 
'Choosing'

Soul Wars Trilogy Book One

Barbara Henderson

Copyright 2014 Barbara Henderson

Published at Smashwords

ISBN9781311138958

Chapter one

Ann

Most Common?!?! Most Common??!! Ann Jones shrieked as she walked through the door of her home. Slamming her books onto the floor, Ann continued her tirade. From the kitchen Ann's mother heard her daughter's outburst. Ann was a sixteen year old who normally kept her emotions well under control. She hadn't even thrown tantrums as a two year old. So when Shelly Jones heard her daughter's almost hysterical shrieking, she ran to her.

"What on earth has happened?" questioned Shelly, trying to keep the alarm out of her voice.

"Oh mom, you won't believe this. It's too unreal."

"What happened? Please calm down and tell me what happened". Shelly repeated in a voice as soothing as her anxiety over her daughter's distress would allow.

"OK, well, I got my yearbook today." Ann began. She tried to speak, but was unable to continue, Ann opened the yearbook and pointed to a photograph.

Not knowing what to expect, Shelly looked where her daughter's finger was pointing. There, among the photographs of the winners of various popularity contests was a photo of Ann. Shelly looked questioningly at Ann.

"Read the caption mom!" Ann shrieked. "It says "Most Common"!!!! Right there with "Most Beautiful", "Most Popular", "Most Likely to Succeed", they have me listed as "Most Common".

"But Why?" Shelly said, almost as though asking herself the question. It was quite obviously an attempt to humiliate her daughter. Looking back at the yearbook it was clear the other girls had planned every detail of their photographs. They were dressed in designer outfits, smiling, hair and makeup done almost to the extreme, and each one was definitely showing their best side. Shelly knew the girls and they all looked much better in the photographs than they did in person.

In marked contrast, Ann was not really smiling, her hair and makeup were certainly not outstanding that day, and the best thing you could say about the outfit she was wearing would have been it was probably a little too casual for even the "casual Friday" attire allowed at school.

"I don't understand. Why would they do this?" Shelly asked again.

"It was that disgusting Alice Williams. She had some lame brained idea I was getting too close to her boyfriend. Since she was the main student editor for the yearbook she used this to get even. Everyone is laughing their heads off about it. And all I did was sit by him in study hall. He's a senior and you know I'm a sophomore. He was just being polite. I really don't care for him. He isn't very bright. In fact he may even be dumb. He is a big sports guy. He plays everything.

Anyway, I only sat by him in study hall. We never ate lunch together. We never walked down the hall together. We never did anything together. That's it. But that has to be the reason. Alice didn't like it. And it was Alice who called me common. She said everything about me was common. She said I was "as common as grass". According to Alice my hair is the most common color, mousy brown. Or dishwater brown if I preferred to call it that. I am the most common average height. I am a common weight. I have common brown eyes, not light brown, not dark brown, just common brown. My clothes are common. I drive a common car.

And mom, she said this entire fiasco was her way of doing me a favor. She said this is the most attention I will ever get in my entire life. And that I better enjoy it now while I can.'

Shelly was appalled at the story. She was unsure of how to proceed. As a mother her first thought was to protect her daughter. But the deed had already been done. Ann was devastated. Her second thought was to find Alice Wilson and have her sent to prison for life. But she settled for trying to calm Ann down. Shelly decided that her first duty was to decide what was in Ann's best interest and proceed from there.

Aloud Shelly said, "Well, honey, school is almost over for the summer. Alice will be graduating this week, and by the time school starts in the fall no one will pay much attention to this.'

Shelly knew immediately that was the wrong thing to have said. Ann gave her such a look of contempt that it almost took her breath away.

"You are as bad as that silly boy I sat by in study hall. You could be considered dumb as well. I will wait for dad to get home. He always knows what to do; where as all you know how to do is stay home and bake cookies."

Ann's voice almost dripped venom as she spoke to her mother. Shelly had dealt with Ann's temperament many times in the past, but it had never so openly vicious. That sort of outburst usually came from Ann's father.

Ann turned from her mother and coldly and deliberately walked up the stairs to her bedroom.

Shelly was left sitting in the living room wondering what had just happened. She sat in the chair by the window, but was really no longer aware of the beautiful day just outside. An ominous, although invisible, darkness seemed to have settled over the house. Her thoughts turned to her older child, her son Malachi.

"I hope Malachi is able to stay at least a few days when his term is finished and he comes home for a visit, she thought. "Oh Mal, I really miss you all the time, but I really miss you now."

Malachi

Malachi Jones was finishing his first year as a graduate student. He had been a business major, but had minored in political science. His graduate study was business management. He had held several part time jobs while attending school, but had not found anything that really held his interest. Making money didn't really intrigue him because he already had money. The truth was Mal would never actually have to work if he didn't want to. He supposed he would eventually find something he liked to do enough to do it, even when he didn't have to do it. But so far anything that interesting had eluded him. He just hoped the trust fund management was able to guess which currency would wind up in the winner's circle.

Instead of 'something' interesting, Mal had found 'someone' that was pretty interesting. That someone was a fellow student. Actually, she was just 20, whereas Ma; was 25. Mal had met her at 'College Days' the previous fall. As a graduate student, he was drafted to sit in the "business and computer" section and answer questions about that area of study as a major to any potential freshmen who were looking for help in determining a major. Belle had shown up with her sister Amelia. Belle was starting her sophomore year at college. Her sister Amelia had one year of high school to go. Mal considered the five year age difference between himself and Belle as probably acceptable. Belle did seem to have a level of maturity far beyond her years. Regardless, Mal found her quite captivating. She called herself "Miss 'Not To"'. When Mal had asked her, "Why?", she had said because she wasn't "not to anything". It was a family joke she had said. She was not too tall, not to short, not to heavy, not to thin, not to beautiful, not ugly, not to anything. She had said it was really quite comforting.

But Mal thought she was all too memorable, even delightfully memorable. He name was AnnaBelle Smith, and Mal was beginning to wonder if he was in love. Actually, everyone just called her Belle. Mal didn't know too much about Belle's life. He knew her parents had died tragically in an automobile accident. He younger sister Amelia had been seriously injured, but had recovered as far as Mal could tell, except for a slight limp. He knew Amelia and Belle lived together and that Amelia was finishing high school this year. He had only met her at the college that one day, and then a few more brief visits when he picked up Belle. He knew they were planning to sell the family house as soon as Amelia graduated and buy a condominium or something that was just different. The home where they had lived with their parents had been a comfort at first after the accident. But with the passing of time both Belle and Amelia thought they would be happier in a different place without the memories. And Belle had told him on their first date that she and Amelia would be living under one roof for the remainder of their lives. Having lost their parents they would never lose each other. "Well," Mal had thought, "I guess that means it would need to be a pretty big house to eventually hold two families."

Resolutely, Mal switched from daydreaming about Belle to thoughts of how he would spend his summer. He had to go home for a few days at least. He really missed his mom. Mal knew his dad didn't really mind him being away from the house. But his mother was another story. He had a strange feeling that something was going on at home anyway. He had been pretty uneasy about something for several days. Mom would never burden him with the problem, whatever it might be. And dad would never think to keep him informed of anything, regardless of what it was.

And then there was Ann. She was his sister, but she had always seemed somehow unreachable to him. Sometimes he thought she was missing a "connection gene". She never seemed to connect to anyone or anything really.

"Oh well, I guess I just wasn't born to be close to Ann and dad," Mal thought sadly. Thank goodness I have mom.

Angels of Darkness.

At the table sat a number of high ranking officials from among the legions who fell from grace when the cosmic war in heaven had occurred. They were reporting on different aspects of the war on the sons of Adam. Cabiri was a high ranking devil who fully understood that there was a war going on for the souls of individual human beings. He was an experienced deceiver and liar. Cabiri loved 'Soul Wars' and wished the war could go on for eternity. Through the ages Cabiri had won many battles influencing many souls to choose darkness rather than light. When he set his sights on a particular soul, it was very hard for that soul to escape his evil influence.

Currently Cabiri wasn't positive, but he had the firm impression that he was onto something big. He saw in Ann Jones the potential to join his team in the war, and even become a recruiter for other souls. Cabiri was fairly certain that Ann's father would become a firm ally as well once he had Ann committed to him. In his opinion Ann's mother and brother could be problematic. They didn't seem to easily led. But at the moment, all four family members were separated from God and headed for hell.

Angels of Light

Raphael was an angel of God whose business was to guard whomever God assigned to him. His current assignment was one Malachi Jones, known as Mal. Mal was not yet born again, but his restless heart was seeking something more than his privileged life had been able to give him. Raphael knew that there was going to be a major confrontation with the enemy in the war for this man's soul. He looked forward to the day when the Soul Wars were ended eternally. But that day was not today. Today he was going to fight for the soul of Mal Jones. And he would do whatever he could to win this particular battle.

Raphael had instructions to assign some additional celestial helpers to Mal. Usually, the helpers Raphael assigned were the "unseen" helpers or other angelic beings. The people being helped had no idea the "unseen" were anywhere around. But this time, in addition to the standard unseen helpers Malachi Jones was going to be encouraged with an earthly helper, someone he already knew - Belle.

Raphael loved this part of his job. However, in this instance, there was a concern. He knew Cabiri, his arch adversary, was very interested in the Jones family. In fact, Cabiri had set his sights specifically on Malachi's sister Ann. This was quite unusual for his enemy. Cabiri had spent ages working in the area of "government". He had been a prime director for the Caesars of the Roman Empire. He had ruled through the Caesars. Some had realized they were being directed, some thought everything was their own idea, and some knew Cabiri face to face and openly did his bidding.

But gradually, Cabiri had destroyed his own most cherished treasure, Rome itself, and all the Caesars with Rome. And Cabiri had been trying to make a comeback ever since. His greatest prodigy in modern times had been one known as Adolf Hitler. Cabiri had been a major influence in Hitler's life from a very early age. And that had been with the idea of a revived Roman Empire.

Now, with the European Union progressing so nicely, Raphael was quite surprised that Cabiri would involve himself with an American, and one of the female gender at that. But time was growing short. The heavenly building project was progressing speedily. Raphael was puzzled by Cabiri's actions. However, he wasted little time considering what Cabiri was up to. Raphael knew that his Boss knew the full score, from start to finish. Raphael didn't have to understand everything. He just had to follow instructions to guard Mal Jones.

Chapter Two

Ann

After Ann went up to her room, Shelly sat in stunned silence for what seemed like an eternity. She considered her daughter's reaction to the yearbook. There were no tears of humiliation, no apparent hurt feelings, just simple rage. And boy was there a lot of rage. Shelly shivered just thinking about it. The house, normally quiet anyway, seemed like a tomb now, so deep was the unnatural silence of the afternoon.

Shelly shivered again without warning. She wondered if something had just walked across her grave. That had been an explanation for an unexplained shiver when she was a child. Then, realizing the afternoon was growing late Shelly quickly rose from her chair and started toward the kitchen to get supper ready. She thought about just once doing something daring - like order a pizza and bread sticks, maybe even cheesy breadsticks. But of course she didn't do that. Her husband would not like it.

Shelly's was a good cook, but it really was a thankless job. No matter what she prepared, she never got a compliment unless Mal was home on vacation. However, if the meal was not to Ann or Fredrick's liking, Shelly knew she would be scolded roundly. Tonight would not be any different. She knew basically whatever she prepared, no one would really be hungry. The three of them would only pick at the meal, and discuss Ann's situation. But it would only add additional stress to the situation if something nice was not on the table. There must be something on the table so Ann and Fredrick could turn up their noses. Shelly quickly threw together an "oven meal". That was a quick meal, where everything went into the oven to bake. This time it was fish, potatoes, and eventually hot rolls. Fresh Salad mix was in the refrigerator, as well as 5 kinds of salad dressing designed to suit whatever mood her husband's appetite and taste buds might require. She would use ice cream for dessert if anyone asked. That done, Shelly sat at the table sipping herb tea and wondering how soon the end of the world was coming. If it were coming any time soon, Shelly wished it would come before supper. But, the clock kept ticking, and eventually, it was 5:20 and Fredrick walked through the door.

Ann met him at the door and quickly filled him in on the details. Fredrick really surprised both Shelly and Ann with his immediate response. He simply said, "Well, let's eat while I think this over."

Ann also surprised Shelly by agreeing that was the thing to do. Ann even joked that being so angry had made her quite hungry.

Nervously, Shelly sat with Fredrick and Ann at the dining room table.

"You know Shelly," Fredrick began, "I usually leave everything to you where the children are concerned. But this seems pretty much out of your league. You would probably come up with some stupid idea to just forget about it and let it blow over." Shelly cringed inwardly because that was exactly what she was thinking. In her opinion that was by far the best idea, but she didn't dare voice an opinion.

With that statement made Fredrick paused to add a little salt to the fish on his plate. Ann looked at her mother as if to say, "See I told you so. Dad knows how you are too."

Fredrick ate slowly and thoughtfully. Finally he began to speak.

"Isn't it nice that I am a man of influence?' he remarked smugly. 'You know I have favors owed to me by just about every business in town. As an accountant, I know the business of just about every business in town as well. And, you know, getting on the school board wasn't really something I wanted to do, but I thought it would a good way to gain more name recognition. Now I am certainly glad I did that.

We need a long term strategy here Ann. Your mother really isn't good at this. She is sort of like those silly Psalm singers on old movies. You know, turn the other cheek and things like that. So, Shelly, I won't ask you to be involved in any of this because you would probably mess up the entire game plan anyway.

Frederick pointedly turned his chair away from Shelly and focused completely on Ann.

'Now - Ann - Let's start at the top and then go out from there.

The way I see it, the first person is the teacher who was actually in charge of the year book. No matter what a student did, the teacher should have stopped it. We have to see that she is properly chastised for such neglect of her duty. You attend the finest school in the district, maybe the entire state. That teacher should probably get a transfer to whatever is considered the absolute worst school in the area. I don't know what school that would be. Ann honey, can you find that out for me? I can take care of the rest.

Second, this Alice Wilson must be dealt with in a very firm and final way. She can't go off to college scot-free. I suppose the best way to bring miss high and mighty down a peg is a very vicious but believable rumor. I will have to think about that. And of course her boyfriend needs to dump her.

Fredrick stopped speaking momentarily as he drank his tea. "Alice Wilson," he said thoughtfully. An Andrew Wilson is a competitor of mine. His accounting firm is not as prosperous as mine of course. It seems I have heard Andrew has a daughter named Alice."

"That's right dad," Ann said. They only live a few blocks from us. Their house is newer, but not quite as big. Our pool is quite a bit bigger than theirs as well. They are always having parties, too. But she never invites me."

"Yes, well, I can probably at least cause some damage to Mr. Wilson's company. I know a little on some of his clients. All I really have to do is suggest to his other clients that Mr. Wilson works for businesses that have, shall we say, a less than pristine reputation. He is probably living from pay check to pay check like most of the people in this country. Fortunately, I have had the fore site to plan ahead. My business could take a big hit without causing this family's lifestyle to drop"

Shelly resented her husband's smug remark about his planning ahead. He never acknowledged that she had brought to the marriage a very large trust fund, which paid yearly sums which would have allowed them to live a very pleasant life style without one penny of the income he earned. It was her money that had set him up in business. It was her money that paid for the house, it was her money that paid for Malachi's college, and would pay for Ann's college as well. Yet he lived under the delusion that she contributed nothing except an ability to cook and vacuum. "Oh well," Shelly thought. "This was hardly the time to worry about that." Instead she forced her mind to try to grasp the full meaning of what Fredrick had so matter of factly suggested as a way to deal with Ann's yearbook crises. She was certain he had said they would destroy the journalism teacher in charge of the yearbook; that Ann should start a terrible rumor about Alice Wilson; and that Fredrick himself would start rumors that would at least give Andrew Wilson a big financial set back. Shelly considered throwing up right at the table. Instead she said weakly, "Ice cream anyone?"

At Shelley's words, Fredrick and Ann looked at each other, and then burst out laughing.

"Don't pay her any mind Ann," Fredrick said. "Your mother just isn't able to grasp anything beyond the kitchen and the house. Oh by the way, we better get you an immediate makeover, and I will see about upgrading that car of yours as well. Your mom will take you shopping for a new wardrobe, but if she can't help you get your wardrobe right, I will get my secretary to go with you. She does know how to dress. Actually, I will have her set up a few appointments with the right people to give you the makeover too. You have good bone structure. I'm sure you can be made up to stand out in any crowd.

Shelly, listening to her husband's cruel words, felt the strangest sensation growing inside her heart and her head and her stomach. The sensation was one of relief. Blessed relief, pure and simple. Shelly didn't know what had just happened, but something had changed. Something was over. But one thing she did know, from this day forward, her trust fund was once again hers. And she would order pizza for supper anytime she wanted to from now on. No telling what else she might do either.

"I think I will go for a walk and leave you two to finish your conversation," Shelly said firmly. Shelly got a sweater and walked out the door. She was going to see what was going on in the neighborhood. Maybe she would find a smiling face.

Malachi

Mal was convinced something was going on at home. So he decided to make a surprise visit for the weekend. He really hated to go because he liked seeing Belle on the weekend. Mal decided to give her a call on her cell phone and see if they might be able to have dinner tonight on short notice. He knew women didn't like to have dates made on short notice, but they had been seeing each other long enough he hoped it would not bother to be asked out at the last minute.

Belle was agreeable to dinner, but suggested they just meet at a restaurant instead of Mal coming by to pick her up. She chose a place located between his apartment and her home. It was typical of a place Belle would choose, medium price range. That was her idea of choice. She didn't really care what they served as long as it wasn't too expensive. Mal made a note to explain to her that she could order most anything she wanted on a menu when they were together. He could afford it.

Mal arrived at the restaurant 15 minutes early. Belle, not one to be fashionably late, was 5 minutes early. It was a nice arrangement. Mal showed respect to Belle by being there waiting on her. Belle showed respect to Mal by not keeping him waiting too long. Soon they were seated at a corner booth looking at a menu.

They order a pitcher of tea and appetizer to begin with. It was pretty amazing that you could order cheesy fries with real bacon bits at almost any restaurant of any price range.

Watching Belle munch on the fries Mal was struck again by how much he just liked to watch her. He tried several times to say something, but his throat didn't seem to work well tonight for some reason. It didn't seem to really matter that Mal wasn't able to speak. Belle was able to carry the conversation all by herself.

"You know Mal," she said, "I guess it is about time I told you something about myself that you seem to have missed entirely. I usually don't have to tell people. They usually just pick up on it. But you are a guy, and guys are sometimes a little slow to pick up on something out of their ordinary thought patterns."

Mal heard her speaking, but he really wasn't listening. He was really watching her speak. He liked to just watch her.

"What was that you said Belle?" Mal asked.

"I said I have something to tell you?"

"Huh? Nothing bad I hope," Mal said apprehensively.

"Well, it isn't bad for me. In fact it's wonderful me, and for anyone else who is interested."

"Ok Belle, just spit it out. You have my full attention." Mal tried to put on a brave face, thinking he was going to be dumped. Instead Belle started talking about God.

"Mal, I am what is currently known as a Fundamental Christian. I believe the Bible to be the inspired word of the God of creation. I believe that is the final authority on any subject. It is without error and it the foundation stone for building anything good and lasting, both in this life and the next."

"You do?" said Mal in a voice as calm as possible.

"Yes I do. And if we are going to go any farther with this relationship, you are going to have to believe it as well."

"I have to do what? I can't believe that outdated stuff. It is fine if you want to. I won't try to stop you, but it is just too old fashioned for me."

"I was afraid you might see it like that Mal, but I have news for you. It isn't outdated. It is up to date. The Bible records history BEFORE it happens. That is one of the ways the power and authority behind the Bible are authenticated. If you study it deeply enough you will see that. And not only that, but there are codes within the text that verify certain historical facts. That has really only been discovered with the availability of the computer."

"Ok Belle, lets both take a deep breath and order some food. I think your hypoglycemia must be kicking in. You will feel better after you eat something. We could change the subject and talk about this later. How about that.?"

"Yes, Mal, we can change the subject in just a minute. I have been thinking, and yes praying, about exactly how to approach you with this subject; because it is very important to me that you come to an understanding of the truth. And I believe you will come to know the truth. But before we change the subject, I need to say a couple of things. A thinking person will come to the conclusion that design proves a designer. Well look around you. The world was designed. There may be surface chaos here and there, but the core principles that make everything work were specifically designed. So there has to be a designer. The Bible tells us who that designer is. It says "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth". So we know who the designer is.

Mal interrupted, "Ok for the sake of argument let's say you are correct, God created everything. But that still doesn't explain why he would care about the individual, or why he would care about a place like earth that is in such a mess."

"Mal, it doesn't matter WHY God cares. What matters is that the He DOES care. The Bible repeatedly tells us that God cares about us. And before you and I can become any closer we have to come to an agreement on that subject. One more thing, and then we can change the subject. I would prefer that you show me enough respect to take my belief in the Bible seriously. I would like you to put some time into study on your own. If you give it an honest chance, you will come to the same conclusions that I have reached."

"Now, do you have a Bible?

"Well no," Mal answered. '"But I went to Bible School one summer for a week. I don't remember much about it though. They gave me a New Testament and I still have that somewhere."

"I thought you might need a Bible, so I brought you a study Bible. I also brought a couple of companion books for you as well. Are you willing to give it a chance?"

"Ok Belle, what ever you say. Now let's order some food."

Angels of Darkness

Cabiri was both livid and elated at the same time. He was livid that Raphael was interfering with the Jones situation by sending more angels of light to assist Malachi and his mother Shelly. He was elated that Ann and Fredrick were following his plan as though they were reading a script from a play.

Angels of Light

Raphael had sent several extra of the unseen to guard Malachi, Belle, Shelley, and anyone associated with them. That meant Belle's sister Amelia as well. He knew Cabiri would stop at nothing to destroy or at least side track Malachi. And Cabiri new from experience that the death of a loved one was an excellent way to at least delay someone from full surrender to God. Of course that strategy occasionally backfired, and the bereaved person would throw themselves fully into God's plan for his or her life. But usually it worked in Cabiri's favor. Drunk drivers were one of his current favorite tools of destruction. But disease was another favorite, too. Anyway, Raphael was taking no chances. He had instructions to guard those people well, and that is what he was going to do.

Chapter Three

Ann

Ann skipped school the next day even though she actually felt OK about going back. Now that she and her father had decided how to handle the situation she really was looking forward to the rest of the year. Plus, she really wouldn't have to see Alice or anyone else. She could find a way to avoid study hall and she wouldn't have to see any of the seniors. But she decided to take the day off and get started with a trip to the beauty parlor. He dad had called his secretary already. The secretary had set up an appointment at a salon that not only had a reputation as being good, it really was good. Ann decided to drive herself. It would have been polite to invite her mother because her mother certainly could use a makeover. But if her mom was content to look like a frumpy old lady, than that was her business. Actually, Ann was beginning to resent her mother for not helping her more with her hair and clothes to begin with. If Shelly had done her job in the first place none of this might have happened.

Ann left the house early. She wanted a little time to drive by a few car dealers and see what sort of car she might want. She would have to ask her dad if she was trading in her car or not. Ann guessed it would be a good car for her mother. Her mother's car was older than Ann's so that might be the way to go. Shelly didn't care what she drove anyway.

Ann drove slowly through the new car dealerships on the way to the salon. She wanted to get a general idea of what was available. Next week she would compare what was on the school student parking lot to what was on the car lots. She knew she wanted to get something that would obviously be better than what most of the other students were driving.

