Chapter 6: Information and Guidance

Teenager was sweating profusely. The room was dark and hot, and the atmosphere stifling. He had no idea how long he had been held captive in this room, but it seemed like hours. He felt alone, scared, and dejected. Try as he might, he simply could not make sense out of what had happened. His clothes were soaked through with sweat, and he was severely thirsty, more so than he’d ever been in his entire life. Nothing made sense.

Why would the captain leave me here in this hot, stifling room without water or even a window? Teenager said to himself. Why hasn’t he returned?

He sat there trying to figure it out, to recall the chain of events that had led him to where he was now and hoping that some thread would give clarity. The morning had started out well, better than most days. Some friends had come by the house to hang out. One friend had mentioned he had seen a black ship on the horizon. They had agreed to meet up later at the dock in case it pulled into port; then, he and his friends had gone their separate ways. Later, when Teenager had showed up at the appointed time, he hadn’t seen his friends; he had just assumed they had simply forgotten or had other things they preferred doing. He hadn’t given it a second thought.

Teenager recalled all the other events of that morning on the dock. He remembered how happy he had been to receive the invitation to tour the ship. Then he had gone home to tell his mom the good news. Later he had gotten angry with his brother for putting a damper on his happiness.

After dinner, Teenager remembered slipping out the window and riding his bicycle down to the docks to await the captain to give him the tour. What happened next was confusing and strange. His brother had come to the docks and had been trying to explain why the ships and the captain were bad and why he shouldn’t take the tour. Then three other guys had showed up, obviously friends of Brother, and started going on and on about how they had also had bad experiences with the black ships. He remembered that the captain had had words with Brother and some of the men, but then, during part of the conversation, the captain had remained strangely silent.

What were they going on about? Teenager asked himself. Try to remember what they said. Maybe it will hold a clue about what’s going on.

But try as he might, he couldn’t recall anything that his brother or the other men told him about the ships. It was as if a thick fog had descended over his brain; he just couldn’t think clearly. The next thing he recalled was seeing some lights, then the area of the dock had gotten much brighter. He recalled one of the men with his brother telling him something about angels, but it seemed too far-fetched to believe. He remembered telling his brother that, despite what everybody had been saying, he’d made up his mind to tour the ship. After that, Teenager recalled the captain putting his arm around him in a friendly fashion and escorting him onboard. He remembered the captain telling the first mate something but couldn’t recall what. After that, the captain had escorted him to this room, made his excuse, and said he would return. Then, nothing, nothing except that the ship had left port, and he had been locked in this room for who knows how long. He was afraid to bang on the door or to holler for help. He was afraid of the evil voice that had threatened him earlier to be quiet.

“What’s going on?” Teenager wailed out loud but softly, half fearing that he would hear more threats.

Instead, all he could hear were the sounds of the waves slapping the ship and the creaking of the oars and what sounded like an occasional muffled groan from somewhere beneath him.

P

Teenager’s father landed at the airport sooner than expected; the conference ended early, so he took an earlier flight; the plane had caught a favorable tail wind. After picking up his bags from the carousel, Father noticed he had a voice mail and dialed to get the message. The message was from his wife; she sounded stressed, almost panicky. The message didn’t really make sense—something about his younger son boarding a ship and not coming home. A look of puzzled concern stretched across his face.

“Something wrong?”

Father turned to see the man who had been sitting next to him on the flight. Passenger was standing next to Father, both men waiting to pick up their luggage.

“Is something wrong?” Passenger asked again. “You look like you had some bad news or something.”

“Ummm, not sure, but possibly,” Father said with concern in his voice. “I had a message from my wife about our younger son, Teenager. It didn’t seem to make sense. She went on about black ships and our son boarding and not coming home and needing to know what to do. I’m not sure what to make of it.”

Passenger cast his eye heavenward, saying a silent but quick prayer.

“If it’s about the black ships and a missing child, my advice is to hustle home as fast as you can,” Passenger advised.

