to bring me through the tough times and into His glorious light – one way or another.\" 85

\"That is wonderful, Cindy. You know, I have a friend who visits me that would be perfect for you. He's really a great looking guy and a devoted disciple of the Lord.\" \"I'm kind of putting men and marriage on the backburner. And I kind of have my man picked out already. Thanks anyway.\" \"No problem. If you ever change your mind, let me know. This guy would be perfect for you. And I think the reverse would be true as well.\" Cindy laughed. \"Funny, you don't look like a matchmaker.\" \"Looks can be deceiving. I've put a number of younger couples together.\" \"Then why haven't you made a match for yourself?\" \"I'm too old for you, Cindy.\" She laughed again. \"There are lots of other ladies in the nursing home that are single. You're not too old for them.\" \"I'm just too old to fall in love again. Besides, I already had the love of my life.\" \"Did your wife die?\" Stan shook his head. \"Divorced me. However, I'm not talking about my wife. I'm talking like a fisherman about the one that got away.\" Cindy swallowed her smile. \"How sad.\" \"Hey, kiddo. Don't you drop that smile on my account! God is good. The rewards of Heaven will far outweigh the sorrows we have here. I'm not going to let it bother me any more.\" \"In that case, I won't either. OK. We're done for today. I'll see you tomorrow.\" \"Thanks, Cindy, remember that this is the day that the Lord has made.\" \"And I will rejoice and be glad in it. And I'll keep smiling too.\" \"Good for you!\" Cindy pondered the difference in herself and in Stan as she went about the rest of her chores. When she finally got her lunch break, she went for a brisk walk in the crisp autumn air. She thought about what it would be like to be totally devoted to God. She pictured in her mind a person having no pride, no self interests, and no defensiveness. She imagined someone going out of their way to find hurting people and bring a message of love to them, despite the hardship for themselves. She came to the conclusion that such a person would have to be judged insane by the world's standards. Ignoring the primary instinct of self preservation in itself was counter to nature. Loving people with no thought of getting something back was revolutionary. Raising hands and heart in fervent song and praise and prayer to an 86

invisible being. What would it do to the world and the attitude of non-believers if all people who take the name of Christ would live the way He asked us to? I think the love would drive the devil right off the planet. I doubt that he's trembling in his shoes over that happening though. Laodicea seems much more prevalent than the upper room on Pentecost day. She felt invigorated when she returned to the home. The Thanksgiving decorations on the wall reminded her how much she had to be thankful for this year. She vowed not to wait until turkey day to tell her Father how grateful she was. She thanked Him silently the rest of the afternoon as she made her rounds. She found that there was room for God and work in the same time frame. She didn't even notice that she did not think of David Justice once all afternoon. 87

Chapter 11 David had spent part of his day researching vampires and Heather Culebra on the Internet, when he discovered a message from the vampire queen had arrived in his inbox. Now what shenanigans is she up to? He read with interest a nice introductory note that he might have received from any good friend. In the second paragraph, she invited him to Thanksgiving dinner at her mother's house. David scanned his memory. He had an obligation to help serve turkey and the trimmings down at the rescue mission. That would be over by 1:30. Heather's invitation was for 2:00 PM. He could do both. Should I? Would I be fraternizing with the enemy or would I be giving the Lord a chance to work in Heather's heart. I really believe that if the Holy Spirit can penetrate her shield of skepticism, she'd be a wonderful asset in the kingdom of God. I need to give it a chance and here is the perfect opportunity. Lord, if this is some kind of snare, You have to let me know. The absence of a response left him to make the decision on his own. I might be playing on Satan's home turf, but my God is big enough to win the road games as well as the home games. I just need to keep Him in control of this situation. He wrote back immediately and accepted the invitation. He included a little flower icon in the signature line of the message. He thought it was a nice little touch. Heather probably wouldn't notice. So why was she inviting him for Thanksgiving? That was a special occasion usually reserved for intimate friends and family. Where did he fit into that picture? Oh, well. I already made the commitment. I'll find out when I get there. My guess is that she'll have a hundred people milling around a mansion. I'll just be one of the crowd of her groupies. While he was in his email program, he decided to clean up his inbox. He had a message from the FBI. What in the world would the FBI want with me? I know that Christians are being persecuted and prosecuted in the US for speaking out. And now the hate crimes legislation has passed, opening the way for even more misapplications of justice. I can't believe the FBI would warn me that I must not hate vampires. He read the accompanying message. It turned out to be a large prize he had won that needed to be accepted through the FBI. David rolled his eyes. \"Do people really fall for this kind of stuff? Who is going to believe that the FBI is in the business of 88

