Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: PLEAD (11/30/23)
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TITLE: I Begged Him | Previous Challenge Entry
By Jack Taylor
12/05/23 -
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Two herdsmen stood on the hill, running fingers through windswept hair. The older one dropped his wooden staff and kicked it over the edge into the water. The grey beard on his chin waggled like a goat, as he spoke. “I begged him to leave. Our whole livelihood is ruined. Why did he have to come here?”
“You’d have to ask Erasmus and Eliud,” the younger one said. “The tombs are a lot quieter.”
“Diabolical monsters, those two,” the older one stated. “Scaring the children with those rattling chains, running around naked, cutting themselves. The elders should have put them down years ago.”
“They looked fine last night,” the younger responded. “Clothed, and in their right mind for the first time in forever. You should have seen the look on their brother’s faces. The whole town was standing around with their mouths open.”
“Yes, didn’t I notice!” the older one said, turning his back on the sea. “None of them were agonizing over our pigs, until I got the elders on it. Those fanatics have been mobbing this Messianic pretender. Why did he have to ruin our peace?”
“What if he is who people say he is? No one else could free the two. You know the religious leaders have been trying for years.”
“They’re all frauds,” the older one said, marching down the hill toward town. “Playing with spirits they have no control over. Pontificating incantations, and then running for their lives. At least this sorcerer figured out some way to manipulate the evil.”
“Should we beg him to come back and restore our pigs?”
“Are you as out of your mind as Erasmus and Eliud? How would he do that? Do you realize what kind of power that charlatan has under his control? He commanded thousands of malevolent destroyers with a word.”
“Yes, but I heard that he raised up the dead for those who pleaded with him in faith. If he can do it with people, he can surely do it with animals.”
The older herder stooped, grasped a smooth stone, and flung it out into the water. “Did you watch Erasmus begging that monster to take him on his little circus tour? It was sickening. Take me with you, take me with you.” The old man threw another stone. It skipped three times, then sank. “You know what is going on don’t you? The man is a Jew and Jews hate pigs. They’ve sent him over here to ruin our economy and to punish us for succeeding in areas out of their control.”
“What is this really all about?” the younger herder asked. “Are you mad because he killed your status and significance? Because he took you from being the richest in town to begging like the rest of us? I’ve never seen anyone changed like that before?”
The grey beard reached out and grabbed his companion by the shoulders, shaking him. “You’ve never seen anyone go from the top to the bottom? Is that what you’re saying?”
The young man sank to his knees. “No! I was saying that I’ve never seen anyone like Erasmus and Eliud go from madness to sanity in an instant. I’ve never seen outcasts restored to their family and community. I’ve never seen someone so fearless and compassionate at the same time.”
The old man stepped away, looking out over the water. “How did he do it?”
The young man rose. “When the boat reached shore, the two ran down to the shore from the tombs. Erasmus shouted, ‘What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!”
“They begged this man?” He smirked, crossing arms across his chest. “Just like I begged him.”
“Yes, Jesus had commanded the spirits to go, but they begged him not to send them into the Abyss.”
“Can you imagine what we could do with someone who had this kind of control?” The older man grasped the edge of his robe and strode toward the harbor. “Where is he? Perhaps it’s not too late to work out an arrangement.”
“He’s gone!”
“Gone? Whatever fool told him to go?”
“You did.”
The old man raced toward the tombs, screaming like someone possessed.
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