Arriving at the salon, she went in and introduced herself. Apparently her dad's secretary had done a good job of explaining what they wanted accomplished. Three staff members were assigned to Ann for the day. They started with a computer program that put Ann's face in any hairstyle or hair color imaginable. It also offered an almost infinite variety of makeup styles and types. The program also offered clothing style and color hints based on Ann's size and coloring.

Ann decided to alter her hair color only slightly, just a few highlights. The stylist had suggested that as being easier to maintain. Also, Ann's hair was quite thick and had a lot of body to it, so she didn't really need anything but a good cut and a little highlighting. Ann also had very clear skin, so makeup was pretty easy as well. Clothes were not that hard either. Ann was a nice size. Her posture was good. Her teeth were straight. She had a natural easy walk. By the end of the day Ann had spent several thousand dollars on clothes and accessories. She walked out of the salon in a new outfit and had the rest of the things she had bought delivered to the house. She just needed her new car to be a complete new woman. "Maybe dad and I can narrow it down to a few cars this weekend. I don't want to make the final decision on a car until I check out the school parking lot one more time."

After Ann left the salon one of her personal attendants was heard to remark, "She really is a very pretty girl; all she really needed was a smile to be quite striking in appearance."

"Maybe she just needed something to boost her confidence. I hope this will do the trick," said the salon manager.

Malachi

Mal had listened to Belle talking about being a Fundamental Christian without becoming too concerned until she had said that for their relationship to go any further he would have to come to the same conclusions she had reached. He wished she had told him that sooner in their relationship, in which case he thought he would have just stopped seeing her. Now he was in a little too deep to just drop it without at least considering her beliefs as having some merit or validity. For one thing he was pretty attached to her already. And second, he did have a genuine respect for her intelligence. So it was possible she was on to something. He knew he hadn't been taught anything about the Bible at home. His mother thought everyone was just supposed to be good and if you were good enough you would get into heaven. His dad thought the entire matter was garbage. Fredrick said flatly that everyone should get all they could out of life because that was the only chance anyone would get. Mal had never really thought about it himself. Why should he? He was young, healthy, and well - rich." His mother had faithfully put 20% of the money from the yearly income from her trust fund into an account for Mal from the year he was born. It was re-invested wisely and over the years it had become quite a substantial sum.

But now Belle had asked him to think about something he really had not planned to consider until he was at least 80 years old. So Mal went home and began to read the books Belle had given him. He looked up the web sites Belle had written down for him. He was quite startled to discover the number of prophecies that had been accurately predicted hundreds and even thousands of years before they were fulfilled. The number of prophecies providing proof that Jesus Christ was the messiah were overwhelming. The virgin birth idea bothered Mal until he realized that the God who created the first man from dirt without a father or a mother would have no problem creating a baby without an earthly father.

Mal stayed up much later than usual reading and following threads from one web page to another. Finally, exhausted he went to bed. He had reached no final conclusion except this. Either the Bible was a very elaborate hoax, or it was true.

Angels of Darkness

Cabiri was following Ann's progress with delight. First he had planted the idea she was plain and maybe even ugly. She had believed it. Then with only the slightest changes to her appearance he had given her the idea she was beautiful and she had believed that. Cabiri was almost certain she would be one with whom he could communicate in person. He was excited. Through the ages he had been much more satisfied and he thought done a better job when he was able to actually appear to his protégé's and speak with them. He hoped to arrange a "meeting" soon. He wasn't sure of how to bring it about, but he was certain the opportunity would present itself.

He would have liked to arrange an accident for Ann's brother immediately, but that was impossible with the unseen protection that had been arranged by Raphael. But, Cabiri didn't dwell on what he could not do. He decided to just watch Malachi for weak spots and try to neutralize him in that way. Mal didn't drink or use drugs, so that was out. Neither did he chase women. So that was out. He wasn't greedy either. Well, Cabiri would assign watchers. Mal was human, therefore he had human weaknesses. Something would turn up.

Angels of Light

Raphael was delighted with the interest Malachi was showing in the Bible in general and prophecy in particular. Prophecy had been the instrument by which a great number of people and come to be believers. To Raphael it was very hard to understand why everyone didn't believe. Raphael acknowledged that he personally believed because he had "seen". People had to believe by faith, because they had not seen heaven. But he also knew that the evidence was all around them. The conclusion was that like the angels who fell from grace during the cosmic war, it was not a case of people not believing. Instead it was that they did not want to surrender to a sovereign God of creation.

Raphael's thoughts turned to Malachi again. He was showing signs of conviction with only a few hours Bible study. Sometimes it took years for someone to come that far. He hoped that Mal would choose life in Jesus Christ quickly.

Chapter 4

Ann

Ann was thinking about Alice Wilson while she was waiting for her dad to take her car shopping. Shopping was fun. She could get used to it. And fortunately, there was money to shop almost anywhere she wanted to shop. That was just one of those things. Ann had gone from feeling sorry for herself the week before to a full understanding that she was one of the elite, born to good things. Some would say that was simply chance, but Ann had the feeling that she was somehow special, even chosen. She knew she was born with certain privileges that come with having money. Now she wanted influence as well. Ann knew influence could be used in a lot of ways. Her dad was going to use influence to cause Andrew Wilson some problems. Ann wanted to cause Alice Wilson some problems as well. She was thinking about it, but hadn't really come up with a plan. Alice was stuck up, and obviously vindictive. So Ann wanted something that would really take her down the social ladder all the way to the bottom. Ann knew the world in general was pretty tolerant. But people were not really that tolerant specifically. For instance abortion was acceptable generally speaking, but if a girl had it done she usually didn't want anyone to know about it. Alice was one of those nuts who had made a point of saying she wasn't sleeping around. She hadn't really given any reason except she was afraid of getting a disease. Her boyfriend had accepted that; at least they both said they had agreed on it. Who knew what went on when they were alone. Anyway, they had made a big deal out of at least saving sex until they were older. So, if Alice were to have an imaginary abortion, she would be discredited. But how to start that rumor without getting her name involved?

How to get even with Alice was the main focus of Ann's every thought. She went over everything she knew about Alice over and over. Finally, she remembered that during an English class she had overheard some of the girls talking about Alice's graduation trip. Alice had been given a weekend shopping trip to a larger town nearby as a graduation present. She was going to shop for her prom dress, and a summer wardrobe.

"Alice is in the city this weekend!" Ann thought to herself. "She said she was going shopping for a prom dress. But in addition to prom dresses, the city also offers abortion on demand at three different clinics."

Ann knew this because it had been clearly covered in her sex education class at school. Ann suddenly knew what to do.

She quickly went to her computer and typed an entirely fabricated description of Alice's visit to the abortionist over the coming weekend. She gave the city, the date, and 3 possible locations, with the most likely location being closest to the largest shopping mall in the city. She ended the article with a vague description of the prom dress Alice had chosen after the visit to the imaginary abortionist. It wasn't that hard. Alice favored the color green. Her eyes were brown with flecks of green so she thought she looked good in green. It was spring so the shade of green would be pastel. Most prom dresses were somewhat low cut. And the style this year seemed to be long. So Ann described the dress as pale green, low cut, and long. That was really a no brainer. And, Ann was correct. Alice was in the city buying just such a prom dress.

Ann, having seen a number of old detective movies, quickly put on some driving gloves so as to leave no finger prints. She didn't know if that was really necessary, but it was sort of fun. She printed an envelope with the school newspaper address, placed the printed version of the rumor in the envelope, stamped it, and deleted everything from her computer. She would mail the envelope from the mailbox near school. Ann knew the rumor would not be printed in the newspaper, but that it would be read by several students on the staff. And that was all the beginning a rumor needed.

Ann left the house happily with Fredrick. She was really excited about everything. Her world had just made a quantum change for the better.

*****

An unsuspecting Alice Wilson shopped happily for a prom dress while in the city. She had gone alone. He mother had planned to go along, but was not feeling well at the last moment. It was too late to get a school friend to go, so Alice had gone alone. She enjoyed shopping alone anyway. She had a sense of style that really did not need any validation from friends. And her budget would allow almost anything she wanted in a dress. Alice hoped to get both the shoes and the dress in one trip. Walking happily through the mall she saw prom dresses displayed in at least half the store windows. She almost missed the one she actually bought. She had walked slowly by a window looking at dresses in that window, completely missing the pale green gown on the other side of the mall. Then something seemed to almost speak to her, telling her to look over her shoulder at THAT dress. Alice turned, saw the pale green floor length gown, and fell in love with it. It was little lower cut in the front (and in the back) than Alice actually had in mind. But when she tried it on the image in the mirror was stunning. So Alice bought the dress without even trying on anything else. She was actually considering wearing it to try on shoes, but of course that couldn't actually be done.

********

Andrew Wilson felt uneasy for some reason. He could not put his finger on the problem. As far as he knew there was nothing that should be worrying him. His business was doing quite well. His finances were in good shape. He was getting along with his wife for a change. And his daughter was as popular as he never had been in school. He shrugged off the feeling of uneasiness and decided to go for a swim to clear his head. "A swim and then a long soak in the hot tub. That should do the trick," Andrew thought to himself.

Malachi

Mal drove to his parent's house Saturday morning. He had meant to go Friday night, but he had been studying Bible prophecy and time had just flown by. It had been midnight before he realized he had missed supper. Mal had to admit he was at least fascinated. And he was hungry to learn more about it. It was a strange feeling. Mal usually picked up the basics of a subject, whatever he needed to get a passing grade for the class, or whatever might be useful to him. And that was the end of his study on the subject. But the Bible prophecy subject just seemed too big to grasp quickly. He wondered if anyone ever fully understood everything in the Bible. Mal had to admit it. He was hooked. Mal had followed the links from the Prophecy web site. He had read about the pages on prophecy already fulfilled. He was overwhelmed by the accuracy of the prophecies in the book of Daniel especially. He considered the number of prophecies fulfilled with the life of Christ. The pinpoint accuracy was more than anything a human could manipulate in one generation, much less over all the generations before Jesus had been born in Bethlehem. The signs of the second coming were there as well. And one particular web site had stuck in his mind as though applied with super glue. It was the plan of salvation for dummies. It had said by grace are you saved through faith. In other words, all he had to do was believe it and he would be an insider. He would have an eternal destination called heaven. To believe it he only had to have the faith of a child. Could he do it? He hoped so. It sounded like a way to peace with God. Of course, prior to a couple of days ago Mal admitted he had no idea he wasn't at peace with God. He hadn't even considered the possibility that God was real, much less that He wanted to make peace with Malachi Jones. Anyway, he was considering it now; he was leaning toward believing it. He was going to talk about it at home tonight. His mom would listen thoughtfully because she respected his opinion. His dad would get mad because he didn't respect anyone's opinion or anyone for that matter. Ann would just disengage from the conversation and let her imagination take her someplace else.

Mal arrived home well before noon and knocked on the back door. He knew his mother would be in that part of the house and he wanted to surprise her first. He also wanted to avoid talking to dad or Ann immediately. He wanted to fill Shelly in on what was going on in his life first and get her reaction. That had been the way he had approached his parents about anything from the time he could first remember. Mom was always the first one to hear what was on his mind. If Shelly was ok with something, then he would push ahead and run it by dad. And he had tried to help his mother with Ann, but Ann was her own person from the start. She was a loner like he had never seen. He had even thought that she might be a true narcissist at times. She really did respond to only what affected her. If it was to her hurt or advantage somehow, you could get her to do something and otherwise she did not care if someone was murdered in front of her. She would take no action, and she would not react either positively or negatively.

Shelly Jones, sitting alone at the table, looking out over the backyard pool, was in a strange mood. She was not happy with several things. Notably she was not happy with Frederick and Ann. Their behavior with the current yearbook situation was simply unacceptable. But Shelly had no idea of how to stop them from embarking on ruining the lives of other people. Shelly knew that vengeance was not supposed to be their job. They could leave it to a higher power and just live their own lives in a way that didn't hurt people. Shelly tried to avoid hurting other people because deep down she knew that was the right thing to do. And, she had a firm belief that there was a mystical place called heaven, and that in order to get there she had to be good enough. She wasn't too sure what 'good enough' was, but she was sure she was good enough when she compared herself to those around her. She even hoped Frederick would eventually do something good enough to get himself into heaven. Maybe she could put in a good word for him if she got there first. Maybe her left-over 'good' could go toward his account.

The second thing on her mind was that she was accepting that her marriage was over. It was at least over the way it had been up to now. She had tried appeasing and pleasing Fredrick for close to thirty years and all it had earned her was contempt. So she thought she could explain to Frederick that either there would be some changes or there would be a divorce. Her trust fund was plenty for her to live on very comfortably. And it was hers alone. It was set up so Frederick could not get any of it. She was pretty sure if it came to divorce he would not contest anything if she just left him with his business. She would have to make up her mind about the house. But that was getting ahead of herself. She had to give him a chance to change first. Shelly's thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the back door. Surprised, Shelly got up to answer. That usually meant a friend who knew she was at the back of the house at that time of day. Anticipating a pleasant surprise, Shelly opened the door and was greeted with a big hug from her son.

"Oh Mal, am I glad to see you, extra glad. You simply won't believe what has happened.

Mal, although wanting to tell his mom all about his two new interests, Belle and Bible Prophecy, politely let Shelly tell him her news first. Shelly quickly gave him a rundown on what had happened to Ann with the yearbook, and how Ann and Frederick were planning on handling the situation.

She finished by saying, "Really Mal, you should have seen Ann when she left for the salon yesterday and when she came back home. She had spent a little over $3000 on hair, makeup, and clothes. And you really could not tell a nickels worth of difference. The real difference was she was frowning when she left and smiling when she came back. It is scary."

Mal didn't exactly know what to say. He had had real problems with both Ann and his father in the past. His father was vindictive, even to his own son. Ann was indifferent to anything that didn't directly concern her. Their behavior was not surprising to him. But then he had not been living in the house with them for over 6 years.

"Well, mom, I don't know what to say. I can see you are pretty much wiped out by this. I don't know what I can do. "

"I don't know what to do either. But you said you had something to tell me. Why not tell me and see if it will take my mind off this. You know, let's talk a while and then go out to eat someplace nice. Ann and Frederick are shopping for Ann a new car. I think they will wind up going to the city. Frederick usually does that when he is car shopping.

"Good idea mom," Mal said. I don't know where to start. I guess I will start by telling you about Belle, because she was my first news, and she is the reason for my second news."

Mal started at the beginning. "This may take a while mom. You may need a very stiff cup of tea before I get finished. Let's go ahead and go to a nice place to eat. Are you hungry for anything in particular?'

"Actually, I would like to try a new seafood place near hear. They are supposed to have delicious hushpuppies and catfish.'

'OK mom, that sounds great,' Mal said. 'Are you up to a ride in my truck or do we need to take your car?"

'The truck is fine. I don't feel like driving,' Shelly answered.

Angels of Darkness

Cabiri was simultaneously cursing and blessing the internet. Blessing it for all the ways it allowed people a very easy and gradual introduction to all sorts of unwholesome activities. Pornography was about his favorite. It certainly was one of the most useful recruiting methods. The internet also provided an easy introduction to the occult. There were web sites for beginning occultists, and advanced. Cabiri loved those sites. He had helped design some of them, from the shadow of the mind of the human designer of course. Cabiri saw many of those sites as his personal handy work.

But he also cursed the internet because of the easy access it allowed to anyone who wanted to study something about the Bible or the creator God. And now he was really steamed about Malachi. He knew Mal was going to convert. The signs were all there. He couldn't stop it at this point. But he did want to stop Mal from having any influence on Ann, Frederick, and maybe even Shelly. The thing about people like Shelly was they often saw themselves as good enough. They felt no 'need' to change anything. And it was impossible to change their eternal destination until they realized they needed help to reach the heaven of God.

Angels of Light

Raphael was delighted with the progress Malachi was making with his study of Bible prophecy. He was delighted with his relationship with Belle. Belle had been a concern for Raphael since her parents had been killed by the drunk driver. She had been a delight in that she had never been angry at God for allowing the tragedy. She had never blamed God. From the center of her grief, she had just poured out her heart to God, thanked Him that she and her sister had survived, and asked for help to get through the tragedy. She was a delight.

Shelly was the main concern at the moment. God alone knew who would turn to him and who would reject him. But Shelly did have a good relationship with her son. And Shelly was definitely ready for a change in her life. Raphael hoped she would follow her son's lead. That was good very good.

Chapter Five

Ann

"Car shopping with dad was a lot fun," thought Ann as they drove home from the city. "Dad is so much more my kind of person than mom. Dad understands that it is natural to consider things from the point of how the affect me. Mom is just so silly, always thinking of others and always wanting me to do the same thing. Good grief, mom deserves the life she has. If she doesn't stand up for herself , then that is her problem.'

Ann really did not feel any remorse for how she had treated her mother, but rather anger that Shelly was not completely on her side in setting up Alice Wilson. Ann knew that Shelly could have been a big help in spreading the rumor if she would do it. But Ann didn't ask her because she knew the answer would be no. Ann felt betrayed. Her own mother, and she knew she could get no help from her.

But car shopping had gone well. He dad had decided to just go ahead and order the car. It was a nice foreign made sports car. They had decided against a convertible. Just a nice two door hard top convertible in white . The hard top was of course removable, and much better than a rag top. A stick shift had been ruled out almost immediately because Frederick was sure women would never be able to drive a manual transmission with any level of safety. Ann really didn't care. It was a really flashy car, expensive, and sure to attract attention. She had decided that while the recent attention she had received at school was not good, that attention in general was good. She wanted more of it. But in the future, she wanted to personally attract the attention, not have some idiot like Alice shove unwanted attention on her.

Ann's thoughts were interrupted as they pulled in the driveway at home. They were surprised to see her brother Mal's Z-71 pick-up in the yard. That was a ridiculous vehicle for Mal to drive, as he never drove in bad weather, and he certainly never drove off road. Furthermore, it was 8 years old now. Shelly had insisted that he be allowed to pick a car for high school graduation and that was what he had picked. He was still driving it.

Shelly and Mal had only arrived home minutes earlier. They had had a very interesting afternoon. Shelly had filled Mal in on the situation with Ann. Mal had filled Shelly in on the situation with Belle and his new found interest in the Bible in general and Bible prophecy specifically.

Ann and Frederick got out of the car and walked in through the garage. The family greeted each other politely and sat down to chat.

Politely, Shelly asked how the car shopping went. She was very tense. Shelly knew Mal was going to tell them about his new interest, and she knew it would NOT go over well with either of them. From Shelly's view point, it had been very interesting. Mal had talked and talked and talked about prophecy. He hadn't made her understand any of it. But she was delighted to see him so interested in something. Mal was exceptionally bright, but sparking his interest in anything had always been an extreme challenge. Things came very easily to him. He spent time learning new things long enough to have a good understanding of how something worked, and then he was immediately bored with it. She wondered if this interest would last. She almost hoped it would.

Sitting down, Frederick suggested Shelly fix them all something to drink. Shelly surprised herself by saying, "Of course, Ann, why don't you come help me. It will only take a minute."

The look of surprise on Ann's face was priceless. Mal managed to keep his face straight, but he was howling with laughter on the inside. Ann never had to do anything. Before Ann could reply Mal quickly said, "Here, let me help you mom. I'm good at fixing buckets of ice tea or coffee. Now if I could just learn to cook."

Malachi

Mal helped his mother with both tea and coffee. He guessed he was just stalling in talking to his father about religion. He also wasn't too sure about how much he wanted to say about Belle. He had told his mother that it had been Belle's idea for him to give the study of Bible prophecy a chance. But he really didn't want to prejudice his father against Belle before he even met her.

"Well dad, what's up with you?" Mal opened the conversation as he handed Frederick a mug of black coffee.

"Well," began Frederick, "I guess your mother told you about Ann's situation.'

Mal nodded.

"We, at least Ann and I, are taking steps to change the situation to Ann's favor. We have been planning how to go about it today. It is actually going to be very interesting. I think it will even be fun. By the way, did you notice Ann's new look? It will go quite well with the new car we ordered today. I know you had to wait until your senior year for the new car, but it is different with girls. They just need everything right now. It seems Ann has been neglected recently and perhaps this will make up for it."

When Frederick said "neglected" he gave Shelly a withering look. Shelly knew he was blaming her for the current situation. Shelly was somewhat amazed to note that her usual cringe when Frederick blamed her for something did not occur.

"His power over me really has gone," she thought with amazement. "That snide remark didn't hurt at all."

"What about you Mal?" asked Frederick. This is an unexpected visit. Is something up with you?"

"Since you asked dad, the answer is yes. I have been doing a study of a subject called Bible prophecy. It is fascinating. I was wondering if you had ever heard of it, or what you thought of it."

"Bible what?" Frederick said in an icy voice. "Do you mean the Bible like people take to church on Sunday and that collects dust sitting on the shelf the rest of the week? That Bible?"

"Well, yes dad, I didn't mean 'Shooters Bible' or something like that. The real Bible, the one claims to be the word of the Most High God of creation."

"Oh for crying out loud Mal, surely you are too old to be taken in by that ancient book of rumors. You aren't into some cult are you?" Frederick asked suspiciously. "Because if you are they are only after your money, and I will put you someplace to be deprogrammed if necessary."

"A cult? I didn't say anything about a cult. I only mentioned the Bible. I have been studying on my own. No one else is involved. There are some remarkable prophecies that were accurately foretold. The fulfillment is exact. For instance the book of Daniel predicted the four major empires of the earth, and predicted that Rome would never actually fall, only become weak. Then it predicted the revival of the Roman Empire. That is happening today in the form of the European Union. It is uncanny."

"Well, it isn't uncanny. It's garbage. Forget it. I don't want to hear another word about it. Surely you didn't come home for the weekend to talk about that did you?"

Mal immediately decided to avoid mentioning Belle. He knew his father would make the connection and hate her before he even met her. Shelly simultaneously decided not to mention Belle either.

"Look son, I know you have your own life to live, but you need to understand something right now. I am still paying for your college. I don't care if you stay in school until you are 40 and have three PHD's. But if you expect me to continue paying for your lifestyle, you will stop this nonsense immediately. Do you understand?" Frederick actually shouted.

"Let's just drop it dad, I only started looking into two days ago. And it has been independent study all on my own. Don't worry about it. Let's watch a movie."

Frederick turned on the television. Shelly took a few deep breaths and tried to calm down.

Ann smirked. "Mal is as dumb as mom," she thought to herself.

Mal thought, "Boy, I wasn't expecting a reaction quite that bad at all. I didn't get a chance to ask him if he had had any religious teaching as a child. I don't even know the religious background on any of my family. But one thing dad must have forgotten. My trust fund has been in my name since I was 23."

Shelly was thinking the same thing. She had originally set it up that both her children would receive full management of their trust funds at 30 or 35, but Mal was so sensible and stable that she had turned his over to him at 23. That was 2 years ago, and Mal had behaved exactly as he had before he received control of his money. He was just a stable responsible guy. Frederick had no say in that money. And he had stopped any allowance when Mal had received his bachelors degree. "Frederick just likes to yell and threaten," Shelly thought.