“Why?” Father asked. “What do you know about the black ships? The only thing I know about them is that they dock at the port in our town fairly frequently, and they’re a part of some living history group or something.”

“Unfortunately, I do know about them,” Passenger said. “Look, I know I’m a stranger to you and you have no reason to trust anything I say, but believe me, I lost one of my own kids to the black ships years ago. Thanks to the One True Lord, my wife and I never lost hope and kept praying for his deliverance. It took several decades of continuous prayer, but he finally came home to us safely.”

Father turned and looked more closely at Passenger. He hadn’t really taken notice of him on the plane, but now he took in the man’s features. Passenger was an older man, probably in his seventies, based on the grey hair and wrinkles. Despite the man’s age, Passenger had a youthful appearance, and there was something about his eyes; they sparkled with something Father didn’t quite understand.

“Really?” Father replied. “Is your son okay? What happened to him? Can you give me some details? Maybe it will help with whatever I face when I get home.”

“I’m connecting with another flight in just a few minutes, or I’d stay and fill you in,” Passenger said. “But I will give you a piece of advice. You mentioned the name of the town where you live when we chatted on the flight here. My son lives in your town. He and the pastor of his church are very knowledgeable about these ships and their crew. If anyone can help you with what you’ll be facing, they can.”

“Sounds like good advice,” Father said. “What’s his name? Your son? How do I find him?”

Passenger was wrestling with his bags, getting them organized to head to his connecting flight. He paused for just a minute.

“My son’s name is Warrior, and his church is near the docks. You should be able to find my son and the pastor without much trouble. Sorry I can’t be of more help, but I’ll pray for you and your family,” Passenger replied.

Passenger waved goodbye as he hurried down the terminal in pursuit of his next flight.

“Dear One True Lord,” prayed Passenger as he walked away, “thank You for this glorious opportunity to relay Your Word to this man. Guide and direct his steps, keep his family safe, and rescue his child from the black ship. Amen!”

P

Brother didn’t get to bed until the wee hours of the morning. He tried to comfort his mother, but he wasn’t sure what to do or how to help her. He spent most of the night praying for Teenager, his mother, and for his father’s safe and swift return home. He didn’t recall what time it was when he finally slipped upstairs to bed, but he knew it was late. Even after he lay down, sleep was sketchy at best. At some point, he heard the door to his parents’ bedroom close and muffled weeping.

Brother rolled over and looked at the clock; he couldn’t sleep anymore. He swung his legs over the bed and stood up and stretched. His head was foggy from lack of sleep. “What now, dear Lord?” Brother said. “What do I do now?” He didn’t receive a direct answer, but he didn’t really expect to. He knew the Spirit of the One True Lord and his guardian angel were there to give him comfort because, although he was exhausted from lack of sleep and emotionally overcome with grief for his little brother, deep down inside, he felt peaceful. “The peace that passes all understanding,” Brother said quietly to himself.

Brother went downstairs and rustled around in the refrigerator, looking for something to eat. He turned on the coffee pot, and the aroma of fresh brewing coffee permeated the kitchen. He had a bottle of juice in one hand and a loaf of bread in the other when he heard the front door open.

“Heeellllllooooo!” Father called out as he dropped his bags on the entry room floor. “Anyone up?”

Brother sat the groceries down on the counter and ran to his father and embraced him.

“So glad you’re home, Dad! Did you get Mom’s message?” he blurted out.

“Yeah, I did. What’s been going on?” Father wanted to get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible, and he knew that his eldest son would give it to him straight without glossing it over. “I smell coffee.”

“Coffee’s ready, Dad. Come into the kitchen and sit down, and I’ll tell you everything,” Brother said.

For the next several minutes, over coffee and breakfast, Brother outlined to Father what had happened the night before. He didn’t embellish, but he didn’t leave out any detail either. He made sure to include details about what had happened to him during the two years he was a captive aboard one of the black ships.

“That about sums it up to where we are now,” Brother said sadly, pushing the remainder of his breakfast around the plate with his fork.

