Invisible Terror Collection
Page 27
Ryan cried out, clawing at the air frantically, trying to keep his balance. Becka tried to grab his arm, but the other edge of the sheet shot up, catching her in the jaw. Her head snapped back, and she fell to the floor as Ryan dropped through the opening and out of sight. Philip heard his cry, then the sickening thud of his body hitting the second-story floor. Then nothing at all.
“Ryan?” he called. “Are you okay?”
No answer.
He rose and hobbled to the edge of the plywood, where he peered down into the darkness. He couldn’t see a thing. “Ry?”
“My ankle … ,” came the faint reply. “I think it’s broken.” Before he could respond, Philip heard faint movement beside him. He turned to see Becka stirring.
“Beck, you all right?”
Before she could answer, Philip heard another sound.
Little feet. And claws and nails and talons. Scurrying across plywood.
He spun around.
The creatures were coming directly at them! He struggled to his feet. “Becka, look out!”
She was too dazed to move, but she didn’t have to worry. The creatures weren’t interested in Becka. They were coming at him!
He stepped back, fighting the panic that screamed in his head. He forced all his logic, all his intellect, to the fore. It was okay. He’d seen and heard everything Ryan and Becka had done.
Their faith, the power in the way they spoke. He could do that.
He glanced over at Krissi, who now lay motionless.
He had to do it.
Grim resolve filled him again as he looked again at the creatures approaching him. He cleared his throat and, in his most commanding voice, shouted, “I, Philip Andrews, command you — ”
“No … ,” Becka mumbled, shaking her head.
“It’s okay,” he answered. “I know what I’m doing.” Directing his attention back to the creatures, he shouted, “I command you to stop!”
But they didn’t. They were a dozen feet away and closing in fast.
“Stop, I said. I command you to stop!”
They gave no response except for a faint twittering — which sounded suspiciously like laughter.
“Philip,” Becka muttered. “You can’t — you don’t have the authority.”
“Stay back!” Philip shouted at them. “I command it!” Nothing worked. They surrounded him, snapping and clawing at his feet. He tried a different tact. “In the name of Jesus Christ, I command — ”
But he never finished. The first one leaped onto his leg.
Another followed. He tried to kick them off, but their claws dug deep through his pants and into his calves.
“Augh!” he screamed.
Other creatures joined in, scurrying up his legs and grabbing hold of his waist.
“Beck!” he screamed, fighting and trying to slap them off.
“Help me!”
Becka tried to sit up but couldn’t. “Stop … ,” she choked. But it was unclear whether she was speaking to the creatures or to Philip.
“Beck!”
The frenzied mob had reached his chest, scurrying around and around, pulling themselves onto his shoulders, lashing at his face. Philip staggered. Their paws and talons blocked his vision.
He tripped once, twice, then fell to the floor. They swarmed over him relentlessly, tearing at him.
“Help me! Somebody!”
Then another voice spoke out. “In the power and authority of Jesus Christ, I command you to stop!” The creatures froze.
“Now!”
In a flash, they leaped off Philip and raced for the shadows.
At first Philip didn’t recognize the voice, but as he rose to his knees and looked toward the steps, he saw Becka’s little brother, Scott.
“Scotty …” Becka struggled to sit up.
He rushed over to her. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, rubbing her head. “What about you?” He shrugged. “I — I guess I got a little carried away with that game thing.”
“A little?! But you’re okay?”
He nodded. “It’s not every day you get trashed by a ghoul of the fifteenth degree, but I’m all right now.” A groan from below interrupted them.
Concern flooded Becka’s face. “Ryan! He fell …” She moved to look over the edge. “Ryan? Can you hear me?”
“I’m okay … ,” came the faint answer.
“Thank heaven.”
“We’ll be down in a second,” Scott called, keeping a careful eye on the moving shadows around them. “We’ve got a little cleaning up to do here first.” Turning to Philip he asked, “You all right?”
Philip nodded, gingerly feeling the scratches on his face.
“Can you get down there and help Ryan out?”
