Fire Starter

El Paso, Texas

Wednesday December 24, 2025

7:00 Pm

Anna Chandler rode her new black and chrome bike up to the porch. She giggled as the snow landed on her nose, tickling it, making her scratch her nose. With the speed of a rattlesnake, she jumped off and leaned the bike against the front of the house. Grabbing her guitar from the basket, she threw it over her shoulder. The ten year old girl situated it so she could carry it more easily. Laughing, she ran up onto the porch, opened the door, and danced into the house. Using her foot, she closed the door and put her guitar in the corner by the fireplace. The ten year old girl tore off her coat, gloves, beanie, and boots. After she tossed them in the corner, Anna ran to the fireplace, held her arms and hands out in front of the fire so she could get warm. A shiver came over her. Anna briskly rubbed her arms and legs to warm up and to restore the circulation.

Anna shivered. “Brr, it's cold outside. It's supposed to snow again tonight. I heard it on the radio while I was auditioning for the head honcho of RCA Records.”

Giggling and dancing over to the couch, she sat down next to her step dad. The girl snuggled up to him in order to warm up. As she snuggled closer to him, she tucked her feet underneath her to warm them up.

Leon wrapped a blanket around her and held her. “So Honey, how did the audition go today?”

Anna looked up at him and laughed. “It went great! Mr Stevens wants me to go out to LA next week and record an album with RCA Records. It's a Christian country album. He wants you to go as well. Since I'm only ten years old today.”

“That's wonderful, Honey! Did he say what day and time?”

“Yeah. Friday January second at nine in the morning. He asked me not to be late.”

“Ok Honey. We’ll be there thirty minutes early. I'm proud of you.” Leon gave her a gentle squeeze.

“Thanks Daddy.”

“You're welcome, Honey.”

Her brother Jack, jumped up off the floor, ran to the couch, sat down, and gave her a hug. “That's wonderful, Baby Girl! I knew you could do it! And you did! Congratulations!”

“Thanks Bubba.”

Elizabeth stepped into the living room carrying a tray of hot chocolate, pumpkin pie, cool whip, and ice cream. The woman sat the tray down on the coffee table. She sat on the other side of her husband. Everyone grabbed a cup of hot chocolate and sat back and relaxed.

“Baby Girl, tonight, I’ll help you practice your songs for Friday.”

“Thanks Bubba. I appreciate that.”

“Not a problem. For you Baby Girl, I’ll do anything.”

Leon grabbed the remote and turned the TV on. He turned the channel until he found their favorite Christmas movie, The First Christmas.

An announcer came on the TV. “We're sorry that we can't show our regularly scheduled program tonight. We have a very important presentation for you tonight. So we bring you the State Of The Union Address from the president of the United States. That starts now.”

“No!” They all said as they threw pillows at the TV. “We want the First Christmas! Give us the First Christmas!”

President George Lincoln entered the Oval Office and sat down in his chair behind the desk. He looked around for his number one enemy. Seeing him, he nodded to James Anderson. Trying to remove the lump in his throat, he took a drink of water and swallowed hard. The man loosened his tie. Drawing a deep breath, he nodded to the camera man that he was ready. He looked into the camera. He swallowed hard.

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Boys and girls. Tonight is a night of history making here in the United States. For tonight, a new law goes into effect immediately. Christianity is hereby outlawed. It's now against the law to worship your God. This has been planned for a couple months now. It was unanimously decided to implement this new law tonight because people are gathered together for Christmas.

“Renounce your God and you will live in peace. If you don't renounce your God, then you will be killed. Man, woman, and child shall die. So please avoid any bloodshed and renounce your God. This is an urgent plea.

“The police, the military, the FBI, the CIA, the United States Marshals, the top government officials of the cities across America, and the non-christians are going into every home, place of business, church, etc and removing all religious items. That includes Bibles. Everything will be burned. Plus the above entities have the right to kill anyone who doesn't renounce their God. Churches are hereby closed forever. The churches will be burned to the ground or demolished in the near future.

