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Visual Adjectives
Category:
Horror
Publisher: Visual Adjectives
Type: Fiction
Pages: 202
Copyright: Jan 24, 2014
Price: $2.99 (eBook)
Stage magician Paul Mathewson becomes possessed by the spirit of the Biblical sorcerer Simon Magus and becomes a controversial figure.
When magician Paul Mathewson was 13 years old he became possessed by the spirit of the Biblical sorcerer Simon Magus. In 2009 with Simon's help he became a headliner at the Excalibur Hotel, but then things turn sour for Simon's plans far exceed merely becoming a headliner. After curing a blind girl on live television Simon becomes the center of a storm of controversy. The controversy grows as his cures and miracles become more spectacular. Magicians label him a fraud and Christian fundamentalists declare him to be the Anti-Christ. Even Paul begins to wonder about that as be begins to piece together the prophecies of Nostradamus, the book of Revelation and Mayan prophecy.
Excerpt
One week has passed and Paul writes, "Dear Kymberli, I am still in hiding. I'm afraid to leave my house. I'm bound to be besieged by reporters, fans and critics the moment I do. All of them wanting to know how I did what Simon actually did? What am I going to say? I have no idea! I must be the only magician in history who consistently fools himself. What will I say to someone who wants to be cured? Sorry it wasn't really me!" The news people are never going to let this die. They all act like a dog with a bone. Everyday on the news we hear from both sides. The grateful families of the cured children, the cries of fraud from the magician's and skeptics and worst of all the Christian fundamentalists who have proclaimed me the Anti-Christ. I guess the most disturbing part of that label is I'm beginning to wonder myself? All my love from your humble and obedient servant, Paul."
September 5th, 2009
The first night of the full moon. Paul is still at home and feels the familiar change coming on. Simon takes him over and once again makes his salt pentagram and lights the silver candles. He once again rises out of Paul's body and then solidifies the astral body until it becomes visible. The temperature dropping in the room as he does so. Solid in appearance he may be, but he is still only an astral body and as such can travel anywhere in the world at the speed of thought. Thus moments later the pedestrians of downtown Los Angeles are treated to the spectacular sight of Simon Magus flying down the center of Ventura Blvd. Phone calls erupt from cell phones to the news stations who launch their camera crews.
Simon then flies to the L.A. Times building and circles it 3 times. The editor is yelling for a photographer to get a shot for the front page. Then unexpectedly Simon zooms off. Helicopter crews are trying to keep up. He heads for a TV station and during the noon broadcast Simon drops down through the ceiling to land behind the news anchors, who spin around in shock!
Simon says, "Peace be with you. I am Simon Magus. I only wish to announce that at noon tomorrow I will be in Dearborn Park. All of those who are ill and come to me in good faith, you shall be healed." He then vanishes on camera. The anchors attempt to recover their composure while repeating Simon's message. The national news picks up on the story and interrupts it's regular broadcast to re-broadcast the tape of Simon's appearance in the L.A. news room.
Pandamonium follows in Simon's wake as desperate relatives not only in L.A. but across the country begin to demand that their loved ones be released from hospitals. Ticket sales to L.A. double and then triple. Paul awakens from his trance at home and is as amazed as everyone else by Simon's announcement. He turns on his television set to find still another special report about Simon.
"This is Carl Gibbons for ABC news. Today the world is asking "Who is this Simon Magus?" The controversial magician made a surprise visit to an L.A. TV news station during their broadcast today. Our phone lines are still jammed with callers wanting to know if it is a hoax, a publicity stunt or just what is happening? Oh I'm told we have more footage. This was taken by one of our news helicopters in L.A. earlier this afternoon." The video shows Simon flying through the air weaving around buildings and diving to the street level. Then rising up to look into the helicopter itself. Then once again dropping back down to fly through the city streets.
Carl Gibbons continues, "I'm talking now to Richard Neumann who was our camera man in the news copter at the moment this was shot...Richard can you hear me?" "Yes Carl," Richard replies. Carl asks, "That was some pretty incredible footage Richard, can you shed any light on what we've just seen?" Richard answers, "Not too much Carl. We started getting inundated with phone calls from people all over L.A. from their cellphones about a man flying through the air like Superman. We got so many calls all at once that we had no choice but to check it out. Frankly I was there and saw it for myself and I still don't believe it! So I am not sure what to say to those who want to know if it was a hoax? It's certainly the most astonishing thing I have ever seen!"
The camera scene returns to Carl Gibbons seated at his desk. He says, "Thank you Richard. Now let's go live to our ABC affiliate in L.A. to speak with news anchors Linda Reed and Raymond Stanton. Linda, Ray can you hear me?" Ray responds, "Loud and Clear Carl." Carl asks, "Can you tell us in your own words what took place in your studio today?" Ray says, "We can do better than that. We can show you. Roll tape. I'll show you the footage and comment as you watch...Ok there I was in mid-broadcast of a story about the middle east when suddenly I see my camera man pointing behind me. I turned around and there he was! For just a moment I thought he was a terrorist attacking the station, until he spoke."
Carl asks, "What did you make of this Linda?" Linda replies, "Like Ray I was too stunned to move for a second, but then this magician Simon announced that he would be at Deerborn Park tomorrow at noon to heal the sick." Carl asks, "Do you believe that this was a publicity stunt?" Linda replies, "Well if it is, it worked, because we certainly intend to be at Deerborn Park tomorrow at noon with our camera crew as it is happening."
