Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: BOOK(S) - Begins January 4 / Ends January 11 (01/04/18)
-
TITLE: The Grand Opening | Previous Challenge Entry
By Jack Taylor
01/06/18 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
“Watch for it!” Emel whispered.
A volcanic explosion of cerulean, indigo, azure, violet, periwinkle, sapphire and teal pierced every eye in the horizon to horizon crowd. Invasions of emerald, avocado, jade, bronze and olive rays intertwined themselves with the other colors to form a tapestry dulling the brightest sunsets.
---
“Do you finally understand?” Tina asked, holding the weighty book in trembling hands.
The shaggy grey head moved slightly as if imitating the final nod of a bobblehead figurine. “Seemed too simple the first eighty times you told me.”
Tina reached tenderly toward the face that had given her life. “God so loved the world, including you…”
“Funny how things change,” grunted the surly veteran. “Spent my whole life trying to prove that fairy tales had more credibility than your old book – yet here we are, me with all my degrees admitting you were right.”
---
“Do you think he’ll notice?” Xena queried.
“You wrote that name down there just in time, didn’t you?” Emel responded.
“A moment before the pages closed forever.”
“So, the old doubter believed. How did it happen?”
A massive wave of humanity began to grope for the translucent underlay as a majestic presence filled the space of everywhere there is. Xena and Emel bowed low with the great and small daring not to look at the great white throne.
---
Aged lips curled into a smile below the curly mass of silver. Lids drifted down like closing window shades. Gentle wisps of breath slowed. Gnarly hands released their grip. A stubborn heart gave up the fight.
Alarms roared through the halls and prompted leathered feet to race to life-giving machines. Voices shouted orders – hands ripped the simple housemaid from the chest of the patient and scooted her out of the door.
She backed away hugging her ancient, dog-eared tome, smiling like a Cheshire cat while tears stormed down her cheeks.
The ear-piercing screams of sirens faded into the planet shaking cheers of forever.
---
“She never gave up,” Xena nodded.
“Even when he abandoned her as a child?”
“Not then. Not even when she wrote him year after year without hearing back. That book gave her courage. She wouldn’t quit.”
“Not even when she tracked him down and he shredded her letters in front of her face. Not even when he taunted her for being a maid while he paraded his PhDs in front of the brightest minds. Not even when he forbade her to see him again.”
“And then the accident – those long days in the hospital.”
“He was so helpless – no one could handle the bite of his tongue.”
“And she came.”
“Day after day.”
“What could he do?”
“Oh, he doused her with all the knowledge from all the books he knew – like a firehose filled with venom.”
“She only knew one book.”
“Her prayers were like the roar of a lion before the Glory.”
“Her tears were like a river of life washing up against the Gates of Pearl.”
---
Aqua colored shirts and trousers drifted into the hospital room. White jackets drifted out.
“He’s gone.”
“Look at his face – you’d almost think he was at peace.”
“That’ll be the day. If the Almighty takes this one he’ll take anyone.”
“Maybe that girl had something to do with this.”
“I almost felt sorry for her. Reading that book day after day no matter how much he growled at her.”
“Wonder what book would have made that much difference?”
---
Xena dared a peak toward the Glory. “He’s opening the book.”
"The book of life?"
Xena nodded.
Emel shivered. “Is it really time? Will there be no more names to write?”
“To imagine that his would be the last.”
“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life… Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:12, 15 NIV)
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
