Echoes of Job

And the kick to the midsection rattled him to the core. Races the bile and vomit upwards through the esophogus and lands in a wet splatter upon the concrete. The young man rolls over on his back, still reeling from the blow.

"From whence have you come and why me?" he moans.

"Why you insolent little prick! replies satan. "Are you above the rest? Have you considered you are no more than disgarded gum upon the bottom of a boot?"

More blows reign down upon the face of the young man.

Blood spurts from his lips covering his pearly whites. Red blood and white teeth, quite the perfect mix of pain coupled with faith.

" Do you really think a couple of wacks in my good old boy guy is gonna make me renounce? asks the young man as he chokes and sputters through the pain.

And the entity kicks and thrashes more violence down upon the prostrate , crumpled man.

" Where is your God now? You pathetic addict. You alcoholic piece of dung."

More kicks and slaps resound upon the flesh. The young man howls and weeps.

" You have been forsaken. Your God has left you. Fow you are worthless and deemed unworthy of redemption." screams the dark voice.

Blood drips and the pain is unrelenting. yet the young man does not waver, althought tempted, he does not.

"Renounce! I order you to renounce you pathetic sonofabitch and it ends. All the pain. All the slander. Your God does not tarry upon men like you, but I, yes I will. I will lift you up and you will sit at my left hand." says the entity.

The young man moans and vomits more acidic bile. Temptation feels like a warm blanket or maybe an ice pack. The young man looks into the black eyes and hoists himself to his knees. Smiling through the blood and vomit dripping from his chin the young man says

" Do your worst demon of light, but all I renounce is you."

The dark entity growls. The sound you may believe is chilling to the bone. It rears up upon hind legs, horns aflame and eyes with with a blackened fury. It takes a position over the crumpled christian.

The young man feels the ground tremble and sees the dark angel poised for the kill. The young man struggles to stand. On wobbly knees he extends his arms out as if hung on a cross.

"Do what you will to me you evil misinformed manipulative bastard. For I will never renounce my God. My God is the almighty and you. You are what falling and failure is made of. I will never renounce" says the bleeding young man. " Do what you will to me."

The young man bows his head in silent prayer as the dark angel howls and the ground shakes and the smell of sulphur permeates. The young man calls upon the Lord and when he lifts his head there is no more pain and the blood has all but dried.

An errant white dove lands upon the right hand of the young man and sunshine and wild flowers of all colors blossom.