by Rachel Dylan
He nodded. “Then what happened?”
“Another man appeared in the room. He was gorgeous. Or at least at first he was. He said his name was Othan.” Her voice started to shake.
“It’s okay, Stacey. Take your time.”
“I was so cold when he was there. Even though on the outside he was smiling and handsome, I knew something was terribly wrong. I rebuked him and his eyes turned this awful yellow color. Not human.”
“Did he leave?”
“Yes. Then Ben told me that Othan was a demon.” She put her head back in her hands. “He just said it. Just like he was telling me about the weather or football game or something. But like, oh yeah, that was a demon. As you can imagine, I pretty much freaked out. Pastor Dan, I’ve never seen a spiritual being in my entire life. I know we talked about spiritual warfare in church, but I really didn’t think it could be like this. And now I’ve gotten myself in trouble with Optimism. I’m sure they’re going to question me about leaving.”
“Let’s just take this all one step at a time. The first thing I’d like to do before we go any further is to pray for you.”
“Right now?” she asked.
“Yes.” He walked over to where she sat and placed his hand gently on her shoulder. “Dear Lord, thank You for protecting Stacey and for bringing her to church today. Lord, I know that Stacey has been experimenting with some dangerous things, but now she’s here looking for Your forgiveness and Your guidance as she starts to break away from that path and all things related to Optimism. She’ll need Your protection and help, Lord, on this journey. Give me and the other church members the strength and wisdom to help her. And keep her safe from the dark forces that will come against her. In Your name, Amen.”
He stepped back around to his desk and looked at Stacey’s tear-stained cheeks.
“I’m so sorry, Pastor Dan.”
“You don’t need to apologize to me, Stacey. God’s forgiveness is all that you need. And it was brave of you to take action against that demon.”
“I don’t know how I let myself believe that this was all right. More than all right. That this was what I wanted and that it wouldn’t hurt me but help me.”
His heart broke for her. “That’s the allure of the devil. He has many tools at his disposal to make following him seem like the most logical choice. But you shouldn’t dwell on all of that. You’re here now and I think you’re ready to completely disavow him, right?”
“Yes. I’m not going to lie. Standing in the presence of that angel really changed everything for me.” She looked down and then back up at him. “Although maybe even more so than the angel was feeling the presence of Othan. I’ve never been that full of fear in my life. The transformation that happened right before my eyes really threw me for a loop.”
“I can imagine that it would. But you’re safe now, here in the Lord’s house.”
“Have you ever seen angels and demons before, Pastor Dan?”
“Not like what you’re describing. I’ve definitely felt the presence of both, but never seen them with my eyes like what you are describing.”
“You still believe me though?”
“Of course. Just because I haven’t seen something doesn’t mean I won’t believe it. That’s what faith is all about, remember?”
“What do I do now?”
“I’m going to call the church leadership and see who is available to come over here now. I’d like us to come up with a plan for how you combat these forces of evil. Just try to relax and take a few deep breaths.” He picked up his cell and started making calls.
“Pastor Dan, can you talk?”
He looked up seeing Olivia rushing into his office. Her cheeks flushed.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have just barged in here like this.” She took a step back into the doorway.
“No, actually it’s perfect timing that you are here. I’d like you to meet someone.”
She took a hesitant step into the office and looked over at Stacey.
“Olivia Murray, this is Stacey Malone. She’s had quite an experience. I’ve invited the church leadership over for a meeting to discuss this. But the very short version of the story is that she’s been working at Optimism. And she’s had a spiritual encounter with both sides.”
Olivia smiled and walked over to Stacey. She outstretched her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Stacey. And I’m glad to see you here at church.”
He watched as the ladies shook hands and then Stacey studied Olivia with a high level of skepticism.
“Olivia is actually representing Astral Tech in the litigation between the two companies,” he said.
“Really? I heard about that when I was in the Optimism office. I don’t understand, though.” She paused and looked to him and then back to Olivia. “Why are you here in church if you represent them?”
“I work for a law firm and was given this assignment. So instead of saying I couldn’t take it on, I felt compelled to stay.”
“We believe Olivia has also been targeted by Layton to try to throw her off her game in the litigation. She’s had some similar experiences to yours. Including seeing angels.”
“Really?” Stacey’s eyes widened as she turned her attention back toward Olivia.
Olivia knelt down beside Stacey. “Believe me, I know it’s scary. And at first it seems like maybe you think you’re going crazy. But deep in your gut you know that it’s real. Once you accept that, then you can move on.”
He heard voices coming down the hall. “Sounds like the rest of the group is arriving. Let’s huddle up in the conference room where we’ll have more room.” He hoped that this meeting was a good idea.
**
Two hours later, Olivia was exhausted. The leadership team was there minus Beverly, who had other church obligations. Stacey had told her story to everyone in great detail, which led to a serious debate. One that was still ongoing as to how best handle the situation.
“I think we need to at least consider the possibility of sending her back in,” Sofia said.