getting prizes to winners of contests and drawings?\" It was almost funny. He got a couple of typical scam messages from Africa where the sender wanted to share a portion of an inheritance with him for helping them get the funds released. \"Obviously some people have fallen for this one since there are so many people doing this. Why can't they at least change the story? All of them originate in Africa. Con artists can at least be a little original, can't they? I can't believe they use subject lines like 'Respond to me immediately.' People are such guppies. Someone puts a little bait in a trap and bam, they run right to it. No wonder people are taken in by the devil who contrives some elaborate schemes to deceive humans. The fact he can deceive Christians into accepting Harry Potter and vampires as entertaining literature is proof plenty of that phenomenon.\" He shook his head. \"And why am I sitting here talking to my computer?\" *** David glanced at the clock again. It was approaching time for him to leave for Heather's big party. He looked at the stack of dishes that needed to be washed. He wasn't sure that he could finish them all in time. Perhaps he shouldn't have volunteered to do dishes. The people who served the food were done as soon as everyone had been fed. And they got to interface with people and do some ministry with those who were down and out. The ranks of those people seemed to have swelled since last Thanksgiving. The economy was getting worse as pink slips proliferated. He knew why he volunteered for dishes. This was the dirtiest job in the whole process. He knew no one else really wanted to do it either. \"God, I made this little sacrifice for You and some of Your people. I ask now that You bless me with Your presence as I finish the task, and if You might help me finish on time, I won't complain.\" Shortly after his prayer, two more workers arrived to help out. When one thirty arrived, one of them said to David, \"Dude, you've been working your butt off for a long time now. Why don't you knock off and let me take over?\" \"Really?\" \"Absolutely. Go home and enjoy your turkey day.\" \"If you insist. Thank you very much!\" \"My pleasure. You did most of the work. I just will get all the glory.\" David laughed as he removed his apron. He looked down at his shirt and pants to see how much of the crud had leaked through the apron. There were only a couple of small spots that he 89

needed to wipe clean. He donned his coat and made his escape from the hot kitchen. Boy, I hope that Heather serves the food right at two. I can't believe how hungry I am right now. Having to smell all that good stuff while I was working was a new form of torture. Next year I'm going to eat before I go help out. He arrived at his destination with five minutes to spare. The house that Heather had directed him to was certainly not a mansion. It was downright modest and only two cars lined the driveway. Either I've got the wrong house or my estimate of one hundred guests will be slightly off. He parked his car on the street in front of the house and walked up the driveway. As soon as he pushed the doorbell, the door swung open. An attractive middle aged lady smiled at him. \"You must be David?\" \"Then I must have the right house because I am David.\" \"Come in and make yourself comfortable. Let me take your coat.\" He handed her his jacket and looked around. Everything was neat, tidy and attractive, but the display of opulence he had expected was conspicuous by its absence. \"Heather is getting everything out of the oven. I need to go back and help her.\" \"Can I do anything to help?\" \"Can you carve a turkey?\" \"Do you cut eyes and a nose and a jagged mouth in it?\" Mrs. Culebra stared at him for a minute and then laughed. \"If that's what you had in mind, I think I better handle the chore myself. My late husband always had the honor of slicing up the bird.\" \"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Culebra.\" \"Call me, Janet, please. It was a hard thing to lose the man I loved, but life does go on afterward. I still have my Heather and she's doing great. I'm so proud of her.\" \"Yeah. She has been successful.\" \"And she's going to be stressful if I don't get back to the kitchen.\" \"I'm sorry. I'll come with you – if you don't mind.\" \"Be my guest, but you better walk fast.\" She turned and bolted for the room where the unmistakable aroma of turkey was escaping. David's stomach growled as he was walking. He patted it sharply to try to silence the complaints before he was in the presence of his hosts. He passed by a nicely adorned table with 90

