"AHHHHHHHHHHHH! We should have listened to the Han-s-ons! Ahhhhhhhhhh," screamed Jared, as he ran past his sister Claire, who was sitting in a trance-like state, clinging to a pillow on the couch after having been shaken by loudest thunder maybe ever heard on the earth, followed by a terrifying shaking of what seemed like the whole earth.

Then Sparrow came running down the stairs with a huge wad of bubble gum stuck in her hair. "What was that loud clang of thunder? The end of the world or something? I screamed so loud, my gum came flying out of my mouth and landed on the side of my head! I guess cuz I jumped so high!" she exclaimed; trying to free her shoulder length, silken hair from the stickiness.

Claire, readily aroused from her trance, freed her hair with a few snips of a pair of scissors and sat down next to her identical twin, now in the fetal position and put her arm around her, as they both began to tremble and weep uncontrollably.

"Where are the Hansons?" Sparrow inquired, through her chattering teeth.

"I was standing there talking to them, and like everything was fine, until we heard that loud clang of thunder. At that very moment they disappeared right before my eyes! I don't know what happened! But I'm afraid our foster parents were taken by aliens..or something," Jared declared with a wild look in his eyes.

"Taken where?"

"Don't ask me!" he retorted, as he threw himself on the couch near his sisters.

"We're all alone!" All three started screaming and weeping loudly, as Jared tried to comprehend being thrust into the position of man of the house at only sixteen; in charge of his fourteen year old sisters.

Suddenly they heard obnoxiously loud military planes flying alarmingly low over their house. Jared ran to look out the window. "They're gonna bomb us!" He exclaimed.

Then they heard bombs hitting all around the house. They huddled closely with their heads down and, their hands over their ears tightly; screaming in horror. Then suddenly, an ominous silence took them all by surprise.

"I guess we should hide under the furniture if that happens again, but it happened so fast, I didn't have a chance to think!" Claire exclaimed.

"I bet it was aliens that came and took the Hansons," Sparrow declared suddenly; trembling a little harder.

"NO! No no no".... Mrs. Hanson warned us about this. "It wasn't aliens. It was JESUS! Claire vehemently insisted. "And you know what? She told us many times that we could be left behind. I think it's time we started believing in God! We all should get down on our knees right now!" She said; falling down on the floor.

"Well I don't know," Jared replied hesitantly. "And I don't think Sparrow believes it either!"

Sparrow just shrugged her shoulders.

"Don't tell her what to think! Anyway can't you see she's ALL upset!" Claire retorted; jumping to her feet.

"Hey, a little respect for the new man of the house, not to mention the oldest one here," Jared replied; pointing to his chest with his thumbs. "Anyway, I don't think we should just assume the Hansons were right and that Jesus came and took all the little kids and the believers. And I don't think we need to go all crazy over this. I mean if there is a God; He knows we are good kids. He can't be mad at us."

"NO Jared! I don't think that's how it works! It's all starting to come back to me now; everything Mrs. Hanson said"....I remember she called it the Rapture," Claire insisted.

"Whadya you think Sparrow. Do you think there's a God?

"Well since we were like seven, I thought God couldn't be real because of all the terrible things that were happening to us.... Like remember that awful night when our real parents were both so high on whatever the hell drug they were on and they decided to go to the bar. They got outside and fell head first in the snow and the neighbors had to come over and help them get back inside? I was so embarrassed I thought I'd die, not to mention hungry and we had no food in the house. I think we have more food now than we did at that point....But then, one of the neighbors came by with some food and I was happy, but then I felt that horrible feeling of embarrassment again," Sparrow recalled; gazing into her sister's equally troubled eyes.

"Well for the past couple years now, I really thought of God as, well just an idea I guess, like as long as we're good people, but now I just don't know," remarked Jared, his words trailing off. "Hey, I seem to recall her sending me an email, like once a month or something like that. I could tell they were about the Rapture, so I just ignored them. ....Maybe the most recent one is still sitting in my inbox...I'll try to find my phone," Jared replied; hurrying up the stairs to his room.

Claire started wandering around the house; trying to see if she could detect any signs as to what happened. Then, she noticed Sparrow had fallen asleep on the couch. 'I hope she'll be okay....She's always been a bit too emotional,' Claire thought.

Then suddenly Jared came flying down the stairs with his phone in hand. I found the emails!" He shouted as loud as he could; waking Sparrow from much needed sleep.

She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "What?" she asked.

"Well..Mrs. Hanson put it all in this email. Pretty much everything we need to know is in here and she is saying that it was Jesus that came and took all the Christians AND all the kids that are too young to be held accountable. Everyone else was left behind, BUT we can still be saved if we believe in Jesus. She even says that this period is called the tribulation and even though it's the worst time ever on the earth, it's really God's Mercy because He's giving us one last chance! God wants to spare us from hell! That's why He devised this unbelievable End Times problem; to wake up as many people as possible because God is not willing that any should perish! See it's all here!" He shouted; shoving his phone in Claire's face.

