This is amazing! I feel like a super- hero as I dash towards a dazed Death with speed I didn't know I had. He sees me com-ing, quickly bolts up and hurls towards me.

  We clash, my sword versus his scythe. My sword moves on its own. It sort of seems like my body is, too. We move back in forth, my sword keeping Death on the defense. The only moves he makes are ones to avoid my attacks. This isn't much of a battle. He knows it, too. His frustrated look says it all.

  "You mad, bruh? Look like you can't hang with a true G." I gleefully taunt. Death eerily grins before suddenly taking the offense. He swings his scythe down inches from my right shoulder. I barely avoid it, but thankfully I do.

  "JAMAL!" Wisdom yells. "Don't get prideful on me. Pride comes before a fall. Humble yourself."

  I jump back and gather myself. Pride has to go, I think before mentally throwing it to the side. I have to remember I'm not fighting with my own power. This is the power of Christ.

  "Oh my my my. You're a cocky one aren't you?" Death purrs. "Holy Spirit, how long do you think you can keep that contained? Not too much longer, I think. After all, he is a new believer."

  "Death is right, Jamal. We don't want to drag this battle out much longer. I can feel your flesh raging war inside you. You don't have enough scriptures to maintain this fight," Wisdom warns. "Let's finish him off now."

  Death looks like he knows what we are talking about. He flashes to my side and swings his scythe at my head. I duck just in time, but Death's old boney knee catches my face. Wisdom takes most of the blow. I jump back, ignoring the pain.

  Death isn't finished. He bolts at me full-force, launching an all-out attack. His attacks are faster. With each blow, I start to feel myself weaken. Wisdom is doing her best to keep me in the fight.

  "Looks like you can't hang with a true G." Death mocks.

  "Jamal, watch him closely. He is still no match for me even in this state," Wisdom as-sures. "He will make a wrong move."

  "I hear you." My eyes never move from him. I'm just waiting for him to make that wrong move. And sure enough he does.

  Death brings his scythe down with the intent to split me in two. I move swiftly to avoid the hit. I just dodged that attack like I don't mess with Hondas.

  "Really, Jamal?" Wisdom responds to my corny thought.

  I shake my head as I watch Death struggle to remove his scythe out of the ground.

  I hesitate, but Wisdom quickly takes advantage and prompts me to action. I race up the side of the scythe like some kind of ninja and drop kick him in his face. Death's grip loosens on the scythe, and before he could react, I jab my sword into his chest.

  He staggers back, hissing in pain. "Holy Spirit you know this is just the beginning. I will catch Jamal when he is at his weakest moments. I will rip you from him and let sin fill his life once more," Death proclaims.

  "Aye, you ain't ever going to catch me slipping," I retort.

  "Every human sins and so will you. When you feel your sins take over, I will be there," Death warns, focusing his hateful glare on me. "The world will not accept you now," He slowly fades into the shadows as he continues, "We will cross paths again and you better hope that you're still walking with Christ, because if not...." The warning hangs in the air as he fades away completely.

  Man, that was crazy, I just beat death like my Father did. "CHRIST RULES! ALWAYS AND FOREVER!" I yell at the top of my lungs.

  "Man, I'm pumped."

  "That's good. Glad we settled that when we did. I can't keep this form up any longer," Wisdom says before the blue light fades and my armor vanishes. My sword turns back to its normal state.

  "Aye, where do I put my sword? And why couldn't you withstand that for more than two minutes?"

  "Put it on your back. Whenever you need it you can pull it off," she answers my first question. "I was unable to hold your flesh back because you just came to know Christ. A flame was lit, but you don't have the scriptures that help you maintain your fire.

  You need three things to maintain the armor of Christ. First you need to PRAY, second, you need to READ the bible and third, you must WORSHIP God. If you do these three things, I'll be able to keep your flesh from waging a war inside of you when we need to fight off sin. And when you are doing these things and find they don't feel like enough, you must FAST."

  I place the sword on my back and immediately feel it get heavier. Heat sears my backside until the feel of metal on my fingertips is replaced with flesh.

  "Where did my sword go?"

  "It has become a tattoo on your back.

  With a declaration that Christ is your savior above it."

  "Really? Why do I still feel its weight?"

  "Because it is yours to bear."

  "That's a lot to remember. Dang this cross is heavy, is there a way I can get a lighter one?" I ask.

  "Don't ask for a lighter cross, but instead build your back muscles and bear the weight of your cross. In other words, you don't need a lighter cross but a stronger back. Now, let us set off down the narrow path you have chosen."

  As we walk down the road, I stroll like I am Superman or Batman. I see a bright light at the end of the path, and walk right into it.

  Веер. Beep. I jerk up and look around. It takes me a minute to register that I'm not walking, but laying in the same hospital bed I was in when death rolled up. The sun is shining through the windows, so it gots to be the morning. Surprisingly, I feel well rested and full of energy. I'm ready to take on the world.

  A surprised cry rises up from a corner.