place settings for three. It looked like he had a command performance with the Culebra family. As soon as he turned the corner his eyes met Heather's. He forgot all about his growling stomach. \"I'd come over and greet you properly, Mr. Justice, but I'm a little tied up right now.\" \"I see that. Perhaps when I leave, you can make up for it.\" Her eyes lit up. \"I'll make a point to do that. Mom, can you take the stuffing out of the turkey?\" \"Got you covered, honey.\" \"How about if I carry these other dishes out to the table?\" David asked. \"Go for it, Tiger. Just don't spill the gravy on mom's white linen tablecloth, or you'll be going hungry today.\" He stared at the two of them until Heather started laughing. \"I was just joking. Sheesh. You look like I threw the fear of God into you.\" David managed a plastic smile. I already have the fear of God in me. I was hoping to share it with you. \"You had me going for a second. I will be extremely careful, even if your mom doesn't walk softly and carry a big stick. I'll only take one bowl at a time and use both hands. I want the only fumble today to be on the televised football games.\" Both women laughed as he carefully picked up a big bowl of corn and started the journey to the dining room. With all three of them helping, the dinner was on the table in a short time. David wondered what would happen as far as grace was concerned. He was prepared to say a silent one. Mrs. Culebra took the chair at the head of the table and David sat directly across from Heather. He had almost no chance of avoiding at least a partial view of her. \"David, I understand that you are quite a man of God,\" Mrs. Culebra said. \"Depends on whom you talk to.\" \"Well, I usually trust my daughter's judgment.\" David looked at Heather. She had a wisp of hair hanging near her eye. He had an overwhelming compulsion to brush it back in place for her. \"It's hard not to trust such a pretty face.\" Heather beamed. David turned back to Janet who seemed even more pleased than her daughter. \"My husband not only did the carving but also did the praying. Will you do us the honors?\" \"Don't be such a mighty man of God that you pray until the food is cold though.\" Heather laughed after she spoke. 91

David suppressed his own laugh and began to pray. He made it short, sweet, and poignant. Janet echoed the amen. \"Thank you. It's been a couple of years since we had prayer with our turkey. Now let's see if Heather still remembers how to cook after becoming a literary superstar.\" She stabbed a couple of pieces of white meat and handed the platter to David. He was tempted to start munching immediately but waited until they had all filled their plates and the women began to upload food to their mouths. At that point, he took the first bite of a Thanksgiving dinner he would never forget. Small talk filled the time when mouths were not occupied by scrumptious samples of Heather's meal. David was indeed impressed that such a beautiful woman who made enough money to hire a cook and a maid had the ability to produce a meal such as he was enjoying. The word intoxicating came into his head, and he analyzed what her presence did to him. He tried not to compare it to the feeling he'd had a short time ago in his personal worship time with the Lord. The sensation was too similar for him to feel comfortable. No human should come close to giving him the joy of the Lord. When the main meal was over, Janet disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a pumpkin pie and a bowl of whipped cream. Since this was David's favorite dessert, the ladies had no problems convincing him to eat a second piece. He felt like his growling stomach had been transformed into a blimp. He somewhat regretted eating so much, but he couldn't think of one item he would have passed up. When they were all finished with dessert, David stood up and started picking up dirty dishes. \"What do you think you're doing, Mr. Justice?\" Heather asked. \"Just what it looks like. I'm cleaning up. I'd like to help wash dishes.\" Janet's jaw dropped. \"Where did you find this guy, Heather? Don't ever let go of him. He has to be a rare gem.\" \"Mom!\" \"Sorry, I couldn't resist. I was just in so much shock from hearing a man volunteer to wash dishes that I lost it for a minute. David, we have a machine that washes and dries the dishes. All we have to do is scrape off the big chunks and throw the dishes in. I think I can handle that just fine while you two go out into the living room and sit on the couch and get to know one another.\" \"Fine. I'll let your machine do its thing, but I insist on carrying things back into the kitchen. I think Heather has done enough for 92