She was the only supporter of this suggestion, as everyone else had shot her down.
“No way,” Dan said. “It’s far too dangerous. Stacey can’t walk the line between good and evil.”
“Dan’s right,” Chris said. “This isn’t the CIA. Spiritual warfare is a totally different arena.”
“Do I get a say so in this?” Stacey asked quietly. She’d barely said a word since she told her story.
“Of course,” Dan said.
“What if I want to do it? What if I can help? To make up for the wrong I’ve done?”
“You don’t have to do certain acts to atone for what happened, Stacey. The Lord has already forgiven you.”
Olivia finally felt compelled to speak. “I agree with Pastor Dan. I’ve experienced firsthand how strong the evil is that Optimism is a part of. I would never want someone to be exposed to that who isn’t one hundred percent ready. And given all that Stacey’s been through, I feel it would be a disastrous decision. One that could end up with Stacey being hurt—both physically and emotionally.” She turned her attention to Stacey. “I know you want to make this right. But the best thing you can do now is to help out in other ways. Going back in is a risk so big that you may not make it back out. Even if you go in with the best intentions.”
Stacey shook her head. “I know I can do it. My eyes have been opened.”
“And they could be quickly shut again if you immerse yourself in evil,” Chris said.
“But at the end of the day, it’s my life and my decision.” Stacey lifted up her head in defiance.
Olivia felt uncomfortable with the direction this was going.
“Why don’t we all just step back and take a deep breath. There’s no need to make a final determination right this second. Stacey, I know you’re probably exhausted and would like sometime to yourself to think.”
She nodded.
“Are you going to be all right at your apartment alone?”
“I’ll be fine.” She said the words but they weren’t exactly filled with confidence.
“She can always stay at my place if she wants,” Sofia added. “As you all know, it’s just me and a few empty rooms.”
“Thank you for offering. I think once I get back and get some rest, I’ll feel a lot better. I didn’t sleep much last night after all of this happened.”
“I’ll walk you out to your car,” Chris said.
“I’ll tag along.” Sofia stood up.
The three of them left the room, leaving Olivia alone with Dan. He looked tired as he rubbed his temples. Probably from the headache that she was starting to feel herself.
“Are you okay?” she asked him.
“Yeah. Have to say, wasn’t expecting this today.” He leaned back in his chair. “What did you think of her?”
“I think she’s scared and confused, but doesn’t want to show her weakness. I think it would be an absolutely awful idea for her to go back to Optimism. I’d be very afraid for her.”
“She practically grew up in this church, but then stopped coming about a year ago. I understand the need to grow and experiment, but she stumbled into the dark stuff and it looks like Layton found her.”
“And if Layton is really interested in her, he isn’t going to let her go easily. To purposely try to go back into that lifestyle as some sort of spy is outrageous to me. What would we stand to gain?”
“Learning about their operational plan, I guess.” His blue eyes met hers. “But I totally agree with you. We need to stick close and help her get through this. I’ll talk to Sofia in private and make sure that she isn’t going to push this idea any further.”
“Why would she suggest it to begin with?”
“Sofia is our resident skeptic. Yes, she’s a believer in the Lord, but I don’t think that she believes Stacey actually saw any spiritual forces. So to her, she probably doesn’t think the risk is as great.”
“You and I both know that isn’t the case.”
“We’ve got to be vigilant.” He let out a breath. “What did you need? You showed up and then everything was about Stacey.”
“It’s Grant. He’s totally shutting me out. First, he accused me of concocting all of this spiritual warfare to gain a strategic advantage in the litigation. Then, he basically just said that he couldn’t be my friend right now. He’s really going through an internal struggle.”
“There is one piece of good news in that.”
She raised her eyebrow. “And that would be?”
“At least he’s not being won over by Layton either. We still have a great chance with him. It’s just going to take time and patience.”
“I never said I was giving up. Just that I feel like we’ve suffered a big setback.”
“Don’t let him lock you out. Be creative. I’m sure you can come up with something.”
“Even if it’s more litigation related, at least I will have reasons to make him face me.”
“Exactly.” He reached out and touched her arm. “You’re strong, Olivia. And you’re also the leader in this battle, whether you want to be or not.”
She took a deep breath. “I’ll do my best.” She paused. “I need to pray for guidance because I’m feeling a bit lost right now.”
“The Lord will guide you, Olivia. I am sure of that.”
“How are you holding up?”
“Why do you ask that?”
“You look a bit tired, and I imagine that you’re feeling the weight of all of this on your shoulders.”
He crossed his arms. “I am. But that’s a responsibility I’ve chosen to take on. I can’t imagine it any other way.”
“Even the strongest people get worn down sometimes.”
“True. And having Stacey show up today and talk about angels and demons by name, was more than a bit disconcerting.”
“But you believed her?”
“Yes. She seemed so certain in her retelling of events. Didn’t you think?”
“Yes, I did. But like I said, I’m worried about her. If she’s experiencing such strong presences, then there’s a reason for that. She could be important to the larger battle. To gain so much attention from both sides, that has to mean something, right?”
