RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT – CHAPTER 21

October 21, 2021October 21, 2021 | Sandra Pavloff Conner

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

The next morning the chief called Noah and asked him to meet him in his office, along with Jim Carlyle. “I’ll call in an order for some sandwiches, and we can eat while we talk,” he said. So Noah and Jim both turned up at the office at 12:30, eager for an update.

“Boys, I’ve got some really good news,” Art began, after they had started on their meal. “I was able to get a lot of information from Lacey yesterday evening when I talked with her and her parents for about two hours. It seems our Miss Parker is herself a witch and part of a coven from the Barclay area. They evidently were attempting to plan some way to get rid of you, Noah, in order to try to stop this move against the agenda they had instituted at the school. Lacey overheard, and since she had her own grudge against you, and, of course, was being pushed and eventually controlled by that evil spirit, she decided it was her responsibility to try to do the job for them.

“We have only her testimony, of course, but I think it’s enough at this point to put the fear of God into Adrian Parker and her group and get them out of town at least. I don’t think there’s anything I can make stick for any actual prosecution at this point, but I think I can make the threat good enough to make them run and not look back in our direction.”

Jim sighed. “Unfortunately, that’s the best we can do at times. We can’t always get rid of all of these spirits totally, because there are so many people ready and willing to work with them. But we can at least bind them from the people and places that God has put in our own stewardship. You’ve done excellent work here, Art.”

“My heart’s gone out to you more times than I can count,” Noah added, “and I’m really proud to know you, Art. I’m proud of the way you’ve handled this.”

“Well . . . I appreciate those words from both of you, but we all know that this was totally a team effort. There’s no way I could have gone forward with the courage or stamina that I have if you two hadn’t been with me every step of the way. I’ll be grateful for that the rest of my life.”

“So how do we stand for the council meeting?” Jim asked.

“I’d say, we’ve just about got this thing sewn up. I won’t be giving out names of any minors, of course, but I will be giving them a report of the activities of the last twenty-four hours, as well as the decision to invite certain of our populace to move out of town once and for all. By the time we add what the mayor, the school board members, and the parents have to say, I’m pretty sure we will see a ruling by the city to clean everything related to witchcraft out of anything within the council’s jurisdiction . And if the schools, the libraries, and the theaters want Hamsted parents to send their kids back into those establishments, they’ll voluntarily clean house as well.”

Noah and Jim just looked at each other and smiled. Art sat back in his chair, letting out a deep sigh of relief. “Yes sir, boys, I’d say we’ve won this one . . . or perhaps I should say the Lord’s won this one . . . but at least He let us help.”

“Let us!” Noah said, his mouth open in astonishment. “Don’t you mean He wouldn’t take no for an answer?”

They were all able to laugh at that remark, knowing the truth of it, and yet feeling a deep joy in knowing they had been obedient to the Lord in this battle.

The following Tuesday evening proved Chief Weston right on the mark with his predictions concerning the outcome of the council meeting. The vote was unanimous. All books and movies describing or encouraging witchcraft or sorcery of any kind were to be removed from the public facilities, and the school board was commissioned to order all new library curriculum for the coming year. That job was going to be tough, since the school year was going to start in two weeks, but they decided they would rather make do with what they could until the new material came rather than keep any of the new age curriculum at all.

Principle Kelso agreed readily to all the changes. At a meeting on Friday, the board had decided that Kelso had been as deceived as they had been themselves, and offered to let him stay on and try to undo any damage that had been done in the past. Miss Parker, of course, was asked to tender her resignation immediately, which she did willingly. She had been only too glad to get out of this town where the light and power of God was growing stronger every day.

As everyone filtered out of the meeting, Chief Weston stopped to talk to Noah and Serenity. “Well, it’ll take a while, but I think our town is on its way back to wholeness, and without having to experience the devastating events your county went through, Noah.”

Noah sighed contentedly. “And I can’t tell you how that makes me feel, Art. Just to know that we’ve actually stopped this thing before it cost anybody’s life . . . and that we’re getting these kids set free from all of this evil before their souls are lost for eternity.”

Art nodded. “Yes, Jim said two other families had called him about praying with their kids. Seems there was a whole group who called themselves The Middle School Order of Magic Arts. They were meeting secretly two nights a week in an old garage and practicing witchcraft . . . at least to whatever extent they knew how at this point. But it sounds as if they’re on the road to deliverance. I even had several high school kids ask me about this whole witchcraft subject. They’re starting to see the truth.”

“SoundS like Jim and his elders are going to have their work cut out for them for the next few weeks,” Noah answered. “But they know what they’re doing, and the Lord has really given them understanding of their authority over the enemy and his forces.”

“Now that we’re about to see daylight at the end of this tunnel, there’s something else I’d like to discuss with you, Noah. And don’t worry; it’s not another problem. Come and see me late tomorrow afternoon, will you?”

“Sure, Art. About 4:00 or so?”

“That’s great.”

“All right. I’ll be there,” he said, and putting his arm around Serenity, he led her to the car. Clint had driven himself and was going out for a bite with two of his friends, so Noah and Serenity planned to take the evening to talk about their future.

The next afternoon, as Noah sat in the chief’s office, he was glad to see that Art Weston finally looked rested after what he‘d been through. The chief went out to the front office and brought in two fresh cups of coffee and then sat down to talk. “I’ll get right to the point, Noah. As you know, I’ve been planning on retiring at the end of the year. But last week my daughter called us and said that her husband has an opportunity to get a big promotion in his business if he’ll spend six months overseas at one of their work sights to get some hands-on experience. Unfortunately, it’s the kind of place that they wouldn’t want to take the kids, but my daughter really wants to go with him, especially since they have had a troubled marriage and are just now starting to see things really turn around for them.

“So . . . Shirley and I have been talking. We really think the Lord would have me take an earlier retirement . . . at the end of October . . . so that Shirley and I can go down to Texas and stay with the grandkids for those six months. Now, I’m telling you all of this because the mayor and I have been talking about my replacement. The two officers who have been on the force the longest are good men, but one of them doesn’t want the responsibility of being chief, and the other, although he’s a top notch policeman, just doesn’t have enough experience to be ready for that position yet . . . and he knows it.

“That puts the city in the position of needing to hire someone from outside the department. The mayor and I both agree that you’re the man for the job.” Noah’s eyes grew wide, and he sat forward instantly in his chair. The chief continued. “The people in this town respect you, Noah. And more importantly, they trust you. You fought for their safety and welfare even though you didn’t know many of them personally, and from what I hear, every time someone stopped you on the street in the middle of all this mess and asked you questions, you answered patiently and honestly. You’ve proven yourself a true friend to the citizens of Hamsted, and they’ve come to consider you one of their own. And . . . of course,” he added, grinning . . . “since you’re evidently about to become a member of Clint’s family, they feel as if you are family already.” He sat back in his chair, looking at Noah speculatively. “What do you think?”

Noah opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Suddenly, deep in his spirit, he was experiencing that unique sense of knowing . . . knowing that this was a God thing. That special, almost liquid peace that filled him, giving the assurance that it was the hand of his Father God that had been behind this offer. He would never have dreamed a year ago that he could possibly find himself in this town, on this coast, with this future before him, but he couldn’t deny the deep down conviction that he was supposed to say ‘Yes.’

Finally he was able to speak. “I’m surprised by your suggestion in one way, Art, yet, at the same time, I really believe in my heart that this just may be God’s plan. Is there anyone else that you need to consider for the position too?”

Art shook his head. “The city board will have to accept other applications, of course, if there are any, but the board has the freedom to hire anyone we choose. And, quite frankly, we’ve discussed it and decided that if you’ll have us, we’ll have you.”

Noah chuckled. “Boy, oh boy. God sure has a way of surprising us by His perfect plans, doesn’t He? I can’t think of any place that Serenity and David would rather live. And, as I’ve mentioned, I really did feel that it was time for me to make a change from my present position.” He sat there another minute, just grinning to himself. Then he looked back at Art. “Let me run this by Serenity, and I’ll have a definite answer for you by the end of the week.”

“Good enough. And . . . not to put pressure on you . . . but I do want to make it clear that I can’t think of any better hands to leave this town in than yours.”

Noah had to clear his throat to answer. “Thank you, Art. . . . Thank you.”

It didn’t really take more than one day of prayer for Serenity and Noah both to be sure. And Clint and David were both in agreement from the first suggestion of the possibility, so it was decided. Noah and his new family would become official citizens of Hamsted, and Noah Bennett would be the new police chief at the beginning of November.

“So when can we get married,” he asked Serenity one evening as they sat on the sofa, cuddled up together watching David and Clint playing a word game. “Please say it can be soon!” he added, nuzzling her ear.

“Well, school starts in a week and a half. Let me get David started and settled his first week in school, and then we can have the ceremony. How’s that?”

“That’s perfect. I’ll have time to go home and wrap up any last details that have to be taken care of as a resigning sheriff. When I took this leave of absence, they knew I was considering resigning. We already have a man who’s well prepared and trained who can take over until the next election, and I really believe he’ll be elected officially when the time comes. In the meantime, you can be looking around for a house for us, and by the time we have the ceremony, we’ll be free enough to take a honeymoon before I start the new job. And then I should still have a couple of weeks to work with Art before he leaves.”

David looked up at all of them and then at his great-grandfather. “Oh boy, Gramps, I’m going to get a new mommy, a new daddy, a new school, and a new house all at the same time!”

“So I heard, Dave. I’d say you’re a very blessed little boy.”

David nodded his head, grinning from ear to ear.

After Noah left the lighthouse that evening, he walked for a long time. He knew Moondancer would no doubt like a ride, but he just didn’t want to have to concentrate on the horse . . . or on anything but the Lord and His plans for Noah’s future. So as he walked, he talked to his Father. “I can’t begin to put it into the right words, Father . . . how I feel after all of this battle and this victory. I know it was hard for You to get me to listen and obey You in this, but I’m glad You didn’t give up on me. Not only did we get this victory in Hamsted, but as I’ve trusted You more and leaned more heavily on Your Word, I feel as if I’ve grown into a bigger person spiritually in the process.”

He laughed out loud. “Of course, I don’t know that I’ll be any more ready to do the same kind of thing again if the need should arise, but . . .” He stopped talking . . . and then he stopped walking, and looked up into the stars. “Am I ever going to have to do this again, Father? Can You tell me? . . . This was the second time I’ve had to deal with that same evil spirit. Is there going to be another time in the future?”

Noah waited. Silence surrounded him. Even the ocean seemed to suspend its usual lullaby as he waited to hear the voice of God in his spirit. When it came, he recognized it instantly. It was the voice of such love and compassion that it always surpassed all other voices . . . all other feelings or intuitions. Now the Eternal Father spoke in tones so tender that it brought tears to Noah’s eyes.

“Yes, My Son. . . . I can tell you. There are other battles ahead . . . with other members of the enemy’s forces. And, yes, once more you will even face this same spirit, but only once more.” Noah’s insides began to tremble, but instantly the voice spoke in his spirit again. “But do not be afraid, Noah. You know that the battle is not yours. You are merely My instrument, and I know what I’m doing. Just trust Me as you did this time. You know how to use My Word and My name. That’s all you need to defeat every enemy.”

“When, Lord? How soon?”

“Not now,” the voice of the Lord replied. “For now you are coming into a time of green pastures and quiet waters . . . you and your new family. You will have a time of rest. So take your rest, Noah, and trust Me.”

Noah nodded his head and began walking again. He let out a deep sigh, but it wasn’t a sigh of one who is burdened. Rather it was a sigh of contentment, a releasing of his spirit, affirming the knowledge in his heart that because he was in his Father’s hands, all was well.

And three weeks later, it seemed that truly all was well all over the world as Noah stood in the church sanctuary and watched a radiant Serenity Lawrence walk down the aisle in her flowing white gown, holding to her grandfather’s arm. Noah had asked David to stand up with him, and the boy was almost too excited to hold still. Noah’s mom and dad had come in from Canada to spend several days before the wedding, and they were almost as excited as David, because they had prayed much for their son to recover from the horrible experiences of the previous year and find some real happiness in his life. They’d loved David instantly, and insisted on being called Grandma and Grandpa. And beside them Noah’s sister, with her husband and brand new baby, completed the happy family picture.

As Pastor Carlyle brought the ceremony to a close and said, “You may kiss your bride,” Noah turned to Serenity and gently took her into his arms. He didn’t hurry, but took time to smile down into her face. He whispered, “Thank you, my Darling, for waiting for me, when you could have had any number of other men. But I needed you so much. You’re the best gift God could ever give me, and I’ll cherish you forever.” Finally, he kissed her . . . gently, sweetly, but very thoroughly, and the congregation couldn’t help but applaud.

By late afternoon, Serenity and Noah were ready to leave on their honeymoon. They both hugged David several times each, promising to call him every day, and then they were off for two weeks of nothing to think about except loving each other.

Two weeks later, David was out digging in the sand when he looked up and saw two horses approaching from farther down the beach, one black and one brown with a light colored main and tail. Then as he watched for a minute, he recognized the riders. He turned and yelled for his great-grandfather. “Gramps, it’s Mom and Dad!” he shrieked and took off running toward the horses, waving his arm with all of his strength as he ran. “Mom! . . . Dad! . . . Mom! . . . Dad!” he yelled over and over again.

As the horses came within a few feet of him, the riders brought them to a stop and dismounted. Noah was on the ground first and running to David, who flung himself into his new father’s arms with total abandon. “Dad, I missed you so much!” he said as he threw his arms around Noah’s neck.

And Noah, who had thought his whole world had been made perfect when he had finally taken Serenity into his arms and expressed all of his love in those first precious hours of intimacy, now found that he contained within himself another dimension that had been waiting to be filled. But the Lord had not forgotten, and He had provided this one little boy and his huge heart filled with love for Noah to meet that need. Now Noah’s world really was perfect.

By that time, Serenity was off her horse and reaching out for David too, and he transferred his hugs and kisses to his new mother until she was satisfied too. Then they all walked the last several feet to the porch where Gramps waited, his face wreathed in the broadest grin Serenity had seen on him since her sister’s death. He held out his arms wide enough to embrace both of them at once. “Welcome home, Children,” he said, hugging them tightly, and they returned the embrace with just as much fervor.

The remainder of the evening was spent in catching up after their two-week separation, and then it was time for Noah to take his new family to their new home on the corner of Chestnut and Fourth Street in Hamsted. Serenity took her grandfather’s hand in hers and looked into his eyes. “You’re not going to feel deserted, are you, Gramps?”

“Not on your life,” he answered, smiling so widely that she knew he meant what he said. “I’m thrilled for all three of you. You three need your own home, and I know I can count on seeing you as often as I like. And we’ve already agreed that David will be welcome to spend all the weekends and summer weeks that he wants at the lighthouse, and bring his friends along too,” he added, winking at his great-grandson.

“And you will come by the house every couple of days if we haven’t been out here, right?” she asked now.

He grinned at her. “I promise, little girl,” he said, pinching her nose the way he’d done when she was truly a little girl. “Now, go home and let an old man have some peace and quiet,” he added, winking again at David. Noah stepped over and hugged Clint hard.

“Thank you for keeping them so safe and taking such good care of them until I could have them for my family, Clint. And thank you for welcoming me into your family so completely.”

“My pleasure, Noah,” he answered, his eyes a little teary. “And you know I mean it.” Noah nodded his agreement, and they all three went outside and got into Noah’s car, having put the horses up in the new stable Noah had built behind the lighthouse.

During the next week, as they got acclimated to being a family and living in a brand new home, they were all three more grateful than they could find words to describe. Several evenings that week, they went to the beach to visit Gramps and ride the horses — and just enjoy the now totally peaceful environment of this beautiful coastal community.

One evening, just as dusk was settling in, Noah and David were taking a leisurely ride along the beach and had just passed the cottage that Noah had rented at the beginning of summer. Serenity had a church meeting that evening, and her two men were enjoying the fall weather and each other. Noah was thinking again about how the Lord had been so patient with him as he’d worked his way into making the decision to be obedient even in the darkest places of his life. And the rewards had been beyond anything he’d imagined. He glanced down now at his son who rode beside him on Moondancer.

Noah had given the horse to David and had purchased another for himself and one for Serenity, and David had been faithful to take care of his own horse almost completely by himself. Noah was so proud of his new son, and he couldn’t help but show it whenever they were with other people. He smiled down at the boy now and suggested they stop for a minute to enjoy the last rays of the sun sliding into the sea.

But after just a couple minutes, David looked up at him. “Let’s race, Dad!” he said, his face covered with an expectant grin.

“Okay, and the winner gets an extra scoop of chocolate ice cream when we pick up Mom and go for a snack.”

“Oookayy!” whooped David, lifting his reigns in readiness. “Which way should we go, Dad?”

“We’ll race toward the lighthouse,” Noah said, looking at the boy’s joy-filled face. He reached out and touched him just under the chin. “That’s something you want to remember all of your life, Son. Always . . . always race toward the light. Then you’ll never get lost in the darkness.”

THE END

Thank you so much for reading this story. I will leave all the chapters on this site until the end of this month. After October 31, they will be gone from here, but, of course, anyone can order the book in paperback or digital from Amazon if they wish.

I enjoy offering some of my work for free reading periodically, and I’m considering offering another novel in this same serial format next month as well. I’ll see how things go and let you know for sure.

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT – CHAPTER 20

October 20, 2021 | Sandra Pavloff Conner

(To make up for running so late with yesterday’s chapter, I’m posting earlier than usual today. I’ll also try to get tomorrow’s chapter — the final chapter — posted early in the day if possible.)

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT

CHAPTER TWENTY

The following morning, the mayor of Hamsted called Noah. “I’d like a chance to talk with you about this whole witchcraft thing in some more detail, Sheriff. Would you have some time today?”

“I think so. When is the best time for you, Mayor?”

“Well, this morning is best for me, but I’ll work something out for later if we need to.”

“Not necessary,” Noah replied. “How about I come to you office in about an hour?”

“I’d be grateful.”

“See you then,” Noah replied and hung up. He immediately called Jim Carlyle and Serenity to ask them to pray, and when he arrived at the mayor’s office, he felt total peace about the meeting. Not knowing where the mayor stood on the subject, he’d decided to tread lightly until he was sure what the man wanted from him, and he was greatly encouraged to find that Chief Weston had been asked to join them.

As it turned out, the mayor shared with them, in confidence, about a family member who had been involved in some witchcraft activities several years ago, and he expressed genuine concern that they not let this problem go any further in Hamsted. “I’ve also spent some time on the phone with two of our school board members, and I can assure you that they are ready to bring a screeching halt to these programs in the school. They plan to bring up some suggestions for doing so at the council meeting.”

Noah and Art just looked at each other and grinned their relief. With the mayor and two school board members already on their side, the tide of battle was definitely beginning to turn.

That evening, however, in Adrian Parker’s apartment, the same five people who had met before were together again, but this time they were not calling on their inner guides. They were arguing and casting accusations and blame at each other for why their plans had been thwarted to such an extent. “There’s no question about it,” one of the men said. “If we’re going to succeed here at all, this resistance has got to be taken out!”

“How many people are actually leading this fight against us?” one of the women asked Adrian.

“Well,” she sighed as she answered, “I’d say there are only two real leaders. This Noah Bennett and Serenity Lawrence. But they have several parents on their side now, as well as the police chief, if I can believe the reports that came from our representatives at Monday night’s meeting.”

Another member of the group spoke up: “I knew I felt something definitely wrong when I first heard that Noah Bennett was in this area, but I had no idea it would reach this degree of danger for us. I think if we can take him out, the others will start to lose interest, and the whole resistance will lose momentum.”

“I’m not so sure,” Adrian answered. “That Lawrence woman and her friend Elizabeth Matthews have really been stirring up a stink about the work we’ve gotten established at the school. And if we lose that, we’ve lost completely. If we can’t get the minds of the next generation renewed to our level, we won’t get anywhere here.”

“I still say getting rid of this Sheriff Bennett is the first step,” another member of the group said. “And we need to do it before this town council meeting!”

The only one who hadn’t spoken yet was another man. He and Adrian Parker has been in an intimate sexual relationship for several years, but no one in Hamsted knew that. He spoke now in a soft voice as he perched against the back of the sofa behind Adrian. “I agree. That must be our next step.” His voice took on a beguiling tone as he slithered his lean body along the back of the sofa and ran a caressing finger slowly down Adrian’s arm, his warm lips against her ear: “Do you think you could take care of that situation for us, Adri?”

“Me?” she asked, turning slightly to face him, her eyes wide with shock.

He straightened immediately, lifting his hands, palms up, and shrugged his shoulders. “Well . . . this is your territory. It’s your spirits that rule Hamsted.”

“Yes, but . . . I . . . I don’t know . . .”

In another room of the apartment, Lacey had been working on some material she had received over the Internet. She was entering her second phase of training now and often spent many hours a week at Adrian’s apartment, learning from her. She had been listening to the conversation, and when the discussion turned to getting rid of Noah Bennett, her heart began to beat faster. That idea struck a chord deep inside of Lacey. After all, it was Noah who had been so mean to her about riding the horse. And now, he was about to destroy everything that was important to Lacey in this town. If he got rid of all the witchcraft and the people involved in it, she’d never be able to finish her training. She couldn’t let that happen. She just couldn’t.

So while the conversation drifted back and forth in the other room, with all five of the occupants still arguing over who should do what, Lacey began to form her own plan. She didn’t stop to analyze why she felt such an intense hatred for Noah over the decision he’d made about her riding Moondancer. It hadn’t occurred to her that those feelings were all out of proportion with the event itself.

And although she knew she had a spirit guide and was often asked to do unusual things by that guide, she didn’t yet understand enough about demonic possession to realize that she had actually been taken over totally by the spirit that pretended to guide rather than control. Nor could she have known at this point that it was the same spirit that had been defeated by Noah Bennett almost a year ago. All she knew was that she had to be the one to destroy this man who belonged to a source of power that threatened everything she wanted.

She didn’t say anything to Miss Parker or her guests. She just continued to work in the back bedroom until they had all left. When Miss Parker came to check on her, she was just closing down the program she had been using, and Miss Parker, who seemed very jittery and distracted, suggested that Lacey go on home. So wishing her tutor a good night, Lacey left the apartment and walked to her home, continuing to plan the execution of her archenemy. And she knew exactly where she could get a gun.

Two days later, Lacey knew what she was going to do. She’d been listening to the voice inside her head for the last forty-eight hours making the plans for her. She had hardly slept or eaten. She just concentrated on that voice, and finally, when she knew it was time, she moved to carry out the plan. She knew her aunt and uncle would be shopping in Barclay most of the day, and that they always left an extra key under their planter by the back door. So she sneaked in and went straight to the master bedroom where she knew the gun was hidden.

Several months ago, when she had been baby-sitting her younger cousins and playing hide and seek with them, she had hidden in the bathroom that was attached to that bedroom, and she had seen her uncle come in from his target practice and reach up into the top closet shelf for the gun case. She could see everything he did clearly. He was putting the gun in the case and returning it to the shelf for safekeeping, but because he was very conscious of gun safety, her uncle had also emptied all the ammunition out of the gun before putting it in the case, and he had put the ammunition in its own box in another place on the shelf.

She had no clear understanding of how to load bullets into the gun, but she knew that she felt driven to get her hands on that weapon and do something to stop Noah Bennett from causing so much trouble. She’d figure out how when she got her hands on the gun. She and her family had a picnic planned on the beach that afternoon, and this was the perfect day to destroy this so-called “Man of God.”

A few hours later, as she approached Noah’s cottage, everything was quiet. She stepped onto the porch, but she still didn’t hear anything. She opened the door slowly and looked in, but she could tell that no one was there. So she walked around the side of the house and looked in the corral. Moondancer was gone too, so she guessed Noah was riding. She’d have to wait.

So she went back to sit on the porch, still hiding the gun in the straw beach bag she carried. She had been sitting close to thirty minutes when she finally saw David returning to the corral on Moondancer. Okay, she thought, maybe she could get rid of this crybaby too. That would be almost as much fun as killing Sheriff Bennett.

David dismounted, sliding off of Moondancer’s back onto the raised step Noah had made especially to make this maneuver easy for him, and as he did so, he spotted Lacey coming into the corral. At the same time, Moondancer became agitated, much as he had the last time Lacey had been there, but before David could think what to do, Lacey was standing in front of him, pointing the gun at him. He froze, too shocked to be consciously aware of anything else — even fear. He didn’t say anything. He couldn’t.

Then as he transferred his vision to the area behind Lacey for just a second, he saw Noah running toward the corral. He had been visiting the neighbor in the first cottage, and had been walking back when he realized what was happening right before his eyes, in his own corral. The sand muted the sound of his footfalls as he ran with all his strength, and as soon as he was close enough to be sure David saw him, he put his fingers to his lips to ensure his silence.

But the moment he stepped inside the corral, Lacey swung toward him, her eyes filled with hate and her hands, as they held the gun, shaking with rage. The demon within her had sensed Noah’s presence and turned at once to defend itself against this man of God. Noah’s voice was deadly quiet as he spoke: “David, step inside the shed right now.” David immediately backed his way into the shed, and, at the last minute, took hold of Moondancer’s reigns to try to quiet the horse, which was stamping the ground and snorting in a way he never did under ordinary circumstances.

Lacey laughed a fiendish laugh. “Let him go. It’s you I came to destroy,” she said in a voice much deeper and more gravely than her own. The laughing intensified. “You, Man of God!” she said, her tone of voice mocking that title now. “Others may call you a man of God, but there is no god but Lucifer. You’re a fool! That’s what you are, and I’ll soon be rid of you!” she shouted now, motioning the gun toward him. “You drove me out once, but not this time. This time, I’ll drive you out! I’ll send you to your God, such as He is,” she added, her demented laughter growing ever louder.

Down the beach about a half a mile, Gloria Dillard was becoming anxious as she looked at her watch and realized her daughter had been gone close to an hour now. She had told Lacey that they would be eating in thirty minutes, and it wasn’t like her to miss their picnic meals. She was half afraid that something had happened to her — and half afraid that she was causing trouble somewhere. She had been so weird lately, and not at all obedient.

She turned to her husband now. “Carl, I think we need to go see about Lacey. She was supposed to be back in thirty minutes, and it’s getting closer to an hour. I’m worried.”

“Well, we can walk that way and see what’s going on then,” he answered and got up from his lawn chair as Gloria did the same. They started down the beach in the direction Lacey had gone, and when they finally came near enough to Noah’s cottage to see what was transpiring in the corral, they froze in shock. They didn’t notice Serenity and Elizabeth coming from the other direction, with Trent holding Elizabeth’s hand.

They too had stopped dead still, paralyzed momentarily by the horror of the scene being played out before their eyes. “Mommy!” Trent squealed, looking up at his mother, petrified, and Elizabeth quickly covered his mouth with her hand, admonishing him as gently as possible to be quiet for safety’s sake.

Serenity whispered to Elizabeth. “Run back to the Bishop’s cottage and call Chief Weston, and then call Pastor Carlyle. If he isn’t in his office, try his home number and . . . and . . . maybe the nursing home . . . or anywhere else you can think of.” She spoke hurriedly, her confused thoughts resisting rational, orderly processes, but Elizabeth was able to understand and took off running with Trent to the cottage they had just passed a couple minutes ago.

Serenity’s heart was about to beat out of her chest as she watched Noah facing this death trap. She had spotted David hiding just inside the shed door, holding fast to Moondancer’s reigns, but she didn’t want to say anything or make any noise that might send Lacey over the edge of her apparently fragile sanity. It seemed as if time itself froze, and then when she did realize that she heard talking and saw some movement, everything seemed almost to be in slow motion.

In actual fact, the Dillards had stopped only a fraction of a second before Gloria let out a piercing scream that should have drawn Lacey’s attention, but didn’t. Lacey’s glazed eyes never wavered from Noah, and she took a step closer to him, holding the gun with both hands, aimed straight at his chest. When she didn’t even flinch at her mother’s scream, her father, now frightened beyond anything he’d ever experienced before, yelled her name. “Lacey!” He stepped closer to the corral. “Lacey, for God’s sake! What are you doing!”

Still the girl never moved a muscle of response to her father’s words or his voice. She stared at Noah, the fiendish look still on her face and the bizarre laughter escaping her intermittently. Noah had raised his hands in a sign of surrender only to make sure she wouldn’t be pushed over the edge by thinking he was going to go for a weapon of some kind himself. He tried speaking to her in a quiet voice. “Lacey, listen to me —”

“She can’t hear you!” screamed the deeper voice coming from Lacey. “She’s under my control now. She will hear only me!”

Noah tried again. “Lacey, I’m speaking to you, not the demon.”

“Shut up! She won’t listen to you. She’ll do only what I tell her to do, and you’re going to die!”

By that time, Gloria, who was almost demented herself, was running toward the gate of the corral, intent on grabbing her daughter and forcing her to listen to reason. “Lacey, no!” she cried out, coming through the open gate. “Stop this!” was all she got out before her husband, who was right behind her, grabbed her and pulled her back.

“No, Gloria. She can’t hear you! She’s beyond that now. She’ll kill you if you go any closer!”

Serenity was praying with everything in her for the Lord to intervene. Noah was praying under his breath, for intervention, but also for God’s wisdom. He knew he had to hear from the Holy Spirit if he were going to handle this right. Elizabeth prayed as she made the calls, and then she left Trent in the safety of the Bishops and returned to Serenity’s side.

“Chief Weston is on his way and so is Pastor Carlyle. He said he’d have his wife call the prayer chain and get immediate back up.”

“Thank You, Lord,” Serenity whispered now. “Thank You for Your protection, and for Your own angels fighting for Noah and David now. And please, Lord . . . please deliver Lacey from this horrible thing that has control of her.”

Inside the corral, Noah slowly lowered his hands and then began speaking in a strong voice. “In the name of Jesus Christ, no weapon formed against me shall prosper!”

“Shut up! Don’t say that name!”

“In the name of Jesus Christ and by the blood of Jesus Christ, I have power to tread on serpents and scorpions -—”

“Stop it!”

“ . . . and power over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall, in any way, harm me!”

“Stop it!” Lacey screamed and raised the gun higher and pulled the trigger. Noah had been shot once before in the line of duty, and he remembered the searing pain as the bullet had torn into his flesh — but this time he felt nothing. By the time he realized the bullet had missed him, Lacey had fired again. Over and over, she pulled the trigger, screaming in that hideous voice, “Die, you son of God! Die in the name of Lucifer!” Noah’s dazed mind could hardly credit the fact that all the bullets had missed him, but now he was hearing only the click of an empty chamber.

He stepped closer to Lacey, and commanded, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I command you to come out of her now and be gone from here!”

“We have a right to be here!” the spirits spoke through Lacey. “She invited us in, and now she belongs to us!” Lacey was now shaking so violently that her hands dropped the empty gun.

Noah had suspected that there was more than one demon involved, but he knew by the Spirit of God that the same demon of sorcery that he had cast out of the witch in his home county was the one ruling Lacey and her life. When he got rid of that one, the rest would have to leave also.

He spoke again, his voice strong and unrelenting. “Jesus Christ came in the flesh and died for Lacey and rose again and is now Lord of all. He has come to set her free, and you cannot resist Him! Nor His blood!”

By this time, Serenity, who had finally realized that the gun was indeed empty, was at his side, praying in support of Noah as he followed the leading of the Spirit. They could hear the sirens cut off as the police pulled up on the road that ran behind the cottages. Pastor Carlyle’s car was right behind them, and he had no trouble keeping up with the chief and his two officers as they ran toward the group at the corral.

Although unseen by any of the human beings, an army of angelic hosts had filled the corral and stationed themselves around it as well. Naam had been standing tall at Noah’s right, almost touching him, his golden sword held out horizontally, creating a fiery shield across the front of Noah’s body. Another angelic warrior stood on Noah’s left, and as the unfurled wings of the two beings touched over Noah’s head, they had formed a solid protective canopy around the rest of him during the whole encounter.

Each person there was being watched over by at least one member of the Hosts of Heaven, and David was shielded totally by the wings of his own guardian angel. Even Moondancer was covered by the wingspan of one of the mighty warriors. Two angels walked beside each of the law enforcement officers, and as Pastor Carlyle came on the scene, ten more heavenly warriors were marching with him, ready to add their holy strength to the fight.

The detachment of the Hosts of Heaven that were standing in a circle around Lacey had their wings furled and their swords sheathed, but each one had his hand firmly on the handle of his sword, waiting. When the final command was given in the name of the Lamb of God, Jesus, they would be free to draw those swords with the speed of a lightning bolt and use them to literally drive every last demon from this place. Their eyes were on the man of God — their ears attentive to the Word of God, which they had been created to obey.

Noah spoke again: “The blood of Jesus Christ is against everyone of you demonic spirits —”

“Nooo!” Lacey screamed again, falling to the ground and crouching over with her hands over her ears. “No, No, No!”

