Excommunicated

Excommunicated

By: Ethan West

"I sit here now, my life fading.  Blood is pooling at my feet.  I am a broken man, destroyed by mere coincidence.  But it is unimportant right now.  I need to warn you…  I need to warn you…

I was about nineteen when it happened.  It was my birthday, how was I supposed to know it was the day of my damnation, of my excommunication.  When I woke up that morning it was like any other day.  I worked an apprenticeship at the old blacksmith's hut.  That was when my master, the blacksmith sprinted out the door waving a piece of paper in his hand.

"You need to get out of here Sam," he screamed.  "They, they are after you."  I stared at the old man with contempt.  I had done nothing wrong, and I certainly had no intention of leaving.  But that's when it all went downhill.

The guard, alarmed by the shouts of the blacksmith, had left their post by the town gate.  They galloped up the cobblestone road towards us.  Their faces contorted with disgust as their eyes rested on mine.

"Poor b*****d," one of them sighed.  "That poor, poor b*****d."  The other man dismounted and lifted his gauntleted fists.  The blows roared down on me like thunder, the other man slowly withdrew his knife.  He slid the sinister blade down my arm as the skin split in two, as effortlessly as if it were merely paper.  I screamed in pain and misery as my torturers continued to mangle my broken body.  Once they were satisfied with the carnage they loaded me up on one of their horses.  By now I know where they were taking me.  I t was where the damned go, this I knew.  But what had I done?  I sobbed into the horse's rear as they approached the castle.

I was still in tears when my torturers threw me on the ground in my cell.  The pain in my arm was terrible as blood ran down my arm, dripping at my feet.  My body shook uncontrollable as I placed my bleeding arm against the wall of my cell.  The wall was ice cold, temporarily stopping the flow of blood.  It was then that I heard the loud rattling on the bars of my cell.  I looked up with dazed eyes as a large man entered.  My blackened eyes could not make out any details.  But his voice echoed loudly through my prison.

"Sam Amain you know why  you're here, correct?"  I was befuddled by the question, how in the hell was I supposed to know?  In fact I still don't know to this day.  "No," I answered after a brief pause.  The man lifted what looked like a sheet of parchment from his jacket.  "By order of The Holy Pope you are herby sentenced to excommunication due to your actions on Sunday January 24th."  My mind fogged instantly as his words washed over me.  "No…  No…"  The man stared at me sympathetically as tears welled up again in my eyes.

"Come," the man said sullenly as he withdrew a dagger from its sheath at his side.  "I shall end your suffering."

"No!"  I shouted.  "There must be a mistake.  I didn't do anything wrong.  I just carried about my business as usual.  Please god no this must be a mistake!"

But the man's sympathy only lasted so long.  His eyes hardened and his tone became sharp.  "Listen to me you wretched creature, if you do not want to die that is one thing but do NOT insult The Holy Pope.  Not here, not ever.  I will bring an inquisitor.

The man drew a cross on his chest as he left my cell.  I tried to call out to him, I tried to explain myself.  But all that came out of my mouth was a cold, sinister, crackling laugh as my fate became clear.  Perhaps I was the abomination they claimed me to be.  I mean what kind of man laughs when he has been given a death sentence?  It was at that moment that I lost my sanity, and all hope of rejuvenation.

So it came to be that the inquisitor made his way to my cell.  He was carrying two black metal objects in his hand.  I swore under my breath.  He was carry ing thumbscrews.  I leapt to my feet hastily and charged the man.  But he was larger than I and, unlike me, he was not weak from loss of blood.  He hit me in my stomach, making my eyes feel as if they were about to leap from my face.  He placed the thumbscrews on my thumbs and began to twist them shut.  I screamed at the top of my voice as my fingernails split and my blood splattered on the torture instrument.  My blood began mixing with the dried blood of its previous victims as it dug itself deeper into my thumb.

But this did not satisfy the inquisitor it only seemed to excite him.  He continued twisting the thumbscrew until my bones began to protrude from my blackened skin.  It was then that I fainted.  I know not what else they must have done to me thereafter.

I awoke with a start in a different cell.  My head was swimming:  I had no idea how long I had been out.  But I gazed down at the pulp that used to be my thumbs and let out a wail of pain and misery.  My hands were shaking violently, what little that was left of my thumbs were soaked with warm blood.

But it was then that I realized something so terribly horrid that it made everything that I had been through seem like minor inconveniences.  I had been lying in a pool of water, and my open wounds had been soaking in the filth.  My arm was black and blue and had no feeling in it… it was rotting off.  In a fury unmatched by any man before me I cried out.  "Oh lord why am I forsaken?"

