Guardians of the Kingdom

By Susan L. Wilson

On the moon Titan the Environs are attacking the quiet village of Glastonbury. Jonathan and Tina Thatcher had gone swimming early in the day. Now Jonathan and Tina are running for their lives. Jonathan and Tina are afraid, cold and hungry. Jonathan and Tina continue to hide but they are caught. As the Environs tie up Jonathan and Tina, someone helps them. Two modern days Robin Hoods come to their aid. The two modern days Robin Hoods are apart of a group called the Guardians of the Kingdom. Who are the Guardians of the Kingdom? Who are the Environs? How did both groups get on the moon Titan? Find out what happens to Jonathan, Tina and the rest of the people of Glastonbury in the exciting sci-fi book, In The Midst of Things.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 22, 2009
• ISBN: 9781462836147

Susan L. Wilson

Susan Wilson, BA in Elementary Education, is a teacher, musician, and artist. Living in Virginia, Susan and Gary are active in church; enjoy trains, international food and fishing. Susan is currently writing more books, working in art and music, and takes mission trips. Gary also currently writing books. Gary and Susan have four children and three grandchildren.

Book preview

Guardians of the Kingdom:

In the Midst of Things

Susan L. Wilson

Illustrations by Susan L. Wilson

Copyright © 2009 by Susan L. Wilson.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

58702

Contents

Dedication

In The Midst of Things To Come—Song

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Profile

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Order of Worship

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11 Part I

Chapter 11 Part II

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Review the last part of chapter twelve and read chapter thirteen.

Read Matthew 4:1-11. Describe what Jesus did.

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Dedication

To God

Who inspired me through the Holy Spirit to write

this story, draw the pictures and write the music.

To my family and friends

Who encouraged me to get the book finished.

To all children young and old

Who need godly heroes to model their lives.

In The Midst of Things To Come—Song

:C Fm F#dim Fm: C—4 beat

Fm C

In the midst of things to come

Fm C

Our faith begins to soar

Fm C

In desperate days the victory is won

F C

Is ours evermore

Chorus: C

The Guardian of the Kingdom

Fm C

His Kingdom has no end

Fm C

Jesus is the Guardian

F C

He is our Savior and friend

He helps us through our struggles

He guides us through our day

Our busy lives Jesus juggles

Praise is all we that can say

When danger appears

He is so close and near

He calms our every fear

Our Hearts praise him and cheers

In days ending

We will be with him

Hearts and minds mending

To His Glorious Brim

Chapter One

Run Children Run

As the mist dispersed, a tawny falcon, Fullerfalk, soared into the splattered sunburst sky of purple, red, orange, and yellow. Morning had broken as Fullerfalk saw the wind rustling in the trees. He could hear the songbirds such as Scarlet Tanager, Blackburnian Warbler, Pine Grosbeak, and Wood Thrush, singing in combination as heavenly choirs waking up the congregation to a brand new day. As he ventured out into the land of Europa, he could see a small, quaint village nestled in the summer green trees. It was the village of Glastonbury.

Glastonbury was a small farming village. It consisted of a small white church, red schoolhouse, general store, apothecary and various artesian shops. The style of the various homes and business were English Tudor with thatched roofs. Glastonbury was situated in a wooded area with forest on the north, east, and west sides of the village. A running, rippling river, Gladstone, flowed on the south side of the village.

Fullerfalk glided and perched down on a branch of a mighty oak tree near the home of Jonathan and Tina Thatcher. Fullerfalk enjoyed observing Jonathan and Tina. He sang a song to wake the children up.

Jonathan and Tina started to wake up. Jonathan was a nine-year-old boy with strawberry blonde hair, steel-blue eyes, tall and lean. Tina was a seven-year-old girl with auburn hair, sparkling blue eyes, short and stocky. They washed and dressed quickly. They rushed down the stairs into the kitchen.

Hannah O’Brien, a fifty-year-old, dishwater blonde woman, was preparing breakfast. She had been with the family since Rev. Michael J. Thatcher and Sophia A. Thatcher were first married. She cared for the children and helped with the housework.