“Good night. And I wish you much luck.”

The president sat back in his chair and let out a heavy sigh of despair, disgust, and disbelief at what he had just done. Standing up he left the Oval Office. Nauseous, he made his way into the bathroom.

A man followed him into the bathroom. The president turned around and looked at the man. “What do you want? And why did you follow me in here? I told you, we’ll talk later! Now please get out so I can do my business!”

“Just to congratulate you.” The man said. He walked over to the president and stabbed him in the heart. Then he slipped out of the bathroom and out of the White House.

A housekeeper walked into the bathroom to clean it and screamed. She pushed the alarm. People ran out of the Oval Office and ran to the bathroom.

“He’s dead!” The woman said as she pointed at the president. She moved out of the way so everyone could see.

The chief of staff went over to the man lying on the floor. Bending down, he checked for a pulse. But he could not find one. He stood back up again. Rubbing his forehead, he turned around and faced everyone. “He’s dead. Looks like murder.”

“Murder?” James Anderson asked. “Who would do such a thing to a good man? That's outrageous! It's treason! It's heresy!”

The sirens blared, doors closed and locked, and the gates closed and locked.

“I don't know, Mr Anderson. But we've got a lockdown in place. We’ll catch the murderer.” He got on the phone and called the local police department.

James walked down the hallway of the West Wing and rubbed his hands together. “Now to change the First Amendment. Or alter it. I know I can't completely change it. I don't have the authority. But how do I convince the American people that it has been changed, without changing it? I’ll figure it out later. Right now, I want to go home and get some sleep.” Snapping his fingers, he smiled. “I know what I can do. I can hide the Constitution and the Amendments and say they were stolen. Yeah. That's what I will do. First thing tomorrow morning. No. What if I hide the clause about the freedom of religion. Nobody will miss it. Especially in these days and times. Nobody pays attention to it anyway. That's the perfect plan.”

*****

The vice president, Michael Lane let out a sigh of despair. He rubbed his forehead. The man’s left hand jumped to his waist as he pointed at the chief of staff. “Well, I wasn't expecting to take over as president. I didn't want the job as president. But now, I don't have a choice. So alert everyone in the White House and on Capitol Hill that I'm the new president.”

“Right away, Mr President.” The man went to do everything Michael said to do.

Michael went into the Oval Office and sat down in the chair behind the desk. “Ok. Wrap it up and go home. We had a long day. So I know everybody's tired.” The man put his head down on the desk and cried. “What a shame! Christianity is no more! God help us!”

The camera crew pretended they did not hear the prayer, packed everything up, and left the Oval Office.

*****

Jack waved for his five little brothers and sisters to follow him into the den. They jumped up and ran into the den and Jack closed the door behind them. Anna and her twin sister Hannah stood next to each other holding hands. Their knuckles were white because of the amount of pressure they used in holding hands.

Slapping his hands together, Jack rested his pointer fingers against his lips as he thought about what he was going to do. Then he lowered his hands to his sides. “Alright, I want all of you to hide in the closet. I'm going to go get some help from Christian firefighters, Christian police officers, and Christian military personnel. If trouble comes, get out and go to Uncle Jethro’s house.”

“No Jack!” They all said. “You can't leave us alone! We're only little children! Please Jack, stay with us.” They all began to cry.

He turned around and looked at Anna. Grabbing her shoulders he looked her in the eyes. “Ok Baby Girl, I'm staying with them. But I need you to go and get help.

“Do not come back in for any reason. Instead, go to Uncle Jethro's ranch house. You’ll be safe there. I and the others will meet you there.

“But whatever happens, I want you to promise me that when the right time comes, you’ll do everything in God's power to bring Christianity back from the grave. Do you understand, Baby Girl?”

“Yes Bubba. I understand and I promise that when I get grown, I’ll do everything in God's power to reinstate Christianity back in American society again. But do you promise me that y’all will meet me at Uncle Jethro's?”

