Warriors of the Last Days

                                               The Beginning

As the day began with the call of the phone, Sam wakes and answers to find his best friend Bill on the other end of the line.

Bill -Hey man what’s going on?

Sam - Agh... Not much just waking up.... (Yawn).

Bill - Well are we still going today...?

Sam - Yeah... soon as I get up and get ready. I’ve already got all my stuff packed and ready to get going.

Bill - Good, mom’s already on one of her mean streaks and before long she’s going to have me doing all the stuff around here so get in here as soon as you can.

Sam - Alright, dad’s already told me he would bring me in so we can get going ASAP... so let me off here and I will be on in there.

Bill - All right, see ya here in a lil while...

Sam - Alright later on... oh yeah meet me in the front yard... I’ll have dad to beep the horn when we go buy your house. We’ll turn around in your Grandma’s driveway.

Bill - OK... Later

(Click of the phone) and the plan of a new camping trip is set into motion. The guys have been setting this plan up for two weeks. They are planning on going to the edge of Shell Mountain where they are going to do some repelling. Sam and Bill have been best friends since the beginning of the ninth grade. It all started by the chance of a new class called ROTC or Reserves Officer Training Corps. The class and they all clicked together and so the adventures and friendships of a lifetime began to unfold right before their eyes. Either one of our guys would not know about the Charmed life they were about to lead until God would show them both. Each of them would have a plan and each of them played in a larger plan of Gods in both their lives and in the lives of many others to come. With the sound of the horn Bill was standing with his backpack on in the front yard waiting as Sam and his Dad were pulling back around to him. As the car door slams shut on the 1985 dodge Dynasty, Sam’s dad yelled to say bye and tell them to be careful and not to be doing nothing to crazy and get hurt.

Sam turns to face his dad and the car - Ok dad, I’ll try and call you tomorrow or sometime and let you know when Bill and me make it back.

Sam’s dad - Ok now make sure you all are going to watch after one another

Sam - All right dad, be careful on the way back home.

With that Sam’s Dad was back on his way for the twenty five-minute drive home in a lil place called Emerson Kentucky .

Sam - So what’s been going on? Your moms still being mean as always.

Bill - Yeah she’s never going to change, unless God turns her into a nice person and she’s saved she’s always going to be the same way.... Never change.

Bill’s Dad yelled out to the boy’s, Hey boys you all going to stand out there talking all day or you coming in or going on?

Bill - Yeah dad, were going on if that’s ok?

Bill’s Dad - It’s all right with me boys. (And begins to walk out to the guy’s) -

But you better get going I think I can hear your mom coming and she is in one of her moods today.

Bill - Yeah I know dad, what makes her so mean any ways?

Bill’s dad - Well son you don’t have enough time for me to tell you all that right now so why don’t you and Sam get going and I will have a talk with your mom, does that sound alright with you guys?

Bill & Sam - Sure does... (The guys look at one another and smile as if to say "I can’t believe we said that both at the same time.")

 Over the small bank that made the difference between the yard and the roadway and through the small set of trees that were planted for a little bit of privacy. The boys trotted quickly down the road to the old Slate Hollow Church where Bill was a janitor of sorts and then they walked to the edge of the Churchyard then on down into the creek. There they stood looking at the great Shell Mountain . As far as they knew no one in the area had ever climbed it and they were ready to be the first to do so. And it was going to be a free hand climb. They had been going over and over this plan for the last two weeks. Wondering and going through different plans to which spot would be the best to start with. Which place to switch over to make the best climb, which place would be best to hang and rest. Now they were there and with one last look at one another and one last glance up they both to a breath and began to climb.

Bill - Hey what did you bring with ya?

Sam - Well just the usual, I brought chicken noodle soup, and some toilet paper for those just in case moments. And ... (Bill bursts in the middle of the sentence)

Bill - Hehehe (chuckles).... Good one!

Bill - You know chicken noodle soup always tastes best on an open fire. And yeah your right about the paper , shew we (having a big smile on his face and swiping his forehead) remember that last camping trip? I’m still trying to recover from the leaf attack.

Sam chuckling, yeah now that was a good camping trip. All accept you getting that new walk (laughs).