this meal. Why don't you go sit on the couch and relax, and I'll join you when everything is put away.\" Heather smiled. \"Now that's an offer that I can't refuse. Have fun.\" She disappeared. David persuaded Janet to retreat to the kitchen and start doing her thing while he did his. He figured they could get done about the same time and then he wouldn't have to spend an excessive amount of time alone with Heather. He wasn't sure he was in full control of himself. His plan didn't work out because Janet ended up scrubbing the pots and pans manually. She shooed him out of the kitchen when the dining room table had been emptied and the precious tablecloth put in the laundry. He made his way back to the living room. He wasn't prepared for the vision that met him when he came around the corner. Obviously Heather had taken advantage of the break to alter her wardrobe. The modest and pleasing dress she had worn for the meal had been replaced by a low slung evening gown that didn't hide any of her physical charms. He hoped his mouth wasn't stuck open. She patted the cushion of the couch right next to her. He wanted to take a seat in a recliner that faced the couch, but he didn't want to offend his hostess. He also didn't want to be in point blank range of her persona. The scent of something exotic and no doubt expensive drowned out the smell of pumpkin pie and turkey from his nostrils and his memory. The woman was coming at him with all guns blazing. He prayed for the shield of faith to deflect her deadly arsenal. \"I'm so glad you decided to accept my offer, David.\" \"Why?\" Her eyebrows went up. \"Isn't it obvious? I find you very attractive.\" Mrs. Culebra where are you? \"So, do you like football?\" \"I think someone's trying to change the subject.\" She put her hand on his arm and gently slid it along the forearm. The hairs on the arm stood up. He wasn't sure what all was happening in his body, but the reaction was not negligible. \"Don't you find me somewhat appealing?\" David tried to look away. He couldn't escape from her eyes. He felt like he was being sucked into a giant magnet. The word \"pray\" came to his mind but he resisted the thought. \"Heather, I've already told you that you're a very attractive woman. Do you have this compelling desire to hear it over and over again?\" \"I just like hearing it come from the mouth of a man who is even better looking than myself. It's not easy for a woman to make 93

an admission like that, but it is true. You are a god in man's clothing. It makes me wonder what you're like without the clothing.\" David jumped up. \"I really need to go. I have to visit the nursing home where I volunteer and wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.\" A voice from behind stopped him. \"But, David, you just got here.\" David turned and saw that Janet had joined them. He breathed a silent sigh of relief. She sat in the recliner where he had been tempted to sit. \"Well, I suppose I could stay a few more minutes.\" \"It was really nice having a man to share Thanksgiving with us. We were all alone last year. This was lots more fun.\" \"Thanks, Mrs. Culebra. I'm glad I could brighten your day just a little.\" \"Oh, heavens, quit calling me Mrs. Culebra. Call me Janet. And you brightened it more than just a little.\" \"Be careful, David. I think she's out to seduce you. I'll stay here to protect you.\" \"Heather! Why are you talking like that? It wasn't nice to me or David.\" \"Sorry, mom. I guess I'm just jealous because David seems to like you more than he likes me.\" Neither answered that comment. David began to sense that he blew his chance to escape earlier. He tried to read Mrs. Culebra's body language. Was she part of the conspiracy here to mesmerize him, or was she just an innocent party? He couldn't tell for sure, but he felt she was not an accomplice. \"I have a strange request, David. My husband always danced with me on Thanksgiving and Christmas. I miss that. Would you dance with me?\" \"I'm not a very good dancer. I'm like a centipede with army boots.\" He watched her face fall. \"But I'm willing to try it if you are willing to be trod upon.\" She jumped up immediately and started the music playing. She walked over to him and waited for him to reach out to her. He held her apart from his body and waltzed her around the room. When the song ended, he felt relief that his task was completed. Before he could pat himself on the back and to his utter horror, Heather stood up and tapped her mother on the shoulder. \"My turn. I'm cutting in, Mom.\" \"Be my guest, dear. I got my one dance.\" David stood there trying to figure out how to get himself beamed back onto the Enterprise. He was afraid that Heather 94

