The Sword of Jory (Meaning “Down Flowing”): Catching Fire

By Aaron J. Allen

About the Book
The story centers around the life of a boy who encounters extremely difficult circumstances. Throughout the book he must determine if he will push through his fears and struggles brought on by the difficult circumstance or quit along the way. It is a story of the triumph of the human spirit and how a person ultimately will win if he/she does not give up.

About the Author
Aaron J. Allen is an avid fan of Christian fiction. He is an active member of his home church in Plano, Texas and spends most of his time volunteering, riding his mountain bike, or watching movies. He received his Bachelor of Science from Wofford College and his Master of Civil Engineering from LSU. He later received his Master of Biblical studies from Charis Bible College.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dorrance Publishing Company
• Release date: May 31, 2023
• ISBN: 9798888126790

Book preview

I

Jory landed a three-punch combination against Billy’s forehead. A few weeks earlier he’d seen the combination performed in a boxing match on television. He could think of no better candidate than Billy to use this combination on. He and Billy hated each other. Neither knew when it began or why, but all it took was for the boys to be around each other for a few minutes and they were at each other’s throats. It was like watching someone place two Siamese fighting fish in the same tank. First, the fish swim around each other in a threatening manner. Next, the gills begin to flare up. Before you knew it, the two fish were fighting so ferociously fins started flying off. This was how it was between these two.

Today’s fight started because Billy knocked or kicked, depending upon whom you asked, dirt on Jory’s brand-new sneakers.  

Are you going to clean that off? Jory demanded.  

Instead of complying with Jory’s demand, Billy proceeded to kick more dirt on his new sneakers.

Jory had always had an anger problem. A few years earlier, he’d completely ransacked his room because his mother wouldn’t let him continue playing his video games. He soon regretted it when his father arrived home from work. Jory’s father was the no-nonsense type who didn’t tolerate his antics. It was one of the worst whippings Jory had ever received, and was the last time he ever ransacked his room.

It was as if a switch went off in Jory. Before Billy knew it, Jory planted his fist three times against the top of his forehead in rapid succession.

Billy was a bully amongst bullies. Everyone was afraid of him—except for Jory. This made him an even bigger target for Billy. The more Jory stood up to him, the more Billy instigated confrontations. The fact Jory never backed down befuddled him. Everyone else did. Why wouldn’t Jory? Jory had even started fights on a few occasions no one else dared.

Billy recouped from the blows and immediately tackled Jory to the ground. Billy was bigger than Jory and relied on his brute strength to subdue his opponents.

Before Billy could land a blow of his own, a strong arm grabbed him by the shoulder and jerked him to his feet. Principal Jim was standing off to the side watching as Billy approached Jory. He knew to be on alert whenever the two boys were around each other and sensed something was about to happen simply by the expression on Billy’s face. It was the look seen on certain animals right before they pounced.

Principal Jim was the image of stability who’d guided the school with a steady hand through its most difficult periods. For many of the students, he was a father figure desperately lacking in their homes. To others, he was a voice of reason when it seemed all others had lost theirs. He’d been a leading figure during what people were calling the biblical plagues which forever transformed both the school and the town.

Principal Jim was already making his way towards the boys before the two met up. Unfortunately, Jory had already punched Billy before he arrived, and he was determined not to allow their ongoing feud to escalate any further.

Principal Jim pulled Billy off Jory and demanded Jory stand.

Jory did so, but appeared to be grabbing his right arm. Unfortunately for Jory, when Billy landed on him, his right arm was pinned against the sharp corner of a brick ledge. The fall, along with Billy’s weight, caused a fracture in his arm which became apparent after X-rays were taken by the family doctor. You would think this would have calmed the animosity between the two boys. Quite the opposite, it only made things worse.  

Billy used it as an opportunity to express his dominance over Jory.  

For Jory, it only fueled a rage that was already there. Even with cast on arm, he still was responsible for starting some scuffles the two had gotten into afterwards.

II

After the fight with Billy, Jory’s father gave him the normal speech about learning to control his anger. His father loved throwing in scriptures whenever he corrected him. On this occasion, he quoted a scripture from Proverbs:

The discretion of a man defers his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.

