- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Saturday, February 19, 2011
The Recruiter: The Harvest Begins (A new blog series by Jeff Arce)
Written by Jeff Arce
Edited by Gloria Hanes
A white cloud appeared before me, and seated on the cloud was one “like the son of man” with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. Then, another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” He swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.
REVELATIONS 14:18
Chapter 1
Though fading beyond the mountainous range of the Appalachians, the evening sun still shone brightly over the small town of Grantville Pennsylvania. The cries and cheers of excited parents screaming from the bleachers echoed across the vast open baseball field for miles. Their youthful children, suited in their baseball gear, were already covered in dirt and drenched in sweat as they spread out onto the field to prepare for the final inning of the game. The score was neck to neck with The Lebanon Beavers ahead by one point against The East Hanover Lions, the last home run left them standing just behind at 10 to 9.
It was once again East Hanover’s turn to bat the ninth and final inning. As the first player of the team approached the plate to take his first swing, twelve year old Jacob Lazar paced nervously back and forth in the dug out.
His best friend and fellow teammate, thirteen year old Mathew Evans stood beside him, appearing just as nervous as he. They both watched as the pitcher of the opposing team hurled the ball at their batter with all of his might. The ball slammed into the catchers mit behind him with such force, the impact sent dust swirling out from his glove. Then, the umpire yelled out, “STRIKE ONE!”
The crowd of parents who sat on the Lions’ side of the bleachers groaned in protest.
Matt leaned in and whispered to Jake, “Why don’t they ever get this excited when they get our report cards?”
Jake chuckled as he replied, “Some of them actually do; it’s just hard for others to get overly excited about their son bringing home F’s every period.”
Matt sneered at him, and said, “Hey! It was a rhetorical question! Didn’t actually need an answer.”
The batter took another swing, and just missed the ball by an inch as the umpire announced, “STRIKE TWO!”
Both Jake and Matt squeezed their eyes shut with a look of frustration, and utter disappointment upon their faces.
“Goddamn it! He better not miss this next one!” said Matt.
The pitcher set up to throw once again, eyeing his opponent intently. He then wound his arm back and torqued his hips hard as he hurled the ball toward the batter with all of his might. The batter swung and smacked the ball with a deafening crack, sending it clear across the playing field. The Lebanon Beavers did not waste a second to stall, as their outfielders quickly took action. The batter instantly took off running as fast as he could for the first base. He reached it just in time to watch as a member of the opposing team scooped up the ball and threw it back into play. Their player on first base caught it, and the Umpire yelled, "SAFE!"
Relieved, both Jacob and Mathew let out an exasperated sigh that carried with it the overly expired breaths they have been holding in their lungs since the pitch.
"Thank God!" Matt said as he took off his baseball cap to wipe the sweat from his brow. "Well, ur next buddy! Don't screw up!"
"Yeah..." He said as he picked up the steel bat that his father had given him last Christmas, and headed out to the plate. "Thanks!"
When he reached it, he rested the end of the bat onto the plate, and then took a moment to scan the crowd. They were all cheering as though a middle school baseball game was worth the excitement; Jake has been playing the game since he was eight. Then he found what he was looking for, his family; the only member of his family who seemed to have time to come to his games.
His mother stood up out of her seat with a video camera in one hand, and the other hand waving at him wildly. Jake had always wondered if his mother had to snort a heaping line of coke in order to stay so excited about such a boring game. While at the same time, he also thought if she was on drugs, maybe it had something to do with his father spending more time with his hot shot lawyer buddies, than with his own family. Either way, he knew something was definitely wrong with the both of them; his father for never showing up to his own son's game, and his mother for pretending it didn't bother her. She came alone to every single one of these mundane school sanctioned events.
He then shook his head and turned his attention to the pitcher, who was all ready to pitch the ball. Jake gripped his bat tigthly and awaited the throw. The player from the opposing team pulled back and wailed it at him as hard as he could. Jake didn’t need to hear the crack of the impact, nor did he need to see the direction the ball would take after his flawless swing; he knew it was a home run.
When the game was over, all of the players on both teams were treated to a hardy dinner at a local pizza shop. Though it was Jake’s team who became the victors of the night it still did not stop them from enjoying their meals along with their rivals. The only ones who seemed not to be enjoying themselves were Jake and his mother. They sat alone at a table of the restaurant located at the far corner of the dining room, thus clearly separating themselves from the rest of the crowd. Matthew noticed this, as he glanced back at them from the table where all of his teammates were talking and laughing. He knew exactly why Jake was so upset; it was the same reason why he didn’t even like the game anymore. His father, the very man who brought him into this world and taught him to play baseball, never showed up for any of his games, and he knew that Jake was beginning to resent him for it.
Angela glanced up at her son to find him restlessly picking at his pizza with a fork. He seemed miserable sitting there with his elbow on the table, and his head barely resting in the palm of his hand, as he glared emotionless down at his food. She began to wonder how anyone could hurt this precious child. How could his father be so thoughtless, not caring for his own flesh and blood on a day that was so important to him. All she knew for certain he would have an excuse as always.
She then reached over and ran her caring fingers through his hair and said, "Hey, Lil'buddy. You alright?
Without moving his head, he looked up at her and said, "Mom, next week I am going to be thirteen years old, and by then I really hope you figure out I hate it when you call me that."
She smiled and said, "You didn't always hate it." Then she lightly pinched his cheek as she continued to taunt him. "There was a time when my Lil'buddy would light up every time I called for him."
"Yeah, and there was also a time when I'd light up for baseball... But that time is over."
His words came as a shock to his mother as her smile vanished and she recoiled her hand.
"What do you mean? You love baseball."
"Loved." he corrected. "Just about as much as I once loved dad..."
"Watch your mouth young man!" she said with authority. "I know you're angry at your father just as I am, but he is still your father. I know that you are getting older now, but that doesn't change the fact you are still our son, and we both love you."
There was a long awkward moment of silence between the two, as Jacob averted his eyes from her and continued stabbing his pizza with the fork.
Angela then took one last sip of her Pepsi before she looked at him again. Her eyes were beginning to tear up now as she watched him. She could remember not too long ago when he was still wearing diapers and just learning how to walk. Now, as he sat before her he had the look of a child deprived of love, who was learning to channel his anger in the most disturbing way possible; by repeatedly stabbing his food with a sharp metal object. She watched as he tore away at his plate of mangled bread, sauce, and cheese, until the image just became too graphic for her to handle.
Suddenly, she reached out and grabbed the hand that was grasping the fork. It wasn't the unexpected motion which startled him so, as it was the intense grip she had on his wrist. He quickly looked up to find himself staring into the eyes of a terrified woman. For a moment, he was speechless. Then he said, "Mom? Are you alright?"
