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Nightmare Killer. Issue Ten is now out.7 Years AgoHey everyone. Letting you all know that Nightmare Killer Issue Ten. Of my weekly Dark Fantasy comic series is out now. Hope you all enjoy XD.
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Nightmare Killer. Issue Ten is now out.7 Years AgoHey everyone. Letting you all know that Nightmare Killer Issue Ten. Of my weekly Dark Fantasy comic series is out now. Hope you all enjoy XD.
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hello7 Years AgoEveryone
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Ayy7 Years AgoHiya guys & gals I like to write poetry Currently need inspiration Thanks for the Invite Erica c: What do you guys like to write? I fancy non-fiction stories whenever I write one. Fantasy - Erotica - Whatever |
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Chapter One of my book Dark Resurrection, the story of Jesus the vampire!7 Years Ago
Chapter One: The Reckoning
Standing in a
cemetery in the middle of the night, bored stiff guarding a tomb was not a fate
the pair of Roman soldiers had considered when they enlisted in Caesar’s army.
Night was for sleeping, or perhaps carnal amusements at one of Jerusalem's many
brothels, taverns, or dance houses. Their assignment was ridiculous – it was
not an everyday occurrence that corpses would raise from their slabs after
crucifixion. None had ever done so, which made the idea of guarding the tomb
even more absurd, and had necessitated the drawing of straws to determine who
would be charged with the dubious task of guarding a rotting cadaver.
The commander of
the contubernia of eight soldiers sympathized with their plight, but insisted
on the precaution to prevent fanatical followers from stealing the corpse. The
directive, ordered by Procurator Pontius Pilate, struck the men and their
commander as inane, for the theft of a body was not an offense considered
particularly egregious, just odd, and the folks occupying Judea had always been
a strange lot anyway.
The executed
troublemaker had been quickly interred on a Friday afternoon by a peculiar
group of individuals that boldly claimed, even as the tomb was sealed with a
gigantic boulder, that Jesus of Nazareth, the dead man, would walk from the
tomb in just a few days.
“If Jesus can get
his a*s out of there he’s a better man than I am,” a centurion said with a
smile.
Ten muscular
slaves finished seating the boulder; another group was placing mortar on the
stone and rock face, closing the tomb in preparation for affixing the Imperial
seal.
“He will rise
Roman, we know it,” a disciple named Matthew declared, staring at the soldier
with anger in his eyes.
“Sure he will,
get lost,” retorted the centurion, waving them away.
“What if they’re
right sir?” an aide asked as the disciples trudged off.
“They’re not
fool, dead people don’t rise from the grave,” said the centurion, breaking into
laughter.
As Saturday
evening drew to a close, on their second night of duty the soldiers found their
boredom almost unbearable – struggling to remain awake at their posts. Dew had
formed on the sparse grass, and a light mist was descending over the graveyard.
A small fire was burning near the tomb entrance to keep voracious springtime
mosquitoes from devouring them while they continued in their daunting task. As
it turned out, an annoyance like bloodthirsty mosquitoes would prove the least
of their worries, after the risen Jesus, leaving his sepulchre, made his
fateful appearance a few minutes later.
On the stroke of
midnight, Jesus opened his eyes and woke from death, annoyed at having to wipe
myrrh-scented oil from his face with a funereal rag. He rose from the cold
slab. Feeling refreshed and rested, he was instinctively compelled to escape
from the tomb. He felt much stronger than before, and found he had the
incredible ability to see in total darkness. Pausing to look at his wrists and
feet, Jesus noted the wounds from his beatings and crucifixion had miraculously
disappeared, as had a spear wound in his right side, inflicted by another
centurion after his death.
Walking about the
pitch-black sepulchre, the reanimated Jesus contemplated his newfound powers
and strength. He felt tremendous power surging within his body, an incredible
force not of this world. He surveyed the surroundings in his hewn stone prison,
determined to free himself. Feeling a slight draft coming from his right, he
turned and noticed a huge boulder covering the entrance. Heading to it, he
flexed his muscles, and prepared to move the stone.
Was he a god?
No.
Was he alive?
No.
Was he dead?
Not exactly.
The resurrected
Jesus was neither alive nor dead. He now belonged in a netherworld of being and
unbeing, a state of existence between life and death, transformed
by an unknown power from the dead into the undead. He had risen, but his
resurrection was neither good nor miraculous, for Jesus Christ had become a
vampire.
With cool, pale
flesh, and straw colored liquid in his veins instead of blood, the vampire
Jesus pushed away the stone blocking the entrance to the tomb, breaking the
seal and crushing a hapless Roman soldier to death as the gigantic boulder
landed on him. Several tons of moving granite continued on, extinguishing the
fire. It continued down a hillside, scattering smashed and broken tombstones in
its wake. After several seconds of vibration and cacophony, the rogue boulder
broke through a perimeter fence, coming to a stop after colliding with a
stonework house, killing the occupants as they slept.
Calmly walking
from his tomb, Jesus spied the other startled guard, staring in silent horror
at the remains of his comrade. Hungry, Jesus bared fangs and sunk them deep in
the neck of the terrified soldier, draining his life in seconds. He dropped the
soldier to the ground and surveyed his surroundings. It was a little past
midnight, in a graveyard. Appropriate, thought Jesus, after
all, I am a vampire.
Finding himself
surprised at that fact, or to be walking about for that matter, Jesus stepped
away from his first victims, one lying on his side, devoid of blood, the other
flattened like a piece of unleavened bread. Brushing his long, myrrh scented
brown hair from his face, he observed a bright full moon hanging low on the
horizon, noting it was late in the evening.
Tall in stature,
though not an unattractive man, his Semitic features and pale but still ethnic
complexion reflected his fellows, the Israelite Hebrews, with one exception –
his unusual blue-gray eyes.
Realizing that
his sight, hearing and sense of smell had intensified, the vampiric Christ
looked about the deserted cemetery, appearing to him in full color as if
brilliantly lit like midday. He turned as he heard tiniest rustle of a leaf,
and smelled the sweet aroma of a blooming hibiscus from over thirty feet away.
Instinctively
looking again to the sky, the sun now his only real enemy, Jesus began a
leisurely walk to the house that had been his last meeting place with his
disciples. Angered by the thought of his unjust crucifixion, his mind drifted
to his failed ministry and the traitorous Judas Iscariot, a man he had once
considered a friend. Walking through an open city gate and arriving at the
humble domicile within fifteen minutes, he saw oil lamps burning in the second
floor windows. He entered and climbed the stairs leading to the upper room,
where two of his followers recognized and greeted him.
“Behold, I have risen,” said Jesus in strangely accented
Aramaic, unlike his own voice, and very similar to the elocution used by one of
his later descendants, Vlad Dracula. “Where is Peter?” he asked in a
Draculaesque monotone.
“At the temple,”
a nervous Thomas answered, staring at him, wondering why he should fear his
friend and teacher, when he and the others had believed Jesus would rise from
the dead.
“Velly good,”
said Jesus, “I must go see him.” He turned and left, disappearing in an
instant.
To Thomas, it
appeared that Jesus had transformed into a bat, flying from an open window into
the darkness. He frowned, looked to disciple Thaddeus and said, “Something’s
very wrong here, I know it. Did you hear his voice?”
“Sure I did, what
do you mean?”
“Are you stupid?
Jesus wasn’t himself at all, and I’m not staying around here to find out why!”
