#### Table of Contents

#### Coverpage

Title

Copyright

Description

Quotation

Acknowledgement

Table of contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

About the author

####

In Flaming Fire

By C.A. Caster

#### Copyright

Copyright © 2013, By Cassandra A. Caster.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, which is me.

All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

ISBN 978-0-9924276-0-3

#### Ok! Here goes...!  
You are a bad guy. I.E. murder, rape, theft, etc.  
Do I....  
1. Put you in jail till you learn your lesson?  
2. Let you go cause you're...  
     a. Nuts?  
     b. Cute?  
     c. Rich?  
     d. In possession of a good lawyer?  
     e. Too smart to leave behind evidence?  
     f. Etc.  
Or....  
3. Roast your ass to a degree fitting your crime? Wanna guess which one I prefer?

####

"In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the gospel of our lord, Jesus Christ."

\- 2nd Thessalonians 1:8

#### Authors note

This book comes of a dream as most stories do.  
In this dream there are heroes, sweet vengeance, and solutions.  
It comes from a deep frustration that God has become impotent.  
That man does not know if, or how, crimes are punished for certainty.  
It comes of a great fantasy of a perfect world.  
With a great need to keep the good in the world safe.  
There is a childish plea in this story,  
"Come save us.  
...Please."

My husband is the hero of my dreams. Thank you is not enough.

    Thank you to Shelley King - Wickes. You know a good friend when they can tell you the brutal truth and laugh their ass off when you fall on your face!  
    A special thank you to Jeff Chapman, cover artist, for being intuitive enough to put a face to the name, you rock!

And thank you to those who believe in me, The sentiment is mutual!

P.s. This book contains adult reading material. If you read beyond this page you agree that you are old enough, and that I am not liable if your innocence is assaulted, or for anything else, for that matter.

#### Chapter 1 -  No!... and ...WTF!... and....Oh YEAH baby!  
Chapter 2 - New circles of friends  
Chapter 3 - Wasn't a dream  
Chapter 4 - Not what it used to be  
Chapter 5 - The Mountain  
Chapter 6 - The shitter, the necklace, and the lie  
Chapter 7 - Oh! That's who that was!  
Chapter 8 - Nerds are awesome  
Chapter 9 - The new career path  
Chapter 10 - I know it's an imposition, but.....  
Chapter 11 - Does that hurt???  
Chapter 12 - Oh, that's just hot!  
Chapter 13 - Vacancy at the prison...cheap!  
Chapter 14 - Besties and beer  
Chapter 15 - Addictive personalities  
Chapter 16 - Trolling  
Chapter 17 - I want to rule the world!!  
Chapter 18 - OOOPS!  
Chapter 19 - I'm sorry :<  
Chapter 20 - Get this angel out of my sight.  
Chapter 21 - I so want that!  
Chapter 22 - Get over it  
Chapter 23 - Too good to be true  
Chapter 24 - I thought I fixed that  
Chapter 25 - Pardon me while I kill these guys.  
Chapter 26 - What happens in Vegas better scare you.  
Chapter 27 - Solutions  
Chapter 28 - Sad  
Chapter 29 - Ooh!... Aah!... Pretty!  
Chapter 30 - Slap and tickle  
Chapter 31 - Do I look different?  
Chapter 32 - It only takes one  
Chapter 33 - Falling apples.

#### Chapter 1

     Blood.

     It slid slowly down the table leg as if it had all the time in the world. It hesitated, swelled, and then, with abandon, fell.

    The girl opened the door and bustled in, she shook off the April rain and dropped her car keys into her purse. The house she lived in with her mother was small, but it sat to the side of a cul de sac in a safe, tidy neighborhood. The little house was the center of their lives which were busy, normal, and happy.

    As she stepped into the entry, she felt something, it made her brow buckle ever so slightly. She felt as if the house was waiting. The odd thought made her pause, and then move on.

    Her mother would be home from work and probably had a lecture brewing.

    Her mother had expected her to have a full time job, stick to her dance practice and martial arts, and be there for family time.  Her schedule used to be worse, but she had graduated from school a couple years before. It was difficult to swing, but Jenika refused to give up her friend time as well. Now Mom was brooding because Jenika couldn't find time to register for classes at the university.

    _'Why was the house waiting?'_ She hesitated again and then blew it off with a slight shake of her head.

    She stopped when she noticed the jumbled heap of furniture in her usually clean living room.

    _'What now?'_  She thought. Immediately thinking that her mother was off on a cleaning tangent or rearranging the furniture. She leaned hesitantly forward to get a better view into the room. The furniture wasn't just moved, it had been knocked over and broken!

    Her mind stuttered with confusion, and her irritation turned to caution. She scanned the room and the color red caught her eye, her gaze swung back to the out of place color and her eyes focused on it.

    It was blood.  It seemed time slowed to a crystal clear frame by frame.  Suddenly, she had time to see the coffee table turned on its side, it's leg broken, and a chair knocked over.

    A distant part of her mused at how suddenly detailed everything was as she noticed that the underside of the chair revealed how inexpertly her mother had reupholstered it.

Her scalp tightened, prickling over her skull, as adrenaline seeped into her system. It seemed time had slowed to allow her mind to compute and let her fight or flight responses wrestle with each other.

    "Mom?!"

    The front room was a mess, and as she stepped forward, she saw hair on the floor, then an arm. The hair was the same color as her mother's. There was no movement, but somewhere in the house a clock ticked loudly. The comfortable home she knew became instantly strange.

    "Mom?"  Softly. It didn't look like her.  She'd seen her mom in every way but not like this. Even when her mom was sleeping there was movement. Life.

    A step closer, tripping slightly on a book that didn't belong there.

    When the smell hit her she jerked her head back, it was ionic,  Revolting.  She recognized the smell of blood from her martial arts classes, She'd been hit in the nose a time or two.

    Seeing her mothers' hair there on the floor was so very wrong. Her mind, unused to fear and panic, was struggling to rationalize and understand at the same time. In shock, her thoughts were racing, flitting from rational thoughts to illogical ones all in a moment. Some of her thoughts were just plain crazy, she knew they were, but they entered her mind unbidden.

    Physically, she felt odd and she wanted to push the sensations aside because they were distracting her from dealing with what she was doing at the moment, which was panicking. She felt a pressure on her chest. It was a constriction, a tightening.  The feeling was odd but she passed it off as shock.

    This feeling was what the house was waiting for,  however. The Change. The Realization. The house was poised to witness the transformation of her life.

    "Mommy?"  She held her breath, waiting. She couldn't force herself to move forward.

The girl was confused. _'How could this be?'_  She thought.

    She was slightly odd, her mother, but strong, dependable, and always there.  She would not joke like this.

    She noticed that her thoughts were random, and the tightening was increasing, this time accompanied by a violent cracking sound!  The girl couldn't discern the direction from where the noise came, almost as if it was a feeling, not a noise. _'Was the sound in her head?  Did the silence of the house make it seem louder?  Would anyone else be able to hear that?  Would they come running to my rescue?'_  She thought wildly, stepping closer to the spread of hair on the floor.

    Another loud crack! It sounded like a tree bending beyond its ability. Yes, that was definitely in her head!

    "Momma?!" _'Please, please you need to move!'_  She begged. She knew the sight of her mom's hair on the floor was not right, and she tipped her body forward, feet rooted to their spot, trying to see without actually seeing.

    The tightening became uncomfortable,  and inwardly she struggled. What part of her was being compressed?  she wondered. Not her body, or her lungs, nothing she could actually see.  It was like....her being, her soul maybe?

    The house seemed to teeter with anticipation. Another crack! ear splitting, making her wince.

    _'Not my mom! I need her!'_  Then, simpering around the last of the obstructing furniture, she saw all of her mother piled awkwardly on the floor.

    Panic blossoming in her body! Her mind exploding with brilliant light, her gut clenched and her insides went watery.

    _'This is insane!'_  A whine escaped from her throat. Her feet lurched her backwards, her eyes running away from the sight they didn't want to see.

    _'Why? How?'_ There was bright blood under her mother, the edge of the pool starting to turn black.

    _'No. This is not happening!'_

    "Mom, Are you Ok?" She said it quietly, she knew her mother wasn't there anymore. She could feel her absence. The void was blaring and hopeless. She was alone for the first time in her life!

    Another **crack**!  This one sounded final. She opened her eyes and a tear slid down her face. As the deafening sound reverberated through her being, she suddenly felt detached. She felt a soft pull on her gut, and floated up. The pressure and tightness eased.

    Aware, she looked down from above and across the room, watching herself standing there in grief and confusion. Her astral projection self considered the situation logically and rationally. In this form she could look at herself and the room below calmly, as if she were witnessing a friend below.  She looked crazy down there, standing frozen with her purse hanging, forgotten on her arm.

    The cracking sound seemed to signal a separation of her consciousness.  A logical part separated itself from her panicking mind, and floated up and out to observe, to decompress, and assess.

Apparently, she had a third option. Fight, flight, or divide.  Admittedly, that was cool.

     A quick scan around the room showed her her destroyed mother's form crumpled on the floor and the room in such disarray that it would piss mom off if she could see it.  She saw herself standing in shock, shaking, hands fluttering around her mouth like a panicking bird and the sounds coming from deep in her throat were inhuman and frightening.  She didn't seem aware that the whine came from herself.

    The girl below grew stiff. Overwhelmed by confusion, trying pathetically to jumpstart her fear paralyzed mind. Her arms slowly straightened and her purse dropped to the floor.

The blood in her veins seemed to thrum with energy.

    She crept to her mother and knelt gingerly, pressing her fingers to her mother's neck. She didn't need to feel for a pulse, her mother's skin was cooling. She stood and shuffled back a  couple of steps. "Fuck!"

    Organize thoughts. That is what she must do first.

    _'My mother is dead.'_  That single thought jackknifed through her heart with an ache that she wanted to reach into her chest and claw it out. She actually grabbed the front of her shirt and twisted in response to the intense feeling.  She wanted with all her being to rewind time and make this just a nauseating nightmare. The effort of restraining her fear was almost physical and she tried to refrain from panting with exertion.

    _'No!  She's not just dead, she was murdered! ...Somebody did this. Wondering why won't help right now. I'm alone.  Find help.' _

She watched herself turn her body back and forth as she thought, her arms straight as if it would help her decide what to do.

    _'I'm watching myself from across the room? That is me over there blubbering like an idiot and this me is cool and aware, watching from above. That's impossible!'_

She watched as she looked up at the corner of the room and saw nothing.

    The frantic girls' thoughts spun in her head, jumbled, and confused.

    _'Can I help her? I told her I loved her before I left, that was good.  It had been a good week, we hadn't fought.  Who will help me?  Why can I see myself? Why can't _ _I see myself up there? What is this pressure I feel?'  _

    At the ceiling, she patiently waited for herself to exhaust all of the thoughts and questions. At least one of them had a grip. In this one's mind, this event simply Was. It was not good, or bad, it just Was.

      _'Look how she was left, like she was discarded!'_  She blinked twice with realization. One hand pushing the hair off her forehead. She looked at her mother with horror. A seed of rage rooted, swelled, pushed at the fear.

    _'This was my home!  Where do I go now? Look how she was left, like she was discarded!' _

    And then a slower, new thought presented itself. This thought stronger than the others. Her eyes narrowed. The thought solidified, it quickly became the only One.

    **_'HOW DO I HURT WHO DID THIS?'_** Bold and in all caps. There was lust in that thought.

    The need to avenge her mother whiplashed through her. She felt rage, hot in her chest.

All thoughts of running away or getting help vanished. The tight feeling became warm. She was liking this thought.  The shaking girl across the room lifted her chin. She smiled slowly. It wasn't a nice smile.

    The tight feeling, now almost hot.  She began to sweat and pant.  Her fingers curled into claws, and a heavy feeling of power coalesced in the pit of her stomach, somehow comforting, growing? The heat and power in her churned together and was.....beautiful?

 It felt vicious, it was good! Delicious. Comfortable.  She shifted her body to better adjust to the strength pulsing in her. She easily gave herself over to the throbbing and let it take her. It filled her up.

    She watched herself from above as she went from panicked to scary. She stood looking down on her mother in a rock star stance. Her long hair was moving of  its own accord, in slow motion, defying gravity. The power positively hummed off her. She looked Jeckle mad.

 She bent down to brush the hair softly and lovingly from her mothers' eyes.  The only gentle thing about her current existence.

    The out of body girl patiently watched as the pitiful girl below changed into a furious girl, panting with teeth bared and eyes narrowing with hunger and predatory intelligence. She rose and strode across the room. The power she emanated was terrifying.  She looked as if she was ready to kick someone's ass!

    Above, the girls' mind downloaded the information, understood the transformation, accepted the situation... and was impressed.

    The heat settled into a comfortable weight and the power swirling around the poor girls grief suddenly intensified into a whirling inferno that reminded her of a wildfire! There was a roar that was so loud, the deafening noise could be felt physically.

    She liked this wild and exhilarating power that was raging in her, it hummed her body and made her want to kill something, violently. She wanted to tear something apart. She needed to inflict pain. It turned her on!

    Together, both girls understood what could be done with this power, not questioning that in the real world this was impossible. It was as if the girl had always had this ability inside her, but never needed it until now. It settled in like a old coat she knew well.

    Her mind, hunting, sought out a trail, instinctively knowing that the one who murdered her mother would leave a fingerprint of a sort, she would use his guilt as a beacon.  It was an intimate connection that this person, this murderer, had made with her mother.  This doomed man couldn't hide his red hot guilty conscience. It was the one thing she knew about him. His guilt would hover about him like stink on shit, and she was going to hunt him down!

    She could do this, somehow she just knew, like it was natural to be able to reach out into the distance, seek out a single thought, from a single person, and avenge her mother with a simple will.

     She thrilled in the hunt, seeking out with her mind up and beyond the house. She soared up high shouting out a hunting cry like the bay of a hound on the hunt.

    Her malice was now tangible, she refused to be a victim, she intended this murderer DEAD!

    The rumble and vibration of the hatred was sexy, she could feel her heavy hair gently brush across her shoulders in a silky caress, between her thighs she was juicy and hot, Her nipples pinched painfully as goose bumps rippled across her body.

    "Ah yeah!"

    In the distance, her mind brushed another mind that flared with guilt and panic.

    "Yesss!"  She snarled with all her fury and pain.

    "Give her back!" She began to chant, slow, low and crazy.

    Observing from the ceiling, she watched the muttering girl below heave as if vomiting and something burst out of her chest!

    _'Was that fire?! OH MY FUCKING GOD, THAT'S FIRE!!'_

    A fearsome hurricane of fire hurled from her chest like a flamethrower and blew open a massive hole in the wall of her home!

    "Awesome!" She planted her feet and found a good center of gravity to stay on her feet as she pushed back against the firm pressure of the flames.

    "Give her back!" She snarled, arching her back and pushing the fire forth.

    Above she watched as the impossible played out. The thick column of fire made of hate whirled upon itself like a twister. It held the terrifying beauty that only fire possessed. Its colors red, orange and yellow swirling together with purples and greens and blues. It was mesmerizing and fearfully loud. The column moved like a snake with cunning and purpose. As the fire poured out of the girls chest she chanted and muttered as if in a trance. Her eyes did not see. Her body was not sustaining injury, nor was her home.

    The hate fire spiraled up and out so fast the walls did not catch fire, it merely scorched the edges of the exit hole!

    "Give her back!"

    The fired roared like a fighter jet, as a river poured from her with tremendous velocity, searching like a living thing, like a snake prowling for its target. Her long hair swirled about her, but didn't burn.

    It felt so good, like being held on the edge of orgasm without spilling over!

     The noise, heat, and power wracked the girls body like she was being bitten by a great white shark again and again.

    Her mind blank, other than her immediate goal.  The pain of her loss, lashing out and feeling good, and she smiled around her chant, eyes crazy,  knowing she was unstoppable.

    Suddenly, she sensed him.  There! Her mind showed the fire where to go, and it snapped and whipped towards its target. He was remembering, he was feeling guilt, driving in his car.  She saw in his mind as he remembered standing before her mother, feeling desperate fury that she didn't know where the necklace was. He needed it and she was inconsiderate of his desperation, defiant about it! He suddenly hated her for her smugness, grabbed at what was nearest to him, and struck. He had been searching so long! As he did it he felt excellent, but immediately after he felt regret. He had thrown her to the side. He had fled.

    He twitched in shock as he drove, repeating, "Oh God, Oh God, Oh God!" Over and over.

    She could see his car, then him through her tornado of flames. Big, old, bald, and doomed!

"Yessss!" She hesitated, whirling above his car, wanting to see his face. Waiting for him to realize that he was done.

    He looked up through his windshield and saw the impossible, a hurricane of fire whipping furiously above him.

    Oddly, he recognized the revenge in the inferno.

    "Give her back!"

    She could feel him panicking in the distance.  She smiled savagely and lingered, willing him to see her fury and hesitated just long enough for him to release his bladder and her heart struck out like a cobra.

    The fire liquidated the wind shield and whipped across his face. He no longer cared that he was driving a car. He could hear the flesh on his face sizzling as he mindlessly thrashed.  The car smashed into the embankment and came to an abrupt halt. The man inside knew his fate, he skipped all the usual phases a human would traverse when being tortured and began to frantically squeal like a pig.

"Stop, stop! I'm sorry!" He wished he could take it back.

_'Well?  So did she.'_

    Forgiveness was not even a thought. She softened the heat for a moment, letting him feel it.  She let the fire linger and play, drawing it out, not wanting to stop. Even this amount of pain was really not enough, it would be a shame if he died too soon. She wanted him to burn till his pain matched hers. His screams sounded animalistic, peppered with hoarseness, as his vocal cords strained to keep up with the violence of his terror.

    _"GIVE HER BACK!"_ She sensed he was about to die and screaming, she let the full force of the fire loose. It turned blue then white, The force of the inferno pushed the car back about ten feet till it hit the curb it had run over, and it was done. From the sky to the pavement, it was done.

    The fire receded like an implosion, back into her chest supernaturally fast and the pressure and warmth lessened. She staggered, body pulsing with the orgasmic release, her revenge spent. She twitched spasmodically.

    She didn't know him, but Peder Dobbs was dead... The fucker.

    The girl watching from above felt the gentle pulling and suddenly, tired beyond reason, she relented, allowing herself to be drawn down.  The girl joined back together with herself comfortably.

    She looked around and noticed that it was as if the inferno had never happened... except for the gaping hole in the wall of the living room, and a little smoke! Her shirt steamed.

    With her heart feeling heavy and her throat aching, she knelt to straighten her mother's clothes and brush the hair from her face, she pressed her tear slippery cheek to her mother's cooling cheek, "I love you, Momma."

    Not knowing what to do next, she grabbed her purse and stumbled out the door to her car, slapping at her hot and steaming shirt, empty with grief, and every pore spent.  She scrabbled weakly, slipping, vision graying. Frantically trying to get away, and then the bliss of unconsciousness.

#### Chapter 2

    The absolute silence was blaring, making all her senses tender like freshly burnt skin.  When the light came, she was unprepared for its intensity, it was white and wholly pure in its lack of color.  She was infantile in her ability to use her senses and feelings. She tensed, waiting for pain. But it didn't come.

     She felt absolutely no fear, just awe.

She floated in a warm nothingness and watched, mind blank, as a tiny dot of blue color appeared. It languidly grew in the white, soothing light and spread lazily like a drop of  ink swirling in milk. The blue was so vibrant against the white, the way it swirled mesmerized her. She felt as if she were floating on an air mattress in a gently rocking pool.

    Slowly, she became aware of a peace unlike any she had ever felt. It seeped into every strained  muscle and melted the tightness away like magic. It felt like a comfortable home.  A place of belonging and contentment that no human has felt anywhere on earth.   _'This must be Heaven.'_  she thought as her soreness faded and her bottomless grief began to ebb away.

    _'I belong here in the warmth.'_  She wanted for nothing, loved nothing, hated nothing.  She snuggled into the peace, she felt the safety.

    She wanted this feeling to be forever with every pore in her body. The need that she felt was bottomless. She desperately wanted to forget the ache that the death of her mother had left in her chest. She wanted to forget the shiver of satisfaction when she remembered the slaughter of the guilty man.

    She suddenly knew that this was where everyone came when their time on earth was done. Like the knowledge had always been there. It made sense to her that this was the reward for all trials and tribulations of life on earth. How could it be anything else?

    Life on earth always left a soul wanting more.  Even the happiest day, the most beautiful sunset, the most love, a person always knew that somewhere else there was deeper love, more stunning sunsets, no stress or trauma.  Always something more satisfying, peaceful, and more profound.

    _'This was it.  This is Heaven.'_  She felt that she would never tire of this infinity of peace.  She didn't care about the friends she left behind.  Her life on earth was miniscule, irrelevant here in this plane of existence. Her mother, she knew, was already here, and she was glad. Her mother had deserved this, and the rest she knew would be here shortly, for time was also irrelevant.  Oddly, it mattered little to her that the one who had murdered her mother would be here as well, and felt nothing but peace.  The tiny thoughts and feelings of life on earth were a vague and distant memory on this plane of existence.

    Now I can rest, she thought.

    _'Only for a short while, little one.'_  Said a soft voice in her head.  Androgynous, the voice rippled like thick satin in a slow moving brook.  She had a vague impression of He.

    _'It is not yet your time.'_  There was no one to see in the swirling color.  Her mind reached out inquiringly.  She probed a kindness and mentally patted it with friendship.

    _'But I'm so tired.  It hurts to be there, I NEED to stay.'_  A gentle chuckle sounded so quiet she wasn't sure if she heard it.

    _'Being here is a gift, not a punishment.  It is what you will do in the future that brings you here, not what you have done. You have tasks to accomplish for the betterment of the world. You will come again.'_

    She could hear the smile in the kind voice, and knew that it was true.  She had not accomplished enough in her 19 years to deserve this gift.

    She was shown a quick procession of pictures in her mind. One of her river of fire, she and it had an intimate connection. An odd necklace of silver rings, and an attractive guy, smiling. A group of people she was yet to love, working closely together on a project.  A tow headed child, like an angel. A mountainous view.  Her own dirty, tear streaked face, crying out in anguish, and rage.  She knew instinctively that these were clues to her future and that she needed to be there to unravel the mystery. Emotions flowed through her as the images made their impression on her.

    She was shown that life was cause and effect and that she and the psychic fire she had been given had a part to play in the mystery.  She still did not want to go back to that hell, but because she knew she would be coming back here to Heaven, she felt resigned.

    She felt the absence of the voice and blissfully drifted for a long while watching the color fold on itself, diluting, till it faded back to pure white.

    She loved this place with every cell in her body and greedily soaked as much of it up as she could. It was safe and warm. Here, she just knew. All questions were answered, till there were no questions left to ask.

    She stayed as long as she could knowing that going back was the hardest thing she would have to do in her whole life, even harder than coping with recent events.

#### Chapter 3

    The voice was far away and faint.  She felt a glimmer of joy, thinking it had come back to her and then thrashed in a sudden flare of pain.

    "Jenika, can you hear me?" This was not the Voice, this one sounded rough and brazen to her ears.  The light leaking into her crusty eyes was not the pure light of Heaven she wanted to see, it was harsh and unforgiving.  It was cold and she felt clammy and dirty as if she was unwashed for days.  Her arms, fingers, and knees felt bloated, and stiff.  She whimpered her distress at the loss of the beautiful Heaven, hoping that if she kept her crusty eyes closed that it would come back.  She knew it was over and she despised this reality, the one that was ugly, the one that hurt.  The one without her mother.

    She moaned with pain and loss and opened her eyes slowly to face her new life.

    The doctor held her wrist and looked down at her with concern.  "Welcome back, Jenika, I'm doctor Lewis. How do you feel?"

    He turned to a nurse and motioned her into action and then offered her a straw to sip water.  "Please just lie back, we need to do a few tests, but I think you're doing fine."  He smiled as if she would be relieved.

    It was then that she saw only strangers around her and the emptiness came rushing back, twisting her gut.  "Momma!"  She sobbed quietly. The doctor was explaining that he had lost her for a few minutes as her vision blurred and she slept again.

    When she woke again the doctor was walking into her darkened room. He pulled up a chair next to her, he looked somber and exhausted as he sat and propped his feet on the rail of her bed. Arms slack on his thighs.

    "How you doin kiddo? Doctor Lewis remember?"  She nodded a little.  He sat not talking for awhile, his hands massaging his tired face.  His face was old for a young man. He'd probably look better after a hot shower and some sleep. He wore his Yarmulke like it was part of his head.  She felt his presence comforting and didn't mind the silence.

    Finally, looking like he had to speak or burst, he said, "You know, you're my little mystery.  There doesn't seem to be any reason to have lost you at all.  For the first time in my life,  I believe I've witnessed someone die of a broken heart."  He shook his head incredulous, "I'm a man of both religion and science, but that's my conclusion".  He shook his head sadly.  "I wish I could call someone for you, but it seems you're alone now."  He stood and touched her hand lightly. "I know you've endured a lot, but I've held the police off for long enough and they have more questions than I do."  He handed her a card.  "Here is my private number, if I can help you...." He let his words trail off, and stepped back.  "Be well."

    As he left, the police entered, The first one said "Thank you Dr. Newman." And softly shut the door behind his partner. Jenika straightened herself to prepare for their questions.  They were both rumpled and looked tired.

    "Are you Jenika Travers?"  She nodded, trying frantically to organize her memories.  She felt a flare of guilt remembering the man she roasted. _'Could they know?'_ She thought furtively.

    "Homicide detectives, Don Jennings and Terry Seitle." He motioned to the other man. He stood, uncomfortable doing the part of his job he hated most. He hated it so much, it was enough for him to contemplate tending bar south of the border, giving desperate divorcee's  fake flirty smiles. All he had to do was buy a one way ticket.

    The 19 year old girl in the bed before him looked like all victims. He always saw them at their worst, and every time he felt his heart tear when he imagined that pretty face smiling without a care, laughing with her friends. Before.

    She had dark long hair, full lips, ready to smile, and an innocent round face, perched on the brink of womanhood. She would be a beauty. Someday.  If this didn't tear her apart. But now, she looked a victim, face swollen with saline, hair tangled and careless. Her eyes looked hollow, lost. Completely unselfconscious.

    " Do you feel well enough to describe what you remember about April, 12th?"  She nodded, and stammering, trying to force her tongue to put into words the horror she had witnessed.  Slowly, painfully she recounted her coming home to find her mother, and shyly left out the part about blowing a hole in the wall, finishing with running out the door and not remembering anything else.

    The detective looked frustrated and turned off the recorder on his phone.  "There's more questions than answers on this one."  He shuffled, not knowing what questions to ask.  "Your mother was murdered, she was struck a couple of times with an iron horse statue. Your prints obviously don't match, we checked to be sure." He paused.

    "She seemed like a wonderful lady with no enemies, and in my experience, this homicide doesn't coincide with a random crime, she must have known him. The scene looked impulsive."  His arms hung useless at his sides.

    He paced, thinking. Detective Seitle continued for him as he pondered. "It seems that not only was there an unexplained explosion at your home, but we found the remains of what we think was a man, in what we think was his car, about 42 miles away on the highway on the way out of town. The same kind of intense heat that incinerated him and his car, burned your home as well.  We can't even get the cars ID number." He used his hands to show his frustration.

    "The fire marshal is scratching his head in confusion,  He thinks the burns happened at about the same time since both fires had the same pattern and intense heat.  He knows this because part of the cement foundation on your home was turned to glass; it takes immense temperatures to turn cement to glass.  The fire that burned the "victim" was so hot that his bones and teeth burned to dust and the metal frame of the car fused to the pavement, not even an incinerator is that hot!  Also, the walls in your home were only scorched which indicates that the fire was moving at a high velocity, out of the home from within."

    "How do you explain that?"  He looked at her for help.

Jenika stammered and answered truthfully.  "I don't know, it doesn't seem possible."

    "No, it doesn't, does it?  But Don here, and I, are the ones that have to explain it."

    Jenika looked at him blankly, wishing she could solve it for him.  But just saying the experience out loud was like cutting open a barely healed wound for her and she just wanted to leave here a find a place that was calm and comforting so that she could wallow in her misery.  She didn't want to make any decisions, she wanted to be left alone, she wanted her mom and her  normal home back.

    " My mother is gone, detective, my only mystery I see is how to get along without her now, the rest I don't care about ."  Jenika rolled over with her back to them.

    "I'm sorry she has caused you so much trouble."  Childishly, she felt sorry for herself.

    They released her later that day, and she took a cab home.  With nowhere else to go, she had to get her bearings straight and home was where she had always started her day.

#### Chapter 4

    She sat on the porch for a long while trying to be brave, but didn't think she could see the front room with the gaping hole in the wall without throwing up.  Her heart hurt.  Her insides were watery, and she shivered uncontrollably.

    "Hey Jenny."  She started and relaxed slightly when she saw Mark, her neighbor approaching.

    He was a small, tidy, organized man, if he had been effeminate, people would wonder. There was a gentleness about him, it came from his contentedness. He had been their neighbor for eleven years, but she saw him only at the block parties and working in his yard.  He and his wife seemed sweet and they hosted the local bible study once in awhile, but never imposed in any way.  He was a real estate agent and always had business cards in his pocket.

    Her mother had been the glue in the neighborhood and saw to it that they all knew each other and hosted block parties and kept watch on the older neighbors and the little kids that played nearby. She would mediate any tiffs that arose between neighbors, but for the most part, life was good in the hood.

    Jenika didn't trust herself to open her mouth for fear she would vomit, and gave him a sick smile.

    "Look sweetie, I wanted to say that I'm sorry for your loss."  He looked miserable.

    "When I found you and Diana, er, your mother, I was shocked and scared. Nothing like this has ever happened here and now the whole neighborhood is on 24 hour watch, trying to protect their families."  There was a pregnant pause not knowing what else to say but trying his best to reach out and make her feel better.

    She knew he wanted info, but it was hard enough for herself to understand. To explain, she would have to omit part of the story. She would feel like she was lying and she didn't want to lie to Mark.

    "I took the liberty of calling the crime cleaners.  I hope you aren't angry with me.  I did get clearance from the detectives, and I knew you'd want to come home." He shifted from foot to foot.

    "Stuart and some of the neighbors hung a couple of tarps over the hole in the wall and I think Stuart will give you a deal to fix it."

    Now Mark looked like he was going to throw up.  They didn't have children, they had a Papillion instead.  Jenika knew he didn't know how to talk to her, and threw her arms gratefully around him.  She knew neighbors didn't come this kind very often, and she appreciated him.  "Can you walk in with me?"  His heart broke in his eyes and she knew he would.  She was asking a lot, she knew.  Mark put on a brave face and straightened his shoulders, glad to be of help to her, even if he was scared too.

    He walked up the porch and opened the door and walked in, holding his hand out to her.

    The house inside was blue tinted from the sun glowing through the tarp.  The smell of perfumed cleaner was strong, and the furniture was righted and actually in the right place, it  looked as if nothing had happened, if not for the tarp on the wall.  The carpet in the living room was gone and there was a new piece of sub-floor in place of the stain.  Stuarts work. She choked back her sobs. How grateful she was to Mark and Stuart, her wonderful neighbors!

    Jenika decided that it would be best to grab a bag of clothes and find somewhere that she felt safe till she could get her life back on track.  Her gratitude to Mark and the neighbors overwhelmed her and her eyes prickled as he laid out what he thought she should do, she felt unable to make decisions, maybe in hopes that her mom would come back and micromanage like she always did.

    Mark suggested that she go to Alana's house, he knew that her mothers' old friend used come to sit when Jenika was young.

    He and his wife, Michelle, were Alana's emergency contacts while in town.  Jenika was grateful to her mother for organizing the neighbors into watching out for each other.

Jenika asked Mark to supervise the house repair, and list it for a fast sale, and with a heavy heart went to call Alana.

#### Chapter 5

    Alana was different.  It was because Diana herself was a little odd that she and Alana were friends.  As a child, Jenika thought she smelled earthy, which made her wrinkle her nose.  The interesting things that Alana and her mother would talk about would make Jenika tilt her head in confusion and curiosity.

    I-ching and auras, Tarot cards and holistic things, crystals and rocks that "channeled" energy, and smudging sticks, and Shaman, and Carlos Castaneda.  Chakra?? Really!? She didn't even want to get it!

    Jenika would ask her mother what Alana was with great skepticism, and her mother would grin and say that Alana was one of a kind!

    Alana was an enigma to Jenika, but she was steady and kind.  Nothing ruffled the woman's feathers, and Jenika had always felt safe and at peace with her. She exuded a wisdom that, frankly, was a bit intimidating.

