An Unholy Redemption Chapter 21.2 continued

“That’s impossible. How come people in other countries got to know about this interview so quickly?”

“I don’t care as long as these numbers keep rising, the bosses will be very happy.”

“He’s certainly living up to his name, the miracle man,” Rebecca replied as they gazed down to John and Andrew in the studio below them who were still in deep discussion.

“God told me in my dreams that everything would be all right and I had a recurring dream.”

“What was that dream about?”

“In the dream, I was first told that it would soon be all over and I would be free. At first I thought that this meant my death, but then I dreamt of a man standing in the shadows. I couldn’t see his face because he was only a silhouette. But when he was standing in the darkness, a beautiful light still shone through. At first he would just stay in the darkness, then finally he emerged from the darkness and put his hands on me. The final thing I would see before the dream ended was a tattooed arm adorned with an angel, then I would wake up.”

“So are you telling me and all the people at home God saved you via a dream?”

“No, those dreams prove to be just a premonition of what was to come.”

“Are you saying this actually happened?”

“The evening before I was admitted into hospital, my other sister Ruth and her husband came around and brought along a friend.”

“Who was his friend?”

“It was a stranger David had met. David is Ruth’s husband and a very charitable man, and so being of this nature he took the stranger in, fed and clothed him.”

“What happened next?”

“Me and Luther, sorry that’s the stranger’s name, were left in a room alone. We were having a philosophical debate about life, you know things like good and evil, then the next thing I remember is that I am choking and feeling like I was about to die. Then all of a sudden Luther was standing above me trying to help me. I took hold of his arm pulling on his sleeve and noticed a tattoo of an angel.” Lucifer watched intently as John carried on his narrative. He knew full well that it was his initial intention to kill John for his insolence, but he inadvertently ended up saving him. “The next thing I remember was waking up in hospital with Mary by my side. I then found out that I had been completely cured of cancer.”

“So there were no visions of God curing you when you were unconscious or anything like that?”

“No, although since waking up from my comatose state, I can now hear God when I’m awake. I also can feel and sense what is in the minds and hearts of men and women. I also have the ability to tell mankind of future events.”

“Really?” Andrew continued, his voice filled with a sense of excitable intrigue, “Is there anything you can tell us and all the viewing people at home what the future holds for us?” Making the link, Andrew wondered if John would give him the signal whether he should terminate the interview or not. John sat and waited for a while to see if he was going to get any information from the Most High. Just as his faith was fading and his hand was moving to his tie, his head flew backwards so he was looking up to the ceiling.

“John, are you all right?” Andrew said, scared that his interviewee was having a fit.

“John!” Mary screamed in the green room. She rushed to the door, but as she was about to open it, an invisible force threw her back into her chair. She tried to get up again, but all of them including Lucifer were held firm in their chairs by an unseen force. Andrew and the rest of the staff in the studio were also frozen on the spot unable to move. In the office, Rebecca and the producers were all sitting motionless, only their breathing and eye movement allowed by the unseen power. John started to breathe heavily as his head slowly came forward. His eyes had now turned a sapphire blue. He turned to the camera and blue light reflected out from his eyes like a lightning bolt and fired all around the studio. The light hit the cameras, causing them to spark and malfunction. Televisions worldwide were forcibly turned over to another channel. In dozens of countries, people got out of their chairs at home to try and switch over but to no avail. It was as though time had stood still.

 

In his office in the East, General Silas was watching. He lit a cigar and stared at John intently.

“To the people of the world I now speak to you in a universal language. It is the language which all men hear, the one that was born in their breast since time began. I am a messenger from God.” General Silas sat forward in disbelief and turned his television up on hearing these words.

“For a long time now, God has been watching man and his actions. He is very displeased with your evil deeds and the sins you have engaged in. It will no longer be tolerated and the Most High is saddened by your contempt for one another. Your actions unfortunately come with a price, that is why God’s judgment is coming to the world tomorrow. A judgment that will see the end of man and their hateful ways. Not only will evil man and women be destroyed, but the blood of innocents will be spilled and sustained. Mankind, weep for yourself as your life on Earth is coming to an end.” General Silas fell to his knees on the floor in front of the television, as the world was told of the destruction he would be bringing tomorrow. He put his face against the television screen and spoke urgently to God.

“My God on high, you address the world and speak of my actions, how honoured and humbled I am by your very word.” He threw himself to the floor and started praying.

Back in London, the strange voice coming from John continued. “I ask you people of Earth to repent and your souls might be saved in heaven. Repent not and suffer a fate worse than death.” The camera zoomed in automatically by some unseen force on John’s face, and the blue eyes shone even brighter as he spoke into the camera. “Brother, join me here now.”

Lucifer found that the invisible force holding him dissipated. He stood up and tried to release the rest of them in the room, but it proved fruitless. He again turned and looked at the television in front of him. He knew that John’s eyes were staring at him in particular.

“Come brother, come hither, I have a whisper only fit for worthy ears.” He left the green room and slowly walked to where John and Andrew were sitting. As he got closer his own red energy started to glow. Mary, Ruth and the rest of the world watched as Lucifer walked in front of the camera. The camera followed his steps as he walked up to John.