Shaken by the sight of the undead Son of Man, Thomas headed to a closet where
he had stored his belongings.
“Why not Brother
Thomas, isn’t he God?” asked Thaddeus, watching him gather his meager
possessions.
“From what I’ve
just seen, I doubt it. What I do know is that something is definitely wrong
with that guy, so I’m making tracks, putting a lot of distance between him and
me.” Placing items in a satchel, he continued, “If I were you I’d disappear for
parts unknown, immediately, that’s what I’m going to do!”
Jesus arrived at
the temple, changing from bat to man in an instant. The gilded walls of the
inner temple seemed somber and foreboding; dim candles in recessed wall niches
used to light the stone rooms. Passing the altar, he walked up to Peter, seated
in a side vestibule near the Ark of the Covenant.
“Jesus! You’re
alive!” Peter exclaimed, rising and walking toward his master, not knowing that
the vampire’s incredible powers of entrancement were taking hold upon him.
“In a way,”
replied Jesus in his Dracula voice, plainly refusing the warm welcome his
disciple was giving him.
“You sound
different master,” said Peter, attempting to resist entrancement and trying to
understand his stilted rebuff.
“I do?” asked
Jesus, folding arms across his chest, hardly interested in how he sounded.
“Sort of,” Peter
stammered, asking with newfound trepidation, “Why are you here?”
“You denied me
three times.”
“I know master,
you said I would.”
“That was a sin,”
Jesus declared, an index finger in the air.
“Okay, I’m sorry,
forgive me,” said Peter, confused by Jesus’ stoic injunction, his hypocrisy
showing through his rote apology.
“Forgive you?”
asked Jesus, reaching for his shoulders, “Why should I forgive such as you,
your actions helped lead to my death!”
“Please?” asked
Peter, feeling the new strength of his master, “Besides, you're not dead now,
so what does it matter, your prophecy about me was fulfilled,” the crowing c**k
crossing his mind.
“It’s not that
simple,” said vampire Jesus, hands almost growing gentle for a moment, yet not
once did the stronger than human grip lessen, “Not anymore, a new form of
communion has become necessary for my forgiveness.”
“What do you
mean?” asked a wide-eyed Peter, in terror of the undead monster before him.
“I mean that I’m
going to kill you for denying me, by sucking your blood.”
“I thought you
were God!”
“So did I for a
while, how crass of me, but compared to you, I am a god.”
Pulling Peter
closer, Jesus stared in his eyes, paralyzing the disciple like a cobra moving
in for the kill. For the second time in his undead existence, he bared fangs
and plunged them into the disciple’s neck, draining his life from him. Moments
later he dropped the corpse to the floor, exhilarated and nourished from the
revenge he had taken upon Peter.
Life is
good, any life, thought Jesus, sitting down in the vestibule while
Peter lay dead on the marble floor. For several hours he sat, stroking his long
beard and silently contemplating his undead existence, observing the almost
decadent opulence of the Temple. It was as if he was visiting this ‘House of
God’ for the very first time. He had been there before, but was somehow seeing
it much differently as a member of the undead, disdainfully looking about at
the ostentatious structure, now striking him as more of a bank for containing
valuables than as a house of worship.
I wonder
what the God of the universe would need a place like this for, thought
a frowning Jesus as he rose from his seat and strolled about the deserted
Temple. The wealth of a nation was melded into walls made of imported polished
stone and exotic oiled woods from Lebanon. Silver, gold, and ivory inlays
meandered in and around corners, with window lattices wrought in curious
patterns – coming close to the forbidden practice of making depictions of
living things, lest they be considered graven images. Father was right,
he thought as he wandered the Temple, people like these were not worth
it.
From a window he
observed the horizon lightening with soft blues and pinks of the approaching
dawn. Looking to his bare feet, he returned to the vestibule and removed the
sandals from Peter’s stiffening corpse, slipping them on before he left. For
lack of a better place, Jesus returned to the cemetery, wisely choosing an
unused sepulchre for safety, several tombs down from the one borrowed from
Joseph of Arimathea, for protection from the sun’s rays.
At dawn the
relief guards arrived, calling for other soldiers after discovering the cold
remains of their fellows. Using superior hearing to eavesdrop on the men
carrying off his first victims, Jesus listened as they surveyed his former
resting place, searching the empty tomb in an attempt to find him. Finally
realizing they would get no information from a deserted tomb, the soldiers left
and all was quiet.
Lurking in the
shadows of a sepulchre, Jesus beheld the brilliant rays of the sun shining on
the cloudless, warm spring day. During that time, he plotted his revenge
against those who had crucified him. Pilate will be first, he
thought, then those damn Pharisees and Sadducees. After that, I’ll go
after the rest of my disciples, especially Judas Iscariot, the Roman soldiers
who scourged and crucified me, and anyone else who even looks at me wrong. I
should also disguise my new voice, as it seems to frighten my victims,
he mused, wondering why he sounded so bizarre. Satisfied with his plans, he
relaxed on a cool slab deep in the tomb, folded arms over his chest and settled
into slumber.
* * *
Entering the
barracks during early morning, the commander beheld the crushed and mangled
corpse of one guard, and the pale, chalklike pallor of the other guard’s
cadaver, lying in stretchers on the floor. “What the hell happened out there?”
he barked at his second in command, hands on hips, his feet planted firmly one
shoulder length apart in a command posture.
“We don’t know
sir,” said the officer, “The relief guards arrived at the graveyard at sunup
and found the men dead. One was crushed by the boulder, and as for the other –
” He waved vaguely in the direction of his deceased comrades. His voice trailed
off, looking in horror at the strange appearance of the bloodless corpse.
“Do you see his
color?” asked the commander, glancing at the body.
“Yes sir,” the
officer answered, “In twenty years of service, I’ve never seen anything like
that!” Staring at the cadaver, he thought, Even bodies with major
arteries cut have a bit of color to them, this one’s white as a sheet!
“Neither have I,
we have to find out what killed him, and quick,” said the commander, turning to
leave. “Get a physician here immediately and see what he has to say, I’m
heading to the cemetery to have a look at the scene.”
“Yes sir,”
answered the officer, giving the air a Roman salute that his superior had not
remained for.
The commander
arrived at the sunlit graveyard along with an immunes, or specialist, an
engineer named Severus Germanicus, who quickly surveyed the scene, walking
about the area and examining the entrance of the tomb, afterward theorizing as
to what had happened.
“As I see it,”
the engineer began, “It seems the stone was pushed from the inside, not pried
from the outside.”
“How did you
determine this?” the commander asked, folding arms over his chest.
Pausing and
wiping his hands on a rag even though they were clean, the engineer felt a
chill run up his spine. Cemeteries had always made him uncomfortable, a
weakness he would never admit to anyone. Give me a clean Roman cremation
over these barbarian burials any day, he thought.
“Note the path of
the boulder sir,” said Severus, using a thumb to point in the direction of the
destroyed house, feeling little sympathy for its deceased occupants. After all,
who would be stupid enough to live next to a cemetery, even the pious priests
of this god-forsaken country would not think of doing so, something about the
rules of uncleanness.
“Yes,” replied
the commander, observing the path of destroyed tombstones, flattened saplings
and other debris leading from the opening.
“It’s practically
a straight line from the entrance of the sepulchre,” the engineer continued,
pointing to a line a surveyor had run from the tomb to the house. “If someone
had attempted to move the stone in this fashion from the outside, it would have
either crushed them to death as it moved, or else they would have pried it from
the sides, and the boulder would have taken a different path.”
