CHAPTER NINE
My work as executioner, under Michael’s supervision, was of sufficient quality for me to be allowed to carry out punishments on my own. I was pleasing those in a position of authority, who decided that I should be allowed to carry again the title of the ‘Angel of Death’. Obviously I still had to prove myself as Stephen before I could be allowed back into the heavenly realms to take up the post on a full-time basis. This would mean completing Phase 1 of the new church.
FM repeated to me the plans, as if he hadn’t told me already. “The new church will take from the religious scriptures and then use science to prove the existence of God. The whole purpose is to find the word of God that was now mixed up within the additional words of man. To have undeniable proof of the existence of life after death, angels and heaven, will make people God fearing again. The result of proving what is the truth will be man thinking twice about committing a crime against man, they would know that they would be judged and could end up in Hell for eternity. There would be no doubts about the verdict, if you did it you would pay. The jury could not be bought or frightened, the lawyers would not be cleverer than the Judge. With your redemption will come the destruction of evil in the spirit realms, with the growth of the new church will come the destruction of evil upon the earth plain.”
One of the most important functions of Phase 1 was to be the interpretation of the ‘Book of Revelations’. It did not represent the destruction of man but the destruction of the hypocritical churches that have abused the trust God placed in them to guide the whole of mankind using his word, deliberately mistranslating scripture for their own material gains. This was the reason that the new church would need undeniable scientific proof to support its beliefs. No matter what the person’s religious background they would have to accept the truth. “As long as it is the truth it will stand up against any argument or false claim,” FM wisely taught. “To find out where your initial support could come from why not write a book of fiction that will contain some of the new ways of thinking, open a website to find others who are striving to prove or disprove the existence of God. See who is prepared to look at scriptures from a different perspective. There will be those who are conveniently blind, deaf or stupid and they may wish to protest against your work. However, these problems have been conquered in the past without science to support it.”
It was not a new theory that the beast spoken about in the ‘Book of Revelations’ was Satan. I was the leopard with the seven heads. Of course it was all symbolic of the beginning of the new church. The seven heads represented the seven teachers that would come from the dragon, in fact the land of the dragon, Wales. The ten horns of the beast represented the ten chapters of the book of fiction I was to write, opening up the minds to a new understanding of God’s word. The lamb written of in ‘Revelations’ represented Christ who would accept the surrender of the leopard - this represented Satan’s defection from the dark back to the light.
I finished reading Chapter 13 of the ‘Book of Revelations’ within the Holy Bible. I kept reading the last verse of the chapter over and over. ‘His number is 666.’ I just couldn’t work it out in relation to me, “666, 666, 666?” Finally, I asked FM to help shed some light on the confusion.
“Write down your initials and tell me what you see.” I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down ‘SL’. “No! Write it as you do when signing in for your shift at work or initialling an alteration on a cheque.” I wrote the initials again. I started with a loop at the top of the S, arched the line down and made a loop at the bottom. Without taking the pen off the paper I then made a line through the centre of the ‘S’ and up to make a loop at the top of the ‘l’, then the line went down with a slight arch. I looked at the result. “Turn the paper,” instructed FM, “Can you see the mark of the beast.”
I froze as my eyes distinguished the three sixes that made up my initials.
“There it is, there it is. All those years and I hadn’t even noticed them there.”
“When you, the beast, surrender to the lamb it will mean surrendering this physical life. Phase 2 of the new church will begin after your assassination. Just as with I, when you become more than just a bit of a troublemaker and a threat to the corrupt, powerful and wealthy, they will silence you. This technique has been used many times to try and prevent the masses knowing the truth, think of Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Stephen Biko and Lady Diana Spencer. Politicians, religious leaders and the monarchy all feared that the truth about their deceptive, greedy and murderous natures would be unmasked.”
Once my work on Phase 1 had finished I would be more than willing to return to the spirit realms permanently. After losing Sian and the children the new church was all I lived for. Perhaps the assassination was some kind of punishment from God? If so it was well deserved.
Michael was all too ready to provide evidence of my falling from grace. He showed up once FM had finished today’s tuition.
“I want to show you my place Stephen, have you got time now?”
“I can spare you an hour or two,” I replied. I realised by his tone that this was of great importance, although for he or I could not yet be determined. “Give me a minute to take the phone off the hook and check all the doors and I’ll join you at the river bridge.” All things sorted I sat down in the most comfortable armchair and quickly went out of body, asking a guide to look over the physical whilst I was out.
