Writing Resources from Fifteen Minutes of Fiction

Eight Hours in The Lions Den

The pound at the door startled Daniel as he rose up from praying.

"Daniel! Daniel!", screamed the voice as the pounding continued, "Daniel, open up! King Darius requests your presence immediately!"

Daniel opened the door and two men with swords shoved the door open so hard it thrust Daniel back and the door slammed against the wall with a large bang. Each soldier grabbed an arm and yanked him outside.

"You are under arrest for violating the King Darius' decree", stated one of the guards as they marched him down the street.

Daniel knew exactly why they arrested him. It was for praying to his Lord. Daniel remembers the King signing a decree that required all persons in Babylon not to pray or to petition any god. Daniel was not about to allow someone to limit speaking to his Lord so he continued in prayer. He knew eventually they would find out and he would be punished severely or even killed. It was late afternoon when the guards took Daniel. The guards were heavily protected in armor and had swords that looked so sharp that they could cut through bone as if it was butter. Daniel didn't dare try to fight them although the thought did cross his mind as he would probably die anyways even if he didn't fight. The grip they had on his arms dug in to the fleshy part of his upper arm stung with every step. They definitely did not want to let Daniel get away. As they closed in on the location where King Darius was located, various people throughout Babylon stood at their doorway and stared. Those that were outside their homes didn't hesitate returning back inside quickly watching Daniel and the guards as they briskly walked towards their front door.

"God, is this what you wanted from me?" Daniel prayed, "I don't know why this is happening Lord I am sure you have this situation in control!"

Daniel didn't say a word and continued to cooperate with the guards. They arrived at the quarters of King Darius. Looking around the room was full of gold and various artifact of high value. The King was surrounded by several large guards armed with spears and a sword to their side. Female servants were serving the king food and drink.

"Oh King live forever. We have brought Daniel before you as requested!" , stated the guards as they bowed before his throne.

"Very well," boomed King Darius, "guards release Daniel and leave us."

The guards bowed and released Daniel, turned and left the room. Daniel stood silently looking down at the foot of the throne.

"What is going to happen to me?" he wondered.

Darius sighed staring intensely at Daniel and then spoke.

"Daniel, I have given you everything here in Babylon. You broke a great rule by praying to your God after I strictly restricted this act for 30 days! What have you to say about this?"

Daniel looked up at the Kings gazing eyes and spoke.

"Oh King live forever! I will not stop worshiping or praying to the God of this world as it is sin to follow such a rule and turn my back on the Lord!"

(To be continued)

Eight Hours in The Lions Den

"Guards take Daniel to the lions den. Let's See if his God can save him from the lions", yelled King Darius as he turned away.

King Darius heart sunk. He truly liked Daniel. He felt lead to sign that decree and was not sure why he allowed it in the first place. He was angary at himself for even signing it. Deep down in Darius's heart he somehow knew that Daniel was going to survive this evening even though he didn't believe that there was such a God.

The guards burst in to the room and each one grabbed an arm and marched Daniel out the room to the lions den.
Darius was approach by one of his wives and he looked at her and shook his head. As she drew closer Darius turned and left the room following the guards far enough that Daniel could not see him.

"I am going to seal the entrance to the lions den then I am going to retire for the night."

"Oh King shall I bring the musicians in to your quarters?"

"No just leave me a lone for the night, I need some time to my self."

As Daniel and the guards approached the lions den they roughly yanked on his arms. He felt like a wishbone. The Den was down the main hall and in a place that was secluded so as the people of Babylon could not hear the cries of death from those that were thrown in the pit.

"Lord this is in your hands. If I die I commit my soul to you. Whatever your will is, I will follow." Prayed Daniel.

The past few minutes seemed like a lifetime and that Daniel's life and that current moment moved in slow motion. In the background Daniel could here the deep roaring sound of the lions as they cry out for fresh meat to fill their empty stomaches.

"What are you going to do now Daniel? Do you think your god will save you?" chided one of the guards as the other one snickers at his comment.

"Do you think he will even hit the ground when we through him in the den? Those lions have not been fed in almost 4 days." The other guard adds.

Daniel didn't say a word he just focused on the Lord and prayed for his safety. He could not believe how at peace he was. He wasn't even really that scared either. He had seen others thrown in the den and have fought all the way to the entrance. He even has heard the cries and screams coming from the pit and the tearing of their flesh as the lions ripped them to shreds.

Daniel and the guards arrived at the entrance to the den and the Lions were growling so loudly that they all could fell it in their chest. Even the guards were startled. The lions were directly at the bottom of the pit looking up and growling intensely pacing back and fourth around the opening of the pit. The depth of the pit was about ten feet in depth with an opening of about five feet square. there was a stone next to the pit to be rolled over the top of the entrance to endure that those that were thrown in to the pit would not get out.

The Guards did not hesitate and threw Daniel into the pit and rolled the stone over as the King Arrived to the location.

