Category: Creative Bible Story

A Biblical short story by JQuisumbing

Click here to read – Part 6

continued…

Then, the glowing one approached even closer. He spoke again in a language that he did not know. It was the language of the Jews but yet older. Though he did not know what he said, the effect on the voices sounded like they were being tortured.

Then he spoke but it was not his voice. “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Please, I beg you, don’t torture me!” [Luke 8:28]

Then, Demacli’s vision clears. The man standing before him was no longer glowing. He was of average height. He had dark hair that was about shoulder length and short beard and mustache. His appearance was plain and ordinary. To Demacli, he would not look twice at him, but yet the voice was clearly afraid of him and he called him the Son of the Most High God. Then, there were his eyes, which were deeply penetrating. He looked at Demacli for some time.

“What is your name?” he commanded with such authority and in Greek.

Then all the voices in him spoke out in a desperate shriek, “Legion!” The sound was so ominous that the man’s companions stepped back.

But the man, Jesus, stood his ground and said, “Legion, I command you to come out of this man!”

Demacli inadvertently doubled over in intense pain and screamed, “It hurts!” But this time it was in his own voice. Then again, the voices took over and pleaded, “Lord! We beseech Thee! Do not cast us into the bottomless pit.”

Demacli painfully got up on his haunches and gestured to the distant herd of pigs feeding on the hill. He cried out, “Let us, instead, enter into those pigs on the hill.”

“Go!” Jesus said.

Demacli convulsed one more time, then it stopped. For the first time in six years, there was peaceful silence in his head. It was so quiet, it was deafening. He stood up blinking in surprise. Then everybody’s attention was riveted to a commotion on the nearby hill. When he turned to look, he saw the swineherds chasing the large herd of pigs racing uncontrollably into the lake. They all watched in fascination as everyone of the pigs went into the lake and under water. Soon, there are hundreds of floating carcasses being washed ashore.

“I… ah… I am free,” Demacli said, almost not believing. “You have healed me. Are you a God?”

The man Jesus smiled and said, “Come, let us get you all cleaned up.”

Demacli was helped to the water where some of Jesus’ companions washed the grime away. After which they clothed and fed him.

When Jesus approached him, Demacli bowed to the ground. Jesus reached down and helped him to get up. Then, they started to walk along the shore and talk. Demacli filled with emotion, was telling him all that he experienced. The more he told his story, the more his heart lightened and felt more free. By that time they both returned to the camp there was a gathering of people that came from the city. Apparently, the men who were herding the drowned pigs panicked, fled to the city and reported the strange event to the city magistrate. They made such a ruckus that a lot more people came along with the city guard to see what was happening.

When the magistrate saw Demacli walking calmly with Jesus, he asked in amazement, “Is that you, Demacli? You look calm and sane! What has happened here?”

Demacli told him how Jesus commanded the demons in him to come out and they went into the pigs that drowned. The town people started to mumble among themselves and referred to Jesus as being some kind of sorcerer. They started to back away in fear.

Seeing his people backing away, the magistrate said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen or heard of. I know not how this really happened, but you have powers that we do not want around here! We beg you, sorcerer, take your magic elsewhere and leave us in peace.”

The magistrate and the people backed away and fled back to the city. Only a few stayed and watched from a distance. Jesus looked at his companion and nodded. They proceeded to break camp and load up the boats.

“Lord, may I come with you?” Asked Demacli. “I have so much to ask and to learn. The voices that were in me said you are the ‘Son of the Most High God’. For years, as a Greek I always believed in the many gods of our beliefs. Now, standing here before you, I have serious doubts. Please Lord.”

“No, Demacli, go back to your family,” Jesus said smiling. “And tell them everything God has done for you.”

Jesus then led him away from the disciples as they continued to load the boats. He quietly said, “I will come this way again and I shall speak of my Father on High. Look for me in a year’s time.”

Demacli watched Jesus climb into the boat and sail away. He climbed up the hill and watched for a long while as both boats faded in the distance. He sighed deeply. Then, he walked back to the city of Hippus; back to his father’s house and told a most fascinating story.

A Biblical short story by JQuisumbing

Click here to read – Part 5

continued…

For the past five years, Demacli had lived a nightmarish existence. For a time, he was blissfully unaware of those periods when his body was taken over by some entity and did things that were unspeakable. Lately though, the demon or demons in him, have kept him aware but helpless to act when his body is taken over and over. His father who was overwrought with worry have searched the land high and low for a cure. He even went to the Jews as Elpida the prophetess had advised. But a priest of their temple had said that his son must become a proselyte, a convert into their religion. Then, there might be the possibility of healing, though the priest did not sound convincing. So, they gave up and returned to Hippus, their home city by the Sea of Galilee, where they had to contend with Demacli’s erratic behavior.

“Aaaargh!” Demacli snarled at the bright light of the torch.

“Look… it is the maniac again!” It was the voice of a city watchman who patrolled the streets after dark.

“He is naked again,” said another guard.

“He must be the one that assaulted that merchant a block away. Go get the chain.”

Demacli can see them clearly. There were three of them. After a couple of minutes, a fourth came up carrying a long chain. Demacli looked at his surroundings. He was in an alley and they blocked his way. To the city watch, he looked like a scared dog looking left and right. But from his perspective, he was pretending to be scared. He wanted to talk to them but he was not in control. One of the watchmen grabbed his arms to pin him down. Demacli started to yelp and whine like a panicked animal. The other men fastened iron cufflinks on his wrists. Then they dragged him out of the alley unto the street.

