Saturday, April 27, 2013

Episode 5: THE UNIQUE AND PRICELESS TREASURE

Kyle watched enviously as his older brother hit the home run that won the baseball game. Everyone else he knew was jumping up and down and cheering, some were running down to the field to honor the hero of the game. Kyle could only sit there feeling sorry for himself. He wasn't able to hit a ball if it was the size of a watermelon. His brother could do everything well. He was popular, and talented, he was everything Kyle wasn't. Kyle couldn't think of a single thing he was really good at. Soon someone came and sat down next to him, it was Faith. Kyle liked her but was a little afraid of her, she always talked about Logos, and His Highest Majesty, and the Comforter. He didn't believe in any of them. He had never seen them, most people he knew had never seen them, but Faith and her good friends believed they existed. They claimed to be citizens of two worlds, this one, and "The Realm of Peculiar People", of which Logos was the King. Faith sat just looking at him for a few moments as if she knew everything he was thinking then spoke, "Kyle, Logos needs you." "Needs me? I don't even believe in Him, even if He really exists, why would he need me, I'm no good at anything?" "He gave me these instructions and wants you and me together to find a hidden treasure," Faith whispered, carefully showing him a folded piece of paper and looking around as if to make sure no one else heard what she told him. "Are you trying to trick me and make me look silly, this sounds too ridiculous," he retorted. "No, honestly, Logos said you're the only one who can help, and if you don't this treasure will be hidden forever," she insisted. He looked at her, still skeptical, but a treasure hunt might be fun, and he never heard of Faith doing anything to hurt anyone ever, as a matter of fact she always tried to help whoever she could. "OK, I'm in, where do we start?" No sooner had he agreed than he and Faith were standing on a ship in scuba gear. Faith opened the folded piece of paper and handed it to Kyle, it read "follow the directions of the Captain."

A gruff looking man walked up to the children, "Faith and Kyle, no doubt," he said, looking them over, "I'm Captain Martin." "This is the spot according to the coordinates Logos gave us, you'll dive straight down right here," Captain Martin told the children in a no nonsense tone of voice. "Wait a minute, I don't know anything about scuba diving, I can't do this," Kyle protested. "Well normally I'd agree with you, but people find they can usually do what Logos tells them to do, even if they never did it before," the captain replied rather shortly. "If I were you, I'd never try this unless I knew for sure Logos told me to," he continued. "But I don't even believe in Logos," Kyle retorted. "You believe in Him more than you think," Faith insisted. "I want to go but Logos said you had to find the treasure, and I was only to help." He looked down into the water, he really did want to dive, and started feeling a little confidence that he could actually do it. "Well what are we looking for?" "A small metal box near the helm of a sunken ship is what I was told, just grab it and come straight back up" Captain Morgan instructed him. Though still fearful Kyle was determined he was going to go through with this, after all he was just sitting on a bench a few minutes ago, now he was on the stern of a ship, "how did that happen?" "Well here goes," and into the water he went with Faith right after him. The minute he was below the surface of the water he felt almost like the water was a second home, he knew what to do and how to do it. They soon saw the wrecked ship and quickly located the metal box near the helm, he pulled but it was wedged between some debris. "Faith, quick, I need your help." They both tugged, soon the box was free and they were on there way back to their ship. They clung to the ropes let down into the water for them and were pulled back on board. Kyle opened the box with no problem, inside was a corked bottle with a piece of paper inside, it read, "You are going to higher heights."


In the next instant they were standing at the foot of hill. About two thirds of the way up on a ledge they saw another metal box just like the one they had just retrieved. "Oh, great," Kyle thought, "another metal box with another piece of paper inside." "What's the point if there's no real treasure?" "Even if there is treasure, who's going to get it?", he thought. "If I'm going to all this trouble I ought to at least get part of the treasure." "Don't we need ropes or something?" he asked Faith. Faith started running toward the hill, "you mean these?", she asked picking up some rope, "protection", and aiders. "Logos said this would be a pretty easy climb, plenty of hand and foot holds, but we'll take these just in case." So they geared up and started up. Kyle was amazed at how much he was enjoying the climb. It was exhilerating, before he knew it they had the box, he almost didn't want to go back down, the view was breathtaking. Back on the ground he opened the box, just as he thought, another folded piece of paper. This one read, "rescue me."

