Sorry for the delay…. Computer needed re-programmed A LOT this summer so you have NO clue how many times this has been re-written… but I'm sure it's cause all those times God knew I could do better…. So without further a due…. Chapter Four of Hail, Blood and Fire!

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"You were blind?"

"In a spiritual sense, very much so. I thought that God was a myth. He was a false hope. Now I see that God is very real and gives real hope." Libby explained.

"More soup?" Cindy offered.

"Yes please. So I take it you two were in that church."

"Yes Sir." Libby answered, showing him that he had shot her.

"I shot you? Then… why are you helping me?"

Libby shrugged and simply answered, "because I've hurt others too… and I can't help them ease the pain.

"Killed them?"

"No… but whereas my chest, and your wounds will eventually heal… the words I've said will remain forever. I can apologize… but the words were still said."

That last sentence really touched officer Jack Miller. Having been in the police force for 2 years now he had shot at several criminals, been shot at, and seen several people die horrible deaths; he knew that physical pain was bad. But Libby wasn't talking about physical pain…. Eventually the physical healed itself. However, words never can be erased, and he knew it. The last time he saw his father he had gotten into a fight and said 'I hate you.' He never saw his father after that, because the rapture came that very night. Officer Miller wished so hard that he could go back and un-do that, those words would haunt him until his death… all because his father had pulled the plug on his free rent. "Yea… I know what you mean."

"I don't believe this!" Jimmy shouted at last.

"What's that?" the police officer asked.

"This whole thing! I mean… you killed my kid's only living grandparent, and you almost killed Libby! Yet we are all sitting here, talking as civilized people!"

"You have a point kid… wait, you have a kid?"

Jimmy gestured to Cindy, who didn't even look pregnant, "Will have."

"So… I killed your mom?"

Cindy nodded and looked down to the ground.

"Then why the H… why in the world are you helping me?"

"Because you are human too. And regardless if you believe it or not God loves you." Cindy said.

"Well… I'm sorry about your mom… we were told to make an example of two of the churches… I was just following orders. And I appreciate the help."

"Cindy!" Bethany hollered as she came up to Cindy. "Cindy, meet my older sister, Hanna. Hanna, this is Cindy, Jimmy, Libby, and Alexa." Bethany introduced everyone, including Alexa who was trying to get all the cell phones re-programmed.

"Hey Hanna, Bethany. This is Officer Jack Miller." Cindy introduced the officer.

"Hey, we set your house up for a place of refuge… you want to move him there?"

"Sure." Cindy said. "Jimmy, can Goddard turn into a hospital type of bed?"

"Think so… Goddard, hospital bed please." Goddard changed into a hospital carrier and the kids put Jack on him and wheeled him into Cindy's close-to unharmed house.

"Mr. Miller, we'll be right back, ok?"

"Take your time… I'm not going anywhere."

The kids all headed to the dining room to talk. "We need to see if Sheen and Carl are ok." Jimmy said.

"All in good time. First we really need an adult leader. Dale is good, but has anyone seen him?" Cindy asked.

"Cin… it's great you but into this sh... stuff… but I think Carl and Sheen's lives are a little more important than you having someone to lead you in your newfound 'faith.' Especially since they would be newfound believers too!" Jimmy exclaimed loud enough for Jack to hear in the other room. He couldn't stand the fact that, at least it seemed, Cindy and Libby could care less about their mutual friends' lives.

"I haven't." Libby, Alexa, and Bethany answered in unison to Cindy's question.

"Jimmy, we all care about Sheen and Carl… but no one has seen Sheen since the earthquake, nor do we have reason to worry…and Carl… we don't even know where he was when the earthquake struck!" Libby replied to Jimmy.

"Hanna, do you think you could handle leading us?" Bethany asked, pulling her older sister aside while the rest argued with Jimmy.

"I really don't think I could… you'd be much better at it! I mean… at least you attended church regularly… I snuck off as soon as mom dropped us off at the classrooms and went to her small group."

"Hanna. We are all new to the faith… I would be no better than you, not like I paid attention."

"What if I agreed to it… if you were my assistant?"

"Sounds ok to me."

"Hanna, Bethany, we are heading to the store to get some materials to start re-building the damaged parts of this house, you coming?" Alexa asked. Bethany and Hanna followed the other girls out while Jimmy went to check on Sheen and Carl.

Electricity was out throughout the entire world, but that didn't stop the girls from catching the news bulletins that were still being released by the minute; because two years earlier Cindy had switched her entire house over to solar energy in order to save money. Taking occasional glances at the television monitor the five girls worked endlessly on repairing the house until sometime mid-morning.

