The Influence (Supernatural Thriller)

by Matthew John Slick

  ***

  “That’s quite a story,” said Allen. “This Mark fellow must be an important person to the Lord, even as an unbeliever.”

  The pastor smiled, “Well, I’m sure glad he was interested in us when we were unbelievers, aren’t you?”

  Allen returned the smile. “Sure am. He saved us in spite of ourselves.”

  “You got that right,” said Tim.

  There was a knock on the door and a woman stuck her head in. “Pastor Tim? Is everything okay?” It was Fran, one of the members of the prayer team. She was a great prayer warrior and oversaw the women’s ministry. She slipped in further.

  “Yes, everything’s fine.”

  “Pastor?” she said in a tone that told him she wanted to say something.

  “Yes?”

  She looked at Allen. “After you called me this morning I called others on the prayer chain and told them what you had said, about the dream. Well…” she paused. “Three other people said they had the same dream about you. All three said they dreamed that there were three holes in your chest with a light shining through them on the Bible.”

  Tim was shaken. He didn’t like admitting it to himself and he didn’t want them to know, but he felt fear. He deliberately tried to speak calmly.

  “It looks like the Lord is going to do something today. Let’s trust him as we find out together what it is.”

  Fran looked at Tim with a combination of sympathy, love, and concern. He noticed it, and even though he knew she meant well, her expression caused him more unease. He got out of his chair, approached her, and placed his hands gently on her shoulders.

  “Why don’t you two go on out there and fill in the rest of the prayer team. I’ll stay in my office and pray through the worship. When it’s time for me to preach, I’ll come on out. Oh, and when you see John Creed and his daughter, Kathy, could you please have them sit in the front row?”

  Pastor Tim was always with the congregation during the song service. He sat near the front so everyone could see him. They would, of course, be curious to know why he wasn’t in his usual spot but, considering the circumstances, both Allen and Fran nodded.

  “Sure,” said Allen. “We’ll let everybody know.” He got up and politely escorted Fran out of the office and closed the door. Tim looked around. In the corner was a fishing pole. “Fishers of men,” he said to himself, bowing his head.

  “Lord Jesus,” he said, “I do not know what you have in store for this morning. But I will trust you and I ask that you give your servant the words to speak without fear, without compromise, and with power. I confess that I’m afraid and I ask that you forgive me for that fear. But, in the name of your Son, I ask that you send forth your servant to speak your word without compromise. Give me the grace to hear you and to do your will.”

  He fell silent for a moment, then reached over for his Bible and turned to Psalm 23, the page that he had accidentally ripped from the binding. It was tucked back in place. He read it carefully and felt the renewing and strengthening comfort of its words. He then bowed his head again and continued to pray.

  ***

  The angels had gathered in the air just to the east of the church at a safe distance from the demons circling above it. There were more of them than there were angels, so, for now, the vile creatures dominated the area.

  The demons seemed to be everywhere—some were standing on nearby buildings, the rest were flying. They had their instructions: be ready, and stand guard. One demon tucked in its wings and slowly descended onto the roof of the church. Another followed, then another. Like grotesque birds, they perched, peering down through the wooden shingles into the sanctuary. Six demons in total gathered, the first one opening its wings, falling down into the sanctuary, followed by the other five. Above them, the rest of the demonic horde waited.

  The six creatures in the church had a special talent. They were able to mingle with the people during the worship service, speaking hatred and fear into their minds. One large and muscular demon, Grat, slowly flew down the center aisle above the heads of the people. Its job was to enter the pulpit area and disrupt the pastor as he preached. The other demons would likewise speak evil to the members of the congregation, trying to influence any susceptible person. But for now, until they were called into action, they slowly surveyed the gathering congregation and waited. They knew that Paraptome possessed a man and that this man was on its way to kill the pastor. Their job would be to prevent any angelic intervention, disrupt the service, and prevent further prayer.

  The crowd increased as more people entered the sanctuary. In the confines of this church, the demons would need to avoid getting too close to the people. Since Christians were indwelt by God, it meant that demons could not pass through or enter them and the resulting collision was extremely uncomfortable. So, like bugs, they climbed the walls and studied their enemies from afar.

  The demons crawled along the walls and roof of the sanctuary like huge, monstrous insects, scurrying back and forth. However, when the congregation began to sing in worship to God, the demons would not be able to stay. They would fly out of the church to join the circling horde above, only to return once the worship had stopped. Grat was one of the few demons who possessed the ability to work in a congregation during its time of worship. This horned creature with its leathery wings and three claws at the end of its hands was incredibly skilled at deception and fear.

  ***

  Across the street, a tan Ford drove slowly by. Leech examined the area. He turned left at an intersection and circled the block, looking for the best place to park.

  Above him creatures circled, two descending onto the car’s roof. They knew that Paraptome had arrived and that this human fool would soon kill the pastor. They let their wings fill with air as they were pulled along by the vehicle. One of them stuck its head down through the roof to get a look at Leech. Inside the man, Paraptome sensed the demon’s presence, quickly reached its hand outside of Leech, and grabbed the demon by the throat. Caught completely off guard, the creature flapped its wings frantically, and gripped the powerful hand that held it at bay. Paraptome squeezed lightly and let it go. Immediately it retreated back into the sky, coughing, humiliated. The other demon likewise withdrew lest it receive the same treatment.

