Vanished: In The Blink of an Eye (Left Behind Series Fanfic #1)

[jasmine_childoftheking]

Chapter XX

***
As it was each morning, Oliver, Aneurin, and Molly got ready for school. However, Molly's choice of outfit that day was a crop top and tight low rise rhinestone denim mini shorts. Donna, who had been known to be a no nonsense woman, hardly approved of Molly dressing in a such a way, and she was only 13.

"Why dressing in the way you've been doing?", Donna asked, "Short shorts, short skirts, low neckline blouse, showing so much belly, tight low rise jeans, jewelry in your hair?"

"It's the fashion trend, mom", Molly would say.

She had gotten her ears pierced when she turned 13. Though she hadn't gotten as far as getting any other piercings or a tattoo. She even started buying her own outfits during summer for school, and whatever caught her eye, that was what she purchased. And wearing anything that was revealing, she thought she looked good in, even for her small size. She had learned from both her parents that back when they were in school, the schools had dress codes. But now, that has all changed, and students were allow to wear whatever they want to school (for the most part).

Soon enough, the three kids each got on the buses for school. There were other girls who dressed the same way Molly did, though there were some that covered up, and she wondered if those were with super strict parents. When she, along with the rest of the middle school students arrived at Lincoln Middle School, as she walked to her locker and her class, she saw a bulletin board for a teen night club.

"Wonder what that's all about?", asked Santiago.

"It must be a teen gathering or something", said Molly, "I'd like to go, though I'm sure my parents won't let me."

"Your parents are that strict?", asked her best friend Chelsea.

"My mom doesn't approve of the way I dress. She's very old fashioned."

There was also an advertisement on the bulletin board for a middle school stage production. They would sure like to go, though they think they might have other plans. Soon, after they got to class.

In the meantime, Oliver and Aneurin arrived at Prospect High School. They each went to their lockers. There, in school, quite a few of the girls were dressing in a way to that would draw attention, much like Molly in Middle School. Then of course, her first year of high school wasn't that far off. Then both the boys saw at their school on the bulletin board was an advertisement for a teen club. It advertised food, drinks like sodas, iced tea, high school bands playing, dancing.

"That's got to be some event", said Oliver.

"I'm sure it is", said Aneurin, "I wish I could go, but I'm going to be hanging with the guys."

"Seriously? Mom and Dad won't be happy. They probably wouldn't let us go that teen night club anyways. But I'll bet you'll sneak out of the house and go to hang out what you do with your friends."

Aneurin knew that Oliver had to be right, in a way. He would sneak out of the house to do stuff with his friends, even when their parents did not approve. Soon after, they each got to their classes. In about a month, Oliver would be taking his East coast trip with the other seniors.

At each of the schools, classes went on as usual. Then after school, a photographer at Lincoln Middle School asked Molly to do her model posing for photo shots. She did, and the photographer would say how gorgeous and beautiful she looked in every outfit she would wear. They each got home from school, then sat to eat some dinner.

"We're expecting a big file story from London tomorrow", said Carl.

"Isn't Robert going to be on that flight?", asked Oliver.

"Yes. He'll be one of the flight attendants there, I believe. He could have stayed home, though he's got a job to do."

***
Robert was on his way to the Chicago O'Hare airport. When he arrived, he parked in the garage. He met and shook hands with first officer Chris Smith. They went to board the plane and got into their position in the cockpit. Soon after, the flight attendants boarded.

While Captain Rayford was lugging his boxy flight attaché case, shedding his coat, greeting one of his favorite flight attendants, Antonio and the others, and finding Chris and Robert already in the cockpit, Rayford had to admit his mind was elsewhere. Tony had been busy in the galley when Rayford moved through, and the smaller man flashed a smile and shook the captain’s hand warmly.

“Hey, Tony,” Rayford said. “Good to see you.”

“Likewise", said, "Diet Coke with a lime or are you ready for some coffee?”

“Oh, thanks,” Rayford said, “but I think Miss Durham’s already on it."

“We’re excited about her, sir. She’s going to be a good senior. And she credits you for being a great mentor.”

“Really?” Rayford said, trying to appear pleasantly surprised.

Hattie was accomplished at hiding her feelings for Rayford from the rest of the crew. She always referred to him as the captain or Captain Steele or the pilot, never using his first name. And she didn’t ogle him on board as she did in the car or from across the table at a restaurant. How she was able to lightly touch him as they passed each other or when she delivered something to him in the cockpit without anyone else being the wiser, Rayford would never know.

Even now, when he finally settled in behind the controls and she brought him a Diet Coke, she shielded Christopher Smith’s view with her body as she leaned to hand Rayford the drink. Meanwhile, with her left hand she dragged a finger across his shoulder to the base of his neck. There was nothing but professionalism in their tones of voice and thus seemingly no suspicion aroused on anyone else’s part. Robert had to admit what a knockout Hattie was. He had known for for a short while, since he started learning how to fly a plane and became a second officer pilot.

When she left the cockpit, Smith chortled, “Whoo, boy, that is one gorgeous young thing, ain’t she?”

“Miss Durham?” Rayford said. “She is attractive.”

“Attractive?” Smith said, adding a crude remark about his own fantasies concerning her.

“Pretty young for you, wouldn’t you say, Chris?”

“May it never be so, Cap’n. Tell me you’d turn down a chance with her.”

Rayford pursed his lips and shook his head, as if admonishing a student. “Let’s have a little class, man. She’s not much more than a child. And you, a family man.”

“Well, I’m not dead, and I’m sure not blind.”

“Back to business there, cowboy.”

"She is something, isn't she?", said Robert to Rayford, "Though she might be young enough to be your much younger sister."

"You think, so, Robert?"

"Yeah. So how long is the flight to London?"

"We're going a stop at JFK in NYC, then we head on to Heathrow in London from there."

"It all sounds good."

Soon enough, the passengers have started boarding on the plane. Sooner then later, as soon as everyone was boarded, it would be time to take off.

***
Judd stuffed some of his favorite clothes in his book bag and jogged downstairs.

“And where do you think you’re going, mister?” his mother said. Did she always have to talk like that? Couldn’t she just ask a simple question?

“I’m going to the library to study,” Judd said. “I’ll be there till closing, so don’t wait up for me.”

“Since when did you get interested in studying?” his mother asked.

“You said you wanted my grades to improve!”

“You don’t need to go to the library to study, Judd. Why don’t you stay here and—”

“I need some peace and quiet, all right?”

“What will you do for dinner?”

“I’ll get something out.”

“Do you need some money?”

“No! Now leave me alone!”

“All right! Just go! But don’t be late!”

“Mom! I already told you! I’m staying till closing, so—”

“Don’t wait up, yeah, I know. Are you meeting someone there?”

“No!”

“I’d better not find out you’ve been out with your friends, young man.…”

But Judd was already out the door. At O’Hare, Judd found a flight on Pan-Continental Airlines that left early in the evening and was scheduled to arrive in London the following morning. His phony identification cards worked perfectly, and he enjoyed being referred to as Mr. Thompson. His first-class ticket was very expensive, but it was the only seat left on the 747. He sat on the aisle. On the other side of the aisle sat a middle-aged man who had three drinks set before him. Beyond him, in the window seat, a younger man sat hunched over his laptop computer. Judd was stunned at the beauty of the flight attendant, whose name badge read “Hattie.” He’d never known anyone with that name, but he couldn’t work up the courage to say so. He was excited and pleased with himself when she didn’t even ask to see any identification when she offered him champagne.

“How much?” he asked.

“It’s free in first class, Mr. Thompson,” she said.

He had tried champagne a few times and didn’t like it, but he liked the idea of its sitting on the tray table in front of him. He would pretend to be on business, on his way to London for important meetings. Captain Rayford Steele came over the intercom, announcing their flight path and altitude and saying he expected to arrive at Heathrow Airport at six in the morning. Judd took a bigger gulp of the champagne than he should have and had to cover his mouth to keep from spitting it out. Some of it came out through his nose, which burned as he coughed. He looked around sheepishly and was relieved to notice that no one had paid any attention. He would just pretend to sip from the glass until the beautiful flight attendant took it away. Judd had his eye on the two seats ahead of the men across the aisle from him. A rather large man had squeezed his way past Judd to sit in the window seat next to him, and as roomy as first class seats were, Judd decided he would rather sit alone if he had a choice. He had been told at the counter that he had bought the last seat on the plane, but those two seats on the other side were still empty. He hoped whoever had reserved them had changed their mind or would miss takeoff for some reason. But just as the flight attendants were gathering up glasses and napkins and telling passengers to stow their tray tables, a stooped, old couple boarded and headed for those seats. The flight attendants had helped the other first-class passengers store their belongings, but all were busy as the couple made their way up the aisle. The young man sitting in the window seat across the aisle from Judd was shutting down his laptop computer when he seemed to notice the old couple. He turned to the man on his right, the one who had already loosened his tie and downed three small bottles of liquor.

“Sir, that elderly gentleman could use a little help, I think.”

“So?” the man on the aisle said. “What do I look like, a stewardess?”

“Would you let me by, then, so I can help him?”

The drinking man cursed and turned in his seat to let the younger man pass. Judd watched as the old man took off his sport jacket and felt hat and reached for the overhead bin, which was too high for him.

The younger man said, “May I help you with that, sir?”

“Why, thank you, son. You’re very kind.”

“Not a problem.”

“What’s your name?”

“Cameron Williams,” he told the old man. “Call me Buck.”

“Peterson,” the old man said, extending his hand. “Call me Harold.”

Judd was fascinated. Harold Peterson introduced his wife to Buck, and as they all sat down Mrs. Peterson told Buck her husband was a retired businessman and asked what Buck did for a living.

“I’m a writer,” Buck said. “With Global Weekly.”

Judd thought. A big shot. And not that old.

***
Robert decided he needed a break, and went to check out the passengers. Then he noticed the young journalist who had boarded.

"You're not the Cameron Williams from Global Weekly, are you?", asked Robert.

"Please, call me Buck", said Buck, "I am. You're Carl's son. Robert isn't it?"

"Yes, that's right. I'm one of the pilots here, second officer."

Judd looked over and recognized Robert at once. He had seen him in church when he was younger, and had gone to school with Oliver and Aneurin. Robert glanced over and saw Judd.

"Hey, you're Mr. Judd Thompson", said Robert.

"Robert?", asked Judd, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm a second officer pilot on the flight. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, just going on a business trip to London."

"Really? I'm sure it sounds fascinating."

Soon, there was take off from JFK, a dinner and a movie. It was going to be a long flight, with the landing being scheduled at 6 am London Time.

****
Josiah was asked to work an extra shift at the hospital. He often had a talk with the doctors, then he would go to attend to the patients.

"Why need me for an extra shift?", asked Josiah.

"You're an agile young man", said the doctor, "You have enough energy to do so."

That was true, he did. He was even taller than his older sister Phoebe, who was living in Israel with her husband Silas. Josiah was energetic and his smile with his dark features was something to admire. Even a lot of girl patients would go crazy about him. He remembered how that was when he was in high school, then at nursing school. As a registered nurse, working double shift was new to him. But he was willing to do it. If he needed a break, he could fall sleep in the lounge, if he had to.

[As we can see, we're living a changing world. Parents aren't as strict, education isn't what it used to be. Now disclaimer, nobody is perfect. We all fall short somewhere, even as Christians.]

 

[jasmine_childoftheking]

Chapter XXI

***
On the flight, Robert had been sitting in the cockpit with the two other pilots. He didn't do much as a second officer pilot, though he sat kind of at the center. He enjoyed the flights, that was sure. He decided to take a bit of a break, and check on the passengers. They all seemed to have fallen asleep.

Judd was so keyed up, so excited, and yet so worried about what his parents were going to do when they discovered he had disappeared, he couldn’t imagine having fallen asleep. Yet he had. He figured out how to make the seat back recline, and he was soon staring at the dark ceiling, his eyes beginning to grow accustomed to the low light. He folded his arms across his chest and forced himself to breathe more and more slowly. He had to relax, needed to get some rest if he was going to succeed in finding a place to hide out in London. Hattie, the flight attendant, glided by every half hour or so, and Judd realized he was finally starting to unwind when he quit looking forward to watching her. Eventually, the slow blinking began, then he turned sideways and curled up. Now he had to close his eyes or he would appear to stare at the large man in the window seat next to him.

Robert had to admit that Hattie was pretty, a few years older than he was. Then he noticed that another flight attendent, Tony, had given Judd a blanket while Judd was a sleep. Judd was still barely awake when Hattie came by. She had to avoid the old man as she slipped past.

Judd mustered his courage and whispered, “Thanks for the blanket.”

