Faith: Delilah

Prologue

faith.

Delilah DeLaney

Prologue

In the final year of the "old" world, chaos reigned supreme. Tsunamis, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes ransacked the world. Families were torn apart, homes were destroyed, and children were orphaned. While major world powers continued to threaten nuclear war, small countries never found rest with endless skirmishes. Desperation raked through every soul alive.

Just a month shy of the beginning 2020, after a tiresome year of desolation, the world population was ready for a joyous welcoming of the new year. Little did they know what awaited.

A group of terrorists, known as the "Destroyers", allowed themselves to be consumed with the thought of world domination. Influenced by the human-born spawn of Satan, the group followed one leader... Jameson. Jameson controlled the thoughts of men, vying for power and prestige. The Destroyers became an underground network of scientists, engineers, and high profile politicians obsessed with wealth, power, and unlimited resources. Jameson fed their sins, whims, and lusts.

In December of 2019, the Destroyers had devised a plan to conquer the world, making themselves the new world leaders. They started with an electronic virus, infecting every single device that used any part of the world wide web: computers, web televisions, cellular phones, etc. The virus spread so quickly, no guru could prevent complete shutdown. All electronically stored records were lost. Medical records erased. Histories deleted. Photos, videos, music, movies... gone. It was as if half of the world went missing in the blink of an eye.

Panic overwhelmed professional offices, hospitals, and governments in every country across the world. The people were at a loss of how to handle such a situation. The Destroyers celebrated as they released second phase of their plan.

In the wake of devastation and turmoil, the Destroyers launched a biological virus. Through carefully designated areas, the virus was released through missiles, shot over various countries. Infecting the young and the elderly first, parents flooded to hospitals. Starting with a fever and leading to nausea, vomiting and ending in a catatonic state, the virus was relentless. Soon parents succumb to the fever, followed by nurses and doctors.

The Destroyers intention with the virus was the erase the population's memory, leaving them to rise from the coma looking for someone to lead them. They both succeeded and failed.

The people did lose their memories in the virus. Complete and utter amnesia affected the world over. The parents weeping over their children no longer remembered they even had children. Husbands didn't recognize wives. Every person awoke with no recollection of how they ended up where they were. Confusion replaced chaos, for however brief a time.

What the Destroyers did not plan for were the side effects of the virus. Some woke with the ability to see further than others. Others were able to run faster or lift heavier objects. Some were able to hear the thoughts of others. Some were able to hear whispers from the deceased. These came to be known as the "Enhanced." The virus had mutated the genes, giving a focal point in the body to a specific area, be it physical, sensory, intellectual, or spiritual.

There was also a negative side effect. In a few sparse cases, the virus mutated the genes in such a way that the body lost all ability to produce heme- a necessary component of hemoglobin and other miscellaneous hemoproteins. This lack of heme prevents the body from being able to carry oxygen through the blood. Similar malfunctions of the bodily system are classified as Porphyria. This particular mutation became known Provectus Porphyria- or "advanced Porphyria." At this dire stage of Porphyria, the body loses all ability to heal, feed, grow, and sustain. It requires living on unpolluted blood to survive without suffering from constant nausea, severe vomiting, skin lesions, boils, and seizures. The disease is so contagious, that if an infected Porphyriac transmits DNA in any form to an uninfected, the disease is instantly spread. There is no cure.

Of course, some woke with no side effects at all. They simply had no recollection of their past. While this group of people did not make up the majority of the population, they carried a "normal", unmutated, recessive gene.

Take one moment to think about the state of things. You're alone, with no memory of who you are, where you came from, where you're going. You have an ability that seems normal to you, but the person in the next hospital bed has no idea what you are talking about. You walk out of the building after wondering around for hours trying to figure out how to get out, only to find people emerging just like you. You look at them and find no comfort as you realize that they are just as confused and lost as you. Desolation, desperation, and terror is all you feel. What do you do?

No one knew. However, God is present always. Before the Destroyers sent the second virus throughout the world, Jesus came to take 144,000 people. He took them from their sleep, from their jobs, their cars, anywhere. When Jesus called them, they left the world, body and all. These 144,000 were taken into Heaven where they were granted salvation and given a task. These 144,000 were returned to world to help reestablish order..

Six hundred and sixty five years later, the world has surpassed its former glory. Mostly as peace, the people thrive in life. Freedom blesses every soul, for those who choose it. Yet there are still those who work for Jameson, though now he has a new name. The Destroyers are still alive, and still vie for power.