Sam - Hey here’s a good spot to switch over to this crevice. We can have a better finger hold here.

Bill - Hey you got a good hold yet?

Sam - Yeah!

Bill - Ok here catch! (Throws his backpack to Sam) You got a better side than I did ....

Sam catches the pack with one hand while holding his place with his other hand.

Sam - Got it! Watch when you’re jumping over to this side from there it’s a tight spot to land

Bill - All right no problem I always hit my landings.

Sam - Yeah, like that one time you hit your nose on that tree trunk when your vine broke. (Laughs out loud)

Bill - Hey ! Shut up.... !

Bill makes a great jump landing on a small spot that you could barley even see.

Sam - Good jump, now lets get on up this side of the hill.

Bill - All right. Let’s get on up this thing. I’m getting hungry just thinking about that chicken noodle soup.

Sam - Yeah me to. Just thinking about it makes my mouth start watering.

As both boys make it up the side of the mountain they realize that this climb so far wasn’t nearly as bad as everyone they talked said it would be. It seems to them as they look around for the next hold and cross over that everyone may have been just giving their opinion about what they saw and not on anything they knew from their own experiences.

As maybe you have seen in your own life that this has happened to you, whether it was in your every day school life from a friend to a teacher or maybe in your Church from your local Sunday school teacher. You will see this more as you get older and go through life. When this happens its good to take advice but sometimes you will find that all the advice in the world will not matter nearly as much as the experience in life that will guide you to a better understanding.

Bill - Sam! Watch for that crevice it doesn’t look as if it is very...

Bill - LOOK OUT! ! !

Sam - WHOA! ! !

Sam slides back and begins to fall but catches himself just before falling back to the beginning of the hill where the jagged rocks of the water barren creek awaited and meaning sure death.

Sam - Thanks man, if you hadn’t seen that in time I would have hit the bottom in a heart beat.

Bill - Agh...no problem. That’s what friends do, we watch one another’s backs and in this case hands that are grabbing the sandy crevice. (Bill lets out a chuckle, and then back to the climb they went)

Sam - Hey can you smell the great smell of the top of the world?

Bill - Top of the world?

Sam - Well not the real top of the world but for today’s climb it is ours.

With that both boys throw their packs to the top and heave themselves over the ledge. Finally they had made it to the top and now they have to set back for a relaxing moment and a great meal before the Lord.

The view from the top of the mountain was wonderful. You could see for miles. All of the Ohio valley was before their eyes the could see the birds drifting in and out of the tops of the trees on the smaller hills, and in the distance you could see a train rumbling down the tracks. There are moments in a boy’s life when everything seems perfect and right and this was a moment where each of the boys knew everything they had known to this point in life about God was true. There could have been nothing else in their minds that could have made this view as perfect as it was. Nothing in their minds would be more perfect than being together on this mountaintop. Nothing could have been better except a full stomach...

Sam - Agh..... Would ya look at that? There’s nothing like it, a cool summer’s breeze on our face doing what we want to do today. Isn’t it great to have the summer off? I love this time of the year. It’s a time all to ourselves and the training that we need. Man I’m glad we are here and not at the house moping around.

Bill - Yeah me to. I’m sure mom would have me out doing something though. She’s really been on a mean streak lately. (Bill drops his head with a disgusted hurt look, and that quick raises it and says) Hey lets get started on that meal. I’m starving.

Sam - all right, lets get it started. I’ll break out the stuff if you want to go get some firewood.

Bill - All right it’s a deal. It shouldn’t take me to long. We have an abundance of twigs here on Shell Mountain .

Sam - I wonder why there’s no one around here that has ever made the climb, the view from here is breath taking. And just to be honest; from here a man can probably talk right to God.

Bill - You got that right.

Bill wonders from view as he begins to pick up the twigs it was going to take to start the fire. Sam finds himself emptying the pack out and making the campfire ring so that everything would be ready when Bill gets back. The site is just off of the edge of the cliff side so that if there was a lil bit of a wind they wouldn’t catch the mountaintop on fire and they could set and watch the birds soar through the air and past the clouds. Just as Sam puts the final touch on the campfire site Bill walks back into the scene with both arms full of twigs.

