man stepped back from the side of the bed, and Steven
took his place. He looked down. Jason’s eyes were open, watching him. His mouth
opened as he tried to speak, but couldn’t.
Wake up! Steven thought. Stop this dream!
Then he felt the thoughts, the irrational, crazy, deluded
thoughts that must have been racing around the mind of the ax man. He turned to
his left and saw the man standing next to him, lending moral support for the
task at hand, somehow possessing his mind. My faith is more than strong enough! he thought, not sure if it was the man’s thoughts or his own. The Agimat
will save them all, and God will see what tremendous belief I have in him. And
we will be blessed. I won’t have to work so hard to provide for this family.
God will shower us with goodness and mercy and miracles, all because of my
faith in this moment. With God, nothing is impossible. Watch him heal them all! Steven began to raise the ax.
He could see Jason below him. Jason’s eyes went wide at the
sight of the ax. He knew Jason wanted to raise his hands to defend himself, but
something was stopping him. Jason wanted to roll off the bed, get out of the
way of the weapon, but he couldn’t move. Steven looked again at the man to his
left – he was controlling Jason somehow, keeping him immobile for the attack.
Not in the same way that he was possessing Steven – no, it was different. He
couldn’t possibly possess us both at the same time, Steven thought. He’s
gained control of me, but how is he stopping Jason?
Steven listened. The man to his left was repeating a word,
over and over, softly. Every time he said it, Jason would freeze for a moment.
Then he’d start to move again, and the man’s word would cause him to stop
again. Somehow he was holding Jason down, using something inside Jason to keep
him still, like a lamb on an altar.
Steven raised the ax, trying to resist. Once the ax comes
down, the Agimat will heal Jason back to life. And God will be so, so pleased. My
wife will love me again, and respect me, as she should. The people at church will
marvel at the miracle of my faith. This test will prove to them all that I am
worthy, that God really loves me, loves them. This is his will, because I know
I must do it, and with him, all things are possible. Like Abraham and Isaac. A
test, and I shall pass. Now he was convinced. He was no longer resisting.He mustered all of his righteous energy, putting all of his strength and
the strength of God into the swing.
Then he brought the ax down.
Chapter Five
Roy slapped Steven’s face repeatedly. Steven, lying on the
floor, rolled away from Roy, trying to avoid the slaps.
“Wake up!” Roy was shouting. “Wake up!”
As Steven came to his senses, he remembered the dream. He was
relieved it was over. Roy was still slapping him. “Dad?” he said. “Stop it.”
“What have you done?” Roy yelled, still slapping at his face.
“What the fuck have you done?”
Steven raised himself up on one elbow. He was expecting to
find himself on the couch, where he’d fallen asleep, but instead he was on the
floor, a dirty brown carpet pressed against his skin. As he turned his head, he
could see under a bed. There were small children’s toys under it. A ball, a
G.I. Joe.
He began to fill with dread. Roy stopped slapping him and
backed away. Steven could tell Roy was upset. He was wiping tears from his
face, looking at the bed next to him.
Steven raised himself up more, his line of sight coming up
from under the bed to the side of the bed. He was afraid to see what might be
on top of it. He stood up slowly and looked down. Jason was lying on the bed,
face up. The skin of his face was white.
“I should have never left you two alone,” Roy said. “Deem
warned me. I shouldn’t have left you alone.”
Steven bent over Jason, shaking him. “Jason! Wake up!”
“He’s got no pulse, son.”
Steven felt for a pulse, horrified at how cold Jason’s wrist
felt in his hand.
took his place. He looked down. Jason’s eyes were open, watching him. His mouth
opened as he tried to speak, but couldn’t.
Wake up! Steven thought. Stop this dream!
Then he felt the thoughts, the irrational, crazy, deluded
thoughts that must have been racing around the mind of the ax man. He turned to
his left and saw the man standing next to him, lending moral support for the
task at hand, somehow possessing his mind. My faith is more than strong enough! he thought, not sure if it was the man’s thoughts or his own. The Agimat
will save them all, and God will see what tremendous belief I have in him. And
we will be blessed. I won’t have to work so hard to provide for this family.
God will shower us with goodness and mercy and miracles, all because of my
faith in this moment. With God, nothing is impossible. Watch him heal them all! Steven began to raise the ax.
He could see Jason below him. Jason’s eyes went wide at the
sight of the ax. He knew Jason wanted to raise his hands to defend himself, but
something was stopping him. Jason wanted to roll off the bed, get out of the
way of the weapon, but he couldn’t move. Steven looked again at the man to his
left – he was controlling Jason somehow, keeping him immobile for the attack.
Not in the same way that he was possessing Steven – no, it was different. He
couldn’t possibly possess us both at the same time, Steven thought. He’s
gained control of me, but how is he stopping Jason?
Steven listened. The man to his left was repeating a word,
over and over, softly. Every time he said it, Jason would freeze for a moment.
Then he’d start to move again, and the man’s word would cause him to stop
again. Somehow he was holding Jason down, using something inside Jason to keep
him still, like a lamb on an altar.
Steven raised the ax, trying to resist. Once the ax comes
down, the Agimat will heal Jason back to life. And God will be so, so pleased. My
wife will love me again, and respect me, as she should. The people at church will
marvel at the miracle of my faith. This test will prove to them all that I am
worthy, that God really loves me, loves them. This is his will, because I know
I must do it, and with him, all things are possible. Like Abraham and Isaac. A
test, and I shall pass. Now he was convinced. He was no longer resisting.He mustered all of his righteous energy, putting all of his strength and
the strength of God into the swing.
Then he brought the ax down.
Chapter Five
Roy slapped Steven’s face repeatedly. Steven, lying on the
floor, rolled away from Roy, trying to avoid the slaps.
“Wake up!” Roy was shouting. “Wake up!”
As Steven came to his senses, he remembered the dream. He was
relieved it was over. Roy was still slapping him. “Dad?” he said. “Stop it.”
“What have you done?” Roy yelled, still slapping at his face.
“What the fuck have you done?”
Steven raised himself up on one elbow. He was expecting to
find himself on the couch, where he’d fallen asleep, but instead he was on the
floor, a dirty brown carpet pressed against his skin. As he turned his head, he
could see under a bed. There were small children’s toys under it. A ball, a
G.I. Joe.
He began to fill with dread. Roy stopped slapping him and
backed away. Steven could tell Roy was upset. He was wiping tears from his
face, looking at the bed next to him.
Steven raised himself up more, his line of sight coming up
from under the bed to the side of the bed. He was afraid to see what might be
on top of it. He stood up slowly and looked down. Jason was lying on the bed,
face up. The skin of his face was white.
“I should have never left you two alone,” Roy said. “Deem
warned me. I shouldn’t have left you alone.”
Steven bent over Jason, shaking him. “Jason! Wake up!”
“He’s got no pulse, son.”
Steven felt for a pulse, horrified at how cold Jason’s wrist
felt in his hand.
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