"Wow!" Claire replied upon reading the long explanation of what became of everyone they knew and relied upon. Then all of a sudden, the loud booms started up again. All three kids immediately fell to their knees and tried, for the first time, to pray for mercy and forgiveness and most of all, salvation. Then, presumably due to the Great Mercy of God in response to their prayers, almost all the houses on their street suddenly went dark, but not theirs!

"Hey you guys! Did you see that?" Jared shouted over the noise of constant shelling.

"Yeah!" Claire replied, as she peered out the window. "Every house is dark except ours!"

"It must be God taking care of us," Jared whispered, as he continued to stare in disbelief out the window.

After that fateful night, their faith grew exponentially. And over the next couple of months, aside from the shelling, they witnessed storms so severe they tore the roofs off their neighbors' homes, people showing up with food and water right when they were about to run out and horrific crimes occurring right outside their front door.

Then one morning, when it was quiet, Jared looked between the curtains of his bedroom window and saw the nicest and newest neighbor on the street, Camille carrying a few grocery bags and she was headed to their house. "Hey Camille's coming over with some food!" He shouted downstairs to her sisters who were looking in the kitchen cupboards for any morsel of food they could find.

"Oh thank You God!" Claire shouted as she ran to open the kitchen door and tore it open.

"Hi!" Camille blurted in surprise.

"Hi!" Claire replied. "You best get in here fast," Claire remarked, as she opened the door wider.

"Yes I know! Here take these bags into the kitchen. I figured you kids were here all alone. I know the Hansons were Christians....Here, I brought you guys some canned soup, cereal, tuna, mayo, bread and other canned stuff and bagels; things I thought would be easy for you guys to make and eat. I'll try and come over later this week, so we can chat," She said.

"Sure! Oh thank you so much Miss...."

"Just call me Camille," she replied, as she turned and walked away.

"Wait," Claire said unexpectedly. "Do you have some sort of secret source or is this all from your own kitchen?"

'Well, a little of both," Camille answered mysteriously.

Claire shrugged and brought the bags into the kitchen, as she screamed to get the attention of the others.

Jared and Sparrow came running into the kitchen.

"What's all the excitement?" Sparrow asked.

"That nice woman across the street..Camille? She just came by with three BIG bags of food for us!"

"Wow, she must be rich!" Jared exclaimed.

The other two nodded and smiled, as they anxiously poured through the groceries.

"Why would she do this?" Sparrow inquired.

"I don't know....I guess she must actually care about us," Jared replied.

"She MUST be a Christian," Claire remarked. "But that doesn't make sense does it?......Well, I don't know!"

Sparrow and Jared just shrugged.

"Do you guys realize what this means? With prices soaring even before everyone disappeared and with all the shortages, it's amazing of her to share with us?..That's why I'm thinking she must be a Christian. Who else would be so generous? Not to mention, it's dangerous just going out the front door. Even right here in our quiet neighborhood, I've been noticing some strange things right outside our house!" Claire declared.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Sparrow replied, in horror.

"I'm sorry....It's just that......well, I didn't want you to feel worse than you already do," she replied.

"Well I certainly could have handled it!" Jared insisted. "After all I am the oldest, and the man of the house," he added.

Claire and Sparrow just smiled at each other and then at their brother.

That night, Claire couldn't stop thinking about Camille. 'She's just gotta be a Christian,' she thought, as she fell asleep. Then the Lord gave her a vivid and eye-opening dream. She could see the Lord Jesus standing with His arms stretched out to her. He was dressed in brilliant white and His amazing Eyes and captivating Smile literally took her breath away, even in her sleep. Suddenly she woke up and she could still see the Lord; standing with His Arms outstretched before her. She remained awake the rest of that night; unable to stop thinking about Jesus and the Christian faith.

Then, as soon as she finished her breakfast that morning, she heard a quiet knocking on the kitchen door. "Camille. Hi, come on in!" she said excitedly. "Are you sure it's safe to be outside?" she inquired as soon as Camille stepped into the house.

"Well, no.....but I really wanted to come back over and see how you guys are doing."

"We're, okay, but only thanks to you and your generosity. Here, come and sit on the couch," said Claire

Camille sat down and the two chatted for the remainder of that morning.

"So tell me about your faith Camille. I've got a few questions now because of this amazing dream I had last night. I could hardly believe it. Jesus was so real and He had His Arms stretched out to me and it was so beautiful I think I was crying tears of joy in my sleep," Claire explained.

"WOW! That's terrific! That means that God is calling you! Are you gonna answer?"

?"ell Yeah, but I do have a few questions I'd like to ask first," Claire explained. "First of all, if you're a Christian why are you still here? Shouldn't you be in Heaven right now?"

"Well, I would have been if I was a believer when the Rapture happened," she replied, as she looked down at her feet.

"Oh I?m sorry!" Claire replied. "I didn't mean...."

"No that's fine! I want to share my faith....And that's just the way it happened. I've been studying my Bible ever since....So glad I had one for years just taking up room in my closet....So, what else did you wanna ask me Sweety?"

