I sat on the bench awaiting my bus when a man sat down next to me. He was dressed in black and had short black hair and a beard. Around his neck was a silver cross, and he carried a briefcase. "It's crazy out there," he muttered to himself.
I tend to keep to myself when around strangers, but something compelled me to respond. "What's crazy?"
I startled him, but he looked at me and smiled. "Oh, I'm sorry, the name's Benjamin Thompson. Call me Ben."
He reached out his hand and I shook it. "I'm James," I replied. Something in his handshake felt strange, but I couldn't figure out what it was. "So, what's crazy?"
He paused briefly as if gathering his thoughts. "Oh, well, I'm a traveling bible salesman, but this isn't what I had planned for myself. It's been a rough day, a bit odd actually."
Had I known what would happen next, I would have walked away, but I was curious. "What's wrong?"
Again, he paused. Something was troubling him. It looked as if he was fighting back tears, but he continued. "In this world, people do things that they'd never dream of doing to get ahead. I see it every day, and it makes me sad. They feel like they have to do it."
Now I was confused. "What do you mean?"
He sighed and put a hand on his cross. "Well, they sell their souls to..."
His face went pale, and a brief flash of light came from his eyes. The busy bus terminal went silent for just a moment. I made a move to get up. I felt as if I was in the presence of something evil, and I wanted nothing to do with it.
As the color returned to his face, he grinned. His demeanor changed. "Relax James, I'm not here to hurt you. In fact, I can help you if you want me to."
"No," I shouted at him. "I don't need your help. I'll make my own way."
He reached out his hand and I shook it. "I'm James," I replied. Something in his handshake felt strange, but I couldn't figure out what it was. "So, what's crazy?"
He paused briefly as if gathering his thoughts. "Oh, well, I'm a traveling bible salesman, but this isn't what I had planned for myself. It's been a rough day, a bit odd actually."
Had I known what would happen next, I would have walked away, but I was curious. "What's wrong?"
Again, he paused. Something was troubling him. It looked as if he was fighting back tears, but he continued. "In this world, people do things that they'd never dream of doing to get ahead. I see it every day, and it makes me sad. They feel like they have to do it."
Now I was confused. "What do you mean?"
He sighed and put a hand on his cross. "Well, they sell their souls to..."
His face went pale, and a brief flash of light came from his eyes. The busy bus terminal went silent for just a moment. I made a move to get up. I felt as if I was in the presence of something evil, and I wanted nothing to do with it.
As the color returned to his face, he grinned. His demeanor changed. "Relax James, I'm not here to hurt you. In fact, I can help you if you want me to."
"No," I shouted at him. "I don't need your help. I'll make my own way."
"Settle down," he chided me. "You're making a scene."
I looked around and noticed a few people were staring at me before going back to what they were doing. I knew who I was speaking with, and he wasn't going to get me. "I won't be tempted by your lies."
He laughed. "Suit yourself. In the end, it doesn't matter. It's all just a game, and the people are the pawns."
"I'm not a pawn."
He shook his head and grinned. "Of course, you are, James. You are part of a game that goes back longer than you can even imagine. The difference between me and my opponent is I like to play with the pawns and entertain their desires." He pointed upward. "He chooses to just watch it all. You can beg him, and chances are he'll still ignore you."
I never considered myself religious. I knew the basics, but I was not a church going person. "Why? What's the point?"
He laughed. It was not a sound that put me at ease. "Why indeed? He left this world to me, because a few of you animals disappointed him. He gave you a way back into his good graces, but most of you don't care enough to look. That suits me just fine, because I'm doing great. Things are going just as I planned."
I'm sure I couldn't hide my horror at what I was hearing. "What do you mean?"
He smiled and motioned to all the people around us, who seemed oblivious to what was going on here. "You see, I can't just take everything. Oh no, I have to get consent from you animals. That is the rule that we agreed to at the start. They have to give consent in order for me to have my way."
I shook my head. "Most people will never consent to you."
He laughed. "You'd think that, but you're wrong. Some people are so easy, you'd be amazed. Others go for that brass ring, and I give it to them as long as they remember who they serve."
His eyes flashed red, "But cross me, and I will take you down. Some of them find that out the hard way. However, my most loyal servants are laying the groundwork for me to finally gain total consent of the people and take my rightful seat on the throne."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "No! It will never happen."
He was looking over at a little boy who seemed to be out of breath and fell to his knees. "Maybe not. It wouldn't be the first time that the chess board was knocked over and the game was reset. If we have to start over, so be it. I'm patient. Besides, the game is so much fun, watching them sell out and enjoying the damage that they do."
I noticed the little boy lying on the ground and thought he was playing dead at first. "I don't understand. How is it possible for you to take control?"
He laughed that menacing laugh of his. "Oh, it's incredibly easy, because I make it possible for them to live out their dreams of being rich, powerful and famous. They serve me by doing my bidding with my generous gift and by not letting anybody undesirable have access to their groups."
