Fin by A.R.C. (top 50 books to read .txt) 📖

of what my mom had told me once. You can never trust an anthesist to love. Having a God fearing man by your side is much better. Yet, I remember my dad was one but couldn't keep his hands off of other women so I never understood how that worked for my mom.

I sure needed some gudiance and comfort. And I remember hearing a long time ago that He can be all of that. For the times I wasn't feeling like myself, I never even bothered to pray about it but somehow I made it through. And thinking about what it is to come we're clueless to an overcoming.

As I walked further along, I noticed there was a church by the name of God's Love that was still open. There were some women that were loading some boxes in a van while humming to theirselves in unison. The young and old helping each other out. I stood there watching for a bit feeling confused and left out as tears were beginning to form again...(@)


(||:There is a God who loves me
Who wraps me in His arms
And that is the place where I'm changed
And that's where I belong


[Chorus]
Take me to that place Lord
To that secret place where
I can be with You
You can make me like You
Wrap me in Your arms
Wrap me in Your arms
Wrap me in your arms :||

(Repeats the verse and then chorus the second time around)


-*Lisa Gungor "Wrap Me In Your Arms"

)


"Excuse me, Miss?"

I looked up from my head being bowed down and weary and seen that it was a young woman, no more than eighteen/nineteen with an edge to her personality, asking for my attention. "Are you ok?"

"Oh, yes...I am. I just needed to take a walk and try to open myself...I'll be fine."

She kept looking at me then back towards the church and the other women who was still doing some work. "If you like, we have coffee or tea with some snacks and a few hot meals if you want to partake in them."

"I don't know. I have some at home-" My thoguhts about my place stopped abruptedly. Did I want to go home? I didn't when I was walking away from Justin and now that I think about it, no, I didn't want to now. Not yet. And something was telling me that it was best to stay in this area for a bit. "You know what? I think I can take you up on that offer. Thank you."

She helped me up and walked be to the property of the Church. "What are you all doing at this time of night?" I asked. "We had come up with a small donation sign up for people who needed any type of needed materials to use before the clock strikes."

"Like if there was a storm coming and people will need things to use?"

"Yeah, something like that. We're also letting them know that we are having a group called Prayer of The Final Hour. We seen that other folks had flyers about some crazy kind of block party, an excuse for people to go crazy and let loose. We see it as them making fun of this whole seriousness of the event that will strike so we will be the opposite of that. To let them know you don't have to be alone if you feel that you are. We will meet here to have a last meal and to share last thoughts with moments and then we all are going out to this block party and represent what we are about it...then wait."

"That sounds too-calm. Aren't you all afraid?"

"Well, it can be a scary thing but we feel we are prepared and knew some day this day was coming so...we feel we have nothing to loose. You're welcome to join us. The coffe and snacks are on the table along with the pitcher of tea and the hot meals that we put together the best way we can. Since most of the stores are now all closedm we were lucky to have folks who knows how to really improvise."

"Thank you...I'll think about what you just told me. What's your name by the way?"

"Jenna."


***********************************************


*COLLIN*


Things were starting to get a bit crazy out there. The panic and the anxiety of the people were rising that was starting to make them do foolish things. I had to be quick to get out and head to the church before anything can happen in the streets. Mark was suppose to meet me in front of my place so I was sure not to keep him waiting out there.

I looked over to my mom who was sitting on the couch watching a show that was flicking back and forth by itself on the t.v.. We never had a good relationship and I've been trying to mend that. But she had been indifferent about it and didn't want to have nothing to do with me still. But as she sits there slouched out and her attention slowly on the t.v. but herself not actually here in the living room, I wish I had the better will to snap her out of it and save her. "Mom...I'm leaving."

"Good. Make sure you lock that door. I don't want no one bothering me."

"I'm going to the church with some folks. We're going to have a last meal together. Like a safe haven...I would love it if you came with me."

