“Stacy.” said Jasper as his voice wavered and cracked like he was stuck in some awful stage of puberty.
Stacy looked over her shoulder and saw a pale-looking Jasper standing before her. “Are you ill? What are you doing in the library? You don't like to read books.”
“Stacy, there is something I need to help you, ask your permission you, I mean to say...”
“Hey there, Jasper, how are you?” Gena walked past him and whispered in his ear, “Breathe, you idiot, and don't screw this up; she’ll remember this moment for the rest of her life, but hey, no pressure.” She patted Jasper on his shoulder then smacked him across the face before she glanced back at Stacy. “I'll just be by the door talking to my prom date.” Gena winked at Stacy.
Stacy suddenly realized what this moment was and she stiffened like a statue. Her eyes went wide and crazy.
Gena moved away, smiling like she had just sucked helium from a balloon. She dashed away to stand where her own prom date was watching and turned on a dime, leaning into Kevin Hoffman's chest. “My, my, my, from my mouth to your ears, Jasper looks like he’s going to fall over dead.”
Kevin reached both arms around Gena and used one of Jasper's favorite rants, “Possum!” Gena and Kevin both threw their hands in the air and froze their faces in a contortion of pain as if just hit by a car.
Jasper took hold of Stacy's hands. He took a deep breath. “Stacy, would you be my date to the prom?"
There is no talking allowed in the school library. Use your library voice only reads the sign on the entrance. The school library has always served the student body by providing tools to aid in the completion of classroom assignments in a silent and studious atmosphere. The school librarian, therefore, has always been looked on by the students not as a professional using his or her skills to help them, but just another adult applying rule of discussions upon the masses. A pencil pusher with no sense of humor. So when Stacy enthusiastically said yes then screamed out in joy, a rush of pure excitement swept over the rest of the kids with some shouting, “Kiss her, Jasper!” and the school librarian was fit to be tied. “Get out of the library!” she shouted. “Everyone get to class!”
Seven-thirty A.M. the bell tones rang as a warning that homeroom period started in ten minutes. The library emptied out with the kids cheering for Jasper and Stacy. Prom time was on the minds of everyone. The couples, Jasper with Stacy and Kevin with Gena, walked to their homeroom. Besides music and lunch, it was the only class they shared together. In this moment of walking hand in hand, Jasper stole a silent glance at his three closest friends. This feels perfect, thought Jasper. Stacy and Gena rapidly discussed prom dresses, shoes, hair, and their dire need to have their nails airbrushed. Jasper and Kevin rolled their eyes and then shared a quick knuckle bump.
Homeroom teacher Ms. Tammy Sue Tate stood in the hall just outside her classroom encouraging the students to come in and find their seats. Homeroom # 597 was their local civics class. Students were challenged to learn everything about their local government. They were also instructed in county history and elements that related to the rest of the state and country. The door closed as the zero hour tones chimed. Jasper's desk was behind Kevin's and to the right of Stacy's. Gena sat in front of Stacy and to Kevin's left, making a perfect square. Ms. Tate recorded attendance and began her class.
“This weekend in Allegan will be the grand celebration and reopening of the city's 1886 old iron bridge. This one lane structure crosses the Kalamazoo River in downtown Allegan. It has been closed for repairs for many years, but I'm betting most of you have gone over it a time or two riding in the backseat of your parents’ car. The bridge is an icon and the pride and joy of the city. It is one of a kind, just like the name of our city. Did you know that there is only one city named Allegan in all of the United States?”
No reply from the students. Ms. Tate continued. “Class, the celebration this weekend will also pay tribute to Allegan's own Civil War hero General Pritchard. Tours of his historic home and property will be this Saturday from 10:00 A.M. – 2:00P.M. As you remember from our studies last week, President Lincoln ordered the capture of the southern government, and it was General Benjamin D. Pritchard, then captain with the 4th Michigan Cavalry, Company L, who bagged the president of the Confederate States in drag. That's right, drag. Then-President Jefferson Davis was attempting to escape capture with his wife, running away in a woman's cloak and shawl.”
