Just a Nap

Chapter 1

"The following boys are excused from their studies for the afternoon to listen to Paul speak: Abdiel, Cephas, Benjamin, Gad, and Eutychus.", the Rabbi announced "You know you can just call me Ty, Rabbi," Eutychus said while standing up and joining the group of boys at the door. The Rabbi shook his head and carried on with the lesson. Gad opened the door and the herd of boys burst into the warm sunlight of the Troas seaboard. Ty sighed, "I can't believe my father is making me go to hear Paul preach. I'd rather just sit in the classroom and sleep." "Only you could get away with sleeping in class, you could sleep anywhere!" Ben (Benjamin, Ty's best friend) teased, dodging a burly fisherman passing by. "I'm not going to any church service." Cephas sneered. "Let's go meet Levi by the dock... then we'll have some real fun!" Ty's Father always said not to consort with Levi and his friends, saying they were a "bad influence on his good little boy". Ty wanted to roll his eyes thinking about how his father kept trying to make him the perfect Jewish son, which Ty would never be. Abdiel gave his signature scowl. "I don't see why Levi can get away with skipping class and hanging around the harbor while we slave away in-class learning scripture," he huffed. Ty desperately wanted to join Cephas but he knew Father would find out somehow that he didn't join the others at the church. "Hey, why are you guys in such a bad mood? We're getting a whole afternoon free of the Rabbi... ow!" Gad yelped, rolling his ankle on the crumbling cobblestones. "That has to hurt." Ben cringed watching Gad's ankle starting to swell. "Put your arm around me, we have to get to the church before Paul starts speaking!" Ty said, helping Gad up. When the entourage made it up the three flights of steps, Paul was already fifteen minutes into his sermon. Why are so many stairs?!! Puzzled Ty while scanning the room for a familiar face. "Look! There's Ben by the window." Gad panted; gesturing toward the back of the well-lit room. The pair got some disapproving looks, limping their way to the window. Ben scooted over on the ledge and the trio crammed themselves on the narrow sill.

Chapter 2

Around 2 or 3 hours into Paul's lecture Ty's mind began to wonder on his perch next to Gad. Paul is making NO sense. I don't understand what he's saying so I might as well close my eyes for a minute. Suddenly, Ty sat bolt upright, awoken from his nap. His dream had turned to a nightmare: he was toppling backward into a giant dark pit that was about to swallow him whole. "Whoa, are you okay? You seem pretty shaken up." Gad asked, startled. "I'm fine, just a bad dream," Ty answered quickly, but he still couldn't shake the feeling of terror from the whole ordeal. "Hey, shouldn't Paul start wrapping his sermon up? You probably couldn't see a hand in front of your face out there." Ty said rubbing his eyes in bewilderment. The abundant oil lamp fumes didn't help with the endless battle with sleep. Drowsily, Ben looked outside "Umm, I guess. It must be around midnight." Ty tried to stay awake, but he kept dosing off. Once again, he awoke with a start, bathed in sweat. Within a few seconds, he relived his dream. He was falling. 

 Chapter 3 Warning this chapter gets deep fast

Instantaneously Ty felt white-hot pain from everywhere in his body. The blackness took hold of him. Hate, anger, and disappear enveloped him. Ty understood that this wouldn't have been his resting place if he had just listened and put to heart what Paul had said. Then out of the gloom echoed a voice calling Ty's name while he sensed his pain and fear that was lodged in his heart being lifted off him. And just as suddenly as he had appeared in that horrible place, he was back. Dazed, he squinted up from the street at the ring of faces peering down at him. "Euty!!! You scared me to death!" His mother shrieked, scoping him into a bearhug that was strong enough to knock the wind out of him. Ty's father followed up with an embrace even tighter than the first. Overwhelmed, Ty stepped back; unused to affection from his father. "Are you alright?" Ty's father asked, inspecting him for injures at arm's length. "Better than alright." His father smiled and engulfed Ty in another back-breaking hug. "Dude, I thought you were dead!" Ben bellowed, tripping over himself to get to his best friend. Paul patted Ty's shoulder and steered him up the stairs. He felt himself being drawn toward the intoxicating aroma behind a door to his left. Ty's hand reached for the nob, moving of its own accord. He almost fainted from the smell of the feast before him. Ben, who had joined him in the doorway was the first to speak (as usual). "Finally. I'm starving!" Ty's mom smiled warmly. "While you boys were listening to Paul, we were making dinner," She said and nodding to a group of laughing women. "what are you waiting for?" Amused, she stood there as the boys made a break for the table. Ty looked at the joy in the faces around him. Hearing the chatter of people happy to be in each other's company. He hoped it would never end and for some reason, he felt that even in the bad times he would still be able to have joy through his newfound Savior.