Angels of Darkness

"How far and fast will that Malachi Jones go?" Cabiri wondered. Through the ages he had wished many times he had access to the pre-recorded history available in heaven. But of course he didn't have access to those records even before the cosmic war. Based on his observations of humans in the past Cabiri guessed Mal Jones would become a believer, a student of the Bible with emphasis on prophecy, and then a very vocal teacher. Mal was already responsible, stable, and had been searching for "that something missing" for years now. Cabiri was almost certain that was the way Mal would go. There would have to be some thought given to the best way to slow him down, consideration as to what obstacles could be put in the way, anything to at least slow him down, and hopefully neutralize his testimony at some point.

Ann, on the other hand, was doing quite well from his point of view. She was becoming more of a narcissist every day, and Cabiri was certain that she would choose the path to destruction. In the war for her soul, he was confident that he would win that battle. And Frederick was just staying Frederick. A little meaner, which was nice from Cabiri's point of view, but still just an obnoxious bore. The nice thing was Cabiri hadn't even had to work hard on Frederick.

Angels of Light

Raphael was elated with Malachi's progress. An added joy was that Shelly was so receptive to Malachi's interest in the Bible. The written word had never been so readily available to truth seekers in ages past.

Chapter Six

Ann

Ann's first day back at school after the yearbook incident was not nearly as bad as she had thought. She had signed a few yearbooks. She had even managed a few jokes. She had also flatly stated that her uncommon good manners would not allow her to comment on Alice, or the journalist teacher, or really anything about the unhappy incident.

Silently Ann was thinking, "I won't comment, but I bet that letter with the rumor about Alice Wilson and the abortion will get some comments out of other people."

At lunch Ann was careful to sit near the table where the more popular girls sat. There was no particular person Ann usually sat with, or any particular place. She squeezed in a fairly crowded table close enough to hear what was being said by the crowd who actually had won awards like "most popular" and "most beautiful". Ann had decided to boldly speak to them about advice on purchasing a prom dress. Ann actually had no intention of attending the prom, because she didn't have a date. Truthfully, she couldn't attend unless an upper classman asked her to attend. It was only for juniors, seniors, and their dates. Maybe she better just ask if they had bought their dresses yet. Ann really wanted to get Alice to tell if she had bought her dress, and what it looked like.

Ann's wish was granted. The conversation almost immediately turned to hair, makeup, and prom attire. Ann got up to drop off her lunch tray. As she walked by the girls finishing their lunches, Ann said, "Hello Alice. Did I notice your car in the city yesterday? Dad and I were there shopping for a sports car for me. I get my graduation car a little early."

Alice replied cautiously, "Yes you did, I was looking for a dress for the prom." Alice really did feel a little remorse for what she had done to Ann, and thought a few kind words might be enough to atone for the incident.

"Well, I hope you bought blue," said Ann, because the guy who sits by me in study hall says that is his favorite color. You know, Bill White. Bill says he is taking you, so I thought you should know his favorite color."

"That's funny Ann. Yes, Bill is taking me. But his favorite color is green because it brings out the color in my eyes. And I bought a very nice floor length green gown. It is a little low cut, but beautiful. I guess you don't know Bill as well as you think you do."

That statement made, Alice turned away from Ann, signaling the conversation was over. Ann turned away also, positively glowing. Alice could not have said anything better to give credibility to the rumor that would start when the letter arrived at the school newspaper office.

Malachi

Malachi had gone back to his apartment Sunday evening. He wasn't sure what had happened, but he knew his father's objection to his spending time studying the Bible would not stop him from studying. Mal considered his reasons for studying. First it had been because Belle had asked him to study. But then he liked it, he was interested, in fact he was fascinated. His plan to continue studying was based on that and had nothing to do with his father not wanting him to continue. Mal was certain of this. As a child and through his teenage years Mal had not been a rebellious child. He just wasn't. It usually wasn't something he had to fight against. He was just born with a "grown up" gene or something. He was naturally fairly immune to peer-pressure, too. He was always comfortable doing what he wanted to do, and he had no problem with other people doing what suited him. Now Mal was sure he would continue in Bible study even if Belle walked out of his life. Of course he hoped, actually really hoped, that didn't happen.

When he got home Mal sat down at his computer and began to visit some more Bible teaching web sites. He started with a prophecy warehouse page and followed the links from that page. After a few hours of study Mal realized he needed to get something settled. According to the Bible, Mal needed to formally make a commitment to Jesus Christ. It was so easy to believe that Mal began to believe he had known it all along, but that he just needed someone to explain it to him. Now he knew. He knew a lot of verses,

John 3:16, "for God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth on me though he were dead yet shall he live.

I am the way, the truth and the life.

The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.

And Mal wanted that gift. He felt like he had been blind. A few days ago he didn't know or care that he was separated from God by a fall. He was like Mephiboshef, the son of Jonathan, who had been the friend of King David of Israel. Mephiboshef was crippled by a fall when his nurse dropped him. Mephiboshef was living in poverty. And all he had to do to dramatically improve his life was accept the gracious offer of the King to come and live with him.

And that was where Malachi was. He was like all the sons of Adam. He was crippled by the fall from grace. Although Mal appeared to be living in prosperity, he realized he was poor and impoverished without the love of God in his life. But Mal had read the invitation given by the King of Kings. God had extended an invitation to fellowship with him through Jesus Christ. Mal was ready to accept the invitation.

So Malachi Jones got down on his knees, acknowledged his separation from God because of the sin nature in general, and his own sin in particular, asked forgiveness, and pledged his life to God.

Malachi rose up off his knees a changed man.

"Ok. Now what?" Mal asked.

Angels of Darkness
"Curses on Malachi Jones," ranted Cabiri. I can't curse him eternally now, but I can do as much mischief as possible in his life while it lasts.

Cabiri knew he was in trouble. He had seen it before. Malachi had made a true commitment. And worse, he was one of those people who naturally did what they set out to do. He would have to think of something, try everything. Malachi was going to be trouble, and Cabiri had better be ready. He was supposed to have "harvested" whoever he could from the family, and neutralized the rest of them.

He was pretty happy with Ann's progress though. That rumor about Alice Wilson was great. And Ann had managed the conversation at the lunch table all by herself. Cabiri would see that the "right" person opened the letter. Someone who would put the rumor on the fast track.

Angels of Light

Raphael was ringing the bells of heaven. A soul was claimed for eternity in paradise.

Chapter 7

Ann

Pure delight was a simple explanation of Ann's reaction to the rumor she had started about Alice Wilson. It was just the sort of rumor everyone wanted to hear, so that made it believable. And the fact that the letter had described the dress Alice bought after the supposed abortion was just perfect. That made the rumor so much more believable. Alice was of course devastated. Her friends dropped her, her boyfriend dumped her, she didn't go to the prom at all, and she barely finished out the school year. She didn't even attend her graduation.

Ann was still laughing about the way Alice had continued to protest her innocence. Her poor dumb boyfriend made it clear he didn't know anything about any of it. He really didn't care about Alice's reputation. He just wanted to make it clear he was not the father of the "alleged" baby.

Ann had a few unexpected benefits from the incident as well. Her delight in the success of the rumor put a spark in her eye and a spring in her step. She found herself looking people directly in the eye as she met them in the hall or cafeteria. She was looking for their reaction to the rumor, but most students took it as Ann showing more friendliness than she had in the past. Boys began to notice her. She was invited to sit with the popular girls at lunch. By the time school was out, Ann was well on her way to being known as "miss popular".

Ann liked the idea of being popular. She didn't want to let the momentum fade over the summer, so she approached her father about a party at the house a couple of weeks into the summer. If it was successful, Ann would be invited to other parties through the rest of summer, and getting into a routine would be easy for the coming school year. She was thinking about a boy girl party of course, but maybe an added sleep over for the girls. Mom could do some sort of fancy brunch for everyone around 11 the next morning.

Frederick agreed it would be a good idea. Shelly wasn't opposed to the party. She had had time to reassess the situation. Shelly admitted to herself that it was possible she had over reacted to everything. She still planned to make some changes between Fredrick and herself, but maybe subtle changes instead of open confrontation. Ann's party might be just the way to show her husband and daughter that she had a new attitude.

Ann worked out a guest list for her party. She needed the most popular students who would be seniors the next year. A few sophomores would be invited. Frederick suggested that she invite a few students who had just graduated.

"Ann," he had pointed out. "It is true they can't help you this year because they will be gone to college. But let's consider which college they will be attending, and where you may attend. You might need an established relationship with a few people on campus when you start college. Actually, you need to consider the entire list from the point of 'who will be helpful to me in the present and future'. Next, you consider who has not been helpful, or even hurtful to you in the past and of course you don't invite them. Just for fun you let them know they aren't being invited when you get a chance."

"Ok dad," Ann replied. "I get it. And thanks for the advice. There should be a purpose for everyone on the list. That's a good idea. By the way dad, do you think we can trust mom to handle the brunch menu, or does she need help?"

"She can manage that Ann. Shelly is good at stuff like that. Let her shine where she can. OK?"

"What ever you say dad."

Ann happily went about planning the party, giving careful consideration to who would be invited and who would not be invited. She didn't even care that she wasn't going to the prom. Very few sophomores went anyway.

"Hey Ann," Frederick called from the other room. "I just remembered something we used to do that was fun when I was in school. It's an old board game called "Ouija board". I think I still have it in the garage. I'll get it for you. I think you and the girls will get a kick out of it after the boys leave."

"Ok dad, whatever you think," Ann said absent mindedly. Frederick was a great dad, but she doubted her new friends would be very interested in some old board game.

Malachi

Mal couldn't wait to tell Belle about his decision. He couldn't remember when he had felt better, or more alive, or more content. What a relief!

He had read that many people struggle with belief in Jesus Christ for years. "What torment they must go through," he thought.

For Mal, it had been easy. Once he had seen the light, or the narrow way, he had no trouble in jumping in with both feet. Now he was just basking in God's love. Or something like that. Whatever it was, Mal thought it was really really nice. He just wanted to see Belle, and get her reaction to his good news. Mal didn't know it but he was not going to get the exact reaction he was expecting.

They had supper planned at Belle's idea of just the right restaurant. This time it was Tex-Mex food, but it fell within Belle's idea of the right price range. Mal didn't care. He could even eat spaghetti if Belle was eating it with him. Or maybe even meatloaf. He didn't care.

He hurried to his pickup and got behind the wheel. He was still a little hurt that both dad and Ann had made fun of his truck. One thing Mal was certain of, the relationship between a guy and his truck was pretty serious. He guessed he would have to tell them about the example set by Sam Walton, that super rich now deceased man who had founded Wal-Mart. He drove his truck a LONG time, and it didn't seem to hurt him any.

But his mind quickly turned his thoughts again to Belle. Mal was pretty sure he was not just in love, but madly in love. He wondered if wedding bells were in his future any time soon.

Belle was waiting at the restaurant. Her thoughts were pretty much the same as Mal's, wondering if wedding bells were in her future. Belle had been raised in the church. She had become a believer at a very young age, and then followed through by applying Bible teachings to how she lived her life. She had faced the loss of her parents in the accident, the serious injury to her sister Amelia, and college, and explaining to boys and then young men that she was saving sex for marriage, and a host of other things that had come her way. Belle was a growing Christian. She wanted to know more about Jesus. She wanted to serve him. She wanted a home that honored Christ. And that was going to take a strong Christian man. Could Mal become that man?

Mal arrived at the restaurant and was ushered to where Belle was sitting. Belle knew what had happened when she saw him walking toward her. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and quickly sat down. He was smiling broadly, his brown eyes twinkling, white teeth flashing.

"Ok, Mal, what's up?" Belle asked.

"Well, can you guess?"

"I think I can, but I would rather hear it from you."

"There are two very important things I have to tell you. First, I followed the leads you recommended on the prophecy warehouse web site. I read everything. It was true,; it was clear; it was easy; and I accepted Jesus Christ. I am a child of God for eternity."

Belle smiled, even glowed. "I absolutely could not be happier Mal. I don't know what to say. I thought it was too soon. It usually takes people a long time to come to an understanding of the path to God, or as I call it, "the path to peace and joy". I was praying for this to happen, but it seems like my prayers usually take a long to get answered. But what was the second thing you had to tell me?"

"Well," Mal began, then stopped. "Umm, well, I guess I was hoping we have a future together. It is a little sudden, but I feel pretty good about it. What do you think?"

"Well, I was thinking the same thing. At least I hope it is the same thing. Exactly what do you mean by 'future together?' Because there is only one way I will have a future with anyone, and that way would have to include a wedding ring."

"That's what I meant," Mal clarified. "I knew from the start that is the type of person you are. I wouldn't want it any other way really. So what's the answer?"

"What's the question?" Belle countered.

"Ok, ok, will you marry me?" Mal blurted out.

Belle looked at his face as though searching for something else. "Probably." She replied

"Probably?" Mal asked somewhat bewildered. "What does that mean?"

"It means 'probably'." Belle said. "Probably, based on a couple of conditions.

"Conditions?" Mal said blankly.

"Yes," Belle continued. "Conditions. They are very important to me, and they are crucial to the success of the marriage. And they are basically two of them. The first is that as a believer, you must set a pattern of Bible study and Christian growth. Oh, Mal, there is so much in the Bible. It isn't called the "Good Book" for no reason. And I can't put in your head or heart. According to the Bible, a new Christian is like a new baby. You have to be feed on the word of God to grow. That means you have to attend church and you have to actively engage in independent Bible study. And the second condition is that we come to the same basic belief system. We have to be comfortable attending the same church."

"But, I'm a Christian now. Why wouldn't we be happy attending the same church?" Mal asked.

"Listen Mal, there are more denominations that you can actually count. There are Catholics, protestants, and Baptists to name a few. And two people in a marriage must be committed to the same belief system. I have seen it too many times. A Catholic marries a Protestant, then they can't agree on which church to attend, they raise children without any Christian teachings because they can't agree on what they want the child taught, and the end result is just disaster. I made up my mind I would never do that. I have to start with a man who takes me to church and wants to take any potential children we might have to church as well."

"Well, I don't see why we can't work it out. I don't have a church, so I guess I can go to yours. And I guess now that I think about it that is probably what happened with my parents. Ann and I never even attended church on Easter or Christmas. But does this mean we are engaged or not?"

"Let's just say tentatively. I don't want you to think you are being manipulated here. You have to sincerely believe, you have to sincerely love the same form of worship that I love. We can start from here, and plan to be officially engaged in say - six months? If you are still happy with your decision, and happy with a church routine, and have a growing love of Bible teaching, then I will say Yes Yes Yes!! How does that sound to you?

"It sounds like a whole lot to digest all at once. But Ok, let's give it a whirl."

"Oh one more thing, I forgot to say, I love you, and I like you, and I really really want this to work out Mal," Belle added.

"Me too Belle, all of that and more. I have just seen a glimpse of the life I want. I am going to work for it."

Later as Mal drove himself home he wondered, 'Did I miss something this evening? I thought I would at least get a little kiss. I'll have to pay more attention next time we are out. I might have missed an opportunity for a kiss somewhere this evening.'

Angels of Darkness

"Ouija board?" Cabiri said thoughtfully. He hadn't worked through one of those in ages. But he had had great success using them in the past. With the internet now, an introduction to the occult was so easy. And of course drugs helped. But with a really apt pupil like Ann seemed to be, the Ouija board was perfect. And he needed her to stay drug free for the future he had in mind for her.

Cabiri was disgusted with Mal and Belle though. Such chatter was sickening. He had listened to their conversation and wished he were able to throw up. People talking about the Love of God and 'true love' in the same conversation was just more than he could take.

Cabiri thought of assigning one of his subordinates to make certain Ann did use the Ouija board, but decided to do it himself. He really loved the feeling of worship he usually received from someone when they made initial contact with what they called "the spirit world". "People are so gullible," he thought to himself.

Angels of Light

"Well, I sure wish that board game had been thrown out with the trash. What a mess." Raphael thought to himself. "Those boards are an effective way to get into trouble. But I guess if Ann is heading for trouble one avenue will work as well as another one.

On a lighter note, Raphael was delighted with Malachi and Belle. He loved to hear people talk about the love of God, about Bible study, and about building a Christ centered life together. He was going to be as much help as he could. In the war for the souls of the Jones family one soul now belonged to God for eternity. And that soul was going to be joined to another Christian. Raphael hoped for God's blessings on Mal and Belle and Amelia as well.

Chapter 8

Ann

The day of Ann's party arrived. She had planned every detail of the party. At least she thought she had. Truthfully, she had just thrown out her ideas, her dad had thrown out the money, and her mom had done most of the work.

It had been planned that the boys would all leave at one AM. Weather permitting swimming would be allowed, but a "modest" swim suit was required. This was carefully stated to each parent. Certainly no liquor would be served to underage children. This was to give all the parents a sense of security for this party and to give them the idea that any future parties would be carefully supervised. The girls would spend the night, eat brunch at 11AM, and then be returning home. Parents were encouraged to call with questions.

"Look Ann," Frederick had said, "You want to be especially careful for this initial party. It is sort of like one of those old 'coming out parties' they used to throw for young ladies. Get off on the right foot because you won't get a second chance. "

Ann carefully followed her dad's advice. She really did want to get off on the right foot, and something just seemed to be telling her that her future would depend partly on being socially accepted with the upper crust.

The party was good. It couldn't have gone better actually. But the real party began after the boys left. Ann's got out the old board game just to please her father. The girls started asking the Ouija board questions, and Ann's life was changed forever.

The questions were just for entertainment at first. "Who will I marry?" "Who is going to which college?" "Who is going to get rich?" Ann was pretty interested in how it worked. She tried it. At first she thought the Ouija was moving because the girl she was playing with was moving it, but when her friend took her hands off to prove she wasn't moving it, Ann knew it was working by itself.

Ann gave someone else a turn for questions while she thought it over. The other girls were just laughing and having a good time. One girl asked whether Alice Wilson's baby was a boy or girl. The Ouija answered that it was a boy. Since Ann and Alice alone knew there was no baby, Ann suddenly felt connected to the board in some strange way.

"Who are you Ouija?" Ann wondered.

When it next came Ann's turn to ask a question she asked aloud, "Who are you?"

The Ouija moved to spell out the answer, "I'm the devil; come to hell."

For the rest of girls at the party, that ended the fun of the board game. They quickly put up the board and went on to play truth or dare.

For Ann, the Ouija's answer seemed to be a simple answer to a simple question. She thought she had just made contact with a very powerful force. The force seemed friendly to Ann, because it had not told anyone Alice was never pregnant. It had validated Ann's rumor. To Ann, that meant the spirit or Ouija or whatever it was, was on her side. In Ann's heart there was a growing excitement. The rest of the night and through brunch the next morning, Ann only wanted the girls to leave so she could talk to the Ouija board by herself. Ann was thinking that in the board, there was power. She wanted to know more about that power. It could prove very useful.

Malachi

Belle had decided that the next Sunday would be the perfect time for Malachi to attend church with her and Amelia. Amelia had met Mal on several occasions. She knew Belle was serious about him the first time she saw them together. She liked Mal, and was confident they would get along well in case he became her brother in law. So Belle was not worried about that. Actually, Belle wasn't really worried about anything. Mal had appeared to be truly interested in Bible study, he was willing to attend her church, and over time, he would become a strong Christian man. But there was the initial hurdle of introducing him at church. It was the church she had attended from her early childhood. She had known many of the members for years and was on very good terms with most of them. When her parents had been killed in the accident, it was the church members who had been the earthly arm of the Lord, and helped Belle and Amelia through the really bad days. They had continued to watch out for the girls since then as well. There were at least 15 ladies who thought of themselves as the foster mother of the sisters. And that wasn't counting the men who thought the girls needed a 'father figure'. Belle loved all of them, but right now it seemed like she would be introducing her potential fiancé to 15 sets of parents instead of one.

"Oh well," she thought. It will just be for a couple of Sunday's. Then they will all love Mal the way I do. I just have to smile and nod politely, and remember to introduce him to every single one of them so I don't hurt anyone's feelings." Laughing to herself she thought, "There are more than few forgetful members I will have to introduce him to a couple of times and just hope they remember that I introduced him once to them."

Mal was just a young man in love. He had experienced very little rejection in his life, and wasn't expecting any at church. Everyone there was supposed to love each other - right? Belle had said to just casually nice. A sports jacket was plenty. A tie was optional.

Mal drove by and picked up Belle and Amelia. He was happy, but he did notice they were a bit tense. Belle breathed a sigh of relief that Mal was just too thick skinned or thick headed to have any apprehension. In her heart she knew it would be fine, but she just wished it was over. And Amelia was somewhat amused by the situation. That didn't make Belle feel any better.

They slipped in a few minutes late, and sat at the back. But the choir saw them, noticed the man with Belle, and began to nudge and point. It was soon all over. The pastor asked Belle to stand and introduce her friend. And that was about all there was to it. The service went smoothly; the pastor spoke truthfully, eloquently, but simply. Mal was beaming. He wondered why he was never taken to church as a child. "This is really nice," he thought. "I guess my worldly troubles are over."

After the service Belle introduced Mal to what seemed like 500 people. Mal wondered why they didn't wear name tags. That would certainly make it easier. He made a point to remember the pastor's name. The others would just have to be learned over time.

Mal, Belle, and Amelia climbed into Mal's pickup truck and left to have Sunday lunch at a favorite restaurant. Belle had explained that Sunday lunch, whether at home or at a restaurant, was a big deal, and a family tradition. Mal was agreeable. He liked to eat, and that would be a good excuse to dine at a place that was a little pricier than Belle usually allowed.

Lunch conversation was something new for Mal. It was about the sermon they had just heard, how accurate was it according to what they had already learned, and a few points they would need to look up and have the pastor clarify.

"What are you doing?" Mal had asked them. "Don't we just listen to the pastor, and take his word? After all, he really is supposed to know what he is doing."

"Listen Mal," Belle had replied, "I have the utmost respect for Pastor CC. He knows about everything. He studies all the time. He prays more than anyone I know. So I trust him. Plus, I have known him for years. He basically never messes up. But occasionally he might not be totally clear about something. That might raise a question. Or something he says may not come out just right. So Amelia and I always talk about the sermon. Not in a critical way or anything, but just to make sure we are all understanding it the same. If I have a question, I just call him up and ask him. That is what we did when mother and daddy were here. Dad was always getting Pastor CC to explain a little more, or give him a few more details. They used to talk for hours. Just always remember that a pastor is not some sort of ancient oracle or something."

"Well, if you're sure it isn't some sort of sacrilege or something. By the way, what does "CC" stand for? Mal asked.

Belle began, "No one knows, Mal. Brother CC just always goes by CC and he says that is actually his name."

"Actually, I know something here I am not supposed to know, "Amelia interrupted. "CC does stand for two names."

"Well Mal, you might as well know that Amelia always knows something she isn't supposed to know. She has supersonic hearing, so she hears things she shouldn't hear. And then people just confess things to her. They just start talking, and then they tell their life story in about 5 minutes. Furthermore, she is overly curious and far too comfortable snooping around on the internet."

"Oh be quiet Belle, you know very well my inquisitive nature has come in quite handy in the past. Anyway, do you want to know what CC stands for or not?"

"Ok, well, yes. I always wondered."

"It stands for Cornelius Cornwallis," Amelia said with a straight face.

"You have got to be kidding. You mean the pastor's name is Cornelius Cornwallis Hignite?" Belle asked.

"That's right. I am positive. You can find out anything on the internet about anyone. I double checked that. Actually, I had to pay a couple of dollars for that information, but it was for a really good cause, so I did it. And it worked. Do you remember that he didn't want to assist the youth department in that last fundraiser? Then he suddenly agreed to help, and even raised the most money? Well, all I did was place an anonymous phone call and say "Cornelius Cornwallis Hignite, I am certain you should help with the youth department fundraiser."