Noah ignored the pleas as he continued to speak. “The blood of Jesus is against you, and in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth I command every one of you to come out of Lacey right now and be gone from this place!”

Screaming, Lacey bent over farther, until her head touched the ground, and then suddenly, she fell limp and lay there with her eyes closed.

In the unseen realm, hideous black beings screamed as they were forced by an invisible power to pull their talons out of the girl and let her go. As they emerged from her body, trying to hold on, but inevitably losing their grip, they came face to face with the Hosts of Heaven. Jehovah’s warriors glowed with the splendor of His holiness, and the demons, their screams of terror increasing, fled before the fire of those holy swords.

Not only did they flee, but as they moved over the town of Hamsted, they were joined by several of their cohorts who had been wreaking havoc all over town. Those lesser spirits now realized that with the defeat of this spirit who was second only to the strongman over Hamsted, they were better off leaving as well. Of course not all of the demonic hosts in the town were that smart. Several tried to hold onto the ground they had taken, but the Hosts of Heaven concentrated only on the evil forces they had been assigned to deal with by Noah Bennett’s words. The rest would have to be dealt with as Jehovah instructed at a later time.

However, as all of that activity transpired in the realm just beyond man’s perception, Lacey’s mother tore loose from her husband’s grip. “Lacey!” she screamed as she ran to kneel beside her daughter. Carl followed instantly, and as he knelt down, Lacey finally opened her eyes and looked at him. She seemed once more to be the same little girl he had always known, and he reached out and took her into his arms.

“Daddy,” she said, her voice choked with tears, as she wound her arms around her father’s neck. “Daddy . . . what happened?” She was crying now. “What happened?”

“It’s all right, Honey,” he said, holding her even tighter, as Gloria gently smoothed her daughter’s long hair away from her face and caressed her face with loving fingers. “It’s all right, now,” Carl spoke again. “You’re going to be all right now.” He was gently rocking her back and forth as they knelt on the ground.

Chief Weston, with long years of experience behind him, had sized up the scene in a matter of moments, and having determined to his own satisfaction that no one’s life was in danger any longer, motioned for one of the officers to retrieve the gun while he talked with Noah. Pastor Carlyle had stopped to get more of the story from Serenity, and now he moved up to where Noah and the chief were conversing. Art Weston, who by now was convinced that this whole situation was as much in the domain of the church as it was in that of the police department, shifted his position to include the pastor in the discussion.

Once Pastor Carlyle had confirmed that he had the right understanding of what had transpired, he immediately turned to Lacey and her parents. Serenity moved over to them then and introduced her pastor. “He can help you understand what has been happening to Lacey and how to help her get back to normal,” she told Gloria and Carl.

Gloria had tears streaming down her face, but she couldn’t seem to speak. She just looked at Jim Carlyle for a long time, and he looked back with the love of Jesus in his eyes. Finally, he saw a glimmer of hope light up Gloria’s brimming eyes, and he smiled at her. “We’ll get through this,” he said, patting her on the shoulder and squatting down between her and Carl.

“We don’t understand all of this,” Carl said to him now, “but since what Sheriff Bennett told us about is what really has come to pass, we’re ready to say that you obviously know something we need to know.”

Pastor Carlyle gripped Carl’s shoulder. “That’s a good enough place to start,” he said and then looked at Lacey. She had stopped crying now, and was sitting on the ground between her two parents. She looked up at him, and he realized that it was the first time he had looked at the child and not seen hatred in her eyes. He spoke directly to her now. “Would you like for you and your parents to spend some time praying with me, Lacey, so that you can get to feeling better and be more like yourself again?”

She nodded her head at first and then finally spoke. “Yes, sir,” she said, in little more than a whisper, but that was all Pastor Carlyle needed to know. That simple agreement cleared the way for him to be able to minister to this child and her family. And when they were delivered and healed, he was almost sure the rest of the people who had been equally deluded and ensnared would follow suit.

“Thank you, Jesus,” he said out loud now, as he smiled at Lacey and rose to his feet. Lacey and her parents did likewise, and the pastor asked them. “How about if I come home with you for a while and we’ll pray, and then we can make arrangements to meet again after you’ve all had some rest.” They agreed readily, and as they turned to leave, Pastor Carlyle stopped to confer with the police chief.

“Is there any necessity for you to take anyone into the office now, Chief?”

“No, I don’t think so. Since the gun was already on the ground and Lacey was bowed down and screaming when I got close enough to be sure what was going on, I can’t consider myself an eyewitness to an actual crime. So my legal options are limited unless Noah wants to press charges, and Serenity and Elizabeth are willing to give a witness account.” He smiled at the pastor. “And, under the circumstances, I don’t think either one of those things is very likely, do you?” Jim shook his head, smiling at the chief, grateful that Art Weston had turned out to be a man who could recognize when God was the only real answer.

“However,” Art continued, “I will want to talk with Lacey’s parents about how she managed to get a gun without their knowledge and what we need to do to make sure she’s under better supervision.” He glanced at Carl and Gloria, who had stopped to listen to what he had to say. “But I’ll give you a call later this evening, and we’ll arrange a long talk.”

Carl held out his hand to the chief. “Thank you, Chief Weston. We’ll be available to talk whenever you want,” he said and then turned, with one arm around Lacey and one around Gloria, and started toward the section of beach where his family had left all their possessions.

Chief Weston gripped Noah’s shoulder. “You all right?” he asked, his eyes boring into Noah’s. Noah laughed out loud, at the same time reaching out to put his arm around David, who had come to snuggle up beside him. His eyes took in Serenity’s beaming face before he looked back at the chief. “For the first time in about a year, Chief, I believe I’m really and truly all right.”

Art nodded and stooped down to talk to David. “And you, David?” The boy nodded his head. “Yes sir. Noah knew what to do, and God sent us his angels.”

“I just believe you’re right, Dave,” the chief answered and stood up. “Noah, I’ll give you a call in the morning and give you an update.” He turned to his officers. “Boys, let’s head for the office.”

Don’t forget: Final chapter tomorrow.

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT – CHAPTER 18

October 18, 2021 | Sandra Pavloff Conner

The following Monday, Serenity sent a letter to the editor, expressing concern that there was so much attention being given to the Sally Stone books and movies, and the evil activities they seemed to commend. She mentioned the fact that much of that material was creeping into school curriculums, including some of those at Hamsted Elementary.

She wasn’t sure if the editor of the paper would have the courage to publish something that was bound to be so controversial, but she received a pleasant surprise when Noah brought her a copy of the paper the next Thursday morning, with it folded open to her own letter. The editor had included a note inviting other people to voice their opinions on the subject. The following week, there was a letter from a woman who said that she still didn’t see anything wrong with the Sally Stone books and movies and admitted that she enjoyed them as much as her two children. But there was also a letter from a father of one of the fifth grade boys, who said that he agreed with the concerns Serenity’s letter had addressed.

When the church group met on the Tuesday following the printing of Serenity’s letter, they decided that perhaps they really did need to consider a meeting for the community in order for Noah to share much of his story and for all concerned parents to voice their opinions openly. They discussed possible ways of publicizing the meeting and agreed on two or three possibilities, subject to the police chief’s agreement with their plans.

After the meeting, Noah drove Serenity and her family home and then returned to his cottage and immediately saddled Moondancer for a good run. He was bothered about sharing all of his experience with the whole town — or however much of it turned out for the meeting that was planned. He was remembering how hard he had tried to get the people of his own county to believe him, but the majority of them, even the pastors, hadn’t done so — at least not until after the trials. And he remembered all too well the pain and agony of seeing people just turn their backs on the truth and walk right into destruction. He ended the ride earlier than usual and just walked along the beach, leading Moondancer, trying to come to grips with this next step in the plan.

He stopped walking and just stood for a while looking out at the ocean, it’s deep, ebony currents just barely touched by the moonlight. He shook his head now, sighing. “Lord . . . getting one pastor to believe and even one police chief is a far cry from getting the general populace of a town to listen and really believe. You know that. I’m not sure I’m up to it. I promised to do whatever You asked, and I don’t want to let You down again, but . . . but, Father, is this really the best plan . . . or do we need to do something else?” He didn’t hear anything in his spirit for several minutes, so he continued.

“You know, my namesake in Your Word had the same problem. And he was building a huge boat right in front of them every day . . . as evidence that what he’d told them had merit. But they still wouldn’t listen! He was totally frustrated by the people who wouldn’t believe him, and I’m sure his heart was broken over all of his friends and loved ones outside the family who just refused to receive the truth and were destroyed. You know, Lord, that’s the way I feel. I can hardly bear the thought that they will reject everything I have to say, and I might have to watch all of them go through the destruction and the same hell that I watched my own people go through. This whole plan may all be for nothing, and then I’d just have to live the whole horrible mess all over again.”

He fell to his knees, tears rolling down his face. “Please, Lord . . . tell me something. I suddenly feel as if I’m all by myself again. I know that sounds stupid because Serenity and Clint and Pastor Carlyle are backing me and even pushing me to do all I can. Even Art Weston seems to be in favor of my efforts to expose the truth. Why do I feel so alone then?”

The only sounds that shared the night were the gentle lap of the waves as they slapped the shore in rhythmic sequence and the soft blowing sound Moondancer made periodically to remind his master that he was waiting to finish their ride. The stars looked close enough to touch as Noah lifted his eyes to the sky, searching for some kind of connection that would give him some definite answers. “Please, Lord,” he whispered . . . “please tell me something.”

He folded his body over then, so that his head was only inches from the sand, his eyes closed, his hands clenched on his legs. And he waited — and waited — and waited. He knew from experience that if he really wanted to hear from the Lord, he couldn’t get impatient. Then, after what seemed like an hour to him, although it hadn’t really been quite that long, he recognized the voice within his spirit.

He had heard that voice a few times before, and he knew it was his Heavenly Father: “Noah . . . My Son . . . do not be afraid and do not hold back. This time, they will listen. . . . This time, they will listen.”

And with those few words, a current of peace began to flow through Noah, saturating every fiber of his being and releasing a joy that engulfed him until he couldn’t hold back the laughter. He stood to his feet, and he laughed, letting the power of it ring out over the ocean. Finally, he was able to talk again. “Thank You, Father. I’ll trust You. I won’t hold back anything You tell me to say.” With that commitment, he swung himself back up onto Moondancer and let the patient horse have his way for one last run before heading home.

At another home, in one of the quiet neighborhoods of Hamsted, Kelly Emmerson was just getting into her bed after sneaking into the house about 11:00. She had been to the meeting of The Middle School Order of the Magic Arts in the abandoned garage. Tonight the group had read from the newest Sally Stone book, each one taking turns reading a chapter. Kelly felt a little sick by the time the meeting was over, because the things that happened in this new book were even more dark and hideous than anything from the earlier books. In this one Sally had taken possession of an animal’s body and had viciously bitten an old man, then just stood by and enjoyed watching him suffer.

Kelly had heard some kids at the Library Club talking about that scene, but she had hoped that they had been exaggerating. She had tried to cover her ears when Lacey had read that part, but she’d still been able to hear the words. And her mind was able to see the whole thing clearly — all the blood — all the pain and agony on the old man’s face. She had almost thrown up, but thankfully, after that chapter, they’d all decided to close the meeting and go home.

Now she crawled into bed, shaking. She clutched her beautiful stuffed angel doll to her chest. It had been a birthday gift from her grandmother, and it was the only thing that made her able to get to sleep at night. At least it had been that way since she had started going to these meetings — or maybe since she had started reading those Sally Stone books. She wasn’t sure. She was just sure that she was scared, and she didn’t know what to do. She didn’t think her parents would understand if she told them everything she had been doing, and how she had sneaked out of the house for the meetings and then back in again, sometimes at midnight.

But about an hour later, her parents were awakened by her piercing screams. They ran into her room, their hearts pounding. They were surprised to see her bedside light burning, since Kelly was obviously still asleep, in the throes of a very bad dream.

“Kelly, wake up, Honey,” her mother said, leaning over the bed to try to settle the thrashing movements of her daughter. “You’re dreaming, Honey,” she said, but she couldn’t control the violent slapping motions of Kelly’s hands in the air as if she were fighting something off her.

“No! No! NO!” she screamed. Her father took hold of her hands, and her mother shook her shoulders then, calling her by name again, and finally the child came partially awake, but she wasn’t coherent.

“He’s eating me! He’s eating me!” she cried, over and over, a wild look in her eyes, and then she pulled her hands free and clutched at her stomach. Finally, her mother managed to get her arms around her and get her to settle down enough to stop screaming.

“Shhhh. It’s all right, Kelly. You were just dreaming. You’re all right. Daddy and I are right here. By that time Kelly had stopped thrashing but was now sobbing pitifully. “It’s all right,” her mother said again, and then Kelly’s dad spoke.

“It was just a bad dream, Kel. You’re safe in your own bed. Now try to stop crying and see if you can go back to sleep.”

“I’ll sit here with her a few minutes, Dan,” he mother said, beginning to rock her daughter a little as she sat on the bed beside her. “You go on back to bed, and I’ll stay until she’s settled down.”

Her husband nodded and turned to leave. He glanced back at his daughter once more. It disturbed him a little that the dream seemed to be so violent, but he knew that with what kids saw on TV and movies these days, that probably wasn’t too unusual. “You’ll get back to sleep, and everything will be back to normal in the morning, Pumpkin,” he said tenderly. He touched his wife’s shoulder gently and left the room. It was another half hour before Kelly drifted off to sleep again, and her mother finally returned to her own bed, but she was too disturbed to sleep. Something about that dream seemed different from any others she’d ever remembered her children having.

By morning, however, everything seemed normal, and Kelly was her usual self as she prepared for school. Of course, she had seemed a little different to her mother for several months now. She didn’t seem to be the happy, easy-going child she had always been, but her mother had decided that it was her age and all of the changes going on in her body and mind at this stage of life. So she put all of those troubling thoughts out of her mind and went on about her day’s routine.

But that night, when she and her husband were awakened again by their daughter’s screams, she knew something had to be wrong. The scene in Kelly’s bedroom was the same as the previous night. She seemed to be trying to fight off some attacker, and she kept screaming, “He’s eating me! He’s eating me!” This time, both of Kelly’s parents tried to talk to their daughter about what might be causing the dreams, but she wouldn’t discuss the problem with them at all. They both sat with her until she drifted back to sleep and then got up and began to slip out quietly.

Just before she closed the door, however, Kelly’s mother noticed the Sally Stone book lying on top of Kelly’s school materials. The picture on the cover was hideous, and immediately, she wondered if that book could be causing these horrible dreams. She picked it up, turning it over and reading the blurb on the back cover. She flipped it open and thumbed through a few pages. It was too late to start reading it now, but maybe tomorrow, she’d take a closer look. She laid it back where she’d found it and went on to her own bed, but again, she didn’t go back to sleep at all. She was remembering the letter she’d read in the paper about all of that Sally Stone material. She had just tossed it out of her mind after she’d read it the other day, but now — now — she was beginning to be afraid.

Noah had spent several hours with Art Weston over the same two-day period, and the police chief agreed that there needed to be a town meeting to inform people of what had been taking place locally, as well as how it compared with Noah’s experiences last year. He had called Noah, Clint, and Jim Carlyle to meet with him in his office to plan such a meeting, and now he was laying out his ideas.

“I’ve gained courage with all three of you praying for me in the midst of this thing. And I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help and your consistency in this. And, Jim since you came to my home and counseled Shirley and me, and prayed with us the way you did. Shirley has finally come to the place that she’s not afraid for me to take the stand I need to take. I would have taken it anyway, you understand. But this way, it’s a lot easier on me, because she has peace about it too.

“Besides, the way I figure it, since I’m planning on retiring next year anyway, if I mess up my reputation by aligning myself with this fight, I can just take that retirement a few months early. And I think Shirley and I both have enough faith now to believe that the Lord will protect us in every other way.

“So here’s my plan. As Chief of Police, I’m the logical one to call for this meeting at this time. We’ll make it a town meeting, in the town hall. I’ll have the newspaper put a notice on the front page, and I’ll have the radio station announce it several times over the next few days. We can put up a few fliers also, but I think word of mouth will carry the whole thing after the newspaper article anyway. What do you think?”

“I think it sounds perfect,” Jim Carlyle said.

“I agree,” Clint added, and Noah nodded his head in agreement too. Then Noah asked a question.

“Do you plan to give them more details about what’s been taking place in the area relating to the rituals and slain animals?”

“Yes. I’ll add more than what the paper had. And since we’ve had a second episode that will just be reported in this Thursday’s paper, I think a lot of people will come just for that reason alone. But that’s all right. At least they’ll be there. And then I want to turn the floor over to you, Noah, and I don’t want you to hold back anything you think you can manage to tell them.” He sighed deeply. “I’d like to have Jim stand up and tell them how to get delivered from all this stuff if they’ve been involved in it, but, as you know, as a public official, I’m not in a position to be free to do that. However, I am going to let them know that I’ve worked closely with Jim, and that he and his elders are ready to help anybody better understand this thing from a Biblical standpoint if they want to do so. And that all of them will be available to pray with any individuals or families who feel they need prayer.

“I know that sounds as if I’m catering to just one pastor, but I’ve tried to feel out the other three pastors in town about this subject, and none of them seems to be taking it seriously yet. So I’m going to do what’s right . . . as far as I can understand it . . . and let the chips fall where they may.”

“And what night were you planning on for the meeting?” Clint asked.

“I think next Monday. That’s a night that has no church meetings or club meetings scheduled, so I think it’s a safe choice.”

“Sounds like the best choice to me,” Jim said. “I’ll encourage all of our people to spread the word and encourage as many people to come as they possibly can.”

Art nodded. “Thanks, Jim. I’d like for all of us to meet briefly Monday morning here in my office and just double check our plan if that’s agreeable.”

“Sounds good,” Noah said, and the other two men agreed readily.

“All right. I guess that about does it . . . unless one of you has something else we haven’t thought of.”

After glancing around at each other, all three of his guests shook their heads and rose to prepare to leave. They all shook hands, strong in their mutual support of each other in this vital mission — a mission none of them wanted to be on, but one that they wouldn’t turn their backs on no matter how rough things got before it was ended.

That Thursday, Serenity had plans to fly to New York to talk with her literary agent, and she wouldn’t be returning until Saturday. When Noah learned of her plans, he insisted that he take her into Barclay to catch her flight and then pick her up on her return. “And if it’s all right with you, I’d like to offer to take David and Trent out on a sailboat Friday. They’ve been asking about going, and this would be the perfect time. That way, Clint could have a day to do anything he wants all by himself. I have a feeling he’d enjoy that just once in a while.”

“I have a feeling you’re right,” Serenity said, laughing with him. “And I know David and Trent will enjoy a day on the boat with you, but are you sure you want to have to deal with both of them by yourself?”

“No problem. Will you ask Elizabeth or should I?’

“I’ll call her, and I’ll tell her that you’re available to talk to her if she wants to contact you.”

“Great. I’ll plan on that then, and since you’re flight leaves at 1:00, I’m taking you into Barclay early, and we’ll have a nice lunch.”

“Boy, you’re getting awfully bossy lately, Sheriff,” she said, grinning at him, her eyes sparkling in that way that always ignited something deep inside of Noah. He reached up and touched a finger to her hair, smoothing it behind her ear on one side and letting his finger skim along her ear and down her neck. Serenity trembled slightly. She tried not to, but she felt a trail of fire along every inch he touched. He leaned closer and whispered. “I can’t seem to remember that I don’t have that right, Serie. And I’m not sure what I’m going to be able to do about that problem.”

“Which problem?” she asked, whispering also, mesmerized by the flame in his eyes as they held hers.

“What do you mean?” he whispered back, his eyes never wavering.

“Which problem are you wanting to do something about . . . the problem that you can’t seem to remember . . . or the problem that you don’t have that right?”

“Uh . . . I . . . I don’t know.” He moved closer. “All I know for sure is that I want to kiss you, and I’m not going to think about anything else until I’ve done that.” By that time, his mouth hovered just over hers, their breath mingling. Serenity’s eyelids drifted shut, and she let out a quiet sigh just before Noah’s lips touched hers. It began as the gentlest of salutes, but fire engulfed both of them in an instant, and it was a long time later that they realized how tightly they had bound themselves to each other. Breathless, and unable to deny that they both wanted so much more of each other, they forced themselves to concentrate enough to release their embrace and step apart an inch or two.

Noah let out a deep sigh. “I’d better go, Serie . . . and I’d better go right now. I’ll call you in the morning to see what time I should come for you.”

Serenity just nodded her head in agreement. She couldn’t have spoken if she’d been able to figure out what to say. Her world was upside down, and she wasn’t even sure she wanted to put it right side up ever again. It was probably a good thing that she would be gone for two days. She needed that time away from Noah Bennett if she were ever going to be sensible again.

Friday dawned clear and bright, and by 9:00, when Noah helped the boys aboard the sailboat, everything about the day was picture perfect. David and Trent were so excited they could hardly hold still, but when Noah began to explain how to do the jobs he had designated for each one of them, they became serious and went about their responsibilities in earnest. After they had sailed for a couple hours, they finally pulled into a little cove and went ashore to have lunch. They spent a while exploring the new territory afterwards, and then set sail again back towards the lighthouse. They had promised to be back by 4:00 so that Trent’s parents could pick him up and take him with them to visit grandparents for the weekend, and the little boat landed safely at its destination with five minutes to spare.

Noah had promised to keep David until later in the evening, and Clint had taken advantage of the time to go bowling with two of his old buddies. So David helped Noah carry supplies from the boat back to the lighthouse, and then the items that needed to go with Noah to his cottage they put in David’s wagon and pulled it behind them as they walked. “I was thinking about roasted hot dogs and ice cream sandwiches for supper. What do you think, Dave?” he asked the boy.

“Oh, boy! That sounds real good, Noah! Can I roast my own on a stick?”

“I think so. We’ll get a fire started and then whittle us a couple of nice long sticks, so we don’t have to get too close to the fire, and I think you’ll be fine. So they ate and talked and ate some more until they were just too full to take another bite. After that, they just sat side by side on Noah’s front porch and watched the sun slip into the ocean in a blaze of glory.

David had seemed a little sad the last couple days, and Noah had been glad to see him shake off that demeanor during their day of sailing. But he had been concerned, and now that the day was drawing to a close, he could see that the boy was looking downcast again. Noah had been thinking that he knew at least part of the problem, but he wasn’t quite sure how to go about bringing up the subject. Finally he made an attempt to work his way into it, trusting the Lord to guide him.

“Boy I’ve really enjoyed being on the beach this summer and getting to spend so much time with you and your family, David.”

The boy looked at him with his familiar grin. “Me too, Noah. I wish you could stay all the time.”

“You like living here all the time?”

“Unhuh,” David nodded enthusiastically as he answered, and then he lost his smile, his mind obviously drifting to something less happy.

Noah had a feeling the problem had to do with being without his mom and dad, so he said, “You and your Gramps and your Aunt Serie sure make a nice family. All of my grandparents are gone to be with the Lord now.”

David looked up at him again then. “All of them?”

“Mmhmm.”

“What about your mom and dad?”

“My mom and dad are still alive, but they live in Canada.”

“They do? Don’t you get to see them very often?”

Noah shook his head. “Not too often. But I went to visit them for a week before I came out here, and I’ll probably go back for another week before I go home . . . or wherever I decide to go from here.”

David’s face took on the sad look again, and he dropped his head down a little. After another minute, he looked back up at Noah and said, “Why do you have to go? Why can’t you just stay here with us?”

Noah put his arm around David’s shoulders and smiled. “That’s the nicest thought, David. I’m glad to know you like me well enough to have me around all the time, but I have to do something to earn a living, Son.”

David’s eyes lit up just a little at that and he asked, “Would you like to have a son, Noah?”

Suddenly, Noah thought he knew where the conversation was leading, and his heartbeat accelerated. He didn’t know if he could deal with this subject in a way that wouldn’t cause some hurt — maybe even to himself. Because the truth was that he would very much like to have a son of his own, especially if he could be like David — or better yet — if he could be David. But that wasn’t something he felt he could take on with so much of his own life still up in the air.

He tousled Dave’s hair and said. “You know, even though your mom and dad are in heaven, your Aunt Serie makes a wonderful second mom, don’t you think?”

“Unhuh. She talked to me one day about adopting me, so I would be her real son. Do you think it’s all right if I call her mommy then?”

Noah smiled at the boy as he answered. “David I think it would be the greatest thing if you called her mommy. And I think it would make her very happy.”

“Good,” he answered, smiling himself again. “Now all I need is a second daddy too, and I’ll have a real family.” He looked up at Noah with adoring, trusting eyes and waited. Noah swallowed a lump in his throat — and waited — because he didn’t know how to explain. Finally David said, “I wish you could be my new daddy, Noah. I’d be good and mind you and try not to give you any trouble.”

Noah just couldn’t get that lump to go down. He reached out and picked David up and sat him on his lap, letting out a deep sigh as he spoke. “Oh . . . Dave . . . I think I’d like being your new daddy very much, but I don’t think I can.”

“Why not? Then you could come and live with us at the lighthouse, and you wouldn’t have to go some place else to work.”

Noah laughed gently. “No, David, that’s not how it works. You’ll learn as you get older that God intended for the man of the family to work and provide a home and food and clothes, and all kinds of other good things for his wife and children. So, you see, wherever I live, I need to work. But that’s okay, because I like to work. I like being a law enforcement officer. I wasn’t sure for a while there, if I still wanted to do that kind of work, but now I am sure again. I’m just not sure where I’m supposed to be doing that work.”

“Can’t you do it here?”

Noah shook his head. “I don’t think so. And besides . . . and you have to promise me that you will keep what I’m going to tell you a secret . . . do you understand?”

David nodded his head. “I promise, Noah.”

“Okay. The other thing that makes a difference is that your Aunt Serie would have to want to marry me and spend the rest of her life with me, and I’m not sure I’m the best person to make her happy for the rest of her life.”

“I think you make her happy now.”

Noah chuckled. “Maybe . . . a little . . . but that’s different from promising to live with someone every single day and night for the rest of your life, David. That isn’t always the same, and right now, I’m not sure that I’m peaceful and happy enough inside myself to be able to make her a good husband . . . or you a good father.”

“Well . . . why don’t you ask her?”

Noah sighed again. “No, David. I don’t think that’s a good idea. And . . . remember,” he said, pointing his finger at the boy, “you’ve promised not to say anything about this to your Aunt Serie or anyone else.”

“Okay, Noah,” he answered, his lower lip puckering a little and his face shadowed by the sadness again. Noah squeezed him to his chest. He really did love this little boy.

After another moment, David looked up at him and said. “But Noah, whenever I’m sad or upset, Aunt Serie puts her arms around me and hugs me and gives me kisses, and then she prays for me and sometimes she sings to me about Jesus and how much He loves me, and then I feel really happy again. She would do that for you too, and then you’d be happy . . . and we could all live together.” It was obvious that, as far as David was concerned, that idea solved the problem.

Noah’s mind wondered into imagining, not for the first time, what it would really be like living with Serenity, having her do just what David described — put her arms around him and kiss him every day — pray with him and sing to him in her lovely voice. But then he’d imagined what it would feel like to put his arms around her and hold her securely against him with the promise that she wouldn’t have to fend for herself or David ever again. He’d thought about sharing more kisses with her that took their breath away. He’d thought about even more intimate sharing — those things that he’d chosen to wait to share with the one woman that he knew would be his life partner.

And he’d never really hungered for those things with any other woman before Serenity. Now, he did, but he still felt too unsure of what he had to offer her as security, since he wasn’t sure where he would find himself this next year as far as employment was concerned. There were a number of law enforcement jobs out there that he could, no doubt, take. But he needed to be where the Lord really wanted him, and that meant some more soul-searching and a lot more praying and waiting on the Lord. He’d learned one thing, for sure. He couldn’t rush the Lord when it came to getting His direction. God had a perfect plan, and Noah knew that he had to pray and stay in the Word of God enough to become ready for that plan before the Lord revealed it to him.

Noah let out a sigh as he finally brought his thoughts back to David’s statement. “I’m sure she would, Dave, but a man has to be in a position to be able to do the same thing for his wife too.”

“But you can, Noah. Aunt Serie is real happy every time she’s with you. And when she’s getting ready to go out with you, she sings and hums all day. She didn’t used to sing that much, but she does now. And I watch her sometimes when she’s getting ready for you to come and get her, and it’s like some kind of light shines on her face . . . and it makes her even more pretty.”

Noah’s heartbeat doubled, and he was on the verge of tears springing to his eyes at David’s words. In the innocent description of this child, he had caught a unique glimpse of how Serenity really felt about him. It thrilled him, but that was all the more reason for him to be completely settled in his own heart about his life and his future before he asked her to become a part of it.

“I’ll tell you what, David. You can do something for me. You can pray that the Lord will help me and your Aunt Serenity to do exactly what He wants us to do. Will you do that?”

David nodded enthusiastically. Here was something that made him feel he was making a little headway at least. “I promise!”

“And you’ll still keep our conversation a secret?”

“I promise that too, Noah.”

Noah gave him another squeeze. “You’re a very good boy, David. I’m proud to know you. Now how about one more ice cream sandwich before I take you home?”

Only thee chapters to go. Chapter Nineteen — right here — tomorrow.

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT – CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

October 17, 2021 | Sandra Pavloff Conner

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

That week’s newspaper, which came out on Thursday, carried the story of the suspected ritual activities in the area, along with pictures of the pentagram, but no pictures of the butchered animals. The article quoted Chief Weston as saying that he had reason to believe that there was some degree of witchcraft being carried on in the area, but he would have to do some more investigating before he could tell them any more than that.

When asked if he related the incident to any of the Sally Stone phenomena, he answered courageously, “I wouldn’t doubt that there is some kind of connection, but, again, we’ll have to do a more thorough investigation before we can say for sure. I’m inclined to encourage the people in Hamsted to stay away from anything that involves witchcraft . . . simply because we don’t know that much about it and how it can affect people.”

The reporter had then asked him, “So you believe that witchcraft has power, Chief?”

He had taken some time before he had replied, praying inwardly for the right answers to be given him. Finally he had said, “Well . . . the Sally Stone books and movies certainly imply that there is real power there, and we’ve heard from a number of individuals on one or two TV talk shows, who claim to be involved in Satanic activities. They certainly claim to have the ability to bring things to pass by the power that they call upon. I don’t think it’s something we can totally discount without looking into it further.”

By that evening, the general populace of Hamsted was discussing the topic among themselves. Some thought the whole thing was a hoax. A few said they believed that there was really some evil force behind all of these weird activities. Still others said that they thought everyone was making too much out of it, and they hoped Hamsted wouldn’t become a laughing stock if the quotes by their chief of police ever got out. But most of the people were uncertain, even to the point of being troubled. They had never experienced anything like ritual activities in their lives before, and many of them had enough respect for Chief Weston to consider that if he thought the matter might be a serious one, then they should keep an open mind themselves.

The church committee’s appointment with Principal Kelso couldn’t have been timed more perfectly, because they were scheduled to see him at 10:00 on Friday morning. When they met in his office, Phil, who had been designated their main spokesman, explained their request for the meeting.

“We’re just a group of concerned parents, Mr. Kelso. We have been informed by our children that there is a good deal of teaching and game playing that involves witchcraft and new age programs in this Library Club, and even in some of the regular library activities during the school year. And, naturally, our concerns have taken on a greater depth in light of all of the apparent witchcraft activities that have been reported in our own town, as well as in Barclay. We’d like for you to explain to us exactly what is being taught here at the school and why.”

Mr. Kelso had tried to give the group the same explanations he had given Serenity and Elizabeth, but one or the other of the members asked the same questions those two women had asked. When those questions didn’t solicit satisfactory answers, Anita finally asked pointedly. “Exactly why is it that only the Sally Stone books are considered the right material for all of this summer’s program?”

Mr. Kelso was looking just a little frazzled by this time, unable to understand why his pat answers weren’t enough for these people, but he managed to answer. “Well . . . it’s just that these Sally Stone books are so popular right now, and therefore, they entice the students to want to read more.”

“But our children don’t really want to read this stuff. And several of them have indicated that they really dislike the so-called “mind-expanding” games. Where are the books and games that will encourage those children who don’t want to read about witches?”

“Well . . . I’m sure . . . I’m sure that Miss Parker would never want the students to feel that they had to read something or play games that they seriously disliked. I think she was just trying to expose them to as much of a variety as possible, so that they would really know for sure what they do like.”

“But I don’t see any variety in this curriculum,” the other mother spoke up.

“Perhaps, we really need to talk with Miss Parker also,” Phil said now. “That way both of you could explain this to us better. Is she here today?”

