Sarah felt like the whole world had been lifted off her shoulders as she got back up and sat on the couch. She decided to go into the kitchen and make herself a cup of hot tea. She filled the tea kettle and turned on the burner. As she was heading back into the livingroom to wait for the whistle a loud explosion rumbled through the building and lit up the night sky. She hurried to the window and saw that a house a block down had exploded and gone up in flames. She had heard on the news that some of the homes that people had vanished from had had something cooking on the stove and she assumed that must have been what happened to that house. Emergency vehicles had not been to all the homes yet to check on the conditions or if anyone was still there. She watched out the window as people were running from business to business trying the doors. She watched as a man threw a baseball bat threw the local bank a half a block down and thenstep over the glass and climb in. The news had been talking about all the looting going on since the vanishings and she was frightened. SHe went to the front door thanking God that her roommate had felt the need for security and deadbolts. She double locked the front door and typed in the code to alarm her apartment. She would sleep better knowing she was secure in her own bed. She didnt know where her life would take her now but she had put her trust in Jesus and knew he would protect her and lead her for the rest of her life.
- Renee
Richard opened the door and stepped into the familier surroundings of his parents home. Walking into the living room he saw and heard that his parents favorite news station was on as usual and loud too since they were both hard of hearing. Something smelled wonderfully delicious coming from the kitchen and assumed both his parents were in the kitchen. He hollered his hellos as he made his way back. His stomach began to growl at him as the smell got closer. He saw no parents as he walked over to the crock pot and lifted the lid. "Ummmmmmmm" he thought as he got a plate and filled it with his moms delicious pot roast , carrots and potatoes. Getting a glass of tea out of the fridge he sat down and enjoyed his meal. Finishing every last bite hr took his plate to the sink, washed his dish and left it in the drain board to dry. Walking back to the living room he listened to the announcer telling the listening audience that the curfew for the nation was 9pm for security purposes. He turned and looked at the two recliners his parents always sat in. The table between them held their bibles and their reading glasses. Looking at his moms chair he saw that his moms clothes draped the chair as if she had stepped right out of them and her slippers sat on the floor as if she had slipped them off. Her cross that she always wore lay on top of the heap of clothes. A sob caught in his throat as he in turn looked at his dads chair seeing his clothes draped just like his moms. The sob finally broke free from his throat as his knees buckled and he sank to the floor in tears holding his moms cross clutched in his hands.
- Renee
BREAKING NEWS (FLYING IN NEWS CHOPPER) "IT LOOKS LIKE A WAR ZONE DOWN BELOW...I-70 is littered with vehicles...I have never saw anything like it!" (camera switches to view of downtown St Louis) "As you can see...several buildings are on fire after a 757 crashed into the downtown area...the damage in this one area has to be in the billions of dollars"
Switching to a street reporter..."People have gone mad" "stores are being looted and rioting fills the streets..people are demanding answers" "you can literally hear gunshots ringing out and sirens have not stopped blaring...people are angry and scared."
- STA
Coming Live from Your Kids Day Care ..."this is Molly Madison with KORO NEWS Atanta ....as you can hear hundreds of parents are protesting this day care center" ...pleas of desperation for answers are coming (wails in the background continue) I have with me one parent who has a plea....this is Cindy Jo "Mam what would you like to say"
Holding up a picture of her missing child and her voice breaking she sobs "please ...anyone if you have seen this child..my child...please call..PLEEAASE"
News lady "thanks Cindy ..and yes please if anybody watching this has any answers please call our studio"
"joining me now is day care worker sabrina to tell her story" "Sabrina thanks for you time please share with us what happened here yesterday"
Sabrina: Earlier during our sing along hour the kids were singing "he's got the whole world in his hands when instantly they all vanished...I MEAN RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES THEY JUST VANISHED" "I feel so hurt for all the parents but I PROMISE YOU ..this daycare did nothing wrong" (she begins to sob) "my little boy is gone too and I am in complete shock as to what to do?"
- STA
BREAKING NEWS!!!
