The Ring of Fire

Cecelia G. Davis



Late in the afternoon on a crystal clear day, with skies of pastel blue and fluffy white clouds, I hurried down the steps that led to the beach. Finding my favorite spot, I dropped down the beach chair, kicked off my shoes, sat down, and ran the warm, moist sand between my toes.

Overhead, seagulls screamed furiously as they waited for the signal to claim their evening meal. In the distance, a dog was barking, and the wind echoed across the water as tiny waves lapped against the sandy shore. Scanning the beach, I saw a young man and woman searching for shells as the sun hung low on the horizon casting streams of red, pink, and gold across the gentle waves.

Farther down the beach, past the young couple, an elderly man and woman carrying a picnic basket and fishing rods, searched out a cozy spot and settled down. Within a few minutes, they had a small fire going. Soon the aroma of hotdogs aroused my hunger. The delightful smell had also caught the gulls' attention, and I watched as they flew low zigzagging down the beach to where the couple was in hopes of catching a free meal.

Dusk swiftly moved across the colorful sky as the sun hung low on the horizon. With evening rapidly approaching, I found myself reminiscing of times past, when suddenly a vision crossed my mind of a terrible day in 1975, and shortly after, Olivia Baal's demonic screaming voice saying, "I'll have all three of your kids under my control; all I have to do is call their name every day at midnight, and they will come to me.

As I tried to erase the haunting picture from my mind, chills covered my body and ran up and down my spine. Feeling icy cold, I reached for the beach towel, pulled it across my shoulders, and thought about how that day in the spring of 1975 was the beginning of hell on earth for my family and me. Again, chills coursed me as I recalled how our lives were altered and ran out of control for years.

I thought about how the family and I pleaded with God, always asking the same two questions, "Why did all hell on earth brake loose on us, and what did we do to deserve it?"

I recalled the time when things were so critical, and I was so tormented that I became hysterical. With tears streaming down my flushed face I cried out, "What is happening to my family and me? Why do we feel like everyone hates us? Why does it seem like we are losing our mind? Why is God allowing this hell in our lives, and why doesn't He answer our prayers? Over and over, time after time I asked the same questions."

One day I dropped to the living room floor on my aching knees and cried out for God to deliver me from the hell.

"God!" I wailed in agony. "Please tell me what is happening to my family and me! I can't live like this any longer; please kill me or let me die. No more, God. No more. There is no way I can go through anymore of this torture. Remove this hell off my life, or let me die!"

Wailing until I was exhausted, then suddenly, I was lying face down on the floor. Everything was misty white, and I couldn't move any part of my body. After lying in a semiconscious state for a long time, I felt a coldness come over me. Lifting my head and gazing around, I saw the white mist had disappeared.

Picking up my clammy body, I stumbled over to my husband's reclining chair and collapsed. Even though I was weak and trembling, I felt different. A peace like I had not felt in years had come over me. The heavy burden I'd carried for so long was lifting. I was convinced that the truth would be revealed.

Sure enough, God had heard my cry of desperation. Several days later a young woman approached me looked deep into my eyes and said, as she handed me a thin blue book, "Here, take this book. You must read it right away, for it has all the answers you are seeking."

Before I could utter a word, she turned and disappeared as quickly as she had appeared. Gazing down at the small book, how I hoped it would have all the answers to everything that plagued us those horror years. But most of all, reveal to me what really happened on that spring day in 1975, to bring the fires of hell down upon us.