“I hadn’t really gotten that far in my thought process, but you make a really good point. That only makes the situation more difficult and high stakes.”
“I also hate to be the one to say it, but what if her desire to go back in undercover is really just part of her wanting to go back into the darkness? Or at least have the opportunity to rethink leaving it today?”
He smiled. “Aren’t you just a ray of sunshine?”
“I’m trying to be realistic here.”
“I know. Was just trying to provide a little lightness to this very serious situation.”
“Get some rest, Pastor Dan. You’re going to need it.” She stood up, worried that he was under even greater stress than he let on. “I’m going to head home to the hotel.”
**
Sofia had insisted that she follow Stacey to her apartment and get her settled in. Although Stacey tried to resist, if she was being honest with herself, then she would admit that she was beyond grateful for the company.
She’d known Sofia for many years and felt comfortable with her. Even though she was a bit embarrassed about the entire scenario.
“I’m glad you came back to the church, Stace,” Sofia said, using her nickname.
Stacey unlocked her apartment door and ushered Sofia inside. From the looks of it, there was nothing out of place. Absolutely no sign that she’d had a literal spiritual experience in her living room the night before.
“I’ll stay here as long as you need me to. I realize that you had a traumatic experience.”
“Yeah, it was pretty crazy. I honestly had no idea that things like that really happened to people, you know? I’d learned all about spiritual warfare growing up in the church, but to actually see it in front of my own eyes…”
Sofia walked over to her and grabbed her hands. “Stacey, you’ve been under so much stress with your school and the internship at Optimism. I just want to ask you to consider that maybe you were so exhausted that you fell asleep and dreamt all of this up?”
“You don’t believe me?” It hurt that Sofia questioned her story, but at least she did it in the private and not in front of the others.
“No need to get defensive, Stace. It might be easier for you to handle this if you think of it in that way. It also might give you the strength you need to go back to Optimism.”
“You think I should go back in and try to get information on the group to give back to the church?”
“That decision is completely up to you. I just want you to examine all of your options and not foreclose something just because people are talking about how you’ll get caught up in all of it again.”
“Why are you so skeptical? How does that work with your beliefs? I’ve known you long enough to know that you’re a believer. You teach the youth group. You’re one of the smartest people I’ve ever met.”
“That’s exactly why. Yes, I believe in the Word of God, but I also think that people get too caught up in being literal about spiritual warfare.”
“Do you believe that in biblical times that people saw angels and demons?”
“That was a different time. Our world is different now.”
“That’s a very interesting theory.”
“Wouldn’t it make a lot more sense that you had a dream?”
Stacey nodded. “It sure would, but I tell you, I can’t shake the feelings I have.”
“Are you hungry? Do you have anything here I could fix you for dinner?” Sofia’s brown eyes filled with warmth.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“It’s the least I could do.” Sofia walked into the kitchen and started opening the cabinets and refrigerator.
Luckily, she’d just gone to the store that day to take her mind off things,
so there was stuff for Sofia to work with.
“How about spaghetti?”
“Sounds wonderful.” And it did. She couldn’t remember the last time someone cooked for her. She was a decent cook, but food was always better if someone made it for you. It also helped that Sofia was an excellent cook.
When they sat down at her small kitchen table to eat less than an hour later, Stacey felt her stomach rumbling as the tomato aromas floated through the air.
“So, what do you know about the Astral Tech app? Did you learn anything about that at Optimism? I’m working on how to talk to the youth about it in more detail than I have so far.”
“I actually don’t know specifics about the app itself. I just know how upset Layton was for what he thought was the theft of the app. He really believes that the app was his creation and that Nina Marie stole it.” Stacey wrapped some spaghetti around her fork and took a big bite.
“Yes, the lawsuit. Everyone’s favorite topic these days.”
“He really hates Nina Marie. Morena gave me some of the background on everyone and told me about their history. Sounds like a really nasty breakup. From what I could gather, Layton isn’t one to get attached to women. He’s usually the one ending things, but with Nina Marie, it was different. If I read between the lines, it was almost like he was mildly obsessed with her.”
Sofia took a sip of her iced tea and then leaned forward. “What did you think of Layton?”
She could feel the heat rush to her cheeks. “Honestly, I’m embarrassed to say that I was pretty taken with him. He seemed so smart and kind.”
“And it doesn’t hurt that he has celebrity good looks.”
“Right.” She took another bit of pasta as she considered her next words. “But I can’t help but wonder now if he’s just a wolf in sheep’s clothing. All of the Optimism people I met were great looking and friendly on the outside. And then even that demon who visited me looked so handsome at first.”
“You really believe you saw a demon, don’t you?”
She nodded. “It was one of the most vivid experiences of my life. I don’t blame you for being skeptical. I would’ve been the exact same way if I hadn’t experienced it. When I was reading about the New Age mysticism and witchcraft, I saw it as more of a philosophical and fun thing.”
