The Greatest Composer

April 14, 2023April 11, 2023 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

I can not read music, nor can I write it. I can only imagine how satisfying it must be to write a piece of music, especially a concerto. I could at one time read it but not anymore. One thing I recall, though, is that there are high notes and low notes, and when you put them all together, they make music. Hopefully, something that sounds good and is pleasing to the ear.

As we live our lives, there are high notes, and there are low notes. It seems as if we remember the low notes the most. Throughout my life, I have had several “low notes.” Some were flatter than others. (Get it?)

It amazes me how, when we surrender our lives unto God, how He can take “all” of our life, the high and low notes, and make beautiful music. One might even say, “A concerto.” It also amazes me how the almighty God, the greatest composer, can orchestrate every part of our lives while simultaneously the lives of others, and the result is of his good pleasure.

The other day, I was going to go outside and do some cleaning, but as I was about to go through the door, I got a phone call from a friend. I took the call, and we talked for about 38 minutes. Shortly after I ended the call, I went outside and started working. A man walking by started talking to me. As we spoke, he brought up God and then commented on being unsure if one could go to heaven.

I spoke and told him he could be absolutely sure and how. He didn’t seem to accept what I was saying until I told him how much God loved him. I told him God wanted to make sure that we met. I told him I would have been outside earlier if my friend hadn’t called me. I want to add that I could have ignored my friend’s call and called him back later. He would have understood. If that had happened, I wonder if the man I met outside would have missed heaven by 38 minutes. You see, it’s important to spend time with people. They matter. All of heaven is about people.

Live for God. Allow him to ordain your steps. Don’t take for granted those interruptions. They may seem like a low note to you, but God may be playing a high note. Either way, I assure you the resulting melody will be pleasing to the ear.

The steps of a [good and righteous] man are directed and established by the Lord,
Psa. 37:23a (AMP)

Eleven Days

April 7, 2023March 16, 2023 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

By now, most of us have probably heard one minister or another tells us that the distance from the Red Sea to the Promise Land was an eleven-day walk. So the Israelites could have gone from captivity and slavery to a land flowing with milk and honey after a few days of walking. What happened? You might be asking. “Fear.” The majority of them listened to the ten spies who reported why they couldn’t take the land God was giving them instead of the two men of God full of faith. The ten assumed they were being called to battle. They failed to understand the battle is the Lord’s!

The result of listening to men who struggled with fear instead of God was walking in the desert for forty years. This is so difficult for me to understand, They had just witnessed God separating the Red Sea, and they walked to the other side on dry ground, and then, if that wasn’t enough to prove God’s mighty power, they watched as He closed the Red Sea drowning, eradicating their enemy! Faith should have been the last thing they lacked.

I know I have not walked in their sandals, but I would like to think I would have agreed with the men of faith who reported they could do it. It seems that many people will listen to men instead of God. No, they may not wander in a desert as a result, but they certainly do miss out on everything God has for them.

It seems as if some, who do not know God personally, have more respect for Him and his power than some believers do! I guarantee Israel’s enemies were scared. Imagine the testimony to all who are watching your life, whether you realize it or not, when they see God’s mighty hand at work in you. Have you ever thought about the fact that percentage-wise, there are only a handful of ministries in the world that are affecting the world for God’s glory? That is because those leaders dared to believe God instead of men!

Has God instructed you to go or do something that looks impossible for a mortal man? Remember this:

Jesus looked at them and replied, “This is impossible for mere humans, but for God all things are possible.” Mat. 19:26 (NET)

If He has, go for it. Follow God every step as He leads you into the land He desires to give you. Put your foot in the exact same spot where God’s foot just left. Don’t look to the left or the right. Don’t expect your journey to take place the same way God did it for someone else either. Cover your ears if you have to so you aren’t tempted to listen to negative thoughts.

When I was accepting my first position as a youth minister at a church that said they couldn’t pay me a salary, my father told me I was crazy and forbade me to go. I was twenty-one and hadn’t lived under his roof for three years. I listened to my heavenly Father, who told me to go. I listened to the CEO of heaven instead, and without a salary from the church, my needs were met.