She flashed him a smile. “Oh, you’re welcome, hon,” she said. “My partner, Tony, brought you that. Need anything else?”

He was too tongue-tied to say any more. He shook his head, turned back to face the big man on his right, and drifted off to sleep again. Robert continued to walk through the cabins, then head back for the cockpit.

"Robert, you need anything?", asked Tony.

"Oh, nothing I can think of ", said Robert, "Thanks anyways, Tony."

Then Robert headed back to the cockpit and got back to duty.

***
Vicki Byrne was going out. Her parents would have a fit, she realized, if they knew what she and her friends were up to. They had scored some pot and were smoking and riding around with older kids who had cars. By the time her friends dropped her off at the entrance to the trailer park, far enough from her trailer so the car wouldn’t wake anybody, Vicki was already more than an hour late. Her mother had told her she would be waiting up for her in the little living room. Vicki felt wasted, and she didn’t want the lecture, the grounding, the tears, the prayers. As she came into view of the trailer, she noticed the only light on was a small reading lamp in the living room. If her mother was dozing there, she would surely awaken if Vicki tried to sneak past. She knew what she would do. She would slip in the back door. If her mother discovered her in her bed, she would swear she had come home on time and had even tried to wake her mother. Vicki crept around back, trying not to make noise in the gravel. She slowly opened the little-used door and did her best to keep it from creaking. She held her breath and pulled it softly closed behind her. She could see the light on in the living room. She undressed in the dark and slipped into the bedroom she shared with Jeanni. As Vicki lay on her back in bed, she allowed herself to breathe again. But something was strange. Maybe the pot had done something to her mind, or her hearing. Normally she could hear her father snoring from down the hall. And she could always hear Jeanni’s deep breathing. Now she heard nothing. Not a thing. So much the she thought. She felt as tired as she’d ever been and was grateful for the peace and quiet that allowed her to drift into a deep sleep.

***
Ashton was on police duty, and was asked to work an extra shift. There were some other guys in the police department who talked about God and Jesus and how to be saved. Though he really didn't get into it.

"We've got a murder case to solve", said a police woman, "We should it have all ready tomorrow.

"Very good", said Ashton.

Ashton continued on with his work at the department. Then sometime later, he fell asleep, feeling drowsy.

***
Everett had been home for a time. His older sister, Alicia, announced she needed to leave early for YWCA meeting.

"Oh yes", said Everett, Sr, "We should all head for bed real soon. Got school and work tomorrow. Isn't that right?"

"Yes, dad", said Everett, "I've got a big exam to do. Then in a month, I leave for a senior east coast trip.

"Oh, that's right."

Soon, they all head for bed. Everett tried to fall sleep, but could hardly stay awake. After while, he fell asleep.

***
Elain and Lucille were doing their classes at the University of South Chicago. Soon, they had some parties on campus, and even had an all girls night out.

"I need to head back to our dorm", said Elain.

"I'll see you then", said Lucille.

Elain went back to their dorm, and Lucille stayed for a while. Soon, she headed back for the dorm as well. She arrived, and Elain and Lucille had a little talk. Soon, both girls feel asleep.

***
Lionel Washington grew bleary-eyed in his own home. His older sister, Clarice, had helped her mother put the younger kids to bed a few hours before. Then she and Lionel and their mother and father sat in the family room as Uncle André told story after story, making them laugh and cry and laugh some more. Clarice was the first to beg off.

“I’ve got to get up early tomorrow,” she said.

Lionel’s mother was next. “We’re expecting a story to be filed from our London office tomorrow. I can’t be late for work. Lionel, when André finally runs out of steam, which I hope is real soon, you two can sleep on the couch in the basement as usual.”

“Thank you, Sis,” André said. “I won’t keep your man up much longer.”

He was referring to Lionel’s dad, who loved André and his stories. There he sat in his easy chair, trying to listen, trying not to doze. He looked comfortable, a big old working man in a terry cloth robe three sizes too big. He rubbed the corners of his eyes.

“Should have taken these contacts out hours ago,” he said.

“I’m gonna let you go to bed, bro-in-law,” André told him. “Lionel and me will head downstairs.”

“Good idea,” Mr. Washington said. “I’ll just sit here a few more minutes before going up to bed myself. G’night, boys.”

Lionel found himself falling asleep next to his uncle in the basement even though André was still telling some story. Lionel was half listening for his father’s footsteps above them, which would let Lionel know he had gone off to bed. But he couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer. He fell asleep listening to his uncle’s whispering, whiny laugh and only hoped André wouldn’t be insulted when he realized Lionel was asleep.

****
Santiago and his family were planning to stay in Chicago over the weekend to attend a Spanish church there. On the schedule, there were things as usual, school and work.

"There's a teen club tonight", said Santiago.

He decided to go, but didn't plan to stay long. There, he ate some treats, drank soda and iced tea, and danced. After awhile, he left and got home. When he arrived home, he got ready for a bed at once. He helped put his little brother and sister to bed once he got home. He stayed up with his parents for a bit. Then they decided to head for bed.

***
Aneurin had sneaked out to hang out with his friends, and smoke, drank and do drugs. During that time, they decided to head for a diner to hang out.

"Hey kid, what's up?", asked the diner guy.

"Oh, just hanging out", said Aneurin, in his slurred speech.

While at the diner, they continued to hang out some. Then, after awhile, Aneurin went to the lounge and fell asleep. Oh, he would be grounded for sure if his parents found out he had gone out that night. Though he decided he should get some sleep before heading back.

***
Ryan Daley had very nearly been allowed to stay at his best friend’s house that night. His mother had to take the next morning off so she could pick up Ryan’s dad at O’Hare Airport. Ryan was to walk to school with Raymie Steele just before his mother was to leave. Both boys thought it might be a good idea if he just stayed overnight with Raymie. But Mrs. Steele apologized for not being able to have a guest that night. Ryan’s mother told him that Mrs. Steele had said that her husband had a flight and that she preferred they do this some other night.

“In fact, she suggested this weekend and asked if it was all right if you went to church with them", said Mrs. Daley, "I told Mrs. Steele that that would be fine.”

“Oh, Mom!”, Ryan said.

“It won’t be so bad, honey. I went to church a few times when I was a kid, and it didn’t hurt me any. Just act nice, and they’ll be nice to you.”

Ryan dreaded even the thought of that, and he wished he could have stayed at Raymie’s that night. But he would see Raymie in the morning, and they would have fun this weekend—even if he did have to go to church. With his dad away on business, Ryan knew his mother would stay up watching television longer than normal. He let her see him in bed and turn off his light, then waited until he was sure she was settled in downstairs. He shut his door all the way and stayed up reading and listening to music. Ryan was getting drowsy when he thought he heard something. He lifted one earphone, listening for his mother. If she was coming up to bed, she would be able to see the light streaming under his door. He rolled over and flicked off his light, but he heard no footsteps on the stairs. What he heard was a siren, maybe more than one. He tiptoed to the window and peered out. On the horizon he saw the pink glow of a fire in the distance. Way to his left was another. Then he heard closer sirens. This was a crazy night for some reason. He wanted to see if there was anything on the news, and he wondered if he could convince his mother the sirens had woken him when he padded downstairs. Ryan carefully opened the door and went down the carpeted steps. He peeked into the television room, where his mother’s movie was ending. She was sound asleep. He waited until the credits had rolled and the commercials came on, hoping there might be some news. But as soon as the last commercial played, the national anthem came on, signaling the end of the broadcast day. He thought about changing the channel, but he knew that would awaken his mother. When the station signed off the air, the static roused his mother, and Ryan hurried back upstairs before she noticed him. He climbed under the covers in the dark and pretended to be asleep when she peeked in on him, as usual. He was going to put his headphones back on and try to tune in some radio news. But now he was really tired. The sirens seemed farther away, so he just closed his eyes.

***
Josiah had been working double shift at the hospital. Late that night, he started feel drowsy, though he dreaded driving back to his apartment.

"So you plan on going back to your apartment tonight?", asked a doctor.

"I hate the idea of driving out this late", said Josiah, "Though I am feeling tired."

"It must be from having to work doubled shift. I understand."

Josiah went to check on the patients, and see how they were doing that night. After awhile, he went to the nearest lounge, and fell asleep. He woke up a few times, feeling drowsy each time. Then he fell back asleep.

***
Molly decided she would go to the teen club, though didn't plan to stay long. Her choice of outfit consisted of a mini skirt, a spaghetti strap crop top, jewelry in her hair. As she was getting ready to leave, Donna gave her a button up blouse to wear over her top. Soon after, Molly left for the teen club. When she arrived, she removed her removed blouse, and revealed her outfit. There, she drank some inced tea and soda, ate some treats, sang and danced. She didn't stay long however. Before she left, she put her blouse back on, then headed out. She got home, and got ready for bed.

"As I've said, we're expecting a big story file from London tomorrow", said Carl, "I should get to early, so I could get to the office early enough."

"I need to get up for a exam", said Oliver, "It's one of the big ones."

Soon, they got ready for bed. Molly, who had previously shared a room with Elain, now had a room of her own. Oh, how she couldn't wait to get to bed. Though, she stayed up a bit later. She would sleep on and off. Though she was bleary eyed and drowsy.

[Soon, it could be the moment]

 

[jasmine_childoftheking]

Chapter XXII

****
Robert had been in the cockpit, watching intently as Rayford and Chris were at the controls. He helped every now and then as well, though he just watched for the most part. He had dozed off a couple of times, though he managed to keep awake. He enjoyed having conversations with the two pilots in the cockpit. Then he saw Rayford talking with the communications tower. He figured they had to be halfway between the US. and the U.K.

"We seemed to be have develop a situation we need to attend to", said the air traffic controller, "Please stand by."

"Roger that", said Rayford.

"A situation?", asked Chris.

"What's that all about?", asked Robert.

Rayford felt an irresistible urge to see Hattie right then. He unstrapped himself and squeezed his first officer’s shoulder on the way out of the cockpit.

“We’re still on auto, Christopher,” he said as the younger man roused and straightened his headphones, “I’m gonna make the sunup stroll. You and Robert keep an eyes on things."

Christopher squinted and licked his lips. “Doesn’t look like sunup to me, Cap.”

“Probably another hour or two. I’ll see if anybody’s stirring anyway.”

“Roger. If they are, tell ’em Chris says, ‘Hey.’”

Robert couldn't help but laugh. Though he wondered what could this situation though.

***
As Hattie moved through the cabin, she found a good-looking blond man sleeping, his laptop open, his reading lamp on. She reached across a heavyset, snoring man who smelled of too many drinks and switched off the light. As she backed away, she noticed that the dapper old man on the aisle just ahead of those two was gone. His clothes were on the seat. To Hattie’s great relief, the man’s wife still dozed. Relief? That was a laugh. Hattie was starring in the horror film of a lifetime.

A young woman on the other side of the aisle frantically patted the empty seats beside her, calling out, “Bill! Where are the kids?” She spotted Hattie. “Ma’am?”

Hattie held up a hand. “I’ll be right with you.” And she sprinted toward the cockpit.

***
Rayford opened the cockpit door, Hattie Durham nearly bowled him over. The senior flight attendant pulled him into the galleyway, but there was no passion in her touch. Her fingers felt like talons on his forearm, and her body shuddered in the darkness.

“Hattie—”

She pressed him back against the cooking compartments, her face close to his. Had she not been clearly terrified, he might have enjoyed this and returned her embrace. Her knees buckled as she tried to speak, and her voice came in a whiny squeal.

“People are missing,” she managed in a whisper, burying her head in his chest.

He took her shoulders and tried to push her back, but she fought to stay close. “What do you m—?”

She was sobbing now, her body out of control. “A whole bunch of people, just gone!”

“Hattie, this is a big plane. They’ve wandered to the lavs or—”

She pulled his head down so she could speak directly into his ear. Despite her weeping, she was plainly fighting to make herself understood. “I’ve been everywhere. I’m telling you, dozens of people are missing.”

“Hattie, it’s still dark. We’ll find—”

“I’m not crazy! See for yourself! All over the plane, people have disappeared.”

“It’s a joke. They’re hiding, trying to—”

“Ray! Their shoes, their socks, their clothes, everything was left behind. These people are gone!”

Hattie slipped from his grasp and knelt whimpering in the corner. Rayford wanted to comfort her, to enlist her help, or to get Chris to go with him through the plane. More than anything he wanted to believe the woman was crazy. She knew better than to put him on. It was obvious she really believed people had disappeared.