would turn out to be a Klingon. When he failed to reach out for her, she took matters into her own arms. She pulled him tightly to her and he felt every contour of her body. Her head went down on his shoulder as if it were a pillow. His own arms stuck straight out the back. They stayed that way until Mrs. Culebra gently pushed them toward her daughter. He looked up in surprise at her beaming smile. Almost against his will he let his arms encircle her and tried to concentrate on his footwork. The perfume worked its magic again. The circuits in his body and mind were on overload and doing things they had never done in his twenty-six years of living. He was thankful Mrs. Culebra was present to protect him. Just as he thought that, she got up and exited the room. He was all alone and closer to a woman than he had ever been in his entire life. The word \"pray\" kept echoing in his head. He was too caught up in the moment to obey. He looked into Heather's eyes. They both stopped dancing and just stared. David felt he was looking into her soul. He wondered what she saw. Her head started moving toward his own. This is just like my dream. This is the part where I pull away and scream no. The perfect pink lips did not open to reveal fangs this time, just perfect, pearly teeth. He didn't pull away. The taste of her lips on his so far exceeded the pumpkin pie that he couldn't pull away. The word \"pray\" struck his brain again. Once more he let it go unheeded. The passion of the kiss grew exponentially. Heather pulled him down on the couch. \"Your mother?\" \"Mother has gone down for her afternoon nap. She won't be bothering us. Now shut up and kiss me again.\" She pressed her lips against his. Her hands slipped inside his shirt and began to caress his chest. Pray! If you don't respond this time, you will lose the battle. David sat up and began praying silently. Thoughts of the times he had planned his wedding night and his first sexual encounter with his loving spouse haunted him. How could he tarnish that moment with this heat-of-the-moment passion? \"What's the matter, honey? Why are you stopping?\" She reached out to pull him down again. Honey? He pushed her hands away. \"Happy Thanksgiving, Heather.\" He jumped up and headed for the front door. Memories of Janet taking his coat stopped him for a second. Heck with the coat. I'm leaving without it. The absence of car keys in his pants pocket brought him to a screeching halt. I have to find my coat. He 95

racked his brain trying to remember what Janet had done with the coat. He prayed she didn't leave it in a bedroom. Suddenly he remembered a closet by the door. He swirled around and saw the door slightly ajar. He almost ran to it and pulled the door open. To his relief the coat was hanging in plain sight. As he went to pull the jacket down, Heather's arms went around his body again. He didn't want to be rude, but he knew this was his last chance at escape. Later on he couldn't remember exactly how he did it, but he got untangled and bolted through the door. Halfway to his car he heard Heather's voice from the doorway. \"You'll be back, Mr. Justice. You've tasted and seen how good it can be. Next time we won't be stopped.\" David turned and ran to his car. Her voice and the memory of how he almost let temptation overwhelm his defenses haunted him on the way home. When he passed the street that led to the nursing home, he remembered that he wanted to stop. This would be a good time to talk to Stan. With a deft swirl of his arm, he navigated a right turn at the next intersection and maneuvered his vehicle to the parking lot at the home. He turned off the car and sat there for a minute. His body was just now returning to normal. After a deep breath, David exited the car and headed to Stan's room. On the way down the hallway, he saw Cindy ahead of him with her medicine cart. He backtracked and took another route to visit his friend. It was bad enough dealing with one woman today. Two of them would have done him in. Stan's door was open for a change. He saw David walk up and waved him in. \"What's up with you, sonny? You look like you saw a ghost.\" \"It wasn't a ghost, but it might have been the devil.\" \"You saw the devil?\" David described his visit to the Culebra family. \"I was this close from giving away my virginity. And what is really scary is that I almost wanted to. I've never experienced such a powerful pull in my entire life. She had me almost totally within her power.\" \"I've been there, done that. You're right. It is a powerful urge. But stop to think about it. You pulled out of Dodge before you lost it. That means that the power that pulled you out is stronger than the power which pulled you in.\" \"You're right. You're absolutely right! And if I had started praying the first time I got the notice, I wouldn't even have gotten into a dangerous situation. That is the moment that I blew it. I know better than to ignore that small still voice. Why did I do it?\" 96