Are you eleven days from your promised land?

Living the Psalms

April 4, 2023March 16, 2023 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

At the beginning of 2023, April and I stepped out in faith to meet a need. We were excited about taking this step, especially April. She could use her gifting and trained skills to bless families. At first, things were going well. Then one by one, the families chose to go in a different direction. It was as if they were turning their nose up at what April brought to the table.

As I pondered these events, I compared the families’ actions to refusing filet mignon and, instead, choosing to go dumpster diving. In other words, God wanted to bless these families with a loving, faithful servant of his, and they were turning their backs on her. Their behavior reminded me of the Israelites, which will be discussed in another blog post.

April and I’s savings account took a huge hit making this opportunity possible. And with no one seeking April’s services, covering our added expenses month to month was like watching a gas pump running in reverse regarding our savings account. It was hemorrhaging. We needed God to perform a miracle.

About the same time these events began unfolding, I started rereading Psalms but this time from The Message version. What stood out to me was how much complaining there is about God and his behavior. Take the following verses:

Get up, God! Are you going to sleep all day?
    Wake up! Don’t you care what happens to us?
Why do you bury your face in the pillow?
    Why pretend things are just fine with us?
And here we are—flat on our faces in the dirt,
    held down with a boot on our necks.
Get up and come to our rescue.
    If you love us so much, Help us! Ps. 44:23-26 (MSG)

Asking, “What is causing these people to say these things to God?” one can only point to one reason, “Fear!” I have to admit, I could now understand these individuals. Watching our savings account dwindle, I, too, was asking, “What are you doing, God? Why won’t you help and rescue us in our time of need?

I was trying to think of any possibilities that would keep us from living on the street. I checked into one course of action, but then I sensed God’s Spirit whisper, “Don’t turn to men for what you are asking God to do.” Out of fear, I almost put our house on the market, but it didn’t feel right.

I enlarged my prayer circle. A friend told me that God shared with her, “The bigger the miracle, the bigger the group praying needs to be.” I sensed divine direction and followed it. I took action, and God answered one of my prayers three days later. I had to ask God, “What is it with you and three days?” Then I laughed. He did too. I think.

The following week we got another answer to prayer for April. You won’t find our home on Zillow.com, and in a few months, our savings account will return to a respectable level. God doesn’t sleep, and we are always on his mind. He knows when things are not fine in our lives, but it is always okay to express what we are feeling and going through to Him. It’s never fun going through the valleys of life. I’m not a fan of having my faith tested, but with that confession, let me wrap this up with two thoughts. Both, though tuff, brought me some comfort:

The tester wants you to pass. The tempter wants you to fail.

6 This makes you very happy. But now for a short time different kinds of troubles may make you sad. 7 These troubles come to prove that your faith is pure. This purity of faith is worth more than gold. Gold can be proved to be pure by fire, but gold can be destroyed. But the purity of your faith will bring you praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ comes again. 1 Peter 1:6-7 (ICB)

Okay. One more:

^16-18So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.
2 Cor. 4:17-18 (MSG)

The Disappearance (part 9 – A short story by Mark Brady)

March 31, 2023February 18, 2023 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

Early the next day, Pastor Scott called Captain Peamont and the Mayor. He told them he had figured out the mystery of the disappearances. The Mayor called the governor and the media and said there would be a press conference in front of the First Baptist Church of Seneca at 10 AM.

***

Officers set up barricades on the road so the camera crews could set up safely in front of the church. There were news crews from all over America and several countries worldwide.

“Good morning. Thank you for being brave enough to come to Seneca. “I’m Mayor J.T. Bradford. This morning we will hear from Captain Peamont, who will recap what he and his team of officers have tirelessly investigated over the last several days. Then we will hear from Reverend Scott Freemon, who will read scriptures that will explain all of this. So here is Captain Peamont.”

Captain Peamont reviewed the events of the disappearances and what facts they knew. Then he turned it over to Reverend Freemon.