The classroom snickered at this. Ms. Tate walked around to the front of her desk on the far side of the classroom. In her class the students’ desks all faced the front. There is a large dry erase board, various cork boards, and television screens all displaying classroom information. Ms. Tate was known as the teacher that put “fun” back into learning. “All right then, Captain Pritchard saw something very out of the ordinary that day and galloped over to investigate. He wasn't afraid of the unknown. I believe back then women were more independent and strong. They didn't do things in groups so much as they do today. So when two women were spotted rapidly moving away from the approaching troopers, it was suspicious enough for the captain to move into action. President Davis' apprehension was on May 10, 1865, better known to us as spring break.” The classroom cheered.
Ms. Tate continued, but not everyone was paying attention. Jasper stared at Stacy’s side profile. The sunlight shined through the window upon her and he began to romantically daydream. There she stood, five feet from his bed looking down at him. The white-hot sunlight was burning all around her, covering her like a cloth. The sunlight dimmed, and as it disappeared, Stacy's skin was revealed inch by inch. Naked, she approached his bed. Moving slowly but coming closer, and closer, and closer still…“What is the answer to the question, Jasper?” snapped Ms. Tate.
“Ah…Ms. Tate, I think I need a hall pass. I'll be back in just a second.” Jasper stood to leave the classroom but then sat back down abruptly. Kevin had been watching the exchange and was now laughing uncontrollably. Jasper, with his daydreaming, seemed to have stirred his manhood into an erection and now had quite the pup tent in his sweatpants. A whole new wave of embarrassment washed over Jasper as Stacy watched his cheeks flush red and gave him a little smile, a knowing smile; for she knew she was the cause of Jasper's arousal. Jasper stood up again, but this time he held his textbook down in front of him. Stacy lost her smile as the rest of the class began to take audible gasps of air. It had become painfully obvious to the whole classroom as why Jasper needed a restroom break.
“Going for an extended stay, Jasper?” Ms. Tate commented as she looked at his oddly-positioned textbook.
Kevin cleared his throat. “Oh, excuse me, Ms. Tate, but Jasper is a serious student who needs to pound down his studies,” Kevin said, sneering over with a sassy look to Gena as the classroom erupted into a roar of laughter.
“You calm down!” Jasper said to Kevin as he forced his way to the front of the class toward the door.
Kevin stuck his leg out to stop Jasper in motion. “What's under that book in your lap, Jasper?” The classroom continued to laugh.
“Oh, come on, Kevin, knock it...”
Kevin spoke over the top of him, “Jasper, I'm not going to the men’s room with you. How many times do I need to tell you masturbation isn't a team sport?”
With that Jasper dropped his textbook and flipped Kevin’s desk over throwing Kevin onto the floor. Jasper rushed out of the classroom. Ms. Tate walked over to check on the well-being of her sprawling student.
Stacy got out of her seat and leaned over Kevin, saying, “You're a pig.” She walked out of the classroom. Kevin stood up and returned his desk to the upright position.
“The way you crawled up from the bottom is absolutely charming, Kevin.” Gena gestured to the rest of the classroom. “You know all about those non-team sports, don't you, baby…like when you run around your house wearing your mother's fuzzy-wuzzy bunny slippers.” Gena blew Kevin a kiss as the class laughed at this new piece of unmanly information.
> Kevin sank into his chair with his head down. Now it was his turn to be embarrassed.
Jasper sped down the hallway. He passed some students he shared classes with and tried to make some nonchalant comments. He passed Gus from 4th hour. “Good luck, Gus, at the swim meet, Tiger Sharks are off the hook.”
Gus said nothing in return. He completely stopped and stared at Jasper, who was still dashing through the hall.
Jasper passed Hila Onkin, a foreign exchange student from 5th hour. “Hi, Hila, how’s Kitty the bunny doing?”
Hila began to respond to the question, but Jasper had already rounded the corner.
Jasper entered the men’s room at the far end of the school near the athletic trainer’s office. He hustled to the sink and placed his hands under the faucet. Water filled his cupped hands. He brought the water to his face, splashing himself with his eyes closed; of all the sleazy things to say in front of Stacy. Jasper struck his fist down upon the countertop. “Just shoot me!” Jasper shouted.
“Murder, now that thought has occurred to us, Mr. Indiana.”
“What?” A chill ran down Jasper's back as he quickly wiped the dripping water from his eyes.
“Get him!” the voice said.
Jasper attempted to turn around to identify the person talking to him but was yanked into the air only to be slammed to the floor. A sucker punch to his gut was followed by hands digging into his pockets.