Sheen was lost in the mixture of Tribulation Saints outside of the remnant of Jimmy's old house after the earthquake ended. As the crowd dispersed to either go find the remains of their own house or check on loved ones, Sheen wandered over in the direction of his house. His house was found in worse shape than Jimmy's was in. Every wall had been shook to the ground, and even the roof lay completely flat. "Sheen! You survived!" Jackie yelled to her son as she saw him come into view.

Sheen rolled his eyes. Why does she still act as if I were a pre-schooler that got lost in the grocery store? He asked himself… but then ran into his mother's arms and hugged her tightly. He may be eighteen, but he hung around sixteen year olds… and for crying out loud… it was possible that his mom might have died. "How'd you survive? Weren't you in the house?"

"I was, but when I first felt that first shake I immediately went outside… the house collapsed in the final stage. Is Jimmy ok?"

"I don't know… last I knew he was inside his house when the earthquake hit… most people aren't to optimistic about him making it out."

"Let's hope he made it out OK, I mean… I feel as if I am his mother in a way… since he has none. That's what I did for you… since you were a little boy."

"Yea, I know…" Sheen said. He didn't like to be reminded that Jackie was not really his mother. His mother had died when he was barely six months old… so his mom's sister stepped in as a mother. Sheen grew up being told she was his mother until he was sixteen and needed his birth certificate to get his driver's license. After he found out he tried to start calling Jackie by her name, being only his aunt... but it was just too weird and he decided then and there that while she is not his 'real' biological mother… she was his mom, and always would be.

"Don't give me that Sheen… I don't want you to completely forget about her."

"Forget about her? I don't even know her! I mean… I have a photo… but I don't know what type of parent she was. I don't know how she treated Dad, I don't know anything… except that she was Mexican and had brown eyes!" Sheen knew that he shouldn't have said that by the look that Jackie had in her eyes. "I'm sorry… I know she was your sister… but to me she's a complete blood-related stranger."

"I know, and I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner. I know it must have been hard on you." Jackie hugged Sheen tightly and cried into his shoulder at the memory of her sister. Taking care of Sheen had been her way of saying she was sorry. Sheen's real mom had been her twin, and she never treated her as anything different than a copy of herself. Even if it wasn't true, since the were identical, Jackie always commented on Rachel's littlest features, saying they wee ugly, or deformed. She had never learnt to show love towards Rachel until it was to late. So, feeling extremely bad for the way she had treated her 2 minutes younger sister, she devoted her entire life to looking after and rearing Sheen, alongside her late sister's husband… whom she also had a rocky relationship with up until the wreck.

"Sheen!" Jimmy yelled out as he came into view from the opposite way Sheen had approached. "You're alive!"

Sheen heard Jimmy's voice and quickly wiped a single tear from his eye. "Jimmy! I thought that you… didn't make it." Sheen said.

"Didn't think I would… but a tree fell on me and created a protective dome fro me… talk about luck!"

"You're telling me!"

"Have you seen Carl?"

"Yea… he's at a local shelter. They believe that one of those flaming meteors hit him."

"He supposed to be ok?"

"They say chances are slim to none… but when I was there he seemed to be doing pretty well."

"We'll check on him later, for now let's go over to Cindy's house and see if we can catch any news."

"Attention Retroville citizens under the age of twenty. While the earthquake was catastrophic, we as a global society, feel that it is best that we go ahead and continue life as close to humanly possible. Thus, we will star school tomorrow. Every citizen under the age of twenty is required to be at Retroville Jr. High or Retroville High, renamed Reficul Community Higher Education Center. Thank you." A voice said over the town's loudspeaker, the same one that Jimmy had once used to warn the town whenever they were in danger.

"Reficul Community Higher Education?" Jimmy repeated… what was wrong with Retroville High School?"

"I don't know… and what's with the 'higher education?"

"Well, boys, we better get on over to Cindy's and call it a night… especially if you have school in eh morning." Jackie said. Jimmy and Sheen rolled their eyes and followed her to Cindy's house, where they claimed a spot in the 'living room' floor next to Officer Jack Miller and fell asleep.

"Jimmy, Sheen! Wake up! We do have school today!" Cindy and Libby commanded, each dressed and ready to head out. They were wearing jeans and a t-shirt that had a picture of Finding Nemo on it… only backwards so that it looked and symbolized the symbol of he Christian fish… in disguise.

"We're coming…" Jimmy said… not happy about school being back… or the 'higher education' idea.