“Good morning. I, too, thank you for coming this morning. I started reviewing the list of names of those that have vanished here in Seneca. After praying and asking God for insight and wisdom concerning these events, I noticed that the ones on the list I knew personally were Christians. Then I turned to the following scriptures in the Bible.

From the New King James Version. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verses 16-18.
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

This is from 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verses 51-53.
“Behold, I tell you a ^[^a^]mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

Now, from the book of Luke chapter 17, verses 34 through 36.
I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.”

“These scriptures tell us that people who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will someday be caught up into the heavens when Jesus calls his church home. It has happened a little differently than the scriptures have stated, but I believe, without a doubt, this explains what has been happening in Seneca.

These scriptures explain why people have disappeared and, at times, right next to us. The scriptures talk about putting off mortality. That explains why their clothes and personal belongings stay behind. These scriptures are also why many in the Seneca Cemetary have also disappeared. We didn’t notice, but they were probably the first to disappear.

Why only Seneca? Well, I believe God is being gracious to those that have not accepted his Son, Jesus, yet, and He wants you to know that his word is true and these facts are real. I believe one day very soon, people from all around the world will disappear at the same time. This could cause many accidents in many forms.

Other scriptures tell us that no one knows when this will happen except God, the Father. Another scripture instructs us to BE READY!”

After he finished his talk, Pastor Scott Freeman disappeared in front of everyone with the cameras rolling.

Though this has been a fictional story based on scripture, the rapture is real and will take place. I, the author, have taken an artistic license to share not just a story but the Word of God about His plans. Another scripture tells us that the rapture will take place when things on earth are like they were in the days of Noah. Meaning people are doing what is right for them and ignoring God and morality. I certainly see these things happening. I strongly urge you to accept Jesus as your Savior. Ask him to forgive you for your sins. This is the only way to BE READY.

The Disappearance (part 8 – A short story by Mark Brady)

March 28, 2023February 18, 2023 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

“She’s gone! She was sitting right here, and then… then she just disappeared!” cried out a lady.

People were doing everything they could to see, although there was nothing but a pile of women’s clothing to see and a woman’s purse left in the pew. Some people started scooting away while a few others got up to leave.

“Hey! Todd Buchman just now disappeared!” People’s attention was turned to where the cry came out.

“Sue Roberts has now disappeared too!”

“Captain Peamont, what is going on? Are we safe? Where are they going? Do you think it’s aliens?” cried one of the attendees.

“Yeah! Are we safe?” asked another.

Captain Peamont raised his hand. “Calm down, everyone. Please, do not panic. There has to be some logical explanation, although we haven’t figured it out or discovered it at this point.”

“We all should leave Seneca! No one has disappeared from any other town around us. Only in Seneca!” yelled out one. “I’m leaving now!” The man scooted out of the pew and left the church.

“Me, too!” another added.

About a hundred people also left.

Captain Peamont turned to the Mayor while covering up the mic and said, “Maybe to protect everyone, we should all leave town.”

“Abandon Seneca?” exclaimed the Mayor.

“Only until we find these people and figure out what is going on is all I am saying.”

“You really want to find the ones that came out of their graves?” asked the Mayor.

“They are missing.”

The Mayor was then approached by a TV crew covering the town meeting. They set up a small TV monitor and played back what they had recorded. Pastor Scott and Captain Peamont stood where they, too, could watch.

“Watch this, Mayor,” said the reporter. “You can see everyone in this shot, and then where the first one to disappear, I believe the lady, you will see a quick flash of light. You will also see the same phenomenon when the other two individuals disappear.” The Mayor gasped each time the flash appeared. Pastor Scott remained silent but asked for the footage to be replayed slower.

“What do you see, Pastor?” the Mayor asked.

“Not sure, but….”

Another scream sounded, “They just took my husband!” Now everyone started leaving the church as if it was on fire.

***

Pastor Scott went back home, where he spoke with his family and asked them if they wanted to leave Seneca. His phone rang.

“Hello, Darcy.”

“Are you all leaving?”

“We haven’t made a final decision yet. Partly because we want to be here if Tamera shows up again.”