  Leech felt an unexpected surge of anger as he finally found a place to park. “There,” said Leech. He spotted a place in an alley behind the church. It took only a moment to turn the car around and back it in, positioning it for a fast getaway. It was more or less hidden, but close to the church. The only problem was a six-foot high chain-link fence between the church property and the alley. Being agile and quick, Leech figured he could scale it easily.

  One last check of the surroundings and he was satisfied. He reached down under the dashboard, where two wires were twisted together. He pulled them apart and the car instantly stopped running. He got out, took the handgun from under his seat, and tucked the weapon in his pants, making sure his shirt covered it.

  He looked around and listened: the only sound and movement were those of an occasional passing car on the street. He got out and started walking, glancing in different directions, his paranoia in full swing. He planned to case the church one time and come back to the car. He did not want to be seen any more than was necessary. All he would have to do was to wait for the right moment, enter the front doors, put on his ski mask, walk down the center aisle of the church, and shoot the pastor. He knew that the exit door would be easily accessible and that, in the mayhem that was sure to follow the shooting, no one would know who he was. He would escape via the side door, scale the fence, get to the car, and make his escape. When he dumped the car, he’d wipe down the steering wheel, the wires, and the dashboard and he’d be set. It would all be so easy.

  Paraptome smiled.

  Leech did, too.

  ***

  “I don’t know why, but I feel as though today is going to be a special day.” John was smiling as he looked at Kathy. She was d
riving and hadn’t been saying much. She was thinking about Mark, what the TV preacher had said, Pastor Tim’s comments, and that frightful vision—or whatever it was—from the other night. Everything was a jumble of disparate experiences that all seemed to be related somehow.

  “Hello? Earth to Kathy.”

  She broke from her thoughts and turned to her father. “Sorry, Dad. I’m just thinking about everything…and I’m missing Mark too.”

  John empathized automatically. “Why don’t you just drop me off at church and go on home to Mark? I can find someone to drive me back to my place. Really, it would be no problem.”

  She put her hand on her dad’s hand. “Thanks, Dad, but I need to make sure you’re okay. I see you hiding the pain. You’re not fooling me. You still need me.”

  “I always need you. My heart is always with you.” He was looking straight into her eyes.

  She took in his loving gaze.

  “I’ve just been thinking about everything, you know?” she said. “Last night after you went to bed, I listened to a TV preacher. Now, don’t get your hopes up, but what he said really stuck with me. Normally I wouldn’t have considered it at all, but there was something about it. And with all the weird stuff going on, I figured that maybe God is trying to tell me something.” She looked at her father, expecting him to start praising God.

  John, knowing that this was an important breakthrough, chose to remain silent rather than be overly zealous. Instead, he said, “I’m glad.” Then he prayed silently: Lord, please give me the words.

  He hoped that some answer, some appropriate comment would fill his mind. But nothing came. So he said nothing. He just squeezed her hand gently.

  “I didn’t expect you to be speechless,” she said.

  “Me, either,” responded John with a smile. “I wish I had something profound to say, but I don’t.”

  “That surprises me.” Her tone was full of friendly teasing.

  “Well,” he said. “I have to agree with you that the past few days have been very strange.” He looked at her, considering the weight of what he wanted to say. “I have a feeling that something important is going to happen. I don’t know what it is. I just have this feeling.”

  Kathy looked at her father. “Yeah, I get the same feeling.”

  ***

  People were in the church, milling about, catching up on the latest news of the week and, of course, talking about the pastor and the dream. The place was almost full fifteen minutes before the scheduled start of the service.

  Normally, Tim would sit with the congregation during the entire service, but this time he would wait until after the singing was done before coming out of his office. He needed time alone, time to prepare and reflect, time to pray. So, for now, he listened to the muffled voices of almost two hundred people as they echoed down the hallway. He sat alone, thinking, trying to calm himself; yet he was eager to speak. Was his ministry on earth coming to an end? Was the dream a precursor to something bad or something good?

  He did not like being afraid, so he prayed a simple prayer out loud. “Lord, into your hands I commit my life, my soul, my will. I trust you, no matter what.”

  Ramah stood beside him.

  Tim sat at his desk, silently praying the same prayer. As he repeated it, a gentle peace began to fill his heart. He knew the Lord was with him.

  Finally, the song service ended. It was time. He entered through the sanctuary doors and walked down the center aisle. Everyone was standing and his presence brought the congregation to a quick silence. It seemed an unusually long walk. Upon reaching the pulpit, Tim tapped on his lapel mike and after hearing the reassuring thump thump through the speakers, he surveyed the congregation. Every eye was on him. He saw John in the front row with his daughter, Kathy. He smiled and nodded to them.

  A man in a ski mask entered the back of the church. The pastor did not notice him because he was so accustomed to people moving around.