"This is CNM's Wolf Blitz back with you LIVE from the White House where just a short time ago it was confirmed that the FIRST LADY is receiving medical attention after a failed suicide attempt" "White House staff has informed us that The President is Just moments away from addressing the nation concerning the welfare of his wife and this nation"
"while we wait let's send it back to you Andrew" "Andrew Cooper here at CNM Headquarters bringing you up to speed" "Again in the last few hours we have seen our world turned upside down ..recapping first the instantaneous disappearance of millions of global citizens and as if that wasn't bad enough it catapulted one disaster after another....as of one hour ago there have been over 20 plane crashes reported across the globe with the loss of life totalling in the hundreds of thousands. Interstates and highways are littered with abandoned cars that will take weeks to clear. Amtrak is reporting they too are at least a week a way from being up and running"
"ANDREW SORRY TO INTERRUPT BUT THE PRESIDENT IS AT HIS PODIUM"
"Ladies and Gentleman...citizens of the USA and THE WORLD....I stand before you not only as your President and Leader but as a world citizen and a broken man.....normal protocol in more certain times would allow for myself to keep all personal issues relating to the welfare of my young precious daughters in the utmost of secrecy...But I and my wife ...like all of you have suffered loss at this most destressful time. Both our daughters like hundreds of thousands of you and your children and family members are MISSING and that revelation was more than my wife could bear...and as it has been reported in the last 12 hours my wife made a vain attempt to end her life'' "thankfully that attempt failed and she is with her physician, mother recovering, and our spiritual advisor is also available and helping her to cope "
"And as such I have taken the liberty to speak with him privately leading upto this address ...I also have spoken with several other spiritual advisors and we have conferred that due to the reckless attempts of many to suggest that somehow this was an event relegated to a select group of people in this multi cultural world is both narrow minded and prejudicial. Therefore I am asking at this god-forsaken time of unparalled history that all citizens refrain from mentioning any discussion of the ideology that this somehow relates to any term relating to a rapture!
"At this time I along with World Leaders are planning to convene an emergency meeting of the UN in New York fast as time will allow"
"Standing here as your Leader I am asking for your patience and understanding as we seek to find resolution in what is transpiring"
PEACE and SAFETY TO YOU ALL.
- STA
Jeremiah sits in his apartment tears falling down his face. Hits the remote button ...The Presidents speech confirming his nightmare reality.
Just hours earlier he had set in a sportsbar up the road with some buddies...his cell phone vibrating ... it's his mom "Hey Honey" "hey mom" (noise in the background) "Honey did I catch you at a bad time?" "well ma ..am out with some guys watching a game" "well I won't keep you but just let me tell you one thing before I go.....you have really been on my and your dad's heart and we've been praying" "MOM..NOT THAT AGAIN..PLEASE JUST LET IT GO" "Honey..I'm sorry but I can't...listen I know this is a bad time but please just check your email when you get home" "YEA YEAH mom I will but I need to go" "ok ..but Jeremiah...you just know that I and your dad love you very much and nothing would break our hearts more than for Jesus to come and you miss Him" "MOM .SORRY I LOVE YOU BUT I GOTTA GO"
Jeremiah turned backed to the bar....ordered another cold beer and lit a cigarette...exhaling his frustration with that phone call......just a few minutes later......BREAKING NEWS ...CNM ...Andrew Cooper reporting..."suddenly without warning"
Now alone at his apartment..THE HAUNTING REALITY HITS JEREMIAH WITH FULL FORCE..he falls to the ground as tears gush ...He screams "JESUS ...PLEASE ....JESUS.....HELP!!!! "
- STA
Suburb of Atlanta, GA
As Paul watched Colleen disappeared. She was there talking to him about the boy's soccer practice and then, without warning, she vanished. The boys had stopped their sing-song game in the background and the house was quieter than he had ever heard. Immediately he began crying. It wasn't a hard thing to understand, he'd been left behind, the Church had been raptured, and he was not. He knew why.
He ran outside and stared at the sky, "Oh, Jesus, please, please, don't let me be left behind. Lord, please, ooooh." Paul's fists hit the ground so hard that his knuckles began to bleed, but he didn't seem to feel it.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I know I acted the part, but I never felt that relationship they all talked about. It seemed like they were making too much of it, but I know now that I was wrong - I was dead wrong. I'm sorry, Lord. Please, please forgive me. Please come into my heart and save me from my sins, from myself."
As Paul watched Colleen disappeared. She was there talking to him about the boy's soccer practice and then, without warning, she vanished. The boys had stopped their sing-song game in the background and the house was quieter than he had ever heard. Immediately he began crying. It wasn't a hard thing to understand, he'd been left behind, the Church had been raptured, and he was not. He knew why.