“I understand, but something is wrong here in Seneca, and I’m leaving too.”

“But you love this little town,” he said with a smirk. He enjoyed teasing his cousin.

“And I still do, but not when it is acting out! Okay, you all stay safe. I’m out of here.”

“Be careful, Darcy. You take care, too.”

***

Meanwhile, there was a traffic jam in Seneca for the first time in the town’s 154-year history. One officer was standing in the intersection of the town’s only flashing red light directing traffic while the other officers were working minor fender benders.

Word of the mysterious disappearances in Seneca had caused people to stop doing business there. No one was coming into town for any reason, not even to visit friends and loved ones. Fear had set in, not just in Seneca, not just in the surrounding area, but worldwide.

***

Pastor Scott went to his study to pray.

“God, people are scared here in Seneca. Bring peace to this town among the people. If they are leaving, help em to be calm and careful. Give me understanding, Lord. Please show me what is going on. Why are people disappearing? Why did my daughter disappear? Where is she? Where did she go? Where have the other people gone? What do we do, Lord God? What do I do? I need you, Father.”

He saw the list of people who had vanished before the town hall meeting sitting on his desk. He picked it up and started reading the names. He recognized some of them.

Hey, this guy went to the church. I preached at his funeral. And here, Sister Elona. She was in charge of our children’s department.

He now looked at the list in a different light.

I think I know what this is!

…To be continued…

The Disappearance (part 7 – A short story by Mark Brady)

March 24, 2023February 18, 2023 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Captain Peamont rolled upon the scene Officer Dawson reported to be at. He got out of his cruiser, looked around, and approached Dawson’s vehicle. Officer Dawson just sat there staring forward. The Captain opened his door and asked, “Are you getting out?”

After a long pause. “Sir, I have never been so shaken up or scared in all my years as an officer.” Then he turned and looked at his Captain. He was shaking.

“It’s okay, Dawson. You stay in the car, and I will check things out.”

After a few minutes, the Captain returned to his cruiser and radioed the station.

“Dispatch, this is Captain Peamont. I need an available officer to assist me with an investigation.”

“Hi, Captain. This is Rogers. Sara needed a personal break. Where are you? What’s up?”

“I’m at the Seneca Cemetary. We have several opened graves.”

“Are they on the Oklahoma side or the Missouri side? You know, the state line runs right down the middle of the cemetery.”

“Not funny, Rogers, but both sides. Get here as soon as possible and help me out, please.”

Captain Peamont put on gloves, grabbed some evidence bags, and put them behind his belt. He checked in on Dawson, who was still frozen in his car.

“You okay?”

“I will be somehow. Please, Captain, don’t ask me to look into those graves.”

“I won’t. Rogers is on his way.”

The Captain walked over to the closest grave and looked in it. He wondered if he was to open the casket if there would be garments inside. He didn’t want to know but knew he had to. He dropped down into the grave and found the casket unlatched. He opened the lid and saw a man’s suit but no body. He took some photos with his phone and then climbed out.

“Oh my goodness! You scared the crud out of me!” Officer Rogers proclaimed.

The Captain laughed, sort of.

“Rogers, start documenting the names and ages of the opened graves on the Oklahoma side. I will start on the Missouri side. Take pictures if you see anything odd as if this entire incident isn’t bizarre, sick, and twisted.”

The two of them got busy recording the information. It took them several hours. Dawson was released to go home and try his best to relax and calm down.

***

Back at the station, the Captain decided there were just too many names to add to the board, so he wrote, “Seneca Cemetary = 561” He decided to have Sara type all of the names onto a form, though. He then learned that the Mayor had called a town meeting tonight to be held at the First Baptist Church. He also learned from Officer Dawson that another seventeen residents disappeared while he was at the cemetery. That brought the total to 585. Officer Dawson and a trusted friend helped him bag the articles of clothing and record the names.

***

People poured into the church. The officers had to direct traffic. They were letting cars park in any space they could fit in the neighborhood surrounding the church. Inside, a similar situation. People were looking for any place to sit or stand.

