Adventure Series

"The Chosen Ones"
Fiction Adventure Series
by Brian Carlisle

When the Forces of Heaven encounter evil in the world that is affecting the Body of Christ, they do battle if it is Satan and his angels. But if the perpetrator is a man, driven by his own depraved nature, then they call in the "Chosen Ones."

The "Chosen Ones" is a secret Christian organization that is dispatched at heaven's command. Their mission is to stop evil which is endangering the Church. They have two choices: Stop them by conversion...or by force!

Join Amanda, age 16, as she is trained by an angel named Angela, who, in human form, resembles a ten-year-old girl. Then later, the two girls are joined by Benjamin, an 18-year-old missionary's son. Together they will travel the world as they battle lions, dictators, the Russian Mafia, witch doctors, assassins, demons, communists, and terrorists, just for starters!

Book 1 - A Test of Survival

Chapter 4 - Are You Ready to Begin

Angela was sitting on a stone by the side of the road that led into town, watching Amanda walk toward her. She could tell by the way Amanda kept turning her head and looking around that she was totally lost. Angela felt pity for Amanda, for here she was in a strange land with no idea where she was, how she got here, or why she was even here.

While Amanda drew closer, Angela thought of what the two of them were about to go through. She had helped several other ‘Chosen Ones’ through training before, but this one was different. Never before had one gone through this particular test, for fear that it would be too much, too hard, and too soon. When Angela had asked Jesus why Amanda was to be trained under such extraordinary circumstances, He replied that she was an extraordinary girl who would be taking on extraordinary assignments, and, furthermore, she was needed right away.

Amanda was now a few steps away. It was time to begin.

Angela took a deep breath, then jumped up. “Hey!” catching Amanda’s attention. “Will you play with me?”

Amanda stopped and stared at her for a moment before replying. “No. I’m sorry, but I really don’t have the time. I need to go into that town for a few things.”

“Oh, please?” implored Angela. “I’m all alone and no one will be my friend.” She spun around and walked over to a nearby oak tree and sat down sulkily.

Amanda first looked toward town as if she would go on, but then, with a semi-confused look, she walked over to Angela and knelt down, “What’s your name?”

“I’m called Angela,” the little girl responded.

“Where are your parents?” Amanda continued. “And why are you out here all alone?”

“I don’t have any parents and I was waiting for someone super special to come along, and here you are!”

Amanda chuckled at the girl’s words. “And what makes you think that I’m super special?”

“My Master told me so.”

“Master? Are you someone’s servant?” Amanda’s face reddened as she thought of someone taking this beautiful little orphan girl and making a servant out of her.

“I should like to meet this master of yours! And you can bet that when I get through with him, he’ll treat you a lot better than he does now.”

When Angela had first said the word “master,” she couldn’t believe she had let it slip. Now, she was ready to double over with laughter at the thought of what Amanda’s reaction would be when she found out who her Master really was.

Amanda saw her smiling. “This is not a laughing matter. Now, come on. Let’s go find this master of yours.”

Helping Angela to her feet, Amanda started to escort her to town, when Angela suddenly stopped. She ran back to the tree and picked up two long sticks or rods about 5’ long and ran back to Amanda.

“What are you doing with those? Throw them away!” Amanda instructed her.

“No, I never go anywhere without carrying my staff.” Then looking Amanda in the eyes, she held out the other one to Amanda. “Take this, and promise me you’ll keep it with you at all times.”

Amanda started to refuse. Then, as she looked at the little girl with the staff in her hand, she heard a voice inside of her prompting her to accept it.

After she had taken the rod, or staff, as Angela had called it, she noticed the expression on Angela’s face change from a giddy, playful look, to one of immense seriousness.

Angela took several steps toward town, then turned to Amanda who was just standing there in deep thought. “We must go into the town. Please, come with me,” she beckoned, with her hand extended to Amanda.

Chills of fear went up and down Amanda’s spine. Something about this scene and her words seemed so familiar to her. Yet she couldn’t place just where it had come from.

Slowly, she walked up to Angela and, with her staff in one hand, she took Angela’s hand in the other. As soon as she did, she felt a wave of calm gently sweep over her. All her fear left her and a sense of empowerment filled her spirit. With shoulders back and head held high, the two girls began their walk into town. Amanda felt ready for anything.

Hand-in-hand with Amanda, Angela walked beside her. She only vaguely knew what awaited them. Usually, before going on an assignment, Jesus explained in detail what her assignment was to be. However, this time, Jesus said very little to her. He had only explained the essential facts to her, and that troubled her a little. Angela began to feel that maybe this adventure was a training period for her, too. She would have to be extra cautious.

Two things had already caught her attention that they would have to work on. First, she couldn’t let anything slip, and, second, she would have to work with Amanda on not jumping to conclusions based on partial facts.

A few minutes later, as they reached the town, they slowed their pace quite a bit. Although everything appeared to be normal, there was a strange feeling in the air.

The two girls paused just inside of the town at the first intersection and observed the people. It was then that they noticed that the people were walking back and forth as if they had no real purpose or direction. Some would walk into a building advertising free goods to all. A few minutes later, they would emerge with arms loaded with these free goods, just smiling as big as possible. But a few moments later, as they would walk down the street, the goods that they had held would vanish away and so would their smile.

Women would walk into a beauty parlor, then later reappear all fancied up with hairdos and new clothes. But by the time they would walk a half a block, all the fancy primping would be gone and the new clothes would be turned back to the old rags of before.

