chAPTER thirty-two
No one was there to notice the lava slide transport when its pearl doors turned red, parted, and admitted Lester into Abraham’s Bosom. Jayla had fully possessed him. So strong was her demonic presence within Lester that it allowed his physical body to levitate out of the slide and about 13 feet away to a soft touchdown upon the red sandy ground. Jayla’s thoughts were singular. The Mistress of Pain has arrived; leave clues at the home of Moses, the giver of the law; then to Noah’s, the ark builder; return to Gezon, and he will make them all suffer together. Pain, death, despair, there is no hope, only Gezon. The Mistress of Pain has arrived… Her thoughts repeated inside Lester’s head over and over as if stuck in a loop. She moved away from the slide in silence.
The former residences of Moses and Noah were not occupied, but nonetheless they were clean, attended to by the locals as a tribute to the saints of old. It was not much unlike the Graceland Manor of Elvis Presley in Memphis, Tennessee. Beautiful gardens stretched a half-mile in each direction around the home of Moses, and a lake in the shape of a horseshoe surrounded the home of Noah. The properties had visitors all year long. Those wanting a romantic setting with a loved one would often visit the gardens, while those wishing to be refreshed dropped by the lake. These two locals were by far the most popular for the citizens who dwelt in Abraham’s Bosom. Jayla, in Lester’s body, managed to easily navigate the grounds of both estates; she left clues behind that would lead Jasper to lava slide destination point number 21. She wondered if Gezon would make them suffer 21 different ways.
She passed by a few people with a pleasant smile and nod of the head. No one suspected evil because everyone knew that evil could never enter this paradise uninvited, and who would ever extend such an invitation?
Jayla departed the same way she had come and found her way back to Gezon. She attempted to leave Lester’s body but was unable to release herself and grew angry. Lester had enjoyed the power within and didn’t want to give it up willingly. Suddenly Lester rose very slowly into the air about eight feet. His body shook violently in thin air and became a blur. Still he fought to maintain control and keep Jayla locked within him. Jayla’s voice inside his head screamed, RELEASE ME! Lester refused, then he plunged down to the cave floor with a thud, and up into the air he went again, and back down; Jayla repeated this again and again until Lester was knocked unconscious. His body lay still upon the ground.
Gezon pulled out his dagger and gutted him open like a hunter field dresses a fallen deer. The jagged dagger released blood that gushed out onto the ground, and from that pool of blood, a black mist began to swirl upwards. Jayla returned to her demonic form. Jayla stepped away from the lifeless human form that was no longer recognizable as Lester. As Gezon turned to Ned and stared him down, Ned, kneeling in a fearful submission, finally looked up, Jayla stood before him. “You are just as disposable, Ned. If you ever keep me captive your fate will be worse: Gezon will gut you while you are still conscious.”
chAPTER thirty-three
“You have such a look about your face.” Jasper and Stacy had ridden atop Thunder until they came to the edge of the canyon that separated the prison of Hell from the paradise of Abraham’s Bosom. Stacy had her back pressed against Thunder while Jasper stood in front of her, arms extended out, his hands placed to the right and left of Stacy’s shoulders.
“Jasper, tomorrow is Wednesday, and we are still fighting monsters when I should be shopping for my prom dress with Gena. All the good dresses will be taken by the time we get back, if we get back…” Jasper thought it best to just listen, let her vent. “Oh, my last text message before the tumble on the slide” Kevin was putting his own two cents in when I told them we wouldn’t be coming back until this weekend. He thinks we’re having sex, and he is going to tell the whole world on Facebook. Where it may be a badge of honor for a guy, EVERYONE will call me a slut. So, to make matters worse, I stooped to his level, and I asked him why he wasn’t out fondling some farm animals. He laughed at me, then asked if you had put me up to saying that, Jasper. Life troubles are coming at me like a forest fire. I don’t have a fire truck to put this raging inferno out; instead I have a ninety-nine-cent plastic squirt gun that I got off the corner shelf in the drug store, and you know before I even aim straight and pull the trigger it’s going to shoot sideways and backwards and hit me right in the face.” Stacy closed her eyes and shook her head before talking again. “I have a look about my face, you say. Do I look bothered? Look at me…of course I’m bothered, what are YOU going to do to fix this?”