Suddenly a man touched my arm, a man that I hadn't seen due to my panic and pain.  He had been whipped raw and blood was running down his arm.  He was paper thin and his skin, or what was left of it, was chalk white.

"You are not… forsaken."  he began as he placed something in my blood soaked palm.  I stared at him for what felt like minutes, and then turned my attention to what he had given me.  It was a plain, wooden cross.

A warm tear slid down my cheek as my body began to seize up; its feeble pleas to remain among the living ignored by the darkness around us.  The man looked at me and smiled sadly, I didn't know why but I was smiling back.  My new found friend fell to the floor with a thud.  In fact, he is right over there, right in the middle of our cell.

But, as I said before, I am dying; and I must deliver my message… my warning… to you.  Do not lose hope.  For even though the world has lost all hope in you god has not.  Know this and you will never be beaten… and you will never… be forsaken…"

The man slid from the wall with a groan as death overtook him.  Though I was saddened by his passing he was right.

We weren't damned yet...

Author's Note

Dug this one out of "the vault," I think I wrote it about 4 years ago lol please let me know what you think. Any input is greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Reviews

[Eve]

But, as I said before, I am dying; and I must deliver my message… my warning… to you. Do not lose hope. For even though the world has lost all hope in you god has not. Know this and you will never be beaten… and you will never… be forsaken…"

love this stanza, very powerful message in this, I love the voice in this, do not lose hope, beautiful .

[ewest1220]

Thanks! I'm really thrilled you enjoyed my work!

[Warrior]

Great story telling. This did justice in the realm of getting the message across. Great message. There's lot of times where a story can have a great message to aim for, and have a lot of under lining things but then no one gets it, and if no one gets it, then the point has failed. But in my opinion this did well to get the message across. You made it clear, which is why I think it's good. Keep up the good work. What was also great was that I could imagine the story as I read it, and that is also a strong point of stories. The ability to have the reader imagine it because after all we're reading not watching it, but it was as if I was there as I read this, and that is great. Good job once again.

[emilythestrange]

Wow. I think this was the first story on her that left me shaking at the end of it. Seriously I can barely type. Wow. I cannot sum this up in words, so I'm just going to have to give you an Emoji.
🐸

[ewest1220]

Emoji's are just as awesome for the record! I'm really glad you liked this thanks again for reading!

[emilythestrange]

😃

[blackdiamondbella]

I like the fact that, despite the horrors being done, you still clung on to the theme of hope at the end. Perhaps you could explore a bit on what your protagonist did to be tortured.

[ewest1220]

I thought about it, but back then you didn't really need a reason so I'm in conflict with whether or not to add that detail. However I really am thankful you enjoyed my work thank you so much for reading!

[Mariah Corey]

instead of spit when the knife cuts him how about split or opened. But other than that it was amazing. :D

[ewest1220]

whoops! Fixing that now lol thanks!

[Mariah Corey]

np. other than tht it sounds great.

[Seyi Ojenike]

Good one here ^_~

[ewest1220]

Thanks!

[Shelley Holt-Lowrey]

So we never know what he did on that day? OK can live with that as part of the charm of the tale, and in that it is not important to the message - which is hope. I agree with the reviewer in the box down there... thumb screws were tough to stomach, but that is me also.

Only two suggestions: 1) You would think an Inquisitor would make a query before the torture. Perhaps he is not an Inquisitor. 2) Last word 10th para. Rejuvination? Don't think that is the word you want. It means to make young again. Redemption perhaps??

Otherwise, a very interesting and robust little tale here. Thanks for it. Nice to read short-stories here.

[ewest1220]

Two very good points :) I wrote this 4 years ago when I was in high school so I was looking for errors like that thank for pointing it out! Also thank you so much for reading I'm glad you liked it!

[Shelley Holt-Lowrey]

And thank you for taking it as intended. Truly a good story!

[Ama May Cooper]

Grim , Gory and Fan bloody tastic.
Another gripping tale with your artistic mind. I thought this piece was powerful and strong, laced with a kind of eerie feeling which is odd because im not sure that was the intention in this piece.
Your characterization is strong, your character is obviously quite squeemish , i get young but im not sure. Loved him. I can only wish there are more of his tales.
I like the deep underlying moral of this tale, the we weren't damned yet resounds in your ear.

[ewest1220]

Thank you once again for the awesome review! I'm really thrilled that you enjoyed my work thank you so much for reading!

[Kianna L. Bearden]

This is awesome! You really should continue, very detailed.....

[ewest1220]

Hmm I think I'm might try that actually... :)