Pastor Scott opened the meeting. “Where are all of you on Sundays? It would be my biggest crowd if I preached right now!” Some people laughed. “Hey, just trying to ease the tension. Since humor didn’t do it, let me pray. God…Seneca needs you right now. I need you, God. Too many of our loved ones have disappeared. We ask you, Father, to bring peace in this troubling time. We thank you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Next, the Mayor stepped up to the pulpit. “Thank you all for coming out tonight. We have a crisis on our hands. I should let you know that I am now communicating with the governor and the FBI. I am bringing in resources and help from wherever I can get it. These organizations will assist our local police department, which has done the best it can, and we appreciate the job they have done. Nothing like this has ever happened anywhere in the country. These disappearances have stumped everyone so far. Now our police captain will share with us what facts he has.”

Captain Peamont took the microphone and shared the facts that his department had listed on the board back at the station. His officers handed out papers listing the names of those who had disappeared. Even the names of those in the cemetery.

All of a sudden, a lady in the sanctuary screamed.

…To be continued…

The Disappearance (part 6 – A short story by Mark Brady)

March 21, 2023February 18, 2023 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

The guys stood in front of the window of Bradys with their mouths wide open. Others got up from their tables to see what they were looking at. Even the short-order cook came out of the kitchen, spatula still in his hand.

“We just saw her. Right here inside the café, by our tables. And now her clothes are in a pile next to her car door,” Ronnie said.

“And look! Her purse and car keys are on the ground too!” noticed Lloyd.

“Better call Captain Peamont,” instructed Bob.

“On it,” one of the waitresses said. “Officer Dawson is on his way to investigate,” the waitress announced. “Sara, at dispatch, told me they have already had three more disappearances counting Elona here.” There were several gasps, and one lady started crying.

Some of the customers paid their tabs quickly. Most by overpaying and telling the waitress to keep the change, then running out.

“Where you going, Bob?” asked Ronnie.

“To my tornado shelter at home. It’s stocked, and the misses and I can live in it for several weeks. They won’t find me there!”

“Who?”

“Whoever, or whatever is behind this!” he said while running out.

Lloyd looked over at Ronnie. “Aren’t you going to run out of here too?”

“Nope!” as he calmly finished up his breakfast.

“Aren’t you scared?”

“Nope!” He wiped his mouth and took a sip of his coffee.

“Why not?”

Ronnie turned slowly in his chair to face Lloyd. “Because I’m ready to stand before almighty God and give an account of how I have lived my life after I accepted his Son, Jesus, to forgive me of my sins.”

***

Captain Peamont had all of the patrolling officers come back to the station.

“Gentlemen, we have a true crisis on our hands. As of this moment, we have had seven people go missing. The citizens of Seneca are starting to panic, and our switchboard is overrun with calls coming in. Most people want to know the same thing. ‘What is going on?’ and as a matter of fact, so do I. The Mayor is riding me to get to the bottom of this. And soon! So. What do we know for sure?”

“Age, well 12 or above, sex, and race don’t seem to matter,” replied Officer Dawson.

“What they are wearing doesn’t matter either,” added Officer Johnson.

“Good. What else?” asked the Captain as he wrote these on their investigation board.

“I don’t think their location has anything to do with it either,” commented Officer Rogers.

The Captain added, “There has been no sign of foul play.”

“Oh, and the time of day or night is not a factor,” said Rogers rapidly.

“No one still here has heard any commotion or screams from the ones that go missing,” added Dawson.

“This is all good,” said the Captain. “Now, what do we not know?”

“That’s easy,” laughed Rogers. “Who is behind all of this, why, and where are the missing going?”

“That pretty much sums it up. Okay, does anyone have any ideas what we can do?”

Suddenly, a bright light entered the room, and a loud commotion.

“Captain Peamont, we have a report that seven people have gone missing here in Seneca. What can you tell us?” It was a news crew from the ABC affiliate in a nearby city.