“I understand,
but are you trying to say someone was inside the sepulchre, and pushed a stone
of that weight out by himself?”
“It had to be
someone inside the tomb, or perhaps some – thing,” the engineer answered with a
hint of foreboding, “There’s no other way the boulder could have taken such a
path.”
“You’re serious?”
“Yes sir, it
would be different if we were in Rome, perhaps a lever machine similar to a
siege engine could accomplish such a task there. The backward people here are
not technical enough for such a feat.”
“You think so?”
“Only a Roman or
Greek masterbuilder would be able to do this type of work, and even then
there’d be pry marks on the boulder where it was mortared.”
“Agreed.”
“Then he’d have
to remove the machine without leaving a trace, there are no forgotten tools, no
dropped funereal rags, not even fresh animal dung. Aside from that sir, we
still can’t account for the soldier who was crushed by the boulder, for he and
his comrade would have tried to stop them.”
“True.”
“So I ask
commander, how could they have made the guard stay still for the boulder to
crush him to death?” asked Severus, his arms out.
“They couldn’t,”
said the commander, knowing the disciplined guards would have done their duty,
as there were no cowards or traitors in his command.
“Further, any
such grave robbers would have needed draft oxen to haul the machine, the body
and their tools away when they were finished, and there are no tracks or ruts
from wheels.”
“Yes, so I
suppose there’s no point in rounding up his followers for questioning?”
“You can talk to
them if you want sir, but in my opinion, they had nothing to do with this,”
Severus replied, frowning and looking to the open tomb.
* * *
Jesus awoke at
dusk, hungry for blood. Stepping from his sepulchre, he saw a young woman
standing near Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb. It was a distraught Mary Magdalene,
her lovely visage causing him to raise an eyebrow.
“Why do you weep
woman?” asked Jesus in his disguised voice, walking to her.
“They’ve taken the
master and I know not where.” She moved the hair from her tearful eyes in an
unconsciously seductive manner, which was seen but ignored by the vampiric
Christ. A very attractive woman, the Magdalene was of his more trying tests of
self-control when he had been a preacher.
“No they haven’t,
I am he,” said Jesus, staring at her neck.
“Jesus!” she
exclaimed, “You’re alive!”
“No, I am far
from alive,” said Jesus, “Let’s put it this way, I exist.”
“What do you mean
master?” asked Mary, wiping her tears, confused by his reply, yet willing to
listen and learn a new lesson from her rabbi.
“I mean I’m a
vampire,” said Jesus, grabbing her by the shoulders and plunging fangs in her
soft throat. She gave a short muffled cry like that of a small animal injured,
collapsing in his arms. He sucked her blood, but not enough to kill her, as he
had always thought this dark haired, green eyed, Jewish – Benjaminite
prostitute attractive, and had actually loved her deeply when alive. During his
ministry, he had greatly enjoyed her company, her beautiful smile and past
seductive glances crossing his mind while he beheld her unconscious body; even
her sharp wit and intelligence had drawn him to her from the beginning. He
gently placed her in a recessed corner in his sepulchre and walked to
Jerusalem, heading to the home of procurator Pontius Pilate.
Mary Magdalene
would recover quickly, accompanying her master Jesus to Anatolia and later to
the continent of Europe, traveling with him as a vampire.
In Jerusalem, a
party and sex orgy was being held at the Pilate residence, a gigantic
pearlescent marble structure located in the downtown section of the city.
Arriving, Jesus strolled through the open bronze clad doors, noting the
debauchery, several couples openly having intercourse on cushions placed on the
marble floor. Standing near a hall entrance to the atrium, two men, one a
praetor, the other a consul, noticed Jesus. Finding him attractive, they
approached and propositioned him.
“A lovely party
isn’t it friend?” asked the consul, looking to Jesus.
“I suppose,”
Jesus answered in Latin, instinctively knowing them for what they were.
“You’re a
beautiful man, I think I’m falling in love with you this very moment,” said the
consul, batting eyes sensually at him.
“Indeed,” said
Jesus, hiding his disdain from the future victim.
“He’s a Hebrew
Urbanus, those like him trim the prepuces of their phalli so the head protrudes
even when unaroused,” said the praetor, named Carinus, having had homosexual
encounters with many inhabitants of Judea.
“I must see this
wonder for myself,” a smiling Urbanus declared, looking to Jesus’ crotch.
A disgusted
Jesus, seeing them as nothing more than food, played along, the three moving to
a secluded storeroom for their fateful encounter. Closing and locking the door,
the Romans disrobed, fully aroused.
“Why aren’t you
naked friend, remove your robe and undergarments so we can love each other,”
said Urbanus, staring at Jesus’ crotch while caressing his forearm.
Revolted by the
sight of his nude homosexual suitors, Jesus answered, “Because I’m hungry, not
queer, and I’m going to kill both of you.”
“Surely you
jest,” said a smiling Carinus, falling into Jesus’ arms for what he thought
would be a prelude for rough sex.
“No, I’m a
vampire and I need your blood to survive,” Jesus replied, fangs showing as he
held the enraptured man, not quite realizing how depraved he was.
“Love me to death
with your stiff and conquering phallus,” Carinus cooed, kissing Jesus on the
cheek, his reason clouded by his arousal.
“Certainly not,”
retorted Jesus, staring into the victim’s eyes.
Not wanting to
hear more lewd proposals, he hypnotized Carinus, but Urbanus, a rare, mentally
inflexible man incapable of entrancement, realizing he was in mortal danger,
attempted to flee. Moving quickly, Jesus appeared in the doorway, blocking his
escape. Lifting him bodily, he broke the consul’s back with his bare hands,
placing him in a sitting position, still alive, near the door. The horrified,
frozen praetor could only watch as the vampire bared fangs and knelt down to
suck Urbanus’ blood, plunging razor sharp incisors in his throat. Disposing of
the troublesome man, Jesus then slaughtered Carinus, draining the life from him
in seconds.
“Silly queers,”
said a smirking Jesus, holding the nude body of Carinus. Refreshed by the
nourishing blood, he dropped the corpse to the floor and left the room, closing
the door behind him.
“Where the hell’s
Pilate?” he spat, looking about the opulent reception hall. Told by a Gallic
slave that Pilate was having sex with a set of twins in the central courtyard,
he headed there.
Appalled at the
scene he observed, Jesus yelled, “Hey, shithead!”
Pilate was
leaning on a trellis in ecstasy, a naked blonde slave rapidly fellating him.
“Jesus Christ!”
Pilate exclaimed, standing up and pulling his suddenly flaccid organ from the
girl’s mouth as the vampire approached.
“That’s me,” said
Jesus, enjoying the sight of Pilate’s fear.
Pilate had turned
as white as his disheveled equestrian toga, beholding the late Son of Man. “It
can’t be you, you’re dead!”
“It is, and I am
undead, thank you,” said Jesus, looking in disgust at the much shorter Pilate
and his slaves, the girls cringing and attempting to cover their nude bodies
with their arms.
“Why are you
here?” asked a shaking Pilate, arranging his toga, trying to gain some control
of the situation.
“You condemned me
to death on the cross,” said Jesus in his strangely accented voice, staring
into Pilate’s eyes.
“No I didn’t, I
tried to stop them! All those Jews wanted you dead, what could I do?”
“You didn’t try
hard enough,” Jesus answered, entrancing Pilate and the two slaves.
