Post by Elijah Lorde on Dec 12, 2022 1:15:07 GMT
“Dear Lord, I understand that it is your will, but I cannot understand what good will come of this act of yours. My people are suffering. My people are dying. Please, I beg of you. Don’t let this agony continue. I will be at your mercy if you do this for your humble servants… Amen.”
As the man kneeling next to his bed with his head down and hands folded finishes his prayer, a man with a long gray beard enters the room, a solemn look on his face. The kneeling man turns to look over his shoulder.
“Yes, Jeremiah, please tell me you bring good news.”
The man in the doorway responds with only a defeated sigh, causing the kneeling man to hang his head again in exasperation.
Jeremiah: We lost her, Elijah. We did our best but the plague is spreading far too quickly. I’m afraid… I’m afraid none of us have long left if it keeps at this pace.
Elijah stands and turns to his compatriot, nodding to him with respect.
Elijah: Thank you for all of your hard work, my dear friend. I promise, it won’t go in vain. We will persevere, as is the human way. Our prayers will be answered soon enough. I can feel it.
Jeremiah shakes his head, forlorn.
Jeremiah: I don’t know, Elijah. I fear God has abandoned us.
Elijah’s hands absentmindedly clench into fists. He remains silent as he breathes, letting his anger die out. He walks over to the man in the doorway and puts a hand on his shoulder.
Elijah: Have faith, my friend. The Lord works in mysterious ways. If this is His will, our dedication will be rewarded with an eternity in Heaven.
The older man lets Elijah’s words sink in, allowing a small smile to grow.
Jeremiah: Perhaps you’re right…
Elijah returns his friend’s smile with one of his own.
Elijah: Now, get some sleep. We will tackle this in the morning. But for now we need our rest.
Jeremiah nods, batting his friend on the shoulder before turning around and returning to his own home, allowing Elijah to finally go to bed after another terribly long day… After hours of restless tossing and turning, Elijah is finally able to drift off to sleep…
When he awakes, Elijah finds himself in a pitch black room. Fear racks the young man as he looks around, trying to find anything within the black abyss. After walking around for a few minutes, he finally hears something…
“Hello, Elijah. I am so glad to finally meet you…”
The voice is unfamiliar to Elijah, but he finds it to be warm and inviting. However this doesn’t ease his apprehension
Elijah: Who’s there?... Who are you?...
The ethereal voice gives a soft chuckle
“Come now, dear Elijah. Surely you would know your god if he were speaking to you, no?”
A jolt of surprise runs down Elijah’s back upon hearing those words. Excitement fills the young man. Finally, a solution to his village’s horror could be within reach.
Elijah: A-A thousand apologies, dear Lord. It’s… it is an honor.
“All is well, my son…”
The voice is soft and sweet, but Elijah cannot shake the feeling of foreboding in the back of his mind. However he chalks that up to the instinctive fear of not being able to see the person there with him.
“It seems your village is struggling… Is that right?”
The young man lowers his head at the mention of his village’s ailment.
Elijah: Yes, Lord. My people have suffered from an unknown illness for a fortnight. It has already claimed many lives…
“Such a shame… I do hate to put such devoted followers in strife. But… I’m afraid this is their punishment.”
Confusion fills the young man’s words.
Elijah: Why… Punishment for what, my Lord?
The disembodied voice changes ever so slightly. Almost as if he were smiling.
“Your people are sinners, Elijah. On the outside they portray themselves as followers of me… But behind closed doors. Worshiping false idols, adultery, thievery… murder…”
This is unbelievable to Elijah. His friends, his family. They can’t be capable of what he is being told they are doing. But… it comes from God himself. Surely he wouldn't lie.
Elijah: D-Dear father… They can change. We have strayed from your path. B-but we can be better. We can redeem ourselves. All we need is a chance to prove it to you! I beg of you, Lord. Let my village live and we will prove our undying faith to you. All I ask is a chance…
As he speaks, Elijah drops to his knees and folds his hands in prayer, dropping his head into his hands. The voice doesn’t speak right away. A few long beats of silence pass before it finally speaks up.