“Who let you all in? This is a closed-door meeting. Stop filming what’s written on the board. You do not have permission to air that information,” commanded the Captain. The cameraman repointed his camera at the face of Captain Peamont.

“Okay, Yes. Seven people have gone missing, and we are investigating to learn the cause and whereabouts of those individuals. That’s all I can tell you. Now get out of here so we can do our job!”

The cameraman turned off the light and lowered the camera. Captain Peamont gave stern instructions they were not to air or report in any way what was written on the board. The TV crew left the building and set up outside the police station.

“I’m so sorry, sir,” said Sara. “They forced their way in here.”

“It’s okay, Sara. I know it’s not your fault, but I tell you all this, if any of this information gets out that we have on the board, I will press charges! Now let us get back out there and be diligent in your search. Pay attention to everything, and look everywhere around town. Under bridges, behind buildings, everywhere!”

***

A few hours later, while Officer Dawson was on patrol.

“Oh my God, Captain. You have to come see this! You won’t believe it!”

…To be continued…

The Disappearance (part 5 – A short story by Mark Brady)

March 17, 2023March 17, 2023 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

“We don’t know who it is yet,” said Captain Peamopnt.

They pulled up in front of the church. Officer Rogers was there waiting for them inside. The four of them entered the sanctuary.

“I found the clothes over here. By the organ. It looks like ladies’ garments to me,” said Bill. “I was vacuuming when I noticed them.”

“Okay. Thanks, Bill. Don’t get any closer,” commanded the Captain. He and Officer Rogers started looking around the area before bagging the clothes.

“Captain, that looks like the dress Mrs. Jones was wearing this morning. She is our organist and said after this morning’s service that she was going to practice the special piece she was planning on playing next Sunday,” commented Pastor Scott.

“Captain, there’s a purse over here, next to the organ. I’ve got my gloves on already. Do I have your permission to look in it for an ID before I bag it?” asked Officer Rogers.

“Sure. Just be careful about it,” replied the Captain.

Officer Rogers found a wallet and opened it. “Yep, the purse belongs to Wilma Jones.”

“Oh my goodness. I can’t believe this. She is such a sweet lady. She has been playing the church’s organ for twenty-five years. I’ve only been here for nine. Ya know? The four people missing are all from my church.”

The officers bagged the purse and the clothes and looked around for any evidence of foul play but didn’t find any.

“At least we didn’t find any of Mrs. Jones’ organs!”

“That’s enough, Rogers. I think we have all we need here. Let’s call it a night. Rogers, you and I will head back to the station. I’ll take Pastor Scott home first.”

“I’ll get the lights. I’m done anyway cleaning the church,” said Bill.

“Thank you, and I’m hoping you are okay Bill,” said Pastor Scott.

***

The following day at Bradys, there was a meeting about the disappearances. Not really, but it’s all the people there for breakfast could talk about.

“I heard it was the work of aliens,” commented Bob Anderson.

“Bob, get out of here. You don’t really believe that do you?” challenged his friend Ronnie as he cut up his two eggs easy over.

“Why not? They strip off their clothes before they beam them up to probe em.”

“It’s not aliens doing this,” said Lloyd sitting across from Bob and Ronnie.

The two turned to acknowledge Lloyd. “Then what is it?” asked Bob.

“It all has something to do with the Spook Light. I haven’t put it all together yet, but I’m convinced these disappearances are connected to it.”

“Have you ever been up there to see the Spook Light?” asked Ronnie.

“Many times,” replied Lloyd. “Look at how many people have been killed or have disappeared in the area surrounding the light. Just like the legend tells of a miner whose cabin was attacked by Indians while he was away. Upon his return, he found his wife and children missing and is said to continue looking for them along the old road, searching with his lantern.”

“But these disappearances have all taken place just in Seneca!” exclaimed Ronnie.

“So far,” said Bob. “Besides, the government studied the Spook Light and said it was nothing but gases coming up from fishers in the ground, and they glow. And glowing gas doesn’t make people disappear! Well, except when gases come out of Ronnie! Then people disappear!” Bob had a huge grin on his face.

“Oh, you’re so funny, Bob,” said Ronnie.

