Alice, Daughter of Barabbas

[Loxuru]

Animated version of this image here:

https://www.cruxforums.com/xf/threads/alice-daughter-of-barabbas.6763/post-418534

That blazing sun is really drawn blazing!

“Damn it, Alice, I have to tell you that if he’d jumped me from behind when I had a knife in my hand then I would have been right up there where you are! You mustn’t blame yourself!”

Strong statement from Ruth! (Although Ruth's husband probably would be able to afford a good lawyer, who would convince Pilate that it was the legionnaire who was so stupid to fall on the knife, not Ruth who had stabbed him).

 

[Wragg]

(Although Ruth's husband probably would be able to afford a good lawyer, who would convince Pilate that it was the legionnaire who was so stupid to fall on the knife, not Ruth who had stabbed him).

Yess.... whereas Alice got one of @thehangingtree's ancestors...

 

[Wragg]

“I hope… this… never happens… to you…. Ruth.”

​

She moved very slightly. “And… I wish… those… fucking rings… wouldn’t…. squeak… every time… I …. twitch!”



Ruth had heard that sound from the bottom of the hill – even the screams of the crucified hadn’t completely drowned it out. And the tap-tap-tap as they knocked against the cross. Infuriating. But she was surprised that Alice had even noticed. But when you are suffering as Alice was suffering, she supposed that such things must be like the last straw.

Ruth was desperate for some water. She really didn’t want to drink from her flask in front of Alice, who must be parched after hours on her cross. So she went behind her cross for a surreptitious swig.

But she reckoned without Ramen, who had seen her. “Please… Miss… I need… water!”

Alice hadn’t noticed Ruth moving off, but she heard Ramen. “Ruth! I… am so…thirsty!” she wailed.



Ruth went to a soldier. “They want water, please.”

“Do they, Miss? Perhaps they fancy some cakes from the market, too.”

“Come on, man! A little drop of water isn’t too much to ask!”

“Please yourself. But you won’t get up there with a water bottle. There’s water in that bucket, and a sponge. But I’ll warn you now, the more you mollycoddle them, the longer they’ll last up there.”

Ruth looked up at Alice. She had never seen anyone looking less ‘mollycoddled’ in her life. So she went and soaked the sponge in the water, and held it up to Alice’s lips. She sucked desperately at it, so Ruth refilled it and repeated the process.



But this time Alice nearly choked on it. She coughed, and then screamed deafeningly as the movement set every nerve in her body back into fiery fury.

Ruth knew it would be some time before Alice might settle down again, so she offered water to the two chicken thieves, and kept it up until the soldier said, “that’s enough now!”

He kicked the bucket over and Ruth watched as the water trickled down the hill.

 

[thehangingtree]

She went and soaked the sponge in the water, and held it up to Alice’s lips. She sucked desperately at it, so Ruth refilled it and repeated the process.

View attachment 1389877

Another great chapter. Looking up at Alice, one can see the agony she is in as she suffers her cruel execution as she hangs from the cross.

Tree rubs his chin and thinks 'I hope she deserved this...'

 

[Wragg]

'I hope she deserved this...'

You can't just go about sticking vegetable knives in Roman soldiers. It would end in anarchy!

 

[Loxuru]

She moved very slightly. “And… I wish… those… fucking rings… wouldn’t…. squeak… every time… I …. twitch!”

I think we have the 'Complaint of the month' for November 2023. Sorry, Barb, you cannot always win!

“Do they, Miss? Perhaps they fancy some cakes from the market, too.”

Here, Ruth should have replied : "Why not!? Here is some money, go to the market and buy a plum pie for each of them!"

But I’ll warn you now, the more you mollycoddle them, the longer they’ll last up there.”

Historically correct : Roman legionaires used mollycoddlemeters instead of loathometers during their crucifixion duties!

 

[Wragg]

"Why not!? Here is some money, go to the market and buy a plum pie for each of them!"

And you never know, maybe that would stop her...

I think we have the 'Complaint of the month' for November 2023.

....complaining.

 

[Loxuru]

And you never know, maybe that would stop her...


....complaining.

Ruth should of course give him enough money to buy a plum pie for himself too! That's the right way to do such business.
And, mentioning (stopping) complaining, she could also ask him :
"While you are there, look around if there are stalls that sell Riesling! That could be very useful, the next time @Barbaria1 gets crucified!"

 

[Wragg]

For hours Alice had no words, but the tortures of the cross did not abate. Crucifixion focusses the forces of nature onto the victim in an almost ingenious multiplication of suffering. The force of gravity drags the body down against the nails, the unnatural position held so ruthlessly for hour after hour turns muscles and sinews into screaming knots of agony that vie to outdo the nails themselves for sheer torment.

