Marked Souls

by Adrienna Turner

  On her way to the door, she noticed a bulletin board. She looked at it, and It had a picture of a Bible reading “Holy Word.”

  Unusual, but not way out of line.

  Then she saw passages posted on the board, but Jesus’ name had been removed, and replaced with “Messiah.” Her spirit began to tingle.

  She turned to leave and saw on an office doorway a picture of Salvator Dominico Lothar posed as The Shepherd.

  She remembered Jesus’ words from Matthew, ‘false christs will arise to deceive you.’

  Roya turned in fright and saw a glowing light zoom pass her head to direct her to the side exit. She quietly opened the door and stumbled outside. She looked over to the entrance and saw one of the guards had left his post. Once she closed the door behind her, she saw young children and teens from the neighborhood hanging about outside.

  One of the deacons standing outside of the church saw Roya walking quickly, with tears running down her cheeks, away from the back entrance of the church; he called on his walkie-talkie to alert the other guard that stepped inside of the church. “Hey, we have one on the loose. Tell Sam to check near the bathroom entrance if anything has been touched or removed.”

  “10-4.” He responded on his wireless headset with microphone. He tapped on the other guard as they raced in the hallway towards the bathroom. One of the deacons of the church and secret agent for Task Force Special Ops ran a blue light scanner over the restroom door finding numerous fingerprints, most of them quickly identified by the attached smart device as members of the church. Suddenly the device started rapidly blinking, putting up Roya’s driver’s license photo, along with her information. He pointed to the back-door entrance and signaled the other guard standing in front of the church.

  “We have identified the intruder. We need you to look for a woman…” He read off her driver’s license status, giving her height, hair and eye color. Then, he tapped the deacon-imposter who acknowledged her as the woman he saw walking to the bathroom a few minutes ago. He gave the clothing description as it was voiced on the wireless headset for the other guard posted in the front of the church.

  “I got that.”

  “Also, her name is Roya Whitmore. This is the same woman that was on the news when her husband was on the main freeway in Florida. I’m not sure why she’s here in California. Maybe she’s on the loose. I’ll contact the main headquarters to get our orders.”

  “Copy that. 10-4.” The guard responded as they ran outside to get in a vehicle to chase her.

  Roya had started running as soon as she was beyond the perimeter of the parking lot and had to stop to catch her breath about three blocks away. She slumped over to touch her knees, breathing heavily. She lifted her head to see several teens watching her. One offered a half-bottle of water, which she gratefully guzzled. She asked a teen laced in designer braids, wearing a black and white striped t-shirt with sagging stone-washed jeans, “Can you help me get out of this area? Where is…”

  She needed to find a place to call for help and get far away from these demonic impersonators.

  His friend ran up to him, dark chocolate male with an afro saying, “Man— you don’t know this woman. She’s not from our hood. And I saw her run out the side door of that weird church.”

  Roya repeated her request, “Please. Do you have a car I can use? Or can you drive me to the nearest interstate. Please?” She reached for their hands.

  She saw the two guards from the church running in their direction about three blocks back. Roya heard them scream at the youngsters. “She didn’t stay in church and she’s been caught trespassing. We need to reprimand her. Catch her, stop her. We’ll give a million-dollar reward for her safe return.”

  “Look man, I got the text like a minute ago,” The other guy leaned over to look at his smartphone message via text.

  The teens attempted to grab her arm, but Roya pulled her arm back and ran. She swerved her body around other young people in the neighborhood running out of the Woolworths to get the reward. I have no one I can trust after that offer! She noticed a restaurant a mile away. She ran, and suddenly, mysteriously, she lost the crowd. Her workouts with Taebo, spinning, and other classes had paid off. Why would they pay a million dollars to capture me? It has to be more than a simple church. Roya knew the truth about the so-called Messiah, someone who desired to be the god for the nations.

