Junta

Junta

Carl Hiltz

Copyright © 2013 by Carl Hiltz.

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without prior permission of Carl Hiltz. Requests may be submitted by email: [email protected].

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Editing and Formatting by www.ChristianEditingServices.com

Cover design by Shannon Herring of www.ChristianEditingServices.com

Stock image by iStockphoto.com

Dedication

I would like to mention a few people who were very instrumental in helping Junta get published. Without their encouraging words, my manuscript would have remained stuffed in a drawer.

Rob, thank you for your willingness to read Junta and saying you liked it. Your frankness in stating your creative ideas and opinions on many subjects clicked with me.

Emily, you blessed me when you shared how you stayed up until 2:00 a.m. to finish reading Junta. Seeing your enthusiasm for my story gave me a spark of hope that maybe I had written something worth communicating. Your ability to recognize this issue and the dangers coming up for young children will certainly prove valuable very soon.

To all the teens that took the time to read the original manuscript—from grandchildren to my other friends who gave feedback, thank you!

To my supportive wife, Betts, thank you for believing in me enough to embrace this unknown adventure at our age.

Where would I be without incredible editors, Dixie and Karen? How can I thank you for your constant skills, but most of all your unending encouragement? Every member of your Christian Editing Services’ team is great.

I dedicate this book to the youth of today. May it prove to be an inspiration for good and an eye-opener to evil.

I dedicate this book to adults. Read Junta. It will alert you to a hidden danger that has lulled us into a complacency that can destroy young minds.

Table of Contents

Dedication

Preface

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Preface

Junta – noun; a clique that seeks to obtain power, usually through intrigue or revolution.

Clique – noun; a small group having the same motive.

There is an enemy lurking in our land today with the potential to destroy our children and youth. This adversary is the occult and there is a frightening increase of interest in this dangerous activity among our young people. This should alarm us.

The dictionary describes the occult as secret, mysterious, and hiding from view. Occultism is to study the philosophy, or the ways of hidden or secret beings, often known or referred to as those who inhabit the dark side. Frequently, though not exclusively, this includes the realm of witches, wizards, warlocks, magicians, wiccans, spells, curses, and a host of different names for similar practitioners and practices.

The greatest danger hides in two points of view—those who deny the existence of the occult and those who are intrigued by it. These two conflicting opinions should not surprise us. Cunning promoters of evil constantly encourage such thinking to divide, conquer, and destroy us. Children and young people can easily become involved in these dark practices with the click of a mouse or a visit to their public library or local bookstore. Society has become desensitized to the severity of the problem because occult practices are so commonplace. Bookshelves are full of books promoting the occult, the Internet is saturated with satanic material, and television programs portraying the occult abound.

The danger is not in a child’s curiosity. We cannot stop children from being inquisitive about such things, but we need to encourage a healthy dialogue between parents and children. Parents should feel comfortable enough to discuss the dangers of the occult with their offspring.

I penned Junta in the hope of using truth and imagination to expose what is behind all evil. I pray the book you are about to read will reveal the consequences of participating in occult practices, while also showing how this evil can be overcome. I believe if our children can be mentored by God-fearing role models and taught important life lessons revealed in this book, we have a good chance of saving the next generation and defusing the otherwise potential danger of their dabbling in this shrouded area of quicksand.

Youth thrive when given loving support and proper boundaries. They are sensitive to the evils in this world, delight in doing right, are very impressionable, and are looking for reality and adventure. It is my hope that after reading Junta, they will discover enough truth to sustain them against subtle evil influences that constantly seek to get their attention and then their minds.

Junta contains truth for all ages. Families will cheer when Allen discovers the source of evil and a powerful way to combat it.

We live in a day and age when experts are trying to discover what makes men do evil deeds, believing if they could crack this code they could change the world. I have a different philosophy. I believe the youth of any society are the future of a nation, and if virtue and integrity are introduced, planted, and cultivated in the hearts of our children and young people, families and countries would be changed for the better forever.

Chapter 1

Lurking in the Darkness

Allen pedaled his bike down the long lane and into the garage. His family had moved to a spacious acreage on the outskirts of Silver Bay, Minnesota, a small city on the shores of Lake Superior, five years before Allen was born. He usually enjoyed the ten-minute bike ride to and from high school but today he was late because of wrestling practice and now this unusual storm was brewing, and he couldn’t get home fast enough.

Whew! What a bummer of a day! Allen rushed in the front door of his home, tossed his jacket into the hall closet, pitched his knapsack onto the shelf, and meandered down the hall to the kitchen. I’m sure glad I got home before the storm hit.

Allen peered out the window and eyed the dark clouds rolling in over Lake Superior. He and his family had seen numerous storms come inland from the lake before. They were often mesmerized when the wind and waves crashed into the large boulders along the shoreline, but something was different about this storm. The clouds were blacker, spinning and swirling in an unusual motion.

I sure hope this storm passes over quickly, Allen whispered under his breath as he spotted more dark clouds churning and forming huge black lurking creatures. Then as quickly as they appeared, they vanished, and more threatening clouds swirled into their place.

This storm is making me hungry. Allen headed to the refrigerator, poured a glass of milk, and reached inside the cookie jar for his favorite treat. His mother always made sure she left a special after-school snack for Allen and Susan.

One, two, three, four. That should do for now.

Allen giggled, thinking about how his mom kept track of how many cookies were in the cookie jar. Ever since he was a little boy, she would tease him when she discovered how many cookies he had eaten, pointing her finger in his face and chanting, Allen stole the cookie from the cookie jar.

He would wave his finger and reply, Who me? Couldn’t be.

Crack! A clap of thunder interrupted his thoughts. As the winds howled louder and louder, Allen knew the storm was getting closer. A brilliant white light lit up the whole house, followed by another ear-splitting roar of thunder, making the house shake and the lights flicker. A few seconds later, the lights went out. Allen’s heart beat wildly in his chest. Even though it was only mid-afternoon, the air was black as midnight. Allen couldn't see anything, not even his hand in front of his face. He inched his way across the room, feeling the wall with his fingers. No light penetrated the darkness, not even the neighbors’ lights or the beacon across the bay. Allen couldn't even see the tall television tower with the blinking lights. He stared into the sea of darkness. What’s going on?

Allen wished his parents were home, but they had taken the day off work to visit his aunt, who was hospitalized in a nearby city. I wish Susan would get home from school.

Hey! I have my flashlight in my bedroom, the one Aunt Cheryl gave me for Christmas last year. Allen kept his prized flashlight plugged into the wall socket when he wasn’t using it. When he took it off the socket, the battery inside would take over and he could use it until the power ran out. Then he just plugged it in again and recharged it. I have to get my flashlight.

As Allen turned in the direction of the stairs, he saw a glow coming from a room upstairs. He was startled because he knew their power was out. He froze in fear. What on earth could that be? As the wind howled and the house creaked, ebony shadows seemed to dance in the darkness. I’ve got