Excerpt from: Chapter XV: Secrets of Tomorrowland
The Cardiac Coffee Shoppe
The Cardiac Coffee Shoppe was well known for its wide selection of coffee, specialty coffee, teas, extraordinary array of sweets, the latest of every type of gaming system available on the market on the upper deck, fireplace in the middle of the log cabin style lower level, and I-net hookups all around the circumference of the Coffee Shoppe. It had about everything a person would want or need in order to just hang out. They arrived at the Shoppe with its usual hustle and bustle of activity, and ordered their favorite beverages. Of course, Andrea had to get the double fudge brownie to go with her favorite drink – the triple caffeine white chocolate mocha. Everyone in the group began to sigh because they knew it was going to be an evening full of vibrant and superfluous conversation.
After some light-hearted talk, Tristan kick starts a serious discussion by saying that he thought the whole rapture gig was a little far-fetched. “I’ve heard people talking about Armageddon my whole life, but nothing has ever happened. I think it’s just going to keep going and going like it always has. Kind’a like the pink bunny in those battery commercials.”
“Tristan, don’t be too cocky,” replied Connor while trying to control his passion for the truth. “What if it is true? What if what Ken said is going to happen in the near future actually happens? What will you do then?”
“We’ll, I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. Besides – it’s just a fairy tale anyhow. I’m surprised that you really believe all that stuff.”
They chatted for a longtime, and then Tristan got up to order a latte to go. While rising from his seat he asks if anyone else wanted something to go too. They all say no. Tristan leaves the table, and Connor excuses himself to visit the little boy’s room before they leave the Coffee Shoppe.
The Rapture
All hell breaks loose just as Tristan finished paying for his latte. People in the Coffee Shoppe were screaming; a driverless car crashed through the window, fell on top and crushed a beautiful young woman that…just moments ago…was happily chattering with her friends at a table by the fireplace.
Authors Note:
What we are about to witness is the beginning of the culmination of the mystery of iniquity upon the earth. God – from the beginning – has had a plan to rid the universe of sin, and eliminate the pain that it causes as it takes hold on individual lives. As we are learning, God has mercifully given man every opportunity to “get it right;” each time he has failed miserably.
The Seventh Dispensation – The Tribulation Period
The tribulation is the seventh dispensation, and will start when the Antichrist (world leader at that time in history) will strengthen the Middle East peace accords that have already been agreed upon by the leaders of the Arab and Jewish political leadership (Daniel 9). So, let’s take a look at a fictional story that is grounded in Biblical truth. I hope that this brief excursion from our nonfiction world will open your eyes to the great privilege and responsibility we have to “reconcile the Word of God to the world.” You never know; with your help, the seeds of this story just may germinate into a major motion picture coming to a theatre near you. It would be a great thriller! Help me get the word out by purchasing three books. Keep one for yourself, and pass the other two along to a friend. It will impact their eternity for the better; I promise!
Chaos Envelops The Planet (Back To The Café)
Tristan scrambles through, around and over the frenzied mob of people as he is trying to locate his friends. He looks across the room – where just a moment ago people had been involved in relaxing conversation – to find Bekka and Andrea covering their heads with their arms, while hiding under a table, to protect themselves from debris that was flying around the room. Tristan runs over, notices that the guys are not with them and asks where Maverick and Connor had gone. With a confused and frightened look on her face, Bekka tells Tristan that Maverick had just left for the bathroom to see if Connor was OK. Just as Bekka finished talking, Maverick comes running over to the table looking like he had just seen a ghost.
“Connor’s gone!” Maverick was running to them with an exasperated look on his face.
“What do you mean by…he’s gone?” cried Andrea waiting for some kind of reasonable explanation!
“I ran into the bathroom, checked every stall, but the only thing I could find were his clothes. I found them crumpled on the ground…on top of one another…as if they just fell off of him.” Maverick lifted Connor’s clothes up and showed them the evidence of his crazy claim. “I’m not exactly sure what has just happened, but I think we need to go directly to Ken’s house and take him up on his offer. I think this fits his description of topsy-turvy.”