    Jenika looked at her with a new perspective. This woman had been only her mother's friend, now was hers as well.

    Alana was short with long gray hair that was trimmed and glowed with a health. Her face was wrinkled, not with time, but with laughter. She was an easy person, this woman, her life unburdened by negativity. There was a intriguing wisdom to her demeanor, and a twinkle in her eye.

    Alana lived in a massive house made of huge logs, deep in the forest at the top of a mountain,  where the wind made a deep roaring sound as it gently swayed the towering treetops. The mansion had been built by a lumber tycoon who had lost his fortune to an owl. The wilderness made Jenika feel small and a little out of her element. She was unused to such changes, and even the slightest thing made her feel vulnerable.

    A large silent tear hung in Alana's eyes as she wrapped her arms around herself for comfort.  The woman was of an indeterminate age, she seemed to be unaccustomed to sadness. She had been silent for a long time after Jenika softly recounted finding her mother.

    "People are bad." Alana said clearly.  She then smiled weakly and amended, "Except for your mother".

    There was a growing lump in Jenikas throat, she hadn't realized how good it would feel to be with someone who had known and loved her mother as well.  Alana had listened to Jenika explain how her mother had been left, discarded on the floor.  She had talked quietly for a while, with frequent smiles about her memories, and Jenika started to see the deep friendship the two women had with different eyes.  Then the older woman stilled and waited.  She seemed to know there was more to say.  Jenika didn't know how to explain the rest with words.  There was no explaining the floating, and the knowing, and the fire, and the power.

    Alana looked sadly at the girl, whose proud stature had been reduced to a miserable, shaking figure.  This girl had grown up right. Her mother Diana, had never coddled her, but guided her along with gentle prodding letting the girls natural sense of responsibility and goodness develop on its own.  Diana had taught her daughter to be a self sufficient, hard worker by a lifetime of martial arts classes, combined with classical ballet lessons, a perfect way to teach a girl strength, ambition, dedication and confidence.  Diana had been so proud of the girl and had made it her priority to raise Jenika strong and confident.

    Diana and her daughter were close and Alana was pleased to see that they would only bicker at each other, but never with hate or malice, they were a team, always having each other's back.

    She pushed back a smile at her memory of Diana's reaction to Jenika's aptitude with mechanical things, preferably cars.  Jenika had befriended Diana's longtime friend, Larry Jaynes.  When Jenika was young, Larry had taken advantage of Jenikas little hands to reach into the engines of the cars he worked on, Jenika loved it, and was a regular at Larrys garage.  Jenika had bonded with Larry over these cars, he was a father to her and she was his link to the woman he secretly loved.

    One day, a tow truck showed up at Dianas house towing a complete wreck, and the driver helped push the monstrosity into the garage!  Jenika was squealing and hopping up and down with excitement, while Diana hollered, "No, no, no, not in here, you take it back!"  She relented when Jenika promised to make it run in two months and get all her homework and chores done.  Larry just chuckled at Diana and told her that was how Jenika had wanted to be paid for the work she did around the garage.  " It's a Challenger," he explained, "1970.  The parts are cheap and easy to find!"  Diana had thrown her hands up in exasperation.  "I guess it's a harmless hobby."  And she gave in.  Jenika did have it running, but in four months instead of two, but only because some parts were on order.  And then Diana was again proud of her girl.

    _'Yes, she's a good girl.'_  Alana felt even worse for the young girl.

    Suddenly, the lump in Jenika's throat broke. She gasped for air, and the words piled out of her mouth like vomit, "I ended him!  He hurt her, and then I ended him, I'm so sorry!  " She gasped for air but the words kept coming and coming. She coughed and sputtered them out in a snarled unintelligible jumble!

    Her mother, The fire, the torture, Heaven, the experience! The words didn't make sense but they were out and the risk had been taken. She told Alana everything. She probably wouldn't understand or would think that she was crazy, either way it felt good to at least try to explain.

    Jenika had took a chance and trusted this woman with all of it, as crazy as it was.

In shame, she didn't even look up, but she knew it was because she had enjoyed the destruction of the man who murdered her mother.

    Alana just sat and rubbed Jenikas back with a grim set of her jaw and waited for the rush of confessions to subside.  It ended with a hiccupping "I'm a freak!" and then calmer, plaintive "I just want her back".

    Alana didn't say a word. The silence went on so long that Jenika thought that Alana had fallen asleep, and she looked into her eyes expecting to see disgust or even snarky disbelief, but there was only thoughtfulness.  Alana simply brushed the hair stuck to Jenika's face by tears away with a crooked finger.

    Jenika felt better for purging all the pent up emotions, it made her tired. The tense muscles in her back started to loosen with relief. There was an ache where the lump in her throat had been.

    The quiet lady stood, a little stooped, and went to put a kettle on the wood stove in the middle of the room, she took logs from the wooden box and tossed them in.  It was spring, but here in the mountains it seemed fresher, and Jenika almost felt as if she was in shock after purging the events in the last week, the fire was welcome, as was the tea.

    Alana got Jenika settled in a room upstairs, and told her that this was now her house too.

    "There are rules to this house and you must comply with the rules."  She said sternly.

    "I live WITH the forest, not IN the forest.  This means that you will take from it only what you need and you will give back all that you can.  You must conform to this place, it does not conform to you.  You will work hard here, harder than you have ever worked before.  You must always plan ten steps ahead or you will die here."

#### Chapter 6

    Jenika had lived life as a pretty normal teenager, but her mom was pretty no nonsense and made sure Jenika knew the meaning of hard work through dance and studying under her martial arts master, Sasha. She was sweet, confident, and tough.

    Her new life unfolded for the next month and proved to be just what she needed, the work kept her fit, and the mountain and new surroundings kept her mind busy so she had just enough time to digest her new life without going crazy.

    Alana had gone down the mountain and made arrangements for Diana's body, and dealt with a few of the things that she could do, they decided together to not have a public memorial, besides neighbors, there was no family other than Larry and Alana.

    Alana contacted Larry and they had lunch and talked about Jenika's wellbeing and Larry told Alana that he was perfectly willing to take Jenika in if the need arose. She also went to the dance studio and had a long talk with Sage, Jenika's best friend. Sage was grieving for Diana as well, having spent almost every weekend of her life having sleepovers with Jenika, she was dying to help Jenika in any way she could. Alana promised that when Jenika could talk without tears that she could come visit.

    The two women built a small memorial on the side of the mountain.  They both said some words, and worked silently as they erected a small white cross. They planted some flowers around the base, and Jenika hung a small wreath on it. Diana wouldn't have wanted a fuss. She was pragmatic about life.

    Jenika was thankful to have a place to go to visit her mothers memory.

    Alana made sure that Jenika had time to spend practicing her martial arts and her ballet, knowing the routines would help her adapt physically as well as mentally.

    She worked in the garden, and helped Alana dig a deep hole that was to be a new outhouse, the original one was old and fine for one person, but now they were two. It wasn't really needed, the mansion had everything, but Alana spent most of her time outside in the garden, and it kept the mud and dirt out of the house.

    They built a frame over the hole and constructed four walls, while Jenika followed Alana's instructions building the roof and laying cedar shakes over it, Alana carved designs into a door that had a small glass window.  Bone tired, Jenika sat drinking ice-cold water from the nearby artesian well and Alana hung the door.

    "I have blisters and a million splinters!  I'm glad that's done!"

    But Alana smiled and handed Jenika a shovel.  "Dig, please."

    "AHH!  What now?"  Jenika was so ready to be done.

     "We will make a flower bed on two sides!  The flowers we plant will be beautiful and help mask the smell!"  Alana smiled, daring Jenika to refuse.  Jenika's sore hands took the shovel.

    When done, Jenika looked at the little building and surprisingly found herself smiling with pride!  She had helped build something, and it was beautiful!  Even for an outhouse!

    Sliding into bed that night, she mused at the changes in her life.  She ached all over and the splinters and blisters made her hands burn and itch.  She felt as if she accomplished something wonderful, and now she was warm and safe.

    She had spent the night putting together a collage of pictures and dried flowers in a large frame, in memory of her mother, she and Alana had laughed together telling stories of her mothers' quirks, around the wood stove.  It felt good to laugh and good to work with her hands, it helped her organize her thoughts, and made her feel at peace.  She slept a good sleep.

    The next morning she fed the chickens while Alana milked the goat.  This had become a comfortable routine and Jenika had started to name the chickens, realizing they had personalities and noticing their pecking order.

    But this time at breakfast, Alana placed a picture on the table by Jenikas plate.  It was a picture of Joseph Travers, her father, looking self satisfied, displaying for the camera a shadow box containing a necklace. He looked as if he was standing in a ornate office with huge windows.

    Jenika gasped.  "This necklace!"

     Alana came to stand over Jenikas shoulder and said.

    "As you know your father was a prominent researcher for a organization that is now gone.  Your father died of liver disease at a young age, but in his time his group collected many rare artifacts for other collectors, governments and churches.  This necklace was a personal find that he was particularly proud of.  He even organized a showing of the piece at the Museum of Natural History, detailing his search and the clues he followed to find this necklace!"

    Jenika examined her father and the necklace. He seemed ill, but proud. The deep dark shadows under his eyes gave away his illness despite the immaculate suit.  Jenika had not known him, he and her mother were estranged before her birth, her mother only saying that once he was wonderful and vibrant, but that he had become someone she didn't want to know.  Even then at a young age, Jenika surmised that he had become obsessed with his work and that he had to become someone other than her father to acquire the objects he sought.

    She did not miss him, but she felt a soft sadness for him. She was proud of him that he traced the globe following his dreams.

    The necklace was familiar, but not because she had actually seen it.  She closed her eyes and saw it as she had seen it when the faceless voice in the cloud of blue had shown it to her.

    "Where have you seen the necklace, Jenika?"

    "I haven't seen it, I just remember it." Jenika told Alana about the things the voice had shown her.  Alana nodded and sighed as if relieved.

    "The necklace has a story, but I do not know it well.  But more importantly, I think this is why your mother was killed.  I could not fathom that your mothers' death was anything to do with her, I knew it must be your fathers bad business spilling onto her even this many years later. " Jenika nodded and told her that the man that had killed her mother was looking for a necklace. Alana looked disturbed and continued.

    "Your father had kept this item in his personal collection, he had searched for it for too many years to let it go.  Your mother may have inherited his collection after he died but your mother did not covet material things, especially the things that took her husband away from her.  I know that she only kept the money she needed to raise you.  Where his personal collection ended up, only your mother, and possibly his lawyers knew.

    "I can't know that this necklace is really the reason, but maybe there was a reason that it was shown to you." Alana sat and wrapped herself around her stained coffee cup.

    "This necklace is the reason your mother and I met, you know.  I was working for the college, teaching alternative religions, when I read in the paper of your fathers find, curious, I had the college get me an invitation to the showing.  When I first saw your mother, she stood alone in a room full of pompous pseudo intellectuals. She looked as uncomfortable as I felt amongst those people. I told her as much and we  hit it off right away!"

    "The short version of the story goes that long ago before Jesus and God were symbols of the church, most people worshipped nature and deities.

    There were those that believed in Morhan, a Goddess of nature. Morhan wore a silver ring on her finger signifying her marriage to nature. The Goddess cared for those in need, and she was widely known to be wise and just. She was really just a woman this Morhan was, but she had amassed the collective knowledge of those before her, and her knowledge made those who looked to her for help, revere her as a Goddess.  As the woman known as Morhan passed, she would add her ring to a necklace and pass the necklace to her daughter or female to whom she had passed down all her knowledge. That female would become the new Goddess Morhan.

    So it had been for many generations, until the rulers of the time, fearing their loss of power and needing a better hold on the people, created religious organizations such as Catholicism  and Christianity.  These powers, vying for hold on the free people, began to demonized the pagans and their religion.

    Documents were manufactured, such as the bible,  these were teachings to give the people a written set of rules to follow. Stories were made up and repeated over and over until they became the truth as the people knew it. History was essentially rewritten to include a main God to worship that served the powers in Rome and other countries' best interests.

    They turned a simple goat into the image of the "devil". The pentagram, Mapping the earths elements, became a demonic symbol. These simple, nature worshipping people became devil worshippers and being a pagan became very dangerous.  The rulers of the time spread this propaganda throughout and it became a very popular agenda especially since if one didn't conform they were tortured and executed. Most people converted out of fear. Your father believed that many people worshipped in secret and that the worship of nature survived for a very long time!

    No one knew what became of the Goddess, or her necklace, and soon she was just a myth lost in time.  It was so long ago that no one can say whether or not she was real or fictional, but apparently, your dad believed that her lineage may still continue, and he searched for clues.

    When the necklace was discovered by your father it was denounced by the churches as a fake.  If the necklaces' story was told to the world, the church was afraid the discovery would give this Goddess a history, or a voice. People would ask questions about this chunk of history disappearing and then continue to ask other questions. Discovery of the churches fraud could threaten their power. Besides, many had been killed in the name of this "God" that they had created, and many had devoted their lives to worshipping the lie." Alana rose to refill her coffee.

    "I think that your father knew that if this necklace got into certain hands it would disappear and the story of the Goddess would vanish again with it, that's why he stressed that this necklace was HIS personal quest, not a contract of his company's. There were many intellectuals that were piqued by his account of the necklaces significance. But the showing at the Museum didn't go as he planned. The church overwhelmed him with "experts", and his ground breaking discovery faded quietly away. Many who loved the story still had no desire to take on "God". What harm did the made up God do anyway?

    Alana put the last breakfast dish away, a sign that it was time to start the day.

    "Get some decent clothes on, we need to go to town, I'll drop you at the library."

She always seemed to know what Jenika needed.

#### Chapter 7

     They drove in an old ford pickup for two hours down the mountain to the small town below.  The drive was dusty and very bumpy and the winding dirt road made it impossible to write much without wanted to barf, but Jenika tried her best to look at all the sights, and jot down some notes about things she should check on.

    The town boasted 18,001 people, big enough for two used car lots, a McDonalds, and thankfully, a library WITH internet!

    Jenika was dropped on the corner and settled down in the library at a small table with a computer and a greasy bag of fries.  She scanned her notes and decided to look up her father, Joseph Travers, first.

    The information on the net showed that her fathers company hadn't lasted long after his death, no small amount of in-fighting had ripped the company apart from the inside, and apparently a large lawsuit had been fought and lost by the company against a fleet of lawyers hired by none other than her father.  The company claimed that her fathers' personal collection was rightfully theirs as they employed him at the time of his acquisition of all the items. The court had deemed that his personal collection was exactly that. His. The company was not pleased.

    " Long shot!"  Jenika mumbled.  She printed out the name of the law firm her father had paid.

    There were a few articles written about her father, and she felt a small amount of pride in his reputation as real live Indiana Jones!  It was written that mostly he was a researcher and that he found the clues to find objects in old books and manuscripts, occasionally he had been known to track down an elderly person and listen intently to their stories of the past.  He traveled to almost every country in the world and knew many languages, he was excellent at speaking slang in the languages he knew.  "Very clever!" she thought.

    The next page she clicked on had a picture of her parents standing in a group of people, one of whom was Alana.  Jenikas gut squeezed.  Her mother looked patiently annoyed,  eyes looking off camera.  Her father looked at the camera seeming to enjoy the attention on himself.

    The next page was a close up picture of the necklace.  She printed it out and sat staring at the picture.

    It was made up of many silver rings, and was looped to make two rows.  That was approximately two hundred lifetimes! Not that people lived very long back then.  Each ring was different, some smooth, some pounded metal, some with intricate patterns, all looked to be well worn.  "Wow," Jenika thought.  "That's a lot of generations."  The thought of so many women wearing these rings for a lifetime impressed itself upon her.  The experiences, the knowledge, the impact on others' lives, the significance of this necklace was immense, and Jenika felt humbled.  She felt sad, also, that there could have been hundreds of rings added, if the lineage had been allowed to continue, a loss to all.  The necklace probably would have gotten heavy. Jenika mused. Still, it was kind of cool looking.

    Sighing, Jenika scrolled through more pictures of her father, some at work with members of the company, a few with Peder Dobbs, the president of the company, with Mr. Dobbs handing her beaming father an award for this or that.

    That's the man! Her mother's murderer! And this necklace was what he was seeking! Her mother wouldn't give it up! Or, perhaps didn't know where it was? Jenika rubbed her stomach that ached. She hated to see the picture of the smiling man but continued scrolling through the pictures, intrigued.

    One picture showed Joseph next to a safari vehicle, looking out over the desert, and next to him was Larry fixing the tire, both men looked dusty and young.  Jenika had known that that was how her mother had met Larry, and Jenika realized that she was glad it was Larry that she looked upon as a father figure.

    Other pictures were of her father, in other countries, posing with the locals, it was here that Joseph seemed genuinely alive, his smile showed a different man than the one she knew he had become, the kind of smile Diana, her mother, loved once.

    Jenika looked up, the fries untouched, she didn't seem to relish them like she thought she would.  Alana's wholesomeness must be contagious, she thought wryly.

    Her next mission was a long shot, but she googled and found the e-mail address for the law firm her father had hired and wrote them explaining who she was and asked if she could meet with an attorney regarding her parents' will.  She gave her e-mail address, and felt a little lost with no phone number to use.

    Time to connect with the world.  she thought, not loving the idea of having to tell her coworkers and friends where she was and what had happened.

    She typed a form letter, explaining that her mother had passed and that she would be in mourning until further notice and to send any inquiries to her e-mail address.  She sent it to her dance studio, where she danced and worked teaching the little girls, building sets for their recitals and sewing costumes.  And to her master, Sasha, who had been teaching her Jing Wu in the little studio behind his house since she was five.

    He would not approve of her "break" but would understand and expect her to return as soon as she worked it all out.  He was very strict and he was never personal.  Ever.  He believed that his art was the answer to everything including grief.  He was probably right.

    Lastly she emailed her friends, Larry, Toby, and Sage.  She felt guilty that she had been away from her "dad and her two besties.  They would be worried, Jenika was not able to share all of her experiences with them over an e-mail. But they deserved to know how she was.  She still felt guilty about the fire, which was how she was choosing to label the killing of her mothers' murderer, but mostly she was actually afraid of their pity, she wished she could just skip that part. Still, she needed to figure out how to put it into words. Someday, She thought.

    Larry had taught her everything she needed to know about cars and gave her her first job at his garage.  Much to her mothers dismay, Jenika dearly loved the throaty old challenger he had given her for her sixteenth.

    Larry had taught her to love the lusty rumble of a classic car, and had paid for a paint job for the Dodge for her 17th birthday, as long as she promised to not paint it pink!  She had it painted matt black,  it was cheaper for him.

    Jenika always had a sneaking suspicion that Larry loved her mother from afar.  He was handsome in a rugged way, he treated Jenika like a daughter, but his eyes would linger a little too long on Diana before he would turn away and pretend nothing was up.

    Sometimes Jenika thought he was sad and lonely, and that pretending to be only a friend to Diana was weighing on him.

    Once Jenika asked why he didn't have a girl, because she saw the woman at the bakery where he got his bagels, flirting with him, but he winced slightly and said he would get one when the girl of his dreams found him.  He covered his hard swallow by grabbing her up, tossing her over his shoulder, and telling her she couldn't get rid of him that easy!

    She squealed and laughed and decided to let it go.

    In her e-mail to Larry, she apologized for not being there for him, and asked him not to worry that she was safe and mentally on the mend.  She jokingly promised to come in soon and let him gaze at her challenger for a little while.  She signed off, your daughter, Jenika.

    Toby and Sage were so close to her that she was afraid they would look into her eyes and see the whole truth.

    Sage Downs was from her neighborhood, on the other side. She was a total girl. When they met, Sage looked at her with awe when she showed her some ballet moves, but when Jenika showed her some Jing wu moves she was morbidly fascinated with her, looking at her like she was a two headed snake!  "You are not a ninja, Liar!" and then, "Only boys are ninjas, you know!"  But Sage had been too fascinated with the ballet to tease her any more about fighting like a boy. They had walked to school together for years, attending each others birthday parties, sharing clothes, bickering like sisters, and giggling about boys.

    Sage had always liked Toby Huffman, The shy, smart boy. He lived in a big house on the other side of the school district. Initially, Sage was attracted to the fact that Mrs. Huffman trained horses.  She was all about ballet, horses, and the color purple.

But when she got to know Toby, she found that he was knowledgeable on almost any subject, being an avid reader, and he was easy for her to talk to.

    Unfortunately, Toby loved Jenika, and Jenika never once gave him a romantic thought.  They had worked it out long ago, and remained friends after a few spats.  But for the last few years Jenika could see that Toby was looking at Sage in a whole new light!

    Jenika had met Toby after school when she rescued him from some big kids.  The older second graders apparently were threatened by his intelligence, and were shoving him around.

    "Hey losers, let him go or else!"  Jenika had called to them calmly from across the street.  "What are you going to do about it? Tell?"  The fat one said back.

    Jenika had smiled a slow, scary, wistful smile.  Even Toby was kind of creeped out.

    "Ah, you're just a pussy, ha!  ha!  get it?"  He elbowed one of his friends.  The other boys guffawed nervously, not used to hearing the word "pussy" very often in second grade.

    One of the boys feeling brave, having the fat one to back him up, pushed Toby over his leg and sent him skidding on his face.

    Jenika smiled even bigger and started running across the street towards the boys.  She then leaped into the air and cart wheeled and back flipped the rest of the way till she landed in front of them neatly in the fighting stance Sasha had been teaching her.  "Yee ah!"  She bellowed fiercely.  And the boys ran.

    Toby had forgotten to be embarrassed.  "That was awesome!"  He nodded, impressed.

    Jenika looked guilty and told him that  she was glad they ran, cause Sasha hadn't taught her very much yet, and he strictly forbade any fighting for any reason.

    "Then why are you learning martial arts, if your not allowed to fight?"  Toby had a great point!

    "Sasha says just because you know, doesn't mean you should."  And for effect she added, "Sasha says when he's done teaching me that I will be a lethal weapon!"  Then her little face fell and she said, "But Sasha says he'll never be done teaching me".

    Toby nodded wisely, wiping his bloody nose on his sleeve, and they started walking, shoulders bumping.  Then friends and now friends.

    "Don't you get dizzy?"  He made a flipping motion with his hand.  "Nah" She shrugged.

    "I've been working on my center of gravity." She smiled fondly at the memory.

    Her e-mails to her friends asked them to take care of each other and to please look in on Larry for her, and for Sage to take over her job at the dance studio, and that she would see them as soon as she could.

    She sent her e-mails, and stood to go find Alana in town.

#### Chapter 8

    As luck would have it, Alana was outside the library sitting on a bench with a man.  Their heads were together and they were deep in conversation.

    Steven Mcreedy looked up to see a beautiful girl coming towards them, She was tall with long, wavy brown hair, but it was the grace with which she moved that was striking. She looked like a Goddess to a geek like him, with her heavy breasts straining against her little t-shirt.  She looked at them with unabashed curiosity, hesitating slightly, not sure if she was allowed to interrupt, but then flashing a brilliant smile when Alana motioned her over.

    Steven swallowed, nervous that this lovely girl wouldn't want him to know the secrets that Alana had just told him.  Her smile told him that she was easy-going and trusted him if Alana trusted him.

 His mind was screaming, " Jailbait!" But at the same time he was genuinely interested in what Alana had told him about her.

    "Hello Steven, a pleasure" Jenikas hands were callused and her handshake was firm without being annoyingly crushing.

    "Jenika, Steven here is gracing this small town with his internship before he moves on to bigger and better things.  Steven came from the same college that I worked at long ago and has his degrees in psychology, sociology, and philosophy."

    _'Eyes up there on her face!'_ He reminded himself as took his hand back.

    "A professional, perpetual student!"  Steven joked lamely.  He could see Jenikas smile stiffen, but it stayed in place, as she looked at Alana inquiringly. Jenika had noticed the relevance of his degrees.

    "Before you jump to conclusions, you need to know that I trust Steven and that he's not here because I think you're crazy."  The smile softened but Jenika waited.

    "Steven is a practicing hypnotherapist, and I thought it was time that you had some answers to your ..."  She hesitated, "Fire?"  Jenika's smile vanished, and she stepped back a little, that motion told Steven that maybe she would not be ready to face herself.

    Alana reached out and put a comforting hand on Jenika's arm.  "You really do not have to do this, and it may yield nothing, but maybe facing it together will be all the help you need."  Steven could see Jenikas mouth working as her mind turned over the pros and cons and then she surprised him by setting her shoulders and looking him in the eyes.

    _'Apparently, she's smart enough to know that she can't handle this alone.'_ He thought. _'So much for brainless youth.'_  Impressed with her, he grinned and shrugged, "Let's go!"

    Jenika eyed the middle-aged guy as he walked to his Jeep.  He was nerdy.  But was a snappy dresser.  Nothing outwardly striking, but he seemed to jump right on her mystery without hesitation, just on Alana's say so.  He seemed to take her story with a "is that so." attitude, which may or may not be a good thing. She smiled knowingly as she noticed his sweaty hands.

    Jenika mulled over the quick turn of events and tried to wrap her head around the fact that she was about to relive the single-most terrifying and heartrending experience of her life.  She shuddered inwardly as she remembered the thrill of the power that had wracked her body and the satisfaction of the revenge, and then finally the bottomless ache of losing her mother. She was very quiet on the long way up the mountain, it was hard to meditate and clear her mind of the fear with all the bouncing on the dusty road, and a couple of miles from the cabin she asked Alana if she could get out and run home and Alana stopped in a cloud of dirt with Steven's Jeep skidding to a stop behind.  He agreed that if that was what Jenika needed to relax then by all means.

    And so Jenika ran.  She paced herself to give herself plenty of time to think. Her feet slapping the dirt road. The mountain was so alive in the afternoon sun.  She smelled the pine needles baking in the warmth and the cicadas buzzing from everywhere, and the breeze was light and carried the sounds of life all around her.  This mountain range had become her passion. She had walked the valleys and ridges. She had surprised deer in the meadows, and she had been startled by rattle snakes. She had sat on the top of the world before dawn and heard the roar of the approaching sun. It actually made a low roaring sound as it approached! Jenika would sit and watch the sunlight slide down the mountain like a golden waterfall. And after the rain, the mushrooms would pop out of the moss like magic and scent the air with after rain potpourri. It was majestic, this place, years could pass and still it would enrapture her.

    _'So beautiful, so innocent.'_ She thought.   _'I wish I could run forever, I wish I could preserve this moment.  Still,'_ She thought, _'There is a place even more beautiful, and more peaceful.'_  Remembering, she felt the loss of the security of the white light and the kindness of the genderless voice in blue.

#### Chapter 9

    The run wasn't long enough, but Jenika found Alana and Steven out near the garden.

    "I need answers." Jenika stated.  "I need to know what happened to my mom, to that man, and well... even if I can't get answers, then I need to know that you two know the truth, and that all of this isn't a figment of my imagination. I need to not be alone. I know that I don't have the education or the life experience to even try to understand."

    They walked to a clearing near the cabin as Steven explained how he was going to attempt to hypnotize her and the three agreed on the questions they wanted answered.

    Steven had Jenika and Alana sit in the long grass and asked Jenika to meditate and clear her mind

    "This will be memories only." He said.  "This will not be real and you will not be in danger.  I will bring you back if I feel that we are not accomplishing anything at all, or if you feel threatened in any way."

    Jenika nodded, not at all sure if HE could handle what he was about to feel.

    As she sat in the long grass and relaxed into her position, she let the nearness and the trepidation of the two by her side slide away and she breathed in deep the smells of the grass, and felt the comforting warmth of the sun on her back.  The mountain took her away, and became less aware of her surroundings and breathing deep and slow, she began to let her mind drift.

Steven watched the girl close her eyes and to him, a mere mortal nerd, she seemed to glow with the sunshine that sparkled off the red highlights in her long brown hair. She was a Goddess. Beautiful and unassuming.  The way Alana had described this girls experience, Steven thought she should seem crazier, maybe drooling with knotted hair, but she seemed completely rational. But he agreed, something had happened to her and it was his experience that just because someone seemed strong, it didn't mean they were in all things. He decided to proceed slowly and gently. She was young and had suffered.

    "Jenika can you hear me?  She nodded slightly.  "Are you comfortable?"

Jenika's shoulders were at ease.

    "Can you remember walking up the porch and into your home on the twelfth of April?" slight nod.

    "Open the door, what do you see?"

    She felt the house waiting.

    "The house is a mess. It's waiting." Jenika sank into her memories.

    "Mom?"  Momma!"

"What's waiting, Jenika?"

    Crack!  Earsplitting, and again crack! ...And then nothing. Silence. All three in the meadow winced and poised for more noise. They had heard something!

    Jenika was not with them, she was elsewhere. "Jenika, what do you see?"

    There was a long silence, and then a white light began to overpower Alana and Steven's view of the meadow. It disappeared from sight and they rose into their consciousness.

    "The light is coming!" Jenika said reverently. "Can you see it?"

    "AAhh!" It was Alana exclaiming in wonder. Jenika had tried to describe this light. Her mere words had failed to capture the impossible beauty and the depth of emotion it poured into ones heart.

    _'Peace.  Warmth.  Home.  The light....so white, so pure.'_

    This information seemed to take an eternity for Alana to convey. Steven's hand fumbled for hers, he was seeing and feeling the same thing. This moment bonded them as they marveled at the beauty. They were blind but for the white light cradling them. Their infantile minds probed their new surrounding feebly. Alana choked on her sobs of joy.

    'There's color in the light, its blue, swirling, growing. So beautiful.'

    Jenika was already there.

    'They are with me!' Jenika sprawled in the loveliness like rolling naked on fur.

    _'I see you've brought friends, little one.'_

   'I'm back!'  Jenika thrilled at hearing the Voice again!

    _'Yes. Again. But only for a short while.'_

    "Are they really here too?"

    _'Of course.'  _

    Jenika felt Alana and Steven's wonderment.

    Jenika reached out and let her mind tap blindly around for Alana's questioning one, and located both Steven's consciousness and Alana's. They must have all been hypnotized.

    She withdrew and mentally laid back and allowed the serenity to envelope her as she waited for her friends to acclimate to the situation.

    Jenika remained alert and aware that this was different, and not sure how much time she had, She felt the other two relax and let questions fire through her mind in rapid succession.

    The impression of kind chuckles sounded in her mind. She amused it.

    _'I know you have questions.  You have had time to mourn and find your support group.'_

    _'Why?'_  The enormous question had such a small word to convey itself.

The kind voice began to speak and Jenika had to calm herself so as to pay attention, the comfort that she felt in the white light was distracting and she could feel herself forgetting why she was there and even caring about the answers the Voice was giving.

    _'Since the beginning of time, conscious man  has worshipped Gods and Deities. This worship has helped man not feel alone and out of control. But, in reality, these Gods do not exist anywhere else other than in the hearts of man, they were gifted to man by We who created this world. Bibles have been used as a moral and ethical guide to man, but today, the threat of eternal damnation does not hold the fear it once used to.'_

    The three human minds listened to the Voice that seemed to come from everywhere and resonate in their minds, they could feel it's vast power. They got the impression that it struggled to hold itself back for their benefit, it "handled" them gently, like a bug in hand.

    The Voice seemed to open a window and the truth of what it said just Was. They knew. The knowledge they needed to know was placed in their minds as if it was downloaded, or they had known all along. Images appeared as memories, like they were recalling something they had experienced.

    _'Many have long ago decided that without actual proof, belief is an option.  Blind faith is rare, and man has gone wild.  Man has chosen to bend the words of their "bibles" to their own needs.  They have chosen to believe whatever fits their lives. It is imperative to our creation that this be rectified.'_

The voice waited for them to catch up.

    _'Man will only refrain from crimes against each other in the face of certain punishment.'  _The three people understood and agreed.

    _'If this world is to continue on a positive path, there must be a fear of "God" in the world.  Without immediate action, man will destroy himself and the planet he lives on.'_ The image of destruction flitted through their minds.

    _'Unfortunately, Proof of "God" will require much death and destruction.  Man has to know that in no uncertain terms that there will be dire consequences for his actions.'_

    An image flashed of the man Jenika had killed in his car realizing his fate, feeling terror, and then a worse pain that he had felt in his entire life, then his regret that he had been caught, and finally, his regret of his actions and then death.

   Jenika felt Steven's gasp, he had seen. Jenika had spoken the truth.

Images of the depravity, and viciousness of man flashed through Jenika's mind, her gut clenched. The three of them felt the emotions of the victims as if it were they themselves who were wronged. They understood the great disappointment and abhorrence that the Voice felt towards man's weakness.