“Nothing, but I can do this.” He leaned in and passionately kissed her. “Does that help at all?”
“Just a little, perhaps another kiss will help out a whole lot more.”
Jasper kissed her long and slow. Stacy just melted, and moments later she was calm and smiling once again. Jasper always knew just what to do in order to restore her peace of mind. “I have a question for you.” Jasper needed to change the subject and refocus on the problems they could deal with in the here and now.
“Ask away, I will do my level best to answer,” Stacy replied in a joyful tone but thought to herself, Please don’t let it be the sex question again. Why did I open my mouth about Kevin? I’m just pouring fuel on the proverbial fire…I must be subconsciously sabotaging myself again.
“Why does Lucifer need a son to complete his plans?” For a brief moment Jasper thought he saw a flash of disappointment go across Stacy’s face, and he wondered for a second if she thought he had asked the wrong question.
Stacy took hold of Jasper’s hand. “In the end days the antichrist shall rise to power and be the perfect mimic of all things messiah. Lucifer needs to fool mankind into believing his son is the chosen one of scripture in order to obtain their free-will worship.”
“Abbadorn says aliens are real. That they illegally enter the physical realm of this world, abducting humans and running experiments on them.”
“Well, I can only imagine they need to find that perfect, 100 percent compatible DNA to bring forth the seed of Lucifer through a female body. No easy task.”
“Abbadorn also told me there are a few good alien races that are involved with the angelic forces trying to prevent these abductions.”
“I’ve never told this story, but my mother said to me once that her twin brother, my Uncle Ben, was abducted.”
“Why didn’t you ever tell me that?”
“Up to now…I guess I had never believed it.”
“What happened?” Jasper asked.
“I can’t remember all the details. It was summer time, he was 16 years old, and he was walking home from the fairgrounds after the Birthday Bash concert. He had taken the trails that lead up behind Dawson Elementary School. He was on the lower “L” playground when a beam of light shot down from over his head and took him up into a spaceship. Mom said they hurt him both mentally and physically. She went so far as to claim they put a tracking device under his scalp. Told him they would come back for him. He was never the same after that encounter; my uncle is a troubled man. All this time I thought he was just crazy, and now it turns out he was telling the truth. No one believed him. How awful, I feel sorry for him. Poor Uncle Ben.”
“Did they come back for him?”
“Not yet.” Stacy was suddenly startled. “Did you hear that?”
A ghostly moan came up from behind them. Thunder was spooked, and he instinctively pushed Jasper and Stacy away from the cliff with the broad side of his back.
“Thunder, we’re safe. Nothing can get to us here. Let me get by you, I want to look down and see what this is.” Jasper’s plea with Thunder was met with an angry snort and swat of Thunder’s tail. “Are you trying to mother me to death? Thunder, I’ll check it out while you keep Stacy safe.” Jasper pushed Stacy to Thunder’s side and made a quick jump to the edge of the cliff. “What is this all about?” Jasper dropped to his belly and looked over again. He peeked back at Stacy and Thunder. “Stacy, come look at this
.” Jasper was a little freaked out. Stacy crawled down beside Jasper and looked over the cliff for herself.
They were watching thousands of ghostly people who were miles downward from the same side of the cliff as they now peered from. They could hear the moaning; it was getting louder and louder. Thunder began to lose his footing as his nerves became rattled by the audible aches of despair.
“It must go down nine miles or more right to the top of the outer core of the planet. Why are there barred windows? How can anyone escape Hell? Where would you go and how would you get there?”
“Jasper, look…that ghost heard you, and he is coming this way.” Stacy hid her face in Jasper’s armpit.
“Stop that. He can’t hurt you, he’s dead.” Jasper spoke to the ghost. “You guys are scaring my girlfriend and my horse, why do you all moan?”
“We suffer in this same moment each and every day as we hope to catch a glimpse of our loved ones as they are paraded past Hell’s windows by their demonic tormentors…but there are so many windows…which one will they pass by…will you be at the right one at the right time?”