As Daniel fell he could feel the cool breeze rush past his face as he free fell to the bottom of the pit hitting the hard dirt floor knocking the wind out of him.

Eight Hours in the Lions Den

The guards struggled to roll the stone over the entrance and the Darius sealed the stone, not to be open til morning. The guards stood beside the entrance to stand guard to ensure that no one would attempt to open the entrance. The King informed the guards not to leave the entrance till morning.

“I sure hope that Daniel survives the nitght.” Thought Darius as he turned and walked towards his quarters.

The walk seemed like years. The King could not get Daniel off his mind. He was a good friend to him. All Darius could think about is those lions in that pit ripping Daniel to shreds and that by morning those lions would have Daniel devoured before morning.
Arriving at his quarters Darious changed and got ready for bed. As he lay in his bed he does nothing but toss and turn and when he does get some sleep he wakes up in a cold sweet from dreaming about those lions tearing up Daniel then coming after him.

The pit Daniel was thrown in had some lighting from torches that Daniel believed was put in the pit so that the Lions could see what they were eating. The floor was a dirt floor and the walls looked like the walls of a small cave with jagged rocks protruding from its surface. Daniel could see remains of other people all over the floor in front of him. Bones of others completely stripped of the flesh and chalky white like they have been here for a long time. Some the boones looked as if they haven’t been down here very long and looked as if there was still a little flesh attached to them.

Daniel layed still for what seemed like hours. He hoped that if he could just stay still he could make it through the night . His heart pounded. So hard that he was concerned that the lions could hear it. The lions were round about him growling and pacing all over the pit. At one point it felt as if one of them was right over him because he could feel the hot breath on the back of his neck. Daniel closed his eyes expecting the lion and any moment to tear in to him. Then all of a sudden the lighting seemed to become brighter and brighter.

“Thats odd.” Thought Daniel. He wondered if someone was coming in to rescue him maybe the King had second thoughts and decieded to not have him killed.

Daniel opened his eyes. The light that was shining looked a lot brighter than your standard torch, much brughter, in fact the light was white!

“Daniel, Daniel, fear not of the lions for I have shut their mouths.”, The voice spoke.

It startled Daniel as he jerked his head up and roled over to see what it was. Daniel had to squint and practically cover his eyes as he tured over to see where the voice was coming from. There stood a bright figure. Daniel was scared so much he crab walked away so fast he hit the side of the wall bumping his head.

“Fear not!” The figure stated, “God had sent me to protect you from the lions. You have been a faithful servant.”

Eight Hours in the Lions Den Part 4

Daniel didn’t even feel it when he hit his head on the wall of the den. It completely blew him away when he saw the figure. He couldnt say a word he just stared as the figure looked back. It was almost unbearible to look at as it was so bright!

"Daniel fear not!" The figure said again.

Daniel continued to stare with his mouth open and could not say a word. He then remembered lion’s den! He looked around for the lions and noticed them poised at the white figure and not moving a muscle or even a hint of a growl! Daniel finally got up the nerve to say something.

"Wh-who, wh-what are you?"

"'I am' sent me to protect you. I have shut up the mouths of these lions so you will be safe. You as a faithful follower, will be used to get King Darius' attention."

Daniel still could not believe it. He was standing before an angel of the Lord! Never in his whole life has he ever experienced anything this extreme before. He encounted the Lord in dreams but never while awake. Daniel pinched himself hard to make sure that it was not a dream! The angel was beautiful, all white and there were outlines of its armour that was round about it, simular to Roman type armour, even the helmet. He wanted to reach out to try and touch the angel, but he didnt want to attract the lions to hiself. Daniel kept one eye on those lions in case they lost intrest in the angel but from the looks of them they were mesmorized by that angel and have yet to move from their spot in fact they never batted an eye to Daniel. It was as if the angel had complete control of them. Daniel’s heart beat continued to race and he wanted to know all there was to know about heaven and what it would be like once he got there.

Daniel stood up slowly so as not to disturb the lions.

"Be not afraid Daniel the lions will not harm you!" The angel obviously knew Daniel was still concerned about the lions.

Daniel walked closer to the figure. The lions still poised to the Angel. He reached out to one of the lions to see if they could even see him the eyes of the lion looked at him briefly then turned back to the angel. His had continued to reach out to the lion to attempt to touch the lion. Closer and closer he got. His had touched its mane and he pulled back quickly. Daniel reached out again but this time approching closer to the lion. Daniel managed to touch the lion on its main and the lion looked at Daniel again but didn’t move a muscle let alone attach or even growl! The mane of the Lion felt somewhat wirey and soft at the same time. He could not believe what he was doing. He was able to touch a lion!

"Amazing!" Daniel said out loud!

Daniel turned to the Angel and headed for it.

"Do not attempt to touch me or you will surely die!" The angel warned!

Daniel retreated back a couple of steps even past the the Lions.

"I have so many questions that I would like to ask!" Daniel said excitedly!

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