Then, Amanda heard laughter. It was coming from several buildings that were evidently places of amusement. It sounded as though those inside were really enjoying themselves. After handing Angela her staff, Amanda walked over and looked in through the window.

Inside, the patrons were being entertained by some of the weirdest looking people. As Amanda watched, she noticed that the entertainers were doing and saying the most ungodly things in order to make the ones observing laugh, but their laugh was fake. They would laugh loud and hard, but when they stopped laughing, immediately the sad look would reappear on their faces, until they were made to laugh again. This seemed to continue endlessly, and Amanda was beginning to wonder how long this could go on. Then she noticed the strings.

Everyone in the building had strings, like puppets or marionettes. These strings controlled their every move. It controlled when they would laugh and when they would quit. But oddly enough, the strings didn’t lead up into the ceiling, but down. It was then that Amanda saw there was no floor, only darkness, and the light that was in the building was unable to penetrate it.

Amanda abruptly turned away from the window at the sound of children crying and wailing, as from abandonment. Looking down the road, Amanda could see the children standing together in a large group, just outside of a large building. There was a multitude of them, but occasionally she would catch a glimpse of adults among them, mostly women, crying as if they had lost someone in some terrible manner.

Amanda made her way through the crowd to the front. There she saw the front of the building with two wide doors. Standing there and inviting others to enter, were beautiful girls and handsome young men. They would call to people passing by and invite them to enter, promising them all forms of happiness. Once inside, though, the new people would slide down a steep path to a deep, smoke-filled pit ringed in fire. At first glance, it appeared that those in the pit were happy where they were, but, as Amanda looked beyond them to those who had been in the pit for awhile, she saw anguish on every face.

They were chained to the bottom of the pit, and the pit itself seemed to drain all beauty and, eventually, life itself from their bodies. As the last bit of life and beauty left their bodies, the mud would then suck them under. But there was never a vacancy, because as soon as one would be sucked under, one of those in front, who seemed to be enjoying themselves, would be pulled back into the mud and chained, and the void would be filled. And so the process would repeat itself over and over again.

As Amanda left the place, she glanced back for one last look. Painted on one door was the word "alcohol" and on the other "drugs." “So this is what the children were crying about,” Amanda said to herself, as she thought of how so many homes are broken up because of these two substances. “Although those inside the pit are bound because of the alcohol and drugs and will be robbed of their very life, the children are the ones who suffer the most.”

Amanda crossed the street to where Angela had been waiting. Taking her staff in one hand and then Angela by the other, they walked to a nearby bench and sat down.

“Let’s talk,” Amanda began. “Why am I here and who are you?”

Angela pretended to be naïve. “I don’t understand exactly what you want me to say.”

“The people,” Amanda stated. “They have no direction. They are like the wicked upon the sea, tossed to and fro. They seek for pleasure and satisfaction, only to see it vanish away before them, because what they seek after is fleshly and of this carnal world. I realize what this town is all about, and I want no part of any of it. I seek after Jesus and His will only.”

Angela just sat there dumbfounded. “This girl is special. She already has a level of spiritual understanding and a devotion to my Lord and Master that is way beyond her years,” Angela mused. “Amanda, did you notice their eyes?”

“Yes. They were empty, never full.” She paused for a moment in thought. “I was able to look into their souls and see how miserable they really were on the inside, even though they tried to hide it with smiles on the outside.”

“Good. It is good that you are able to see beyond the surface. It will help you much later on.” Angela reached over and patted Amanda’s hand. “Yes. My Master was right when He told me you were…super special.”

Amanda reached over and began to run her fingers through Angela’s hair. She had long, brown hair, just like her own. As a matter of fact, they probably could pass as sisters with very little effort.

Smiling down at Angela, Amanda spoke affectionately: “I am anxious to meet your Master, because I believe he is my Master, too.” Amanda blushed. “And I think I won’t bother giving Him that piece of my mind that I had planned on. I have total confidence in His decisions and plans. So do you forgive me?”

Angela bowed her head and sighed. She had hoped to keep her true identity hidden until the next day or longer, but she could see that Amanda would not be satisfied with anything less than the truth.

“Did I say anything wrong?” Amanda interjected into Angela’s thoughts.

“Oh, no. I was just thinking. Who do you think I am?”

“I’m not sure, exactly. But I do recognize you as the angel in my dream.”

“I am that angel,” Angela replied.

“Then can you explain my dream to me?” Amanda asked.

“You will see your dream fulfilled a piece at a time,” Angela answered. “But, not even I have had it fully explained to me yet.”

“What about the man in my dream who had been killed? Who was he?”

“That I do know, but now is not the time for you to know. It will be explained later to you by someone else.”

“And what is your part in all this?” Amanda asked the little angel.

“I’m here to help you through your training.”

Seeing the apprehension on Amanda’s face, Angela began to explain by a series of questions.

“Amanda, did you mean it when you said you wanted to serve God with your whole heart?”

“Yes.”

“Did you also mean it when you said you would go anywhere and do whatever He asked?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Amanda, you have been chosen for a very special position, and it is going to require a tremendous amount of strength and determination for you to succeed,” Angela cautioned her. “The training is very intense and dangerous. Are you ready to begin now?”

It was as if silence fell on the world. No one was talking or making a noise. The dogs quit barking, the wind quit blowing, and the birds quit singing. It was as if all of God’s creation was at a standstill, waiting for her answer.

“Yes!” Amanda proudly announced.

Amanda thought every living thing would stand up and cheer, but, instead, the silence was broken by a deafening series of loud roars. Then pandemonium erupted as every man, woman, and child began screaming and running for shelter.

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