He killed them by
sucking their blood, dropping the emptied bodies to the ground. Pausing, he
ogled the bodies of the nude girls in disgust, lifting one by a leg, noting
while looking closer at the body that she had been only a child, not even having
pubic hair.
Better to
be dead than to live a life like that, thought Jesus, staring at the
lifeless body of the other child slave.
Frowning, he
threw the corpse into a fountain thirty feet away, the body bouncing off a
bronze statue of Venus and landing in the water with a tremendous splash. A
surprised Jesus raised eyebrows at the superhuman feat, not recalling he had
easily moved the huge boulder blocking the entrance to the tomb, his physical
strength having increased over tenfold.
“What a pervert,”
he muttered, looking to Pilate’s remains, the body having a chalklike pallor,
contemplating the man’s unsuccessful defense of his actions. Thinking further,
he conceded Pilate might have had a point. “Oh well,” he added with a shrug,
staring at the bloodless body, knowing it was much too late for a reprieve.
Seeing a silver
goblet filled with perfumed wine on a table, Jesus paused to take a delicate
sip. It wasn’t his particular brand, but found the taste of the fermented
nectar quite palatable. “I can still enjoy wine,” he said with a smile,
emptying the goblet. Grabbing the bottle, nearly full, he corked it and slipped
it in his robe.
Bloated with
blood, he moved past the oblivious guests, occupied with their debauchery, and
left the ostentatious mansion. Nauseous, he staggered a few blocks down the
street, entering a local lavatorium. I suppose there’s a limit to the
blood I can drink, just like with wine, he thought, leaning over the
basin, vomiting excess blood into the sewer. Comfortable and sated, he left the
lavatorium and walked about Jerusalem, taking in the sights, making way to his
tomb near sunrise.
Mary Magdalene
sat in undead repose in a corner, her unconscious body transforming into a
vampire. I imagine it’ll take a few days for her to wake up,
thought Jesus, looking to the comatose Magdalene as he removed the bottle from
his robe. Pulling the stopper with his teeth, he spat it to the floor and took
a deep gulp of undiluted wine. “Not bad,” he observed with satisfaction,
finding the fermented nectar quite tasty. He finished it, soon finding he had
become a delightfully inebriated vampire. Back in his mortal days, he and many
of his followers had been, for all practical purposes, alcoholics, often
getting drunk together while discussing religious philosophy. Deeply satisfied
with the wonderful revelation that he could still enjoy wine, Jesus lay down on
a slab, closed his eyes, and settled into blissful sleep.
Rising at dusk,
he found to his surprise that Mary Magdalene had risen before him. She was
sitting on a slab, staring at her burned and blistered arms.
“Master, what has
happened to me?” she asked in a frightened voice, “I tried to walk outside and
it felt like I was on fire!”
“Verily I say
unto you,” said Jesus in his vampire voice, “I’ve brought you to the realm of
the undead: you are now a vampire, and cannot walk upon the earth while the sun
shines. Incidentally Mary, just call me Jesus,” he added, sitting up on his
slab.
“A vampire!” she
exclaimed, raising a hand in surprised horror to her pale cheek, “Jesus Christ,
is this your idea of eternal life?”
“It is now,” said
Jesus, stepping to the floor, “The only downside is you have to avoid the sun,
oak stakes, and prolonged contact with fire. That’s not too bad, considering
you’ll live forever if you avoid things like that in the future. Oh yes, I
almost forgot, you have to suck blood every night too.”
“Blood? That’s
disgusting, I can't do that!”
“Human blood, and
you must imbibe or you will truly die,” Jesus replied, correcting her. “Don’t
worry Mary, it’ll come natural, I’ll teach you, after all, I’m a teacher.”
“This isn't life,
it’s a living death,” said a frowning Magdalene.
“You may have a
point there, but it beats being truly dead doesn't it?” asked Jesus, leaning
against the wall of the tomb, staring out at the graveyard.
“Why did you do
this to me?” she asked, hands on her hips.
“Why?” asked
Jesus, feeling that if he did not answer her honestly, he would lose her forever.
He looked her in the eyes. “Mary, I was foolish not to take what you offered me
in life, you have always been very dear to me, and I wanted you to be with me.”
“Are you trying
to say you love me?”
“Yes, I do love
you woman,” said an embarrassed Jesus, avoiding her gaze and looking to the
entrance of their tomb.
“Why the hell
didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“Why, well, I
uh…” Jesus stammered, his voice trailing off.
Mary Magdalene
looked at Jesus and wondered why she had never seriously tried to seduce him;
the opportunity had come her way many times. Now perhaps he would be hers, but
she knew that regardless of his serene exterior, he could so easily be hurt.
She swallowed the harsh words she had, vowing to keep them to herself. “Well my
love, I suppose this does beat death, and why does your voice sound so weird?”
“Damnit all,”
said Jesus, even as he felt his heart lift at the words of his beloved
Magdalene, “I have to remember to disguise my voice.”
“Do I sound like
that?” she asked, who two thousand years in the future would still kid him for
occasionally sounding like Bela Lugosi.
“No, you sound
just as you did in the past,” Jesus answered, “That’s strange, I imagine only
some of us have this problem.”
“It is a
problem,” said Mary with a wry smile, “You sound goofy.”
Caressing her
cheek with a finger, Jesus asked, disguising his voice, “Is this better?”
“Much.”
They stepped from
their tomb into the night.
“It’s bright,
like the day,” she marveled, looking to Jerusalem, seeing flickering light from
street torches. In some areas, it had turned the stone and stucco buildings a
warm bronze color.
“Yes,” said
Jesus, looking to his lovely consort, smiling at the good fortune of having her
with him. “Your sight has changed so you can see in the dark. You won’t miss
the day, and we’ll have thousands of nights to enjoy, more than all the days of
Methuselah and then some.”
“Did God give us
this?” she asked, looking to Jesus, wondering what other delights there could
be for them to share.
“Who knows,” said
Jesus as they headed across the cemetery, “I’m not sure; frankly, after what I
went through last Friday, I don’t think there is a God, at least not one who
cares about the affairs of man.”
“Where are we
going?” she asked, relieved that he was not going to go off and start another
ministry.
“To visit old
friends.”
“Who?”
“The Pharisees
and Sadducees at the Temple.”
“Oh,” the
Magdalene replied, her quick mind comprehending, “I get it, revenge, right?”
“Exactly,” said
Jesus, determined to slaughter the evil Joseph Caiaphas and his minions by
sucking their blood.
“Do you think my
burned arms will get better?”
“Of course woman,
look at them.”
To her amazement,
her arms were quickly healing, returning to their normal appearance. They
headed into the city and toward the Temple complex, enjoying the coolness of
the early evening.
In the Temple
council chamber, an ostentatious room lined with polished stone benches covered
in costly cushions, various robed hypocrites, disguised as Pharisees, Sadducees
and Zealots, sat debating about Hebrew law, the vileness of pork, the terrible
Romans, and of how Jesus of Nazareth had been the son of Satan, not God.
“Yeah, but he’s
disappeared from his tomb and Pilate’s dead, along with his praetor!” exclaimed
Abram Ben-Joshua, a Benjaminite Zealot who had demanded Jesus’ death. “His
guards found his body in the mansion courtyard with two of his slaves.”
“Perhaps it was
robbers, murdering him for lucre,” said Baruch Zion, adversary of Sadducee
Caiaphas in their struggle for power.