  Unexpectedly, Roya saw a ray of light on one of the waitresses when she entered the local restaurant, didn’t ask the Lord any questions, and drew closer. Breathing deeply, she addressed the waitress that came to her, “Can I speak to you in private?”

  “You don’t want anything to eat, even coffee?” The red-headed waitress asked, as she turned and began walking away.

  “Please. Just give me a minute. I need to talk to you,” Roya said as she followed her. There was only an older, silver-haired man, with rosy red cheeks sitting at the counter, talking to the cook while drinking his coffee.

  “Okay what is it?” the waitress asked once they entered in the breakfast meeting room.

  “There are people after me. I went to that church called Greater New World Ministries with my family about twenty minutes ago. There are also church members, about a few blocks down the road, who were all chasing after me from Greater New World Church. Teens from the neighborhood too. I’ve been running from them once an angel spoke to me while I was in the sermon. I know some things that no one else is aware of or if they are, they’re working for the man.”

  “Not aware…working for a man?” She gave Roya a quizzical look. “You’re not making much sense.”

  Roya assumed she was losing her mind but she needed someone’s help. God had promised earlier that he would send others to help along the way. She continued speedily as if they would be here any minute, “I also was wondering why I wasn’t feeling anything like there was no anointing or Holy Spirit living in that church. I thought I was imagining, until an angel appeared to me during the service.”

  The waitress let her vent without interruption.

  “As I slipped out the side exit, there were guards with guns chasing me, and suddenly they had others in the neighborhood chasing me for a million-dollar reward. What church can afford that type of money to pay bystanders?” She rambled on and heart thumped loudly. Sweat formed on her forehead and a drop of sweat slipped lazily down the side of her face to her chin. She reached up to swipe it away.

  “So, I ran. Look, my mother’s car is still in the church’s parking lot. Platinum Mercedes Benz. I rode with my sister’s fiancé, in an Infinity QX, with the rest of my family except Lavonne came in late.” She cried. “I need to go back and save my family.” Roya explained.

  “Um, so what does that mean to me?” the waitress asked as she reached for her pen and raised her writing pad.

  Roya watched the play of confusion on the waitress’ face. She looks so familiar. Where do we know each other?

  “You mean you want me to believe that you saw an angel. What did the angel say?”

  “To keep running and he would show me the path. I saw a beam over your face when I came in.” Roya started hyperventilating and kept glancing over her shoulders.

  The woman slowly wrote something on her notepad. She’s a model, not a waitress. “May I ask you a question?” Roya asked.

  “Sure,” The waitress said cheerfully.

  “What’s your name?” Roya asked.

  “It’s here on my name tag. It is Ruby. And you?”

  “Roya.”

  “That explains it, Roya. You’re daydreaming like I thought. Your name fits your character. You’re only dreaming,” She waved the pen forward as if she knew the truth of this occurrence.

  “Well then your mother named you right too, Ruby. You have red hair, and those piercing blue eyes. You should be a model, not some waitress. You are beautiful,” She ranted. She came back to her senses, “Look, I need to get out of here. They’ll be looking for me by now.”

  “What do you e
xpect me to do?” Ruby said. “I’m just a waitress and my boss will be calling or looking for me any minute now.”

  “I texted my guys and they’ll come rescue me.”

  “Good. Can I go?” Ruby was ready to exit the break room.

  “I’m not sure where or how long it’ll take them to arrive here.” Roya whined, reaching to stop her from exiting the room. “Be careful, these men will come in as bystanders and try to fit in until they find me or my family.”

  “Okay.”

  “More or less, I don’t expect you to believe me or trust me.”

  “Can I go now?”

  “But if either your boss, or that cook, find out about the million-dollar reward, they’ll be after me—and even you—for helping me.”

  “A million dollars you say?” Her eyes lit up.

  “I don’t want to get you involved. But after seeing that light shine on you, whether you believe it was from the sun rays when I opened the door, I know it was God directing me,” Roya explained and hoped something triggered in Ruby’s mind.

  “You said God.” She held the handle without turning the knob. “I believe in God.”

