Chapter 1: Now is the Day of Salvation
Swoosh!! "Oh, oh, ouch!! What the …" Izzy screamed, as she flew face first into the wet snow.
"Get out of here! We don't want you around, anymore. You're worthless," came a youthful voice from the doorway of the apartment. The door slammed abruptly. The light shining from the large picture window suddenly disappeared and the curtain was pulled shut.
Izzy, rolled up in a ball, and covered with snow, wiped her wet face, and began to shiver. Without even a hesitation she jumped to her feet, pointed toward the apartment, and screamed, "Good riddance…….. You guys are creeps, anyway. I wish I'd never met...." She stopped suddenly and began to sob, “...what am I going to do now?" She shivered again.
"Burrrr…It's cold out here. I better get out of this...." Just at that moment a face appeared at the window of the apartment. Izzy saw the silhouette, walked cautiously toward the sidewalk, and then began to run down the street.
As quickly as she began running, she came to a screeching halt. "Where am I going? I don't know... I.... I need to calm down and find out which way to get out of here. I'm in Anchorage and I know nothing about this place…. So that means...... I should find someone who knows where I am, right now! Before I freeze to death...." She slowly turned in a circle and pointed, "There! Down there, a main street!!"
A shadow, which appeared to the right of her, hurried her toward the lights and the noise she could see and hear in the distance. Soon the city and cars were everywhere.
"It's a main street," she thought to herself. "Which way do I go?" Just over the horizon she could see more lights.
"That way!!" she cried out and began to run.
After a few minutes Izzy realized, she couldn't run all the way. She slowed to a trot, and then to a walk. Finally she stopped completely, and fell to her knees on a wet snowy sidewalk. Cold began to creep into her body, in spite of her exertions.
"This is stupid. I should catch a ride. It's too far to walk." She stood up and crossed the street cautiously and stuck her thumb up in the air.
Car after car passed her by. She sat down several times along the way but continued toward her destination, the lights. With all her effort there was still no ride.
Just a block or so on down the road she noticed a business. It was a little mom and pop café.
"Wow, look at that. I'm soooo cold... good place to rest and warm up.... I need a ride.... and ...just maybe....."
She ran the rest of the way to the little café and stumbled in the door. There were only a couple of tables occupied so she found one in the corner, away from everyone else. She sat there shivering, not realizing at first, how cold she really was.
"A cup of hot cocoa sounds good, but do I have any money?" Digging through her pockets she found two dollars.
"How much for cocoa?" She called out in the direction of the front counter.
"A buck,” the waitress hollered back.
"Can I have one, please?"
"Sure thing."
It wasn’t more than a couple of minutes and the waitress brought Izzy a plain white mug full of the steaming beverage she had requested. Immediately she wrapped her cold hands around the cup. "Ooooo, nice." The steam filled her face. "Thank you.... thank you."
As she savored the flavor of chocolate on her tongue, her mind wandered to a better time. Home, where mom would not only fix her a steaming cup of hot cocoa every morning when requested, but also provided freshly baked muffins or biscuits groomed with butter and homemade jam. It seemed like only yesterday, she was waking up in a warm queen-sized bed and smelling the fresh aroma of bacon and eggs or pancakes…Was that yesterday?
Thinking about food really made her hungry. She questioned herself, “I wonder what a buck would buy?”
Izzy sipped the hot beverage cautiously, and looked around the room. She noticed a young couple in the opposite corner, both drinking the advertised house specialty, chocolate malt. "They looked like they were in love,” she thought.
Sitting by himself near the front door was a young gentleman. She guessed he was near twenty-five. He was eating what looked like breakfast even though it was about ten in the evening. She watched him for a while. He wasn't really handsome, but he seemed like a nice guy. He was reading a book with a black cover.
"What's next?" she asked herself. "I'm warm, now, but how do I get out of this town? Is that what I want or do I stay here? I don't know anyone. Should I call Mom..... Noooooway. I need someplace to sleep.... I have no money.... I need to eat.... what a mess."
Izzy had never really been on her own before. She depended on her mom for food, transportation, clothing, and especially money. At home she got an allowance every two weeks…..”Fifty bucks” she thought. But her two bucks was all she had left of that.
Suddenly, feeling desperate, she caught herself talking to the stranger, the young gentleman, "Sir, do you.... do..... can...I'm lost. I could use a r....."
The young man looked up from his meal, startled at first, not knowing whether to answer or not. Then he realized she was addressing him, he quipped, “Miss, were you speaking to me?