“I don’t think so
Baruch,” Abram replied, “Soldiers found the men guarding the sepulchre dead as
well, and the boulder blocking the entrance is sitting half a stadia from the grave,
smashed through the side of a house. Something strange is going on, and we’d
best be on the lookout for that Levite b*****d Jesus.”
“Come on Abe, do
you really think he climbed out of the tomb on his own?” the wicked Caiaphas
asked, High Priest who had demanded death for the self-proclaimed Son of Man.
“The man was crucified, he died, and dead he will stay. The explanation is
simple; his disciples dragged his stinking carcass from the graveyard so they
could say he rose from the dead.”
“Probably,”
agreed a young Benjaminite Pharisee, named Saul of Tarsus.
“What does it
take to get through to you, Caiaphas?” asked Abram, pointing to the vestibule,
“Sunday morning a scribe found one of his disciples, Simon Peter, dead – back
there!”
“You’re saying
Jesus did it?” asked Caiaphas, hiding his glee at their apparent foolishness,
his judgment clouded by blind ambition. He would indeed go higher in the
temple with these fools saying a dead man had risen from the grave,
thought the Sadducee, they would be seen as insane and removed from their
positions by Herod Antipas and the Temple elders.
Then he could
assume the position he had coveted for so long – sole blessed treasurer of the
valuable sin gifts to the temple, a job that would allow him to embezzle untold
sums of silver shekels for his personal use. For had he not learned as a child
to misdirect and mislead from his childhood nurse, a woman who had slept with
his father for years – the vicious Jezebel still ruling his father’s house with
impunity, thanks to forbidden favors she gave him that his mother never would.
“I don’t know
Caiaphas, but they say Thomas and another disciple saw him Sunday and fled for
parts unknown,” said Abram, unaware that he and his fellows were playing into
the hands of an unknown enemy – the greedy, amoral Caiaphas. “Thomas may have
been a member of Jesus’ group, but he isn’t stupid. A man who knows both of us
swears Thomas was scared to death when he saw him, and suspects he has returned
as a vampire, bent on revenge.”
“A vampire, and
who are ‘they’?” asked Caiaphas, smirking.
“A Roman writer
named Pomponius Plinius Secundus and Julia Lucinda his wife,” Abram answered.
“They are lodged at Issachar’s hotel with their young son Pliny.”
“I know who
you’re talking about,” Shadrach Bar-Judah replied, another Pharisee who had
demanded the death of Jesus. “He’s the guy who wants to write an encyclopedia
of history, using that prodigy son of his as a scribe to record events around
the empire.”
“You’re kidding,”
said a frowning Caiaphas, shaken by what he heard. “Pomponius Secundus is a man
of letters, well educated, and I know him too.” He rose to his feet and added,
“Excuse me brethren, I’m heading to the hotel to hear firsthand what he has to
say.”
“I’m coming with
you,” Saul of Tarsus declared, rising from his softly covered stone bench.
Both left the
temple as Jesus approached, these men forever escaping his wrath. The
Pharisees, Sadducees and Zealots resuming in their discussion, Jesus and Mary
silently climbed the temple stairs, entering the council chamber, confronting
most of the holy men who had condemned the gentle preacher to death.
Abram looked up
and said, “So, Thomas of Capernaum was right, you have risen, surely you are
the Son of God.”
“I don’t know
about that anymore,” said Jesus, pausing and looking to his consort. The
Magdalene’s instincts were awakening, she staring hungrily at their necks,
sharp fangs emerging from her gums for the first time. “But there’s one thing I
do know,” he added, turning to the assemblage of hypocrites.
“What is that
Rabbi?” asked Shadrach.
“That I’m going
to kill all of you, for killing me,” said Jesus, entrancing and freezing them
to their spots.
Six Hebrew
fanatics met their end, as the Son of Man, a vampire, and his consort, Mary the
Magdalene, dropped the bodies to the floor, she wiping her mouth on the robe of
one victim.
Jesus sat down on
a couch, belched loudly and remarked, “See, it wasn’t that bad was it?”
“No, but I feel
bloated,” said Mary, rising from the cooling cadavers, rubbing her distended
stomach.
“Two or three
seems to be the limit, and you’re rather small,” Jesus replied, watching her
move her hand. “If you like we can go to a lavatorium and purge the excess.”
“I need to; thank
you Jesus, you’re still a wonderful teacher,” she answered politely, smiling in
gratitude. Jesus nodded, embarrassed at her extolations.
They left the
Temple and headed to a lavatorium, where Mary vomited half of her hemoglobin
supper into the sewers of Jerusalem.
“Would you like
to see the city at night, it’s beautiful,” said Jesus, while Mary leaned over
the basin, wiping coagulating blood from her mouth.
“I’d love to,”
replied his smiling consort, sensing the blooming romance between her and
Jesus, a man she had been deeply in love with for several years.
They strolled
Jerusalem for hours, hand in hand, enjoying their surroundings, agreeing the
Romans were probably the best thing that ever happened to Judea, with their
villas, plumbing, aqueducts and sewerage systems. The main streets lit by
torchlight, the beauty of the golden stonework and slightly darker concrete
masonry gave the deserted streets an amber hue.
As the sky began
to lighten, Jesus said, “We’d best head to our tomb woman.”
“Do you have to
put it that way?” the Magdalene asked, facing him with arms around his waist.
She hoped that in time he would understand that romance was an art form, as
much as seduction or dancing, and like all art, it had to be practiced, even if
she had to help him.
Jesus looked to
the beautiful, raven-haired vampiress and replied, “No my dear Mary, perhaps a
better word would be our home.” He kissed her passionately, the Magdalene overwhelmed
by his embrace, her body nearly growing limp.
“What‘s wrong, my
woman?” asked Jesus, holding her in his arms.
“Oh, nothing, I
just love you, that’s all,” said Mary, feeling flushed.
“And I love you
Mary, I have always loved you,” said Jesus, taking her hand in his.
Maybe he
does understand, she thought, smiling and strolling beside him toward
the sepulchre, hand in hand.
* * *
Jesus Christ
still had scores to settle, fires of revenge burning within his tormented mind.
Awakening the following evening, he told Mary of his intent to destroy his
disciples. “Judas Iscariot’s the one I really want,” he said, his eyes narrowed
in contempt, “I’ve disposed of Peter, but I have to get that traitorous Judas.
He’s worse than Peter ever was and he must not escape me.”
“Why’d you kill
Peter, I thought he was your friend.”
“He was my
friend, but he denied me three times.”
“You actually
killed him for that?”
“Maybe I did
screw up there woman, but I was rather angry that night.”
“And you’re not
angry now?” asked Mary, stifling a laugh, looking to her frowning consort.
“I am to a
degree, but I must dispose of friend Judas nevertheless,” said Jesus, realizing
his slaughter of Peter was perhaps unjustified.
“You’ll get him,
he was hanging around the Temple the past few days before you turned me,” Mary
replied, not pressing further regarding Peter. “I imagine he’s looking for more
money. John told me Saturday that Judas plans to sell out Lucius the Christ
next, for 60 pieces of silver.”
Only in the game
for lucre and earthy glory, the cynical, traitorous Judas Iscariot had been
paid off amply by the high priests in Tyrian tetradrachmae to betray his
innocent friend Jesus, the amount given him considered a small fortune in those
days.
