Prophecy

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And,
I saw
a beast
rising
out
of the
sea,
with ten
horns
and
seven heads.
[Revelation 13:1]
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Two neighbors see each other in line,
at Walmart.
_________________________
"When did you get YOURS?"

"YESTERDAY."
(Shrug.)
"How about YOU?"

(Trisha reaches up to run
her fingers through her soft,
blond hair.)
"Tuesday MORNING......
Did YOU and SAM.....
TALK much,
ABOUT it?"

"Neah."
(Shrug.)
"We figured........what are
are you gonna DO?"
(Sigh.)
"It's just PROGRESS....I guess....
We didn't feel we had much CHOICE....."

(Trisha looks around. As usual,
on a Friday evening after work,
the store is crowded: though,
eerily quiet. The only sound
was the computerized-pinging
of the cash registers.)
"Hm......it wasn't LIKE that...
for me and STEVE......we
decided to go TOGETHER....
before the SUN was even UP...
.....though.....
we had been UP all NIGHT...."

(Roberta nods.)
"I can IMAGINE......what
time did you GET there?"

"About four O'CLOCK......."
(Trisha laughed. But, it was
a tired laugh.)
"Right afterwards......we drove
over to get some DONUTS
and COFFEE......"
(She shrugged: the sudden memory
of fresh chocolate donuts, freshly
grinded coffee beans....and, the
fresh metallic smell of blood,
on her tenderly sore skin.)
"....Like, it was just a usual DAY."

"Why NOT? You guys were SMART;
just get it OVER, with."

(Trisha sighed. She reached up
to smooth her hair back, again.)
"Well......we gotta' EAT.....
you KNOW? What are ya gonna DO?"

(Roberta nodded. She glanced at
the older man standing behind
Trisha; he quickly looked away:
pulling his red cap down over
his bald head. Roberta lowered
her voice.)
"Did you hear about the THOMAS'S?
The ONES on the
other SIDE, of me?"

(Trisha leaned forward on her
cart, to hear better.)
"What: are they GONE?"

"Yep; YESTERDAY."
(Roberta whispered.)
"They just took OFF.....in their
CAR. Left their DOG, and
EVERTHING......he was BARKING
all NIGHT."

"Oh, my GOD! That's HORRIBLE!"

"Yeah, I KNOW.
I've been feeding it, through the
fence: poor THING. I can't believe
they DID THAT."

"I can't BELIEVE it! I always
thought they were nice PEOPLE..
I can't BELIEVE it!"

(Roberta frowned.)
"WELL......."
(She whispered.)
"I heard they went OFF somewhere...
into the HILL COUNTRY.......how long
would they be able to GO...? Without
any GAS?"

"I guess, they figured they'd meet
up with some OTHER ONES:
and, HELP each OTHER."

(Roberta shook her head. She
chuckled.)
"HELP? What HELP? They'd
all be STARVING!"

(Trisha laughed, again. For a moment,
some hot acid came up into her throat;
she swallowed it, down.)
"It won't LAST LONG. At some
point, they're going to have to
turn around, and come BACK."

"Hm.......I don't THINK SO....
I think they're gone for GOOD;
But, I'll help CHIPPIE. I'm not
going to let HIM starve. It's not
HIS FAULT....."

(Trisha nodded wisely.)
".....That, his OWNERS are so
STUPID."

(Roberta nodded, in camaraderie.)
"ABSOLUTELY."

(Silence.)

(Trisha spoke up, again.)
"I can't BELIEVE......
that, they'd just LEAVE their
DOG like that...that's HORRIBLE."

(Roberta shook her head: sighing.)
"You just never KNOW PEOPLE..."

(Trisha shook her head, in neighborly
agreement. She reached up again,
to push the soft blond bangs over
her forehead: covering up the small,
black numbers. The fresh tattoo
was still sore.)
"You just never KNOW...."
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Also
it causes all,
both small and
great,
both rich and
poor....
to be marked
on the right
hand
or
the forehead,
so that no one
can buy or sell
unless he has
the mark....
it is a human number,
its number
is six
hundred
and
sixty-six.
[Revelation 13:16-18]


Copyright 2011.

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