“Bend to me brother, hear my words, for I must tell you something and the world can witness that I, as a messenger from God, have done my work.” Lucifer bent forward and put his ear to John’s mouth. The camera zoomed in on John’s mouth moving and Lucifer nodding in acknowledgment of what had been said to him. Lucifer’s red glow began to get stronger as he pulled away from John. “Now brother you have heard my word, remember it well, now go and retreat and contemplate your fate for the time is nearly at hand.” The camera stayed fixed on John as Lucifer left him and returned to the green room. “Mankind you have witnessed the passing of the word from God. It now lies with my faithful brother. This is done at the end of time and I tell you to look to the east for God’s wrath is coming. It will be swift and decisive, no man, woman, child or beast will survive that which comes from the east.”

John’s head shot back again. The lights on the ceiling started flashing off and on and the blue light from John started shooting around the room again. It blasted through the camera, smashing the glass lenses. The window of the office came crashing down on the floor scattering pieces of glass everywhere. Everybody in the studio still could not move and yet they were not being harmed in any way by the chaos going on around them. As smoke started to billow around the studio like a ghost, Mary, David and Ruth became free of their invisible prisons.

“Come on, let’s get John.” Lucifer led the way through all the chaos towards John who was slumped forward in his chair.

“David, take Ruth and Mary to the car. I’ll get John.” He bent forward and put John over his shoulder and followed David. Before leaving, Lucifer turned back to Andrew and shouted, “Thank you, you have served God well and it will not be forgotten on judgment day.” These words fell unheard because Andrew was slumped in his chair after fainting. Lucifer then turned and kicked the exit doors open which led into the car park. David had started the car and was waiting for him to appear. “Come on, get in.” Mary opened the back door. Lucifer bent forward and gently laid John on the rear seat with his head resting on Mary’s lap. Lucifer jumped in and closed the door.

“Are we all in?” David asked.

“Yes David, just drive,” Ruth snapped, panicking at the chaos happening all around them and the studio burning into flames lighting up the dark evening sky. David put his foot on the accelerator and without stopping he smashed through the wooden barrier where the security guards were still unable to move. Ruth screamed as some of the window screen cracked and pieces of wood went flying either side of the car.

“Oh great,” David said, looking in the rear view mirror.

“What is the matter David?” Mary asked.

“I think the police are after us.” Lucifer and Mary looked out the back window, and saw blue and red lights lighting up the night sky.

“It is okay, they’re stopping at the studio entrance,” Mary said.

As they got further away, fire engines and ambulances shot past them heading in the opposite direction to join the police. Soon the flashing lights had given way to the dark blanket of a night sky as they made their way home.

“Where am I? Ouch, my head,” John said, regaining consciousness and slowly sitting up.

“On our way home. Do you not remember anything?” Ruth turned around in the front seat to speak to her brother.

“No the last thing I remember was that I was reaching for my tie to give the signal. Why what has happened?” John listened intently, his eyes wide open as each member of the car gave a short account of what had happened.

“So what was whispered in your ear, Luther?”

“That I can’t tell you, it will be known when it has to be known and not before.”

“Is it good news though? I noticed your energy came to life when John whispered in your ear,” Mary smiled.

“I think it’s not good news for the world after hearing John’s prophecy,” David remarked. “What are we going to do?”

“I don’t understand it, why would God save me only so I would die the next day?”

“Let’s just get home so we can think it through. If the end of the world doesn’t come tomorrow, we’ll have the police to deal with, not to mention scientists and clergymen all wanting answers about what has just happened. On the other hand, if death and destruction does come tomorrow, the police and other people will be the last of our worries. We will have our souls to worry about.”

They weren’t driving long before they could see the lights of their home town lighting up the sky in an orange glow.

“Do you believe this is last night alive on Earth?” Mary asked.

“I don’t know Mary.” John answered. “What do you think Luther?” Mary turned to look at him, David was watching him in the rear-view mirror and Ruth was facing him.

“Let us just say that man will face their fate tomorrow whatever that fate might be.”

“Is there nothing we can do?” John sat up again.

“No, man’s destiny is now in God’s hands. The best thing you can all do now is pray.”

“So if we are going to be spending our last night on Earth, we should at least spend it together. Let’s all go back to Mary and John’s house and wait and pray.” The car fell silent as David sped off to Mary’s house.

Back at the studio, crew members were moving about again. No one was harmed, only shaken up about what had just happened. A policeman was interviewing Andrew.

“So you were the interviewer and you’re telling me you can’t remember the name of the person you were interviewing?”

“All I know that is his name was John and he called himself the miracle man. We do have his paperwork in my office, I can get that for if you like.”

“That would be very helpful. The sooner we find out where this person lives the better. We will make some enquiries, hopefully we can get answers to this mess before MI5 get involved and start walking all around our crime scene, and this bloody awful mess, what the hell happened here anyway, can someone tell me? Before you go, just answer me one question: is this John we watched on television a true prophet of God?”

“I have no idea, but tomorrow I guess we’ll all find out.” Andrew shouted as he ran down the corridor to get John’s paperwork from his office.