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In the Beginning

As a blistering inferno licked far inside the winding tunnel, two shadowy figures crouched near the wall in the smoky darkness. Their low whining voices penetrated through the sounds of the roaring flames. An occasional phantom glided past leaving wisps of his being along the walls like tiny jet contrails in the sky.

"So what is the assignment now?" barked the little one on the left. I didn't hear the orders."

Crossly, the other one grunted, "It is not as satisfactory as we had hoped, but we can still take pleasure in it, I think." Fingering the edge of the little one's collar, he moved closer to lower his voice and said, "We are not allowed to kill it. We can only follow, torment and, of course, nourish it with constant fright." The voice trailed off as he made furtive glances to the left and right.

"Well, fear and trauma are my job, so leave that to me. You can have the mother. I want the child," smirked the little creature as he pulled himself up to his greatest height. "I think with your gifts of exasperation and frustration you can cause enough chaos in her life to push her over the edge." A wide grin moved over the grotesque little face, and a naked eyebrow rose slowly over his left eye. "Are you sure that we are not allowed to kill? What if we created just one little accident? Heh, heh, heh."

"Quit lusting," snapped the older. "You are drooling, besides you know the rules! We would never get another assignment like this again. The Sovereign One does not tolerate anyone going beyond what He has permitted. I have not labored my way this far just to be flung into that furnace forever before my time. Come on."

Both figures rose and wafted their way out of the tunnel. They landed in a quiet home in a small, lower middle class, American home with middle class American furniture. Looking around they checked every room in the house: living room, kitchen, two bedrooms, and a bathroom.

The year was 1941, six months before the United States became involved in World War II. The mother of whom these two beings spoke was mine. She was a young married woman who was very unhappy that she had a baby so soon. Getting pregnant one month after marriage was not in her plan. Naturally, I was the child. I came into the world as a huge intrusion.

Good to their plans, these enemies set about to place within me a fear that would plague me most of my life. How did they do that? They harassed my mother and made her so uncomfortable at the realization that I was

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