She said nothing, as she continued to stare at his plate; taut with fear like a deer caught in the headlights of a speeding motor vehicle.
"Mom!" he repeated.
She then looked at him and said, "Lets... Let's get outta here."
#
When they had returned home, Jake wasted no time throwing his bag of baseball gear down like a heap of garbage which he seemed relieved to finally be rid of, and kicking off his cleats before he hurried upstairs to bed. Exhausted, he collapsed face first into bed without even changing from his soiled uniform. His mother entered his room immediately after and flipped on the light.
“Not so fast, buddy!” she said as she stood inside his room just at the threshold of the doorway with her arms crossed. “Get out of your uniform and take a shower.”
Jake buried his face in his pillow in a vain attempt to block the light from his eyes as he grunted disapprovingly.
Then, as though it were the hardest thing he ever had to do, he rolled over onto his back and slowly pushed himself up right. He stared at his mother with squinting eyes and said, “Why mother… Why must you torture me?”
She smiled and said, “Just do it.”
She then turned to leave, when Jake asked, “Mom, where’s dad?”
“I don’t know.” She replied as she glanced back at him. “When he gets home, he better have a good explanation for missing your game.”
Jake stood up out of bed and approached her. He then reached out and rested his hand on her shoulder. At age twelve, her little boy was already standing up to her neck, and once again she found herself wondering how he got so big so fast. His touch felt warm against her cold skin, as he looked up into her eyes and said, “Go easy on him.” Then he smiled and added, “He’s an old man.”
“Just go take a bath.” She said with a smirk.
#
Later that night while Jake was sound asleep, Richard Lizar, quietly entered his home, careful not to make a single sound as he walked through the door. He cautiously locked the door, and then staggered drunkenly across the living room toward the kitchen. Before he could reach his destination however, he froze in his tracks when the ceiling fan light suddenly turned on directly above him. He slowly turned to face his scowling wife, whom as he predicted, was standing at the bottom of the stairs right next to the light switch.
“Where the Hell have you been!” She yelled with rage burning in her eyes.
Richard stared at her with glazed over eyes and put both of his hands up in a pleading manner, as he said, “Baby, calm down…”
“CALM DOWN!” She yelled as she stormed toward him. “First you miss one of the most important games of your son’s life; then, you come home at 2:30 in the morning drunk as fuck, and you think you can tell me to CALM DOWN!”
“I’m sorry…”
“Where were you, Richard!” She asked again, as she stood right in front of him.
He shrugged his shoulders and replied, “Out celebrating.”
“Celebrating what?” She yelled. “What was so important, that you stood up your son, and had me sitting up all night worried off my ass.”
“Well…” He said, when suddenly they were interrupted by a blood curdling scream that startled them both; a scream that came from their son’s bedroom.
They both looked up with terror in their eyes, as Angela said, “Oh, God… Jake!”
Then they hurried up the staircase as fast as they could, and when they reached his room, Richard quickly pushed open the door and yelled, “Jake! You alright?”
They found him standing before his window staring at one of the twenty or so models of airplanes that hung from the ceiling of the room with utter horror in his eyes. Angela rushed over by his side and looked out the window, as her husband searched the closet. The window was closed and locked, and all that she could see outside was the huge pine tree that has been there for as long as she could remember. The wind blew calmly through the branches, and the night was just as peaceful as it could ever be.
Angela looked at her son and asked, “Jake, what’s wrong?”
Without looking away from the plane, or even blinking his wide open eyes he replied, “I saw something?”
Concerned, his father then approached him and asked, “What did you see, son?”
“A monster.” He said.
Relieved, they both sighed and Angela said to Richard, “Night terrors.”
He then knelt down next to his son and said, “Look, Jake, it was just a dream. Why don’t you go back to bed.”
He slowly turned to look at his father, and when their eyes met he said, “No… It was real.”
Angela then reached out and grabbed his shoulder as she said, “Jake you’ve been having these nightmares for a while now. Is there something bothering you?”
Jake blinked his eyes twice, and then gave them both a curious glance before he turned to his mother and asked, “What are you talking about?”
“Your night terrors, why do you think you keep having them lately?”
He shrugged his shoulders and said, “What night terrors, mom? Why are you guys even in here?”
His comment sent chills rushing down her spine, as she gave Richard a concerning look. She then smiled at her son and said, “Nothing. Just go back to bed, alright sweetie.”
She kissed him on the forehead and both her and her husband headed for the door.
“Oookay.” He said dumbfounded.
As they shut the door behind them, Jake turned to glance out the window, and then he looked down at his feet as he said, “How the hell did I get out of bed?”
A rustling came from the base of the tree outside pulled his attention back on the window. He walked up to it and allowed his eyes to follow the length of the tree down to its roots, where he saw a figure standing right next to it. A man in a hooded jacket stood there for a moment staring directly at him. The light from the street lamp was located on the other side of the tree drew his silhouette in the dark making the man appear as though he were nothing more than a black shadow. He then turned around and ran, disappearing beyond the reach of the tree’s full branches.
Jake stood there and just stared for a moment rigid with fear. Then feeling exhausted and disoriented he returned to bed.
Outside of his room his parents remained, standing in the hallway with a look of equal concern upon both of their faces. Richard gazed into his wife’s worrisome eyes and said, “Did you see that? He was completely clueless.”
“He didn’t even know he was dreaming.” Angela added. “I’m worried Rick. These night terrors of his keep getting worse, and I don’t know what to do.”
He then turned to rest his back against the wall as he suggested, “Maybe we should take him to see a therapist.”
“What good will that do?” she snapped, sounding almost offended. “He can’t even remember enough about his dreams to discuss it with us, nonetheless talk about them with a complete stranger.”
“Well, we have to do something before he hurts himself.”
She then glared at him and said, “You weren’t worried about hurting him earlier when you stood him up to go get drunk with your lawyer buddies.”
Her comment stunned him, leaving him utterly speechless. Frustrated he shook his head and turned to walk away. When he got halfway down the hall he stopped and glanced back at her from over his shoulder and said, “When a man as prestigious as Charles Henson asks you to join him for a few drinks after electing you as his new partner, its kinda hard to say no.”
Charles Henson ... Angela knew the name well. Not only did the man run one of the biggest law firms in all of California, but he was also one of the most celebrated lawyers in the entire nation; not to mention Richard’s role model. If what she thought she heard him say was accurate, than all of their troubles were about to be over. If Richard had truly become Charles Henson’s new partner, they were about to become very rich.
Her scowl instantly melted away and transformed into a look of overwhelming excitement, as she asked, “You made partner with Charles Henson?”