“I promise. A promise is a promise. And you know me, Baby Girl. I always keep the promises I make.” Jack opened the window and helped her out.

“Ok Bubba, I'll go. You can count on me.”

“That's what I wanted to hear you say.”

Looking back one last time, she smiled. She ran down the alley towards the street but suddenly stopped. An explosion sounded from behind her. Anna ran back to the house to see if everything was ok or not. When she got there, the house was engulfed in flames. “No! Bubba! No! Momma, Daddy No!” She held her right arm up in front of her face, trying to move closer to the house. The girl wanted to make the move to go into the house but stopped. The fire was too intense. Turning, she saw her twin sister Hannah, running down the other end of the alley.

“Hannah, this way! Please Hannah! Come to me! We must stick together!”But the girl kept running in the other direction.

A gun fired just as Anna spun around. The bullet whizzed by her left ear. She ran down the alley again. That time she heard running footsteps behind her which made her run faster. As she darted across the street and into another alley, she narrowly avoided being hit by cars. Although there were close calls. She did cause a few fender benders. Without thinking, she climbed into an empty dumpster and closed the lid. Sitting down, she said a silent prayer as tears streamed down her face like they were being chased by a pack of lions.

“Jesus, if you get me out of here safely, I’ll do everything in Your power to restore Christianity in American society again. I’ll do everything in Your power to bring revival to America. You can count on me. A promise is a promise. And You know me. I always keep the promises I make. In Your mighty name I pray. Amen.”

Anna heard men and women outside the dumpster.

“You go down that way and look into all the dumpsters.” One man ordered.

“Yes Boss.” A woman said.

“The rest of you, find that girl! I want the girl alive! I'm going to make her a public example of what will happen if people don't renounce their God.”

“Yes Boss.” Everyone spread out, looking for her.

The leader began to open the first dumpster to look inside when a police car pulled up. Both officers got out and were protected by the doors.

“Move away from the dumpster.” Officer O’Brien said. “Now!”

“But officer, there's a girl inside the trash dumpster who has not renounced her God! I aim to kill her!”

“How do you know she's a Christian?”

“Because I used to go to church with her and her family. That was before I renounced God.”

“We’ll take care of the girl. You and your crew can just leave. Let us take care of her.”

The leader of the group pulled his gun and Officer O’Brien shot the man right between the eyes. The man fell to the ground, dead.

The officer opened the lid and put his gun away. He reached inside to lend a helping hand. “Come on out, quickly before the others get here. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to get you to a safe place. I'm here to help you. God told me where to find you.”

Anna stood up, grabbed the hand, and hoisted herself out of the dumpster. Officer O'Brien helped her down. Together, they ran to the car. But the other officer pointed a gun at them.

“I don't think so, Sir! I have to kill you both! It's the law!”

The lead officer shot and killed his partner. He picked up the girl when he heard people running towards them. Daniel O’Brien put her in the car and she closed the passenger door. Jumping in, he closed the door, put the car in gear, and drove through the men and women who ran out of the way. One of the people fired her gun and shot out the back window. The officer ducked. But the officer kept driving. The people ran after the car, firing their guns. But the car was too fast for them.

The officer glanced at the girl and held his hand out to her. He saw the fear in her eyes. “I'm Officer Daniel O’Brien. And who are you?”

The ten year old girl shook his hand. “I'm Anna Chandler. Thanks Officer…”

“You can call me Daniel.”

“Thanks Daniel for rescuing me back there.”

“You're welcome, Anna. Where should I take you?”

“To my Uncle Jethro Preston's please. I’ll tell you the way.”

“So you're Jethro's niece. I know where he lives. I went to church with him every week.”

“So you're the Daniel my uncle talks about? Hm. Very interesting if I say so myself. So God really told you where to find me?”

“Yes, He did.”

Anna looked up at the night sky. “Thanks Jesus for rescuing me back there. Remember, I’ll do everything in Your power to bring Christianity back from the grave. And I’ll do everything in Your power to bring revival into America. You just let me know when. Plus let me know the plans. In Your mighty name I pray. Amen.”