  Tim addressed the congregation. “We’re glad to announce that John Creed is back from the hospital.” He nodded to John who smiled. “In fact, his daughter is here taking care of him.” He smiled at Kathy.

  “John, if you don’t mind, could you introduce your daughter?”

  Kathy immediately felt embarrassed.

  Leech reached under his shirt for the gun.

  John stood up and gently nudged Kathy, who reluctantly rose to her feet.

  The gunman approached.

  John turned to face the congregation. As he began to introduce Kathy, he saw the man in the ski mask walking down the center aisle. Then, unbelievably, he saw a gun. Pastor Tim had already started to come down from the pulpit. There were murmurs in the back part of the congregation.

  Someone yelled, “He’s got a gun!”

  Instinctively, John stepped out into the aisle to shield his daughter. Kathy saw Leech. By now, the pastor was down in the aisle, trying to get out in front of them both. John, oblivious to the pastor’s intention, remained steadfast, with one arm pushing Kathy behind him and the other firmly planted on a pew. Closing fast, Leech raised the gun, nerves strained, adrenaline pumping, the gun shaking in his hand. John and Kathy were in the way and, in the panic of the moment, he fired a shot into Kathy. A second shot rang out, hitting John in the chest. Both collapsed on the ground. The reverberating echo of the gunfire caused pandemonium in the congregation. Screams and a cacophony of noises filled the sanctuary as people scrambled for safety.

  Leech raised the gun, firing once more. A bullet hit the pastor square in the chest. He instantly dropped and joined John and Kathy on the ground. Without mercy, Leech stepped closer to him and fired two more shots into Tim’s body.

  People were screaming. It was chaos. Some were running and others were ducking under the pews. Leech turned and ran out the side door.

  Inside, Kathy, John, and Pastor Tim all lay bleeding on the floor. Kathy was coughing up blood. John was motionless…

  …something was ringing. There it was again…and again.

  Leech was running as fast as he could.

  …ringing again, and again.

  Mark opened his eyes, sat up, and gasped for air. “No!” he screamed out. The image of Kathy on the floor had wrenched his mind and heart into agony. The phone rang again. It scared him. It rang again, forcing him to wake up.

  It was all a dream!

  The phone rang again. He looked at it, then at the clock. It was 8:20. The service hadn’t begun yet. They weren’t dead. It was a dream. Immense relief washed over him, even though he could still taste the anguish. His heart was still pounding hard.

  The phone rang once more.

  He had dreamt it all. Relief! “It was a dream,” he said aloud.

  The ringing was his cell phone. He shook his head to clear his mind. Where was the cell phone? It rang again. The bathroom. It was in the bathroom. He jumped up and hurried to retrieve it. He flipped it open. “Hello?” Nothing. The line was dead. He could see from the display that it was Kathy. She had called twice.

  Mark looked in the mirror and was angry at having fallen asleep. “Idiot,” he said to himself sternly. “Idiot!” He looked back at the cell phone. Should he call her back or not? No, he thought, don’t call her back. He’d see her at church.

  He bolted out of the bathroom and was startled by the unexpected figure standing in his room.

  “Mark,” said the figure.

  It took a moment for him to regain his composure. “Sotare? What are you doing here?”

  “I came to ask you a question.”

  Stunned, Mark stared at the angel. His hands were shaking, his heart still pounding.

  “What is true love?” Sotare stared at Mark for a moment and then smiled. “I envy you,” said Sotare as he disappeared.

  Mark stood in the room, dumbfounded. Why had Sotare appeared just to ask that question? And why did he say he envied him? Couldn’t he have said it in the car? Why was he instructed to go to a motel room? Was it so he could fall asleep and ha
ve Sotare mysteriously appear and pose yet another cryptic question before going away again? He knew it had to be important. Frustrated, he forced himself to think about it for a few seconds. Did it have anything to do with the dream, with Kathy, with…? Then in a flash, Mark thought he knew what the answer was.

  He grabbed his bag, threw all his stuff in it, and headed out the door. The church, fortunately, was close by.

  Chapter 12

  THE SERVICE STARTED JUST a few minutes late. As soon as the congregation began to sing, all of the demons fled, except Grat. It hovered above the people, moving and weaving among them until it approached the front of the church where the pianist was playing. It leaned over towards the woman and spoke, “You are going to die.” The pianist missed a single note. Then Grat swiftly moved to the guitarist and said the same thing. He seemed unaffected so Grat leaned closer and yelled, “Murder.” The man’s concentration was broken. He, too, missed a note. The communion of worship was weakened, if only just a bit. Grat moved to the drummer and, within moments, he missed a beat. The subtle missed notes were picked up by members of the congregation. A few people noticed it enough to lose just a bit of focus. Grat had been watching them to see which ones showed any signs of receptivity to its craft. With a quick eye and a quicker movement, it slid into the congregation among the people who seemed to be vulnerable. It spoke loudly into the ear of a woman, “You will die horribly,” then to a man, “Your wife is committing adultery.” To a grandmother it whispered, “You have cancer.” And to a pair of newlyweds it said, “Lust, hatred, evil.” They both stopped singing for a short while.