Monday, December 12, 2011

Chapter 2- The battle begins


Chapter 2- The battle begins

            The smell was like rotten eggs, but worse.  It was the tangible smell of death, similar to when Charlene found the corpse of a decaying animal that had been rotting for a few days.  As soon as she stepped onto the Metro bus (route #22) from Kirkland to Bothell, Washington where grandma and grandpa Stallman lived, a stench assaulted her, yanking her mind and senses from plans to spend the weekend with her grandparents. 
            It was Friday night after eight PM, and she was already behind schedule with her plans, but the stench was so overwhelming that she was tempted to step right back off.   For a moment, she hesitated but before she could step off the bus, the door solidly closed behind her.  The bus quickly accelerated, forcing her to grab a handrail to keep from falling.  Since she resolved in her mind that it was too late now to get off, she sat down in the middle of the bus, accepting the fact that she would have to endure the thirty minutes of offensive rancidity.  Still, she couldn’t help but wonder where the foul waft originated.  She gazed around to find the source of the smell.  Only three other people and the driver sat quietly on the bus.  All of them seemed oblivious to the smell.
            The first couple Charlene passed on her way to the middle of the bus was an Asian man and woman.  She guessed them Koreans in their mid twenties.   She wondered if maybe they had just eaten some of that horrid Kim-Chi and the odor was coming out of their pores, but no, that wasn’t it, the smell was much stronger.  There didn’t seem to be anything originating from the couple, and the smell did not seem to bother either of them.   The couple’s attention seemed more focused on each other as they gazed lovingly into the other’s eyes.
            As she quickly glanced toward the back of the bus, she noticed a slouching long-haired man in the back of the bus.  They caught each other’s eyes and Charlene looked quickly away.  The Korean couple pulled the cord to get off at the next stop, and the man from the back of the bus stood up at the same time.  Charlene assumed he was getting off too, but was surprised and became uneasy when he sat down directly across from her. 
            It became clear that the fetid odor was from him.  She tried to casually cover her nose and mouth to keep from gagging, but waves of nausea continued to sweep over her.   She could not understand why the others in the bus had been immune to it.  She wondered if it was because she was more sensitive to smells now that she was pregnant.  She had very little spiritual discernment at that time in her life, but she began to wonder if the smell was not natural, maybe even a supernatural thing.  It was hard to tell since he looked like he had not showered in a few days – maybe even longer. 
            He was a big man, at least 250 lbs on a six foot plus frame that would have been taller if not for the slouching back and shoulders.  His hair held together with dirty rubber bands and his face had about three days worth of stubble to hide the filth of his unwashed face.
            Besides his calloused hands that were black with grime, the thing that stood out to Charlene was the slits that were his eyes.  He was obviously so stoned or drunk that he could barely keep them open, but still, they had a dark and penetrating gaze.   A hint of a smile gleamed in his eyes, but it seemed creepy to Charlene, not happy.  The next thing she noticed was his massive army boots and government-issued military jacket with his name “Miller” embroidered on it.   The stained khaki colored jacket opened to reveal a soiled tank top underneath, and the jacket had the oversized inner pockets, one of which had a bottle of cheap booze that peeked out toward Charlene.
            Charlene was starting to get scared, even terrified that this creepy man had moved directly opposite of her like a jaguar and she was the prey.  Charlene’s mind raced as she thought that maybe he was contemplating all the perversions imaginable on a young pregnant girl. 
            What Charlene couldn’t see were the evil spirits behind the actions of the man.  He had opened himself up and even repeatedly welcomed these spirits in his life out of his hurt, anger and rejection, most of which he experienced upon his return from the Korean war.  The demons of murder, fear, rape, and violence that tormented this man kept him at their beck and call for such a time as this through the medicating effects of the drugs and alcohol that he had become addicted to in an attempt to escape his pain.  Charlene’s angel heightened her spiritual sensitivity to their foulness via her senses- especially smell, so she would call for back up and call she did.  The hairs on her neck and scalp stood on end as the dark presence of the evil spirits writhed over her like spiritual snakes in an almost triumphant, relishing, pre-celebration of the trophy they were about to take down. 
            The battle for Scott had begun!  Charlene looked away from the man and toward the big mirror of the bus driver in hope that maybe he was watching and would do something.  She began to pray silently the only prayer she could remember from the Apostle Paul Lutheran church (Missouri synod) catechism.  “Our Father, who art in heaven…thy kingdom come”- that was all Volel needed to respond.
            Maybe the evil man would leave her alone she hoped in between her prayers, but she knew better.  His intentions were evil, and she could sense his plans to harm her forming in his sick mind.  The evil spirits behind his actions and ruling his life were on orders from higher up the chain to not only terrorize, but harm this girl.  They planted pictures and suggestions in Miller’s mind of having his way with her and then stabbing her in the stomach repeatedly until she was dead.  The evil spirits sensed that there was another life in her, and their command was to take it before anyone else knew about it and could protect her.
            What the enemy knew and feared is that all daughters of Eve who share in the life-giving process receive extra angelic reinforcements, so these evil spirits had to move fast.  Earthly explanations included the maternal glow, but even the most spiritually dense person knew that pregnant women had an extra portion of peace and joy that manifested in a mystical glow.  This was Charlene’s and every woman’s blessing from the Father for sharing in the process of bringing forth life and destiny.
            Charlene projected three more stops before hers, about fifteen minutes and the terror began to grow as she played the tape forward in her mind.  He would follow her off the bus and rape and kill her.  Should she stay on? Should she talk to the bus driver?  Just then, the bus stopped to pick up another passenger.  She was hoping the new passenger would be a policeman, but it wasn’t.  He was a physical manifestation of her guardian angel in human form and what she couldn’t see were the warrior angels that entered with him. 