“Let’s bring him to the square and chain him to the post. His father can claim him in the morning.”

When they dragged him to a waiting cart, his body went limp like he fainted. But Demacli was very much aware and knew what was going to happen. It took two men to pick him up and was about to cast him in the cart when he suddenly grasped the ankle of one of the watchmen and flipped him. His legs wrapped around the other man’s neck and toppled him over as well. He quickly got on his feet and with superhuman strength, he grasped the chain and broke it. The other watchman was stunned and slowly backed away. Demacli started to run with dangling chains, laughing out maniacally. The rest, he did not remember.

Demacli heard birds chirping. He peeked his eyes open to find a bright blue sky. When he sat up, he was in the midst of several burial cairns, one of which was freshly dug up. He cringed at the thought that he was hiding in it. He heard sea gulls in the distance and looked out at the lake. Two fishing boats can be seen heading to this shoreline. He turned to his right attracted by the sounds of snorting and squealing. A large sow and some piglets were nuzzling and feeding around the stone mounds of the dead. He stood and saw a larger herd of pigs higher up on the nearby hill being watched by a couple of swineherds.

He hungrily eyed a piglet that was nearby. Voices in his head were teasing him to catch it and tear into its flesh. Then, he saw that both boats had already made landfall and the people of the boats were setting up camp. Demacli suddenly felt both anger and fear deep down. For a brief instance, he almost had control of his faculties but then, he could not help but stare intensely at the people on the beach. His vision darkened, like the sun went behind a dense cloud cover, but the sky was clear. There was something odd with his perception of the people at the beach. Most of them were quite dim but one. That one person was glowing brighter than the others.

Demacli abruptly shouted a language that was unrecognizable to him. He started to dash down the slope, insanely screaming, towards the glowing person. As he came closer, the glowing one and the others turned toward him when they heard his maniacal tirade. Some of them were about to protect the glowing one, but he held them off. He took two steps forward and in a commanding voice, Demacli was commanded to stop. It was so commanding that he stopped like he was thunderstruck and fell to ground. The voices in his head were screaming in excruciating pain so much so, he was screaming out loud.

To be continued…

Click here to read – Part 7

A Biblical short story by JQuisumbing

Click here to read – Part 3

continued…

“Greetings, my son,” said a portly man, as he slowly alighted out of a horse driven carriage. Following him was his mother who was slightly taller.

“Hail to you, father and mother,” Demacli said as he first embrace his mother then grasped the forearm of his father, Roman style. Looking around, he asked, “Where are my sisters?”

“Oh, we left them in Hippus,” his mother said.

“Ah yes, Hippus. I miss our home. I miss the hills that overlook the Sea of Galilee. Come. You must be hungry.” He led them to the covered patio where lunch was being laid out for them.

After an hour, the table was being cleared by the servants. They were lounging around on big plush cushions under a canopy of vines and fragrant flora. What fronted them was a garden of palm trees and circular pond with a statue of Dionysus holding up a stalk of grapes.

“You have done well for yourself, my son,” his father said looking around. “We are pleased at your accom…”

The voices in Demacli’s mind intruded again with many suggestions that his father was less than sincere and also that his mother seem secretive. He had to struggle to keep his mind focused.

“Demacli! Are you listening?”

“Ah, ummm… yes… I mean, I am sorry, father… mother. I am a little distracted, today.” He stood up quickly and agitated. Not waiting for them to ask anything, he said, “You must be tired. Habbi will lead you to your room. I… I must go!” Then, he dashed out the doors of his villa and was walking fast down the street. The whole time, hundred of voices were laughing and jabbering away mostly about why his father was here. It was so distracting that Demacli didn’t realize that he was already a mile outside the city, running up a hill.

When he got to the top, he collapsed to his knees and screamed in anguish, startling a nearby flock of goats.

Three nights later, he returned to the villa disheveled and dirty. He tiredly lowered himself to the ground next to the gate. A servant saw him and quickly brought Habbi.

“Master, we searched for you for days.” Seeing that he was asleep, Habbi shook him. “Master… master!”

Like waking up from a bad dream, Demacli sat up straight, looking around in confusion. He grasped Habbi’s sleeve and croaked in a parch voice, “Wha… what happened to me?” After drinking some water that a servant hastily brought, he said, “I woke up in a cave some miles from here. I don’t recall anything.”

Three nights later, he returned to the villa disheveled and dirty. He tiredly lowered himself to the ground next to the gate. A servant saw him and quickly brought Habbi.

“Master, we searched for you for days.” Seeing that he was asleep, Habbi shook him. “Master… master!”

Like waking up from a bad dream, Demacli sat up straight, looking around in confusion. He grasped Habbi’s sleeve and croaked in a parch voice, “Wha… what happened to me?” After drinking some water that a servant hastily brought, he said, “I woke up in a cave some miles from here. I don’t recall anything.”

“We are bringing you home,” his father said. “Habbi will stay to continue the business. My son, according to the priestess, you have been fooled by Ate, the goddess of mischief. I have heard that she had been casting her spells among the Jews lately. But I have heard of a prophetess of Hermes hiding in Cadasa in the region of Phoenicia that may free you. We must go there.”

“I hate to leave father but…”

“I know, my son. You have built so much, but I think you need not fret for I think you’ll return.”

But deep in his mind, Demacli heard a thousand laughter.

To be continued…

Click here to read – Part 5