"Thank you Linda and Raymond. I'm told now that we have professional magician and psychic debunker James Randall on line. James are you there?" Carl asks. "I am indeed Carl." James responds. "Can you explain to our viewers how this flying stunt was accomplished?" Carl asks him. "Carl, David Copperfield once flew across the Grand Canyon on one of his TV specials. The difference is that he didn't claim to be a Messiah figure. Clearly this Simon Magus is trying very hard to follow in the footsteps of his namesake, but he's giving magicians everywhere a real black eye. I find the whole thing to be embarrassing really." Randell explains. "Thank you James Randell. ABC insists I point out that your opinions are strictly your own and not affiliated with the station." Carl comments. "Of course, but I stand by them none the less." James states. "Very well. Simon Magus, magician or modern day prophet? Miracle worker or fraud? We'll keep you posted on the latest information on this controversial figure. This is Carl Gibbons with ABC news."
Paul turns off his TV set and thinks, "My God, Simon! Things are really starting to snowball, but I guess that's what you have in mind for some reason."
Around the country that night mothers and fathers take their sick children out of intensive care units at the protest of doctors and nurses. The elderly are taken out of their nursing homes. Millions of the sick are headed for L.A. The L.A. Times that afternoon publishes the photo of Simon flying outside their building with the headline, "Flying Magus shakes up the city." For 24 hours he is all they talk about on the TV, radio talk shows and newspapers. Also reported is the mass exodus to L.A.'s Deerborn Park. People camp out by the hundreds that night and the sick arrive all day in wheelchairs, stretchers, crutches, everywhere you look. It looks like a scene you'd expect at Lourdes, France.
The tension builds as 12 noon approaches the next day. The sky is filled with news helicopters. Police on the ground direct the traffic, but secretly have orders to arrest Simon Magus the moment he shows up for causing a public disturbance. The sick and injured continue to arrive from all over the country.
At home Paul watches the clock as well. At 11:45am he feels the change coming on. He does not try to fight it and thus it happens swiftly. Simon once again sets up the candles and salt pentagram to perform his astral projection ritual. He rises out of Paul's body and again the air in the room grows cold as he begins to absorb the heat energy in the room to make his form visible. Then he flies up through the ceiling.
Those on the ground look at their watches and at 11:59am someone points in the air and shouts "There he is!" All eyes turn toward the speck in the sky that grows larger as he gets closer. Now his cape flapping in the breeze can easily be seen. He does not land. He comes no closer than hovering over the tree top level, thwarting the police's plan to arrest him. He speaks to the crowd estimated to be over 5000 people and even though he has no microphone, all can plainly hear him as though they were right next to him.
"Beloved faithful thank you for coming. There has been much in the news about me. Wanting to know who I am or where I come from? I say to you that who or what I am is not important. What I have to say to you is. For thousands of years now you have been held in captivity by a lie. The lie states that you are born into sin. That you are less than perfect. That you must be saved or you shall be damned by God. I say to you that God does not create imperfection. You are already perfect. No baby is born sinful. You are already perfect as your father and mother in heaven are perfect.
Do not listen to those who stand on their pulpits and thump their Bibles and tell you that it is God's word! God does not speak to you from a book. I say to you close your books and open your hearts. For that is where God speaks to you from! Do not listen to those who stand in their churches and tell you that God is going to damn all of those who pray at temples and mosques! Likewise do not listen to those who pray in temples and mosques and tell you that all of those who go to churches to pray will be damned! God does not care if you call him Jehovah, Allah, Brahma, Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, Holy Spirit, or Great Spirit. God does not care if you pray in a church, a temple, a mosque or dance naked around a fire shaking a rattle! It is all superstition to God anyway. God judges you by what is in your heart, not by what religious group you belong to. I say you do not have to belong to any church for God is with you wherever you are.
The earth is my church
The sky is its high ceiling
The green grass is its lush carpet
The song birds are its choir
The rain is my Baptism
What candles can compare with the stars?
What incense can compare with it's fragrant flowers?
Wherever I am and wherever I go, I am always in the house of the Lord.
Now to prove to the faithless that my message comes from above, I now heal you all. Throw down your crutches, rise out of your wheelchairs. Your faith has cured you. Furthermore to all of you listening to this broadcast, but who could not make it here today, wherever you are in hospitals or homes or trying to get here from across the country, I say rejoice and be made whole. Peace be with you."
Simon then vanishes before their eyes and Paul awakens in his home in Las Vegas. Across the country every sick person in every hospital or home who hears the broadcast is instantly cured. No matter how terminal their illnesses were. Aids, cancer, heart disease, MS, MD, broken bones, blindness and even those who are deaf who read the words on their closed captioned sets have their ears opened and Simon's voice is the first sounds some of them have ever heard. Altogether a billion people are healed simultaneously.
Paul goes to his desk to write an e-mail to Kymberli. "Kymberli, sorry I haven't written in awhile. Unless you've been living in an underwater cave I'm sure you saw the latest broadcast. Do not be fooled by Simon's message of peace and love or his miracle cures. He is not out to represent the glory of God but only for the glorification of himself.
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