Timidly she said, “Yes, sorry to disturb your meal…..I mean your breakfast……well, anyway.” Izzy wanted to cry but couldn’t. She laid her head on the table and mumbled, “I need help.”
"You need help?” the young gentleman replied. Almost cautiously he continued, “What …..can I do for you? I'm not from around here but I can give you a ride somewhere..... To a motel or something. Do you need a ride home? Do you need something to eat?"
“Eat,” she thought. “That would be good,” Izzy answered sounding frustrated, "You... I.... I am hungry.. I don't know where I'm going.... I mean, I need to leave this place….this town. Did you say, eat?"
"Where's your home? Your parents?.... I'm heading north, to Healy, near Denali National Park. I don't think....You’re hungry. How ‘bout some bacon and eggs?" The young gentleman seemed nervous about this confrontation.
"I've been out in the cold for over an hour trying to get a ride.... to somewhere, ...anywhere. I’m starving and I'll take your offer for a ride if you don't mind," she said excitingly as she wiped away the tears. “And the food…..just a little, if you’re not in a hurry. I’ve got a dollar to help pay for it.” She reached back in her coat pocket and handed the one dollar bill to the young man.
"There’s no need for your money. Just order some food, and no I’m not really in a hurry.”
Izzy waved down the waitress and ordered the biggest breakfast on the menu: Ham and eggs with pancakes and syrup. While they waited for her order, they both sat quietly not knowing what to say.
Abruptly the young man started, “Where do you want to go.......Do you know anybody up north?. .By the way, what's your name, anyway?"
Izzy seemed dazed and didn't know what to say. "Isabella... I mean Izzy; I guess that's what you can call me.... Izzy…… North?....I'm ….. Can we talk about this after the food comes? I’m so hungry.”
Within minutes her big plate of breakfast arrived. The waitress set it in front of her, and Izzy began devouring the ham and eggs like there was no tomorrow. Her cup of cocoa had long since been refilled, and she sipped it with a satisfying look on her face. “Ooooooooo. That was good… …..everything was good. By the way, I don’t even know your name. I need to really thank you…….”
"My name is Jeff Jeffries," the young man said reaching out his hand to shake hers. She reached her hand out to him as he spoke, "I'm a preacher... an evangelist. I've just held church services here in Anchorage."
"Hi,.......... I'm Isabella Newton from...... I guess California...." Whispering to herself she continued, "Really from nowhere. It was nice of you to……well to ……you don’t even know me…” Izzy covered her face in embarrassment.
"Well, Miss Isabella."
"Izzy!!" she corrected
"Miss Izzy, my car is out front. If you’re ready to go, I am. That Subaru wagon... multicolored.... anyway, the only vehicle out front, that’s my car.” Jeff pointed out the window. He thought to himself, “I still don't feel comfortably about giving her a ride to just any place.” Then he continued, “...Decide where you want to go, I probably should warm the car up first. Just wait right here, rest yourself for a little longer. I'll be back...... in a minute." Hesitantly Jeff put on his parka, and headed out the door leaving Izzy to finish drinking her cocoa. Izzy watched out the window hoping her "knight in shining armor" wouldn't just take off without her.
Jeff started the car. As he brushed off the light layer of snow from the windshield of the car, he wondered what he had gotten himself into. He sat back in the car and whispered a prayer. "Dear Lord, I don't know what doors you have opened for me at this moment. This isn't a very comfortable situation. You said at times we will entertain angels unawares. I don't want to do anything wrong in Your eyes or in the eyes of man. This girl seems desperate and needs help. Show me what to do. Thank you, Lord."
After finishing his prayer Jeff went inside the café and sat near Izzy.
"Well, Izzy, we're almost ready to go.... Are you sure there isn't somewhere in Anchorage that I can take you? I know of some churches....."
"No..... No.... no churches," she almost shouted, "...I mean, I trust you. I'll take a ride to... .What did you call it? Healor ... or Healing?"
"Healy, the windy city. The north side of the Alaska Range, 110 miles south of Fairbanks."
The waitress, wanting to close the restaurant, came over to the table. "Sir, yours is twelve fifty and miss, yours is one dollar, unless the gentleman is picking up both tabs."
"No," Izzy interrupted.
"Yes, I'll get hers," Jeff answered as he handed the waitress thirteen dollars and fifty cents. Slyly he put a two dollar tip on the table and headed out the door. "Thanks... see ya next time. God bless. Let's go Izzy."