“What an
a*****e,” said Jesus, slipping into his vampire voice, “Lucius Christ is a liar
and charlatan, I’m the real Christ, and that b*****d Judas sold me out for only
30 pieces of silver!”
“Brother John
said the same thing.”
“John is a good
man; I’ll spare him,” Jesus declared, disguising his voice.
“The other
disciples believed in you too,” said Mary, hoping to blunt his maniacal desire
for vengeance.
“Thomas doesn’t
anymore.”
“Who cares, lots
of people don’t believe in you – you can't kill them all.”
“Quite true, but
I must destroy Judas Iscariot.”
“I agree,” said
Mary, “He deserves it; incidentally, do you have any idea where he’s been
spending most of his time since betraying you?”
“Not really,
considering I was dead until recently. I suppose he's living high in the
saddle, letting all that blood money burn a hole in his pocket.”
“You guessed part
of it, but get this, he’s spent a lot of it at a brothel I used to work at.”
“He used it to
buy w****s?”
“Yes.”
“What vermin he
is, verily I say, I never trusted him; Judas is as slippery as a bucket of
eels,” said Jesus, his accent returning.
“Jesus, your
voice.”
“Of course, thank
you Mary,” said Jesus, disguising his voice.
Leaving the cemetery,
they headed into the cool spring night in search of Judas Iscariot. Arriving at
the brothel entrance, Jesus noted business was brisk; the place was packed. By
torchlight, pictures painted on the walls in brilliant colors graphically
illustrated the services provided and the cost of each in Roman currency.
“You’ll have to
wait friend,” said a pimp at the door, holding up hands. “All the girls are
busy with other customers.”
“I’m not looking
for a girl,” Jesus replied.
“Oh,” said the
smirking pimp, “We don’t do that here, but my brother Ephraim on the next block
–”
Dear Jesus,
do you have a lot to learn, thought Mary, stifling a sudden fit of
giggles his innocence had incurred.
Jesus ignored the
insult and said, “No sir, I'm not looking for men either. As you can see I have
my woman, I’m looking for a friend that frequents here.”
“Sorry, what’s
the name?” the pimp asked.
“Judas Iscariot.”
“I know him, he’s
in back,” said the pimp, pointing the way with a jerk of a thumb, pleased that
Judas was telling friends about the expert abilities of the ladies in his
charge.
“Take me to him.”
“Perhaps we
should wait till he’s finished with Adria,” said the pimp, not wanting to lose
business, after all, a patron would not return to his brothel if he didn’t get
his money’s worth.
“That won’t do,
take me to him now,” Jesus ordered, staring into the pimp’s eyes. The entranced
pimp obediently led them to the rear of the brothel.
“You do that
well,” Mary whispered into his ear, “Will you teach me?”
“You’ll learn in
time.”
The pimp stopped
at a door, pointed, and walked away.
“What do we do
now?” asked Mary.
“Watch, I intend
to have fun with this guy.”
“Yeah, but I'm
getting hungry.”
“Take the w***e
after we enter, but leave Judas to me.”
“Okay.”
The sounds of
sexual pleasure were coming from the small room, the voice clearly that of
Judas Iscariot. Jesus pushed the door down with one arm and entered, standing
on the broken door. Judas turned and leapt from the sheets, leaving a
frightened Adria naked on the bed.
Mary moved for
the w***e, Jesus blocking her path. “Hold on girl, you'll get her in a minute.”
“Jesus!” a
terrified Judas cried, beholding the risen Son of Man.
“In the flesh.”
“Master, I can
explain,” said Judas.
“That would prove
interesting my friend, but I don’t feel there is any need,” Jesus replied.
Always a liar,
the treacherous Judas was trying to buy time, moving for a sharp dagger
concealed in his robe. He found it, pulled it out and plunged it deep into the
vampiric Christ’s chest, waiting to run after he fell. To Judas’ surprise,
Jesus smiled and pulled the 8-inch dagger from his chest, dropping it to the
floor.
“You’ll have to
do better than that,” retorted Jesus, chuckling at the horrified Judas. Turning
from him, he looked to the naked w***e, and said in his accented voice, “Take
her Mary, we have other things to do!”
The Magdalene
moved like lightning, plunging fangs deep and sucking her dry in seconds.
“Come, my friend
Judas,” ordered Jesus, having entranced his betrayer during his consort’s
attack. Judas, wishing he could resist, obeyed. He led Judas and Mary from the
brothel, out of the city and into the countryside near their sepulchre. Like a
zombie, Jesus stood the betrayer near a stunted olive tree, sitting down on a
stone with the Magdalene.
“What are you
going to do with him?” she asked, hands folded in her lap.
“I haven't
decided, but it’s definitely going to be painful.”
“Why not hang
him?”
“No, that’s much
too easy, besides, we haven’t any rope.”
“How about
torturing him to death, that’s a good idea isn't it?”
“Perhaps,” Jesus
answered, staring at his terrified victim.
“You know,” said
the Magdalene, “When I was a w***e, Judas beat the hell out of me at the
brothel one day. When he’s drunk he has a mean streak toward women, he really
got a kick out of beating my head against a wall.”
“Really? Then
perhaps you should beat his head against that tree. After all, is it not
written, even from the time of Hammurabi: An eye for an eye and a tooth for a
tooth?”
“But I thought
you wanted to kill him.”
“You can kill him
if you like, I don’t care, just do it slowly,” said Jesus with a wave of a
hand. She headed to the olive tree, intending to beat the traitor’s skull
against its thick trunk.
“Why are you
doing that?” asked Jesus, Mary reaching for Judas’ head.
“What do you
mean?” she asked, confused by his question, her hand held high, stopped before
she could grab a handful of hair.
“Use your mind;
make him beat his head against the tree. I’ll release him to you so you can try
it.”
“We can do that?”
she asked, walking over and sitting on the stone, ready to learn from her
undead rabbi.
“With practice,
give it a try; you seem more vicious than I am anyway.”
Mary concentrated
and found her entrancement power came easily. She forced Judas to slam his head
against the tree until he was nearly unconscious, his face and scalp a bloody
pulp. Satisfied with his consort’s talent at torture, Jesus walked over to
Judas. He ran a finger across the blood-covered forehead and put it in his
mouth, enjoying the taste. He lifted the tortured body with one arm, raising
his betrayer into the air.
“You greedy
b*****d,” Jesus spat in his vampiric accent, “Verily I say, those like you make
our people look bad! You sold me out, fornicating in a brothel as they
crucified me!” The terrified Judas, weak and with a severe concussion, was
unable to say anything in defense, even if he had been able to think of one,
his forced delirium numbing the pain somewhat. Disgusted, he dropped Judas to
the ground in a crumpled heap.
“Is he dead?”
asked Mary.
“Not yet, but I’m
sure he wishes he was,” said Jesus, walking to the stone and sitting down.
“Can we make him
make him beat his head some more or is he too tired to do that?”
“Tired or not, we
could make him beat his head against that tree until he died from the blows,
but I think the whole affair is getting boring,” a chuckling Jesus replied.
“What else can we
make him do?” asked Mary, lying on her side on the large stone, resting her
head on her right arm.
“Anything as long
as he’s alive, it’s as if he were a puppet.”
“Can I make him
dance?”
“Easily, but what
will that accomplish?”
The Magdalene
smiled. “Okay, can I make him walk off that cliff?”
“Sure, why not,
we need to get rid of him, go ahead.”