Michael disguised the entrance to his place with a thick pink cloud. I would not be able to find my own way back there as Satan. Although we had done much together he wasn’t convinced of my motive for being allowed back within the heavenly realms. He reminded me of the previous astral journey to Sian’s house. He was about to tell me a little too much about the reason he had wished to hurt me but then a pause for deep thought meant that he just managed to hold back the words.
As the thick pink cloud cleared, my eyes focused on a grand white door with golden knocker and keyhole. We both walked through what had appeared to have been a solid door, on the other side of which was a garden. It wasn’t the garden I had seen Sian’s mother enter at the passing of her physical body. This garden was circular and of many layers. Each level had a marble barrier on its inner circumference, with several gaps allowing exit onto another level via marble steps.
Michael and I descended to the centre circle. In the middle of this level sat a large crystal ball, within it was an armillary sphere. “Welcome to the Genesis Garden, my home.” Michael spread his arms and turned 360 degrees. It was a gesture for me to look about me. There were beautiful trees made of Crystal, flowers of light, peacocks creating rainbows with the light that shone through their fanned plumage. Although I was sure we had only descended six, maybe seven layers, as I looked upwards the layers were infinite. The garden seemed to disappear into an enormous golden energy. “Now you have seen the creator. There is your God.” Michael walked away from me, allowing my drenching in splendour.
When I regained my position at his side he was stood in front of the crystal ball. The vision inside had changed; it now revealed all the universes that existed in the physical world. “I’ve seen something like this in a film, haven’t I?” Michael nodded a ‘Yes’. “It was a marble in the film though not a huge crystal ball.”
Michael began to circle the ball as he taught. “Stephen, as FM has already explained, we are using TV, movies and music to open up the minds of millions ready to learn of the truth that the new church will reveal. Spirit guides are influencing the imaginations of you and others like you – some are novelists, scriptwriters and songwriters. It is up to you to take the knowledge to the people.” I could sense doubt in Michael’s voice.
“You don’t think I can do it do you?”
“Oh no! I know that you are capable of the task; the trouble is that many times through the history of mankind you could have achieved greatness for the glory of God, but you sold out. Satan is not content to be an angel; he wants to be God and has shown what he is prepared to do to become that. Come let me show you.”
I was led to a pool of the multicoloured liquid. Michael dipped a finger in and started to create a whirlpool effect. When the liquid had quickly settled again it began revealing visions from mankind’s history.
The pond revealed fifteen scenes of my past lives on earth. Each scene contained pain and suffering for masses. I was crying, but were these tears of Stephen, Mordred or Satan? “This is why I don’t want you back, you made me turn against the creator.” Michael pointed into the pool with Albion, his sword. The pool revealed a scene of a knight and a queen in deep embrace near a round table. On top of the table lay Albion. “As Mordred you caused me to betray God who had put himself in a human body. He would fight your evil on the physical battleground of Earth. I was Lancelot, supposed to protect Arthur and his kingdom. Mordred used black magic to make me believe that I was in love with Guinevere. When Arthur banished Lancelot it was God also banishing Michael from this, my home.” Michael again invited me to study the beauty of the Genesis Garden.
“I spent many centuries in hell with you, Satan, as my torturer. I earned my place back in Heaven when I turned against the dark and God bargained for my release. In the physical vehicle of Robin Hood I stole from the rich for others benefit, at the risk of my own life. God will give forgiveness to all who are genuinely remorseful and earn redemption.”
The pool eventually turned back to a multicoloured liquid. I turned to see Michael heading up steps to the white door. I walked after him.
“Michael I am so sorry! I don’t know what to say, I...” Michael cut me short.
“Say! You think some fancy words can make up for what you cost me. Look at what I had Satan! Look at it!” He took Albion in hand and flew down to stand in my path and raised the sword behind his head before launching a strike that was met with a block from Excalibur. “I promise you this Satan, if you are trying to double-cross us with your plea for forgiveness I will end you.”
Like two prize-fighters we tried to stare each other out. There was a mixture of emotions flowing through both of us – anger, hatred, love and confusion. Neither of us wished to continue the battle, although neither wanted to be the first to step back either.
The fight was prevented, for now anyway, by Arthur’s appearance. “Michael! That is more than enough.” Michael lowered his sword and re-sheathed it, then turned to mount the steps again.
