| Choices Chapter Seven |
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The last time; the words whispered in his mind, and peace settled over him. It was a honeyed
feeling, seeping through Carter’s consciousness and throughout his body. There was not the
slightest tremble to his smile, or his hands, and no bead of sweat dotted his forehead.
Carter was staring down the barrel of a gun yet again - and for the last time - for the last time,
that voice seemed to whisper; it seemed to be the only constant in his existence now, the
only thing that he could truly count on. That thought caused him to smile; Shahhan was his
constant, and sooner or later he knew she would join him, wherever he was going next.
Soulmate, he knew - soulmate, for eternity, through reality, through death and rebirth, he
would know her and love her again, and together again they would, sooner or later, lay
entwined in each others arms once again.
“Tell us who the Christians are,” the man said again, and poked the end of the rifle hard
against Carter’s forehead.
Carter barely saw the barrel of the rifle and the hate filled eyes of the man holding it -
instead, he saw the smoky, bright brown eyes of Shahhan, slightly almond shaped; always
with just the slightest bit of makeup. So little you barely noticed it - and he had never noticed
her putting it on. Her eyes glowed so brightly . . . Neither did he hear the laughter of the
other killers, but instead what came into his mind was the light, tinkling peals from the
children; laughter floating as light as any spring breeze, as light as any snowflake caught in
an errant wind.
There was no doubt now, no hesitation - he realized, at long last that he had not been
denying the Lord in those earlier instances - he had been acting to save people, and that was
always the work of the Lord - no matter what name He was called by. Just as he was acting
now; he realized also that he had never been in Hell; he realized at long last that he was
finally beginning to understand that this world was heaven, that it was his reward.
He smiled, knowing he had taught the people well, and that his children had done and were
doing the same. He did not know where these others came from, or where they had gathered
the name of Jesus - but he knew that he had taught his people well, of love and mercy.
“You know that I cannot lie - I am a Christian - but I am the only one here. None of the
villagers will listen to me of the truth of God.”
“Renounce Christ and turn the others in - we will let you go!”
Carter stared up at the man, ignoring completely the gun barrel pressed against his head. He
felt the grin taking control of his face, and almost heard the laughter in his voice. He thought
of Shahhan and Little Billy and Delphia, whom they were raising now, and the other hundreds
of children they had raised, and knew that he would see them again - somehow, some way he
would see them again as well as all the other generations of children he had raised.
He laughed silently, and said aloud, “ I am the only Christian here - none of them have
listened.”
And the last thing he said, not a plea or anything so base - simply, “I forgive you.”
He barely heard the sound of the shot.
feeling, seeping through Carter’s consciousness and throughout his body. There was not the
slightest tremble to his smile, or his hands, and no bead of sweat dotted his forehead.
Carter was staring down the barrel of a gun yet again - and for the last time - for the last time,
that voice seemed to whisper; it seemed to be the only constant in his existence now, the
only thing that he could truly count on. That thought caused him to smile; Shahhan was his
constant, and sooner or later he knew she would join him, wherever he was going next.
Soulmate, he knew - soulmate, for eternity, through reality, through death and rebirth, he
would know her and love her again, and together again they would, sooner or later, lay
entwined in each others arms once again.
“Tell us who the Christians are,” the man said again, and poked the end of the rifle hard
against Carter’s forehead.
Carter barely saw the barrel of the rifle and the hate filled eyes of the man holding it -
instead, he saw the smoky, bright brown eyes of Shahhan, slightly almond shaped; always
with just the slightest bit of makeup. So little you barely noticed it - and he had never noticed
her putting it on. Her eyes glowed so brightly . . . Neither did he hear the laughter of the
other killers, but instead what came into his mind was the light, tinkling peals from the
children; laughter floating as light as any spring breeze, as light as any snowflake caught in
an errant wind.
There was no doubt now, no hesitation - he realized, at long last that he had not been
denying the Lord in those earlier instances - he had been acting to save people, and that was
always the work of the Lord - no matter what name He was called by. Just as he was acting
now; he realized also that he had never been in Hell; he realized at long last that he was
finally beginning to understand that this world was heaven, that it was his reward.
He smiled, knowing he had taught the people well, and that his children had done and were
doing the same. He did not know where these others came from, or where they had gathered
the name of Jesus - but he knew that he had taught his people well, of love and mercy.
“You know that I cannot lie - I am a Christian - but I am the only one here. None of the
villagers will listen to me of the truth of God.”
“Renounce Christ and turn the others in - we will let you go!”
Carter stared up at the man, ignoring completely the gun barrel pressed against his head. He
felt the grin taking control of his face, and almost heard the laughter in his voice. He thought
of Shahhan and Little Billy and Delphia, whom they were raising now, and the other hundreds
of children they had raised, and knew that he would see them again - somehow, some way he
would see them again as well as all the other generations of children he had raised.
He laughed silently, and said aloud, “ I am the only Christian here - none of them have
listened.”
And the last thing he said, not a plea or anything so base - simply, “I forgive you.”
He barely heard the sound of the shot.