Bill - This should do it, don’t you think?

Sam - Oh yeah, with out a doubt. Did you leave any out there for the next time we’re here?

Bill - Sure did. So what are you waiting for let’s get this fire going.

Sam - Agh... you’re the best at that…You know that!

Bill - All right I got it. (Thinking to himself and wondering how he fell for the oldest trick in the book…. You’re the best at that he mocked in his mind.)

Sam chuckles to himself as he could tell his best friend just fell for the trick and now realize it. He begins to open up the food and get it in the right direction of the new fire Bills been working on.

Sam - Ahhhh... Now this is the life, a Good open fire, chicken noodle soup in a can warming over the fire and my best bud. It can’t get any better than that.

Bill - You got that right, well except one thing....

Sam - If you say a girl...

Bill - Nah, God, the one and only.

Sam - Yup got to agree with ya there. One thing about that is Gods everywhere all the time. Even though you can’t pack him up in a box or physically have him walk with ya he’s always there just like your best friend is and sometimes when you all buy your lonesome he’s there to talk to when you seem to be at your weakest.

As the fire crackles and the guys begin to tell stories and chat they come to the conclusion that they should do some meditation and prayer. Both are a very high priority for them since they have both been in Church for a lil while now. And both know it is required for strength and knowledge of the Lord. Not to mention just catch relaxing times with in ones own mind.

Sam - Let’s eat before we get started on anything else, all right?

Bill - Ok, I agree I’m starving.

Sam took out his survival knife and raked the soup from the top of the fire and let it begin to sit so that it could cool awhile before getting a hold of it with his hands. The survival knife was their best friend out in the wilderness and Lord knows the adventures they found themselves in it was one of the most essential needs of their trips. Each boy had their own hand picked knife perfectly balanced to them and to their specific needs. The look the feel everything was either bought with the knife or intergraded by them to meet everything they thought might be needed on a mission as they called them it seemed as if that part of their lives were really influenced by reserved officer’s training corps or ROTC. for short and of course martial arts. But you know in what boy’s life is there not something influenced by what they know or encounter?

Bill - Well, what are we doing next, well after prayer and meditation of course?

Sam - how about we get out and get some hiking done? We have never been to this part of the hillside and it looks as if there are plenty of places to explore.

Bill - all right sounds good to me. You know I got this feeling about this place, something I just can’t put my finger on just yet but I know it’s there.

Sam - Yeah you know from the time I got to the top to right now I had this feeling like something is going to go on but I couldn’t get the right feel about it. You know like I can’t just tell if it’s good or bad.

Bill - Yeah that’s how I feel about it too. Well I’m finished. That was the best yet. You know I don’t think there’s anything better than being here eating chicken noodle soup and kicking back with my best bud.

Sam - Yeah that’s my same thoughts. Now lets make sure we get our cans and spoons back into our packs. We don’t want anyone or anything to ever think we are a bunch of loser litterbugs.

Bill - Yeah cleanliness is next to Godliness they say. O yeah I’ll get the fire.

Don’t want to burn this place down before we ever get started on the exploration of it. (Chuckles and begins kicking dirt on the fire.

With a few puffs of smoke and the dust clearing Sam finishes up his tasks around the campsite and both of the guys go back to the edge of the mountain to begin their meditation and prayer. The wind was just blowing a cool summer breeze and their hair was rustling in the wind. Both boys take the Indian style seating arrangement and begin their meditation. With in five minutes each can feel the presence of God and have this feeling of a warm summer’s ray of sunshine on them. They both look to the sky as if they both were spoken to make it happen. Both could see they were basked in a sunbeam broken from the clouds of the morning. Each of the guys knew then that they were under the protection of Jesus Christ. With that both guys began to grab their stuff and begin their hike into the uncharted area of the mountain.

Bill - Hey have you ever seen such a deep forest as this? I believe this is just like this place is alive from the very rocks themselves.

Sam - Yeah isn’t this just the best yet? I hope we can find some new places that have never been found before. Hey you smell water?