Rev. Michael J. Thatcher came down the stairs for breakfast. Rev. Michael J. Thatcher was a thirty-nine year-old man, 6-feet tall, strawberry blonde hair and steel-blue eyes, tall and lean. He was senior pastor of Glastonbury Community Church. He held bachelor and masters degrees in history and a masters and doctorate in theology.

Next entered Sophia A. Thatcher. She was a thirty-six year-old woman, 5-feet tall, auburn hair, and bright blue eyes, short and stocky. She was a teacher at Glastonbury Elementary School. She had a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master in education administration.

Hannah had made a creamy porridge with milk, pork sausage, fruit, scrambled eggs, and a glass of milk or French Vanilla Coffee. The children gobbled up breakfast and swilled down their milk.

Jonathan told his parents and Hannah that he and Tina would be going down to the river to swim. Rev. Michael J. Thatcher told them to be back in time for lunch. Jonathan and Tina swarmed out of the house to Gladstone River. On the way, they ran and tumbled down the hill to the river’s edge. There they swam and played for two hours. Suddenly dark gray clouds started to cover the bright-yellow summer sun.

In the meantime, Rev. Michael J. Thatcher went to the Glastonbury Community Church to write his sermon on Standing Firm on the Word of God. Sophia A. Thatcher went to the schoolhouse to correct papers. As she finished correcting the papers, she put the test and homework scores in her grade book.

Jonathan and Tina gathered up their belongings and headed for their home. Suddenly they heard Hannah say, Run, children, run into the woods. The Environs are here. They are setting the village on fire.

Jonathan and Tina started to run toward the woods. They ran as fast as deer into the woods. They stopped and looked around. The woods were cold, dark and scary.

In the meantime, the Environs came charging into the village. The Environs were so-called environmentalists. Their agenda was not the environment, but to be the lords and ladies of the manor. They had no intention of helping animals, replanting trees or cleaning up the environment. They wanted the land for their own personal gain and pleasure. They did not want any other person to enjoy the land. They enslaved people and deceived them into worshiping Mother Nature, whom they made into a goddess and misused her name. Many a village was burned to the ground for trying to show others who they really were.

As the Environs charged through the village, they went to the white church—Glastonbury Community Church. The Environs sent flaming arrows into the stained—glass windows of the white board church. Rev. Michael, as he was called, ran out of the church. He tried to put out the flaming red fire. Willingham Graves, Chief Environ, rode up to Rev. Michael. He struck him with the handle of his silver white sword. Rev. Michael fell to the hard rocky ground. Willingham attempted to trample him with his fierce black stallion, Vuldock. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a sandy-blonde-haired man appeared. He grabbed Rev. Michael and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

What has happened? said Willingham. He is gone. Where is he? People just don’t disappear like that. Verne, where in the world is everyone? They started to look throughout the silent-scary village. Not a soul was there.

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Burn the village to the ground, hollered Willingham. Let’s search the woods. So the Environs headed out into the woods.

In the meantime, Jonathan and Tina were wandering aimlessly in the woods. Tina was hungry and tired. She wanted to go home. She complained as they wandered through the woods. Jonathan tried to comfort her and explain the reason why they could not go home. Jonathan and Tina kept walking. They also looked for berries to eat.

Jonathan, I don’t know if I can make it, whined Tina.

Just then, Jonathan and Tina heard horses coming. The Environs are coming, whispered Jonathan.

Jonathan and Tina hid in the bushes. Both were terrified. Jonathan remembered what his father said in times of trouble. It was in Philippians 4:4-7, Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice. Let your moderation be known to all men. For the Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God; and the peace of God, which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

So Jonathan took Tina’s hand. Jonathan started to sing in a soft whisper voice the song his father had taught him. It was the song based on the twenty-third Psalm:

The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures. He restores my soul

The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.

He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness.

Even though I walk through the valley of death.

He guides me in paths of righteousness.

I will fear no evil for He is with me.

Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before my enemies.

Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

My cup overflows because You anointed me.

Surely goodness and mercy will follow me

All the days of my life. You will see.

Surely love will follow me.

I will dwell in the Lord’s House. Forever it will be.