“Sure,” he said, then motioned over his shoulder. “But what about those — ”
He was interrupted by a choking, gasping sound. He turned — and went ice-cold. It was the most frightening sight he had ever witnessed.
The creatures were racing toward Krissi, who was still on the table. They leaped into the air and dematerialized into clouds of misty vapor … a vapor that rushed into Krissi’s gasping mouth.
One cloud after another after another was pulled in with each ragged breath she took.
“Stop it!” Scott ordered, but he was too late. The last one had already entered her.
Krissi began to shake. Her whole body vibrated on the table.
She struggled to turn toward them, her face filled with fear.
Becka rose unsteadily. With Scott’s help she moved toward her friend. Philip followed. As they approached, Krissi tried to say something, but no sound came.
“Krissi?” Philip asked cautiously.
He thought she shook her head, but her trembling was so great he couldn’t really tell.
Becka and Scott came to a stop a few feet in front of her.
Philip knew Krissi wanted — needed — to be held, so he continued past them toward the table.
“Wait a sec,” Scott said, reaching out and touching his arm.
“It’s not over yet.”
Philip hesitated.
“Krissi?” Becka asked.
The girl’s head rotated toward her.
“Do you want those things to leave?”
Anger shot through Philip. “Of course she does! What sort of stupid question is that?”
Becka ignored him and continued looking directly at Krissi.
“It has to be your decision, Krissi. Do you want those things to leave?”
Krissi nodded vigorously.
Becka and Scott exchanged glances, then Becka stepped up to the table. She reached out her hand and laid it on Krissi’s trembling shoulders. Her words were quiet and simple, but full of a confident faith. “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth
… go.”
Krissi’s body stiffened. Her head shot back and she let out a violent scream. It seemed to last forever as it echoed through the woods, bouncing back and forth against the trees.
And then she collapsed.
Philip moved in to hold her, and this time Becka and Scott did not stop him. He scooped her body into his arms. It was limp. Whatever had been inside of her was gone. It was over. He buried his face in her hair and fought back the tears.
She stirred against him, and a moment later she was wrapping her arms around his neck. “Oh, Philip,” she sobbed. “Philip, it was so awful!”
“It’s okay,” he soothed in a choked voice. “It’s okay. You’re safe now.”
She clung to him even more tightly. Philip looked over her head at Scott and Becka. He could tell they were beat, but they were smiling. He glanced up to the sky. The hovering craft was gone. So were the lights. Everything was back to normal. He buried his face back in Krissi’s hair and hugged her fiercely, overwhelmed by love for her — and gratitude that he had her back.
Chapter 11
The drive home was long and cramped. Five bruised and bat-tered bodies squeezed together in
a Mustang did not make for the most comfortable ride. Of course, the General Store owner had called up the local doctor and had him check them all out. One of the neighbors even offered to let the group spend the night, but no one was too seriously injured and everyone was anxious to get home. So …
Ryan was in no shape to drive. Something about a cracked rib, a sprained wrist, and a torn ankle ligament made that a little impossible. Philip thought he should stay in the back with Krissi, so that left either Becka or Scott to drive. And since Scott was a couple of years shy of a driver’s license, that left Becka.
The Highway Patrol had been called about the Jeep, and Philip had to sign a bunch of papers promising that he and his dad would be back up tomorrow or the next day (something Philip wasn’t too thrilled about). But for now they were all heading home.
The episode had been the roughest on Krissi. Not only physically, but emotionally. No one was certain what all she had been through. She didn’t want to talk about it, and no one wanted to ask. Not for now. It wouldn’t have mattered even if they did.
As soon as she hit the backseat and Philip wrapped his arm around her, she dropped off into a deep, sound sleep.
“Will she be okay?” Philip asked.
No one spoke.
“Hello?” he tried again.
Finally Ryan answered from the front seat. “I’m afraid it’s not completely over.”
“What do you mean?”
Ryan and Becka traded looks. It was her turn to speak. “There’s an empty space inside Krissi right now, where this Xandrak guy and his jerks were hanging out.”
“You mean the demons?” Philip asked.