Father was quiet, processing everything Brother relayed to him as well as what the passenger on the plane told him. Somehow, Father knew that meeting the passenger on the plane was no coincidence.

“Well,” Father said slowly while pouring another cup of coffee, “if what you tell me is true, and I believe it is despite how strange it seems, I think we need to have a talk with your pastor. Where’s your mom?”

“Upstairs, still asleep. I felt it best to just let her sleep at this point; I’m sure she needs the rest,” Brother said.

“Good thinking, Son,” Father said, patting his son’s shoulder.

Father knew that his oldest son had disappeared for two years and that he had come home a wiser young man than when he left, but he couldn’t understand this new obsession he now had for church and the desire to go to seminary. It was hard for Father to believe all that his son was telling him regarding what happened aboard the black ship, but he had to admit that Brother was now a better man than before. It was a lot to take in and process.

“Let me shave, shower, and change my clothes, and then we can head to your church. Would you call your pastor and make arrangements for us to have a chat when I’m done?” Father asked as he picked up his bags.

“Absolutely, Dad!” Brother replied. “They promised to be with us during this time of crisis.”

Father hurried up the stairs and opened the door to the bedroom quietly so as not to disturb his wife. He looked at her face as she slept…worry and anxiety were written all over her face even in sleep.

Let her rest, he said to himself. He sat his bags down quietly and started to clean up.

P

Brother called the church office, but Pastor hadn’t arrived yet. He knew it was early and Pastor was probably tired from the ordeal of last night, so he left a message for Pastor asking for a meeting at 8:00 a.m. He then called Seaman and Warrior and left a similar message with them. Brother then called Pastor’s house and left the same message. Brother cleaned up the breakfast dishes and hurried upstairs to change his clothes.

P

Ardent prayer warrior that he was, Warrior stayed up all night in prayer for Teenager and his entire family. He was exhausted and finally fell asleep on the couch around 4:00 a.m. At 7:00 a.m., he was awakened by the sound of garbage trucks and the clanking trash cans. Warrior went to the kitchen and fired up the coffee pot when he noticed he had a message. It was Brother requesting a meeting at the church at eight o’clock. He gulped down the hot coffee, burning his mouth in the process. Snarling to himself about his hastiness, he hustled to brush his teeth and change his clothes. He hopped on his motorcycle, heading to the church. It was 7:45 a.m.

P

Seaman felt like he hadn’t slept at all. It had been quite some time since he spent the entire night in prayer, but he felt that the One True Lord was requesting intercession on behalf of Teenager and his family. He had drifted off to sleep in his recliner at some point, but his eyes popped open around 7:30 a.m. He ran his fingers through his hair and went to the kitchen for some water when he noticed he had a message from Brother requesting a meeting at 8:00 a.m. Seaman quickly changed his clothes and ran out the door, stopping for coffee on the way to the church.

P

After dropping off Warrior and Seaman the night before, Pastor returned to the church to meet with his wife and the prayer team. He filled them in on what happened at the dock and at Brother’s home. He thanked them for their prayer cover and support and sent them home to bed.

Pastor and his wife headed home and spent a great deal of the night talking and prayerfully interceding with the One True Lord on behalf of Teenager and his family. They finally headed to bed around 5:00 a.m. At some point, they heard the phone ring. Pastor was too tired to answer it, but he heard the message from Brother about meeting at the church at 8:00 a.m. Both Pastor and his wife sat up.

“Go back to bed, love, and get some sleep,” Pastor said, patting her back.

“But you’re getting up; I should at least fix you something to eat,” Pastor’s Wife replied sleepily.

“Don’t bother; I’ll just shave quickly, change, and grab a bite on the way to church,” Pastor said, patting his wife affectionately. “Get some rest. I’ll fill you in later.”

“Not going to argue the point this time,” Pastor’s Wife said, yawning; then, she lay down and rolled over, hugging her pillow.

Pastor quickly shaved and changed his clothes. Grabbing his keys off the table in the front entry, he headed out the door to the church.

P

Teenager began to perceive that the darkness in the room was increasing.