“They are passing by right now?” Stacy asked.
“They are indeed. I can’t stay long; this doesn’t last but seven minutes, but it is truly the most draining seven minutes of your life. It leaves you weak and tired, but still, for only such a glimpse and the chance to say we are sorry that we never shared our love with you when you were alive.” The ghost floated away and began to moan again.
“Jasper, why can’t I see anyone passing by the windows?”
“Because it’s a deception. The how, what, and why I’m not sure of, but my angelic insights tell me this is all one big, fat lie. I wonder how many years this has been going on. What could Lucifer possibly gain from all of this? Take a closer look at each ghost. Their life force is being sucked away from them and into the windows and they don’t even realize it.”
“I believe it is called an aura. Every living being has one. Each different color of light means something different and everyone should have different colors. Why do the ghosts all have the same greenish-yellow color?”
“I have no idea.”
“Hell means being removed from the presence of God, so maybe Lucifer receives joy from causing suffering, even after the death of the body, and keeping them separated from God for as long as possible.”
“Perhaps, but I think it is much bigger than just that alone. From what I gather, our enemy likes to plot his evil schemes over years and years of strategic planning, calculating every move like a chess game; time for this pawn to make a move.” Jasper stood up to his full height and moved within inches of the edge of the cliff. He shouted downward slowly, allowing his voice to be carried the whole distance across without echo overlapping. “My name is Jasper Indiana, and I’m 100 percent alive and human. Listen to me, for I speak the truth. The Lord would have me ask you: why do you hope to see someone who is not there? Why do you believe that your loved ones are in that place at all? When you were alive, you made free-will choices that guided the flow of your life. You chose to believe, and whether or not your loved ones made that choice or not cannot be your guilt to carry. Only a fool says there is no God. On earth we awake with the sunrise and go to sleep with the sunset. How does this happen if not for a loving God who causes it to happen each and every day? As a person you need no more proof than that. God lives, and if they chose to ignore that, then it was their own fault, not yours. Listen to my truth and believe me now. Stop moving. Close your eyes. Don’t look for just a moment. Say in your heart, I forgive myself because he forgave me first. Mean it with all your being…Now, open your eyes and look. You have been deceived. There is no parade of loved ones, and there never was. Flee this place and never return, or risk the chance of falling prey to Lucifer once again. The universe calls you home. Return to the source, call upon the Creator and go home.” For a moment all went still and nothing made a sound aside from Jasper’s heart, which he could feel beating hard like it was going to push its way out of his chest. The angel part of him took over and he was amazed at the words that came out of his mouth.
A great gaping hole swept open in the sky above the abyss, parting like a ripple in the center of a pond. Thousands of ghosts went streaking past the top of the cliff, each one of them, in their own way, saying “THANK YOU” to Jasper as they passed. A wind rose up from out of the abyss as they accelerated past. Even Thunder seemed to enjoy the breeze. Jasper and Stacy began to laugh out loud in the pure joy of the moment. On and on, one after another they passed by, the truth had set them free, and now they were crossing into the light to be reunited with their loved ones and with God. It was a beautiful sight.
There was a ruffle of wind and wings from behind them. “Well done, good and faithful one. Your very first victory over the evil one, and it was a momentous triumph. You are fulfilling your destiny.” Abbadorn sat upon Thunder’s back. “However, your celebration will have to wait. We need to return to Teddy’s house. You can eat dinner while I report grave news.” Abbadorn vanished.
“He certainly knows how to crash a party.” Stacy made a Joker face. “Why so serious?”
“Hey now, stop that! It turns me on when you go all ‘Batman’ on me. You need to do that more often.”
“Nice try, but sorry, we have to catch up with our dinner dates. I have news for you, Jasper, you’re a teenage boy, and everything turns you on.” Stacy climbed up to Thunder’s back and held out her hand for Jasper to join her.
“I only have eyes for you, Stacy,” Jasper said as he assumed the position behind her with his arms reaching around her from both sides.