"What did he say?" Belle asked.

"He said 'Amelia, If your father were here he would give you a good spanking for this'. Then he hung up the phone. Then he announced Sunday he would be glad to help us out."

"That sounds like extortion or blackmail or something," Mal said.

"Maybe, but I only use my gift of information gathering for good. And as time goes by I bet you ask me to find out a few things for you. Just wait and see."

Their food arrived and Mal decided it was time to eat. He knew he loved one of the women at the table. He thought he could grow to love the other one like a sister. But he really didn't want any more family information that day. "Cornelius Cornwallis Hignite," he thought to himself. And I thought being named Malachi was bad. I guess I will have to ask mom why she named me Malachi since she isn't religious.

Angels of Darkness

"It has been ages since I had so apt a pupil," Cabiri thought with evil glee. I wonder how far I can go with Ann before she self destructs? Years I hope. I must pace myself this time. The human mind is so frail."

Angels of Light

"I love being with God's children," Raphael thought. "Watching Mal, Belle, and Amelia sit together in church, then eat together, talk about the sermon, and then the humorous touch when Amelia revealed CC's full name was delightful. Of course, we guardian angels like to eat. I am really looking forward to the day when we can all eat together, and I don't have to wait for an angle cook to arrive. Perhaps I am a little overly interested in food. Maybe it is just the company when I get to eat that I like."

Sadly, Raphael's thoughts turned to Mal's sister Ann. He had no fore-knowledge, but his guess was that Ann was going to choose what the world had to offer now instead of setting her sites on things to come.

Malachi and Belle had openly and clearly chosen the narrow way that leads to life everlasting. They had chosen Jesus Christ who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He loved to hear people talk about the love of God, about Bible study, and about building a Christ centered life together. He was going to be as much help as he could.

Chapter 9

Ann

Ann had not been able to get rid of her schoolmates quickly enough the morning after the party. Her mother had prepared a lovely brunch for about a dozen people. Ann really only noticed that the girls ate too much, talked too much, and stayed too long. She was terribly relived when the entire affair was over.

Without offering to help Shelly with the clean up, Ann said, "I really have to go upstairs and rest. I won't be back down for quite a while. Please try to keep it quiet while you straighten up." With that said, Ann went straight to her room, locked the door, and picked up the Ouija board.

"I hope I can make this work on my own," she thought. "It will be so much more complicated if I have to have help with it. Well, I'll give it a try."

Ann was thinking it might takes days, or weeks, or even longer to 'make contact' again. She didn't know quite where to start.

To her delight, her first attempt at speaking to the Ouija board yielded results. She had simply said, "Hello Ouija, it's me again, Ann. Are you there?"

The board marker moved quickly to 'yes'.

"Well, that was easy," Ann thought. "What should I do now?" Then she thought, "If I were praying I would just ask for what I want. I will explain to Ouija what I want, and ask if he can help me. Ok, here goes."

As quickly as possible Ann began to spell out her request. She was delighted to feel the marker move from letter to letter all on its own. "Ouija, I want a life of power - which would naturally include money, but really power is what I want. Now can you help me or not?"

"Yes," was the reply.

"OK, where do we go from here? How do I start? What is the first thing I should do?"

The next few weeks Ann spent hours tediously asking questions to the board and waiting for the Ouija board marker to spell out the answers. She paid strict attention to the suggestions and answers given by the board. There were suggestions about how to adjust her appearance slightly. Her classes at school were gone over. Her personal conduct was discussed. The one thing Ouija kept stressing was that she must always remain above suspicion. Under no circumstances was Ann herself to engage in anything less than conduct becoming the most upright public figure. The board commended Ann on how she handled the situation with Alice Wilson.

Ann had no real idea of what was actually happening with the Ouija board. Somewhere in her hard and selfish heart there was an idea that she was not doing what she should be doing. There was a distant revulsion to the Ouija board and everything about it. But Ann pushed those thoughts far away, and went forward with what she wanted to do; giving no thought to what might be the right thing to do. She did have a moment or two when she almost thought someone or something was crying out "burn it, burn it!! Get rid of it. Never touch it again." But she ignored those thoughts. They were just negative energy and not helpful at all.

Ann was getting very little sleep. Talking to the Ouija board took so much time. Then she had to go over everything it said and try to decide exactly what it meant. And how she could apply what it meant to her conduct and plans for the future.

Finally one night, Ann asked the board, "Ouija, is there any way we could communicate more easily? This is wearing me out? Is there a better faster way to talk to each other?

Malachi

Mal was spending the summer studying his Bible, comparing current events with Bible prophecy of things yet to come, and trying to map out how he would change his life to live like a Christian.

Now that was something. He had actually thought of himself as a Christian prior to becoming one. His mother had been clear that if he was good enough he would go to heaven. So he tried to obey the commandments and treat others the way he wanted to be treated. After all, everyone wanted to go to heaven didn't they? But now it was different. He understood that there was more to it than being good. First you had to be saved. That got you the promise of entry into the kingdom of heaven. Then, because you were saved, and because you loved the One who saved you, you tried to live a life that was pleasing to Him. Simply said, but not that simply done. As far as Mal could tell, he really didn't have any big sins in his life. He really had tried to live a life with old fashioned morals and standards. So he didn't have any major habits to change of which he was aware. As far as giving to the church, he could do that. He could attend church. He didn't have any major hobbies or recreational activities he couldn't give up. It was quite strange really. Mal knew he was different now. But he didn't know how that difference should play out in his life. He made an appointment with CC Hignite. Belle trusted Pastor CC, so Mal thought maybe CC could give him a few ideas of what was expected of him now.

CC had asked Mal to come to his office. He liked a quiet place for counseling and that was provided at the church. His secretary would not allow interruptions unless it was a dire emergency.

Mal arrived for his appointment on time. CC ushered him into his office and got right down to business.

"Ok Mal," said CC. "What can I do for you today?"

"Well, Belle gave me the idea that I wanted to become a Christian. So I followed some web sites on how to do that. I learned, first I had to 'get saved'. I followed the instructions to the letter. I believe I truly believe Jesus is the Son of God, who gave his life to make a way for me to enter the kingdom of heaven. I have eternal life. I am sure of it. But what do I do now?"

"That's nice, but pretty sudden don't you think. Are you sure you know what you are talking about?" CC asked.

"Of course I do. I can read. I followed the instructions. There are hundreds of web sites that all quote Bible verses and say the same thing. I looked them up. Everyone of them. Just to be sure no one was pulling my leg. Jesus said ask and He will save you. So I asked Him, and he saved me. The question is 'now what?'"

"The next thing you do is follow the Lord in believer's baptism."

"I'm pretty sure I was baptized when I was a baby," Mal interrupted.

"Well, that doesn't count," CC countered. "That is pretty much like getting the cart before the horse. First you get saved. Then as a public profession of your faith, you get baptized. That publically identifies you with Jesus Christ. It also symbolically sets aside your old life and tells the world you are starting a life has a different set of rules and allegiance. Don't worry. Getting baptized now won't mess up the records in heaven or anything."

"OK, then what?" Mal asked. I can do that, but then what?"

"Next thing you do is continue in Bible study. You need to set aside as much time as possible to study. I can give you some good commentaries on the Bible. You also need to go through a class here at the church on the basics for new Christians. And if you really want the full blessings of God on your life, and on the family you may one day have, you must surrender your life to do what ever God asks you to do."

"What do you think he will ask me to do?" Mal inquired apprehensively.

"I have no idea," CC stated.

"But I am supposed to surrender BEFORE I know what He wants?" Mal asked again.

"Yes. Look Mal, God has a plan for your life. It is the best plan for your life. He loves you like no one else has ever loved you. Usually, people either love what God asks them to do in the first place, or they come to love it later. It is wonderful. I have never heard anyone who lived a life surrendered to Christ lament their decision on their death bed. But I have heard multitudes crying about a life wasted on what they thought they wanted. God knows what you want better than you do. He put the desires in your heart. He will fulfill your dreams if you trust in Him."

"Ok pastor. That's a lot to think about, but I think I can do it. Again, it won't be that hard since I really didn't have any real goals or ambitions anyway. When can I get Baptized?"

"Sunday. Sunday is good. The sooner the better"

"I'll do it. I am ready to discover my destiny. It sounds like I can't do that until I take the first step."

"Son, Baptism is the second step. Salvation is the first step, and you already make that decision. Baptism doesn't save you. It just tells the world that you have become a believer. God bless you. I'll see you Sunday."

Angels of Darkness

Cabiri was apprehensive. He had been called to a special meeting. He hated it when that happened. Nine out of ten times it would be bad news for him personally. He was certain this would be bad. And he was right.

His immediate supervisor had called a meeting with Cabiri and Zisa. That was bad. Zisa didn't know her place. She thought her power equaled his. Of course she was wrong. Furthermore, he was called to the meeting down in what was known as the Bermuda triangle. That strange things went on there was old news, and really discredited with the global community. It was a convenient location, but it was just not a place that was currently in the news, and he really thought that someone of his stature and authority should be called to meetings in New York, or somewhere in Europe, or something a little more prestigious. Certainly not the Bermuda triangle. So he was certain the meeting would not be favorable to him. He was correct.

The meeting was short. Cabiri's supervisor had said, "Cabiri, you are following your old pattern of bringing along your protégée's much too fast. You know they burn out long before their usefulness is complete. So in this case, you are being pulled off the Ann Jones case, and being reassigned, at least temporarily, to the terrorist sector. Zisa is going to stand in for you. She gets a lot more mileage out of converts than you ever have."

"Zisa?" Cabiri fumed. He hated her. He hated her from before the cosmic war had actually begun. He really hated her now. "She just plays around with her converts. She never gets anything done."

Zisa laughed in Cabiri's face. "I take my time, get the full use from the silly humans, and then have my fun. Your impatience has cost all of us. This time, we will use this woman however we can for as long as we can."

Zisa left on her way to Ann's house, leaving Cabiri to face his supervisor alone.

Cabiri was afraid to say anything else. He knew the power of the one who stood before him. Surprised, Cabiri heard the supervisor say, "Don't worry, you will get her back. I just need you to do something else immediately. Zisa is good at reeling in her fish slowly. Ann will soon be ours. You will eventually be back in charge. And in the time being, I have a couple of terrorists groups I want you to help out with recruitment. I have it from the highest level that the time is right for aggressive recruitment in the United States. You are in on the ground floor in that country. That is a win win for you. You hook them, reel them in, get them to blow themselves up, and then you have them eternally. And the people of the United States are a little more afraid than they were the day before. The problem is we don't want Americans so afraid they actually start praying.

Cabiri nodded.

Angels of Light

Raphael, invisible as always, stood quietly in the corner guarding his charge. He heard Mal's conversation with Pastor CC. It sounded good. Raphael wondered what was in store for Malachi. He wasn't all knowing, but he was a good guesser. Human nature being what it was, and God's willingness to use willing people, Raphael was pretty sure Malachi Jones was going to be very useful in bringing others into the fold.

But he had a sinking feeling that Ann was lost too them. It was beyond his control. He wondered about Mal's parents. He thought they might still be won under the right circumstances, but it would be hard. They could still be lost too. "Which of the fallen ones are after Frederick and Shelly he thought?" "By the signs of the times, time is growing short. I hope Mal starts praying for them right away. Even better, maybe he will boldly tell them what Jesus did for them."

Chapter 10
Ann

It was an exhausted Ann Jones who went to bed that night. It was a transformed Ann Jones that got up in the morning.

Ann had gone to bed wanting to find a way to contact the Ouija spirit without the board. She had thought about it as she went to sleep. The last thing she did before falling asleep was to pray out loud, "Ouija, show me how to talk to you without the board." And her request had been answered. Ann had a dream. In the dream Ann was in a very peaceful place. She was relaxed. She was happy. She surveyed her surroundings and eventually saw someone standing in the shadows.

"Hello," Ann said. "Do I know you? Are you the one I have been seeking?"

"Yes," replied the figure from the shadows. The voice was so calm, so reassuring.

It compelled Ann to ask more.

"Have we met already through the Ouija board? Is that who you are?"

"Yes again, little one. But you misunderstand. The board is but a medium through which I sometimes make contact with those such as yourself who are more highly evolved than most. My name is actually Zisa. I am here in answer to your request that we communicate in an easier manner. Do you wish to proceed?"

"Of course I do," Ann answered. "Are you God?"

"No dear," Zisa replied. "At least not as you might be thinking of God. I am one of many. I am here to help you. I don't know everything, but I do know a great deal. I am quite powerful, though not all powerful. Actually, 'all powerful' is a myth. There are a pantheon of gods, some more helpful than others. My desire is of course for the good of humankind. I see in you one who can assist humanity in preparing for a quantum leap forward in evolution."

`"What quantum leap forward?" Ann asked.

"Eventually, all will become as I am now, gods of this world. You will be part of it. And you will be very successful. I am very excited to have you to work through."

"So I get to be successful and powerful with your help? Is that right?" Ann questioned.

"Yes," Zisa replied.

"What's in it for you?" Ann asked.

"Basically nothing except the opportunity to do good," Zisa answered. "That is what guardian angels do for their charges. But I will need your solemn promise to listen to me. Follow my advice, and be obedient even when you don't understand what I am asking you to do. Can you agree to that?"

"Of course I can. Where do we start?" Ann replied.

"Well, I can give you a brief outline of the immediate future. First, we have to get you through high school During the remaining two years you have to set a pattern of being a leader, well liked, and above reproach in everything. This is sort of like a new birth for you. I even have a new name for you."

"A new name? I can't just change my name," Ann said doubtfully.

"Not entirely a new name. I just want you to go by your initials. 'AJ' for Ann Jones. AJ has a much more memorable ring to it than Ann. There is a husband in your future. Then you will be AJ with a new last name. It will all go together quite well.

"What else?" Ann asked.

"Well, you will continue to pay attention to your appearance. You will make a point to speak to the more influential students. But of course you won't actually snub the less popular students. You will learn to walk the line between being 'busy' and being thought of as a snob. Then of course college. I don't know which one yet because I don't know where your Mr. Right will be attending. Don't worry though. I have others working on those details. You are chosen. You will have a life of power and wealth. It will be good. Are you willing to follow me?"

"Of course I am. How stupid would I be to not follow you. I really appreciate the opportunity. Zisa - I love your name. Can I call you Zisa?

"Yes AJ, call me Zisa. Call me anytime. Say your thoughts out loud to me. I will be with you. I will hear you. I will help you."

"Good. I'm yours."

"By the way AJ, this will be a most restful night for you. You will sleep better than ever, and wake up full of energy and looking even more beautiful. Don't forget to let everyone know you will be going by AJ now instead of Ann. Good night by apprentice."

"Good night Zisa," AJ replied.

\----------

That night Ann became AJ and her future was set.

Malachi

Malachi was considering his next step. He was certain of three things. First, he had asked Jesus Christ for eternal life, and his request was granted. Second, he was certain he wanted to get baptized on Sunday. Third, he wanted to marry Belle.

The indecision came in with his family. When should he tell them about his new found faith? Should he tell them and invite them to church on Sunday? And how should Belle figure into it? He was pretty sure they would not be favorable to him openly becoming a "Bible thumper". He didn't want his family to get off on the wrong foot with Belle. They would know immediately that she had been the start of his quest for God.

Mal sat considering the situation and what to do when he was struck with a thought.

"My family doesn't know Jesus Christ! That means they are currently not headed for heaven. They are lost just like I was. I have to tell them."

With that decision made, Mal called his mother immediately.

"Mom, I have some news. I can give it to you over the phone, or I can come to see you Saturday."

"Malachi, are you ok?" Shelly asked anxiously.

"I'm fine mom, better than fine. I just have news."

"Well, tell me." Shelly said.

"First mom, I already told you I was studying the Bible and Bible prophecy. I have become a believer in the God of the Bible. I am getting baptized on Sunday. You are invited."

"You have already been baptized. When you were a baby I had you baptized. But if you think you need to do it again I guess it won't hurt anything."

"No mom, you don't understand. I guess I need to see you face to face to tell you. And of course I need to tell dad and Ann. I am praying you will understand," Mal explained rapidly, the tenseness in his voice breaking through.

"Well, Saturday is great. I love to see you for any reason. But are you sure you have to tell your father and sister? You know how they are. Maybe it would be better to just be quiet about it. They aren't really involved in your life so they would probably never have to know about it," Shelly suggested.

"Mom, I can't keep this a secret. I have to tell the world. And speaking of what I have to tell the world, you need to know about Belle. I think we are engaged."

"You what? You think you are engaged? You mean you don't know? Does this girl have anything to do with you becoming a Christian?"

"Yes, she got me started studying. But the decision was all mine. I studied it out. I saw the truth. I accepted it. I am now a believer in Jesus Christ," Mal said. "Mom, my life has changed forever."

"OK honey, what ever you say," Shelly said in a soothing voice. "When will I meet this girl? What did you say her name was?"

"Belle, her name is Belle mom. I was thinking of bringing her with me on Saturday if she is free."

"That sounds great honey. Come early. If you are happy, I'm happy."

After hanging up the phone Mal realized he was sweating. That was usually how he felt after talking to his father, not his mother. He sat slumped in a chair thinking converting other people was not going to be as easy as he thought it was. Mal was bewildered. He knew that he had read the truth, understood it, and accepted it. He didn't know why his mother had reacted differently. He certainly did not expect a better result with his father or sister, at least not initially. He would just pray they all came around soon.

After drying his sweaty palms on the arms of the chair, Mal picked up the phone again.

"Hello, Belle? Are you free to meet my parents on Saturday? And I have to explain to them about becoming a Christian as well."

Angels of Darkness

Zisa was laughing. AJ was so gullible. AJ was certainly no more evolved than anyone else, but flattery was a very effective tool. And while Zisa had promised AJ a life of power, success, and wealth, she had not promised her a life that was long.

"A life that is just long enough to accomplish my purpose. Then the fun begins," Zisa gloated maliciously.

\---------------------------------------------------------------

Cabire was gleefully roaming through the cities of the US. The discontent, the angry, those already comfortable with evil, were everywhere. He really only had to choose who he wanted to work with and how.

Angels of Light

Raphael was sympathetic to Mal's concern about his family. He did not understand why humans were so slow to grasp the truth about the Most High God. Raphael knew that he had seen God face to face, so there was no element of faith in him believing. But he also knew that one third of the other celestial beings had also seen God face to face, and still rebelled against him. And that was the problem with humans as well. Somewhere in their conscience they knew the Bible was true, but they chose to rebel.

"But," thought Raphael, "There still may be time for Mal's family. Zisa is a strong adversary, but at least they pulled Cabiri off the case. Maybe part of the family at least can be persuaded.

Chapter 11

Ann (AJ)

AJ was full of excitement the next morning. And Zisa had been correct when she had told her (AJ) that she would wake up feeling like she had just had the best night's sleep of her life. AJ was full of energy. She wanted to do something. She wanted life to hurry up and get to the good stuff.

"I should have asked her when I would be powerful and wealthy." AJ thought remorsefully. "Oh well, I can do that tonight. But I wonder if I will talk to her tonight? What if she doesn't come every night? "

AJ decided to take it one step at a time. "Hmmm," she mused. "What is a good way to spend the rest of the summer? What is going to be useful to me in the future? It sounds pretty boring, but I suppose I could do something volunteer in a place that would get me noticed by some of the more influential people in town. Thankfully that rules out volunteering with underprivileged children or anything like that. The hospital is pretty bad too. I would probably get assigned to really sick people or something. I think something in administration somewhere would be ok. Something legal or political. I'll have to think about that."

AJ's thoughts were interrupted by her mother's voice.

"Ann," Shelly called. "Mal is coming for supper, and he is bringing someone he wants us to meet."

Shelly thought it best to just let Mal tell everyone else that he was now a Christian and planned to actually get baptized. He might get side tracked when he introduced Belle to the family. Maybe the other would just go away.

"Oh, Great," AJ thought silently. "That's nice mom," she said aloud. "I'll be right down. I have to tell you something important."

AJ went down stairs still in her pajamas and robe. It was quite elegant, and AJ liked to wear the set, so she was getting dressed about two hours later than she had before her wardrobe had been updated. She got right to the point with her mother.

"Mom, who's idea was it to name me 'Ann'? Yours or dad's?"

"I really don't remember honey," Shelly answered. "Why? Does it matter now?"

"I guess not, but it is a very plain and common name. So I am not going to use it anymore."

"Well, won't that be a little hard, since you don't have a middle name to go by?" Shelly asked.

"No, because I am going by my initials. AJ is what I want you and everyone else to call me now. Initials are cool and it uncommon to go by them."

"Fine dear, whatever you say. If it will make you happy, that's fine with me. Have you told your father?"

"No, but dad will understand. Is he in the den or has he already left for his golf game?"

"He's still here. I think he has a 10:30 appointment. You can catch him if you hurry."
Frederick just as he was leaving. She quickly told him about her decision to have people call her AJ instead of Ann. He was fine with it, just as she knew he would be.

Frederick left the house quickly. His golf game was his main interest at the moment. Nothing, including Ann's sudden interest in a being called AJ was going to distract him. And Malachi bringing home a girl friend wasn't that big of a deal. He would probably bring home a lot more before he actually settled down.

Malachi

Mal was as close to nervous as he ever got. His personality was pretty laid back, calm, and most of the time he was unexcitable. These qualities coupled with his good sense of humor, and warm smile, had made him a very likeable person. Life was usually easy for Mal. But he knew how temperamental his father could be. And Mal had two major things to tell him. He just didn't know really what to expect.

He picked Belle up just after lunch and headed for his parent's home.

Shelly was ready for company. She had prepared a very nice meal, suitable for summer weather, but still filling. She had paid particular attention to her hair, makeup and clothes. Shelly was pretty excited. Meeting Mal's girlfriend was something she was looking forward too. Her concern was how Frederick would react to the news about Mal becoming a Christian. And it was a small worry about he would react to Belle. After all, the girl was not anyone they had ever heard of. Maybe she would have money. That would make it ok with Frederick. He thought marriage should 'bring something to the table' besides love and good looks. That meant he wanted both their children to marry either money or position, and he was hoping for both.

Malachi arrived a little early. He and Belle went in through the back door, hoping to find his mother first. Shelly was in the dining room putting a few finishing touches on the table setting.

"Mom, this is Belle," Mal said happily.

Angels of Darkness

The Jones home was a place where angels of darkness were comfortable. It wasn't that the Joneses were really bigger sinners than anyone else. It was simply that without a godly person in the home, angels of light had a small presence in the home. Zisa and Cabiri lurked in the home as often as they could. They often thought about the day coming when people could see them, but they knew this was not the right time to make their presence known except to a select few. Then they usually appeared as angels of light. After all, their true appearance would terrify people. Now there were waiting to see what sort of woman Mal was bringing home to meet his family.

Observing the introduction when Mal and Belle arrived, both Zisa and Cabiri immediately projected an atmosphere of tension into the house. Mal and Belle were their eternal enemies now, and they wanted to be sure the rest of the family came down on against them.

Angels of Light

Raphael, seeing the aggressive behavior of Cabiri and Zisa stepped in to prevent any actual contact. Raphael knew he would eventually be on the winning side of the war between good and evil, but he did not know the outcome of the battle before him now. He hoped the three undecided family members would come into the fold. He would do what he could to see that they were undistracted by the presence of the evil ones.