“Where is it, Jasper? Tell me where it is!”
Jasper couldn't breathe. All the air had rushed out of his lungs, and he fought to get it back.
“Where is it?”
“I don't have any lunch money on me,” Jasper said in almost a whisper. He opened his eyes as one set of hands began to clutch his throat while the other held his shoulders pinned to the ground. “Lester and Ned, this is a new low even for you two bullies. Do you always hide out in bathrooms waiting to pounce on the unsuspecting...how brave of you.” Jasper struggled to get off the floor but was unable to move the boys off of him. Lester continued to clutch Jasper's throat, choking the air from his body. He moved his knees up onto Jasper's chest and pushed straight down.
Jasper gasped out in agony through clenched teeth, “God, that hurts!”
Lester looked Jasper square in the face. Lester's eyes began to shift, and they turned from green to jet black. Jasper was overtaken by fear. His body stopped fighting and went limp. “Not God. He's not here, Jasper.” Jasper passed out and for the second time in one day Jasper was unconscious…possum.
A short time later Jasper had managed to stumble to his locker down the hallway. He opened his locker door but no longer had the energy to stand. He sat down on the floor, leaning on the locker next to his, he closed his eyes and wished for the pain in his gut to go away. At the end of zero hour the hallway filled with students changing classes. Stacy found him.
“What happened here? Did you slip and fall, you silly goose?”
“I'm okay, they choked me.” Jasper tried to stand, but his legs wouldn't work. Stacy leaned over him. “You might be a little dizzy. Give it a second and let your lungs fill back up with air…who did this…someone is going to be in big trouble!”
“It was Lester and Ned, our friendly neighborhood schoolyard stalkers. I think they wanted lunch money, but something weird happened. Lester was two inches in front of my face, and I swear his eyes turned black.”
“It was just a lack of oxygen to the brain, Jasper. It made you see something that wasn't really there. I can't believe he choked you. He left marks around the base of your neck. We need to report this, now.”
“No, Stacy, what I need to do is go home and change my clothes. This is the second time today I've been unconscious, and I’m a dirty mess. Lester and Ned can be taught a lesson after I get some clean clothes.” Jasper raised his voice. “I can't believe they jumped me from behind, those cowards!”
“I'm parked by the pool entrance. Are you okay to walk?”
Jasper nodded and gave Stacy a half-hearted smile. “I don't know what goes on behind Lester's eyes, but I'm betting it has something to do with bunny rabbits and machine guns.” Stacy laughed, leaving Jasper relieved that he had put her at ease, but he felt anything but at ease. The proverbial hair on the back of his neck was standing straight up. They walked out of the school and got into her car. As they drove away, Jasper couldn't help but look over his shoulder. He had a sick feeling in his gut that was accompanied by a tremor that swept over his whole body. This feels wrong. Someone is watching me.
They drove to Jasper's home in awkward silence. Neither Jasper nor Stacy could find the right words to begin a conversation. It was a good thing he only lived 12 minutes outside of town. Jasper felt anxious, and he wondered if whatever he had found at the river had something to do with Lester and Ned. And what about Lester's eyes? What's the connection?
“Stacy, why don't you just drop me off. I'll ride back with my aunt. She is going to want to be involved in this at any rate.” Jasper rolled his window down, trying to appear normal. “Pull up to the mailbox first and I'll check to see if the mail came.”
Stacy pulled the car up slowly. “Am I close enough?”
“Yes, that is perfect. Nothing yet.” With a flip of his hand, Jasper closed the door of the mailbox. “Just pull in by Thunder's barn; I need to see him for a second before I go in the house.”
“Just as well, Jasper. I have a test, and the day was already screwed up by the fog delay.” Stacy stopped the car. “Come here, boy, and give me a kiss.”
Jasper leaned in and kissed Stacy goodbye. “I love you. See you in a bit. I'll text you when I get back to school.” Jasper closed the door and walked toward the barn. Stacy put the car in reverse and gave a wave over her shoulder. Jasper waved back and walked into the barn. He called out to Thunder.
“Thunder, I'm back.” Jasper walked into the stall. Thunder was standing facing the outer wall. “I told you I would be...” Jasper stopped mid-sentence. Thunder's saddle had melted in to a puddle of smoldering rubberized plastic across the wooden railing. “What the heck is going on? Thunder, you okay?” Jasper moved around toward Thunder's front. Jasper wasn't sure what he saw first, the yellowish-green glowing light or the figure standing in the glowing light.