Maverick and Tristan reached down to give the girls a lift out from under the tables, and started making their way through the debris, and out to their vehicle. The sight of Tristan’s Jeep crushed beneath an LTL trailer greeted them when they stepped outside of the Café. His car was totaled. Tristan ran over to his car, ran his hands over the mangled frame, and stood motionless while looking at the remains of this brand new vehicle. After helping Tristan compose himself, the group retrieved the valuables from his Jeep and began walking toward Ken’s house; it was only a couple miles southwest of the Cardiac Café.
Utter Devastation And Mass Confusion
The smell of gasoline fires and the stench of burning flesh hung in the air as they walked down a street that looked more like the aftermath of a war-zone. The wreckage of cars and mangled bodies strewn on the street and sidewalks was a sight for which the four friends were totally unprepared.
Before they can acclimate themselves to the situation at hand, a young lady runs up and grabs them by their clothing – practically ripping Tristan’s jacket off his shoulders. She is weeping uncontrollably as she tells them that she can’t find her husband or her two children. She told them that just moments before they had been on a family excursion to the park, and looked up to find herself alone in a car that was speeding out of control toward a telephone pole. They noticed the blood soaking her clothes that was oozing from the deep gashes on her face and upper body. They knew they could do little to help her, but tried to console her as much as possible until help arrived. It hit close to home when she said that her family was gone, but their clothing was lying on the seats exactly where they had been sitting before they vanished. They immediately thought of Connor.
Out of nowhere, Maverick yells for them to move. Unknown to everyone but Maverick, a truck was hurtling full-throttle toward them. Bekka was the last to move and barely missed being run over by the driverless vehicle, but the young lady they were just consoling wasn’t so fortunate. The truck had smashed into her just as she was turning around to see why Maverick was shouting. They knew she was dead before they ran over to the wreckage; the truck crashed into a drug store, and she was trapped between the wall of the building and the grill of the truck. Weeping, they left her remains to the ambulance that had just arrived on the scene.
They continued walking through the downtown area on their way to Ken’s home, and caught glimpses of news reports, displayed in store windows, that were pouring in from around the world. The news was reporting total devastation on a global scale, but that America seemed to be the country that had suffered the most.
Maverick pushed them into the store so they could hear the reports more clearly. The news continued to report that political leaders from around the world had disappeared, and the planet was on the verge of anarchy. The news agencies were urging their listeners to try and stay as calm as possible while the remaining political leaders put together a plan to bring stability to the world. The news anchor, while choking back her tears, said martial law was going to be enforced immediately. She continued that thought by explaining that everyone had to be indoors by eight pm every night. She said that the situation was so grave that anyone out after the eight pm curfew would be shot; no questions asked.
The news continued to report that the executive committee of the U.N. was being called together in order to put together a plan to restore world order, and that they would keep everyone informed on their progress.
“I can’t believe this is happening!” They looked over and saw Tristan staring blankly at the plasma screen.
Andrea agreed and said, “We need to get to Ken’s house, and as quickly as possible.” They all nodded their heads in agreement, walked out of the store and headed toward 1327 Third Loop Road in order to find some answers to the chaos that was enveloping the world.
The DVD
After what seemed to be a lifetime, they arrived at Ken’s home. They walked through an unlocked front door, and just as Ken said – he was nowhere to be found. Andrea said she was thirsty; she walked into the kitchen to get a cola. When she came back she had a stunned look on her face.
“What’s the matter with you, Andrea?” Bekka asked as she noticed Andrea’s peculiar actions.
“Ken’s clothes are lying on the floor too. Just like Connor’s. I know they are his because they are the same clothes he had on at the Bible study earlier this evening,” answered Andrea.
The group followed Andrea to the kitchen, and just as she’d said – Ken’s clothes were lying on the floor as if he’d just … poof … disappeared into thin air. After a long silence Andrea said, “Guys…I’ve heard a little about this stuff from Connor…but I don’t know enough to help us deal with what’s going on right now.”
“I agree! We ought to play the DVD that Ken said is on the coffee table so we can try to get a handle on things,” said Maverick as he was walking over to the living room table to get the DVD. The group met Maverick in the living room just as he was picking up the DVD, removing the disk and sliding it into the tray of the DVD player. No one knew what to expect, and they were all quietly staring at the TV with inquisitive expressions of varying degrees pasted on their faces. Andrea was lying down with her chin perched in her hands, and her elbows resting on the floor. Maverick sat down in the recliner while Bekka and Tristan were getting comfortable on the edge of the love seat just as Ken’s face appeared on the screen and began speaking.
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