“As a matter of fact, she is,” Mr. Kelso replied. “She usually isn’t here on Thursdays during July, but she had to come to put up a new shipment of books today. Perhaps you’re right,” he added, sighing inwardly at the idea that maybe he could get these people off his back until he could come up with some better answers — and hoping Miss Parker could answer their questions satisfactorily. “Why don’t we go on down to the library and I’ll introduce you.”

So saying, he rose from his chair and motioned for them to do so and precede him out of the office. He led them down the hall to the library and tapped on the door facing of the open door. Miss Parker had been bent over a box of books on her desk, but she turned around at the sound, and as soon as she faced the group, she stiffened almost imperceptibly, although Phil and Anita had both noticed the involuntary action. The look of inquiry that had been on Miss Parker’s face when she first turned, quickly changed to one of wariness.

This little group of parents from Christ Community Church had met, along with Pastor Carlyle early that morning and got on their knees before the Lord, asking Him for His wisdom, His protection, and His empowerment for this mission. They had already seen the evidence of His wisdom in the questions He had led them to ask. Now they were seeing evidence of His protection and empowerment, although they were not aware of anything in the natural that was out of the ordinary.

But in the spirit realm, there was a radiance about them — almost like a glowing cloud that emanated from the group as a whole. Moreover, there were eight broad-shouldered angelic warriors surrounding them and moving with them every step of the way. When the demonic spirits who were assigned to Adrian Parker had recognized the holy presence of Jehovah that emanated from the four newcomers and the heavenly warriors that accompanied them, they had cringed and pulled back as far as possible. The result was that Miss Parker felt the fear and the repulsion within herself, although she couldn’t have said why in that moment. She finally regained her equilibrium enough to respond to the principal’s statement that he had brought some people to meet her. She stepped forward and extended her hand, which she realized was beginning to feel clammy.

“You’re parents of some of my students?”

Phil answered first, accepting her handshake. “Yes, Miss Parker, and we’re here to try to get a better understanding of some of the curriculum our children have been studying.”

“Oh?” she asked, giving him a puzzled look and then shifting her glance to Mr. Kelso with an obvious question in her eyes. She was feeling some degree of anger at the principal for bringing this contingent of parents to her without any forewarning. Of course, they were only four people, she told herself, but she was responding to the dark spirits in and around her, who saw much more than she could, so she couldn’t seem to shake those feelings of anger.

Mr. Kelso responded. “Yes, they’ve been asking about the use of the Sally Stone books and the “Inside Me” game. I don’t think I was able to answer all of their questions, so I was hoping you could shed more light on the material we’re using in our library programs.”

“Well . . . I haven’t had any other complaints about our curriculum,” she addressed the parents and then turned to the principal adding, “but if you feel that I should take my time to answer questions, I’ll certainly try.”

“Perhaps we could step into the area where we all have room to sit at a table,” Mr. Kelso suggested.

“Certainly,” she replied and led the way into the larger room that was used for library classes and study hall.

“We aren’t necessarily complaining, Miss Parker,” Phil said as they all took seats. “However, we are wondering why the curriculum seems to use materials concerning witchcraft and new age activities exclusively.”

Miss Parker smiled and let her eyes touch on the face of each parent individually. “I take it you’re talking mainly about the fact that we read the Sally Stone books and play the “Inside Me” game. I certainly hope you’re not letting that story in the paper today sway your ideas concerning the advancement of your children’s education. There’s really no connection, you know.”

Anita spoke up then. She had deliberately read large portions of two of the Sally Stone books before they came to this meeting, and she had been astounded at the bizarre, even horrifying actions and events depicted in those books. “How can you say that when what has happened here and in Barclay is an exact duplication of what goes on in those books . . . along with a number of other even more horrific things? Personally, I was appalled to think that our kids could be reading about people cutting off their limbs to put into a boiling cauldron in order to cast a spell . . . or about one person’s spirit taking possession of some animal and deliberately biting another human being and enjoying watching his blood gush out! How can you want the children in your care to read that stuff week after week!”

Miss Parker put up her hand in a conciliatory manner as she answered, still soft voiced and smiling. “I realize a few scenes in the books are quite graphic, but no more so than much of what is on television or movies these days. And the truths and important ideologies that are taught in these books far overshadow the few negative aspects, I assure you.”

“Miss Parker,” the other father spoke now, “I’ve read only one of the Sally Stone books myself . . . just so that I would know what we’re talking about today, but I can assure you that I found no important truths or ideologies in the entire book. What are you referring to when you use those terms?”

“I’m referring to the teaching about what constitutes true friendship for one thing. The children who read these books see the power in the relationships of the friends in these stories. They also learn to recognize prejudice and injustice for what it is, and they learn how to fight it. The see courage in action as the characters do so. And . . . they even get some lessons in the fact that if you consistently do the unjust thing, you will get paid back in the same way.”

Phil spoke again then. “Miss Parker, everyone of those ideologies, or truths . . . whatever you want to call them . . . is taught in the Bible, with many more examples and much more emphasis on good triumphing over evil than any of these books offer. Moreover, there are multitudes of books out there that teach powerful lessons on these same subjects. Why aren’t you using some of those?”

“We have used other books in the past, Mr. Thompson, but this year we’re simply taking advantage of the popularity of the Sally Stone books to entice children to read more on their own. And . . . of course . . . we’re not allowed to use the Bible to teach these principles.”

“Why not, Miss Parker?” Phil asked.

She opened her eyes wide as she looked at him in total surprise. “Surely, you know the law, Mr. Thompson! No public school is allowed to teach religion.”

“But, Miss Parker, Satanism is a religion, and Wicca is a religion, and witchcraft is just the mechanics of carrying out the practices of those religions. If you’re not allowed to teach religion, then I’d say you need to put a stop to this curriculum at once.”

Miss Parker’s lips tightened into a thin line, and her eyes took on an angry glimmer. “Mr. Thompson, I resent your attitude! I am not teaching either Satanism or Wicca in this curriculum, and if all of you are so insensitive as to be unable to see the value in allowing your children to get an understanding of all that is available to them through learning to expand their minds beyond your old-fashioned religious bigotry, I don’t think I can carry on a satisfactory conversation with you at all!” At that point she stood up and looked at Mr. Kelso. “I don’t think I can be of any more help today, Mr. Kelso. I’m going home,” she added and immediately hurried from the room.

Everyone sitting around the table was stunned. The enormity of Miss Parker’s reaction had taken them all by surprise, and none of them knew what to say next. The four parents looked at each other and then at Mr. Kelso, who was still looking toward the door that Miss Parker had just closed behind her. He finally turned back to face his guests, seeing the questions on their faces. “I’m sorry for Miss Parker’s abrupt departure,” he said. “She’s probably having a rough time for some other reason, and this has all just caught her off guard somehow,” he added, looking clearly as if he didn’t believe what he was saying himself.

“We had no intention of upsetting her,” Phil said, “but if our honest inquiries brought on that kind of response, I’m more convinced than ever that something’s going on here that needs to be looked into further. Is there anything else you’d like to tell us yourself, Mr. Kelso?”

“Not that I can think of right now,” he answered. “I’ll see if I can come up with anything else that might explain the program more thoroughly and get back to you.”

“All right,” Phil answered, glancing at the others in his group. He could tell by the looks on their faces that they felt as he did: they weren’t going to get anywhere by staying here right now. They’d have to work out another plan to get the information they wanted. They all got up from their chairs, and Phil extended his hand to the principal.

“Thank you for taking so much time with us, Mr. Kelso. We’ll probably be talking to you again in a few days.”

“Fine . . . fine,” he said, reaching to shake hands with the other father in the group too. “You know your way out, I think?” he asked, glancing back to Phil.

“Of course. Don’t worry about us,” he said as he followed the others out into the hallway and they all started toward the main entrance.

Mr. Kelso went into the library office to see if he could catch Miss Parker before she left. In fact, she was just picking up her purse to start out the door when he walked in. “Miss Parker, I need to talk to you before you leave.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Mr. Kelso. I think I’ve had enough attacks for today. My head hurts intolerably, and I just need to take some pain medicine and get some rest.”

“I don’t intend to attack you, Miss Parker, and I didn’t consider that you were being attacked by the parents. Why did you think so?”

She opened her mouth to give him an angry reply, but stopped before she spoke any words. She couldn’t explain why she knew she had been under attack. As she went back over the conversation in her rational mind, she couldn’t get hold of any specific words that she could use to defend herself, but she knew — down inside of herself — she knew she had been under serious attack in that meeting. She shook her head wearily. She knew, but she couldn’t explain. She suddenly felt confused and exhausted. “I . . . I don’t know, Mr. Kelso. Maybe it’s just this awful headache. I’ll feel better by tomorrow.” She moved toward the door once more, and Mr. Kelso figured he might as well let her go home. He wasn’t going to get any satisfactory answers today.

So he told her that he hoped she could get rid of the headache quickly and returned to his own office. He too felt confused — and troubled — but, like Miss Parker, he was having a hard time understanding exactly why.

By that evening, though, he was beginning to understand more. He received calls from four of the six school board members who had been called earlier in the day and questioned about the Library Club curriculum. Most of them had been confused, but one in particular had been angry. “You told us this was the newest wave in education, and that it was receiving rave reviews in the systems where it had been implemented. You never said anything about complaints from any parents!”

“Well, there never have been any complaints that I know of,” the now worn-out principal replied. “And several of our students have started concentrating better and reading better after being in the program. I think this is all just a tempest in a teacup, stirred up even more by that stupid newspaper story in yesterday’s paper. Unless we have more than just those four parents questioning things, I think we can assume that it will all blow over by the time the regular school year starts in four weeks.”

“Well, you’d better hope it does. Otherwise, we could have a real problem on our hands since we’ve voted to add even more of that material to the library program for this year.”

“Let’s just sit tight and see if it doesn’t settle down. None of the other board members seemed terribly upset, so I don’t think we need to do anything about it right now.”

“Well . . . maybe you’re right. We’ll hope for the best, and probably the less said about it the better. I’ll talk to you again in a couple of days and see how things look.”

“Fine. I’m going to count on things being back to normal by then. But thanks for calling. Goodnight.”

The board member chuckled. “I doubt if you’re really grateful for my calling you. It sounds as if you’ve had a rough day already. But I was a little worried after I got that call earlier. I’ll let you get to bed now though. Goodnight.”

Across town, in Miss Parker’s apartment, five people were sitting in a circle on the floor of her living room with no lights except for three large candles. They were chanting in low tones, seeking to contact their spirit guides in order to get instructions about how to deal with the problems that had developed at the school. Most of the day there had been turmoil and confusion in the midst of the dark spirits that usually did the bidding of these human vessels. As a result of that environment, there had been a good deal of strife and personal conflict among this group, who usually worked well together.

The spirits themselves knew why. It was the prayers of those saints. When the four parents had left the school, they had gone straight to the church and reported to their pastor. Then the two who had called the board members had arrived and added their reports, which resulted in the pastor calling in even more people to pray. At least two people had been in the church sanctuary in earnest prayer every minute since that time until about 10:00.

A couple of hours after the last of the believers had gone home to get some sleep, the forces of darkness were finally beginning to get enough openings in the atmosphere to be able to clearly hear the prayers of the group at Adrian Parker’s apartment and try to answer them. The spirits began to descend into the room and take their places in the human hosts that had been calling for them for almost two hours. Finally, they could inhabit these flesh and blood people and carry out the instructions of their master, Lucifer. Their job was to show this group how to effectively get rid of the hindrances to the ultimate plan of their master for the town of Hamsted and its surrounding territory.

A large contingent of the Hosts of Heaven were still moving throughout the area too, but most of them were maintaining a low profile, their wings furled and their swords sheathed. “How much longer, Captain,” one of the officers asked his chief as they stood in mid-air, overlooking the town.

“Only a few more days now,” he replied.

“I don’t like seeing the enemy gain even this much new ground,” the officer said.

“Nor do I, but it’s necessary, you know. He had this stronghold well secured before the people in this area began to seriously intercede against these forces of witchcraft. He’s still operating within his legal rights, but now that Jehovah’s church is on the attack, our enemy will soon be forced to expose himself openly enough for Noah to make his final move . . . and then we can put an end to this battle for the souls of Hamsted once and for all.”

His officer nodded in understanding. “And are we sure that Noah can do his part?’

The captain smiled, the action lighting up the atmosphere. “We’re sure, my friend. Jehovah has sent word. Noah will struggle with another question or two, but he won’t back down on his promise to his Father. His faith has been renewed completely. He’s ready . . . and we’re ready . . . all is well.”

Tomorrow: Chapter Eighteen

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT – CHAPTER 16

October 16, 2021 | Sandra Pavloff Conner

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Police Chief Arthur Weston had just finished briefing his two day-shift officers on their duties and returned to his desk and a much needed cup of coffee that his kind secretary had brought in a couple minutes ago. He sipped the hot, soothing liquid, savoring the taste as well as its ability to relax him. He grinned now as he thought how grateful he was that his middle-aged secretary was from the old school and didn’t mind making the coffee for the office and keeping him supplied with a fresh cup throughout the day. He sat his cup a little to the side now as he looked over his calendar once more. Then he checked his watch. His appointment with Sheriff Bennett was in about five minutes.

He leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling, thinking. He was a rather average looking man, about six feet tall and just slightly overweight. His dark hair was well peppered with gray and beginning to thin on top, although he didn’t really look his full sixty-four years. But he did get tired a lot quicker than he used to, and he’d been thinking about retiring for a couple of years now. His wife, Shirley, was eager to travel and spend time with their four grandchildren in another state, and he felt pretty sure that this year would be his last.

Man, he sure hoped there wasn’t anything to all this talk about ritualistic crimes close to his jurisdiction. He sure didn’t want to have to start dealing with something he didn’t know anything about this late in his career. Bennett had said he wanted to discuss some information he had that might shed some light on what looked like satanic crimes in the area, and he thought the chief might want to be made aware of some facts that he had on that subject. Art had read the newspaper articles about the two cases over in Barclay, and he had even talked with the sheriff about them briefly, but that man had told him pretty much the same thing he’d been quoted as saying in the paper.

His buzzer sounded, interrupting his thoughts. He leaned forward in his chair and answered. “Yes, Helen.”

“Sheriff Bennett and Mr. Lawrence are here, Sir,” his secretary said.

“Send them in, Helen,” he answered, and got up to meet his visitors at the door. He had seen Noah around town, but had never been introduced to him. When Clint called to ask about an appointment, and then put Noah on the phone, Art was glad to know that at least a man he’d known and respected for many years now could vouch for the newcomer personally. Not that he would normally be suspicious of another law-enforcement officer, but this subject matter was a little bizarre, to say the least, and Art was feeling a little nervous, which was really unusual for him.

“Good morning, Clint,” he said as he stretched out his hand to the older man first.

“Good morning, Chief,” Clint replied and then turned immediately to Noah. “This is Sheriff Noah Bennett, a good friend of ours.”

Art offered Noah his hand next. “Glad to meet you, Sheriff Bennett. I’ve seen you in town a time or two, but never had occasion to cross your path personally.”

“Please call me, Noah, Chief . . . and I’m glad to finally meet you too. I’ve heard good things about you from some of the citizens of Hamsted.”

Art chuckled, feeling a little less nervous. “Well, it’s always good to know that at least some of the citizens consider that I’m doing a good job. Come in and sit down. Can I offer you coffee?”

Noah looked at Clint and grinned. “Well, actually, Clint here said that I had to buy both of you a cup of something really good at the Beachcomber Coffee House, but I’m wondering if we shouldn’t wait until another time for that. I really think what I have to share with you is something you’ll want to hear totally in private for right now.”

Art nodded his head. “You’re probably right. I’ll ask Helen to bring in two more cups of our ordinary stuff, but it’s pretty good too. Helen usually makes great coffee.” He stuck his head around the door to the outer office. “Helen, bring us a couple more cups of coffee would you, please?” He turned back to his desk, leaving the door open, and Helen came in immediately with a tray holding two steaming cups and the pot to warm up the chief’s.

As soon as she had returned to her own office, Noah spoke again. “I know you must be busy, so I’ll get right to the point, Chief. I’m sure you’ve read everything available on the two apparent ritualistic sacrifices over by Barclay.” The chief nodded his head, and Noah continued. “Well, I think I need to tell you about some other events that have transpired this past week concerning me and Clint’s great-grandson . . . and some students who attend a special summer program at school that involves them in studying books about witchcraft and new age materials.”

Noah proceeded to tell him about Lacey’s strange behavior concerning him and his horse, and then about David and Moondancer almost drowning as a result of what he believed was actual witchcraft on the part of Lacey, and perhaps some of the other students as well. When he had finished that particular story, the chief leaned forward, resting his arms on his desk.

“Well, I’m shocked to hear that all of that has happened, Noah, but I don’t see that you have any kind of evidence connecting what happened to David and your horse with witchcraft, and certainly not with any activity over near Barclay.”

Noah had been sitting back in his chair, trying to relax, his briefcase resting on the floor beside his chair, where he had placed it when he’d sat down. But now he leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped tightly in front of him, his eyes pinning the police chief with an intense look. “I realize it looks that way, Chief Weston, but I’m going to tell you about my personal experience as Sheriff of my own county this past year, and you’re going to see how all the pieces fit together perfectly.”

Art took another drink of his coffee, finding it a little difficult to swallow, because he sensed from the look on Noah’s face that he wasn’t going to like what he was about to hear. But he nodded at Noah, encouraging him to continue. And Noah did so. He told the whole story again, careful to leave out nothing, because he knew it was vital that this man believe everything he told him.

As Noah talked, Art kept glancing over to Clint periodically, trying to gauge how he felt about all of it. The expression on Clint’s face was enough to make Art sure that the older man was convinced that everything Noah was saying was true. But it was too awful to believe. Art Weston had never heard anything like it in all of his law-enforcement experience. Surely there was some way to explain at least some of this away. When Noah came to the end of his story, Art thought frantically, trying to come up with some kind of reasonable explanation for what all of this meant.

After a couple minutes of silence, he leaned forward on his desk and said, “I hope you believe me, Noah, when I say I truly don’t want to offend you at all, but surely there had to be some other kind of criminal element involved at the root of all of this that you missed somehow.”

“Believe me, Chief Weston, I wanted to believe that . . . I wanted with everything in me to believe it!” Noah said, and he looked right into the Chief’s eyes. “I tried to find anything else that I could use to explain away this supernatural element, but I couldn’t do it. . . . I couldn’t do it, because there wasn’t anything else.”

Chief Weston wiped his hands over his face, exasperation and fear battling for a primary place in his emotions right now. He looked at Clint and then back at Noah with something of a pleading look in his eyes. “Do you think perhaps that in the reliving and retelling of it, you could be building it out of proportion to some extent?”

Noah wasn’t offended. He understood, and he felt for this man who had sworn to do all he could, even to the point of giving his own life, to keep the people of this city safe. He knew exactly how Art Weston felt. He could have described to the letter the knot in the man’s stomach and the sense of unreality in his brain.

He smiled at him now. “I really do understand how it’s making you feel, Chief. I’ve been through all of those feelings too many times to count. But because I knew you’d be going through what you are now, I brought with me the files on the whole case.” Noah opened his briefcase now and pulled out a large envelope. “I’ve had copies made for you so that you can study them at length.”

Noah reached out and laid the envelope on the chief’s desk. “Chief Weston, I’m not going to judge you if you don’t take all of this to heart and decide to try to do something about what’s going on in your area. I’d be the last one to be able to do that after I almost waited too late to save my own people from the same kind of evil. But I believe the Lord Himself is requiring me to share this with you and at least offer my help in any capacity if you should decide you need to do something. I understand that you’re a Christian yourself, and I’m trusting that you understand my need to obey God in this matter.”

Chief Weston nodded. “Yes, I am a believer. Our church doesn’t function quite like Pastor Carlyle’s where you and Clint go, but we are a Bible believing church, and I’m a faithful member there. . . . And, yes, I do understand your need to obey what you believe the Lord is telling you to do.” He sighed deeply and leaned back in his chair, looking older than he had at the beginning of the meeting. He shook his head sadly, looking down at the floor for a moment. But then he looked back at Noah. “I’ll go over these files carefully, Noah. It may take me a couple of days because I’ll have to work them in around some other problems I’m working on here in town right now. But I’ll study them, and I’ll get back to you.”

Noah nodded and let out a long sigh himself. “That’s all I can ask, Chief. I’ve put my current phone number and any other relevant information I thought you might need on the top page of the stack of papers.” He glanced at Clint and rose, and Clint did the same. Chief Weston got up from his chair too, and Noah reached across the desk to shake his hand again. “Thank you for taking the time to listen to me, Chief Weston. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”

“I suppose it’s I who should be thanking you, Noah, and . . . maybe . . . after some of the shock wears off and I can get my thoughts to line up in some sensible order concerning all of this . . . maybe I’ll be able to do that properly.”

Noah gripped Art’s hand a little tighter before letting it go. “Don’t worry about it. You have enough to deal with.”

Clint took Art’s hand then. “We’ll be praying for the Lord to help you decide what you’re supposed to do, Chief.”

“Thanks, Clint.” He looked as if he wanted to say something else, but then he just shook his head slightly as if still a little bewildered and added one more time . . . “Thanks.”

Clint and Noah walked back out to the car without saying a word to each other. They got in and just sat there a minute, silent. Noah finally glanced at Clint with a question in his eyes. Clint just looked back and shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know, Noah . . . I don’t know . . . . We’ll just have to wait and see.”

The following evening, at the meeting of Christ Community Church members, Pastor Carlyle was encouraged by the turnout. Thirty-four of the one hundred regular members showed up to take on an active role in planning ways to erase the evil influences that had been trying to take root in the Hamsted area. After they opened with prayer, the pastor opened the floor to any questions that had come to mind since the Sunday meeting, and the few that arose were easily answered. Then he called for ideas. Phil Thompson, one of the elders, raised his hand. “Phil,” the pastor said, “what do you have for us?”

“Well, I think the first and most important thing we need is more prayer. My suggestion is that we all meet at least one night a week and pray together against all this stuff.”

Most everyone was nodding their heads in agreement, and a few were voicing those feelings.

“Great!” Pastor Carlyle said. “Prayer is the most important thing. What night is best then?”

“Well . . .” Phil’s wife, Anita spoke a little hesitantly, “we all seemed to be able to get here tonight. Why not make it every Tuesday?”

The pastor scanned the group. “Is there any serious objection to Tuesday?”

One of the other women spoke up. “I have a Chamber of Commerce meeting next Tuesday, but I can make it all the other weeks.”

“Oh, yeah,” Howard, one of the other elders said, “I forgot about that Chamber meeting. I guess I’ll need to be there too, but we may be done by 8:00, so I can stop by here afterwards if you’re all still praying.”

“Sounds fine,” the pastor said. “Any other problems?”

One of the other men spoke up then. “I imagine most of us have plenty to do on any given Tuesday . . . or any other day for that matter . . . but I think if we consider this crucial, we need to just put it first and let the other stuff fall where it will in our schedule.”

There were more nods of agreement, so Pastor Carlyle took that as the general attitude. “All right, everyone in favor of meeting every Tuesday evening at 7:00 for prayer . . . at least until we feel that we’ve defeated this thing . . . raise your hand.”

To his delight, all hands went up, and the decision was made. “Okay!” he said. “Other ideas?”

Serenity raised her hand then, and Jim Carlyle nodded at her.

“I’ve been thinking about my meeting with the school principal, Mr. Kelso,” she said. “He didn’t seem to be at all concerned about the fact that the schools librarian is teaching so much about Sally Stone and other witchcraft and new age material. In fact, he acted as if the whole school board were in favor of all of it. I think we should send a committee . . . made up of parents of students enrolled there . . . to discuss this with him.”

“Yes,” one of the mothers agreed. “Ever since Sunday, I’ve been thinking about one or two things my son has said about what they do at that library club, and I’m wondering just what is going on there.”

Anita spoke again, a little braver this time. “I agree. I think as parents, we have a right to understand all of this curriculum and maybe even sit in on some classes.”

“I agree with that,” another of the fathers added.

“That’s a very good idea,” Jim Carlyle answered. “How many of you would like to actually go and meet with Mr. Kelso?” The father who had just spoken put his hand up immediately, but it was another minute before anyone else did so. Finally the mother who had voiced her opinion first added her hand, and then Anita and Phil raised theirs.

“Perfect,” Pastor Carlyle said. “You all represent three different families from the community, and I think four people will make a reasonably-sized group to send. If you’d like, we can meet together right after this meeting and plan some specific questions to ask.” They all nodded their agreement, and Jim continued. “Other ideas?”

Howard spoke again. “Well, if we’re going to meet with the principal, I think we probably need to ask the school board members what they know about all of this stuff and how they feel about it. What about a couple of us telephoning each member and checking them out?”

The pastor nodded his head. “How do the rest of you feel about it?”

“I think it’s a great idea,” one of the members said. “I’ll volunteer to call half of them.”

“I’ll take the other half,” Serenity said.

“Great!” Jim answered. “We’re really rolling along here. I think the Lord has given you all some real wisdom.”

Then Noah spoke up again. “And I think after we’ve gleaned all the information we need from Mr. Kelso and the board members, we need to consider getting a letter or two into the newspaper and eventually planning a community information meeting to let as many people as possible know what’s really happening here.”

“I agree,” Jim said. “How about we all try to have our information gathered by the weekend, and maybe you can turn in a small summary to me on Sunday. Then I can have it sort of outlined for the Tuesday meeting. We can go over it briefly before we pray, and maybe the Lord will give us the next steps that night.”

“Sounds good,” Phil said, and since everyone seemed to be in agreement, they felt the meeting had been successful. Pastor Carlyle closed with a brief prayer, and everyone began to disperse.

When Noah got back to his cottage, his answering machine was flashing, so he hit the button. “Noah, this is Art Weston. I’ve studied the material you left with me . . .” There was a pause, and he cleared his throat before continuing. “I think I’d better talk to you. Can you manage something tomorrow afternoon? You can call me up until midnight tonight at home.” He left his number and hung up.

Noah checked his watch. It was only a little after 9:00, so he breathed a short prayer for wisdom and courage and dialed the chief’s number.

“Chief Weston,” the answer came after only one ring.

“Chief, it’s Noah Bennett. I got your message, and tomorrow afternoon is fine for me. What time?”

“Let’s say 2:00. By that time I’ll have two other officers on, and I can take time to really talk. I need to tell you some things that have been going on behind the scenes here and see what you make of it.” He sighed deeply, and Noah’s heart went out to him. “I can tell you this much right now,” Art continued. “I sure wish I’d retired last year.”

“I understand, Chief. I really and truly understand.”

“Yes . . . after reading all of these files, I’m sure that you understand perfectly. I’ll see you tomorrow at 2:00 then.”

“I’ll be there, and if you want me to, I can bring Clint with me.”

There was a long pause before Art answered. “Would you mind coming alone this time? I’d like to brief you on some things that I’ve had to keep secret for the time being, and I’d rather it be just between law enforcement personnel for right now.”

“Gotcha. I’ll come alone. See you tomorrow, and . . . thanks Chief.”

“Call me Art, Noah. I have a feeling we’re going to get to know each other really well before this is all over.”

Noah chuckled a little. “I’d be honored to get to know you better, Art. See you at 2:00.”

“Thanks. Good night.”

Noah hung up and then dialed Clint and Serenity. When Clint answered, Noah explained. “Just thought you two would like to know that Art Weston called and set up an appointment with me for 2:00 tomorrow. He wants to share some things, just lawman to lawman, that have him pretty upset. So, if you will, really be praying for both of us about this meeting.”

“We will, Noah. And thanks for letting us know. Is it all right to tell Jim Carlyle?”

“Sure. But tell him to keep it to himself for now, will you?”

“I’ll do it, and you can count on him to do that, you know.”

“Yes, I’m sure we can. Tell him I’ll give him . . . and you and Serenity . . . a report as soon as I can.”

“Will do. Did you want to talk to Serenity?”

Did he want to talk to Serenity? Noah wanted to talk to Serenity every hour of every day for the rest of his life. That truth almost overwhelmed him as he stood there with the receiver to his ear. But he knew she had planned to write for the rest of the evening, so he answered, “Not necessarily. I know she’s trying to get the last two chapters of that book done, so just give her my message and tell her I’ll be in touch tomorrow.”

“Okay, and thanks again, Noah. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Clint.”

The next afternoon, as Art Weston showed Noah into his office and asked Helen for two coffees, he seemed sober, but not nervous. Noah took a long look at him. Resigned would probably describe the man’s look better, he thought now. Noah took the same chair he’d sat in a few days ago, and reached out eagerly for the coffee Helen handed him.

“Thank you. Smells good.”

“Fresh just this minute,” she said, smiling at him and her boss. “Hold all the calls, Chief?” she asked now.

He looked at her with a little surprise, but then he should know that Helen had been with him so long, she could practically read his mind. He smiled at her. “If you will, Helen . . . unless it’s just absolutely urgent, of course.”

“Will do. Enjoy the coffee, you two,” she said as she returned to her office and closed the door behind her.

Art opened the desk drawer on his right and pulled out a large manila envelope. He slid it across the desk toward Noah. “You’ll want to read this first,” he said, and sighing, he leaned back in his chair and drank his coffee while Noah picked up the envelope and removed the papers and photos. He looked at the six photos first, his stomach turning at the sight of so much blood from the animals that had obviously been butchered on the scene. And there was no mistaking the pentagram drawn on the ground. He glanced up at Art briefly, but that man’s eyes were closed as he still leaned back in his chair.

So Noah began reading the file itself, knowing before he did so just about what he would find. In fact, he felt as if he could predict almost every word after the first half page. When he had finished the papers, he let out his breath, not even realizing until then that he had actually been holding it most of the time he’d been reading. He laid the papers back onto Art’s desk. “I take it this property in the picture is in this immediate area?”

Art opened his eyes and looked at Noah, nodding his head. “Yeah . . . just barely inside the legal city limits, but in a non-residential area.” He shook his head slowly. “I just couldn’t believe that some of the pages of your files read exactly like mine. And needless to say, we’ve been keeping this quiet mainly because we didn’t want people to jump to conclusions or panic somehow because of the mere idea of witchcraft in the area.”

Noah nodded his understanding. “So you and your officers are the only ones in town that know?”

“So far . . . but obviously, we can’t keep it that way any longer. What you’ve told me, and what I’ve read in your files, makes it clear that I’ve got to get on this thing before any more similar events occur.”

“Have you talked to the sheriff over in Barclay?”

“Oh, yes, I’ve talked to him twice now. The first time, he tried to convince me that everything he said in that newspaper article was fact, and that there was nothing to be concerned about. I believed him . . . because I wanted to. But then when we found this spread out before us” —he motioned toward the photos with his hand — “I called him again.

“The second time, he hesitated before he tried to assure me that it was just a few pranks by people who had seen the movies, but I told him about you and your experiences. But . . . even then . . . I could tell he didn’t want to take it all that seriously. He tried to give me some gibberish about that area of the country being more likely to have witchcraft activities than we are in the northeast, but I could tell that he was having kind of a hard time even convincing himself completely.” Art shrugged his shoulders. “I told him I’d keep him abreast of what was transpiring here.”

“Well, you indicated on the phone that you wanted to know what I could make of this stuff, and I don’t think I have to tell you that I believe you’re dealing with the same evil forces that I was.”

“No . . .” he said, leaning back again and letting out a loud sigh and pointing to his stomach. “I think I knew it in my gut even before I read that whole file you gave me. I guess what I’m most interested in is whether you folks at the church have come up with some kind of plan to get the public to believe what’s going on.”

“Well, we’re sending a group to the principal to talk about this whole curriculum they seem to be so devoted to for their library programs, and two of our group are going to telephone all of the board members and find out where they stand on it and how much they really know about it. Then we’re planning on putting a letter or two in the newspaper and possibly calling for a community meeting to explain some things. But I’m hoping you’ll help us out with that, because we don’t want to do something that’s going to send people into a panic. We just want them to understand there’s a real problem and start using good sense concerning it.”

“Well, I’m going to release the facts on this local case for the newspaper this afternoon. That will at least make people willing to take a second look at this subject when it comes up. I think contacting the principal and the school board is a perfect place to start, and I’m ready to work with you as much as I can. However, I would like to have your word that you all won’t go out and try to stir up the public through some activities that you haven’t cleared through me. I’m not going to try to hide the truth, Noah, but I have everybody’s safety to be concerned about, and I want to guard against some kook getting wild ideas into his head and doing something totally stupid thinking it will get rid of witchcraft.”

Noah held up his hand. “You don’t have to worry, Chief. That’s why Clint and I came to you as soon as we did. You got all of this information just days after I finally decided to give in and do the responsible thing myself. And I sure didn’t want to go around your office . . . still don’t have any plans to do so. You can safely consider us part of your team.”

“I appreciate that, Noah.”