***
Judd was desperate to know what was going on. He heard a noise up there, as if she had fallen. He leaned into the aisle and saw her on her knees, whimpering. The captain seemed to be trying to comfort her, and she held on to him as if scared to death. Judd suddenly felt very young and very afraid. Behind him more people were crying out. What was going on? What were they saying? The young man and the drunk across the aisle were both sound asleep. Judd could no longer see the old man. And the two people in front of Judd must have slid down in their seats too. Rayford left Hattie in the galley area and stepped out into the aisle, as if studying the seats in first class. Judd pulled off his blanket and tried to catch the captain’s eye, to read something on his face. But it was too dark. And the pilot was distracted.

From the seat ahead of him and to the left, he heard the voice of the old woman. “What in the world?” she said. “Harold?”

Was something wrong with the old man? Judd couldn’t resist standing to look. Everyone else in first class seemed to be sleeping. He unfastened his seat belt and rose to look at the old couple. The woman sat there with her husband’s sweater and dress pants in her hands! Judd shook his head, trying to clear his mind. What was she doing with her husband’s clothes? And where was he? Obviously, that’s what she was wondering too. Rayford hurried past before Judd could think how to phrase a question. All he wanted to know was what was going on, but the pilot and certainly the flight attendant didn’t seem to know either. When the pilot reached the stairs, Mrs. Peterson stood and called out to him.

“Sir, my husband—”

Judd saw the pilot put a finger to his lips and whisper, “I know. We’ll find him. I’ll be right back.”

And now here came Hattie. Judd said, “Ma’am?” but she didn’t answer.

She grabbed the pilot by the shoulders from behind. “Should I turn on the cabin lights?” she asked.

No,” the pilot whispered. “The less people know right now, the better.”

What did that mean? Judd watched the two hurry down the stairs.

***
First one, then another cried out when they realized their seatmates were missing but that their clothes were still there. They cried, they screamed, they leaped from their seats. Hattie grabbed Rayford from behind and wrapped her hands so tight around his chest that he could hardly breathe.

“Rayford, what is this?”, asked Hattie.

He pulled her hands apart and turned to face her. “Hattie, listen. I don’t know any more than you do. But we’ve got to calm these people and get on the ground. I’ll make some kind of an announcement, and you and your people keep everybody in their seats. OK?”

She nodded but she didn’t look OK at all. As he edged past her to hurry back to the cockpit, he heard her scream. So much for calming the passengers, he thought as he whirled to see her on her knees in the aisle. She lifted a blazer, shirt and tie still intact. Trousers lay at her feet. Hattie frantically turned the blazer to the low light and read the name tag.

“Tony!” she wailed. “Tony’s gone!”

Rayford snatched the clothes from her and tossed them behind the bulkhead. He lifted Hattie by her elbows and pulled her out of sight.

“Hattie, we’re hours from touchdown. We can’t have a planeload of hysterical people. I’m going to make an announcement, but you have to do your job. Can you?”

She nodded, her eyes vacant. He forced her to look at him. “Will you?” he said.

She nodded again. “Rayford, are we going to die?”

“No,” he said. “That I’m sure of.”

By now keeping the cabin lights off was doing more harm than good, and he was glad to be able to give Hattie a specific assignment. “I don’t know what I’m going to say,” he said, “but get the lights on so we can make an accurate record of who’s here and who’s gone, and then get more of those foreign visitor declaration forms.”

“For what?”

“Just do it. Have them ready.”

Rayford didn’t know if he had done the right thing by leaving Hattie in charge of the passengers and crew. As he raced up the stairs, he caught sight of another attendant backing out of a gallEy, screaming. By now Christopher in the cockpit was the only one on the plane unaware of what was happening. Though Robert thought he overheard Hattie saying that Tony was gone. What?, he wondered. Worse, Rayford had told Hattie he didn’t know what was happening any more than she did.

"Christopher, Robert", said Rayford, "You need for you two to get account of whose missing. It appeared that people have disappeared."

"What?", asked Robert.

"So you're saying that people just vanished?", asked Chris.

"I don't have time to explain the what or why. Just go and do your jobs. Chris, you do one cabin, Robert, you see about the other."

Robert nodded, and he and Chris each headed out of the cockpit to the different cabins.

*****
Judd turned back to see the old woman talking to the writer behind her. He was dragging his fingers through his long blond hair. As Robert was counting the seats with missing people, he noticed a suit on the floor. The nameplate read, "Tony". He knew at once that Hattie was right, that Tony had disappeared. Meanwhile, he and Judd overheard a woman who was troubled.

“Trouble, ma’am?” Buck said.

“It’s my Harold,” she said.

“Does he need something?” Buck asked, stretching.

“He’s gone!”

“I’m sorry?”

“He’s disappeared!”

“Well,” Buck said, “I’m sure he slipped off to the washroom while you were sleeping.”

“Would you mind checking for me? And take a blanket.”

“Ma’am?”

“I’m afraid he’s gone off naked. He’s a religious person, and he’ll be terribly embarrassed.”

Judd still stood, as if glued to the floor in front of his seat. He watched Buck Williams climb over the sleeping drunk in the aisle seat and move up to take a blanket from the old woman. Buck crouched and studied the clothes Mr. Peterson had left in his seat. “Does your husband have epilepsy?”

“No.”

“Sleepwalking?”

“No.”

“I’ll be right back.”

Judd didn’t want to look down into the seats in front of him, and he certainly didn’t want to look to his right where the big man had been. But he forced himself to. Over the backs of the seats ahead of him he saw blankets, pillows, and full sets of clothes. Glasses, jewelry, even a man’s wig lay on his seat. His heart racing, Judd looked next to him. That neatly folded blanket now lay atop flat trousers that led to empty socks and shoes. On the back of the seat lay the limp, still-buttoned white shirt, the still-knotted tie, and little bits of metal. Judd’s knees were weak. Other passengers woke up and discovered their seatmates missing, their clothes left behind. Judd leaned close to the big man’s pile of clothes and turned on the overhead light. He could still smell the man’s cologne. And those tiny bits of metal were dental fillings! When Robert overheard the woman saying that her husband was religious, it hit him! He, Rayford, and Judd were perhaps the only ones on the plane who knew what was happening! Jesus had come back to Rapture His church, and Robert, as well as most on the plane, had been left behind.

, “Sir, I need to ask you to return to your seat and fasten your belt", Hattie said to Buck.

Buck tried to explain. “I’m looking for—”

"Everybody is looking for someone,” Hattie said. “We hope to have some information for you in a few minutes. Now, please.”

***
Christopher and Robert had been gone only a few minutes when Rayford heard Chris's key in the cockpit door and it banged open. Christopher flopped into his chair, ignored the seat belt, and sat with his head in his hands.

"We've got about a 116 people missing, Ray", said Robert, taking his seat.

“What’s going on, Ray?” Chris said. “We got us more than a hundred people gone with nothing but their clothes left behind.”

“That many?”

“Yeah, like it’d be better if it was only fifty? How the heck are we gonna explain landing with less passengers than we took off with?”

Rayford shook his head, still working the radio, trying to reach someone, anyone, in Greenland or an island in the middle of nowhere. But they were too remote even to pick up a radio station for news. Finally he connected with a Concorde several miles away heading the other direction. He nodded to Christopher to put on his own earphones.

**
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Rayford said over the intercom, “we’re not going to be able to land in Europe. We’re headed back to Chicago. We’re almost exactly halfway to our original destination, so we will not have a fuel problem. I hope this puts your minds at ease somewhat. I will let you know when we are close enough to begin using your cell phones. Until I do, you will do yourself a favor by not trying.”

Judd dropped his head again and felt the tears come. From across the aisle he heard Buck say to the sleeping drunk, “I’m sorry, friend, but you’re going to want to be awake for this.”

The drunk said, “If we’re not crashin’, don’t bother me.”

In spite of their terror, passengers seemed to settle down for the long flight back to Chicago. Judd refused all offers of food and beverage, unable to think of anything but what he might find at home. In the meantime, Robert had gone to the cabin to check on the passengers.

"Any idea when we'll land?", asked Judd.

"I'm not sure", said Robert, "But there are two runways open in Chicago from what I understand. We may be hold off for a long time."

"What are you two jabbering about", said a drunk man, "We're not landing Chicago, we're landing in London."

"We're not", Robert got out his phone, and saw a notification, "Millions of people around the world missing!"

"Well, I don't know how to say this", said another man, "But I think you've slept through the most clasamitic event in world history."

"What does that supposed to mean?", asked the drunk man.

"Well, people disappeared."

"It's all over the world, too", said Robert.

"What?", asked the drunk man.

"I got a notification on my phone! And the reporter over there has been moderating on his laptop!"

"So people just disappeared!?"

Before Robert could explained what he thought happened, he was called by Rayford back into the cockpit. He put his phone away and headed back for the cockpit.

***
Later, when Captain Rayford Steele was finally able to take a minute from flying tasks, he used the satellite phone to dial an all-news radio outlet and learned the far-reaching effects of the disappearance of people from every continent. When Rayford was close enough to communicate to the tower at O’Hare, he asked if they would try to connect him by phone to his home. He was laughed off.

“Sorry, Captain, but phone lines are so jammed and phone personnel so spotty that the only hope is to get a dial tone and use a phone with a redial button.”

Rayford filled the passengers in on the extent of the phenomenon and pleaded with them to remain calm. “There is nothing we can do on this plane that will change the situation. My plan is to get you on the ground as quickly as possible in Chicago so you can have access to some answers and, I hope, some help.”

***
As O’Hare came into view, it was clear no one was going anywhere soon. There were planes as far as the eye could see, some crashed and burning, the others gridlocked in line. People trudged through the grass and between vehicles toward the terminal. The expressways that led to the airport looked like they had during the great Chicago blizzards, only without the snow. Cranes and wreckers were trying to clear a path through the front of the terminal so cars could get in and out, but that would take hours, if not days. A snake of humanity wended its way slowly out of the terminal buildings, between the motionless cars, and onto the ramps. People walking, walking, walking, looking for a cab or a limo.

**
Robert tried to call his roommate on his phone, but couldn't get through. Soon after, he and Judd watched news report about millions around the world who vanished. There was one that showed a funeral service, where the casket opened, and the corpse was gone. Another showed a wedding ceremony, and just as the bride and groom were giving each other their rings, they each finished out of their wedding gown and suit. After awhile, he overheard Chris, who learned that his wife was a traffic accident from the police department, calling his uncle Ira. Robert wondered if he should get hold of his uncle Dirk in London, and apologize he couldn't make his flight to London. He overheard Chris talking with his uncle Ira, who informed that his wife was killed in a car accident and that his two boys have disappeared. Robert wanted to tell Chris how sorry he was, but what could do? He needed to find out if he lost anyone in his family as well. Then he turned to Judd.

"See you later", said Robert.

"You as well", said Judd.

He couldn't get his car out of the garage, so he would have to catch a ride to his apartment right there in Chicago. As he did, he saw that there was a group who wheeled a body out with blood all over. He looked closely, and saw it was Chris. He realized that Chris had killed himself. Robert figured that hearing the death of his wife and the disappearances of his two boys must have hit him hard. He turned back to the TV screen, and saw that there were reports of suicides around the world as well. What would Robert do? He eventually got a ride to his apartment in Chicago, and found his roommate's clothing and Bible open on a chair. Soon, he would need to find some answers to all of this.

[No one could imagine how the disappearances occur. Though it was all in the blink of an eye.]

 

[jasmine_childoftheking]

Chapter XXIII

***
Everett had been dozing off and on in his room. He thought he saw the sun was up. But what time was it? It had be early morning. Strange thing about that morning, though, it was quiet. What could it be? Normally, by that time, everyone would be up and getting ready for work and school.

"Mom? Dad?", asked Everett, "Mom? Dad?"

He rushed into the master bedroom to see his parents were still asleep. Though, when he got there, something shocked him! He uncovered the sheets and bed spread, and saw each of their clothes. However, neither of his parents were in it! He even saw his father's glasses were still there and his mom's teeth fillings were there.

"What the-?", Everett asked himself. What could this all be?

Then he rushed over to Alicia's room. He saw the same thing, her pajamas on her bed and her Bible open on her pillow. Not her too! He thought to himself. Then he went over to his little brother and sister, Ronnie and Gracie's rooms.

"Ronnie! Gracie!", said Everett.

He first went into Ronnie's room, and saw pajamas on his bed. Then he went into Gracie's room, and there were also pajamas on her bed. Everett came out of the bedrooms, and went down to the living room. What was going on?

"Oh, don't even tell me!", he said to himself.

Everett decided to turn on the TV if there was any news. And there was- millions of people of the world have vanished. But how? People don't just disappeared!

"This just in", said the news reporter, "People have vanished off the face of the earth! Cars, planes, trains, helicopters have crashed every where!"