By late afternoon she could barely remember life as a normal human. Her agonised existence spiked to wood high above the rest of humanity filled her every conscious thought, and had driven memories from her mind. She could not even remember why she was here, just that she was here.

There was a woman near the cross. Who was she? She’d given her water, a lifetime ago.

“Mum?” Ruth was startled. It was the first time Alice had spoken since she’d given her water.

“What, Alice?” She didn’t correct the misidentification. What was the point?

“It…. really hurts, Mum.”

“I know it does, Alice. I’m so sorry.”



“Give me… a drink?”

“I can’t – the Romans threw it away.”

Alice thought about that for a while.

“Bastards,” she croaked.

The sun began to drop towards the western horizon, and its merciless heat began to wane. A single sentry came to relieve the others. He looked at Ruth. “Better go with them, they’ll be shutting the gate.”

“No, thank you,” said Ruth. “I promised her I’d stay, and stay I will.”

He looked up at her. “You’re wasting your time. She won’t know you’re gone.”

“Yes,” said Ruth. “She will.”

He shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

The sun put on a glorious display as it set. Alice gazed balefully at the magenta sky, glad the heat was over but dreading the cold of night.



Darkness fell over the three crosses. As it did so, the temperature started to drop. But then a full moon rose and lit up the scene.



“Mum! Mamma?”

“Yes, Alice?”

"Please! Don't leave me....... alone!"

“I’m still here. I’m not going away!”

Alice shivered in the cold, then moaned, rather than screamed. Once again, she prayed.



"O God… I can’t… take… any more! Let....this...end! Let.....me....die!"

As the night wore on, the temperature continued to fall, and Ruth pulled her head covering back up and wrapped her shawl more tightly around her. She looked up at Alice, utterly nude in this cold, and obviously shivering.

Ruth looked at the sentry. “Can I wrap her in my shawl?”

“No, sweetie, you can’t. We crucify them nude so they can be exposed to sun and moon alike!”

Ruth felt very tired. The unremitting cruelty of the Romans, the suffering of Alice and the others for hour after terrible hour.

“Cold….” murmured Alice. “So… cold.”



Ruth believed her. She felt frozen. And so tired. She sat down and leaned on the back of Alice’s cross, wondering if she was still going to be here this time tomorrow.

 

[justarandomguy]

Dang... and this is with global warming being a thing

Cold is a thing in crucifixion I'm not used to see, never thought about it

 

[Barbaria1]

Kind of pulls at one’s heartstrings, doesn’t it? I started getting emotional reading the text. Well written, Wragg!

 

[Wragg]

Kind of pulls at one’s heartstrings, doesn’t it? I started getting emotional reading the text. Well written, Wragg!

Sometimes I think poor Alice takes nearly as much stick as you do...

 

[Loxuru]

Very poignant twist, Alice confusing Ruth with her mother, and Ruth taking up the role!

 

[Mikerytel]

Alice of Nazareth. The forgotten saint of Rome's merciless rule

 

[Wragg]

But gradually, Alice’s prayer was being answered. Her head fell forward but even then it seemed to Ruth to be a long time before those tiny gasps of breath ceased altogether.



“Alice!”

A voice, from before the cross. A long time before the cross.

A voice she loved.

He was there, waiting below her cross.

“NATHAN!!!!”

Three years of pain, three years of sorrow, and twenty hours of utter agony were loaded into those two syllables.

“Come to me, you silly girl. You don’t need to stay up there now!”

She pushed herself away from the cross, and this time the nails didn’t hold her. She dropped down to the ground as lightly as gossamer silk.

In a moment she was in his arms. All the pain, all the injustice, all the humiliation burst from her in wracking sobs, as he held her close to him.



“It’s over, Alice. Now we can be together for always.”

“Oh, Nathan… it was awful!”

“I know!” He had scars on his wrists, as she did.

“I begged for death!”

“And she came. See!”

Standing beneath the crosses, was a cloaked figure. Alice laughed. “That’s not Death, that’s Ruth!”

“Look closer…”

Alice gasped in shock at the spectral being! Death? But why was Death wearing Ruth’s clothes? Or why had Ruth been wearing his… or hers? She was confused

“Don’t mind her. She’s quite friendly, really. She tells me that you’ve saved millions of lives today!”

"What?"

"The Nazarene. Millions would have died in his name, if he had occupied your cross!"

"I don't understand...."

"He’d have died a martyr, and been venerated as a god! He will now die forgotten. The courage you showed on your cross will be remembered for centuries."