Chapter 12

AJ

AJ's immediate impression of Belle was 'what a loser'; 'where did he pick her up - the zoo?" Her next thought was "she really could be 'Most Common' - hope she has money or some powerful relative or friends."

Shelly's first impression was "What a lovely young lady." Her second thought was, "Oh my, those lovely brown eyes, they just glow when she looks at Mal. I don't think I ever looked at Frederick like that."

Frederick thought, "Well, not bad for a first try. Hope he doesn't hang onto her for too long though. I don't sense any authority or power about her. I hope this meeting is over fast."

There was time for small talk before dinner. Shelly had some nice appetizers for snacks and a large pitcher of tea to drink. Alcohol would be served if asked for by Frederick, but otherwise it would be a sober evening.

Frederick noticed he had not been offered a drink before dinner and guessed that their guest must either not drink, or worse, be under age. Sighing inwardly, he set his jaw to endure a boring evening with what seemed boring company.

Malachi

Mal knew immediately that their evening was setting out as an evening of tension instead of an evening of beginnings. He tried a few jokes, but they fell flat. Even Shelly didn't get them, and his mom usually had a great sense of humor.

"I guess they know I have something to tell them. Maybe if I just blurt it out, things will loosen up," Mal thought.

"Um, mom, dad, I have a couple of things to tell you."

"Well, you can just wait a minute Mal," AJ interrupted. "I have something to tell you.

"What? OK - well. You first." Mal said to his sister.

"From now on I do not want to be called Ann anymore. I want you to call me by my initials - AJ. That is my new and permanent name. "

"Well, alright, yes. If that's what you want." Mal said. He tried to keep a questioning tone out of his voice, but he thought, "What's her problem now?"

The room was silent a full minute.

Shelly finally broke the awkward silence and said, "Mal, didn't you have something to say as well?"

"Yes. Mom, Dad, AJ, I have two very important things to tell you.

First, Belle and I are pretty much engaged. And Second, I have become a Christian and I am getting baptized on Sunday. You are invited."

"Baptized?" Frederick said in a strained voice? "Engaged? What are you talking about. Have you joined some cult or something? Why would you want to do either of things, and in such a hurry, too. She's not pregnant is she?"

Completely taken by surprise by Frederick's reaction, Mal's jaw dropped. He stared at his father in disbelief. Then he turned toward his mother with an apologetic look on his face.

"Mom, you know I can't let that pass without saying something. Dad, I have seen you behave rudely on many occasions, but this takes the cake. Because you are my dad, I will try one more time to tell you what is going on in my life. Then you will have the chance to apologize to Belle."

"Save your breath Mal. You are behaving like a stupid school boy. I am not apologizing for anything. And that means I don't have to sit through a boring evening with boring company. Good grief. Why don't you grow up."

AJ was surprised at the delight she felt when Frederick was yelling at Mal. She had always enjoyed watching her brother get in trouble, but this was the best ever. She said, "I think I will go with dad. Dad, how about running out for a burger somewhere. The Bible thumpers and mom can have the house for the evening."

Frederick nodded and he and AJ walked out of the house.

Shelly was speechless. She had no idea of where to begin.

Mal was humiliated beyond anything he could ever remember happening in the past.

"Mom," he said tentatively. "I don't know what to do. I guess we better leave. I'll call you later.'

"Wait Mal," Belle interrupted. "I don't know what just happened, or why it happened. But I would be so happy if I could talk to my mom under any circumstances for just a minute. If they are gone for the evening, maybe we could stay a few minutes and at least make sure your mother is ok."

Shelly looked at Belle gratefully. Let's go into another room. It just seems to 'stuffy' in here or something. Funny, I usually like this room."

Angels of Darkness

Wow! Like father, like daughter," Zisa laughed wickedly. I wonder why he was never recruited before?

"He has been a recruit of ours for years." Cabiri replied. "We just wanted him very well set in his ways before we actually used him for anything."

Angels of Light

Sickened by their display, Raphael watched Frederick and AJ leave the house. With their departure the ominous presence left as well. Watching Belle speak reminded Raphael of Belle's mother.

"Like mother, like daughter," He said to himself. "Belle's mother would have been proud of her daughter today."

Chapter 13

AJ

AJ and Frederick had felt really good about letting Mal know immediately that they were not interested in anything he had to say. By the middle of the next week, they were still completely comfortable with their decision to ignore anything to do with Mal's new found faith and his common little girl friend. AJ thought it would serve him right if he did marry her, have a couple of kids, and have to spend his trust fund paying child support and alimony. She did hope he got a new vehicle before that happened because it was embarrassing to have a brother driving that old pick up. She guessed he would have to get a minivan or something. AJ shuddered at the thought.

Frederick, while equally content with the way they had behaved when Mal and Belle visited, was thinking along different lines.

"How much would it take to pay her off?" He mused. She was obviously after Mal for his money. There was just no way around it. Mal was too stupid to keep his money a secret. And people with money attracted people who wanted money. "After all," he thought without the least bit of guilt, "that is what first attracted me to Shelly. She looked ok and she was even nice. But, truthfully, it was her money."

"I will have to talk to Shelly about it," he thought. Frederick was usually pretty straight forward with Shelly about money. He was certain there was no way he could gain control of her trust fund. But he was equally certain Shelly would let him do as he pleased within the bounds the trust allowed. He just didn't know whether to try to buy Belle off outright or threaten to cut off Mal's income if he didn't straighten up.

Shelly was also thinking about Mal the next week. There was no way she could attend his Baptism service without really causing a fight at home. The service would probably make her uncomfortable anyway.

Shelly also knew Frederick was going to try to break up Mal and Belle. And, it was probably Belle's fault that Mal was involved with getting baptized anyway. Never the less, Shelly could not forget how Belle had looked at Mal. It was nothing short of 'adoring'.

Shelly was not sure if she approved or not, but she was resolved not to interfere in anyway. That Frederick was going to try something was certain. Shelly guessed it would be either through attempting to buy Belle off, or manipulate Mal in some way. The only way he could really manipulate Mal was cut off his allowance, and that really was not an option. Shelly had set up a fund for both kids when they were born, and Mal was already in charge of his trust fund. Since it was solely her money to begin with, she had kept sole charge of the fund. She had not bothered to tell Frederick that Mal was in charge of the fund now. She had planned to wait a while with AJ because she just didn't seem as stable as Mal. So it would stand fully on Belle. She either would or would not accept Frederick's attempt to pay her to get out of Mal's life. Shelly wondered what he would offer the girl.

Malachi

Mal was baptized on Sunday just as planned. The pastor carefully explained to the congregation that baptism would not save Mal, but that baptism was the way for a new convert to proclaim to the world that he had become a believer in Jesus Christ as the way of salvation. Then Mal walked into the baptistery. Pastor CC said, 'I baptize thee my brother in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Buried with Him in baptism.' Then Pastor CC put Mal under the water and raised him from the water. He said, 'Raised to walk in newness of life.'

Mal understood that he had just publically announced to the world that he was finished with his old life and going forward into the his new life as a follower of Jesus Christ.

Mal turned to see Belle and Amelia sitting on the front row smiling at him. He gave them his best smile in return and walked out of the baptistery. He understood that he had just publically proclaimed to the world that he was finished with his life as a child of the world and turned to living his life as a child of God. He truly was 'walking in newness of life'.

Mal was disappointed that no family member was present for the service. He wanted them present for two reasons. First, he wanted them to hear the gospel. And second, it just would have been nice to have them present.

"The first time I make a really big decision, and I get no family support," he had thought sadly to himself. But then he remembered Belle and Amelia were there. And the pastor was there not only in the official capacity, but as a new friend. Plus, without Frederick and AJ there, Mal didn't have to worry about what they would say or do. Attitude counted too. Whether they had said or done anything wrong, he doubted they could have kept up the appearance of civility.

Angels of Darkness

"It's a good thing I kept Mal's family from that service," Cabiri said to Zisa. "I am certain that AJ and Frederick belong to us, but Shelly is another story. What do you have in mind to secure her soul really don't know for sure," Zisa answered. "She already believes that all you have to do to get into heaven is be 'good enough'. So I hope to manipulate a few situations to let her 'do good' to reinforce that idea. You know how humans love the feeling that goes with doing good. And I was hoping you might send a few re-enforcements to assist. I want to do something to sway her toward that 'everyone is going the same place' or 'all roads lead to heaven'. Anything to keep her from the idea that there is one way to paradise. But overall I think her weak point will be that she doesn't want to admit no one can be good enough to reach God."

"That's right. I think that will be her weak point too. Just focus on how good she feels when she does something good, and make her think that means God is with her.

"Ok, but what about some help here?" Zisa asked.

"What about it? Can't you do anything by yourself?" he asked sarcastically. "Actually, this really too important to trust to you alone. I will see what can be done. It is probably as simple as getting her husband to pay her a few compliments.

Angels of Light

Raphael was joyful. Mal was not only born again, he had publicly stated his faith, been baptized, and was openly committed to actually applying the teachings in the Bible to his daily life. And, Mal had brought many many smiles not only to Belle, but also to Amelia. Raphael had watched over the girls after the death of their parents. He had seen their sorrow. He watched them become more mature in the faith, and behave in a way he knew would have pleased their parents under the circumstances. But it had broken his heart to watch them go through the grief. Now they were both smiling.

Chapter 14

AJ

AJ was a little puzzled. She knew she wanted to take a 'giant step forward' in her career, but she didn't even know for sure what her career was actually going to be.

"Zisa, what should I do? What is really going to put me on the fast track to a successful future with lots of public recognition?"

AJ wasn't exactly praying, at least she didn't think so. She just knew Zisa would sometimes give her ideas. It was better if she said things out loud. Zisa didn't seem to know her every thought.

AJ sat quietly meditating on her future. She occasionally spoke softly but audibly.

After about an hour, AJ's seemed to have two idea's at the same time. First, she thought it would be a good idea to take some dual credit classes in school. That would allow her to start college with quite a few classes already done. For some reason, she didn't think college was going to be a fun or profitable way of life for her. The idea just stuck here to get it over as quickly as possible.

Second, she was going to volunteer to help with the re-election of a state senator. Actually, AJ thought he was cute. He was too old for her of course being in his mid-thirties. But he was a nice looking man. He was openly 'inclusive' in his religious outlook too. He openly criticized any religion that claimed an exclusive way into heaven. His name was Mitchell Farmer.

Never being one to put off doing something once a decision had been made. AJ moved from her meditation position and went to the phone. First she called the high school counselor and asked to have her fall schedule adjusted to contain as many dual credit classes as her academic standing would allow. She was careful to mention that her father, a major contributor to school activities and policies, would probably visit the office to be certain everything was properly done. Next she called the local campaign office and offered to volunteer.

AJ was certain her father would be able to make sure she connected to the right people at the campaign. She wasn't really interested in passing out campaign flyers. She wanted to meet the man she was going to help get elected, and she wanted her picture in the paper standing beside him.

Malachi

Mal was a new man. He really was. He was born again, and he was in love. He didn't know how life could get any better. He was meeting Belle for lunch at one of her favorite reasonably priced restaurants. It was just a little bit embarrassing to him that she occasionally would only order an appetizer or something instead of a full meal. But she insisted that it was wasteful to order more than she really wanted to eat. If she did order more than she could eat, she would get a take-out box. He could not remember his parents ever doing either. But he was willing to get used to it. He admitted that he didn't have a clue about frugal living. He had never had to learn it, and he wasn't naturally inclined to frugal living. Today she had something to talk to him about. He wasn't worried because she had told him not to worry. "It is important," she had said, "And we have to talk about it. But it isn't something I think is really going to be a problem." So Mal was really just curious.

They met at the door of the restaurant and walked in together.

"Ok Belle, what's up?" Mal asked questioningly.

"It isn't really anything that big. I already told you that when we get married, Amelia will be living with us. But I haven't told you the entire story."

"She isn't sick or something is she?" Mal asked quickly, genuine concern in his voice. "I know she will never fully recover from the broken bones, but is there something else?" Mal didn't want Belle to suffer the loss of another family member, but he also had grown fond of Amelia just for her sake.

"Sort of. But don't get hysterical or anything. It isn't that bad. Amelia has sort of a new disease called Fibromyalgia. Have you ever heard of it?"

"No, what is it, something sort of like West Nile Virus or something? Did she get traveling out of the country?" Mal asked

"It isn't anything like that. It is like arthritis of the muscles or something."

"So she doesn't need another expensive operation?"

"No, it's nothing like that. Actually, Amelia is very young to have it. She was probably predisposed to having it, but the accident may have brought it on sooner. It just means she has a lot of pain. She manages it quite well, but there isn't any known cure for it, and treatment is really just taking care of herself, swallowing a lot of nutritional supplements and things like that. Because of the accident when our parents were killed she is in physical therapy. They work on her muscles too."

"So what does this mean? What does it mean to us? Do you have it?"

"It doesn't mean anything to us except that sometimes I have to make an accommodation for her health. She doesn't complain so I watch how she is doing. If she starts to appear overly tired, I try to compensate for her. You would have to do the same thing. That's all there is to it."

"I can do that." Mal said. "So far I have had to make accommodations if dad was grumpy, if AJ was moody, and if mom was bawling because dad and AJ were being difficult."

"Well, I didn't want to make a really big deal out of it. But with Amelia trying to get finished with high school, she is over doing it somewhat. So I am trying to make sure she gets enough rest without making her feel like a really sick person. A lot of her friends sort of disappeared after the accident. She was in the hospital quite a while, and she has had several surgeries on her legs, which took her out of school again. She really is a good student or she would not have been able to make up all the work she missed."

Mal grinned broadly. "Belle, I just realized, you said 'when we get married,' not 'if we get married'. Does that mean we are officially engaged. Can I tell everyone now?"

"That is exactly what it means."

"Boy," Mal thought silently, "I hope I get a better reaction from my friends than I did from my family." Out loud Mal said, "Can we go shopping for a ring now? Who gets to pick it out?"

"I guess we better go together so I can keep you from spending the equivalent to a down payment on a house. But you can pick it out within certain limits."

"OK, how about tomorrow?"

"You're on. In fact, I can't wait. I love you."

Angels of Darkness

"Cabiri, I have AJ on the path to early graduation from college, and an 'alliance' with Mitchell Farmer."

"Zisa, you know she can't have an affair with a married man. She is underage right now too."

"I know all that. She likes him. He likes young women. This year they will just form a 'lasting friendship'. Mitch is pretty careful about underage girls since his wife found out about the last one. She likes the political life. She is just holding it over his head so he can't divorce her for a younger woman."

"What do you have in mind?" Cabiri asked.

"I am not sure yet, Zisa answered. "I want him safely tied to his wife for the next 5 or 6 years. AJ will work on every campaign and maybe a few trips to the capital as in intern or something. Then I am thinking a fatal illness for his wife. If that can't be arranged, maybe an accident. An opportunity will present itself if we all remain vigilant. I hope you are working on getting me more help. You know I need it."

"We will see. In the mean time, do what you can do." Cabiri replied. Cabiri liked Zisa's ideas, but he didn't want to give her too much help. He didn't want her to look too good. He deserved the glory. And he hated Zisa more than he hated most other creatures.

Angels of Light

"I knew Mal would be willing to adapt to any special needs Amelia has or might develop. I am surprised that Belle decided to officially get engaged. I suppose she has been more lonely than she let on since her parents death," Raphael thought.

"But I am concerned with what sort of trouble Mal's family will come up with. I don't know what can be done with his father and sister. I guess his mother is still up for grabs, but if I know the opposition they will try to reinforce the idea that all she has to do to get to heaven is be good enough."

Chapter 15

AJ

School had started and AJ was doing quite well with everything. The dual credit classes had been a little harder than anticipated, but AJ was passing with the help of some notes on test material that had mysteriously appeared in her notebook one day. AJ didn't care what their origin might be. Zisa had told her not to worry about it, so AJ wasn't worried.

She really had a chance to be popular, but it seemed she had outgrown any need to connect with her peers in school. She was above them. AJ had gone from being Miss Nobody to being Miss Better Than The Rest of Them. AJ decided she really did like it at the top. She wanted to be there forever.

And there was the campaign. Mitch was running for state senator, but it appeared he there would be an opening in Washington DC within a few years. The elder senator from the state was approaching retirement age. He also had health problems. It all looked good for Mitch.

AJ thought about their first meeting. She had been introduced to someone by her father who could introduce her directly to Mitch. She had dressed carefully for that meeting, paying attention to every detail. It was hard for someone not quite 17 to get the attention of any adult, so AJ had spent hours meditating with Zisa as her guide. She had known in advance that Mitch would instantly like her. And she was right. She had also known his wife would hate her. And she was right again.

Mrs. Farmer had taken one look at AJ and known she was the type her husband would go for. She had tried to put her in an out of the way place on the campaign. Just an envelope stuffer job. But Mitch had seen the sparkle in her eye, and the sophisticated way she dressed. He had asked her how she would like to be the junior reporter for the campaign. She could be on a campaign bus on weekends, write articles for her school paper, and send out press releases to the other high schools in the state. He said it was growing voters for the next campaign. AJ would be his official spokesperson to the generation who would be old enough to vote in the next election. It was just wonderful. AJ was in love. Well, sort of. She was in love with herself and very happy to have someone appreciate her unique abilities. She was going somewhere.

Malachi

Mal and Belle were officially engaged. The wedding was tentatively set for June. But that was going to change.

Mal heard his cell phone ringing. It was just a normal ring. Like "riiinng - riiiinngg. Mal was a very straight forward kind of guy and he liked a plain straight forward ring.

"Hello," he answered in his most pleasant voice. Belle had scolded him that his telephone manners were not really what anyone could call polite. So he was working on saying 'hello' in a way that would tell the caller he was a nice guy. He felt like a nut about it.

"Mal, its Amelia. I need to talk to you a minute."

"What's up baby sister?" Mal asked. He wasn't expecting anything unpleasant from Amelia. He could really relax around her.

"Well, Mal, I know it's a little early, but I thought you and I could go shopping for Belle's Christmas present."

"Huh?" It's only the end of September. Christmas is almost years away. I do my shopping December 21. I can get it all done in one day. It isn't hard."

"Well, you can forget that now. You have to bargain shop anyway. That takes forever. Besides, I have something else to talk to you about. Let's meet at the food court at the Mall close to the house. When is a good time?" Amelia asked.

"I can get there today at lunch - but what about your classes?"

"My classes are on my own schedule now. I was going to the Christian School at the church, but now I am doing home school through the church. I do my work when I feel like it. Of course if I don't do my work, Belle would really be mad. Anyway - I'll see you at lunch."

Mal arrived about 10 minutes early. He ate an ice cream really fast and had a mild ice cream headache when Amelia arrived. He suggested they both pick what they wanted to eat and then sit down to chat while they ate. Soon, their meals in front of them on one of the lovely plastic tables in the food court, they began to chat and munch on their fries.

"You know Mal," Amelia began. "It has been really hard on both Belle and I since mom and dad died. But harder on Belle, because she sort of feels like she has had to be both my sister and my parents."

"I cannot possible imagine what you two have gone through." Mal said with genuine sympathy. He wondered where this conversation was going,.

"Well, I have been thinking. The holidays are coming before you know it. They are just awful in that house by ourselves."

"Do you think you should go ahead and move into an apartment until you finish school?" Mal asked.

"No, I think you should move in the house with us!" Amelia stated matter of factly.

"Well, that won't work. Belle laid down the law from day one. She gets a ring on her finger and words in front of the preacher before anything like that happens."

Laughing, Amelia said, "Silly, I mean get married now instead of next June."

"Mal was about to begin explaining why that was not a good idea when the strangest thing happened. His chair began to move. Startled, he looked around quickly, only to see that everyone's chair was moving. The entire building was moving.

"My first earthquake!!" Amelia said excitedly. "A sign of the times!"

Unsure of what to do, Mal tried to remain calm. He failed. Grabbing Amelia he tried to run for the exit. Fortunately, the mall was not busy, but most of the people there were also trying to get to the door.

Later, Mal was thankful he tried to make the door, because a beam above their table had collapsed crushing the flimsy table. But they did not make it to the exit before a piece of falling debris hit Amelia on the head and almost knocked her unconscious. Mal later remembered that it seemed like an unseen hand had pushed him away from the falling objects, causing Amelia to be hit only by one instead of several chunks of debris. Amelia was not really small, but Mal was able to carry her to his pickup. Mal thought the earth had stopped shaking, but his legs were so shaky he wasn't sure. He had two things on his mind; to get Amelia to the hospital and to contact Belle.

Amelia was not fully conscious or unconscious. Mal thought she was mumbling something about 'seeing that angel who sat with her after the accident again'.

Angels of Darkess

Zisa was furious with Cabiri. "I thought you were supposed to know when something like that earthquake was going to happen. You should have told me. I might have been able to set up an accident or something.

"Well, you should have known yourself. What do you think? That I get bulletins or something? We both know there is only ONE who actually knows everything and we are not on speaking terms," Cabiri said sarcastically.

"Well, I didn't know. So I wasn't able to use any of it to our advantage."

Angels of Light

Raphael was relieved that Amelia and Mal had moved from the table before the beam had come down. He had made a push to keep them from under the falling debris, but had only succeeded in keeping them away from most of the falling debris. Amelia had still been hit by one heavy object. That had been the work of one of his adversaries. Those fallen creatures were always around causing trouble. But, right now Raphael was working to make a way through the rubble for Mal to get Amelia to the hospital. Another co-worker was checking in on Belle. Everything would be alright - eventually.

Chapter 16

AJ

AJ was sitting at her desk in journalism class. She was working on a story about the campaign. It was hard to go down to the high school level. She was out in the adult world on the campaign and loving every minute of it. She wondered why she ever wanted to be popular with the bunch of babies at school. She was just born to be grown up. Zisa had said so.

"You will always be happier as an adult than you were as a child. Children are just not your cup of tea."

"Once again," AJ thought, "Zisa was right. "I don't really like kids. I never did. I guess I was always grown up inside."

AJ was thinking about Mitch as she wrote her article. He was in favor of formally delegating additional power to the UN. But he was also aware that the general public, and especially the right wingers, were just not ready for anything to openly global. So part of her new job was to prepare the generation getting ready to vote to accept globalism as an appropriate road to world peace and prosperity. That meant she had to write indirectly about globalism, but also favorably.

"Help me Zisa," she whispered softly.

As AJ worked on her news article, she stopped abruptly. She was suddenly uneasy. But the moment passed and she went back to writing. She had to finish the article by noon.

The article finished, AJ quickly emailed it to the editor of her high school newspaper, and the editors of high school newspapers across the state. She loved seeing all of them. This was a good article and AJ was expecting to make the front page on a couple of school papers. "Why not submit articles to state newspapers?" she wondered.

AJ was just about to congratulate herself on her idea when her she felt the floor move under her feet. She was surprised, but she knew immediately it was an earthquake. She thought she heard Zisa tell her to get to the door way and hang on. So she did.

She didn't know how long the quake lasted. It felt like a long time. Later she learned it was a 6.9 on the seismic scale.

When the building stopped shaking, AJ quickly went to the nearest exit. Fortunately, there were no injured in the hallways, although a few lockers had fallen off the wall. The building was relatively new, and structurally designed to take a small earthquake.

AJ didn't take time to access the damage to the school, or to anyone at the school. She got in her car and drove to campaign headquarters. It was chaos there, but the senator was ok. So was his wife. Then AJ thought she better show up at home and check on her mother.

