Allan Young sped down the highway, pushing the sedan as hard as it would go. His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, and his knuckles were white.
He kept his eyes focused on the road ahead, ignoring the scenery around him. All he wanted to do was get as far away from Alison as possible.
If only I could get back into my own body again, I could relax.
He glanced at the clock on the dashboard. It was almost noon. He had apparently slept most of the day away.
Allan sighed heavily as he took a sharp right onto the interstate.
He was almost to James’ house. Once he arrived, he could start piecing everything together.
Allan sighed, driving faster down the interstate. He was almost to James' house now.
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Allan knocked on the door, hoping so see James answer. Instead his wife Amy opened the door, squinting against the bright sunlight streaming in.
She gave Allan an inquisitive look, “I know you! You’re that pastor I’ve seen on TV. The one who predicted the Rapture!”
Suddenly she slapped him hard.
“What was that for?!” Allan stammered.
“How did you do it?!” she shrieked, “You took my husband from me!”
Allan placed his hands on his hips, and shook his head. "What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb with me!" Amy stepped closer, grabbing Allan's shirt. "I’m not stupid! You didn’t just predict the Rapture - you caused it! I’m sure of it! Where is James?!"
"I didn’t take anyone from you." Allan scoffed, pulling away from her grip.
"You can't tell me you didn't cause it! I saw the news reports!” she yelled.
Allan turned away from her, looking back at the door. "Is he home?"
"Of course he’s not home! Aren’t you listening?!” Amy screamed, "James is gone!”
Allan swallowed hard, turning around. "How did he disappear?"
"He got taken by the Rapture!" Amy cried hysterically, “I watched when the blue bolt of lightning smashed through our kitchen window and took him!”
"But how?" Allan asked.
"We don't know! But we know it was you! That's why I slapped you! Because of you, I lost him!" Amy sobbed.
Allan felt a lump rising in his throat. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.
Allan looked at Amy, feeling helpless. She was in pain, and he knew exactly what she was going through. She had lost her soulmate, and she blamed him for it.
I don’t deserve this.
"Let me explain…" Allan said, stepping forward, "Please, let me talk to you."
Amy narrowed her eyes, "There's nothing you can do. Just leave."
She slammed the door in his face. Allan stood there for a moment, then slowly walked back to his car. As he climbed back in, his eyes fell on the newspaper lying on the passenger seat beside him. He picked it up and scanned the headlines again.
Allan's eyes landed on the article regarding the disappearances. He quickly skimmed through the story, skimming past the details of the Rapture. He stopped on a paragraph, reading it twice.
It stated that the Rapture had occurred simultaneously across every nation on Earth. It also claimed the number of disappearances had surpassed 10 billion.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
He read the entire article over, absorbing every detail. He couldn't deny what he was reading.
This is real!
A chill ran down his spine.
Then the enormity of the situation hit him. Ten billion people were gone. Gone forever.
What does that mean? How many people are left? Would everyone on Earth be dead within a few months?
He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.
There was nothing he could do. He was powerless against such a force.
Allan sighed heavily, then turned the key. The engine roared to life as he pulled out of the driveway.
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Allan's cell phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. He reached into his pocket and grabbed it, looking at the screen.
"Hello?" Allan answered, glancing at the clock.
"Hi Pastor. This is Mrs. Johnson," a unfamiliar voice said.
"Mrs. Johnson? Who is this?" Allan replied, confused.
"I'm the woman who hired you to come over and counsel my son." she replied, "I hope you're still available."
"Uh, yes, I am. What's wrong?"
"Well, my son has been acting strangely lately, and I think you may be the only person who can help him."
Allan frowned, "Why do you ask? What's going on?"
"I don't really want to tell you over the phone." Mrs. Johnson replied, "Can you meet us at the park? It's on the corner of Sixty-Sixth Street and Maple Drive."
Allan nodded, "Sure, I'll be there in thirty minutes."
Maybe she can give me some answers.
