Chapter #3To the Devil, a Daughter by: BeeJay   Hi. My name is Mary Beth Stephens.
Mine isn't the usual story of a preacher's daughter. The Reverend Gideon Stephens is actually my stepfather. The story is, Mom was kicked out by her family because of me; specifically, because she got pregnant out of wedlock by this guy who she met once. When she came to Crossroads Community Church in Paradise Valley, she met Rev. Gideon, who was the associate pastor then. By the time I was born, the two of them had really hit it off. They were married before I was out of diapers. Then came Aaron, Ben, and Shiloh.
Being raised by a man of God, I became devout. I read my Bible every day, and spend at least an hour in my prayer closet. I helped form a religion club at Paradise Valley High; we called ourselves the Fellowship, which was churchy without putting off the unchurched too much.
Besides the Fellowship, my school activities included the school basketball team, the Yellowjackets. I'm proud to say, my faith had an effect on my teammates: Two of them, Abby Harbour and Leah York, even joined the Fellowship. Before each game, I was invited to lead the girls in prayer. Some of us have even given prayer credit for making the Yellowjackets the dominating team known as the Yellow and Black Attack, although I don't argue with those who say we're just that good.
Yes, I was certain that I was on the highway to Heaven.
Then I met my biological father, and I wondered if I was headed in the other direction.
******************************
My 16th birthday started out as I expected; a pickup basketball game in the driveway at the parsonage, followed by a party inside. My presents included more religious T-shirts for my collection (almost as vast as Daddy's collection of religious neckties), and a DVD travelogue of the Holy Land. After cake and ice cream, my friends went home, and I helped Mom clean up.
Shortly after we finished, there was a knock on the door. Daddy answered it. "May I help you, sir?"
"May I come in?"
Daddy stepped aside, and in walked a tall man. I was no expert, but I could tell that his clothes were expensive. "Please, allow me to introduce myself," he said. "Your lovely wife knows me by the name Lucius Morgenstern. I am your eldest daughter's biological father."
We turned to Mom. "That's his name," she said. "And he looks the same. Thing is, he looks exactly the same. He hasn't aged a day since that night."
"You have no idea," Lucius replied.
"You certainly age gracefully, sir," Daddy said. "Would you mind sharing your secret with us?"
"Not at all, Reverend. For a start, Lucius Morgenstern isn't the only name I've gone by: I'm also called the Shining One, Old Nick, the Prince of Darkness, Sammael, Iblis, the Father of Lies,... "
Daddy chuckled. "Those are all names for the Devil."
"Of course. You see, that's who I am."
"You expect us to believe that?"
As soon as Daddy finished speaking, Lucius Morgenstern transformed. He became a red-skinned man with horns, batlike wings, and a barbed tail. "Do you find this to be more persuasive?"
Daddy went pale, but he put up a brave front. "What do you want?"
"As I said, Mary Beth is my daughter. I will be in touch with her, when the time is right." With that, he disappeared, leaving a burst of black smoke and the smell of burning brimstone behind.  | Members who added to this interactive story also contributed to these: |
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