He stood up and looked at me. "I control the money, and that gives me control of the government. I control the entertainment and media industry, and that gives me control of most of the people, even a majority of the little sheep who won't sell out. In the end, it won't make a difference, and they are too stupid to realize it."
I shook my head. "But it does make a difference. We have freewill and the ability to do good. People are waking up to that and they know things aren't right in this world, even if they can't put their fingers on what it is."
He grabbed his briefcase. "We shall see James. We shall see. In the meantime, it seems Benjamin wanted to be rich and famous. After what he's about to do here, he will surely become a famous evangelist on TV, putting out the messages that I desire along with other approved religious dogma."
A man was taking the pulse of the little boy lying on the ground. His face was red with horror as he shouted. "He's not breathing, call an ambulance, quick."
Benjamin undoubtedly didn't have control of his possessed body as he walked over and knelt down beside the little boy. He touched him, and I could swear I saw a little flash of light. Then, I saw the little boy stir. The man next to him proclaimed. "You saved him. You saved him."
Benjamin's face went blank for a moment, and then he looked confused as the ambulance pulled up to help the little boy. A man in a blue suit approached Benjamin. He handed him a business card, and I could swear he mentioned something about TV. I wasn't sure with all of the chaos surrounding me.
What just happened? Was any of it real? I had my doubts, because it all seemed surreal to me. It was almost as if I was in a dream.
"I'm not a pawn."
He shook his head and grinned. "Of course, you are, James. You are part of a game that goes back longer than you can even imagine. The difference between me and my opponent is I like to play with the pawns and entertain their desires." He pointed upward. "He chooses to just watch it all. You can beg him, and chances are he'll still ignore you."
I never considered myself religious. I knew the basics, but I was not a church going person. "Why? What's the point?"
He laughed. It was not a sound that put me at ease. "Why indeed? He left this world to me, because a few of you animals disappointed him. He gave you a way back into his good graces, but most of you don't care enough to look. That suits me just fine, because I'm doing great. Things are going just as I planned."
I'm sure I couldn't hide my horror at what I was hearing. "What do you mean?"
He smiled and motioned to all the people around us, who seemed oblivious to what was going on here. "You see, I can't just take everything. Oh no, I have to get consent from you animals. That is the rule that we agreed to at the start. They have to give consent in order for me to have my way."
I shook my head. "Most people will never consent to you."
He laughed. "You'd think that, but you're wrong. Some people are so easy, you'd be amazed. Others go for that brass ring, and I give it to them as long as they remember who they serve."
His eyes flashed red, "But cross me, and I will take you down. Some of them find that out the hard way. However, my most loyal servants are laying the groundwork for me to finally gain total consent of the people and take my rightful seat on the throne."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "No! It will never happen."
He was looking over at a little boy who seemed to be out of breath and fell to his knees. "Maybe not. It wouldn't be the first time that the chess board was knocked over and the game was reset. If we have to start over, so be it. I'm patient. Besides, the game is so much fun, watching them sell out and enjoying the damage that they do."
I noticed the little boy lying on the ground and thought he was playing dead at first. "I don't understand. How is it possible for you to take control?"
He laughed that menacing laugh of his. "Oh, it's incredibly easy, because I make it possible for them to live out their dreams of being rich, powerful and famous. They serve me by doing my bidding with my generous gift and by not letting anybody undesirable have access to their groups."
He stood up and looked at me. "I control the money, and that gives me control of the government. I control the entertainment and media industry, and that gives me control of most of the people, even a majority of the little sheep who won't sell out. In the end, it won't make a difference, and they are too stupid to realize it."
I shook my head. "But it does make a difference. We have freewill and the ability to do good. People are waking up to that and they know things aren't right in this world, even if they can't put their fingers on what it is."
He grabbed his briefcase. "We shall see James. We shall see. In the meantime, it seems Benjamin wanted to be rich and famous. After what he's about to do here, he will surely become a famous evangelist on TV, putting out the messages that I desire along with other approved religious dogma."
A man was taking the pulse of the little boy lying on the ground. His face was red with horror as he shouted. "He's not breathing, call an ambulance, quick."
Benjamin undoubtedly didn't have control of his possessed body as he walked over and knelt down beside the little boy. He touched him, and I could swear I saw a little flash of light. Then, I saw the little boy stir. The man next to him proclaimed. "You saved him. You saved him."
Benjamin's face went blank for a moment, and then he looked confused as the ambulance pulled up to help the little boy. A man in a blue suit approached Benjamin. He handed him a business card, and I could swear he mentioned something about TV. I wasn't sure with all of the chaos surrounding me.
What just happened? Was any of it real? I had my doubts, because it all seemed surreal to me. It was almost as if I was in a dream.
A few months later, I saw The Jubilation Hour on TV as I was changing channels, and there was Benjamin. It was real. It was then that I realized that we're all in a lot of trouble if we don't wake up to what is happening.