    Alana and Steven also saw in their minds the images of evil, terror and anguish and nausea waved over them, Alana was sweating and sobbing, Steven was gagging and Jenika ached in her soul.  Abruptly the images ceased and the three panted, tears streaming.

_'The behavior of man has become unconscionable.'_

The blue color flared with passion.

    _'WE have decided that this evil will stop and the perpetrators will be punished. Severely.  There will be zero tolerance of evil acts and absolutely no hiding from punishment, as WE see anywhere in the universe, and know those who have wronged without a single doubt.'_

    "Are you...  a God?" Jenika asked, not sure she wanted the answer.

    _'In a sense.'_ The voice answered. A higher awareness opened like bloom in their minds.

    _'Call me an Entity. There are planes of existence, you exist on one, We, on another.  _

_Here, We do not see time as you do. We do not have the physical restrictions that you do. And We can use our minds in other ways that you may find God-like, that to us, are merely a part of life. We have already lived your lives.'_

    The three were shown the lives of thousands, in the blink of an eye. The knowledge the Entities possessed was collective. Each Entity had experienced thousands of full lives, and each one of them, shared what they knew with all the rest.

    _'In our lives, it is important that We create. Art is our life and life is our Art. We create worlds the way you create a garden.'_

_    'I, and Entities such as I, see your world, your lives, as a work of art that is deteriorating, We do not wish it to be so.'_

_    'Your world is not a renowned work of art as it onced used to be, but with our creativity, we will turn your world once again into a utopia, a beautiful work of art. Renovate, as it were.'_

_    'The artistic challenge of this endeavor is man's weakness of character. Man is destructive and negative.  In our capacity, We can easily manipulate your world in ways that you cannot. Our goal is to create a living masterpiece by ridding your world of evil.'_

    Jenika saw in her mind, the stunning beauty of her world, she saw herself running on the mountain road. She felt the sadness that they felt because of the destruction that man had wrought, and then she felt hope and the desire to fix and rebuild soared in her chest.

    _'Jenika has been chosen to aid in the... renovation. We will work through her as if she were a paint brush. We have given her a psychic fire that will do our bidding.'_  The feeling of sadness and regret was pushed at Jenika. She felt it choke her. They were very sorry it had to be her.

    She was pushed full of the knowledge of what that would entail. Her stomach flipped, even in the womb of "Heaven", she felt the nausea. There would pain in every corner of the world. It would be a bloody transition, there would be collateral damage.

_'Remember that these souls will be punished there on earth, and then they will come here to Us if they die. All of this will take less than a year, it will be quick and painful.'_

The image of a bandage being quickly stripped off filled their minds and they knew that the Voice found this to be an adorable analogy, much like a parent thinks it's cute when a child mispronounces spaghetti.

_    'Your father, Jenika, discovered that your mother was a descendant of  a woman made a Goddess because of her lineage.  He searched for, found, and tried to give her the necklace belonging to her ancestors.  Your mother refused the necklace and the responsibility.  She had not known of her families' history.  Your ancestors were not Gods, Jenika, but they were good for the people they watched for, and preached a path of peace.  These women who were your ancestors, took the peoples' pain unto themselves, and often made very difficult decisions, they attempted to right wrongs, they were justice, health, and love.  They passed their knowledge down from generation to generation and used that knowledge in its collectiveness. You must now wear the ring of your generation, and restart your lineage as Morhan.'_

_    'We will call this the cleansing. If man needs to believe in God and wants proof of his existence, then We will give it to them. The ten commandments of the bible will be enforced, as well as other offences that grievously hurt other humans. This cleansing will not be pleasant, but it will be done as quickly as possible. There will be many "grey" areas, but those areas will be up to the world to deal with. The punishments, and those punished, will not be up for negotiation.'_

_    'The decision to finally act came from the callus murder of your mother, Jenika. Her death was the proverbial last straw.  It is with great sadness that you are doomed to be the hand of "God", so to speak.  Your lineage and your sorrow make you the one.  Your reward will be coming home here when you have accomplished your task.'_

    Jenika seemed to just know what she was capable of,  the voice in her mind was able to make her feel emotions, and to know things that had been unspoken, the knowledge conveyed instantly to her brain, she knew that her astral projection self was there to protect her from extreme emotion and to watch over her, she knew that the fire from within her was vengeance, and justice. No longer would she see in the minds of others, she would be an instrument.

    _'The idea of "God"  and the power you have inside will be our tools to guide the world to a more peaceful path.'_

    She suddenly knew how to push the fire out from within, and send it out.  She knew that she was above the authority of any man, they would take the hardest choices from her.  She knew it would be hard to be her and that she had no choice in the matter.

    She also now knew that she would be aided in any way she needed. The Entity would be there for her like "God" in fantasies should be.

    _"You will be loved, Jenika, never forget that.'_

    She felt Alana worry for her safety.

    _'You will want for nothing, you will be protected, and you will be provided for.  Fear nothing, for justice WILL be on your side.'_

_    'You will speak to the world.  We have mapped your way, you simply need to step on the path. You will tell man that the time of wondering about God's existence is over. God is here, evil will be punished.  Evil is any harm to one another, or to the earth. Simple as that.  The punishment by fire will be severe.'_

_    'Time to go, little one, fear not, and remember that you are loved.'_

    "Wait, stay with me, I'm afraid"  But she felt the Voice gone. Leaving her to feel like a vulnerable little girl.

    The second time leaving the white light was no easier than the first, but this time she was able to hold her friends.

    Steven was now a part of the group, after an experience of that magnitude, he was speechless, his mouth filled with words and then he blew them out unspoken.  Jenika heaved quietly to the side and wiped her mouth slowly with the back of her hand.

    Steven looked at her chest from where the fire came and tried not to make it look obvious. he kept a wary distance, she wasn't sure if he was afraid of fire or just didn't want to get barf on himself.

    They all had a lot to think about, and trudged back to the warm cabin in the forest, to eat soup and day old bread and slowly as the emotions started to smooth out, they began to talk.

    "Do you think that if we are reincarnated enough times, we will be one of them?"

    "I got the distant  impression that they had been us. It has been suggested that if a man were to be reincarnated over and over until life was understood, that that man would achieve a Godhood of sorts."  Steven said.  "I guess we can be sure that the voice cares what happens to man. I don't get the feeling that its malicious in any way. Besides what would it have to gain by hurting us?"

    Jenika took Alana's hand and said. "Now do you believe me that that was difficult to explain?"

    Alana looked haunted.  "I'm so sorry that you had to go through all of this alone Sweetie" Steven looked at Jenika with sympathy. "This is going to be very bad, lots of people are going to die."

    "Yeah, and I'm going to have to kill them!"  Jenika spoke what they were all thinking.

    "No!  Jenika, no!  YOU would not be killing them, they are killing themselves. He is right, it's time to stop.  The bad in the world has gone on for far too long, and it just gets worse and worse. Besides it will be two fold, you will be saving the world and sending bad people to Heaven, two positives!" Alana gathered Jenika in a warm hug and held her trying to squeeze the fear away.

    "We are lucky to have the help, We're lucky they care at all. Imagine if this choice never came? What would man become down the road? Where would the evil stop?"

    "We are lucky to bear witness in our lifetime, the Entity is correct, our world could be an incredible work of art." Alana said quietly.

    Jenika looked at her friends and quietly thanked them for sharing this with her. It felt good to not be alone with this knowledge, but felt a bit put upon to be the one chosen without a say in the matter. Cause the say would be, OH! Hell no! Not only hell no! but fucking hell no!

    Sick at the thought of the fear and death coming, curious about the voice, and exhilarated at the thought that they were about to change the world for good, no matter how terrible, they talked into the night.

#### Chapter 10

    The next week was a whirlwind of preparing the cabin to be their sanctuary, planning a trip to Washington DC, and driving back and forth to town.  Jenika e-mailed back and forth to the law firm about the will and the final arrangements, the house, and finding her fathers collection.

    She contacted Mark and made arrangements to get money to Stuart for the repairs, and found that a sale of the house was in the works.  She thanked him, and told him that she was impressed with his goodness, she told him that he would soon know how impressed she was.

    Larry was confused about Jenika's call, but seemed relieved.  She told him that soon she would very much need his support and that though she could say little, she hoped that he would always love her.  She tried to lighten the mood by asking him to baby sit her Challenger, and to put it to bed around 11:30. She gave him directions to the cabin, and told him to please keep it to himself.

    Sasha, Jenika's martial arts teacher, was cranky when he accepted her request to travel with her, but she needed him, and the voice had said that she would be provided for.  Jenika needed his guidance, and his unshakable hold on reality.  Jenika was honest and told him that she was on a mission to change the world. She didn't know why he agreed, she had never seen him outside his gym, and they had never had a personal conversation ever before.

    Toby and Sage were out, but Jenika left messages that she missed them and soon she would be hard to ignore, she told them that it was important to her that they were there for her, she loved them and hoped to see them soon.

    The preparations took all of their time.  Little by little Jenika got to know Steven and found him curious about the world, he had a good instinct about people and he was intelligent to the point of being a little hard to understand.  He often made concessions to the people around him and patiently explained his thought process.

    Alana turned out to be a genius at building an apocalyptic safe house. She thought of even the tiniest detail, from generators to water, to collecting wood for the fire.  She set up SAT phones and somehow managed to get Internet at the cabin, but it took all her time. She loved it, and she blurred around the property on a quad, plotting and planning.

    Jenika found Alana's paranoia a little disturbing, especially when she piled a cache of guns and ammo under the floorboards of the house.  Alanas face was shining with the work and enjoyed the zone she was in, staying up till late into the night making notes.  Jenika hoped that all of this preparation was just a cover to keep Alanas mind busy, but she was good at it and it was here if they needed it.

    Alana came to Jenika after a unusually quiet dinner and motioned for her to sit.

    She took Jenika's hand and slipped a delicate silver ring onto her wedding finger.

    "Oh Alana! You shouldn't have, for my heart belongs to another!" Jenika smiled wickedly for a moment and then quickly sobered.

    Alana pretended to be crushed, and held Jenika's hands in her own papery ones.

    "Seriously kid, I am honored to be your friend." She looked down to compose her rapid change of emotions. She took her hands back and reverently pulled from her pocket a long string of rings.

    Jenika sat back speechless, and was aware of Steven across the room, watching the moment. She motioned for him to join them.

    "Your fathers lawyers opened his personal vault for you and we have brought your belongings to you."

    "Inside was this silver ring, The Goddesses necklace, and this letter."

    Alana handed the letter to Jenika and stepped back to give her space.

    Jenika stood and read the letter aloud so her friends could share this with her.

    _"To My beloved daughter, Jenika,_

_    I hope this letter finds you well and safe in your older years, for if you are reading this, then your mother, my love, has passed._

_    I bequeath to you your greatest treasure, your birthright. Wear the ring with all the love intended._

_    I ask only of you that this necklace never leave your possession, other than to pass it to your children, it is more important than you may know._

_    With your birthright comes a warning. The church will stop at nothing to destroy all knowledge of this necklace and its significance. Beware of Peder Dobbs for he has been retained by the churches to make it, and it's history, disappear._

_    I am saddened to say that he and I are similar in our destructive obsessions, I to my research, at the expense of my family, and he to his determination to stop me at any cost._

_    Dear Jenika, I have been a fool to not know you, I trust that Diana will give you all that I have not and more._

_    With love and many regrets,_

_Your father_

    Jenika placed the letter on the table and as if in a daze walked towards the door.

"We left a copy of the letter with the lawyers for your safety, and..." Alana trailed off as Steven held her back with a small shake of his head.

    All this for a necklace and some knowledge. Jenika thought to herself. Not worth my mothers' life. She felt a flash of wicked gladness at Peder Dobbs' death.  The Fucker. She sighed, and felt older.

     She fingered the many rings on the necklace. So much knowledge. Why can this knowledge not be passed on to me, and show me how to ease the pain of losing mom?

    Jenika turned and looked far out down the mountain. How gorgeous it is here, how pure.  The Voice had shown her this view, she knew she was right where she was meant to be. She looked down at her mothers' memorial and heard the mighty roar of the wind in the tree tops. She set her shoulders and walked to a massive pine overlooking the valley and started to climb.

    At the top, up as far as she could go, she paused, and took in the breathtaking view.

    "You would love this view, Mother." She felt the hollow ache swell and squeezed a tear from her eye so she could see. As she cried, she fastened the necklace of rings around the tree top, and began the long climb down.

    "I know what you're going to say, Mother." She said to herself. "The shine of the rings will attract the crows!" Mimicking her mothers' nagging voice. She chuckled to herself.

    "Then that's how I will find it again! Follow the crows!" The chuckle helped the pain enough for her to see as she descended.

#### Chapter 11

    The day came the third week of June, when the President was to make a live speech and Jenika met Sasha at the airport.  Sasha was dressed in black pajama style clothes. "Comfortable on the plane."  He explained when she cocked an eyebrow at the bald mans outfit.

    Alana, Steven, and Jenika had spent many a night discussing how to get the word out. None of them knew how this would work, but they all decided that a step needed to be taken in a direction, and hopefully the Entity would hold up its end of the bargain. The three had all been shown in their minds what and how but some of the events were a mystery, and they had to act on faith. It had been two months since her mother had been murdered, and so much has happened since then, she had learned so much.

     Jenika walked up to the ticket counter and asked for two, return tickets for Washington DC, showing her a drivers license, and holding out her credit card.

    The older lady at the counter handed her the tickets with a smile. Confused, Jenika asked,

    "Don't you need my credit card?"

    "Oh no dear, You're all set!"

    _'Wow!'_ thought Jenika, _'This is the way to fly!'_

    In DC, the way was paved for them as well, and they were shown to a taxi and then to a hotel, and everywhere they went, people seemed to think they had already paid for everything.  In the hotel restaurant, Sasha demanded answers, it was clear he did not trust what was going on. He made it very clear that he would continue no further until he had all the details.

    Jenika spent most of the evening laying out everything that had transpired since she had seen him last.  Again taking a chance and explaining the entire story truthfully as best she knew how. She hoped that the many years that she had known Sasha would help him believe her. She finished and sat looking at him.  Sasha sat stone still, and said nothing.

    "And so then here we are!" Jenika prompted him to say something, anything. She was proud of herself for explaining the impossible so well, and with a straight face. It was pretty fantastical, and he had listened with a completely blank face. Jenika grinned in her mind because that was the same face he used for ALL his emotions!

    "Let's run." He stated blandly.

    Jenika knew he needed to think and knew he needed to adjust himself to his new role.  She knew that he would not leave her, he believed her or he would have already left.  He was a man of few words but when he spoke, people listened, and Jenika valued his opinion.

    After a long run in the spring rain of DC, Sasha left Jenika after asking a single question.

    "Do you know what will happen tomorrow?"

    "No. I'm supposed to get on TV and tell the world to be good.  There will be an example made.  I don't know what to say, and I don't know what the example will be. I do know that it will be bad. Very bad."

    Sasha simply bowed, and turned to his room.

    The next day Jenika and Sasha ate in silence and went to the white house where the press was assembling in the lawn, all along the way people just let them pass as if they belonged. The day was beautiful, the rain had sparkled everything and the white house shone in the sun.

    Jenika was so nervous that her insides were watery and she felt faint. "I wish they would just hurry up already!"

    The press were used to the wait and they talked as they set up equipment, most knowing each other and were professionals at their jobs, a couple of new reporters looked as uncomfortable as Jenika felt.

    Sasha grabbed her elbow and gave her a stern glare.  He made the motions of deep slow breaths and Jenika smiled gratefully and obeyed.  She pulled in a deep breath and forced her muscles to relax. Another and another and she felt better more focused.  The hubbub started suddenly as a weasel faced man announced the President.

    And there he was, in his immaculate suit, smiling and waving for the posed crowd. _'Wow.'_ Thought Jenika. _'How fake is this!'_  All of the movements were perfectly choreographed and rehearsed. The fake smile was plastered on always at the correct moment. It was like a play on stage the actors had performed hundreds of times. From where she was, she could see the thick makeup on the presidents face, making him look robust and healthy to the world.

    She looked incredulously at the people around her to see if any of them thought that this whole act was as ludicrous as she did, but they were all intent on their jobs.

    "Really?! I mean, Really!?" She said aloud.  The reporters who had gone through this a million times were yawning and just doing their jobs.

    "No time like the present!"  Jenika shrugged at Sasha, and they stepped together towards the President without opposition.

    They walked through the reporters, across the lawn, and up the steps onto the podium near the white house, the reporters grumbled about their obscured shots and then realizing what was going on, all scrambled to attention in unison.

    The Presidents guard exploded out from everywhere and it felt like a million guns were all aimed at their chests. Jenika and Sasha put up their hands to show the lack of weapons and watched as the secret service tackled the president, shielding him with their bodies.  All of it looked rather ridiculous, because they were all laying on him while he was sputtering, terrified.  It would have been impossible to drag him away from a threat while being dog-piled!

    "Everyone! Stay exactly where you are!" Sasha yelled.

    Miraculously, everyone froze! The professional government men and the excited reporters all seemed to hold their breath.

    Jenika waited until the initial shock of her presence wore off and the threat of her was assessed, and listed as non-threatening.  The secret service men began to shout for her to get on the ground, but she held up her hand to them to signal silence.  They stopped.

    Jenika stepped to the microphones, and said into them.  "I will be heard."

    She had not practiced a speech, she relied on the Voice to be her guide as to what to say.

    "Man has gone far too long without proof of God."

    Jenika's voice sounded supernaturally loud, and the reporters struggled to adjust their equipment.

    "I am the Hand of God. I will be the punisher."

    Jenika looked into the lens of every camera and met the eyes of  those behind them.

    Slowly, articulately, she spoke again.

    "Man will cease all evil acts at precisely this moment."

    "Punishment for all evil acts committed will commence worldwide and the punishment will fit the crime."

    "Evil will not be explained, nor excused."

    "Be good to man and nature. That is the law.

    "That is all."

    Jenika stepped back, and felt the pressure building in her. She didn't feel ready but the heat came anyway and overwhelmed her.

    She threw her head back with teeth bared and she felt POWER.

    It was beautiful! She wanted to hunt, to destroy, to burn! She wanted that feeling to vibrate through her body like a junkie wanting a fix.

    With an arm she brushed Sasha away from her side and out of harms way and pushed it out.  A roar like a huge waterfall thrashed the ears of those nearby and the fire emerged whirling. Jenikas body jerked, hair thrashing, she pushed again she sent out the fire to search, it split into many arms, hundreds of thousands of strands shot out near and far, sometimes thousands of miles away in an instant and each arm of fire snapped at the hands of a human who had done evil.

    The knowledge appeared in her mind.  It hunted the thieves that had ruined another's life!

    "Yes!" she thought. "They are Mine!" "Let them suffer for all the agony they have caused!"

    Here and there, individuals all over the world, screamed guttural, inhuman screams as a finger of fire snapped and either one hand or both, depending on the severity of the crime,  erupted into flames, burned for a moment, and then sizzled to a smolder.  These people, and an alarmingly huge number of them, screamed their agony until some were spared by unconsciousness.

    Another part of Jenika thought that her reaction should feel wrong, and that it should sicken her to WANT to maim, but she didn't. She felt RIGHT!

    All hell broke loose.  Shouting from reporters and the secret service, all at her, was drowned out by the thunderous roar of the chaos.

    Suddenly, an elderly man in the presidents cabinet, who was being pressed into the wall by the men protecting him, shrieked as an arm of fire charged him, quick and deliberate as a snake, flames blasting his hands like a flame thrower, the men around him slapping it out, but it was too late, he was not dead, but his hands were crispy.

    Approximately 15 minutes blew by as the savage hurricane-like noise deafened them, most watching with mouths open in terror, blinking through tears as the inferno poured, whipping out of Jenika and snapping out with an unnatural speed.

    The inferno slammed back into Jenika, staggering her, she stumbled to the podium.

    She gagged and tried to shake the tears from her eyes.

    Steam rose from her as she struggled to gain her composure.

    "The thieves are marked.  If they dare to steal again, the fire will not stop."

    Jenika's voice cracked and boomed.

    Sasha caught Jenika as she crumpled.  He grasped her face and made her look into his eyes, "Breath!"  He commanded. She drew in ragged breaths forcing air into her lungs, and she stood straighter.

    Sasha led Jenika down the steps and through the pandemonium, and away, a few reporters tried to hassle them and Sasha put them down with a deft movement of his left hand.  Finally he gave up trying to drag her and lifted her into his arms and used her bulk to make a path.

    Again, they left mostly unmolested. Nobody wanted to touch the chick with the fire pouring out of her chest.

The weasel faced man scrambled to the microphones and screamed at the reporters, "Shut those fucking cameras off, RIGHT. FUCKING. NOW!"

    At the hotel room, Jenika sipped the water Sasha gave her, and trembled with shock.

    "I can't stop shaking."

    "You're in shock, your adrenaline will deplete and you will relax in time."

    "Takes a lot out of me, I'm very tired."

    "Wait till the shaking stops. You can't sleep like that anyway."

    "I'm glad you're not evil!"  Jenika told him with a wry smile.

    "Me too." He blinked at her.

    Jenika told him that it was the Entity that decided the crime and the punishment and that inherently she understood the parameters, but could not explain them. There was a reason behind everything that was done, from the severity of the crime, down to the way Jenika looked as she brought down pain on the chosen. The thieves had been chosen first so that other evil doers could wait in trepidation for their time to come. At the rate of one punishment a night, it would be over very soon.

    "So it starts."  Jenika imagined putting a mark for this job done on her mental blackboard. "This won't be too difficult.  All I have to do is open myself up and the ass kicking begins!"

#### Chapter 12

    All over the world,  emergency rooms were full to capacity.

    Children had seen their parents' hands catch fire.  Family members ran to the aide of those whose hands had been burned. There were so many in prison that the walls caught fire. People from all walks of life, all guilty of abusing the trust of another, had burned hands. sometimes one hand, sometimes both.  Their skin left crisp, they were marked, but kept alive.  They wore their guilt out in the open for all to see and judge.

    There was chaos in the emergency rooms. Burn victims came in one after another. How they had burned their hands was a mystery until those that had seen the news put two and two together.

    Doctor Lewis hadn't been on call that day, He had been working out, even though he felt like having a beer and watching the baseball game. The news was on and he watched the weird scene unfold around a beautiful girl that looked vaguely familiar. At first she heaved as if sick and the doctor in him slowed down his elliptical machine and paid attention, then the man in him noticed the tight t shirt straining against hard nipples and long wavy hair frothing about her, then he recognized her. The way her hair covered her face!

    His miracle! "What the hell?" Fire coming out of her body? The man behind her caught fire as one of the tendrils that snaked from her body, savaged him. Impossible! He heard her booming words, "The thieves have been marked! " He threw down his towel and raced to get to the hospital. He would bet his left nut it was going to be a long day.

    Doctor Lewis was right, the damage to the skin of these people was horrible, they were so confused as to why this had happened to them. Doctor Lewis felt good about telling each and every one of them that God had punished their ass! He didn't care who sued, it was the truth, and he just did his best to keep the assholes alive. In mere hours the nurses spread the word, and the news interviewed them and soon it was all that was discussed. Hair salons had the news on and the ladies were talkin! "Oh! and can I get my hair like the Hand of God?!"

    Victims all over the world sobbed their relief. When the word spread that the world was rid of the monsters that had stolen their hard earned money, some felt vindication, some didn't.  Some of the small ones did not understand and were afraid, and some were alone. No longer were victims ignored by God.

    Sasha ordered Jenika to meditate, and went next door to watch the news.

    Every channel flashed their faces. Watching the events unfold on TV was every bit as terrifying as trying to see it in person.  Jenika looked beautiful and terrible,  her eyes fanatical and her hair whipping around, swirling with the tornado of fire! She looked like a DC comic superhero!

    Each channel had their best reporters putting their own spin on the events, all speculating about terrorists and an insane pair using mind control. The government was frantically trying to formulate a mass hysteria theory.  And the religious channels were all theorizing the end of days.

    All over the world, even in the remotest parts, people had burst into flames, most were in intensive care wards and burn units.  Some just suffered alone. Stories were coming in that many were committing suicide rather than face the pain, or the humiliation of discovery. Victims were jubilant, speaking to reporters, about how they finally felt safe, many voiced a blatant joy for the revenge towards those that had betrayed them.

    Few channels repeated the actual words that Jenika had spoken.  Sasha began to fear that the message had been covered up by the media.  He wondered if anybody had actually learned from this lesson.  But finally, when all theories had been discounted, they started to repeat her words, the major news channels all brought on specialists, professionals, and mostly religious leaders, and began to dissect the message one line at a time.  Pictures of Jenika and Sasha were put up and they began to call them messiahs. Reporters began to frantically dig up information on the two, Jenikas yearbook picture, pictures of her dancing in the nutcracker, and the news story that had been printed about the death of her mother. The only pictures they had of Sasha was his passport photo and DMV picture. He lived a solitary, simple life.

    One savvy reporter had found the detective, Don Jennings, assigned to Diane Travers' murder case and he spoke quickly, walking with his head down and his hand in the cameras lens, that this incident had provided him with some answers that he had been seeking, and then walked away with a dismissive wave. And many more questions.

    It had been a long day and Sasha went next door to check on Jenika.  She had showered and was eating some room service food, she pushed a bowl of soup at him and he ate thoughtfully.

    "I am here for a reason, I assume." Sasha said slowly.

    Jenika shrugged matter-of-factly. "I need you."

    He looked puzzled.  "But no one fired on you, no one attacked you.  You have been given a pass by this... Voice."  Jenika shrugged. She was very glad he was with her.

    He set his spoon down.  "I think I'm here to help you do your job.  I would like to train you to use your mediation more effectively. I think that in a meditative state you will be more able to utilize the avenging fire within you.  You may be able to create it, use it, and then bring it back without the emotional and physical toll that it takes on you." The food, and the idea gave him a second wind.

    Jenika was proud of him that he took all of this in stride, he was a rock!

    "You mentioned that you could astral project yourself. The Tibetan monks reportedly had perfected the technique through meditation!"  He stood and paced as if the walking fueled his ideas.

    Jenika remembered the detachment with which her "self" had watched her revenge against the man who had murdered her mother, and the assurances of the Voice.  "Sasha!  You're a genius!  Can you really teach me that?"

    Sasha shrugged and said, "Anything can be done, apparently."

    He told Jenika that she simply needed to meditate to a deeper state. She needed to let go of all thoughts and emotions and see the world through the eyes of her consciousness, to effectively, BE her other self.  "Imagine the YOU that you know as a tool, when you need to use it, step into your other self , do your job and then come back when you're done."

    Jenika looked skeptical.  "That sounds like something that can't be taught.  I doubt it will stop me from being so tired afterwards."  She looked skeptical.

     "We won't know until we try.  Do you think its possible that the avenging fire can come from your astral self?"

    Jenika tilted her head in query.

    "Well, we have a plane to catch tomorrow, shall we try tonight?"  Agreeing that it was worth a shot, they decided to nap on it.

    Several hours later Jenika awoke and called Alana and Steven.  They were both grabbing at the phone in excitement and worry.

    "Are you ok? How did you get to the microphones?  Where's Sasha? Did you see the news?"

    Jenika answered all their questions and explained Sasha's idea to them and they agreed that he was clever, Steven seemed a little miffed that he hadn't thought of it.

    "Oh!"  Alana said quietly. "We do have a bit of trouble."  "Toby and Sage are here with us."  She sighed.  "Apparently, Toby's father was one of the ones punished."

Jenika bit her lip.  "Oh God, No!"

    "Yes, according to his mother, Toby's wealthy father had embezzled millions from his corporation, and she was already in the process of divorcing him, although she hadn't told Toby the truth about his father until he had been marked, she had hoped that Toby never needed to know."  Alana paused.  "Jenika, I think Toby may blame you a little, he saw you on TV. I just think he's confused and the truth about his father is harder to accept then the fact that it was you that punished him."

    Jenika imagined her friend hurting and she felt sick for it, Toby sometimes seemed so frail emotionally.

     "Oh! I'm so, so very sorry!"  Jenika wished that she could reach out to him and make him feel better.

    "Don't worry, Steven has been talking to him and we are sure that he'll see that you had no control over this."  Jenika hung up feeling the guilt and searched her mind for a way out.  But there was none, she was committed.

    Sasha led Jenika up to the hotel roof top that night and settled her down wrapped in a blanket against the brisk spring chill.

    "This will take some time.  Just breath deep, and stay still, concentrate hard on blanking out your own thoughts."

    Jenika, worried about her friend, found it hard, but after about an hour or so found herself just listening to the flow of the traffic below.  She began to let her mind drift, and then began to experiment with directing her mind to drift in certain directions, it took a little doing but she found that if she simply willed a direction, that it worked much better than when she actually tried. It was as if drifting was too little and trying was too much.  Soon she was willing her consciousness out to peer over the edge of the hotel. It was a little like trying to fly in a dream. Finally, she learned that if she "pulled" her consciousness out instead of pushing it out, it worked with a soft popping feeling.

    After fumbling around like someone who had just taken off their skates, she drifted herself up and out above the roof, and then dared to float a little over the edge and realized she was actually floating like a ghost and she did not fall.  She willed her consciousness to turn and look back at herself sitting across from Sasha, and she did!  She saw herself huddled in the blanket, hair mussed and in her face. Her eyes were closed and face calm.  She saw Sasha quietly rise and walk to the edge where he stood with his back to Jenika. He bowed his head and looked like he was praying for a moment and then stretched and returned to his place, sitting before her.

    She willed herself to go out over the edge and then float down to the street, she turned as she drifted down and looked into the hotel windows.  Spying like a voyeur, she saw people on phones, jerking off to porn (Eeeew!), watching TV and typing on their computers.  Spying on them was kind of fun, until she wondered if she was invisible. Sasha hadn't seen her though.  She experimented with trying to touch her feet to the ground and then realizing she had no feet, she attempted to touch the bushes,  not being able to, she pushed herself up like pushing off the bottom of the pool and glided back up the side of the building.

    As Jenika floated high above and looked at the city lights, she realized that she was probably in one of the most dangerous cities in the United States. Those lights below twinkled innocently enough but in the distance she could sense the desperation. She decided that it was as good of a time as any to test out the limits of her Superness.

Jenika pointed her attention to the section of town where all the police sirens seemed to be concentrated in and effortlessly drifted towards them.

    This area of DC looked like a war zone. At first she didn't see any signs of people, but as she got used to the rhythm of the neighborhood, she learned that she had to look into the shadows. Predators and prey. Those with weapons and those without. The night was peppered with the occasional hopeless cry for help, or a siren.  The police seemed to have a territory just the way the gangs did. There were invisible lines they did not cross. If a person needed help on the wrong side of those lines, their cries seemed more forlorn. Help wasn't coming and they knew it.

    Jenika was glad she couldn't be seen, she would never be caught in  this neighborhood at night, alone. But there seemed to be some girls that at one time thought they were tough enough to exist here. Their battle weary faces were pushed onto the streets along the perimeter of the ghetto by industrious young men who sold them to fat, greasy losers and sleazy husbands for  a living.

    Jenika perched herself above the street and watched the skin trade in progress. This kind of life was miles away from how she was raised and she found it hard to understand why these girls and women didn't just walk away. Debasement must have had a smell, because the place reeked, the whole place seemed to be a million shades of depressing grey. It seemed to be the only color that survived. The ladies tried to put some color into their street by wearing bright makeup and colorful clothing, but instead of being cheerful, it seemed profoundly sad.

    Jenika noticed there was a hierarchy. The price of the women varied. The youngest (hidden indoors.) and the attractive at the top, and the junkies and the excessively thin or overweight at the bottom. The men had a different street. It was the young ones that made Jenika want to scoop them all up and carry them away to safety. They tried to be so brave and mature these girls, but as she drifted by the dirty windows, she could see them cry when they thought they were alone. Jenika saw the things these men made them do and she wanted to retch. She wanted to wipe the mother fuckers off the face of the earth.

    She saw a lone police car roll down the street and park by the curb. She felt a glimmer of hope and was curious why the prostitutes didn't scatter from the red and blue lights. She followed the police officer as he opened the back door and pulled a skinny bruised girl out of the back of the cruiser and lead her inside one of the buildings. The chubby cop knocked on the door  of a shabby apartment and held the struggling girl by the elbow while he waited. It looked as if the cop was returning a runaway to her parents and Jenika saw a glimmer of hope. The door was roughly opened by a large black woman in a filthy t-shirt.

"What choo wan?" She saw the girl in tow and reached out and grabbed the kid by her hair. "Girl, get cher ugly ass back in this house!" She dragged the kid in and slammed the door in the cops face. The cop stood there patiently.

