THE LAST DAYS AND THE GREAT TRIBULATION
„for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the
world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again.“ -Matthew 24:21
The short story novel „The Last Days and The Great Tribulation“ is a
fictional novel set in America in the year 2014 and follows our two leading
characters from their high school years from that year forward into their
young adult lives as they live through that time that Jesus Christ prophesied.
Jeff Stern has written a short story novel entitled – “The Last Days and
The Great Tribulation”.
It is a fictional account of how the great tribulation which has been prophesied
throughout the bible could occur.
This short story novel will make a great motion picture.
Films with biblical themes have not been popular since the 50’s and 60’s,
but when things begin to take a turn for the worse so too does the tide
of public interest turn to the yet unfulfilled prophesies in the scriptures.
The following is an excerpt from “The Last Days and The Great Tribulation”:
Spark of the Tribulation
“The Last Days and The Great Tribulation”
a short story novel by
Jeff Stern
Copyright © 2008
Library of Congress/United States Copyright Office
registration number: txu 1-590-698
D. Jones arrives on the set in the financial district of New York City at Federal Hall punctually at 4:00 am. with his bodyguard and driver Ben in tow. It was everything and even more than what he had imagined it would be to work on the set of a major motion picture. There was lots of bustling going on but upon his arrival he was promptly met and greeted by the casting director of the film.
She proceeded to give him a small tour of the location set and then showed him which trailer he was to go to for make-up before the shoot. D was awestruck and barely heard a word she said as he noticed how those immense white steps of Federal Hall were being prepared for the days shoot around sunrise. The scene called for a gospel choir singing the gospel classic “Oh Happy Day” on the steps of Federal Hall at sunrise. The story of the film is about a fellow who makes his way to the top of Wall Street. This particular scene of this days shooting schedule is more or less a dream sequence of his first big windfall on his rise to the top.
D was offered a cameo appearance role in this film because his star was rising in the music industry, therefore a very marketable parallel to the films theme. D’s agent was not at all impressed by the idea. He wanted to reserve D’s talents for something bigger down the line to give him a more impressive smash debut into the world of films. But when D got wind of an offer to be part of the project and that it was to be a cameo role with the lead vocal on “Oh Happy Day” he became adamant about accepting the part. Even if the film was a flop at the box office, he reasoned it would be worth it just for the shear pleasure of rubbing elbows with the stars of the film and the experience of working on a feature film.
The primary shooting schedule for the film was complete, but the film’s director had recently seen D’s video “On The Run” and was so impressed by the energy of D’s performance that he got an idea to make him a part of his film with a cameo role in a daydream sequence. He presented his concept of D’s part to the films producer who with very little persuasion was very impressed with the idea, and proceeded immediately to contact D’s agent with the idea and an offer. With lots of hesitation and negotiation on the part of his agent the deal was settled. The only stipulation was that they get what they needed from D on film in one days work and have him back on a plane to Los Angeles directly after the shoot. Oh yes, one other stipulation on D’s part was that he would arrive in New York a day early so that he could indulge in some sightseeing.
“I want to see the view of Manhattan from the top of the Empire State Building.”, he stated emphatically.
“What good is all of this work if I can’t enjoy the fruit of my labour”.
Those listening knew all to well whose words those were and they were not those of D. Jones, but those of Ida Jones his Mom. She was a firm believer that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. She also insisted that he stay at a Hotel in New Jersey.
“New York City is a hot bed, a target area, and I don’t want him staying at any hotel in the City.”, she firmly commanded.
The production company booked him a Suite at the Hilton Gateway Hotel in Newark. Ben had a room within the suite with him. D was at a phase in his career where he could be recognised while out in public and that is why Ben was always with him on business. He did have a couple of disguises though. His favourite was putting on the nurd look complete with big glasses and big false teeth. You know the kind that Jerry Lewis wore in his slapstick roles. If any young girls looked as though they were about to be awestruck and stampede, he flashed those big choppers in his head, and they ran instantly in the opposite direction.
After having enjoyed a very exciting day with Ben seeing the sights of New York (The Harlem Apollo Theatre, The Met, Times Square, Central Park, The Empire State Building), Ben with much urging got him back to Newark in time for a shower, room service dinner, a quick call to Joe and Ida, and into bed by 9:00 pm.
“You’ve got an early shoot tomorrow young man now lights out.“
“Yes Dad,” retorted D begrudgingly.
As he drifted off to sleep he thought about all the things and places he saw today and thought what a wonderful world. Someday I am going to live in New York City.