“I would like for you to be able to meet with Pastor Carlyle, though. He’s a very serious, level-headed man, and he may be able to clue you in on some of the spiritual aspects that you’ll need to understand. I know for myself, having a pastor and a praying church walking every step of the way with me absolutely made all the difference.”

“Yes, I think I’d like to meet with him. Can you arrange it?”

“Sure. When?”

“Soon, I’d say. Let’s try for tomorrow or the next day.”

“Can I use your phone?”

“Sure,” Art answered and turned the phone so that Noah could reach it easily.

In less than ten minutes, Noah had set up a meeting between Art, Jim, and himself for the following day. That meeting solidified a relationship of respect between Art and Jim into a firm friendship. Art breathed a deep sigh of relief after Noah and the pastor had left his office, because for the first time since all of this had started, he felt as if he just might be able to get on top of it and defeat it.

At least now he had two men on his side who really knew what they were doing, and they were rapidly teaching him what they knew. He sat down at his desk and leaned his head on his hands, breathing a heartfelt prayer of gratitude to the Lord, and then continuing with an earnest plea for more wisdom and courage than he’d ever asked for before in his life.

Be sure and come back tomorrow for Chapter Seventeen.

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT – CHAPTER FIFTEEN

October 15, 2021 | Sandra Pavloff Conner

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

By the following Monday, Lacey had decided that the spell on Moondancer had failed. Troy and some of his friends had been on the beach that weekend and seen the horse alive and well, so she decided she needed to get more help if her plan were going to succeed. That’s when she made the decision to ask Miss Parker about getting some more books for her. She went to the school early, with the excuse that she would offer extra help, since this was the last week of the club, and when she entered the library, Miss Parker seemed glad to see her.

Lacey didn’t want to tell her exactly what kind of spell she had failed to have success with, so she tried to talk in generalities, hoping Miss Parker wouldn’t ask too many detailed questions. While she helped put out materials for the students she asked, “Miss Parker, you know those spell kits that Troy and I ordered through the Internet?”

“Yes, I remember. Have you been having fun with them?”

“Well . . . sometimes . . . but I don’t seem to be able to do everything right, and I wish I could learn more about being a real witch. Are there any other books that could help me?”

Miss Parker stopped what she was doing and looked long and hard at Lacey, as if she were sizing her up somehow. She had recognized the presence of a strong principality in Lacey, and she wanted to make sure it didn’t try to take over her own domain here in Hamsted. Finally, she seemed to come to a decision and spoke. “Lacey, I know something that could help you develop to a much higher level if that’s what you really want, but you would have to be sworn to secrecy concerning everything I tell you or show you.”

“Oh, I can keep a secret, Miss Parker. I keep lots of secrets now that Luna guides me in my life. She’s helped me understand that most other people aren’t able to understand the level that true sorcerers live on, and so I must keep a lot of what she tells me and what I do to myself.”

Miss Parker nodded. “But this would be even more serious, Lacey, because if you told anything of what you learn from what I have in mind, it could be very dangerous for you personally. Do you understand?”

Lacey looked at her silently for a moment, and then, as if accepting a challenge, she lifted her chin a little and said, “You mean I could die if I told what I learned.”

“It’s possible,” Miss Parker said. “You see what you read about in the Sally Stone books really is the way witches and the supernatural forces in their world function.”

Lacey nodded. “I understand, Miss Parker . . . but I want to be a witch. I want to belong to a real coven and practice all the magic arts the way the characters in the books do. I feel . . . I feel like that’s what I was born to do. Luna has helped me see that.”

“All right. I’ll tell you what we’ll do. I know of a real coven that you might be able to become a part of . . . but there will be a price to pay. You will have to be willing to do whatever is asked of you by the leaders,” she added with a warning tone in her voice.

“Oh, Miss Parker!” Lacey scurried over to stand right in front of the librarian. “Do you really mean it? I can’t believe it. You know about a real coven? Around here?”

“Did you understand what I said, Lacey. You will have to do absolutely everything the leaders require of you, and you cannot tell one soul what goes on in those meetings . . . ever.”

“That’s all right. I don’t have any real friends anymore anyway, and, like Luna has told me, my mom and dad don’t understand me or really care anything about me, so I wouldn’t have anybody to tell.” She reached out and touched Miss Parker’s hand, a pleading look in her eyes. “Please show me how to be a part of this coven.” Suddenly a new thought struck her. “Oh . . . are you a member?”

“That isn’t necessary for you to know right now, Lacey, but I am in a position to take you to a meeting and let the leadership decide about you.”

“Oh, thank you, Miss Parker. Thank you so much!”

At that moment, several of the other students began to filter into the library, so Miss Parker told Lacey that she would explain more after the Library Club was over for the day. Lacey could hardly wait. Finally, she felt, she was going to get to do what she wanted to do more than anything else in the whole world: learn how to be a real witch! Now she wouldn’t just be reading about the exciting life Sally Stone lived. Now she, Lacey Dillard, would be living that life too.

So the following Saturday night, Lacey met Miss Parker at the school parking lot. She had told her parents that she was going to a movie and spending the night with one of her friends from school, knowing that friend would be out of town that weekend. Miss Parker had told Lacey that if they were very late, Lacey could sleep over at her house, and go home in the morning. It never occurred to Lacey that she was doing anything hurtful to her parents, or that it was wrong to tell so many lies. She had become so immersed in the Sally Stone way of life that she now saw lying and deceiving as tools to be used to accomplish whatever goal seemed worthy to her, and her conscience had become seared against truths she’d been taught in Sunday School all the previous years.

That night, as she met with the leaders of the coven, she was drilled with so many questions her head was spinning when they were through. But she had evidently answered all of them satisfactorily, because she was received into a training program, which would include her attendance at certain specific meetings of the coven. She would certainly not be allowed to participate in any of the rituals at this point, but she was moving closer, one step at a time, to her highest goal. She did learn that Miss Parker was indeed a member of the coven, and she was turned over to that woman for the major portion of her training.

The next morning at Christ Community Church, Pastor Carlyle announced the special meeting for the following Sunday afternoon. After service, several people asked him what the meeting concerned, but he told them he felt it best to explain everything when everyone could be present at the same time. That was not a very satisfactory answer for some of the members, but they had to accept it for the time being. And Pastor Carlyle was hoping that even those who wouldn’t ordinarily come to such a meeting might come this time just out of curiosity. He smiled to himself as he spoke quietly to the Lord. “You have a sense of humor, God. You’ll even take advantage of some people’s nosey nature to get Your work done. But I’m really believing that most of the people will show up because they really care about this body and what Your will is for it.”

Monday, when he met with Noah, Serenity, and Clint for prayer, he told them that he was expecting a good crowd the following Sunday, so they all got to their knees and prayed for the Lord to prepare hearts to receive the truth that would be presented to them at the meeting. They decided to meet together and pray again on Thursday and Saturday also, and during those sessions of prayer they asked the Lord to guide the pastor and Noah both as they spoke to the congregation.

By 2:00 Sunday afternoon, the time set for the meeting, the church sanctuary was full. Pastor Carlyle walked to the front of the room. He was a tall, handsome man, his brown hair liberally streaked with silver, and he commanded attention almost anywhere he went. That fact was no different among his own congregation. The people in general respected him for his solid stand on the Word of God and his gracious and comforting manner to any of his flock who were hurting. He had proven himself a faithful and loving shepherd over the past eight years, and today, he counted on that fact to help cause his words and requests to find favor with the people assembled before him.

“Good afternoon everyone. I’m so glad for such a great turnout. I’m sure you’ll find that this meeting was well worth your time. Let’s begin with prayer, shall we?” he said, bowing his head, and everyone in the room followed suit.

“Dear Heavenly Father, we are gathered this afternoon in the name of Jesus to make ourselves available to You and what You have to tell us. We want to be obedient to all that You require of us, Lord, and we may need extra help from Your Holy Spirit in order to do that. But we rest assured that all the help we need will be forthcoming. Please give us spiritual eyes and ears to see and hear and understand, Father. We want to please You above all, and we ask that You be in control of this entire meeting. In the name of Jesus we ask it, and we thank You. And every believer here says . . .”

Everyone spoke with him . . . “Amen.”

A large contingent of the Hosts of Heaven were also in attendance in the sanctuary. They were not visible to any human beings in the room, but they stood shoulder to shoulder around the perimeter of the sanctuary, with at least one angelic being standing beside every believer who was assembled there. Two huge warriors stood on either side of Noah and two more on either side of Pastor Carlyle, as extra protection, and outside the church building, another company of warriors stood shoulder to shoulder around the entire building and across the roof.

A few of them were almost late in arriving, because they had been working faithfully up to the last minute making sure their charges made it to the meeting. Some of the people could be convinced only by words spoken into their minds by their invisible angels. Some of them had to have words quickened to them that would combat the demonic voices that gave the hearers all kinds of excuses not to go. And a couple of them had to even be tugged along by the arm until they finally got going under their own steam and started toward the church. Then there were a couple of them who had run into legitimate hindrances that their angels had been required to fix in a hurry. But now all were present and accounted for — both in the human realm and in the angelic sphere. Prayer had paid off again.

Pastor Carlyle continued: “Well, we’re here to pass on some important information to all of you and then to discuss what our responsibility is concerning an evil spiritual attack on our whole community. But I think we need to begin by looking at what the Word of God has to say concerning the subject at hand. I did suggest that you bring your Bibles with you, so if you would turn to Leviticus, chapter 19, verses 26-28 please.” He paused while the congregation found the passage, and then he turned to one of the elders who sat on the front pew. “Howard, would you read those verses out loud please?”

“You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor shall you practice divination or soothsaying. You shall not shave around the sides of your head, nor shall you disfigure the edges of your beard. You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord.”

“Thank you,” Pastor Carlyle said and looked out over the congregation. “Is there any question about what this verse is saying?” He waited for a minute, and since no hands went up, he continued. “Good, then let’s turn next to chapter 20 of Leviticus and read verse six. Howard, if you will ….”

“And the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.”

Pastor Carlyle looked out over the people again. “Okay, any questions concerning this verse?” He waited a reasonable time and then spoke again. “I think when I included some of these verses in a sermon or two last year, most everybody got a really good understanding of them then, but if you do have a question of any kind, please ask it now.” One lady’s hand went up. “Yes, Mrs. Tennison.”

“I wasn’t here last year, so I’m not quite sure about one thing. Exactly what is a familiar spirit?”

“Very good question. I’ll give a simple answer for now, and if you would like more information later, I’ll be glad to enlarge on my answer for you. Basically a familiar spirit is an evil spirit that is familiar with a human being and his habits, strengths, weaknesses, etc. Often, when people go to mediums to try to contact a loved one who has died, and the medium tells them that they can speak to that loved one, what actually happens is that the medium calls up an evil spirit that knew the person well. A familiar spirit will know how the person spoke, how he acted, and any number of other things about him, and can emulate the person quite well enough to deceive someone who doesn’t have the Lord’s protection and who wants to believe what the medium tells them.”

Mrs. Tennison’s eyes were wide. “You mean there really is a way for someone to call an evil spirit and have it come to them!”

“Yes, there certainly is. And that’s why the Lord is warning His people to stay away from all of that. The Lord’s power is the greatest power in the universe, but the devil can use spiritual power also to bring a great deal of evil and harm into people’s lives and into God’s creation. So God is telling us to stay away from all of it.”

Her eyes were still wide, and her mouth was open slightly. But she answered him in a somewhat subdued voice. “Oh . . . I . . . I see.”

“Anyone else have a question?” Pastor Carlyle asked, and when everyone seemed to be shaking their head, he continued. “Very well, now let’s turn to Deuteronomy 18, verses 9-14.” He nodded at Howard again, who began to read.

“When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abominate to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you.”

Pastor Carlyle spoke again. “I’m pretty sure these verses are clear enough. However, I want Howard to read one section of the passage again.” He looked at his elder. “Verses 10-12, Howard.”

“There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abominate to the Lord —”

“I think that’s far enough, Howard,” the pastor interrupted. “Thank you.” Then he turned his attention to the group as a whole again. “Now . . . what I want to ask you is this: How many of you believe that these verses that we just read are the Word of God? Raise your hand if you believe that they are.” Everyone raised his hand. “Next . . . how many of you believe that the Lord meant exactly what He said here in these verses?” Again everyone raised his hand.

Pastor Carlyle nodded his head and smiled at them. “Good. I felt sure that you believed that, but it’s important that we get that truth firmly established before we go on.” He had been standing in front of the pulpit, on the same level as the rest of the congregation, and now he walked up beside the front pew and leaned his weight against it as he continued. “What we need to talk about today is the rampant increase of a great deal of literature and other media that is being loosed on the public, and especially our children, that is intended to draw people into practices such as these that we’ve just read about in God’s Word. The plan is to deceive the general public into believing that all of these books and games are harmless entertainment, when, in fact, they are precursors to more intense interest in the occult and open doors to demonic possession.”

“Are you talking about stuff like the Sally Stone books?” one young mother asked.

“Yes, Linda, I am, in fact, referring to all of the Sally Stone materials, and a number of other things like them . . . some of which have been around for generations, but have become more popular recently because of all of the newer occult subject matter coming onto the market.” There was a general stir among the people seated before him, and the pastor could sense a slight current of something negative as well as just curiosity in the crowd. He knew there was bound to be some degree of defensiveness on the part of the people who had been reading the material and seeing the movies, but he was hoping that it wasn’t to the point of being a feeling of animosity toward the stand he was taking. There were a few whispered comments in scattered areas, and he put his hand up to quiet the congregation. “You will all be invited to say or ask anything you want in a little while, but first, I need to finish my main point.”

He took a long, slow, deep breath. “Now all of these materials involve the readers, or movie audience, or game players in all of the kinds of activities that the verses we just read explicitly describe as being an abomination to the Lord. And since He tells us to stay away from all of them, I believe that we really need no other reason to throw those materials away and abstain from participating in them in any way. However, there are some first-hand experiences connected with those materials that will give some of us concrete, present-day reasons to stay away from them also, and that’s part of what we’re here to share with you.

“Now, as we discuss all of this, I want you to be thinking, not only about what you should do concerning your own involvement, and your children’s, but also how we can help rid our whole community of this evil before we have some of the horrible consequences that the Lord wants to protect us from . . . and which other people have had to suffer as a result of not obeying God’s Word on this subject.”

One of the young fathers raised his hand. “Yes, Brent?” Pastor Carlyle said.

“I just want to make sure I understand. Are you saying that we should totally refuse to read any of these books or let our children read them . . . or see any of the movies . . . for any reason?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

“But I’ve read an article or two written by other Christian leaders saying that anyone who refuses to let their children read them is just trying to shelter their kids from the realities of the world, and that unless we expose our kids to these kinds of things, we’re going to cause them to grow up handicapped in some way.”

“Yeah,” one of the young woman added, “and I read an article the other day that really made a lot of sense . . . that said if we’re going to decide what we’ll read or allow to be in our libraries or schools based on whether the author believes the way we do about the Bible, then we’re going back to the way people acted in the Dark Ages.”

“And besides,” the woman beside her piped in, “we don’t want our kids growing up thinking that the devil and spiritual forces don’t exist.”

“You’re right,” Pastor Carlyle responded to her first, but hoped what he said would cover all their questions and comments. “We don’t want our kids failing to understand about the devil and all of the demonic spiritual forces at work in the world they live in. But that’s just my point. If they continue to read these books and watch these movies, they are going to be living in deception. They won’t really understand those forces and how to deal with them at all.

“Now listen to me carefully. I’m not suggesting that our children should be sheltered from knowing about Satanism or witchcraft. What I’m saying is that they should be taught the truth about them by their church and their own Christian parents. Our kids should be made to understand that witchcraft and Satanism are real and that they are forces of total and unrelenting evil that came from the rebellion of Satan in Heaven and then moved into the earth as he gained authority here, through man’s sin.

“They need to understand that there are only two sources of supernatural power and activity. One is from God and always glorifies Jesus Christ, no matter how it’s used. The other is always from the devil, and no matter how it’s disguised, will always wreak evil and eventually destroy everyone who uses it or takes part in it.” He could see that he had their attention completely, and he thanked God that he recognized some expressions of agreement on several of the faces before him. So he shifted his weight against the pew a little and continued.

“They also need to be taught that even though the devil, because he is a spirit, knows how to use the spiritual power that is available — it isn’t his power, you understand, but he knows how to appropriate it for his evil purposes because he is from the spirit realm — but the important thing is that even though the devil can use the spiritual power, Jesus alone has supreme power and supreme authority. So even when the devil uses the power that is available to him, Jesus and His Church can defeat him. As our Lord says in Matthew, all authority has been given to Him. And make no mistake about it, beloved saints of God, nothing except Jesus and His authority can defeat these evil forces. We, as the church can do so only as we are in submission to Jesus and acting as His representatives on the earth.

“But these Sally Stone books, and all the other books and movies and games similar to them, even some of those that have been considered classics for generations, don’t teach those truths. Some of them teach that all of this is like some game people can play and not be affected by it for the rest of their lives. Others teach that all supernatural power is the same, and that there is a way to use that power for good without being connected to Jesus Christ. Both of those teachings are lies, and it’s our duty as parents and the church to safeguard our children from those lies and deceptive snares.”

“I don’t understand,” one of the other men said. “I just heard a pastor on a radio talk show the other day saying that he encourages his young people to read the books because they teach the ideals of friendship and courage, and show how people can fight oppression and prejudice.”

Noah raised his hand at that time, and Pastor Carlyle acknowledged him. “Noah, would you like to respond to that question particularly, or did you want to share your experience right now?’

“I’d like to respond to this brother’s question, if you don’t mind, Pastor.”

“Come on up here,” Pastor Carlyle said, and as Noah came forward, the pastor explained to the congregation. “Most all of you are acquainted with Sheriff Noah Bennett by now, and I’ve asked him to come here today to share his own personal experience as a law-enforcement officer concerning the horrible events that can result from an involvement with these kinds of materials. So I think I’ll let him respond to the question on the floor and then go ahead and tell you his story.” He turned to Noah and stepped back a little.

“Good afternoon, everyone. I’m glad to see so many of you hear today to discuss this problem and hopefully help solve it. First of all, in response to this brother’s question, let me say this. These Sally Stone books and movies, and all of the others like them that have been around for several years have absolutely no value! All this talk about their holding forth ideals of friendship and courage is a lot of smoke-screen! There are thousands of examples of true friendship and courage in the stories of the Bible, as well as the millions of pages of wholesome literature that have been written for generations. The same goes for teaching people how to fight oppression or prejudice, or any other evil of society. There’s wonderful literature out there that covers all of that thoroughly. And there are many such stories that are being written right now that do the same, but none of them requires entering into the realm of sorcery and Satanism in order to get those messages across.

“What I’m trying to say is that there are plenty of books out there, for all ages, to teach those ideals without drawing the readers into the powers of darkness that will have a lasting evil effect on them. Why let your children read these stories that could eventually destroy them or someone else in their lives . . . why even risk it . . . when they can choose from all kinds of literature that is really good for them?”

A middle-aged lady spoke up then. “You and Pastor Carlyle keep referring to something in these books and movies being able to cause evil consequences and destroy people. What exactly are you talking about?”

Noah looked at the pastor, who nodded his head to indicate that it was time to tell the story, so he turned back to the congregation. He took a deep breath. “I think if I tell you what I experienced last year, along with all the people in my county, it may make it a little easier to explain what we mean. But before I begin, I’d like to make sure you understand that a lot of what I have to share will be horrifying to hear about, and that’s why the pastor limited this audience to people only over the age of twelve. However . . . if any of you have children in here today who, although they’re older than twelve, still might be likely to have nightmares or emotional problems from hearing about real-life satanic sacrifices and the activities that accompany them, you might want to send them out until we’re finished with this part of the meeting.” He looked over the congregation and waited a minute. He saw a couple sets of parents confer with each other and then ask their teenage children a question. But after a couple of minutes, when no one left the room, Noah figured he’d given them enough warning and could proceed with his story.

As Noah retold his story, exactly as he had told it to the Lawrences and Pastor Carlyle, he felt a continuous flow of grace and courage from the Lord. His voice faltered a couple of times, and he had to stop twice to fight back the tears that had filled his eyes and threatened to spill over, but he didn’t break down. There were a few gasps from some of the members as certain details came out, but there were no interruptions. The people could see that telling the story was causing him pain, and their compassion for him was obvious. The fact that he was allowing them to share his emotions made them even more receptive to the truths he was presenting to them, and when he had finished, there was absolute silence throughout the room.

Noah let it hang there for a while, and then he spoke again. “The reason all of this has come to a head right now is that a number of things have happened in this immediate area that are similar to the way things began out in my home county.” He proceeded to tell them about the two ritual animal sacrifices in the Barclay area and then about the whole episode with David and Moondancer after Lacey’s abnormal behavior.

“Now, I can’t prove to you that everything that happened with David and Moondancer is the result of witchcraft, but all of my experience, as well as my spirit, tells me that it is exactly that, and that if we don’t move now to put a stop to this, the people here could find themselves facing the very same thing we faced last year, maybe at the same level . . . maybe worse. I’m planning to talk to Chief Weston tomorrow, but we wanted to let you know what’s going on first and hopefully enlist your prayers and your faith in this battle.”

After a couple of minutes, Pastor Carlyle stepped forward and said, “I think the best thing for us to do right now is spend a few minutes in personal prayer. If you want to come to the altar, you’re welcome, or if you want to just sit or kneel right where you are, that’s fine too. Let’s each spend some time talking to the Lord about what He’s wanting from us concerning all of this situation.” With that, he turned and knelt before the altar, and Noah, Serenity, and Clint joined him there. After another minute, all three elders knelt beside the others at the front of the church, and almost everyone found a place to bow before the Lord.

The Hosts of Heaven waited. Some of them were bowed before Jehovah also, and the others stood with their heads bowed in worship, waiting for the results of the meeting to become evident. They hoped these people would be able to see the truth and accept the responsibility of doing something about it. It would make their own job easier, because faithful prayer and obedience by Jehovah’s people always opened the way for the spiritual warriors to fight and win against the evil kingdom.

Gradually, as the people continued to pray, some of them silently, but most in subdued voices, the Hosts of Heaven began to feel a rising energy within themselves. They knew that was an indication that the prayers of the saints were reaching the throne, and Jehovah was releasing the power to bring forth the answers. One by one, the captains of each detachment of Heavenly warriors called their troops to attention and began to give them their orders.

The warriors surrounding the outside of the church came to attention, each one clasping the handle of his golden sword. There was new activity in the spirit realm. The demonic powers that had been prowling around the perimeters of the well-guarded territory during the earlier part of the meeting were now pulling in reinforcements and obviously preparing for warfare. They were aware of the prayers of the saints within the church, hearing some of the words as they passed through the airways, and they were now on alert to find an opening through which they could attack and turn the Godly forces back before they got any farther in their plan to overthrow the carefully devised strategies of the demonic kingdom in this region.

But Serenity and a few of the others were praying specifically for God’s protection on all of them as they moved forward to lay out a plan to defeat all of this evil. And with those prayers, Jehovah had a way open to send his mighty warriors into the enemy troops to rout them and hold them at bay until the saints could implement the plan He would give them.

Inside the church, the people were rising and taking their seats again, and Pastor Carlyle spoke to the whole group again. “Now I’m not going to ask each of you individually what you’ve decided to do about all of this. But . . . if you feel that you want to stand against this evil, and you’re ready to rid your own home and your own life of all of this stuff . . . because unless you do that, you can’t fight it anyway . . . if you want to make that stand, I’m asking you to remain for a few more minutes to plan another meeting where we can decide how we can help our whole community get free from this evil. If you don’t feel that you can commit yourself to taking that kind of stand right now, then you are free to go at this time, but I ask that you do so quietly and without any extended conversation. Since this meeting has lasted so late, I believe we need to set aside our regular evening service, and you can use the time to spend with your families this evening.”

There was a slight stirring through the group, and six people got up and slipped out of the room without saying anything else. The rest turned their attention back to the pastor, and after he had breathed a deep sigh of relief, which in itself was a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord, he began to suggest possible meeting times during the following week. They decided to hold a meeting the following Tuesday evening and pray that the Lord would give them His own ideas to share with each other at that time. Pastor Carlyle closed the meeting with a prayer that the Lord would keep their body of believers in love and unity in spite of some differences of opinion on this subject, and he prayed again for the protection of all of his flock as they prepared to take their stand in faith for the Kingdom of God.

Tomorrow: Chapter Sixteen

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT — CHAPTER 14

October 14, 2021 | Sandra Pavloff Conner

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The following morning, David was his normal happy self, God’s healing power and His peace obviously having erased the trauma of what had happened the previous day. The family was just finishing breakfast, with Serenity and Clint into their second cup of coffee, when Noah joined them. David finished his milk and then took off to his room to play his new Bible video game, so the adults were free to talk.

“Would you like to tell us about the plan you had beginning to form in your mind last night, Noah?” Clint asked.

“Yes, if you two have a little time now.”

“We do,” Serenity answered, filling his cup for him. “I don’t think I could concentrate too well on the article I’m supposed to be doing anyway, so I’d like to know what you have in mind.”

“Well . . . I don’t think I’ve got the whole picture from the Lord yet, but I feel pretty strongly that He wants me to talk with Pastor Carlyle and see if he wants to share some of my experience with the church . . . in light of the vast interest of people in this area in the Sally Stone books and games . . . along with the recent discovery of some obviously ritualistic animal sacrifices over in the next county.”

“That does sound like a good first step,” Serenity said. “And Pastor Carlyle will be a good man to pray with you about what should come next.”

He grinned. “My thoughts exactly. I don’t want to try to make any of these decisions alone, and he seems to be pretty knowledgeable about the activities in the spirit realm . . . good and bad.”

“I’ve thought so too, and I did hear him advising one of the members the other day against allowing their children to read the Sally Stone books. David said he had seen two or three kids from our church at the Library Club, so Pastor Carlyle may have already been trying to fight this battle for a while.”

Noah nodded his head. “What I’d like to ask is if you two would be willing to be there when I talk with him.” He put up his hand before they could say anything. “Before you answer, I want to assure you that if you don’t feel you can handle hearing all of it again, I will understand.”

Serenity looked at her grandfather, sure that she saw in his eyes the same feelings that she had, so she answered for both of them. “We want to be there, Noah . . . and not just for you. This community is our home, and we feel that we have a God-given responsibility to it, to help protect it from this demonic invasion.”

Noah nodded again. “All right. In that case, may I call him from here? I don’t see any reason to put this off any longer.”

“Please do, Noah,” Clint said.

Several hours later, Pastor Carlyle welcomed them warmly into his study, having been briefed by Noah about the subject of their visit, and he assured them that he wanted to hear everything Noah felt free to share with him. So Noah proceeded to tell him everything he had told Serenity and Clint the previous night and then assured him that he was now ready to do whatever God would have him do to try to stop the evil that was trying to get a strong foothold in Hamsted and the surrounding community.

Jim Carlyle leaned back in his desk chair and let out a heartfelt sigh. “Wow,” he said in a subdued voice, looking straight at Noah still yet. He had hardly taken his eyes from Noah’s face during the whole story. He had felt the man’s pain as he told it and could only imagine the degree of pain he’d felt as he had actually experienced all of it. “I certainly believe spiritual warfare is real, and I thought I had experienced my share of it, but I can tell you . . . and that very gratefully . . . that I have never had to face anything so devastating as what you’ve gone through, Noah. My heart goes out to you, and I’m almost hesitant to take you up on your offer to help enlighten the people here.”

“I prayed this all through before I made the offer, Pastor. I’m ready to follow through on my offer . . . with the Lord’s help.”

Pastor Carlyle leaned forward, resting his arms on his desk. “Let me hasten to add that although I’m hesitant to ask you to help, I’m certainly not going to refrain from doing so. We need you, Noah. The people here need to know what you’ve experienced, and they need to understand the connections with the Sally Stone materials, and other similar stuff. I’ve had a few words with two of our families already about refraining from letting their children read the books or see the movies, but I haven’t had much success. Most of the other churches in town don’t consider any of it a threat, and our families are like most Christians, I guess . . . they figure if everybody else is doing it with seemingly no harm being done, then why shouldn’t they?”

“But, Pastor, the Word of God itself is clear about God’s people staying away from anything connected with witchcraft,” Serenity said now. “How can they rationalize reading all of those books and watching those movies with what the Scriptures say?”

Jim Carlyle laughed lightly, although there was no real mirth in the sound. “You’ve just asked the question every sincere pastor wrestles with almost every day of his life, Serenity. Why can’t people understand that when the Lord says something in His Word, He actually means what He says. But I suppose part of the problem is that over the centuries, the church has had a lot of pastors telling people from the pulpits and Sunday School podiums that God doesn’t really mean what He says all the time.”

“It’s the same lie the serpent told Eve in the Garden of Eden,” Noah said now, and Jim nodded his agreement.

“You’re right, Noah. He’s never really changed his tactics. He’s just using more modern ways of getting his lies planted in people’s minds.”

Clint spoke up then. “So do you have something in mind to get this information out to the people in the church?”

Jim nodded. “Oh, yes. I’m going to call a special congregational meeting. I’ll announce it this Sunday morning and schedule it for the following Sunday afternoon, and I’m not going to tell them exactly what it’s about. If I do, the ones who most need to be here, won’t come. I’m just going to tell them that it concerns something that may affect the welfare of the people in this congregation more than anything else we’ve ever called a special meeting to discuss.”

“Have there been a number of that kind of meeting in the past?” Noah asked.

“Well, I’ve been here eight years, and we’ve had five during that period of time, so I think that point will be enough to get most everybody into the church to the meeting to hear what we have to say.” He stopped talking and sat deep in thought for a moment before he spoke again. “And . . . I think I’ll arrange for baby-sitting to be provided. I’ll ask a couple of the teenage girls who I’m sure already stay away from this Sally Stone stuff to keep any children in the Sunday School wing.”

“I can help with that if you need me to, Pastor,” Serenity offered.

“Thanks, Serenity, but I’d rather have you in the meeting as support for Noah if possible. We’ll see what I can work out with the other girls first.”

Serenity nodded her head in agreement. She wondered if Pastor Carlyle sensed that there was something between her and Noah that went deeper than mere friendship. She wasn’t sure what it was herself, but she had to at admit that, in her own heart at least, there were feelings and commitments that went very deep. Jim addressed Noah again.

“I’d like for you to tell everything that you’ve told me, Noah. Do you think you can do that another time?”

Noah nodded his head. “I’ve promised the Lord that I won’t hold back again, Pastor. He’s done too much for me, and I won’t try to get out of doing the whole job He’s given me to do.”

“All right,” Jim said, looking round the little group. “Is that all we need to discuss for now, or did you want to include me in plans to reach out to the community in some way?”

“I think I need to start with the police chief,” Noah said. “If I can get him to see some reason, we might be able to draw from the congregation, after they see the truth, and use some of those people to help influence the general public. And my next question was going to be one to you and Clint both. How well do either of you know Chief Art Weston?”

Jim Carlyle answered first. “I know him well enough to say that he and I have a good deal of respect for each other. He goes to one of the other churches in town, so I don’t spend much time with him, but everything I’ve heard about him indicates that he’s honest and basically moral.”

Noah looked at Clint then, who gave him his answer. “Art and I have known each other ever since he moved here. He’s about ten years younger than I am, so I don’t think you’d consider us ‘bosom buddies,’ but we have sat down to have a cup of coffee together from time to time when I’ve been in town, and I agree with Jim. Everything I know about him indicates that he’s a decent, trustworthy man.”

“Well, since you know him well enough to drink coffee with him, I’d say you’re the best one to introduce me to him,” Noah said, grinning at Clint.

Clint grinned back. “If that means you’ll offer to buy both of us a cup at the Beachcomber’s Coffee House, I’ll be glad to.”

They all managed a chuckle at that answer and began to stand up and prepare to go their separate ways. Pastor Carlyle walked up to Noah, extending his hand to him. “You’re a good and courageous man, Noah Bennett. I’m privileged to know you.”

Noah swallowed the lump in his throat caused by the pastor’s heartfelt words, and when he spoke, still gripping Jim’s hand, his voice was husky. “Thank you, Jim. You don’t know what a difference it makes to tell all of this to a pastor who doesn’t scoff or flinch at even one word of it.”

Jim didn’t speak. He just nodded his head, assuring Noah that he understood the point he was making. “I’ll be in touch in a few days to plan a little more about the meeting.”

“Fine,” Noah said, “and in the meantime, I’m going to call one of my deputies and have him send some materials from that case file to me so I’ll have something concrete to show the police chief when I talk to him.” He turned to allow Serenity to precede the men out the door.

She turned a little toward Jim briefly. “Thank you, Pastor.”

“Thank you . . . all of you.”

Clint spoke up then, resting his hand on the pastor’s shoulder. “You can rest assured that we’ll be in earnest prayer between now and the meeting, Jim.”