Izzy, still in a daze, walked out into the cold and again shivered. She was wearing only a small jacket not fit for winters or even summers in Alaska. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she found the multicolored Subaru wagon that Jeff referred to. She got in on the passenger side. Jeff was already inside.
Izzy's mind was sailing. "What have I got myself into, now? A preacher from.... Healy ...somewhere up north.... I don't know anyone there or here for that matter except ....those perverts.. .those ‘friends of mine’..... phoo.... God I need help.... What am I saying? I don't know God. I don't even know if there is a God..." She was very nervous. She'd heard stories about what happens to girls that hitchhike. Maybe this guy is a pervert in disguise. His story about being a preacher.... maybe.....maybe... Don't worry, Izzy. You can handle this guy... Yeah, just like you handled those other guys." As she sat there, with the lights of the city flashing by her, she wondered, "Sixteen years old and who am I,....a slut.... a runaway... a liar, a cheat.... I'm nothing... I'm worthless. Those guys were right."
Jeff decided, he'd better break the silence. "So Izzy, what do you think of Anchorage, the largest city in our great state?"
Izzy, at first didn't say a word. She shook her head as if to awaken, then she snapped, "Anchorage? I don't know anything about Anchorage. And I don't really care. I've really only been here a few hours..... The only thing I truly can tell you is that it's cold."
"Sorry, Izzy, you probably need a blanket and a pillow. I have them in the back seat just for occasions like this." He thought for a moment. "That ....Maybe that didn't sound appropriate." Then he said, "We carry extra gear in our vehicles up here, because of the extreme cold. The heaters in these small cars aren't warm enough."
Reaching behind the seat, Izzy fumbled around until she found a small wool blanket and a pillow. "Ooooo, warm," she said as she pulled the blanket around her. "Thank you, Jeff or should I call you Reverend Jeffries?"
"Jeff is fine. I'm Jeff to all my friends."
"We're not that close... I hope... Quit worrying..," Izzy thought.
Looking for more confidence she announced, "Then Jeff it is. You're helping me, so we must be friends...... How long is this going to take us? How far is it?"
"It will take us four or five hours depending upon the weather. Approximately 248 miles.... that's the distance. We can usually drive 65 mile per hour.... well, maybe 55 in this jalopy."
Again silence prevailed for a while until the pair left the lights of the city. Jeff began the conversation, "So...... how.... I ...Are you going to be looking for work when you get to Healy?........I can probably help you. I've also been thinking... these friends of mine could put you up for a while. They have a big house with extra bedrooms.... how's that sound?."
"Huh, huh...... a.... yeah, sounds all right to me," Izzy replied sleepily as she buried her head in a pillow.
"Sorry, Izzy, I don't mean to keep you awake by running off at the mouth. Sleep awhile. We'll talk when we get close to home.... I mean Healy."
Leaving the city and entering the outskirts of Anchorage, Jeff realized that with all the distractions, he had forgotten to get fuel. Thinking ahead, he decided to get gas in Wasilla about thirty miles up the road. Not wanting to wake up his passenger, he didn't let her know he would have to stop. Within a few minutes he pulled into a convenient store and gas station. The sign read, "Regular unleaded. $1.46 per gallon."
Jeff thought, "I'd better make this quick. I'm way behind schedule.... Don't want to wake her. I need to get home...." After he pumped the fuel he ran into the store to pay. Returning to the vehicle, he noticed that Izzy had awakened, and was wandering around in a daze.
"Izzy, we're in Wasilla. I had to get fuel. I forgot to get it when we were in town ...I ....all the things happening... you know? You need anything?...While were here?"
"A..... A.. where are you?.....Oh, over there." Izzy ran toward Jeff with her arms wide open. Jeff, I'm scared.... I saw... I.... Jeff." She slipped and fell before she could reach him. The startled Jeff caught her on the way down.
"You all right? What?... Who?... What's wrong? Who'd you see?"
Jeff picked her up off the pavement and Izzy began to cry as she laid her head on Jeff's shoulder. "It was him....." She continued to sob. "It was him!!"
"Who?...Him?...What are you talking about? Who did you see?"
"Can we go?....Now!...Please!!! Jeff!" Izzy ran toward the car and jumped into the passenger seat. Immediately she pulled her warm wool blanket around her whole body and buried her head in the pillow. Jeff followed hurriedly. He slid into the front seat, started the vehicle, and pulled out onto the highway.
