Compulsion

By J.J. Johnson

On a rainy October evening, Pastor Vance Howard is hoping for a quiet evening at home. 

But that all changes with one phone call. 

Now he finds himself sitting high up on the town's water tower, drawn into a conversation with a suicidal man named Jake. 

A man who bring to light the horrors of Vance's own past. 

Horrors that cause Vance to question his faith, his sanity, and everything he thought he was capable of. 

Compulsion is the story that causes one to ask: 
Is there a limit to forgiveness...?

• Language: English
• Publisher: J.J. Johnson
• Release date: Dec 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223234098

J.J. Johnson

JJ Johnson lives in Edmond Oklahoma with his with and two kids. He can usually be found traveling through time and space fighting dinosaurs 

Book preview

Compulsion

J.J. Johnson

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Copyright © 2012 by J.J. Johnson

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

Contents

1.Chapter 1

2.Chapter 2

3.Chapter 3

4.Chapter 4

5.Chapter 5

6.Chapter 6

7.Chapter 7

8.Chapter 8

9.Chapter 9

10.Chapter 10

11.Why I Wrote Compulsion

12.About the Author

Chapter 1

Jack-o-lanterns dotted the porch of every house as I drove across town. Against the dark back drop of the night sky, the orange glow was eerie and disturbing. As one of the small town's only pastors, I felt a tinge of guilt for smiling at the festive decor. I let the emotion pass-these displays were purely innocent. 

It had been well after eleven when Sheriff Bates called requesting my presence. With the threat of severe weather looming nearby, I was less than thrilled at the idea of leaving at such a late hour. However, the storm had ventured north of Ellis Creek, a fact that dismantled my excuse of avoiding the wind and rain.

I stole a glance at my cell as I crossed the train tracks. Maggie had yet to return my calls. I hoped she'd managed to avoid the storm. At least her last text had been reassuring:

Vance. Stop worrying.

Easy for her to say. 

Less than a block away from my destination flashes of blue and red lit up the night sky. Three cruisers and an ambulance sat parked in a small semi circle. I laughed as I noticed the thirty spectators standing around gawking like mindless zombies. With the exception of high school football, few things drew out a crowd in a small Oklahoma town like Ellis Creek. But turn on lights, and they gathered like moths. 

Sheriff Bates stood no more than ten feet from the crowd. A set of hard lines carving deep crevices sprayed outward from the corner of his eyes and mouth. His focus was both piercing and sharp. Despite his rugged appearance, I knew him to be a gentle man.

Pastor, he