Bill - Yeah and I can hear a loud rumble. Almost like that one where we saw when we went into that huge cave over at Carter Caves .

Sam chuckles - Yeah you mean the one we snuck in back in to last summer.

Bill laughs - yeah but we didn’t know we were sneaking in until we ran onto those other guys that were hiding in there from the park ranger.

Sam still smiling - yeah but we made sure we took care of those guys. And the park ranger was happy to find out that they suddenly showed up tied to his bumper of his patrol jeep.

Bill - yeah he was wasn’t he? I’m glad that we got the chance to help the law out.

Sam - Yeah me to. It’s all-apart of Gods plan. Even if it’s something we don’t know right off the bat at least God does.

Bill - Don’t you think its weird that there’s a master plan and we are just a pawn in the game.

Sam - Whoa! That’s a lot of thinking, to deep for me right now. (Sam swipes his hand across his forehead and a lil trickle of sweat flies from the tips of his fingers.)

Hey lets slip around this side of the hill. I think this is getting us closer to the water. Cause that sound is getting closer all the time. And that water smell is so strong it’s like I’m already swimming in the waterhole.

Bill - Hey as long as it isn’t over my head you know I’m not big on getting in water over my chin.

Sam - Yeah but you know what? You have been doing a lot better about that. You keep working on it and between your determination and God he will take that fear away from you.

Bill - You think? You know I never had the thought of wanting to get out and go do that until I started hanging with you. I’m glad we can work out with one another.

Sam - Yeah me to.

Hey! ! ! Watch the ledge!

Bill - whoa! (Bill begins a quick slide down the hill, and then out of no where he is launched into the air.) WHOA!

Sam yells as he stretches out his hand and begins to run.

Sam - BILL! ! !

Sam reaches the ledge and yells... BILL! Then dives to the ground looks over the edge where Bill was launched into the air.

Sam - Bill!

Bill - Hey quit yelling and start pulling me up.

Sam - Oh, I thought you were a goner,

Bill - yeah me to. Come on dude pull me on up.

Sam - OK. With the pull of the vines that Bill had managed to grab onto Sam was able to help Bill boost himself on up to the top of the ledge.

Bill - Shew! That was a close one.

Sam - Hey you better check your nose you got yourself a lil bit a blood trickling down there on the left side.

Bill - Must be from me hitting the side of the cliff when the vine snapped me to the side of the rocks.

Sam - Well you got to say that doesn’t happen every day.

Bill chuckles - Yeah isn’t that the truth.

Sam - Hey looks you got us pointed in the right direction for that water. And it is a waterfall.

Bill - Yeah look there’s a cabin over there. And it looks as if no ones been in it for like ever.

Sam - Yeah, well lets get on down this side of the hill and get you washed up and then we’ll go check that place out.

The guys slipped on down around the rock ledges using their rock climbing skills they had grown to know to be some of the best in the entire area. As they landed at the bottom of the hill they adjusted their gear and began to look around and began to notice they were not the only ones to use this area. The local animal community used this valley as a hidden sanctuary. They could see the animals were not scared of them and continued as normal around them as if they were not even there. Deer were drinking in the stream where the waterfall met the rocks. There were raccoons slipping into the pool and stealing some fish.

It was a wondrous site, something you would only think to see in a movie or in a cartoon or maybe even in your dreams. The grass was the greenest they had ever seen. The tops of the grass were bowing and looked nearly like the waves from the ocean. The trees were tall as sky scrappers and everyone seemed to be completely healthy. The trees were untouched by the outer world. Not one dead leave was on the ground. It seemed as if the angels from Heaven swept the ground themselves. A harvest of the leaves, so to speak maybe even the harvest of the dead. What ever the case may have been it was beautiful.

As the guys looked at one another the guys could see that the beauty and simplicity of this hidden valley had moved both of the guys. They each could tell for they both had teary eyes. At that time the animals began to go on back into the tree line and disappear.

Bill - Wow! I can’t believe we just saw that.

Sam - Me either, but we did. Now lets go get some of that nice cool water and take a lil dip in that pool. Sam chuckles - I’ve got to tell ya you need to clean up. I think you might of had a mishap when you went off the cliff up there.