She looked over at me for the first time in a month and then laughed. "Last dinner? Ya'll really trying to play it out like Jesus. Ya'll ain't nothing. Going to hell for that."

"Mom...I'm begging you now. Please...this can be the last that we see each other this can be the opportunity to fix this."

"Leave already, boy. Talking crazy."

There was a knock at the door. When I went to the peep hole to see who it is, Mark was leaning on the wall watching some of the people going by. The peep hole made it limited to see what was going on exactly but from the noises people were making and the sound of broken bottles, made it clear that things were starting to get antsy-for now.

"See what I'm talking about? You just make sure you lock that door. I guess I'll see you when you get back..."

She had dragged out the last part of her reply as if it was cold, stale days old coffee that has been left in a cup and threw out the window that hasn't been open for years on end. The sight of my mother slouched on the lumpy couch, watching a t.v. that was the only light in the room and have been on a blinking spree since the time someone had gave it to her while she seems to be in a fog of a nearly comma, wasn't the sight I would want to remember her by. But there she was, and I took it all in.

I went to meet Mark on the porch but I didn't see that the other teens from the youth group was with him waiting. He looked at me with concern. "Hey man. Everything's ok?" He had asked. "Yeah, yeah...things are alright." I turned around to lock the door-and for Mark not to look at me trying not to tear up. "I'm ready. Been waiting to get out."

We walked past three blocks and a lot of people drinking and causing fires or break-ins. We all tried our damnest to keep looking forward and our feet moving because the crowd that was beginning to form, could rip apart anyone who tries to be a hero. Just then I seen Rod coming up our way with the rest of the gang I use to hang around with. It seemed so foreign seeing them. Like I was having at this moment, an outter body expreience, watching what was about to go down.

"Huh. Look who's walking down our way with the his whole bitch crew. The traitor himself."

"Hello to you too, Rod." I mustered out to mumble.

"Hey! So that's it? You're accepting that you're a bitch ass traitor? Damn, they made you soft. There was a time that you would take a dude's head to the wall if they called you
a-"

"Enough."

He looked at me as If I was growing two heads instead of growing balls by fianlly standing up to him permenantly. He stepped up face, trying to burn a hole through me by his glare. "You want to do something about it?" He had asked.

"I would like to invite you and the rest to follow us to the church. We're having a last supper together."

"The hell do I look going off into the sunset with you all?! Ya'll must be trippin' on some hippie shit."

"You would look like you have made a right decision with your life. To stop carrying on with this mean attitude you have always been carrying."

"Oooh. I see. You think you're 'ol faithful now and want to grow wings and save the world! Bullshit, Collin. Look around you. This

is where you come from. You ain't no different than the rest of us behind me and around us!"

"No, but I can come out of this mess. Make a difference, make something out of it. I don't have time to see what I can accomplish further but I least I made the choice to change somehting in my life. And I never felt this saved before."

I can feel Mark's hand on my shoulder showing his support and honor from what I had just said but that's I felt physically. Everything around me, the chaos that was building up, the stares between the group behind me and the group of the former friends in front of me. All I can see was eye to eye with Rod. Him and I staring each other down as if we were strangers standing behind enemy lines. I couldn't see my best friend anymore. It was a brief, on-going battle between us and the rest of our groups and it was time to settle the score... (@)


(This is not the end
This is not the beginning,
Just a voice like a riot
Rocking every revision
But you listen to the tone
And the violent rhythm
Though the words sound steady
Something empty's within 'em

We say Yeah!
With fists flying up in the air
Like we're holding onto something
That's invisible there,
'Cause we're living at the mercy of
The pain and the fear
Until we dead it, Forget it,
Let it all disappear.

Waiting for the end to come
Wishing I had strength to stand
This is not what I had planned
It's out of my control....

Flying at the speed of light
Thoughts were spinning in my head
So many things were left unsaid
It's hard to let you go...

(Oh!) I know what it takes to move on,
I know how it feels to lie,
All I wanna do
Is trade this life for something new
Holding on to what I