  I whip my head around and see my family staring back at me with open mouths. Worry is etched on every single one of their faces.

  My mom is the first to move. She rushes to my side and hugs me hard. Dad is right behind her and squeezes the life out of me. I think this man must have forgotten my ribs weren't completely healed yet. Somehow I don't feel pain though. I hug them both back.

  My brothers and sisters join and we have a long group hug. Not gonna lie, this all feels like a dream.

  "What are you all doing here and why y'all crying?" I finally break the silence. Low-key, I am ready to hop out of this bed and start my day.

  "They had to put you in a coma, Jamal. You've been out for a few days." My mom is the one to explain.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  "The doctor said your body was going into cardiac arrest. Your heart slowed down," my dad adds.

  My sister runs into the hall as they are talking to me.

  "Well, I feel great now, better than I ever had." I throw the covers off and jump out of bed. I start to take the needles off of me.

  "Jamal, don't!" Mom starts to stop me just as Dr. Tonya walks in with my sister behind her.

  Dr. Tonya's eyes light up when she sees me. "Whoa, whoa!" She gently pushes me back in bed. "You can't just pop up like that and walk out of here."

  "And why not?" I challenge her.

  "Ughmm!" She points down.

  I look down to where she is pointing.

  "OOOOHH! Okay." I lay back in bed feeling like a fool.

  My sister smirks a little before looking away.

  "This is nothing short of a miracle," Dr. Tonya declares. "May I have the family step out for a moment, please?"

  "Hold on," My dad begins, "He just woke up. I need to be with my son."

  "I understand, Mr. Rollson. But I'm sure Jamal would appreciate a little privacy as I check him over."

  I nod my agreement.

  Dad is satisfied and leaves with my mom and sister.

  "Looks like you are doing extremely well, Mr. Rollson. In fact, it is quite miracu-lous. Your ribs were supposed to heal completely in about two to three more weeks. But it appears to be fully healed. There is nothing but a slight bruise. And...." Dr. Tonya stops and peers at me closely. "I see you've found your voice," she comments slowly.

  Wait. What?! I realize she is right. I didn't pay much attention, but now that it has been pointed out, I sit amazed.

  She launches into an explanation of all the doctor stuff. I let the medical talk fade into the background as I get lost in her eyes.

  I love listening to her beautiful voice, and she has a face to match it. My eyes move from her eyes to her frame. She's kind of short, about 5'2, and a little chubby. I like my women a little fluffy, though. She has her glasses on, today, but most of the time she wears contacts. Her short dark brown hair frames her smooth honey-dipped skin. My attention is drawn back to her eyes, and I notice a blue light around her irises. It reminds me of the glow of wisdom.

  "Okay, looks like everything is good here," she's saying as I snap out of my day-dream.

  "So does this mean I can leave like today?" I look up hopefully. Honestly, I'm about done exposing my backside in this hospital gown.

  She meets my gaze. "I think it's best to run some tests. If everything checks out, we'll probably observe you for 24 hours before you're discharged." She looks down at her chart and looks up again. Her puzzled look says it all. "I'm going to go order the tests right now." She gives me one last smile as she turns to walk to the door.

  My family rushes her as soon as she opens it. Their questions are loud and nu-merous, but Dr. Tonya expertly maneuvers both my family and the questions. She tells them that before she can assert anything she would like to run some tests and that she recommends that I get some rest.

  They fuss over me for some time before they leave to give me the recommended rest.

  Finally alone, I have time to reflect on everything that happened. And I have to ask myself if it was all just a dream. It felt real, but now that I'm back in the hospital I gotta wonder. I know one thing is for sure, I've been completely healed. I don't need no test to tell me that. But there is no test in the world that can show the change I feel in my soul. Or is there? I sit in bed and contemplate my conversation with Jesus and that dope battle I fought, when the door to my hospital room eases open.

  A white boy slides into my room. I blink surprised. I have never seen this dude in my life, but he walks in like he owns the place. I stare at him with my mouth slightly open.

  I look him up and down, taking in his white polo and black Lees. I know he isn't medical personnel because he has on no type of scrubs. I notice Bruh has some mad sideburns when he pushes a hand through his reddish-brown messy hair.

  The closer he gets, the clearer I hear the music blasting through his headphones.

  "YOU CAN'T STOP ME," blares from them as he grabs a chair and places it next to my bed.

  I'm feeling the beat, but I'm not here for this strange man strolling in my room like we're close like that. I open my mouth to ask him who he thinks he is, but then he lets out a low whistle, sits and strokes his beard.

  "Your parents must be paying a lot of money for this room." he says loudly, and slowly looks around the room. "Yo, son, they must have great jobs to afford to keep you up in this hospital,"

  "Who are you?" I stare him down without acknowledging his comments and notice he has a glow.

  "Hmm. Oh sorry, my music was on. Did you say something?" The dude turns his attention back to me and removes his head-phones, stopping his music. "I guess I should introduce myself, right?"

  I cross my arms and nod.