He ran outside and stared at the sky, "Oh, Jesus, please, please, don't let me be left behind. Lord, please, ooooh." Paul's fists hit the ground so hard that his knuckles began to bleed, but he didn't seem to feel it.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I know I acted the part, but I never felt that relationship they all talked about. It seemed like they were making too much of it, but I know now that I was wrong - I was dead wrong. I'm sorry, Lord. Please, please forgive me. Please come into my heart and save me from my sins, from myself."
- KL
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POSSUM HOLLOW
In a small missouri town rocked by the vanishings...a small airplane has crashed into the area power plant...knocking out power in the surrounding area......"Dan tries to get his generator running...pulling the cord...it coughs...."Dang thang is flooded" "Dad" ....his 15 year old son calls out..."need some help?" "Nah....it's old but I will get it up and running" ...as Dan give's the generator a minute to clean out....he thinks to himself..."God I miss her something fierce" takes out his wallet and looks at his wife's picture! "honey I really do miss you...I'm so sorry I wasn't a better husband...I'm so sorry I worked all the time..I'm so sorry I took all of my frustrations out on you" "I know ..I know.... you always said you understood" "you always said to "give it God" but NO It was my responsibility...ain't nobody going to do anything for you that you aren't willing to do for yourself" Tears flowing down his cheek..."what's that" I haven't cried in years...I didn't cry when my favorite coon dog died or when I laid my mother to rest" "Oh honey please talk to me...please tell me what to do?" "oh come on Dan...get ahold of yourself..besides...you know what she would say" "get alone...give it to God ....give your whole heart to God"
"Dad...you alright? you crying?...Nah son...the cold air is making my eyes water..that's all" he reaches down and makes a violent tug and the ole generator coughs to life..."ha ha...told ya son" he yells....his son pats his ole dad on the back....."Dad...you think all those books mom read about A rapture were true? do you really think she's with Jesus" "son...I can't say for sure...but if there is one woman who I'd believe who should be with Jesus....it would be your momma" "well dad...where does that leave us?" well now that we are going to have some light...why don't you go round up your ma's bible and let's see what it has to say?".......
- STA
Just 12 short hours ago ...A shout heard by millions of God's faithful rang out "COME UP HERE" in THAT moment...in the twinkling of an eye...and like a thief in the night...husbands, wives, sisters, daughter,brothers and son, moms and dad's ...you get the point..were caught up to meet the Lord Himself...they being found worthy ..covered by the blood of the Lamb...now bow before His throne with angelic host ....singing "Holy..Holy ...Holy" .....The King of Kings Himself has welcomed them home.....calling each one by name...He wipes away all tears......He sits them down in a Heavenly Arena..."there so much I want to share" ...."as a cloud hovers above the earth.. you will be witness to the battle of the ages" and I HAVE GREAT NEWS..." WE WIN"
But on the earth ...chaos has broke loose. A mom rages hysterically to all who will listen "SHE's GONE...my little baby girl..SHE'S GONE"
RAGE ...violent rage flows ....He stares at the family photo then falls and slams his fist into the floor..."WHY GOD? WHY? What have I ever done to you? I DON'T DESERVE THIS!" ....ANSWER ME!!!
An EMT worker who has seen it all ...breaks down as he see's one suicide scene after another..."WHERE IS HOPE?"
a liberal pastor sits in his church......guilt riddles his face...his flock has come calling.."why pastor? LOOK ME IN THE FACE AND TELL ME WHY! WHY did you not warn us? why did you say it was a myth?....WHAT DO WE DO NOW PASTOR?" "You said the bible was allegorical..you said there was nothing to the blood..that being born again was misunderstood..that many paths lead to God....WHO DO WE BELIEVE NOW PASTOR ..YOU OR THE BIBLE?"
But on the earth ...chaos has broke loose. A mom rages hysterically to all who will listen "SHE's GONE...my little baby girl..SHE'S GONE"
RAGE ...violent rage flows ....He stares at the family photo then falls and slams his fist into the floor..."WHY GOD? WHY? What have I ever done to you? I DON'T DESERVE THIS!" ....ANSWER ME!!!