He turned around to face her, and just simply smiled.
Her face then lit up like a fire cracker as she ran toward him and threw herself into his arms, screaming out with joy, “Oh MY GOD! I can’t believe you DID IT!”
Richard staggered as he held on to his wife, who now had her legs wrapped around his waist and was kissing him on the lips. When he caught his balance, he laughed and said, “He has scheduled an all expense paid trip for our entire family to fly to LA and stay with him and his family for the weekend!”
“Are you serious?!” She said excitedly.
“Yes! He wants me to come out to see my new office, and look at homes.”
“Homes?” she questioned curiously.
Rick smiled as he explained, “As a promotional gift, he wants to buy us our new home.”
For a moment, she just stared into his eyes in stunned silence, and then she screamed with joy once again.
The sound of his mother screaming in the hallway drew Jake’s curiosity, and he quickly jumped out of bed and ran out of his room. He looked over at his parents who were holding each other at the end of the hall, appearing delirious with excitement.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
They both looked at him as his father said, “Pack your bags, son! We’re moving to LA!”
Confused, he allowed his eyes to drop to the floor, and he just stood there speechless for a moment. When the words finally registered in his head, he looked back up at Rick and asked, “When?”
Still smiling, his father answered, “We leave next Tuesday!”
Then Angela’s joyous expression transformed into a look of sudden concern, as she said, “Next Tuesday?”
“Oh, great!” Jake said with disgust. “Give me one week to say goodbye to all of my friends, and make the deadline the day before my birthday.” Suddenly, he ran back to his room and slammed the door shut behind him.
Angered now, Angela scowled at her husband and said, “You didn’t tell me we were leaving on his birthday!”
His smile instantly vanished, as he looked into his wife’s glaring eyes, and he said, “I’m sorry… I was so excited by the offer, I just… I…”
“You forgot about your own son’s birthday!” She yelled, as she shook her head with disappointment and began hurrying back toward Jake’s room.
#
On the following Tuesday after the school bell rang, all of the eager students hurried outside to catch their bus home; Jake walked with his best friend, Matthew Evans, away from the bustling crowd and headed for the local park. They walked side by side without saying a word to each other for a few minutes. Matt carried his heavy shoulder bag loaded with books, and an old steel baseball bat that stuck out from the open slit in the zipper. Jake was lugging with him a netted bag that contained a baseball and two catcher’s mitts. He wore a shirt which had a picture of a cartoon baseball at the center of it that was flipping the bird, and there were words underneath it that read, “Screw you! It’s still my pass time!”
When they reached the playing field they dropped their bags and just stared at the sight before them. What was to be a private session between two friends, somehow transformed into something amazing by the time they arrived to the park. All of the players from his team were suited up in their playing gear and spread out all over the field. The bleachers were packed with the locals, who all stood and began cheering when they reached the field.
Bewildered, Jake glanced over at his friend who appeared equally confused, and asked, “Did you?...”
Before he could finish, Matt shook his head and replied, “I didn’t tell anyone!”
Then a man and a woman approached them from the bleachers. When Matt saw them he called out, “Mom! Dad! What’s going on?”
When Matt’s parents reached them, his mother said to Jake, “Your father did this, Jake! He called all of your teammates and asked if they could come out to play one last game with you before you leave for California.”
“Really?” he asked curiously. “My father did all this?”
Then as he scanned the applauding audience he found both his mother and his father standing in the front row waving at him. Seeing them standing together at the very same place where his father first taught him the game of baseball brought him great joy. He then smiled and waved back at him as he said to Matt’s mother, “Well I’ll be damned!”
“Hey!” she said in a mother’s tone. “I know you’re excited and all but watch your mouth!”
His mother’s reaction to Jake’s comment annoyed Matt as he rolled his eyes. They both understood very well what a devoted Christian Mrs. “perfect neighborhood angel” Diana Evans was, and they both new exactly how to use her beliefs against her.
Jacob turned and winked at his friend as he replied to his mother, “Don’t worry Sister Evans, I don’t mean it in the literal sense.” Then both he and Matt picked up their bags and continued towards the field.
“Oh, ha, ha, ha, smart guy!” she said sarcastically.
Matt then looked at Jake and asked, “Why do you always have to pick on my mom’s faith?”
Jake smiled and replied, “Same reason why she always tries to baptize me in public, to annoy her.”
Frustrated now, he said, “Seriously man, she tried one time! You really have to let it go!”
“As long as she keeps a bottle of holy water in her purse, and somehow thinks she has the right to force her beliefs on everyone, whenever she sees fit, I will never let it go.”
“You know Jake, ur an asshole!” he said with a slight smile.
Jake just shrugged his shoulders and replied, “I know, I know. But screw it! Let’s just play some ball!”
#
After the game, Jake hugged all of his friends, and said his last farewell. When he made it to Matt, he gave him a long hug and said, “Im gonna miss you, man…, You and your annoying nun of a mom.”
Matt rolled his eyes, and said, “I won’t miss your stupid comments about my mom, but yeah, I’m gonna miss you too.”
When Jake pulled away, he laughed and said, “I’m just joking.” He then gave him a high five and said, “Keep in touch, man! I’ll see you next season.”
“Alright, I will.” Matt replied, as Jake shook his head and walked away.
#
Later that night when Jake and his family were boarding the plane that would soon take them to their new home in Los Angeles, California, Richard grabbed his son’s hand and asked, “Hey Jake, I got a surprise for you.”
Jake repositioned the strap to his loaded back pack on his shoulder, and said with a sense of agitation in his tone, “Seriously, dad, I really don’t think I can handle any more surprises this week.”
“Trust me, you’ll like this one.” He said as he grabbed his hand and followed a flight attendant that led them around the crowd of people slowly working their way into the plane.
The pilot in command was sitting in his seat in the cockpit enjoying his coffee, watching as his co-pilot did his daily morning rituals. The young pilot entered the cockpit, set his paperwork next to his seat, poured himself a cup of coffee, but before he took a sip, he set it aside and withdrew from his pocket a rosary. As he began saying a silent prayer with the rosary entwined in his hands, the pilot in command took another sip of his coffee and rolled his eyes. Respectfully, he waited until the young man was finished praying before he said, “Every morning you do this ritual. What are you praying for?”
The young pilot reached for his coffee, and then sat down in the seat next to him as he said, “Oh, the usual…” He took a sip of his drink. “To watch over my family, to ensure us a safe trip”… Then another sip.
“And?” The head pilot asked.
He shrugged his shoulders and said, “One day you would see my logic in worshipping one true God.”