    The door opened again by a half dressed man and he smiled at the cop. "Did you have a nice sleep over?"

    "Well, actually it could have been nicer. You need to teach your little girl some manners when she is a guest in someone's home." The cop pulled out his wallet and flipped through the bills inside.

    "I'm going to deduct some of your pay for my trouble, but I'm willing to give her one more chance say... next weekend?"

    The black man licked his lips as the cop handed over a couple of 20's.

    "Ya. same time? I'll make sure she minds her manners."

Jenika blinked as understanding bloomed. The cop wasn't returning a runaway. He had purchased her for the weekend! He had fucked the poor girl and then returned her to her loving parents! Fury punched Jenika in the gut.

    The pressure in her chest went from zero to unbearable in .3 seconds. She was supposed to be unemotional in this state. She was supposed to just watch and record an experience. She could taste the bile in her mouth. How does the human race become so inhuman? Is there no low that's low enough?

    She followed the cop out to his cruiser and as he hitched his trousers up over his fat greasy, ass. She caught fire. As she floated in the middle of the street, the outline of her astral self ignited, and she felt herself filling up with fire. She caught her reflection in the cracked bay window of an abandoned store front. A ghost made of fire levitated next to the cruiser. Fire spitted out randomly from the being like lightning rods, the silhouette was undeniably female. There was a dull roar like an idling fighter jet.

    Jenika struck a few poses to watch the fire chick move, just like she was standing in front of a video camera in store window. She waved at herself and the fire demon waved back. "That's so fucking cool!"

    The stupid cop was fumbling with his holster trying to get out his gun. Jenika couldn't talk to him so she wagged her finger at him in a no, no, no! kind of way and she giggled to herself as she did a Spiderman impression and shot out a tentacle of fire from her wrist that melted his gun in its holster. The molten metal dripped and fused through his trousers and his skin. He howled and stumbled and fell. Jenika laughed as he flailed around in his fat.

    The hate she felt for him and the girls' alleged parents was bottomless. This place sucked. She wanted to kill something, but she was confounded as to where to start. She knew she couldn't make it stop, and if she did, it would just be something else.

    Why couldn't they just pay for healthy sex and get healthy sex? Why did it have to be so dirty and cruel? Why did it have to be kids? She looked up at the window where the little girl was peering out at her. There was an old, ragged paper snowflake taped to the window next to her face. "Pff! Really?!" Jenika's fiery outline flared with her annoyance.

    She saw all the faces looking out the windows. She caught her reflection in the window again and saw that the emanating light from her had chased away the grey and lit the street in bright orange and yellow. She had brought some light into this fucked up place. Now she had to figure out how to do some good and get to kick the shit out these mother fuckers.

    She felt amazing. She was a bit distracted by how horny she felt, the warmth of the fire between her legs made it hard to think and she experimentally caressed her breasts to see how it would feel. It felt awesome! She really didn't care if any of these people saw her touch herself, they were insignificant.

    She started to dance in the middle of the street. She combined classical ballet with some freelance and it became a sort of graceful pole dance. As she whirled, bits of fire flicked out. Some lingered, swirling like ribbons around her.

    From all around, through windows and on stoops, people watched. They came out of the shadows and watched this amazing, beautiful, sexy spectacle flit feet above the street, flying up the sides of buildings and twirling around light poles.  The fire pulsed in time with the music in her head. It was the most beautiful sight anyone in this dump had ever seen.

The little girl had run down the stairs and was standing on the stoop watching open mouthed as the fire fairy swooped around her street. Jenika saw her a stopped 10 feet above her. The music in her head stopped and she floated down till she hovered right in front of the girl. The poor thing had had awful weekend, actually, she had a crappy life. Jenika  reached out a hand slowly and the girl stood her ground. One finger traced the tear trail on the girls  cheek in a motherly way. The warmth dried her tears.

    Jenika looked down at the stunned cop still rocking his pain on his ass at the bottom of the stoop and then looked back at the girl. The entire neighborhood watched as the fire fairy that was Jenika, rose above the cop and slowly, menacingly intensify the heat till she became the fire demon. She went from shockingly beautiful to horrifying in a matter of moments and then she dove in all her fury right down on top of the screaming cop. She mindlessly savaged him like a vicious dog. He was dead in a matter of seconds in a flurry of screams of terror and grunts of pain. Blood and fire and body parts were flung as she rolled him around the street creating a smear of blood and shit on the sidewalk.

    As abruptly as she had dove on him, she rose supernaturally fast and her fiery hands grabbed the "father" and tossed him into the street. She floated to a rest in front of the girl and waited. The girl looked from the man to the demon and back again. Her face was contorted with hate. She looked right into Jenika's eyes and gave a firm nod and Jenika turned and charged him. The mother was screaming "No, No, No!" Jenika's fire wrapped around his body like barbed wire and thrashed him up in the air smashing him down on the street and then against the sides of buildings. He was pounded senseless and still the fire tore at him, searing the skin off his face. When she was done he only had about 50 % of his skin left on his body, it was blackened and steaming. She hung his body from a fire escape next to the dripping bits of the cop above the street.

    Jenika charged at the "mother" and stopped just short of the pissing terrified woman. She roared inches away from the woman who froze in place. The blow torch of her fire menaced the shaking woman, she clearly looked at the girl, then at the bodies, and then back at the woman. The message was clear. Fuck with the kid and there will be hell to pay.

    She returned to the center of the street and resumed her dance as if nothing had happened. The people there watched her undulate slowly down the street until she was gone.

    Jenika settled down next to herself and began to concentrate on pulling the fire to her. She felt ready to try to perform her duty as "The right hand of God" now and tried to ease the memories of the ghetto out of her mind. She thought back on Sasha teaching her when she was young, "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should." The situation was a bit different now. The rules were changing. She was changing. After her mother's death, she felt pretty cold about the bad things people do. Letting evil go felt bad, revenge felt good.

    Nothing happened for a long while.   She tried willing it, she tried imaging it, and she tried to call out to it. Nothing. Finally, she settled herself and began to just KNOW it, and she felt her consciousness start to vibrate, it became a pleasant buzz, and she let it even out like warming up a car engine.  She heard a slight buzz that was minute compared to the waterfall-like roar it had been. This was actually a pleasant feeling, the humming and buzzing felt a little invigorating. This was her job, it was different from the raging fury of correcting an immediate wrong.

    An idea bloomed in her mind, and she knew that the next sinners to pay were going to be those who had sexually molested another.  She was getting used to how the Entity communicated to her. It simply placed knowledge in her mind. It was finishing what she started on the dark side of town.

The Voice had a plan, just step onto the path!  Her astral self felt no apprehension, no pity, no remorse, she gave a small nudge and an invisible will went forth from her.  She had expected noise, but in its silence, the snakelike fire seemed even more terrifying, more insidious.

    Jenika awoke with Sasha shaking her gently.  He looked relieved.  "I didn't know if you passed out or if you fell asleep!"

    "I guess I just fell asleep!"  She pushed her hair out of her face.

    "Get up, something has happened."  He helped her to her feet.

    "I know." she said. "I did the molesters."  She picked up her blanket. "It was different this time, it was easy, almost pleasant."

    They walked to the edge of the building to look out over the city where the night had erupted into a cacophony of sirens. Smoke could be seen in the distance.

    "Justice."  she said simply.

Sasha looked out and his eyes became distant.  "I saw an airplane fall from the sky, I think. Cars crashed too."  Jenika pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders.

    "Are you ok?"

    "Yeah! Your idea worked.  Its definitely not as dramatic, but it's obviously easier on me!"  They turned to go watch the news and call Alana.

#### Chapter 13

    Jenika watched as Sasha called, which was a quick call because he was a man of very few words, and it was late.

    The next morning a reporter was interviewing a prison guard, the black woman worked at a maximum security woman's prison.  "We just announced lights out, the lights went out and poof! They heads just burned up, the ones that were standing, fell, some just flailed in their beds!  There was allotta smoke!" She had an eew face on. "Now we really know who the guilty ones were, praise the Lord.  Now we really know!"  She nodded her head in truth, "Now I gonna be out a job!"

    That woman had actually been listening to the message that Jenika had sent out over the world, she got it.

    All over the world heads just burned, people didn't die, they looked like the monsters they were. So many secret deviants were immediately revealed. The victims that were old enough to understand, struggled with their emotions. It was a split reaction, some felt happy and free, some felt old wounds reopened and that old pain resurface.

    These punishments was so new to the world, it was difficult for some to see why people around them burst into flames, but the victims saw the people who had ruined their lives burn, the word was spreading. Word of mouth was passed along into every home, criminals were being punished by some magical force. Jenika's picture was everywhere. Who would be next? Or, for the guilty, can I get away with what I have done? There were many people soul searching their past, wondering if their discretions warranted punishment from the Hand of God? The news was showing pictures of people with burned hands, wrapped in gauze. Images of the molesters and rapists laying in hospital beds with their heads blackened, forever ruined. Lips, and eye lids burnt away. Some committed suicide, some were attacked and killed. They were marked and shunned.

    Cars had crashed, fires started, and mayhem started in the streets.  Thankfully, there were fewer than the thieves. Men, and a few women, throughout the world had been punished and their horrendous secrets revealed. Some soldiers past and present were also marked and punished, but not the innocent ones, they were spared. Victims of sexual crimes had just been vindicated.

    Interviews started, some people saying that Jenika needed to be stopped, some people not knowing their loved ones' secrets were calling, "Why?" at the sky. And by the thousands, people fell to their knees and prayed for salvation.

    One old woman who had seen her share of life, was succinct in her statement, "If you've done wrong, you'd better kiss your ass goodbye, and if you haven't, you'd best tread lightly."  The reporter took the mike back and commented, "Sage advice from Alma Wilson, age 92, back to you Tracy."

    A bereft mayor of Chicago, pulled his face down,  and not caring about his appearance, leaned on the podium. People were surprised he was an innocent man, his hands were untouched, as he was the mayor of Chicago, and they listened to him with respect.

     "We are weighing all the options as to what to do with all the injuries, but we are declaring a state of emergency, and we are working as quickly as we can.  Let me tell you one thing, and it may not be PC to say this, but I, for one, am glad to know that these monsters are no longer running free in our streets our streets. Thank you very much."  Reporters shouted a volley of questions and he turned away, not having answers to their questions.

    In some populated places, mindless panic ruled. Some, not knowing if they were next to be punished.  Some looted, thinking that if they were to die they might as well have some fun first, others simply did not know what to do with themselves, others took to the streets calling for the government to stop Jenika, clashing violently with opposing groups saying that Jenika was God's hand, and that she was to be worshipped.

    People were so ridiculous.  Jenika was looking at the human race as a whole and wondered if there would be anybody left when she was done. Sadly shaking her head she crawled into bed, wishing it had never come to this.

    The next day, rested and ready to go, Jenika and Sasha rode down the elevator to the street.

    "This is going to be eventful." Sasha commented dryly.  "Keep your head up high and never show weakness.  They are like animals in their fear, they will jump you if they sense that you are vulnerable."

    Jenika stepped out onto the street and prepared to be recognized, her face being the most famous face in all the world.  They actually made it into the taxi without incident, but the taxi driver immediately twisted round.  His eyes and mouth worked with flashes of one emotion after another and then realizing that he did not know what to say, just asked.  "Where you go?"

    "Airport please."

    "Quietly please." Sasha touched his shoulder and growled as the cabbie picked up his CB.  The cabbie got it and spoke his destination only to the dispatcher.

    He kept glancing in the rearview mirror, dying to say or ask something, and finally,

    "Thank you."  He said shyly, quietly.

    "I'm sorry?" asked Jenika, not sure she heard him accurately.

    "Where I am from, murder and rape happens often, what family I have left there are now safe, so, I thank you."

    "Where are you from?" Asked Jenika.

    "Nairobi."

    They arrived at the airport and the cabbie said, "You should not go in there." He motioned to the terminal.  "They will panic, it would be dangerous."

    " He's actually right, if we start a stampede, the plane will never leave the ground."

    "But the Voice has paved the way for us before."

    The driver put the car into gear, and Sasha hollered at him to stop.

    "No, no, no , you will see, I will help, I know."  The cabbie held his hand up for peace as he drove and Jenika put a restraining hand on Sasha's arm. "Lets see what he's got, we're not in danger."

    The driver drove around the airport, and to the back hangars and pulled over. He got out and held out his hands saying, "You wait, please, you wait, I know."  He took off running and Jenika sat back to wait while Sasha got out and paced, on alert.

    They were actually thinking that their driver had run off and were about to take his cab and go back when he returned, asking them to come with him.  "You come with me, you will be safe, I know."

    Walking around to the front of the hangar and into the front door, they found another black man bowing and smiling, he was wiping the sweat from his hands and he pressed down his pilots uniform.

    "My friend, Joe, he is from Nairobi too, he fly the plane."  The cabbie was proud of his friend and motioned to the small private jet, sitting inside a large hangar.

    "Is your name really Joe?" Sasha growled.

    The man smiled very big.  "No. It is not."  "This is a private family jet, it is not used often, but I am paid to stay here and be ready."  Joe looked proud as well, his status here must be far above what his status in Nairobi was.  "The Lady finds it difficult to pronounce my name and she changed it to Joe.  I have become Joe."  A flash of hurt crossed his face.  He explained that yes, he would fly them, but that he needed a few hours to file a flight plan.

    The hangar had all the amenities a wealthy person would need to pass the time, but Jenika decided to change and go for a run to pass the time.

    Joining her Sasha asked.  "Do you think the Voice did this or do you think that these men are helping us to help us."

    Jenika smiled and said.  "I think they are helping us to help us."  They ran side by side lost in thought.

    Finally in the air, Jenika snoozed while Sasha played Go with Joe in the cockpit.

    Joe respectfully asking questions about Jenika, and her mission.  He kept glancing back with pity in his eyes and mumbled.  "Heavy to carry." Meaning Jenika's burden.

    "Yes. Yes she is."  They laughed softly enjoying a moment of levity.

#### Chapter 14

    The mountain cabin was a sight for sore eyes, Sasha and Jenika were thrilled at being dropped at a small private airport only three hours away.  They were glad to be home in their new home.

    It felt good to be welcomed with smiles and Jenikas joy faltered when she realized that not everyone was smiling.  She ignored Toby's stiffness and grabbed him up in a fierce hug anyway.  She pulled back, and told him with deep sadness in her eyes. He stood hunched around himself, and hid his face behind his long wavy bangs. He had been the cutest nerd growing up, but he had become quite the hottie in the last few years. Jenika couldn't see why Sage was so blind. She loved her goofy friend dearly.

    "Toby, I am so, so sorry.  I didn't know."  She dropped her arms and waited to see if he would forgive her and then grabbed him again when his eyes filled with tears. This time he held on to her.  "I want to hate you so much, " He cried into her hair. "But I can't. You are more family to me than he ever was."

    Sage bounced in and stuffed herself under their arms and joined the hug.  "Quit hogging her Toby!"

    And the three friends snuggled in.  "You complete me!"  Sage said to Jenika.

    "I see you brought me my car, so now I'm the one that's complete!" Jenika gazed lovingly around the room.

    Dinner that night was a raucous affair, everyone pitching in in the kitchen, dancing around each other, cooking a feast. There was laughing and teasing and Jenika saw Sasha say more that night than in the fourteen years she had known him. Which wasn't saying much.

    Larry showed up with a case of beer and their little family was complete.  They all enjoyed themselves, laughing and feasting and all of them ignored the questions, fears, and worries that floated around behind their eyes.

    The friends fell into a routine over the next couple of days, they would come and go to the cabin and all had chores.  They began to talk more openly about what Jenika was doing and why. They speculated about how the world would now change, and what the world would be like in a few years when there was no more evil.  Or perhaps people were actually innately evil and there would be no end. Jenika hoped not.

She watched Sage and Steven doing the dishes together. Jenika knew that it was Sages' dream to get married and have kids, so this thing that she was doing was for her and girls like her. Sages' kids deserved to be raised in a safe environment, not to feel fear.

    Steven was trying to help pull a hair out of Sages mouth because her hands were in soapy water. He was awkward and they giggled together like girls. Sage was such a pretty girl, Jenika had always admired her grace. Her long blond hair was curly and fluffy when she was having a lazy day. It floated around her like a halo. She had the perfect ballerina body, where as Jenika herself was far too curvy and as graceful as she tried to be, she just ended up being sexy instead of majestic, not the ideal classical ballet dancer.

  Sage would try to make her feel better by telling her that she was an amazing dancer....When it came to pole dancing!! And then she ran like hell, chortling to safety from Jenika's swift kick to her bony ass!

    Jenika performed her chores in the day and in the afternoon would go to the field overlooking the blue valley and practice her meditation. The first to be punished were the thieves, then the molesters, now that she was home safe, it was time to send out the fire and punish those that had tortured, and then those that had murdered. She tried to pace herself even though she felt much better as she formed a ritual of meditation and relaxation. She had so many more punishments to met out as people all over the world committed a new crime each day, but the world was learning and she was trying to distance herself from the direct knowledge of what her fire was doing. She tried to treat it just like a job that needed to be done, it was easier that way. She closed herself off from any mind reading or "seeing" through the fire, she had already done and seen far too much.

The torturers were tortured by a gut fire, many died. The murderers were burned to death. Slowly, like pigs on a spit.

The prisons were emptying. The world news watched out for the latest. It became a guessing game to figure out what the punished had done. There was a list of punishments administered, what had been done to incur the wrath, and who had suffered.

    She also practiced pushing the fire out and dividing it into many threads or into one thunderous column. She experimented with seeing what it would and would not burn.

    It did not burn any part of her, though her clothes would get a bit hot, like taking out of the dryer. Neither did it burn others that didn't deserve it, but she could play with it and deliver quick little bites like a pinch on the butt, or a warm kiss on the hand. The fire was beautiful and mesmerizing. Sometimes they would sit around Jenika like she was a camp fire and she would keep them all warm.

    At night the ones that were there would watch the news on the computer, and sometimes laugh at the crazy things people would come up with, or the things the kids would say.

    One little girl had scolded her baby brother on TV for stealing her sippy cup, saying "Stealing is a sin you know!"

    Apparently people were starting to teach their kids more ardently, and the kids were getting it. No more coddling the children and excusing away their bad behavior, their lives depended on it.

    The crazy things that the governments did and said to the people was absolutely outrageous, It seemed that they were afraid that people would actually believe that God was real.  The American government raised the terror level alert to extreme.  In the wake of all of the deaths they proposed a burial tax so that the cost of the burial or cremation would not bankrupt the nation, just the people in it.

    They actually were said to have put out a worldwide APB on Jenika and Sasha so as to have them account for their "crimes".  The compensated "professionals" argued on TV about what laws Jenika had actually broken. Nobody came to get her.

    The President pretended to know her personally, trying to make it look as if he were controlling her and took all the credit... As if! But the voice had paved the way and there was no actual contact from any government. This cleansing, or "renovation", was way above their pay grade and besides, all the intimidating people in the government that did all the dirty work were gone!

    One of the dire problems presented was the fact that priests and other religious officials were refusing to preside over the funerals of proven murderers and molesters.  People wanted their loved ones forgiven and buried, and the churches were refusing to give absolution.  They felt that if their God was striking down sinners than they could turn their backs on them too.  The wonderful thing was that the churches were opening their doors and welcoming everyone else in, especially the ones who had lost a loved one to sin. and people were going! Every church in the world was filled to capacity, at least twice a week, most city churches held services almost every day.  Finally, those who felt they were righteous enough to judge, were scorned by their peers.

    Crazies also came out of the woodwork. Some believing that it was they that struck down the sinners.  One man took out a knife and stabbed another man over a traffic dispute saying that he was a sinner and needed to die, the other man mortally wounded, fell to the road and the man who had stabbed him burst into flames and fell dead on top of him, now a murderer.  Now dead and Smoking.

    Sadly, certain religions had some bad losses, due to the beliefs of the extreme factions,  the terrorists finally realized that their beliefs were actually a sin, and all who had acted on their misguided beliefs, died.  The few who were left did some soul searching and changed their way of a lifetime of hate to being a true believers in love.

    It was early July and the amount of punishments were being reduced very quickly, as the world strove to do the right thing. Occasionally people committed crimes simply out of diminished mental capacity, or passion, but it was as if the world was beginning to feel safe again.

    One night, those guilty of infidelity, woke up with fire scorching their genitals. Their burnt parts no longer yearned for another. They were scorched, they would heal, but one could not stand to be scorched again, it was a onetime threat, the next time the damage would be catastrophic.

    No longer did man believe that cheating was a victimless crime. Families had been torn apart and hearts broken, it was a shameful thing to do to someone you loved and it would stop. The message was perfectly clear, do not cheat on the one you are with.  The partners of the guilty were punished as well.  Many of the husbands, wives, and partners who were being cheated on, cast out the marked, repulsed by the smell of burning flesh. All were devastated by the discovery of infidelity.  It was a sad day for many families across the globe.  Divorce lawyers were inundated with calls and began to hire assistants.  Cheating was no longer a joke.

#### Chapter 15

    Three months after her mothers' death, Jenika skipped the astral projection form and stood in her spot overlooking the valley. Her arms spread out as if to embrace the mountain, fingers crooked in effort. Her silhouette against the dropping sun vibrated visibly and her hair churned above her head. Thousands of tendrils of fire whipped and radiated out like hair-thin snakes up and out over the horizon.  She stood like that as the sun sank below the trees and then went in the house to bed.

    The next day, Alana came to her and asked what she had done.  Jenika sat in the huge window, absentmindedly letting the fire play through her fingertips like funny little pets!

    "Patience Grasshopper, all will be revealed in time!" She joked. One of the tendrils slid over and popped Alana on the butt as she walked away shaking her head. "Ow! Hey!"

    The news was alive and speculating, they were used to reporting on a different cleansing almost every night and were surprised to find no one dead or maimed in the morning.

    Jenika just smiled and said. "This one is different, watch and wait!"  She went off to do her chores.

    By mid afternoon the stories trickled in, one by one, people came forward and claimed that their addictions were gone, just like that, just no need, no desire, some admitted that out of habit they tried to smoke crack, or just a cigarette, and it did absolutely nothing for them.  They just didn't need it, and on top of that, they felt great, some better than they had in years. Drugs, alcohol, porn, cigarettes,  and even food, the need was gone!

    "Wow! That was a stroke of genius!" Steven exclaimed.  "So many bad things are caused by addictions, and addictions are caused by bad things. At this rate the Voice will have its masterpiece by the end of the year!"

    From the porch Sage spoke up and said, "There are lots of bad things in this world that aren't sinful. Life will still have fear and sadness.  For instance, its not a sin to dump a boyfriend or girlfriend, nor will the Voice cure sickness, and stop death.  We will continue on, but what I wonder is, what will happen with this new love fest?"

    Steven nodded, catching her train of thought.  "There will be a lot of babies created out of all this comfort and security.  Many will fall in love without the fear of loving someone bad.  We really will not need soldiers and police any longer, so where will all the new jobs come from?  What will happen to our population?  How will the world feed all the people?"

    "Isn't it funny that they rarely made movies or wrote books about God showing up and saving the day?  All the entertaining stories always had people fighting against evil and winning, and God never showed up on their side.  Now its real and a lot of people are still all messed up about it. Sometimes I think they would rather believe in the devil!" Toby scuffed his shoes on the rock walk way.  Steven smirked. "I think its because people actually are more afraid of God than they are of the Devil!"

    Toby winced. "So, if this Voice is God then does that mean that there really is a Devil?"

    "Well actually, the Voice never claimed to be God, He said he could do Godlike things." Steven said, trying to keep the conversation on an intellectual level.

    Sage smiled,  "Isn't it hilarious that people think that OUR Jenika is the Hand of God, Ha! What a laugh!"

    Toby grinned a wicked grin, "Who woulda thought Gods right hand woulda been hot like her!"

    Sage shrieked, and smacked his arm. "You're such a guy!" Steven raised his eyebrows and shrugged in a "You ain't lyin" kind of way.

    Steven shrugged and gave up trying to be serious. But he walked away thinking deeply.

    Steven called a meeting one night and asked to propose a few things to the group. Toby set up a video camera and began to film the meeting.  His idea was to stream this meeting live on the internet and allow the world to participate. He had announced the event on Facebook.

    "I've been thinking a lot about what Toby and Sage were talking about the other day and I want to see if we can brain storm on some ideas."  Steven started.

    "It seems to me that the world is on a new path, and that there must be some rearranging of roles in our society.  There is no more crime and there is more love.  It seems to me that people will need to take on different roles.  Can we try to foresee the future and attempt to head off some foreseeable issues that we, as a human race, may encounter?"

    "Without war, there are weapons that need to be dismantled and soldiers that need to be put to work."  Jenika said.

    Toby spoke up. "How would we control the inevitably growing population?"

    Sage put in, primping a little, knowing she was being filmed.  "With more babies, there needs to be more food grown."

    "More houses need to be built, how do we incorporate our living arrangements with out harming the earth?"  Alana added. "And what about money being the root of all evil?"

    "Can we now concentrate on improving our energy supplies, cleaning up the earth, and opening borders?  ...Do we even need borders?" Steven supplied.

    "How do we solve our economic issues? Do we need to have poor people anymore?

Can we advance our education systems?  Our youth will no longer be slacking off doing drugs and creating mischief, they can concentrate on education, which in turn can enable more innovation!"

    The group started firing ideas, and the internet lit up like wild fire!  The video of Jenika and the group were spread and the news that Jenika was involved in this debate immediately was picked up by the news stations and the meeting was put on the air.

    The internet hits climbed and Servers crashed.

    Jenika looked into the camera lens and cleared her throat nervously.  "Ah! Well, it looks as if we started something here.  Ah, I think that humans are amazing when faced with adversity and I think its time that we all consciously begin to move our world forward to a positive future.  And if you computer geniuses want to make yourselves useful, then, by all means, help yourselves!"

    "There are many people in the world that had lost sight of the benefits of work either with your mind or your hands, and I think those who work at something feel fulfilled and find pride in themselves, and that benefits everyone.

    Barricades such as greed, hate, and addiction have been lifted from us and we have little to fear... except if we do evil."  She shrugged her shoulders and smiled an angelic smile.  "In my mind that leaves us with nowhere to go but up!  There are entrepreneurs out there with amazing ideas, so much talent that has not yet been tapped, and so many things that can be created!

    So maybe our next step is to fund these ideas and work together to change our world for the good of all.  Every country in the world has resources, invaluable minds, and manpower to spare, so how about we get off our collective asses and share the wealth of what we have!"

    The camera swung to put Steven in view.  "Exactly right!"  Now he was in his element, just like teaching a class!

    "First thing we do is identify the problems!  Not everything will be addressed, of course, but let us use the internet as a collective mind!"  "Some of you will identify a problem, and chances are that there is someone out there in the world that has the answer!"  "Please remember that God helps those that help themselves, this exercise is not meant for you to get others to do your work and thinking for you, but lets try it for awhile!"

    Steven was getting pumped!

    "If you were to have all the knowledge and experiences of everyone in the world simultaneously, could you not solve almost anything?"  The group blinked together as they began to see his method of thinking.  Yes!  Use the knowledge of ALL the people on the net collectively, at once. The problems of the world could possibly be solved! Google knew what it was talking about!!

    The internet was alive! Servers had to be bolstered.

    Questions were posed, answers were given, sometimes more than one solution to a problem came to light.

    Within days and weeks,  money began to change hands, deals were being made to create this or that.  Secrets between companies were shared and new drugs were being developed and created, companies began to hire people to expand their industries. July had been a month of accomplishment!

    Hackers stopped hacking and started to use their skills to better the internet.

    They streamlined the transfer of information and essentially becoming the internet government, they began to change the internet to work like a singular mind. They were the superstars of the world!

    Wealthy people like Trump began pet projects and news of their generosity spanned the globe.

    People that didn't think they had a talent at all were finding that they had a gift for something and they began to work and make money.  It seemed that people were valuable again!  Money became less important and the talents that people had were put to use.

Everyone started to pull their weight and the level of pride soared around the world.  Artists began to share their art and everywhere one looked there was beauty.

 Those that were lazy, no longer sat at home and watched TV, they taught, built and counseled and some just swept the street or cooked a meal for someone else down the block.  But it seemed that with everyone working, the world was becoming a real utopia.

#### Chapter 16

     Jenika seemed to be needing to meditate less and less, and there was little work to be done with that many people coming and going at the cabin, she began to need some work of her own and wanted to start trying to live her life as everyone else was doing. She thought it might be fun to read up on gardening so that she could be of more use to Alana. Besides, there's nothing better than a juicy book, and she was out of reading material!

    She asked Sage if  she wanted to go into town for lunch and some shopping.  Sages long, fluffy blond hair flounced when she started to vibrate with happiness at the thought of shopping and boys and quickly said.  "Yesssss!"

    "Hey! Don't get too excited!  This trip is actually going to suck.  I haven't been to the town since I've gotten back and I may not really be all that welcome, being "Godlike" and all."  Sage tipped her head, considered for point two seconds, and then started bouncing again!

    The girls piled into Jenikas old Challenger and powered down the dirt road in a rooster tail of gravel.  It was a joy to drive the old muscle car again...for Jenika.  Sage clung on to anything she could hold on to for dear life and when they reached pavement tried to smooth her hair from its unstylish "recently ravished" look.  She gave Jenika a sour look, and said, "Why don't you ever let me drive?"

    Jenika laughed and said "'Cause I don't want my hair to look like that!"  She pointed at Sage and laughed.

    "You're just jealous of my wildly sexy, mountain girl hair!" She tangled her hands in her hair and put on her best sex kitten look. Jenika died laughing at Sage's pathetic attempt at looking sexy.

    "You just look freshly fucked!" Sage pouted but frantically tried to fix herself.

    In town they stopped at the mall and found everyone gave them a very wide berth, Jenika was instantly recognized by everyone they passed.  Sage suggested that if they just acted normal then maybe people would treat them normal, and for the most part they did, save for a small group of guys that Sage made eyes at.

    "Sage! Knock it off!  I don't want to meet guys!"  Jenika gave her a warning glare.

    "Well, maybe this time its not going to be all about what YOU want to do!"  Sage pouted childishly.

    "Dude!  You're nineteen, and it looks like that's about how old they are too, did you stop to think why a nineteen year old group of boys would be hanging at the mall?"

    "Duh! This is a tiny town, what else would they be doing?"  "And don't call me dude!"

    Sage flipped her hair in Jenikas face and headed for the food court.

    Jenika decided that Sage was right, she was being a little shy.  "Ok, I'm sorry. Why don't you ask them to come sit with us for lunch?"

    "Really! You mean it?"  The sarcastic little bitch was already on her way over there.

    The guys were a little scared of Jenika, but, seemed excited to meet some new girls and came to sit with them.  After the introductions they all started talking about the fun things to do in town, and conversation became easier and more comfortable. Jenika liked feeling like a normal girl, but was not feeling the love for the guy that was crushing on her.

    Sage, however, was totally having a blast. Conversation was petering out so Jenika, feeling comfortable about leaving Sage with her new "friends", decided to go over to the bookstore.

    She wove in and out of the shelves reading the backs of books once in awhile and putting a couple in her basket.

    She rounded a row and ran smack into someone.  She looked up from her book and started to stammer an apology, and stopped. Crap! Cute guy!  Her voice broke and she stood there frozen like an idiot.

    The guy started apologizing, but he stopped when he saw who she was.  He tightened his grip on his books.

    "Sorry." Jenika mumbled, tipping her face down so that her hair self consciously covered part of her face. She turned quickly and hurried off in a different direction, any direction, just not where this guy was.

    She found herself hiding in the "How to" section and ducking behind the tall shelves, she let herself breathe. She leaned against the rack and cursed her cowardice, knocking her head on the shelf. "God, I'm so fucking lame!"

    Despite feeling sorry for herself she found herself scanning the spines of the books around her. She soon forgot about the guy, as a good book whore would do, and became engrossed in every book around her! She began to pile her arms full of gardening books. Organic gardening, abc's of gardening, compost gardening. She thought that she would learn a quick thing or two and impress Alana.

    She took her books and sat at the long tables next to the little book store coffee shop. As she poured through her books, she started feeling as if she was being watched and looked up to see the guy she bumped into.

    He was sitting across the room and he was blatantly staring at her. Not with horror, not leering, just frankly. She made eye contact and expected him to look down and pretend to read,  but he didn't.

    She tried to get back into her book, but each time she looked up he was still watching her. Finally she sat up straight, crossed her arms over her chest and locked his eyes with a challenging stare back.

