Phoss looked around the room, half-expecting to see whoever wrote the note watching him from a desk or doorway. The room was empty.

His locator bracelet beeped. He glanced at the screen: "You are supposed to be in the cafeteria. Please proceed." A 30-second countdown began.

Phoss hurried toward the lunchroom. He was excited about the note, but a thought troubled him: With all the cameras and locator chips, how am I supposed to get away without someone noticing?

On the Run

Phoss had wanted to come earlier, but he knew the locator system would miss him and sound an alert. So there he stood at 6:29 p.m., getting sprayed lightly by the big fountain in front of the school. His locator bracelet beeped, and a message appeared on the screen: "I see you. If you’re still serious about this, run to the dumpster behind the Cybermart."

The locator beeped twice, indicating that it was starting its 30-second countdown. Phoss ran for the Cybermart down the street.

Every step told him he should go to the school-sponsored Yule fire, just to stay out of trouble. But in his heart, he knew he’d finally found something worth getting in trouble for. He rounded the corner of the Cybermart. Suddenly, a group of masked figures leapt out and pulled him into the shadows.

"Wha—?" Phoss said. "Wait! I don’t have any money."

One of the masked figures grabbed Phoss’ wrist. "Hold still."

The figure pulled out a computer box the size of Phoss’ hand. Two gray wires snaked out of it. The figure attached the wires to the terminals on Phoss’ locator bracelet.

"Hurry," one of the other figures said. "His countdown’s at three!"

"I’ve got it!" a female voice said. "There!" She looked into Phoss’ eyes. "Now you are officially not here."

Phoss sighed relief. "Wow. How did you do that? They really think I’m at the Yule fire?"

"Who said anything about a Yule fire?"

The masked figures crowded around Phoss.

"I think we got the wrong guy," one of them said. "This one’s trying to get out of going to the sustainable environment festival."

"He’s a traitor!"

"Yeah, probably one of those Christians!"

"Let’s turn him in."

"No, wait!" Phoss said. "I’m not a traitor. I was expecting to meet someone."

"I think he’s one of those Christians," one of them said. "Let’s call the police."

They all turned their eyes to Phoss, waiting. "I—" He licked his lips and took a step back, but the wires held him close. Then he planted his feet and looked right at his captors. "Yes," he finally said, "I’m a Christian. I wasn’t going to the Yule fire. I was going to celebrate the birth of the Christ child. You can go ahead and call the police if you want—I’ll tell them the same thing."

A few of the masked figures sighed.

"It’s okay," the girl said. "He’s one of us. Show yourselves."

They removed their masks. He recognized a few of them. They were just kids his own age.

"Benny! Eugin! Shar! I didn’t know you guys were Christians," he almost shouted. "Shar, you’re the only one in Facilitator Lewis’ class with me. The note was from you, wasn’t it?"

Shar smiled. "When I saw you take that stand in class today, I figured you were okay. But we had to be sure. Sorry about the masks."

"No problem. But—"

"Time to go," Eugin said. "Security bots are coming."

"Here," Shar said, handing the computer case to Phoss. "Hold that, and whatever you do don’t let those wires get unplugged. Once we’re at the cave, we can take off the bracelet."

"Take it off? It’s been on my wrist since I was a baby."

"Don’t worry," Benny said, pulling them down the street. "You’ll like the feeling."

The six of them turned the corner just as the floating security bots appeared at the other end of the block. Eugin led them into an alley, over a fence and into a downstairs apartment.

They climbed some stairs. A camera watched them from the corner. Benny stepped under it and lifted up a triple mirror device.

"Come on," Shar said. "It can’t see us."

Suddenly the group stopped. Shar turned to Phoss.

"I’m going to cover your eyes with this mask and plug your ears," she said.

"What? I thought you trusted me."

"Don’t worry, brother," Benny said. "It’s for your safety and ours. Nobody knows the way to the cave until they’ve been with us for a year. Clyde over here just got to go with eyes and ears open last month, didn’t you, Clyde?"

"Yup."

"Okay, put it on." Phoss agreed.

Someone took Phoss’ arm and led him under dripping water, up stairs, through what smelled like a Chinese food restaurant, down concrete stretches and over soft grass.

Secret in the Cave

Fifteen minutes later, Shar pulled off the mask. Phoss had no idea where he was, except that he was inside and it was dark and damp.

His guides swung open large double doors, revealing hundreds of people milling around by candlelight.

Across the large room, people in strange costumes knelt beside a baby asleep on some hay. Phoss recognized the scene from a picture in his grandma’s Bible disc. A beautifully decorated Christmas tree—a true tannenbaum—with a shining star on top stood in the center of the room. The beam from the star shone right on the baby.

A strange feeling gripped Phoss—something he’d never felt before. It rushed in and wrapped around him. He felt like someone had switched on a light inside his heart. He found he was holding his breath.

"Wondering what you’re feeling?" Shar asked.

Phoss could only nod.

"It’s the light of the Spirit of Jesus. Since you became a Christian, you’ve been one candle shining alone in the dark. But when you bring enough candles together, you have a great fire. That’s what this is: the great fire of the light of God shining in these people’s hearts. We’re a family."

"I’ve never . . ." But he couldn’t say anything. Tears rolled down his cheeks.