Life and Death: Part 5

YAAAAAAAAY I got it done! This may or may not be the last chapter, depending on if people want an epilogue. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE leave comments, they are my life force and if I die, there will be no more stories :( Thanks for reading!

   “And as they stepped into the roaring furnace, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abedego prayed to the Lord and praised Him, offering their lives for His sake. When they disappeared in the leaping flames, King Nebuchadnezzar peered after them, but, to his surprise, saw four forms standing in the fire. And none of them seemed to be in pain. Confused, he called out to them, asking them to come back out and explain this phenomenon.

    “‘How are you still alive? What supernatural being is protecting you?” he asked, terrified.

    “‘The Lord, God of the Hebrews, is the one who has sustained us,’ the three announced.”
    Shawn paused for a breath. He gazed down at the eager children sitting before him, each hanging onto his words avidly, and he smiled to himself. This was what God had planned for his life, even though Shawn had doubted him in his times of trouble.

    “‘Then let all in the land praise this Lord, bowing and serving no other.’ And so it was. The end.”

    The audience of seven-year-olds cheered and clapped, pleased with the story’s ending. Several shouted, “Thank you, Pastor Shawn!” I felt a rush of affection at the ardent response.

    “Okay, your parents are waiting, so get ready to leave. I’ll see you Wednesday. Thanks for listening! Bye!” I called, stepping off the stage and into a private room, where I sipped from a water bottle. Speeches tended to dry my throat up.

    As I replaced the plastic bottle, a soft rap at the door caught my attention. “Come in,” I said.

    My good friend Johnny entered the room confidently, thumping me on the back. “Hey, Shawn! How’d it go?”

    I smiled. “Great. I swear those kids are angels in disguise.”

    He laughed gaily, but his face quickly turned thoughtful. “I was just thinking…”
    “What? What’s wrong?”

    “Nothing. I was just wondering what you would be like now if God  hadn’t entered your life.”

    I half-smirked. “I’d probably be in some foreign country smuggling drugs and alcohol. Either that or in jail. I just thank God that you were able to show me my mistakes so early on.”

    Johnny shook his head. “God did it. I was just the mouthpiece.”

    “Be that as it may, I probably owe you my life. Thanks.”

    “Anytime.”

    We stood in silence, not feeling awkward, but thoughtful. After a moment, Johnny looked up at me.

    “We hired a new second grade teacher. Would you like to meet her?”

    I blinked. “Yeah. Send her in.”

    My friend nodded and exited the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I hope that none of the kids I pastor grow up to be like me before I met Johnny. Please, Lord, claim their hearts now so that they can avoid suffering.

    Another light rap at the door captured my attention. A blonde, silky mass of hair with emeralds for eyes appeared around the door. “Hi, my name’s Becca Williams,” the woman beamed, eyes twinkling kindly. “I’m so glad to be working with you. Mr. Winston, isn’t it?”

    I felt myself freeze. This lady was the near image of my lost love, Abbie — her green eyes sported the same gold highlights; her hair consisted of the same silken blonde wavesl her face flourished an angular form nearly identical to my beloved.

    “U-uh…” I mumbled numbly.

    Her grin faded slightly. “Is something wrong?”

    I wanted to hold her, kiss her, tell her of my love, but I knew that this couldn’t possibly be my Abigail. I shook myself from my stupor and returned her hesitant smile.

    “I’m Pastor Winston, but, please, call me Shawn,” I replied, extending my hand in greeting. Her face returned to its beaming happiness and she stepped out from behind the door to shake my hand.

    I tried to discreetly inspect her without seeming suspicious. Taking a deep breath, I voiced, “You said Williams is your last name. Would you by any chance know of an Abigail Williams?”

    She blinked in surprise. “Umm, yes. She was my cousin. Did you know her?”

    “Becca, would you like to hear a story?”




If this ending is too cheesy, someone tell me and I'll rewrite it. This is a different ending than the other one I wrote that got deleted, but I couldn't write the other one again for some reason. It just kept turning out funny. Thanks so much for reading, and PLEASE COMMENT!