Suddenly Susan - Part 3
A guttural growl could be heard slamming against the padding of the headphones.

"All this time I can't believe
I couldn't see.
Kept in the dark but you were there
in front of me
I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems
Got to open my eyes to everything
Without a thought,
Without a voice, without a soul!
Don't let me die here
There must be something more
Bring me to life...
Wake me up! Wake me up inside....
Wake me up inside! Save me!"

"I just love when Paul does that bridge angry rap thing, don't you?" Merth tried to sell RJ with an amazingly charmed grin. But RJ doesn't buy it.

"Personally, I think John does it better on the 'Anywhere But Home' live CD. It doesn't matter though. You just blew it."

Merth lept from the shelf and slammed to the floor. Then he flexed his membranous wings in pride and anger as he moved towards RJ. "What are you talking about? You keep saying that! Look at her! She's mine now and nothing can change that."

RJ slowly shook his head. "And I'll say it again because this is training and repetition sometimes makes the point. You - just - BLEW IT!!!!" RJ and Merth were face to face, only inches apart. Their foul smelling breath challenged each others space and filled the air with smoke. Slowly, RJ raised his hand and for a moment, Merth was sure that he was about to experience unfathomable pain. Instead, however, the taloned hand simply pointed in Susan's direction as he calmly and evenly said, "Look."

The sound of slow sobbing was almost to subtle to be heard. But for Merth, it rang like an ominous thunderous warning of things to come. And suddenly he knew. But it was too late.

There was no more dancing. No more singing. No more me and Amy Lee. The grown up teenager came face to face with the lost child as time and space ripped apart. The whirlwind of emotions spun her heart 180 degrees, leaving her staring into her own soul, the one she thought she lost. She cried. It caught her off guard. She cried.. "wake me up inside..." She cried... "save me..." she cried... and cried. The ipod fell to the floor, the hands trembled and she fell.

Merth almost tried to catch her, but RJ stopped him. "You idiot! Your touch is cold. It will only make her more aware not less. Don't touch her." Merth stared helplessly. "I know you want to interfere now, but if you do, it will bring a horde of heavenly host into the room to protect her free will." Nervously, both demons glanced at the window.

"So what do I do?"

"Watch. Wait... we can still win this."

Suddenly Susan - Part 2

"Excuse me?" Merth nearly fell backwards off the desk. "Lose her? Are you insane? I have her so tied up in her own mind that she is totally oblivious to my plan."

"And what exactly is your plan, Merth?" RJ seated himself at the edge of the bed. "Let me guess. Isolation, insulation and eventually extrication?"

Merth's wide-eyed expression told RJ everything he needed to know. "How did you...?"

"Nobody loves me. I don't need them! I'm just find by myself... It's everyone else that has the problem. Forget them. I'm ok right here with my trusty ipod and Amy Lee. Does that about sum it up?"

Merth was indignant. "You've been in my files!"

"No, but I have been in your shoes. By the way, you have about 45 seconds left." RJ and Merth both glance at the Susan as she flings her long black her from side to side, growling angrily and screaming the next line of lyrics at the top of her lungs. "Why Evanescence?"

"Isn't it obvious? Angry goth girl, mad at the world. Come on RJ. Get with the program. Susan relates, right?" RJ nods. "So I infect her with Amy Lee's anger. Get her to question everything. No more 'El Shaddai' and stuff... Now she's singing a different song."

"30 seconds." RJ smiled. He probably should be more worried, but even if this amateur discourager loses Susan, RJ still had a lock on most of her friends, her youth minister and her parents.

"What is your problem? Sure, it's going to take a few more weeks to really get her down in the pits of despair but I got her on a greased rope. She's in quicksand, brother. And there is no chance of her coming out of this. Her parents have tried. The psychologist, school counselor and Hell knows how many others have put there two cents in. I have been able to take every comment and use it to drive her further away from everyone. Her music is dark! Her clothes are dark! Her hair, heart and hope are darker than the pits of home. She's completely wrapped up like a Christmas present!" RJ winces. "Ok bad analogy, but you know what I mean! This is a lock! Nothing can go wrong."

For a short time RJ and Merth sat glaring at each other. Finally, RJ broke the silence.

"10 seconds and counting."

Suddenly Susan - Part 1
RJ looked like a traditional gargoyle perched on the top the bookshelf.

"Wake me up! Wake me up inside... Wake me up inside...!" Susan screamed as she did her usual dance around the bedroom. Headphones on. Tuned in. Tuned out. Even if she could see the visitors in the shadows, she would not have noticed them. "No one but me and Amy Lee." She thought to herself.

"From Amy Grant to Amy Lee. Pretty good work." Amy Grant, one time sweetheart of the Christian music world whose happy go lucky lyrics were easily exchanged for the illustrious Amy Lee, goth rocker with the operatic voice, model looks and a lyrical depth that often descended into dialogues with darkness. Merth reclined on the computer desk. He was a low-level discourager, new to the division. An angry arrogant impish demon, he had gotten this "promotion" and been assigned to the "legendary" Rambling John. He rolled his eyes as he glanced in RJ's direction. Merth was not impressed.

He still didn't understand how moving from tempter to discourager was a step "up". After all, tempters got that horrid cow of a creation named Eve to take a bite of that fruit. "We got Adam to lie and both of them to hide." Merth thought to himself. "Tempters should rule, not play second fiddle to..."

"I know what you're thinking." The voice snapped Merth to attention. RJ floated from the stained wooden shelf to the floor, carefully avoiding Susan as he passed to the right of her uncoordinated jig. Merth hoped that RJ did not really know what he was thinking.

"You can't read minds," Merth countered. "So I don't think you know my thoughts are."

RJ smiled. Fool. Fool. Fool. They all are when they first come to WAC. Tempters taught that they have some sense of overreaching super high arching position in the scheme of things. Idiots who feel that they should be second to no one, least of all demons from D&D (Discourgement and Despondency). RJ could still remember the teachings from his own short time training on Temptation Island. We authored the fall of Adam and Eve! We caused the commotion that got man kicked out of Eden. Blah, blah, blah. How simple-minded and foolish.

RJ knew that now. Temptation may remove a man from paradise. Temptation may even cause him to forsake the one he loves and lie to his Creator. Temptation may create a prodigal. But only discouragement can stop him from returning home and receiving forgiveness. Discouragers can strike deep into the heart, causing a human to forget that it bears the family name and the privileges that come along with it. Only discouragers can stop those driven from the Edens and pardises of life from ever seeking them out again; keeping them feeling unworthy and unloved. Tempters may lead men away home, but as long as they believe they can return, they battle is not over. A good discourager can and must learn to move men from denial to destruction with only a simple but well-placed word.

But that was not what RJ was going to say.

"What you are thinking," RJ continued, "is that you have won this battle with the young Susan. But your lack of experience and obvious arrogance have blinded you to reality. Not only are you wrong, but in about one minute, you're going to lose her."