An EMT worker who has seen it all ...breaks down as he see's one suicide scene after another..."WHERE IS HOPE?"
a liberal pastor sits in his church......guilt riddles his face...his flock has come calling.."why pastor? LOOK ME IN THE FACE AND TELL ME WHY! WHY did you not warn us? why did you say it was a myth?....WHAT DO WE DO NOW PASTOR?" "You said the bible was allegorical..you said there was nothing to the blood..that being born again was misunderstood..that many paths lead to God....WHO DO WE BELIEVE NOW PASTOR ..YOU OR THE BIBLE?"
- STA
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UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS (Dorm Room)
Anthony sits on his bed....tears streaming down his face ..Having just begged Jesus to change His mind...a gut wrenching sobriety stares him down as he remembers the call
"Hey son" "Hey Dad!" "how are ya..and how's school?" "it's been pretty crazy dad..ya know after the big game an all" "Yea they whipped up on ole OU pretty bad huh?" "Yea it was awesome dad...I never screamed so hard..never saw so many people in one place" " it sure looked it exciting on tv son...and that stadium was packed"
"well hey Anthony ...the reason I called was we didn't really get a chance to talk when you were home for Christmas..and well I am concerned son...to be honest downright scared" "About what Dad?" acting shocked "Anthony ...don't forget ..as hard as it may seem it wasn't that long ago I was in college myself...I remember what's it like to be away from home and have all that freedom...and son..well let me just say this ...I see it pulling you away in a direction that's dangerous son" "Now I never have preached at ya before Anthony...just always left it up to your youth group..but I fear I was wrong" "Ahh Dad..please I ain't got time for this...some guys are getting together to watch the bowl games" "ANTHONY..Please just give me a minute that's all I ask" "Ok dad..but please do you have to go there?" "Listen..SON..I love you and I believe with all my heart Jesus is coming soon" "Oh come on Dad..you have said that my whole life" "But Anthony ....I'm telling you ..this is no time to be playing games...the bible says" "today is the day of salvation...now is the appointed time" "choose this day whom you will serve" "Jesus warned us son..that He will come at an hour you think not" "Ok dad...that's great..just great...you call me with this???" "Listen dad..I hear ya..I really do..but Dad ..I'm doing fine...I'm only 20..it's not like I'm a satanist dad..I'm just having fun before real life starts" "Son.. you aren't promised tomorrow..you can't afford to think like that" "DAD...what is it you want from me? please tell me so I can get you off my back?" "Anthony..I want you to listen and listen real good...I want you hang up this phone and get on your knees and make Jesus the Lord of your life while there is still time..THAT's What I want FOR you Anthony..FOR YOU!" "Ok Dad ..sure ...whatever I can do that..but listen dad..like I said earlier..the guys are waiting..now listen I love you dad..and tell mom I love her too..but I gotta go" "OK Son..but promise me you will do what I said" "Yea Yeah Dad..as soon as we hang up" "PROMISE" yea dad but I gotta go if you want me to do that ...then let me go" "ok son...love ya" "love ya too dad"....He hangs up ...stares at his phone ...contemplating his dad's words........buzz...buzz ..a text is coming through..."DUDE...GT UR BUT OVR HERE ..BUZN ALRDY" he closes his phone and heads out the door!
4 hours later...sitting at his friends apartment....having drank a few too many....a commotion shakes the complex...."PEOPLE ARE MISSING" "she was right there" "a car smashes into another car in the parking lot....no one is there" "WHAT'S GOIN ON?..."THIS IS CREEPY".....CNM BREAKING NEWS..THIS IS ANDREW COOPER .."SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING"
Anthony dials his parents home......NO ANSWER...THEY ARE GONE!
Now hours later he sits in his room reliving the nightmare....."JESUS ..please please forgive me..how could I have been so wrong..so horribly wrong...how can you ever forgive me? if there is any chance please come into my life and save me....help me God..help me to make it"
He stands up from his prayer...and begins immediately to pack...his parents are gone..and he knows why...there's only one place he wants to be...he's going back home to Missouri... to his parents farm near Possum Hollow...............