Daniel kept driving towards the country. He smiled at the girl when she prayed.

Anna finally relaxed when they left the city limits.

*****

Jethro Preston’s Ranch

Ten Miles Outside El Paso, Texas

Wednesday December 24, 2025

9:00 Pm

Jethro carried a new light bulb out onto the front porch. He changed out the old one and put the new one in. Seeing a trash can by the door, he threw the old one in the trash can. He turned the light on and dusted his hands off and smiled.

“There, my family can see my house when they come over tonight.” Jethro looked at his watch. “They should be here shortly. We have a Christmas slash birthday party tonight.”

The man looked as a police car pulled up into the driveway and stopped.

Anna jumped out and closed the door with her foot. The girl ran to her uncle, crying. The man picked her up and hugged her. Rubbing her back, he tried to comfort her.

“What are you doing out here by yourself, Kitten? Where's your family?”

“They're all dead, Uncle Jethro.” Anna buried her face into his shoulder and wept. “My twin sister Hannah, got away.” Anna sniveled. “She's out there somewhere. Alone and afraid. It was awful.”

Jethro looked up and saw Daniel standing at the foot of the steps. “Thanks for bringing her here to us, Daniel.”

“No problem, Jethro. It's a pleasure.”

“Come on in and you can tell me what happened to her family.”

“Ok.”

They went into the house and closed the door. Jethro turned the porch light off. They went into the living room and he put his sleeping niece down on the couch. He sat down at her head and rubbed her hair.

“Ok Daniel, what happened tonight? What happened to her family?” The man rested his left elbow on the back of the couch and rested his head on his hand.

“Haven't you been watching the news, Jethro? The president of the United States declared war on us Christians. We're being exterminated from off the face of the planet. And her family was murdered because Christianity is outlawed and because of their faith.”

“No, I have not been watching the news. I have family coming over tonight. But that's the government for you.” Jethro scratched his forehead. “So now they're trying to eradicate us, huh? The Bible says in the book of Revelation, that the people who died for their faith, made it up to heaven.”

“Yes they are. And they're confiscating all religious items. And that includes Bibles. They're burning everything. The churches have been closed down, locked, and some have been burned to the ground. They're not giving any Christian a proper burial. Instead, they're either burning the bodies, putting the bodies in a mass grave, or leaving the bodies to rot in the streets.”

“I’ll say it again. That's the government officials for you. That's ok. We Christians will rise back up again and take our place in society again.”

Daniel pointed at Anna. “And it’ll start with her. She made a promise to God that she'll do everything in His power to bring Christianity back from the grave. And that she'll do everything in God's power to bring revival into America.”

“I believe that. She's always been a doer of the faith and the Word of God. She's passionate about God. And when she makes a promise, she keeps it. There's no ands, ifs, or buts with her. She'll keep her promise. With her, a promise is a promise. And she always keeps the promises she makes.”

A woman walked into the living room, sat down, and looked around. She pointed at the girl. “Where are her parents, brothers, and sisters?”

“Dead.” Jethro said. He explained everything he found out to her.

Carol stood up. “Poor baby. Is she going to live here? If so, I need to get a room ready.”

“Yeah, she's going to live here. We can adopt her right after Christmas.”

“That's a great idea, Honey.” Carol turned around and started up the stairs. “Dinner will be ready in half an hour.” The woman called over her shoulder, as she continued up the stairs.

Jethro jumped up and made sure every door and window to the house was closed and locked. He made sure the blinds and the drapes were closed as well. He grabbed two bottles of soda from the fridge, and went back into the living room. Taking a deep breath, he handed one to Daniel. He sat back down again, opened his, and took a big swig of his soda. The owner of the house put the bottle on the coffee table. “I closed and locked all the doors and windows to the house. I closed all the blinds and drapes. I don't want to take any chances.”

“I don't blame you, Jethro. Did you set the alarm?”

