Prophesy

I am in the family room of my old house.  It is where I lived for five years.  However, I am my current age.  My sister is in the room with me.  Our parents enter the room with a man I’ve never seen before.  He is in his late twenties and has dark hair and well defined features.  His smile is enchanting.  He is introduced to us, but I do not hear the name.  Although my parents seem to love this man I do not.  I fear him.  My instinct or something far more powerful tells me he is not to be trusted.  He reminds me of Dante’s Geryon.  Suddenly I know why I do not trust him.  I do not know how I came to possess this knowledge, but somehow I know of his ill intent.  This man is the anti-Christ.  I’m not saying he is merely a bad person, I’m saying he’s the real, honest to goodness, end times anti-Christ.    He leaves the room with my parents who do not know this horrific truth.  I turn to my younger sister and I tell her not to be deceived for she too was caught in his trance.  I tell her of my insight.  She seems to want to believe me, but she does not know where I came to find this knowledge.  “Call it a revelation,” I tell her.  She believes the truth.
I know that it is too late for my parents.  They have been under his spell for far too long.  I believe the vile visitor knows we do not trust him.  I tell my sister that our only chance is to run.  We bolt for the back door, and down the steps.  We run and climb over the chain link fence.  We have no time to undo the latch on the gate.  We sprint down the sloping, grassy hill behind our home.  I get the feeling I will never return and that my parents are done for.  They are in the evil one’s clutches.  I feel a sharp pang of remorse, but do not stop.  To stop would mean death.  I look to the house.  I see the man leering out the window.  He is upset.  He and my parents turn to follow us.  I run with all my might.  My sister points to the woods that lay at the bottom of the grassy hill; she has no breath to speak. 
We run into the fortress of our childhood imaginings.  The trees tops are far above our heads and pine needles cover the floor.  For a moment I feel safe and stop to catch my breath.  My sister sits on the mossy carpet to rest her aching legs.  All of a sudden I feel something urging me on.  Something inside me tells me to keep going.  It is not the time to stop.  I look about me.  The forest is much different.  It is no longer the place where we used to play.  It is much denser, and there appears to be a dried out river bed.  The voice inside tells me to follow it.  We come upon a band of people our age.  They look as frazzled and wind-swept as we do, and they number about 10.  A teenage boy calls out, “we too are on the move.  We are running from the beast.  We should stick together.  Our chances are better in a group.” 
The idea makes sense to me.  Our troop begins to move.  We all no there is no time to rest.  We hear the evil man entering the woods, and it sounds as though he has also found new friends.  We swiftly follow the dusty path made by water long evaporated.  We finally come to a large clearing.  It is dusty and cracked as if the ground had been parched for centuries.  It is the source of the dried river, a large lake.  A disembodied voice rings out.  It is kind, but mournful.  It asks, “Who will lead my people?”  There was no response and again it asked, “Who will step forward and lead my people?”  I have no idea why I moved.  I didn’t know I had the courage, but I felt a push from that guide inside me. 
“I will,” I replied.
“Good,” responded the voice. “Take the staff you see leaning on that rock.”  I grasped the large wooden cane beside the edge of the old lake.  It was smooth and made of the finest wood I had ever seen.  The top of the staff was curved into what resembled a claw.  The claw was holding a green orb. The orb was transparent, but dark in color.  I cannot explain the feeling but it seemed right to hold it in my hands.  “Now take the staff and hit the long dried up lake three times,” ordered the voice. 
I did as I was commanded.  I had hardly touched the staff to the dust the final time when all the cracks in the lakebed emitted a bright green light.  Up from the cracks of this wasteland rose hundreds of glowing orbs.  They were large and made of some unknown substance.  Inside each was a fully grown human skeleton.  They were all curled inside their orbs like a baby in its mother’s womb.  The voice spoke again, “This is my army.  Though made of bones, the soldiers are not dead.  They sleep.  My people have fallen asleep.  You must wake them.  You must lead them.  You must fight.  Call out to them and they will rise.”
I lifted the staff and spoke in a loud voice that did not hide my bewilderment.  “Arise!  You sleepers must wake!  Your time has come to show your worth!  Be our army.  Live and breathe!”  I do not know from whence my words came.  They were not my own.  I suppose they belonged to that mysterious driving force within me. 
At the conclusion of my speech the orbs began to shatter.  Bright green light filled the place.  Again the voice commanded me, “Prophesy to these dry bones, and they will surely live.”
I began to prophesy though the words were not my own, “Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!  I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.  I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”  I began to tremble at the sound of these words echoing through the forest.  They were coming out of my mouth and spoken in my voice. 
Something deep within me spoke, “Do not fear, have faith and believe!”  I know not why, but I did believe.  I believed with everything within me.  I heard a noise.  There was a rattling sound coming from the bones.  They began to place themselves in human form.  Skin began to cover them while muscles and tendons filled the gaps.  A heart was visible within each body.  None of them were beating. 
The voice again commanded, “PROPHESY!”
I prophesied.  The earth trembled, the hearts began to beat.  Suddenly before me was an army, a living, breathing army.  Each man and woman was covered in armor and carried a sword.  The soldiers looked to me for orders.  I spoke again from that voice within me, “The anti-Christ has come.  It is time for God’s people to take a stand.  We must fight!  Will you follow me into battle?”
         A mighty noise of approval came from the newly formed army of sleepers in front of me and my own camp behind me.  Twelve horses emerged from the depths of the forest.  All were mighty steeds.  They came with saddles, swords and armor.  I knew that these were for my camp and I.  We were meant to serve as officers. 
         We all mounted or horses and made ready for battle.  We heard a thundering multitude approaching.  Through the trees came the most terrifying sight I have ever seen.  The evil man was in the lead followed by a myriad of hellish beasts and tormented souls.  Our army did not flee.  We held our ground.  The opposition began to charge.  I rose my staff and ordered our advance.  The two armies ran at each other.  They were fifteen feet away. Ten feet away.  Five.  Three.  One.  About to collide…
         I was blinded by a white light.  I was not in the midst of battle.  Everything was white.  There was no forest.  There were no people.  Again I heard the voice speak, “The time has come to stand and fight.  This battle will occur.  Will you fight?” 
         With that question my eyes opened.  My heart was pounding in my chest.  I was in my bed.  It was a dream.