Becka nodded. “Unless that space gets filled with something or someone …” She hesitated. How could she say this diplomatically?
Scott didn’t even try. “Then the demons will come back and bring in even more of their buddies.”
Philip stared at them in disbelief. “You’re kidding. Tell me you’re kidding.”
Scott shook his head. “It’s in the Bible.” Philip sighed heavily. He didn’t like that answer. Not one bit.
“And by ‘someone,’ you’re talking about Jesus, right?”
“That’s right,” Ryan answered.
Philip took another breath and slowly let it out. “I tell you, I thought I knew about being a Chris tian, but there’s a lot more to this religious stuff than just showing up at church or asking God for junk.”
Ryan nodded. “It’s a war. People are fighting for their souls.
We’re all in it, and we all need help. None of us can do it alone.”
“I found that out in a hurry,” Philip said, tenderly touching the scratches on his neck and face. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been clobbered like that.” A moment passed as he remembered Becka’s shining faith — and his own failed efforts. Then he shrugged.
“Maybe I’ll give religion another fling.”
“It’s gotta be more than a fling,” Ryan said. “Chris tian ity’s a way of life, Phil. It’s loving God and letting him be your boss.
That’s what Lord means. Christ has to be your boss.”
“But other Chris tians don’t do that. They’re messing up all the time. Like my mom splitting and leaving me and Dad behind. Talk about a hypocrite.”
“We’re all hypocrites,” Scott said quietly.
Philip turned to him, surprised.
“Think about it. I just wasted the last couple of weeks of my life doing something I knew I wasn’t supposed to do.”
“And?”
“And it nearly wiped me out. But the cool thing is, when I realized I was wrong, I asked God to forgive me. And he did. I blew it — and I’m forgiven. I mean, if you’re really sorry and ask, he’ll forgive you of anything. That’s the whole point.” Philip glanced about the car. He had a million more questions, but he was too tired to ask. Besides, these guys probably didn’t have all the answers. Maybe no one did. Maybe that’s where faith came in. The same faith that had saved his life. And Krissi’s.
He looked down at her. When she woke, they would talk. He would explain all that had happened, all that he had learned.
And maybe, just maybe, the two of them would look deeper into Jesus Christ.
He hoped she’d agree. He leaned back and closed his eyes. He sincerely hoped so.
**********
Three days passed before Becka checked the computer for any messages from Z. And when she did a cold, hard knot formed in her stomach:
Rebecca, Scott: I received an urgent message on the Internet. A young girl in Louisiana is in trouble. She’s deeply involved in voodoo and desperately needs your help. You will soon receive airline tickets by mail. Do not be afraid. Your training is complete. Go in his authority. Z
Author's Note
As I developed this series, I had two equal and opposing concerns. First, I didn’t want the reader to be too frightened of the devil. Compared to Jesus Christ, Satan is a wimp. The two aren’t even in the same league. Although the supernatural evil in these books is based on a certain amount of fact, it’s important to understand the awesome protection Jesus Christ offers to all who have committed their lives to him.
This brings me to my second and somewhat opposing concern: Although the powers of darkness are nothing compared to the power of Jesus Christ and the authority he has given his followers, spiritual warfare is not something we casually stroll into. The situations in these novels are extreme to create sus-pense and drama. But if you should find yourself involved in something even vaguely similar, don’t confront it alone. Find an older, more mature Chris tian (such as a parent, pastor, or youth leader) to talk to. Let them check the situation out to see what is happening, and ask them to help you deal with it.
Yes, we have the victory through Christ, but we should never send in inexperienced soldiers to fight the battle.
Oh, and one final note. When this series was conceived, there were really no bad guys on the Internet. Unfortunately that has changed. Today there are plenty of people out there trying to draw young folks in to dangerous situations through it.
Although the characters in this series trust Z, if you should run into a similar situation, be smart. Anyone can sound kind and understanding, but their intentions may be entirely different. All that to say, don’t take candy from strangers you see … or trust those you don’t.
Bill
Table of Contents
The Haunting
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
The Guardian
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
The Encounter
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Author's Note