“Good answer.” Stacy kissed Jasper on his cheek. “Ouch…Jasper, you’re pokey, when was the last time you shaved? I don’t think I have ever seen you with a five o’clock shadow. Creepy cow, go home and come to Mama, you are one sexy beast.”
Jasper was absolutely speechless. Thunder, empathically in tune to Jasper’s emotions at every moment, looked back over his shoulder and gave a loud whistle; he then very happily trotted back to Teddy’s home.
chAPTER thirty-four
Tuesday Evening
Teddy and his distant neighbors made accommodations for all the new arrivals. They went out of their way to ensure everyone had a warm plate of food and a place to sit and eat. Teddy allowed the black ops soldiers to eat first. Regardless of his character flaws, Teddy had always been loyal to the military and grateful to the men and women in uniform who served selflessly around the world promoting the greater good.
When all had finished eating and everything was cleaned and put away to Aunt Debbie-Lynne’s nitpicky requirements, Abbadorn assembled them in the backyard. He made them sit down upon the red dirt and green grass. It was cool in a Christmas-color kind of way. Jasper and Stacy sat up front, closest to Abbadorn. They were side by side and were quickly copied by the new couples: Reginald Mop with Tammy Sue Tate and Lance with Aunt Debbie-Lynne; however, at the very back of the assembly, was Sir Lord Bucket who was commandingly sitting high upon Thunder and scratching him behind his ears. Thunder was enjoying the attention so much that his emotions were broadcasting loudly into Jasper, who was not able to stop smiling. Poor Stacy just thought he was glad to be with her. Jasper was grateful she didn’t think to look back at Thunder. It was all Jasper could do to keep his leg from jumping in joy. With his right hand he held down Stacy’s hand against the cool of the grass, and with the other he pressed down hard upon his left leg. Stacy was happy her boyfriend thought so much of her to constantly squeeze her hand.
Abbadorn spoke. “Angels are assigned to offices. Each office is assigned different tasks as set forth by our executive governance. There are many archangels. Raise your hand if you have ever heard of archangel Michael or Gabriel.” Hands went up from every person that was assembled. “For example; The office of archangel Raphael deals with healing, and all the angels assigned to his office wear a green sash with his coat of arms on their garment. In the begi
nning of creation, I was a member of a group of angels lead by the archangel Orion, the angel of miracles and celestial events. We were a joyful group of angels, music to the Father’s ears. We managed events or caused them to happen for the first time, events such as solar eclipses, comets, supernovas, black holes, and even dwarf stars. Wormholes were our playgrounds, and we moved entire planets into positions that would allow them to experience sunrises and sunsets for millennia to come. At the end of the creation time period, mankind came into being and later, the angelic rebellion. The rebellion split our group with Bell, Zeba, Jayla, Janice, Bosch, and Everett joining with me on the side of the Creator, and Gezon, Kadar, and Noreen becoming followers of Lucifer. Gezon became his second-in-command. He killed Everett. But it wasn’t a death that allowed his creation life force to return to the Father, but instead Gezon absorbed Everett into himself, increasing his own strength. There are many missing angels and we do not know if he is the cause, but we believe if he was the cause, he may have done the same to them, making him very dangerously powerful.
Now fast-forward with me to the recent events: Gezon’s attack on Bell and the reawakening of the lava slide transport systems. Somehow, this has triggered a second angelic rebellion-an attack on heaven. Jayla was tempted by Gezon; she has become a fallen angel. Furthermore, as a direct result of leaving her post as one of the gatekeepers, Moses and Noah have been taken. They are two of a handful of individuals who have knowledge of the locations of both portal ships. We must find those ships before Gezon. If he gets to them first, he will use them to produce a surprise attack on the planet of Iconium in an all-out effort to obtain the Trinity Throne. If he sits upon that throne he will hold the power to enslave the wills of the entire angelic race to his dark purposes. Every angel is connected to that throne; all of us gave power to it during its creation and Gezon would be able to bend our will and control us. He could destroy heaven and free Lucifer from his bonds that keep him confined to earth. He must be stopped.
Jasper: Purple Flamingos Fly at Midnight (Jasper - Purple Flamingos Fly at Midnight Book 1) Page 18