Back in his trailer D waits in costume; a red Baptist choral robe, white shirt, black trousers, and black shoes of the finest design and material was what the costume designer and D picked for him to wear in the film. The allure of New York City was still etched upon and danced in his mind and heart. In the background on a small mp3 boom box (small enough to fit in a backpack) the track he recorded for the film played over and over again. This was his way of efficiently synchronising himself for the upcoming shooting of the song. While getting the last touches put on his make-up the films director John McBride knocks and then enters.
“How are you D?”, he asks.
“Just fine John and ready to do it. How far along are we?”
John looks at his watch.
“Almost there, sunrise in 22 minutes.“
“Hey Beth how much more time do you need with him?”
“Two minutes” she replies.
“Come on out when you’re ready D.”
“OK, see you on the set.”
As D leaves the trailer and begins to approach the set he is greeted by cheers, screams, and applause from the fifty choral singers dressed in deep blue choral gowns awaiting his arrival standing on the steps of Federal Hall. As the applause begins to fade John speaks through the megaphone.
“OK before the sun comes up for the shoot lets run a rehearsal of the number.”
Everyone takes there places and silence sets in. All but the sound of the birds and an emergency vehicle siren in the distance is audible.
“Here we go aaand…………. Action.” says John.
The soundtrack begins playing loudly over the sound system and the magic begins: To D’s surprise the on the set Choir also joins in singing with the recorded choir “live”, giving him exactly that extra boost of interactive energy he so readily consumes, and gives back in a „live“ one of a kind star performance. The sound engineer pumps up the volume of the soundtrack which is being threatened to fade into non-existence against the majestic choral prowess of the choir. The five cameras seem to be everywhere. Three of them on cranes lifting and swivelling to the pulsating rhythm of the music. D is in dance mania as he takes the steps of Federal Hall in a way that only Fred Astaire could have equalled. Suddenly the star of the film appears on the set and begins to match D’s steps with the best of his ability, adding a surprise element to the moment. He and D begin to play off one another in beautiful harmony. Passersby on the street are now starting to gather outside, closing in on the barrier around the set to get close enough to see an amazing show of lights, camera, and an abundance of action. There’s a fever pitch in the air that enchants those who are watching as they realise they are viewing entertainment history in the making. With the last choral refrain of the song the listener has the feeling of having been taken to the heights of Mount Everest and placed back down by the banks of the deep river in a serene and peaceful valley.
“Cut and print it” shouts John through the megaphone.
“That was beautiful and as you can see the sun rose during the take ladies and gentlemen.
But we’re going to do it again until you get it right, OK?”, John decreed lightheartedly.
Everyone breaks into laughter.
“Take five to freshen up.”, says the assistant director.
Beth runs over to Daniel with a fresh white towel and make-up container in hand.
“Hello I’m Jason Dupree” says the star of the film as he extends his hand to D.
D reaches out and greets him with a firm handshake.
“Pleasure to meet you Jason.”
“The pleasure is all mine. Where in the world did you learn to move like that?”, he asked.
“It was a gift, I had nothing to do with it at all.”
“Well He blessed you abundantly. I’ll see you back here in 10.
They’ll kill us if we stand up here flappin’ our jaws too long.”
“See you Jason.”
With that Beth took her cue knowing she had free hand to do her work. And do it she must in a hurry. The clock was ticking.
After another two takes John knew he had the performance of a rising star in his possession. The set was broken before the rushing march of the wallstreeters began to pound its pavements. The crews began to strike the location setup at lightning speed and had vacated the area in a matter of 30 minutes. All that was left on that spot was but a memory of the magic. A memory now documented on film by John McBride and Benjamin Edwards. Yes, Ben had also been busy during the most critical moments of D’s career. With D’s Camcorder he caught the memorable moment when Jason Dupree extended his hand in introduction to D. When D walked onto the set and was greeted with warm cheering and applause from the choir and crew. The spectators who looked on behind the barriers. He caught it all. He knew how important it was to keep a well documented, behind the scenes eye on the life of his nephew, and to see to it that D always felt at ease even while under close scrutiny by the eye of the camera.
Most of the crew was flying back that morning from either JFK or EWR (Newark International Airport). John McBride put his assistant director on a plane with the days daily footage. He has decided since he had wrapped up the shooting of his film with a big bang he would celebrate and stay in New York another day and enjoy as D had said to him during a phone conversation “the fruits of his labour”.
D is silent and in a light state of euphoria as Ben drives them in the rental car to EWR to catch an 11:30 flight to Los Angeles.