  "Hey, man, I'm Brad Wishbone." He stretches out his hand, "You can call me B-man, though."

  I reluctantly shake his hand. "I'm Jamal. I'm curious, bro...'

  "I sit up a bit more in the bed, " ...as to why you just strolled up in my room like you know me? I mean, honestly, if I didn't just give my life to Christ, we would be having a whole other conversation."

  B-man chuckles a little. "Yeah, my fault.

  But that's why I'm here, bro. God sent me to come to this hospital. I didn't necessarily know why, so I had to walk around the hospital until the Holy Spirit led me here. And then I saw you here with Wisdom's glow."

  I throw the covers off and swing my legs over the bedside. "Wait, what did you say?"

  He leans forward, "Your glow, man.

  That comes from Wisdom." This dude is talking about Wisdom like it's a person...or the Holy Spirit. My eyes narrow, "Who are you?"

  "I told you. I'm B-man." He leans back. A moment of silence passes as I study him. There is an impish twinkle in his eyes, but I see this intensity that makes me believe there is more than meets the eye with him.

  "You say you see Wisdom's glow on me. How is that?"

  The impishness vanishes and his eyes grow dark with seriousness. "I'm an SBL."

  He says it as if I am supposed to know what he is talking about.

  "What's a SBL?" I ask when it becomes obvious he isn't going to elaborate.

  "Steel Blue Lamp," B-man responds like I should know this. "Judging by the neon color light around you, you're an SBL, too." Suddenly he's out of his chair and turning his back to me. "Do you see my tattoo?" He lifts his shirt and reveals a tattoo similar to the one I had in my dream. This one has a whole lotta scars surrounding it.

  My mind skitters to a vision of a double-edged sword burning into my back and burdening me. I touch my back and then stand and turn around myself. "B-man, whachyou see, bruh?" I'm not sure if there is anything there, I mean it was all just a dream. I know Holy Spirit is real, I know I really did accept Jesus as Lord over my life, but that whole battle thing was still just a dream.

  I assume B-man turns around because seconds later I hear his whistle. "That's powerful, man. It says 'Christ is my savior.'" He goes on to describe my tattoo in de-tail, and all I can do is listen in amazement.

  When he finishes, I start pacing. "This is crazy. I thought it was just a dream!" I place my hands on my head to try to keep my brain from doing somersaults or something.

  "Man, dude, let me tell you about this dream I had...."

  By the time I'm done telling B-man about my dream, he's settled back in the chair. He grins widely when I finish. "Wel-come to the family, bro." His smile fades slightly, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

  I shrug, "I wouldn't peg you as the Christian type."

  He nods. "I see. Let me guess I don't look like a Christian because I rock Levis. In this walk, Jamal, you'll learn not to be fooled by the exterior. Just like everything that glitters isn't gold, everything that is a little lackluster ain't trash. First John chapter four warns us to not believe every spirit, but test them to see if they are from God. Is it cool if I play my music out loud?"

  I shrug, mentally noting the scripture he quoted. "Yeah, you got any Wiz on your phone?"

  "No. I don't listen to that music, son." He pulls out a small black Bluetooth speaker from his pocket. "I got something better."

  I watch as he hooks the speaker to his phone. Immediately the same song blasting through his headphones when he first walked in fills the room.

  "Ehh boy, this song is cold! Who this, bro?" I say feeling the beat and bobbing my head.

  "This is Andy. He's a Christian rapper. I ot more music and artist like him, you want me to write them down for you?"

  "Yeah bro that would be sweet. I have a

  question, though."

  "Yeah?"

  "Can all Christians see these neon lights around other people?

  B-man looks at me like I said something crazy. "No, just SBLs. Like the cross on your back, only other SBL's can see the glow of the Spirit,"

  "Wait, so you're telling me only certain people can see the tattoo on my back?"

  He nods, and then reaches in his back pocket. He takes out a small notebook, flips it open and jots something down. He rips the paper out, "Here you go. This is a list of some artists I listen to. Also my number and some bible verses you can look up and read are on there. I don't know if you have a church home, but I wrote the name and address of mine down for you, too."

  "Wow, that's a lot of info to fit on one small piece of paper. Thanks." We slap hands and bump fists.

  With that, B-man unplugs his speaker and puts his headphones on. "I have to get going. I got some stuff to take care of." He stands up and picks up the chair. "It was nice meeting you, Jamal. Hope to see you again, soon."

  "Alright then, it was good meeting you, too." I have plenty of questions for him, but I don't want to keep him any longer. We slap hands again and fist bump.

  The door opens just as Bradley walks to it.

  "Oh! You have a visitor." Dr. Tonya comes in and looks up at Bradley sharply.

  He smiles down at her and then looks back at me. "Notice how her light is a different blue than ours? Come to the Eagle's Den tomorrow, and after service, I'll explain why."

  He leaves a confused Dr. Tonya in his wake.

  "Ooohkay." She turns to look at me. "We are going to get you prepped for some test and if everything checks out, you'll be home in 24 hours."

  I just can't wait to go home.