\"Because you were listening to the loud screaming voice of your body.\" \"I was. I swear I've never wanted anything so much in my life, except to follow God.\" \"That's how sin works, sonny. You think you have to have something and don't stop till you get it. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.\" \"What really bugs me is that I've told youth groups over and over that they need to prevent their engines from getting revved up. Stopping sexual activity before the body gets out of control is pretty easy. Stopping it afterwards is almost impossible. And yet I drowned out my own voice today. I thought I was a disciple of Christ. I thought I was intimate with Him. But after today I'm not sure where I stand.\" \"Don't agonize over this more than God wants you to. He definitely wants to teach you a lesson but don't get obsessed by your failure. Just be glad you escaped without any injuries.\" \"I'm afraid my psyche got roughed up a little. I don't trust myself with women at this point. I might have to set a no hugging rule before I date again.\" Stan smiled. \"Boundaries are good, but don't throw the baby out with the placenta.\" \"I think there is supposed to be an element of humor in that little nugget of wisdom, but I don't find anything funny right now. I think I'm going to go back home and fall on the sword of the Spirit.\" \"You're doing good, kid. I can't think of a better cure for what ails you than a healthy dose of God's word and His love. I'll be praying for you.\" \"Thanks, Stan. It was truly a blessing when I got the word from God to help you. Never in my wildest imagination did I suspect that word was to change my life as well as yours.\" \"God works in mysterious ways. He will use this experience with your near encounter with an earthly body.\" \"I don't see how. I'm so ashamed.\" \"Trust. Shame can become a very powerful weapon in the hands of the Lord or a very destructive weapon in the hands of Satan. Listen to the right voice as you deal with this issue.\" David nodded. \"Happy Thanksgiving. I'm outta here.\" When he exited Stan's room, he went straight for the outside exit to be sure he didn't bump into Cindy in the hallway. 97

Chapter 12 David flinched as the makeup pencil headed toward his face. He forced himself not to move. He didn't want to get chewed out again. The butterflies in his stomach were doing a happy dance. His throat was dry, and the term cottonmouth rolled through his head. In a way he wished he was back home performing his normal activities, but he knew this television appearance was a big breakthrough for him. People who had never heard of his book would be exposed to it and to the ideas behind it. If this was God's work, which he believed it was, then surely he could go through a little bit of discomfort so that others could be comforted. He tried to rehearse the things he had studied. Nothing seemed to be present in his memory banks. He was about to panic when the familiar small still voice told him that he was not to worry because God would supply the words when he needed them. His anxiety subsided. He harkened back to the day he had vowed to enjoy the journey that God led him on. This television appearance was one of those stepping stones to his maturation process. That meant he should enjoy the moment while it lasted and have no fear or trepidation concerning the outcome. The song The Battle Belongs to the Lord played in his head. When the makeup crew finished with him, he plugged in the buds from his IPOD and listened to Grace Williams usher him into the throne room. When the stage manager came to summon him to take his place, he was in the zone. All nervousness had been replaced by a Godly confidence and boldness. People all around him smiled at him, and he flashed his pearly whites in reply. The moment he walked on stage would be the first time he had seen Heather since Thanksgiving. He tried to drown out the memories of that last meeting. The guilt he felt then would serve no purpose in this venue. He stood and quietly prayed until he felt a tap on his shoulder. It was game time. He waited on the wings of the stage until his name was announced. The producer had the funny idea to announce the guests like boxing opponents. They were really playing up the hype of a sparring match between good and evil. The term David and Goliath was mentioned more than once. His walk seemed unnatural as he trod the footboards leading to the chair he would occupy upon his arrival. Even this part had been rehearsed, so it was not totally new to him. The fact that perhaps several million 98