Arthur wrapped his arm around my shoulders as he explained Michael’s anger toward me. “When he was banished he lost more than just this, he also lost the respect of his father. I felt his loss as much as he did. To lose one son is bad enough, the second was even more painful.” Arthur’s eyes glazed with emotion, “I want you back as well.” He wrapped one arm around my shoulder as we climbed the steps toward the pink cloud beyond the white door. “Go now. Stay on the right pathway as Stephen, earn your forgiveness and together again we can destroy the Devil and his evil. I will be watching.” Two steps into the cloud there was a flash of light and I was back in the physical again.
Many pots of coffee were consumed as I dealt with the painful truth. Would I ever be able to work with Michael again? Could either of us trust the other? Was our friendship destined to end in war with one another? I was just about to call FM forward to advise me on how to wisely deal with Michael when the phone rang.
“Stephen its Sian. I’m sorry to bother you but we’ve got some strange things going on in the house. The kids are scared and have gone to stay the night at Paul’s Mum’s house. I was ...Aaaaargh! Get Off! Get off me!” They were screams of sheer panic. “Paul get it off me!”
I put down the cup of coffee and grabbed my car keys.
“Sian I’m on my way!” I put down the receiver and made my way to Sian’s as fast as my old ‘banger’ could carry me. It was a wonder that the little engine didn’t blow as I tried to drive it like a Ferrari. The usual thirty-minute journey was at least halved. By the time I reached Sian’s front door flashing blue lights surrounded the house. Police and paramedics were rushing up and down the stairs, at the top of which I saw Paul.
“Stephen up here, Sian’s up here!”
I followed Paul’s lead into the master bedroom. Sian was laid out on the floor and being dealt with by two paramedics. They and Paul looked extremely worried. “She’s gone into a coma, and they don’t know what’s caused it. She went a bit mad and then she collapsed after running away from something weird.” Paul knelt down at Sian’s side and held her left hand, by the look on his face and the tremble in his voice I could tell just how much he cared for her.
“Paul what happened before she collapsed? What was going on when she rang me?”
He began to relay the story of flashing house lights and then the flickering TV pictures. This was shortly followed by a scratching noise like something invisible was crawling across the ceiling. Sian had decided to call me at this point.
Occasionally I would have to prompt Paul to continue, he was constantly turning away to concentrate on the paramedics attempts to revive Sian. For some unexplainable reason the ambulance was failing to start up, they were trying to arrange for an alternative mode of transport.
“Just before she collapsed she ran from the living room to our bedroom, something was pulling at her hair.”
Although Sian could see the demon chasing her Paul had seen nothing, although he did hear some hissing and saw scram marks appear on Sian’s neck.
I summoned FM who arrived at my side totally invisible to everyone else. “They found her then, they’ve got her?”
“So let’s go get her back then.” I made my way out of the bedroom, intending to find a quiet room to sit down in and go out of body.
“You will not be strong enough as Mordred, they have probably taken her fairly deep by now.”
“Then I will take them on as Satan.”
FM put his hands to my shoulders. “To become Satan, completely, you will have to give up the life of Stephen. What about your quest?”
I swallowed, then looked towards the panicked Paul who was still at Sian’s side. From the way she had spoken about him they loved each other equally. “Would I be strong enough to stop them as Satan? Could I bring Sian back?”
FM hesitated before replying; “I honestly don’t know Stephen.”
One more look at Paul’s now tearful face convinced me to at least try. “Paul!” he looked directly into my eyes, “No matter what happens keep calling her back. No matter what they say do not give up on her.” Paul squeezed her hand and nodded a ‘yes’ in my direction.
To my left was the bathroom; I could see a large pair of scissors in the opened cabinet. Without any hesitation I grabbed the handle and placed the blades between two ribs. I jumped into the wall to cause the blade to plunge into the heart and end Stephen’s life.
There was a flash of light and a jolt. It seemed as though I was travelling at very high speed through tunnels of every colour you could imagine. Occasionally it would change, becoming black and white slow motion memories. Starting with the most recent it reversed through major incidents in my life. Karen waving ‘goodbye’, Sian introducing me to Paul, Sinead and Luke’s faces as I tried to explain about their mother and I splitting up. All the way back it went, as far as my first day at school and then my first teddy bear at Christmas. Then I heard a voice, “Push, push, come on you’re doing fine!” Ahead of me through this tunnel of black and white was a bright light. The light grew larger and larger in front of me, building up to a climax of a huge flash.