Then it showed various parts of the world where the disappearances have happened. One showed a wedding taking place and as the bride and groom were giving each other their rings, they both vanished out of their wedding dress and tuxedo. Another took place at a funeral service in Australia, where it showed the casket opening, and the body was gone. Then there was one with a pregnant woman about to give birth where the baby had disappeared, and her stomach flattened.

“Now, watch with us again,” the newsman intoned, “and keep your eyes on the left edge of your screen, where a nurse appears to be reading a printout from the fetal heart monitor. There, see?” The action stopped as the pregnant woman’s stomach deflated. “The nurse’s uniform seems to still be standing as if an invisible person is wearing it. She’s gone. Half a second later, watch.” The image moved ahead and stopped. “The uniform, stockings and all, are in a pile atop her shoes.”

Then it showed at a cemetary, three pallbearers disappeared and the other three dropped the casket, which broke open to reveal it was empty. The video panned to several freshly opened graves with bodies suddenly missing. The news anchor woman announced that morgues all over the world reported various numbers of bodies missing.

As Everett watched, there had to be something to this news report about people disappearing worldwide? But he noticed that children under middle school age, babies, and unborn, have disappeared as well. There was also reports of many dead people disappearing out of their graves, whether if they had been buried or cremated. Then it hit him! He knew well what happened! Jesus had come back to Rapture His followers, and Everett had been left behind! What was he do to do now, he wondered.

***
Ryan didn’t hear his mother and assumed he had risen before her. He took his shower and dressed, then finished his homework before heading down to breakfast. Surely she would be up by now. But she wasn’t there. A note awaited Ryan. It read:

“Honey, please stay here until I call you. I’m going to try to get to O’Hare. I’m not sure I’ll get through because of everything that’s been happening, so please don’t worry. And if the stuff on television bothers you, just turn it off. Dad and I’ll be home as soon as I can find him. I couldn’t get an answer at the Steeles, so don’t go there unless you talk to Mrs. Steele or Raymie first. And don’t walk to school alone. There may not even be school today. They should say on the news. I’ll call you sometime this morning. Don’t go anywhere until you hear from me, please. Love, Mom.”

Ryan had no idea what she was talking about, but that didn’t keep him from worrying. He got himself some cereal and turned on the little TV his mom kept on the kitchen counter. None of the stations would come in, so he turned it off. When he finished eating, he decided he would call Raymie. The phones weren’t working, but he noticed the message light blinking on the answering machine. He pressed the button. His mother had called at four-thirty in the morning. So that was what he had heard. She had left in the middle of the night. And this call came long after she had written the note and left.

“Ryan,” his mother’s recorded voice said, “I’m stuck in some unbelievable traffic here, and I don’t know if I can get to O’Hare or back home. I’ll just keep trying. When you get this message, call me on my car phone. You know the number. I can’t get through to O’Hare by phone either, and the first time I tried to call you all the circuits were busy. So if it doesn’t work, keep trying. And remember, don’t worry. I’ll find Dad and we’ll get home as soon as we can.”

His mother had sounded worried herself. How could he not worry? Ryan still couldn’t bring in any TV stations, so he turned on the radio and hooked up his video games. He was immersed in his favorite game when he realized what was happening. Millions of people have disappeared around the world. Then he heard a newsport of a plane crash, which Mr. Daley was on. It meant that he had died in the plane crash! What would Ryan tell his mom? He tried to call her cell phone, and got an answer from a police officer. Ryan's mom had been in a car wreck, and she had died in that wreck! Now Ryan was left alone! He thought of checking things out at New Hope Village Church, where his best friend Raymie was going to.

*****
Chloe and Amy in Palo Alto at Standford University plan on having a girl's night out with Phoebe and her roommate. Chloe tried to call Phobe, but got a busy signal. She tried again at 911, though got a busy signa. . She dialed campus security. Same thing. Soon Phoebe’s roommate appeared in pajamas and slippers.

“This is her stuff,” she said, ashen-faced. “Call somebody.”

Chloe told her she had tried, and the girl, shaking, whispered, “I don’t want to scare you any more, but on my way down here, I heard screaming on every floor.”

“Stay here, Amy,” Chloe said, dashing back inside.

She found students everywhere, shaking, crying, running, trying to call for help. In her building alone, more than ten students had disappeared right out of their clothes, most in front of their friends or roommates. Chloe, a knot forming deep within, dialed her father’s cell phone, wondering what time it would be where he was. She got the message that the system was overloaded and that she should try later. A girl grabbed Chloe from behind, hanging on as if she were drowning.

“What’s going on?” she wailed.

“I don’t know!” Chloe said.

“Have you heard? Lots of students’ kids are gone. Some say all of them. And a couple of professors.”

The girl ran off. Chloe tried her home number. “

Mom? Dad? Are you there? Have you seen what’s going on? Call me as soon as you can. We’ve lost at least ten students and two profs, and all the married students’ kids disappeared. Is Raymie all right? Call me!”

Chloe ran to her room and began packing, hardly thinking about where she was going. Kids had TVs and radios blaring the news that this was a worldwide phenomenon. She had to get home. Why, she didn’t know. She just had to. She threw anything and everything she needed into one suitcase and dragged it downstairs. Amy was still standing guard over Phoebe’s clothes.

“You might as well take that stuff up to her room,” Chloe said, and she told Amy what she had heard. “I’m going to keep trying to reach my family, but if you hear from them, tell them I’m trying to find a way back there. I’ll try to call them tomorrow if I can get a flight. Can you do that?”

“Sure. And, Chloe . . . be careful.”

[You kind expect that the disappearances is happening worldwide, each at a different time zone.]

 

[jasmine_childoftheking]

Chapter XXIV

***
Lucille had been in her dorm for a while. By now morning sessions would have started. But it seemed quiet in her dorm.. What could it be? Lucille wondered if there was something wrong with the schedule. She got up out of bed and looked at the clock on her phone. It seemed a bit off. Was she going to be late for class? Was the timing off? She got dressed, and came out of her dorm when she heard panic on campus.

"Do you know what's happening?", Lucille asked a girl on campus.

"A lot of people are missing", said the girl.

"What?"

"No one knows. Let me show you."

The girl took Lucille to the lounge and turned on the TV. There was the breaking news of people vanishing all over the world. It showed different footage around the world. In Hawaii, there was a birthday celebration, and as the girl was about to blow out the candles, she disappeared as well as quite a few did. There were even a footage at a funeral home in Australia, where the casket opened and the body was gone. It even showed reports of suicides taking place around the world.

"We do not know at this moment", said the news anchor, "Many of us are trying to find the answers to all of this! Is it a supernova? Is it space aliens? We may find out soon enough!"

Lucille could not believe what was happening. Was it a dream or reality?

"Those two girls, Elain and Addi", said another girl, "They're missing from their dorm."

Then Lucille remembered what Elain and Addi had talked about so much! Jesus had come back to take His followers and she, along with a quite a few on campus, had been left behind. But who would she talked to? She remembered that Elain's father had worked for the Global Weekly, so she wondered if she should get a hold of him at the office. She dialed the Global Weekly on her phone. A woman named Ivy Gold, one of Carl's assistants, answered.

"Global Weekly", said Ivy, "This is Ivy."

"Hi", said Lucille, "Could I speak with Carl Burton?"

"Well, he's not at the office at the moment. Any relation?"

"Well, I am in college with his daughter Elain."

"Is that so? Well, Carl hasn't been at the office. I'll tell you what. I'll call him and let him know you called."

"I appreciate that."

Lucille soon hanged up. What would she do? With so many people missing, would classes continue? She even wondered if college would ever bee the same again.

****
It was not unusual for Bruce Barnes—visitation pastor of New Hope Village Church in Mt. Prospect, Illinois—to read in bed as his wife slept. Too often his reading and turning pages kept her awake, and after wrestling with three kids, five and under, all day, she frequently asked how long he would be reading. That night he was enjoying his favorite sports-weekly magazine, and as usual, his wife gently murmured, asking how long the light would be on. Not long, he told her, hoping she would soon fall asleep and not hear the pages turning or be bothered by the light. She sighed a few times as the pages crinkled, but soon he heard her breathing slowly and steadily and knew she was out. He resituated himself with his back to her and kept reading, planning to finish the entire magazine. Soon Bruce felt the bed move and sensed that his wife had gotten up. He assumed she was going to the bathroom and hoped she wouldn’t rouse so much that she would complain about his still having the light on when she got back. It didn’t strike him until later that he had not heard her walk to the bathroom or heard any water running. She was a tiny little thing, so the lack of her weight on the bed was pretty much all he noticed. Engrossed in his reading, Bruce suddenly became aware that his wife had not returned.

He called over his shoulder, “Hon, you okay?”

No response. Maybe she was checking on the kids. Or maybe it had been his imagination that she had left the bed. He read for a few more minutes, then reached behind him to be sure she wasn’t still there. She was gone. He turned over and noticed that she had also pulled the covers back up to the pillow. Great. She was angry with him for still being up and having the light on, so she had likely retired to the couch. Bruce felt terrible. He went to apologize and coax her back to bed, resigned to quit reading and turn out the light. But his wife was not on the couch. Not in the kitchen. Not in the bathroom. Not in the kids’ rooms. He didn’t want to call out for her and wake the children. The lights were off all over the house, so he turned on the one in the hall to check their rooms again. Perhaps she was in a corner, rocking one of the younger ones. From the dim shaft of light in the hall, Bruce thought the baby’s crib looked empty. He turned on the room light, stuck his head out the door, and called down the hall for his wife. When he got no response, he turned back to the crib, saw the empty footie pajamas, and knew. Bruce ran to each of the other two rooms, yanking back the covers and finding the kids’ pajamas. Hurrying back to the master bedroom, he pulled back the covers on his wife’s side to find her nightgown and her rings. Bruce grabbed the phone and called Pastor Billings. He got the answering machine. He called other staff members. Same problem. He dug through the church directory, looking for older people who might not like answering machines. No answers. As alone as he had ever been, Bruce jumped in his car and drove to the church. There he found one of the older New Hope secretaries sitting in her car, sobbing. They both knew what had happened. They had been left behind, and they knew why.

****
Ashton had been working at the police station in Chicago. To his amazement, they were getting calls about people missing. He turned on the TV and as it turned out, it was happening all around the world. The phone rang again.

"Cleaver", said Ashton.

"Sir, my children are missing", said a hysteric woman, "Any idea where they are!?"

"I'm not sure! We'll see what we can do to help to find anyone missing, if we could!"

Then he hanged up. The police station were taking so many calls. The were also reports of accidents that resulted from the disappearances- cars, trains, planes, helicopters, ships crashing all over. There were also reports of suicide around the world as a sign of remorse or grief.

"What do you make of it, Cleaver?", asked a young blond policeman.

"I don't know, Eddie", answered Ashton, "It could be a number of things."

"What do suppose:", asked another police officer.

"Cole, it might be what those guys were talking about", said Eddie, "Remember when they've talked about God?"

"Yes, I do."

"So that's it", said Ashton.

The policemen looked at one another, and knew they had been left behind. Was it too late? They had to find out soon enough. They would need to go somewhere for answers.

[You never know what would happen]

 

[jasmine_childoftheking]

Chapter XXV

***
Chloe was horrified at what she saw as she dragged her suitcase through the campus and out onto the streets of Palo Alto. Bedlam everywhere. People cried and screamed, some ran, some collapsed into the fetal position. Others held each other. Many cried out to God. Some yelled for help, but there was nothing she could do for them. She just wanted to get home. But there were no cabs, no buses, no trucks moving. A few small cars and motorcycles picked their way around the mayhem, but no one was stopping for hitchhikers. Chloe resolutely soldiered on with a vague notion that she was heading toward the San Jose airport. If she could just find a ride to the 101 . . .

****
Santiago had been dozing off and on in his bed. Normally at that time, they would be waking up, with his mom fixing breakfast and his dad making coffee. Strangely enough, he couldn't smell any breakfast being made. He wondered what the hold up was. He decided to see if his parents were awake.

"Mom? Dad?", asked Santiago. Then he discovered that his parents were not in their bed! Only their clothes were being laid there!

"What in the world?", asked Santiago.

Then he went to check his little brother and sister's room. They were both gone as well! But how could they possibly be gone, he wondered. Certainly, no one would just disappear like that!

"Oh no!", said Santiago, "I'm in so much trouble!"

He had no idea what to do. He turned on the TV, and there was a breaking news report that millions around the world disappeared! To his amazement, even the babies and unborn had vanished! Santiago had no idea what to do. He decided to call his family church in Chicago and a friend of theirs answered.

"Hola", he said.

"Hola", said Santiago, "You must have heard what's happening."

"Oh yes. The Trumpet sounded last night."

"The what?"