About 500 yards away a helicopter landed. "That's for us," Faith explained. "It sure was quiet for a chopper," Kyle thought to himself. As they approached they discovered it was a Notar designed for quieter flight than an ordinary helicopter. A tall, powerful looking man emerged, he was dressed like a business man. "You must be Kyle and Faith?" "Yes sir," Kyle answered. "Logos told me where to find you, I'm John Collins, Leap Frog with the Seals." "A group of sleepers was activated and captured one of my men and are holding him in an abandoned warehouse in New Mexico." "We spread the word that he had access to a large treasure to draw them out." "They were activated in hopes of using the treasure to buy Chemical Weapons." "We determined there are six men holding him." "They were informed their Commander will be arriving today and will have his two children with him to draw away suspicion." "What they don't know is that we've already detained them, and since they have never actually seen him we're going in as "Max Lynchfield" and his two children." "We'll parachute into an open field about a half a mile from the yard where the warehouse is and walk in." "You'll tandem jump with Faith since she's jumped before." "You've parachuted before?," Kyle asked Faith skeptically. "Sure, a few times," she answered, smiling. Kyle didn't know whether to be more scared or insulted that he was expected to jump out of a helicopter attached to a girl about his own age, who, by the way, he still didn't know very well at all. "Oh well," he thought, "I've done everything else, I may as well do this too." "But what about the treasure, was that just made up for this operation?" "Anyway, it didn't matter, a Seal was captured and needed their help, so treasure or not he was in." Inside the chopper were four more Seals, including the pilot, and a celled area with the door unlocked and open. Once they were all in the pilot didn't waste a second getting the helicopter in the air. Over the target, with the chutes strapped on, Faith yelled, "Let's go," and out they went, and John dropped right after them. Dropping freely through the air Kyle had none of the fear he expected. He felt strangely like he had done this before, or would do it again, he was a little confused, but he found he loved it, and when Faith opened the chute, he knew that this would not be the first and last parachute jump for him. They landed on the ground, took off the chutes and started walking toward the yard where the Seal was being held. As they approached the warehouse the guard raised his weapon. "Pirates Gold," John shouted at the guard, the guard put the weapon down to his side. "The prisoner is inside and unharmed as you requested sir." Suddenly an explosion was heard south of the yard and four men went running toward the area where the sound was heard. John ordered the guard to come inside with him and the children to let the inside guard know who he was." The guard escorted them to a small room in the back of the warehouse. Both guards seemed somewhat dismayed, not knowing what had caused the explosion. Suddenly John pulled out a cloth recently saturated with chloroform which he had tucked in a plastic lined pocket of his suit, grabbed the nearest guard from behind and tightly held it over his nose and mouth, at the same time he pulled a pistol out and ordered the other guard to let the weapon drop that he was holding at his side. The weapon and the chloroformed guard dropped to the ground at the same time. John gave Kyle a knife to cut the ropes holding J. C. Mann. "Glad to see you could make it John, they were talking about cutting off fingers, and toes, and ears, and such if I didn't tell them where the treasure is, and they didn't think much of Commander Lynchfield either, bringing children here," J. C. looked at the children, winked, and smiled." Within the next few moments three more Seals were in the warehouse, the anesthetized guard was coming around and they forced his comrade to help him to the chopper, which they set down just feet away from where they heard the explosion, locked inside the celled area inside the helicopter were the other four sleepers they had captured, with the pilot standing guard, and the two additional prisoners were placed inside with them, the pilot took his place at the controls and soon they were in the air again.

Kyle found J. C. to be very likeable, and soon got up the nerve to ask him about the treasure. "Logos said we were going to find treasure, but there isn't any, is there?" he asked, then quickly added, "not that rescuing you wasn't much more important than any old treasure." J. C. smiled, "so you believe in Logos now, do you?" "I suppose I do, do you?" "Of course, He's gotten my friends out of many predicaments, including the one you just helped with," J. C. replied. "Well when it comes to that, I suppose I couldn't have done any of the things I did today without His help," Kyle said, pondering the words thoughtfully. Faith came over and sat down next to J. C., Kyle, I'd like you to meet Logos." "Uh, I don't see Him, where is He?" "I'm Logos," J. C. replied. Kyle looked at Him bewildered, not knowing what to say, but realizing he was being told the absolute truth. "There's always been a treasure, it was with Me all the time, but My captors would never have recognized it or accepted it, but you've found it, the treasure is Me, accepting Me and becoming a part of My Kingdom, the Realm of Peculiar People, will you accept me as your King Kyle." Kyle didn't hesitate for a second, "yes Sir, I will," he answered. There were other treasures found today, Logos continued. He took a mirror out of his pocket, and held it so Kyle could see his own reflection. "This is the unique and priceless treasure I've obtained today." Kyle almost felt like crying, "I'm sorry I didn't believe in you sooner." "But you did," Logos informed him, "more than you realize, you're just now admitting it." "Would you like to know about other treasures you found today?" Logos asked him. Kyle thought about the events of the day, "I think I know, he answered, "the scuba diving, the climbing, the skydiving, and rescuing you, I loved it all, I've found things that I really love to do." "You had My help today to do things you are yet to learn, it won't be as easy at first as it was today, but these are things you love and will excel at someday." Logos gave Kyle a friendly hug and tussled his hair and in the next instant he and Faith were back at the benches in the ball park. Kyle knew he had made two forever friends today in Faith and Logos.

Years later Kyle often thought about the day he found the greatest Treasure of his life, and his love for King Logos, His Highest Majesty, and The Comforter even exceeded his love of being a Leap Frog with the Navy Seals.

Copyright pending May 2013