Must be night, he thought to himself.

Teenager heard a sound, and then the door to the room opened. Teenager saw no one in the doorway, but he could see the dark sky and stars. Then…in the opening to the doorway…there began to appear a dark shape, a blackness, a sort of dark void that blocked the opening. The darkness increased. Teenager was staring at what looked like a black hole that seemed to adsorb any type of light, even the natural light of the stars outside. The darkness increased until Teenager could no longer see either the stars or the open door.

Teenager couldn’t move or even breathe; he was stricken with an all-consuming fear. He couldn’t think. The fog that had previously encased his thought processes had now become paralyzing terror.

Teenager sensed the darkness enter the room, and it began circling him, watching him, assessing him. He tried to look for a form or shape in the black void, but he saw nothing; he could tell that somehow this darkness was alive and intelligent. He didn’t see anything, but he perceived that this living darkness had eyes. Teenager felt his skin crawl. He was too terrified to speak or ask questions. He wished he could crawl under the deck boards. Even as he sat there, he felt naked before the glare of the darkness that pervaded the room. Ever so slowly, the darkness retreated out the door, and Teenager heard the lock click. He sat there, not moving; he didn’t realize that he wasn’t breathing. Finally, he was able to let air into his lungs, and he trembled from head to toe.

Little did Teenager know that the darkness was about to reveal itself in a way he couldn’t possibly imagine.

P

Brother and Father arrived at the church before anyone else. Even though Brother had a key, he felt it best to wait for Pastor’s arrival. Neither Brother nor Father spoke during the few short minutes of waiting. Both men leaned against Father’s car, hands in their pockets, looking at the ground, not speaking.

Brother heard the sound of a throbbing engine and crunching gravel; he looked up to see Warrior get off his motorcycle. Warrior was a tall man, a typical “biker dude,” as some referred to him. Many people were put off by Warrior’s long hair, beard, and tattoos, but Warrior was strong in the Spirit of the One True Lord. Those who knew him knew best could testify that he had a heart of gold under all those tattoos.

Warrior walked over and embraced Brother in a bear hug, slapping him on the back.

“How ya doin’, Brother?” Warrior asked.

“Rough night,” Brother replied.

Brother introduced Warrior to his father. The quizzical look on his father’s face conveyed what he felt. Warrior didn’t look like a typical church-going person. Brother smiled, thinking his father was in for some revelation today.

Seaman and Pastor arrived almost simultaneously. After introductions and greetings all around, Pastor opened the church and ushered the men into his office, requesting them to get comfortable. The men sat on the rickety old chairs and tattered sofa in Pastor’s office.

“Well,” Pastor said, “I’m sure we all had a rough night.”

Everyone mumbled in agreement.

“Father,” Pastor said with empathy, “I’m so sorry to meet you under these distressing circumstances, but I want to assure you we will do everything we can to assist you and your family. What can we do? What do you need?”

Father glanced around the room.

What a strange assortment of people, Father thought to himself. The Pastor looked like a gentle man with a caring heart and soul, but Father perceived a steely strength in him. Anyone who might think Pastor would be a pushover would probably be quite surprised. Warrior and Seaman were tall, burly men with long hair, beards, piercings, and tattoos, not what Father would expect to see in a church, but since Father didn’t attend church much, maybe things had changed.

Father leaned forward in his seat, putting his elbows on his knees and his hands together.

“First of all,” Father spoke cautiously, “I must tell you I’m in a daze right now. I’m not sure what to think, and, quite frankly, I have no idea what I need or what my family needs. I have no idea what to do.”

Father paused to catch his breath.