- STA
CNM SPORTS CENTRAL...BREAKING NEWS.....SUPER BOWL CANCELED
THIS IS SPORTS CENTRAL coming to you live from what was suppose to be Home of this years SUPERBOWL. Numerous NFL players are along beside me.....as we all share in the grief of these devestating events of the last few hours and what is happening to our our world! Along with the others I have one of the Arizona Cardinals ...who were this year's NFC representative to share what other's are saying.....thanks for joining us please share what's on your heart " Ya know Our starting quarterback Kurt Warner had warned us all that there would come a day when this type of event would happen" "Kurt said it was like a "catching away or some sorda rapture or something" "I mean almost daily he would tell us about Jesus and dude we admired him and respected him but it wasn't for me or many of my teammates..but I wish I would have listened to him now"
"Well there you have it...LIVE from SPORTS CENTRAL...SUPERBOWL CANCELED"
- STA
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Sarah pulled the covers up tighter around her neck. She didnt want to wake up. Light was streaming in through the window. After locking herself in the night before she had curled up in bed with her roommates bible and her cup of tea and read until she had fallen asleep. Gods Word had penetrated her mind and sunk deep into her heart. She was now a new creation in a crumbling world. As she lay there slowly waking up she could hear the sounds of people down on the streets going about their daily business. She new it must be close to noon and she needed to get up and make a pot of coffee and get ready for work. For her, 12 noon was her morning and normal time to rise, as she worked the 3-11 shift at Memorial Hospital. After last nights disasters, she knew she would be needed today. She lay there remembering the last scripture she had read in the wee hours of the morning before falling asleep. She had put it to memory feeling it was a word she would use often in the coming days. Luke 11:9 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks recieves; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and knelt down. "Lord, thank you for giving me a 2nd chance to know you. I dont know what the coming days will bring into my life, but I pray that you will use me for your glory to touch the lives of the people that are still here. Thank you for saving me. Show me the way Lord. I give my life to you. Amen." As she rose to her feet she felt a warmth envelope her as if she was recieving a hug from the Lord Himself. She would want many of those hugs in the days to come. She laid her uniform across her bed and went to the kitchen to start her pot of coffee. She was humming Amazing Grace as she stepped into a hot shower.
- Renee
CNM NEWSLINE
"It's been just less than 24 hours since the disappearance of millions of citizens world wide put the global community in a state of shock. Reports are coming in literally from around the world confirming the disappearance have truly touched us all" "A strange phenomona has taken place right along side the momentous event....as reports have continued to pour in of gravesides being uprooted and empty. It seems due the large extent of reports there would be no way conceivable to suggest that this wasn't directly correlated"
"As earlier reported countless plane and subway crashes have taken place....interstates and highways are littered with abandoned and no wrecked automobiles.....emergency crews are overwhelmed ...as even the most devestating events of our time fail in comparison as this crisis has not been restricted in scope..it spans the entire the country and across the globe"
at the bottom of the screen names of missing scroll.....Mary(wichita,ks)...kyle(norfolk,Va)....Matt(Tulsa,ok)........Palmer(Detroit,Mi)..........................
"Folllowing up on The Presidents earlier address...we are getting reports from White House spokesman that there is a yet to be determined cause and World Leaders are all maintaining a cohesive belief that this very well could have been an enemy invasion from another world but concrete evidence has substantiated that scenario....stay tuned to CNM as we follow that story"
"Meanwhile...Global Markets have been frozen to allow stabilization...
be sure to expect long lines at gas stations as the commuting of goods will likely be hampered for some time.....already violence has begun spreading as people have rushed to stores to stock up....desperation seems to be a common theme"
This has been CNM ...with a LIVE NEWS REPORT
- STA
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Keyes, Oklahoma
Mikey sat at the counter of his gas station/service station. He hadn't had any customers, as a matter of fact he hadn't seen anybody on his way to work. He had been surfing his favorite web site for quite awhile when he realized it. He minimized his screen in case anybody came in. He walked outside and looked up and down the street. There weren't any cars parked at the bank and nobody was at the little cafe either. "Humph" he grunted. He walked back into the the station. "Runt get in yer closet. I gotta go out fer a little bit."
The girl scrambled to the closet and closed the door behind her. Mikey locked the closet door and walked out of the station and to his pickup. "She's gettin too old. I gotta either sell of trade her." he mumbled to himself. He pulled out on main street and began driving around. Keyes was a small town, and it wasn't unusual to see kids walking to school, or people visiting at the cafe, or the post office. As Mikey drove he didn't see a soul. He turned onto a residential street and began driving up and down each street. He saw Shade Cooper's pickup at Henry Rice's house. Mikey continued to drive around, he didn't see anybody. He drove back to the station, went in and turned on the tv.