The pilot laughed sarcastically and said, “What a bunch of bull shit. There is only one God I know of and it’s the one that signs my paycheck. He is all knowing, and all vengeful if I try to request a single day off from this Hell hole.”
The young man then smiled and said, “I’m sure Hell would be a lot worse.”
“Yeah whatever,” The grumpy pilot said as he sat down his cup and opened his log book. “I’m sure if Hell were to exist this is where I would end up; flying a plane for all eternity in my own personal Limbo. You’re still young yet, but you’ll figure it out soon enough.”
The flight attendant then brought Richard and his son into the cockpit, and the pilot immediately produced a fabricated smile.
“Captain, your guests have arrived.” She announced.
“Richard!” The pilot said with an excited look upon his face as he stood up to welcome him. “Welcome aboard!”
When Jake entered the cockpit his face lit up with joy as his father explained to him, “Jake, meet my old college buddy Captain, Maxwell Stevens.” He then looked at Maxwell and said, “This is my son, Jake, he is a huge fan of airplanes.”
Maxwell looked down at Jake and said, “Really?”
Jake was in awe staring at all of the lights and switches that surrounded the cockpit area as he said, “Yeah, my dad and I put together at least twenty models of airplanes and jets.”
The pilot then glanced at his co-pilot and winked at him as he said, as if overly excited, “Uh Oh, looks like we may have a future pilot on board this evening.” When he looked back at Jake, he knelt down to his level and said, “I tell you what, how would you like it if I allow you and your father to come up here again when we are in the air, so you can see firsthand what it is like to fly one of these suckers.”
Jake could not believe his ears. His eyes grew wide with overwhelming joy as he said, “It would be freaken, SWEET!”
The pilot laughed and said, “Alright, well you have to get to your seat so we can get this bad boy in the air first, then I’ll send someone back to get you; okay?” He then stood up to shake his father’s hand and said, “It’s good to see you again, Rick.”
“You too, man. We’ll talk later then.” He replied as he led his son out of the cockpit and back to his seat.
Maxwell sat back down in his seat, and his smile instantly melted back into a look of aggravated misery, as he opened back up his log book and said, “That my friend, is the reason why all parents should refrain from allowing their kids to watch movies like "Top Gun" or "Independence Day" until they are old enough to realize that it’s all a bunch of bull shit.”
His co-pilot who watched him the entire time just shook his head and said, “You are quite the role model.”
Maxwell paused a moment to finish filling out the page he was on, then he turned to the next page and replied, “Go fuck yourself, Jesus boy.”
The young pilot smiled again as he too began working on his logs.
#
After Jake and his father returned from the cockpit to watch the plane fly from a pilot’s view, Jake was wired with excitement. He ran back to their seat and immediately began telling his mother what it was like.
“It was so awesome up there!” He said to Angela. “They showed me how the engines work, and taught me how to steer the plane! I can’t wait to tell Matt!”
“Well, I am glad you enjoyed it,” Angela said as she looked down at her wrist watch. Tomorrow is a big day. We’ve got a lot to do.”
“Yey!” he said sarcastically. “I love moving furniture on my birthday.”
“Well, actually,” Angela intervened, “Your father is going to work with the movers. I thought you and I would make a trip to Disneyland for the day.”
“Hmmm…” Jake thought to himself. “Can we go see an R-rated movie instead?”
Angela laughed and said, “What?!”
“I think I’d much rather see something which has a lot of blood and guts on the big screen, than to see a grown man running around in a mouse suit trying to give little girls a hug.”
For a moment, she gave her son an awkward look, and then she shrugged her shoulders and said, “I guess it makes sense; after all, it is your birthday.”
“Thanks mom!” he said as he hugged her.
He then reached into his book bag which was in the next seat and pulled out a ziplock bag which had his toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste in it. Before he could walk away his mom stopped him and said, “Wait a minute!” She then reached into her bag and supplied him with a container of floss.
“Don’t forget to floss.” She demanded.
Jake nodded his head and then headed to the bathroom. When he was gone, Richard sat down next to his wife and said, “In an hour, our son is going to be thirteen.”
“I know. I still remember when he was only as big as my forearm.” She then laughed and said, “Now he’d rather see a bloody movie, than go to Disneyland!”
“Really?”
“Yeah!” She answered. “I suggested to take him to Disneyland tomorrow for his birthday, and he said he’d rather see an R-rated movie.”
Richard was silent for a moment as he thought to himself, then he looked at her and said, “I wanna go.”
When Jake finished brushing his teeth in the small bathroom in the back of the plane, he pulled out a string of floss and was preparing to stretch the string between his teeth when something suddenly happened. When he looked back into the mirror he saw the reflection of something standing behind him; something with glowing red eyes and a shadowy human like silhouette. Terrified, he quickly spun around to see what it was, but all he saw was his own shadow on the wall. He studied the wall for a long moment in absolute silence, but he couldn’t find any explanation for the glowing red cat like eyes he thought he saw in the mirror. Assuming it was nothing more than his imagination, he looked back at the mirror and began flossing his teeth.
Afterwards, he stuck the roll of floss in his pocket and returned his toothbrush and toothpaste back into the ziplock bag and then returned to his seat.
#
It only took a total of thirty minutes to fall asleep, resting his head on his mother’s lap. He felt almost as if some unknown force was forcing him to sleep. Every time he closed his groggy eyes, he saw a flash of something; something that he couldn’t quite make out; something alive which appeared to be moving around in the darkness.
When he was fully asleep, Angela checked her watch again to discover that it was exactly twelve O’clock a.m. She looked down at her son as he rested his head on her lap and said, “Happy Birthday, sweetheart.”
Then, something in his dream seemed to cause his entire body to twitch.
…
…
…
Something cold suddenly surrounded his entire body. A rush of ice cold water slammed the thirteen year old back to consciousness, and he found himself floating on the surface of a seemingly endless body of water. Mortified by confusion and utter terror, he immediately began searching his surroundings. His body was completely submerged, and only his head poked out of the water. There was no ground beneath him as he swam in the middle of the black abyss. He then noticed flickers of glowing orange and yellow light coming from somewhere behind him. His eyes were blurry at first as he turned to see where the bright light was coming from. It was only when his vision came into full focus that he felt the heat on his face. All around him there were burning pieces of metal floating on the surface of the water; pieces of all that remained of the commercial airliner that he and his family were traveling in.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Edited by Gloria Hanes
A white cloud appeared before me, and seated on the cloud was one “like the son of man” with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. Then, another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” He swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.
