Charlie awoke with a start. Something was wrong. The full moon shone in through his window from directly overhead. It was midnight and he was awake. Wide awake. What had awakened him? “I’m not thirsty,” he thought, I don’t have to go to the bathroom, either.”
He listened for any strange sound. Nothing. A rushing sensation began pressing through him from his face down his arms, tingling all the ways to his toes. Something was happening. He could feel it. He sat up in bed and looked out the window into his front yard. There, sitting on the sidewalk looking straight at him, was Magic Puppy. He glowed. A dim halo of light seemed to come from inside him. Charlie could see the puppy’s ice-blue eyes, too. They were very serious.
“Come quickly, Charlie. Bring the Book and the Sword. Dress well, it will be rough going.” The words came to Charlie as he looked on. The dog had not moved a muscle, but his message was clear and could not be missed.
Immediately, Charlie climbed down from his bed on the upper bunk, being careful not to disturb his younger brother, Philip, who was fast asleep below him. He carefully put on jeans, a shirt, socks and shoes (he was glad his brother Peter had helped him learn to tie his own shoe laces), then he picked out a jacket from his closet. His senses were alive to every color and texture, as he walked down the hall toward his living room. “This is weird,” he whispered.
He stepped into the living room and he saw his father standing in his pajamas near the fire place. He was looking at the book and the sword, which were kept on the mantle. They were glowing. The book had the same golden halo as Magic Puppy, while the sword emitted an electric blue light. “He’s here, isn’t he?” his dad said, still staring at the mantle, “Magic puppy has something for you to do.”
“Yes,” Charlie answered, “He said to bring the book and the sword.
His father handed them down to him. Seeing that his son appeared to be ready to go, he stooped down to look into Charlie’s eyes and said, “I have felt this same… I don’t know what it is… a presence or something, once before. Normally, I would never let you go out at night like this, but it must be very important, Charlie. I’ll be praying for you, as you go.”
It gave Charlie courage to know his dad could sense the same things he sensed. He gave his dad a long, loving hug, turned to the front door and walked out into the night…
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