THE FERALS

THE FERALS   By Tessa Harvey Then the cat heard it: a faint crackling noise. He saw tiny flares of ruby light burst into  life in the kitchen and smelled smoke, a terrible thing that led to disaster. The cat leapt onto Jake's bed and yowled, scratching at the thin summer bedding. Jake was one of those rare beings who could wake instantly and be alert. At once he could smell the smoke and hear the crackling. His first thought was to check Brodie, then see what was wrong and then get help. He saw the fire source was the kitchen, closed the doors, dialled Emergency to report the fire and give his address. Calmly he gathered up his son and found the cat's transport cage. "Sorry buddy, we have to go." His son stumbled along sleepily, holding onto his dad's shirt. Shadow did not object to being bundled in the carrier. Having raised the alarm, he was now trembling with fear, eyes wide. Jake felt like doing that, but prayed instead. He banged on the neighbour's door, ...

THE FERALS   By Tessa Harvey CHAPTER SEVEN Shadow stirred and moved uneasily. It was dark or at least so dark as it ever got in northern England in a midsummer night. Some part of the cat's mind still held memory traces of being shouted at and driven away, left to survive in a bleak winter. For now he was happy to be in a home where he was loved unconditionally. But something was wrong. The hair rose on his tail and it twitched slightly. He padded to the lounge doorway, jumping off the edge of Brodie's bed. The boy was sprawled, arms above his head, deep in slumber. The man the cat recognised as the leader was making sleep noises, tossing a little as though he sensed the strangeness.

THE FERALS  By Tessa Harvey "Aw, c'mon!" exclaimed Jake, laughing, "angels, maybe, but..." He saw her face. "You're serious!" Alice sighed. "Being a Christian is hard, much harder than just going with the flow. It's hard to be different, to swim upstream. Jake, read the Bible. Talk to Jesus. Listen. Every day." Jake looked into her blue eyes. "I was a fool to let you go so easily. Will you forgive me?" Alice looked down and said quietly, " I was a fool to let you go." At that moment there was a sharp cracking noise and a loud yell! The adults rushed over to Sophie lying on the ground. Brodie said "She's not dead. The tree didn't like her swinging. Look, her eyelids are twitching." Alice knelt down. "Sophie, are you okay?" The little girl opened her eyes. "Yes, I think so. I just fell hard."

THE FERALS   By Tessa Harvey Walking along the cloud-dappled hills, Alice and Jake watched the children play. They came to a sheltered hollow where a few small trees grew. One was just right for climbing and Sophie and Brodie were soon scrambling over the branches.  Alice listened as Jake told her of his new commitment to Jesus, then he rubbed his hand through his hair, trying to explain how difficult life had been for him lately. "We have an adversary," Alice said calmly, "the devil." Humour danced in Jake's grey eyes. "Sure, red suit, forked-tail, pitchfork, smoke!" His friend laughed. "No, not like that! He's real, though."

THE FERALS   By Tessa Harvey When Alice knocked on the door, Brodie opened it, peering up at her with a woeful expression. Then the smell of burning wafted out. "Our cake went all black," the little boy stated solemnly. Sophie tried hard not to giggle, but then when she saw Jake holding a burnt, smoking black object, with an an almost identical woeful expression on his face, the laughter bubbled out. Jake saw the funny side and then all four were really laughing. "The mixture was great, though," laughed Brodie. The pizzas were reheated in the microwave oven, and tasted delicious, soon dispelling "burnt cake aroma" and the ice-cream was also welcome.  "At least I can't burn ice-cream," declared Jake. They arranged to go for a walk near the beach on the following day, Saturday. Alice helped clean up and she and Sophie left fairly early so they could all get a good start in the morning.

THE FERALS  By Tessa Harvey That became clear over the next week as doubts and minor troubles assailed him, threatening to overwhelm... Jake stood his ground, but barely. Then one evening Alice rang.  He was so pleased to recognise her number that he struggled to speak. "Are you okay?" she asked, wondering at the long pause. "I, I think so. It's been a hard week. You see, I did read your Creation magazine and some of the Bible, but it's so hard," Jake faltered, "I asked Jesus into my life, but nothing seems to be going well right now." He was aware he sounded petulant, like a child. "Look," Alice said gently, "actually I do understand. Would you mind if Sophie and I came over. It's Friday, in case you've forgotten! We could do tea. I can bring a pizza. Two pizzas!!" "That sounds wonderful!" Jake breathed a sigh of relief. "Brodie and I would like that very much. We have ice cream and..." he opened the...

THE FERALS   By Tessa Harvey One day he picked up a Bible Alice had given to him some time ago. Opening it at the Gospel of John, he began to read. The words seemed to leap off the page as if illumined in light - how God was there, even in the beginning, that darkness cannot overcome the Light. He saw, wonderingly how Jesus was the actual Word of God, sent by His Father. The words sank into his heart, mind, spirit... As he reached John 3:16, Jake fell on his knees, touched by the immensity of what had been done for him, for the world. "God, I want you. I want Jesus." Bending his dark-blond head, he asked forgiveness for his own darkness and unbelief, and rose a new man, a warrior, a man of vision and purpose. But it would not be easy for him.