What he saw shocked him. All over the news were reports of people vanishing right in from of people. Massive pileups on freeways in cities. Planes had crashed. Trains derailed. Buildings and homes blowing up. Looting and rioting. Hundreds of thousands of people missing. Police officers, firemen, military personel, doctors, nurses, and ALL the babies.
"What?" Mikey shouted. "What do ya mean, All the babies."
As if to answer his question, the reported continued.
"And the children...it seems that all the younger children have gone missing." she said with a sob. "My own nine year old daughter has vanished too." She held up a photo. "If anybody has seen her, please call the station."
The reporter continued to talk but Mikey was horrified by what he had just heard. "ALL the little kids are gone! They can't be, I need a new one!!" He ran to his computer and brought up the screen he had been looking at. He sent an e-mail to the address. Within a few minutes he received an e-mail back.
'We are sorry, but due to the vanishings, we are suffering a lack of young product, we are unable to help you at this time. We do have older product available if you are interested.'
Mikey was furious. He tried several other website's with similar results. He jumped up from the stool and began to pace furiously. "Now what am I gonna do. Runt's too old. I don't like her anymore." he shouted. He picked up a wrench and threw it across the room. It hit the wall and clattered to the floor. He picked up another wrench and threw it as hard as he could. He slipped on the grease covered floor and fell hitting his head on the hydrolic lift. He landed on the floor, blood gushing from the wound to his temple. He tried to get up, but was too dizzy to stand. He dropped to his knees and pressed his hand to the wound. He could feel the blood pulsing against his hand. He began to feel fear. He was in big trouble and the only person who could help him was locked in the closet. He began to feel weak, and was losing consiousness. He could feel himself drifting.
Suddenly he felt a burning heat. It was suffocating. He felt as if little bugs were crawling all over him. He began to scratch and swat at them. He could hear breathing, He tried to see who was there, but it was too dark. He felt something touch his back. It felt like someone had dumped acid on the spot. He heard a grunt right in front of his face. There was a flash of red light and what Mikey saw made him jerk back in horror. He began to scream.
"Please, no. NO!! NOOO!!!"
The creature touched him again on the side of his face and the same burning sensation happened. He screamed in pain. "Please God, I'm sorry!! Please!!" But it was too late. Mikey was already in hell.
- Zags Mikey sat at the counter of his gas station/service station. He hadn't had any customers, as a matter of fact he hadn't seen anybody on his way to work. He had been surfing his favorite web site for quite awhile when he realized it. He minimized his screen in case anybody came in. He walked outside and looked up and down the street. There weren't any cars parked at the bank and nobody was at the little cafe either. "Humph" he grunted. He walked back into the the station. "Runt get in yer closet. I gotta go out fer a little bit."
The girl scrambled to the closet and closed the door behind her. Mikey locked the closet door and walked out of the station and to his pickup. "She's gettin too old. I gotta either sell of trade her." he mumbled to himself. He pulled out on main street and began driving around. Keyes was a small town, and it wasn't unusual to see kids walking to school, or people visiting at the cafe, or the post office. As Mikey drove he didn't see a soul. He turned onto a residential street and began driving up and down each street. He saw Shade Cooper's pickup at Henry Rice's house. Mikey continued to drive around, he didn't see anybody. He drove back to the station, went in and turned on the tv.
What he saw shocked him. All over the news were reports of people vanishing right in from of people. Massive pileups on freeways in cities. Planes had crashed. Trains derailed. Buildings and homes blowing up. Looting and rioting. Hundreds of thousands of people missing. Police officers, firemen, military personel, doctors, nurses, and ALL the babies.
"What?" Mikey shouted. "What do ya mean, All the babies."
As if to answer his question, the reported continued.
"And the children...it seems that all the younger children have gone missing." she said with a sob. "My own nine year old daughter has vanished too." She held up a photo. "If anybody has seen her, please call the station."
The reporter continued to talk but Mikey was horrified by what he had just heard. "ALL the little kids are gone! They can't be, I need a new one!!" He ran to his computer and brought up the screen he had been looking at. He sent an e-mail to the address. Within a few minutes he received an e-mail back.
'We are sorry, but due to the vanishings, we are suffering a lack of young product, we are unable to help you at this time. We do have older product available if you are interested.'
