Chapter 13

Across the country in St. Louis, Missouri, Howard Jones was just minutes away from becoming eighteen years old and was totally oblivious to what happened to him in his past life. However, reality was about hit him hard and there was nothing that he could do about it. He was sitting up in bed because he was unable to sleep. He picked up his Bible and began to read it starting at Matthew. As he was reading, he felt a strange sensation in his room. It was almost like a fear, but where it came from, he does not know.

He scans the room for a second and when he sees nothing amiss, he goes back to his reading. Just as he was about to turn the page, he hears a noise in his closet that sounded like someone fell down. With fright, he gets up from his bed and lays down his Bible and walks toward his closet. He opens up his closet door and peeks in, but nothing was wrong. Now he is beginning to get scared. He looks around his room for a second wanting to see something to prove to himself that he is not crazy.

Suddenly, downstairs, the old grandfather clock begins to go off. Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding. Suddenly, a black mass began to appear behind him. He felt the presence and turned around.

“Hello, Noche Shaduw,” said Satan with his two great horns that were actually two giant snakes. “I have missed you all these years.”

Suddenly something began to stir in Howard’s mind. His head began to hurt and flashes of memories began to pour in. He held his head and began to whimper.

“What is going on?” asked Howard in fright.

“You know who you are, don’t you?” asked Satan. “You were once my servant, until you decided to follow a different path!”

Suddenly, the pain and the memories subsided and all of Howard’s old memories from when he was a Hell-fire breathing demon became clear to him.

“I remember you,” said Howard. “I left because of what I felt when I touched that human!”

“Oh, him,” said Satan in a sadistic and prideful demeanor. “I relish hearing his screams. His screams give me nourishment. Do you remember when those screams used to give you pleasure. Do you remember when you dragged a human down the long dark pathway, how happy that made you feel? Remember, Howard?”

“All too much!” he yelled. “I also remember back in Heaven how you lead me on to believe that you could overthrow God! You were a fool then and you are still a fool today!”

Satan began to get very angry. His snakes began to his wildly and his eyes glowed a brighter and deeper red. “A FOOL? YOU DARE CALL ME A FOOL? I tell you now, that the only fool that there is here is you! You really think that God is going to forgive you for backstabbing him? Do you think he will forgive you after what you did in Heaven? He would never forgive me and he will never forgive you. Why play the life of a human and have high hopes for a better tomorrow? Why do you think you will go to Heaven? What makes you so special? Nobody has ever loved you and nobody ever will!”

“My Earth mother does!” he yelled.

“You’re Earth mother?” he asked. “That woman loves you?”

“It is the human way to love the fruit from your loins. She loves me with all her heart.”

“She may love you, but God has not forgiven you!”

Howard began to get angry and very agitated. He growled at Satan and turned his back on him.

“He has forgiven me,” he said. “I was forgiven two years ago. I have felt him and I know he loves me!”

“Where is God now?” asked Satan. “He is not here in the room with you. You cannot see him. Where is he? If he loves you so much, wouldn’t he protect you from me?”

Howard turned around and yelled from the top of his lungs, “I COMMAND YOU IN THE NAME OF JESUS TO LEAVE!”

Satan began to get scared. He growled and then disappeared.

“This isn’t over!” Satan yelled. “I’ll be back!”

Howard, with defiance sat down on his bed and began to read his Bible again. However, an uneasy feeling boiled up within him. He began to doubt his faith in God. He began to pray.

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