The Mariner

And then great sadness fell upon Christ for the Shattering came. The world turned on itself, land drifted from land, countries tore themselves asunder. The sin of our world so great, the very ground couldn’t tolerate it.

As brother turned on brother and mother forgot son, Jesus tried to maintain. He gathered his disciples about him for a final supper, a sharing of food and ideas. But there was one who did not join them. Judas. He had strayed far from Jesus’ teachings of peace and forgiveness. He had found himself his own set of disciples who followed their ungodly master across the land on motorised vehicles. That was Judas’ life now, he and his vehicle were one. Judas and Chariot.

It was on these dangerous contraptions that Judas found Jesus and his disciples. Feeling terrible rage at his once close mentor, Judas and his men attacked. The disciples fled down the road, trying to make their escape, but the motorised chariots were too fast and each disciple was crushed beneath their wheels. Jesus looked on, helpless. A crow squawked. They were dead.

This sent Jesus mad. He began prowling the highways seeking revenge against Judas and all those who’d defied God’s will. The Road Messiah they called him, wandering, lost, as the Shattering tore mankind’s world apart

One day, after many travels, Mad Jesus found where Judas in Chariot lived. It were a vast makeshift citadel deep in the desert. Jesus was one man against many, and Judas stood on top mocking his once great leader.

“Just walk away,” he boomed. “Walk away.”

Mad Jesus wasn’t going to be stopped by Judas’ powerful voice, nor his equally powerful flesh. With an almighty bellow Jesus charged the citadel. Seeing his eyes bright with fury, Judas’ minions fled, but their chariot mounted master stood firm, confident he could slay Jesus in combat.

But Mad Jesus had no intention of falling under Judas’ sword, or have his legs cut to ribbons by the chariot’s scythed wheels. As he ran he pulled out of his pocket a slingshot, primed and ready. With each thud of his feet in the dirt, Jesus swung the sling about his head: once, twice, thrice! On the third he let go, sending a small stone hurtling towards his once close friend.

The stone struck Judas in the temple, cracking his skull and ending his life right then and there. Mad Jesus stood over his body and offered up a prayer to God, pleading forgiveness for slaying a man once his brother.

But God did not forgive Jesus. Not this time.

— The Shattered Testament by The Reverend McConnell