“It went well didn’t it Ben?” Daniel asked somewhat exhausted.
“It went very well D, your Dad’s gonna be proud of you.”
“Are you proud of me Ben?”
Ben stretches out his hand and places it on D’s shoulder and says,
“I am awfully proud of you!”
“Hey, I’ve got something to show you once were in the air that I think you’ll like.”
“What, what is it?” D asks curiously.
“It’s a surprise now, you’ll see soon enough.”, Ben says as he smiles.
They arrive at the airport and Ben drives up to the departure level and stops where a man and a woman are waiting for them. One to take the rental-car and the other to take their luggage. A woman is standing at the front of the check in line for them at first class. They proceed towards the man who motions for them to step up to the checking agent to check in for their flight to Los Angeles. Their luggage is placed on the belt at check-in by the second man, they then receive their seat assignments and before you can say jack flash they are on their way through the security check point before the flight gates.
Once on board an overwhelming sense of being out of harms way overcomes Ben Edwards. When you’ve been in the security business as long as he has one develops a sort of sixth sense or subtle warning signals about the environment one happens to be in at any given time. What he has come to call putting on the proverbial set of „eyes in the back of my head“ state of mind. Having spent time in quieter, calmer parts of the world including an extended time in the smaller cities of Europe, he has always said there is no other place in the world like New York City where one must be constantly on guard.
As the plane took off his body (every muscle it seemed) started to relax and he dismissed his fleeting feeling of danger, chalking it up to no more than his natural vigilant demeanor for the New York City environment. He always enjoyed the ascent of a jet, especially when leaving a big city. It was like the soothing, swaying motion of a good rocking chair. D had his most favoured position; the window seat and Ben had his, which was the aisle seat where he could stretch his long legs, much to the displeasure of the flight attendants who when in a hurry would sometimes trip over his feet.
He began to drift off into a state of half sleep as the jet slowly approached its cruising altitude, when from the back of the cabin came an ear piercing scream from a woman, thereafter accompanied by moans and cries from other passengers. In the next instant he hears a man who is sitting two rows in front of him say to his wife,
“Honey did you see that!“
” What is it?”, she replies with a voice which is unwillingly returning to an awakened state.
Ben’s first instinct is with D. He looks over to him. D is staring out of the window, eyes widened, with his jaw dropped almost completely to the floor.
D swallows and asks Ben,
“Where’s the Camcorder?”
“In your backpack, why?”
D scurries with lightning speed and fetches the camera out of the backpack from up underneath the seat in front of him and aims out of the window and begins to record.
Ben unbuckles his seatbelt almost simultaneously and looks out of the window onto the island of Manhattan.
„I’ll be damned.“, he says.
It is a clear sunny day without a cloud in the sky, except a cloud that is slowly rising out of a fireball near lower Manhattan. In what seems as an instant there is a second explosion which appears to be another 30 to 40 blocks north on the Manhattan peninsula. The type of explosion one has seen in documentary films about nuclear explosions. That awful fireball which one immediately recognises that it brings with it an abhorrent smell, with that blinding red and white light that afterwards mushrooms up into the sky. It could almost be considered a beautiful sight if you didn’t know that it spelled mass destruction. In the cabin one hears the crying and moaning for the fate of friends and loved ones left behind with whom some have just said good-bye to at the airport or in the city.
In a flash another explosion which now appears to have struck the upper part of Manhattan. By a rough estimate Ben places it to be in the 70 or 80’s blocks of Manhattan.
“Oh my Go……….d”, can be heard shouted and cried by various passengers throughout the cabin.
The seat belt sign is switched on and over the PA comes the voice of the captain,
“Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain in your seats. I know we are all extremely alarmed by what is happening, but we will be in danger of crashing if the bulk weight of the plane continues to be placed on the right side of the aircraft. Please return to your seats and we will plug into the monitors for you to see what is going on down there as much and as soon as possible. Yet please be aware that we owe it to the other flights about to take off to exit this airspace as quickly as possible.”
D cannot let go of the camera as the view of Manhattan diminishes in the distance.
“Let go of the camera D……, c’,mon D, let go.”, pleads Ben as he now pries the camera from D’s hands.
D sinks his head as tears slide slowly from his disbelieving eyes down his cheeks. Ben lifts the armrest and puts his arm around D in an effort to shield his face from the view out of the window. In a startled reflex with Ben’s arm around him D looks back through the window only to see the three clouds of smoke in the distance. Ben pulls him back to him and D slumps down against his chest and silently weeps.
Copyright © 2008
Excerpt used by kind permission of Jeff Stern.
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