Mary
concentrated, spoke words of command, and incredibly, Judas rose to his feet,
terrified. Turning, he walked off a 100-foot cliff to his death, the broken
body bouncing off the rocks below, landing lifeless in a crumpled heap next to
a stream.
Satisfied in his
revenge, Jesus said, “I’ll be back in a minute woman, there’s no point in
wasting good blood.” Assuming the form of a bat, he flew down the cliff and
sucked the warm corpse dry.
Returning, he
took human form, Mary exclaiming as she beheld the transformation, “I didn’t
know we could do that!”
“It comes in handy, don’t you think?”
“How did you do
it?”
“The same way I
do anything else, by concentrating - give it a try.”
Mary concentrated
and assumed chiropteric form, flitting about the cemetery, alighting on the
stone and returning to human form. “That was easy.”
“You’re a
natural,” said Jesus, smiling.
“What would you
like to do next?”
“It’s early, why
don’t we head back to town so I can find and kill other enemies,” Jesus
suggested, leaning against a tall tombstone.
“What happened to
the idea of forgiveness?”
“That was then,
this is now,” said Jesus, sitting down beside her, “In other words, I now do
unto others as they have done unto me.”
“Oh,” the
Magdalene replied in a subdued voice, noting that his latest admonitions were
much different from any he had ever uttered when alive. Relaxing for a moment,
Mary wrinkled her nose at the scent of dried blood. The odor would be barely
discernable to mortals, but was almost overwhelmingly pungent to undead
nostrils. She sat up and noticed that she and Jesus were dirty, thanks to
sleeping during the day in dusty tombs and wandering about at night, murdering
people by sucking their blood. I need a change of clothes and so does he,
she thought.
“So Jesus, how
long do you think you’ll be, killing enemies and such?”
“Why?” asked
Jesus, staring in the direction of the cliff.
“I’d like to go
to one of the baths and perhaps shop for some new clothes tonight.”
“Why?”
“The ones I’m
wearing are disgusting,” said Mary, pointing to her dusty garb, “You should
clean up too, you’re still covered in funereal oil.”
Jesus looked down
and held his clothes away from his body, noting that he was spattered with
dried blood and dust. The odor was bothersome, but adding the almost
overpowering stench of rancid oil and myrrh, he agreed that a bath and change
of clothes was a good idea.
A thought crossed
his mind. “The vendors are closed woman, besides, we haven’t any money.”
“That’s no
problem, we’ve killed nearly a dozen people in the last day or two – I don’t
think stealing clothes and a bath will make any real difference now.”
Ruminating on the
statement, he decided she was right, and after a few more enemies
were disposed of, they would head to the Roman baths after
finding or stealing new, or at least clean, clothes.
Through
entertaining themselves with Judas’ agony, they returned to Jerusalem. Jesus
had decided to hunt for the Roman soldiers who had scourged him, along with
others who helped nail him to the cross and mocked him while hanging helpless
on the cross. Arriving at the barracks near midnight, they were viewed
suspiciously by a soldier guarding the gate.
“What do you
want, Jew?” the guard sneered in bad Hebrew.
“I’m looking for
Decius Publius,” answered Jesus in flawless Latin.
“Decius isn’t
here; he's at Pilate’s residence with the acting procurator, centurion Flavius.
Incidentally, what would a man like Decius want with arena bait like you?”
“Pardon me, but I
am a Levite, sir, not a Jew,” said Jesus, disgusted that Romans could not tell
the difference between the few tribes of Hebrews left in the province of Judea,
of which the tribe of Levi was a part.
“So?”
“Levites are the
inherent tribal priests of the Hebrew people.”
“Who cares, why
would Decius want to see you?”
“I don’t really
think he does want to see me, but he will see me tonight anyway,” Jesus
answered, turning from the guard.
“Wait!” the guard
ordered, reaching for his weapon. “You look familiar, who are you?”
“Who do I look
like friend?” asked Jesus, turning back and moving in closer, concealing his
fangs.
The guard stared
at the stranger, his identity dawning on him.
“You’re that
Jesus guy, the man Decius crucified!” the frightened guard exclaimed, moving
back and drawing a gladius. Jesus grabbed his arm with his left and broke it at
the elbow, the sword falling harmlessly to the ground. Not feeling particularly
hungry, he started to strangle him.
“Don’t kill him,”
said Mary, grabbing his arm, not out of sympathy for the guard, but because she
was hungry.
Relaxing his grip
and dropping the unconscious man to the ground, Jesus replied, “By all means,
why didn’t you ask me earlier?”
“You didn’t give
me any time to,” she said, sinking fangs into the victim’s throat. Quickly
draining him, she rose, wiped her mouth and added, “I needed that.” An
understanding smile crossed Jesus’ face as he took her hand in his.
“Let’s find
Decius, I should be hungry by that time, woman.”
Heading to
Pilate’s residence, Mary asked, “Who’s Decius?”
“The soldier that
nailed me to the cross.”
“You're pretty
pissed at him aren't you?”
“How would you
feel in my sandals?”
Mary fell silent
as they approached the opulent mansion. Just outside the wrought iron entrance
gate stood a guard.
“Who goes there?”
called the guard.
“Jesus of
Nazareth.”
“Who?”
“Jesus of
Nazareth.”
“I don’t know
anyone by that name,” the guard answered.
“Good, drop dead
you Roman b*****d,” said Jesus, the guard falling to the porch and dying on the
spot.
“Can I do that?”
asked Mary in amazement.
“I doubt it,”
said Jesus, “Verily I say, there are some things only the Son of Man can
accomplish, and even I know not how.”
“Does such power
come from God?” she asked, wondering about the supernatural abilities they had.
“I don’t know,
but if there is a God, surely such comes from him,” Jesus replied, having had
time to think about the situation they were in, putting it in a more positive
light.
“Since he’s dead,
may I?” asked Mary, looking to the body.
“Make it fast, I
have work to do,” said Jesus, surprised that such a small woman could consume
so many meals in one evening. She drained the corpse quickly, wiped her mouth,
rose to her feet and they headed through the gate into Pilate’s residence.
“Decius Publius,
Etruscan of Rome, where are you?” Jesus called while they stood in the doorway.
“Here,” answered
proud centurion Decius Publius, stepping from the courtyard in full armor,
beholding Jesus and folding arms across his chest.
“Do you know who
I am?” asked Jesus.
“You’re Jesus of
Nazareth, also called the Christ, who I crucified last Friday,” said Decius,
standing in the threshold.
Jesus, taken
back, asked, “Don’t you fear me?”
“I fear no one,
not even Caesar, and I don’t give a damn who you are, whether you’re the son of
Jupiter or Pluto,” said Decius, walking toward Jesus.
“Kill him,” Mary
hissed in Aramaic, strangely understanding much of the gist of the
conversation, though not at all fluent in Latin.
“No, this man is
different,” replied Jesus, walking to Decius, intent on getting the measure of
the man.
“Some say you’re
the risen Son of God, others say you’re a bloodsucking vampire,” said Decius,
boldly facing Jesus.
“Am I?”
“I don’t believe
in God, and I don’t care if you’re a vampire, the fates will determine my
life,” a smiling Decius answered, drawing a polished steel gladius.
Jesus, astonished
at his remarks and actions, observed the soldier with interest.