"Well....what's your story?...I mean what brought you to faith in God? I mean it's like, after that dream last night, I woke up feeling like a whole new person! I mean, Jesus MUST be real, but now I just hope I can get Sparrow and Jared to believe. I'm pretty sure Jared already does going by how excited he was over the possibility of God. And Sparrow does seem to be changing her mind too."

"Well if she is, if they are, it's due to God's call on them, because only HE can save us! But we can be His helpers, instruments, vessels, by witnessing to others. Just tell them about your amazing dream! You want to make sure that they are truly saved.

And as far as my story goes...I was raised by atheists. I was certain there was no God.... until the Rapture happened that is!"

"OH! Well that makes sense....SO it was Jesus, not aliens! I knew IT!" Claire exclaimed. "Okay, I just have one more question. How can I be sure I'm saved?"

"Well you don't have to do anything but believe. The Bible teaches that we only need to believe. BUT make sure your belief is real. Only true believers can handle the chastisement of Scripture."

"The chastisement of Scripture? What's that?"

"Well the Bible is a double-edged sword; revealing the good news about ourselves, as well as the bad, but some people come to Him only to see Him as some great big genie in the clouds or something. God just wants us to take our relationship with Him seriously. As long as you believe with all your heart that Jesus died for your sins, so that you could live with Him in paradise when you leave this earth, you are saved. And the Bible says that true believers love Him with ALL their hearts and put their relationship with Him above all else, and determine to follow Him and His Leading."

"Well that describes how I feel and what you just described IS the best news I've ever heard!" Claire exclaimed.

"Funny you should call it that, because that's what the word Gospel means: Good News!.....Well, I guess I should be getting back home now."

"Oh, okay Camille. Well thank you again for coming by! I'll certainly talk to Jared and Sparrow as soon as they come downstairs," Claire replied.

Just then, both Sparrow and Jared entered the kitchen for something to eat. "Good morning you guys!" Claire said excitedly.

"What's so good about it," Jared muttered.

"Yeah! What's up Claire? Why are you so happy all of a sudden?"

"Because I had an amazing dream about the Lord last night and I believe in Jesus now with all my heart!" She proclaimed.

"Well, I have to admit it...I've been thinking about God and..well, I believe now too!" Jared exclaimed. "And what about you Sparrow?"

"I'm starting to believe also," Sparrow added.

"What did it for you Sparrow?" Claire just had to ask.

"Well it was everything really, but most of all it was Camille. I wasn't embarrassed when she brought food over. There's something definitely different about Camille. She definitely risks her life every time she comes over here...And she only comes by to help us....People like her are living proof that God is real if you ask me...Oh and the Hansens email was like another wake up call."

"Hooray!" Claire shouted. "You know I think our new found faith has something to do with why so much bad stuff is happening all around us but we seem to be fine. We didn't even lose power! AND you know what else? I've been thinking about the Hansons and I think that it was pretty amazing of them to make a point to keep us all three together and take in three kids at one time!"

"Yeah! That?s right!" Both Jared and Sparrow answered.

And as soon as they said these words, Russian planes carried out more strikes in the surrounding areas of their neighborhood. "Hit the deck!" Jared shouted and they all fell to the floor. This continued throughout the night.

"Some night!" Claire cried the next morning."But Hallelujah we are all okay! In fact, did you guys notice that ever since we had our revelation of Christ, we seem to be more blessed and provided for than, well maybe ever."

"Yeah! And one good thing about the war, we've been able to stay in this house.....what with the banks not being able to operate," Jared remarked.

"YEAH! That's RIGHT!" They all shouted.

Then, about a month later, after many more visits to the house; Camille moved in with the kids and became their unofficial guardian.

"I'm so glad we don't have to worry about you crossing the street anymore," Claire teased her one day in early June.

"Hahahaha," you're so funny Claire,"  Camille replied.

"I can't tell you how much it has meant to us that you have been here for us Camille! You always make sure we have food, and most importantly, comfort and love."

A few months passed without any shelling, that they could hear anyway, but then one day it started up again, only much worse than before....AND.....

Suddenly one evening, as they sat together casually chatting and eating, Jared, Claire, Sparrow and Camille, as well as everyone else on their street, were killed instantly.

Then Jared, Claire, Sparrow and Camille (among many others) stood before Jesus, forever grateful that they were spared the remaining six and a half years of tribulation and fell to their knees; honoring Him with their crowns and praising Him that they were spared years of suffering and pain and were now with their King Jesus forever!

And they all lived happily ever after!

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES

2Peter 3:9, Hebrews 4:12, Psalm 91, Matthew 24, Mark 13 & Revelation 4:4, 6:6 and all the rest of the Book of Revelation

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, ?He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.

3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;

His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
8 Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
10 No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
11 For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
12 In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

14 Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation." (Psalm 91, nkjv)

Linzy is a certified Bible Counsellor, with countless republications on her viewers blogs, Bible Studies, Ezines and the like. Her portfolio includes, non-fiction articles, short stories for all ages, and Christian poetry.