Heavenly Shield

Sam was living in a nightmare ! She had gone literally and totally insane . She was at church , not one of those fancy catholic churches with tall arches and a bell tower , covered in stain glass murals and velvet seats . No this was a small family home converted to a small church . Most of the first floor walls had been torn down to make enough space to fit about 60 people . A small pulpit set up front in the center . With a few speakers set up to play the daily music and a mic for the speaker to use to give his sermon . There was no space available for a band to play live , although sometimes they had outdoor service and a band would play . But that wasn't often , the neighborhood wasn't great , some people would say cruel things as they passed by , telling the pastor to shut up and sometimes much worse than that . The house had a single staircase that led to the second floor , where the bathroom was , and three bedrooms that had each been repurposed for other things , like bible study for the little kids in one room , and teenagers in a another . The last one was a kitchen / storage room , where volunteers would prepare snacks and drinks sold by the church for a very small profit . Not one of those fancy churches at all . Samantha , or Sam , as she prefers to be called is on the first floor , enjoying the pastors message , she's thirteen , she feels too old for the kids room and doesn't seem to fit in with the older kids . There not mean to her , it's just that she just can't relate to the things they talk about . This is church after all . Not dating camp . Sam sometimes feel the other girls don't like her . So she mostly stays to herself . Some of the church elders tell her some of the girls are jealous because she's so pretty , she doesn't feel especially pretty . But by anybody else's standards , she is a beautiful young girl . Long dark hair , deep blue eyes . With a small athletic figure . Sam looked at the time , another hour or so and she would be back home . Yay ! She thought sarcastically . Back home to either some mindless TV or rocking out to some music before showering and getting ready for bed . She was losing her place in the sermon , feeling distracted . It was days since the crazy dream she had . Sam had had some pretty spiritual things happen to her here at church , she had danced with the holy ghost , at least that's what others at church had told her .It was immensely difficult to describe , a serenity , visions , and speaking in a language she's never heard before and can't understand after the moment passes . A moment in this world that feels like forever when your caught up in the holy ghost . It almost becomes addictive , you start chasing the feeling , wanting to have it over and over , trying to understand it . She was turning the page when she felt something weird come over her . It was almost as if she was opening eyes that were already open if that makes any sense. She took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes and opened them up to her current nightmare . She thought she was seeing some weird trick of the light and shadows , only the shadows seemed to be moving . Snaking around some of the people , skittering back in forth between some , whispering in the ears of some while speaking loudly at others . Talking shadows? Yeah , she definitely was losing it . She closed her eyes and hoped her little shadow vision was some sort of test from God , but with her eyes closed she focused more on the words that were being said . At first she tried listening to the pastors sermon , but all she could her hear were the voices of the shadows instead . You think this saves you maggot ? You think this makes up for who you are maggot ? What you've done . She opened her eyes again , looking around , fear rising in her . Half the people there had a shadow form around them , they were like shadows you couldn't really see through . With eyes that seemed to sparkle a yellowish color. Her fear was growing into absolute terror . She got up and quickly made her way up the steps and into the bathroom , she was gonna be sick , her heart was racing and she was dizzy . She splashed some water on her face and looked in the mirror , what she saw looking back at her was just another shock in a long line of shock to come , her eyes had a faint glow all around them , she looked closer but couldn't figure out why her eyes were glowing . She was splashing more water in her face when there was a knock at the door . Just a minute , she called over her shoulder. She opened the door to find sister Lynn , the lady in charge of the teen group , sister Lynn was a short heavy set Spanish lady , she looked concerned " are you ok sweetie " she asked , I heard you rush into the bathroom and was worried , Sam was about to tell her about her eyes glowing , when a shadow crawled around Lynn's back and up near her head and looked directly at Sam . Sam froze ! She stood there looking in between Lynn and the shadow not sure of what to say or do . It was obvious that it was looking at her , but did it know she could see it ? Sam stammered out , "umm , I'm not feeling to good , I'm having cramps and feel weird " . " What do you mean you feel weird?" Lynn asked suspiciously​ , " maybe I should call your mom . Sam thought a moment and said " you can call her if you like , but I'm gonna head home" . " Ok , Lynn said , but have her call me when you get home ok " . The shadow spoke to Lynn "let's go maggot , you have better things to do" . Lynn turned and started to walk away , but the shadow creature stood behind a moment , and looked directly at Sam . "Worthless maggot . Sam turned and pretended not to see or hear the shadow creature , what was it ? Sam was confused and terrified . What should she do. Who could she talk to about this . Maybe pastor would know , she went downstairs to see if he was done , he wasn't , and it became obvious that she couldn't talk to him either , there was a shadow surrounding him as well . She stood off to the side and watched the pastor giving his sermon , but could also hear the words the shadow was spewing at pastor John . Hateful words that made the pastor John pause and lose his place . ' stop muttering your pathetic words maggot , no one's listening, no one cares ! " . John took a deep breath and closed his eyes , ' the devil is a liar he said after a moment, he would have us believe that this is all a waste of time . That because we stumble that we aren't worthy of God's salvation . The Bible says " for all are sinners and fall short of the glory " . So even when we stumble , and fall short . We fall before the mercy of God and beg forgiveness and for the strength to do better everyday . To overcome our shortfalls . As John spoke , his voice found power and conviction . Sam seen something very curious , the shadow shrank from him and pulled away from John she looked around and seen other shadows start to hide behind people and try and whisper from behind them . "Don't believe his lies" "your worthless and don't deserve anything " " there's no salvation for a cheater like you " from all around the room she heard the shadows spit their evil messages . But John was drowning them out , and then the world flipped upside down for Sam once more , as a being of pure light appeared in the middle of the church , and sent all the shadows running away . The being stepped up to one of the men who didn't have a shadow on them before and hugged him , an older man that Sam couldn't quite say his name , and when the light pulled away , the elderly man shook from side to side and tears ran from his eyes freely , a childlike smile on the man's face . Anywhere else someone would've thought he were having a stroke , but here most knew it was something very profound and beautiful​ . The light moved on to a few others including pastor John before stoping before Sam , Sam noticed that the light had facial features , and it's eyes looked at Sam . She stared right back , wide eyed , almost forgetting to breathe . WHen suddenly she heard a Stern voice in her mind , Dance with me child" and in a moment the light embraced her , and the world went white !