“The Air Force,” said Jimmy as he took a sip of his coffee.

“What about it?” asked Lloyd.

“When I was in Nam, the Air Force was trying to develop a ray gun they could deploy from aircraft that would cause people to disappear. According to rumors, the gun shot out a light that only worked on biological matter. They are probably here in Seneca to test it. You know, with this being a small town and all. I mean, who would miss us?”

“I don’t know about any of these theories. I think we are all scared, and should be, and are grasping for some answers. Even crazy ones,” said Elona, who was sitting nearby listening. “I’m finished with my breakfast and have to get to work. I’m late. Hey, if I don’t see any of you tomorrow, it was nice knowing ya.” She paid her bill, left a small but generous tip for the waitress, grabbed her purse, and walked out. The door squeaked behind her.

The guys looked at each other and laughed. “She’s always been like that, ever since elementary school!” said Bob. A few minutes later, he said, “Hey, look.” Pointing to the front window of the old café. “She said she was late, but her car is still out front.” They all got up and went to the window.

“No way!”

…To be continued…

The Disappearance (part 4 – A short story by Mark Brady)

March 14, 2023February 18, 2023 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

“Captain, I found a pile of clothes behind the Piggly Wiggly. They looked familiar, but I pulled out the wallet to verify. Sure enough, it’s old man Trout. Ya know how he always wears that denim apron? He probably was taking out the trash but didn’t quite make it because the bag is next to his clothes.”

“I’ll be right there. Don’t touch anything else,” ordered the Captain.

Captain Peamont arrived in the alley behind the grocery store as quickly as possible without raising suspicions. That meant no lights flashing, no siren blaring, and no speeding through town. He didn’t need panic to set in. They were already getting questions phoned in about Mr. Baily’s disappearance as well as Tamera’s.

“Rogers, grab an evidence bag. Put on some gloves and put Mr. Trout’s clothes in it. There may be some evidence or DNA on them other than yours.” He started looking around the scene. He didn’t find anything suspicious outside the store, so he looked inside. He knew the store closed on Sundays at 6 PM. He looked at his watch, which now read 6:37. Again, the Captain found no evidence of a crime being committed.

“Rogers, take the clothes to the station, and put another pin in the board.” The store phone rang. “Don’t answer that. It’s probably his wife. I’m heading over there now to give her the news.”

***

“Evening Mrs. Trout. May we come in?” said Captain Peamont.

“Sure. Come in, Captain and Pastor Scott. Have a seat here in the living room. Would either of you like something to drink?”

“No, thank you, ma’am,” both said almost in perfect harmony as they sat on the plastic-covered sofa. Mrs. Trout sat in her baby blue La-Z-boy.

“Pastor Scott, I am so sorry to hear about your daughter’s disappearance. I just can’t imagine what is going on here in Seneca. Then I got a call this afternoon from Betty Freeman, who told me Mr. Baily had also disappeared. My goodness, gracious. What are these days coming to?”

“Mrs. Trout, we’re here to inform you that your husband, Wilbur, has become another person to disappear. Officer Rogers found his clothes behind the store.”

“What?” she replied with her left hand covering her mouth. “No. Not my Wilbur,” she said while reaching over to the Queen Anne coffee table for a tissue. Pastor Scott moved over and took her hand.

“Remember, Martha, that God is with us in dark times. His Spirit is here with you and me as well to comfort us. I know Captain Peamont and his officers are doing everything possible to figure this out.”

Captain Peamont’s radio went off. He jumped and headed out the door while pulling it off his belt.

“Captain, we just got a call from Bill Russell, the janitor down at the First Baptist Church, and he says he found a pile of clothes in the sanctuary.”

“10-4 dispatch. I’ve got Pastor Scott with me. We’ll head over there now. Tell Bill not to touch anything.”

Back inside Mrs. Trout’s home, “I’m so sorry, Martha, but I got a call about an incident I need to go investigate. It’s at the First Baptist Church, so I need to take Pastor Scott with me.” Pastor Scott stood and looked at the Captain with bewilderment but didn’t ask any questions.

