Chapter 8: Relocation

The group suddenly found themselves in the meadow. There was a family from Santa Fe, New Mexico, eight from a whitewater rafting company, and a church youth group from Prescott. With the 16 teens aged 15 through 18, were the two married couples, sponsors, and parents of three of the teens. They looked around to see the woods in the distance, and the nearby river.

"Beam me up, Scotty," remarked Fred Hammond, the youth minister. "What happened to us just now?"

"I think we were about to take a guided tour of Camp FEMA, and we're definitely not in the park anymore," said Luther. He hurried over to the man the thugs had beaten. "Hey Friend, are you okay?"

"I think so," replied Raymond Meadows, feeling about on his body as Luther helped him to regain his feet. "At least they're not here to arrest us anymore. What happened to the America I grew up in?"

"The communists took it over," remarked Sam Carter, one of the raft guides. "I think we've been raptured, but where's Jesus?"

"There's someone coming over by those trees," said Joe Rogers, another guide. "He's got a horse drawn wagon. I don't think we're in Kansas, Dorothy."

"It's not Dorothy, Joey," quipped Rebecca Rogers, Joe's sister by marriage, "and no, I don't think so either. There are people with the wagon."

"How do we explain what we're doing here?" asked Raymond. "I hope we didn't go from the frying pan into the fire."

"Greetings Friend," said Reed Scott, the assistant youth pastor. "Can you tell us where we are?"

"The arrival meadow of a new world," answered Jophiel. "Welcome, and follow me to the temple, where this will all be explained. Your belongings are to your right, and if you load them into the wagon, I shall bring them to your quarters for you."

"Our quarters?" questioned Luther. "That sounds like you were expecting us. That isn't normal, unless you're an extra-terrestrial, or something. Where's your ship?"

"We are of The LORD your God, who has brought you out of Babylon. You are safe from Antichrist now, and after your briefing, you shall dine with the people who came a week ago."

"Oh yeah," countered Luther, "If you're an angel, where are your wings, and where's Jesus?"

"Cool it Luke," cautioned Theresa, another from the guides. "We're in God's hands now instead of the minions of the devil so try to be more gracious."

"So we're dead?" asked Theresa's sister, Marcia.

"How can one who has been given everlasting life be dead?" replied Jophiel. "It will be revealed soon, and you will meet Yeshua, whom you call Jesus, for He is here among us."

"It sure beats going to an internment camp," said Ray. "I grew up on a reservation, and I was going to fight them to the death."

The following morning found the newcomers, hurrying to orientation in much the same way as Allen and Lena's group had. As they finished, Allen found himself and Lena busy once more. Again, Lena registered their housing, and Allen their statistics by which they were unique. He also learned that Ray Meadows was half Jicarilla Apache, and worked as the manager of a big box store in Santa Fe. His wife Hannah was also Native American from the Mescalero tribe to the south. Their boys Jacob and Elijah were 16 and 14, and daughter Rose was 12.

Most of the raft guides were college age, with one exception, that was Jared Treat, who owned the company. He had just declared bankruptcy over the failing economy, and the ACA, which cancelled his group insurance plan. The new plan's premiums had tripled, and due to the nature of whitewater rafting, no one else would cover them.

The trip to the overlook that morning was to have been the farewell for the group of five guides, and their three guests. One last look at the magnificent canyon sunrise, and they would have parted ways. Most of the guides had alternate summer jobs back in their hometowns. Jared, a widower, planned to live with his daughter in Tucson, until her husband made plans to put him in a retirement home. He was almost as fit as many of his staff before, but after transformation, became their equal.

"Well, we have a river," said Jared, "but I believe this one has already been tamed. In a way, I'll miss the Colorado, but not the world we left behind."

"The angel Jophiel said we can work at learning a new trade," recalled Theresa. "Marcia and I share a townhouse, and that has the dorm at TSU beat by a mile. There are apprenticeship programs for us since there's not much call for a political-science major here."

"I told you that last year," said Luther. "Unless you sell your soul, politics is a real bad career choice. I think my engineering courses should come in handy here. Eventually, there will be building of infrastructure."

"I did carpentry with my father until his heart attack two years ago," admitted Joe. "Jared was a stone mason before he found the river."

"Stones, bricks, cement blocks, concrete, I did it all," replied Jared. "I worked alongside my dad, until I came to the canyon and met Elaine. It hasn't been the same without her."

"Look at it this way," reasoned Donna, "we know each other. That is far more than I can say about the first group of people."

"I can't believe they opted to pick a stranger and take that kind of chance on getting married," opined Sam. "Those girls with the church group were pretty cute, and by the time I'm ready, they ought to be ripe. A couple might be now for all I know. All I'm saying is that I'll take my time to pick someone."

"Like he said, we don't have to be married," replied Luther. "However, the quickest way back to the Gestapo prison camp is extra-marital sex. I don't know if I can do that."

"What; do something to get kicked out?" teased Jared. "You and Theresa have discussed marriage for the last two years. If you decide you want to shop around, I'll propose to her right now. Like Allen at Town Hall said, it's more about trusting God with your lives."

"Aw, come on Jared, you wouldn't do that to me," argued Luther. "You spent most of the trip talking to her sister. Now you're going to steal my girl, just because you know her better?"

"I don't think you have to marry her today," noted Joe. "It's just that once you make the commitment, you don't get to back out. Sam, if you come anywhere near Becky, you won't have to worry about getting sent back."

"I wouldn't marry her if ... well, maybe if she was Jared's sister," taunted Sam. "For sure if she was Luther's, but I don't want you for a brother-in-law. Besides, she's just 17."

"I'm 18," countered Becky, "and the feeling is mutual, Sam. If we were the last people on earth, the human race would already be extinct."

The friendly banter continued among friends and their siblings. Jared did crush on Marcia during the 10-day float trip down the canyon. In many ways, she reminded him of his wife who died in a terrible accident in Crystal Rapids. The Park Service tried Jared for her murder, but in the end, the jury saw it for what it really was. Now, Jared was finally out of the whitewater rafting business. The agents were to make certain of that the previous morning.

The youth group split up into the Hammonds and Scotts, overseeing Group Home 1 for the girls, and GH 2 for the boys respectively. The teens had the hardest time adjusting to the fact that their families missed them. Indeed, the authorities arrested the families that Sunday morning at church away from any weapons they might bring to bear in self-defense. They charged the congregation with belonging to a terrorist hate group, Christians. All around the country, the globalist-backed goons rounded up church after church to eliminate the problem for good.

"We have a store," said Allen, as he finished the Meadows family's information. "It doesn't have a thing in it yet, since nobody knew much other than our baker and butcher. You have to understand that we're just starting out, and need a workforce."

"Hannah makes ceramics, baskets, and she does quilting," volunteered Ray. "She also has a green thumb. She grows stuff in our backyard garden. I haven't seen the one that comes with the house yet, except from the back door."

"I think you'll be impressed," opined Allen. "Your kids are big enough to work in the fields. Then there is the 200 acres your family has out on North Street. The parcels are numbered and the land varies from crops to woodlands."

"What's with the militia?" wondered Ray. "They said we will train on Fridays, or the sixth day of the week."

"Everyone has trouble getting used to that," offered Allen. "Just remember that the days we learned are derived from the names of gods we don't believe in. The hardest part for some is letting go of the old world, knowing their families don't know where they are. In my case, it was easier."