"S…So you really are?"
"Yes, it is us, I and Mimi." As Karen and Noel stood agape, Sheshe and Mimi looked down in shame. "We made up those names so then we could get help about this recent dream Mimi had."
Noel couldn't believe her ears. "But what about the dream?" Mimi looked up.
"It's still all true, we wouldn't lie about that."
Well, why didn't you want to tell us the names of those you saw, Mimi?
Mimi sighed. "They were Gaito and the Dark Lovers. They died in that big explosion and were sent to Hell because of their sins. We worked with them at one point, which was why the angel showed them to me."
Karen sat shaking, with her eyes closed, teeth clenched, and fists balled up. "So what you two mean to tell us is that you kidnapped my sister, put me on an emotional roller coaster, held Sara captive, kidnapped our Pastor, kidnapped the rest of us mermaids, killed our Pastor, tortured us, and tried to kill us?! And now you have the gall to come to us for help?! Karen's eyes then opened, shooting them a deadly stare. "Right." Karen arose from her chair and picked up the phone. "I'm turning you two criminals in!"
"Karen, wait!" Sheshe and Mimi tried to reason with her.
"Give me one good reason to hang this phone up! For all I know, you two should spend the rest of your sorry lives in prison!" This altercation is what pushed Noel too far. She went up to Karen and forcefully took the phone from her and slammed it down.
"Karen, stop!" Karen was surprised by this but continued to stand her ground.
"Don't tell me you are defending these two!" Noel was unmoved by Karen's snarling growl.
"Karen! Please. I know that these two have done despicable things, especially to you and me. But would we be any better if we bitterly turned them away? Look at what happened when Jesus was crucified, he pleaded with the Father for forgiveness of those who persecuted Him. They want to know how to get closer to God, so I think we should show them how."
Karen paused, and then collapsed into Noel's arms weeping in anguish.
"But all these horrible things they did to us…"
"You leave that in the Lord's hands, Karen. God is in full control of all things here, and it's a miracle that He extended His grace to them and brought them here. I know someone who can help us, and that is Pastor Josh."
"Pastor Josh? Sheshe and Mimi, still confused by what just happened, didn't know that there were other pastors. They thought that with Pastor Max gone, his church was finally defeated."
"Yes, Pastor Joshua Ige of Honolulu First Baptist Church. He and Pastor Max helped all of us come to know God more, so he can help you as well. In fact, I'll call him to see if he's available." Noel picked up the phone and dialed the office of Pastor Josh.
"Hello?"
"Hello Pastor Josh. It's Noel."
"Hey Noel, I hope things are well with you and Karen."
"We're good, thanks. Say, are you available? We have two young ladies with us who want to talk to you. Would all four of us be able to come see you?"
"Well, I fortunately don't have much work to do today, I pretty much finished the bulk of it earlier. Sure, I can see you."
"Awesome, we'll be over soon. Thanks Pastor Josh!"
"My pleasure."
Noel then called a taxi cab over to their house and it drove them to the church. The taxi company had a deal with our church, so that direct trips to and from the church were paid for by our church. Once they got there, the four of them were greeted by Pastor Josh.
"Lovely to see you again, Karen and Noel. And I presume that these are your friends here?"
"Why yes, they are Sheshe and Mimi." As Karen introduced the pair, Pastor Josh shook their hands.
"She…she? Never heard that one before."
"Um, it's a nickname that people call me, Pastor. My sister and I have quite a bit to tell you. You should sit back down, it's a bit of a long story." As Pastor Josh returns to his desk, he looks at his watch.
"Oh look, it's almost my lunch break. I was thinking of going to Chick Fil A today, so why don't you girls come along?" They all got in his truck and headed out. Traffic was a bit busier than usual today, so Pastor Josh turned the radio on, to find it playing Above All [10]. To Sheshe and Mimi's surprise, he, Karen, and Noel began to sing along. Halfway through this song, Sheshe and Mimi began to sing along.
Not long after they finished singing, they arrived at Chick Fil A. The same one that I first took Karen and Coco to. After getting their food, they sit down and…
"Say grace? What's that?" Sheshe and Mimi seemed confused by the concept.
"Well, before we eat, we give thanks to God for all that He provides for us. God created all things, including the ingredients that went into this. Let's bow our heads before Him." The others obliged.
"Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day and all the many ways you bless us Lord, for your grace and sovereignty alone are what sustain us. Lord, I thank you for these young women and their zeal, and I pray that while we talk about you, that we may glorify you in all that we do. Lord, I thank you for this food and pray that you may bless it to our bodies and that it'll help us to further your Kingdom. We thank you for all this and pray this in your name and for your sake. Amen."
After they finished their food, they returned to the church.
"Thank you for getting us lunch, Pastor Josh. You are a very kind and generous man." Sheshe was genuinely touched by this. No one had ever done anything remotely this nice for her or Mimi before. All their lives, it was basically 'every man for himself' (or woman for herself in this case).
"Yeah, the chicken was great!" Mimi grinned as she was still holding her cup of frosted lemonade. As they sat in the church sanctuary, Sheshe and Mimi were looking around. They had never been in a church before, so they were still taking in the sight.
"Hey, they don't call it the Lord's Chicken for nothing. Now, you said you two had some stuff to tell me?"
Sheshe and Mimi began to tell Pastor Josh everything. Their lives, what they had done, and this recent dream that Mimi had. There was nothing to hide.
"So, it looks like you two had a history with the mermaids, right?" Sheshe and Mimi nodded. Pastor Josh continued.
"And as well, I fully believe that what Mimi experienced was a dream sent from God, showing her the consequences for sin. Some people I know ask me about dreams and visions like this. Scripture says: Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God (1 John 4:1-2)."
"Just like what happened with King Nebuchadnezzar!" Karen remembered what I had pointed out in chapter 2 of Daniel to her and Coco after her dream.
"That's right, Karen. You know, I agree with Karen that those types of crimes should be punished. You two would probably spend the rest of your lives behind bars for this. In many other States, you would even be placed on death row and executed." The sisters yelp at hearing this.
"If prison is anything like that Hell place, I don't want to go there! Mimi's memories of seeing Hell came back. Please help us!"
"We don't want to live like this anymore." Sheshe was equally desperate to avoid this fate. Pastor Josh sighed.
"The good news is that you don't have to worry about going to Hell, because Jesus took that punishment for us. All you have to do is ask God to forgive you of your sins and place your trust in Him. Here, I can guide you through it." All 5 of us bowed our heads as I started us off.
"Dear Lord Jesus, these two young women, Sheshe and Mimi, know that they are sinners and ask for your forgiveness. They believe you died for their sins and rose from the dead. They turn from their sins and invite you to come into their heart and lives. They want to trust and follow you as their Lord and Savior. In Your Name. Amen."
For Sheshe and Mimi, it seemed like a massive weight was lifted off their shoulders. No longer did they wallow in sin and darkness, but came to know what true, Godly love really was. Sheshe and Mimi immediately gave a group hug with Karen and Noel as they rejoiced in God.
"Thank you, Karen and Noel for showing us God's true love."
"Sheshe and Mimi, we love you and forgive you, just as God has."
Likewise, all of Heaven was rejoicing in God's two newest children: Sheshe and Mimi. Afterwards, Pastor Josh give these two pocket-sized Bibles and led them to the lobby to wait for a free taxi ride back home. While we wait, Noel gave Pastor Josh my old Bible.
"Sheshe and Mimi found this on the beach, right by where Pastor Max was last seen."
"Thank you. That means a lot to me. It also means a lot that we know where he is now."
Mimi then interjected. "You know, his body is technically being kept alive by an evil spirit that was sent into his body. If he's found, he could still be revived. That dark spirit has kept his vital signs going and prevented his body from decomposing."
Pastor Josh cracked a rusty smile. "I sure hope they can bring the old Pastor Max back. By the way, I've passed information of his whereabouts to the police. I told them about what you and Sheshe did, but for your apology and cooperation the judge agreed to reduce the penalty to 500 hours of community service and 6 months of probation. For that time, Karen and Noel have agreed to let you stay at their house." Sheshe and Mimi showed a smile of gratitude towards their new hosts. While they were waiting, Sara and Mitsuki walked into the lobby.
"Everything's filed and organized Pastor Jo… Sheshe? Mimi? What are you girls doing here?" Sara was shocked to see her former fellow henchmen here. Honolulu First Baptist was the very last place she expected to see them. Sheshe and Mimi run up to hug Sara.
"Oh, Sara. We've been saved by God! Isn't this wonderful?" Sara smiled and hugged back.
"It sure is. Welcome home, girls."