REVELATIONS 14:18
Chapter 1
Though fading beyond the mountainous range of the Appalachians, the evening sun still shone brightly over the small town of Grantville Pennsylvania. The cries and cheers of excited parents screaming from the bleachers echoed across the vast open baseball field for miles. Their youthful children, suited in their baseball gear, were already covered in dirt and drenched in sweat as they spread out onto the field to prepare for the final inning of the game. The score was neck to neck with The Lebanon Beavers ahead by one point against The East Hanover Lions, the last home run left them standing just behind at 10 to 9.
It was once again East Hanover’s turn to bat the ninth and final inning. As the first player of the team approached the plate to take his first swing, twelve year old Jacob Lazar paced nervously back and forth in the dug out.
His best friend and fellow teammate, thirteen year old Mathew Evans stood beside him, appearing just as nervous as he. They both watched as the pitcher of the opposing team hurled the ball at their batter with all of his might. The ball slammed into the catchers mit behind him with such force, the impact sent dust swirling out from his glove. Then, the umpire yelled out, “STRIKE ONE!”
The crowd of parents who sat on the Lions’ side of the bleachers groaned in protest.
Matt leaned in and whispered to Jake, “Why don’t they ever get this excited when they get our report cards?”
Jake chuckled as he replied, “Some of them actually do; it’s just hard for others to get overly excited about their son bringing home F’s every period.”
Matt sneered at him, and said, “Hey! It was a rhetorical question! Didn’t actually need an answer.”
The batter took another swing, and just missed the ball by an inch as the umpire announced, “STRIKE TWO!”
Both Jake and Matt squeezed their eyes shut with a look of frustration, and utter disappointment upon their faces.
“Goddamn it! He better not miss this next one!” said Matt.
The pitcher set up to throw once again, eyeing his opponent intently. He then wound his arm back and torqued his hips hard as he hurled the ball toward the batter with all of his might. The batter swung and smacked the ball with a deafening crack, sending it clear across the playing field. The Lebanon Beavers did not waste a second to stall, as their outfielders quickly took action. The batter instantly took off running as fast as he could for the first base. He reached it just in time to watch as a member of the opposing team scooped up the ball and threw it back into play. Their player on first base caught it, and the Umpire yelled, "SAFE!"
Relieved, both Jacob and Mathew let out an exasperated sigh that carried with it the overly expired breaths they have been holding in their lungs since the pitch.
"Thank God!" Matt said as he took off his baseball cap to wipe the sweat from his brow. "Well, ur next buddy! Don't screw up!"
"Yeah..." He said as he picked up the steel bat that his father had given him last Christmas, and headed out to the plate. "Thanks!"
When he reached it, he rested the end of the bat onto the plate, and then took a moment to scan the crowd. They were all cheering as though a middle school baseball game was worth the excitement; Jake has been playing the game since he was eight. Then he found what he was looking for, his family; the only member of his family who seemed to have time to come to his games.
His mother stood up out of her seat with a video camera in one hand, and the other hand waving at him wildly. Jake had always wondered if his mother had to snort a heaping line of coke in order to stay so excited about such a boring game. While at the same time, he also thought if she was on drugs, maybe it had something to do with his father spending more time with his hot shot lawyer buddies, than with his own family. Either way, he knew something was definitely wrong with the both of them; his father for never showing up to his own son's game, and his mother for pretending it didn't bother her. She came alone to every single one of these mundane school sanctioned events.
He then shook his head and turned his attention to the pitcher, who was all ready to pitch the ball. Jake gripped his bat tigthly and awaited the throw. The player from the opposing team pulled back and wailed it at him as hard as he could. Jake didn’t need to hear the crack of the impact, nor did he need to see the direction the ball would take after his flawless swing; he knew it was a home run.
When the game was over, all of the players on both teams were treated to a hardy dinner at a local pizza shop. Though it was Jake’s team who became the victors of the night it still did not stop them from enjoying their meals along with their rivals. The only ones who seemed not to be enjoying themselves were Jake and his mother. They sat alone at a table of the restaurant located at the far corner of the dining room, thus clearly separating themselves from the rest of the crowd. Matthew noticed this, as he glanced back at them from the table where all of his teammates were talking and laughing. He knew exactly why Jake was so upset; it was the same reason why he didn’t even like the game anymore. His father, the very man who brought him into this world and taught him to play baseball, never showed up for any of his games, and he knew that Jake was beginning to resent him for it.
Angela glanced up at her son to find him restlessly picking at his pizza with a fork. He seemed miserable sitting there with his elbow on the table, and his head barely resting in the palm of his hand, as he glared emotionless down at his food. She began to wonder how anyone could hurt this precious child. How could his father be so thoughtless, not caring for his own flesh and blood on a day that was so important to him. All she knew for certain he would have an excuse as always.
She then reached over and ran her caring fingers through his hair and said, "Hey, Lil'buddy. You alright?
Without moving his head, he looked up at her and said, "Mom, next week I am going to be thirteen years old, and by then I really hope you figure out I hate it when you call me that."
She smiled and said, "You didn't always hate it." Then she lightly pinched his cheek as she continued to taunt him. "There was a time when my Lil'buddy would light up every time I called for him."
"Yeah, and there was also a time when I'd light up for baseball... But that time is over."
His words came as a shock to his mother as her smile vanished and she recoiled her hand.
"What do you mean? You love baseball."
"Loved." he corrected. "Just about as much as I once loved dad..."
"Watch your mouth young man!" she said with authority. "I know you're angry at your father just as I am, but he is still your father. I know that you are getting older now, but that doesn't change the fact you are still our son, and we both love you."
There was a long awkward moment of silence between the two, as Jacob averted his eyes from her and continued stabbing his pizza with the fork.
Angela then took one last sip of her Pepsi before she looked at him again. Her eyes were beginning to tear up now as she watched him. She could remember not too long ago when he was still wearing diapers and just learning how to walk. Now, as he sat before her he had the look of a child deprived of love, who was learning to channel his anger in the most disturbing way possible; by repeatedly stabbing his food with a sharp metal object. She watched as he tore away at his plate of mangled bread, sauce, and cheese, until the image just became too graphic for her to handle.
Suddenly, she reached out and grabbed the hand that was grasping the fork. It wasn't the unexpected motion which startled him so, as it was the intense grip she had on his wrist. He quickly looked up to find himself staring into the eyes of a terrified woman. For a moment, he was speechless. Then he said, "Mom? Are you alright?"
She said nothing, as she continued to stare at his plate; taut with fear like a deer caught in the headlights of a speeding motor vehicle.
"Mom!" he repeated.
She then looked at him and said, "Lets... Let's get outta here."
#
When they had returned home, Jake wasted no time throwing his bag of baseball gear down like a heap of garbage which he seemed relieved to finally be rid of, and kicking off his cleats before he hurried upstairs to bed. Exhausted, he collapsed face first into bed without even changing from his soiled uniform. His mother entered his room immediately after and flipped on the light.