    She tipped her head in "You wanna go there?" kind of look and he just looked back. She casually leaned back, and stubbornly challenged him to a staring contest. He arched an eyebrow and tipped his head in a "Your on!" look.

    He shook his head from shoulder to shoulder like a professional fighter and leaned forward on his elbows. They locked eyes.

    His eyes were blue, his lashes were short. Jenika stopped looking at him and really saw him. He was a beautiful specimen of a man. Tall, with short dark hair. His shoulders were so wide, she wondered if he had to turn sideways to get through the door. He wasn't a muscle head though but he looked very fit. "Damn!"

    Her concentration started to waver. She was tempted to look at the rest of him, but refused to back down from his ballsy challenge.

    Her eyeballs started to burn and her resolve started to shake. The cheeky bastard crossed his arms and slouched confidently back into his chair.

    Jenika saw the muscles in his thick upper arms flex and blinked. Just before she hid her face in defeat, she saw a lopsided smile brighten his face.

    "Crap, he's fucking gorgeous!" This was the last thing Jenika needed, she was pissed at herself for being such a girl.  But when she looked up he was gone, and she buried her burning eyes in the crook of her elbow.

    _'Thank God, he took off,  I couldn't bear Sage if I met a guy.'_

    She sat up to get back to her book, half glad that he was gone and half sorry she wouldn't see that smile again.

    She jolted when she noticed him sitting in the chair across from her. He had a smug smile on his face.

    She was happy to see him and her heart squeezed for a moment.

    His smile.  She smiled as she remembered it.  The handsome guy the Voice had shown her!

    She loved to look at him.  His name was Leo, and he treated her with a tenderness that she didn't know she needed, but did.  He had a smile that made everything better.

    He could make Sasha smile, Alana blush, and he could talk cars with Larry.  He could even carry on a conversation with Steven without coming away feeling like a fool like everyone else did.

    When Jenika was around he got a goofy smile on his face.  His eyes never left her, and he usually forgot what he was saying.

    He was as tall as she was, and his dark hair made his eyes bluer.  Jenika felt like she had always been with him. The best part was that he didn't treat her like a freak, and he was not afraid of her, he thought she was cute!

    Leo was a couple of years older and had come home from college to visit his parents in town.  He was studying agriculture and botany and was almost done.

    Jenika had been acting so tough for so long, that she was surprised herself by pulling Sage aside and asked her to borrow a dress.

    "Wow."  Sages big blue eyes were huge with mock shock.  "Look who's a big love marshmallow."  Then she smiled a wicked smile.  "I knew you'd be a girl someday!  I've been saving this for you!"  And on her knees she dug and dug in her pile of clothes on the floor.

    "Wow.  I guess you took longer than I thought, it's really buried."  Her head was buried so all that you could see was her butt waving in the air.

    Jenika rolled her eyes and said.  "Really?"

    "Oh! Here it is, I got it!"  She had to crawl out of the closet before she stood, shaking clothes out of her hair.

    Jenika snatched the dress.  "It wasn't that long, you just have a ridiculous amount of clothes!

     "Well, I have a dress for the moment, don't I?"

    "Yes you do, and I love you!"

    Jenika put the dress on and Sage stood before her with tears in her eyes.  "I wish your mom could see you now!"  "Why now?"

    "Because you're in love!"  Jenika looked down at her hands.  Sage was right, her mom should be here to meet Leo, she knew her mother would love him too.

    At dinner everyone turned as Jenika and Sage came in.  Her friends wolf whistled and cheered at her appearance, but it wasn't until Leo turned and smiled that she felt pretty.

#### Chapter 17

     Leo had gone into town for garden supplies with the guys, and Alana was up trying to clear the filter to the well pump that was continuously getting clogged. Cursing that Larry was at his shop.

    Jenika was trying to pick weeds in the garden before it got too hot, when a van rolled up the drive, tires popping on the gravel.

    The white van stopped in a cloud of dust that enveloped it momentarily. For a long moment it stood still and Jenika shielded her eyes from the bright sun with her gardening glove. A moment of alarm at the silent van ticking in the heat snaked across her scalp before she realized that she was safe with the Voice behind her. She fought the impulse to run to the cache of guns under the floor boards, and waited.

    The door to the van swung open and a man stepped out. With the sun behind him she couldn't see his face for a moment.  Just before he stepped into a shadow, the other door opened and another man stepped around to meet the first. They silently moved before her into the shadows so that she could see their faces.

    It was Mark. Her old neighbor. And another.

    "Mark? is that really you?" A look of uncertainty flashed on his face and he smiled a smile that didn't reach his eyes for just a moment.

    "Hey Jen! I, ah, I wasn't sure if it would be ok to come find you." There was a scared look on his face and Jenika passed it off as the look most people gave her. But she felt threatened anyway, she just wasn't sure why.

    "Mark, it's good to see you, are you ok?" She looked him up and down and assessed his wellbeing.

"I'm not used to people seeking me out....especially since you've never been here before." She said the last heavy with suspicion. "Who's your friend?"

    Jenika eyed the stranger who stood unsmiling next to Mark. The man was strong looking, nondescript and bald. His baldness was the only thing that made him memorable. His eyes didn't love her.

    "Ah! Jenika this is Father Martin, he found out that I knew you in a roundabout way, and asked me to introduce him to you." Mark made the introductions nervously, stepping from one foot to the other.

    Jenika stepped back from the priest and folded her arms over her chest, not offering her hand in greeting.

    "Charmed." she said cautiously. "Mark. What's going on?"

    His demeanor was freaking her out. He was always a soft person, content to live his little life with his wife and tiny dog, and not make waves.

    The priest simply stood with his hands crossed in front of him and watched her with frank interest. She felt like a bug.

    The man looked more like a night club bouncer than a priest. He had shaved his head bald which was good because he had no hair anyway. His long sleeved shirt was snug on his thick forearms. His eyes were intelligent and stayed right on Jenika's face assessing her every move. No wonder Mark was nervous, he was intimidating.

    "Ah, well, Father Martin here told me that he has some questions for you, and he, ah, convinced me to help him find you." He licked his lips. "He has come a long way and I had hoped that since I had helped you in the past and that, well, you would forgive my assumption on your time."

    The priest wore blue jeans and a button up shirt awkwardly like the president when he dons his "working man" outfit.

    "Miss Travers, I have been asked by the Vatican to seek you out and ask some questions that we feel have not yet been answered accurately." He looked as if Jenika should then bow and scrape and ask his forgiveness.

    She grasped her gloves in one hand and used them to slap the dust off her jeans instead. She pursed her lips as if considering the request and then looked the priest in his dead eyes.  Her eyes didn't smile with her lips. "Let me just ask God."

    She planted her boots for effect and stiffened her arms at her side, the gloves fell. Her gaze never left the priests face and he began to look confused and uncertain, his hands uncrossing and he glanced at Mark who had glanced back to see if anything should impede him should he need to run, fear showing clearly in the sweat on his upper lip.

    Jenika's hair started to ripple and rise. The priest started to take on a determined pose to show he was not intimidated, it faltered when she started to audibly pant, her eyes cold and sure.

    He didn't run. Fine then. She thought and her head snapped back, followed by her long hair in an impossibly slow arc.

'Let's see what his sins are, then we'll play 21 questions.' The smile reached her eyes.

    "Stay where you are Mark." Her voice was low and dangerous.

    The fire spread out from her and quested like fine fibers towards the now trembling priest. Tears ran down his face in streams as his arms rose up to embrace the fire. Around his legs and up his torso the fire crawled over him like a killer vine in a mock buster. Soon Father Martin was cocooned and rising off the ground like a rope hauled him up by his rib cage.

    Jenika poured over his ethics and morals with a fine tooth comb and found small transgressions, like sexual fantasies involving the women in his parish, things that he would think a sin, but were not.

    Interesting.... A plan to deceive. A threat. No evil deeds per say, bad just bordering on  normal, but not.

    Jenika couldn't read his mind, or divine his wants. She only knew sin, otherwise she was blind. There was no sin in him...yet.

    The fire sucked back into Jenika and she stood regarding the priest as if weighing his request anew, smoke rising lazily up from her. He sat on his ass in the dirt and looked assaulted.

    Mark stood frozen, REALLY wanting to bail.

    "He threatened you." Jenika didn't look at her friend.  It was a statement, not a question.

    Her eyes locked with the priests'. Mark nodded. When she finally looked up and saw his misery, she softened and stepped closer, he winced as if she threatened to hit him and feeling bad, she took his hand.

    "It's ok, Mark, I know you value your peace and security, I would have done the same if I were you." She looked kindly at him and he slumped.

    A string of fire snapped out quick as lightening and struck the priest on the cheek leaving a blister. Better to reprimand him now for that one, seems there may be more slaps in his near future.

    "Let's go up and have some tea." Her direct look threatened the priest. Better to keep your enemies closer. The priest followed pressing his palm gingerly to his face.

    They sat sipping tea, none sure how to start, some ashamed for one reason or another.

    Alana entered kicking off her boots and announcing that there was a van in the drive.

    "We know. It's Mark and a priest named Father Martin!" Jenika called to the mud room.

    There was silence from Alana and Jenika knew that it was because she was suspicious.

    Jenika handed her a mug and watched Alana size up the priest, she pretty much circled him like a wary dog, and the sat without taking her eyes off of him. "I tested him Alana,

there's nothing... yet." Jenika shot the priest a warning glare and patted Marks arm.

    The priest had kept his eyes lowered to Jenika out of respect but there was a defiance about him that was annoying, it niggled Jenika.

    "All right!" Jenika slapped her knee in decision. "Let's just nip this in the butt right now. You. Father. You came here supposedly to ask me questions, but I feel there is something else that you are after entirely, what that is, we have yet to see. But let's just be perfectly clear. Your threat to my friend will not go unpunished. I do not trust you and so help me God, (Evil giggle) I will kick your fucking ass if you cross me. You may _still_ fall from Gods good graces, but that will be entirely up to you and your choices in the near future. I will protect my friends and family, and as you have seen, I can be a little scary."

    Jenika was shaking her finger at the priest just like her mom used to do when giving one of her famous lectures. She smiled at her finger. The others looked at her oddly.

    "I know you have questions, but they will have to wait till the others arrive, this is a family thang! Now go wash your hands, we have dinner to prepare!"

    "No, no. Not me, I'm going home to my wife." Mark stood and backed to the door.

"She'll be worried and it's getting darker, I don't want to drive down the mountain in the dark. Father, you are welcome to come with me, but I want to go."

    The priest said nothing, not even a thank you, but Jenika gave her friend a hug and wished him well.

    "Tell Michelle hi for me!"

    Alana directed the making of the meal like a symphony conductor,

    Father Martin was incredulous at the orders and admonishments, and they snapped to and ran to perform the tasks given them. The others treated him warily and were fair to not condemn him before they knew his intentions. The priest tried to change his tactics with the group there as a force. He tried humor.

   "Wow, I'm surprised you survived this boot camp!" He said under his breath as he made a salad next to Jenika's Salad dressing making station.

    They all chuckled, Jenika shushed them frantically. Father Martin rubbed his shiny head and said, "I've known nicer nuns!"

    They all died laughing, and the father looked pleased that they enjoyed his joke.

    From across the room Alana yelled, "I heard that! Martin! go wash your hands, I saw you touch your head!" And again they all squealed enjoying the release of tension.

    Dinner was slightly subdued that night, the ones that had gone to town were bursting to tell of their adventures, but came home to find that Jenika and Alana had a greater tale.

    They felt the tension and mistrust behind the attempts at friendship, and were reserved with their guest.

    After the meal was cleaned away, Jenika began to tell her side of the encounter, bluntly explaining why she felt mistrust towards the priest. He did not apologize, or explain himself. As one, the group decided that he abstained in order to avoid lying. Jenika recounted the kindness Mark had shown her, and the group forgave him because Jenika did.

    "These questions that you have for me. Ask." Jenika asked after the small talk had ebbed.

    The father looked startled. Jenika looked startled at him back, wondering how he had not gotten used to the bluntness of the group over dinner, or maybe he thought he would get to interview her alone... Silly.

    She smiled a disarming smile at him that was not at all genuine, and waited. He cleared his throat and asked, "May I tape this?" Jenika looked at her friends and they all shrugged, figuring it wouldn't be any different than being in a chat room. Steven snapped his fingers as something had occurred to him and he reached over and logged on to the computer when the priest was searching his pockets at the front door.

    He smiled at the group a wicked innocent smile. They sat back and watched the priest return with his phone.

    Father Martin cleared his throat again and said, "This is Father Martin Clark Interviewing Jenika Travers, July, 27th, 2012."

"Thank you For granting me this interview, Jenika. There are many people waiting for these answers."

    Jenika crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes. "I hope these answers are worth threatening my loved ones over."

    Father Martin's eyes grew cold. "Oh, they are indeed. They are very valuable, especially since the future of our world depends on your answers."

    Jenika leaned forward hands flat on the table. " How is that so?  My answers to YOU are going to change the world more than my actions, is that what you actually think?"

    She looked around at all her friends. Sasha even wriggled a bit in his chair.

    "It is you that's being interviewed now Jenika. Answer me this. Who is your God?"

    The father smiled as if he thought she would answer incorrectly.

    Jenika hung her mouth open in mock incredulity as she gazed around at her friends. They all smothered mirth, trying to keep straight faces.

    "Ooh, that's a hard one, let me see, what would be the correct answer seeing as how you are a priest....?" Jenika put a crooked finger to her lips as if in deep thought. The answer is .....HIM" She pointed up in the sky where the Entity sat in his Heaven. "You're next question is.... let me guess... how do I "hear" the word of God?"

    The table around them were squirming to hold it in. They knew what the Father did not, that in reality, "God" was a guide, no more. Jenika had pointed to the sky and the priest assumed she meant HIS God, not the Voice.

    Father Martin remained stoic despite the guffaws and flowing tears. He believed in his mission for  the church. In his mind, these people did not hear the "real" God as the church did.

    Jenika shushed her friends. "Come on you guys, this is not kind laughing at him, he BELIEVES, and because of that he has devoted his life to his beliefs, and he has not sinned... For him, it worked."

    Father Martin just shook his head, sad for her that she did not know what God meant to him.

     Jenika suddenly felt sad for him. To him, God was his life, it was best that he not know that his God was a figment. She had no desire to set him straight.

    "Jenika, how do you choose which sinners to punish? And where do you stop? Do you punish the 5 year old that bullies his sister? What's the line?

    "Good question Bob, I'll take blue for thirty!" "No seriously, Father Martin, I do not choose, the choice is made for me, as is the punishment. I am merely an instrument of Good, and evil is the line. Is that child evil for bullying his sister? Probably not, but there is occasion where a child may be defective and not have a conscience, the things he or she do may be evil, its rare, but it does happen."

    "You seem proud of the fact that you scare people, are you?"

    "Putting the fear of God into peoples' lives is my job. And yes, it does have its uses. And yes, I am scary, that's the point!  Thankfully, "God" has seen to it that this power of mine feels good to me. Not exactly what the power does to people for their sins, but the use of it, feels good, like sex!"

    Father blinked at Jenika with distaste. Jenika was suddenly offended at being judged by him. She leaned forward and asked "Father, does your faith ever make you feel great?" Do you receive any joy from "God?"

    "This interview is about you, Jenika." Jenika was trying hard to not tell him the truth, he was so righteous. She was serious and not trying to bait him.

    "Father Martin, how can you sit there and pass judgment on _me_ , the right hand of God, when I have been chosen to do the work of the one that you so faithfully devote yourself to? Remember that according to your beliefs there is only One that has the right to judge me, and it's not you!  Don't you feel relieved that God is now stepping up and revealing himself? Are you jealous that you were not chosen?"

    The flurry of questions poured out. But the last one remained. "You had better ask you're final question, father, for I believe you need more help than I can give. What do you want to know from me?"

    The priest tried to hide his look of cunning behind a mask of curiosity.

    "Do you believe yourself to be a descendant of Morhan?"

    Jenika's jaw dropped. The giggling stopped.

    The silence as Jenika and the others tried to wrap their minds around the question bloomed.

    Jenika paused so that her mind could organize what she needed to say.

    The silence stretched into an uncomfortable length. So, she didn't need to tell him the truth about the churches made up God after all! WTF?!

    "If you know about the story of Morhan than you must know that the church made God up." Jenika looked dangerously at the priest. She marveled at his choice of faith in life.

    He chose to worship the lie. What would bring a person to do that?

    "My mother was killed to keep this secret, does this mean anything to you?" She leaned forward and her voice lowered.

    He looked undisturbed. "Truly, I am sorry." He didn't look it.

    "Is your endgame to prove or disprove the church?" she asked.

    The priest sat with arms crossed over his chest and looked as if he were patiently waiting for her to figure it out.

    "So, let me get this straight. You, on behalf of the church, are going to come to me and admit that God was totally made up, so that you could...what? show the world that I am a fraud? And the church gets what out of this revelation?"

    The Father leaned forward to counter her aggression.

    "We don't want to prove or disprove the CHURCH, We want to prove or disprove YOU!

    "We feel that there needs to be a balance of good and evil. We want to make sure you are working for God and not as Morhan. God/good. Morhan/evil. With you telling the world that you are the hand of God, the CHURCH remains in control of the world. We will not risk YOU having that control. You do not have any right to rule the world. We have controlled the world since the beginnings of Christ."

    Jenika shook her head at him as if he was mad, which he was.

    He continued.  "The church has already gotten the boost it needs to be a major power in the world, from you. What we want is for you to be done. We believe that the balance has been restored and we are ready to discredit you if you do not cease and desist, so that the transformation into utopia can be controlled, by good, and by that I mean the church."

    Smug, he sat back in his chair.

    "Or what is left of it." Smirked Steven.

    Jenika stood and pushed her chair back violently. She started screaming.

    "The church wants control? Not even the government, NONE of them have dared to be so impertinent! The church wants to tell ME what to do? Are you seriously threatening to tell the world that I am acting as Morhan and not the hand of God in hopes of discrediting me? Like God is acting without the authorization of the church? I am not trying to balance good and evil, I'm trying to eradicate evil. You fucking moron!"

    "The church needs to be in control, and without God there is no church. You're knowledge of Morhan is a liability!

    "I haven't even mentioned Morhan!" Jenika was freaking pissed! "You are making a problem when there is none!"

    "We demand that you stop doing what you are doing, you have effectively restored balance and we thank you for that, but there has to be both good AND evil for the world to run as it should." Martin stated stubbornly.

    Jenika snarled through bared teeth, spitting in fury.

    "The church long ago made up God! It did so to control innocent people. It worked for awhile but until I came along, the church had lost its grip and evil was running rampant. It was NOT effective. The churches grip has deteriorated into mere empty threats! It's time is over! It doesn't DESERVE power and control!" Jenika's face was near purple.

    "What I'm doing is breathing life into the churches lie so that the churches impotence can be rectified! I'm doing this so that the GOOD the church has done will continue!" She wiped the spit off her chin with the back of her hand.

    "I very well could have told the world that I AM Morhan and swooped in and took all that ill gotten power by force, but I did not! I have no desire to destroy the faith that has help so many believers, believers like you Father Martin!" She looked at him like he was a freak.

   "What I am doing is vital for the worlds survival! I am accomplishing in a few months what the church couldn't do in many lifetimes! ME, Morhan, Not the church! The church needs to relinquish control to the world, and continue to do the good things that it does, and leave the rest to me!"

   Father Martin returned with his own fury and with a rage purple face, poked a finger at Jenika and her friends and screamed, "You have no right!" His body was shaking. "My God punishes those by sending souls to hell, not burning them as the devil would!"

     "What God? You don't HAVE a God, you fucking asshole, He's a lie! There is no Devil, and no Hell!"

    "What you DO have right now is ME telling YOU that I will fuck you up if you do something evil to someone else, and as you have seen, that's NOT an empty threat!" She was spitting as she screamed. But he just shook his head at her and pointed a finger at her chest.

    "From now on the CHURCH will tell YOU who you can fuck up, or else the CHURCH will label you as evil, we have done it before and can do it again! Didn't you take a hint when you're mother was murdered? I order you to cease and desist!"

    "Well, now that you have brought up my mother, Martin, that reminds me that she was MURDERED for the church and murder is a sin!" Jenika's hair lifted. The table was immediately empty.

    "My mother was more righteous than you will ever be." Jenika clenched her fists.

   "I'll tell you what. If your "God" can save you from MY power, I'll give it to you! The church will never wield this power because it is not rightfully theirs, it was not given to them for a reason, and this is exactly why." Her arms went rigid. "I'm about to show the world the truth!"

    "Think about this Jenika!" Alana stood away from the table but her arms reached towards Jenika, pleading.

    Jenika cocked her head at Alana with a questioning look. She was gone and only killer Jenika stood in her place. The heat was considerable.

    Steven joined Alana in her plea. "Telling the world the truth would confuse what we've been doing!"

"Jenika, that would be bad." Leo reasoned. "All of the work that we have done, the cleansing, will be for naught. We began this to put the fear of God in mankind so that they would follow the bible and the world would be restored. If  the world discovers that there is no God of any kind, then what is the ethical and moral guide... you?"

    Steven stepped forward. "Jenika, even Father Thomas's life has been a lie, have pity on him. He could have had all those women he fantasized about in his congregation, he could have been the man he wanted to be, but he devoted his life to a lie, he prayed to nothing, he was a fool. He's mad and he's only one man following a ridiculous order, how do you think the rest of the world will take it. The chaos would be worse than when we started."

 "The lie was started out of evil intent, people died to bring power to the church, but that was long ago, now the lie actually has a life, a history, a will, and a purpose. It does more good now than bad...Other than self righteous pricks like him!" he flicked an inconsiderate hand at the priest.

    Despite the pleadings of her friends, Jenika closed her eyes and she slowly tipped her head back.

    Her hair followed her head in an arc as if she were deep underwater, and a lazy current tousled it.

    But the panting did not come.

    "Oh shit!" Everyone turned from the spectacle that was Jenika, and looked at Toby. In shock he pointed at the computer, it was streaming. Steven shrugged, "Too late now!"

    Jenika became brighter, her friends shrank back as a light emanated from her instead of fire.

    It threw the room into a pleasant white glow that grew and grew till white was all they could see. A bliss spread over the group. Those that watched on the internet were seeing it all.

    Heaven was coming, the fire was not.

    The last time it had been Jenika, Steven and Alana, this time it was everyone in the room and the world was watching.

    Alana and Steven clasped hands in anticipation, while the priest prostrated himself face down upon the floor. Sage and Toby swirled like children, arms out, rapture on their faces, dancing in the light.

    This is the Heaven that Jenika described to them. This was for everyone!

   A tiny pin point of blue appeared on the white of the ceiling and spread like ink on paper blown with a straw. After an impossibly long time it spoke.

_'My dear Jenika. Friends.'_ The voice reassured, and soothed. The peace and comfort seeped into their being and they listened, rapt.

    The priest began to pray.

    _'Martin, Do not.'_ Gently the soft voice asked. The big priest fell silent.

    Thoughts, ideas, visions formed in their minds, Morhan treating the sick, The church teaching its agenda anew, the devout on their knees, priests on trial for crimes, the marked sobbing over their guilt and then the energy with which people dove into creating a new world. The group knew the beginning, the punishments, and the utopia that was coming. This time all of them saw the Plan in its entirety.

    The visions showed the utopia that the world would become. They understood as one as if shown by a movie, the path they had been on was turned to one of goodness, no matter the deity, no matter who was right or wrong, and the past was the past, the fear of God was what was needed to save the world, that was obvious. This was a reiteration for some, the premise was mainly for the priest, and those in the world that had not yet gotten with the program.

    _'Martin,'_ The voice rustled softly as if dry leaves brushed by a breeze. _'The church no longer has control.'_

    A forceful **"NO"** was suggested in their minds.

    They floated slowly on white bliss.  A long time seemed to pass.

    _'Sometimes the truth can be an evil thing, sometimes the truth is needed for one to move on.'_ More time wafted by.

    _'Jenika has been charged with this task because she is an ancestor of the good women called Morhan. As Morhan, Jenika is the only ONE in the world that has the strength to do what needs to be done. And it needs to be done, Martin, By ONE.  The church should continue to do what it has always done, guide people to the light. The church has not done well with controlling the world. The illusion of balancing good and evil is a facade. There CAN be only good. And there will be.'_

    The group felt a kindness and love pushed at them, like a gift.

    _'This is a special collection of people. Martin, you would count yourself lucky to be one of them. It's time to be a believer in Good not God. There's much to be done. You too could have a hand in saving the world.  Think on it.'_

    The blue color began to recede as the soft voice melted into the impression of love and joy.

    _'You have done well friends. Live well. Remember, there is nothing that is perfect, making the best use of your good lives is imperative. We will know each other again when it is your time.'_

    The whiteness and peace lingered for awhile and the friends and the father were left to their personal enjoyment of the moment.

    Heaven faded away. Each individual clutched desperately at the remnants, trying to stop it's recession, trying to keep it forever.

    Each soul dealt with the grief and loss of it differently. Jenika, Alana, and Steven had been there, done that, but it was no easier, it never would be.

    Sasha sat alone in lotus position, back straight, eyes closed. a tear tickled slowly down.

    Toby and Sage lay with arms around each other, they were weeping.

    Leo had wrapped his arms around himself, he was smiling, crying, and muttering to himself in elation.

    He advanced on Jenika with caution, her hair settling around her shoulders softly, no longer alive. He smiled at her a smile of wonder and love on his face.

    The priest remained in his prostrated position on the floor. His sobs were silent, his mouth open, drooling on the floor. He was lost. He had been severely wrong, and he knew it. He was overwhelmed by the grief and shame.

#### Chapter 18

     Jenika looked down on Martin from Leo's arms, her feelings for him were mixed. She felt sad for him because he was human and she loathed him because he was human. Whatever the case, she thought, It will take him awhile to get over this.

    The Voice had spanked him.

    She turned her attention to Leo. "Are you alright?" He did just the right thing, he tightened his arms around her protectively and she snuggled into his strong arms and loved him more for knowing that, despite her power, she still felt vulnerable, she had had to come back to this place from Heaven three times now, but this time she felt sure that the Voice had had it's say. Next time she went to Heaven it would be for good.

    It was left to Alana, Steven, and Jenika to counsel the others. They did so by just letting them talk it out. All seemed healthy about it except for Father Martin who's only movement was to curl into a fetal position where he lay on the floor, and knowing his delicate mental state, they simply checked on him periodically with kind words or a light touch on his shoulder, they thought it best to let him be near to feel the companionship and hear their words.

    Leo said it first. "This experience makes life look different. Before, every moment of life was a risk because Heaven was a theory. But now our fear of the unknown is gone. We can just live knowing that the end will be good."

    Steven shook his head. "I've thought long and hard about the pros and cons of knowing about Heaven. Odds are that since most of the people left in the world are good or behaving, knowing can only give them peace, but for some, the fear of death is diminished. Dying is not scary anymore. There will always be anguish and pain, some may want to avoid it."

    "Suicide." Alana named it.

    "The computer is still on. The world saw." Steven looked at Jenika. "You need to talk."

    Jenika faced the computer with Leo's arms around her and sighed. Her eyes closed so that she could be only in her mind trying to form an explanation to the world.

    She spoke clearly and evenly, hoping to explain to the world as succinctly as she could.

    "From what I have learned. Man is good AND evil.

    Unfortunately, evil seems to be winning because it creates a negative cycle that can affect generations.

    No one human could have stopped this downward spiral  without preternatural help. Essentially, mankind was circling the drain, and we needed the help."

    She sighed another great sigh. "History shows that even the most righteous can be tempted and the reward of Heaven does not strike desire in man's heart as often as it should. The only weapon we have had against this temptation is fear of consequence. Since our Gods have not shown up and visibly punished those who have done wrong, and few have returned from Heaven with stories of bliss, consequence is a bluff that has been called." She swallowed.

    "We NEEDED a God to wield a mighty weapon in the name of righteousness, and in the absence of any real God, the Entities, we call the Voice, have stepped up and given us a weapon" She tried to look tough about it.

    "I am that weapon. After I am gone, there will be another like me, and then another.

The punishments for crimes against humanity and the earth are no longer in the hands of an invisible God and one no longer gets to live through life and be punished in the end, they will be punished immediately. We have shown that we cannot police ourselves, and since our God is not really there, the Entities have decided to save us.

    We must be grateful to these Entities for our salvation, for they are incorruptible. They will lead us only to utopia, for we have nothing they want other than the beauty we can create when we are caring for ourselves, others, and our world.

    Yes, I am afraid that the worship of Gods is now antiquated.  It is now time for tangible action. The downward spiral of our humanity needs to stop, not soon, but right now! ALL of it.

    It's time for man to get over it and realize that this change is permanent. I know that the punishments for some of the crimes have been brutal, but they have not been any more brutal than the crime itself. Brutality begets brutality.

    We will not go back to the way things were. I am sorry that those who have loved their God are in mourning. But the love they felt for their God can now be replaced with a love for man.

    Worship life, love, create!

    I know that there is a next plane of consciousness for us, I've been there! This is where the Entities have spoken to me. I would call it Heaven. I don't know what it really is but there is no accurate word other than Heaven. But please do not think that you can hasten your arrival there, because unless you deserve to be there, you will always be sent back, and leaving there is worse than dying. Much, much worse.

    This time that you live in right now, is an exciting pivotal time from a uncertain world to an ascension to Heaven, be part of it, see the big picture, get out there and do your part to make this world sparkle with innovation, consciously make this world a utopia for generations to come.

    We've been given this extraordinary chance to be a huge part of man's success! If we do this right and we are lucky, why is it not possible for us to create a Heaven on earth? Why wait? Why should our race have to go through all that drama and trauma to reach Heaven? Why not just build it?"

    Jenika was standing on her tiptoes, face flushed, eyes bright trying to get across her ideas,

    Leo stood beside her, watching her, nodding and urging her on.

    She became self conscious all at once and dropped her eyes. She looked at Leo. "Did any of that make sense?" He shrugged and tried to look unimpressed. "It was ok. I mean I would've been a little clearer, but it's a difficult topic to speak on for a mere weapon such as yourself!" Jenika was mortally embarrassed in front of the whole world, and stood stammering at him. His face broke into a big smile and she realized he was teasing her.

    "Oh my God! Turn that off! I have stuff to do!" She covered her face with her hands and her hair and swirled off away from the camera.

    Leo looked into the camera and said "That's all folks!"

    Steven tapped the key and they were signed off.

#### Chapter 19

    Over the next couple of days, the group each spent small amounts of time with Father Martin giving him bits of food and saying kind things, or just sitting with him. He was deep in mourning. The return from Heaven, was heartbreaking for him, as it was for any one of them, but each individual deals with it in their own way. He also had to work out the hypocrisy of his life.

    After four days, Alana came into his room and announced that she was giving him a job. She took him in tow, along with a bewildered Steven, and she sat them at the computer.

    With her hands on their shoulders, she looked into Martins eyes and said. "I know you are hurting badly. The harsh truth is that you are not the only one. There is a world out there mourning the loss of... well, the world as they knew it!" She threw her hand at the computer. "You're job is to be the first ever priest of the new world." The men blinked at her. "Ok, call yourself something else if you like, a counselor, maybe!"

    She looked at Steven for help and she could see that his gears were turning over the possibilities. "Look,  sometimes the best way to get over grief is to be active in something, anything, so why not take the world in hand and find your way through this crap together with the world?  Reach out to other priests, you must have friends? Reach out to the devout! With Stevens help, all you have to do is start talking about how you feel!"

    Martin sat and looked down at his hands. "I feel empty in here, so there's nothing to talk about." He touched his chest where God used to be.

    Alana threw up her hands. "Oh for Christ's sake, don't be such a baby! You came up here with the full intention of proving that Jenika was not the Hand of God, and now you're sad it worked?!" She grabbed his shoulders and turned him to face her and taking his chin, made him look her in the eye.

    "What you did in the name of the church was wrong and you must atone for it. You told those people about the church and how they created God, now you fix it!" She stormed off and when he looked at Steven, Steven just shrugged. "You're fucked Dude!"

    He turned his attention to the computer screen and started to log on. "No time like the present!"

   Steven started outlining a monologue for Martin explaining that it needed to include who, what, where, when, and how. He gave a short speech on how to treat the steps of grief. "AND...GO!" Father Martin stammered looking from Steven to the computer and back again. "What do I say?!" "Say your name."

    Father Martin looked panicked and tried to rise away from the computer.

    Steven gave him a warning look. "Dude, I'm not fucking around here, start talking." Father Martin slumped his shoulders and said his name. "Are you still a priest?"

