death and destruction that Steve was powerless to escape.
“Help me! Someone help me,” he shouted. “They’re trying to kill me.”
The customer, who had been holding Steve’s arms, leaned in closer to him.
“You’re going to be okay.” The man’s voice was soothing and clear. Despite Steve’s severe hallucinations, he could hear the
man, and he began nodding.
“Help me!” he shouted again.
“Open your eyes, Steve.” The customer’s voice was calm, and no one else around them seemed to hear it. Steve kept his eyes
closed. He could hear a crowd of people gathering around them, but he tuned them out. With all the concentration he could
muster, he forced himself to listen to the man. “Come on, Steve, you can trust me.”
Steve opened his eyes slowly. As the picture became clearer, his eyes grew wide in astonishment.The demons were still there, but they were retreating. And in the center of the picture was what appeared to be the face of
Jesus Christ. Steve was sure that’s who the guy looked like. After all, his parents had taken him to church when he was a
kid. It was the same picture of Jesus he’d had in his Bible storybook back then. Awestruck, Steve stopped twisting and struggling
and suddenly grew calm.
As he stared, the image in the center of the picture began to speak. “Do you want to be free from the demons, Steve?” the
voice of the Christlike image asked. “You need to decide.”
Suddenly, Steve began to cry. The crowd, which had grown even larger, watched as the young man continued to lean over him,
talking in a voice none of them could hear.
“Yes,” Steve cried softly. He thought of his parents back home and all the bad decisions he’d made. He needed to be free from
the drugs. Now, before it was too late. He struggled to find his voice. “Help me get rid of the demons. Please help me!” The
man in the picture smiled gently. “No more drugs, Steve. With them come the demons. It is your choice.”
“No, I can’t do it by myself!” Steve screamed. The customer stayed at his side, uttering calm words—words different from the
ones uttered by the Christlike image, but somehow words that seemed to go together. Steve closed his eyes again and once more
started to struggle out of the stranger’s grasp.But the man seemed to possess an inhuman strength and Steve’s efforts were futile.
“Look at me, Steve,” the gentle voice said again. “Trust me.”
Slowly, Steve opened his eyes again. This time the demons were gone completely. Only the image of a very pure and radiant
Christ filled the center of his vision.
“Help me.” Steve’s voice was weak now, and tears filled his eyes. “Please.”
“Steve, you won’t have to do this by yourself. If you want to be rid of the demons, turn to me. I will always be right here
to help you. Just call me and I will be with you.”
“Lord.” Steve whispered the word, not sure if he was still hallucinating, but savoring the peace he felt all the same.
Is that you, God? Are you really here, with
me,
talking to me?
Slowly the image began to fade. But before it disappeared altogether, he heard the voice once more. “Yes, Steve. It is I.
I will be here for you.”
Suddenly Steve felt extremely tired. He closed his eyes and his body went limp.
The customer who had been talking quietly to Steve and holding down his arms stood up and turned to the manager. “I think
you can handle it from here.” He shook the man’s hand. “The worst of it’s over.”
“Thanks.” The manager looked a little awed at the customer’s strength and ability to calm downthe drugged teenager. Before he said anything more, the manager pinned down Steve’s arms in case he woke up again. When the
manager looked around to ask the customer how he’d managed to calm the drugged teen, the man had vanished. At that moment,
paramedics and police arrived and the manager stepped back so they could work on the
“Help me! Someone help me,” he shouted. “They’re trying to kill me.”
The customer, who had been holding Steve’s arms, leaned in closer to him.
“You’re going to be okay.” The man’s voice was soothing and clear. Despite Steve’s severe hallucinations, he could hear the
man, and he began nodding.
“Help me!” he shouted again.
“Open your eyes, Steve.” The customer’s voice was calm, and no one else around them seemed to hear it. Steve kept his eyes
closed. He could hear a crowd of people gathering around them, but he tuned them out. With all the concentration he could
muster, he forced himself to listen to the man. “Come on, Steve, you can trust me.”
Steve opened his eyes slowly. As the picture became clearer, his eyes grew wide in astonishment.The demons were still there, but they were retreating. And in the center of the picture was what appeared to be the face of
Jesus Christ. Steve was sure that’s who the guy looked like. After all, his parents had taken him to church when he was a
kid. It was the same picture of Jesus he’d had in his Bible storybook back then. Awestruck, Steve stopped twisting and struggling
and suddenly grew calm.
As he stared, the image in the center of the picture began to speak. “Do you want to be free from the demons, Steve?” the
voice of the Christlike image asked. “You need to decide.”
Suddenly, Steve began to cry. The crowd, which had grown even larger, watched as the young man continued to lean over him,
talking in a voice none of them could hear.
“Yes,” Steve cried softly. He thought of his parents back home and all the bad decisions he’d made. He needed to be free from
the drugs. Now, before it was too late. He struggled to find his voice. “Help me get rid of the demons. Please help me!” The
man in the picture smiled gently. “No more drugs, Steve. With them come the demons. It is your choice.”
“No, I can’t do it by myself!” Steve screamed. The customer stayed at his side, uttering calm words—words different from the
ones uttered by the Christlike image, but somehow words that seemed to go together. Steve closed his eyes again and once more
started to struggle out of the stranger’s grasp.But the man seemed to possess an inhuman strength and Steve’s efforts were futile.
“Look at me, Steve,” the gentle voice said again. “Trust me.”
Slowly, Steve opened his eyes again. This time the demons were gone completely. Only the image of a very pure and radiant
Christ filled the center of his vision.
“Help me.” Steve’s voice was weak now, and tears filled his eyes. “Please.”
“Steve, you won’t have to do this by yourself. If you want to be rid of the demons, turn to me. I will always be right here
to help you. Just call me and I will be with you.”
“Lord.” Steve whispered the word, not sure if he was still hallucinating, but savoring the peace he felt all the same.
Is that you, God? Are you really here, with
me,
talking to me?
Slowly the image began to fade. But before it disappeared altogether, he heard the voice once more. “Yes, Steve. It is I.
I will be here for you.”
Suddenly Steve felt extremely tired. He closed his eyes and his body went limp.
The customer who had been talking quietly to Steve and holding down his arms stood up and turned to the manager. “I think
you can handle it from here.” He shook the man’s hand. “The worst of it’s over.”
“Thanks.” The manager looked a little awed at the customer’s strength and ability to calm downthe drugged teenager. Before he said anything more, the manager pinned down Steve’s arms in case he woke up again. When the
manager looked around to ask the customer how he’d managed to calm the drugged teen, the man had vanished. At that moment,
paramedics and police arrived and the manager stepped back so they could work on the
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