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Chapter Five: Seven Lives

Daniel opened his eyes.
A woman smiled down at him.
Her face radiated warmth.
She gently brushed a finger across his tiny hand.
"My beautiful little boy."
Daniel blinked.
He knew that voice...
Didn't he?
He tried to speak.
Nothing came.
Only the cry of a newborn.
The hospital room erupted with laughter.
His father proudly wrapped an arm around his mother.
"We'll call him Daniel."
The name echoed strangely within him.
Of course it was.
Wasn't it?
Slowly...
like morning mist disappearing beneath the sun...
every memory of Heaven began fading.
The crystal rivers...
The songs...
The Throne...
Michael...
The Almighty...
All became distant.
Not forgotten.
Simply...
hidden.
Within moments...
Daniel believed he had always been here.

Across the Earth...
another child drew his first breath.
Tim.
His father held him proudly before the hospital window.
"One day," he laughed,
"you'll tell the world the truth."
Journalism ran through generations of his family.
Newspapers.
Investigations.
Questions.
Tim's future seemed already mapped before he could even speak.
His memories of Heaven quietly slipped away.

In another town...
Little Bobby entered a very different world.
His parents cried tears of joy despite having almost nothing.
His father kissed his forehead.
"I promise..."
"I'll always look after you."
His mother smiled through exhaustion.
"We'll manage."
Money was scarce.
Love wasn't.
The little family squeezed together inside a tiny rented house where every meal mattered.
Outside...
life would never be easy.
Inside...
Bobby always knew he was loved.

Rachel entered the world surrounded by prayer.
Her father gently lifted her into his arms.
"Thank You, Lord."
Her mother quietly wept.
"We'll raise her to know You."
Every evening they prayed together.
Every Sunday they worshipped together.
Rachel learned Bible stories before she could read.
She learned kindness before success.
Forgiveness before pride.
Yet somewhere...
far beyond anything her loving parents could imagine...
dark eyes had already noticed her.

Cathy's parents celebrated differently.
Books lined every wall of their home.
Science magazines covered the coffee table.
Maps of distant galaxies decorated the nursery.
Her father pointed towards the stars outside the bedroom window.
"One day..."
"We'll know what's really out there."
Curiosity filled the home.
Wonder.
Discovery.
Questions without end.

Sidney grew up surrounded by cameras.
Birthdays were filmed.
Christmas was filmed.
School plays were filmed.
His father adored new technology.
His mother loved sharing every milestone with family and friends.
Sidney quickly discovered that people enjoyed watching him.
Without realising it...
He was already learning to live before an audience.

Finally...
Tom.
His arrival filled one of the city's finest private hospitals.
Doctors.
Consultants.
Expensive gifts.
Flowers everywhere.
His parents smiled proudly.
"Our son."
"Our future."
"Our legacy."
They wanted only the very best for him.
The finest schools.
The finest education.
The finest career.
Failure simply never entered their thinking.
As the years passed...
Tom quietly discovered something.
Praise followed achievement.
Affection followed success.
Disappointment followed mistakes.
Without anyone intending it...
He slowly began believing that being loved depended upon never failing.

Years drifted by.
Children became teenagers.
Teenagers became adults.
The seven lives unfolded across different cities.
Different schools.
Different families.
Different dreams.
None knew the others existed.
Each believed their life had begun on the day they were born.
Each believed their memories belonged solely to them.
And hidden deeper than thought itself...
Their minds completely immersed in the lives unfolding.

Far beneath the Earth...
Satan watched.
One enormous wall within his palace revealed the lives of the seven like moving windows.
Daniel.
Tim.
Bobby.
Rachel.
Cathy.
Sidney.
Tom.
The frog-eyed demons gathered behind him.
"My lord..."
"They remember nothing."
"They believe themselves human."
Satan smiled.
"Perfect."
Another demon cautiously spoke.
"The Almighty has hidden them well."
"For now."
Satan slowly turned towards the floating black triangle.
It had grown again.
Its smooth surface occasionally shimmered as countless dark spirits disappeared into it.
"Our preparations?"
The frog-eyed watcher bowed.
"Proceeding exactly as planned."
"Governments continue recovering unexplained aerial craft."
"Scientists grow increasingly convinced humanity has been visited."
"Books..."
"Television..."
"Even children's toys now celebrate visitors from the stars."
Satan laughed quietly.
"They prepare the world for us without ever realising it."
Another demon added,
"Even many who reject religion now believe intelligent life created mankind."
"Excellent."
Satan's voice became almost gentle.
"People seldom accept a lie immediately."
"They must first become comfortable with it."
He looked once more towards the Earth.
"When the appointed day arrives..."
"...they will not fear our appearance."
"They will celebrate it."
The frog-eyed watchers smiled wickedly.
"The greatest deception in human history."
Satan nodded.
"And these seven..."
He looked again at the sleeping human lives.
"...must never discover the truth before that day."
The chamber fell silent.
Somewhere far above...
the Earth continued turning beneath the stars.
Children laughed.
Church bells rang.
Airliners crossed bright blue skies.
Families gathered for evening meals.
Ordinary life carried on.
Completely unaware...
that Heaven was preparing guardians...
while Hell prepared an invasion disguised as salvation.