“Not so fast, buddy!” she said as she stood inside his room just at the threshold of the doorway with her arms crossed. “Get out of your uniform and take a shower.”
Jake buried his face in his pillow in a vain attempt to block the light from his eyes as he grunted disapprovingly.
Then, as though it were the hardest thing he ever had to do, he rolled over onto his back and slowly pushed himself up right. He stared at his mother with squinting eyes and said, “Why mother… Why must you torture me?”
She smiled and said, “Just do it.”
She then turned to leave, when Jake asked, “Mom, where’s dad?”
“I don’t know.” She replied as she glanced back at him. “When he gets home, he better have a good explanation for missing your game.”
Jake stood up out of bed and approached her. He then reached out and rested his hand on her shoulder. At age twelve, her little boy was already standing up to her neck, and once again she found herself wondering how he got so big so fast. His touch felt warm against her cold skin, as he looked up into her eyes and said, “Go easy on him.” Then he smiled and added, “He’s an old man.”
“Just go take a bath.” She said with a smirk.
#
Later that night while Jake was sound asleep, Richard Lizar, quietly entered his home, careful not to make a single sound as he walked through the door. He cautiously locked the door, and then staggered drunkenly across the living room toward the kitchen. Before he could reach his destination however, he froze in his tracks when the ceiling fan light suddenly turned on directly above him. He slowly turned to face his scowling wife, whom as he predicted, was standing at the bottom of the stairs right next to the light switch.
“Where the Hell have you been!” She yelled with rage burning in her eyes.
Richard stared at her with glazed over eyes and put both of his hands up in a pleading manner, as he said, “Baby, calm down…”
“CALM DOWN!” She yelled as she stormed toward him. “First you miss one of the most important games of your son’s life; then, you come home at 2:30 in the morning drunk as fuck, and you think you can tell me to CALM DOWN!”
“I’m sorry…”
“Where were you, Richard!” She asked again, as she stood right in front of him.
He shrugged his shoulders and replied, “Out celebrating.”
“Celebrating what?” She yelled. “What was so important, that you stood up your son, and had me sitting up all night worried off my ass.”
“Well…” He said, when suddenly they were interrupted by a blood curdling scream that startled them both; a scream that came from their son’s bedroom.
They both looked up with terror in their eyes, as Angela said, “Oh, God… Jake!”
Then they hurried up the staircase as fast as they could, and when they reached his room, Richard quickly pushed open the door and yelled, “Jake! You alright?”
They found him standing before his window staring at one of the twenty or so models of airplanes that hung from the ceiling of the room with utter horror in his eyes. Angela rushed over by his side and looked out the window, as her husband searched the closet. The window was closed and locked, and all that she could see outside was the huge pine tree that has been there for as long as she could remember. The wind blew calmly through the branches, and the night was just as peaceful as it could ever be.
Angela looked at her son and asked, “Jake, what’s wrong?”
Without looking away from the plane, or even blinking his wide open eyes he replied, “I saw something?”
Concerned, his father then approached him and asked, “What did you see, son?”
“A monster.” He said.
Relieved, they both sighed and Angela said to Richard, “Night terrors.”
He then knelt down next to his son and said, “Look, Jake, it was just a dream. Why don’t you go back to bed.”
He slowly turned to look at his father, and when their eyes met he said, “No… It was real.”
Angela then reached out and grabbed his shoulder as she said, “Jake you’ve been having these nightmares for a while now. Is there something bothering you?”
Jake blinked his eyes twice, and then gave them both a curious glance before he turned to his mother and asked, “What are you talking about?”
“Your night terrors, why do you think you keep having them lately?”
He shrugged his shoulders and said, “What night terrors, mom? Why are you guys even in here?”
His comment sent chills rushing down her spine, as she gave Richard a concerning look. She then smiled at her son and said, “Nothing. Just go back to bed, alright sweetie.”
She kissed him on the forehead and both her and her husband headed for the door.
“Oookay.” He said dumbfounded.
As they shut the door behind them, Jake turned to glance out the window, and then he looked down at his feet as he said, “How the hell did I get out of bed?”
A rustling came from the base of the tree outside pulled his attention back on the window. He walked up to it and allowed his eyes to follow the length of the tree down to its roots, where he saw a figure standing right next to it. A man in a hooded jacket stood there for a moment staring directly at him. The light from the street lamp was located on the other side of the tree drew his silhouette in the dark making the man appear as though he were nothing more than a black shadow. He then turned around and ran, disappearing beyond the reach of the tree’s full branches.
Jake stood there and just stared for a moment rigid with fear. Then feeling exhausted and disoriented he returned to bed.
Outside of his room his parents remained, standing in the hallway with a look of equal concern upon both of their faces. Richard gazed into his wife’s worrisome eyes and said, “Did you see that? He was completely clueless.”
“He didn’t even know he was dreaming.” Angela added. “I’m worried Rick. These night terrors of his keep getting worse, and I don’t know what to do.”
He then turned to rest his back against the wall as he suggested, “Maybe we should take him to see a therapist.”
“What good will that do?” she snapped, sounding almost offended. “He can’t even remember enough about his dreams to discuss it with us, nonetheless talk about them with a complete stranger.”
“Well, we have to do something before he hurts himself.”
She then glared at him and said, “You weren’t worried about hurting him earlier when you stood him up to go get drunk with your lawyer buddies.”
Her comment stunned him, leaving him utterly speechless. Frustrated he shook his head and turned to walk away. When he got halfway down the hall he stopped and glanced back at her from over his shoulder and said, “When a man as prestigious as Charles Henson asks you to join him for a few drinks after electing you as his new partner, its kinda hard to say no.”
Charles Henson ... Angela knew the name well. Not only did the man run one of the biggest law firms in all of California, but he was also one of the most celebrated lawyers in the entire nation; not to mention Richard’s role model. If what she thought she heard him say was accurate, than all of their troubles were about to be over. If Richard had truly become Charles Henson’s new partner, they were about to become very rich.
Her scowl instantly melted away and transformed into a look of overwhelming excitement, as she asked, “You made partner with Charles Henson?”
He turned around to face her, and just simply smiled.
Her face then lit up like a fire cracker as she ran toward him and threw herself into his arms, screaming out with joy, “Oh MY GOD! I can’t believe you DID IT!”
Richard staggered as he held on to his wife, who now had her legs wrapped around his waist and was kissing him on the lips. When he caught his balance, he laughed and said, “He has scheduled an all expense paid trip for our entire family to fly to LA and stay with him and his family for the weekend!”
“Are you serious?!” She said excitedly.