It was quiet on the trip north for almost an hour. Jeff didn't know what to say, and Izzy was too tired and distracted.
Izzy kept looking out the back window, and wondered to herself if they were being followed.
The young teenager finally broke the silence, "Jeff, I'm sorry.... This whole thing is crazy.... I don't know... I mean.. I really don't know if I being followed.... but I think I've seen the same shadow of a man several times in the last week.... even before I arrived in Anchorage. I didn't see his face.... Just someone watching me from a distance. It scares me. What should I do?"
"I'm not sure what you should do. If someone is following you...... Do you suppose your mother has someone following you. You do have a mom? That is, just to keep track of you.... to make sure.... you know? I don't think there is anything to worry about, but you know what, I'll pray right now and ask God to protect you and give you strength. Is that all right with you?"
Izzy didn't say anything at first, and then she replied, "I suppose its ok. It couldn't hurt anything."
Jeff prayed a simple prayer, "Dear God, You are the God that hears and answers our prayers... Please protect Izzy from the unknown. Help her have peace... thank you, Lord. Amen."
Before Jeff had finished the prayer, Izzy had again fallen asleep. It had been a long day and the young preacher became very sleepy. He looked at his watch. It was about three in the morning. He figured they still had a couple of hours of traveling. Not wanting to fall asleep driving, Jeff started humming Christian hymns and choruses; and it seemed that time flew by.
They were very close to their destination, and Jeff wondered when he should wake his young passenger. Suddenly, out of the trees ran a three thousand pound plus immovable object. In Alaska, that's a mamma moose and her two calves. Jeff slammed on his brakes and stopped just short of the big moose.
Izzy awakened in a fright, flying forward against her taunt seat belt. "What happened? Where are we? OOOO ...... What's that?" She asked as she pointed out the window.
"The local wildlife has made their appearance. You missed the fox and the snowshoe hare. They all seem to show themselves when you least expect it....... By the way, are you all right?"
"Yeah, yeah, just more excitement. I'm afraid...... I don't need anymore for a while."
"You know, Izzy, I'm glad you're awake. We'll soon be in Healy and we'll need to let the Denson's...... Sam and Linda don't know you're coming. I'll call them on my cell."
Jeff dialed and the phone rang several times.
"They must not have their machine on. I’ll keep ringing. They're probably asleep. It's Sam's day off..... Oh,.... Hello, Linda….Sorry,.....did I wake you? I have a problem..... This is Jeff... Jeff Jeffries from the church.....
"Sorry, Jeff, I'm still asleep... Yes,...go ahead."
"Well, as you know, I spoke in Anchorage over the weekend...... Things went great.... .but.... I picked up a passenger.... A very nice young lady that needs a place to stay for a few days. She may be looking for a job in Healy. I'm going to help her find a job."
"Yes,.... Yes,.... she can stay here.... Sam, we're going to have a guest.....! When will you arrive, Jeff?"
"Oh,... An hour or so.... About six A.M..... Is that ok?"
"Six, Honey....," Linda said to her husband.
"Everything is fine, Jeff. We'll be ready and try not to disturb her so she can sleep... when she gets here. Got to get things prepared. We'll see you then."
"Yes, thank you very much... God bless.” Jeff hung up the phone. "Izzy, everything is set."
"Yeah, for now, anyway," Izzy sighed. "Ever since I left my home in L.A... from bad to worse."
"Izzy, you can tell me about yourself if you want. I'll listen."
"Well... a.. hum.. I... a ...." Then she blurted out, "I didn't finish high school. I should be a senior this year. My life for the last two years has been one party. Every good looking guy that came along.... I'd go out with. We'd drink.... but no drugs, just booze. My mom was so frustrated with me. She kept preaching.... or at least I thought she was preaching. I'd let guys touch me, but that was it..... They hated that. I lived at home some, but most of the time I stayed with friends.... with other girls. We played the guys for fools. We used them.... They thought..... well anyway, we thought it was fun.... My mom..... Oh, I miss her." She began to sob.
"You can quit if you want... Izzy.... You ok?"
"My mom really loves me. It wasn't her fault. She and Dad split up a long time ago. I haven't seen my dad since I was five. I don't even think I would know him..... My sister.... my little sis..... She tried to help. I wouldn't listen to her either.... They went to church... .I'd refuse to go. Then one day these guys said, 'Let's leave L.A.' They had stolen some Airline tickets and ID's... to Anchorage for four...... Another girl, two guys and I. The other girl put out... I didn't. They tried... finally they kicked me out, and now I'm here."