I looked about me. There were black rock formations, with flames rising from the floor. I was now Satan – completely - and deep in the darkest depths of hell. Excalibur at my side I made my way towards the Gates of Hell, somewhere up ahead of me I would intercept the hunting party that had Sian.
Several attempts to halt my progress were made by groups of demons. Every rock formation could hide another potential ambush. However, being now wholly Satan, my senses and reactions were lightening quick and my strength many times greater than necessary to deal with these pathetic little henchmen. Pretty soon they became more of an annoyance than any possible threat. I decided to make an example of one of the demons, enough to frighten off any further attempts. As it fell through the air, in an attempt to jump onto my back, I caught it by the throat. The razor sharp fingernails of my left hand squeezed and choked. With my free right hand I spread my fingers over the egg shaped crown of its head. It wriggled, hissed and screamed as my fingers began to push into the leathery, toad-like skin. The skull gave way to the pressure. The noise of cracking cranium echoed behind and, more importantly, ahead of me. When my fingers were buried up to the knuckles, and bent so as to grip the inside of the head, I pulled my arms back in opposite directions - ripping the head from the neck. Declaring my intention to destroy any challenger I gave a threatening and terrifying roar. Behind me I threw the body, to ward off any chasers. The head was tossed in front some forty metres. As it rotated, light from the flames reflected in the black eyeballs. I screamed out a warning, “Now get out of my way! The next will suffer more than the last!” and then strode on. The smell of the last kill was fresh in my nostrils; I was beginning to relish the thought of confronting the hunting party.
A terrorising, booming voice rose from the depths. As it echoed through the chambers after me, it got louder. “Satan! Do you hear me? I will destroy you for this! I will have your head! You dare to betray me! Do you hear me Satan? I’m coming for you!” The alarm had obviously been raised and the Devil himself was in pursuit. If he was angry now what was he going to be like after finding several of the scenes of carnage I had left on his path to me?
Every time he came across one of the torn and decapitated bodies I had left, he would scream his threat to me again. The sound of his voice was getting louder and clearer, obviously he was moving at a greater speed than I was, so I increased my own pace.
At last the hunting party could be seen. There were fifteen excited beasts, acting like youths that had just seen a naked woman for the first time. Sian was being dragged along the jagged rock floor by one of the demons; he had hold of her by the hair. Evidence of the journey she had endured was clearly visible. Her clothing was filthy from the dragging and the rocks had ripped material in many areas. Several bleeding wounds could be seen through her torn garments as they neared my hidden frame. I reached down and took Excalibur in my right hand, raised it behind my head and then launched it in the direction of the hunters. It landed five feet in front of them, the blade digging in about six inches. That stopped them dead in their tracks. The jewelled handle reflected a multicoloured light all about it as it swayed back and forth.
Sian screamed hysterically. Although her face was the same in the spirit as it had been in the physical, her clothing, whatever was left of it, was that of a medieval lady.
The Devil’s voice resounded through the sulphurous tunnels once again; he must now be very close.
Looking deep into the eyes of the one that held Sian I commanded, “Let her go, now!”
It looked at its fellow hunters, making sure they were in support. He attempted to show off in front of his admirers. It hissed before declaring to its flock, “What’s this, Satan gone soft?” It laughed, and they laughed with him.
I didn’t have any time to waste on trading insults. I strode toward it and with my right arm I took hold of its left arm that held Sian. With my left hand I grabbed its throat and began to puncture its neck with fingernails that were once again putting on the squeeze. I pulled back with my right arm, tearing the demons left from its shoulder. The tension on Sian’s hair was released.
The Demon’s eyes told me it was in excruciating pain. If it weren’t for the blood filled throat it would surely be squealing like a wounded hog. I began to raise my left arm, lifting this disgusting insect off the ground. The eyes didn’t show pain any longer, just sheer terror. The fourteen reluctant challengers behind it mirrored this look. I inserted a long scalpel sharp fingernail of my right hand into its stomach, slowly beginning to make a circular motion with the arm. Before I could complete a full circle its entire digestive system burst out and splattered onto the floor. Screams and hisses could only be heard as gurgling moans. I lowered my left arm and pushed its face into its own mess. As the wriggling started to slow I raised my right foot. I looked around me at the fourteen terrified, ugly, evil figures. “If anyone of you dare to try and harm her again, this is what I will do to you!” I stamped down my foot, causing the demons head to pop like a blood filled balloon. They scattered.