“What I can tell you is this. Late last night, as I was getting off a plane, I got a voice mail from my wife indicating that our youngest son, Teenager, had boarded a black ship and wasn’t coming home. The man who had been sitting next to me on the plane identified himself to me as your father,” Father nodded in Warrior’s direction, “I don’t think it was a coincidence that this man had been sitting next to me. When I told him what my wife’s voice mail said, this man advised me to come here to this church and locate you, Warrior, and you, Pastor. When I got home, I had a conversation with my son here,” Father said as he motioned toward Brother. “He enlightened me about what transpired with Teenager, where he had been during the two years he was missing, and what he endured during that time. I must tell you, this all sounds like a good plot for a movie, not something that I would expect to happen in my everyday life. Quite frankly, I’m at a loss, and I hope you folks can provide some clarity and help us formulate a plan on what to do.”

Father leaned back on the sofa, looking exhausted mentally as well as physically.

“You’re right about it not being a coincidence that you ran into my dad,” Warrior said. “My dad went through agony for many years when I went missing. All of us in this room are only too aware of what these black ships are and what they are capable of,” Warrior said, looking around the room.

“Pastor,” Seaman said, “could we start with prayer? And maybe you can give Father a bit of background on the black ships, their crew, and agenda.”

“Gladly,” Pastor replied. “Are you okay with that?” Pastor asked, looking toward Father.

Pastor knew from what Brother had previously told him that neither of his parents was a believer in the One True Lord or attended church.

“Yeah, I guess. All this stuff is new and strange, but I have a feeling I’d better get up to speed quickly. Go right ahead,” Father replied.

“Let us pray,” Pastor said. Everyone bowed their heads.

Father saw what everyone else was doing and copied their behavior even though it felt uncomfortable and awkward.

“Dear One True Lord, our Savior and Friend,” Pastor continued, “we gather here today as Your children. Lord, only You know where Teenager is right now and what has happened to him. We ask for Your hand of protection on this young man. Comfort and protect him in his darkness. Make Your presence known to him by whatever means necessary in a way he can understand. Give comfort and guidance to his parents and to Brother and keep Your hand of protection on them as well. Be with us now and guide us in our deliberations. Help us with decisions regarding the next steps to take. We pray this in Your Son’s most precious name, amen.”

“Amen,” Seaman, Brother, and Warrior said in unison.

“Amen,” Father said belatedly and rather awkwardly.

“Well,” Pastor said, “I get the impression that you’re not familiar with the black ships and their history, is that correct?”

“I only know they come into port on a fairly regular basis and that they carry some sort of history; that’s about it,” Father replied.

“Then I think a short history lesson might help us all get on the same page if you don’t mind,” Pastor said inquiringly, looking at Father.

“That’s probably a good place to start,” Father replied. “As I said, I’m at a loss; all of you seem to know a lot about this, and I need as much information as I can get as quickly as possible.”

For the next hour, Pastor gave Father a somewhat detailed history of the dark ships and the Dark Lord in charge of them. He gave Father a brief history regarding what happened in the beginning of history when the One True Lord created all things. He explained briefly how the Dark Lord and a third of the angels in heaven rebelled against the One True Lord. He included information regarding how the rebellion was put down and that the fallen angels were cast from heaven to the earth. He relayed information regarding how the Dark Lord set up his empire on earth and utilized every means at his disposal to drag souls away from the One True Lord. He explained how the dark ships were a part of the Dark Lord’s plan to lure souls to destruction. He provided a brief explanation regarding the fall of mankind and how the world and all its inhabitants had been suffering under the curse of sin ever since. Pastor then explained to Father how the One True Lord, out of His immense love for humans made in His image, sent His only Son into the world to die on a cross to redeem humans and return them to their rightful place as sons and daughters.

Father sat in silence for several minutes, trying to absorb all the information Pastor had relayed. Pastor, Warrior, Seaman, and Brother stayed silent. They knew it was a lot to process.

“Let me get this straight,” Father said. “You’re telling me that this Dark Lord is what, a fallen angel?”

“Exactly,” Pastor replied.

“Is this stuff for real?” Father asked incredulously. “You’re telling me that my son is aboard a ship run by devils?”

“More real than anything you thought was real, Dad,” Brother replied. “What Pastor is telling you is true. These dark ships are a part of an international fleet run by the Dark Lord. The captain and crew members of every ship are all fallen angels bent on destroying as many humans as possible. They are powerful spirit beings, intelligent, and highly organized. They cannot be fought with human power or weapons.”