  “Good,” Roya caught her breath.

  “Do you know that there’s some crazy stuff going on? I mean some man that believes he is god.”

  Roya nodded.

  “My grandmother and aunt raised me in church. He may fool many, but not me.”

  Roya lifted her hands, “Praise God, you are not fooled.”

  “I read my Bible. I know the signs of the times, and they’re trying to convince people to voluntarily take that thing in their hand or head.”

  “Microchip,” Roya confirmed.

  “Are they crazy?”

  Roya shook her head, “Just deceived.”

  “It’s nearly worldwide, now. I love it when I don’t have to worry about handling money, and businesses don’t like to pay the armored services to deliver cash to the bank. Congress is attempting to make implantation a federal law, overriding states’ rights. They’re not winning, yet, because there are people still fighting for citizens’ rights. It is crazy.” She openly shared her beliefs and opinions on current events taking place.

  Roya began to sweat profusely as Ruby made small talk. She said, “I agree,” with a quick nod.

  “God is here. I believe you,” Ruby said as her face flushed. She took a deep breath and whispered as fast as she could, “God spoke to me this morning. He told me that I’d be helping a woman running into the restaurant and asking for help. He said, ‘She’s not from this city—hide her from the enemies after her.’ I thought I was dreaming.”

  Roya was grateful that God had prepared her escape as He promised. Thank You, God, for proving, again, your providence! Hallelujah! She nodded to Ruby to encourage her to continue.

  “He said, ‘If you try to save your life, you will lose it. If you are willing to lose your life to save another, you will have an eternal inheritance with your Father.’ Now, I know that it was God speaking to me when I woke up this morning before coming to work. That person is you! I wasn’t crazy!” She pointed her pen at Roya as Roya nodded and hugged her. “Wait, I hear someone coming. Quickly, hide in this closet.”

  Roya sat under a couple of coats that looked as if they’d hung there awhile as Ruby closed the door.

  Roya overheard a man busting in. She peeped through the crack of the closet to see a bald man with a sliver of gray-white hair on both sides of his head. His belly fell over the belt of his black pants, tightening his shirt to a point where there were no wrinkles. She realized he had to be the cook she’d noticed earlier, as his shirt was covered with grease stains.

  Oddly, she saw a small window in the closet. Who would build a window in the closet? She knew the place had just been remodeled since she could still smell the fresh paint and wood as she walked in the conference room. She looked at the small window in front of her, hoping she could fit her petite-medium frame body through the small opening.

  “Ruby, what are you doing in here! You have customers!”

  “Sorry,” Roya heard her tell her boss. “I just needed a minute’s break. I’ll be right there.”

  “Where’s that woman who came in a while ago? Is she in the women’s room?”

  “Who? I don’t know what’s going on.”

  “You’re hiding a fugitive. Tell me where she is. Show me! Or else you’re fired.”

  “Fire me then.” Ruby sassed.

  “Done. You’re fired.” He shouted.

  “I’m not hiding any fugitive. Have you lost your mind?” She hollered and waved her hands in his face.

  Roya could see through the cracks of the closet door. She opened the window, and began to climb out as she heard the end of the conversation.

  “You’ll be put in jail for this and I’m not going down with you for this,” He waved a butcher’s knife in his hand. “I’ll find her myself! She must be in this closet. Where else would you hide her?”

  “No!” Ruby hollered as if her life depended on it.

  The man continued, “She didn’t leave the front entrance. I would’ve seen her in the hallway to run out the back, and she has to enter the kitchen to do that. Last chance to tell me if you saw her or where she’s hiding,” he bawled.

  Roya decided to go through head first and pull the rest of her body out. However, as soon as one of her shoes fell off, she heard a gunshot. Where’s the gun? Who’s shooting? He was holding a butcher’s knife in his hand, not a gun. They must be on site now. Lord, please don’t let Ruby die to save my life.

