Frantic by Jerry B. Jenkins Read Free Book Online

for Vicki. On normal nights the kids would stay up late talking or searching the Internet for the latest news. On this night they went to their rooms quietly and fell into bed.
    Vicki jolted awake. Something moved. A locust landed on the covers of her bed. “Apollyon!” the creature said.
    Vicki kicked at the covers and the locust flew away. She shuddered and thought about what had happened that day. Earlier, Conrad had played a game with Charlie and Darrion, seeing who could hit the most locusts with a baseball bat. Each took turns swatting at the beasts. Conrad made up rules as he went along. The kids were awarded singles, doubles, and home runs, depending on how far the locusts were hit and how long they were unable to fly.
    Charlie hit two locusts with one swing, and the kids cheered. Darrion timed a swing perfectly and hit one locust into another. One locust screamed, “Apollyon” just as Conrad whacked it past the tree line. “No,” Conrad said, “Apolly-going-going-gone!”
    Lenore shook her head and took Tolan inside.
    Shelly said the game was gruesome. “You’re playing with demons!”
    â€œMaybe we’re saving somebody some pain,” Conrad said. “If we keep these busy, they can’t sting somebody else.”
    â€œIt’s just not right,” Shelly said.
    â€œWe’re just having a little fun,” Darrion said.
    â€œCan’t you do something?” Shelly said to Vicki.
    Vicki shrugged as Shelly went back inside. She finally asked them to stop when Conrad put duct tape on a locust’s wing and watched it fly in a circle.
    â€œWhere do you think these things will go when they’re finished stinging people?” Conrad said.
    Now Vicki thought about the question as she lay awake. Maybe they would go back into the hole where the meteor hit. Perhaps they would disappear when God was through with them.
    Someone moaned and footsteps sounded on the floor above her. Vicki climbed the stairs. Melinda was alone in the upstairs bedroom, half asleep but still writhing in pain. Janie’s bed was empty. A door closed downstairs. Vicki walked quietly to the kitchen and tried the door to the basement. Suddenly, two locusts shot past her screaming, “Apollyon!”
    Vicki jumped back and took a deep breath. She wondered when things would get back to normal. But what was normal now? People vanishing, earthquakes, meteors, freezing temperatures, and now flying demons. Nothing was like it used to be.
    Something spilled in the kitchen and Vicki found Janie kneeling, picking up pills and stuffing them into her mouth.
    â€œNo!” Vicki said, grabbing the jar away from her.
    â€œGive it back,” Janie said. “I want to take all of them and get this over with.”
    Vicki shook her head. “It doesn’t matter how many you take, you won’t die.”
    Janie slumped to the floor and cried. Vicki put an arm around her, but the girl pushed her away.
    â€œHow long will you run from the truth?” Vicki said. “We tried to warn you and you wouldn’t believe us.”
    Janie moaned and reached for more pills. Vicki dragged her from the pantry and closed the door.
    â€œIf I believe like you guys, will it take away the pain?” Janie said.
    â€œNo. Once you’ve been stung, you’ve just got to ride it out. And it might get worse.”
    â€œWorse!?!”
    â€œYou still have the chance to believe,” Vicki said. “God will forgive you.”
    â€œI helped that woman and her baby. I put my life on the line for them. What more do I need to do?”
    â€œYou still think that doing good things will make you OK with God. That’s not how it works.”
    â€œI’ve tried my best,” Janie said.
    â€œNo. You didn’t listen to a thing we’ve told you about how to connect with God. You’ve tried to be a good person and do good things so they’d outweigh the dumb stuff