Jory didn’t quite know what it meant. And he really didn’t care. He was just happy to be able to spend time with his father. Jory loved his father and looked up to him more than any other. When his father spoke, he listened and wanted desperately to please him. Jory gave his normal apology for what he’d done and promised he would try harder not to do it again.

Today, he and his father were working on the car together. Jory helped by handing his father tools while he worked under the car.

Quick, Jory! Hand me the wrench.

With only one arm to work with, Jory was taking longer than usual. Jory finally found the wrench, but before he could hand it to his father, there was the loud sound of his father banging his head against the underside of the car as he tried to avoid the oil suddenly pouring down on his head. When his father finally rolled out from under the car, his entire head was covered with oil.  It was all Jory could do to keep himself from laughing out loud, but he dared not do it in front of his father.

What took you so long, Jory? his father asked.

Sorry, Dad. I was having trouble handing it to you.

You will soon learn life isn’t always fair and won’t slow down to accommodate your weaknesses. Those who ultimately win and succeed in life are the ones who don’t make excuses but find a way to make a way despite the odds placed against them.

Jory nodded and again apologized.  

After he and his father finished working on the car, they cleaned up and went to the classic car museum located downtown. It was one of Jory’s favorite things to do. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the cars or that he was doing it with his father, but they made a tradition of doing it at least once a month, and Jory loved it.

The two made their way around the museum while enjoying the craftsmanship and meticulous detail characteristic of all the cars. Billy grabbed his dad’s arm and pointed to the ‘63 Chevy Corvette sitting apart from the other vehicles on a show platform of its own.  

Jory’s father proceeded to tell him about the history of the vintage vehicle. You know, Jory, the classic ‘63 Chevy Corvette is one of the most iconic American cars ever made and is the most collected vehicle in America. The prototype was called the ‘Mitchell Sting Ray.’ Do you know why?

No, Jory replied with eager anticipation.

Well, it’s because Larry Shinoda, who designed the vehicle, actually used the stingray as inspiration—

You mean the stingrays found in the ocean? Jory interrupted excitedly.

Yes.

Wow! Really, Dad? Jory walked around the car and he could almost see a stingray swimming as he took in the details.

And that’s not all. It was one of the fastest vehicles built at the time having a top end speed of 150 mph and able to go from zero to sixty in 5.7 seconds. That was unheard of back then for a street car. It was the vehicle that made the Corvette world class and able to stand up against foreign competition. Most cars have a life span of a few years. But there are times when the stars align and the maker creates a masterpiece that stands the test of time. This was one of those times.

Jory was mesmerized by his father’s words. Before they left the museum, his father bought him a model car which was an exact replica of the ‘63 Corvette, along with some posters of the car. Jory beamed as he and his father made their way home.  

III

Jory’s attention was fixated on his computer screen as he watched a documentary on stingrays.

The commentator spoke with a heavy baritone: Since stingrays have eyes that can only see above, they cannot see their prey. As a result, they have developed special abilities to locate prey beneath them using their sense of smell and touch. Stingrays also have a closed lateral line system on their dorsal fins allowing them to detect steams of water produced by oysters and other animals. In addition, the stingray has developed electroreception that allows it to detect the electrical energy field produced by all animals.

Jory’s mom called for him and his younger sister to hurry up and get ready. Today they would be going to church and afterwards on a family outing to the state fair. Jory had been looking forward to it all week—that is, going to the state fair; he didn’t hate going to church, but he didn’t love it either. All the talk about heaven and loving your neighbor didn’t make much sense to him, and he really didn’t see how it was relevant in the world he lived in. In his mind, it was a waste of time; time he could have spent doing something much more useful like shooting blackbirds with his BB gun in the backyard. But his mother insisted he go, so he had no choice.

Jory spent the hour and a half church service doing what he normally did—playing on his cell phone. His mother would periodically give him the look that meant he had five seconds to put the phone away or it would be confiscated. He would comply, but it didn’t take long before the phone was back in his hands while he went online.

Jory’s head was buried in his phone when the minister said something that caught his attention.  

The minister quoted from Scripture, Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: For we walk by faith, not by sight.  

The idea of someone being able to walk without seeing intrigued Jory, and what he’d listened to earlier that morning about the stingray immediately came to mind. Jory put his phone down and listened more carefully to the minister.  

The minister then quoted another verse in Scripture, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I,