Evil Walks With Us: 666 - The Mark of the Beast: An Introduction

The bell rang, and Todd Armfield's 11th-grade class members filed slowly into Mr. Kenneth Box's chemistry class. He was one of Todd's favorite teachers and attended the same Baptist church Todd attended in Smiley Grove, Mississippi. In fact, Mr. Box taught him in the Young Men's Sunday School classes there and was a devout Christian man.

Everyone was settling down at their desks when Todd came in and took his seat, about mid-way of the classroom. Mr. Box was walking on a thin string allowing the students the first three minutes to bow their heads and say silent prayers, the type prayers the different denominations believed in. Those who did not wish to participate were allowed to do what they wished as long as they sat silently at their desks during these three minutes.

On this particular day, when the class was finishing their prayers, they all heard a moan and a large thud, and upon opening their eyes, saw my Box laying on his back holding his chest. Even though Todd was at the center of the classroom, he was the first to reach Mr. Box. The teacher was barely alive but was able to grab Todd's hand, as he used his other hand to take something from his shirt pocket and place it in Todd's hand. He feebly begged; "Todd, please continue my work; evil is coming!"

Mr. Box's eyes froze open in death, but Todd heard him again repeat his request even though his mouth did not move. Someone yelled, "call 911," but Todd knew Mr. Box was beyond any need for medical help now; he knew he was in a place where no one ever needs medical help again. As he softly smiled, he looked into the hand where his teacher had placed the object from his pocket. It was the most beautiful crucifix he had ever seen, and it looked to be solid gold. He cautiously placed it in his shirt pocket, so his classmates wouldn't think he had stolen it from Mr. Box's dead body.

As the class was scrambling around the room, with many running out in tears, Todd returned to his seat to collect his chemistry book.
"That's odd," He thought silently, as he opened a piece of torn notebook paper which was folded in this open textbook. He had a tingling sensation run through his body, as he read the note. "Evil is coming; please don't let what I'm doing stop now; God Bess!" It was signed, "In God, We Love, Kenneth Box."

As Todd was closing his book, he saw that the page was numbered 3:16 in red, while all the other pages were in standard black page numbers with the preceding page being 315. All he could think of was his Bible and the scripture, John Chapter 3, verse 16(John 3:16), which reads: " For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Todd couldn't believe what he was seeing and sensing as he took his book and the torn notebook page to Mr. Box's podium, There on his podium was a notebook which had a torn page. He laid his piece done on the notebook and the pieces matched perfectly.

The funeral was at Todd's church and there wasn't an empty seat; people stood at the back and along the walls to say goodbye to a great educator; and a greater Christian. As the minister commenced with the services, Todd took Mr. Box's crucifix from his pocket and examined it closely. It had an inscription on the back that was too small to read with the naked eye, and as a prayer was said, he slipped the crucifix back into his pocket.

While in the cemetery a little later on as the services were closing, Todd felt a strange sensation while final prayers were being said; a sensation so strong it caused him to look up. As everyone else in the cemetery still bowed in prayer, he looked into the eyes of a stranger who stood at the rear of the mourners. He was staring directly at Todd, and when he saw Todd looking, he gave him a cold-ice water smile. Todd tried to return to the minister's prayer, and closed his eyes, just as the minister said amen. When he looked up, the stranger was gone and so was the sensation he had felt; a sensation of evil. As Todd looked around, the stranger was nowhere to be seen, but how could that be possible, he was there only a couple of seconds ago?

In 1 John, chapter 2, verse 18, John says to all people, "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.”

In this, I believe John was saying, with the death of Jesus Christ, so begins the "end of times." I believe there have been, still are, and will be in the future, antichrists. They come in many forms, and though this series is a fictitious account of an antichrist at work, it truly may be nonfiction in the future.

In the next sequel to this series, Todd gets a new chemistry teacher; guess who it is!