Driving home was easy. She was already getting something on the news about the quake. The epicenter seemed to have been about 150 miles away - north of where Mal lived. She wondered vaguely if he was ok. It didn't concern her too much. He either was or he wasn't. Her world was fine. That was what mattered.

Malachi

As Mal drove his pick-up out of the mall parking lot Amelia was groaning in pain. She was conscious now and her mumbling was making more sense. "This can't be happening. I can't be injured in another accident before I fully recover from the car accident," she said. Then she said urgently, "Mal, call Belle. You have to get Belle on the phone."

"I'm trying honey. Don't worry." The lines are jammed. Everything is busy. I'm taking you to the hospital."

"Take me home. It isn't far. Maybe she is there. I think her classes were over around noon today. If she was home she might wait for us there. She won't know what to do either. Besides, I'm gonna barf. You have to stop the car."

"You are going to what?"

"Barf - It is probably a concussion. You throw up with those."

"Well, hang on, I'm taking a shortcut to your house."

Mal swerved around a tree, through a yard, and onto a side street. He was happy to have a four wheel drive vehicle. "Finally turned out to be good for something besides looking good," he thought grimly to himself.

The arrived at the house quickly. Belle was standing in the yard with the phone in her hand. At a glance the house looked ok. Belle ran to the pickup and immediately saw that Mal appeared ok while Amelia was oozing blood from a cut on her head.

"Amelia, oh baby, are you ok? Let's get you to the hospital," Belle said with a voice so quivery it was barely understandable.

"She thinks she has a concussion. She is very nauseated. Get in and we will drive. I don't think an ambulance would be able to get here any time soon."

"You better try to call Huey," Amelia said wearily.

"Huey? Who is Huey?" Mal asked. He didn't think Amelia even had a boyfriend.

"Huey is her physical therapist. He is also a nutritionist. He has really pulled her through a very rough time but I don't know why we need to call him now," Belle replied.

"Because I want HUEY," Amelia moaned.

"Must be her father figure replacement for dad," Belle thought. Aloud she said, "Don't worry Amelia, I will call Huey and anyone else you want me to call."

"Mal was listening to the conversation, but most of his attention was on driving. The damage that he could see was not bad; it certainly was not total devastation like from the hurricane's that had hit the coast in the last few years. He wondered about fires from gas lines. Should they have checked the house before the headed for the hospital?" he silently questioned. ' Well, no time for that. Amelia was just too fragile. Why did she have to get hit on the head instead of me?' he wondered.

As Mal drove toward the hospital he was trying to stay focused on the task of driving. He was going slowly. The roads were mostly clear, but he did have to drive around some fallen limbs and even a few trees. At one place the road actually seemed to drop down about three feet. That left an abrupt embankment. If a vehicle went over that there was a good possibility of actually standing the vehicle on its end. Mal looked around and drove through an adjoining parking lot that allowed passage past the break in the pavement. He had crossed several small bridges that were intact. The roads didn't appear to have any major damage other than the one drop. There were some cracks in the ground and pavement that might be worse than they looked at an initial glance.. There were several wrecks he had to avoid, but it didn't appear too bad. Many of the area power lines were underground so he wasn't seeing downed power lines. His thoughts kept returning to Amelia's words when the quake first started, "Oh \- my first earthquake - a sign of the times." "What did she mean by that?" He wondered.

Of course the hospital was crowded. The ER was full of people with injuries and stories like Amelia's. Mal wondered what the damage was going to be. This was definitely not a designated earth quake zone. Probably no buildings had been built to any earthquake code. That could be bad. From high school geology he remembered that there would have been a center point for an earthquake. He thought it was called the epicenter. He wondered where it was. He tried to call his mom, but the phone lines were still jammed.

"Mal," Belle interrupted his thoughts, "Amelia is still insisting we call Huey. His name is Huey McKenzie. He has an office around the corner. I doubt he is there, but would you go see?

"Sure thing. I'll walk over," Mal agreed.

Mal felt comfortable leaving the women at the ER for a few moments. He quickly jogged around the block and looked for an office with the name Huey McKenzie on the door. He located the office quickly. It was empty. He turned to jog slowly back to the hospital when the thought struck him that major earthquakes sometimes had aftershocks. He stepped up the pace and arrived quickly but out of breath back at the ER.

Mal said, "The office was empty. He is probably fine. I didn't see any damage at a quick glance."

They sat quietly waiting their turn. "Why was an earthquake here?" Mal kept wondering. "I always thought we lived in one of the safest places on earth. We are really at the very edge of the tornado zone. We weren't supposed to be in an earthquake zone. We have enough elevation to not be in a flood zone. Enough rain to not have a lot of wildfires. What happened? Is anyone safe anywhere?" he questioned. 'I guess there is not total safety this side of heaven,' he answered himself.

"Mal, have you called your parents?" Belle interrupted his thoughts.

"I haven't been able to get through. I will try again.'

Mal punched in his mother's number and this time the phone rang. Shelly answered on the first ring. "Mal is that you. Oh thank God. We are all fine. AJ just walked through the door."

Angels of Darkness

"Zisa, you are going to have to be careful with AJ. She is completely detached from her family at this point. She didn't even go home to check on them until she first checked on campaign headquarters," Cabiri said angrily.

"So what? I got a break. She was born with a narcissist personality," Zisa replied sarcastically.

"Well, watch it!" Cabiri screamed. "She has to at least appear to be normal and caring. She is useless to us otherwise."

"Don't worry. We can fool most of the people. She will learn how to appear sincere. It isn't that hard."

Angels of Light

Raphael was a bit surprised. "Huey and Amelia? he wondered. She is not quite 18 and Huey is past 30. But, stranger things have happened. Amelia is pretty mature for her age.

Raphael was also frustrated. He was almost continually asking the Good Shepherd to send more guardians for those he was assigned to watch over, and to build a protective hedge around them. Ashamed, Raphael realized he was looking at Amelia's injury wrong. He should be thankful she had avoided serious injury instead of being upset that she had a mild concussion. And none of his other charges were injured. It was a good day after all.

He wondered, "What would happen if people just prayed every day for God to send more angels to watch over them and their family and loved ones?" He thought he knew the answer. He thought it would change the world for the better.

Chapter 17

AJ

It was a week after the earthquake and it was still on the news. AJ was sick of hearing about it. She had done her civic duty immediately by writing articles favorable to bigger government, and specifically favorable to her candidate. Any disaster was always a good way to make the case for bigger government because a lot of the population really worshipped the government. Instead of praying to any God, they expected the government to provide all their needs. They never 'got it' that the government could only give back a smaller amount than they took in to begin with.

"Well", she thought, "That really proves the average person incapable of taking care of themselves."

"Correct," AJ answered herself. "Thank goodness for people such as myself who understand the public's lack of ability. Fortunately, we are willing to dedicate ourselves to caring for them. Decision making should be left to those with the intellect that enables them to do the best for the masses, for those unfortunates who aren't able to make decisions based on their own best interests. And of course, those who dedicate themselves to such noble work deserve some tangible rewards."

Malachi

Malachi still had a headache from Amelia's blow to the head. She had been pretty brave about it. But Mal had nearly passed out when they put in the stitches. Thankfully, a nice nurse had seen the problem and got him a stool to sit on before he hit the floor. The girls had both teased him about being a big baby, but he was sure anyone would have done the same thing in his position. After all, there was quite a bit of blood, and people all around moaning and groaning. The diagnosis had been 'concussion with brief loss of consciousness'. A full recovery was expected.

Huey MacKenzie had been in the ER just helping out. He was not trained as a doctor, or even a nurse, but he did have some paramedic training. He was well known in that hospital as a very helpful physical therapist and nutritionist. He had gone straight over to the ER after the quake to see if there was anything he could do. There were not too many serious injuries, and it was quickly apparent that he really wasn't needed. He was about to leave when he saw Belle, and rightly suspected Amelia was the reason for the ER trip. He had stayed with them until Amelia was all stitched up and sent home with instructions to take it easy for a few days. And the usual 'come back for a follow up visit' instructions.

Mal had taken Belle and Amelia home. He had stayed late, hating to leave them alone, fearing an aftershock. Finally, Belle had said 'why not sleep on the futon in the den?". He had stayed the night, but felt odd about staying there.

Anyway, here it was a week later, and he was on his way to another meetings with Amelia. He had a feeling that any meeting with Amelia could be traumatic. He still had not figured out why she wanted to shop for Belle's Christmas present so early. Mal knew from experience that there was no use in buying a present before the last minute because he would wind up giving the present early, and having to shop again at the last minute.

He was surprised that the food court at the mall was already open. It turned out that the debris that had fallen on Amelia was really just a piece of styrofoam with a synthetic board pattern. Still, it had been heavy enough to cause a mild concussion and a pretty big gash. The mall had sustained little real damage.

Anyway, Mal was curious as to what Amelia had on her mind.

Mal entered the mall with just a little apprehension. He was nervous about both the possibility of another earthquake and learning whatever it was that Amelia had on her mind. He really didn't think the meeting was about Christmas shopping in September.

Amelia met Mal by the door.

"Hey, slowpoke, what took you so long?" she asked cheerfully.

"I am not late," Mal said seriously. "In fact, I'm about 10 minutes early."

"Yes, well, you are usually fifteen minutes early, so that makes you five minutes late."

"OK, look, let's cut the chatter, eat fast, shop, and get out of the mall. Truthfully, this place is making me pretty nervous," Mal said.

"Aren't you a little curious as to what I think you should get Belle for Christmas? Amelia said as they got in line at the 'Best Burger in the World'. Mal was really learning to go for those cheesy fries with bacon bits and real sour cream.

"No," Mal lied. "I guess you already know what you think I should get her, so I will just go get it, and leave it with you for safe keeping."

Amelia laughed. "Ok, I will take that as a 'yes' to what I have to say."

Sensing a trap of some sort, Mal said, "Umm, maybe we better talk about it first."

Sitting at the table Amelia played with her food, and Mal ate mostly without actually chewing anything. He just swallowed bites of his hamburger.

"Ok, Amelia," Mal said bravely, "What's on your mind."

"It's like this Mal. Belle and I have been through a lot since mom and dad died. We are in the process of setting what the grief counselor at church calls 'a new normal'. Truthfully, we will never get over the loss. We feel so alone sometimes is doesn't even seem real. And the house - oh my! It is so big and empty. I can't stand it."

"Well, do you want to sell the house now?" Mal asked?

"No, I want you to move in the house with us."

"That won't work and you know it. Belle wants a proper wedding and a proper marriage. Just like in the old story books."

"I know that silly," Amelia said. "I am saying why not get married now? Or in a few weeks? It would have to be soon because we want you in the house for the holidays - you know - Thanksgiving and Christmas - so you would have to get married in October so your anniversary won't conflict with the holidays."

"We?" Mal asked? "Have you talked about this with Belle?"

"Of course not. She would kill me. But she is so tired and so lonely. I know she would do it if you asked her."

"Amelia, I don't mean I wouldn't like to marry Belle right now, but wouldn't it be better to just stick to the plan and get married next summer?"

"Mal, you don't know what Belle has gone through. The storybook wedding is really not going to happen no matter when you get married because our mom and dad won't be there. Pastor CC will do the ceremony, but who will give away the bride? We don't have any uncles, and only one grandfather who lives in Europe and hasn't seen us in ten years." And wouldn't I look great limping down the aisle with a cane instead of a bouquet?"

"You would look just fine. You don't limp all the time, and you don't use a cane half the time." Mal said. "But I don't know who could give away the bride. Isn't there some old family friend or something?

"No, and from what Belle said about meeting your parents, there isn't going to be any love lost there. If your dad was different he could do it. But I don't know if they will even attend the wedding," Amelia said bluntly.

"But what about Belle? She may not even be slightly interested." Mal said thoughtfully.

"I think she will be if you ask her. She has been bawling already about how she is going to get through the holidays. And she told me the best night's sleep she has had since the accident was the night you slept at the house."

"Just tell me one thing Amelia," Mal said, "Will these little meetings with you always be so earthshaking?"

"Earthshaking?" Amelia said questioningly.

"Well, meeting number one there was an actual earthquake, and meeting number two you want me to get married. That is two pretty 'earthshaking' events.

"Don't be such a baby Mal. People don't call family meetings about nothing you know. Now, let's go break the news to Belle. And then if she says yes you tell your family and I will tell the pastor. It won't be that hard."

"Oh, my parents," Mal thought. "That may not go to well."

Angels of Darkness

Zisa almost lived in AJ's head. Almost. She could easily have moved in, but she sensed that AJ's capacity to maintain the appearance of a stable life was just not much. She would have to be careful or AJ would start talking to Zisa anywhere or anytime. If Cabiri were still in charge AJ's brain would already be on overload. As it was AJ's susceptibility to suggestion was extreme. She was quite arrogant to begin with, so the slightest suggestion of anything that appealed to her superior attitude was accepted immediately without question. It was going well.

On the other hand, Shelly was a potential problem. AJ and Frederick were always on one side and Shelly and Mal on the other side. Zisa was going to have to encourage some sort of mother-daughter relationship. Shelly had always wanted to be close to her daughter so if AJ would throw her a bone every now and then Shelly would respond.

Frederick was also a problem. Zisa was fairly certain he was on her side for eternity. He was so openly contemptuous of his wife that Zisa wasn't sure why she stayed with him. There must still be some affection. If Frederick could be just a little encouraging Shelly would likely stay on their team.

Angels of Light

Raphael had heard every word of Amelia's suggestion to Mal that the wedding be moved forward. He wasn't surprised that Amelia wanted Belle and Mal to get married. He knew Amelia was right that Belle was carrying a big burden. It was strange how the tragic death of a loved one often brought out the best in someone. Belle and Amelia had both hung on for each other. Each might have given up if the other had not been there. But Raphael was not sure moving up the marriage was the best thing to do. He had seen it happen many times. Couples married in haste and repented in leisure. He had seen it work well also. God alone knew the outcome.

Chapter 18

AJ

AJ was happy. It was less than four weeks to the election and it looked good for Mitchell Farmer. AJ was delighted to be part of the campaign. He was really a neat guy. It was such a shame he was stuck with that stupid wife. She really was a drag. AJ was happy anyway. She had been invited to several important press conferences, and even been allowed in on some of the strategy sessions. Everyone had said what a shame she was still in school because they could have used her skills in several places. But reaching her age group was important too. Mitch was going no place but up. By the next election everyone who was reading her columns would be able to vote.

AJ was wondering about something important though. She had felt certain she would meet the man of her dreams at college. So why was she growing so attached to Mitch? He was married. She didn't really care about that of course. But a lot of the public did care. "Zisa," AJ said absent mindedly, "Can you give his wife some sort of disease or something that would be fatal?"

Malachi

Mal had taken a few days to think over Amelia's idea that he and Belle should get married right away. It was a big step and he wasn't prone to do anything that big without a great deal of consideration. He had already stepped out of his comfort zone when he became a Christian so fast. He had no regrets about that. But this was different. Mal guessed his biggest question was how his parents would react to what they would consider a hasty marriage. Also, Frederick had already insulted Belle. He would only think the worst if they got married in October. Finally Mal came to the conclusion that if he was going to marry Belle his decisions about when to marry should be based on what he and Belle thought was going to be best for the marriage. The only way to get her opinion on that was to just ask her. He picked up the phone and dialed Belle.

"Belle, we need to talk - how about right now?"

Belle was a little apprehensive about Mal's sudden phone call. She had grown to trust him deeply as well as love him. She guessed sadly that it was something to do with his parents. Belle had to admit their reception of her had been an all around disappointment. Frederick and AJ were openly hostile. Shelly had seemed ok at first, but she had not followed up with any sort of invitation or phone call.

Well, I didn't call her back either," Belle thought guiltily. "Maybe there is some hope there. Maybe that is what Mal wants to talk about."

Belle's thoughts were interrupted by Mal's arrival. He was as usual about fifteen minutes early.

"Oh dear," she thought as she opened the door. "I hope this isn't something too bad."

"Hi honey," Mal said cheerfully. "Are you busy? I mean are you busy in about 3 weeks?"

"Busy doing what? I have classes and church. That's about it. What did you have in mind?

"A wedding."

"A wedding? Who's getting married?" Belle asked. "Are you in a wedding and need a date?"

"I could be in a wedding if the bride says yes?"

"You mean he hasn't even asked her yet and he is planning a wedding?"

"He is asking 'her' right now. Belle, lets get married in about three weeks."

"But, I thought we were getting married next summer. Why now? You didn't have a fight with your parents or something did you?"

"Nope. They don't know anything about this. This is between you and me. I don't like you and Amelia alone here. I liked it here the other night, even right after the earthquake. I think we should get married now. Of course you have to finish school before we start a family or anything like that. But now is a good time. Let's go for it."

"I could consider it. I have to talk to Amelia first though. She is pretty sensitive you know."

"Somehow, I have a feeling she will be very agreeable." Mal said.

Angels of Darkness

As usual, Zisa was satisfied with AJ's progress. The idea of a disease for Mitch Farmer's wife was a good one. Of course, Zisa had thought of that ages ago. It was just a matter of timing. She was glad AJ had the idea though. It would make it appear that Zisa was able to answer AJ's wishes. But Zisa was a little confused herself. She had someone picked out for AJ at the university. She would have to see what worked out. Either way, Mitch's wife was already ill with breast cancer. She just didn't know it yet.

Angels of Light

As in the day's of Noah, people were getting married, having children, raising families, working, and going on like eternity was here and now. Raphael was glad to see Belle and Mal planning an early wedding. He thought it would be a good match.

Chapter 19

AJ

"I am not going to any silly wedding in the pastor's office and that is final!" AJ shrieked for the third time.

"I am not going to Mal's wedding." Frederick said in his most sarcastic tone. "Mark my words. The girl is pregnant. It probably isn't even Mal's. It won't last till Christmas. Good grief. Why can't he wait until it's born and get a paternity test? He might be stuck with child support once he marries her whether it's his or not."

"But AJ, Frederick, Mal has told me she is not pregnant. He says there is no way."

"Shelly," Frederick began while AJ rolled her eyes at her mother's apparent stupidity. "Mal means there is no way it could be his. He doesn't mean she could not be pregnant."

"OH!!! Shelly said in disbelief. "I never thought of that. Maybe I should warn him or something."

"Forget it Shelly." Frederick said firmly. "Mal is a big boy. His mind is made up. Let him make his own mistakes. We just don't have to be part of it."

"I have to try don't you think? I will just talk to him. It is my duty as his mother." She went into the living room away from earshot, and dialed Mal.

Malachi

Mal was pretty much in a stress induced stupor. He was getting married. He was happy about that. At least he guessed he was. But the reaction from his family was unbelievable. And the reaction from his mother was especially distressing. Shelly had always been his anchor. She was calm and rational. She gave everyone the benefit of the doubt at least a dozen times. But apparently that was for everyone except Belle. Mal was still smarting from the phone call from Shelly. He still couldn't believe the things she had said about Belle. And all that without ever giving Belle a chance in the first place, much less a second chance. He hoped pastor CC would have some marriage counsel about what to do now. The way it was shaping up with his family did not look good.

Pastor CC was not totally surprised about the problem with Mal's family. He knew from years of experience in marriage counseling that bad in-law relations was a leading cause of divorce or at least very unhappy situations. "I never understood," he thought to himself, "Why people can't understand that there is always enough love to go around. God gives you enough love for everyone He puts in your life. "

"Mal," he said. "I want to tell you it isn't too late to back out of the marriage altogether, or at least delay it. What do you want to do?"

"I want to marry Belle. I wasn't thinking about so soon, but now I like the idea. I really was concerned about Belle and Amelia being by alone in that big house. I don't know how they are doing as well as they are doing. And, I have a whole new life now. I like it. It doesn't seem fair to 'wait' to appease a family who hasn't even given Belle a chance at all."

"Mal, my experience from past family counseling is this. You and Belle are Christians. None of your family are believers. If any of them become believers you will have a chance for a relationship. If they don't, you can never be really close to them. That is very sad, but very true in most cases. They may even come to hate you for what you believe. And your temptation will be to hate them in return, but instead you are required to love them and pray for them. The only way you can handle that is humbly asking God to handle it for you on His terms and His time frame."

"Alright, let's pray for my family now, but I am marrying Belle on the date we have set. They can come or not come" Mal said firmly.

The young Christian and the mature Christian knelt down and prayed for God's blessing on the coming marriage and the extended family.

They took a coffee break and then continued with the secession.

"Mal, what about finances?" Pastor CC asked?

"Good," Mal answered. "Actually I don't have to work you know, but I am trying to find something I would like to do."

"Do you want a prenuptial agreement?"

"No, not really. First I really don't want one, and second, I heard they don't hold up in court anyway. Besides, it would hurt Belle's feelings if I even asked. I just don't want to start off that way."

"Good answer Mal," CC said. "Now I have a little news for you. Belle also does not have to work if she does not want to work. She is quite well off."

"Are you sure?" Mal asked cautiously. "She is so frugal it is down right embarrassing sometimes. She would rather find a bargain than eat chocolate."

"Yes, I know. She was always that way. Her mother was that way too. Which is part of the reason Belle and Amelia are financially secure. When their parents were killed in the accident, the family was already on their way to financial security. Or at least as secure as you can get in this world. Then both parents had substantial life insurance which paid double for an accidental death. Then both girls received a pretty substantial settlement from the insurance company. They could have got more but they opted for a quicker settlement. That was on my advice since I knew their financial situation and I thought it would be better to get it settled. You have no idea of the emotional trauma they have been through. They just hung on for each other. Amelia was in the hospital for most six months after the accident. That is why her settlement was larger than Belle's - she will need some treatment all her life."

"Treatment? Mal said questioningly. "Like more operations or something?"

"Not likely. Mostly just physical therapy."

"Well, that will suit her for a while." Mal said humorously. "Amelia has a crush on her physical therapist. She insisted we find him when we had that earthquake and she got the cut on her head."

"Yes, she has a crush on Huey. He really is a fine fellow. But he is about 14 years older than Amelia."

"Say pastor, I really had no idea that Belle and Amelia had money. Does Belle want a prenuptial agreement? Is that why you brought it up?"

"No; not at all."

"So how do you know for sure that I have money and am not just after Belle's money?" Mal asked.

The pastor looked at Mal smiling.

Then in unison, both men said "Amelia - she always knows things she isn't supposed to know."

"That's right Mal. Don't be offended. Amelia did a little research before she went to you with the idea of moving up the wedding date. I thought it best to fill you in on the financial situation with Belle and Amelia.

However, the fact that you both have some money doesn't get you out of the financial counseling secession. You both have to set a realistic budget and we will go over you figures. I have a workbook here. Get with Belle, fill it out together, and I'll see both of you for the next secession."

"Homework? You didn't say anything about homework." Mal said laughingly.

""Marriage is 100% constant work." CC replied.

Angels of Darkness

Zisa had been listening when Shelly said she was going to call Mal and warn him about the possibility of Belle being pregnant as the reason for moving up the wedding so dramatically. She hovered over Shelly and did the best she could to put words that were evil and hurtful in Shelly's mouth. She couldn't not have been more satisfied with all the things Shelly said to Mal. She felt like Shelly was really coming around to her side in the matter.

Angels of Light

Raphael was puzzled. He would never understand parents. "Why is it," He thought, "That parents who would do anything for their child suddenly won't do anything for their child when he or she is grown up? He knew that at this point it would not take much to patch up the rift between Mal and at least his mother. But instead of thinking of her future relationship with Mal and his wife, Shelly was just thinking she was mad at him.