Bill - Ha! Ha! Very funny man, very funny. But all the same it will be nice to get into some of that cool water. And chill out after all that hiking we’ve done today.

Sam - Yeah me too, last one in is a rotten egg!

The guys are off on a dead run stripping their clothes down to their shorts and with a high dive from the top of a rock both guys hit the water wide open with a frontal dive. Nearly no water arose from the dive of the guys. They both had been training as hard as they could on it and by looks as if it has paid off. Both guys resurface at the same time. With a gasp for fresh air the guys make their way around the pool checking out the entire area.

Bill - Have you ever seen this kind of rocks before? Or tasted water any sweeter?

Sam - Can’t say that I have and I have to say this is by far the coolest looking waterfall that I’ve ever seen in all of this area.

Before the guys knew it they had swam the entire afternoon away. They had agreed to set up camp. Never get caught unawares they thought so they began to pre-pair the camp. There was an over hang of rocks form the cliffs which was perfect to make a campsite in. They had gathered up their equipment and packs and began to stack their items against the back wall. Sam gathered his items and made a make shift fishing rod and took off to the water hole to get some fish for the nights meal. Bill gathered up some of the twigs he had set back in his pack, for just this reason and began to work on making a fire.

As Sam made his way to the stream he found himself wanting to fish old style. Hunt and grab. He could remember in his mind that time and time again he had practiced this and had become very good at it.

Tonight would be a good night to collect these fish in a hurry. That way he could get back quick enough to help his best friend with the cooking arrangements.

Bill could see Sam from the distance hovering over the rocks and he knew what Sam was into. He chuckled to himself as he nodded. Always the hard way, always the hard way, Bill thought.. Bill began to work around and look for a few items that he could use for some spices. He picked some wild onions from a lil trail that lead away from the campsite. There were a few other items that he incorporated some other items that are known to him and to Sam as a very good way to cook when on the run from an enemy or when in training or simply just teaching a class of survival. Maybe you should just journey to their little place in Lewis County Kentucky and take a lesson or two.

With Bill having the thoughts of getting the cooking going and Sam catching the fish it was soon time to clean the fish for Sam. Bill began the hanging process for the fish so they would be well smoked and not over cooked. Bill was the outdoors cook. The best that Sam new of all of his friends and all of the people he had ever come in contact with. Bill had scraped up a couple of turtle shells for a make shift bowl. Tonight these guys were going to eat fish and onion soup and they were going to feel like kings.

As the guys finished their prayers over the food they began to feast like what they were feeling like; kings. Slipping the fish from frying pole the guys brought the soup off from the heating stones that Bill had placed in specific place around the fire and began to sip the soup and smack their lips on Bill famous smoked fish.

With some small talk the guys looked and wondered about the small cabin across the way and what mysteries it might hold. With the crackling of the fire and the water rippling in the brook the wind rustling through the trees the guys decided up on finishing their meals that they would do some meditation and then get some sleep. They would not make any trips from the camp because of the area was completely unknown to them and it would lead or could lead to an injury. With this thought and the finishing of the fish and onion soup Sam decides to climb the rock walls ledge they had come down from and take a few minutes of time to pray and meditate to God.

Sam - Well I’m going to the ledge here and get some of this prayer done.

Bill - Ok just be careful going up there on the ledge. Its pretty bright out here with the full moon but there’s still a big chance you could get hurt.

Sam - Don’t worry there’s enough light here that I could land a 747 plane here and not hit one tree.

Bill - All right quit bragging and get climbing. I’ll see you here in a lil bit.

As Sam hoisted his way up to the ledge to begin his prayer session Bill moved some things about to begin to get his area clean for prayer. They both felt as if it was always necessary to have the temple clear of clutter and anything that could be called unclean. Nothing could defile the inner area of the Church or in this case the closest thing they could make as a make shift Church. As the wind made it’s way through the valley and pushed the trees from left to right, forward and backward Sam remember in the Bible where God could not find anyone to give praise to him but the trees. You know one must think of the things that we have went through in life and we see that there are so many times that we could do the right thing and give the right ones the praise for it but we get selfish and try and take it all for ourselves. At that very thought Sam pops one eye open and calls down to Bill.

