Centurion: Mark's Gospel as a Thriller by Ryan Casey Waller Page A
Authors: Ryan Casey Waller
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within an invisible body cast. My head pounds from the lack of oxygen. I have maybe thirty seconds, at best, before I lose consciousness.
Realizing there's nothing she can do for me, Maria turns back to Legion and says, "Let him down! He's done nothing to you! Please!"
Legion laughs, his voice turning another shade darker. "Where did you find this one, Maria? Did the Teacher send him? He's quite green."
"I won't answer a single question until you let him down. There's no reason to hurt him."
My brain begins to slide offline. Maria's voice takes on an underwater hush, making it hard to understand her garbled words.
Legion says, "Are you still following the Teacher?"
"Release him, and I'll tell you anything you want to know.
Please...Legion."
"We are many now," he says, sounding pleased Maria has addressed him by the proper name.
"Legion, please, he needs to breathe.
He'll die
!"
Legion flicks his head, and I drop to the ground. The weight is immediately lifted from my chest. I roll onto my back and fill my lungs with cold air, which shocks my throat as it descends into my body. I try to stand, but my body buckles beneath me, and I fall to the ground. Every ounce of strength has been drained from my body. I roll onto my back and suck air. I feel like I've run a hundred miles.
Maria returns her attention to Legion. "We need to travel through the tunnel. This man is wanted by the Centurion Guard, and we can't go back the way we've come."
"Has the Teacher lived up to your lofty expectations?" Legion says, ignoring her question about the tunnel.
Maria draws a deep breath and steels herself for whatever is coming next. Finally she says, "He shattered them...if you want to know the truth."
Legion laughs. "I knew it. No man will ever accept you, not after what you've done. You'll never be clean in the eyes of a man. You're dirty and worthless."
With warm eyes, Maria says, "He shattered them with acceptance. The Teacher treats me like all the others—no different. We're friends."
"What does he demand in return?"
"Nothing," Maria says. "He asks only that we continue following the way."
Legion laughs harder. "What way is that?"
"I'm still learning."
"Then why do you follow?"
"You know what I used to be. You saw my torment." Maria steps closer to Legion. "Look in my eyes now and see the difference." Legion grunts and turns his back to her. "He still asks about you," she says. Legion emits another sound that comes directly from the pits of hell. "You can have this too, Alejandro," she says tenderly, taking a few more steps closer to him. "You don't have to live this way. There's life outside this cave. Turn around and see the difference."
Without turning, Legion says, "This man who accepts you and makes all you rejects hopeful will soon be knocked off his throne. Then what will you be left with? Who will protect you?"
"The Teacher has no throne, nor does he want one."
"We all want a throne!" Legion barks. "And yes, he sits on a throne. But not for long."
Maria takes another bold step toward him and places her tiny hand on his wide back. She looks like a child standing next to him. I scramble weakly to my feet and prepare to lunge at him.
"What are you planning to do?" she asks Legion.
"Stay and find out."
"You know I can't do that," Maria says.
"Can't...or won't?"
"Look at me," Maria says.
To my great surprise, Legion obeys, turning slowly to face Maria.
He listens to her.
"Leave this place," Maria says. "Come with us to the park. It's never too late to start over. It doesn't have to be this way. You have the power to change your life."
There's a pregnant pause before Legion responds. It's the sort of silence that can exist only between two people with a lengthy and storied past. It's a pause that holds a thousand words, a thousand memories, and a thousand heartaches. It's a pause that makes me insanely jealous.
Finally Legion says, "The tunnel is yours. Go."
"Legion, you should come—"
"Go!"
he roars.
Realizing there's nothing she can do for me, Maria turns back to Legion and says, "Let him down! He's done nothing to you! Please!"
Legion laughs, his voice turning another shade darker. "Where did you find this one, Maria? Did the Teacher send him? He's quite green."
"I won't answer a single question until you let him down. There's no reason to hurt him."
My brain begins to slide offline. Maria's voice takes on an underwater hush, making it hard to understand her garbled words.
Legion says, "Are you still following the Teacher?"
"Release him, and I'll tell you anything you want to know.
Please...Legion."
"We are many now," he says, sounding pleased Maria has addressed him by the proper name.
"Legion, please, he needs to breathe.
He'll die
!"
Legion flicks his head, and I drop to the ground. The weight is immediately lifted from my chest. I roll onto my back and fill my lungs with cold air, which shocks my throat as it descends into my body. I try to stand, but my body buckles beneath me, and I fall to the ground. Every ounce of strength has been drained from my body. I roll onto my back and suck air. I feel like I've run a hundred miles.
Maria returns her attention to Legion. "We need to travel through the tunnel. This man is wanted by the Centurion Guard, and we can't go back the way we've come."
"Has the Teacher lived up to your lofty expectations?" Legion says, ignoring her question about the tunnel.
Maria draws a deep breath and steels herself for whatever is coming next. Finally she says, "He shattered them...if you want to know the truth."
Legion laughs. "I knew it. No man will ever accept you, not after what you've done. You'll never be clean in the eyes of a man. You're dirty and worthless."
With warm eyes, Maria says, "He shattered them with acceptance. The Teacher treats me like all the others—no different. We're friends."
"What does he demand in return?"
"Nothing," Maria says. "He asks only that we continue following the way."
Legion laughs harder. "What way is that?"
"I'm still learning."
"Then why do you follow?"
"You know what I used to be. You saw my torment." Maria steps closer to Legion. "Look in my eyes now and see the difference." Legion grunts and turns his back to her. "He still asks about you," she says. Legion emits another sound that comes directly from the pits of hell. "You can have this too, Alejandro," she says tenderly, taking a few more steps closer to him. "You don't have to live this way. There's life outside this cave. Turn around and see the difference."
Without turning, Legion says, "This man who accepts you and makes all you rejects hopeful will soon be knocked off his throne. Then what will you be left with? Who will protect you?"
"The Teacher has no throne, nor does he want one."
"We all want a throne!" Legion barks. "And yes, he sits on a throne. But not for long."
Maria takes another bold step toward him and places her tiny hand on his wide back. She looks like a child standing next to him. I scramble weakly to my feet and prepare to lunge at him.
"What are you planning to do?" she asks Legion.
"Stay and find out."
"You know I can't do that," Maria says.
"Can't...or won't?"
"Look at me," Maria says.
To my great surprise, Legion obeys, turning slowly to face Maria.
He listens to her.
"Leave this place," Maria says. "Come with us to the park. It's never too late to start over. It doesn't have to be this way. You have the power to change your life."
There's a pregnant pause before Legion responds. It's the sort of silence that can exist only between two people with a lengthy and storied past. It's a pause that holds a thousand words, a thousand memories, and a thousand heartaches. It's a pause that makes me insanely jealous.
Finally Legion says, "The tunnel is yours. Go."
"Legion, you should come—"
"Go!"
he roars.
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