“Yes! He wants me to come out to see my new office, and look at homes.”
“Homes?” she questioned curiously.
Rick smiled as he explained, “As a promotional gift, he wants to buy us our new home.”
For a moment, she just stared into his eyes in stunned silence, and then she screamed with joy once again.
The sound of his mother screaming in the hallway drew Jake’s curiosity, and he quickly jumped out of bed and ran out of his room. He looked over at his parents who were holding each other at the end of the hall, appearing delirious with excitement.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
They both looked at him as his father said, “Pack your bags, son! We’re moving to LA!”
Confused, he allowed his eyes to drop to the floor, and he just stood there speechless for a moment. When the words finally registered in his head, he looked back up at Rick and asked, “When?”
Still smiling, his father answered, “We leave next Tuesday!”
Then Angela’s joyous expression transformed into a look of sudden concern, as she said, “Next Tuesday?”
“Oh, great!” Jake said with disgust. “Give me one week to say goodbye to all of my friends, and make the deadline the day before my birthday.” Suddenly, he ran back to his room and slammed the door shut behind him.
Angered now, Angela scowled at her husband and said, “You didn’t tell me we were leaving on his birthday!”
His smile instantly vanished, as he looked into his wife’s glaring eyes, and he said, “I’m sorry… I was so excited by the offer, I just… I…”
“You forgot about your own son’s birthday!” She yelled, as she shook her head with disappointment and began hurrying back toward Jake’s room.
#
On the following Tuesday after the school bell rang, all of the eager students hurried outside to catch their bus home; Jake walked with his best friend, Matthew Evans, away from the bustling crowd and headed for the local park. They walked side by side without saying a word to each other for a few minutes. Matt carried his heavy shoulder bag loaded with books, and an old steel baseball bat that stuck out from the open slit in the zipper. Jake was lugging with him a netted bag that contained a baseball and two catcher’s mitts. He wore a shirt which had a picture of a cartoon baseball at the center of it that was flipping the bird, and there were words underneath it that read, “Screw you! It’s still my pass time!”
When they reached the playing field they dropped their bags and just stared at the sight before them. What was to be a private session between two friends, somehow transformed into something amazing by the time they arrived to the park. All of the players from his team were suited up in their playing gear and spread out all over the field. The bleachers were packed with the locals, who all stood and began cheering when they reached the field.
Bewildered, Jake glanced over at his friend who appeared equally confused, and asked, “Did you?...”
Before he could finish, Matt shook his head and replied, “I didn’t tell anyone!”
Then a man and a woman approached them from the bleachers. When Matt saw them he called out, “Mom! Dad! What’s going on?”
When Matt’s parents reached them, his mother said to Jake, “Your father did this, Jake! He called all of your teammates and asked if they could come out to play one last game with you before you leave for California.”
“Really?” he asked curiously. “My father did all this?”
Then as he scanned the applauding audience he found both his mother and his father standing in the front row waving at him. Seeing them standing together at the very same place where his father first taught him the game of baseball brought him great joy. He then smiled and waved back at him as he said to Matt’s mother, “Well I’ll be damned!”
“Hey!” she said in a mother’s tone. “I know you’re excited and all but watch your mouth!”
His mother’s reaction to Jake’s comment annoyed Matt as he rolled his eyes. They both understood very well what a devoted Christian Mrs. “perfect neighborhood angel” Diana Evans was, and they both new exactly how to use her beliefs against her.
Jacob turned and winked at his friend as he replied to his mother, “Don’t worry Sister Evans, I don’t mean it in the literal sense.” Then both he and Matt picked up their bags and continued towards the field.
“Oh, ha, ha, ha, smart guy!” she said sarcastically.
Matt then looked at Jake and asked, “Why do you always have to pick on my mom’s faith?”
Jake smiled and replied, “Same reason why she always tries to baptize me in public, to annoy her.”
Frustrated now, he said, “Seriously man, she tried one time! You really have to let it go!”
“As long as she keeps a bottle of holy water in her purse, and somehow thinks she has the right to force her beliefs on everyone, whenever she sees fit, I will never let it go.”
“You know Jake, ur an asshole!” he said with a slight smile.
Jake just shrugged his shoulders and replied, “I know, I know. But screw it! Let’s just play some ball!”
#
After the game, Jake hugged all of his friends, and said his last farewell. When he made it to Matt, he gave him a long hug and said, “Im gonna miss you, man…, You and your annoying nun of a mom.”
Matt rolled his eyes, and said, “I won’t miss your stupid comments about my mom, but yeah, I’m gonna miss you too.”
When Jake pulled away, he laughed and said, “I’m just joking.” He then gave him a high five and said, “Keep in touch, man! I’ll see you next season.”
“Alright, I will.” Matt replied, as Jake shook his head and walked away.
#
Later that night when Jake and his family were boarding the plane that would soon take them to their new home in Los Angeles, California, Richard grabbed his son’s hand and asked, “Hey Jake, I got a surprise for you.”
Jake repositioned the strap to his loaded back pack on his shoulder, and said with a sense of agitation in his tone, “Seriously, dad, I really don’t think I can handle any more surprises this week.”
“Trust me, you’ll like this one.” He said as he grabbed his hand and followed a flight attendant that led them around the crowd of people slowly working their way into the plane.
The pilot in command was sitting in his seat in the cockpit enjoying his coffee, watching as his co-pilot did his daily morning rituals. The young pilot entered the cockpit, set his paperwork next to his seat, poured himself a cup of coffee, but before he took a sip, he set it aside and withdrew from his pocket a rosary. As he began saying a silent prayer with the rosary entwined in his hands, the pilot in command took another sip of his coffee and rolled his eyes. Respectfully, he waited until the young man was finished praying before he said, “Every morning you do this ritual. What are you praying for?”
The young pilot reached for his coffee, and then sat down in the seat next to him as he said, “Oh, the usual…” He took a sip of his drink. “To watch over my family, to ensure us a safe trip”… Then another sip.
“And?” The head pilot asked.
He shrugged his shoulders and said, “One day you would see my logic in worshipping one true God.”
The pilot laughed sarcastically and said, “What a bunch of bull shit. There is only one God I know of and it’s the one that signs my paycheck. He is all knowing, and all vengeful if I try to request a single day off from this Hell hole.”
The young man then smiled and said, “I’m sure Hell would be a lot worse.”
“Yeah whatever,” The grumpy pilot said as he sat down his cup and opened his log book. “I’m sure if Hell were to exist this is where I would end up; flying a plane for all eternity in my own personal Limbo. You’re still young yet, but you’ll figure it out soon enough.”
The flight attendant then brought Richard and his son into the cockpit, and the pilot immediately produced a fabricated smile.