people were watching him walk at that moment might have made him a little self-conscious. He pictured Jesus standing where the host was and kept his eye on Jesus while he walked across the stage. He must have done a good job of concentrating because he didn't sink once. After he sat down to a small amount of applause, the announcement of the entrance of Heather caused an explosion of noise. At that point David realized he was playing on Heather's turf with a possible antagonistic crowd behind her. He tried to pray instead of watch Heather's grand entrance. He did notice that she was costumed like a vampire. The makeup on her face was so thick that he wondered if they used a paintbrush. He almost laughed aloud. Holly welcomed David to the show with \"Hello, David\", and a handshake, and then turned toward Heather. \"Heather, it is so good to meet you in person. I'm a big fan of yours. I've read every single one of your books. I'm curious. Would everyone in our audience who has read at least one of Heather's books please stand up?\" The majority of the audience rose to their feet. Holly turned to David. \"You didn't stand up, David. Does that mean you haven't read any of them?\" \"That is true.\" \"And yet you have the audacity to challenge her to a debate about books you have never read?\" \"On the surface it may look like I'm out of line, but I have read many accounts of the books, the content, the plot, the characters and so on. I just haven't read the books themselves.\" \"OK. Back to Heather. All of your fans are dying to know more about your next book. And are any more of your books going to be made into movies?\" Heather spent ten minutes telling the audience all about her work. David was starting to wonder when the debate was going to begin when Holly announced a commercial with the promise that the debate would begin as soon as they came back. He blew out a deep breath and looked over at Heather. She had not paid any attention to him or even acknowledged his presence. He smiled at her and received no indication that she even saw it. The icewoman cometh. When the commercial break ended, Holly smiled at the camera. \"OK, now comes our feature attraction for tonight and the moment you've all been waiting for. We're putting vampires on trial tonight and our viewers and television audience will be the jury. Since David is the challenger here, we'll let him go first. Throw the first punch, David.\" 99

David got a chance to take a sip of water just before his name was called, so he was able to squelch some of the effects of cotton mouth. He consciously took pains to make sure his tongue didn't stick to his mouth and distort any sounds. That caused him to speak slower than normal and a bit monotone. \"Many people are caught up in vampire mania. Everywhere we look our eyes are assaulted by the sights and sounds of commercials for vampire movies, vampire novels, and vampire TV shows. Toy stores carry a line of vampire dolls and action figures. Our society seems to be caught up in a craziness that rivals the tulip mania in Holland back in the 1600's. Bram Stoker brought the concept of vampires to the world in his novel Dracula back in 1897. He did not become famous for that book until after his death. Vampires obviously were not all that popular at the turn of the century. The movies brought the tale of blood sucking humans to the silver screen. But still there was no mania involved. What changed in the world? Why did this concept all of a sudden capture the imagination of people, especially youth, all over the world, especially in an enlightened age when science supposedly knows all and electronic devices such as Gameboys and Xboxes rule the entertainment world? I can't disassociate it with a parallel phenomenon that occurred a few years ago – Harry Potter mania. Same thing happened. A fascination with witches and witchcraft stole the attention of an entire planet. An unknown author, who had never published anything and was so poor she had to hand type her manuscript over when it wore out from going through editorial rejection mills, became the most prolific seller of books in the history of literature. And this happened in an age when movies and television make books seem like the country bumpkin cousins of the entertainment world. How can this all be explained?\" Holly turned to Heather. \"Sic em, girl.\" \"I have to wonder why Mr. Justice is questioning the success of vampire and witch novels. Did people question why any other big name authors succeeded in reaching the public? The answer was so obvious that no one posed the question. Good writing. Gripping story lines. And great promotion. If Mark Twain or Charles Dickens would have been able to sell on Amazon, perhaps their numbers would have been much more significant. Books are easy to print and transport. There really is nothing unusual about this situation. Authors write books for readers to consume. There is no secret that writing a successful book requires connecting with the audience. Fantasy stories connect very well with people who are tired of the mundane everyday life. They want something out of the ordinary. So I and other authors have given them what they 100