Mikey was furious. He tried several other website's with similar results. He jumped up from the stool and began to pace furiously. "Now what am I gonna do. Runt's too old. I don't like her anymore." he shouted. He picked up a wrench and threw it across the room. It hit the wall and clattered to the floor. He picked up another wrench and threw it as hard as he could. He slipped on the grease covered floor and fell hitting his head on the hydrolic lift. He landed on the floor, blood gushing from the wound to his temple. He tried to get up, but was too dizzy to stand. He dropped to his knees and pressed his hand to the wound. He could feel the blood pulsing against his hand. He began to feel fear. He was in big trouble and the only person who could help him was locked in the closet. He began to feel weak, and was losing consiousness. He could feel himself drifting.
Suddenly he felt a burning heat. It was suffocating. He felt as if little bugs were crawling all over him. He began to scratch and swat at them. He could hear breathing, He tried to see who was there, but it was too dark. He felt something touch his back. It felt like someone had dumped acid on the spot. He heard a grunt right in front of his face. There was a flash of red light and what Mikey saw made him jerk back in horror. He began to scream.
"Please, no. NO!! NOOO!!!"
The creature touched him again on the side of his face and the same burning sensation happened. He screamed in pain. "Please God, I'm sorry!! Please!!" But it was too late. Mikey was already in hell.
Anger was filling his entire being. He had cried until he thought his heart would break. What kind of God would do this to him? He still clutched the cross in his hand. He had fallen asleep with his head resting in the seat of the recliner where his mothers clothes still remained draped. His head aches so bad he can hardly lift it. The two people who meant the most to him were now gone. What would he do without them? He had no wife or kids. Never had time. But his parents were the only ones in this world that he knew loved him and now they were gone. He could feel the anger building in him. THe news channel was still on from the night before and it made his head ache even more. Rising from the floor he picked up the lamp and threw it at the TV. Glass shattered and sparks flew out as it finally was silenced. Feeling somewhat better after releasing his tension he staggered down the hall to the bathroom medicine cabinet to find some aspirin. He felt like he had been on an all night binge. Filling a glass of water he uncapped the lid and popped four into his mouth washing them down. The man in the mirror looked like he aged 15 years from the night before.Walking back to the livingroom he looked out the front window to see that the towtruck driver had delivered his car. The officer had been true to his word. Didnt really matter to Richard though, because today he didnt care about the hospitals needs or his patients. He wasnt going in or calling.
- Renee
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Connor was in tears...
He was sitting on the floor of his parent's living room, his head in his hands.
They had told him so many times before about this, but he didn't listen. Now, he dearly wished he had. All he could do was sit there and cry, his sobs echoing throughout the room. His paren't clothes were sitting on the couch in the living room, right where his parents would normally be sitting themselves.
"mom...dad..." he said between sobs, tears streaming down his cheeks.
He had rode here on his motorcycle after the bike meet, to have dinner with them. He knew that dad would start in again on him with the "get saved' talk, and that mom would look at him with those brown eyes of hers and plead with him. On the way there, he heard over the radio a newscast that hundreds of thousands of people had suddenly vanished, and that mass chaos and panic had ensued.
He had made it to his parent's house in record time.
But still too late.
And now they were gone.. they had told him of this day, and he didn't want to hear it.
He stood up. At 6 foot 1 inch, he had towered over both his mom and dad. They joked that he was going to be a basketball player when he got older, but he never grew those 3 extra inches. He rememberd all the times they had gone on bible retreats together when he was young, and the fun they had...
..until he got into the motorcross, and started hanging around with "the guys"
The memories flooded into his head, which by now was throbbing from the stress and the endless stream of tears
He wanted to live for the moment, instead of being 'stuffed up' with all this bible nonsense. He wanted to feel the wind in his face, without someone trying to "rein him in" constantly. He felt cooped-up and restrained, ready to burst apart at the seams.
Dad was furious when he got his first bike; he had flatly told him "no", but Connor had saved his money and bought a used one off of one of his friends. It was a sweet deal, and he knew it. Until Dad found out, and blew a gasket. The arguement they had was viscious, with his dad yelling and his mom in tears, trying to calm the both of them down.
Dad had yelled "YOU WILL NOT LIVE UNDER MY ROOF AND HAVE THAT BIKE!"
And Conner screamed back "THEN SHOVE YOUR ROOF!"