“Captain, your guests have arrived.” She announced.
“Richard!” The pilot said with an excited look upon his face as he stood up to welcome him. “Welcome aboard!”
When Jake entered the cockpit his face lit up with joy as his father explained to him, “Jake, meet my old college buddy Captain, Maxwell Stevens.” He then looked at Maxwell and said, “This is my son, Jake, he is a huge fan of airplanes.”
Maxwell looked down at Jake and said, “Really?”
Jake was in awe staring at all of the lights and switches that surrounded the cockpit area as he said, “Yeah, my dad and I put together at least twenty models of airplanes and jets.”
The pilot then glanced at his co-pilot and winked at him as he said, as if overly excited, “Uh Oh, looks like we may have a future pilot on board this evening.” When he looked back at Jake, he knelt down to his level and said, “I tell you what, how would you like it if I allow you and your father to come up here again when we are in the air, so you can see firsthand what it is like to fly one of these suckers.”
Jake could not believe his ears. His eyes grew wide with overwhelming joy as he said, “It would be freaken, SWEET!”
The pilot laughed and said, “Alright, well you have to get to your seat so we can get this bad boy in the air first, then I’ll send someone back to get you; okay?” He then stood up to shake his father’s hand and said, “It’s good to see you again, Rick.”
“You too, man. We’ll talk later then.” He replied as he led his son out of the cockpit and back to his seat.
Maxwell sat back down in his seat, and his smile instantly melted back into a look of aggravated misery, as he opened back up his log book and said, “That my friend, is the reason why all parents should refrain from allowing their kids to watch movies like "Top Gun" or "Independence Day" until they are old enough to realize that it’s all a bunch of bull shit.”
His co-pilot who watched him the entire time just shook his head and said, “You are quite the role model.”
Maxwell paused a moment to finish filling out the page he was on, then he turned to the next page and replied, “Go fuck yourself, Jesus boy.”
The young pilot smiled again as he too began working on his logs.
#
After Jake and his father returned from the cockpit to watch the plane fly from a pilot’s view, Jake was wired with excitement. He ran back to their seat and immediately began telling his mother what it was like.
“It was so awesome up there!” He said to Angela. “They showed me how the engines work, and taught me how to steer the plane! I can’t wait to tell Matt!”
“Well, I am glad you enjoyed it,” Angela said as she looked down at her wrist watch. Tomorrow is a big day. We’ve got a lot to do.”
“Yey!” he said sarcastically. “I love moving furniture on my birthday.”
“Well, actually,” Angela intervened, “Your father is going to work with the movers. I thought you and I would make a trip to Disneyland for the day.”
“Hmmm…” Jake thought to himself. “Can we go see an R-rated movie instead?”
Angela laughed and said, “What?!”
“I think I’d much rather see something which has a lot of blood and guts on the big screen, than to see a grown man running around in a mouse suit trying to give little girls a hug.”
For a moment, she gave her son an awkward look, and then she shrugged her shoulders and said, “I guess it makes sense; after all, it is your birthday.”
“Thanks mom!” he said as he hugged her.
He then reached into his book bag which was in the next seat and pulled out a ziplock bag which had his toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste in it. Before he could walk away his mom stopped him and said, “Wait a minute!” She then reached into her bag and supplied him with a container of floss.
“Don’t forget to floss.” She demanded.
Jake nodded his head and then headed to the bathroom. When he was gone, Richard sat down next to his wife and said, “In an hour, our son is going to be thirteen.”
“I know. I still remember when he was only as big as my forearm.” She then laughed and said, “Now he’d rather see a bloody movie, than go to Disneyland!”
“Really?”
“Yeah!” She answered. “I suggested to take him to Disneyland tomorrow for his birthday, and he said he’d rather see an R-rated movie.”
Richard was silent for a moment as he thought to himself, then he looked at her and said, “I wanna go.”
When Jake finished brushing his teeth in the small bathroom in the back of the plane, he pulled out a string of floss and was preparing to stretch the string between his teeth when something suddenly happened. When he looked back into the mirror he saw the reflection of something standing behind him; something with glowing red eyes and a shadowy human like silhouette. Terrified, he quickly spun around to see what it was, but all he saw was his own shadow on the wall. He studied the wall for a long moment in absolute silence, but he couldn’t find any explanation for the glowing red cat like eyes he thought he saw in the mirror. Assuming it was nothing more than his imagination, he looked back at the mirror and began flossing his teeth.
Afterwards, he stuck the roll of floss in his pocket and returned his toothbrush and toothpaste back into the ziplock bag and then returned to his seat.
#
It only took a total of thirty minutes to fall asleep, resting his head on his mother’s lap. He felt almost as if some unknown force was forcing him to sleep. Every time he closed his groggy eyes, he saw a flash of something; something that he couldn’t quite make out; something alive which appeared to be moving around in the darkness.
When he was fully asleep, Angela checked her watch again to discover that it was exactly twelve O’clock a.m. She looked down at her son as he rested his head on her lap and said, “Happy Birthday, sweetheart.”
Then, something in his dream seemed to cause his entire body to twitch.
…
…
…
Something cold suddenly surrounded his entire body. A rush of ice cold water slammed the thirteen year old back to consciousness, and he found himself floating on the surface of a seemingly endless body of water. Mortified by confusion and utter terror, he immediately began searching his surroundings. His body was completely submerged, and only his head poked out of the water. There was no ground beneath him as he swam in the middle of the black abyss. He then noticed flickers of glowing orange and yellow light coming from somewhere behind him. His eyes were blurry at first as he turned to see where the bright light was coming from. It was only when his vision came into full focus that he felt the heat on his face. All around him there were burning pieces of metal floating on the surface of the water; pieces of all that remained of the commercial airliner that he and his family were traveling in.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
The fist pump hypocrisy!
It is really, truly sad that people like this have a better chance at getting a book published before someone with real talent. The idiots become superstars to help delude the intelligence of our young minds, while the brilliant minds stay broke and powerless. What is it about today's time where the dumb get rich, and the poor get hypnotized and desensitized by television and the Internet. Shows like The Jersey Shore teaches our youth that if you are a douchebag or a whore one day you may become a celebrity, and then there are shows like 16 and Pregnant that subliminally teaches our children that if you get knocked up at a young age, you could end up on tv. Facebook keeps people immobilized and glues people into there seats staring at the computer when they could be reading or learning a new skill. Why is marijuana illegal but alcohol and Facebook is not; those two things are a whole hell of a lot worse than weed. We as a civilization need to wake up and realize that in light of the Egyptian uprising our Government will do anything in it's power to keep it's power, even if it means corrupting the minds of our own children.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)