“No. I forgot.” The owner of the house rose to his feet and set the alarm. The man walked over to the fireplace and stuck two more logs into the fire. Turning around, he strutted back to his seat. He sat down again.

Jethro pointed at the fire. “I don't want her to get cold and get sick.” He let out a heartbroken sigh. “What a terrible birthday she's having today. This is one birthday she’ll remember for the rest of her life.”

“I know that's right.” Daniel took a drink of his soda.

Carol came back down the stairs and went into the kitchen. “Dinner!” She called from the kitchen.

Jethro gently shook his niece to wake her up for dinner. Anna stirred. “It's dinner time, Kitten.”

Anna got up, rubbed her eyes, and followed her uncle and Daniel into the dining room. Using her foot, she closed the door behind her.

*****

Jethro sat down in his favorite recliner, grabbed the remote, and turned the TV on. He turned the channel to the local news station and saw a recap about the outlawing of Christianity. Then the images changed to the scenes of the killing of the Christians. He pushed the off button and put the remote back onto the end table.

“How could they do something like that? I don't understand! And how could they go against the First Amendment?” Jethro pointed at the TV. “They should be ashamed of themselves! Outlawing Christianity like that is cruel! And the Christians that were killed, that was brutal! There was no cause in any of it!”

“Honey, it's the signs of the times. We knew it would happen. We just weren't prepared for it to happen. Besides, it's done and there's nothing we can do about it.”

Anna sat up. “Maybe not now. But when I get older then I'll do something about it. I’ll bring Christianity back into America again.” The girl laid back down on the couch and fell asleep.

*****

El Paso, Texas

West Lawn Cemetery

Friday December 26, 2025

2:00 Pm

Anna stood beside her uncle, holding his hand. The air was crispy and the snow fell to the ground. Tears stained her face and froze to her skin. With each shovel of dirt that hit the coffins, she shivered and closed her eyes.

When they got to Jack's coffin, she ran into the hole and fell onto the casket. Anna looked up and shook her head no. “No! You can't do it! He can't see down here! No! I won't let you do it!”

Jethro pulled a kicking and screaming girl out of the grave and carried her towards the car. “I'm sorry, Kitten. But you can't go with him this time.”

“He promised, Uncle Jethro! He made a promise to me! And he broke that promise!” The girl buried her face into his shoulder and wept.

Jethro rubbed her back, trying to figure out the right words to say to her. But his mind held the words captive. As he drew a deep breath he let it out with a sigh of despair, grief, and sadness. The man tried to soothe the girl. Jethro put his niece in the back seat and buckled her Up. He closed the door and climbed into the driver's seat, closed the door, and buckled up.

Firing up the engine, he glanced at his wife who was crying. Putting the car in gear, he drove off towards the house. “Carol Honey, I wish I had the right words to say to you and to Anna. But I don't. Sorry.”

The woman took his hand in her's and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I know, Dear. But it's the thought that counts.”

Once they were at the house, they got out, and went into the house. Jethro closed and locked the door. He made sure the back door was closed and locked. He checked all the windows in the house to make sure they were closed and locked as well. Closing the drape in the living room, he turned around when he heard footsteps behind him.

Carol walked into the living room. Her fists jumped up to her hips. “What are you doing, Jethro?”

“Closing the drapes and the blinds. I'm not taking any chances with our lives. We don't know where the authorities are right now. We don't need them to come here.”

“I understand, Honey. Both of you wash up. Dinner is ready?”

Anna sniveled. “Aunt Carol, how could it be done this quickly?”

“I put the pot roast and vegetables in the oven before we went to the funeral.”

“Oh. Ok. That explains it.“

They went into the kitchen and took turns washing their hands. Jethro and Anna walked into the dining room and sat down at the table. Anna took a drink of her soda.

“Uncle Jethro, one day I’m going to revive Christianity. I promise you that. And with me, a promise is a promise. And you know me. I always keep the promises I make.”

“I know Kitten. I don't expect anything less from you.”

They feasted on pot roast, rolls, vegetables, and gravy.

They talked about her adoption.