As promised, here’s the next installment of my free novelette that shows the beginnings of NewAm. the setting of my new Christian series, Messengers that will re-release on July 5th. I hope you enjoy this free novelette- NewAm—The Beginning.
You can learn more about the series if you click on the
link below. Thanks.
AMAZON LINK TO MESSENGERS SERIES
CHAPTER 13
No one spoke.
“Oh my.” Mama Rose patted Mary’s arm. “Oh my. This is…I don’t know what this is. I’ve never…it’s shocking. I…I don’t even know what to say.”
Pops shook his head. “I don’t care what they say. I’m not giving up my guns. I need them to protect my family. This is still America and I have rights.”
“I’m not sure about that, Pops. It sounds like maybe we don’t.” Mary pointed out.
“It sounds bad, Paul, but you heard them. They have our best interests at heart. It’s going to be OK. I think we can trust them.”
“Why? Because they said so. You heard them. They suspended the Constitution of the United States of America. No election. No guns. No rights. That doesn’t sound like America to me.”
“It’s the NewAmerica. Yesa, it’s different than what we’re used to do but they have our best interests at heart. They said so. I believe them.” Mama Rose kept patting Mary’s arm as she talked. “We have to believe them. We were at war. War changes things.”
Mary didn’t know what to believe. Finally, she managed to mutter, “But I don’t want to go to the Army. I was supposed to go to college after graduation. I want to be a teacher.”
Her mother’s arms went around her. “She’s too young. She shouldn’t have to go to the army. They can’t make her do that, can they?”
Pop’s voice was shaky. “It sounds as if they’re planning on making her do exactly that—no matter what we want.”
Tears trickled down Mama Rose’s face. “What are we going to do? We can’t just let them take her.”
Mary sobbed.
Pops stood us. “Both of you need to calm down. We’ll get through this together. It’s just like they said, it wasn’t a shooting war. There’s no reason to think it will become one. It was a Technology War. They’ll see how smart you are, Mary. They’ll want to give you more training, probably in computers or something like that. We’ll win this war withith technology not a gun.”
“I don’t want to go.”
“And I don’t want you to go.” Pops looked at them. “I just don’t know what to say. Or what to do. But I know I’m not giving up my guns.”
Mama Rose shook her head. “They’re going to come in to our house and look for guns. If they find them, we’ll all be arrested. We’ll all go to jail. Is that you what you want, Paul? For all of us to go to jail?”
“Of course not.” He stood there staring at them. He took a deep breath. “Mary, you’ve been a Christian much longer than us. What do you think God wants us to do?”
“I’m not sure. I know there are verses that talk about submitting to authority.”
Mama Rose still sat on the couch, shaking her head. “We’ll need to read those verses, but right I don’t think we have a choice. We’re going to have to trust the government. Don’t you think?”
“You’re probably right, Rose. We’re going to have to trust the government. After all, they have our best interests at heart. I sure hope that’s true.”
EPILOGUE
In the end, Pops gave up his guns.
In the end, I went to the National Army Headquarters.
In the end, there were no more elections; but the citizens didn’t mind because the government kept their promise to take care of loyal citizens. They provided everything they needed and wanted as long as we were loyal citizens and followed The Guardian Rules.
And the ones who did mind seemed to disappear until there were no more protests—no more opposition. Only loyal citizens were left.
Mama Rose and Pops and I remained faithful to God, but it wasn’t easy as more and more restrictions were placed on the loyal citizens of NewAmerica.
I was sent to our nation’s capital where I worked for the Guardians of Freedom—the first guardians but certainly not the last. That was where I met, fell in love, and eventually married Walter Matthias—a First Guardian.
I’ve come to the conclusion there are many kinds of truths. The truth you believe from your own experiences. The truth you’re told from those you trust. The truth others want you to believe when in fact it’s not the truth at all.
But in the end, there is only one “real” truth—God’s truth.
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.
I started these journals by saying I had a secret. I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve never shared it before, even though I know I should have. I was afraid of what would happen to me, but I’m not afraid any longer.
As I said, I’m an old lady now. My time here on earth is running out. Soon I will be in the arms of my dear Savior. But before I leave, I want someone to know the truth about NewAm.
Because Walter and I married, I ended up in a unique position to discover some truths about The Guardians of Freedom and NewAm that I’ve never shared—until now.
There was no Tech War.
America wasn’t attacked by enemies who wanted to destroy us. The war was created by those who were in power who didn’t want to give up their power. My husband, Walter Matthias was one of those people.
I would like to say he didn’t know what he was doing. That others tricked him into aiding in the massive deception. but I can’t say that.
He knew exactly what he was doing.
He wanted that power, just as the other First Guardians did.
And then we fell in love.
When I fell in love with Walter, I couldn’t not tell him the truth about God. I had to share my faith in God with him, no matter the consequences. Once again, I trusted God as I had so many times before. I chose to walk in faith not in sight as my Mommy and Daddy taught me. When I gathered up the courage to do so, I told Walter about God.
He believed me.
He became a Christian.
It may be hard to believe that Walter Matthias, one of the First Guardians, believed in God, loved God, and served God by trying to right his wrongs. He tried to mitigate the damage he helped create but to no avail.
By then The Guardians had all the power they needed to quell the truth.
Still in Walter, I saw how God could change a person. Walter went from being a cold and distant husband to the most loving husband I could ever wish for. Others noticed how he changed. They thought it was because of me, but it was all God.
I will end my story by telling you that God loves you and he sent his son to earth so that you could live with him forever in a place called heaven. This is my truth, but it’s also God’s truth.
May God Bless you,
Mary Frances Wayne Matthias
And there you have it! The Beginning of NewAm.
I had so much fun writing this series. It was a complete departure from what I usually write. I hope you’ll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Tiaras & Tennis Shoes 