“I know that . . .” He sighed deeply. “And needless to say . . . so will I.”

As they were on the way to pick up David from Trent’s house, Noah said, “Let me take all of you out to supper this evening, what do you say?”

“That isn’t necessary, Noah,” Serenity answered before Clint had a chance.

“Of course it isn’t. I just want to do it. I’m in the mood for one of the specialties at The Fresh Catch Restaurant myself, and I don’t like eating out by myself all the time.”

“Then I’m in,” Clint announced from the back seat. “And I’m sure David won’t have to be talked into it.”

“All right,” Serenity said, laughing. “I’m out-voted, so I guess you can buy four dinners, Sheriff Bennett.” As soon as the words had left her tongue, Serenity held her breath. She hadn’t realized she was going to address Noah that way, but she remembered what had happened the other times she had done so. But to her relief, Noah didn’t seem to cringe or get any kind of sad look on his face this time. Evidently telling his story to people who could really help share part of the burden of it — and finally getting back into obedience to the Lord — had lifted the oppression that had accompanied the use of his official title on the previous occasions.

So after they picked up David, they returned to their respective homes to wash faces and hands, and change out of their shorts. Noah called for them about thirty minutes later, and they took off for the restaurant in good spirits. Those good spirits lasted the whole meal, and Serenity found herself amazed that they could actually be having fun this evening, when only twenty-four hours ago, they had all been focused on some of the most horrendous events they had ever endured.

But they had shared them with each other now, and that fact alone had made healing more possible . . . and the Lord Himself was giving them the assurance in their hearts that He was bigger than everything they faced at the hand of the enemy. As long as they walked in obedience to Him and in love, He would bring them through victoriously. So tonight, they just focused on each other and the joy their relationships brought to every one of them.

After they returned to the lighthouse, David was so heavy-eyed that Gramps said he was taking him in to prepare for bed, and leave Noah and Serenity to enjoy the beautiful evening a little longer. Serenity was a little concerned that Noah might feel obligated to stay because of what Gramps had said, so as soon as her grandfather was inside, she turned to Noah.

“Gramps didn’t mean that you should stay longer, Noah. I’m sure you’re really tired, considering all of the emotional trauma of the past couple of days, not counting the physical activity of yesterday’s events.”

Noah took her hand in his and gently led her toward the ocean. “Don’t be silly. I want to walk a while . . . let the ocean breeze blow through me. And I’d really like to have the company . . . unless you’re too tired,” he added, stopping and looking intently into her eyes.

“No, I’m fine. I’d like to walk a while,” she said and turned to walk to the water’s edge, still holding Noah’s hand.

After they had walked several feet, Noah spoke again. “Thank you, Serenity,” he said quietly.

She looked up at him. “For what?”

“For being there . . . being here . . . for supporting me . . . caring.” He grinned at her. “All of the above and so much more.”

She stopped walking and looked at him intently. “I wish I could have helped much more than I did, Noah. I . . . I guess I just don’t know how.”

He shook his head. “There really isn’t anything else that will help. Caring and praying are about the only things that can take some of the burden off . . . or heal any of the wounds.”

Serenity nodded her understanding and resumed walking, still holding his hand, and he squeezed her hand tightly as they walked farther. They stopped again after a few more minutes and just stood looking at the moonlit path across the water that was especially gentle tonight. The waves coming toward the shore were slow and undulating, the surf moving onto the beach in a soft caress.

Without conscious thought, Noah put his arm around Serenity’s waist, and she instinctively turned toward him a little. With that simple movement, Noah’s defenses came down, and he put his other arm around her too, drawing her against him. He sighed her name softly just before his lips covered hers in a kiss as gentle as the one the ocean had given the shore. But as that kiss robbed Serenity of her ability to reason, she put her own arms around Noah, and instantly he deepened the kiss until they were clinging to each other as if they were drawing their very life from that embrace.

Reasoning was something Noah refused to do at that moment. His thoughts tried to intrude — tried to remind him that he couldn’t be sure what his life held after the next month, and that he wasn’t being fair to Serenity in allowing these feelings to become so powerful. But he stubbornly forced those thoughts out. Maybe he was being selfish, taking this time to love and be loved by this woman, who was as beautiful inside as she was on the outside — but for the moment, he refused to judge himself.

Everything within him was telling him that he needed Serenity Lawrence — not just physically — but emotionally — spiritually — he needed her to make him complete. And as he gently ended the kiss, lifting his head and looking into her eyes, he allowed himself to recognize the whole truth — he loved this woman as he had never loved another — and whatever he did — wherever he went — he had to try to find a way to make her a part of him for the rest of his life.

He could see the vulnerability in her eyes — the questions. He knew he couldn’t answer all of them, but he could express what he felt. He lifted his hands and took her face gently, leaning down and touching his lips to one corner of her mouth, then the other corner, as he whispered, “You’re so beautiful, Serie.” He kissed her upper lip, letting go of it slowly so that he could do the same to her lower lip, whispering between kisses, “Not just on the outside, but inside as well . . . .” He kissed her fully again, but pulled away gently after only a couple of seconds in order to speak again. “You’re such a beautiful person inside that it brings a lump to my throat when I think of how blessed I am to have you in my life.”

He could see in her eyes an answering feeling, and as he folded her completely into his arms once more, the light he saw there turned to fire — a fire that matched the one flaming to life within him. She lifted her arms and wound them around his neck as he took possession of her lips again and allowed the raw hunger for her to be exposed for just that short period.

He wanted to make a commitment right now. He wanted to get a commitment from her right now. But finally, his reason got the upper hand. He knew he needed to wait until he could tell her what his life held in store for the next several years. So, slowly — very slowly — he began to pull back from the kiss, eventually freeing her lips and burying his face in her fragrant hair that was being tossed gently by the breeze. He still couldn’t make his arms let go of her, and when at last, she took her arms from around his neck and pulled back, he had to force himself to release her.

Serenity cleared her throat before she whispered, “I need to go in, Noah.”

He nodded, whispering in his turn. “I know, dear.” And without another word from either of them, they rejoined hands and began to walk slowly back toward the lighthouse. Noah saw her to the porch, and as she turned at the door to bid him goodnight, he just lifted his hand and touched her lips with one finger. “Goodnight, Serie,” he whispered.

“Goodnight,” she whispered back and turned to open the door. She didn’t look back at him again, but closed the door quietly behind her, and Noah stepped off the porch and returned to his car.

As Serenity walked into the living room, her grandfather looked up from his book and smiled at her. “He’s a pretty special man, isn’t he?”

“Yes . . . he is,” Serenity answered guardedly.

“And it seems he thinks you’re pretty special too,” he said, his eyes twinkling at her.

“I didn’t mean special to me, Gramps,” she said, taking a seat in the chair beside his. “I was answering in general.”

Her grandfather laughed out loud. “You can protest if you want to, little girl, but I’ve been in love myself, remember . . . deeply . . . wildly in love . . . with your blessed grandmother . . . and I know real love when I see it!”

Was that what she felt, Serenity asked herself now. Was it really love that she felt for Noah Bennett — the kind of love that binds two people together for a lifetime? And with what felt like a blow to her chest that robbed her of breath, Serenity Lawrence faced the answer to that question. Yes — that was exactly what she felt for Noah: uncomplicated — undiluted — indescribable — all out love!

She glanced at her grandfather, and his eyes still twinkled at her. His grin grew bigger as he understood that she had just now realized and admitted, to herself at least, that she was in love. He winked at her and nodded his head in satisfaction, before glancing back down at his book without saying another word. But Serenity jumped up. “I’m going to bed, I think. ’Night, Gramps,” she mumbled as she started from the room.

“Night, Sweetheart,” he answered, barely holding back a chuckle. When Serenity had gone, he leaned his head back against his chair. “Thank you, Lord,” he whispered. “You’ve done real good by my little girl.”

Chapter Fifteen tomorrow.

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT – CHAPTER 13

October 13, 2021 | Sandra Pavloff Conner

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Serenity was on her knees with her arms around him instantly, praying for him. After several moments, Noah recovered enough to raise his head from his hands, and wipe his face with the borrowed handkerchief. Finally he reached his arm around Serenity and hugged her. “Thank you, Serie . . . for praying. But please don’t stay down there on the floor on your knees. Sit back up on the sofa where it’s more comfortable.” When she didn’t move, he said. “Please, Serie,” so she gave up and did as he asked.

“So they had sacrificed the little girl?” Clint asked Noah quietly.

Noah nodded and finally managed to say, “Yes . . . and . . . that’s enough for me to tell you. You know enough to be able to imagine what kind of death it was and what other butchery was involved.” He let out one more heavy sigh. “I can’t begin to tell you how it feels to see that something like that has happened to a real child from your own community. . . . Or how it feels to know that you were the one responsible for protecting that child, and all the others like her, and that you had failed utterly.”

Clint reached out his hand to stop Noah. “That isn’t true, Noah. Deep in your heart, you know it isn’t true, and you’re going to have to make yourself recognize that fact.”

“Well . . . anyway . . . it was the most horrendous thing we’d ever had happen in our county since I had been appointed a deputy years before.” Noah rose from the footstool and moved over to the sofa again, sitting back far enough to lean against the back of it. He still had more to tell, but at least the worst was over. God had gotten him through it.

Clint got up then. “I think you need a cold drink. I’ll bring a glass of that lemonade I saw in the refrigerator. Take a breather until I get back, and then you need to tell us the rest.”

Clint brought over glasses of lemonade and sat back down. “So then what happened?” he asked.

After taking a long drink of the cooling liquid, Noah answered. “Well, needless to say, we stepped up the investigation. We were still pressing to find out who the other members of the coven were, and Danny had never seen any of them without their hoods over their heads. However, he was finally able to tell us how he and Melinda had gotten separated from the rest of the kids. They were all sent out on what was supposed to be a treasure hunt, and as he and Melinda were wondering around in the dark close to each other, they were approached by two figures in gray cloaks with hoods.

“Evidently they said something to the kids that was much like a line right out of the Sally Stone books, and since they were so used to reading all that stuff, it didn’t seem particularly abnormal to them. The two figures told them that they had been sent to help them find the treasure, so the kids went with them, and of course, they ended up at the meeting of the coven and the ritual ceremony.

“Danny saw what they did to Melinda, and while that was going on was when he finally managed to get his ropes loose enough to escape. And even then, he wouldn’t have made it home when he did if he hadn’t been able to run through the woods and fields. It would have taken him close to two hours to get there if he had used the roads.”

“Did the people of the county finally see the truth about the Sally Stone books and all the other horrible stuff like it?” Serenity asked.

“Some people did finally realize that it was dangerous and threw away the books and games so that their kids weren’t exposed to it anymore, but you know how people are, Serenity. A lot of people in the county just sent up a great hue and cry against me and my department because we hadn’t done enough to keep this kind of thing from happening in our county. And they were right in part . . . in a large part . . . but when I had tried, through the pastors, to help the community see what we were up against early on, I didn’t get a whole lot of cooperation either.

But … after days of intensive prayer for the Lord to show me what steps to take, I finally managed to trace the two sponsors for that club back to the coven, and then I knew I had a little clout to work with.

“I arrested those two on suspicion of their connection with Melinda’s murder, and we managed to bring enough evidence to get a judge to deny bail. I tried to get information out of them, of course, but they kept denying their involvement with any coven . . . until I presented them with the evidence I had, and then they finally stopped acting like they didn’t know anything about it. After about a week, one of them got really cocky and started making some remarks that sounded too much like a threat of more plans by the coven for additional kidnappings and sacrifices for me to ignore it.

“So the first thing I did was to make sure we had Danny covered. He was getting some pretty intensive counseling, and we arranged with his family to have a security officer on hand at all times until we had the whole case put down. The only other thing I could do where the children in general were concerned was to encourage parents and school personnel to be extraordinarily diligent and protective of all the children at all times . . . and I put on two extra deputies to help with that job.”

“Was your own church standing with you in the spiritual warfare of this whole thing?” Clint asked now.

“Well, after I got to know Mark pretty well and realized that he believed what I was fast coming to recognize was absolute truth from God’s Word, I moved to his church. And I can tell you this; those people went to war for me and for the whole county. They had intercession around the clock in that church until the whole thing was over, and I don’t think I would have lived through it if they hadn’t been praying continuously for me. Nor would I have had the wisdom to do the job even as well as I did it. But I was attacked with several things in my body during that time, and I know it was prayer that got me delivered and healed. And then there were other attempts made on my life too, but God kept me.”

For the first time in the whole conversation, Noah actually relaxed back against the sofa as he told the next part of the story. “Anyway, we gradually collected more evidence concerning the whereabouts of the other coven members on Halloween night, and I finally had enough to arrest two more of them. I had been torn all along, trying to decide whether to arrest the ones I could prove something on (which would warn the others that we were onto them) or to wait until I could get everyone in the coven at the same time. But I finally decided that if we arrested enough of them, at least it should shake the others up enough to stop their activity locally, and our children would be safe.

“Of course, that still left the coven free to practice their deadly sorcery somewhere else. So my constant prayer was that the Lord would show us a way to bring all of them in. And to be completely honest, I don’t think my faith was very strong that we would ever get those results, but Pastor Mark and the congregation were still doing spiritual battle around the clock, and praying especially for the conversion of the four witches we had in custody.

“Mark came once or twice a week to try to talk with them, and finally . . . one of them . . . one of the sponsors of the Sally Stone Club . . . repented of her involvement with Satan and surrendered her heart to the Lord. Mark and I prayed for her deliverance, and we transferred her to another jail for her own protection. But before she left, when she was alone with me and one of the deputies, she told us about a plan within the coven to kidnap another child before Christmas and sacrifice her as a way of appeasing Satan for the sloppy work they had done in October.”

Noah sat forward and drank the rest of his lemonade before he continued. “You can only imagine how frantic I was at that news. How do you protect every child in the county . . . especially when so many of the adults who are supposed to be leaders in the care and nurturing of children . . . in schools and churches . . . didn’t believe there was a real menace out there anyway? But I did everything I could think of, and rather than sound like I’m defending myself by listing all those things, I’ll just say that I’ve racked my brain since the event, and I honestly can’t think what more I could have done. And, without question, it was the consistent prayer that actually brought us success.

“In spite of everything, though, I got the call at 10:09 on the night of December 21. I remember it as if it had happened yesterday. It was the first missing child report since Halloween, and it practically caused my heart to stop beating. I sent my best deputy ahead of me to the parents’ home to start getting all the facts he could. I called in every deputy I’d ever used and told them to report to my office as fast as possible. And then I threw myself on the floor, face down, and pled with the Lord to show me every step to take so I wouldn’t make any mistakes or lose any time. I prayed until I heard the deputies assembling in the outer office, and when I went out to join them, I finally had a sense of victory in my heart.

“I met my other deputy at the child’s home, met the parents, and after hearing all the facts, I just began to give out instructions concerning where we were going, and what we would do when we got there. I knew the Lord was speaking through me, and when we ended up at a deserted house, not far from that abandoned school, we could tell there was a ceremony in progress. My heart almost stopped again until I had sneaked up to a window and seen through it enough to see that the little girl was still alive. After that I felt so empowered by the righteous anger of the Lord that I knew that night would be the end of the witchcraft from this group.”

“You captured all of them?” Serenity asked, her eyes burning with the same kind of righteous indignation that Noah’s were.

He nodded. “I won’t go into all the details, but I can say humbly that no member of my force had ever performed better than they did that night. It was as if we could almost read each other’s minds, and we worked in such synchronized precision . . . and I know that was because angels were making every move with each one of us … and because the prayer cover was keeping us hidden from the demons controlling those witches. We had all of them surrounded and in custody in a short time, and with enough evidence of the kind of crime they were in the process of perpetrating that they didn’t have a chance.”

“So that was really the end of it?” Clint asked now.

“The end of the activity, but not the end of the story, because the trials were pretty horrendous in themselves. They couldn’t all be tried together because of varying degrees of charges lodged against different ones, and all together, the trials were strung out through May of this year. It was especially hard on the families who had lost, or come close to losing, their children, but the whole county suffered through all of them. In order to get the convictions we needed, we had been forced to go after other evidence of the coven’s activities too, and the testimonies and other articles of evidence were pretty horrific at times.”

Noah had been leaning forward with his elbows on his knees again, gripping his hands in front of him, but now he leaned back again, laying his head on the back of the sofa and closing his eyes. “Four of them were convicted of first degree murder. Four others were convicted of second degree murder, and the other five were found guilty of concealing a homicide, as well as a number of other charges that should keep them locked up for several years.” He let out a heartfelt sigh. “Thanks to the Lord . . . and only to the Lord.”

Serenity reached out and took his hand in hers, squeezing it gently. “I’m so grateful you were able to tell us all of this, Noah.”

“Did most of the people in the county finally change their attitudes about the Sally Stone books and movies and other things like that?” Clint asked.

Noah had squeezed Serenity’s hand too, and now he raised his head and smiled at her before he looked at Clint and answered. “Most of them did . . . at last. They had been through hell and back before they had been willing to see the truth, but when they did, they began to act accordingly. Now most of the libraries and schools are clean of that trash, and I don’t think any theatre owner in the county would dare to bring in one of the movies again.”

“Praise God!” Serenity said.

“Praise God, indeed!” Noah answered, squeezing her hand again.

“Amen!” Clint added, leaning back in his chair and taking a deep breath of relief.

Serenity got up, saying, “I’m going to peak in at David again,” and left the room. After she did, Noah looked at Clint, his eyes intent upon the older man’s.

“Thank you for praying for me tonight, Clint. I’m not sure I could have gotten through all of it without your support . . . and Serenity’s.”

“I appreciate your courage in telling us all of it, Noah. Not to mention your courage in doing the job you did. But I can see why you needed a rest and a good deal of inner healing.”

Noah nodded his head. “Yeah . . . and I’m not sure that’s all it is. I’m not positive that I’ll be going back to that job.”

“Oh?”

“Not because of the people . . . and not because I’m afraid to go back to it . . . but . . . I don’t know. I just don’t have any sense of joy in doing that job anymore . . . the way I did have when I took it. And that’s one of the things I’m here to seek God about. I need to know what He wants me to do.”

“What He wants you to do about what?” Serenity asked, getting back in time to hear the last statement.

“About continuing to be the sheriff back home. I think it may be time to move on to something else, but I still have to have some answers from the Lord.”

“Noah, one thing still puzzles me,” she said. “What did you mean when you were standing at the window fingering your earring and asking the Lord to forgive you?”

Noah instinctively reached his hand up and gently touched the ring in his ear, fingering the cross and smiling before he answered her. “You remember David told you that I had put this ring in my ear to signify that I was becoming the Lord’s servant for the rest of my life. And I promised the Lord then that I would do whatever He wanted whenever He wanted it done, without hesitation and without asking questions. But when I began to realize that some of the same witchcraft was getting a foothold here, and that I knew how horrible it could be if it weren’t stopped dead in its tracks immediately, I made a decision that I was not going to be involved in all of it again. So I turned my back on it as much as I could. In short . . . I broke my promise to the Lord. Because deep in my heart, I realized that He’d brought me here for that very purpose . . . to stop it dead in its tracks.”

Noah rose and paced back toward the bookcase and then turned and leaned against it again, looking at Serenity. “When I realized that David and Moondancer were the victims of that same witchcraft . . . and that we had almost lost David as a result . . . I finally came to my senses and started really listening to the Lord, and I finally made the decision to obey Him.”

“And so you believe that what happened with David and Moondancer today was the result of that same kind of witchcraft?”

Noah nodded “Yes . . .” He paused to collect his thoughts. “Last week, some kids on the beach came down to my cottage to see Moondancer and ask for a ride.”

“David told me it was some of the kids from the Library Club, Lacey Dillard and her friends,” Serenity said.

“Yes, her brother did call her Lacey. But the oddest thing was that when she was there and making the big scene, I kept thinking I’d met her somewhere before . . . that I should know her . . . but I couldn’t remember any place at all where we had met. Then today . . . after what happened with Moondancer and David . . . I finally realized that what I thought was recognition of the child was actually recognition of the demonic spirit inhabiting her. I had seen that same evil being look at me out of the eyes of the witch who was finally delivered. And, of course, I saw a multitude of similar spirits showing themselves in the eyes of all of them. But evidently that spirit now inhabits Lacey and recognized me also, and that’s why the vicious attack.” He sighed again, but smiled at them. “But the Lord has protected us . . . praise Him for His merciful love!”

“So what do you feel the Lord is telling you to do about the problems here, Noah?” Clint asked.

“Well, I still need to pray for more direction, but as I’ve talked with the two of you, I’ve had a plan begin to form in the back of my mind. I’d like to run it past both of you and get your input, but I really think we’ve discussed enough of this witchcraft business tonight, don’t you?”

Serenity looked at her grandfather, and he lifted his eyebrows in a question. “Serenity . . . what’s your answer to that?”

She let out a deep sigh. “Well . . . I want to know your plan, Noah, and I want to help with it as much as I possibly can . . . but I think you’re right. I think we need to refocus our thoughts and emotions on the Lord and try to get some rest. Besides, it’s already 9:00 now, and we’re not going to be able to confirm a plan and start carrying it out tonight. So why not wait until we’re all fresh tomorrow?”

“Sounds right to me,” Clint said, leaning forward in his chair. “I say let’s pray together now and then collect our little boy and head for the lighthouse.”

After prayer, thanking God for his merciful protection and asking Him for wisdom and strength to do whatever He called on them to do, Clint went into the bedroom to get David, and Serenity stepped over to Noah, slipping her arm through his. “I have no words to tell you, Noah, how grateful I am that you risked your own life to save David’s”

Noah shook his head. “Only the Lord saved David, Serenity. If I had been willing to act on my knowledge and experience sooner, that whole event might not have happened. So it was my own disobedience that opened the door to putting David in that danger.”

“No, I don’t believe that, Noah. It’s reasonable that you had to have the time you’ve taken to be able to decide to throw yourself into a horrendous problem like that a second time. And I doubt that the enemy would have gone very long without finding some way to attack all of us, simply because of the stand we’ve taken against all of the Sally Stone materials and new age curriculums. Besides, you didn’t send David out into that ocean after Moondancer. And you didn’t cause the wind to start whipping that ocean into fierce waves that far out. Remember that! But you did go in yourself and save him. Remember that too!” she added, stretching up and kissing his cheek.

Noah grinned. “I’ll try, Serenity.”

Clint returned to the room leading a very sleepy David by the hand. The boy was rubbing his eyes and yawning, but he managed to thank Noah again for his rescue. Clint reached out and patted Noah’s shoulder once more. “Goodnight, Son.”

“Goodnight and thank you both . . . more than I can say. See you tomorrow.”

Only 8 more chapters to go. Look for Chapter Fourteen here tomorrow. And thank you for reading.

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT — CHAPER 12

October 12, 2021 | Sandra Pavloff Conner

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT

CHAPTER TWELVE

Noah finally returned to a standing position, wiping his face with his hands and then immediately wrapping his arms around Serenity and gripping her to him as if she were a life preserver. The sobs had ceased, and Noah was trying to take slow, deep breaths to quiet himself enough to speak. Serenity still had tears trickling down her cheeks, but she clung to Noah as fervently as he did to her.

After another moment, Noah felt quieter, and he released his hold just enough to reach back to his back pocket for his handkerchief, forgetting that he had given it to David. Serenity had stepped back just a fraction and, realizing what he was trying to do, she looked around for some tissues. Clint stepped over to them and handed Noah a clean, folded handkerchief. “You gave yours away, remember?” he said, smiling at Noah. “Use my clean one.”

Noah reached out and took it, nodding his head as he unfolded it. “Thanks, Clint,” he said in a husky voice, and proceeded to blow his nose and finish drying his face. He took another deep breath and looked straight at Serenity. “I think it’s time I explained some things to the two of you.”

“Please, Noah,” she answered, her eyes pleading even more than her voice. In unison, they all turned back toward the table to resume their seats. “Why don’t we sit in the living room a while,” Clint suggested.

“That’s fine,” Noah said, and picking up his coffee cup from the table, turned to lead the way into that area of the cabin. The living room area consisted of a sofa and two chairs, each with a footstool in front of them. Noah sat down on the sofa, and Serenity joined him there, still feeling a need to try to comfort him — or protect him — she wasn’t sure which. Clint took the chair that let him face the other two and leaned back, trying to relax and hoping he could help Noah and Serenity do likewise.

“Just take your time, Son, and tell us everything you think you should. As I said, nothing needs to go any farther than this room if that’s the way you want it.”

Noah looked at Clint and tried to smile. “Thanks, Clint . . . I trust you and Serenity as much as I would anybody . . . and really none of this is a secret. My whole county back home knows the story inside and out, but it isn’t something I’ve wanted to talk about.” He took a deep breath. “Mainly because I would really like to just forget it, although I know that isn’t possible . . . and then partly because it’s so horrible a story to tell that I cringe, even now, at the thought of your having to hear it.”

He stopped and looked at Serenity. “I think you should slip in and take a peak at David. Make sure he’s sound asleep, because I don’t want him to overhear any of this. It might frighten him terribly.”

“Okay,” Serenity said and rose to go and do as he asked. She came back momentarily, smiling. “He’s out like a light . . . even snoring a little bit.”

“Good . . . that’s good,” Noah said, letting out a deep breath. “Well . . . I might as well start at the beginning . . . at least at what was the beginning of my involvement. But promise me that if you want me to stop at any time in the telling of this . . . if you just feel you don’t want to hear anymore . . . you’ll tell me so.” He looked at both of them, and they both nodded.

“I promise, Noah,” Serenity answered first.

“You have my word, Son,” Clint said then.

Noah nodded and leaned back on the sofa, trying to relax, knowing it was impossible. “Well . . . last summer, we began to get reports in our office from some of the local hunters and farmers around the county. They had come across evidence of some unusual activities out in the woods or sometimes one of the fields that had been left idle during that season in order to let the land rest. They didn’t seem to know what was going on, but a couple of times they reported seeing strange lights and hearing what sounded like some kind of chanting.

Most of them didn’t want to get too close, but one or two did ease in close enough to see that several people were standing in a circle, all saying something together. There were lighted candles in some of their hands, which worried one of the farmers, because we had been short on rain during that particular time, and things were pretty dry. One time, a hunter reported that the group was standing around a huge bonfire, and he would have thought it was just some kind of campout except that they all seemed to be wearing capes with hoods. Each time, I sent men out to check the areas, but the calls had come in after the fact, and my men just found a few traces of a campfire or footprints, but nothing that indicated a problem.

Then some time later, we got a call about lights that were seen moving around in an old abandoned schoolhouse. That particular elementary school had consolidated with two others in the county, and a new building had been built to accommodate the whole student body, so the building was left empty. It hadn’t been used for two years, and the county was trying to make a decision about what they wanted to do with it.”

Noah stopped to take a drink of his coffee. When he did, Serenity, who had been sitting toward the edge of her seat, looking directly at Noah, finally sat back and rested more comfortably against the back of the sofa.

Noah sat his cup down, still leaning forward in his seat, and the story began again.

“About that same time, we began to get calls from the local farmers about missing animals. About once a week, someone else would report an animal lost . . . or stolen . . . and most of the time it was one of the goats. It became almost an epidemic, and we were stumped until we began to come across those same animals slain and gutted . . . and often mutilated in bizarre ways . . . again out in the woods or some fallow field.”

Noah had been sitting with his elbows on his knees and his hands in front of him. Now he gripped his hands together so hard his knuckles turned white, but then he began to relax them again. “And then . . . we found the pentagrams. . . . The first one was actually painted onto the ground in broad brush strokes with black paint. We found mutilated animals in the same vicinity. The second one was painted onto the asphalt parking lot at that abandoned school. And again, there were parts of a mutilated animal on the scene.”

“So you’re saying that the animals evidently had been used for some kind of satanic ritual?”

“It appeared that way, and shortly after those two symbols were discovered, two of the farmers began having bizarre calamities occur on their farms. One of them had a major fire, and the fire department was never able to figure out how it could possibly have started in the place that it did, especially considering all the preventative measures that farmer used on a regular basis. And by that time, we had been blessed with plenty of rain, so that wasn’t the problem. And there were other things. One farmer reported that a pitchfork had come at him from his hayloft, as if it had been aimed and thrown at him deliberately, although he had left that pitchfork stuck in a bail of hay outside of the barn that afternoon. . . . And . . . well, there were other incidents, but I don’t need to go into all those details.”

He took deep breath, letting it out forcibly and finally tried to lean back again. “Well, I had been trying to tell myself that all of the sightings in the woods and fields had been innocent camping parties, amplified by the imaginations of the witnesses . . . or by their intake of alcohol … or both. And then when the animals started showing up, it was harder to explain, but I still tried to make myself believe it was coincidence. . . . You see . . . I knew that there were Satanist in this country . . . and that they did some kinds of bizarre things . . . usually around Halloween . . . but I had never learned any actual facts about what all that activity involved, and I just assumed that normal people wouldn’t be bothered by them as a general rule.

“And my church taught the basic gospel message well enough, but they never spent any time discussing the activities of the devil, or even any of the passages where Jesus had to deal with demonic powers. So I had just kind of let all that slide too.” He sighed again, and finally got up and began to pace around slowly. “But when we started finding the pentagrams and the animals together, I finally had to admit that I was up against something that I didn’t understand. Then when we added in the factor of the bizarre, so-called accidents on the surrounding properties, I finally faced the fact that I was just plain scared.

“I wasn’t really scared of the devil or his activity as much as I was of the fact that I had to find a way to protect the people in my jurisdiction, and I didn’t have a clue how to do it. And because I didn’t, my whole force was totally ill-equipped to handle the situation.”

“Your church couldn’t help you at all?” Clint asked.

Noah shook his head. He was leaning against a bookcase along the wall between the sofa and chair where Clint sat. “I talked with my pastor, and he said he didn’t really know enough about any of it to teach me anything, but that he supposed I should be able to handle all of these problems the same way I did other minor crimes.” Noah let out a bitter laugh. “Minor . . . he called them minor. Can you believe that? Oh, I know stealing and killing an animal isn’t the same as first degree murd —” He stopped suddenly and sucked in his breath, swallowing hard and closing his eyes. Finally, he shook his head as if to clear it and opened his eyes once more, breathing deeply.

“As I was saying, those aren’t at the top of the list of the most grievous crimes, but when you consider that the animals were stolen for the purpose of mutilating them to worship Satan, and that the acts were repeated on a regular basis . . . and then that damage was done to private property and attempted on some of the people themselves . . . I couldn’t see the situation as minor at all.” He sighed once more and finally sat down on the sofa again, leaning forward, one elbow on his knee.

“Anyway, I finally contacted the state to ask about other jurisdictions and their handling of these kinds of things, and they informed me that there was some instruction available through a state program to better acquaint law enforcement officers with ritualistic crimes and the best ways to deal with them. So I attended the classes first, and then I sent two of my sharpest deputies to do the same. We learned quite a bit, but I still wasn’t satisfied that I was in control of the situation.

“So my next move was to seek out a minister from the area who was known for his belief in casting out demons, Pastor Mark Houston, and I asked him for an interview. I felt I had to tell him all the details of the crimes, even though we were trying to keep some of them quiet so as not to alarm people unduly. As I poured out my story, he was instantly sympathetic and told me in no uncertain terms that the Word of God had the answers I needed.

“So I began to study my Bible as I never had before, and twice a week, I met with him so that he could explain anything I didn’t understand on my own. I got a real crash course in spiritual warfare; that’s for sure. I can tell you that I prayed like I hadn’t prayed in a long time . . . actually in ways I had never prayed until then. But the Lord really taught me. I began to truly understand what we were up against, and even more important, I understood that although I had to do everything I could from the natural, legal standpoint, I couldn’t depend on the legal governmental structure to effect the complete remedy in this case.” Noah stopped for a moment, looking away from both of them, obviously caught by another thought that had come into his mind.

Serenity was impatient, although she was trying not to be. “So, were you able to track down the people responsible?”

Noah looked at her again, took a deep breath, and finally answered her. “It got a lot worse before I got that far, Serenity.”

“Oh . . .”

“We conducted an investigation in as thorough a way as I knew how, of course, but we were getting virtually nowhere. I blame myself for that now. I should have been giving it the highest priority of anything my office was dealing with, but I didn’t. I knew it was important, but so were all of the other ordinary types of crimes, and we had a rash of other events that . . . at the time . . . I believed demanded my attention before those satanic things. I don’t think I’ll ever stop blaming myself for not moving on the whole problem harder and faster.”

“Noah, you’re human after all,” Serenity defended him. “Hindsight often makes things look as if you did the wrong thing at the wrong time, but if you look seriously at the past events, you’ll probably see that you did the best you could with what information and knowledge you had.”

