Never Again | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: Never Again | Previous Challenge Entry
By JK Stenger
05/07/25
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The chase was on and I had to run.

Some crawled out of the earth's crevices. Others scurried from behind jagged rocks, and a few sprang from dark, twisted tree branches, like creatures of a nightmare.

Grinning, shouting and brandishing rusty swords and battle-axes, they surged forward, a tide of menacing figures.

Dear Lord, this is the end.

My lungs screamed in protest as I ran, a searing pain accompanying every ragged gasp. Tripping over uneven ground I stumbled, the heavy thud of enemy footsteps coming closer.

As I cast the horde a fearful glance over my shoulder, I recognized some of them.

Anxiety ran ahead. His face was ashen, with bloodshot eyes that gleamed in the dim light of the dark world of Doubt. Cancer, a slimy, oozing creature from the netherworld and Poverty, with deep-set, hollow eyes and a threadbare, ripped tunic followed suit. I couldn't see the others. Doubtless, they were equally frightening.

Where could I hide? These imps were so much faster. Soon, they would surround me as I waved the sickening flag of surrender.

No, I had to escape.

The King!

In a flash, I remembered the King. His Refuge; a tall, imposing tower, was nearby as a bulwark against any threat and a testament to His power. And had He not told me the gate was always open for me?

Hope filled my weary body and I knew where to go.

As I ran past a boulder, I saw the shimmering light of the Refuge, its soft glow beckoning me forward with a gentle warmth.

I ran for all I was worth and as I drew closer to the drawbridge, I sensed my pursuers slowing down. Afraid of the light, they did not dare to follow.

I’d made it. Exhausted, tears stinging my eyes, I stumbled through the gate and fell down in the inner court.

“My dear child, will you get up?”

A voice, soft and harmonious like a timeless melody, stirred me. I knew that voice. So tender and warm and without reproach. It was the voice of the Master of the Refuge. I climbed back to my feet and met his gaze; his face was alight with a gentle and reassuring smile. “Yes, Master?”

“Why were you afraid, oh ye of little faith? Did you not know I was with you even out there on the plains?”

New tears came, blurring my vision. But these were not tears of fear, but rather of guilt and shame. I felt I had disappointed the Master. “I am so sorry,” I mumbled. I wanted to say more, but no words came.

“And your armour?” the Master asked again. “Did you not use your armour?”

I shook my head. I had wandered the desolate, dangerous plains of Doubt without my protection and had become a vulnerable target for the encroaching forces of darkness.

“It’s not too late,” the Master spoke. I lifted my eyes to meet his, and in their gentle depths, I saw the reflection of my soul.

“It is not?”

Without a word, He handed me the cool, refreshing helmet of salvation, the sturdy breastplate of righteousness, the powerful shield of faith and finally, the gleaming sword of the Spirit.

Strapped into the comforting grip of the armour, I felt new confidence. He nodded in pleased satisfaction and said, “Let’s go, my son. The chase is on.”

I understood.

What a joy to walk alongside the Master as we left the Refuge and were now in pursuit of the imps ourselves. Following the Master, we quickly found the vile troupe.

A cacophony of screams and shouts erupted as pandemonium broke loose over the plains of Doubt. I will never forget the high-pitched, terrified scream of Anxiety as he yelled in a garbled, panicky voice that it just wasn't fair I'd called on the Master. They were to be his last words before he disappeared into the abyss. The Master and I, we won a glorious victory that day.

Overwhelmed with a mix of humility and joy, I fell to my knees before Him. “Thank you,” I mumbled. “Thank you for who You are.”

Again, His words were like music to my heart. “I am with you always, even until the end.” A chuckle from him made me look up in surprise. “And,” he added, “never again venture the plains of Doubt without your armour. That’s not how the chase is supposed to be.”

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