“But why?” Father asked with a look of confusion on his face. “Why? I don’t understand what their agenda and purpose are and, for that matter, why haven’t I heard about this before? I gotta tell you that all this fallen angels and Dark Lord stuff sounds a little crazy. You people really believe all this?” Father asked skeptically.

“Sir,” Seaman said, “I know how weird this must sound to you. Quite frankly, there was a time in my life when it sounded just as strange to me. When I was a kid, my mother and grandmother warned me about these ships, but I thought it was just stories to frighten kids and keep them in line. My mother even told me about how my grandfather went missing on one of the dark ships, but I didn’t have wisdom and understanding, even though I was raised going to church. Like you’re feeling right now, it just seemed like a bunch of fairy stories. I felt enticed by the black ships and didn’t see anything wrong with them, and it wasn’t until I boarded one of the ships that I realized everything they told me was true, but by then, it was too late.”

“Same thing with me,” Warrior now chimed in. “I’ll spare you the complete details of my life, but my parents raised me going to church. You’ve met my dad. He’s very much in touch with the One True Lord. What I didn’t realize was that everyone…you, me, Pastor, Brother, Seaman…every human born on this earth is born in the middle of a spiritual battlefield. The Dark Lord wants to be God. That was the basis for his rebellion. He hates human beings because we’re made in the image of the One True Lord. He’s jealous of that and wants power; he wants to be God. He knows he can’t be God in heaven, so he set himself up as god on earth. He knows he’s headed for the Lake of Fire, and he wants to take as many of us humans with him as possible.”

“But why?” Father asked. “What’s he getting out of this?”

“Who can understand the twisted thoughts of the Dark Lord? But we believe that one thing he gets out of it is the satisfaction of knowing that it hurts the heart of the One True Lord every time a human dies not accepting the free gift of grace and mercy for forgiveness of their sins and is lost forever,” Pastor replied softly with sadness in his voice.

Father sat forward again, placing his head in his hands. He felt like the room was spinning. All of this was new to him. It was a lot to take in.

“Dad,” Brother said, placing his arm around Father, “I know how strange all this sounds to you. Remember I didn’t believe any of it either until I experienced captivity on one of the ships of the Dark Lord. It was Pastor and Warrior here who came aboard the black ship and got me released, but only after I acknowledged that I needed help…that I couldn’t help myself and needed someone…something…anything to get me out of the living agony I was enduring.”

“Okay, I get it,” Father said. “It’s strange, but it makes about as much sense as anything I’ve come up with so far. Brother told me that the police aren’t much help in these situations and that Mother called the police last night without success. I guess there’s more to this than I thought. What do we do now?”

“Right now,” Pastor replied, “we wait, and we pray.”

“That’s it?” Father said with irritation in his voice. “Just wait and pray? In the meantime, I have a sixteen-year-old son who’s onboard a ship going God knows where and we don’t do anything but sit around and pray? That sounds even crazier than stories about fallen angels!”

“God knows where Teenager is,” Pastor said softly. “And it’s because of prayer, covering prayer from believers, that he will stay under the One True Lord’s protection. Without that covering prayer, he’s in imminent danger. Brother told me that you and your wife don’t attend church, is that right?” Pastor inquired softly and carefully. He was trying to dispel the agitation he felt trying to pervade the room.

“Yea, so what?” Father replied; his defenses were really going up now. “What’s going to church got to do with this?” He was feeling more aggravated by the minute.

“The church building, nothing,” replied Pastor. “What I was referring to is the body of the One True Lord. The people are the church, not this building,” Pastor said, waving his hands, indicating the structure surrounding them. “Those of us who have accepted by faith the free gift of salvation are all one family no matter their background or lineage. Warrior was correct when he told you that all of us, every human who’s ever been born, are born into a spiritual battle between the Dark Lord and the One True Lord. Whether you realize it or not, you are in the middle of a spiritual battle against unseen forces,” Pastor instructed.

