"Like about salvation, the rapture, tribulation, that stuff." Alexa said clarifying herself.

"I think I remember Dani trying to tell me that the only way to get to heaven is to believe that Jesus is God and all that. And I KNOW Shay was CONSTANTLY talking about Jesus coming back for the believers."

"Well… I'll do my best to explain the salvation thing,,, but Shayna was right, while Jesus was here he said that he'd come back a second time."

"So is that what happened?"

"No… to the best of my understanding the actual second coming isn't until seven years from now. However what DID happen was what Christians have labeled the rapture. Basically… God has called his people away from what is still to come."

"Which is?"

"The tribulation… a period of time- seven years- in which God will send judgments to the earth in one last attempt to get man's attention before he sends those that turned against him to eternal suffering."

"So basically we are doomed?"

"No… again my knowledge is pretty limited… but I recall Pastor Collins saying that soon after the first four seal judgments there will be a 'soul harvest' where tens of millions of those left behind will become 'Tribulation saints.'"

"Meaning?"

"When Jesus left earth he manifested himself in the Holy Spirit that lived inside of Christians. The Holy Spirit is what God used to draw others to him. However, since the Holy Spirit was with the Christians, and the Christians are all gone, the Holy Spirit is no longer with us. This will make it HARDER to come to Christ… but not impossible. And being a 'Tribulation Saint' is not going to be as easy as being a Christian was, I will mean life and death. Death on this earth and eternal life in Heaven."

"If you know all this… why were you left behind?"

Alexa swallowed hard. "Because… I never truly believed. Sure… I believed that Jesus died for me… but I thought it was all too simple. I mean, seriously, all you have to do is give your life to Him and have a relationship with him and he'll give you eternal life? There just HAD to be a catch. So I told myself that if you gave him MOST of your life… and WANTED a relationship with him… he'd SHOW you the way… but you still had to do your part. Like if he provided a map… and you got closer to the destination by tithing ten percent of all you have, going to church on Sunday just because it's Sunday, and obeying all of the commands. I never realized that I just wasn't capable of doing it on my own."

"Wow! I thought you had it down just as much as the rest of them. All five of you prayed like all the time, you all attended church, all were involved a lot."

"But that's just it! I was just BEING good…. What I just didn't get was that I didn't have to. When Jesus died on that cross he took ALL of my sin, past, present, and future, with him; so that I am BLAMELESS in the Father's eyes if I would just surrender my life to him. There were no catches!"

"So… how would one become a Tribulation Saint?"

"Just either repeat after what I say with your whole heart or just pray whatever you want saying what you feel."

"I'm pretty new at this… so I think I'll do the repeat thing."

"Ok…. Lord, I thank you for sending your son Jesus to die for me, and for raising him from the dead three days later. I thank you for putting people like Dani, Shayna, Shelby, and Stacey into my life. I'm sorry for not listening to them, and right now the best way I know how I surrender my life to you. Use me however you see fit. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen." Alexa led stopping ever sentence or so for Libby to have a chance to repeat it. When they were done praying they hugged each other and decided to pick p some of the miscellaneous junk from those who were taken.

"So… I'll live to be twenty-three years old?" Libby asked.

"If you are VERY blessed and VERY careful. But chances are you'll live to be about twenty."

"Why's that?"

"Because half-way through the Tribulation the anti-Christ will demand that everyone receives a mark of loyalty…. or suffer death. This mark will be applied on the right hand or forehead, and once given is irreversible."

"MAN! I'm starting to wish I'd listen to them girls!"

"True… but if we are wise and blessed I believe there's a small chance that we'll get to see Jesus come back and conquer all… and even if we die before then…. We'll come back with him."

"We better go get Sheen and Carl." Jimmy whispered. "What I don't get is why on earth the party was cut short… its only 12:50 in the night."

"Yea…" Cindy said getting up, and within minutes they found Sheen.

"Ready to go?"

"Yup!" Sheen said swinging the car keys around his finger.

"I'll take those!" Jim grabbed the keys from Sheen. "I had one lil glass… you on the other hand are legally drunk."

"I call shotgun!" Cindy yelled when she saw Jimmy take the keys.

"Carl… you best catch a ride with us too." Jimmy said, and the four of them hopped into the car and Jimmy drove Carl home, then Cindy. "I love you." He said as they stood on the front porch.

"I love you too." After Cindy said that they kissed goodnight for about thirty seconds when Jimmy heard an unfamiliar girl call his name from across the street.

"James Isaac Neuron! Get your butt over here!"

"And we mean PRONTO!" Libby joined Alexa.

"Hey Baby-doll." Sheen hollered when he hard Libby.

"Hey!"

"I better… go…"

"Yea…" Cindy said holding his left hand until the door shut behind her... in which time they both mouthed 'I love you.'

"Sheen… I'll take us back to your house in a sec…. but right now I have to go answer to one of the Jesus geeks and your girl." After Cindy closed the main door he ran across the street and to his front porch; where he received a slap on the cheek from Libby and STRICT orders to go to Sheen's, get his stuff and return within five minutes from Alexa. Deciding that it was best to just obey their orders Jim drove Sheen home, gave him three aspirins, grabbed his duffel, and left.

"Good! You still have thirty seconds. Go ahead and put your stuff up… then meet us in the living room"

"Excuse me... but who are you and what are you doing in my house?" Jimmy asked assuming that by this time of night the youth group would have left.

"My name's Alexa… you're sis invited me over to watch the Passion."

"And my sister isn't lecturing me because?"

"See for yourself." Libby said knowing that there was no other way that Jimmy would believe that his sister, along with twenty-five or so other teens, and his mother had just disappeared into thin air.

Jimmy headed downstairs expecting to find his sister along with most of the youth group fast asleep… needless to say he was quite surprised when he saw the edited version of the after-effects of the rapture. Alexa and Libby had gotten most of the miscellaneous stuff… but they had not yet gotten to the clothes. "Where is everyone?" Jimmy hollered up the stairs.

"Christ called his believers away to be with him." Libby said even thought she knew he'd NEVER go for that.

"Seriously, Libs."

"Would you believe me if I said they disappeared?"

Jimmy looked around. Can't really deny that one. "Where'd they go to?"

"Heaven." Alexa said hopefully.

"Then no."

"We aren't sure." Libby lied, they'd have to get to the details later.

"How long will they be gone?"

"Seven years or so." Libby was relieved that there was at least one question she could answer truthfully to.

"I guess I'll believe it… my only other option is the say that there are a bunch of twelve to eight-teen year olds running around this house/town naked." WOW! How lucky am I? This whole time I've been dreading talking to Dani and all her other lil Jesus geek people about 'morality' and when I come home they've disappeared! So thank you to whatever alien species or whatever that abducted them! I mean… SEVEN years without hearing about God's love from them…. Could it POSSIBLY get any better than this?