Sam - Bill?

Bill - Yeah?

Sam - Hey just wanted to tell ya thanks for the great meal.

Bill - Agh thanks Sam, you know we would not have had that meal if it was for the team effort that we put in to it and the Lords blessing?

Sam - Yeah but you know I just want to let you know and of course God that well… you are my best friend and if it wasn’t for you two I just don’t know….

Bill - I know and same here.

And it drifts back off into the silence of the night and the steady murmurs of prayers in the night and the gentle water trickling by the brook just over to the edge that just seemed at that very moment as being the edge of the world.

Sam came back down from the ledge and made his bed next to the fires edge and began to chat to Bill about those things that are at the most important to those that are at that age of thirteen going on fourteen. With both of the guys talking about girl’s food and family the guys drifted off into sleep knowing that they were truly in the hands of God. Just as warriors of olden days of Jesus, Joshua and all of those that was truly great in the eyes of God. Soon the moon was full and the guys could hear nothing but the night sounds of chirps and long drawled out sounds of the night owls.

Then it happens, morning has arrived and the guys get their first glimpse of the dawn of beauty of the valley and begin to stir around in the lil over hang cave they had made into an open Church and a shelter of friends. They packed and stretched out their arms in the morning air and began to walk from their shelter to find all is not as they remembered from the night before. Almost as if there was a thousand years added to the entire area. Both guys look at one another and begin to look for the cabin that interested them both so much the night before.

As they looked to the brook there was no sound of ripples that were the night before nor were the trees lapping in the wind. It was as if there had been something unseen the night before that had coupled them in to the hands of God, every morsel that was before them seemed to be dead and barren. Even the grass that washed up as the waves of the ocean was not there. As they finished looking around all they could think to do was shake their heads because there was just nothing but bare earth.

The guys looked around as if they were just simply drinking it all in. The only thing that could have moved did and that was the misty fog that lingered and twirled about as if it danced to the delight of the anguish each of the guys could feel as they looked and saw the cabin as if it was a thousand years in the past. Then they broke their gaze as they each looked at one another and at the same time said

Bill/Sam - Whoa! What in the world?

Bill - Well looks as if this is where it’s going to get interesting.

Sam stood there almost as if he could not move his jaw that was surely dragging the ground; he then suddenly shook his head and said,

Sam - Darn man what the world happened here?

Bill - I don’t know but I can tell ya this much. I had a dream last night that we were in a maze and with in this maze we were going through buildings and in buildings we were trying to get into different areas so that we could save people.

Sam - Well how’d it end up?

Bill - ummm…. It was like it didn’t end. It was left open as if we would have to figure it out or it would come back for me to finish later on.

Sam - Ok. But for now it looks like we might be here to work on something just like that so be pre-paired.

Bill - You know me? I’m ready for anything at any time.

Sam - All the same bro I got your back.

Final page of comic one - "The Beginning"  is to be captioned and then stayed as a drawn larger page with the two guys in the trade mark hand shake finished with the touch of two fists. And then the beginning of the sneaking into the land beyond of the cabin and it’s secrets.

Both guys check each other’s gear to make sure all of it was strapped on tight and that they had their weapons at the ready for the need to get one. Who knew now at this point what was on the horizon for these two boys.

The guys finished up on taking down what was left at the camp. Then finished on the gear check. With everything they could think of to the ready they began the slow process toward the now fearful looking cabin and the grounds that lay around it.

There had to be something of this land now no doubt in the minds of the guys . They were there now for a reason. Neither of the guys knew what they were about to get themselves into but they knew what was before them now drew them in as if they were in the bucket of water drawn from the well of life itself.

(Picture should be as if you can see a small rustle of cool wind and the flipping of Sam’s bandana in the wind and Bills clothes ruffle in the same wind.)

Sam sticks his hand out and say’s - No retreat-

Bill then returns the favor and grabs his friends arm in a warriors traditional hand shake and says - No Surrender !

Both guys hit their fists together and make the first step into the land beyond and to The Cabin of Secrets.