“I suppose something can be arranged, child… However I will need something to prove your devotion…”
Elijah looks up, intense hope in his eyes.
Elijah: Yes, dear Lord. Anything!
“I need to be able to call upon you whenever the need arises. I need you to promise me that you will listen to every word I say without fail. Do this and you need not worry about the embrace of death ever again…”
Elijah doesn’t hesitate for a second.
Elijah: Yes! Yes, Lord, whatever you ask. I am your humble servant. Now and forever. Thank you, dear Lord!
“Excellent… Now, go forth and tell your village of the good news…”
As soon as the sentence finishes, Elijah finds the world he’s in fading away as he slowly awakens from his slumber. Not moments after he stands up to stretch does a knock come from his front door. Opening the door, Elijah is met with the excited, out of breath face of his dear friend Jeremiah.
Jeremiah: Elijah! It-it’s a miracle! Come, come with me!
Without another word, he grabs the wrist of Elijah and runs off towards the town’s medical area. The pair enter the quarantine medical tent and Jeremiah presents the scene to his friend. What was once a depressing scene, dozens of bedridden people at death’s door is now completely different. Some are soundly sleeping, the color returned to their skin, some are sitting up and jovially talking with one another. Some are even out and running around, too full of energy to stay in bed. Doctors are still diligently checking on some patients but clearly it is not needed. Elijah looks on with a look of pure awe on his face. A tear rolls down his cheek. Not only was his dream real, but God had actually saved his people!
Elijah: This… truly is a miracle. We must celebrate! But for now, let us just enjoy the good fortune…
Jeremiah pats his friend on the shoulder as the pair look on at the joyful sight around them. Elijah smiles. He fully intends on making good on his promise to his god, but for now he decides to hold off and let his friends
After some time of enjoying the good fortunes with the rest of his people, Elijah returns to his home.
It is only then, when he’s alone, that the young man begins to notice a different feeling within him. Something he can only describe as a dark, foreboding sense of dread…
Surely it's nothing. All is well.
As the man kneeling next to his bed with his head down and hands folded finishes his prayer, a man with a long gray beard enters the room, a solemn look on his face. The kneeling man turns to look over his shoulder.
“Yes, Jeremiah, please tell me you bring good news.”
The man in the doorway responds with only a defeated sigh, causing the kneeling man to hang his head again in exasperation.
Jeremiah: We lost her, Elijah. We did our best but the plague is spreading far too quickly. I’m afraid… I’m afraid none of us have long left if it keeps at this pace.
Elijah stands and turns to his compatriot, nodding to him with respect.
Elijah: Thank you for all of your hard work, my dear friend. I promise, it won’t go in vain. We will persevere, as is the human way. Our prayers will be answered soon enough. I can feel it.
Jeremiah shakes his head, forlorn.
Jeremiah: I don’t know, Elijah. I fear God has abandoned us.
Elijah’s hands absentmindedly clench into fists. He remains silent as he breathes, letting his anger die out. He walks over to the man in the doorway and puts a hand on his shoulder.
Elijah: Have faith, my friend. The Lord works in mysterious ways. If this is His will, our dedication will be rewarded with an eternity in Heaven.
The older man lets Elijah’s words sink in, allowing a small smile to grow.
Jeremiah: Perhaps you’re right…
Elijah returns his friend’s smile with one of his own.
Elijah: Now, get some sleep. We will tackle this in the morning. But for now we need our rest.
Jeremiah nods, batting his friend on the shoulder before turning around and returning to his own home, allowing Elijah to finally go to bed after another terribly long day… After hours of restless tossing and turning, Elijah is finally able to drift off to sleep…
When he awakes, Elijah finds himself in a pitch black room. Fear racks the young man as he looks around, trying to find anything within the black abyss. After walking around for a few minutes, he finally hears something…
“Hello, Elijah. I am so glad to finally meet you…”
The voice is unfamiliar to Elijah, but he finds it to be warm and inviting. However this doesn’t ease his apprehension
Elijah: Who’s there?... Who are you?...