  One of the agents stepped in the room, wanting answers, and he received a call on his earpiece from the Task Force Special Ops headquarters, “Kill whoever is in your way. We have to capture her. She has alerted her crusaders to rescue her sons. We retrieved her text messages sent on her phone a few days ago to a Joshua Mack. We tried to pick up their phone conversation, but he was smarter than we thought. We’re only able to pick up other signals during the call, unable to trace it, and the call was scrambled. Find Roya now! She cannot stop this mission! We have orders to kill and destroy anyone that gets in the way. We cannot leave any survivors.”

  He whispered, “10-4.”

  Ruby dropped after the bullet hit her in the chest, and she died instantly. The cook, who stood in the room trying to negotiate with his waitress just minutes ago, yelled, “Are you crazy! You didn’t have to kill her. A dead woman can't talk. She would’ve told me. I want my reward,” He held his greasy hands out for his cash reward.

  “Here’s your reward,” the man in the brown suit said as he shot him, “we still don’t have her.” He yanked opened the closet door, and felt the air flow from the window as it rustled the coats. He pushed aside the coats to see the small window, and looked down to see her shoe. He called his other men to check around the exterior of the restaurant for Roya.

  Behind the restaurant, Roya saw a large fence, and knew she couldn’t run to the front after what she overheard. Tears filled her eyelids, and one after another ran down her cheek, as she took some deep breaths. She ran toward the fence, seeing it was about eight feet high, and took a flying leap toward the top of the fence and caught the top of the fence with her hands. I still have my track skills. Thank You, Lord. She scrambled up and extended one leg over the fence. Just as she dropped to the other side, she saw men run through the back door, and begin to aim. As they put a few holes in the fence behind her, a man in a gray suit yelled, “Idiots! She stays alive!”

  “Wait, we’re asked to bring her back in one piece, alive. Not dead. Everyone else that gets in our way, we’re ordered to kill them! Let’s go around the fence. Call the other reinforcements to drive around the fence!”

  The man in the brown suit answered, “Should we climb the fence while our reinforcements come around the area in cars?”

  “Affirmative.”

  They ran towards the fence, blazers flapping in the wind, and one of their blazers was caught at the end of the fence
when he reached the top of the fence. The other man halted in climbing over the fence to assist his partner to break-free the grip of the sharp pickets of the tall fence clinging to his suit jacket. They jumped down on the other side. Roya was already a half-mile ahead of them.

  Roya prayed in her thoughts. ‘Lord, I don’t see the way out you promised. Help me!’

  She heard the loud stomps of the two men closest to her, their work boots hitting hard against the pavement. One of the men began to intone, as if he was declaring a prophecy, “The time has come for the Messiah to reign! She won’t get away! It’s time for his breakthrough! Our master has been waiting for his season to come around, now your spirit is released. Our God can’t be doing this to us!”

  The man in the gray suit told him to hush.

  Then the first man yelled, “There’s no way she can hear us. Do it now! Use your powers, stop her!”

  The man in the gray suit lifted up his hands; a force released from his hands, and he knocked down a tree. Roya maneuvered her body in the opposite direction as the tree fell behind her. She dodged another tree, and saw a small stream. She could see the bottom of the clear shallow water. She ran over pebbles and small rocks, feeling them press against the bottom of her shoeless foot.

  Roya’s hair loosened from its do, and fell into her eyes. As she pulled her hair back, she remembered the young man in designer braids and his friend with the Afro. They were yelling nasty vulgar words while running after her. In an instant, her spirit revealed the two men in designer suits who were chasing her. After seeing their demonic spirits inside and knew the angel she heard from in church service was right. There are demons dressed in human bodies. Were these men possessed? Were they chosen? Who cares? Roya told herself. I have to focus on running away from them. No telling what torture they have in mind.

  She screamed, “Praise is the weapon. I will not be defeated. The battle is the Lord’s! He’ll protect me. He’ll bring the walls down. I stake my claim, will continue to sing praises in my mouth, and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.”