“Is there anyone we can call to come over and be with you, Martha?” asked Pastor Scott.

“No. Thank you, though. I’ll be okay…I think.”

“All right. If there’s anything we can do for you, call me at home day or night. Remember, my number is in your church bulletin,” Pastor Scott said while he hugged her.

Once in the Captain’s car, “What happened at the church?”

“Bill Russell called the station and said he found a pile of clothes in the sanctuary.”

“Who is it this time?”

…To be continued…

The Disappearance (part 3 – A short story by Mark Brady)

March 10, 2023February 18, 2023 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

“You call the police about a missing person?”

“Yeah. My husband. We came home from church, ate our lunch, and he told me he was going out to the garage to do some tinkering. He likes to tinker. Rebuild old radios, fix neighbor’s lawnmowers, that kind of thing. I went to take a nap. When I got up, I didn’t find him in the house. I started making dinner, assuming he was still in the garage. But I knew something was wrong when he didn’t come in for dinner. I have never had to call that man to dinner in thirty-five years of marriage. When he didn’t show up, I went to look in the garage, and he wasn’t there. I only found a pile of clothes in front of his workbench.”

Officer Johnson looked over at Officer Dawson. “A Pile of clothes, ma’am?” asked Johnson.

“Yes, officer.”

“You’re husband’s clothes?”

“Why yes! Who else’s clothes would they be?”

“Just making sure, ma’am,” Johnson replied.

“Is he on any medication?” asked Dawson.

“No, except Ibprofin occasionally for pain.”

“Was the garage door open? Is his vehicle still here?” asked Johnson.

“His truck is here, and the garage door was still closed. And the garage door lights were still on. He never leaves a light on when he leaves a room. Never!”

“Did you look in the backyard?” asked Dawson.

“Yes. He wasn’t there either. That’s when I decided to call you all. I didn’t want to think my husband had gone off his rocker and was running around town naked. Hey, you don’t think this has anything to do with Pastor Scott’s daughter missing, do you? Terrible thing. Not knowing where someone is, especially a daughter.”

“Not sure, ma’am,” said Officer Dawson. “May we get a photo of your husband, please?”

“Of course. I’ll be right back.” The lady went into another room, and the officers could hear her rummaging around.

“I can’t believe this!” said Officer Johnson. “Two strange disappearances in two days, no sign of foul play, and,” he looked at the floor, “both of them leaving their clothes behind.”

She re-entered the living room and handed them a photo. “That’s when we visited our daughter Karen and our two grandsons at Christmas last year. She lives over in Kansas. Well, Wichita, to be exact.”

“Okay. Thanks, ma’am. I think we have enough to go on, and we’ll put out an APB for the other officers to be on the lookout for him,” said Johnson.

“Thank you, officers. Oh! One other thing. When I looked for my husband in the garage, his grinder was still on, and what he was working on was on the floor.”

***

Back at the Police Station, The officers cleared off a bulletin board. They put up a large map of the town of Seneca that included the area that bordered it. Then they inserted push-pins in the location of Pastor Scott’s house and 422 Oneida Street. They used a color system to indicate the sex of each person who had disappeared.

“I wonder if we have some kind of sick, twisted serial killer on our hands,” Officer Johnson wondered.

“Oh, you mean he tells them to strip down naked and then quietly go with him?” Officer Rogers joked.

“Not funny, Rogers!” said Captain Peamont. “At this time, we don’t know what we have going on here. All we do know is two fine people are missing. We don’t know why. We don’t know if anyone is behind this or not, and we don’t know where they are. Yesterday we looked all over Seneca for Tamera and came up empty-handed. We need to keep our wits about us, keep the people of Seneca calm, and… it wouldn’t hurt to be praying for God’s help in the matter. Do your normal patrols and be on the lookout for anything strange, out of the ordinary, for Seneca, that is.”

***

The officers went back to their patrols as Captain Peamont had ordered.

“Dispatch, this is Rogers. Put me through to the Captain immediately!”

…To be continued…