THE SIGN. CHAPTER 2

HE WAS HANGING FROM A SIGN ON THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY, HIS ARMS WERE FOLDED UP BEHIND HIM, AS IF THEY WERE DISLOCATED AT THE SHOULDERS. HIS HEAD WAS TILTED DOWN AND HIS FEET WERE ON TOP OF EACH OTHER,AND HIS KNEES WERE BENDED. I WAS DOING 70 MPH HEADING EAST ON INTERSTATE 10 JUST WEST OF TUCSON ARIZONA. AS SOON AS MY LIGHTS HIT THE SIGN HE WAS THERE, AND AS SOON AS HE GOT ALMOST LEVEL WITH THE HOOD TO MY TRUCK, HE VANISHED. I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES TO MY RIG, I ALMOST JACK KNIFED THE TRUCK. I STARTED TO PULL OFF ON THE SHOULDER TO THINK ABOUT WHAT I SHOULD DO, WAS IT REAL? DID WHAT I SEE JUST HAPPEN? YES, ABSOLUTELY, HE WAS SOLID. I COULDN'T SEE THE WRITING ON THE SIGN BEHIND HIM, HE WAS WITHOUT ANY DOUBT, REAL. I WAS JUST ABOUT READY TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, WHEN I LOOKED AT A BILLBOARD ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. IT HAD A DIM LIGHT ON IT, AND IT SAID THE THING! THE MYSTERY OF THE DESERT, AND ON THE WALK WAY JUST BELOW THE SIGN, THERE WAS SOMEBODY STANDING THERE. HE HAD A LARGE ROBE ON, AND THE ROBE HAD A LARGE HOOD ON IT. HE WAS COMPLETELY COVERED, AND HE WAS LOOKING RIGHT AT ME.(I DIDN'T KNOW WHO HE WAS THEN, BUT I DO NOW). OK,NOW I GOT THE PEDAL TO THE MEDAL, I'M NOT STAYING HERE, WHAT DO I DO , DO I PULL OVER AND TRY AND FIND A PAY PHONE AND CALL 911, MAYBE I'LL JUST GET ON THE CB RADIO. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, SO I JUST KEPT DRIVING. THE MILES PASTED, BUT MY MIND WAS STILL ENGULFED WITH THE MAN HANGING ON THE SIGN, IT LOOKED SO PAINFUL. I'M GOING TO PULL THE TRUCK OFF THE HIGHWAY NOW, THERE'S A LOVE'S TRUCK STOP JUST OUT SIDE OF LAS CRUSES NEW MEXICO, THIS IS A GOOD SPOT, THERES QUITE A FEW OTHER TRUCKS THERE AND I’LL FEEL SAFE. I SET THE BREAKS, TURN THE A/C ON HIGH, AND JUMPED OUT OF THE TRUCK, I WAS GOING TO WALK INTO THE TRUCK STOP AND GET A COOL DRINK, BUT AS SOON AS MY FEET HIT THE GROUND, I LOOKED UP, THERE WAS A BAT. HE FLEW OVER THE TOP OF MY TRUCK AND STOPED  RIGHT OVER MY HEAD, IF I WOULD HAVE STUCK MY HAND UP IN THE AIR, I WOULD HAVE TOUCHED HIM, THAT'S HOW LOW HE WAS. WE MADE EYE CONTACT, NOBODY MOVED, WE JUST STARED AT EACH OTHER,WITH EVERY FLAP OF HIS WINGS, MY HEART WAS BEATING A LITTLE FASTER, HE FINALLY TURNED SOUTH AND HEADED TOWARDS THE BORDER. I JUMPED BACK IN THE TRUCK, HOPPED IN THE SLEEPER, ZIPPED DOWN THE CURTAIN, AND CLOSED MY EYES, THIS IS WHEN THE NIGHTMARES STARTED TO TAKE HOLD, THESE ARE NOT DREAMS, THESE ARE SOMETHING ELSE, SOMEBODY HAS GRABBED MY SOUL, AND WAS NOW TAKING ME FOR A RIDE, AND THIS WAS JUST THE BEGINNING. MY DEAR GOD, WHAT HAVE I DONE? MY MAIN CONCERN NOW WAS TO GET THIS LOAD OFF THE BACK OF MY TRUCK, AND GET HOME, I HAD A LONG WAY TO GO. I FINALLY DELIVERED THE LOAD, PICKED UP ANOTHER ONE (WATERMELON, OUTSIDE OF OKLAHOMA CITY) AND WAS FINALLY ON MY WAY HOME. I HAD TO BE AT THE LOS ANGELES MARKET IN 48 HOURS, I NEVER MADE IT. NOTHING IS THE SAME ANYMORE, I'M SEEING THINGS NOW; SOMEBODY HAS OPENED MY EYES TO THE SPIRITUAL WORLD, AND I’M WIDE AWAKE! PLEASE DEAR GOD, HELP ME MAKE IT BACK HOME. I GOT THE PEDAL TO THE MEDAL NOW, I'M IN THE CALIFORNIA DESERT NOW AND I'M MAKING GOOD TIME, I SHOULD BE HOME SHORTLY AND MAYBE ALL OF THIS WILL BE BEHIND ME, I WASN'T EVEN CLOSE. I FINALLY MADE IT, I'M BACK HOME, I JUMPED OUT OF THE TRUCK, RAN UP TO THE FRONT DOOR, UNLOCK IT, AND WALKED IN. SOMETHINGS WRONG, DREADFULLY WRONG,THIS HOUSE WAS NOW ALIVE. THERE ARE SOULS WALKING UP AND DOWN MY STAIR CASE, THERE IN MY LIVING ROOM, MY DEN, MY KITCHEN, I CAN SEE THEM ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GLASS WINDOW IN MY BACK YARD,NOW THERE WALKING TOWARDS ME.  I RAN OUT OF THE HOUSE, OPEN MY GARAGE DOOR, AND GOT IN MY CAR AND LEFT, I HAVE TO FIND A BIBLE. I DROVE TO THE CHURCH WHERE MY MOTHER HAD TAKEN ME TO ALL MY LIFE, BUT THE DOORS WERE LOCKED. I SLEPT IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE CHURCH THAT NITE. IT'S DAYTIME NOW, THE DOORS TO THE CHURCH ARE OPEN, BUT I DON'T FEAL LIKE STEALING A BIBLE FROM THE CHURCH, SO I WENT TO THE MALL, FOUND A BOOK STORE, AND BOUGHT A BIBLE, AND EVERY OTHER BOOK THAT HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH HEAVEN AND HELL. I WENT BACK HOME, EVERYTHING LOOKS OK,SO I WENT BACK IN. THE HOUSE SEEMS OK NOW, I TOOK ALL THE BOOKS, AND WENT TO THE LIVING ROOM AND STARTED TO READ, AND READ AND READ. THE PHONE WAS RINGING, I WASN'T ANSWERING, THE DOOR BELL WAS RINGING, I WASN'T ANSWERING, THERE WAS A SOUND OF A DIESEL FIREING UP, I WALKED OUTSIDE,  SOMEBODY WAS DRIVING AWAY WITH THE TRUCK, I GOT FIRED. I HAD TO GO BACK OUT TO WERE I SAW THE MAN HANGING ON THE SIGN, MAYBE HE LEFT SOMETHING THERE FOR ME, ON THE GROUND, UNDER THE SIGN, OR CLOSE BY, I HAD TO GO BACK AND LOOK. I GOT IN MY CAR AND TOOK OFF TOWARD SAN DIEGO, GOT TO INTERSTATE 8, AND HEADED IN THE DIRECTION OF EL CENTRO.