"Oh, I didn't hear it. If I have, I would have been gone. So would have you."

It made Santiago realized what has happened. Jesus had come back to take away His followers, and he had been left behind. He continued to talk with his friend from church, telling him he had no idea what's he going to do. Soon after, they hanged up. Santiago thought there was something missing in his life. There certainly was, that he needed Jesus to save him. He begin to think that now it might be too late. Or was it? He would soon need to find out.

****
Liem, a graduate school student, had worked in the Jakarta, Indonesia, Sunrise Crematorium throughout his university tenure. In fewer than three years he had risen to the point that he was responsible for the actual burning of corpses. The hardest part of the job was the paperwork. Obviously one had to be sure he was cremating the right body and following whatever religious instructions had been outlined. The modern ovens, which each held one standard-size cremation coffin and remains, burned at more than 1,650 degrees Fahrenheit and consumed approximately 175 pounds every thirty minutes. Liem left everything on the coffins except the nameplates, as ornaments and fittings were combustible plastic. Once he was certain the paperwork matched the corpse, he would slide the coffin out of storage and onto an oversize steel gurney, which he would then roll to the oven door. The coffin was then transferred to the top level of the chamber, the door secured, and the burners turned to maximum. During the process, the heavier bones and calcium deposits would fall through openings to the lower chamber. When what was left had cooled, Liem would use a magnet to separate surgical pins, nails, screws, or other artificial elements. He would then grind the final residue into a fine powder and deposit it in a decorative urn selected by the family. Liem was cremating the body of a missionary pilot whose religion was designated Without incident, he made certain of the paperwork, slid the coffin into the chamber, adjusted the settings, and left for his late-morning lunch break. Upon his return just after noon, Liem noted that the burning was finished and the cooling had begun. But when the remains should have been cool enough to begin the magnetic procedure, Liem was stunned to find nothing in the lower chamber. His brow knit with confusion, he rushed to his supervisor.

“Show me the paperwork,” the man said. “Did the coffin feel full?”

“Absolutely. I know the difference.”

“Then what happened in the process that kept the bones and calcium from dropping?”

“No idea, sir.”

They checked the upper chamber and found only the ashes and dust from the coffin and plastic.

“Liem, you were mistaken. That coffin had to have been empty.”

“How could that be? That has never happened before. And no . . . no, sir. I clearly recall that coffin being difficult to get rolling from the gurney. It was not empty.”

“Liem, see for yourself. No residue of human remains. What will we tell the family?”

Liem was terrified, though he could not imagine he bore responsibility for this. “I will open every coffin before burning it from now on. But what could have caused this?”

“You said you took a break. Do you suspect body snatchers?”

“I cannot imagine. That is the stuff of horror movies. How would anyone get in here to steal bodies? And I put the coffin in the oven myself. Someone would have had to remove it, take the body, and replace the coffin into the fire.”

“How many more do you have today?”

“Four.”

“Check them now.”

Liem found all the paperwork and began comparing it with the form affixed to each coffin. The first body, a local whose family had checked None for religion, was there. The second, a young female exchange student from Canada, had Unknown listed under religion. Another Christian was supposedly in the third coffin, but as soon as Liem slid it onto the gurney, where he would have room to open it, he could tell it was empty.

“We’ve got no body here either, sir.”

“How do you know?”

When the lid opened, the supervisor gasped. Only the clothes remained. “This suit was buttoned back up after the body was stolen. What kind of a sick—?” Liem’s cell phone rang, and he took a call from his sister.

“Turn on the news,” she said.

“We don’t have a television down here.”

“Find one and turn it on.”

“Maybe after my shift.”

“Trust me, Liem—do it now!”

Liem hung up and told his boss that something big was on the news.

“Unless it has something to do with missing bodies, we don’t have time for that, Liem. We’re in big trouble.”

The door burst open at the end of the corridor. “You guys hear what’s going on? Get up here!”

Liem and his boss ran up the stairs and joined a scrum of fellow workers crowded around a TV. News footage showed a funeral parlor with coffins empty, save for the clothes and artificial body parts of the deceased. Panic broke out and people rioted. A fresh story, fed from a network TV station in California, showed an anchorman disappear from his clothes on camera as the nine o’clock news began. His coanchor frantically pulled the clothes from the man’s chair, screaming. Liem, unable to get his mind around any of this, staggered out into the noonday sun and was struck to see the traffic hopelessly gridlocked. From his first moment in Jakarta years ago, he had heard the cacophony of car horns as he heard them now. And while the traffic had always been insane, it somehow kept moving. Even when cars brushed against each other in the roundabouts, people had kept their heads and managed to pick their way through. But now no one was moving. Liem walked into the street and joined others who peered speechlessly into driverless cars—cars with engines running, radios on, even air-conditioning humming. But in each no one sat behind the wheel. Shoes and socks lay on the floor. Pants on the seat. Shirts on the back of the seat. Eyeglasses, hearing aids, jewelry—all still there. From one of the radios Liem heard a horror-stricken reporter say that this sudden disappearance had struck all over the globe at the same time and that experts were already predicting the toll would rise to more than a billion. Other major cities where this phenomenon had occurred in broad daylight, including some during the afternoon rush hour, saw traffic disasters just like this one. Liem slapped himself to be certain he was not dreaming. This was a living nightmare.

***
Rayford sat with his phone, tears streaming down his face. His answering machine at home picked up immediately, and he was pierced to hear the cheerful voice of his wife.

“Your call is important to us,” she said. “Please leave a message after the beep.”

Rayford punched a few buttons to check for messages. He ran through three or four mundane ones. There was one from Raymie's best friend Ryan.

"Hi", said Ryan's voice, "I was wondering where Raymie was. I thought maybe he would like to play some video games after school."

Soon after, Rayford was startled to hear Chloe’s voice.

“Mom? Dad? Are you there? Have you seen what’s going on? Call me as soon as you can. I’ve lost at least ten students and two profs, and all the married students’ kids disappeared. Is Raymie all right? Call me!”

Well, at least he knew Chloe was still around. All he wanted was to hold her. Rayford redialed and left a message on his own machine.

“Irene? Ray? If you’re there, pick up. If you get this message, I’m at O’Hare and trying to get home. It may take a while if I don’t get a copter ride. I sure hope you’re there.”

Rayford nodded and quickly dialed his daughter’s dorm room at Stanford. He got the irritating message that his call could not be completed as dialed. Rayford gathered his belongings and checked his mail slot. Besides a pile of the usual junk, he found a padded manila envelope from his home address. Irene had taken to mailing him little surprises lately, the result of a marriage book she had been urging him to read. He slipped the envelope into his case and went looking for Hattie Durham. Funny, he had no emotional attraction whatever to Hattie just now. But he felt obligated to be sure she got home.

[It seems like things are happening so fast, and everyone left are confused.]

 

[jasmine_childoftheking]

Chapter XXVI

****
Vicki felt as if she could sleep a few more hours. Then she smelled it. Something acrid. Something burning. And it was in the trailer! She hurried into the kitchen, where the teapot was smoking on the stove. The ceramic paint was black, the pot misshapen and clearly dry. Vicki’s mother often liked tea late at night, but it wasn’t like her to leave the pot on the stove until the water had evaporated away. Vicki grabbed a pot holder before reaching for the handle, which had nearly melted. Even through the thick cloth the pot was searing hot. She dropped it in the sink, where it hissed in the water. What was water doing in the sink? Her mother never let dishes soak. She drew water only when she was ready to do all the dishes, and she always did them all and emptied the sink. Vicki turned off the burner and looked around. Her mother had not even gotten out her teacup yet. She had never known Mom to forget water she had put on to boil, and certainly not overnight. What was going on? Something out the window caught Vicki’s eye. It was one of her friends, an older girl, Shelly, wandering through the trailers. She told Vicki that people have disappeared everywhere. Vicki looked down the road to the cluster of trailers at the end of her area. People milled about, talking. She stepped off the road as a fire truck left the area. Vicki hurried back to her trailer and stood on the top step to survey the area. She saw two trailers that were now just charred remains, one with smoke still rising. People held each other, crying. She didn’t want to go back inside, afraid of what she might find. But she had to. Vicki looked at the chair where her mother would have been waiting for her the night before. Her mother’s slippers were on the floor in front of the chair. Curlers and hairpins were strewn about, as if they had been dropped. Her mother’s flannel nightie and thin robe were draped over the chair. Her Bible appeared to have fallen, hit the chair, and flipped over, landing page-side down on the floor, forming a little black tent. Vicki could barely breathe. Hands shaking, her whole body shuddered as she turned on the television.

“… these grisly scenes from around the world,” the announcer was saying, “evidence of the mass disappearances that occurred in every country at approximately midnight, Eastern Standard Time.…”

She was light-headed, and her stomach churned. This had to be a dream. She felt her way to a chair, unable to take her eyes from the screen. She pinched her arm and winced. No dream. Vicki heard a throaty moan and realized it was her own. As the TV droned on and bizarre images came from everywhere, she made her way to her parents’ bedroom. Her father’s leather necklace, the one that so embarrassed her, lay on his pillow. The necklace had the initials W. W. J. D. carved into it, which her father proudly told her reminded him that in every situation he was to ask himself, “What Would Jesus Do?” An empty drinking glass lay on the bed in a drying circle of water. Dad liked a glass of ice water in bed almost every night. Vicki forced herself to squeeze between the foot of the bed and the wall and moved to her dad’s side of the bed. She pulled the covers back to reveal his T-shirt and boxers, the only things he ever wore to bed. Vicki scrambled over her parents’ bed and headed down the hall to her and Jeanni’s room. A sob rose in her throat, and she felt dizzy. She whipped the covers off Jeanni’s bed and saw Jeanni’s goofy little kangaroo pajamas. Then she remembered her brother Eddie in Michigan. She speed dialed him, but no answer. Finally, Eddie's roommate, Bub, answered. He told Vicki how Eddie was in a car wreck, and he had disappeared. Then Vicki decided to call Clarice Washington. She tried to dial every Washington in the phone book, but nothing. Then she remembered how Clarice told her that her mom, Lucinda, worked for the Global Weekly Magazine. Vicki dialed the Global Weekly Magazine. Verna Zee told Vicki that told that Mrs. Washington was not in yet and that no, they could not give out her home number.

“Is it an emergency, young lady?”, asked Verna.

“It sort of is,” Vicki said. “I’m a friend of her daughter Clarice, and I need to talk to her.”

Verna told Vicki she would call the Washington home and pass on her message.

“I’m sure she’ll call you,” said Verna.

****
Aneurin had been hanging out with the gang the night before. He surely would have been home by now or so he thought. They had stopped at a diner, and he fell asleep in the lounge. How long had he been asleep? It would be as if no one was there to wake him. He woke up, feeling groggy. Then he noticed some piles of clothes, teeth fillings, contact lenses, glasses, braces. What in the world? He decided to go into the main part to find out what was happening.

"What's going on?", asked Aneurin.

"Haven't you heard man?", asked one of his friends.

"What?"

"People are missing, dude", said another.

Aneurin looked and noticed that the diner guy was missing yet his uniform were still there. Then there were a number of other clothing laying around. He start to wonder how could anyone just disappear.

"It's all over the world, too", said a waiter, pointing to the TV.

Aneurin looked and watched the news report, that millions around world, around midnight Eastern Time, have vanished. In some parts of the world, it happened during the day while others it was at night. Then there was a report from Indosenia that caught Aneurin's attention.

“Here again,” the newsman said, “is one of the strangest images we have received from this phenomenon no one can explain. This video was shot by the uncle of a soccer player at a missionary boarding school in Indonesia. Watch as the players race down the field. In slow motion now, watch as all but one player disappears. Their uniforms float to the ground as the ball bounds away and the sole remaining player stops and stares in horror. Watch as the cameraman keeps the video rolling and turns from side to side, showing he is one of few adults remaining, the rest having also disappeared right out of their clothes.”

It showed the slow motion of the soccer players, all but one, disappearing. Uniforms and socks have dropped to the ground. They even lost all but five of their spectators. But what of the one player that was left?

"We have reports that the lone survivor in remorse over the loss of his friends and teammates", said the anchorwoman, "He took his own life."

It hit Aneurin right there. It was a soccer team from a Christian school on a mission field in Indonesia. Surely, the one player left would have known what has happened, that Jesus had come back to Rapture His followers, as He had promised. Aneurin knew well that the one player didn't kill himself out of remorse but out of despair. There were even reports around the world of suicide, as well as those who were killed accidents that had followed disappearances. Aneurin began to wonder if his parents and youth pastor were right, that Jesus had come back. Oh, and he was not ready for it. He began to wonder if it was too late. He sure needed to find out.

