The Beginning of the End by Lorana Hoopes (readict txt) 📕

said, waving his hands. “Why would they use the vaccine to be the mark? Didn’t you say it was about pledging loyalty to the Antichrist?”

“I always thought it was an actual pledging of loyalty, but what if it’s hidden in this? Think about it. We were told masks didn’t work, then we were told they were the only way to stop the spread. Even with them, things aren’t going back to normal - not the normal we want anyway. There’s already been one story of a man getting killed over not wearing a mask.” Raven was fairly certain there were more stories out there like that or would be soon.

“Now they’re beginning to tell us that vaccines are the only way to get back to normal. If they can now see who’s had a vaccine and who hasn’t, why wouldn’t they use that as an excuse to keep people from shopping or attending events? They could easily tell us we are endangering people’s health without one and can’t enter until we have one.”

“Okay, let’s say I’m buying all this,” Jason said slowly. “What would be the point of restricting people who don’t get the vaccine?”

“What’s the point of the lockdowns and the mask mandate now?” Raven asked. “Control. It’s all about control. We’ve all been following the rules because we believed them, because we thought it would make us safer and help us return to normal, but what if this has all been a test to see how much they can control us? Those who don’t wear masks can’t return to work. Some businesses are even kicking customers out who don’t have them or refusing them service. It’s quickly becoming more of a law than a mandate. What happens if a vaccine becomes mandatory? And what if it’s this vaccine?”

“Then we don’t take the vaccine,” Jason said as if it was the simplest thing in the world. “We’re both young and healthy anyway, so there’s no need. My bartending job might require it, but Brian never will, and you can work anywhere with your skills.”

Raven sighed. He still didn’t see the bigger picture, but it was a start. If she could at least keep him from getting the vaccine, maybe she could save him until she could convince him that all of this was predicted and that the only real solution was God.

11

Gabe Cross stared at the small house and checked the address again. Raven Rader, the mind behind the TruthSeekers website, had said they couldn’t meet in the regular church due to the governor’s orders, and this was the address she had given him, but he still wasn’t sure he was in the right place. However, maybe his apprehension had more to do with the fact that his life was spinning out of control for the second time in less than a year than the fact that he was meeting a woman for the first time that he’d only spoken to over the computer up until now.

After his research into Daman Caturix, he’d realized he could no longer remain quiet about what he knew. He’d called a press conference, shared his findings, and been fired shortly thereafter as he’d been nearly certain he would be. Not only that, but he’d been ostracized by his fellow scientists. Still, he wasn’t sorry he’d done it. Though he did not know the man, everything he’d found pointed to Daman Caturix being evil, and while he hadn’t mentioned the man’s name on the air, he’d said enough about the virus being man-made to get him blacklisted from every scientific community. Well, the scientific communities that were allowed to speak. He was beginning to find more brave souls like himself speaking the truth through videos on the internet. However, they were being taken down nearly as fast as they went up. The social media sites had declared war on anyone who spoke against the accepted narrative by either removing their content or shutting down their account entirely.

Thankfully, he’d spoken with Raven before going on camera, and she’d promised that whatever happened, he had a home with them. If he was right, they’d all be going into hiding sooner or later anyway. He was just speeding his time frame up, but hopefully, he would change a few minds and save a few souls on his way.

He knocked three times on the door, pausing before the last rap as Raven had stated he should. There was probably little need for the secrecy right now, but it would come in handy soon.

The door opened, and he found himself staring at an edgy woman with long dark hair. A small silver ring glistened in one nostril. Had he met her on the street, he might have given her a wide berth, but when she smiled at him, he felt instantly at ease.

“You must be Gabe,” she said, opening the door wider. “Come in, we’ve been waiting for you.”

He wondered who “we” was, but as he stepped into the living room, he could see a group of about ten people staring back at him.

“This isn’t everybody, of course. Due to the governor’s orders, we had to start meeting in smaller groups and communicating by phone and secure video channels, but this is everyone local. I’m Raven, as you probably figured out, and this is Jason.” She pointed to a tall, muscular man with a beard but a bald head. “He’s not quite a believer yet, but he is against government control. Plus, I’ve known him the longest, and I vouch for his trustworthiness.

“Next to him are Brian and his wife Dani.” She walked over to an older looking man with salt and pepper hair and a blonde woman who looked like she could bench press anyone in the room. “Brian owns the kickboxing gym where Jason works, and Dani worked as a nurses’ assistant until she was laid off due to the virus.”

Gabe smiled and nodded, but he knew he would not remember everyone’s name tonight. “Next,