"Don't wait to long Shelly, or it will be to late - for everything," Raphael thought sadly.

Chapter 20

AJ

AJ was so happy she was almost bouncing off the wall. She had been invited to a very important grown-ups only banquet for the campaign. She was the only junior campaigner invited. She needed a very formal dress. Her hair would have to be done. She might even have another makeup consultation like she had had before school was out last year. And, as good as that was, one thing made it even better. It was on the day Mal was getting married. So of course there was no way she could go to that stupid wedding in an office anyway. It really was embarrassing to have such an idiot for a brother.

AJ was particularly mad at Mal because he had told her flat out he would never vote for Mitch Farmer. Mal had said he was a conservative before he became a Christian, so that meant a radical liberal would never get his vote.

"I wonder why Mal's lack of intelligence never showed up before?" she wondered to herself.

Shelly was really in a quandary. She couldn't believe she would have ever considered ignoring Mal under any circumstances, much less on his wedding day. But there was AJ's big event on the same day. It was such an honor to be asked to the banquet. The senator had said that AJ had been a real asset in the campaign and that she was a very remarkable young lady. Shelly was delighted to see AJ so happy. Especially after what had happened last spring with the year book.

Plus, Frederick had noticed that Shelly was becoming more of an assertive person. He had even given her several compliments. And he had suggested they not involve themselves in Mal's mistakes. "Just be there for him when he realizes his mistake. He will need us then to help him out of the mess."

"Frederick is probably right." Shelly thought. "Of course I would never say 'I told you so' to Mal. But maybe the best thing is to just ignore the entire situation. Let him get in and out of the situation all by himself, and then we will just act like nothing ever happened. I wouldn't want to make him feel bad or anything."

With her mind definitely made up to skip Mal's wedding Shelly went on about her business for the day. She was taking AJ shopping. That had been a surprise indeed. Frederick was usually so determined that she didn't know how to do anything. But he had suggested it.

"Maybe I will get a makeover too when AJ gets hers," Shelly thought. "And maybe Frederick and I could actually go out to dinner.

Malachi

Mal was a nervous wreck. Getting married was a much bigger deal than he had ever imagined. He was sure he was doing the right thing. He was sure. He was sure. But, boy, did his stomach ache. And his head. And all of him.

"I must be coming down with the flu or something," Mal thought to himself. "Oh well, things are bound to settle down as soon as the wedding is over. What else could happen?"

Belle and Amelia were having one of those sister chats. As usual, Amelia was telling Belle all sorts of things that she wasn't really supposed to know in the first place, but had managed to find out anyway.

"Belle, mom isn't here to give you the birds and bees talk, so I guess I better do it for her."

"What could you possible know that I don't know?" Belle asked.

"Well, everything you can know without experience. It's all in the books at the library. Besides, you know I had sex education at school."

"Yes and so did I. Remember? There was a big deal about whether Christian schools should teach sex education or not. Then we went through all that over and over with the "True Love Waits" program. Then they covered it in Sunday school once a year. The only thing left is actual experience."

"Yes well, I may have paid more attention to details than you did. If you have any questions, just ask me. If I don't know I will ask my sources for the answers," Amelia said jokingly.

"Amelia, you can either change the subject or this conversation is over. Now, we have managed to run this house ok without mom and dad. But we will have to make a few changes since I'm getting married. For instance, you can't run through the house in your pajamas anymore. You will have to wear your bathrobe. Of course, you have your own bathroom, so that is good. Laundry shouldn't be much more of a problem. But I am a little concerned about meals. Mal might not like our cooking."

"What do you mean 'Our Cooking'?" Amelia laughed. You are the one getting the husband. I guess you will have to cook for him. And by the way, I gave up running through the house in my pajamas after the accident. It takes me too long to get a robe if the door bell rings. "

"This is the right thing to do isn't it Amelia? I am so sure of it, but why am I so scared? Do you think it is because of the reaction of Mal's family?"

"According to my sources, if you weren't scared you would not be normal. And I don't know anything about Mal's family. And at this rate I don't want too. You will just have to deal with them when you have to. Don't worry about it in the meantime."

"Ok Amelia, now let's get something done around here. If Mal is moving in, we have to move some stuff out to make room for him."

"I can't Belle," Amelia said jokingly. "My legs hurt. But there is one more thing."

"What is that honey?" Belle asked absentmindedly.

"Well, it's Huey of course. I want him to come to the wedding."

"You can't ask your physical therapist to the wedding. We aren't asking anyone to the wedding except family, Remember? That was your idea."

"I was afraid you would say that, but I thought I would give it a try anyway," Amelia said in an exaggerated sad voice.

Angels of Darkness

Zisa had been with AJ Shelly in the Salon as they got their makeovers. She had whispered in Shelly's ears about how young and beautiful she really was. Shelly's ego grew almost visibly as the makeup artist put the finishing touches on her makeup. Zisa had watched with glee and thought gleefully, "The only thing that could be better with this situation is if Mal had been disowned. I had no idea Shelly would so easily fall for a little flattery and acceptance from AJ and Frederick. At this rate she will be ours forever."

Angels of Light

Raphael was sad. He thought, "How can Shelly decide that getting her daughter ready for a political campaign banquet is more important than attending her son's wedding?" He shook his head. Over the ages he had seen enough to know that foolish decisions, while so easily made, were very hard to change later. The damage done might not be repairable.

Chapter 21

AJ

"Banquet day is here!" AJ thought happily. "I look great in this outfit. All grown up. I know Mitch will notice. He always notices me anyway, but this will really give him an idea of what I can do when given the opportunity. I sure don't like his wife though. She is such a hold back to Mitch. I really don't know what he ever saw in her in the first place. What a useless bimbo."

Shelly was delighted with her personal makeover. She felt fifteen years younger. She was smiling. Her duties for the day were to simply help AJ dress for the banquet and dress for dinner with Frederick. She had shopped as carefully for her dress as AJ had for hers. It had been years since she and Frederick had been out on anything like a date. They were going to an upper class restaurant. Then the symphony. She felt a little guilty about that because she had told Mal she simply couldn't let AJ down. That is it would not be possible to get AJ all ready for her big evening and then still get to Mal's wedding on time. Truthfully, she was going to be near the church where he was getting married at close to the right time. She could have adjusted her schedule to fit the wedding easily. But Frederick had suggested the symphony. It wasn't their fault that it was near the church. They had to drive to the bigger city for most entertainment.

"Oh well," She thought. "Mal will never know where we were anyway. I still can't believe he is dropping his own family for someone he barely knows. I just hope the entire affair is over quickly. When the marriage doesn't work out he will drop this dedicated Christian idea as well. Of course Christianity is a good thing, but not to the excess."

"Well," Shelly said aloud, "I am not going to let Mal's foolishness ruin my day. I am going to have a lovely day no matter what. I have earned it."

Frederick was having a reasonably good day. First an early morning round of golf; then a relaxing visit to the spa at the country club; and then an evening out on the town with his wife. He would have preferred his secretary for the evening out, but then Shelly wasn't so bad. She still looked pretty nice when she made an effort. She was a little on the tall side with naturally graceful movements. And she did have a pleasant manner when greeting people. Most people liked her. Frederick felt like he was doing his good deed for the month. He could make Shelly happy by taking her out for a night on the town. He would be free to do as he pleased the rest of the month.

Malachi

"My wedding day is here," Mal said to his image in the mirror. "Well, it feels like a normal day. It looks like a normal day. So why am I so nervous? I am just getting married. I have my stuff packed. That wasn't too hard. I already moved some of it over to Belle's house. I think I will put some things in storage because they said they are selling the house next summer. I really don't care where we live. I guess living in this house will give us an idea of what size home we will need in the next house."

Mal was well liked by both the students and professors at the university. But he had failed to make even one really good friend. There wasn't anyone he cared to ask to be his best man. None of his friends were Christians. He had shared his faith with them but everyone just made some lame comment like 'Oh, that's nice," and then ignored the subject. Since his parents were not coming to the wedding, he hadn't asked anyone else. It was too embarrassing to explain that situation. It was just going to be Mal, Belle, Amelia, Pastor CC, and enough others to make sign as witnesses to the ceremony. Belle said not to worry about it, that she would come up with people. She explained that she had to be careful because there were some kind people at the church who would like to come, and to invite some and not others could cause hurt feelings.

"Hurt feelings would be from the women," Mal thought. "Men never mind not being asked to a wedding. And this wedding wasn't even going to have a reception so there wouldn't be any food to compensate the guys for having to attend a wedding."

Mal was just planning to get married; then take the entire wedding party out to eat at a nice restaurant. He and Belle were having a short honeymoon in a nearby city. Amelia was staying with the pastor's family. Of course she was old enough and trustworthy enough to stay home alone, but it still made Belle uncomfortable. So Amelia had agreed to stay with friends.

It was all settled. Mal walked out the door of his apartment a bachelor. When he returned he would be a man with a wife and a sister in law. He felt a little weak in the knees. Maybe even a little nauseated.

"Oh my," he groaned. "Where are the antacid tablets? I have a feeling I am going to need the whole bottle today."

"Belle, you look beautiful!" Amelia stated matter of factly. "By the way, I came up with someone to come and photograph the wedding for you."

"Photograph the wedding? What are you talking about? There really isn't going to be anything to photograph."

"Of course there is. This is a small wedding, but it is still an occasion worthy of a photographer. You bought an expensive dress. Mal is wearing a tux with tails. I also bought a new and expensive outfit. We are taking pictures and lots of them. Don't worry. He isn't going to charge anything."

"I should hope not. He probably won't even take one roll of film."

"Don't be silly. He is using a state of the art digital camera. It will take 35 mm quality photography without any film. He can take hundreds of shots and we can only print the ones we want.

"Ok, whatever. Just help me with these ear rings. My hands are so shaky I can't seem to do anything," Belle said.

"Sure sis," Amelia said happily. Amelia thought smugly to herself, "It isn't my fault that Huey is a wonderful photographer. Huey is wonderful at everything."

The sisters walked out the door together, both believing their lives were going to change for the better now that Mal would be with them.

Angels of Darkness

Experience told Zisa that by missing Mal's wedding, Shelly was putting up a barrier that would be hard to take down. She had seen it many times through the ages. The family might eventually want to make up with Mal and Belle, but it would be very hard to establish a different relationship.

"Another soul sticking with my team," Zisa thought gleefully. "And another family split apart. This is a good day."

Angels of Light

"Sorrow and joy on the same day is just a way of life," Raphael thought. "Sorrow for the family rift. Sorrow for those on the path to destruction. Joy for the wedding. Joy for those who have chosen the narrow way that leads to life everlasting."

Chapter 22

AJ

AJ was dancing on air. Well, she was actually dancing, and it just felt like she was dancing on air. She was dancing with Mitch. He had mentioned how lovely she looked in her pale green gown. AJ had really wanted to wear a white gown but she had rejected it because she didn't want to appear too 'virginal'. She wanted to seem quite grown up and sophisticated. Somehow, AJ was certain; seeming at home at this gala event would set the tone for her future.

The only bad moment so far in the evening had come when Mitch's wife had made a very big deal out of her age. AJ was certain that she appeared at least 20 instead of barely 17. But the witch had made it clear that AJ was 'underage' to everyone at their table. AJ was still smarting from the embarrassment. But then, it was AJ who was dancing with Mitch, and his wife was the one sitting at the table looking exhausted. Gleefully, AJ flashed her best smile at everyone who looked at them while trying to snuggle closer to Mitch at the same time.

Before the night was over, they had danced a total of four times. That was more than he had danced with anyone else. AJ heard several people say what a delightful person she was and that she should go into politics herself - or at least marry a politician.

AJ went to sleep that night wondering if she could be a politician and marry a politician. "Could we juggle two political careers?" she wondered as she dozed off into dream land.

Shelly could not remember when she had had such a delightful evening. She wasn't worried about AJ. She knew AJ had a crush on Mitch Farmer but he was a married man. Of course she had heard rumors that he was a womanizer, but then what man didn't flirt around a little from time to time. It was probably mostly just sour grapes from those who didn't like his political ideology. And besides, his wife would be there to keep an eye on things.

"You know," Shelly thought, "AJ is right. His wife needs a makeover. I wonder why he lets her get away with looking so frumpy when she is out in public like that? Oh well, it isn't anything to me really. The campaign will be over in a few weeks, and AJ will go back to being a normal kid finishing up high school."

Malachi

"You may kiss the bride," Pastor CC said.

Mal just stood there until Belle reached up and gave him a gentle kiss.

"Come along, darling," she said. Our guests are hungry and you promised a nice dinner."

"Just a couple more pictures," Huey said. "It won't take a minute and then I will be done."

Mal put his 'frozen face smile' on again and turned toward the camera. "I don't think I would have survived a big wedding," he thought. "I may still pass out cold as it is."

"Hey Mal, grab the camera and take a shot of me and Huey," Amelia interrupted. I need something for my scrapbook.

"Ok Amelia," Mal said. "Give me the camera Huey and show me what button to push."

Photographs finished, everyone climbed into their cars and headed for the restaurant. Amelia got to ride with Huey. It was fun.

The restaurant had a large table ready for the wedding party. Mal had preordered for everyone. Belle wasn't too sure that was the way to do it, but Mal had insisted. He wanted everyone to have a very nice meal and he was afraid they would not be comfortable ordering from the pricey menu. He had steak and lobster for everyone. It was prepaid with a big tip. He had explained to the manager what he was doing and left dessert and appetizer up to them. There were some lovely flowers at the table as well. Belle and Amelia seemed pleased, so Mal was happy. Just in case, he quickly swallowed a few more antacid tabs while they waited on the first course to arrive.

"Well, Mal, now that you are a married man, have you given any more thought to what you might plan to do in the future?" Pastor CC asked seriously.

"Actually, yes I have, but I haven't spoken to Belle about it yet."

"Go ahead Mal," Belle said. "Now is as good a time as any to fill me in on our future."

"I was thinking about Christian radio. I might want a thirty minute radio program, with one or two minute ads spread around at other times for regular radio directing listeners to my radio program."

"What would the focus of the program be?" Huey asked.

"Just Christian living for new Christians, and for Christians wanting to get a better idea of what the Bible says about how we are supposed to live."

"Were you thinking of any Bible prophecy studies?" Belle wanted to know.

"Yes, but maybe just more focus on the signs of the times pointing to the short time before the return of Christ. I couldn't tackle Revelation or anything like that," Mal answered.

"Were you thinking of doing all the talking yourself, or having guests?" Amelia questioned.

"I would have to have guests. I don't know enough to do all the talking myself. Maybe you can help me there. You seem to have to gift of gab," Mal said jokingly.

"Of course I can help you," Amelia said agreeably. "You might be surprised at all the people I know."

"You know Mal, this is very interesting," Belle said. "I was thinking about something along that line myself. In light of all the natural disasters that have been happening here and around the globe, I want to form a network of churches who will help sister churches within a certain area. Like our church should have probably 4 churches within 50 miles that we would help in case of a disaster. They should have 4 churches within 50 miles and so on. Churches could even help each other on just regular church work days. That way the congregations would get to know each other."

"Those both sound like good ideas," Pastor CC nodded. "You are in a unique position regarding financing a radio program or organizing a church network."

The conversation continued as the food was served. It wasn't the usual wedding party conversation, but it captivated the attention of all members of the wedding guests. Ideas came from every direction. Even Huey had a few suggestions. By the end of the meal, everyone was convinced the ideas were sound, but would take a lot of work and preparation.

Finally, Pastor CC suggested the guests leave and allow Mal and Belle to leave for their honeymoon.

When Pastor CC said 'leave for their honeymoon' Mal thought he would pass out. 'I actually did get married. Now I have to get up from this table and walk out of this room without passing out. I'm so nervous that Belle may have to drive. Now I know why grooms hire limos to take them away from the wedding.'

Belle was equally nervous although she managed to hide it better than Mal did. She smiled at all the guests. She hugged everyone. She shed a small tear when she hugged Amelia. Then she took Mal by the arm and they walked away together.

Thankfully, no one followed them to the pickup truck. Mal was thankful that the truck was not decorated in the traditional 'just married' theme. He had been worried about the damage shoe polish might do to the paint job on the truck.

Mal dutifully opened the passenger door and helped Belle get in. There was a step up because of the slightly over sized tires.

Once inside the vehicle, Mal smiled at Belle and then started the engine. Well, Mrs. Jones, where would you like to go? He asked.

'I want to go with you Mr. Jones,' Belle replied. "We are at the place where we start our new lives. I am ready to get started.

Amelia's main thought after Mal and Belle left was how to get Huey to agree to take her home. Or at least for tonight, to the pastor's house. She was staying there until Mal and Belle returned. The pastor's home was only a few miles away so the trip would be short. To her surprise Huey offered a ride home without any prompting. Walking to Huey's car Amelia thought she was almost as happy as Belle had been leaving with Mal for their honeymoon. Huey opened her car door for her. Then he got in the driver's side, started the engine and began the drive to Pastor CC's home.

"I better enjoy this while I can," Amelia was thinking when Huey interrupted her thoughts.

"You know Amelia, we really have to talk," Huey said.

"OK Huey, how about over dinner at your place sometime?" Amelia quipped.

"No, I think we better talk right now. I really do like you. I also know that you are very mature for your age considering everything that has happened with the accident, the recovery, and the loss of your parents. But the bottom line is you are just a kid and I am an old man."

"Well!, since you are being so blunt, I guess I can say that I am not just a kid, and you are not an old man," Amelia said defensively. "Furthermore, age doesn't matter anyway. You know I am grown up whether the calendar says I am or not. And you are a young man. In a few years the age won't make any difference."

"Actually Amelia, that is exactly what I was thinking. But in the meantime it does make a difference. I want you to go to college. I want you to get to know people your own age."

"Yeah? Well I don't want to. I do want to go to college. I don't want to meet people my own age. For goodness sake, the girls are all boy crazy with different morals than I have. And the boys are all just boys. I want a man."

"Look, Amelia, I have given this some thought. I can't be your physical therapist anymore. You have to go to school. When you are a junior in college with a decent grade average, then you can give me a call and we can talk about seeing each other."

"A junior in college?" Amelia said questioningly. "Gee Huey, I am only a senior in high school now. That will take forever." Inwardly Amelia was trying hard not to burst out laughing. She thought, "Huey doesn't know that I will be a junior in college in 12 months or less if I push it. I have been taking dual credit classes since the accident."

"That's right Amelia. I want you to have a normal life for a girl your age," Huey said firmly.

"Well, ok, if you are sure that's what you want. I just need to know one thing. Are you seeing someone else? Do I have competition?"

"No, I am not seeing anyone right now. Anyway, I have already set up an appointment with a colleague to take over your physical therapy. In an emergency of course he could consult with me, but you are doing quite well right now. I don't foresee any problems."

"Did you know I have been asked out by the guy at church who always shows up on a motor cycle?"

"Yes, well, if you break your leg again, I hope your new physical therapist is as good as your last one."

"A junior in college? You promise?"

"Yes Amelia, call me when you are classified as a junior and we will have dinner to celebrate if you still want that."

"Ok, just don't get too involved in anything. I might be calling sooner than you think."

"Ok Amelia, I will be looking forward to hearing from you," Huey said. But he was thinking, "She will forget all about me before that happens."

Angels of Darkness

Zisa was very satisfied with the outcome of the evening. Mitch Farmer was definitely interested in AJ. His wife knew it and was very unhappy about the situation. She had been through that with Mitch to many times to count. Zisa was thinking about just how much of her time to devote to making sure Lila Farmer was already very miserable before she discovered her terminal illness. Zisa had found out that someone already depressed could not fight an illness like someone who thought they had something to live for. A human being could only take a certain amount of misery before they just gave up and died.

"It really makes no difference in this case," Zisa thought. Lila Farmer is headed for misery in this life and eternal misery in the next life."

Angels of Light

Raphael had been at the wedding; he had been at the wedding party dinner. He had heard the conversation about a radio program and a church network. It wasn't a real surprise to him. It was just the first time Mal had spoken of it so openly. Raphael was delighted with the situation. He loved these people. They were seeking God with all their hearts. That would not make Raphael's job any easier. In fact, it usually made the opposition more persistent, but it was always worth it. Raphael was looking joyfully looking forward to every minute of the future.

Chapter 23

AJ

AJ couldn't believe it had been months since the election. "I wonder if anything will ever be quite as magical as that time for me?" She asked herself. School was a drag. She was one of the popular students, and she was still writing for the school newspaper. But, there really wasn't anything to report. At least, there was nothing in the grown up world that would be suitable for a simple school newspaper. The students were all just like the students of years passed. They lived in a fantasy world where high school was the beginning and end of everything. Nothing else really mattered. Some of the older students talked about college, but most of them saw that as just an extension of their lives in high school, and not as preparation for a future beyond getting an education. AJ understood that high school and even college popularity and recognition usually did not follow anyone out into the real world. At least not without a lot of work and careful planning. AJ had seen the real world that was waiting just beyond getting her education finished. She wanted that world, the world she had been a part of during the campaign. "But, next time,' AJ often reassured herself, 'I will be the one who has the spotlight all the time. I won't be overshadowed by anyone.'

Morning and evening she repeated a mantra that Zisa had given to her. "I want power, recognition that continually grows greater.' Sometimes she repeated it ten times. Sometimes she repeated it aloud; other times she repeated it silently. Boring moments throughout the day were endured by repeating her mantra. When envy threatened to overwhelm her when she saw others prospering and doing well, she repeated her mantra. And, every night she went to sleep thinking that one thought.

Gradually, AJ became convinced that nothing would stop her from taking her rightful place as one of the elite in the current government. Whether she was elected, or the wife of someone who was elected, she would be the one in charge. She didn't care if people loved her or were afraid of her,she just wanted to be the one in charge.

\------------------

Shelly was a little uneasy, but overall pleased at the determination AJ was showing to finish school early and get a jumpstart on college with the dual credit courses. "I guess, I'm just being silly,' she often told herself. "I just worry that AJ is missing the high school experience. It is like she is attending school, but that her mind is somewhere in the future. I really wanted her to just be popular and enjoy high school." The thought of talking to AJ about her concerns never crossed her mind. For the first time Shelly and AJ had a sort of normal mother-daughter relationship. Shelly wasn't about to risk that fragile connection by saying something that AJ might take as critical.

Shelly's thoughts were interrupted by her phone ringing. She was pleased to learn that someone had canceled at her favorite day spa, and they were offering the open slot to her. 'That will work out perfectly,' Shelly said as she hung up the phone. 'That will just give me time to go for my work out at the gym, and then to the spa. I may call Fredrick and see if he wants to meet for supper somewhere after that. It should work out perfectly. AJ won't be home until late this evening, so I don't have to worry about her."

Fleetingly, Shelly wondered how Mal was doing. It had been strange to not see him through the holidays. "Well, I didn't see him that much anyway," she consoled herself. "I do think he should have made an effort to see his family during the holidays. It isn't like that floozy he married should have all his time. If he really wanted to see us, he could have just come to see us." Shelly quickly turned her thoughts to something more pleasant. That meant she began to think about her personal appearance. She was certain that she not only looked younger, but that she was actually growing more youthful with every trip to the gym and the spa.

As she left the house for the gym, Shelly stopped for one long look at the full length mirror in the entry hall. Satisfied with what she saw, Shelly said aloud,' "I think I am happier than I have ever been before.'