[It comes to show that we don't know people's hurts. There are those who you thought they'd be taken but weren't and those you didn't think they'd been taken but were.]

 

[jasmine_childoftheking]

Chapter XXVI

****
There was no clock in the basement of the Washington home, where Lionel slept. The next morning it seemed too bright, too late, when he awoke. He didn’t feel like moving. He merely opened his eyes, squinted at the sun rays that had somehow found their way through the tiny windows, and watched the dust dance in the columns of light. When the phone rang upstairs and Lionel heard no footsteps, he groaned and whipped off the blankets, marching up to answer it. It must have been really early for his mother to not be up yet. And his dad usually made some racket heading out. Lionel noticed that his dad’s truck was still parked in front of the garage, where his mother’s car was kept. Both still sleeping? Strange. The call was from Global Weekly asking after his mother. Lionel was stunned to see that it was the middle of the morning. He could be the hero, the one who roused everyone so they wouldn’t be even later for work. Lionel went from the kitchen through the dining room toward the stairs that led to the upstairs bedrooms. He noticed something in his peripheral vision. On his dad’s easy chair lay his oversize terry-cloth robe. Lionel stopped and stared. He had never known his father to take his robe off outside the bedroom. Mr. Washington considered it impolite to walk around in public in just his pajamas, even referring to his own family as the public. Maybe he had been warm and shed his robe while half-asleep, not thinking. But that wasn’t like him. He had always taken great pride in not being “one of those husbands whose wife always has to trail him, picking up after him.”

Lionel’s father’s slippers sat on the floor in front of the chair. The robe lay neatly, arms draped on the sides of the chair almost as if Dad’s elbows still rested there. When Lionel saw the pajama legs extending from the bottom of the robe and hanging just above the slippers, it was obvious that his father had disappeared right out of his pajamas and robe. It was as if life had switched to slow motion. Lionel was not aware of his body as he carefully advanced, holding his breath and feeling only the pounding of his heart. The harsh sunlight shone on the robe and picked up sparkling glints of something where Dad’s lap should have been. Lionel knelt and stared at his father’s tiny contact lenses, his wristwatch, his wedding ring, his dental fillings, and his hearing aid. Lionel’s hands shook as he forced himself to exhale before he exploded. He felt his lips quiver and was aware of screams he could not let out. He crept forward on his knees and opened the robe to find his dad’s pajamas still buttoned all the way up. Lionel recoiled and sat back, his feet under him. He lowered his face to between his knees and sobbed. If this was what he feared it was, he knew what he would find upstairs. He ran to the stairs and bounded up two at a time. The master bedroom was more than he could bear. His parents’ bed was still made, his mother’s nightclothes draped on one side, where it was obvious she had been kneeling in prayer. How Lionel wished he had been taken to heaven with his family and that he had been found reading his Bible or praying when Jesus came. Lionel went to his sister Clarice's room, where her tiny Bible laid open. Then he went to his little brother and sister, Ronnie and Luci's room. Only for an instant had Lionel wondered if he was dreaming. He knew better. This was real; this was the truth. All doubt and question had disappeared. His family had been raptured as his church, his pastor, and his parents had taught. And he had been left behind.

***
Josiah had worked night shift the night before. He decided he had spent the night at the hospital. Oddly enough, he thought his shift would have started by now. He thought he heard emergency vehicles. He never had seen so many. He wondered if there had been numerous accidents. He got changed into his nursing scrub and got to work, to see what was going on. Then he noticed a doctor's uniform in a pile. Then a couple of other nurses and about 10 of the hospital admistrators gone.

"What happened?", asked Josiah.

"Haven't you heard?", asked a doctor, "People have disappeared."

"Wait, what?"

"It's all over the world", said an administrator, pointing to the TV screen.

There were reports of people vanishing around the world, each at a different time zone. In Australia, a funeral service was being held, and the casket opened, revealing that the body has disappeared. There was also one of a wedding, where as the bride and groom were giving each other their rings, they vanished out of their dress and tuxedo. There was also where a mother was about to give birth, and her stomach flattened, indicating that the baby had vanished. Then one of a Christian High school soccer team on a mission trip in Indonesia who all but one disappeared out of their uniforms, socks, and shoes. After seeing the one about an unborn disappearing, Josiah decided to check out the labor and delivery room. He went there, and saw empty beds where newborns would have been resting. Josiah looked at the screen again, and also saw there were reports of suicide, including the one soccer player in Indonesia. He was then paged to the trauma center, indicating they needed him.

"What we've got?", asked a trauma surgeon.

"Automobile accident", said a paramedic, "There's got be dozens of those now. We even got some out of a burning building."

"You've heard that people have disappeared around the world?", asked Josiah.

"Oh, that's the big news alright", asked the trauma surgeon, "Any idea what that might be?"

"I think have an idea", said Josiah, though he didn't want to say.

After some work, Josiah went to his parents home, which was like a mansion. He went through the big house, and saw his parents clothes in the master bedroom. He tried calling Nathan, but couldn't get through. Then he got a call from a college mate of his.

"Where's Nathan?", asked Josiah.

"He's gone", said the college student.

Oh, no, not him too! Josiah thanked him for calling and letting him now and hanged up. He realized his parents had been right. Jesus was the Jewish messiah, and he missed out on it. Jesus had come back to take His followers to Heaven, and he had been left behind. What could Josiah do now? He now certainly needed to find out for real that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah.

***
Molly had dozed on and off on her bed. By that time, Donna would be fixing breakfast. Then the family would be getting ready for school and work. But she couldn't smell any breakfast. Then she heard landline ring. Who would be calling at that time?

"Is someone going to get that?", asked Molly, then she decided, "I'll get it."

She got up out of her bed, put her robe and slippers. She went to where the nearest phone was. She looked at the clock, and seemed to be off. Then she saw that both her parents and Oliver's cars were still there. Odd. Surely they would have been up by now. She picked up the phone.

"Burton", said Molly.

"Hi, you're Molly right?", asked a woman.

"Yes, whose this?"

"This is Ivy Gold from Global Weekly. Is your father there?"

"I think so. His car is still here. He's not up yet."

"Well, this is at first. He's usually one of the first ones here."

"Do you have any idea what time it is? The clocks don't look right. Maybe there was a power outage."

"Oh, that would have explained it. It's about 25 after 11."

"You want me to wake him up for you?"

"No, no. I one of your father's assistants, so I work for him, not the other way around. And with such a big story, I thought he'd be in the office."

"I'll let him you called."

"Please do. Oh, I have a message from your sister's college mate Lucille."

"What did she want?"

"I guess she wanted to connect with your father or even your mother."

"I'll see if I could call her."

"Yes. And please, have your father call me."

They said goodbye and hang up. Molly looked at the calendar, and wondered where everyone was. It wasn't a holiday: schedule was work and school. It seemed like they would be late for work and school. Then she decided she could get everyone up.

"Daddy", said Molly, rushing into her parents bedroom, "Daddy. Your office called. Mommy, daddy."

Molly looked and saw Carl's glasses and an open Bible his side of the Bible. He must have been doing a devotional reading the night before. Then she saw Donna's pajamas on her side of the bed.

What in the world? Molly thought to herself.

Then she went into Oliver's room, and saw he was gone too. All there were his pajamas and a Bible on his nightstand. What? Oh, she thought she was in so much trouble. But surely, people couldn't just disappear. She went down to the living room, and hoping it was all a dream. She went into her room and got her pink iphone. Then she saw that Oliver's phone rang. She saw it was Everett. She decided to answer it.

"Hello?", said Molly.

"Oliver?", asked Everett.

"No, it's Molly, Oliver's sister."

"Oh. I thought I was calling Oliver. Is he?"

"He's gone, so are my mom and dad. Not sure about Robert, Samuel, Elain, and Aneurin."

"My family is gone too. Well, a lot of people are gone."

"What?"

"No one knows, Molly. People just vanished right out of their clothes. You better turn on the news. It's all over the world."

Molly got out the remote, and turned on the TV. It was breaking news, people vanishing all over the world. It was all so bizarre.

"Pretty wacky, isn't", said, Everett.

"Any idea what's going on?", asked Molly.

"I think I have an idea. Do you want me to come over?"

"No. I need to see about Samuel and Elain."

"Alright then."

And they hanged up. Molly went through her contact list and pushed Samuel's first. There was no answer at first. Then she heard a voice, but it was not Samuel. It was a friend of his.

"You know where Samuel is?"

"He's gone, disappeared", said his friend.

"What?"

"Yes, you've heard right. A friend of ours came to tell me that Samuel was in a car wreck and I asked if he was alright. He said they couldn't find him. So we've turned on the TV and watched that people have disappeared all over the world."

Soon after they hanged up. Then Molly decided to call Lucille in South Chicago.

"Hello?", said Lucille.

"Lucille", said Molly.

"Molly. You've heard what's happening, right?"

"Yes. Where's Elain?"

"She's gone. Disappeared."

Oh, not her too!

"You know, I think this was something your sister talked about all the time... 'getting saved' and stuff."

"Why am I not surprised?"

They talked some more, and they hanged up. What was Molly going to do? She was hoping this dream or nightmare would end. But it seemed like it wasn't anytime soon.

[The Rapture would sure have some traumatic effect on those left here]

 

[jasmine_childoftheking]

Chapter XXVII

****
Even though Bruce had been active in church and been an associate pastor at New Hope Village Church, he knew at once he had been living a lie. Was it too late? He remembered a video that Pastor Billings had made prior to this. They have kept it for that moment. Bruce looked through Pastor Billing's office, and eventually found the DVD and USB drives so people could either put it in their DVD or blue ray players or connect USB on their computers. Bruce decided to watch the video. There was Pastor Billings sitting in his office looking directly at the camera.

“My name is Vernon Billings, and I’m pastor of the New Hope Village Church of Mount Prospect, Illinois", said Pastor Billings, "As you watch this DVD, I can only imagine the fear and despair you face, for this is being recorded for viewing only after the disappearance of God’s people from the earth. That you are watching indicates you have been left behind. You are no doubt stunned, shocked, afraid, and remorseful. I would like you to consider what I have to say here as instructions for life following Christ’s rapture of his church. That is what has happened. Anyone you know or knew of who had placed his or her trust in Christ alone for salvation has been taken to heaven by Christ. Let me show you from the Bible exactly what has happened. You won’t need this proof by now, because you will have experienced the most shocking event of history. But as this recording was made beforehand and I am confident that I will be gone, ask yourself, how did he know? Here’s how, from 1 Corinthians 15:51-57."

The passage, 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 came up on the screen. Bruce paused the video, got out a Bible, and looked up the passage. Then he put the video back on.

“Let me read to you what the great missionary evangelist, the apostle Paul, wrote to the Christians at the church in the city of Corinth", said Pastor Billings, then he read the following:

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Let me paraphrase some of that so you’ll understand it clearly", Pastor Billings continued, " When Paul says we shall not all sleep, he means that we shall not all die. And he’s saying that this corruptible being must put on an incorruptible body which is to last for all of eternity. When these things have happened, when the Christians who have already died and those that are still living receive their immortal bodies, the Rapture of the church will have taken place. Every person who believed in and accepted the sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ anticipated his coming again for them. As you see this, all those will have already seen the fulfillment of the promise of Christ when He said,

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also

"I believe that all such people were literally taken from the earth, leaving everything material behind. If you have discovered that millions of people are missing and that babies and children have vanished, you know what I am saying is true. Up to a certain age, which is probably different for each individual, we believe God will not hold a child accountable for a decision that must be made with heart and mind, fully cognizant of the ramifications. You may also find that unborn children have disappeared from their mothers’ wombs. I can only imagine the pain and heartache of a world without precious children, and the deep despair of parents who will miss them so.

Paul’s prophetic letter to the Corinthians said this would occur in the twinkling of an eye. You may have seen a loved one standing before you, and suddenly they were gone. I don’t envy you that shock. The Bible says that men’s hearts will fail them for fear. That means to me that there will be heart attacks due to shock, people will commit suicide in their despair, and you know better than I the chaos that will result from Christians disappearing from various modes of transportation, with the loss of firefighters and police officers and emergency workers of all sorts.

Depending on when you’re viewing this, you may have already found that martial law is in effect in many places, emergency measures trying to keep evil elements from looting and fighting over the spoils of what is left. Governments will tumble and there will be international disorder. You may wonder why this has happened. Some believe this is the judgment of God on an ungodly world. Actually, that is to come later. Strange as this may sound to you, this is God’s final effort to get the attention of every person who has ignored or rejected him. He is allowing now a vast period of trial and tribulation to come to you who remain. He has removed his church from a corrupt world that seeks its own way, its own pleasures, its own ends.

