The Secret Vision

Chapter One The twins arrived on the planet earth at 9:11 p.m. on September 11th, 2011. Ten years ago, on this very day, New York and the rest of America suffered the most gut-wrenching moment in the history of the United States. It became the day that the world would never forget yet try not to remember. Mere blocks away from the carnage, New York Presbyterian Hospital was the setting for the second most important birth in the lineage of mankind. Cindy Champion proceeded to the room where miracles happen. Labor pains are never easy, however, this one was undeniably severe. Luke Champion grasped his wife’s left hand as if she were hanging off a cliff. Pain pierced her abdomen while contractions rattled her insides. Streams of sweat trickled down her forehead as Cindy yelled so loud that the Brooklyn bridge began to sway. A double birth was nothing to take lightly, especially when a year ago the Champions were notified by their gynecologist that Cindy could not get pregnant because Luke was shooting blanks. Ironic, considering that he was enlisted in the military. David appeared headfirst through the vaginal canal. With some assistance from the forceps, his tiny head poked through and slid out ahead of his twin sister Dawn, who chose the opposite direction, feet first. The double blessing had been completed. Not even Nostradamus could have predicted the appearance of these exceptional children and the purpose they would serve in the future. The glow on Cindy’s face spoke volumes as her attention fixated on her recently blanketed twins. As she gazed in wonder at them, she thought to herself, “a miracle on 34th street”. Right borough, wrong street, she giggled. Luke glanced over at the nurse whose smile told him that the kids were fine and healthy. “Congratulations Mom and Dad. “The doctor said jubilantly. “Two genders in one sitting. Nice job!” The shocking part about it was that the early sonogram indicated that there was only one heartbeat thus one embryo. The nurse placed the babies under their new mom’s right and left arms. Luke seemed mesmerized by the sight of his boy and girl nestled in Cindy’ s bosom.   Chapter Two Luke Champion was a rugged and charming young man. He grew up in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn during the decades of the 1980’s and 1990’s. His mom and dad worked the toll booths at the nearby Verrazano Bridge (before there was easy pass), which connected Staten Island and Brooklyn. Luke was born in 1981. His parents tried to have more children but could not conceive. They fostered children for a period of seven years during Luke’s middle and high school years. One of those foster children, a black male, age seventeen, passed away from Sickle Cell. Frank and Marie Champion were staunch Republicans and strong supporters of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. Each of them volunteered at the Republican Headquarters in Brooklyn. Little Lucas loved military toys such as tanks and missiles. He played with his toy soldiers since the age of five. When the Persian Gulf War occurred in 1991, Luke was ten years old. He was captivated by the televised warfare appearing live in real time. The names Colin Powell and General Schwarzkopf were forever etched in his young mind as heroes. He imagined himself as one day becoming a defender of our nation. Cindy Manners was an excellent student during her years in public school while residing in Ozone Park, Queens. Some used to call her the teacher’s pet and why not. She even assisted her junior high teachers in grading essays. Cindy was an outstanding writer and one daydreamed of starting her own newspaper or tabloid. In the 1980’s and 1990’s, newspapers were still relevant pre-Internet. Cindy had one sibling, a sister that was three years older than her, her name was Cathy. When Cindy turned eight years old, her and Cathy were playing around in a junkyard a few blocks from their home. Out of nowhere darted a vicious Doberman headed straight towards the two girls. Cathy, the older protective sister leapt in front of her younger sister. The frightened young lady did not know what hit her. Her mangled face and thrashed throat splattered out blood all over the junkyard. They say that the mauling took less than a minute, but it must have seemed like a lifetime for the terrorized sisters. Cindy never quite recovered from the loss of her sister that day. Chapter 1 Matthew13: 11 The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given to you, but not them. “Little child dry your crying eyes. How can I explain the fear you feel inside? Cause you were born into this evil world.” The music amplified over the loudspeakers inside the amphitheater. The words of the rock band resounded in the night air as thousands of children held candles pointed high towards the heaven. Tears rolled down the cheeks of many of the young cherubs. Gatherings like these were taking place throughout the planet. It was the first day of Spring in the year 2021. A call for unity spread over thousands of arenas, stadiums, and coliseums filled to capacity. Not since Hands Across America has there been such an outpouring of oneness been expressed. This is the story of how innocence challenges the godlessness of men. My name is David Champion. My sister Dawn and I are almost ten years old. We have been summoned by God to recruit children 12 and under from every continent to join us on a mission to save mankind from the worst fate imaginable. We have been guaranteed a hedge of protection giving us immunity from heinous attacks by the Prince of Darkness. I am not certain exactly when a child loses their innocence, however, I guess it could be when their soul can no longer play hide and seek with the world around them. Prior to children’s reaching puberty, they are free to explore their surroundings in a virtual dreamlike state of imagination. The cares of life rarely cast shadows on their sunny dispositions. While walking around a playground on a summer’s day, a person can hear the beautiful voices of youngsters laughing joyfully. Those parents nearby are reminded of what once was, remembering their own childhood memories. Through a child’s eyes, the world seemed brighter each day. If we could only see, through a child’s eyes, what a wonderful world this could be. My name is Dawn Champion. My brother and my mom are my best friends. My dad passed away a few years ago. We used to live in Brooklyn, New York before leaving for Israel. Our family decided to return to New York after fulfilling God’s wish for entreating youngsters to grab the reins from the weakened adults’ hands. My name is Cindy Champion and as the matriarch of the Champion family, my role has been to protect and encourage the twins in their responsibility of carrying out the will of God. The thought of returning to New York City brought back too many bad memories. For the foreseeable future, we chose to live in a secluded beach community called Long Beach. The wintertime in our new location transformed the barrier island into a ghost town. That was fine with us. We preferred the anonymity after having the spotlight on us for the last few years. Keeping a low profile and operating for God under the radar is the best position we could be in. The brutal and bitter winter seemed to never end. Frigid artic air paralyzed the Northeast and the town of Long Beach bore the brunt of below zero wind chill factors. Their small bungalow on the west end felt like an igloo at times. All the seagulls evacuated the ocean territory flying south in a desperate attempt to warm their feathered bodies. Cindy homeschooled the twins rather than let them do remote learning.