Noah shook his head. “I don’t know. I just don’t know. But I did do one other thing that I thought at the time might help. When I asked Pastor Houston how all of this kind of activity managed to get such a stronghold in our area that these people could hold these meetings and steal and mutilate animals without anyone being able to catch them, he told me that they had been moving in so gradually and subtly over an extended period of time that most people weren’t aware of if at all.

“And when I asked how, he told me that one of the easiest ways was through the media. He mentioned specifically the Sally Stone books and movies.”

“Sally Stone!” Serenity sat up on the edge of her seat again.

“Yes. And the use of some of the mind-expanding games straight out of the new age movement . . . like ‘Inside Myself.’” Serenity’s eyes grew wider. “That’s why I told you in no uncertain terms that I believed you did the right thing taking David out of that Library Club. That librarian is using those demonic tools to ingest the demonic message into those children in order to prepare them to accept witchcraft and the demons that go with it. Oh, she may not be aware of what she’s doing. She may just be that ignorant. But it’s happening, nevertheless.”

“And the children in your county were being exposed to all of that too?”

“Yes, and the parents. Adults read those books too, and they flock to those movies by the droves. Mark Houston helped me see how Satan uses the books and movies, as well as the games that go along with them, as mediums to open a door to the evil spirits attached to them so that they can enter the community and even the people themselves. Those spirits blind people’s minds to what’s really going on around them. They make people apathetic about getting rid of evil of any kind, and even worse . . . they stir people up to commit evil that they wouldn’t have committed if they hadn’t been under the control of those demonic powers.

“That environment then gives the witches greater leeway to work, and prepares the children . . . the innocent, unsuspecting children . . . that we adults are supposed to protect . . .” Noah’s voice grew harsher with each statement. “It prepares those children to accept witchcraft and supernatural visitations as normal and makes them want to know more and more about all of it. We eventually discovered that even some of the children who weren’t exposed to the game and actually taught to seek out a spirit guide still recognized some kind of spirit being as having a place inside of them, trying to direct them . . . or sometimes force them to do certain things.”

“And did all of this involvement with these books and other media lead to more crimes then?” Clint asked.

Noah got up again, agitated now beyond being able to sit still or even hold himself still. He paced back over to the bookcase, running his hands over his head and around the back of his neck in angry strokes. “Yes,” he said in a course whisper. Then he turned back to face them. “Yes, it led to much more horrible crimes. After a while, some of the children formed a Sally Stone Club in several towns in the county and met on a regular basis to read the books and watch the videos and play the games. Then all the clubs in the county met periodically at the civic center at the county seat. I learned that they even began ordering other witchcraft materials via the Internet. And the whole county knew that they were planning some kind of big celebration for Halloween.

“So . . . and this is what I referred to earlier as the other thing I did for prevention’s sake . . . I called all the pastors together and asked them to talk to their congregations about the dangers of those books and accompanying materials, and to warn their people that their children needed to understand that this problem was real and something they needed to stay away from. Some of those pastors shook my hand and thanked me for filling them in. Two told me that they had been praying fervently for a breakthrough in all of the deception that those books had been responsible for.

“But several of the pastors said I was being an alarmist, and that they were not going to discourage their people from engaging in what they considered to be harmless entertainment. However . . . I then discovered that there was a coven of witches in operation, actually over in the next county, and there were certainly no barriers to keep them from holding ceremonies and slaughtering someone’s animals in our county too. So I called the pastors together once more to inform them of those facts. At that time, a couple more of them took the whole thing seriously, but most still didn’t.

“At the same time, I became very unpopular with a number of people in my county as a result of what I did and said, but I didn’t care. The only thing I couldn’t do was get out and speak publicly against all of this as something demonic that we needed to take spiritual authority over. I wasn’t allowed to do that as sheriff, and I didn’t think the Lord wanted me to jeopardize my job enough to lose it right in the middle of the investigation. There was a good chance a new sheriff, knowing how unpopular the subject had made me, wouldn’t have picked up the investigation and continued it. So I figured I was wiser to keep my mouth shut a little and still be able to carry out the search for the perpetrators and, hopefully, put an end to all the witchcraft activity in our county.”

Noah sat down on the footstool in front of Clint’s chair, leaning his elbows on his knees again, clasping his hand together in front of him. “Serenity . . . go check on David one more time before I tell you the rest. Make sure he’s asleep.”

Serenity looked up at him, but his head was bent down. “Okay, Noah,” she said quietly and rose to go to the bedroom. She was suddenly afraid . . . afraid for herself and Gramps because of what they’d have to hear . . . but even more afraid for Noah . . . because he would have to relive all of it in the telling. She wished she could take the hurt for him, but that wasn’t possible. “Please help him, Jesus,” she whispered just before she eased open the bedroom door. David was still fast asleep, peace on his little face, and tears sprang to her eyes at the thought of how the Lord had protected him all of his life.

Clint could see that Noah was so tense that his shoulders were strained tight. He placed his hand on one shoulder and began to pray. “Dear Lord, please give Noah Your peace right now. And give him the strength to tell us everything You want him to tell us, Father. And please . . . keep him from any more pain. Thank You, Lord.”

Clint was just finishing his prayer when Serenity returned and assured them that David was fine. Noah was still sitting on the footstool, so Serenity moved to the other end of the sofa where she could be closer to him. She reached over and laid her hand on his hands. “Just tell us as quickly as you can without trying to spare Gramps and me, Noah. You just need to get it all out.”

He turned his hands and grasped hers in both of his, nodding his agreement with her. He straightened up but didn’t let go of Serenity’s hand. “Well . . . my deputies and I had gradually been able to identify several of the people in that coven, but we didn’t have them all yet. And two of the people we didn’t connect with it were the two people who were the sponsors for the kids’ Sally Stone Clubs. They seemed like upright citizens, very civic-minded and interested in a number of children’s programs in the community. They even attended one of the churches in the county seat.

“We hadn’t caught on to their connection with the coven of witches, but we had started identifying a pattern in the ritual ceremonies and the farms the animals were being stolen from. We even managed to sneak in close enough to watch their rituals on two different occasions, and I felt like we were almost there . . . almost to the place where we could find a way to put a stop to all of it. Then Halloween week was upon us, and, of course, most of the people went all out to dress in horrendous costumes, put on scary parties, and all the rest. You know how the world does.” Serenity and Clint both nodded their understanding, and Noah let out another bitter laugh. “Did I say the world?” He shook his head. “ It seems to me that most of the church jumps in to celebrate that evil holiday with just as much enthusiasm as pagans do.”

“Unfortunately, you’re right,” Serenity said.

“Well, anyway, from my first year as sheriff, I had made it a practice to put all of my deputies on duty on the night of Halloween. We have a couple of towns overrun with taverns, and they usually had a full house, dressed for trick or treat and full of liquor. That usually led to some pretty wild activity along about midnight, so I liked to be prepared. I had thought that maybe I should stake at least one man out at the two sites that we knew were used most frequently for those rituals, but before the evening shift started, two of my men called in sick. Vomiting, diarrhea . . . really sick . . . and it had hit both of them all of a sudden. I know now that it was a pre-planned spiritual attack to keep me at a disadvantage, because that left me short-handed, and I dropped the idea of covering those secluded places. My reasoning was that I needed the most manpower in the more heavily populated places, since the most people’s safety was at stake there.”

Noah began to grip Serenity’s hand harder, and he swallowed convulsively before he went on. “About midnight I got a call that two children had been reported missing. One was a twelve year-old girl and the other a ten-year old boy. They weren’t related, and there was no reason to believe they would be together, so I took one family and sent a deputy to the other home to get all the information he could. Both families lived just outside the city limits of the same city, but in different directions.

“The parents of the boy told me that he was a member of the Sally Stone Club, and there had been a county-wide Halloween party that night, for all of the kids in the clubs. But it had been held in the civic center of their own town, and they had expected their son to call for a ride home by 10:30. They’d waited another half-hour, thinking he was just dawdling in getting away from his friends, but then they’d called the civic center. There was no answer, and figuring the office must be closed, but that the party was still going on, the father had driven by there, but all the lights were out. So that’s when they called 911.

“I checked with my deputy to see if the girl had turned up yet, and when he spoke with me, he told me that she too was supposed to have been at the Sally Stone Club Halloween Party.” Noah’s grip tightened even more on Serenity’s hand, and she put her other hand over his to try to comfort and encourage him as he went on. “I can still feel exactly what the knot felt like in my stomach when I realized that the party had to be the connection.

“And then . . . all of a sudden, the back door of these people’s home burst open, and a boy, who I later learned was the missing son, ran through the house to the living room where we were sitting. He looked absolutely wild with terror. His eyes were huge, his face was red, and he could hardly breathe from having run so far and so hard. His mother grabbed him up into her arms, and his dad knelt beside him trying to calm him. He was trying to talk, but between the gulps for breath and the convulsive sobs, he wasn’t able to say any words for several moments.

“Then I saw the marks on his wrists. They looked like rope burns, and then I knew . . . I just knew . . .” Noah’s voice had dropped to a whisper, and his eyes were filled with tears that began to trickle down his cheeks. After a few seconds, he cleared his throat so that he could speak more normally again. “I tried to get the boy to speak coherently, and finally, he began to mumble out some words between sobs. First it was just the girl’s name . . . Melinda . . . she went to the same school as he did, so he knew her . . . and then he said something like ‘they killed her.’ Of course, it was all jumbled up with his sobbing, and it still took me several minutes to find out if he meant the witches. When I got that much out of him, I needed him to tell me where they were, but he couldn’t right then.

“I called all my men and alerted them to be ready to move at a moment’s notice. Then I began to describe the two places we were already familiar with as ritual sites, and the boy, Danny, finally recognized one of them, so I was pretty sure we had the location. I took off at top speed and radioed my men where to meet me, and we converged on the place in about fifteen minutes. It was a secluded wooded area, and there was dead silence all around. We couldn’t see or hear anyone, and I was afraid we had the wrong place.”

Noah’s grip on Serenity’s hand was causing her pain by now, but she didn’t dare let go. She could tell that he was barely holding himself together as he continued. “But as we began to sweep the area carefully, we could see that there had been some activity there earlier.” He swallowed hard. “And we finally came across the pentagram and a fire that was still smoldering . . . and then . . . a few feet away . . . we saw . . . Melinda.” The last words were choked out on a sob as Noah covered his face with his hands and finally lost the fragile control he had been trying so hard to maintain.

Look for Chapter Thirteen here tomorrow.

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT — CHAPTER 11

October 12, 2021 | Sandra Pavloff Conner

Sorry I didn’t post a chapter yesterday. Time just got away from me. But to make up for it, I will post two chapters today — but in separate posts.

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT

CHAPTER ELEVEN

About fifteen minutes later her grandfather was at the door with dry clothes, and not five minutes behind him, Noah came in and threw himself into one of the kitchen chairs. He tossed the towel, now soaked, off of his shoulders onto the back of his chair and said, “Is that coffee I smell?”

“Sure is,” Serenity said, setting a big mug of the steaming liquid in front of him. “But you need to change clothes as soon as you can Noah,” she added. He looked up at her, and at Clint, who was standing with his hand still resting on the stack of dry clothes he had laid on the table.

“You go use the bedroom to change first, and get David into something more his size,” Noah said grinning a little at the boy, “and then I’ll change. Right now this coffee is the best sounding thing to my mind,” he added, taking a big gulp and then leaning over so that his elbows rested on the table, his hands wrapped around the mug. He had his head bent, way down, and he looked as if he were off in a world of his own thoughts all of a sudden.

Serenity took the clothes and slipped into the bedroom, returning just a couple of minutes later, dry and neat. Then she took David in and gave him an outfit of his own clothes to put on. She left him dressing, since she knew he always wanted to dress himself whenever possible. When she returned to the kitchen, she poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table. “David will be right out, Noah, and then you must change your clothes.” She looked at his mug and saw that it was empty, but he hadn’t done anything about it. The poor man was probably too spent to even get up off of the chair, she thought, so she refilled his cup and added four spoons of sugar.

He looked up at her then. “I thought that coffee tasted different than usual, but I was too tired to figure out why. You should know by now that I don’t use sugar,” he said, with half of a grin.

“And you should know by now, after all your years dealing with crises of one sort or another, that sometimes a stimulant is called for. Right now all I have to offer in that line is coffee with sugar, so you’re going to drink it,” she said with a determined look on her face that, at least, caused his grin to widen. He drank his sugared coffee obediently.

After a couple more minutes, David came out of the bedroom and took his seat at the table where Serenity had put his mug of hot cocoa. Noah got up then and went to change clothes, and Clint refilled his cup and began to look in Noah’s refrigerator.

“I think it’s getting close enough to supper time that some bacon and eggs would go pretty good, don’t you?” he said, pulling out a carton of eggs and a package of bacon as he spoke.

“Well, I don’t know that we should stay that long, Gramps.”

He looked straight at her and spoke especially quietly, nodding toward the bedroom as he did so. “That man needs to talk to somebody, and it might as well be us.”

Serenity knew her grandfather was right, but she wasn’t sure Noah would agree. However, she yelled toward the bedroom. “Gramps is suggesting he fix all of us some bacon and eggs, Noah. Can you tolerate all of us long enough for that?”

“Sure. It sounds good if you don’t mind missing church to stay and do that.” Noah stepped through the bedroom door then, in a light yellow knit shirt and blue jeans.

“I think all three of you need to dry out and get some rest instead of trying to go to service tonight.” Gramps said. “Sometimes God has other things to do that are important too . . . and besides . . . I’m gettin’ hungry.”

“Then be my guests,” Noah said, chuckling and sitting back down at the table. “Did you find everything you need?” he asked Clint.

“Sure did. Now the rest of you just sit there and rest, and I’ll whip up one of my gourmet meals.”

David had kept looking at Noah in sideways glances repeatedly, but he hadn’t reached for his mug yet. Serenity noticed it was still untouched and she encouraged him, “David, you need to drink your cocoa, Honey.”

Suddenly, David burst into tears, covering his little face with his hands, and before Serenity could get to his side, Noah was squatting down beside his chair, cradling David to him. After a moment, David was finally able to get some words out through the tears, and he said, “I’m sorry, Noah. I’m sorry.”

Noah pulled back enough to look into David’s eyes. “Sorry about what, Dave?”

“I’m sorry I let that happen to Moondancer. Is he going to be all right?”

Noah shifted enough to take hold of David’s shoulders and look him squarely in the face. “David, you didn’t do anything wrong. What happened to Moondancer was not your fault at all. And I mean that. You even tried to swim out and save him for me. Of course,” he added with a chuckle now, trying to get one out of David too, “that move on your part put a little scare into me, but it was a very unselfish thing to do.”

“Are you sure it wasn’t my fault?” he asked, his eyes serious, but less tearful now.

“Absolutely! It was nothing but an attack from our old enemy, the devil. He tried to harm Moondancer and you, but the Lord didn’t let him get away with it.”

David threw his arms around Noah’s neck then. “Thank you for coming for me, Noah. I couldn’t swim any more myself. I was just too tired to keep moving.”

Noah’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m just so grateful that you were able swim as long as you did, David. You’re a very brave boy, and I’m proud of you. But please, promise me that you won’t ever go that far out again . . . not for any reason.”

David nodded his head, and sniffed. “Okay,” he said. “I promise, Noah.” He sniffed again, and Noah handed him his handkerchief.

“Here. Blow and then drink your cocoa before it gets cold.”

So David blew his nose and laid the handkerchief on the table to pick up his mug.

“Is it still hot?” Serenity asked him.

“Yeah,” he said, nodding his head. “Mmmmm, it’s good!”

“Okay, bacon’s done,” Clint announced, setting the platter on the table. “Is scrambled all right for the eggs?”

“Sounds great,” Noah said, moving to the cabinet and taking out plates and silverware and carrying them to the table.

The eggs were done shortly, and they all ate like truly hungry people. Serenity was surprised that they had that much of an appetite after what they’d been through, but she didn’t question it. She knew that good, hot food was often as good a tranquilizer as anything else . . . at least in the right company, so she tried to just enjoy the meal. David hadn’t finished everything on his plate before his eyelids began to droop heavily, and by the third time he tried to blink them open, he had lost the battle. He fell sound asleep sitting in his chair. Noah got up and picked him up. “After that kind of experience, good hot food and warm clothes go a long way toward relaxing you,” He said, grinning. “I’ll lay him on my bed until you’re ready to head home after while.”

Those words made Serenity think that Noah did want to have their company for a while longer, so she hoped he would talk to them openly. When he sat back down, Clint handed him another piece of toast with jelly, and he ate it, still not saying a word. Serenity decided it was time to ask some questions.

“Noah, what made you think that everything happened because of a spell being put on Moondancer?”

“What’s this?” Clint asked.

“When we were praying for the Lord to somehow save Moondancer . . . after Noah had already rescued David . . . he jumped up and began to break a spell and take authority over demonic spirits.” She looked back at Noah. “How did you know?”

Noah looked away from her in thought, and it was then that he realized why he’d thought he should recognize Lacey Dillard. It wasn’t the girl’s eyes that he had seen before. It was the eyes of the demonic spirit that was inhabiting her. A chill ran through Noah, and Serenity laid her hand on his arm. “Are you cold, Noah?”

He refocused on her and shook his head. “No . . . just a little reaction. I’m fine.”

“Are you going to answer my question about how you knew what to do?” Serenity asked him, looking directly into his eyes. He looked away a little and shrugged his shoulders. “I guess the Lord just quickened it to me right then.”

“But . . . the . . . the way you took that authority, Noah . . . it seemed as if . . . as if you’d had a lot of experience doing that kind of thing. I mean . . . well . . . I’ve prayed against demonic power a few times . . . and I’ve heard one or two other people do so . . . and I know it’s necessary sometimes . . . but there was just something about the way you did it.”

“You’re letting your imagination run away with you,” he said, trying for a casual grin that just didn’t come off.

“Well . . . I suppose it could have been my imagination . . . but . . . I don’t think I really believe that, Noah. . . . I think it was the look on your face and the fierceness in your voice. It seemed as if you were dealing with forces that you recognized and understood . . . and —” she threw up her hands before she continued. “Oh, I don’t know . . . it just seemed as if you knew exactly who or what you were dealing with, and that this wasn’t anywhere near the first time you’d dealt with it.”

Noah got up from the table and walked over to the windows. He stood looking out, not saying anything. Serenity looked at her grandfather, and he just raised one finger as if to say that she should give Noah time. So she sat back in her chair and concentrated on keeping silent. As she watched him, she saw him raise his hand and finger the gold ring in his ear. He held onto it, gently fingering the gold hoop and then the tiny cross, as he still looked out the window. Then she heard him whisper, “Forgive me, Lord. Forgive me for breaking my promise.”

Serenity could hear the anguish in the quiet words, and her heart ached for this man. She didn’t know yet what he was dealing with, but it must have been serious indeed to cause that kind of tone in his voice and his hesitancy to discuss it at all. After another moment or two, Clint spoke. “Anything you want to tell us won’t have to go any farther than this room, Son . . . if that’s what you want. But . . . I think you do need to talk, don’t you?”

Noah still didn’t turn around, but in a moment he spoke again, in a more normal volume. “I . . . I just can’t bear to think that I almost let another child die because of the witchcraft!”

Serenity opened her mouth to ask what he meant, but Clint put a restraining hand on her arm to stop her. Then he spoke. “Are you talking about David, Noah?”

Noah didn’t say any words. He nodded hid head in answer, at the same time leaning forward and bracing himself on the window ledge as a heavy sob escaped him, followed by another and another. Serenity’s tender heart just couldn’t take anymore. She jumped up and ran to him, throwing her arms around his shoulders as he leaned way over on the window ledge, his head supported on his closed fists now. She held him as closely as she could while he sobbed, and tears were streaming down her own cheeks, as she hurt for him and didn’t even understand why.

No one in the room could see the fourth occupant. Naam, the “beautiful, pleasant one,” stood faithfully on the other side of Noah, spreading his glorious wings over this weeping couple. He smiled now, knowing that it wasn’t really his presence that was giving his charge comfort right now; it was the presence of this woman of God whom the Eternal Father had chosen to be this man’s helpmate. They didn’t know that yet, of course, but they were learning — one day at a time — and that was enough for now.

But Naam also knew that his presence was for protection right now even more than for comfort. He had been charged with Noah Bennett the day he had been conceived, and he had faithfully executed his duties to guard and keep this man in all his ways. And many had been the times, especially this past year that he had also been his comforter, although Noah had yet to see him with his own eyes.

Naam knew, though, that Noah had felt his presence many times. And, of course, he had been aware that he had received supernatural protection a number of times in his life as a law enforcement officer. This past year had certainly been the most challenging. Naam had been forced to call in extra help from the Hosts of Heaven to cover Noah effectively during that time. And the battles with the demonic powers had been horribly intense on two different occasions. But the Hosts of Heaven had won! Naam smiled to himself now as he remembered. Yes — they had won.

But Jehovah had warned Naam that there would be more battles to come, and Naam had understood that some of those battles would be within Noah’s will. Naam couldn’t interfere with that, of course, but it was his job to make Noah able to find the right places in Jehovah’s Word that would give him direction, and to come into contact with the other members of the Body of Christ that the Lord had chosen to influence him. Those two accomplishments would help to keep Noah’s thinking clear and sound, and help keep his emotions shielded from the deceptive pressures of the enemy. That way, Noah could make his decisions on the basis of Jehovah’s truth alone.

So far, this man had been faithful at every turn in the road. This past two weeks had been a time of fierce struggle, though. Noah had wanted so badly to be allowed to turn his back on this terrible development here in Hamsted. But, finally, today, as Naam had stood beside his charge on the edge of the ocean, the Eternal Father had spoken to the angel and told him to speak to Noah the words that would open his eyes to the fact that he had no choice but to step out in faith and use the authority he had been trained by the Holy Spirit to use.

And then, just a few minutes ago, Naam had been given permission to speak to his charge again. Noah had been so troubled lately that he wasn’t really listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit as he needed to do. So Naam had received instructions to remind Noah about the promise he’d made to the Eternal Father when he had put that ring in his ear. And to Naam’s great delight, just the one little reminder was all that Noah needed to cause him to realize that he had come close to breaking that promise. In the next instant, he had committed himself to it anew.

Look for Chapter Twelve immediately following this one.

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT – CHAPTER 10

October 10, 2021 | Sandra Pavloff Conner

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT

CHAPTER TEN

On Friday afternoon, Lacey and Troy and two other children came to the beach not far from the lighthouse, brought there by their mothers to swim and have a picnic. After swimming for a while, they all sat down to eat and then put up a badminton net where the children began a game. While they were playing, David and Trent came riding down the beach on Moondancer, and when they got close, Troy recognized them.

“Hey,” said Troy, “isn’t that those two scaredy-cats that quit the Library Club?”

Lacey and the other kids looked that direction, and Lacey answered “Yeah, that’s them. Wow! Is that their horse? He’s gorgeous!” She had stopped playing now and began to walk over to where the horse was slowing to a walk. David pulled Moondancer to a stop when he saw Lacey getting close, and then she spoke to them. “Is that your horse?”

“No, he belongs to Noah Bennett. He lives back that way,” David said pointing in the direction of Noah’s cottage. “He just lets us ride him.”

“I ride horses a lot when I go to my grandpa’s farm. Can I ride this one?” she asked, getting close enough that she reached out a hand to pet Moondancer’s neck. The horse instantly shied away from her, surprising David with the sudden move. Lacey stepped closer and started to touch the horses nose, saying, “I won’t hurt you, Boy,” but Moondancer snorted and backed away from her again, becoming more agitated. “What’s wrong with this stupid horse, anyway?” Lacey asked, looking at David.

“I don’t know. He’s never acted this way before. But Noah says he doesn’t usually let other people ride him.”

“Well, if you two babies can ride him, I know I can. Get down and let me get on him.”

“We can’t. You’ll have to ask Noah. And we have to go back now,” David said. Trent nodded his head in agreement. “Yeah, we got to get Moondancer home,” he added. “Bye.” And David steered the stallion back toward Noah’s cottage.

“Stupid horse!” Lacey said as she rejoined her friends. Then she looked after the boys. “I think we’ll just go down there and see where he lives. I bet I can get a ride on him after those two little scaredy-cats leave.”

“Aw, finish the game first, Lacey. You’re holding up everything!” one of the other two children said. “Yeah,” her brother added. “When we see who wins this game, then we can go find the horse. They said he lives down that way.”

So they finished the game and then told their moms they were going for a walk. “All right,” Gloria Dillard said, “but keep an eye on your watch, kids. We need to leave in another hour.” Lacey and Troy both looked at their watches and nodded. “Okay,” they said, and all four kids took off. They weren’t expecting to have to walk quite so far, but they were all in good health and very active, so they didn’t really mind, and Lacey kept prodding them along because she definitely wanted to find that horse.

In the meantime, David had told Noah about the encounter, and Noah hadn’t found it too surprising that Moondancer shied away from a stranger, but the extent of his agitation . . . at least as David explained it . . . did surprise him a little. Well, thought Noah, maybe David had considered it worse than it really was, since he had never seen Moondancer do that before at all. And the fact was that this horse was particularly sensitive and intuitive. That was one of the things that endeared him to Noah so much.

Noah had invited the two boys in for some lemonade and popcorn, and while they were all enjoying that, Lacey and her friends walked by the cottage and spotted Moondancer in the corral. They went running up to the fence and climbed up on it. Noah had glanced out the window and seen them pass, but he didn’t think anything about it until he heard Moondancer. As soon as the kids had mounted the fence, Moondancer, who had been standing right beside it, began to neigh and snort loudly and back away. Noah thought he needed to check on the situation, so he told the boys to go ahead and eat, and he stepped out to check on his horse.

When he saw the kids on the fence and saw Moondancer’s agitation, he knew there had to be some connection, but, for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what it was. He approached the kids, who hadn’t paid any attention to him until he spoke. “Hello there. Are you kids from around here?”

“Hey mister,” Troy said, “is this your horse?”

“Yes, he’s mine. What can I do for you?”

“I want to ride him,” Lacey said, getting off the fence and walking right up to Noah. She seemed a little cocky in her attitude, Noah thought, but kids today sometimes were so undisciplined at home they couldn’t help turning out that way. Noah shook his head.

“I’m sorry, young lady, but Moondancer doesn’t let strangers ride him.”

“I saw those other two boys riding him, and they’re nothing but big babies. I know how to ride, because I go to my grandpa’s farm once a month, and we ride all the time.”

While she had been talking, Moondancer had still been rearing and snorting in agitation, and Noah knew the horse had to be reacting to these children. There was no way he could allow them to get on his back. He’d throw them off instantly. “I’m sorry,” he said again, “but Moondancer is agitated at your being close to him for some reason, and it wouldn’t be safe for you to ride him.”

“Well, I’ve ridden horses that stomp and rear up sometimes,” Lacey answered. “I know how to ride them. And if you let those other boys ride, you should let me ride too!” she added stomping her foot a little. But Noah shook his head again.

“Not today. If you’re here another time, and Moondancer seems quiet and peaceful around you, we’ll think about it then, if we get your parents’ permission, but there won’t be any riding today.”

“Come on, Lacey,” her brother said. “We’re going to be late getting back to Mom if we stay much longer anyway. You don’t have time to ride today.”

“Oh, Mom won’t care, and it’s not fair if they get to ride and not me.” She turned back to Noah. “It’s not fair!” she shouted at him, stomping her foot again. By that time, her brother was pulling on her arm. “Come on, Sis. Maybe next time.” But as he pulled her away slowly, the other kids turning to leave too, Lacey looked back at Noah again. There was something in her eyes that made Noah think he should know the girl, but he couldn’t place her. He didn’t think he had met her on the beach or at church before. But something . . . .

He turned to go back into the cottage now, and was just opening the front door to do so when Lacey ran back from her group of friends, heading straight for the fence again. Noah didn’t see that she had a big rock in her hand until she was right up to the fence. Suddenly she raised her arm, shouting, “You stupid horse!” and threw the rock right at Moondancer. The rock hit him on the shoulder, sending him into a frenzy of agitation, and Noah ran toward Lacey.

“Hey, you stop that right now and get out of here!” he said, his anger barely under control. “And don’t you ever come back here, do you understand me? I will not ever let you ride Moondancer now . . . not for any reason. Now go on!”

Lacey turned toward him, those eyes that he thought he should recognize burning at him. “You’ll be sorry!” she spat out at him. “You’ll see! You’ll be sorry!” And then she ran back to her little group farther down the beach. Noah stepped into the corral and settled Moondancer, checking his shoulder. It was a minor wound, and quickly taken care of, but something in Noah’s spirit was disturbed far more deeply than was understandable to him. He wasn’t sure what it was, and in the midst of trying to figure it out, he heard David’s voice right behind him.

“Did she hurt Moondancer, Noah?” he asked tentatively. “We saw her from the window when she threw the rock. Is he hurt bad?”

Noah turned to the two boys who had come up beside him by then, and he smiled at the tender concern for the horse in their faces. What a difference in children, Noah thought. No wonder Moondancer took to David immediately, and didn’t like that little spitfire of girl at all. He chuckled at the thought a little and answered David. “No, Dave, he’s not really hurt. I put a little salve on his shoulder, and he’ll be all right. Did you guys finish your snack?”

“Yeah, thanks,” they both answered at once. “I guess we need to go home,” David said then, “but will Moondancer be able to ride tomorrow?”

“I’m pretty sure he will,” Noah answered. “I’ll give you a call in the morning and tell you how his shoulder is, okay?”

“Okay,” he said, beaming. Then he reached up and rubbed the stallion’s nose. “Don’t worry, Boy. Trent and I love you, and we’d never hurt you.” The horse moved closer to David and nuzzled his neck, blowing gently the way he always did when the boy petted him.

“He knows that, Dave,” Noah said, tousling the blond head. Then he reached out and patted Trent’s shoulder. “You boys run on and enjoy the rest of your day together now.”

“Okay,” they chorused and turned to leave the corral. “See you tomorrow,” David called as they started down the beach toward the lighthouse.

“See you then,” Noah called in answer, patting Moondancer once more and turning toward his own cottage.

Gloria Dillard sat in a folding lawn chair with her friend, waiting for the children to return. She had been concerned the last couple of weeks about Lacey and Troy’s attitudes. They seemed to be more impatient and foul tempered than they used to be, and they didn’t mind well at all sometimes. Nick’s mother had said the same thing about her son when she had been talking to Gloria one day. Of course, they knew the children were going through those years when everything was changing, and that meant emotions could run pretty wild at times. Both mothers had decided that the age factor was probably the biggest cause. Still, when Lacey came back to their picnic site looking like a severe storm in the making and wouldn’t talk to her about it at all, her mother felt another twinge of concern all the same.

As Lacey read to her small group on Monday morning, she found herself absorbed by the story again, lost in the world of sorcery, feeling almost as if she were Sally Stone. She liked that feeling. It gave her a feeling of importance — and even better — a sense of power. But suddenly, she found herself reading about the time that Sally had put a spell on a neighbor’s dog because it had barked and growled at her and wouldn’t let her go into that person’s yard. She had called on the forces of darkness to drive the dog out of its mind momentarily and send it running into the street right in front of a truck, so that it was killed.

Lacey stopped reading. She looked up from the book, but her eyes did not focus on the students she had been reading to or on anything else in the room. She was looking away from all of that, envisioning her own revenge — on a horse — and his owner. She laughed gleefully now and whispered to herself, “You won’t dance for much longer, Moondancer. I’ll send you to a watery grave, and then you won’t be able to give anybody a ride.”

The younger students that had been listening to her read just looked at her curiously. They realized she had stopped reading, but thought she was getting ready to explain something to them about the witchcraft in the story, because she often did that. Lacey knew a lot about witches and their spells. A couple of their older brothers and sisters knew Lacey and Troy and knew that they got a big allowance, so they were able to order all kinds of witchcraft things from the Internet to practice with.

Some of the kids didn’t really believe the things she told them about the power of spells and curses, but most of them did. However, most of them, even though they loved hearing the Sally Stone stories, still didn’t want to get any closer to real witches and spells than the book itself. They hadn’t had enough experience to know that if they continued to involve themselves in the stories, they would come under the influence of the forces behind the stories and be drawn deeper into the occult world. So they sat with open mouths and bated breath whenever she told them some of the true things she knew about in the dark world of wizardry.

Later that afternoon, Lacey got out one of her spell books, and the book on incantations and secret potions that Miss Parker had found for her, and by the time the Middle School Order of the Magic Arts met the following night, she was ready to enlist their help to put a deadly spell on Moondancer. They were getting pretty effective at putting spells on animals by now. Most of the time they did it just for fun, because it gave them a feeling of power and control. But this time, Lacey intended for the spell to do some lasting damage.

As the group chanted and called on the powers of darkness, they didn’t really see anything particularly wrong with what they were doing. The six Sally Stone books they’d read had made all of this kind of activity seem normal, at least for anyone who had an interest in sorcery anyway. And although they couldn’t get quite enough information from the books alone to always know which potions and enchantments to use, they had been very successful, since money was no real hindrance to Lacey and Troy, in getting more detailed material via the occult sites on the Internet.