I believe God’s purpose in this is to allow those who remain to take stock of themselves and leave their frantic search for pleasure and self-fulfillment, and turn to the Bible for truth and to Christ for salvation. Let me encourage you that your loved ones, your children and infants, your friends, and your acquaintances have not been snatched away by some evil force or some invasion from outer space. That will likely be a common explanation. What sounded ludicrous to you before might sound logical now, but it is not.

Also, Scripture indicates that there will be a great lie, announced with the help of the media and perpetrated by a self-styled world leader. Jesus himself prophesied about such a person. He said, ‘I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.’ Let me warn you personally to beware of such a leader of humanity who may emerge from Europe. He will turn out to be a great deceiver who will step forward with signs and wonders that will be so impressive that many will believe he is of God. He will gain a great following among those who are left, and many will believe he is a miracle worker. The deceiver will promise strength and peace and security, but the Bible says he will speak out against the Most High and will wear down the saints of the Most High. That’s why I warn you to beware now of a new leader with great charisma trying to take over the world during this terrible time of chaos and confusion. This person is known in the Bible as Antichrist. He will make many promises, but he will not keep them. You must trust in the promises of God Almighty through his Son, Jesus Christ. I believe the Bible teaches that the Rapture of the church ushers in a seven-year period of trial and tribulation, during which terrible things will happen. If you have not received Christ as your Savior, your soul is in jeopardy. And because of the cataclysmic events that will take place during this period, your very life is in danger. If you turn to Christ, you may still have to die as a martyr.

It doesn’t make any difference, at this point, why you’re still on earth. You may have been too selfish or prideful or busy, or perhaps you simply didn’t take the time to examine the claims of Christ for yourself. The point now is, you have another chance. Don’t miss it. The disappearance of the saints and children, the chaos left behind, and the despairing of the heartbroken are evidence that what I’m saying is true. Pray that God will help you. Receive his salvation gift right now. And resist the lies and efforts of the Antichrist, who is sure to rise up soon. Remember, he will deceive many. Don’t be counted among them. Nearly eight hundred years before Jesus came to earth the first time, Isaiah in the Old Testament prophesied that the kingdoms of nations will be in great conflict and their faces shall be as flames. To me, this portends World War III, a thermonuclear war that will wipe out millions. Bible prophecy is history written in advance. I urge you to find books on this subject or find people who may have been experts in this area but who for some reason did not receive Christ before and were left behind. Study so you’ll know what is coming and you can be prepared. You’ll find that government and religion will change, war and inflation will erupt, there will be widespread death and destruction, martyrdom of saints, and even a devastating earthquake. Be prepared. God wants to forgive you your sins and assure you of heaven. Listen to Ezekiel 33:11,

I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live

"If you accept God’s message of salvation, his Holy Spirit will come in unto you and make you spiritually born anew. You don’t need to understand all this theologically. You can become a child of God by praying to him right now as I lead you. Pray after me- Dear God, I admit that I’m a sinner. I am sorry for my sins. Please forgive me and save me. I ask this in the name of Jesus, who died for me. I trust in him right now. I believe that the sinless blood of Jesus is sufficient to pay the price for my salvation. Thank you for hearing me and receiving me. Thank you for saving my soul.”

Bruce prayed the prayer along with Pastor Billings. He knew what he had to do.

"If you were genuine, you are saved, born again, a child of God", said Pastor Billings.

Bruce never felt so much better. Now he realized he wasn't really living for God and never really believed before. The church library would have copies of the video on DVD and there were those on USB flash drives. Soon, he recorded a message for the phone church,

"You have reached New Hope Village Church. We are planning a weekly Bible study, but for the time being we will meet just once each Sunday at 10 A.M. While our entire staff, except me, and most of our congregation are gone, the few of us left are maintaining the building and distributing a DVD or video on a USB flash drive our senior pastor prepared for a time such as this. You may come by the church office anytime to pick up a free copy, and we look forward to seeing you Sunday morning."

****
The disappearances had happened in a flash. The news report it happened everywhere, each at a different time zone. It had to be the most cataclysmic event in world world. At Chicago O'Hare, Robert and Judd saw the news report on the screen. There were even reports of suicide around the world, including the one soccer player from a Christian High School on a mission trip in Indonesia. Robert thought for sure that the soccer player that was left would have known the truth. When he saw some people wheeling Chris Smith out, he figured at once he had killed himself.

"Unbelievable stuff", said Judd.

"You're telling me", said Robert.

Robert wondered for a moment that with Chris Smith dead, would he be Rayford's new co-pilot? He wasn't sure he was up to it. Next thing, Robert thought he could get a ride to his apartment and would come back and get his car from the garage some time later.

"You need a lift?", said a police man as Robert went outside.

"Well, to my apartment complex here in Chicago", said Robert.

"Is that so?"

"You're with the police department?"

"Yes, Ashton Cleaver."

"Robert Burton."

"I thought you look familiar. You must be one of the pilots. First officer?"

"Second officer. First Officer is Chris Smith or was."

"Oh. Why don't I give you a lift in my car. It's just right over here."

Robert told Judd that he would see him sometime later. Judd went to call for a limousine and others called for a cab or a chopper. Ashton and Robert went out to his car, and got in. As Ashton drove, there was traffic.

"Traffic may be like this for a while until they could clear the roads, if ever", said Ashton, "So what was that you've said about Chris who was a first officer pilot?"

"Oh that", said Robert, "You've heard there been reports of suicide around the world, right?"

"Oh yes. There's been that going on."

"Well, Chris killed himself. I saw that they've wheeled him out and there was blood all over."

"Wow. So what's your take on what happened?"

"Well, I think I have an idea. But what?"

"I've heard all kinds of theories: space aliens, Jesus, some supernova, nucular radiation."

"There might be a lot of things floating around out there."

Ashton drove Robert to his apartment. When Robert got in. he found his roommates clothing draped over a chair and a Bible open. It indicated he had disappeared. He needed to find out about his family whether they have disappeared. First, he tried calling Samuel in Iowa, but couldn't get through. Finally, a friend of Samuel's answered, who told Robert that Samuel had disappeared. Then he tried calling Elain. Nothing. Could she have disappeared too. Then he remembered her collegemate, Lucille. Robert dialed Lucille on his phone.

"Hello?", said Lucille.

"Lucille, it's Robert. You know, Elain's brother", said Robert.

"Oh yes. You've heard about what happened right?"

"I was on a flight to London but we had to turn back to Chicago. I tried calling Elain, but couldn't get through."

"Oh, she had disappeared."

Robert couldn't believe it. First his brother Samuel and now his sister Elain. But what about his mother and father? What about Oliver, Aneurin, and Molly? And what about his uncle Dirk in London? Robert thought of calling Dirk and apologize that he couldn't make his flight to London.

[Now it seems like it's not too late. We can't really know people's hearts, like someone whose been a pastor.]

 

[jasmine_childoftheking]

Chapter XXVIII

****
Buck had called Ken Ritz, a private pilot, to get to New York. Then he checked the phone log in his laptop for Lucinda Washington’s home number and dialed. A teenage boy, Lionel, answered, “Washingtons.”

“Cameron Williams of Global Weekly calling for Lucinda", said Buck.

“My mom’s not here,” the young man said.

“Is she still at the office? I need a recommendation where to stay near Waukegan.”

“She’s nowhere. I’m the only one left. Mama, Daddy, everybody else is gone. Disappeared.”

“Are you sure?”

“Their clothes are here, right where they were sitting. My dad’s contact lenses are still on top of his bathrobe.”

“Oh, man! I’m sorry, son.”

“That’s all right. I know where they are, and I can’t even say I’m surprised.”

“You know where they are?”

“If you know my mama, you know where she is, too. She’s in heaven.”

“Yeah, well, are you all right? Is there someone to look after you?”

“My uncle’s here. And a guy from our church. Probably the only one who’s still around.”

“You’re all right then?”

“I’m all right.”

****
Everett had been in his house for a while. He began to wonder if it had really happened: that Jesus had come back to Rapture His followers and he wasn't ready for it. He decided to call the New Hope Village Church. It rang, and got a recorded message,

"You have reached New Hope Village Church. We are planning a weekly Bible study, but for the time being we will meet just once each Sunday at 10 A.M. While our entire staff, except me, and most of our congregation are gone, the few of us left are maintaining the building and distributing a DVD or video on a USB flash drive our senior pastor prepared for a time such as this. You may come by the church office anytime to pick up a free copy, and we look forward to seeing you Sunday morning."

Everett recognized the voice as Bruce Barnes, who had been an associate pastor. He began to wonder if he was a pastor, why wasn't he taken? Then he began to wonder what this DVD or video on a flash drive could be about. He would sure be interested in finding out the truth.

****
Aneurin had been at the diner for a while. The news about the disappearances around the world just had everyone in shock. He had an idea what happened, but how could he know for sure? He knew Jesus had come to take His followers and he wasn't ready for it. Then Aneurin thought a lot about what the youth pastor at New Hope Village had said. He thought of calling New Hope Village Church. He couldn't remember the number. So he got out his iphone, looked up New Hope Village Church online, then saw the number. He dialed the number, and let it ring. There was no answer and got a recording, which said,

"You have reached New Hope Village Church. We are planning a weekly Bible study, but for the time being we will meet just once each Sunday at 10 A.M. While our entire staff, except me, and most of our congregation are gone, the few of us left are maintaining the building and distributing a DVD or video on a USB flash drive our senior pastor prepared for a time such as this. You may come by the church office anytime to pick up a free copy, and we look forward to seeing you Sunday morning."

Aneurin thought it sounded like Bruce, the associate pastor. When Bruce mentioned that the entire church stuff except for him were gone, Aneurin figured that the youth pastor had disappeared. So have Pastor Billings and the elders and deacons and worship director. Then he began to wonder about this video that Pastor Billings made. Could it have an impact on those who were not ready for the Rapture and were left behind? The world was already going crazy and couldn't imagine how much crazier it could get.

[As we've seen, we don't know people's hearts (like those who grew up going to church or one whose been a pastor or part of a Christian High School soccer team on a mission trip). Only God knows people's hearts]

 

[jasmine_childoftheking]

Chapter XXIX

****
Santiago hadn't done much since the news of the disappearances. Now what? He thought about what the youth pastor had said. Perhaps he was right, that Jesus had come back to Rapture His followers, and Santiago had been left behind. He thought about calling New Hope Village Church where had gone to Youth Group on Wednesdays. But were there be anyone left there? He couldn't know for sure. He began to remember a verse that talked about this. What was it? He went through his Bible, and found the passage of I Corinthians 15...

"In a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet"... it all happened in a flash.

"The trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible" That must explain on the news reports that the caskets were opened and empty.

"We shall be changed". Santiago started to think of those who had infirmity, dead or living in Christ. Now that they were taken to Heaven, they no longer had any. For instance, Fanny Crosby who was a blind hymn writer could now see; Joni Earckson Tada who broke her neck in a diving accident that left her paralyzed could now walk again; Bethany Hamilton who lost an arm in a shark attack while surfing had regained it.

So it all happened in a flash. But what of the unborn and infants and little children, he began to wonder. There had to be some explanation for this. He would soon need to find the answers to all of this.

****
Josiah had been working at the hospital. After being at his parents house for a bit, he decided to check on his apartment complex. There, he could see that quite a few have disappeared as well, including the manager. Then he decided to get back to the hospital, though traffic was insane. He knew it could be a while until the roads were clear, if ever. He turned on the radio, and there were still reports about the vanishings, people being killed or injured in accidents, and suicides. Though one got him was the one soccer player from a Christian High School team that were a mission trip in Indonesia. He would have known the truth, sure. Josiah couldn't help but wondered why would the one player choose to kill himself. He arrived at the hospital soon enough.

"You saw those burning buildings?", said a surgeon, who was an older man.

"Yes", said Josiah, "They must have been cooking and no was there to turn off the stove or these fires could have been caused by crashes of planes and cars."

"It's all the above, son. So what's your take on what happened?"

"I think I haven an idea, but what?"

"Oh, I've heard all kinds of things. Space aliens, some supernova. It might be some intelligence out there who come up with something we never dreamed of. I mean, have you noticed whose gone? Kids under middle school age, infants, and unborn."

"I know. The delivery and labor room have empty beds. I even heard from a labor nurse that they had a pregnant woman whose stomach flattened, indicating the baby have disappeared."

"Yes, and those with some unusual personality. It might make a good pied piper story for the kids, but how do you explain the adults? I mean, what made all these people easier to snatch?"

"And we're here because maybe we weren't worth the trouble or something."

"It might be, son. The real question is: Are these people gone for good or will they be sent back?"

"I don't know."

"I don't know any more than you do. From what I can tell, you're just as worried as I am."

