"I wonder if you will be left behind when the true believers are taken to heaven and suddenly DISAPPEAR." At this clue, Mike turned invisible for a few seconds. When he reappeared, he planned to drive home the need for personal faith, but the ear-piercing screams of the girl running down the sidewalk ruined everything.
Chapter seven: The Evangelists
A Character story about sincerity.
Trans was really excited about using his ability to turn invisible to witness and 'scare people into heaven', as he put it. Mike was a little slower to be excited but Trans talked him into cornering a few people as they passed by to try out his plan.
"E-Excuse me," Mike began as he met a teen-aged girl on the snowy sidewalk, "b-but may I ask you an important question?"
"I suppose so," the girl said matter-of-factly.
"Are you ready to meet God?"
The girl looked surprised. "Are you for real or what?" she sneered.
"No, I mean it. Like, did you know that the Bible teaches that some day Christ is going to come back and suddenly take all the Christians to heaven?"
"Well, I'm a Christian. Everyone is. After all we were born in a Christian country."
"Yah, well, being born in a garage doesn't make you a car." Mike laughed, but when the girl didn't, he lost his train of thought. After an awkward pause, Trans, standing invisible at his side, whispered something. "Oh, yah. Well, listen to this. I wonder if you will be left behind when the true believers are taken to heaven and suddenly DISAPPEAR." At this clue, Mike turned invisible for a few seconds. When he reappeared, he planned to drive home the need for personal faith, but the ear-piercing screams of the girl running down the sidewalk ruined everything.
Other attempts to be an effective witness using his temporary 'gift' proved to be equally fruitless. Trans was beginning to become discouraged. Mind you, he was really glad to see the changes in Miss Sanders. Each day she would share something new she was learning in the Bible. But how could God use his invisibleness even more while he still had it?
Trans talked with his dad about this as they drove to the hardware store on Saturday. "Remember, Son," Mr. Gringle reminded Trans, "God is more interested in others seeing an obedient life, than He is in anyone trying to be more effective by being unseen."
"Yah, I remember you saying that," he answered, removing his gloves in the warm car. "But there must be something special God has in mind by. . . LOOK OUT!!" Suddenly from their right a car sped through the stop sign and headed straight for them. Mr. Gringle swerved left as the other car slid to a stop, just inches from theirs. A lady jumped out of the other car screaming, shouting, jumping up and down and pointing at the Gringle's car.
"Why is she pointing at me?" Mr. Gringle asked, somewhat shaken. "I know it was her fault for running the stop sign. I'll check on it. You stay in the car, Trans."
"That car j-just disappeared! I saw it with my own two eyes! That must be Martians or something. Police! Arrest that man!" Suddenly Mr. Gringle realized what had happened. The near accident had caused Trans to scream out thus turning invisible. He had then grabbed the dashboard and this made the whole car turned invisible until he put his hands down. Soon the police arrived but the woman was so upset it seemed impossible to get a clear statement from her. Finally the officer turned to Mr. Gringle. "Mister, do you know anything about a car turning invisible?" the officer asked.
"Yes, sir, and I can explain everything," he replied calmly.
"Good. Then would you mind if we all went to the station? It's too cold to stand out here."
""No, that would be fine."
"Just ride with me. I'll call another officer to drive your car over and have it waiting for you in front when we're finished."
"Fine with me," Mr. Gringle replied, temporarily forgetting about Trans in all the excitement.
All this time Trans had been sitting in the car watching what was going on but hearing little of the conversation. When he saw his Dad get into the police car, he knew what had happened. "They're arresting Dad for being a Martian and it's all my fault. They'll probably lock him up for the rest of his life. And it's all because I had to play with that stupid Chemistry set. So help me, I'll never touch another Chemistry set as long as I live."
Suddenly Trans got an idea. He began to grin a sinister grin. So they think they can lock up Dad, do they. Well, not when Detective Transelthon X. Gringle is around. I knew being invisible would be good for something!