A soft voice spoke out from the light, “Your friend Thunder is fine. Hello, Jasper. My name is Bell. I am an angel, sent from God to warn you and help you.” Bell looked ill, and her glow faded in and out like someone playing with a dimmer switch on a chandelier. She leaned onto Thunder's brow. He held her upright with little effort. Her blond hair curled out of place at shoulder-length, and all around her the white garment she wore was torn with jagged cuts. Her hands looked bruised and red as if they had been beaten with a hammer. She could barely stand.
“An angel sent by God to help me. You're the one who needs the help.” Jasper grabbed Thunder by his neck and pulled him around. “Come here, buddy, are you okay, did she hurt you?” Jasper continued to pull Thunder to the other side of the stall away from Bell.
“Jasper,” she said in a whisper. “I have escaped from a demon named Gezon. I have arrived a full year early because the other side no longer wishes to play by the truce that was agreed upon. A truce that guaranteed you a childhood.” Bell took a deep breath.
“A demon named Gezon, really? You show up out of nowhere and want me to believe in demons, angels, and let me guess, Santa Claus!” Jasper's anger began to boil over.
“I have little time to explain, so this will have to do, Jasper.” Bell reached out her hands. They stretched away from her, grabbing hold of Jasper's head. Her extended hands pulled him off his feet and held him off the ground directly over Thunder's right shoulder. Thunder backed away. “This will sting a little, Jasper. Take my vital memories and learn from them.” Bell pushed out a giant breath of air, and as she did, a blue beam of light streamed down from her head and across her arms, through her hands going into Jasper’s head. His body shook from the jolt, and flashes of memories
downloaded into Jasper's brain. His eyes slammed shut. “Ahhhhhh!” he screamed and tried to pull Bell's hands away from the sides of his head with little success. Images of a young angel named Bell in a classroom flooded Jasper's mind. Jasper became still. His body no longer struggled against the flow of information pouring into him. There was an instructor before this classroom of angels. She was speaking to the class. Her name tag read Tessa.
“When you leave today for your assignments remember this warning.” The instructor paused and looked directly at Bell and the two angels at her side. “Are you listening to me, Moni, Andy, and Bell?” The angels nodded in compliance.
The instructor, satisfied that she had their attention, continued. “You can depart heaven any way you like, but the Holy Spirit will only permit entry through one of the 12 gates of heaven. Use the gates or you will be destroyed. Finally, class, it has been a privilege to be your instructor. The universe is a big place and can never be viewed as a waste of space. Out of the countless solar systems you have been chosen for Earth. I will tell you this-the Lord has brilliantly created life throughout the universe. Human beings looked up at the night sky and wondered why? Why are there over 333 billion known galaxies and hundreds of millions of stars in each one? This is the sadness of the human condition, and they are disadvantaged. Earth is not flat, nor is it the center of the universe, but it is the front line in an ancient war. The unseen, fallen angels we call demons, are trying to make extinct the seen, humankind. Planet Earth is the only place where our Lord created a group of beings in his own image; creations with a soul and a spirit; a life after physical death. This has happened nowhere else. That makes humanity special but also makes them targets. A conflict of galactic proportions has spilled out across the stars, and we are the police. Many of the Lord's angels believe those actions of his to be just a little unfair. After all, they were created first, and humans were created last. Who is the real masterpiece? That remains to be seen. But most importantly remember this, babies, the Lord made millions of earth-like worlds. Each world resides in the perfect harmonious mixture of the physical and spiritual realms. Earth is the only place where created life is blocked from seeing past the veil of the physical. You are being placed on earth to keep humanity safe, and to bring them the message of love from the divine. This is a fight that is all-consuming in an attempt to keep separate the divine from the natural. It is a supernatural, unrelenting struggle between good and evil, and while most humans believe they are alone, we know the truth. They are not alone. Remember one rule most of all…we are forbidden to interfere with the free will of humans no matter what harm they cause themselves or others. For the Lord created all and gave his creation the free will to choose.”
Jasper: Purple Flamingos Fly at Midnight (Jasper - Purple Flamingos Fly at Midnight Book 1) Page 2