as being like wisps of darkness. There were many different sizes. All had fiery orange eyes, bright yellow skin and huge hands with enormously long fingers. They seemed to be everywhere. Their hands encircled the heads of most of the people. Their long fingers seemed to pierce the skulls as if they held the brains of the people in their hands. The eyes of the people were crusted over. I awoke screaming when I saw hands reaching for me. What did I see? They were real. They were there; only I couldn’t see them. Why are they after me?”
“I have to ask,” said Professor Thompson, “are you on anything?”
“No nothing,” was the response. “I wished it was that simple.”
“Did anyone else tell you they had seen anything?”
“No,” Paul answered, “and I asked Samantha, she saw nothing.”
“You only saw this in a dream? It was not real.”
“It sure seemed real to me,” Paul replied, “but it was only in the dream.”
Sitting up in his chair and assuming his professorial demeanor, Thompson began his analysis. “OK, let’s take the emotion out of this and get logical. First, it was a dream, a nightmare, probably nothing more. You are afraid because whatever it was seemed to be coming for you, but is that any different from when you saw a horror film as a child? After watching such a movie, did you ever have nightmares? Were you ever afraid to be alone?”
“Sure,” was the answer, “but this wasn’t like that. I actually could smell sulfur and sensed physical danger.”
Honing in for the kill, Professor Thompson began, “Think about what you are imagining – dark wisps who, by your description, are ghost-like, controlling humans by literally holding their brains, blinding them to the outside world and, by implication, using them for whatever they want. Religion, folklore and mythology would all tell you that the creatures you imagined in your dream are demons. They are described as supernatural beings considered to be malicious hurtful spirits. The Bible says they are fallen angels if you take the Bible literally.25
“The rest of what you saw would be a classic portrayal of demonic activity in humans, most often described as demonic possession. Historically, the view regarding demon possession is that one possessed is under the absolute control of the demon. You probably saw the movie The Exorcist. That was Hollywood’s view of demon possession. Sells tickets, but pretty thin. What you dreamed would make a better movie.
“The Bible says a lot about people possessed by demons and what that does to them. A lot of the healings credited to Jesus were really exorcisms, which had the result of freeing the victim from some disease or disability.26 There is not much science to support that, but then how would you be able to test and observe the invisible?
“Here is my problem with what you describe. It simply doesn’t work by any historical measure and is inconsistent with all studies of demonic activity I have seen, even including what is discussed in the Bible. In your dream, virtually everyone is pictured as possessed by demons. That is not the teaching of anyone at any time in history. It is certainly not your experience or mine. I am not demon possessed and I don’t believe you are either. You may be mixed up, but not possessed. I can’t say I have ever been around anyone who is demon possessed. Demons may somehow cause disease or disabilities, but even those demons would not be completely in control of the person. What you dreamed was a dream and nothing more. You are not in danger and need to simply let go of this as nothing more than a nightmare, which is all it is.”
Professor Thompson’s Keeper smiled as the forces of darkness literally danced with joy, leaping in the air and howling the praises of the Dark Master. Paul’s former Keeper once again reached out to surround Paul’s head and dig deeply into his skull to grasp his brain, to initiate influence and end the search. This Keeper had a lot of years of experience with Paul and he was anxious to get back on the job, but that was not to be for Paul’s Guardian stood as a hedge of protection around Paul, blocking every attempt to reach him.
Paul response was not as expected. “Professor, all you say is logical and fits with what I have heard, but I know what I saw and I cannot simply walk away from it. It was too real.”
Professor Thompson responded in frustration and a bit condescendingly, “If you want to live with fear that some demon is reaching for your brain, that is your choice, but be realistic, everyone you encounter is not demon possessed. You cannot get around that truth. I don’t know what you saw, but I know you didn’t see a world of demon possessed people because it does not exist anywhere except in the movies. Go find yourself a Catholic priest or Chaplain Forrest or some other religious person and they will tell you the same thing I am telling you. If you want to be afraid of something, get real and be afraid of that crazed killer out there who shot your girlfriend’s Dad. That is who you should fear, not some imagined evil force seeking to control all mankind. You are far too intelligent to be that stupid.”
Paul left somehow strangely encouraged. “I don’t know a Catholic priest or any other religious person I respect enough to listen to” he thought, “so Chaplain Forrest it is.” At least he now had some direction and some new questions.
Also unseen, but now present with Paul, was a Provider named Peace, exactly what Paul needed at that moment to continue his search.
CHAPTER 4
Thursday, January 31 – MD minus 115 days
AS PAUL PHILLIPS sought to find Chaplain Forrest’s office, meetings were being held as groups of leaders and planners gathered at various places around the world to advance the two very different agendas that were at work. One sought to act while the other sought to prevent, but neither could predict or control the future, for they had little actual knowledge of the other. Simultaneously unseen gatherings of rulers, powers and authorities of both the forces of light and darkness gathered to forge the different futures desired by their very different rulers.27 One to force his will, the other to act as necessary to make possible the future He desired to provide, but would not force on an unwilling people.
In human thought, the two meetings that appeared to matter most were one occurring in that room far beneath the earth on the Pakistani/ Afghan border and another in the Washington office of the director of Homeland Security. The events of 9/11 and the military action which followed had changed everything. The underground room had become the unofficial headquarters of the man they called the Sheik, because the one was now dead who had originally declared jihad against America. Before 9/11, there had not even been a Department of Homeland Security. Homeland America had not seen the threat coming and was unprepared when it arrived. They hoped not to repeat that mistake and thus far had been successful – actually lucky – or maybe even blessed and protected.
“What report, El-Ahab,” asked the Sheik, “are we nearing readiness?”
“Yes,” he responded, “but patience is still required. Remember please, mighty one, we worked on a comprehensive plan for over four years and have been seeking since then to put in place all that is required to make it operational. We are close, but not yet ready. We will get only one chance to use the weapons of choice to bring the infidel nation to its knees. The strike must be coordinated and fatal. We can’t forget that 9/11, as successful as it was, only made the infidels mad and they launched another crusade. We did not really hurt them. We just embarrassed them. This time, it must be a fatal blow.”
“Most of our brother Arabs have shown themselves to be cowards and traitors,” the Sheik answered angrily. “They have not risen in mass to expel the occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan. We must do it ourselves while preparing the attack on the American homeland. Later we will deal with all the Arab cowards. They too must die so the land will be purified. There is no place for any but those faithful to Jihad.”
The Sheik