Of course, Lacey and Troy had had to sign up to become members of a secret organization in order to get some of the material from the Internet. And they had had to mail in a personal article of their own to that organization, so that they would be attached to it forever, but that didn’t matter. It opened up a much broader world of sorcery to them, and that’s what they wanted. And then, of course, Miss Parker was so thrilled about how far they had advanced in responding to their inner spirit guides, just as she had taught them, that she encouraged them to satisfy their curious minds by ordering even more books and materials for them through her library connections. Two of the books she’d ordered for Lacey had been written by real witches.

So now they called on the powers of the dark arts to work with them as they cast the spell on Noah Bennett’s beautiful stallion. They called for Moondancer to become totally confused in his mind and to be driven straight into the ocean, not stopping for any reason until he had drowned and was dead.

The next afternoon, David walked down to Noah’s cottage, as he was in the habit of doing now, and Noah helped him saddle Moondancer for their ride. Serenity had given her nephew perimeters for his rides, and David was always willing to obey those perimeters, because he knew that it meant he’d be allowed to ride Moondancer all summer. He wasn’t sure what he’d do when Noah left. He didn’t like to think about that because he’d not only come to love this horse; he’d come to love Noah too. But today, he was able to put all of those worries out of his mind as he prepared to mount the stallion.

For some reason Moondancer seemed a little skittish today. Noah noticed it, but he didn’t credit it as having any particular cause, and the horse nuzzled David’s hand and shoulder just like he always did, so David wasn’t the problem. He decided he’d walk along with them for a while, though, just to be sure. “Have you noticed that Moondancer is a little skittish today, Dave?”

“Yeah, he’s not sick though is he?” he asked with genuine concern in his eyes.

“No, he doesn’t show any signs of being sick, and he obviously still considers you a friend. But I think I’ll walk along with the two of you for a bit and make sure everything’s normal.”

“Okay,” David agreed readily. “Do you want to ride too?”

“No, I don’t think that’s necessary. It’s probably nothing more than the fact that he senses some unpleasant weather or something. We do have a bank of clouds a few miles out that could bring us a thunderstorm or two. But it doesn’t look like anything dangerous, and it’s a long way out yet. May not even get this far,” he answered as he lifted David to the saddle. They walked along together to the end of David’s territory on one end and then back as far as Noah’s cottage. Moondancer seemed to be himself, so Noah told David he could go ahead and have a good ride back the other way, and he would follow them, after talking a few minutes with the man who lived in the cottage next door.

David gave Moondancer his customary signal to go for a run, and the stallion took off. Not quite a quarter of a mile down the beach, though, Moondancer stopped suddenly, almost dislodging David, and Noah, seeing it, instinctively began to run that way. But in the next instant, Moondancer had reared back, almost like a wild horse, and David fell off into the sand. He seemed to have landed on his bottom, so Noah had hopes that he wasn’t seriously hurt, but he couldn’t believe what was going on with his horse.

The stallion kept rearing and making wild noises; then suddenly, he took off straight into the ocean. He ran as if he were being driven. By that time, David was back on his feet and calling for the horse, running after him straight into the ocean. The surf was making a good deal of noise periodically, but Noah was close enough now to hear David’s shouts for Moondancer to come back. Noah, in his turn, shouted at David. The boy was already swimming beyond the depth where he would be safe, and the sea was becoming choppy.

Suddenly, panic seized Noah. His midsection tightened with a fear that he hadn’t known since last year. He loved this little boy, and he was about to see him drown before his very eyes if he couldn’t get to him. His immediate response was to pray, of course, which he did fervently, but he also ran like the wind. He’d always stayed in good shape physically, and he’d had to literally run down a criminal or two in his time, but this run was even more critical to him. This run was life or death for David. “Please, Lord, keep him safe. Please, let me get to him in time.”

Noah didn’t even try to follow Moondancer. David was all that mattered to him. But out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Serenity was running toward him where he was just entering the water himself. He half turned back toward her and yelled above the surf. “Stay there! I’ll get him; I promise!”

His next words were in prayer. “Oh, dear Jesus, help me keep that promise!”

David was floundering now, unable to fight the strength of the waves that far out. It had been only a couple of minutes, but he had gone much farther than he could have realized, his eyes focused only on Moondancer. Noah saw David’s head go under, and he plowed through the rough waves with everything in him. Finally, after what seemed a horrible nightmare, he reached the boy. David’s head had gone under once more, but he was bobbing up again, barely. Noah reached him and grabbed him, holding him so tightly that it must have been a miracle, he thought later, that he hadn’t cut off the rest of David’s breath.

It was a struggle, but slowly, finally, Noah got them back into easier waves, closer to shore, and then at last, he was close enough he could stand in the surf and carry David normally. By that time, Serenity was that far out herself, soaked to her waist, tears streaming down her face. She met Noah and David, throwing her arms around both of them, panting for breath. Noah was panting too, so much so that he could hardly speak, but he managed to at least reassure her. “He’s alive, Serie. And he’s conscious.”

They made their way back to the beach, and Serenity grabbed the one towel she had had around her shoulders as she had been walking toward Noah’s cabin. They laid David on his stomach to help him get rid of as much water as possible, and then wrapped him in the towel. He was shivering, but Noah held him. Serenity looked at him, her eyes still filled with shock. “What happened?”

Noah just shook his head. “Moondancer . . .” he stopped. He had forgotten his horse in his desperate fight to save David. He looked back out to the stallion now. The beautiful white horse was beginning to flounder, being much farther out than David had been and in much more dangerous waves. “Dear God, please,” he said in anguish now, “please help him! . . . help us! What can I do, Lord?”

Serenity was praying too. “Please Father, Moondancer is one of Your creatures. And he belongs to your faithful servant. Please save him!”

Suddenly Noah sprang to his feet, and shouted, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I break this spell on Moondancer, and I break the power of these demonic spirits that have been assigned to kill my horse! I command every one of you spirits to stop this attack now! Moondancer belongs to me, and, in the name of Jesus, I command you to leave him right now and never return!” Serenity looked at him with her mouth open. Was that what had happened? There had been a spell placed on the horse? She knew witchcraft was real, but she had never had any firsthand experience with it. How did Noah know?

But she didn’t have time to voice any of her thoughts because, suddenly, Moondancer turned around. He was still floundering somewhat, but he was at least making an attempt to swim toward shore rather than farther out into the ocean. Serenity kept praying, and she could hear David’s shivering voice praying also, as she held him tightly in her arms. Gradually, the horse gained momentum. He must surely be exhausted, thought Serenity. Only the Lord could give him the strength to swim back all that way.

But by now Noah was wading out into the water again. He couldn’t just stand there and watch this horse that he had bonded so closely with struggle all the way back to shore — if he could get all the way back. He could hear Serenity shout at him, “Please be careful, Noah!” But he kept going. He was swimming now, moving steadily toward Moondancer, and finally, by the time the horse was far enough to shore to have his shoulders above the water, Noah reached him. He knew he wasn’t strong enough to physically help the horse make it in, but he could talk to him and pet him and give him the encouragement to keep trying, so that was what he did, as he swam beside the flagging horse.

At last . . . solid ground. Noah dragged himself as far as he could before he collapsed on the beach. Serenity and David were right there, helping him up onto his hands and knees, so that he could at least crawl all the way out of the water. Moondancer stood beside him now, panting and snorting, obviously exhausted, but seeming to be his normal self. Finally he sidled up close to Noah and nuzzled his shoulder. Noah reached up and patted the horse’s nose. “Good boy, Moondancer. Good boy,” was all he was able to get out, and that in a breathless voice.

When he had recovered more of his breath, he straightened the upper part of his body, although he was still kneeling in the sand. “Get David inside, and get him warm, Serenity. I’m all right. But David’s body has been through a shock. You need to get him dry and get him something warm to drink. Take him to my cottage. It’s closer than the lighthouse.” He could see the deep concern in her eyes, and the gratitude — and perhaps — he’d like to believe he saw love there — but he was too exhausted to be able to know for sure. “Go on,” he said to her now. “I’ll follow as soon as I get more breath back.”

She dropped to her knees and embraced him, kissing him on the cheek, her tears mingling with the salt water on his face. “Thank you, Noah,” she managed to say through the tears. “You saved David’s life! How can I ever thank you?” Suddenly she was kissing one cheek and then the other, and then his lips. It wasn’t a romantic embrace; it was all the overwhelming emotions inside of her needing an outlet, but it was like new life to Noah. “Thank you,” she breathed out one more time and then turned to David again. He was still shivering a little, so she wrapped the towel more tightly around him, holding him to her side as they began the walk back to Noah’s cottage.

When they got there, Serenity grabbed two more towels. She dried David thoroughly, rubbing him briskly, and then found one of Noah’s heavier shirts to put on him, just as Noah had done the night of the storm. Then she dried herself as well as she could and moved to the phone to call Gramps. She told him as briefly as possible what had happened, and he promised to be down in just a few minutes with dry clothes. Then Serenity put milk in the microwave for David and began a pot of coffee for her and Noah.

When it started to perk, she glanced out the window and saw Noah leading Moondancer across the yard toward the corral. She knew Noah wouldn’t come inside until he had made sure Moondancer was all right and had gotten him warmed up too, so she grabbed the two heaviest beach towels she could find and ran outside with them. Noah was just removing the saddle from Moondancer when he saw her coming toward him with the towels. “Serenity, go back inside. I’ll be in shortly.” But she ignored his words and reached up and threw one of the towels around him, pulling it tightly around his chest. Then she threw the other one across Moondancer’s back and turned and ran toward the cottage without saying a word.

Find Chapter Eleven here tomorrow.

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT – CHAPTER 9

October 9, 2021 | Sandra Pavloff Conner

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

The next morning when Lacey and Troy got to school for the Library Club, they were early enough that only one or two other students were there, and they were busy setting up some materials Miss Parker was going to use that morning. “Oh, I’m glad you two are here early,” she said to them. “Troy, I need you to count the number of take-home packets we have left on that shelf by the window, and Lacey I could use your help in my office, if you’re willing.”

“Sure, Miss Parker, “ she said and followed the librarian into her little office while Troy moved over to the bookshelf by the window to do his part.

“Now, Lacey, I’ve ordered a number of new books for the library, and I’d like for us to be able to use some of them this summer, but I haven’t had time to check to see exactly which ones have come in so far. Would you be willing to go through all the books in these two boxes and put a check mark beside the titles on my list if those books are here?”

“Sure,” she answered taking the list that Miss Parker handed her, along with a pen from the desk and going over to the two boxes sitting on the floor in the corner. As she worked quickly, she didn’t pay any attention to anything else, until she realized she was hearing Mr. Kelso’s voice. At that she glanced behind her briefly and saw that he was standing in the doorway talking quietly to Miss Parker.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t get to you earlier, but I was tied up with some other problems and got here later than usual. I wanted you to know before you start that you won’t be having David Hartford and Trent Matthews in the program anymore. Their mothers withdrew them yesterday.” Miss Parker made some kind of face that he had never seen her make before, and he didn’t know exactly what it meant, but when she answered him, it was in her usual tone of voice.

“Well . . . I’m not really too surprised. They just couldn’t seem to fit into the program at all. They almost seemed afraid to play the mind-expanding games, and I heard both of them say something about the books not being something God wanted them to read.” She shrugged her shoulders. “It’s a shame, but some people just won’t allow themselves to progress in the development of their inner selves.”

“Well, I think there was a problem with one of them having some nightmares too, and some strange events that the two ladies attributed to the material they had been exposed to here. I told them about how much the program has helped some of the other students, and that it is positively received here because of that, but they just didn’t feel comfortable about the boys coming back. I’m sorry, Miss Parker. I know you try very hard.”

“Thank you, Mr. Kelso. I do try very hard, and I’m seeing some fine progress with most of the children, so I’m not going to take this little event as a setback. But thank you for telling me as soon as possible.”

“Oh, and I meant to tell you that Miss Lawrence did ask to speak with you personally yesterday before she saw me, but you were unavailable, of course. So I assured both ladies that I would fill you in thoroughly, and both of them said that if you should have any questions, you should feel free to call them.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary. As a matter of fact, Mr. Kelso . . . well . . . I hope you’ll understand what I mean by this . . .” she paused as if searching for words. “Well, let me just say that sometimes if you have a person who cannot get into the spirit of the project, he can often interfere with the development of the other people who really want to succeed at it. I think perhaps, in the long run, this is for the best.”

“Well, I’m glad you can look at it that way, then. I’ll go now and let you get to your work. I see most of your students are here now. Have a good day.”

“You too,” she said, as he slipped back out into the hallway and she went into the main room to welcome the children.

So, Lacey thought now, the two smart alecks who thought they were too good to read the books the rest of us read aren’t coming back. About that time, Troy walked in and told her Miss Parker was beginning the class. “Hey, Troy did you hear? Those two boys, Trent and David, have quit the Library Club.”

“How come?”

“Well, you know they said all kinds of silly stuff about God not wanting us to read the Sally Stone books, and they wouldn’t play the games with the rest of the kids. Miss Parker said they were scared. And that’s just what they are: scaredy-cats and smart alecks. I’m glad they’re gone.”

“Who told you?”

“I heard Mr. Kelso telling Miss Parker. She thinks it’s better that they’re gone too. We can all get more out of the classes without somebody like them around. One of them is just an old cry-baby anyway. He had some bad dreams, and now his mommy doesn’t want him to come back.” Her nasty, mocking didn’t seem to affect her brother. Troy just shrugged his shoulders and said, “Well, I guess they’re just too young to appreciate it.”

“But you started reading the Sally Stone books when you were only a year older than them, and you appreciated them, didn’t you?”

“Yeah. I guess you’re right. Anyway, class is started; get out here,” he added, turning back into the main library room, and Lacey followed him, a gleeful look in her eyes. For some reason, she felt that her day had just taken a turn for the better.

By late Thursday afternoon, Serenity was a bundle of nerves. She hadn’t been out on a date since she’d gone back to Cincinnati for several days during Easter week. Then she had gone to dinner twice with a man she had dated frequently before moving to the lighthouse. He was a photographer, and they had worked together on several magazine articles and had become good friends. But Serenity didn’t feel anything beyond a strong friendship for him, and she certainly hadn’t had any butterflies or sweaty palms as she prepared for their evenings together.

Tonight would be different. She knew that as surely as she knew her name. She couldn’t have explained it, but she knew that what she felt when she was with Noah was altogether different from anything she had felt with the men she’d dated before. As a result, she was torn between excitement at having the chance to examine those feelings further, and concern that her feelings might be leading her to a place of heartache when Noah left the area.

“Aunt Serie, how come you’re just sitting there staring at your mirror?” David asked from behind her. She hadn’t heard him come into her room, and she couldn’t help chuckling a little now as she turned and looked at him, still in her dressing gown after her shower.

“I’m just thinking, Dave. Did you and Gramps decide what you’re going to do for supper?”

“Yeah, that’s what I came to tell you. We’re going into town to the fish restaurant, and then Gramps said we might even go to the movie. It’s one about a racehorse. Is that all right with you?”

“I think that sounds like fun. I bet you’ll both have a good time.”

“When’s Noah coming to get you?”

Serenity glanced at her watch. “Oh, my goodness! He’ll be here in about thirty minutes!” she said, shocked that she had sat so long thinking. “Come give me a kiss and then you scoot so I can get dressed quickly.”

“Okay,” he said, giggling. “You must think this is a special night if it’s taking you so long to get ready.”

“Well, it is . . . kind of. Noah and I have never gone out to dinner before.”

“Does that mean you like Noah a lot?”

Serenity tried to decide how to answer that question. “I think we all like Noah a lot, don’t we?”

“Yeah. He’s one of the best friends I’ve ever had.”

“I’m glad. Now you tell Gramps that I said for you two to have a great evening.”

“I will,” he said turning and running back to the hall to carry the message to Clint.

Twenty minutes later, Serenity was standing before her mirror in one of her favorite evening dresses. It was black and sleeveless with a squared neckline that showed off her lovely tan to perfection. The dress fell from an empire waistline in soft folds all the way to the middle of her calf, and she had completed the look with high-heeled, sandals with very thin straps. She had pulled her hair up into a cluster of curls on top of her head with a few wisps floating around her face, and her only jewelry was a pair of single pearl earrings and a single pearl on a short, delicate, gold chain around her neck. When she walked out into the living room, Clint was just on the point of coming to tell her he and David were leaving. But he stopped in his tracks and whistled.

“Now that’s what I call classy, Granddaughter. You’re sure going to attract attention tonight!” he said, grinning broadly at her. David ran up to her then, his eyes bright.

“Gosh, Aunt Serie, you never dress up like that here! You look beautiful! Noah will think so too.”

“Thank you, both of you,” Serenity said, blushing a little as they both still stared at her. “Well, you need to get going, don’t you?” she asked.

Clint chuckled and took David by the hand. “We can take a hint,” he said. “Come on, Dave. We’re not needed around here right now. See you when you get home, Honey,” he said to Serie, and whisked his great-grandson out the door.

Serenity sat down and tried to slow the rapid beating of her heart as she waited, but in no time, she heard Noah’s knock on the door. He was a little early, but at least she wouldn’t keep him waiting. So she walked over and opened the door, inviting him in and stepping back into the full light of the room. Noah stood there with his mouth slightly open, his eyes registering blatant approval of how she looked, but it was several seconds before he said anything.

“Serenity . . . you’re absolutely beautiful!” He wanted to say more, but he was having trouble getting his feelings translated into words. He had recognized the natural beauty of the woman before, but he just hadn’t expected the impact that he’d sustained when she’d opened the door tonight. Where she was usually fresh air and sunshine, tonight she was one hundred percent, tantalizing, provocative woman. And to make the package even more irresistible, there was an innocence about her that made it clear she didn’t even realize how alluring she was.

“Thank you, Noah,” she said almost shyly. “I’m ready if you’d like to leave now,” she added on a questioning note, not quite sure how to react to the look in his eyes. She would have described it as hunger if she had allowed herself to be honest, but instead, she tried to move both of them into the ordinary activities of getting away. She just wasn’t ready to deal with the other yet.

So when Noah finally cleared his throat a little and nodded that he was ready, Serie turned out all the lights except one by the sofa and walked through the door as Noah held it open for her and locked it behind them. It was the first time she had ridden in his car, and she enjoyed the fact that the interior smelled just slightly of his cologne. She inhaled the scent deeply, feeling little ripples of pleasure go through her as she did so. Then she let out a long, slow breath. Get hold of yourself, Serenity, she told herself. Don’t let this evening go to you head, for Pete’s sake.

“Comfortable?” Noah asked, looking at her and glancing to make sure her seatbelt was secure.

“Very.”

“Good. I know the Suburban isn’t exactly the ultimate in transportation for a rather formal evening out, but it was my best choice for this trip to the coast, since I was hauling the trailer with Moondancer. Oh . . . by the way . . . I have some news I think you’ll want to hear.”

“Oh?”

“I’m a new uncle!” he announced, beaming.

“June had her baby!”

Noah nodded, still grinning. “A little . . . or rather . . . a big baby girl. Keith said she weighed in at nine pounds and twelve ounces.”

“No wonder June didn’t feel like doing much for the

last couple of months,” she answered, laughing. “And they’re both fine?”

“Both perfect,” according to Keith, and he gave me just about every detail he could remember. “I’m going to call and talk to June tomorrow. She was already asleep when he called me, just about an hour after the birth, and I didn’t want him to disturb her.”

“Well, I’d like to send them something. You have their address, I suppose.”

“Sure. I’ll get it to you tomorrow.”

“Oh, you haven’t told me her name.”

“Evangeline Joy Campbell.”

“Wow, that’s a mouthful, but I like it.”

“Me too,” he said, glancing at her and smiling. “As a matter of fact, I’ve noticed that we like a lot of the same things.”

“Well, people who have great taste would naturally like the same things, don’t you think,” she asked, grinning at him.

“Absolutely. And speaking of great taste, I hope you like this restaurant. It’s the newest thing in Barclay . . .The Sandcastle. It’s only been open about three weeks.”

“I read in the paper where they were having their grand opening, but I haven’t been there yet. It sounds like a fairly fancy place. I hope I’m dressed formally enough.”

“You’re dressed perfectly. I wouldn’t change a thing,” he said, smiling at her as he briefly took his eyes from the road to glance over her quickly once more. “Besides, I didn’t have a lot of choice myself. I brought only one suit with me, along with two dress shirts and two ties. I intended to loaf and rest during this period of time, so they’ll have to take me in this suit and tie or do without me altogether,” he said, laughing now.

“Well, considering how you look in that one suit, I don’t think they’re going to turn you away . . . especially if the decision is left up to a woman,” she answered, joining in his bantering mood.

Noah laughed out loud again, as he answered her. “Remind me to take you out to dinner often, Serenity. You’re very good for my ego. Would you like some quiet music?”

“Sure,” she answered, and he reached down and flipped open a small CD case. “Look through these and choose something you like.”

So Serenity chose an instrumental worship CD and put it in, adjusting the volume so that they could still talk when they wanted to. As they listened to the music, they did continue to talk sporadically, mostly about general topics and local happenings, and before they realized how much time had elapsed, they were driving into the restaurant parking lot.

The dinner was everything they could have wanted it to be, and the atmosphere in the restaurant was conducive to quiet conversation, which was what they wanted. Noah asked Serenity about her work and her years living in Cincinnati, but whenever she asked him something about his work, he gave very short answers and steered the conversation back to her as quickly as he could. She did, at least, manage to find out that he had been a police officer for several years in a large city in the Midwest before moving to the Southwest and becoming a deputy sheriff. In response to her persistence, he told her about being elected sheriff, but after that, Noah took the conversation in a totally different direction.

“Why is it you’ve never married, Serenity. You’ve surely had offers.”

She laughed lightly, but she blushed too. “Well . . . actually . . . I haven’t had any proposals yet.”

Noah’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open just a little. “Good grief, are all the men you’ve known blind or stupid?”

Serenity laughed out loud then. “Well they could all see well enough, but I don’t know for sure about the other.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I think it’s just that none of the relationships ever seemed to click . . . you know . . . that little extra something just wasn’t there. I’ve been great friends with several men in my life, but . . .” She shrugged her shoulders again and then added. “I don’t really have any explanation, I guess . . . and . . . now . . . with David in my life . . . I’m not sure that there are very many men who will want to even try and find out if something special could develop. But I certainly wouldn’t even consider not raising David. I love him as much as if he had been my own.”

“I can tell. And he feels the same way. But it’s a huge responsibility all by yourself. It was a very unselfish thing for you to do, Serenity. I’m sure the Lord is pleased with you. And . . . don’t sell yourself short . . . or most of the men in the world. There are still a few of us out there who appreciate children too.”

“Oh, I know that’s true. And I didn’t’ mean to sound as if I were accusing men of not being interested in children. It’s just that most men want to begin with just a wife for a few years and then have their own children, only when they’re ready.”

Noah shrugged. “It depends on the man. And you, Serenity, are a very special woman. I’m sure any number of men would be glad to share their life with you and help you raise David.” As he spoke he looked deeply into her eyes. They were large, emerald green jewels, and he felt as though he could look into them for hours at a time. Serenity held his gaze, her face solemn for the moment, wondering what Noah’s words just now had really meant. But after several moments, she lowered her own eyes and began to make little folds in her napkin beside her plate. They had finished eating and were having a second cup of coffee, and she knew the evening needed to come to an end soon. For some reason that made her sad, but she had to force those feelings aside.

Noah still hadn’t spoken anything else, and when she glanced back at him, he was still looking right at her, the look in his eyes more like a smoldering fire now. He sat as still as a stone, the only movement the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, and that was rather rapid, Serenity noticed. Of course, she realized that her breathing matched his, and her heartbeat was now double what it had been five minutes ago. She had to do something to break this connection between them because if she didn’t she might drown in those eyes . . . or worse yet . . . she might say something she would regret.

She managed to tear her eyes away from his and look toward the other side of the restaurant. She took a couple of deep, slow breaths and cleared her throat. Then she glanced at her watch. “Well, it’s getting late, I guess. Do you think we should go?”

Noah glanced down at his own watch. “Not so late, really. But if you’re finished, we could leave and go for a drive down to the beach. It’s a beautiful night.”

“Yes, it is. That sounds like a good way to end the evening. The moon should be right over the ocean about now.”

So they left the restaurant and drove down to the beach, glad that there weren’t very many other people there at this time. “Shall we take a walk,” Noah asked her. “Of course, you’d have to take your shoes off. I’m sure those heels won’t make it in this sand.”

“That’s no problem,” she said and slipped off her shoes. He opened her door and took her hand, leading the way almost to the water’s edge. They strolled along, hand in hand, their fingers entwined, not saying much of anything, just feeling the beauty of the night and the warmth of each other’s presence. After several minutes, Noah realized the breeze was getting chilly, so he took off his jacket and placed it around Serenity’s shoulders, leaving his arm draped over it as they continued walking.

Finally, after they’d strolled a considerable way from the half a dozen other beach combers, they came to a small rise in the ground with a large rock formation jutting out of it toward the sea. Noah placed Serenity against it and stood in front of her as a shelter from the breeze, which was a little stronger on this part of the beach. As she leaned against the rock, he leaned toward her, placing his hands on either side of her just above her shoulders. His eyes, as he looked into hers, were burning with that same fire she had seen in the restaurant, only now it wasn’t nearly as controlled. She felt an answering flame leap within her, and she couldn’t take her eyes away from his.

Slowly, Noah moved his right hand from the rock and gently traced the line of her cheek with his index finger. Serenity shivered as his hand came to the front of her face, and he began, even more gently, to trace the line of her lips, now slightly open as she tried to reclaim her breath. Suddenly, Noah removed his hand from her and straightened up, shoving both hands into his pants pockets, his eyes still on fire.

“Serenity, you know that I want to kiss you.” His voice was low, the timbre of it vibrating over her, touching every nerve. “. . . And I think you know how much I want to kiss you.” She didn’t say a word, but her eyes burned into his, and he knew that he was right. “But I’m not going to kiss you . . . because . . . because . . .” He saw her swallow hard and knew she was fighting the same battle that he was. He tried to pick up the train of thought and finish his explanation. “I’m not going to start something that I don’t know if I can finish . . . even though . . .” His voice had become husky. It was hard to get his breath. He tried to drag in a deep breath to continue, but everything else that he was feeling was consuming him.

Suddenly, he grasped Serenity’s shoulders, and with a groan, he pulled her to him and captured her lips. His reason told him that he was making a mistake, but everything else in him was singing with joy at the experience of connecting so completely with this woman. And Serenity’s response thrilled him even more . . . so much so that he deepened the kiss and wrapped his arms tightly around her as she wrapped her own around him with equal fervor.

Several long moments later, Serenity finally made a slight motion to pull away, and Noah begrudgingly released her lips, but not his embrace. Immediately, his mouth traced a line of kisses along her cheek, nestling momentarily at her ear, and then moving just below to the tender spot on her neck. Serenity had felt searing heat engulf her the moment Noah’s lips had touched hers, and even now, she felt the same trail of heat as he moved his mouth gently against her skin. She rested her head against his shoulder, and as he placed one hand against the back of her head, he whispered in her ear. “So much for my good intentions.”

At that, Serenity gave the tiniest giggle, and although she tried to smother it, she failed. But that response managed to defuse some the energy of the moment, and as she pulled back, Noah was able to slacken his hold and finally release her, except to place his hands gently on her shoulders. He looked into her eyes. “I’ve come to care very deeply for you, Serenity. But I don’t know for sure what that can mean for us. I’d like to think you feel the same, but I’m not going to ask you to confess that, because I have no choice but to continue doing some very serious soul searching right now. And . . . that being the case . . . I can’t afford to let myself focus on anything else or anyone else too deeply.”

“Well, I’m not sure what my future as an instantaneous mother holds either, Noah, so I’m not ready to make any declarations either.” His eyes searched hers, and there was an undeniable longing in them, but Serenity could tell that he had gotten control of himself again, and he would force himself not to give in to satisfying that longing until he was satisfied about everything else in his life. She smiled at him now. “I think we probably should start for home, though, don’t you?”

Noah nodded, letting out a deep sigh, and turned back toward the way they had come, taking her hand in his again. They made the drive back in silence for the most part, but it was a peaceful, pleasant silence. Each of them needed to sort through their thoughts and feelings, and neither wanted to risk hurting the other. They listened to the worship CD again, and somewhere along the middle of the program, Serenity fell asleep. When they arrived at the lighthouse, Noah patted her shoulder gently. “Serie,” he whispered, but had to do so three times before she woke. As she came awake, before she opened her eyes, she felt his warm, breath on her face, and inhaled the sweet scent of him, remembering the kiss for another moment. She smiled then and finally opened her eyes, looking right into his.

“Sorry, Noah. I guess I was pretty boring company on the trip home.”

“No need to apologize. You’re very beautiful when you’re asleep, and you didn’t even snore,” he said, grinning, as she sat up straighter and unfastened her seatbelt. Noah got out and came around to open her door. He took her hand and held it all the way to her own front door. Then he took her key and unlocked the door, holding it open for her to enter. Just as she stepped into the doorway of the silent house, she turned back to smile at him and thank him for dinner.

“It was my pleasure . . . and . . .” He paused and barely touched his index finger to her lips. “Thank you for sharing that beautiful kiss with me, Serie.”

Her throat felt clogged suddenly — with what emotion she wasn’t sure — but she couldn’t get any words out. Finally, she just smiled once more and whispered, “Goodnight, Noah,” and turned to step the rest of the way into the living room.

“Night, Serie . . . sweet dreams,” he whispered and turned toward his car.

Look for Chapter Ten here tomorrow.

faith confessions flip books

October 9, 2021 | Sandra Pavloff Conner

I have several Christian friends who like to confess God’s Word over themselves and their families every day, so I made them flipbooks that have some of their favorite scriptures (in a personalized version) on the pages of the book and some more on decorated cards slipped into the pockets. Each book has a different decorative theme, depending on the individual person — or my available materials. This is one that I made this week with an autumn theme. (I also include a specialty tea bag in each pocket as an extra treat. ).
Sorry my photos are not super clear.

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT – CHAPTER 8

October 8, 2021 | Sandra Pavloff Conner

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT

CHAPTER EIGHT

At 8:30 Tuesday morning, Serenity called the school office and asked if Miss Parker would be in that day. The secretary told her that Miss Parker didn’t come in on Tuesdays and asked if she could be of assistance.

“No, but if I can’t get in touch with Miss Parker, then I need to see Mr. Kelso sometime today. Would that be a problem?”

“Not at all, Miss Lawrence. May I ask what the meeting is for?”

“It has to do with some problems that have come up in the Library Club, and I’m not sure that I can send David back. I need to discuss the whole matter with Mr. Kelso.”

“Very well, he has time to see you late this morning, around 11:00, or after lunch at 1:30.”

“We’ll be in at 11:00 then. Mrs. Matthews, Trent’s mother, will be coming in with me.”

“Okay, I have you down for 11:00. See you then.”

“Thank you. See you at 11:00.”

When the two mothers sat down in Mr. Kelso’s office, they were still trying to decide where to start their explanation. They had prayed together on the way over, asking the Lord to give them the right words, and now they knew they just had to trust that He would.

“Miss Maxwell said there seemed to be some kind of problem with the Library Club that you needed to discuss with me, is that correct?” he asked, his features pleasant and his voice kind.

“Yes,” Serenity said. “And we want you to know that we haven’t come to you in order to go behind Miss Parker’s back. I did ask to meet with her, but she won’t be in today, and I intended to meet with you after I had seen her anyway, so . . . I hope it’s all right with you to do it this way instead.”

“Certainly. I want to know if we have a problem of any kind here.”

“Well, there are probably a number of parents . . . actually, there evidently are a number of parents who don’t think there is a problem, but for Elizabeth and myself, and our families, there definitely is. David and Trent always share with us what they’ve done each day, and it seems that both times they’ve come they have been subjected to long sessions of readings from books on witchcraft and demonic activity. Then they have been asked to pretend that they could become some kind of animal that could give them great power to do secret things. And in yesterday’s session, they were told to lie down on a mat, with the lights out in the room, and imagine that they had some kind of being coming from the inside of them that they could talk to and receive directions from.

“Now both of our families are strong Christian families, and all this witchcraft and sorcery teaching, as well as the imagination games, which are indicative of new age meditation techniques, go completely against what we believe and allow our children to practice. We’re wondering why those specific things are being taught under the auspices of a Library Reading Program.”