Jonathan and Tina started to praise the Lord for the situation. The Environs passed them by. The Lord had protected them in the midst of their peril. Jonathan and Tina stayed still for a while. Then they headed deeper into the woods. They started to run aimlessly in the woods. Suddenly Verne saw Jonathan and Tina running. He told Willingham Graves what he saw. The Environs started to chase them down with their fierce, hungry hounds.

Tina and Jonathan ran as fast as deer. Jonathan had remembered another song, The Guardian of the Kingdom, which he had heard from friends. It went like this:

Darkness fell on the earth below

The people flee but hardly could go

Sin and death conquers us all

Help us, help us Lord Jesus.

The Lord came with a mighty blow

To save all people down here below

He conquers sin and death for us all

Thank you, Thank you Lord Jesus

Jesus the Guardian of the Kingdom of our hearts

His Spirit helps us from evil to depart

Together we turn those to enter in

Praise you; praise you, Lord Jesus.

The two children kept running, but the Environs were homing in on them. Finally they trapped the children in a circle. Jonathan and Tina stood silently in front of Willingham. Willingham had the two children tied to the large oak tree. Then the Environs started to plan what they should do next with the children.

Fullerfalk had been following the children He sounded a falcon call to warn all of what was happening. The Environs heard the call and tried to target the falcon with an arrow. Fullerfalk was too fast for them. He flew upward as an arrow missed him.

Tina and Jonathan were scared to death. What will happen to them? Will someone come to help them? What about Fullerfalk? Is he all right?

All these thoughts flowed into the minds of the children. Is the end near?

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Chapter Two

Guardians to the Rescue

Scary thoughts entered into the minds of Jonathan and Tina. Their hands and feet were bound tightly around a large oak tree. They could hardly move. Jonathan and Tina calmed themselves by remembering what their mother had taught them. She had taught them what to do in times of trouble. They started to praise God in the midst of their confinement. It helped to calm them down.

Suddenly, they felt the ropes being loosened. They were told to be quiet by a soft voice and to remain still. As they stood still, Willingham started to head in their direction. As he approached the children, a cloud of smoke hit in front of him. As he recuperated from the smoke blast, the children had disappeared. His face turned as red as a beet.

Where are the children? Willingham shouted with a loud voice.

No one knew where the children were. Willingham ordered the Environs to search the woods for the children. They searched every nook and cranny in the woods. They could not find them. Willingham ordered the Environs to go back to Rose Manor, the place where Willingham and his men lived. They rode out of the woods swiftly.

Where did the children disappear? It was Luke the Nuke who had untied the children and quieted them down. Where in the world did he come from? The woods had turbo lifts disguised as part of the woods. These turbo lifts could move people up, down and sideways from the surface of the ground to the underground in a matter of moments.

As for the cloud of smoke, Camilla the Chemo had thrown a smoke bomb. It clouded up the whole area. Luke and Camilla took the children to the turbo lifts. Once near the lifts, a plastic door opened and they walked in and grabbed the bars. They held on tight as they dropped deep into the underground caverns.

Faster and faster the guardians and the children shot straight down the turbo lifts. In a matter of moments, they were at the bottom of a lightly lit cave entrance. From the cave entrance they walked along a cavern to a place where there was a monorail station. The monorail station had a walkway with various kinds of pictures on the walls. It had two monorail tracks where two monorail trains could pass each other. The monorail trains were silver and blue in color.

The guardians and the children entered the monorail train. Inside of the monorail train there were a number of black leather seats. The walls were colored with a bright yellow and laced with windows in between the walls. Jonathan asked who they were and what was this place. Luke the Nuke introduced himself and Camilla the Chemo. He told the children that they would answer all of their questions when they got to their destination. In the meanwhile, Luke had the children lie down in the seats and sleep a while.

The children fell into a deep sleep. They dreamed of what had happened to them that very day. They wondered if they would ever see their parents and Hannah again.

Luke and Camilla discussed what had happened. They had saved Jonathan and Tina from the Environs but they were also responsible for their parents and the town peoples’ disappearance. Fullerfalk alerted the guardians. They went into the village. The guardians started to evacuate the village quietly. When the Environs had