"Izzy, your mom was right... about God. The Bible is God's book written to man. It tells a man how to live, and how not to. The good book tells us that we all are sinners. I'm one. You're one... Your mom.... your dad. All sinners..... But he has made a way for us to be forgiven of our sin. Jesus died and paid the penalty for yours and mine.... Everyone's... if they accept.... My life wasn't perfect either, but I was given an opportunity to confess my sins and ask for forgiveness.... I'm a new creature in Christ.... I know all of this is heavy,....but the Lord is coming soon... We all need to be ready when He comes."
"Yeah, my mom talked about that, too..... The Rapture.... I never really knew what she meant. Those who are 'saved' would rise.... caught up.... or something like that."
"Yes, Izzy. The Bible speaks of this.... I Thessalonians 4:16 says 'For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God and the dead in Christ will rise first.' And it says in John 14:1 'Do not let your heart be troubled.. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In My father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me....'"
"You see, heaven was made for us.. Hell was made for Satan and his angels. The scriptures say, God will divide the good from the bad. Those who continue in their sins will burn forever in Hell, the second death."
"Hea.......vy... Too heavy for me," Izzy declared. "Well, I've told you everything...... so can we change the subject?"
"Speaking of changing, we're almost there. Soon we'll be in Denali National Park, the home of Mount McKinley. Healy is only down the road from there. You ought to see this area in the daylight."
Izzy mused to herself sarcastically, "Yeh.... awesome.... awesome."
Jeff thought it best to remain quiet until they arrived at the Denson's, unless Izzy wanted to talk. This counseling thing was new to him. Sometimes he talked too much.
Arriving at the Denson's, Jeff looked at his watch in the light of their large dome window. "6:05, Well, I was close. We're here, Izzy.... the Denson's."
The young preacher got out of the car first, but his passenger just sat there. Finally she opened the door and slowly got out, pulling her coat tight to her body. They headed up the walk and the steep set of stairs to the Denson's front door. The porch light snapped on.
Before Jeff could knock on the door, Linda had the door open with Sam right behind her.
"Jeff, and ....Izzy... is that your name?" Linda asked.
"Izzy.... yes.... my real name is Isabella, but people call me Izzy."
Motioning them in, she put out her hand saying, "I'm Linda, and this is Sam, my wonderful husband." She firmly shut the door on the cold and dark.
Jeff interrupted the introductions with a whisper, "Linda, Izzy doesn't have much to wear... accept what she has on.... So if... maybe... You know.... you could..."
Linda rescued him. "Yes..... yes, I’ll call pastor and some of the ladies in the church. We'll find some warm clothes and night wear for our new friend, Izzy."
Izzy was so overwhelmed with all this, that she didn't know what to say. All she wanted was to go to bed and be alone. She needed to think.
"Sweetheart, do you want a shower first?" Linda asked Izzy.
Still in a daze, Izzy replied, "A what.... I have no.... a...? I don't know..... Yes... Yes."
"Yes, I know. You don't have a towel. I have plenty... I'll get you something to sleep in and some fresh underclothes. Linda will take care of you, little one."
Linda showed the scared teenager to the bathroom.. She got a towel and something for Izzy to sleep in. Jeff and Sam said their good byes, and as he departed, Jeff hollered, "Izzy, I'll keep in touch.... I'll keep praying for you. The Densons will take good care of you. Bye!!"
Izzy closed and locked the door of the bathroom. She sighed deeply, sat on the floor, and began sobbing. "Pray for me...... I want to go home."
Linda knocked on the door of the bathroom. "Izzy.... you all right.... I'll be right here if you need me."
Izzy showered and quickly dressed in the night shirt and robe provided. She opened the door and looked out. A few feet away sat Linda. She had dozed off in her sewing chair.
"Mrs. Denson.... Linda..."
"Oh.... sorry, Izzy. I didn't mean to fall asleep. Let me show you to your room... down here." She pointed toward the basement. They both walked down the stairs and turned into a room on the left. It was small, but nice with a neatly made full size bed.
"Next door you'll find another bathroom with plenty of towels and everything you might need. By the time you wake up we'll have some warm clothes for you to put on... Maybe even a parka."
".......You don't....... have to do that," Izzy replied.
"We want to," Linda answered.
Izzy fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