            Volel took the form of a tall, strong doctor dressed out in light green surgical scrubs.  His muscles were huge and rippling as he walked slowly past Charlene, a natural representation of his spiritual strength and authority. His hair and face were perfect, reminding Charlene of Clark Kent.  The foul smell suddenly vanished, overshadowed by a floral scent, but she couldn’t distinguish which flower it was.  She literally burst into tears of relief and thankfulness as the young, strong doctor that seemed to emanate a glow sat right next to her.
            Saquerel had been there the whole time as well, but stayed invisible to Charlene. This was not his battle to lead, but he would assist.  Nothing would separate him from his charge of staying with and protecting the unborn infant.  The demonic spirits knew he was there, but the presence of just the one guardian spirit threatened them very little.  In fact, they were brazen in their approach and mistakenly thought that the girl’s angels were asleep on the job and wondered where they were, but not enough to stop them.  Saquerel was biding his time and waiting for the girl’s prayer to release him and her own angelic posse.
            The Father of Spirits in his infinite wisdom and sense of justice and irony had determined that the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve who relied on him and accepted his gift of grace offered through the agency of his Son and Spirit would have access to his resources, including his angel armies.  This included humanity’s authority over all the dark Spirits through him and the host of Spirits he commanded.
            The filthy Spirits energizing “Miller” felt the atmospheric change immediately and regretfully realized the girl had prayed for reinforcements.  They were furious that they would not be able to act out their natures of rape, murder, violence, and perversion.  They almost wanted to try anyway, but the swarms of warrior spirits that surrounded the young doctor immediately bound the demonic powers with a strength and authority that the evil spirits could not resist.  They had underestimated the importance of the target, timing and prayer support.  The warrior spirits also imparted some of their essence and natures to Charlene and strength and peace went into her like a spiritual IV drip.
            There were so many things happening in the unseen eternal spiritual realm that affected and changed the lives and destinies of people and nations in that twenty minute time span.  All Charlene could see in the natural, however, was the creepy man scowl in disgust and frustration as the doctor’s steel gaze penetrated him with the truth of his intentions to protect this girl at all costs.
            Neither man uttered a word, but Charlene knew she was safe somehow.  The special feeling she had was the very first time she had genuinely experienced the care and heart of God in a tangible encounter.  She had no grid to measure it against, but knew it was good.  The rising faith and even joy in that understanding made her respond in gratefulness and thankfulness in her heart which released even more back up angelic spirits.  That was the final straw for Miller and the spiritual leaches attached to him.  He got up and pulled the cord and scowled back at Volel as the rotten spirits made him exit the bus out of fear. 
            Volel had been waiting a long time for this opportunity to speak for Father, to release destiny and direction and before Charlene could say anything to him, he spoke to her with such gentleness, but at the same time, supreme authority and confidence that she could not help but to absolutely believe him.  He said, “You are a young woman, but you are going to be a great mother.  There is no greater calling than to partner with God and bring forth life and nurture that life with love” 
            Charlene wondered how he knew she was pregnant, since she didn’t show yet.  Was it because he was a doctor that he could see something other people could not?  All she knew is that after he spoke those words that somehow were more powerful than normal words, she didn’t feel so shameful and sinful anymore in regards to being a pregnant teenager.  God was somehow involved with her and the baby, even though the pregnancy may not have happened right.  This man’s words even gave her permission and authority to be a great mother, and that empowered her to fulfill that call.
            Charlene’s stop was the next one and before she could pull the cord, Volel did.  They got up at the same time, and he allowed her to go in front of him down the steps to the well of the front door exit of the bus.  She could see the porch light on at her Grandma’s three-story house which was only half a block up from the bus stop.  Charlene wondered where the doctor was going since there were no hospitals nearby.  Maybe he was just getting off work and going home which meant that he lived nearby.  As she pondered these thoughts and exiting the bus, Volel said from behind her, “Charlene, we are all proud of you and will be expecting great things from you and Scott.  As she turned around to ask him what he meant by that, the bus doors closed behind her.  He was gone!  That was impossible thought Charlene in a panic.  She had just heard his voice behind her when they stepped out of the bus.  She checked the bus that was driving away and didn’t see him then quickly scanned to her right and left where streetlights illuminated the sidewalks.  He simply vanished.
            Charlene didn’t realize it, but he was still right behind her and would be there for the rest of her life.  She would be more aware of him in later years, but would never see him again with her natural eyes.  Charlene froze on the sidewalk under the streetlight for several minutes in a partial realization that something important and other worldly had just happened.   How did he know her name?  She backed up the tape of her memory and did not remember saying anything to him.  Then her skin turned to goose bumps when she realized the impact of his last words to her.  “We are all expecting great things from you and Scott…”  Charlene had only in the last forty-eight hours let herself begin to compile a mental list of names for the baby and had not told a soul.  She was thinking Alicia, Michelle, or Kristina if it was a girl and Jeffrey, Michael, or Scott if it was a boy.   She ran like a jack rabbit to Grandma’s house with a grin a mile wide.  Grandma Stallman was never going to believe this, or maybe she would.  Charlene didn’t even know if she believed this, even though it just happened to her.  One thing she did believe, though, was that she was going to have this baby and it was going to be a boy named Scott.

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