Mrs. Johnson thanked him and hung up. Allan placed his phone back in his pocket, getting back on the road.
He glanced at the clock again. It was 12:30 PM. He had just enough time to drive to the park and meet Mrs. Johnson before she arrived.
When Allan arrived at the park, he saw a group of children playing on the playground. A couple of them noticed him and waved. They seemed excited by his arrival.
Allan parked his car and got out. When he approached the group, they cheered.
"Pastor Turnbridge!" one of the boys called out.
Allan smiled awkwardly. "Hey there."
"Do you remember us?" another boy asked excitedly.
"I… uhh.” Allan stammered, “I’m afraid not.”
"It's okay. We were just wondering if you'd like to join our game!" a girl responded.
"Oh, uhh…” Allan replied, realizing what was going on. "Sorry, I don't have time."
One of the kids giggled. "That's okay! You can play when you're done."
Allan nodded, "I guess. Sure."
"See ya!" another kid yelled, running off toward the jungle gym.
Allan turned his attention to a woman who was approaching him. He held out his hand to her, "Mrs. Johnson?"
She shook his hand, "Thank you for coming."
They both walked through the gate, entering the park. Mrs. Johnson led him to a bench near the edge of the playground.
"Now, please tell me what's wrong." Allan said, sitting down next to her.
"My son has been acting strange ever since he returned from camp last week." She explained, "He keeps asking where God is. He says he doesn't understand why He has abandoned us."
"Are you worried he's becoming atheist?" Allan suggested, getting ready to defend the boy if need be.
"No," Mrs. Johnson replied, shaking her head. "He isn't interested in religion at all. It's more like he doesn't believe in anything anymore."
Allan frowned, "I see. And you're hoping I can help him how?"
"I want you to use your gift to heal him." she paused. "You do have a gift, don't you?"
"I don’t follow.” Allan replied.
"I've heard rumors that you have some type of supernatural power," she told him. "I just want you to try to heal my son. If you succeed, I'll pay you handsomely."
Allan paused, processing what she had said.
I have abilities to heal myself, sure. But how would anyone know that? Does someone know who I really am?
Allan sat there silently for a second, thinking about who could possibly know.
Maybe Alison?
Suddenly Mrs. Johnson shoved an envelope in his hands. Allan opened it up, seeing a large wad of cash inside.
"Woah!" Allan exclaimed, "That's a lot!"
"Consider it an Advance." she replied, "If you’re successful, there’s a lot more where that came from. But I should warn you. If you can't heal my son, or if it turns out you somehow caused the Rapture like a lot of people are suggesting, I will hunt you down and ruin you. I know people."
If there is a way to test my powers, maybe there is a way to prove that I'm not the cause of the Rapture. Maybe it wasn't me at all.
"Okay," Allan finally said, "I'll try."
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A few minutes later Allan leaned over and placed his hand on the boy's forehead.
Immediately his vision blurred and he experienced a dizzying wave of nausea. The world became fuzzy, colors fading into each other. He closed his eyes, forcing the sensation away.
Allan took a deep breath, keeping his eyes closed. He focused on relaxing his mind, trying to block out the unpleasant sensations.
After a minute, he felt his senses return. Slowly he opened his eyes, and looked at the boy.
The color in his cheeks had returned. He looked healthier than when he first started.
Allan released his hold on the boy, standing up. Mrs. Johnson smiled, "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Allan sighed in relief, "I have to go now though. I have another appointment."
"Wait! Where are you going?" she asked, holding out her hand.
Allan ignored her, walking away from her. He didn’t care about the extra money she suggested. For all he knew, whatever just happened might not have worked and her threat was intimidating.
He headed straight for his car, opening the driver side door and climbing inside. He shut the door, locking it.
Just as he was about to start the engine, he noticed a small group of people standing at the entrance of the park.
Paparazzi.
"Oh no," Allan groaned, "Not now."
He turned the key, revving the engine. Then he backed out of the parking spot and drove away.
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