That was the day Connor moved out of the house. He was 17 years old.
That was five years ago.
Since then, Connor would stop off to occasionally see his Mom, but his Dad said nothing to him. It took a couple of years, and his Mom talking to his Dad to get him to finally admit that he was scared for Connor's safety, and that he didn't want him to move out. But Connor's mind was set.
And since then, Connor had two bikes; his motocross special, and his "donor-cycle' as his dad called it: the "ninja' type one that you leaned forwards to ride.
That was the one he rode here.
Tonight, they were supposed to talk.
As he turned around, he heard the news station that he had turned on.
" More reports are comfirming from all over the world that numbers up into the millions have vanished into thin air, and there is still no word of"
BOOM!
Connor threw his helmet at the tv, smashing out the screen. The shock knocked a few things off the top of it. He wasn't in the mood right now to listen to some empty-headed news reporter start mouthing off...
As he went to retrieve his bike helmet, he saw it on the ground next to his dad's clothes on the couch:
His Bible.
Connor walked over to it and picked up the time-worn book. he recalled how his favorite had always been the King James version: he loved "the poetic way the language flowed', in his own words. As he flipped thorugh the first few pages, he found a folded piece of paper in between the index and the face page.
HE unfolded it; it was a letter. To him.
"Connor,
We tried to raise you as best we could; we loved you and gave you everything we felt you needed. But you had to live life for yourself; we couldn't stop you from doing that.
If you are reading this son, it means that the rapture has hit, and that you are left here without us. There's still hope for you, but not to go into the rapture. I put together printouts from Rapture Ready about all the things you would need to know about the tribulation. I also set aside some money for you, and a few books you would need. it's in the closet in my study, in a black duffel bag. I also left for you my match .45 caliber, and my hunting rifle. USE THEM ONLY AS A LAST RESORT OR FOR HUNTING FOOD! The Lord wins our battles, NOT US.
My notebook is also in the bag as well. Study it completely: between it and the Bible, it will be your only chance. I tried to prepare you as best i could son. Your mother and I love you so very much.
-Dad."
Connor's eyes began anew with the tears. Since the day they argued, Dad had never told him that he loved him. This was a fresh wound, like a knife in his heart. Connor wept buitterly, tears falling onto the sheet of notebook paper. He stuffed the piece of paper back into the bible, but not into the same place.
He fell to his knees, the bible falling from his hands to the floor.
"Oh Lord, what do I do now?" he sobbed, looking up towards the ceiling. He could barely catch his breath. All of this had been like a shot to the stomach. His tall, lanky frame heaved with heach sob that came from him. Right now, he didn't feel 6'1".
He felt lower than dirt.
With that, he fell prostrate onto the varnished wooden floo, his face in his hands. This hurt him more than he could bear. His parents had been right, and he was too blind to se it. He was more interested in hanging out with his motocross buddies, flirting with the girls and drinking beer than doing what he should of.
He had wasted precious time, and that time was now gone.
Then, he heard a voice.
"Repent."
"what?" Connor said in surprise, looking up.
It came again.
"Repent."
Connor had heard it, clear as day. For a moment, he thought that he was going nuts from everything that was happeneing. As he looked around to see if maybe someone was in the house, he noticed his Dad's Bible had fallen open to where he had stuffed the letter.
It was open to the book of John.
As Connor picked up the bible, one in particluar caught his eye:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
It was John 3:16
A flood of verses came into his mind about salvation. he thought he had forgotten them, but the long-forgotten verses seemed to burn anew with renewd life and vitality. Connor got up, and taking his Dad's Bible, he sat down in the easy chair to read the verses.
He thumbed through the Bible, verse after verse, line after line. Eventually, he came to Romans 10:13:
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved"
Connor could take no more.
"Lord, I know I'm a sinner. I rebelled against you and my parents. I did everything they told me NOT to. And now I've been left behind." he said, tears still streaming down his face. "I'm so sorry Lord, for all that I did. Please forgive me. I believe you died for me on the cross Lord, and rose again...."
Connor couldn't utter another word. But then, he didn't need to.
His heart was no longer heavy.
The deadening weight of his parent's disappearance was replaced by a strange feeling...one that he had not known for some time now.
A feeling of...peace.
Then, he heard the voice again:
"You need to listen carefully to ALL that I will tell you. There is little time, so listen to me..."
- Robert
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