    Martin looked at Steven pleadingly. "Yes! I mean no. Yes! In my heart I am a priest." He looked into the eyes of the computer, his eyes showing his loss.

    "How do you feel?"

    Martin blinked at the tears, his mouth worked and his Adams apple caught on the lump in his throat. He tried to swallow it away. "Empty." Was all he could choke out. The corners of the big man's mouth pulled down. "My God was right here." He tapped his chest. "He was there for so many years. He challenged me, and he loved me, and I did my best for him." His hands came up and wiped the tears away where they tickled down his face. He hid his eyes for a moment. "Then they told me the truth. They told me that I had to save the church, that it was in danger. I believed that the church could still do good if it retained its power."

    Steven put his hand on the sad mans shoulder. "What are some of the things that your God do to make you feel complete?"

    Martin thought and started to talk about how his faith had made him feel, slowly at first and then his eyes lit and the words poured out. His face shone with love, and Steven walked slowly away.

#### Chapter 20

    Leo rolled the silver ring between his fingers as he listened to the farmers on the computer. He nodded and occasionally added to the thoughts being tossed around. He worked with a cooperative of farmers that were planning for the future crops of the world, among them were scientists and meteorologists, and their group was growing weekly.

   Jenika sat with Sage and Toby and watched him from afar. "It's good that Leo can use his degrees in Ag and botany, he's pretty smart about this stuff!"

    Leo had made a chart on a map of the world and planned out the crops that would flourish in each zone trying to cover each crop needed, the time it took for turning crops over, the fallow fields, and the conversion crops, all in the next three years. He had been excited about the opening up of a lot of land due to the fall of the tobacco crops. The fields were cleared and nourished soon would be a valuable asset to the worlds food production.

    Sage gave Toby a meaningful look as they folded a sheet together, and together they tossed the look at Jenika, it was creepy and alien that they mirrored each other so well. They both gave her cheeky, sickeningly sweet smiles that dripped with sarcasm.

    "What are you guys looking at? You're creeping me out!" Jenika knew exactly what they were thinking and blushed. She risked a look at Leo who was deep in his world of crops. Seeing him in his element made her love him all the more and made her want to rush over and hug him tight.

    Sage and Toby were also in love, finally admitting the obvious. Sage danced on pointed toes as they folded the sheet, making it look like a ballet. Jenika pointed her toes and tiptoed forward to help with the folding.  Toby stuck out his narrow chest and pooched his lips in what he thought a ballerina looked like and bounded around the room swirling the sheet like a sugar plum fairy.

    "Livin' the dream!" Jenika cried as she danced around her crappy friends.

     Jenika, Leo, Sage and Toby went on a road trip to her old town to get some errands done. They stopped by Larry's and told him to meet for lunch later and Jenika wanted to stop by to see Mark and his wife and take Stuart and his wife a thank you card for being so kind. She was apprehensive about driving by her old house, but Leo and her friends were with her. They slowly drove up to Marks house and Jenika stared hard at her former home. The hole was gone and the house had been painted and earthy blue with cream trim, it looked nice.

    Mom would approve. Jenika thought. "Your mom would've liked that color" Toby said.

    Jenika smiled a grateful smile. "I was just thinking the same thing!"

    Marks wife, Michelle, gathered Jenika up in her arms and fluffed her hair all despite the little dog at her feet barking his sharp warning. They chatted and Jenika was thanked profoundly over and over even as she was trying to thank them for all they had done. She was informed that Stuart and his family were off to Disneyland for a summer vacation, and Mark offered to give the card to them when they returned.

    "So, how are your new neighbors?" Jenika inquired about who was living in her house. Nosy parker.

    "Oh! I guess you don't know! We didn't have much time to chat when I last saw you!

The house was bought by someone you know."

    Jenika's eyebrows went up in a question.

    "Don bought it!" Mark smiled waiting for her excitement. Jenika's eyebrows stayed up, still questioning.

    "Boy, it sure felt better around here to have a police officer, I mean detective, move into the neighborhood after what happened!" Then it dawned on him that she didn't remember.

    "He got your mothers case? It bothered him real badly. He's a good man, takes things a little more to heart than he should. Lonely though, after his wife died."

    Jenika's eyebrows were still up. Mark saw them and he stumbled to catch up to her query. "No! No, you didn't, I mean, she wasn't bad or anything. She had cancer. She passed."

    Jenika felt a surge of irrational anger towards Don Seitle, he had questioned her about her mothers' death and then moved into her house? On the other hand, she hadn't been honest with him, and she had been petulant, and she thought, no one else probably wanted to live in the "murder" house. If it hadn't been for him, it would probably still be on the market. She let it go. Mark seemed to be grateful for his presence. That was good enough for her.

    Their visit was good and they took the opportunity to discuss how the church, in its new capacity as a community center, could be of aide. Mark and Michelle seemed a little dazed that they no longer went to church to pray but went to be part of the community.

    "It's a hard habit to break. Like talking to a loved one that has died." Michelle buried her fingers in her little dogs fur.

    Jenika knew. She couldn't count the times she picked up the phone to tell her mother something and then remembered that she couldn't.

    They said their goodbyes, promising to be around soon and drifted off to Jenika's car.

    The four of them had come to enjoy the company of the nice couple and their tiny dog.

    Pulling away from the curb waving, Jenika looked one last time at her former home and then slammed on the brakes. Everyone yelled and grabbed the nearest hard surface.

    Then they saw what Jenika was staring at. On the porch of her old house sat a man with his head in his hands. It was Detective Don Seitle.

    She coasted her rumbling car to the curb and unbuckled her seat belt."Stay here guys, I'll be back in a sec."

    Jenika walked slowly up to him and awkwardly said. "Hey Don, nice digs!"

    He slowly looked up and when he saw who it was, his hands flopped from his face and hung empty on his knees. "You."

    He shook his head in a "I can't fucking believe it" way and said. "I can't fucking believe it, of all the people I would see today."

    She immediately regretted approaching him, and started backing off.

    "Oh no you don't, Goddamn it!" He stood and made as if he would chase her down.

" You get your ass back here!"

    Jenika wasn't sure if staying was such a good idea now that he was shouting.

He marched up to her and grabbed her arm and started hauling her towards his car. "You know darlin? It's time you saw MY end of this fabulous new world of yours. I've just about fucking had it with being on my own in this!"

    He pulled her alongside his car and pushed her head to the window and made her peer into the back seat.

    Leo and the others were piling out of the car, ready to come to her rescue.

    Jenika focused her eyes against the reflection of the sun on the window and saw a blanket in the back seat of the car, and then some hair. Someone was under the blanket!

    Jenika held her hand out to stop her friends and opened the car door. Slowly she pulled the blanket away from the face of a tiny girl. She must have been about one, she was blond, and Jenika had seen her before. The little blond angel the Voice had shown her.

    "I was letting her sleep. She's been crying for hours, I couldn't take it anymore." He walked back to the porch and sat, exhausted.

    Jenika let her friends see the little face and sat next to Don on the porch.

    "Is she yours?"

    He huffed. "Hell no!"

    "Then why is she sleeping in your car?"

    He got mad again. "You think this is the only one?" He waved an angry hand around his head. "It seems like this is all I do any more, pick up strays. These kids are what's left of your "cleansing." He clawed quote marks in the air with his fingers. "It's all I do now with my massive experience as a detective." His face snarled in disgust. "I am the one who has to search out where these kids can go when their parents are gone."

    He hung his head in defeat. "There's so many kids, there's no place to put them now. I didn't know where to take this one, so I've been carting her around."

    Jenika rubbed his back.

    Leo and the others stood by helpless.

    "I'm so very sorry, Don. I guess there's more to fix than we thought. I wish we would have known."

    Jenika perked up, she had a brilliant idea! She turned and marched next door and pounded on the door of Marks house. Mark answered with a worried look on his face. "Is everything ok?"

    "You need to bring Michelle over, I need your help!" Michelle came to the door and stood behind her husband. "Jenika, are you ok?"

    Not knowing how to explain, she decide to show them. "Come with me please." Jenika said curtly.

    Mark and Michelle followed Jenika next door and peered in the back seat of Don's car as Jenika gently lifted the blanket for them to see.

    Michelle's hands went to cover her mouth in surprise. "Oh my God, she's beautiful!"

    Don came up behind them. "She has no one."

    Michelle and Mark looked into each other's eyes. They nodded at each other, and Michelle fell into his arms sobbing, she had wanted this for so very long. "What about adoption, or legal stuff, what if someone comes?"

    Don shook his head. "The system is all a mess, it will take years for them to figure all this out. There needs to be a major overhaul of the entire system. These children cannot wait years for care, they need it now. The way it was working in the past didn't even work. Too much time and money and now they are just turning kids to the streets. This one wouldn't make it, she's too young."

    Don was tired. He wanted a shower and some sleep. He needed aspirin for his headache. "Why don't you take her and we'll figure this out later. I don't have any more in me."

    He turned to go inside, but Michelle touched his arm, the gratitude in her eyes would have melted another man that wasn't so exhausted, but he patted her hand. "I'll come over in a few days and see how you are."

    Jenika silently handed him a slip of paper with her phone number on it. "Thank you, Don, we'll help in any way we can."

    He took the number and put it in his shirt pocket. His shoulders slumped. "I know you don't mean this to happen, Jenika, I'm just mad at the situation, not you.  We're all overwhelmed, and we do need the help." And he walked away.

    Michelle was gently lifting the tiny girl out of the car and Mark was hovering for his chance to touch her.  They looked at the child in awe.

    Sage put her arms around them and said. "I think that we need to call a church meeting and set up some help for Don and these children. If we can get all the churches onto one system so we can find and match these children with families or care givers. The churches are massive now and they have some rearranging to do, we might as well get help from the programmers to set up a national data base.

    Mark and Michelle heard very little but nodded as if in a daze.

    Jenika, Leo, Toby and Sage ceased to exist for the new little family and they turned to go meet Larry for lunch.

    They sat at Larry's favorite bagel shop drinking coffee, telling him about the baby as he stared out the plate glass window at Jenika's car. He was grateful to that car for tying him to Jenika and Diana, It gave him an excuse to be a part of them. He missed Diana. His loss felt greater for the fact that he never told her how he felt. A missed opportunity. He watched Jenika chat animatedly with her friends and saw how she looked at Leo. She used to only have eyes for her Challenger. How Diana had hated that Challenger. How he loved it. And her. He looked at Sage and Toby too, he had known them their whole lives, now they were together. It was no surprise to him, he had known long before they did. These kids had grown up right and they were changing the world and making a difference. This was the only family he had, right here in this bagel shop. It was a good family, and he was proud of them.

    Jenika stopped chatting and watched Larry, watching them. "You ok Pop?"

    He laughed to hide his wistful thoughts and knew they weren't fooled. He shrugged it off, thinking they would let it go.

    "Thinking about mom?" The question was kindly, but it stung.

    "I miss her too." Jenika held his hand.

    "Yeah." He bent his head down to hide his eyes. He looked up quickly and was about to make a camouflage joke, but there was nothing.

    "Yeah." His smile faded. He hid his face again. Missed opportunities.

    Toby stepped in. "Hey! Ah, Larry?"

    Toby's secretive smile included everyone. "You know, you've been the closest thing to a dad I've ever had." His face couldn't have held a bigger grin.

    "I was hoping I could ask you to be my best man?"

    Everyone froze startled as they each waited to see if the others heard what they had heard.

    Jenika looked at Sage and she looked like she was going to burst! She started her excited hopping on her toes like she always did.

    "And give me away?" she squealed. The couple held their arms open to the group in a ta da!

    Larry was stunned. He looked at Toby with admiration. He didn't miss his opportunity!

    "Of course! Of course! I'd be honored!" He looked meaningfully over Toby's shoulder at Leo as he hugged him and Leo caught the look. He blinked twice and grinned sheepishly as he registered the meaning.

    "Thank you for always being there for us, dad!" Toby shook Larry's hand vigorously!

    Jenika picked Sage up in a bear hug and swung her around.

    The owner of the shop and her employees watched the noisy group.

    When they had calmed down a bit, Larry got the groups attention and quietly asked,

    "Can I bring a date?" There were some shocked and curious yeses.

    He grinned, smoothed his shirt down, shot them with a suave finger gun, like he was ever so cool, and they watched him strut up to where the owner of the shop was standing with her employees.

    They watched from across the room as he talked to her pointing to Toby and Sage. She smiled and waved at them and then nodded and blushed. She was cute!

    The two girls with her grabbed each others' arms and covered their mouths in excitement.

    He turned and walked back to his family, face bright red, and grinning. "Let's do this!"

    Jenika was so proud of him! She hugged him fiercely and gave the still blushing lady across the room a thumbs up!

#### Chapter 21

    Jenika sat in her favorite spot on the mountain overlooking her mother's memorial and the valley below. Sunset was when she would meditate and do her job, but lately there was little to do. It was late August, and she could feel the heat on the wind. The forest around her was dry, peaking for the fall rains to start. It had been a long summer, but so many monumental changes had happened in such a short time. She and her friends were well on their way to changing the world forever, in just one summer. It seemed impossible.

    Jenika missed her mother the most when she sat here. She would have valued her mother's input on all the events this summer. Behind her up the path was the cabin that held her world, the people that she had collected around her, the people that made all of this bearable. And Leo.

    He watched her sit cross legged in the grass in her spot, her back to him. A fearsome power in such a lovely lady. He loved the way her long hair hung to her waist as she sat with her back straight and her head high. Never had he thought that he would meet such an amazing girl. He hated coming to this little town before he met her. His parents had created a city boy when they sent him off to college to study. Now look at him, growing food for the world. And look at her... Beautiful. The sight of her made him weak in the knees. Her every movement made him hot and hard. The smallest breath on his neck could finish him off. He loved her so much, it actually almost hurt.

    Before he realized it, he had walked the distance between them and knelt next to her.

    He knew he wasn't supposed to bother her while she was working, but he couldn't help it. He softly brushed a stray hair off her bare shoulder, and trailed his fingers down the side of her tank top.

    She turned her face to him and smiled a smile he just had to kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and lay back pulling him unto her.

    Sage was amazing. She planned her wedding deftly and organized all the churches onto one international nondenominational database that tracked children that needed aide, and matched them to people who wanted a child. The churches sprang into action providing all the support that was required to make this massive undertaking run smoothly. It was a colossal reorganization of the worlds adoption services, but worked mainly because there was no fear of a child being abused or taken advantage of. The worry was that there was no guarantee that a new parent would be a good one, There was no law against being lazy, neglectful, or just plain nuts, but the churches provided volunteers that would visit new homes monthly, and observations were made public. They did the best they could, and the results were amazing.

The wedding was set for September 2, they wanted to get it out of the way and move on with life!

    Sage had been growing her hair to the perfect wedding length her whole life, She kept her blond curly hair healthy and shiny. She even had her mother's wedding dress that surprisingly was still fashionable. She loved Toby's mother and delegated quite a few tasks to help keep her occupied now that she was divorced. This wedding had brought Sage's mother and Toby's mother together, and they planned like fiends, giggling like high school girls! A lot of wine went into the planning of Sage and Toby's wedding! It was going to be simple and elegant and over their dead bodies, everyone would have fun!

#### Chapter 22

    Steven spent his time trying to predict the future of man and create solutions that could head off some toxic issues. He could see some potential problems with peoples' behavior arising as time went on.

    People were people and they were not always likable. The cleansing had punished all the people who had done evil, but that is where it needed to stop. People could think evil thoughts as long as they didn't hurt another. Leave it to the human race to find a loop hole and continue on being crappy.

    It was not considered evil to be selfish or neglectful. A person could threaten and terrorize, to a certain degree, as long as they didn't act. There were cases of laziness and bullying. Some were self centered, some were spoiled. These things were hurtful to some, but so far, not evil.

     But as Good became the new best, crappy became the new evil. The victims of the crappiness felt increasingly more victimized than they would have before the cleansing. Now the trauma of simple relationship breakup, was perceived as harsh as, say, being raped. The victims, feeling as if life should be a perfect, felt a deeper trauma, the perceptions of right and wrong were shifting.

    The Voice had mentioned the challenge of negative human nature. Steven surmised that there would always be victims and offenders. If it didn't stop here, then where did it stop? If the spoiled and neglectful people are punished than what would the next offense be? Squeezing the toothpaste tube from the middle?

    The human race was again in need of some remolding. It was a problem for the world to solve, and he proposed his problem in the next session.

    "This is interesting." He spoke to the group, holding a pile of papers. "This is only a sample of the stories that poured in. The interesting part is that these are stories of how people felt abused, there are no stories of  people who felt bad for doing something wrong."

    "I guess now is the time when the world debates the "grey" areas of societies' behavior. There are so many what ifs that it would take a millennia to unravel how society handles our new evil. We cannot know that time will make people feel less like victims.

Lets open up the forums and just listen as people talk the solutions out."

     They listened for three days. Problems and solutions came and went, and groups of the same minds were formed. There were those that were extreme, and there were those that rationalized problems away. It became evident that there were some main threads, but the most popular thread was that there would always be a cause and effect. For instance if people were punished for being selfish, how would you define selfishness, and what would be the punishment, and what would happen if people were no longer wanting things for themselves? Would they work or barter and trade? Then after all the selfishness was eradicated, then would we start punishing lazy people, then stupid people?

After five days of debate, the extreme, the ineffective, and the just plain crazy threads of debate were weeded out.

    It seemed the world as a community was forming the single mind that as long as evil was not done, then the rest, as bad as it may be, should just be left to work itself out. Society, had evolved to a more black and white view. It was a harsh reality, but it seemed the only way to keep human nature in check. Humans seemed to need adversity to form themselves into an individual. There had to be the fortunate and unfortunate, healthy and sick, nice and not so nice. It made people act, otherwise they would just sit around and rot. life had to have a degree of difficulty because that's how personalities were formed. But as a whole, it was decided that people should just toughen up and get over it, cause they were not going to get justice.

    Yes, it was bad that the marked were shunned, and it was awful that there was collateral damage where the families were concerned, but it was decided that as time went on, those people would pass on and the cycles would cease to be. It was a decision that no one was happy about, but it seemed to them to be the most logical, otherwise, in the end it WOULD be a crime to squeeze the middle of the tube of toothpaste, then maybe to not smile at every single person in a restaurant upon entering or something inane like that.

    If people had different views as to what was bad then it was just too bad, no one felt sorry for them when they were surprised to be punished. For instance, there used to be a group called NAMBLA, these people believed that society was wrong and that sexual relationships between an adult and child were wonderful. They were wrong. Very wrong. Just because you wish it to be true does not mean it will be.

    Some people believed that whatever made them feel good was a good thing, like cheating on their spouses. It was fun for them and how dare the spouses feel hurt and stop their fun? Some people liked raping others, and didn't want it to be wrong. These were extreme examples, but ignorance and wishful thinking did not save a person. Some argued, he only did it once and now he's a good person, or he only stole to feed his starving family, The answer came back, did others suffer because of it? or if he had the ingenuity and energy to steal then why not use his brains and ambition to work?

    Society needed to be harder, colder, less accepting. They were changing their way of thinking, slowly. It had only been a half of a year and many were still in shock. Some still thought they could reason and rationalize away their behavior. It was hard for humans to change their ways so quickly after a lifetime of thinking that they could get away from punishments or not being punished for offenses they felt were minor, they had to make a conscious effort to change their lifestyles, actions, and reactions.

    But the punishments were still doled out. Thanks to the Entities, there was nowhere for the bad to hide, they were all knowing and all seeing. They did not see grey. There would always be work for Jenika. Humans were fallible.

    Out of Stevens online philosophy groups, the world society formed a court of sorts to deal with the most grievous grey area infractions. In the Grey court the bad things that the Voice didn't pay attention to were dealt with. This was a court of hundreds of peers. They had plenty to do. The premise was the same, both sides were heard and the punishment was decided by groups on the world internet. In the grey court you were punished or not, by hundreds of their peers from around the world. The known law was essentially thrown out, as the majority decision ruled, and usually the offense was told to get over it, and when hundreds of people told you that you were out of line, then you got the message.

    It was back to the way it had been and if a school wanted to put up a Christmas tree, or an angel, then they could. If you didn't like it, don't look or put your menorah next to it.

#### Chapter 23

    Father Martin lived with the shame of his actions every day. He mourned that he had devoted his life to God and felt deceived by the church. He threw himself into the betterment of the world like a mad man and was as much of a zealot about his work as he had been about God.

    His work as a guidance counselor was highly effective and he helped others through the transition through blunt truths and humor. Talking to groups on the internet took up much of his time and in between, he had formed a separate group online that set to writing a whole new "Bible". This Bible was much shorter and to the point. It was a real guide to the behavior of man. The group of religious scholars called this book, "The Bible of Man, The only edition." It started, "Man shall not kill. Period."

He chose this as his penance.

    He did adapt though, and he was finding a place in the group of people that had begrudgingly adopted him. They found that under all of his intensity, he had a hilarious way of seeing the world and an uncanny gift of understatement. He had rarely been whimsical enough in the past to aspire to make people laugh, but now as he loosened up, he found that it was fun to make a person laugh till they rolled on the ground. He was becoming a beloved companion at dinner. He was the one responsible for suggesting that Jenika use her fire to barbeque some burgers, and roast some marshmallows. It actually worked and they had a blast, trying to adjust the temperature!

    The wedding was approaching and Jenika did as much as she could to help Sage by letting her boss her around. Sage delegated wedding duties from her computer as she set up her adoption program.

    The adoption program was an instant success without the over regulation of the government. Sage and Toby had immediately set up an international data base of offered homes for children in need. She, and Toby with the aid of Mark and Michelle, every church in the world, the police, and a host of computer programmers, set the program up in an astounding five days. It was fairly simple, the word of the need for homes was sent out through the internet and the churches, and those interested in taking in a child would put their name address and phone number on the site, the police or anyone who had need, would call down the list of homes offered in their area. No one had to buy a baby.

The success of this site in turn led to aiding the homeless situation, and the jobless situation. The group was indebted to the community of computer geeks and did everything they could to see them rewarded and commended.

    This new world could not have advanced as quickly and efficiently without the internet. Geeks were Gods. Jenika was in awe at the helpfulness of these people, and because of them and the net, this wedding was going to rock!

    Jenika had called Joe the pilot and asked if he could fly the newlyweds away on a honeymoon, and he said he knew just the place! They talked for awhile and he offered his plane to the cause. Jenika heard a change in his voice and thought the new world sounded good on him.

    She walked up behind Sage and Toby as they both tapped away at their keyboards and  watched them work. Occasionally one would stop and ask the other a question, they would discuss it and then move on. They were an excellent team, the children couldn't have had a better duo on their side!

    "Hey guys?" They both turned away from their concentration, bleary eyed and focused on the cupcakes in Jenika's hand. "Ooh! That's service for ya!" "Put em here!" Sage motioned with an elbow, as her fingers began to finish their train of thought on the keyboard.

    The cupcakes were wedding cake samples that she had Jenika order from town.

Sage had planned her wedding down to the detail when she was 10 and now all she had to do was delegate the finer details and surmount any obstacles and it was done!

The flavor of the cake was the last detail. She had had her dress fitted by Alana as she dictated her thoughts to Toby on his keyboard. She was a machine, she never stopped, she had help from around the world, and there was always someone awake somewhere in the world!  That was how she and the hundreds of people in her group were able to save the children in 5 days!

    Father Martin was actually a little nervous about officiating over Sage and Toby's wedding. He wanted to forego the usual church ceremony and create  a new tradition of union between two people! He was honored to bind the two lives, but felt the pressure that he may be creating a new ceremony that would be an ongoing tradition for all of time! It had to be beautiful and meaningful, not just because it was Toby and Sage, but because it was a new world!

    Larry had asked Julie, the bagel shop owner, to be his wife. He had decided to not wait till the wedding for their first date and found her to be fun and sexy and they had been together every day since. There was no point in his mind in waiting, he had been alone long enough. Life was too short.

    Sasha went up to the cabin every time he had a break in classes. He sat to the side and watched the friendly bustle of his friends working. Occasionally, one would ask his advice or opinion, but mostly they respected his choice to simply be with them and observe.  He reflected on how vastly this small group was impacting the world.

    None of the ones he had known before the cleansing, had changed much, other than to grow up. They seemed to stay the same as they effected changes on the world around them.

    He had never owned a television, but felt compelled to buy one now and watch as the world changed day to day. The one impossible change that had been made was that the government ceased to function as it had almost overnight. It had geared up like a rusty old machine and began to run as a corporation would. Streamlined and well oiled. The prime function of the government was to better the world for the people and the earth itself. The owners of the corporation was man. This seemed an impossible task to Sasha, but without greed, and threats, how else would it run?

    Before Jenika had come to him with her crazy story, he had never even dared to dream of such things. Jenika. He had never thought of her as special. She was just a good kid, he liked her heart. He never wanted to have children and preferred a solitary life, he was grateful that he had met her now, and was honored that she had folded him into her circle of friends. He saw them as family and knew the feeling was reciprocated. He thought of Jenika as the heart of that family now.  Sasha turned from his thoughts and gazed out the window, there he saw Alana sitting cross legged overlooking the deep green valley. He rose to go keep her company.

    "These young people seem so determined and capable." Alana stated as he sat near her and took in the view. "I feel old around their energy."

    "You are no older than I." The master said with closed eyes.

    "Hmpf! As if!" She scoffed. He looked at her through one open eye, with a tiny teasing smile. "They are doing well. I would not have known where to start."

     "Yes. Before all of this, the thought of having the youth of society run the world would have terrified me." They sat in silence alternately viewing the breathtaking view and closing their eyes to hear the wind in the treetops. "It is easier that some have been weeded out and strict parameters have been set. I have more confidence in them now. To think that these changes have occurred in our lifetime is incredible."

    "Can I ask you a question?" Alana turned slightly to face him.

"You could."

    She thought for awhile, composing her thoughts into words carefully. "You and I seem to be similar. We are satisfied with life and are solitary people. Has visiting Heaven changed you in any way?"

    Sasha rolled the possible answers around in his mind and tried to decide how to answer. "Yes," he said slowly. "I was never afraid of dying and I am still not. But living, I may have been hesitant, but no longer." He watched her to see her reaction, but there was no sign. "You?"

    "I feel the same. In the past, I would not have allowed these people into my home, and now I am glad that I have." She gazed away. "Now I can't imagine my life without them."

    They sat again in silence, and both smiled contentedly when the sounds of laughter came through the wind down from the cabin.

    After awhile her smile faded and she regarded him seriously. "But there's something else isn't there?"

    His eyes closed, almost as if he were hoping she hadn't felt it too.

    "It feels too perfect, doesn't it? Is it because I'm old and cynical? Maybe it's all happening too fast? Maybe we're forgetting something?" Her questions drifted off because neither of them in their wisdom knew what caused the apprehension.

#### Chapter 24

    Jenika had continued working with Sasha on her martial arts and her meditation. It was said that some Himalayan monks spent their lives perfecting the art of meditation. She didn't boast, but she was getting so good at her job, that she could now multitask and as she would work throughout her day, her friends would occasionally see her hair levitate and tendrils of fire would snake out, flipping around people and obstacles into oblivion to punish a new sinner, and then whoosh back. It was commonplace now and they no longer stared at her. Leo had once tried to reach out and touch a length of fire, and Martin slapped his hand away.

    "Really?!" The priest shook his head in exasperation.

    "What!? You know you want to feel one!"

    "I have, genius! Remember when we first met? They lifted me off the ground, and I pissed myself!" The Father got a wicked look in his eye. "On second thought, go ahead, touch one! But wait till I get my cell so I can put you on YouTube pissing yourself!"

The guys joked back and forth about steaming piss.

    Suddenly, Jenika dropped what she was doing and her head snapped back. It was all so fast and so unusual for her to go into her trance anymore that it took awhile for everyone to notice and gather around her in concern. They hadn't seen that many tentacles of fire rush out of her in a long time and they mumbled together, waiting for it to stop.

They heard the whipping of the returning fire before they saw it and Leo rushed to catch Jenika as her weak knees betrayed her.

    "Jen! are you Ok?" "What was it?"

    Jenika didn't really know, she was unprepared and was not used to paying attention any more. All she could say was that it was a different side of the world, and there were many.

    Steven, Toby, Leo, Martin, and Sage ran to their computers and madly started typing or talking to other people around the world asking for news. This had been a large group punished. Obviously, they had only just then committed an act because punishment was swift. They had done something horrible as a group.  They must not have known that they were going to do it.

    It took four days for news to start trickling in from the outskirts of Pakistan. A small village, that had  no communications, had been slaughtered down to the last child. 102 people had been killed by a group of militants. The militants were young and they were led by a mysterious fanatic, whom no one outside the group had seen.  The stories claimed there had been 9 murderers, they were identified by their burnt bodies. They all theorized that that was only a portion of the group. It had been a long time since something this graphic had occurred. Lately, murders were only committed out of passion or mental defect, and then only in single digits. The world heard the story and mourned. This was a big deal, murder was no longer common. There were people talking about how Jenika was to blame for this tragedy. She agreed. She felt so responsible.

    Why had the Voice not warned her, did the entities know about what was going to happen?They didn't seem to be constrained by time like humans were.

    The group theorized about the situation, and included various groups on the net, including the government and the world court. The government had the most information on the radical factions in the Middle East and the world. Their theory is that the leader was trying to gather information on the response time of the punishment, and anything else that it could divine in order to try to defeat Jenika, or avoid her. Their motives had a wide range from religious, to a grab for power. Nothing was known. Jenika sent out the tendrils to hunt, but they came back wanting. Either they were dead or they didn't see the wrong in their actions, of course it was not a crime to think or talk about evil things, only to act, if so, everyone would be dead.

    The military had effectively been disbanded and they had been scattered around the world carrying out humanitarian duties. They built shelters, planted crops, trained governments to  lead instead of taking, and cleaned up damage to the earth.

    Jenika was the worlds military now, so all they could do was wait and hope this would never happen again. Word was sent out to cities around the world calling for peace. Asking the men around that area to be aware and protect their towns. Be safe, was the plea.

    Jenika set her watch to the time zone of the village, and consciously hunted for anyone that might be feeling guilt. There was nothing. It was as if they had a shield that she couldn't penetrate.

    Four days went by and nothing happened in that region. Then a rape happened in nearby Syria. It seemed normal, but Jenika was suspicious. She let her fire linger on the rapist, teasing and torturing. She made sure that the perpetrator stayed alive, she needed to see who took him to the hospital. But instead of going to the hospital, the man killed himself. Or was he silenced? She had to let it go, there was no proof.

    The government sent out a call for any military men that wanted to help to come forward and reconnoiter. There many Seals and other elite forces from around the world that were eager to help and the world waited for any information on the group, or the leader, or just why.

    Other groups set out to educate the young people in that area, like missionaries. They tried to give the young that were impressionable, lost and confused, a place to go, pride, and a purpose. Most of all broad education was flooded over the area for young and old. Teachers, and computers were brought in from everywhere, eager to help! The world was stretching out, trying to push aid to all corners of the world.

Steven gave a talk on the rebellion of youth. The whys and the how's. The young were always susceptible to the teachings of those they see to know the secrets of life and sometimes that ended in a Jonestown event. This was the working theory of the leaders' motivations. The general opinion was that someone was influencing young people who had no sins. It was not a crime to listen to rhetoric. The leader had no conscience, but needed power to fill the void the conscience left. There was hate in the man's heart for some reason. The world was trying to fight the leader with education and information.

Unfortunately, there were many poor, uneducated youth, wandering around looking for answers to their questions, and rebellion gave them a purpose. The Entities were silent.

    To counteract the lure of such a mad man, educators did their best to teach skills that were valuable to their village and to their loved ones. Giving them responsibility for the safety of the young and infirm. The educators thought that if these young people protected the groups that needed help, that they would be too proud to kill them.

#### Chapter 25

    The group in the cabin shoved aside all the negativity for Toby and Sages wedding.

    The forest around the cabin thrilled with excitement! The dirt road to the cabin had been lined with roses all along the way! Guests parked their cars alongside the road and walked up to the house. Comfortable shoes had been requested.

Long ribbons hung high in the trees and they wafted lazily in the breeze, it looked like a fairy forest! Chairs circled stumps everywhere you looked and the field overlooking the valley was mowed and sprinkled with rose petals! Gazebos cluttered with flowers and satin lined the clearing overlooking the beautiful valley. An arch thick with flowers stood on the valley end.

    There was a smile on every face and Toby and Sages mothers were drunk on wine and arm in arm they were greeted every single person! Giggling and stumbling from group to group.