\----------

Fredrick was in a peculiar situation. He was pleased that his wife was taking more of an interest in her appearance, and she even pleasant to be around. But, she was sort of cramping his style. He was used to having free time that was not questioned by his wife. Now that Shelly was making an effort to participate in his life, he didn't really know what to do with her. He was already probably going to lose his current secretary because of his wife. Frederick never really kept a secretary that long anyway. To be his secretary, the qualifications were a moderate level of competence, good looks, and a willing attitude. He paid them well, and when he was tired of them there were usually ways to get rid of them without actually firing them. The thing was, it was usually his idea to get rid of a secretary. Not the other way around.

'Well, I guess I can work out something with Shelly," he said to himself. "If she keeps paying attention to her appearance, she could be an asset. We might entertain more, and try to go out occasionally with some business associates. Still, I am not going to change my entire life just because she has made a few changes in her life.'

\----------------------

That evening over dinner Shelly approached Frederick regarding what to do with AJ.

"You know Frederick, AJ hasn't been happy since the election was over. She misses the excitement. And I know she was good at what she was doing for the campaign. She really did standout. And I am not just saying that because she is our daughter. I think she has a special spark there. She could go far.'

Frederick continued eating; his only response was, 'So, what's your point?"

"Well," Shelly began timidly, "I was wondering if you might have some influence with someone who could get AJ an internship at the state capital for the summer. She really is interested in politics. Maybe you could even get her something to do with Mitch Farmer. He seemed to really like her," Shelly continued.

"I think I could arrange something. I don't know about with Mitch Farmer. But maybe close. Let me see." Frederick said thoughtfully. "That really isn't a bad idea," He thought to himself.

Shelly glowed at Frederic's unexpected praise. Then a surprising but pleasant thought came to her mind. It was almost as though a small voice said, 'Way to go Shelly! Get rid of AJ for the summer, and you will have Frederick all to yourself. Then you can really work on your marriage without anyone else in the house."

Only a few days later Shelly, Frederick, and AJ were having their evening meal. Shelly still did most of the cooking, but these days she set the table a little more elegantly, served wine with every meal, and even allowed AJ to sample the wine of choice every evening. Shelly reasoned, 'AJ will need to know what wine goes with what when she is a hostess in her own home, or even overseeing a meal for special events.'

Frederick was in a particularly good mood. Over desert he made an announcement. "AJ, I have some good news for you. You are really too young for this, but I was able to pull a few strings. You have been accepted for a six week internship this summer at the capital. I was able to get you assigned to Mitch Farmer."

AJ was stunned. Then she said aloud, "Thank you Zisa,"

"What?!" Frederick said.

"I meant thank you dad. I was so excited I guess just jumbles came out of my mouth."

Frederick and AJ chatted excitedly about the summer, and how it would allow AJ to meet powerful people.

"You know dad, I will need an entirely new wardrobe for this. I will have to dress for the real world, not high school. I am so excited I can hardly sit still. Thank you so much daddy," she gushed.

Shelly waited for Frederick to mention that it had been her idea, but her name was never mentioned. "Oh well," Shelly thought to herself, 'At least she will be out of the house. You know, that girl has probably been a lot of the reason for the distance between my husband and me. It really will be a good thing to have her gone for a while."

Malachi

Mal was a happy man. He was sitting in his 'office space' at home reflecting on how dramatically his world had changed with meeting Belle, becoming a Christian, getting married, and moving into the house where Belle and Amelia had grown up.

'I really didn't know life could be so good,' he often thought to himself. Then he said it out loud to anyone who was around at the time. Belle and Amelia had heard it so many times they laughed when he started talking about 'life being so good'.

The holiday's had gone better than he could have imagined. Thanksgiving and Christmas involved a few Sunday School parties. There were some gift exchanges with people from the church, and those usually involved baked goods. They were invited to the pastors house for Thanksgiving, but they decided to have their first Thanksgiving meal at home as a family of three.

Mal wasn't exactly doing anything at the moment, although he was supposed to be working on some details of his plan to set up a radio program. He already had a small number of subscribers to a podcast, and he had decided to go ahead with the radio program. Pastor CC had suggested that he give top priority to some Bible classes. Quite a few were available on the internet, by correspondence, and several satellite programs from fundamental Bible colleges were available right there in town. Mal was taking a full course load, because he wanted to know more about the teachings of Jesus Christ, and he thought it would be good to have a degree in Bible studies with his name on it.

Mal's thoughts were interrupted by a brisk knock on the door. "That must be Amelia," he thought. "Come on in," he said.

Just as he thought, Amelia walked in and sat down without saying anything. He waited for her to speak, but she was messing with a brown paper bag in her hands.

"Amelia," Mal said questioningly. "Are you alright?"

"Of course I'm alright. It's you I'm worried about," she replied.

"Me?' Mal said. "I'm fine. Why would you think something is wrong with me? And please stop fiddling around with that bag. You know wrinkling up paper makes a very irritating noise.'

"Well Mal, I want this bag ready in case you hyperventilate while we are talking."

Mal had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Amelia must have something terrible to tell him.

'Ok, what is it? Just spit it out," he said.

"I can't just spit it out. I really need to drop enough hints so you can figure it out for yourself. It really isn't my place to tell you. I'll start with telling you who this is about. It's about Belle, and she isn't dying or anything like that," Amelia said.

"Belle is sick? How sick is she?" Mal said trying to keep terror out of his voice.

"Mal, calm down, she isn't really sick. Here, breathe into this bag a few times. That will calm you down.'

"Amelia, I don't need the bag. What is going on?"

"Mal, you are amazing. I suppose you can be excused because you haven't lived with women before. When a man and woman get married there is always the possibility of something unplanned happening. You just have to see it for the blessing that it really is. I know that I for one am so excited that I can hardly sit still."

Mal was staring at Amelia with a totally bewildered expression on his face. "I wonder if she is on some sort of new pain medication or something," he thought.

Mal took a few deep breaths and started to speak calmly, but he was stopped by the arrival of Belle.

"Oh Belle, honey,' he began. I don't think Amelia is feeling too well. Maybe you better talk to her."

"Amelia, you little brat. How much did you tell him?" Belle asked.

"I didn't tell him anything. I promised you I wouldn't, and I didn't. I did try to drop a few hints, but he very dense when it comes to things like this. I guess you are going to have to tell him. Here, take the paper bag. If he hyperventilated when you choked on you thanksgiving dinner, I know he will hyperventilate when you give him the news." With that said, she walked out and shut the door.

Mal had the distinct impression she was standing outside listening. He didn't care. First, he just wanted to know what the problem was. Second he knew that Amelia would hear what was being said if she was at the opposite end of the house. Belle had warned him that Amelia had supersonic hearing, and he quickly learned she had was right.

"Just spit it out Belle," he said. Amelia said you weren't dying, and that you weren't sick. How bad could it be?

"Here Mal, hold the paper bag just in case," Belle said as she handed him the bag Amelia had brought with her. Then, taking a deep breath she said, "I'm definitely pregnant."

To his credit Mal did not hyperventilate. He did fall off his chair.

"I haven't seen the doctor yet," she continued. "But, according to my calculations it should be here sometime around our first anniversary.'

Getting up off the floor Mal sat back in his chair. "Well, how about that!" he said. "A baby." He was a little weak in the knees, but he managed to go to Belle and give her a hug and a kiss.

"Mal," Belle said, "This is as big a surprise to me as it is to you. I wanted to finish college first. I'm pretty overwhelmed. As you might guess, it was Amelia that figured it out. I thought I was just tired from the holiday stress, new marriage, and school."

"Holiday stress?" Mal thought. "What stress is she talking about? I thought everything was perfect." Aloud he said, "Everything will be fine. Well, I'm sure it will be fine, but we have to get you to a doctor just to be sure."

As though on cue Amelia knocked on the door again. Not waiting for an invitation she walked in. "I called and got Belle an appoint with 'a baby doctor'," she said. "Now we can all relax and let nature take its course."

"Say Mal, do twins run in your family?" Amelia asked. "Twins would be so neat."

Belle looked at her husband's pale face and said as she handed him the paper bag, 'Here honey, breath into this."

Angels of Darkness

Zisa and Cabiri were having a conference. It was really more like a pat themselves on the back party. They were delighted with the 'family bonding' going on between Shelly, AJ, and Frederick. They were equally delighted that Mal was so easily cut out of their daily thoughts.

"I think Shelly will stick with our side, now that her interest is on her husband," Zisa said. "She wouldn't want to do anything to put a barrier between them."

"Her interest is on her looks as well as Frederick," Cabiri pointed out. "That was my idea you know. Frederick may be a problem. He really doesn't appreciate excessive attention from his wife. If he rejects her attentions, she will have her new found beauty to fall back on."

"Well, you know I can only be in one place at once. You are going to have to do some of the work. I can't oversee Shelly, AJ, and Frederick," Zisa said irritably.

"Don't get in a huff Zisa," Cabiri said impatiently. "I know you are definitely limited in what you are able to do. Just be as vigilant at possible. We definitely don't want a visit from a superior on this one. Maybe I can get some added observers to at least keep us posted with what Mal's family is doing. That would help us avoid reconciliation in the future.

Angels of Light

Raphael was laughing at Mal's reaction to Belle's news that a baby was on the way. He had seen husbands react just like that many times throughout the history of mankind, and he still found it amusing. He could guess at the child's future, but of course he didn't know. Only God knew the child's future. He wondered how Mal's family would take the news? He supposed they would respond critically instead of joyfully. Zisa and Cabiri would do their best to make certain they did not appreciate the blessing that a new baby brings. Raphael would do his best to guard Mal's young family from harm.

Raphael sighed. He knew the dragon and his followers were vigilant in looking for an opportunity to hurt and spoil all good things. He prayed, "Thank you God for my charges. By Your might strengthen me to do Your will."

The End of Book One 'Choosing' in the Soul Wars Trilogy. But Keep Reading the First Chapters in Soul Wars Book Two 'Walking'

Preview of 'Walking' (5 Years after "Choosing")

Chapter 1

Malachi

Mal had dilemma. In his five years of marriage he had found that to have a dilemma was more normal than not to have a dilemma. However, this was a particularly disturbing situation. Both his sister AJ and his sister in law Amelia were getting married on the same day. Both were marrying men who were older than they were. And there was no way Mal could make it to both weddings. To Belle it was a no brainer. AJ had skipped their wedding to attend a political campaign event. His parents had skipped the wedding because they didn't approve of the marriage. Belle thought it was terribly unfair to expect Mal to skip Amelia's wedding to attend AJ's wedding. Especially since Amelia was expecting Mal to give the bride away. But that was another dilemma altogether. Mal had been asked to be the best man and give the bride away. He wasn't sure he could do both things.

"OK Mal," he said to himself. "You know you really do not want to attend AJ's wedding. If there were nothing else scheduled for that day you would be trying to get something scheduled. You are just going to have to say 'No, I am busy that day', and let the family deal with however they want to."

"But Mal," he argued with himself, "You also know that this will just about be the last straw with your family."

"Well, who cares?" he answered himself. "They barely even acknowledge my two boys. They don't even send presents on Christmas. Much less birthdays. And poor Belle. You would think she came from another planet the way they treat her."

"I guess I better pray some more about it."

"Dear God, You know all about this. What should I do? Please hurry up and direct my path. Amen"

Mal could do a long prayer when he felt the need, but he was also very good at just a short simple prayer. He tried to start every morning with a thankful heart. He expressed his thankfulness to God verbally; he asked forgiveness for any known sin, and asked for direction for the day. So if he felt the need to pray a short prayer any time during the day he was comfortable in just asking a direct question or for a direct favor. That was usually all he had time for during the day. Actually he was supposed to be busy right now, but he was really just hiding from Belle. She knew he was in a quandary about what to do next. Mal didn't feel too bad about hiding out right now. Both the boys were out of diapers; they were currently well without even a sniffle; and they slept in their own beds at night. So Belle didn't have nearly as much to do as she had just a few short months ago. Except of course she was running around in circles planning the perfect wedding. Thank goodness they had had boys. When they got married it would not be their responsibility to plan the wedding.

"Good grief," Belle thought. This wedding is driving me bonkers! And Amelia doesn't seem to care what is going on. She is just acting like it absolutely does not matter what sort of wedding we put on. She hasn't even met one of Huey's sisters and that doesn't bother her either. Thank goodness I like Huey's mother. Maybe I should call her up and see if there is any of this she would be willing to manage. Like the entire reception. I may get a migraine if I don't do something about this stress."

"Mom, where are you?" called Jake.

"Yeah mom, where are you?" chimed in Mattey."

"Where I am always this time of day?" Belle answered patiently. "I am in the kitchen or the laundry room."

Belle wondered why the boys were looking for her. They were only three and four years old. But they knew morning was preschool time. They usually spent thirty minutes hiding from her. And then another thirty minutes going over letter sounds and numbers. Then they did art work (scribbling) while they listened to some kind of educational CD or watched a DVD. They were really cute singing the songs they learned that way. And their art wasn't too bad either. Of course sometimes their art was on the walls or floor instead of the paper. But Amelia had found out about "Killz". That was some spray on stuff that covered up color and pencil marks and blended into the paint.

"What do you want?" Belle called.

"Umm, nothing. We don't want anything."

The boys walked into the kitchen and stood staring at Belle.

Finally Jake broke the silence. "Mom, we know that Amelia is marrying Huey. So he will be our uncle Huey - right?"

"Yes, you know that is right. We have already talked about it."

"And they are going to live here with us?"

"Yes, Amelia and I made that decision years ago. As long as God allows we will always live under the same roof. Don't worry. This house is as big as four average houses. Amelia and Huey will even have their own kitchen. So what's the problem? Don't you want Uncle Huey to live here?"

"We do want them to live here. The problem is the wedding."

"I'm sorry boys. I know I have had a lot to do. Have I been neglecting you?"

"No mom. That's not it," said Jake. "It's those clothes we have to wear for the wedding. One of the boys in Sunday school had to wear clothes like that. They took his picture and his mom goes around showing it to everyone. All the kids are laughing at him. You know mom, Mattey is shy. This could be very bad for him," Jake said solemnly.

Belle tried not to smile, and address Jake's concern's seriously.

"Jake, Mattey doesn't care what he wears. You know that. He also doesn't care who laughs at him. In fact, if someone is not laughing at him, Mattey finds a way to make them laugh. You don't want to wear the suit do you?"

"Not really. I can wear it. But I won't be able to smile for any pictures. And you know how Uncle Huey likes to take my picture when I smile."

"Well, Jake, you are going to wear the clothes Amelia picked out, and you are going to smile. But I will try to make it a little easier on you. Let me think about it."

"Ok Mom. Umm, can we skip our lessons today since I am feeling so bad about the wedding and you are so busy with planning it?"

"No. But maybe we could start a little later than usual. How about that?"

Satisfied, the boys went back to playing.

"Shaking her head Belle thought about how fast they were growing. And she remembered that when she and Mal had first been married they had planned to wait five years to start a family. Then by their second anniversary they had two boys. If Amelia had not been around to help them out, she didn't know how they would have managed.

The first one they had named Jacob Maximus. The second they had named Matthew Orion. Amelia had shortened it to Jake and Mattey immediately. Amelia had also got Belle a book on birth control after Belle had announced her second pregnancy.

"Amelia, you are something else. I don't think I could stand it if you were moving away. But I am not sure how adding an extra man to the household will work out. Of course, this place is really a duplex with a common living area in the middle. It shouldn't be that crowded by just adding one more person.

AJ

"I am almost Mrs. Mitch Farmer," AJ thought to herself. She was completely satisfied with her decision to marry Mitch and her situation in general. "I wonder what some of those bimbo's who were after Mitch are thinking? Did they ever think he would marry anyone but me after his wife died." With dark glee AJ remembered when she had first heard the news that Mitch's wife was seriously ill. She had learned immediately that the illness was terminal. AJ's first question was, "How soon is terminal?" To her instant relief she had learned it was late stage cancer, and the out look was 2 to 6 months even with treatment. The woman had lasted close to 8 months. AJ was certain that she had clung to life just to slow Mitch down in his career. But Zisa had explained that it was better for her to last longer because AJ was still so young. That would give AJ an opportunity to appear helpful and useful. AJ had followed Zisa's advice to the letter. She had intruded in every possible way in Mitch's life.

"Yes," AJ thought. Lisa Farmer knew before she was even sick that Mitch and I were going to be together. Then she lived long enough to watch me replace her while she was still alive. I really enjoyed that."

AJ was well aware of Mitch's weakness when it came to young women. Truthfully, it didn't bother her at all. It allowed her a certain freedom as well. She had a level of affection for Mitch that was beyond her usual capability, but not enough to allow any of his personal shortcomings to be especially hurtful to her. The only thing she really cared about was that he remained acceptable to the public, and was careful not to embarrass her. Lila, poor fool that she had been, had never understood Mitch. She wanted an old fashioned husband who would have been faithful, and stood at her bedside holding her hand while she died. Instead she got a completely modern man who saw marriage as a tool, not a way of life. And she got AJ holding her hand in death. Well, actually, she got AJ holding her hand for a photograph session. She died alone.

AJ had not been living at home for some time, but she was home for a few days of preparation. Shelly had insisted on being allowed to assist in planning the wedding. There was no question that her marriage was acceptable to both parents. Both money and social standing were coming with this son in law. It was nothing like the marriage Mal had made with that little nobody.

Thinking of Mal and his wife, AJ became agitated.

"I hate those people," she said aloud. "I really don't see how Mal can be so stupid and have the same parents that I have. And how could he possibly consider going to his sister in law's wedding instead of his own sister's wedding? He doesn't care anything about his real family. He acts like that family of losers is more important than me!"

AJ attached no importance to having skipped Mal's wedding because she considered it an unfortunate event attended by losers. AJ had barely seen her two nephews. She agreed with her father and mother that eventually Mal would come crawling back to his real family. AJ only hoped he would leave those two brats with their mother when he finally came to his senses and decided to reconcile with his family.

"Truly," AJ said, "religion ruins everything. The world would be so much better off without any Christians or any religious ideology of any kind."

"Mom," AJ called, "Can you come up here for a minute? I need to ask you something about these clothes. Do you have a maid coming today? Maybe she could hand wash a few things for me and drop the rest at the cleaners."

"I'll be right up honey," Shelly called. "I'll bring up some tea and biscuits."

Shelly already had the tray ready to take upstairs. She had just been waiting for AJ to give the summons.

Shelly carefully picked up the tray and walked toward the stairs. She stopped briefly to view her image in the mirror. She was quite pleased with her appearance since she had had a few cosmetic changes made to her face, lost a few pounds, and toned up her muscles with regular workouts at a combination gym and spa not to far from home. Shelly would never be the serious flirt that Frederic was, but she had been delighted to learn she could still turn a few heads when she made an effort. That had not been lost of Frederick either. Now she was even likely to flirt just a little in front of Frederic just to make sure he noticed.

"Mom" shrieked AJ. "Where are you? Do I need to call out for something to eat?"

Shelly tore herself away from her image in the mirror and quickly started up the stairs.

"I'm coming AJ," she called in a pleasant voice.

Soon the women sat sipping tea and nibbling on the biscuits.

"Mom, what do you think Mal will do?" AJ asked. Can you believe he really won't attend my wedding?

"I'm afraid he won't honey," Shelly said sadly. "It's obvious to any thinking person that a sister's wedding should take precedence over a sister-in-law's wedding, but Mal has not had one really normal thought since the day he met that woman. I kept thinking he would get tired of that rigid lifestyle. Instead he has grown more and more determined to stick with it. I wonder if we had been a little more supportive in the beginning if he wouldn't think it necessary to show us we were wrong."

In the five years since Mal had married Belle, Shelly had grown more and more convinced that Frederick and AJ were entirely correct in their assessment of the situation on the day Belle had announced his decision to follow Christ and marry Belle. When the first grandchild had arrived Shelly had dutifully visited the mother and baby in the hospital. Until then there was hope that the baby might somehow draw them all together. But Shelly had taken one look at the child, seen his mother's eyes, and immediately found the child repulsive. Shelly was honest enough to admit that regardless of how much she might have been drawn to the baby, the chances of her becoming the doting grandmother were very slim anyway. Shelly was just beginning to enjoy life. She wasn't going back to being a frumpy homemaker. And she really didn't care to be seen as a grandmother.

"Mom, you know when Mitch and I are married you will be a step grandmother," AJ said as though reading Shelly's thoughts.

"I know sweetie," Shelly said, but it will really be to my advantage. Mitch's son is almost grown. If I am seen with him as his grandmother, people will think \- my she looks young to have a grandson that old.. Or something like that. By the way, how old is the boy now? Fourteen or fifteen?

"No, he's already seventeen. He's plenty old enough to go to boarding school. Or some sort of military academy or something. You really won't have to put up with him unless he is willing to be an ally.

"Anyway mom, you can be glad you will now have a grandson you can brag about instead of just those two clones of their mother Mal produced."

"You know AJ, I really tried to like Belle, and I did try with the first baby. But when they had the second one so soon, I realized that nothing was going to change there and that we had lost Mal. Sometimes I don't even think about Mal for a week at a time. And I virtually never think of those kids. The real problem is that his radio program is becoming fairly well known. Sometimes a friend or acquaintance asks me if that is really Mal doing all that broadcasting. I don't know what to say. I have to wait and see if they are laughing at me for having such an idiot for a son, or if they are really interested in what he has to say. I have tried to listen to it a few times, but he always has the nuttiest people on as guests. And sometimes he even lets his wife or sister in law do a spot on the program. It is so humiliating."

"I know what you mean mom. It really is embarrassing. And he is so brainwashed by those Bible thumpers he doesn't even know how crazy he sounds. I just keep thinking that if he had all this talent in organizational skills and broadcasting, why didn't he cast his lot with me? He could never have handled the public eye like Mitch and I do, but he could have been helpful as an assistant or something. It is such a waste." AJ said shaking her head sadly.

"I know AJ, I know," Shelly said in agreement. "I can't stand to think about it.

Angels of Darkness

Cabiri and Zisa both believed they deserved the credit for the success with AJ so far. It was true that if AJ ever changed her mind, outlived her usefulness, or turned against them, they would both blame each other. But for today, AJ was marrying exactly the man they had chosen for her. At least for the moment. Things were looking good. Eventually either Mitch or AJ would become expendable, but for today they made a good team.

Cabiri said, "Zisa, what have you been able to do about that son of Mitch Farmer's? Has he made any decision to work with us or not?

"What do you mean 'what have I done about the boy'?" Zisa snapped. "He is just as much your responsibility as he is mine."

"From that answer I take it you haven't been able to recruit him yet," Cabiri said maliciously.

"Well neither have you!' Zisa said. "I know for a fact he has been listening to Malachi Jones' radio program. If you don't do something fast, he will probably start to listen to other programs and look things up on the internet. Then it is just a matter of time until he goes to church.

"Just shut up Zisa, and do something about it instead of make dire predictions to me! Cabiri replied angrily.

Angels of Light

Raphael was humming 'Joyful Joyful, we adore thee'. He loved music. Sometimes he thought sadly about the eternal state of the former music director of heaven - now known as Satan.

"But, I'm happy today!? Raphael said to himself. "Amelia is all grown up and marrying the man of her dreams. Those two little boys will steal the show, but that's what she gets for having kids in her wedding. And, to top that, AJ's step son is seriously considering the Bible as truth. He is beginning to seek God. And those who seek God find God."