Mr. Kelso smiled at the two ladies. “I know the program you’re referring to, ladies, but I assure you that we are not engaging in some kind of sorcery or new age religion. Miss Parker explained to the board about how these games free the students to begin to use their minds more energetically and, as a result, enable them to get more out of their regular academic subjects throughout the year. The games also draw out the natural creativity in each child. And I can tell you first hand that last year some of our students who were quite shy and were underachievers, before being exposed to those games, became very extroverted and began to accomplish a number of tasks better after learning to play the games. And most of our students read more books during the year since Miss Parker has managed to introduce some of the more current and very popular books into our library.”

“But, Mr. Kelso, there are any number of games that will challenge and even quicken a child’s intelligence that don’t require them to practically go into some kind of trance and imagine they are speaking with another kind of being inside of themselves,” Serenity said.

“Are you sure the boys aren’t exaggerating just a little about what they’re being instructed to do? Sometimes children do that when the experience is totally new to them. And I think that would be likely with David especially, since you told me he had been through a traumatic year and had been home schooled as an only student during the last school year.”

“Mr. Kelso, each one of these boys is considered higher than average in intelligence, according to all of their test scores, and each one of them has had a great many experiences due to living in more than one place as well as traveling a good deal. I don’t think they’ve been so secluded or shielded that they would find it necessary to tell lies or exaggerate about their experiences here. Furthermore, each one of the boys told the exact same story to two different mothers at two different times. I think that alone makes their information more than plausible.”

Then Elizabeth spoke. “That’s right, and they didn’t exaggerate at all about what they’re having read to them for about an hour and a half each day, because I checked the content of those books myself. They’re horrid! And there are certainly hundreds of books on the market that are written specifically to interest children that don’t require them to study the science of witchcraft. Kids don’t have to read about a person turning into an animal, or possessing an animal’s body, or having body parts cut off and thrown into a boiling cauldron to effect some kind of spell in order to learn to love reading, surely!” Her voice had risen a little by the time she finished her statement, and Mr. Kelso lifted his hands in a motion that evidently was meant to calm her.

“Please don’t get so upset, Mrs. Matthews. I assure you we encourage our children to read all kinds of literature. This summer, Miss Parker is just centering her program on the Sally Stone books because they are so popular, and they lend themselves very well to rounding out the work with the mind-expanding games. Perhaps if you gave the program a little more time, you would begin to see the value in it for your boys.”

Serenity felt a knot form in her stomach. Something was terribly wrong that this man couldn’t see the harm in what was being taught in his school’s library. She felt a little sick at her stomach, and tried to tell herself that her feelings were not coming from fear. Finally, she spoke again. “Well, Mr. Kelso, as I said, our families are Christians— ”

“Oh, I’m Christian too,” he interrupted her to say.

“Well, that’s good to know, but the fact still remains that the things that are being taught in the Library Club so far are actually part of a religion. The games are the same things taught in Hinduism, and the sorcery books are basically teaching the satanic religion. So I have no peace about exposing David to that kind of influence, and I won’t be bringing him back.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Miss Lawrence,” he said, and sounded as if he really meant it. Then he looked at Elizabeth. “And do you feel the same way, Mrs. Matthews?”

“Definitely,” she said. “Mr. Matthews and I will be withdrawing Trent from the program too. I probably should tell you something else too. Trent has been having horrible nightmares since he started coming to these classes. He even had an experience when he was awake when he thought he was being visited by some other weird being. We even called our pastor and had him come over so that we could all pray until my son had peace again. He has never had any experiences like that in his life until he came to these classes, and now that he’s free from those horrible things again, I definitely will not expose him to any more of what caused them.”

Mr. Kelso shook his head sadly. “Well that’s very unfortunate, of course. I’m sorry you son had so much trouble. And I’m sorry the boys won’t be participating in the rest of the program. I’m sure Miss Parker will be sorry too, but I’ll explain it to her the way you’ve explained it to me. If she does have any questions, is it all right if she calls and talks to you?”

“Certainly,” Serenity answered, glancing at Elizabeth for confirmation, and her friend nodded her head as well. Then Serenity continued. “But there may be another problem, Mr, Kelso. I need to find out from you if the material taught throughout the year will also include this kind of thing, because if so, I can’t send David here to school at all.”

“I can assure you, Miss Lawrence, that this particular program is a specialized one and is used only as part of the library and reading advancement curriculum. Your nephew would not even be exposed to any of it in any of his other classes.”

“And would he be required to take part in it during their class visits to the library?”

“Not if you don’t want him to. He can always just go to the library and check out a book that he wants to read and sit at a table and read quietly while the other children take part in whatever Miss Parker offers that week. Would that be satisfactory?”

Serenity looked at Elizabeth and could see doubt in her eyes that matched what Serenity herself was feeling. “Well,” she finally said, “I need to talk this over with my grandfather, since he’s actually helping me raise David right now. I would certainly want his input before I make a final decision. Let’s just say that we’ll leave David enrolled for next year . . . at least for now . . . and perhaps I can talk with you again after I’ve had time to think it over and pray about it some more.”

“Very well,” he said, smiling again. “And you too, Mrs. Matthews?”

“I think that’s the best plan for us too, Mr. Kelso. At least until I have a chance to talk more with my husband. He may want to come in and talk with you himself.”

“Anytime,” he said and than glanced briefly at his watch.

Serenity took the hint and rose from her chair, as did Elizabeth. “Thank you very much for taking so much time to discuss this with us, Mr. Kelso,” Serenity said, extending her hand to shake his.

“It’s all part of my job,” he answered, turning to shake Elizabeth’s hand next. “Mrs. Matthews, tell your husband to feel welcome to come and talk to me if he needs to.”

The two women walked back into the main office. The secretary smiled at them from where she sat at her computer terminal. “Have a good afternoon, ladies,” she said.

“You too,” Elizabeth answered for both of them, and they started for their car.

Serenity and Clint invited Elizabeth and Lucas to dinner that evening so that the two families could discuss the pros and cons of leaving the boys enrolled in Hamsted Elementary School. Serenity had thought that if all four of them could share their thoughts and their hearts, they might be more likely to cover all of the aspects of the problem and reach a better decision.

She had wanted to invite Noah too, but she hadn’t asked Elizabeth about doing so, and they didn’t know him as well as she and Clint did. Besides, why should she put him in the position of having to hear all of their problems? He was here to get rest himself, and he’d be gone after August, so none of this would affect him at all.

Suddenly the gravity of that knowledge hit her with a jolt. He would be gone. And she most likely would never see him again . . . unless his sister and brother-in-law took the cottage another time, and he came for a visit. But that wasn’t likely with Keith and June having a new baby now. There was a deep sense of emptiness inside as Serenity contemplated her life without Noah in it. And wasn’t that silly, she told herself. She hadn’t really even known the man before four weeks ago. How could she feel an emptiness at the thought of his being gone from her life again?

Well, she didn’t know how; she just knew it was so. But she could shake off that feeling surely. Their relationship hadn’t moved into anything intimate, after all. Even after Noah had hinted several days ago that he wanted to take her some place romantic, nothing had developed. She got up now from where she’d been sitting on the porch looking at the ocean. She needed to get the meal started and get her mind out of this depressed train of thought.

Their meal progressed cheerfully. The boys always had fun together, and the four adults were beginning to feel as if they had been life-long friends. When they sent the boys out to play and finally began to discuss the school and its difficulties, they found that all four of them were on exactly the same wavelength. It looked as if they were all leaning toward the idea of sending the boys to the Christian school at Barclay or home schooling them both.

“If we pooled our knowledge and resources,” Elizabeth said now, “we could teach both of them at the same time and share all of the work load . . . maybe even alternate days, so that neither of us had to be tied to it every day.”

“That would make it a lot easier,” Serenity said. “Especially when I’m trying to meet a deadline from time to time,” she added chuckling. “I’m notorious for barely making it under the wire most of the time anyway.”

“Well, let’s all pray together right now,” Lucas said, “and then we can continue to pray the rest of this week and see what the Lord will show us.”

“Sounds good,” Clint said and reached out his hands to either side, indicating he was ready to join hands and hearts in that prayer. After that, they called the boys in, since it was getting dark, and Serenity insisted that they stay for her to put on a fresh pot of coffee and serve another piece of pie all around. Lucas said he just couldn’t resist another piece of the strawberry rhubarb pie, so they stayed. When they were walking to their car to start home, Noah came riding along the shore toward the lighthouse, so they waited to speak to him before they left.

After bidding the Matthews goodnight, Serenity turned to Noah, who had dismounted and was standing holding Moondancer’s reins. “There’s strawberry rhubarb pie left, Noah, and plenty of coffee. Would you like some?”

She could see interest flicker in his eyes, but he asked, “Are you sure you’re not too tired for more company?”

Serenity laughed. “Not at all. All we did tonight was talk and eat. Come on in. I’m sure Gramps will join you for coffee at least.” So they all trouped back into the kitchen, and Serenity told David that he needed to get his bath and prepare for bed.

“Oh, Aunt Serie, can’t I stay up and talk to Noah?”

“You can come and talk just a few minutes after you get your pajamas on and brush your teeth.”

“Okay,” he said, showing a definite lack of enthusiasm, but he obeyed just the same.

“Let’s sit in the living room this time,” Serenity said. “We’ve been sitting around this table for hours. We had so much to discuss that we just got right into it after dessert and never moved from our spots.’

“Problems of some kind?” Noah asked.

Serenity told him as simply as she could about her and Elizabeth’s visit to Mr, Kelso that morning and the results. Noah listened attentively enough, but at the same time, he seemed distant somehow . . . almost as if he were in his own world while he was listening to her tell about the events of the day. But when she had finished, he responded immediately.

“I think you and Elizabeth are very wise to take the boys out of that, Serenity. Most people don’t recognize how dangerous some of that stuff can be,” he said, letting his eyes stray from her face and focus somewhere off in the distance, as if he were seeing something else. It was a most unusual feeling that Serenity had as she watched him, and yet she felt sure that he was really paying attention to what she said to him.

Finally, she asked him. “Do you know a lot about this kind of thing, Noah?”

He lowered his eyes, staring down at the floor for a few moments, but eventually answered her in a very quiet voice. “I know enough.” Then he looked back to her face. “But it isn’t something I really want to discuss. Let’s just say that I know enough to tell you that you did the right thing taking David out of the program.”

“Well, now what we have to decide is whether to leave the boys enrolled there for the regular school year or not.”

“Where would they go otherwise?”

“Well, we’ve contemplated home schooling again . . . or possibly the Christian school in Barclay . . . but it’s so far . . . about a forty-five minute drive both ways.”

Noah nodded. “Yes, I’ve been over there a time or two since I’ve been here. Well, are you leaning toward one of those solutions more than the other?”

“Maybe,” Serenity answered, saying the word slowly. “But it’s early days yet.”

“Well, I’ll be praying that the Lord will give you clear answers,” he said, setting down his empty pie plate. “And now I’d better get going. The pie was absolutely delicious. Oh, and by the way, I never got back to you about our unfinished plans that we discussed on the phone the other day. What do you say to a nice, quiet, candlelit dinner one evening this week?”

“Uh . . . well . . .”

“She says ‘Yes,’” her grandfather answered for her, grinning. When she opened her mouth to say something, he wagged his finger at her. “I’ve told you, young lady, it’s time you gave yourself as much consideration and care as you do others.” He looked at Noah. “She’ll go. Just tell her what night to be ready.”

Noah laughed and looked at Serenity, his eyes twinkling. “Well, Miss Serenity Lawrence, it seems you’re going to dinner with me, so we might as well make it as soon as possible. What about Thursday?”

Serenity smiled at him. “I would like to go to dinner with you, Noah, and Thursday’s fine.”

“Good. We’ll go into Barclay, so I’ll make some reservations for 7:00, and I’ll pick you up about 6:00, how’s that?”

“Fine.”

Just then David came bouncing in and ran to sit on the footstool by Noah’s chair. “Aunt Serie said I don’t have to go to that dumb old Library Club anymore, Noah.”

Noah reached out his hand and pinched him lightly on the nose. “I think you have a very smart aunt, David. I hope you’re giving her lots of hugs and kisses to show how much you appreciate her.”

David nodded his head vigorously. “I do. I give her lots of hugs and kisses, don’t I, Aunt Serie?” he asked turning to her now.

“You certainly do, Sweetheart, and they’re what gives me the energy to keep going. Now Noah has to leave, so tell him goodnight and go hop in bed. I’ll be in before long.”

Clint got up and reached his hand out to David. “How about Gramps reading the bedtime story tonight, Cowboy?”

David jumped up. “Great!” he said, and then turned back to Noah. “Goodnight, Noah. I’ll probably see you tomorrow.”

“For sure,” Noah answered him and watched as he kissed and hugged his aunt and started for the bedroom with his great grandfather. Just before they turned down the hallway, David turned back to Noah.

“You should give Aunt Serie hugs and kisses too, Noah, to show her how much you liked her pie,” he said innocently and then was off to bed again. His great-grandfather chuckled and just continued down the hall with David without saying a word.

Noah looked at Serenity, a smile on his face, and when he saw the blush that covered hers, he said. “Please don’t be embarrassed. It’s a thought I’ve had a number of times myself . . . but . . . well . . . I’ve learned that it’s not always good policy to follow through on every impulsive thought.” He rose then and so did Serenity as she answered him.

“Yes, I’ve learned that lesson too,” she said and smiled as she led the way to the door. They stepped out on the porch into the moonlight, and Noah turned to her and reached up his hand, touching her cheek as gently as a feather with his fingers.

“I’ve got a lot to work through personally right now, Serenity. I’m not sure exactly what my future holds at this point . . . for a number of reasons . . . except that I’ll most likely be leaving here after August.”

“Noah, you don’t owe me any explanations,” she said hurriedly.

He dropped his hand to his side and thrust both hands into his jeans pockets. “I know,” he said, looking out toward the ocean. “I know I don’t owe you any, but I’d like to give you some. I just don’t know for sure how to do that right now.” He looked back at her, a smile on his face again. “Well, it’s late. Maybe we can finish this conversation Thursday . . . that is if you’re still willing to go out to dinner with me?”

“I’m willing,” she said grinning, a teasing light in her eyes. “I think I’ve taken bigger risks in my lifetime.”

Noah chuckled, as she had meant for him to do, and then he stepped off the porch and headed for his horse. She walked out that direction part of the way, and as he mounted Moondancer and turned him toward home, he said, “Goodnight Serie. Sweet dreams.”

“You too. Goodnight,” she said, and then walked back to the porch and sat down, watching him ride along the beach as far as she could before going inside.

When Noah got home, he took a shower and got ready for bed. Then as he stretched out on the bed, he picked up the Barclay paper that he’d bought that afternoon. Hamsted’s paper was just a weekly affair, and Noah liked to keep up more than that, so two or three times a week he bought a copy of The Barclay Chronicle. He hadn’t taken the time to read it yet, but since he was too keyed up after his visit with Serenity, he decided the paper would provide a way to shift his thoughts and, hopefully, shift gears in his emotions. The two front-page articles had something to do with national politics, and Noah just scanned them, having heard most of the information on the TV earlier. But when he turned to the first inside page, he came face to face with a scene right out of his own memory.

There was a picture of an obviously very worn wooden floor with a pentagram painted on it in black paint. Several candles were scattered around the floor, all well used, some of them completely burned down to the holder. But most captivating of anything in the picture were the large, dark stains on the floor in the center of the painted symbol. The article identified them as bloodstains, coming from the blood of the animal that had been slaughtered right at the scene sometime within a twenty-four hour period prior to the picture being taken.

Noah snapped his eyes shut, shaking his head as if he could shake the picture out of it. It was like having a flashback – or having the dream again. He’d had so many during the last several months, and only since coming here had he thought he might be rid of them. But as he sat there with his eyes closed, the headline flashed onto the screen of his mind. His eyes had simply skimmed over it on the way to the picture, but evidently it had registered. “IS SALLY STONE RESPONSIBLE FOR SLAUGHTER OF LOCAL ANIMALS?”

Noah opened his eyes and looked at the article again. As he read down the columns, he discovered that this kind of crime had been discovered twice since the newest Sally Stone movie had come to the Barclay area. A few inhabitants had suggested that these crimes indicated that there really was such a thing as witchcraft, and that people shouldn’t take it so lightly. But in the interview with the county sheriff, the reporter got a lengthy quote discounting that possibility.

“That’s nonsense,” the sheriff was quoted as saying. “These two crimes were obviously perpetrated by some kids or some weirdos who got ideas when they saw the movie and then went out and acted out exactly what they saw. As near as we can tell, the two situations we’ve discovered are identical to the two such events in the movie. Somebody is out to play a mean joke on the public,” he said. The article continued for some length, but Noah let the paper slip from his fingers as he closed his eyes again.

“No,” he whispered. “No,” he said again, a little louder. Then he bounded out of his bed, shouting, “No! No! No!” He put both hands up to his head, holding it as if it hurt, but it wasn’t physical pain that was tormenting him. He paced back and forth across the room a couple of times and then walked back to the bed and picked up the paper. This time he concentrated on the picture of the sheriff. “You idiot! It is real! . . . very real!” Noah gripped the paper as if he were gripping the shoulders of the sheriff whose likeness he was staring at. “Don’t be a fool and wait too long the way I did!” he shouted at the photo and then threw the paper down on the floor with a despairing groan.

He paced back over to the bedroom window and slammed his open hand against the window frame as he looked out. “Lord, don’t expect me to do anything about this. I’ve done my part, and I wasn’t any good at that! You should have gotten someone else . . . You should have made sure someone else became sheriff in that last election because You knew what was coming and that I’d bungle it.”

He looked out at the night sky and tried to take a deep breath to settle himself, but it didn’t work. The thoughts came to him hard and fast about all that he’d learned during the last year as a sheriff facing the kind of spiritual warfare his church hadn’t prepared him for. Yes, he’d learned — finally — and the decent people of his county had won in the end — but at what cost? He shook his head. “No,” he spoke aloud again and then turned and moved across the room in a flash. He pulled on his blue jeans and then grabbed the paper, almost running outside to the barrel where he burned items from time to time.

With a thrust of his arm, he made sure the paper was securely stuffed as far down as it would go and put the lid on the barrel. “This time it’s somebody else’s problem. They’ve got the Bible. Let them learn to study it the way I did. Let them learn too, Lord. Maybe they’ll even do a better job than I did. And don’t ask me to try to help. They’d only consider it interference.” He turned to walk over toward the corral. “Besides, I’m not their savior . . . You are,” he added, opening the corral gate and reaching up to pet Moondancer, who sensed the chance for another ride in the moonlight. He saddled the stallion quickly and then mounted and took off. He let Moondancer have his head. He needed to run like the wind himself . . . to get away.

So they ran, Moondancer trying to race with the moon, but Noah just trying to race away from the darkness. But where was he going? What was he racing toward? Just running away without some destination at the end of the race was no good, and he knew that, but he kept running. He had to have some relief, the kind he’d found before on the back of this magnificent stallion that the Lord had provided for him. God had truly been good to give him a horse this special. He knew that, and he was grateful with his whole heart. But he couldn’t let himself think too much about the Lord right now. He knew where that could lead him, and he couldn’t bear the thought.

So he raced through the night . . . and the Hosts of Heaven watched . . . and the hosts of hell watched . . . and His Eternal Father, Jehovah, watched . . . but as Jehovah watched, He smiled. He knew what was really in the heart of this son of His, this warrior of the kingdom who had proven himself so faithful in the past. And He knew that Noah would do the same again this time. So even while Noah ran, Jehovah smiled. It wouldn’t be long now, and Noah Bennett would turn and begin to race straight toward the Light again — and then the battle could begin.

Find Chapter Nine her tomorrow.

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT – CHAPTER 7

October 7, 2021 | Sandra Pavloff Conner

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT

CHAPTER SEVEN

When they went inside, Noah decided maybe it would be best to have David get ready for bed before the movie, figuring it was late enough that his guest would probably be asleep before the end. But within a few minutes they were sitting on the sofa with their feet propped up, watching a good old-fashioned cowboy show. Halfway through, Noah put a bag of popcorn in the microwave, but before David’s bowl was empty, he was sound asleep, still in a sitting position with the bowl on his lap. Noah relieved him of the bowl and picked him up carefully, carrying him into the second bedroom and putting him into the twin bed.

Back in the living room, Noah sat down in front of the movie again, but he wasn’t watching it. His mind had gone back to the things David had told him about his day. Noah leaned over, resting his elbows on his knees and putting his face in his hands, letting out a painful sigh. Finally, he reached over and turned off the video and the TV. He stood and walked out onto the porch. He was too restless to sit still. He stepped off the porch and looked up at the night sky. The moon was almost full, and the stars were so brilliant they seemed almost within arms’ reach.

Usually looking up into that vast panorama filled him with a special kind of peace, but tonight, he couldn’t capture it. There was no peace for Noah Bennett. Not now — not after what David had told him. “Why here, Lord? Why now? You know . . . You know I can’t deal with it again!” He spoke softly, but his words carried pain in them. He took a few more steps into the yard. “Don’t expect me to get involved this time, Lord. I can’t. . . . I can’t!” He turned and walked out to the corral to check on Moondancer. The horse had been for the ride with David, but Noah could tell that he was eager to go for a moonlight run with Noah.

“Not tonight, buddy. We’ve got company, and I don’t want to leave David alone in the cottage.” He stood there petting the horse’s nose and then his neck. He finally leaned his head against Moondancer’s neck as if to draw some kind of solace. The horse whinnied softly, nuzzling Noah’s shoulder, sensing his master’s mood. At last Noah chuckled a little and pulled his head away from the horse. “You know me pretty well, don’t you, Boy?” He patted the horse’s nose once more. “We’ll go for a run in the moonlight tomorrow night. I promise,” he said and turned back to the cottage, hoping, somehow, he could get himself to sleep before dawn.

The following Wednesday morning, at the Library Club, David was upset to find out that they were going to hear more from the same book that Lacey had read from on Monday. This time the events she read about were gruesome as well as evil, and after several minutes, David covered his ears so that he couldn’t hear it very well. He noticed that Trent was listening, but he didn’t want to say anything to him and cause Lacey to stop and scold him for talking, so he just tried to put his mind on other things.

After the snack, Miss Parker sat them down and explained a new game she said they would really like. “The name of this game is ‘Inside Myself,’ and when you play it, you get to find out what all kinds of interesting things there are inside of everyone of you.” She told them about some other students who had played it and met some special spirit guides who lived inside of them. “It’s been very exciting,” she said. “You just have no idea who or what you might meet until you play the game a few times.”

David and Trent looked at each other with a look in their eyes that suggested maybe Miss Parker had lost her mind. And David was surprised that three other kids from his church were in the club and seemed to be agreeing with everything Miss Parker said.

“Now,” she continued to ease them into the game, “I’m going to turn off the lights, and I want you to lie down, close your eyes, and get completely still.” When the students had all complied with her instructions, lying on little rug mats that she had provided, she spoke again. “Now I want you to try to picture all the thoughts in your mind and all the feelings that you are feeling right now as little birds or butterflies. . . . Concentrate. . . . Can you see them, flitting around in your head?” One or two of the children answered, “Yes.”

“No, don’t talk,” she said. “Just listen and do as I say, and when I ask you something, just answer in your own mind, but don’t make any sounds. Now, I want you to picture every one of those little birds or butterflies flying out of your head one at a time, and then your mind will be empty. Make sure you imagine any anger or fear or any other feelings the same way and see them fly away.” She paused for several minutes and then continued.

“Now I want you to listen to this word that I say over and over, and then I want you to begin to say it with me.” David listened, but what Miss Parker was saying didn’t sound like any words he’d ever heard. It was some weird sound, between a word and a sort of loud humming sound. He sneaked his eyes open and looked at Trent. His friend was lying there with his eyes closed, but he wasn’t trying to say the word either. And David certainly wasn’t going to do so. He didn’t feel good about any of this. He didn’t really know why, of course. He was too young to really understand that the Holy Spirit inside of him was guarding him from all of this. He just knew that it made him uncomfortable, and that his Aunt Serie wouldn’t approve of it.

After a few more minutes, Miss Parker said, “Now as you are saying this word, begin to imagine a being coming from deep inside of you, taking shape and coming into focus in your mind. This being will smile at you and may even reach out a hand toward you, and if you’ll concentrate really hard, you may even be able to hear it speak to you. . . . I want you to concentrate very hard.” All through the exercise, Miss Parker had kept her voice very quiet and soft, almost as if she were trying to put them to sleep, David thought — the way Aunt Serie did when she was reading him a story in bed at night.

Finally after what seemed like a long time to David, Miss Parker said, “All right now, students, in your own mind, with your thoughts only, I want you to ask this being what its name is, and then the very first name that comes into your mind will be the answer to your question.” So she gave them time to carry out her instructions, and then said. “That’s enough of the exercise for today, so I want you to smile at your new friend and think the words, ‘I’ll see you again soon,’ and then let the being drift away, back down inside of you. Keep your eyes closed until your new friend is completely gone, and then you may open your eyes and sit up.”

One by one the students began to sit up, and David and Trent followed suit. David looked at Trent again, and they both grinned at each other and rolled their eyes. Miss Parker got up from her chair and turned on the lights. “Now, the last thing I want you to do is take out a piece of paper and write down the name of your new friend and then write one or two lines describing him or her or it. Then, if your friend told you anything, I’d like for you to write down what it was, and turn the paper in on my desk as you leave. Also, don’t forget, Wednesdays are the days to check out a book to take home and read. Two of the eighth graders will help you find what you want. Now sit down at a table and start writing while everything’s fresh on your mind.

David and Trent went to a table together and sat down. David took a piece of paper out of his notebook and then handed one to Trent, whispering. “I didn’t see anything, did you?”

“Nope,” Trent said, shaking his head. “I don’t think I like this game.”

“Me either. And I don’t think Aunt Serie is going to like it either.”

“What are you going to write?” Trent whispered.

David thought for a moment and then began to print one short sentence. When he was done he pushed the paper over for Trent to read. Unfortunately, Trent couldn’t hold back a giggle when he read, “I didn’t see anything” written on David’s paper.

“Boys, no talking or giggling,” Miss Parker admonished from across the room where she was already beginning to read some of the papers the students had turned in.

Trent hurriedly wrote on his own paper, “I didn’t see anything or anybody. Sorry.”

Both boys laid their papers on the desk in the midst of several other students doing the same thing at the same time, so Miss Parker didn’t have time to see what was on David’s and Trent’s. She was talking with one of the girls about her paper anyway and seemed very pleased at what the girl had written. She was one of the students that went to David’s church, and he wondered how she could be so eager to take part in all of this. But his next thought was that he wanted to check out a book to take home before the time was up, so he and Trent began to wonder in and out of the rows of bookshelves, trying to choose.

Trent selected a junior level biography of a baseball hero, and David chose a story about a palomino pony. The boy behind them asked for one of the Sally Stone books, but the eighth graders manning the library desk said that all of them were checked out already. Gosh, thought David. That meant a bunch of these kids really did like reading those stories. He just shook his head in confusion at that thought, and by that time, Miss Parker was lining everyone up to leave for the day.

About thirty minutes later, when Elizabeth brought David home, she asked Serenity if she had a minute to talk. Serenity assured her that she did and insisted that Elizabeth and Trent stay for lunch. Since the boys were usually starved by the time they reached home, the women decided to eat first and then have their talk afterwards, but Elizabeth couldn’t keep from asking Serenity one question while they were putting food on the table.

“Did David tell you what all the children did at the Library Club on Monday?”

“He told me most everything, I think, and I’m pretty sure what your next question is. Did it cause me to be concerned about whether I should keep sending him? And the answer is yes, but Gramps and I decided to let him try going one more time and see what happened, in case the events on Monday were an isolated event.”

Elizabeth nodded her head. “That’s pretty much what Luke and I decided, but when I picked the boys up today, they started right in telling me everything that happened as fast as they could. If it’s all right with you, I’d like to let them tell you and Clint while we eat, and then maybe we could discuss what we ought to do about it.”

“That sounds like a good idea. I’ll call Gramps from

upstairs if you’ll yell at the boys to come in and get washed up.”

So over lunch, both boys talked — taking turns — mainly because that was the only way either one could have time to take a few bites of food. Otherwise, they probably would have been talking at the same time, stumbling over each other trying to tell everything. Serenity could see that both boys were disturbed by what had been going on at the school library, and she made up her own mind right then that David would not be going back. But when they had finished their story and had been given permission to go outside, she waited for Elizabeth to say something first.

“Would you think I was being foolish or alarmist if I said that I don’t think I can send Trent back into that?”

Serenity reached out and laid her hand on her friend’s. “Absolutely not! That’s exactly what I’ve decided as I’ve been listening to all of this. Furthermore, I think it’s time I had a talk with Miss Parker and maybe Mr. Kelso. Would you like to come along?”

“Yes, I think I would. Let me run all this by Luke this evening, just in case he has any good reason to object to that plan, but I’m pretty sure he’ll be a hundred percent in favor of it.”

“Can we go out now?” David asked, since he and Trent were finished eating.

“Sure, just don’t play too hard until your food settles,” Serenity answered, and both boys headed for the door.

“How to do feel about all of this situation, Gramps?” Serenity asked now.

“I don’t think you have any choice, Serie. David definitely doesn’t need to be in that kind of atmosphere on a regular basis, and I think we need to know if this program is indicative of the kind of things he’ll be taught during the normal school year. We may just decide to home school him again this year . . . that is . . . unless you feel that you’d have to take him back to Ohio and put him in school there.”

Serenity turned to Elizabeth to explain that statement. “I lived in Cincinnati before I came here last fall, so that David could have this peaceful environment and his great-grandfather to help him recover from the loss of his parents. Gramps and I had been praying about whether I should move back now or stay on here for a while, and I had decided to stay, assuming David could go to school at Hamsted. I don’t mind home schooling him, but I was just hoping he could make more connections with other children his own age if he went to a regular school.”

Elizabeth nodded her head in understanding. “Would you move back to Ohio if you don’t feel you can put him in school here then? I hope not,” she hurriedly added. “Luke and I would sure hate to lose you and David as close friends. We’ve felt so comfortable with all of you from the first time we met you, and Trent has never had a closer friend than David.”

“I know. Dave feels the same way. No . . . if I decide not to send him to Hamsted, I think I’ll still stay here, at least another year. He enjoyed the home schooling last year, so I don’t think it will cause any problems to just do that again.”

“Of course, there’s the Christian school in Barclay,” Elizabeth said. “But that is about a forty-five minute drive each way. I’m hesitant to take Trent that far every day for nine months. But it is an option, at least.”

“That’s true. I hadn’t really considered it, because I liked the people in Hamsted, and they seem to be very interested in keeping their school up to date and involved in the community. I thought perhaps it would be a good atmosphere for David, especially since we teach him so much about the Lord here at home. That, along with his involvement in everything at church that he can be involved in should cover any needs he has for spiritual training. But now . . . well . . . I guess the school in Barclay is something else to pray about.” She stopped and sat there in thought for a moment. “Maybe we’ll know more after we talk with the people at school.”

“Right,” Elizabeth said, getting up. “I’ll give you a call after I talk with Lucas, and maybe we can arrange to go tomorrow, before there’s another meeting of the Library Club.”

“Sounds good. I think the sooner the better.”

Clint spoke up then. “You know, what really bothers me is that David said there were three other kids from our church who go to that Club, and that they seem to be getting involved in everything that’s going on. I can’t understand that.”

“Me either,” Elizabeth said. “And come to think of it, Trent mentioned that he had seen several kids from our church at the club too.”

“Maybe we need to talk to our pastors too, and see if we can find out what’s going on,” Serenity said. “Although, I always hesitate to do that because I don’t want to sound like I’m talking about some other members of the congregation. Boy,” she added, shaking her head in a frustrated gesture, “this is starting to get complicated, isn’t it?”

Elizabeth chuckled slightly, trying to lighten the moment just a little. “Well, I’d say that probably means it’s prayer time again.” And with those words, she started to the door, Serenity rising by that time and following her.

“Trent,” his mother called to him across the yard, “it’s time to go, Hon.”

He and David came running up together, and Trent spoke first. “Do we have to go back to that dumb Library Club?”

“No, Honey,” Elizabeth said, brushing the hair off his forehead. “Serenity and I agree that you and David don’t need to go there anymore.”

“Yea!” they both shouted, obviously relieved and thrilled, and Serenity and Elizabeth just looked at each other, their concern so heavy that it was almost tangible.

Find Chapter Eight here tomorrow.

A Visit With Sandra

The Happy Wordcrafter

Inspiration

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT – CHAPTER 21

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT – CHAPTER 20

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT – CHAPTER 18

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT – CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT – CHAPTER 16

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT – CHAPTER FIFTEEN

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT — CHAPTER 14

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT – CHAPTER 13

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT — CHAPER 12

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT — CHAPTER 11

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT – CHAPTER 10

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT – CHAPTER 9

faith confessions flip books

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT – CHAPTER 8

RACING TOWARD THE LIGHT – CHAPTER 7

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