Jesus in Hell: Day 1, Part 7

 

 

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Previous Chapter: Day 1 Part 6

"What do we do with him?" says Gestas, looking down.  Jesus lies in a crumpled heap.  Flies buzz around; if you look very closely, you can see that one of them is very slightly glowing.

Dismas sighs and grabs Jesus's legs. Slowly he starts pulling him up. "Well, let's go!  Help me carry him!  Let him have some dignity!  Let's wrap him up," he says.

Gestas clearly finds touching dead bodies a little distasteful and uncomfortable.  He daintily picks up one of Jesus's wrists and lays it across his chest with a grimace of disgust.  Dismas remains serious and stoic.  Then Gestas seems to have a moment of emotion and tenderly closes Jesus's eyes with his palm.  Together, they carry him over to the shroud which is lying outstretched nearby and wrap Jesus up tightly, waving away the bugs.  Then they pick him up, along with the sacks of goods from Balas, and solemnly carry Jesus, foot first, Dismas in front, and Gestas behind. 

"Where are we going?" asks Gestas.  

"Didn't you hear him?" grumbles Dismas. 

"Hear who?"

"Jesus!"

"Um... nooo..." says Gestas, giving Dismas a look behind his back as if he suspects Dismas might be losing it.

Unwaveringly, Dismas responds, "He said, 'I thirst.'  There's a stream back this way, we crossed it."

"Dismas.... Sorry, buddy, but I don't know if Jesus will be drinking anything...."

Dismas silently continues walking.

Gestas doesn't say anything, either.  His eyes roll slightly, diagonally, partly up and mostly to the right, as if to say, "Whatever," but he keeps walking behind anyway.

Just then, Dismas and Gestas are surrounded by zombies.  Still carrying Jesus and the sacks, the two thieves must fight off the zombies one-handed.  While fighting, you might notice that the zombies seem to have captured a human child.  Eventually you beat enough of them, and they flee.

The two of you continue to carry Jesus back to the stream.  

Dismas is wheezing with exertion.  "He's so heavy," he moans.

Gestas replies, "Really?  To me, he's light as a feather.  Say, Dismas -"

"Yes?"

"Do you think it's true, what they say?"

"What do they say?" 

"They call this the realm of Ploutos.  Do you think that was Ploutos, that we saw?  You know what that means?  Ploutos means wealth and riches.  I bet there's all kinds of treasures down here - diamonds, rubies, sapphires, gold!  If we play our cards right, we could be millionaires!"

"I can't believe you," snaps Dismas.  "He's dead, and he's thinking about how he can make money.  Haven't you ever heard the saying, you can't take it with you?"

"I know you can't take it with you.  I'm here!  I couldn't take it with me.  Look at me, I've got nothing!  That's exactly why I'm thinking about this!  Dismas, old bud, you've got to start thinking about your future!"

"I can't take it anymore!" cries Dismas.  

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm sorry, but between Jesus and these sacks, it's too much.  We have to choose -"

"No!  Not the sacks!  Whatever's in there, we could sell it -"

"Sorry, Gestas, forget about it."  He drops the sacks.

"But Gestas - don't forget.  You made a commitment to that guy back there.  You solemnly swore you'd carry his bags for him.  Can you renege on a promise that easily?"

Dismas sighs and picks up the sacks again.  They walk on.  

Finally they make their way back to the bridge.  Here, at the town's edge, those children are still playing with their hoops and sticks.  

Carefully, Dismas and Gestas lay Jesus down by the streams edge.  Dismas cups some water from the stream and carefully pours in into Jesus's mouth.  None of it, or not much anyway, seems to go down his throat.  It splashes out of his mouth, down his cheeks.  He's looking extremely pale and thin, his closed eyes inset into his skull.

Just then, zombies emerge out into the field.  You (Dismas) and Gestas spring into action, and fight them off with dagger and badge.  But just before they retreat back into the wilderness, they grab the two children playing nearby and carry them away.  You run after them, shouting "Come back here!"

Gestas calls after; "Where are you going now?!" 

Dismas calls back, "We have to save them!"

Gestas gestures down: "But what about Jesus?  Are we just going to leave him here?"

"Here, help me drag him into these rushes, by the waterside."  Gestas does as you say, sheltering Jesus's body among the tall grasses.

Just then the children's mother comes running out.  "My babies!"  She turns to you.  "Hast thou seen them?  One of them had a shaved head."

Gestas starts to shake his head, but Dismas immediately speaks up: "Yes, Ma'am.  We saw some horrible people carrying them away.  They went that-a-way."

She seems to turn white.  "What did they look like?  The ones who carried them away?"

"Horrible - their flesh was all rotting and decaying."

"Girgashites.  I knew it," she says, in a half-whisper.  "Oh no!  Oh my God!" she cries, immediately bursting into tears. "I knew it.  I told them.  I told them it wasn't safe."

"Don't worry, Ma'am," replies Dismas.  "We'll get your children back from these... Gurgleshites?"

"Girgashites.  Of the Seven Nation Army.  They'll have dragged them up the path that way, to the land of the Girgashites.  Thou art... a new arrival, aren't thou?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Then I bid thee all the fortune that heaven can bestow.  Thou wilt need it.  Girgashites are a fearsome foe, to be sure."

"Thank you, Ma'am.  You'll see your children soon enough."

"Oh, thank you!  Thank you!"

And with that, you are on your way.

Meanwhile, just out of your eyesight, behind a wall, inside the town, a man, wearing a black cloak and cowl is listening in to your conversation.  His eyes are hooded and shadowed but he brings his curved finger up sideways to stroke his chin, as if lost in thought, starting to reconsider something.
 

Stay tuned for next chapter: Day 1 Part 8