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Chapter 7

  It was Sunday, and Zane and Josh were still stuck at square one. People were still going back and forth with the whole "I lost somebody" speech to "What the heck are you talking about? I didn't lose anybody". It was becoming very annoying, for both Zane and Josh.

JoshRogersInTheHouse!!: There's something going on here. Are the terrorists kidnapping everyone and putting out some chemical in the air to mess up our memories?

Zaneiack: I don't think so. We haven't forgotten about erin.

JoshRogersInTheHouse!!: That's true.

JoshRogersInTheHouse!!: But then why is this happening? Who's behind it?

Zaneiack: Who knows??? We don't have any clues.

JoshRogersInTheHouse!!: Hang on....give me minute to think.

Zaneiack: Uh, ok.

   "Zane, get off your phone", Dad ordered. "You can't watch TV and be on your phone at the same time."

   "That's what I've been trying to tell him", Mom complained as she brought in a bowl full of Doritos. "If we have to ask you again, we'll take the phone from you. For a month."

   Zane put both of his hands in the air in defense. "Alright! Alright!" He dropped the phone on the couch. There was no way he was losing his phone. Not when he was still looking for Erin.

   Looking up at the screen, Zane watched as the quarterback took a tumble into the referee. "Oh!", both Mom and Dad exclaimed in unison. The camera shot changed to the large crowd jumping up and down, booing and screaming as loud as they could. "Jones should have never made that move", Zane's dad complained as he popped a Dorito in his mouth. "He should have let Jamison take down Louis and Harvey. Then he could have circled back around and made a touchdown."

   "Oh well", Mom teased. "Sucks to be you."

   Both of Zane's parents were big football fans. They actually met at a Superbowl party back in college; Dad was a Giants fan while Mom was pure Eagles. Back then they were known as those fans; the ones that heckled anyone who was for the opposing team. But at that Superbowl party, something happened. By the end of the game they were holding hands and comforting each other for team's losses. "That's when I knew she was the one", Dad would say when asked to tell the story. "I had always thought I would marry a Giants fan, but having an Eagles fan as my wife is even better than what I could have imagined."

   Like his dad, Zane preferred the Giants. Lindsay was too young to pick, so they'd give her a Giants' jersey with bows that were the Eagles' colors.

   "Alright", Mom sighed as the commercials popped on. "Who wants lemonade?"

   "I do", both Zane and Dad said. Lindsay just giggled nodded, her black curly buns bouncing with her.

   "Okay", Mom said, getting up from the couch. "Just give me one-"

   The television screen suddenly cut out. A weird, static noise pierce through air. It only lasted a second, and when it stopped an image on the screen popped up. It was a picture of a white stick figure of a fish with a black background. A voice started talking through the static. It was hard to tell what it was saying, but Zane was just able to make it out.

   "And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666. Revelation 13:15‭-‬18

   Brothers and sisters....the times....are upon us. Our king is returning. We must....be ready. Don't take....the mar-

   The speaker was suddenly cut off. The picture of the fish disappeared and was replaced with the football game. Everyone was quiet. Zane didn't know what to say. What the heck was that? Was it from an occult? The terrorists? It has to be terrorists. Zane looked at his parents. Dad was blinking in surprise as he stared at the screen. "Well", he said slowly, "that was....something. Probably just one of those terrorists. Always trying to promote their point, am I right, Annie?"

   Mom didn't answer. Her hands were clasped together tightly. Her dark eyes were wide as she just stared at the screen. She looked worried.

   "Annie?", Dad called gently, putting his arm around her. She blinked a few times before shaking her head. "Sorry. I... let me go get the lemonade."

   She stood up and slowly walked out of the room. She looked as if she were in a daze. Zane looked to Dad for an explanation. "I'll be right back", Dad said, getting up and following Mom into the kitchen.