The cloaked figure spoke, and her voice was Ruth’s voice.

“Yes. In two thousand years’ time they will still relate the chronicle of your story. You have been through too much to understand this now, but you will understand, soon enough. Now come on, you two. You have all eternity for canoodling. Come with me back to the city. We have a special place for those who have endured the cross.”

“Ruth? It is you? Why are you here?”

“When I was mortal, I too, died on a cross, and like you, I didn’t deserve such a death. So I was sent to guide you through a terrible day.“

Alice looked at her. “Thank you,” she said simply. “Thank you for being there. Was…. was mine as bad as yours?”

“All I can say to you is that no one in history ever devised a worse way to die. We – you, me, Nathan, and some friends that you will soon meet – only we know what it is like to be on a cross. That is why there is a special place for us. Look!”

Alice looked at the city. It was glowing with light, and from it came music and laughter.

She and Nathan followed ‘Ruth’ to their new home.

And there wasn’t a Roman in sight.

THE END

 

[Wragg]

But why was Death wearing Ruth’s clothes? Or why had Ruth been wearing his… or hers?

That was supposed to be my spooky contibution to Hallowe'en. As you see, I'm a bit late...

 

[Barbaria1]

“It’s over, Alice. Now we can be together for always.”

Poignant!

“All I can say to you is that no one in history ever devised a worse way to die. We – you, me, Nathan, and some friends that you will soon meet – only we know what it is like to be on a cross. That is why there is a special place for us. Look!”

Brilliant ending, Wragg. I didn’t see it coming. Surprising and neatly gift wrapped in art and prose.

 

[Mikerytel]

Poignant!



Brilliant ending, Wragg. I didn’t see it coming. Surprising and neatly gift wrapped in art and prose.

Alice was always destined for heaven

 

[thehangingtree]

She and Nathan followed ‘Ruth’ to their new home.

And there wasn’t a Roman in sight.

THE END

BRAVO!!! An unexpected story beautifully told and illustrated!!! Thank you many times over!

Tree

 

[Loxuru]

But gradually, Alice’s prayer was being answered. Her head fell forward but even then it seemed to Ruth to be a long time before those tiny gasps of breath ceased altogether.

View attachment 1391539

“Alice!”

A voice, from before the cross. A long time before the cross.

A voice she loved.

He was there, waiting below her cross.

“NATHAN!!!!”

Three years of pain, three years of sorrow, and twenty hours of utter agony were loaded into those two syllables.

“Come to me, you silly girl. You don’t need to stay up there now!”

She pushed herself away from the cross, and this time the nails didn’t hold her. She dropped down to the ground as lightly as gossamer silk.

In a moment she was in his arms. All the pain, all the injustice, all the humiliation burst from her in wracking sobs, as he held her close to him.

View attachment 1391540

“It’s over, Alice. Now we can be together for always.”

“Oh, Nathan… it was awful!”

“I know!” He had scars on his wrists, as she did.

“I begged for death!”

“And she came. See!”

Standing beneath the crosses, was a cloaked figure. Alice laughed. “That’s not Death, that’s Ruth!”

“Look closer…”

Alice gasped in shock at the spectral being! Death? But why was Death wearing Ruth’s clothes? Or why had Ruth been wearing his… or hers? She was confused

“Don’t mind her. She’s quite friendly, really. She tells me that you’ve saved millions of lives today!”

"What?"

"The Nazarene. Millions would have died in his name, if he had occupied your cross!"

"I don't understand...."

"He’d have died a martyr, and been venerated as a god! He will now die forgotten. The courage you showed on your cross will be remembered for centuries."

The cloaked figure spoke, and her voice was Ruth’s voice.

“Yes. In two thousand years’ time they will still relate the chronicle of your story. You have been through too much to understand this now, but you will understand, soon enough. Now come on, you two. You have all eternity for canoodling. Come with me back to the city. We have a special place for those who have endured the cross.”

“Ruth? It is you? Why are you here?”

“When I was mortal, I too, died on a cross, and like you, I didn’t deserve such a death. So I was sent to guide you through a terrible day.“

Alice looked at her. “Thank you,” she said simply. “Thank you for being there. Was…. was mine as bad as yours?”

“All I can say to you is that no one in history ever devised a worse way to die. We – you, me, Nathan, and some friends that you will soon meet – only we know what it is like to be on a cross. That is why there is a special place for us. Look!”

Alice looked at the city. It was glowing with light, and from it came music and laughter.

She and Nathan followed ‘Ruth’ to their new home.

And there wasn’t a Roman in sight.

THE END

Now, this is an unexpected, mysterious, enigmatic, multi-layered ending! Thanks, Wragg!