I loosened the grip of the dead demon’s arm from Sian’s hair. “Who are you?” she asked, in a voice that trembled with shock at all that had happened. The sound of a dismembered arm, thudding lifeless onto hard rock, made her jump.
“There is no time to talk, just wrap your arms around my neck whilst I carry you.” I re-sheathed Excalibur before lifting her up. As her head rested against my chest her eyes sought a stare from mine.
“I know you, I know your eyes.”
I didn’t reply. I was too busy concentrating on the surface beneath my feet. I was praying that the entrance to hell, our exit, would not be too far. Would the Devil close the distance between us before we could escape? Because of the dragging Sian wouldn’t be able to run, I would just have to do my best and hope that would be enough. If we got close enough perhaps Sian could crawl the remainder whilst I attempted to hold back the evil beast that was now screaming obscenities. He must have just found leathery, blood saturated, toad-like body parts.
“Keep believing Sian. We will make it. Look up ahead, the bright white light. Once we enter the light I can open a portal to escape.” But it was false hope; the Devil had closed the gap. I felt an icy claw grab my left ankle. As I fell I summoned every ounce of strength and launched Sian forward.
Fortunately she landed on the softer, sulphurous soil and not on rock. Although a gentler landing than it could have been, she was winded and gasped loudly. “Keep going Sian, don’t quit now, never ever give up. May God help you.” It was enough to spur her into an effort to crawl onwards.
I got to my feet to face my foe. Turning slowly around I prayed to God, asking for my sacrifice to be recognised as a token of my loyalty. As much power as Satan had, it would be little match for this mass of negative energy before me. This thick black shadow was now changing its form into that of a huge ‘grey’ (the aliens with the big eyes and heads but little bodies).
“Now I will teach you of what I know of pain.”
I had at least remembered to take Excalibur from the ground before lifting up Sian. Perhaps the Devil would be too strong for me, my end may be inevitable, but as long as I delayed him Sian would still have a chance.
The Devil’s right arm changed form again. What would have been a hand and forearm became a sword. The battle, inevitably my last, was about to commence.
He lunged at me but I managed to block the strike with Excalibur’s blade. A shock wave shuddered throughout my entire body, which flew backwards many metres. This would not take long. The Devil laughed, “You would need the power of a God to beat me! You fool, the love of a woman has robbed another of potential greatness!”
I managed to block another five strikes before I became totally exhausted. The next strike would finish me. But, as I gasped my last few breaths and began to feel the shame of the defeat, I heard a familiar noise. It was a rumbling, coming from the direction of the bright light and growing rapidly in volume. A thunderous army of hooves was heading this way.
I rose from the ground and staggered to kneel on one knee before the Devil. As I dropped down I dug Excalibur into the ground with both hands. I had taken up the position of prayer in front of the crossed handle. With my head bowed I victoriously declared, “I would need the power of a God! Well behold that power, and bow before its magnificence!” From behind me came a blinding white light that enveloped me and forced the Devil to retreat back to the depths of Hell. As he made his attempted escape his form began to change again. An army of unicorns with winged riders passed and charged after him, in search of evil.
I managed to stand and stagger towards the exit from Hell.
FM stood at Hell’s gates, in his white robe. Bowed down in front of him was Sian and at his side was Babs.
“Tell me she isn’t passing over FM, she hasn’t has she, please?”
Sian’s mother and FM both smiled; again I could see all his facial features. “It is not her time yet. We will take her back to her physical body, Paul has not given up on her.”
I reached out with my right hand and placed it on the crown of Sian’s head, “God bless” I whispered, before focusing on the face of FM.
“Go and finish it, take the head of evil”. As he said it he blinked his eyes, deliberately slowly.
Urgently I mounted a unicorn to carry me back into Hell. As I rode in I tried to remember if I had seen Michael, leading the angelic army, but I couldn’t be sure if I had seen him or not.
The unicorn’s hooves were splashing down into the stream of blood as we travelled the depths. The destructive scenes I had caused earlier were now multiplied a hundred fold. I managed to catch the tail end of the culling, finishing off a few hissing, spitting sprites.
As swords and armour were being wiped clean of blood and sinew, I asked many angels if they knew where Michael was, but none of them did.
Something made me head toward a battle that was still going on in total darkness off to my left. I dismounted and walked within ten metres of the duel.
There were flashes of sparks as the blades clashed. Somehow, I knew this was the Devil and his greatest foe in combat. I had been asked to finish it, it was my destiny, but which one should I strike? I couldn’t tell one from the other in the darkness.