The ethereal voice gives a soft chuckle
“Come now, dear Elijah. Surely you would know your god if he were speaking to you, no?”
A jolt of surprise runs down Elijah’s back upon hearing those words. Excitement fills the young man. Finally, a solution to his village’s horror could be within reach.
Elijah: A-A thousand apologies, dear Lord. It’s… it is an honor.
“All is well, my son…”
The voice is soft and sweet, but Elijah cannot shake the feeling of foreboding in the back of his mind. However he chalks that up to the instinctive fear of not being able to see the person there with him.
“It seems your village is struggling… Is that right?”
The young man lowers his head at the mention of his village’s ailment.
Elijah: Yes, Lord. My people have suffered from an unknown illness for a fortnight. It has already claimed many lives…
“Such a shame… I do hate to put such devoted followers in strife. But… I’m afraid this is their punishment.”
Confusion fills the young man’s words.
Elijah: Why… Punishment for what, my Lord?
The disembodied voice changes ever so slightly. Almost as if he were smiling.
“Your people are sinners, Elijah. On the outside they portray themselves as followers of me… But behind closed doors. Worshiping false idols, adultery, thievery… murder…”
This is unbelievable to Elijah. His friends, his family. They can’t be capable of what he is being told they are doing. But… it comes from God himself. Surely he wouldn't lie.
Elijah: D-Dear father… They can change. We have strayed from your path. B-but we can be better. We can redeem ourselves. All we need is a chance to prove it to you! I beg of you, Lord. Let my village live and we will prove our undying faith to you. All I ask is a chance…
As he speaks, Elijah drops to his knees and folds his hands in prayer, dropping his head into his hands. The voice doesn’t speak right away. A few long beats of silence pass before it finally speaks up.
“I suppose something can be arranged, child… However I will need something to prove your devotion…”
Elijah looks up, intense hope in his eyes.
Elijah: Yes, dear Lord. Anything!
“I need to be able to call upon you whenever the need arises. I need you to promise me that you will listen to every word I say without fail. Do this and you need not worry about the embrace of death ever again…”
Elijah doesn’t hesitate for a second.
Elijah: Yes! Yes, Lord, whatever you ask. I am your humble servant. Now and forever. Thank you, dear Lord!
“Excellent… Now, go forth and tell your village of the good news…”
As soon as the sentence finishes, Elijah finds the world he’s in fading away as he slowly awakens from his slumber. Not moments after he stands up to stretch does a knock come from his front door. Opening the door, Elijah is met with the excited, out of breath face of his dear friend Jeremiah.
Jeremiah: Elijah! It-it’s a miracle! Come, come with me!
Without another word, he grabs the wrist of Elijah and runs off towards the town’s medical area. The pair enter the quarantine medical tent and Jeremiah presents the scene to his friend. What was once a depressing scene, dozens of bedridden people at death’s door is now completely different. Some are soundly sleeping, the color returned to their skin, some are sitting up and jovially talking with one another. Some are even out and running around, too full of energy to stay in bed. Doctors are still diligently checking on some patients but clearly it is not needed. Elijah looks on with a look of pure awe on his face. A tear rolls down his cheek. Not only was his dream real, but God had actually saved his people!
Elijah: This… truly is a miracle. We must celebrate! But for now, let us just enjoy the good fortune…
Jeremiah pats his friend on the shoulder as the pair look on at the joyful sight around them. Elijah smiles. He fully intends on making good on his promise to his god, but for now he decides to hold off and let his friends
After some time of enjoying the good fortunes with the rest of his people, Elijah returns to his home.
It is only then, when he’s alone, that the young man begins to notice a different feeling within him. Something he can only describe as a dark, foreboding sense of dread…
Surely it's nothing. All is well.