"What's that?"

"It could happen again. It won't take long for whatever caused the vanishings to crank up and come back for the rest of us."

Josiah's phone rang. He didn't recongnize the number. He decided to answer it to find out what it was all about.

"Ben-Ephraim", said Josiah.

"Hi, you're Addi's brother, aren't you?", asked Lucille.

"Yes. Whose this?"

"It's Lucille, one of her college mates."

Josiah remembered Lucille from Prospect High School, though never really interacted.

"I've tried calling Addi, but couldn't get through."

"She's disappeared."

It hit Josiah. His younger sister was gone too. Now what? He thanked Lucille for calling and letting him know.

****
Molly had been beside herself. What could she do? With two brothers and a sister her parents gone, she was in a whirl. But what about Robert and Aneurin? What about her uncle Dirk in London? She had an idea where her parents, two of her brothers, and sister were. Though she just didn't want to admit it. She was hoping it was just a bad dream. Though it was reality. Then the phone rang. She answered it.

"Burton", said Molly.

"Hi, this is Cameron 'Buck' Williams' from the Global Weekly Magazine", said Buck, "May I speak with Carl?"

Molly had heard a lot about Buck Williams, the celebrated youngest senior writer of the Global Weekly. He had been on the same flight to London with her brother Robert, who was a second officer pilot. She knew him to be a close friend of her uncle's.

"My daddy is not here", said Molly.

"Oh, really?", said Buck, "I'll try his cell phone at the office."

"Oh, he's not there either. He's gone."

"Are you sure?"

"Oh yes. Both mommy and daddy are gone. So are two of my brothers and sister. Even my daddy's reading glasses are on top of his pajamas."

"I'm sorry Hon."

"It's alright. I know where they're at. If you know my parents, you'd know where they're at."

"Well, you have someone to look after you?"

"I'm going to try to find out about my uncle in London and two other brothers."

"Hey, you know I'm a friend of your uncle's. I think he might be on to the conspiracy about the disappearances going on. He might have a lead on something."

"You think so?"

"Yes. Hang in there."

They soon hanged up. Molly was beside herself. What was she going to do? She might as well be going to shock with all that was happening. Then she wondered where she would turned to.

[There may be those who will be looking for answers. Then who knows where they would find them]

 

[jasmine_childoftheking]

Chapter XXX

***
Rayford felt as if he were sleepwalking as he padded through the kitchen to head upstairs. He couldn’t believe how tired he still was after his long nap and his fitful dozing on the couch. The newspaper was still rolled up and rubber-banded on a chair where he had tossed it. If he had any trouble sleeping upstairs, maybe he would glance at the paper. It should be interesting to read the meaningless news of a world that didn’t realize it was going to suffer the worst trauma in its history just after the paper had been set in type. Rayford punched the redial button on the phone and walked slowly toward the stairs, only half listening. What was that? The dial tone had been interrupted, and the phone in Chloe’s dorm room was ringing. He hurried to the phone as a girl answered.

“Chloe?”

“No. Mr. Steele?”

“Yes!”

“This is Amy. Chloe’s trying to find a way back there. She’ll try to call you along the way, sometime tomorrow. If she can’t get through, she’ll call you when she gets there or she’ll get a cab home.”

“She’s on her way?”

“Yeah. She didn’t want to wait. She tried calling and calling, but—”

“Yeah, I know. Thanks, Amy. Are you all right?”

“Scared to death, like everybody else.”

“I can imagine. Did you lose anyone?”

“No, and I feel kinda guilty about that. Seems like everyone I know lost somebody. I mean I lost a few friends, but nobody close, no family.”

Rayford didn’t know whether to express congratulations or remorse. If this was what he now believed it had been, this poor child hardly knew anyone who’d been taken to heaven.

“Well,” he said, “I’m glad you’re all right.”

“How about you?” she said. “Chloe’s mom and brother?”

“I’m afraid they’re gone, Amy.”

“Oh, no!”

“But I would appreciate your letting me tell Chloe, just in case she reaches you before she reaches me.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I don’t think I could tell her even if you wanted me to.”

In the meantime, Rayford saw on a screen, a young man with blondish hair, over six feet tall, and broad shoulders, appeared in the country of Romania. He wondered what could this be about.

****
Buck listened to his saved message from Dirk Burton when there was nothing new, which reminded him why he had felt it so important to get to London. Buck tapped it into his laptop as he listened:

Cameron, you always tell me this message center is confidential, and I hope you’re right. I’m not even going to identify myself, but you know who it is. Let me tell you something major and encourage you to come here as quickly as possible. The big man, your compatriot, the one I call the supreme power broker internationally, met here the other day with the one I call our muckety-muck. You know who I mean. There was a third party at the meeting. All I know is that he’s from Europe, probably Eastern Europe. I don’t know what their plans are for him, but apparently something on a huge scale. My sources say your man has met with each of his key people and this same European in different locations. He introduced him to people in China, the Vatican, Israel, France, Germany, here, and the States. Something is cooking, and I don’t even want to suggest what it is other than in person. Visit me as soon as you can. In case that’s not possible, let me just encourage this: Watch the news for the installation of a new leader in Europe. If you say, as I did, that no elections are scheduled and no changes of power are imminent, you’ll get my drift. Come soon, friend.

Buck could sense that Dirk was on to something. Soon, there could be news about someone from Eastern Europe, a politician perhaps, whose coming up with something.

***
Robert continued to watch the news of the disappearances around the world. However, there came up something new in the Romania. There appeared a young man, whom Robert guessed to be in his 30's, handsome, over 6 feet tall, with broad shoulders. He appeared to be some politician, perhaps a member of the Romanian parliament. Or was this man something more, he wondered.

******
Josiah had been working at the hospital for a while. While on break, he noticed something new on the news, besides the disappearances. He couldn't keep his eyes off a handsome Romanian, with blond hair, and he seemed to be a member of the Romanian parliament. Perhaps he was something more.

"Did you hear about this?", asked a doctor.

"I was just watching someone from Romania", said Josiah, "I wonder what this is all about."

"A member of the Romanian parliament, I believe. But I think he's going to become President of Romania."

"What? But I can't be election year over there already, can it?"

"No. Now think of it as if the election here in the US was held off-year, somewhere between the president's first term and when he's running for second term."

"So that's what's happening."

"Oh, just keep watching, son. Next thing, from what I've heard, he's going to come to the United Nations."

Josiah thought for a moment. Whoever this new Romanian president was, he wondered what he plan to do in the United Nations. It would be something to watch for, he had to admit.

*****
Ryan Daley came within view of New Hope Village Church, he didn’t know what to think. He had been in a church a couple of times in his twelve years, but not this one. A big, dark-haired kid on a small bike came pedaling past him. They looked at each other but didn’t speak. Ryan had never seen him before. The big kid let his bike fall near the front door and hurried in. Ryan was in no hurry. He didn’t know who or what he was looking for. By the time he got into the building, the kid who had been on the bike was talking to a man in his thirties with curly hair and wire-rimmed glasses.

“Can I help you, son?” the man asked, seeing Ryan over Judd’s shoulder.

Ryan couldn’t get the words out. How were you supposed to ask if it was true, if Jesus had taken his people to heaven?

“Did you lose some family?” the man said.

Ryan nodded. “They died,” he managed.

“No, they are in heaven with Jesus.”

“They didn’t get taken,” Ryan insisted. “My dad died in a plane crash and my mom in a car accident.”

Bruce approached and reached for Ryan. The boy felt self-conscious, but he let the man hug him.

“My name is Bruce Barnes,” he said. “I’m the only person left from the staff of this church, and I know exactly what happened. I’m going to teach a small group of young people here soon, and you’re welcome to stay.”

“You’re going to teach?”

Bruce nodded. “I know what happened because I missed it. I have a tape from the senior pastor that will help explain. Is that something you’d be interested in?”

Ryan nodded. So did the big kid, whom Bruce introduced as someone from the church family named Judd Thompson. They shook hands. Ryan didn’t know any other kids as old as Judd, except for a few cousins in California. Bruce said he was expecting two more kids to show up.

“I got a call from a girl named Vicki Byrne. I invited her, and she called back later to say she had invited a boy named Lionel Washington. When we’re all here, we’ll get started. I want to tell you my story.”

****
Robert had been called to work on a flight to London. It seemed to a smooth flight. Then, while over the Atlantic halfway between the U.S and the U.K, dozens of passengers on the plane disappeared. With the other airports shut down until further notice, Captain Rayford Steele announced that they were turning back to Chicago.

They landed in Chicago, many of the passengers had to go through the emergency tubes while many of the flight crew walked to the terminal. Robert tried to call his roommate at his apartment complex but couldn't get through. He watched on the TV screen at the airport that the disappearances was all over the world. Then he saw first officer Chris Smith being wheeled out, indicating he had killed himself. Robert wondered if he would be Ray's new co-pilot. Though he felt he wasn't up to it.


***
Ashton had been with the Chicago Police department and was working night shift the night the disappearances happened. Now with that, it would keep the police forces busy with figuring out who was missing and how many.


Ashton met with Robert at the airport, who gave him a ride to his apartment complex. They've talked over things about what happened, and what theories were out there.


****
Lucille had been a student at University of South Chicago. Then dozens of students and a few professors have disappeared, including Elain and Addi. It seemed that classes were not going to start anytime soon.

After talking with Robert, Josiah, and Molly, and telling them that Elain and Addi had disappeared, Lucille drove to her parents home in Mount Prospect. There. she found her parents and younger brother and sister have disappeared. She even wondered if they were right, as Elain and Addi were.


****
Josiah was working double shift at the hospital in Arlington. When the disappearances happened, he saw that the nursery beds in the labor and delivery apartment were empty. So were quite a few hospital staff uniforms in piles.

He went to his parents home in Mount Prospect, which was almost like a mansion. There, he saw his parents clothing. He tried to call Nathan, but got an answer from one of his college mates, who told him he had disappeared. He also tried to call Addi, but no answer. He got a call from Lucille, who told him that Addi had disappeared. He went to his apartment to check things out, and saw that even the manager have disappeared. Then he went back to the hospital, and got back to work. But he wondered what good would work do now.


****
Everett had been dozing off and on that fateful night. He woke up, and was in for a surprised that his parents, his older sister Alicia, and little brother and sister, Ronnie and Gracie, have disappeared.

Everett turned on the TV, and saw the news report that people have vanished all over the world. While the news report weren't sure what to make of it, Everett knew what happened. Jesus had come to take His followers, and he had been left behind. He called New Hope Village Church but a got a recording message from Bruce, saying that there was a video that Pastor Billings made, and it was either on DVD or on an USB flash drive. Everett thought it might be something to check out.


****
Aneurin had been hanging out with his friends, where they wind up in a diner. He had dozed off in the lounge. When he woke up, there was a lot of startling going on. He saw that many have disappeared, including the diner guy. They've watched TV, and saw that there were reports of millions vanishing and of suicide around the world.

Aneurin looked up New Hope Village Church on his iPhone, and called the number. He got the recording message from Bruce, saying that there was a video that Pastor Billings made. Aneurin thought perhaps that could give some explanation, even though he knew what was happening.


****
Santiago have been home, dozing off and on. When he woke up, there was no sound. Then he found out why: his parents and little brother and sister have disappeared. He had always felt there was something missing. Perhaps this was it.

He called New Hope Village Church where he had attended youth group and got the recorded message, the same that Everett and Aneurin each got. Santiago wondered if Bruce might know something, and if Pastor Billings have something to say in his video. He was sure to find out.

****
Molly had been home, and dozed off and on as well. The phone rang, and she got up to answered it. It was one of Carl's assistants, Ivy Gold, from the Global Weekly, calling for Carl. After talking with the Global Weekly, Molly went to wake up Carl and Donna. Then she discovered that they have disappeared. Then she went to Oliver's room, and saw he had disappeared. She turned on the TV and saw it was all over the world. She tried to call her brother Samuel, and found out he had disappeared too. Then Molly called Lucille, who told her that Elain had disappeared. Then she thought of two other brothers, Robert and Aneurin, and her uncle Dirk

Molly was beside herself. What could she do? She felt scared as well, with her mom and dad gone. Now with no knowing where two of her brothers, whom she assumed have not disappeared, were, she felt alone.

******
All of these individuals had no idea what to do. Soon, they would meet up, with Robert, Aneurin, and Molly reuniting, and found out the answers to all what had happened together.

[This was the last chapter for this. As you could see, it ended on a cliff hanger.]

 

[jasmine_childoftheking]

Epilogue
.
Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. I Corinthians 15:51-52

[The epilogue is pretty short. Please, share your thoughts in the comments or even PM me your thoughts]