Brother, Warrior, and Seaman were detecting the presence of the enemy trying to cause agitation and confusion. Both men began praying silently for the covering of the Holy Spirit while Pastor kept talking.

“None of us were born with the knowledge of the spirit world or the spiritual battle that exists around us,” Pastor explained. “None of us were born believing in the One True Lord. All of us are born sinners. We each had to face what and who we really are—fallen, wanting our own way and not the Lord’s. Each of us reaches a point where we must make a choice; choose the One True Lord or the Dark Lord. By not choosing the One True Lord you are, by default, choosing the Dark Lord. That means you are under his power and influence whether you realize it or not.”

“So what do we do? What do I do?” Father asked. He could feel his agitation level starting to come down a bit. Warrior and Seaman’s prayers were having their intended effect.

“Each and every one of us in this room had to come to the knowledge and acceptance of the fact that we’re broken. Have you ever met a perfect person?” Pastor asked with a smile on his face.

Father smiled back, shaking his head, indicating a negative response.

“Well, I can guarantee you that none of us in the room,” Pastor said with a wave of his hand, “believer or not, are perfect now, and we won’t be until we reach heaven.”

“Copy that,” said Warrior.

“What those of us who call ourselves the church…believers…the only difference between us and you is that we’ve come to know and accept the love of the One True Lord. We’ve accepted His gift of salvation and turned control of our lives over to Him. We’ve gone through a process of confessing that we’re sinners, confessing we can’t save ourselves, and accepting the free gift of grace and mercy that He freely gives.”

Pastor paused and let that sink in for a minute. Father was quiet. He didn’t know what to think. Seaman, Pastor, Warrior, and Brother remained silent, praying for discernment.

“Well, I don’t doubt what you’re saying is true, all of it. It explains a lot about why the world is so messed up. But I thought I was coming here to get help, to formulate a rescue plan for my son of some sort. Now with all this information, I’m just as much at a loss for what to do as I was before,” Father said with a sigh, throwing his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

“I know,” Pastor replied. “Believe me, I’ve counseled many other parents of children caught in this situation. The best thing you can do right now is to go home to your wife and take care of her. Tell her what we’ve told you. Brother will back you up and answer any questions you both may have. But what I can assure you is this—that prayer is the most powerful weapon we have against the forces of darkness. Prayer and love for each other and love for the One True Lord are the weapons to use. I can assure you that Brother, Warrior, Seaman, my wife, our prayer team, and I will keep Teenager under constant prayer cover until the Spirit manifests the next step to take.”

“What else can I do?” Father asked.

“Consider taking the next step,” Pastor said, smiling. “Become a believer.”

“I’ll take it under consideration,” Father replied rather too hastily.

“Take your time. We’re not here to take advantage of you or pressure you into anything. We’re here to provide help, guidance, and support. We’re just a group of sinful beggars showing the way to the free bread line,” Pastor said with the smile showing in his voice as well as his face.

Father stood up, and Brother stood beside him.

“Well, it’s going to take some time to sort all of this out; can I get back to you?” Father asked.

“Any time,” Pastor replied as he patted Father on the back. “Brother knows how to reach me, but here’s my card with my office, cell, and home number. You can call or text any time.”

“Same here,” Warrior said.

“Ditto,” Seaman replied.

“Guys, I can’t thank you enough for all you have done and are doing for us,” Brother said with a note of relief in his voice. “Let’s go home, Dad.”

“We better go check on your mom,” Father replied. “Thank you, gentlemen,” Father said, shaking hands with each of the men. “I promise I will get back to you soon.”

Brother and Father walked out the door and headed home.

P

Teenager still sat in darkness. He was getting terribly hungry and more dehydrated than before. He had never been so scared in all his life. He was clueless about what to do or what to think. As he sat there thinking about everything, he started to feel just a little less edgy deep down inside. He could have sworn he heard a voice.

“Fear not.”

If there’s a God out there, Teenager said to himself, I sure hope He sees me.