As I attempted to work out a solution to my dilemma I suddenly recalled the pear shaped fruit I had stored, it was so long ago I had almost forgotten about it. I caused it to form in my hand; thank goodness Lady Jane had asked me to take it. I launched the fruit of light energy into the darkness. As it dropped it gave off a glow that was bright enough for me to see the heads of the fighters – FM, without a face, and Michael. Even though I had seen FM moments ago revealing his features, here he was faceless again? I had seen Michael’s silver eyes in the glow and that reminded me of the slow deliberate blink of FM at the gates of Hell. I raised Excalibur and struck a blow in the darkness to remove the head of the Devil, amid screeching and hissing of a deafening volume. I bent down in the darkness to pick it up, then walked to a rock to sit and look at the head of evil. I shook my own head in disbelief that I had been fooled by the Devil, allowing him to get so close to me.
“Michael!” I cried out, it echoed through the chambers and caves. “Michael!” I shouted out into the darkness where the beheading had just taken place. “Are you deaf or what? Michael are you OK in there?”
Slowly from the darkness strode the mighty warrior looking rather dishevelled. “I’m fine,” there was a four second pause, “Thank you,” Michael said reluctantly. We looked deep into each other’s souls before giving a half smile, acknowledging the bravery of the other. I stood up and walked to the unicorn, then tied the head of the FM impersonator to the unicorn’s reins by two locks of hair.
I mounted then offered my hand to Michael in order that he could climb onboard - he had lost his mount during the conflict. He was a little reluctant at first - perhaps I had cheated him of a victory he had relished? It was only a slight hesitation though; he did take my offered hand. However, as his body swung around behind me he grabbed Excalibur from its sheath and pushed me off the unicorn at the same time. He then jumped down to land on his feet at the side of my crouched body. Had I really struck the wrong one in the darkness?
“What the hell made you cut his head off?” Michael asked with sinister laughter in his voice. “Maybe I should let you take the head back. I’d love to see the reaction when you try to explain. What were you thinking?”
I began to think to myself that I would be better off if Michael did strike me down, instead of me facing God after cutting his son’s head off in favour of the Devil that Michael must surely have been.
“It was the eyes. After I saw his face at the gates, and he gave that slow deliberate blink, I was disturbed that I couldn’t see the face when you were fighting him. I felt that if he wasn’t prepared to let me see into his eyes he must have a reason to hide his soul from me.”
Michael raised Excalibur above his head, and then struck in the direction of my neck. “Good answer,” he said, “but as you can see, Excalibur cannot take the head of something that is now good. It would only have struck at something that was evil at the time of the blow. I could not have been harmed by this blade.”
After a deep breath I screamed out, “You absolute bastard! I suppose you think that was bloody hilarious?”
“Extremely funny at the very least,” and then he doubled up with laughter. “At least now I know your motive is good, otherwise Excalibur would have just removed your head.”
We remounted and headed towards friendlier realms.
As we trotted towards Hell’s exit I searched for settling news. “What about Sian?” I asked of Michael.
“Once we have reached the light we will travel to watch over her.” The rest of the journey out of Hell became a question and answers session about FM, or should I say the fake Jesus.
“When you first met him he really was the person you believed he was. Yet again your ego allowed the Devil to fool you. There were times when you sensed something different when he was around, you chose to ignore your gut feeling, as long as you were taught new tricks you would chose to ignore the warning signs.”
“So why didn’t you interfere?”
Michael gave a smug grin. “You needed to show us that you could be trusted to work it out for yourself and overcome your egotistical wants. It helped us to allow the Devil to think he was fooling all of us; he would be lured into a false sense of security. It ‘killed two birds with one stone’ shall we say.”
We reached the light and opened a portal to take us into the physical world – inside the ambulance that was carrying the recovering Sian, and the dead Stephen Lewis to hospital. Although the battle in Hell had seemed to last hours, time had only moved on some ten minutes in the physical world. Miraculously the ambulance’s engine had suddenly started up of its own accord. The paramedics, Paul and Sian were totally unaware of Michael and myself being there. We watched as Sian pulled Paul forward to give her a hug. Little did he know that as he held her, Sian had taken hold of Stephen’s right hand with her left and squeezed it gently as tears started to flow. Hopefully she was aware that Stephen had been in some way responsible for her recovery.
Pretty soon I felt like an intruder, Sian’s life had no more to do with me. Michael and I left.
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