But we know that the law is good

Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and mothers , for manslayers...

I Timothy 1:8-9

CHAPTER 1he had come to town. No one knew his name and I had heard it was so terrible no one dared to say it. He lived in the upper room of one of the many saloons in town and had eyes that were so blue some said you could feel him looking right through you. I didn't know how anyone knew this for everyone I talked to said they had never seen him and no one they ever knew had seen him. I had seen him and it all began when I had been sent to town (with my older brother, of course, for it was not safe for any woman, young or old, to be out in town alone). I was sent to see the old widow Fairis whose husband was killed by him. I was 18 years old and the date was July 29, 1808.he had come to town. He had burned it down to make money for two more saloons, at least, that's what the rumor was but I didn't know how that would raise any money. Anyway, my father and older brother were killed in the attempt to stop him. Since then he has either corrupted everyone or has run them out of town or as he usually does killed them. My father and brother were the only ones brave enough to stand up to him. That night flashed through my mind as vividly as if it had just happened. men in the church regained their harsh expressions and ran out, locking the door behind them, As soon as they had this done the man let me go. He left so quickly I never saw his face. He took a torch from one of the other men and tossed it through the window. I screamed and grabbed the extra key from the place that only I knew where it was. Thanking God I had placed it there a week ago. I ran into the church. I was surprised to see most of the floor and one whole wall was already covered with flames, then I smelled the smell of oil. I knew I had to hurry if I was going to help Marshall and Da. Waving my arms to clear the smoke away, I saw them. They were stomping on flames trying to put them out. I immediately saw it was no use for them to do that, what I didn't see was the rafter already burned thin and ready to fall. Marshall looking up saw it and yelled at me, "Mark! Get out of here! There's a rafter about to fall on you!" I looked up in time to see it starting to fall. I screamed and put my hands up trying to shield my face. I felt the searing pain of the rafter burning the skin on my arms and someone dragging me out. When we got outside I was sobbing so hard I was shaking. They all thought it was because I was in pain. I was, but it wasn't my arms, it was my heart. I had seen what no one else had, my brother and father trapped behind a wall of flame.

The time had come for a change. I, Markial Kay Balcome knew this but I sure didn't want to say anything about it. Things had gone too far in our town of Anchor. Every night someone was drunk or starting a fight. That was why my family had moved here from Candree, to be missionaries to this poor town.

We had been very successful until

As always I walked by the church. The sight of it nearly broke my heart every time I went past. The charred remains had been there for three years, ever since

~~~

As a girl of 15 I had never known sorrow. I had lived in Anchor since I was 2 years old and the worst hurt I had ever known was a broken finger. Then that night came. I still remember I was camping with my oldest and favorite brother, Marshall. It was a tradition of ours every Friday night to camp in a little clearing in the woods a couple miles from our house.

We had just gotten our fire started (a chore that neither Marshall or I were very talented in doing) when my other brother, Matthew, ran up saying Father needed Marshall to help him with something. Mattie didn't know what Da wanted so Marshall had to go. He told me to stay there and that he would be back soon. As usual I didn't listen. I followed Marshall until I saw him go into the church. I stopped and hid in the bushes beside the church steps. Little did I know there was also a man in the bushes. He grabbed me from behind and held me there making me watch the horrible scene in front of me. I watched as two other men went into the church for a meeting that my father was leading. They had only been in there for a few minuets when the man holding me made a noise like an owl. Suddenly from out of no where fifty or more men charged into the church and began asking who was a Christian. They said if you weren't a Christian you could live; if you were, you would be burned alive.

The other two men who had been in the church immediately left. I silently begged my father and brother to run out as fast as they could, but they didn't. They stood there with calm and almost happy faces as they said they would never denouce their Lord. I will never forget what my father said , "Why would I leave the God who has never left me?"

The men were stunned. They just stood there staring at him, mouths agape. Suddenly the man holding me yelled "What are you standing around for? Kill them!" I remember thinking he sounded very young.

"He's barely older than me!" I thought

The