    Mark and Michelle had named their little girl Eve, and as the flower girl, she had a wreath of flowers in her halo of blond curls. She was set in the care of a host of older girls and they pulled her through the crowd in a decorated wagon. Eve sqealed with delight, blowing bubbles! It was gay and the first time Alana had opened her home to hundreds of people. Most had brought a dish to share and the tables were laden with food and treats.

    This late summer day, was the perfect day. As laughter dotted the forest, Jenika and Leo walked hand in hand through the crowd.  Leo stopped Jenika with a gentle pull on her hand. "If there were a place here on earth that rivaled the Voices Heaven, this would be it. Today, with you, with them, " He motioned to the happy faces.

His father caught his eye and seeing his mood, saluted him with his wine glass and turned back to his wife, smiling a knowing smile.

    Jenika was only just getting to know his parents, she found them warm and comfortable, but they made her ache for her mother. She pulled Leo to her and smiled a smile just for him. Behind him, he hadn't noticed Steven trolling through the crowd towards them with a video camera, but Jenika did! Out of the corner of her eye she saw her best friend, the bride, arrive on the scene, still dressed in her jeans, hands clasped with Alana's and her groom.

    Jenika slowly sunk down on one knee in front of Leo. Leo looked startled and went to help her up thinking she had fallen. Her eyes met quickly with Sages, and seeing a happy tear trickle down her friends face, she nodded to her and she quickly looked up into Leo's eyes and took both of his hands in hers. The crowd had quieted and they were staring at Jenika down on one knee.

    "Leo, With our dearest friends bearing witness, I would ask you to honor me by becoming my husband?" She forced herself to say the words slowly, with feeling.

    The entire crowd lifted their eyes from Jenika to Leo, a gasp echoed through the crowd, as those not privy were surprised. Leo's mother had not been informed and the tips of her fingers pressed her lips, her eyes brimming. His father looked proud, he saluted his son with his glass again with a teasing wink. He knew.

    Emotions flashed across Leo's face like flash cards and Jenika really hoped his face would show the happy card when it was done going round the roulette wheel.

    He dropped to his knees with Jenika and said. "Girl! I love you so much!"

    Jenika laughed at his awkwardness. "Does that mean yes?"

    He gathered her against him and whispered yes into her hair over and over.

    Jenika stood and pulled him up with her and faced the crowd and her friends, "He said yes!" She squealed!

    Everyone whistled and shouted and clapped and Jenika saw Sage frantically motioned to her pocket. "Oh! I almost forgot!" Jenika brought a ring from her pocket and tried to catch Leo's excited hand as he waved to his friends. She grabbed him and kissed him after she pushed the ring onto his finger. Then they were mobbed by a hundred well wishers!

' _Well, that went well!'_ She thought as she tapped the nervous sweat off of her neck.

    Jenika fluffed Sage's wedding dress. She looked stunning in it, like she was born to model it! She seemed so at home in it! Jenika didn't think a wedding dress was her own style, but then again she hadn't been planning this day for ten years. She didn't know what her style was.

    "Thank you for sharing your day with us." She and Sage had been secretly planning this proposal for a few days.  Jenika took her friends shoulders and look straight into her eyes. "You complete me!" Sage started her excited bouncing but Jenika held her firmly on the floor. "I love you kid, but leave the bouncy Tigger thing for later. No bouncing, and no crying on your wedding day!"

    God, she loved this friend of hers! She deserved this perfect day with her perfect guy!

    Father Martin stood next to the arch of flowers and ribbons and waited.

Sage and Toby stood at opposite ends of the field. Between them stood Jenika, Sasha, Julie, Steven in the middle with Eve in her wagon, Larry, and then Alana and Leo. They stood far apart in an arc. Flanking them was the entire party.

    Sage and Toby started to walk to Father Martin together at a diagonal, and when they had walked half the distance, Jenika and Leo started to walk the same path, Alana and Sasha came next, followed by Larry and Julie, and Steven walked straight down the middle, pulling Eve. Each couple met in the middle and walked together the rest of the way to the arch. The crowd rambunctiously cheered and whistled as they walked the distance!

    "Alright everyone! Simmer down, simmer down!" Father martin tried to temper down the crowd but they hollered even louder! Toby and Sage were grinning and bowing and curtsying like actors saying goodnight!

    "Ok, Ok! Go ahead, get it all out, go for it!" He chuckled good naturedly and gave up and joined the crowd!

    Sage held up her hands for attention and swooped her hands down in a quit sign and the crowd all hushed together, She bowed her mock thanks and turned her attention to Martin.

    "Well! I'm guessing there won't be anyone here who intends to object to this union!" Someone hooted out in the crowd.  "Except him!" The crowd chuckled!

    "Ok, I admit this occasion is happy and fun, But I had prepared a serious ceremony because this is my first wedding without God in my heart, actually, this is a wedding of many firsts! The Hand of God is ACTUALLY in attendance! He presented Jenika and she bowed to the cheering crowd! Martin tucked his notes into his pocket.

    "I started out wanting to talk about vows and duty. I thought that maybe in this new world I could say something awesome so that it would become a tradition in this blank new slate of a world."

    "But scrap that! I'm not presiding over this ceremony as an official, only as a friend.

So this is what I propose! All of you here came because you love the two standing before me, is that right?" The crowd roared.

 "You came because you want them to be husband and wife, right?" The crowd answered "Right!"

"As one everybody, as loud as you can! Repeat after me! "

"We celebrate your love!" The crowd shouted it at the couple.

"We will be here for you always!" Sage and Toby shouted it at each other!

Sage was bouncing! "We wish you a long and happy life together!" "We love you!"

"I am honored to present to you....The Huffman's!!!

The crowd was yelling and cheering and bouncing like Sage! Tears flowed freely. People laced their arms with each other and waved their free arm back and forth like they were at a concert! Sages mom started to sing out loud, "I just want to celebrate" And the entire crowd joined in!

    Jenika held Leo and Alana, they cried together, they were so happy and with all they had been through together, this was the epitome joy for them! Everywhere Alana looked there was smiling and singing, it was contagious! Steven had swooped up Eve and he danced her around!

    Alana caught for an instant a face that was not smiling and for a moment it did not register, but then she looked back! Warning bells went off and she stiffened, gripping Jenika's arm hard. Jenika didn't notice, but as Alana looked around she saw one more unsmiling face, then another. She began to shake Jenika's arm harder in warning.

    Suddenly, the song was peppered with a volley of fireworks or loud pops! The song turned to screams and in place of the clapping, gunshots! People dropped.

    The machine gun reports echoed down the mountain and vanished into the valley. People that were only just then happy, fell. There was screaming and scattering, pushing and shoving the others away.  People dragging their loved ones to safety away from the field. For the second time in Jenika's life, time slowed and the scene before became clear and detailed. Toby was to her left clutching Sage as she slumped to the ground. His face frozen in a mask of anguish. Sages perfect wedding dress was ruined.

    Leo was scratching at Jenika trying to grab her away and to safety. In his panic he tried to hold onto her with his fingernails. Jenika didn't feel it. Stunned, she was immovable.

The stampede of people fleeing sent a cloud of late summer dust into the air and it salted Jenika's eyes.

    Father Martin had thrown himself down in front of Toby who sat not caring, rocking Sage, face screaming to the sky. Jenika saw Leo's mouth form the words, get down! In slow motion, but in slow motion she would be too late! He was blown from her sight.

    Jenika caught a glimpse of Steven running, hunched over Eve as if she were a football. He stumbled and curled his body around her as he fell.

She spun towards the places people were running away from and counted five men dressed in white Middle Eastern garb! Their eyes shined with fanatical determination. One of them was shouting "Die Devils!" A couple of the machine guns went quiet and two more men stepped forward and fully loaded, they began to spray the fleeing guests.

    Jenika heaved and erupted like a volcano! Her fire swirled to attention so fast the weather over her head changed and crackled with electricity. Her fire roared out so loud the sound of the guns were deafened. A tendril for each of the assassins divided off, each one as thick as a tree trunk. She bent to a crouch and ran like a charging beast towards the center of the field, oblivious to her black satin wedding dress.

    The fire was so hot it burned white blue. Each tendril surrounded its victim, and the gun fire ceased. A couple of the men tried to stare the fire down in defiance, the others were shitting themselves.

    In the absence of gunfire, people ran back to those that were laying wounded in the field or to collect those that had been cut down, calling for  Doctor Lewis. Traumatized people huddled together. Yet others were furious and ready for a fight, running to the captured men as if they would tackle them out of Jenika's fire.

    Jenika's tentacles herded the seven men in white towards her, licking them with searing slaps. Jenika was livid, barely containing her blood lust, but not wanting it to be over too soon. She stalked towards her captives, practically crawling like a vicious animal. The roar of the fire was terrifying and even the bravest man there cowered at the sight of her.  The dry summer grass smoked in each of her footsteps.

    She was hardly human. She screamed instead of breathing. Her hair whipped and snapped like a bullwhip. As her mouth slathered and her eyes burned with hatred, they flicked from man to man barely holding back her hate. Tears had streaked the dust on her face, just as she had been shown in her first vision.

    One of the men spat at her and yelled "False Prophet!" At her. Jenika lost her mind and her fire ripped him back and forth through the air so violently it broke his spine as it burned him. The shaking flopped him around like a doll as bits of him were flung off, she slammed his wasted body into the ground so hard his remaining bones were imbedded in the hard summer dirt.

    In her mind, all she saw was Sage sagging to the ground as Toby frantically tried to hold her, his face a terrified mask.

    A man from the wedding was shouting and swinging a tree limb at one of the men, he wanted a piece of him so bad he looked like he would crawl through the fire to get at him. Jenika let her tentacle lift and let the man at him. The furious man fell on the bewildered man and began to savage him. Others saw the opportunity and they ran to get their piece.

    The sight of the hit man's blood pushed Jenika over the edge and she slowly squeezed her fire in on one of the men and the terrified others watched as he screamed and melted slowly his fat cells swelling and popping oozing bubbling pus. Jenika's hands caressed her hips as she enjoyed cooking the man.

    She was smiling her bad smile, and in her gorgeous black bridesmaid dress she looked luscious and dangerous. She enjoyed this way too much and when she turned her attention to the next man, he fainted with fear. Her lip stuck out in spoiled pout as she was denied his punishment, and she snapped her attention to the next man. She paced up to the column of fire that held him hostage, her nipples were stiff against the thick satin, and she locked eyes with him and willed him to feel her bottomless hatred. She wanted so badly to make him feel pain. but instead she took one step and entered the prison. Her satin dress scorched almost completely off her body and she pressed herself against the side of his quivering body. Her hand cupped his crotch and she squeezed painfully she grinned right into his face and said "You call me a devil?" "I am what you make me." The man quacked, trying to push her away.

"Who planned this slaughter?" The man shook his head violently.

    "I will keep you alive forever, I will not let you die, but I will let you watch your friends roast like the pigs that they are." The man quacked even harder and he locked eyes with one of the other men. Jenika noticed.

     "Ooh! That one? You want me to roast that one next?" Jenika purred in his ear.

     "As you wish!" The man spasmodically clutched at her.

     "No! Please no! Not my brother! Let him go and I will tell you all!"

    "Let your brother go? Of course" Jenika lifted the fire around his brother suddenly and the man, quietly said."Assad, that's how I know him.."

    Jenika growled low. "Where?"

    "At the Luxor in Vegas! He waits for us, to come so that we may complete our mission!"

     "There will be no more missions." Jenika snarled and smiled as the furious wedding party charged the man's brother and began to tear him apart.  He sobbed, and Jenika laughed at him and stepped out to let him watch. No such thing as an eye for an eye.

    Jenika stood in the middle of the field and held the remaining men in her columns of fire and waited as what was left of the wedding party surrounded them. The pack of avengers had made short work of the brother and they joined everyone panting and pumped on adrenaline. There was more than one hard on in the group.

    Half naked, Jenika made a small motion with her chin at the captives and the fire slowly began to lick them, they screamed till they were hoarse, as their skin began to blacken and crackle. They fell kicking and twitching to the ground and curled into fetal positions, still the fire closed in.  Most people turned away, their retribution satisfied but some stayed to the bitter end.  Abruptly Jenika pulled the fire away and all the tendrils joined to one roiling column of fire reaching up into the Heavens and away.

#### Chapter 26

    In Vegas, the column of fire streaked through the sky and the people on the street pointed up to it, and taped it with their phones. The column broke away into thousands of seeking fibers and covered the whole surface of the Luxor. The pyramid was beautiful wrapped in snakes of fire.

    The people inside ran for their lives. But none was in danger other than Assad. Jenika would torture him till he regretted his actions. She hoped he would be stubborn.

    The tentacles found him on the gaming floor and surrounded him. He wasn't staying there, he worked there. He must have decided to harm the sinners for his next mission.  He saw that he had been found, he smiled and he knelt to pray. The fire jerked him to his feet, denying him the bow.

    Steven had run to the cabin and called the Luxor and had gotten a hold of the casino manager and told him the story.

    "Do you want the story and it's rights or would you like him escorted out of the establishment to serve his sentence.  After a moment of thought, the manager weighed the opportunity and said, "Roast him right where he sits, we are proud to host the destruction of anyone who slaughters entire villages and fires on wedding parties."

    Those who did not want to watch were escorted out, cameras were set, and drinks were served. The manager was informed that this would not be quick. Bets were made and tickets were sold to the execution like it was an boxing match.

    It seemed depraved, to draw out this killing. The world would make the execution of this man a statement. NEVER again! In minutes, the scene was televised around the world captioned with warnings of extreme violence. And Sage would be avenged.

    Jenika sat almost naked in the lotus position under the arch, where her friend had been shot. She didn't know the fate of anyone yet, but this was her priority now, she would have plenty of time to mourn, but this man had to regret what he did and then suffer for it.

    She roasted Assad slowly as if on a spit. He screamed about false prophets. He screamed that his was the only God. He screamed that Vegas would be destroyed along with the village of sinners. The delicate tendrils of fire surrounded him like a cage. At first, he was defiant, he stepped to the fire as if to try to step through, but wherever he touched, the fire intensified and he was forced back. He screamed that No One would kill his Allah! That Jenika was committing heresy, she was a infidel with her fire. His jihad would show the unbelievers that there was one true God. Blah, Blah, Blah.

    He gave that up quickly and tried to burn himself purposely, at first in a attempt to gain mercy, then to commit suicide. His hand was burned so badly the bones could be seen through his skin, but it was nicely cauterized and would be a painful way to die.

    His body shook uncontrollably and his eyes glazed. His smugness had disappeared and his misery became evident as the sweat steamed off his red skinned forehead. He tried often to pray but the fire made him pay every time for his attempts, by slapping him viciously.  His discomfort was evident now and it had only taken a couple of hours. The thin layer of fat just below the surface of his skin blistered and boiled in places, and he bled from a couple of wounds he had sustained from onlookers throwing objects at him in fury.

    Stories of what he had done flashed across the television screens in the casino, The villagers he had murdered. The woman that was raped. The wedding massacre. The plan to bomb Vegas. There was no other place for him to look  unless he wanted to make eye contact with the crowd. People felt protective of the victims and wanted him punished. A few protested his inhumane treatment, they  didn't want him harmed. These people would rather have him thrown in jail. They were quickly out-voted, no one wanted to go back to having prisons and not getting justice. Many wanted the world to be shocked. It was a brutal reality to torture this man, but pictures of the villagers flashed slowly across the screens, the camera lingered on the swollen bodies of the innocent. He had harmed so many people.  This kind of atrocity would never again be repeated. The grey court was in session and overwhelmingly condemned him. Their comments were streaming on the ticker.,

    This man had hid successfully because he had no remorse, he felt vindicated. He felt just in his reasoning so he instigated others to do the crime for him. Jenika was sure the Entities would change that. After she made him pay. She hoped that if there was anybody else out there that was having similar thoughts, that they would see how he suffered and change their minds. She really didn't ever want to have to do this again.

     Jenika knew in her heart of hearts that she was to blame for letting this happen.  She had been busy helping with the wedding and had neglected her duties, it was too perfect how he got as far as he had, he must have read about the wedding on the internet, he must have taken the chance that she would make mistakes. People had died.

    The screens showed Assad how the world hated on him, he saw their fury. He saw on the screens that the angry faces wanted him to suffer and there would be no mercy and no pity. He weakly tried to pray to his God but was stopped every time.

    The Muslims that believed in peace and love, called him a betrayer and came together in the streets, chanting and marching.

    He began to beg for mercy, not from guilt but from pain, but the audience pointed up to the images of the villagers. His tears steamed on his face, and his thinnest skin turned black. He wailed high and long. The fire intensified for  a small moment, and then he was silent. The screens went black. The white block letters on the screen read "NO MORE MERCY." They stayed up there. The message was to be burned into every man watching. Understand, or else.

    Jenika and the world was spent. Jenika lay where she sat and sobbed. Leo came favoring his shoulder where a bullet had grazed him, and pulling a blanket over both of them, he curled protectively around her. They slept.

#### Chapter 27

    17 dead, 31 wounded. 4 of the dead were children. Life flight came and went many times. The old lumber mill sent up huge Chinook helicopters, the idle, out of work pilots were eager to help. Sage was not dead. Yet. Joe had been at the wedding and he allowed his plane to be loaded with the injured to be flown out of town to other hospitals.

    Jenika wanted to kill those responsible over and over again.

As she stood looking at the carnage of the ruined wedding she suddenly knew the answer.

In her agony she thought how wonderful it would be to be back in Heaven. Where there was no pain.

    Then she thought, "Why should we exist on this loathsome plane, just for the sake of a different Entities art?" "If I ended the entire world, we would all be in Heaven and all problems would be solved!"

    Could it be that easy? She ran to the cabin explaining to Leo as she went.

    She stood in the living room of the cabin and watched Michelle cradle little Eve with her tiny little broken arm. She would be on the next flight out. Could she really roast the tiny girl to death? Leo pulled her into his arms. She looked deep into his blue eyes. In Heaven, she wouldn't care about him, human relationships were miniscule in the gleaming white of Heaven. She so wanted to be his wife.

     She looked about the room and saw Larry holding Julie, he was finally with the one he loved. She had never seen him hold someone.

    This summer had been so full of pain and love. She saw understanding in Leo's eyes, but also she saw worry.

    "Baby, let's just wait and see how Sage and the others are before we make any knee-jerk decisions." He kissed her forehead, and she knew he was telling her to stand down. He was so logical. " Let's go find my parents." He slipped his tuxedo shirt over her shoulders and helped her put her arms in the sleeves like a child. She only then realized that her dress had been mostly incinerated and mere scraps clung to her curvy body.

He leered at her jokingly. "Not that I would otherwise mind, but I don't want to think of my dad as a dirty old man!"

    She peeled melted fabric off of her hip before letting him cover her. "It must've been pretty hot, my clothes don't usually burn."

    He looked at her oddly. "Why doesn't your hair ever burn?"

    Jenika shrugged, "None of me burns."

    He looked at her with frank curiosity. She elaborated. "The fire is psychic, It's mental, not physical."

    "So you burn people with your mind?"

    "Kind of." They walked together through the throngs of people still injured or helping.

    Leo's father sat with his wife and Sasha. They tended Alana. Jenika ran to her side. "Why didn't anyone tell me!?" She quickly assessed her dearest friend. It was bad.

    "Why hasn't she been taken?"

    "Ssh, child. I didn't want to go." Alana squeezed Jenika's hand.

    "The doctors from the helicopter gave her some pain meds, she's more comfortable now." Leo's father patted her shoulder.

    Alana had been shot in the gut. Without the pain medication, she would have been passed out. The bullets had almost torn her in half, she was saved from the pain by shock.

    "My life has been a work of art and I have no regrets, now I'm eager to move on!" She smiled. "Thank you for letting me be part of this."

    Jenika smiled too, her friend was going to Heaven. She wanted the best for her. She only shed tears for herself. She would miss Alana's curt humor and clever wisdom.

    "Say hi to my mom!" "I love you so much!"

Alana nodded weakly and passed away.

    Jenika had felt this same feeling before when she found her mom. Like a little girl, scared and alone. Again she pressed her tear slippery cheek to someone she loved.

    Sasha was not known for physical contact unless he was striking you, but now his hand softly grasped Jenika's wrist and the other cupped her face. "She loved you very much." He looked deep into her eyes to make his point and his hands then fell to his sides and he walked away slowly. He looked older suddenly.

    For this tragedy, Jenika was able to lose herself in her circle of friends and they shared her grief.

     Little Eve was so brave. She warily let her dad carry her up into the vibrating helicopter, as her mom, Michelle, helped a man in with a shoulder injury. It was the last trip the helicopter could make in the dwindling light of the mountain.

    Cars had been used instead of the two town ambulances to carry the dead and slightly injured down the mountain. It would be a long, bumpy trip.

    The last of the helpers hugged and cried and drifted to their cars, and soon the last of the group was alone. They called Toby for news and were told that Sage was still in surgery. He told them he needed his space and that they should come tomorrow.

    The cabin was so quiet. Each in their own thoughts, some reliving the horror, some trying to forget.

    "This can never happen again." Jenika stated. "I don't know how but we need to stop this from ever happening again."

    Every last one of her friends hung their heads. No one had the  answer. She stood and paced. Thinking.

    "Do I have to make the executive decision and cleanse the entire world of humanity just for the sake of a few bad people? I think that if we are going to succeed we are going to have to change human nature, is that even possible?" Jenika stared at her friends one by one.

    Steven took the ice away from his bruised face. "Jen, we understand your frustration, but think about how humans would evolve without pain and suffering? I think we would be a race of flaccid, unimaginative, weak, heartless beings."

    Jenika Stepped up to the challenge. "Animals are surviving just fine without torture and murder."

    "Yes, but they don't have imagination, they don't create like we do."

Steven was trying to argue for the human race but Jenika didn't feel her pain lessen.

    "Who said we have to endure this kind of horror just for some Entities to have their art class? Heaven exists. We've been there. What is stopping me from sending every human there?"

    "Yes, but Jenika, you yourself would be murdering an entire world on your say so. Most people won't want you to make that decision for them."

    "Fine, I'll ask permission!"

But Steven just shook his head. "You can't send people there. They don't belong outside of their time. They'll just be sent back. Besides, we don't know the situation. Maybe there's a population limit, you may be harming the environment there, you could conceivably ruin Heaven!"

    Jenika rubbed her face, she was tired, she felt old. "Fine. I won't send everyone to Heaven, and I won't reduce humans to animals."

    She was joking, lamely, but she didn't feel humorous. She didn't even feel like lightening the mood. She just wanted the pain to stop. There had to be an answer.

    She held out her arms for Leo but stopped in mid stride, arms still frozen in place for a hug.

    "Wait." She crinkled her brow with thought. "Ok, I got it." Her face brightened. She wagged her finger at each one of her friends."Wait for it!" She poured over her idea in her mind. Body straightening along with her resolve.

    "Ok, so this thought needs a group shove, but here's the seed." She whirled to face them, her long hair following. She pointed at Steven. "You said animals don't create."

She walked over and brushed her fingertips over Leo's jaw, thinking.

    "Alana's dying words were that her life had been a work of art. She also told Martin that he needed something constructive to do to pull himself out of his grief and she put him on the computer!" She swirled away from Leo to face everyone else.  "The Entity said that they create life as art. They, for all intents and purposes, used to be human but now have achieved a higher enlightenment."

    Steven picked up the train of thought. "So if we want to be more like them, we need to do what they do, create!"

    Larry added. "Literally every person has a thing, something they do well. I fix cars, Leo plants crops, martin has humor, Sage has organization...." He trailed off remembering Sage fighting for her life. They all paused a moment with a thought for her.

"Remember when the Entity took away addiction? That wasn't a punishment with fire, it was different."

    Jenika nodded. "I went into a trance, of a sorts, like I was more of a conduit. The Entity reached through me and just turned addiction off like a switch, it took, like, a half an hour!"

    "Can creativity and imagination be turned up, or even on for that matter?" Leo asked.

    Julie spoke up. "Ok, so let me get this straight. You, as a group, along with an higher being, have been trying to change the world into a utopian society? In one summer you have eradicated evil and at one point this summer you cured all humans from their addictions? You are finding it difficult because humans can be weak and/or have an evil streak? And now you want to divert the path that humans are on and guide them towards enlightenment and higher understanding through art?"

    The group blinked at her. She was right. What they had done was impossible. Was it too much to ask for not even one evil person to exist? Were they being greedy? Would art really save the world?

    "All right guys, let's think on this. At least Jenika is not wiping the human race off the face of the earth." Father martin started motivating the troops, ushering them out of the room and to bed. " We need to get some things around here done first. The world needs to hear from us about what happened up here. We need to check on our injured and bury our dead. After we get all that organized, we should have all thought this out and we can meet to discuss this with the world, they should have a say."

#### Chapter 28

    The next morning, Sasha, Leo, and Martin wrapped Alana's body and as a group they buried her next to Jenika's mothers memorial.

    Sasha and Jenika spoke some words. Jenika felt guilty that Sage and Toby missed it but she knew they didn't need the stress of anything else at the moment.

    Jenika pushed the small white cross into the ground. "I know that Alana would appreciate this simple cross next to my mothers. But she was such a huge force of nature that I feel I should be erecting a mausoleum to honor her. I loved this woman. I valued her. She saved me and she changed my life. The world is a lesser place without her in it." She stepped back, not being able to say anything else around the aching lump in her throat.

    Sasha stepped forward and placed the flowers from Sages altar on the grave.

He was silent for a long moment.  "It may be once in a life time that one would meet and come to know a person such as she. She not only touched lives, she enhanced them. I am honored to have known her well enough to call her friend."

The group honored her and said goodbye.

It was time to go down and be there for Toby and Sage. They piled in a couple of cars and began the long journey down the mountain.

    Leo didn't drive the Challenger the way a Challenger needed to be driven. He drove like a grandma. Jenika made a mental note to school him in the art of driving a muscle car when she got a moment. It was a disgrace, is what it was!

    Toby was exhausted and bruised. He sat curled in the uncomfortable comfortable chairs next to his mom and Sages parents. He couldn't even muster a smile when they came in.

    Jenika wanted to wrap her arms around him and keep him safe from all the pain. She wanted to take it all away, or flip across the street to his rescue.

    Sages mom, Tracy, was hung over and she was missing some fingernails on one hand.

"She's been in there all night. Three different surgeons have gone in and not come out!"

Her voice wavered with worry. Sage was everyone's bright light. She was the groups princess, sweet and naive, and disgustingly positive. The group needed her badly. She kept the dark at bay.

    It was over an hour before the three surgeons came through the door. They looked bone tired.

    The group swallowed their questions and let the exhausted surgeons speak.

    "She was struck by two bullets. One hit her lower spine and refracted into her right hip.

The other struck just to the right of her spine hitting her two lower ribs and refracting through her large intestine in a few places. She was lucky the bullets didn't bounce around more than they did. We think she will recover nicely. She is healthy, young and strong." There was a long exhausted pause. "We are very sorry." A long pause. "The chances of her ever walking again are nil."

    Tracy gasped and swooned but Steven caught her and guided her to a chair. Toby grasped the surgeons arm. "Please tell me, can she have a baby? We were just married yesterday. She wanted to start trying for a child right away!"

    The surgeon looked to his peers for counsel. They shrugged, nodding. "We think so, her uterus was not damaged, the spine protected it." "Obviously the right away part will be impossible, the rest would be up to her ability to conceive."

    Toby shook hands with the men. "Thank you for telling us in layman's terms, and thank you for all your hard work."

    "You need to go home all of you. She will sleep for a couple of days at least, don't rush her."

    "We need to see the rest of the family, but thanks again doctors."

     "Well, We will probably see you again then. We will be operating a couple more times today on members of your wedding party."

    They felt compassion for the exhausted doctors and offered to help in any way. The surgeons sent them down to the lab to give blood.

    They sent Toby and his family to a nearby hotel for sleep and started making the rounds checking on everybody they could. They asked the ones waiting to give blood and brought in sub sandwiches for lunch for the doctors, nurses, and the waiting families. The owners of the sub shop found out what had happened and they called in all their employees to assemble and personally delivered the sandwiches.

    The news reporter in the small town got wind of the story and politely asked for an interview with Jenika. Jenika knew that this would make their career and agreed on the understanding that when the interview was over, it was over.

    They had not had time to talk to the world about what had happened, and the world had seen some of it as the wedding was being streamed live on the net. Sage had wanted to share her day with the world. The world had also seen the public execution of Assad.

    The reporter was a handsome, older man who had once had dreams of being the next Walter Cronkite. That hadn't happened for him. Jenika suspected he lacked the shark mentality of a reporter. His conscience maybe held him back? She liked him for it and was happy to let him have the first ever interview.

#### Chapter 29

    They set up in a living room setting in the hospital, and Jenika patiently let them set the scene. She hoped she could keep her wildly swinging emotions in check, and plastered a warm smile on her face.

    "Hello world, I am Richard Maguire with Kpdx news out of Portland, Oregon. I am here chatting with the most famous woman in the world, Jenika Travers! Thank you for taking the time to speak with me on such a difficult day, Miss Travers."

    Jenika leaned forward and patted his arm like they were old friends. "Rich, please called me Jen."

    Richard smiled gratefully and went on. "Jen, we are here in the Newberg hospital, where some of your closest friends are being treated after a vicious terrorist attack on your best friends' wedding, am I correct?"

    "Yes Rich you are correct. My dearest friends Sage and Toby were getting married yesterday when a group of seven men opened fire on the wedding party.

    "17 died. 26 if you count those responsible, and their leader. 4 were children. 31 injured."

    "I am so sorry this happened to all of you, please accept my condolences."

    "Thanks Rich that means a lot."

    "Can I ask you how these men were missed in the cleansing?"

    Jenika looked away for a moment, trying to push her out of control feelings down deep. She took a deep breath and started to try to explain.

     "The man who instigated this terror used his persuasion to incite the seven young men into committing murder for him. He convinced these young men that they were saving their God. It was not previously a crime to talk rhetoric. In hindsight, it should have been a crime to even load the guns.  The Entities that are building our new world through me have meant this public execution as a final warning. All of this was part of a bigger plan. The world is being taught the very important lesson that on  no uncertain terms will evil be tolerated. Those previous grey areas to our parameters have now been colored black, such as instigating violence.  If there was any hope left in anyone's mind, that they could escape punishment, it should be gone now."

     Jenika was trying very hard to temper her resentment at the Entities for letting her loved ones be examples. They had said that she would be protected, and loved, however they didn't include her loved ones that was true, but the cost seemed too much. Instead, she tried to focus her energy in envisioning Alana and the rest floating in the comfort of Heaven.

    "The little village, the latest rape victim, and my loved ones have suffered so that the rest of the world may learn this final lesson. This is the period at the end of the sentence. The Entities' plan used these atrocities to get their message across once and for all. Evil will no longer be free to terrorize the world."

    "In your opinion what do you think was terrorists motivation?"

    "Well Rich, They were young and impressionable. Their leader was a radical extremist, and believed he was being true to his God. He couldn't believe that the God he worshipped all his life was a lie. He believed that we were infidels spreading our lies. He believed that if he could destroy me and mine that he could save his religion. He used the young men's' beliefs and desire to make a statement for his own gains, thinking they would be punished and he would succeed in his jihad. He also may have believed that his God would save him. He was wrong."

    "You executed him publically. There are some that felt that his torture was inhumane.

Can you speak to this?"

    "Yes. Despite this power that I have, I am human. I feel rage and pain and hate. I also do not like having to be the executioner. I hated Assad for what he did to the ones I love on such a special day, and I hated him for making me punish him so. But I am still only a tool, I cannot act alone. The Entities gave me fire so that I may punish. "

Jenika looked into the camera so that anyone watching would feel as if she was talking directly to them.

    "He was executed publically because the world needs to see that atrocities such as the village massacre and the wedding massacre need to stop once and for all. The world  needs to see that NO ONE can escape punishment. My power can reach anywhere in the world. I will punish anyone who harms another with EXTREME prejudice."

    "This has been a hard lesson for you and all of us. So now the laws include thinking and talking about harming others?"

    "Well, I wish it were that simple. There has to be serious intent. Many of us will say to our brother, "I'm going to kill you!" But we don't actually mean it. The Entities know the difference better than we do and it is best left up to their discretion. Sort of like a child that steals their first candy bar, they can't be punished on the same level as a thief that knows right from wrong."

    "All that being said, I'm glad the bastard is dead, and when I think of the pain he caused, I wish I could do it again."

    Jenika smiled sadly for the camera. She hoped that she was coming off scary when she needed to and human when she needed to. It actually did feel good to explain to the world, and if they understood her point, she may never have to do this ever again.