Decius continued,
“I was once a gladiator, I was made a slave as a child; my family fell into
disfavor under Augustus. I’ve beaten and killed 100 men in the arena to win my
freedom, and I proudly wear my signet ring of citizenship. I’ve fought beasts –
bulls, jackals, tigers; even lions, barehanded. Go ahead Jesus, if you have the
guts, try to subdue me, you vampire Jew, I’ll fight you to the death and
proudly. If you defeat me so be it, and may the best man win!”
“You’ve been
through a lot haven’t you?” asked Jesus in a subdued voice. A feeling of
kinship passed over him and a deep compassion for the hardened soldier welled
to the surface, the same emotions that had unwittingly helped lead to his
unjust crucifixion.
“You could say
that,” retorted Decius, disdaining and uncaring of the compassion which seemed
to emanate from the vampiric Christ.
“You crucified
me!” exclaimed Jesus, unable to let the transgression pass, his darker side
coming to the surface.
“It was nothing
personal, I was following orders. Procurator Pilate ordered it, he was the
governor. I had to follow his directives as a soldier of the Empire; I’m sworn
on my honor to do so. Tell me, as a man, what would you have done in my place?”
“Kill him,” said
the Magdalene, lunging for Decius.
“No Mary, it
would be wrong,” said Jesus, moving an arm in front of her, “I understand him,
this gentleman is a man of honor, and that is rare indeed in this world.”
“What?” asked
Mary, “Are you crazy, this b*****d crucified you – he nailed you to the cross!”
“That may be
true, but he doesn't deny it and has faced me.”
Decius stood his
ground, sword in hand.
“You’re an
honorable man?” asked Jesus.
“I’d rather die
before I would compromise my honor.”
“Verily I say
unto you, I am a vampire, and could kill you with a single word, like I did
with your guard.”
“I know.”
“Don’t you fear
that?”
“Yes, I fear
that, but if you kill me now, I will have died a man and not a coward. It’s
better to die that way, as you tried to do while being scourged.”
“I can’t take
this man,” said Jesus, turning from Decius and moving a hand to his forehead.
“I can,” Mary
replied with a vicious smile, moving toward the centurion that had harmed her
rabbi.
“No woman!”
ordered Jesus, invoking his authority over her.
The Magdalene
reluctantly obeyed. She had to
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Is anyone even here?7 Years AgoThe site seems to be deserted.
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James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause7 Years Agoeveryday i look in the mirror and say "what? you still here?" Man! Like even today. I woke up this morning, you know? and the sun was shining and everything was nice. Then the first thing that happens is i see you, and i thought this is going to be a terrific day so you better live it up, boy, "cause tomorrow maybe you'll be nothing. (James Dean from Rebel Without a Cause by James Fuller) |
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STEPS TO FOREVER7 Years AgoI just don't want to cry anymore
I've been into this before I met you
So even if I am hurt this time
Come with me and let's give it a try.
I've been too much addicted to bitterness
All I wanted to feel is the love from you
So even if my heart's dying until now
Let me feel your undying love.
I can't take this situation we have
Am I falling or just my imagination?
So even if I am not sure yet
Join me to discover the answer.
Now I know what this really is
My infatuation nor my temporary feelings
So even if you waited for so long
You still don't give up and give your
love.
But now is a different story
I learned to love but you are leaving
So even if you went for a while
I will wait for you, I promise you.
After a long run, we achieve
Our love and care for each other
So even if there were ups and downs
Walking down the aisle have been my dream
come true
All of these unforgettable years
You are still here with me
So even if I'm angry, I still love you
Still loving you no matter what happens
I may shout at you when we fight
Having mood swings cause of pregnancy
So even if it's hard for me to carry
Never give up for I love you and this
child
Thirty-six weeks have gone so fast
This is the time I really need your hand
So even i it hurts so much
I know you're there to relax my mind.
Ninty-two days were hard for us
Cleaning his poop was disgusting enough
So even if it's unpleasant to smell
Ignoring will I do just to take care of
our child
Years have passed so fast like we couldn't
feel
We have now a princess and a prince
So even if it really is stressing
Please calm me and let me know it's all
right.
We watched them grow and grow taller
They have now their own responsibilities
So even if it's too hard to let them go
We need to cause they need to be brave
without us.
I am glad that they're there for each
other
Loving and protecting was always with them
So even if we were not here for a while
They now know what to do
Primary, secondary and high school has
passed
They are now both a grown children of ours
So even if we scolded them
We both know that they know what's right
Both taken the course medicine
For they'll take care of us when we grow
old, they said
So even if we were not able to walk again
You and I know, they'll be our feet
Five thousand, one hundred and ten days
were done
They are both professional doctors now
So even if we had both sickness
taking care of us would be the best way
they'll do
We have now grandchildren like we wanted
Now I really knew my love for you is
strong
So even if now we're too old to be true
I would still kiss you and love you.
And now we are lying next to each other
Feeling each others arms and felt loved
So even if we will now rest in peace
We both know at both eighty- five, I still
love you... forever.
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New to the group!7 Years AgoHowdy ya'll!
Ya'll can call me becca. I'm focusing mainly on two stories right now, A Silvertongue's Tale, and a side project called Southwind's story. I hope to meet some other writers here and see ya'lls work! |
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my 19 books7 Years Ago I am proud to say that I now have 19 published books out there. My newer books
can be seen at michael
reisman - Lulu.com
My older books can be seen at Titles
by : iUniverse |
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Yahoo Customer Care Phone Number7 Years AgoLooking for Yahoo Customer Service Number? It is here at +1-888-411-1123 for USA, CANADA. Yahoo Technical Support Contact Phone Number for troubleshooting all sorts of Yahoo mail Errors just by toll free directly. You can reach to us at any time 24x7 and get instant customer care service from our experts.
Visit:
www.customer-servicenumber.com/yahoo-customer-care/ |
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Yahoo Customer Care Phone Number7 Years AgoLooking for Yahoo Customer Service Number? It is here at +1-888-411-1123 for USA, CANADA. Yahoo Technical Support Contact Phone Number for troubleshooting all sorts of Yahoo mail Errors just by toll free directly. You can reach to us at any time 24x7 and get instant customer care service from our experts.Visit: www.customer-servicenumber.com/yahoo-customer-care/
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Death Raised. Issue 18. Is now out7 Years AgoThe latest of my weekly Dark Fantasy series comic Death Raised is out with Issue 18. Hope you all enjoy. RATE AND SHARE XD
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Death Raised. Issue 18. Is now out7 Years AgoThe latest of my weekly Dark Fantasy series comic Death Raised is out with Issue 18. Hope you all enjoy. RATE AND SHARE XD
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Death Raised. Issue 18. Is now out7 Years AgoThe latest of my weekly Dark Fantasy series comic Death Raised is out with Issue 18. Hope you all enjoy. RATE AND SHARE XD
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Death Raised. Issue 18. Is now out7 Years AgoThe latest of my weekly Dark Fantasy series comic Death Raised is out with Issue 18. Hope you all enjoy. RATE AND SHARE XD
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Death Raised. Issue 18. Is now out7 Years AgoThe latest of my weekly Dark Fantasy series comic Death Raised is out with Issue 18. Hope you all enjoy. RATE AND SHARE XD
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Death Raised. Issue 18. Is now out7 Years AgoThe latest of my weekly Dark Fantasy series comic Death Raised is out with Issue 18. Hope you all enjoy. RATE AND SHARE XD
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Death Raised. Issue 18. Is now out7 Years AgoThe latest of my weekly Dark Fantasy series comic Death Raised is out with Issue 18. Hope you all enjoy. RATE AND SHARE XD
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