    "Again, Jenika, I'm very sorry that this change has to come about at such a grave cost. Your group of friends have joined the world together like never before, to actively change the world for the better. In a very short time frame our world has done a 180 turn and is headed in a completely different direction. I know, I for one thank you for that. What's next on your agenda, and how can we help you achieve your goals?"

    Jenika looked at him as if wondering whether or not he could read her mind. That was his gift! His talent was interviewing! Jenika smiled at him!

    "You know, Rich, you are very good at what you do! I would say that you are very talented!"

    Richard looked genuinely pleased. "Why thank you! Thank you very much!"

Jenika went on hoping that she could get her point across to the world.

    "Do you see Rich, how you feel when another person acknowledges your skills?"

    "Of course, it feels great! It makes me want to do better and do more!"

    "Well Rich, That's my next goal! I want to make talent the most valuable asset in the world. I want people to begin to live for art and talent. I believe that if you pursue something that you are good at and appreciate the talents of others, that it could become a way of life, and humans would be distracted away from negativity! Most people have at least one talent, many have more than one! Even the tiniest gift can be of value! Some people even have the talent of finding and developing talent!"

    "What led you to this idea and what steps do you need to take to make the world an art gallery?" Richard looked skeptical.

     "Well, first of all the Entities that are helping to change our world into a utopia are artists! They live to create life. They are taking our failing world and making it perfect.

These beings are us after we became enlightened, and what do enlightened beings do with their time? They create art! I thought that it would be wise to emulate them. We can thank them by helping them create a beautiful world, a Heaven on earth so to speak, make them glad they rescued us. We can manipulate a world too! We can strive to make life better for our fellow humans, we can consciously better our physical environment, aide nature, and protect our planet!"

    "Ok. I know it sounds cheesy, but it works for them!" Jenika sobered a bit. " My dear friend, Alana died last night.  Her dying words were, "My life has been a work of art, I have no regrets." A tear slid down Jenika's face. Her friend was still changing the world even after she was gone. Richard handed her a tissue.

    "I like you Rich, and I would like to show you and the world my talent. The first step is asking the world to get creative and the second is to show the world something that might inspire them to search for their own talent!"

    Jenika stood and waited for the photographer to take his camera off  its tripod. She led them through the lobby and out into the grass in front of the hospital. She waited for them to set up. She and Richard chatted amicably, thanking each other for the opportunity and laughing about the simplicity of her idea. He mentioned his daughters talent for embarrassing the family at family functions, and remarked that it was all in good fun and actually made the family affairs tolerable!

    "Ok Jen, you just about ready?" "Anytime you are!"

Richard turned back to the camera.

    "I have been speaking with the lovely Jenika Travers today and we have learned about the tragedy that took place yesterday at her home. We discussed how it happened and what steps Jenika has taken to assure us that this atrocity will never happen again. We talked about Jenika's dedication to guiding humankind to enlightenment by following in the footsteps of those who have surpassed our infantile understanding of our universe. And finally, Jenika has shared her belief that if man would hone their talents for creation, no matter how small, we too can create a utopia here on earth! Did I sum that all up appropriately, Jen?"

    "Yep! You did great! Thanks Rich!" "Before you show us your talent do you have anything else you'd like to add?"

    Jenika faced the camera. "Only that my group and I will be holding a forum on the net very soon and we would love everyone to attend and participate!" She hugged Rich and thanked him once again. She gave a cute little wave to the camera and set her feet shoulder width apart.

    She closed her eyes and waited with head slightly bowed. Her long hair became weightless. Slowly lifting and then undulating as if it were dancing until it stood out at a 90 degree angle from her head and stayed there, gently pulsing.

    Her eyes opened staring straight into the eye of the camera. The roar started like white noise and the tentacles of fire crept out of her chest. The fire danced up and out, pulsing with a rhythm. The fire twisted the colors of the rainbow like ribbons in the wind and filled the sky.

    The roar was like being in the wash of a jumbo jet and was so overwhelming that the camera man had to turn the volume down.

The fire danced up and down and in and out, creating such a spectacular light show that cars stopped and people came out of the buildings. It was like a laser light show in the sky.

    The tentacles lightly licked the surrounding people one by one like the tongue of a kitten. They were unaware of any changes, but Jenika's eyes locked with the camera had a knowing. She was sightless as the Entity used her to make a slight alteration in each person it touched.

    The fire swept across  the city and beyond. It covered miles in the blink of an eye, it covered cities and leapt bodies of water in every direction. People came out of their homes and buildings and let the flames touch them. The fire show was so spectacular, people covered their mouths tight to hold back their tears of joy. Some cowered, but all were touched. It reached into homes and licked babies. The fire pounced over oceans, tentacles swooped down to ships and boats and the sailors piled to the decks to see the  aurora borealis-like fire cover the sky.

    There were those that saw the fire come from both horizons on the opposite side of the world, and it must have been a sight to behold!

    The camera panned from Jenika to the sky and back and in just a little over half an hour the fire came whooshing back to her having spanned the globe, touching each and every human.

    She stood still. Coming back to herself took a bit of adjustment. Jenika shook the stiffness out of her arms and fingers and she tossed the hair that settled in her face behind her. A few wispy tendrils of smoke curled off her as she grinned at Rich and the camera and said. "Was that cool?"

    Rich came over with his mike and asked her if she was ok."Yep! Never better!"

    "Can I touch your arm?" Rich wanted to see if she was hot to the touch. "Sure!" He tentatively touched his fingers to her arm and looked incredulously at the camera! "Just a bit warmer than she should be!"

    "Wasn't that amazing folks?" He turned to Jenika and took her hand. "Jenika, I think that was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." Jenika blushed. "I can hardly take credit! I wasn't even there for it! I didn't get to see it!"

    "What do you mean, you weren't there!?" He held the mike towards her.

    "Rich, there has been only one other time that the Entity has completely taken over and that was when addiction was cured." Richard looked puzzled.

    "What happened this time, what did it do?"

    "The Entity just helped me with my newest quest. It has to do with art and creation. The best way that I can describe what has been done to us is that our satisfaction for creating has been enhanced, and our negative emotions have been given a lesser appeal." Richard absorbed this information quickly.

    "So I'll be more positive and happier when I'm doing something with my talents?"

    "You got it! and I think that today people will see your talents for what they are and you will begin a whole new career!" Jen laughed, actually having fun being interviewed by him!

    "Do you know how you, Richard Maguire, got this interview?"

    Rich laughed and said, "I asked!"

     "Yes! but you asked nicely!" "Well Jen, I thank you for saying yes, and for being so much fun."

    "One more question please, how do you know that this will work?"

    Jenika laughed! "It's actually working right now, right here with you! I also think that if it wouldn't work, the Entity would not have bothered to help me, they see all!"

    "Jenika, thank you again for sharing this time with me and I would like you to know that I think that you and your friends are amazing, and I would love to help in any way that I can!"

    "Thank you, Rich! Now you can go give blood if you'd like to help!" Richard turned a little green and Jenika laughed and hugged him! "Oh you don't have to if it makes you uncomfortable!" And they went off the air.

    Richard would be an instant superstar, and Jenika asked him to never change and went back to her family.

#### Chapter 30

     Sage wasn't bouncy anymore. Toby could hardly leave her side without having panic attacks that she would disappear from his life. Jenika and Leo stayed and did what they could until Sage asked them to leave.

   "You guys smell. I want all of you to go away and don't come back for 48 hours. Toby, that means you too. I don't want to get sick of you this early in our marriage."

    She sighed at their hurt faces. "Honestly, I really need some time to myself. I needed to heal, to think, and I need to say goodbye to my legs, and goodbye to ballet." "I know you all mean well, and I love you, but this is important to me for my wellbeing, I need to cry and rage in private."

    Jenika understood, she couldn't face them right away when her mother died either, it took more than 48 hours.

    Sage had scolded all of them and sent them away, but she had seen a little of the fire show through the window and watched through crusty eyes as a tentacle reached into her room. It sounded a little like a blow torch as it sidled  towards her and touched her lightly on the cheek, like a kiss, and then withdrew. She had just come out of surgery and really wasn't completely conscious, her mind had interpreted the fire as a small dragon. A dragon was supposed to be good fortune.

    Part of her wanted everyone around her so that she could help them, but the other part of her was staring at her unmoving toes at the other end of the bed, and never wanted to see any of them ever again.

    The drugs made her feel sick and her dreams were horrendous! Crying made everything hurt, so she stopped. She felt like such a failure. She would never dance with her husband. How could he even want her? She knew he did.

    She also knew that she should be feeling much worse for herself and wondered if the doctors had put some happy pills in her IV cocktail. She stayed awake as long as she could, afraid of her dreams, but her eyelids were so heavy. She dreamed of a dragon coming to her rescue.

    Leo pressed himself against Jenika's back and wrapped his arms around her. Having seen his friend, Toby, almost lose the woman he loved, scared him and he wanted to make every moment, every touch, count. He was getting tired of being so sad all the time, he needed happiness, and he held it in his arms.

    "Say? Didn't you ask me to marry you?" He whispered into her hair. He felt her stop breathing and she rolled to look into his eyes.

    "I'm sorry sir, I have no idea what you are talking about! Why I've never even inspected your penis to see if it matches the appropriate requirements!"

    Leo burst out laughing but tried to stifle himself when he realized he was risking waking the others.

    It was true, for all their hot and heavy sessions they had never actually had sex. Both of them were very much enjoying the teasing and it had become a comfortable contest to see who would beg first!

    Leo bounced off the bed and stated dancing seductively around the room in his boxers.       "Well darlin, you are in luck! I just happen to be open for inspection!" He turned his back to her and pretended to strip, teasing her by inching his boxers down his ass!

    She wasn't stopping him and he wasn't sure if he really wanted to take them all the way off!

    She was laughing, sitting propped against the headboard, knees up, biting her thumbnail, and waiting for him to pull them down farther. He was struck by how gorgeous she was and forgot what he was doing for a moment.

    When he recovered he flipped the boxers past his ass, giving her a quick view of his perky butt and quickly pulled them up again! He pulled his boxers as high up over his stomach as they would go, pushing his parts awkwardly to the side and faced her with hands on his hips. "Well! Those are the goods! I showed you mine, now you gotta show me yours!"

    Jenika popped up and crawled towards him on all fours. " How can I resist the pleadings of such a wildly sexy God such as yourself!" Her pupils dilated giving her eyes a black smoky look  and she bit her juicy lower lip and let it slide through her teeth.

    "Hey! No. I'm not begging! Did you hear me do any begging? I don't think so!"

But Jenika ignored him, this was a contest she was out to win. Losing was not an option.

    Flipping her hair back, she stalked him like a cat across the bed, her heavy breasts hanging, threatening to fall out of the sling of her bra.

    Leo forgot how stupid he looked with his shorts pulled up high, until she arched her back like a cat and his erection was strangled by them. His mouth dropped open as he adjusted and stared at his amazing wife to be.

    "Oh no! Did you hear me? Sit. I'm not begging, I'm just playing around!" He held up his no finger and wagged it her, realizing quickly that he was in danger of losing the competition to this very convincing position.

    Jenika crawled to the edge of the bed where he was and kindly helped him tug his shorts into a more comfortable position. The tugging on his shorts made him stop breathing and she knew it.

    "Oh no you don't! You're not playing fair!"

    But she rolled over on her back, her hair dragging off the bed. She slowly pulled her bra up and over her huge breasts without unhooking it. The tight fabric pushed her breasts into mounds under her chin and painfully scraped over her nipples. Halfway off, the bra bound her under her arms and her breasts tumbled out making Leo want to catch them as they swelled out. Jenika struggled out of the contraption, curving her back off the sheets as she dropped it on the floor over her head.

    "Jesus!"

    Her hands kneaded her own breasts, trying to gather as much as she could in her little hands. As she moved, she pulled the sheets around herself, incorporating them into her massaging and letting them tighten around her hips. Their softness enhanced the curve of her body and slid like silk over her form, pressing her breasts flat, molding over her stiff nipples. Leo wanted to touch the undulating woman so badly, but he didn't want her to stop. He was holding his breath.

    As she rolled over onto her stomach, she flipped her long hair over so that it trailed down her back and curled around her narrow waist. Under the sheets, Leo could see her hands slide down her sides and grab her own ass. He couldn't bear it and reached over and tugged the sheet away so he could watch her knead and pull.

    Jenika's hands grabbed the sides of her panties and pulled them up high like he did, but the effect was not funny. He had to reach down and shake out his hard on, it was so hard it was almost uncomfortable. Her panties rode hard up the crack of her ass and pulled till he thought the fabric would tear. Jenika's teasing was  merciless as she rolled over again and got to her knees with her back to him, she curved her back to the side and pulled her hair over her shoulder so that he could see her back. He decided that the sexy line down her back was one of his favorite features, along with the dimples just above her ass. She looked at him coyly up through her long lashes. She still had that full lip clenched between her teeth, and she grinned at him around it.

    She pulled her panties down to just below her butt and left them there. She half turned so he could see most of her front and she gave him a saucy wink. With one hand she gathered up her hair and piled it on top of her head, the other hand slid down between her legs and she massaged slowly, shoulders pressing her tits together. She looked like she had forgotten all about Leo as he stood transfixed, watching her pleasure herself. He wanted so much to help, but didn't know where to start. There were so many options.

    "Come over here." Jenika commanded. She sat him in front of her and stuck a nipple in his mouth. "Suck." He did. "Softer." He did. Her fingers were almost taking her too far, she pulled her wet nipple out of his mouth and stuck her juicy fingers in! Her other hand slid down his chest trying to feel every contour until she reached the elastic on his shorts. Her fingers pulled him out and his gasp made her knees weak.  He growled deep and low and grabbed her tiny wrists and yanked her off her knees, tossing her to the other side of the bed. He tore her panties the rest of the way off and hovered over her in a push up position waiting for her to say no, but she didn't. She didn't have the words without giving in and begging. Her eyes dilated and they expressed the deep need she was feeling.  She pushed off his shorts using her toes to get them all the way down.

    "I can't hold myself up like this forever!" he strained against his desire to crush her into the sheets.

    "What's that?" she whispered. " Did I just hear you begging?"

    She lifted her butt off the bed and shoved her hips against his hardness.

    "That's it! You get nuthin!" He wasn't about to beg, despite that it may mean he'd be in the bathroom later emptying off his aching swollen balls. He was NOT losing this one.

    He dropped himself next to her and rolled to face her. He pushed her hair off her face with a finger and sighed. " You kill me. I am actually dyin over here!"

    "Well, I'm dyin over here too!" She purred. Playfully sneaking in a kiss.

"I really can't stand the torture." She pouted.

    "Ooh! Does that mean that the lady concedes?"

    "Ya, Dude it means you win. It means that you are so sexy that I can't resist you, and YES, this is me begging!" She didn't purr this, she sounded a bit annoyed. He knew she hated to lose. But he pushed it anyway.

"Nobody likes a sore loser" He teased.

    He slipped two fingers between her legs and softly massaged her clit, forcing her to push against his fingers if she wanted it done harder.

    He kissed her hard. "Beg then." He commanded into her hair. He was a fool to think that she would give up that easily.

    She firmly grabbed his shaft and gently pulled him towards her. He had to move his hand to make room for his hard on. She began to massage her clit with the tip of his penis, occasionally pressing his head into her wetness, not enough to actually screw, but just enough for him to feel how hot she was. It took super human strength to not just thrust his hips forward and go deeper. It wasn't until she started to whimper and grind harder, that he started to lose it and he covered her mouth with his and moaned into her mouth. That was all she could handle, she came, jerking and bucking. She was shouting in his mouth and he was holding her down tight as she twitched. She softened the stokes to her clit and started to beg.

    " I need you to fill me up! Please!"

    She grabbed him, trying to pull him into her as her hips sought him out. She became frenzied in trying to find a way to shove his hard cock deep into her. Her fingernails were digging  into his ass trying to get him to move towards her.

    Leo moved closer and allowed her to grind her clit against his length, but as she tried to slip him in, he stopped her and rolled over onto her, his full weight pinning her to the sheets. She bucked and thrashed but the friction only got her hotter. "Oh God, I'm coming again!" This time he waited until just after she was done, he kissed her deeply and he firmly pushed himself in. She was burning hot and so very wet. He felt the resistance of her virginity but couldn't slow himself down, he NEEDED to fuck the shit out of her. As he pounded into her, he didn't realize that he was growling and grunting every time his balls smacked her ass.

    He did hear her yelp of pain, but he was in the moment and Jenika's claws were still digging into his back. She didn't want him to stop.

    The harder Leo fucked her, the more her tits bounced and that image made him almost lose it a couple of times, but he tried to hold out as long as he could. He locked eyes with the most gorgeous woman he had ever met and he came hard, shoving himself as deep as he could go, wishing he could go even deeper.

    They both lay in each other's arms panting, their bodies twitched gently. Jenika's breasts welted red where her bra had scraped over them.

    "You ok?" He lifted her chin and made her look into his eyes so that he could see if she really was. She smiled at him and kissed his shoulder. "I could die right now, and it would be all good!"

    Jenika could feel her blood trickle around his still inserted penis. It was definitely more blood than the school books said there would be. He gingerly pulled himself off her and went to get a damp cloth.

#### Chapter 31

    Jenika felt surreal about losing her virginity. She felt that when people looked at her that they would see the difference, like maybe she glowed or something. She was a bit sore but every time she thought about it she remembered the night before. It alternately made her smile and clench her lips with worry. Leo kept seeking her out to be with her but she needed to get her feelings straight in her head and she kept slipping away. She could tell that Leo was starting to feel hurt, but she couldn't think when he was around.

    He found her as she was coming back from a walk in the forest. "There you are...Again."

He stepped into pace with her. "Are we ok?" He looked so worried it broke her heart.

    "Of course! We are perfect!" She grabbed his elbow and swung him to a stop, wrapping her arms around his waist.

    "I'm sorry." Long pause, she tried to put her jumbled thoughts into a short version he could understand, and would not hurt his feelings. "Losing my virginity was a bit more emotionally complicated than I thought it would be." She shrugged against him.

    "I guess I wish I could have "The talk" with my mom. I wish Sage was here too. All of a sudden tons of worries are running through my head. Am I pregnant? Should we hurry and get married? Will the fire hurt my baby if I do get pregnant? Are you ok? Are we really in love, or is this just a thing?" She nervously babbled and he looked relived and made her look into his eyes.

    "It's time you realized that we are a couple and we are going to be married soon. I am feeling the exact same things. I'm sorry you miss your mom and Sage, but I'm here, and you need to share stuff with me, I want to be included too. I am the man in this relationship and what I say matters!"

    She thought his tough act was cute and funny and started to laugh but realized just in time that he was serious. It felt good to have him there to rely on, and she felt a bit bad that she hadn't thought of his feelings too. He was right, she did need to share the stress and worry.

    "So what should we do?"

    "I think we need to check on Sage and plan our wedding around her recovery."

#### Chapter 32

    Their weddings had been quite the event. Probably more fanfare then Jenika would have liked, but she wanted Sage to have everything she wanted. At Sages insistence, they had their weddings together. Jenika had been glad to give up complete control to her best friend, one because the ceremony part of it didn't interest her as much as the actual commitment, and two, because since Sage had been paralyzed from the waist down, she was on a passionate mission to make up for what she lost.

    Sage was  livid that she was robbed of her dream day, her dream life, and her legs. She threw herself into the planning of the weddings with such an intense ferocity, that no one dared get in her way. She exercised, she went to PT, and she planned. She was consumed. It was her way of coping.  Often Jenika had to pull her aside and remind her that Toby had feelings and that he needed as much attention as the wedding did.

    Leo and Toby were kind of scared of what Sage had become and walked on eggshells around her. It was up to Jenika to keep Sages passion down to a dull roar. When Toby started looking too down, Jenika and Leo took turns paying a little more attention to him. He and Leo had become buds, and took up golf as a way to get away and just be guys.

    A week before the wedding, Jenika sat with Sage at the breakfast table and watched her. Sage alternately looked at her computer to her phone and back again, it was as if Jenika didn't exist.

    "That's it! I'm done!" Suddenly Jenika was furious. She grabbed the computer, slammed it shut and swiped the phone out of Sages hands and tucked it in her pocket.

    "Here's how this is going to go." Jenika stared down her friend with a stubborn glare.

    "From this moment until the wedding, you will plan no more." She slammed up to her feet, scraping back her chair.

    "You are to go home and spend the next week making your husband forgive you for ignoring him." Jenika grabbed the handles of Sages wheelchair and wheeled her to the door.

    Sage shrieked and fought back, "Dammit Jenika, I don't have time for this shit! I have a million things to wrap up and I don't have a lot of time!"

    A snake of fire shot out and snapped Sages hands away from the wheels. "Fuck! You Bitch! You know I'm helpless!"

    Jenika snorted. "You are far from helpless. But in this, Yes. Yes you are. You are getting pretty close to being abusive to everybody around you and this wedding is not only about you. I'm done and so is everybody else. You keep treating your husband so badly and he may just not show up! Hell! Leo and I might not either!"

    It had never occurred to Sage that nobody would come to the wedding. She blinked twice. Her mouth dropped open in horror.

    She was about to say how she was doing all this for ALL of them, but she stopped and said, "Oh my God, I'm such a fucking selfish bitch!"

    "Yeah, you have been! We have ALL given you some leeway because of your accident. Now you need to sit back and let this bloody thing happen. We demand that you have fun."

    Sages face crumpled. "Bloody thing?"

    Jenika realized she had just called her best friends obsession a thing. She knew it was more than that, she knew it was keeping Sage somewhat sane. It was too late to take back, but she made a split decision to not let Sage glom onto words spoken at the heat of the moment and refused to be guilted into taking them back.

    "Oh give me a fucking break with the guilt trip! You have made us all miserable while you have planned these weddings so how else would I describe them?" Jenika turned Sages wheelchair around to make her face how she had been acting. Sage tried to hide her tears, but Jenika wasn't going to baby her.

    "You know I love you and I appreciate you're doing all the planning, but you've done it before and none of us suffered your wrath then. We all want you back, Sage. We miss you."

    Jenika kneeled, hung her head and softened. "I know it's not my place to tell you when to stop mourning your losses, or to tell you how to cope, but it IS my place as your best friend to tell you when we've all had enough."

    Sage kept her head turned away to hide her tears. Jenika knew by her silence that she knew she had pushed it and she was sorry. Jenika had already forgiven her. It was done.

    She put her arms around her friends shaking shoulders and hugged her tight. They sat like that for awhile until it all came out and they cramped in that position. Jenika stood and pushed the chair to the door.

    Sage started a round of apologies and Jenika clamped a hand over her friends mouth, shutting her up. It wasn't necessary. Sage got mad and shook her hand off.

    "You are such a bitch! How dare you manhandle a cripple?!"

    "Oh? You want to see this bitch really toss you around do ya!?" Jenika grabbed at the handles and Sage screamed in mock terror and wheeled the chair as fast as she could down the sidewalk.

    "Help help! Get this crazy bitch off me!" Sage chortled as she wheeled away!

Jenika saw the chubby neighbor lady pause and look up from her dog. She looked alarmed to see the Hand of God charging after a helpless girl in a wheelchair.

    "Oh don't mind me, I'm just going to beat this chick senseless!" Jenika caught up and dropped herself into Sages lap and they wheeled away laughing to Sages house.

That week before the wedding was like a pre-honeymoon for the two couples and all the laughing they did calmed the wedding jitters. The boys were giddy with joy at Sages transformation and Leo whispered behind his hand,

    "Why didn't you kick her ass sooner?" Jenika smacked his arm with a mock shocked look on her face!

All of them looked forward to the wedding but there was still a small seed of fear as they tried to forget the tragedy. They all felt a little better after they voiced their fears to each other and realized they all had bad memories. They were glad that they were together and they were glad Jenika was prepared this time.

    They had practiced hard for this day, and it paid off! The wedding was stunning.

Jenika's tendrils of fire patrolled the entire area within a mile of the wedding.  It quested around the wedding goers as it enquired as to their intentions. Many found it disconcerting at first, but were grateful for the security as many had lost a loved one or had been injured. This wedding was to be in honor of those who were no longer here.

    Due to Sages inability to walk, and stubborn persistence that she would not be pushed in a wheelchair, the wedding was performed on horseback. They had practiced riding and Sage had a special sidesaddle ordered so that she could be supported. The horses had to be trained to get used to Jenika's fire tendrils, and they all had to learn to ride other than Toby, who's mother owned the stud ranch that the horses came from. Toby's mothers Friesian horses were some of the most beautiful in the world with their long flowing manes and their rippling muscles. They were perfect for a fairy tale wedding. The one glitch was that the sealing kiss was a bit difficult from horseback. There were flowers and ribbons literally in every nook and cranny.

    Despite Jenika's discomfort with dresses and being girlie, she had to admit that she felt beautiful in the long flowing gown as it draped over her ridiculously beautiful horse. Her fire pulsed and undulated in time with the music and provided a gorgeous multicolored light show that swirled around the wedding party and guests. The colors set off the flowering spring trees beautifully.

    The horses pranced in time with the music as if they knew they were beautiful and were so well behaved. The four friends seemed to glow in the dancing tendrils of light as their dancing horses brought them to the altar. Sage had worked hard to give the ceremony a renaissance look. It looked as if it was right out of a Lord of the rings movie instead.

    This wedding was subdued compared to the last one, everyone struggling to forget and celebrate. Martins opening speech offering a moment of silence in honor of the wounded and deceased relaxed many shoulders. He gave the union to those who suffered, and reminded the guests that their loved ones would want the joy they were feeling just before their death to go on.

    Jenika looked down from her horse at all the faces turned to them. These people were her family and she treasured each and every one of them. She looked at her new husband and was overwhelmed with love.

    He was so handsome in the "Romeo" outfit Sage had chosen even though he and Toby fought it like hell saying it was too gay. Sage had picked the outfits because they were more comfortable on horseback than the tuxedos with tails, the boys grudgingly agreed. But not before they sashayed around arm in arm for awhile, cracking Martin up. The outfits also matched the heavily embroidered wedding dresses, and flower head wreaths, and of course, the ridiculously beautiful horses.

    This man was her husband. Never had she felt so proud and lucky. Leo saw her staring at him and grinned, challenging her to a staring contest. The Voice said she would be loved, It was right.

    Jenika closed her eyes for a moment and sent a thought to her mother. She wished her mother was there next to her. When she opened her eyes again, she saw Leo smiling at her.

    Larry had built the ramps around the cabin's property that Toby and Leo were racing on. Sage was shocked that it had taken the boys an entire year and a half to figure out that they could use her wheelchairs to race. She and Jenika were sitting on the wooden bench in front of the house. They were bundled against the cold and Jenika's fire swirled around them keeping them warm, they were grinning at the boyish shouts from the guys. Bless Larry's heart, but the wooden bench wasn't made for pregnant butts. Even though Sage couldn't feel hers.

    In a way, they were racing as well! Their babies were due mere weeks apart! Jenika was probably going to be first, because Sage had been artificially inseminated and it took a couple of times to stick, but here they were!

    It was March and up in the mountains the snow was still deep. Soon they would have to take the risky drive down the mountain and stay closer to the hospital. Toby had bought a gorgeous one story house in the little town at the bottom of the mountain. Sage felt that the winter air did her and the baby good, but when the snow came and the novelty wore off, cabin fever was threatening their wonderland. And that's how the boys ended up careening around the wooden paths on wheelchairs.

    The four of them were the only ones willing to brave the winter up there, and as soon as the babies were born, Jenika had decided that she was going to say goodbye to the beautiful cabin in the woods. She decided that if Sasha wanted the house, than it would be his.

    Through the long winter, Toby and Sage had worked hard on spotty internet to streamline their nonprofit adoption agency and as there were less and less children with the need, they concentrated on creating parenting classes, play groups, and genealogy courses. They made sure the adoptive parents were inspected once a month by surprise visits and the children and the parents received optional counseling. Their agency also branched out into the employment business and became a worldwide employment agency. No job too small. Their services cost nothing to place a help wanted ad and the whole world would see it. They made their money from membership fees. In order to find a worker or find work it cost $5.00 a year.

    Jenika helped Leo with his world crop blueprints and was amazed at what he knew. Because of him there were areas of the world that were now responsible for crops that had never before had an industry. Hard, barren areas were visited by teams of professional farmers, scientists, and educators on a regular basis and new methods of fertilizing and irrigating were being developed. She was only his assistant but she felt that she too had a hand in feeding the world, and it was a good feeling.

    "Are you really going to name your baby Phoenix?" Sage was whiney today. "What are you going to call her for short?"

    "Nix or Nixie." Jenika winced as Toby crashed into a rail. "Would you rather I called her Morhan?"

    "What about Jill, or Ashley?"

    "Nah! She's going to be kinda unique, I want her to have a strong name!" Jenika shifted on her cold numb butt. "Besides, you're going to name your daughter Serafine, so that's not Jill or Ashley?"

    "I just like the name Sera!" She looked to the valley and frowned into the distance. "Why are there so many damned noisy crows on that one tree!?"

    Jenika looked up to where her necklace of rings was. "I think it's time we went down the mountain."

#### Chapter 33

    The baby girls were indeed born a couple of weeks apart, however it was Sera that was born first. She was born quickly after a long stressful trip down the narrow slushy roads. Sera's birth was simple due to the cesarean section that was required due to Sage's inability to push properly. Jenika had a little bit more trouble when Phoenix tried to come face first.

    Toby and Leo were ridiculously in love with the baby girls and competed gregariously with each other at every milestone. Jenika had a little bit of a hard time converting from a hard ass evil slayer to a conventional housewife, caring for two babies with her paralyzed friend, but she accepted the role as easily as she did becoming the Hand of God.

    Jenika smiled as she watched the girls play in the grass. Sera's blond curls glistened next to Nixie's black wisps. Jenika thought of the two girls as Glinda and Elphaba. Sera's cherubic pink lips were often in a spoiled pout and Nixie had dimples that only showed when she smiled or concentrated.  Nixie was good at bringing out the dimples when her mischievous streak got her into trouble.

    They were six years old now, but Jenika remembered Nix's newborn face like it was last week. She would stare at that face as it snuggled into her breast. How fascinating that she created such a perfect being! She looked for signs in the contented little face, of the personality that would emerge, and couldn't wait to get to know her, and she memorized every pore and dimple. She loved the little girl so much it hurt! Leo made her laugh when he admitted that Phoenix was pretty ugly as an infant, but he proudly crowed that the ugliest babies made the most beautiful adults! He was smitten!

    Serafine and Phoenix were growing up in the most amazing time in the history of the world.  They would read about soldiers and police officers in their textbooks, but they would never meet one currently serving.  Everything had changed. Jenika and Sage learned about their new world along with their girls and the old group of friends, when they gathered once a month. They watched their friend Richard Maguire on the television as he featured new artists and shared their work in a monthly two hour exclusive. There was so much to see!

    He had separated the artists into two categories. Life artists and Medium artists. Life artists were comedians, parents, teachers, doctors, and any person who did something well. Medium artists created with things such as plants, computers, instruments, food, cameras, etc.

    Through Richard, the world saw fantastic beauty and were exposed to new forms of expression! It would have been impossible to see so much if it hadn't been for his genius idea. His show was the most popular show running and Jenika had been on it a couple of times!

    The girls' teachers were the best life artists, they couldn't wait to get to school! It was so exciting! They danced, painted, did silly things, and went outside! It was all playing, but they learned so much! Sage figured they were learning on an 3rd grade level, and thought that in some areas they could be doing better! Life was one big adventure to them.

    Jenika dried the silver ring on her finger as she watched out the window. Nixie was holding out a plastic horse to Sera, but Sera was being bratty and she smacked the horse out of Nixie's hands. Nixie's face crumpled, and Jenika threw her dish towel on the counter. She stopped and waited for the usual tears. It happened often as Nix and Sera were as close as sisters and being the same sign were too alike, and Jenika wanted them to learn to work it out alone.

    As she watched, she saw Sera step back as if startled, and she gasped as she saw Nixie's hair start to rise. She was too slow to react before a tentacle of fire snaked out of Nixie and bit Sera through her leggings on her bum. Both girls began to wail in earnest as Jenika reached for her phone.

####

 Authors Note

    Cassandra Caster, from Portland, Oregon, is livin' the dream in South Australia with her fabulous husband. She is lucky to have an amazing family and great, crazy friends! She is passionate about nature and helping other people! Ask her for life advice and she'll tell you "Carpe Diem! Take risks, and don't sweat the small stuff!"

    Look for book two, Perfect Hell!

