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Alice, Daughter of Barabbas
- Thread starter Wragg
- Start date
It had been worse than her worst nightmare. And still was.
Her entire world was pain. Everything hurt. And not just from her nail wounds, either. Her shoulders hurt like fury, having been almost dislocated as the cross had dropped just now. She struggled for a little while in a hopeless attempt to find one position that hurt less than any other. As she did so she began to notice that there were people out there from a world outside the agony of the cross.
“HELP ME!” she screamed. “SOMEBODY! HELP ME!”
She was naked, suffering unbelievably, and utterly unable to hide any part of her body from a mass of people who had assembled simply to look at her. Alice had been brought up as a modest girl, she had never sought to display herself or to encourage attention, and now, suddenly, she was the object of leering, disgusting men.
The crowd were still yelling their appreciation of the show she was putting on for them. The Romans, below her cross, were beginning to tidy up a bit after the crucifixions, and were working out who was to stay on guard duty and who would be going back to barracks. They kept looking up at Alice, and none of them seemed to want to go back.
Still twisting in desperate agony, she searched those below for someone who might be showing some kind of concern for her terrible situation. Then she saw a small group of three people among the crowd who were not whistling or catcalling.
“DAD! AUNT DEBORAH!”
Who was that third person? Ruth? Her employer? Surely she could help her?
“RUTH! PLEASE! GET ME …. OFF THIS…. CROSS!!!”
This was too much for Joseph. He surged forward to get closer to his daughter, with Ruth and Deborah close behind. A sentry barred the way, and the sound of Joseph’s fury rolled up to Alice and those at the top.
“Come on, man! How the fuck would you feel if she was YOUR daughter?”
The soldier stood, impassive. Nobody does impassive like a Roman soldier. But the centurion coldly calculated that having family nearby before he forcibly removed them would add mental anguish to physical for Alice.
“Let them come up!” he ordered.
The soldier stood aside, and the three of them ascended the hill to stand at the foot of Alice’s cross.
“Oh, Alice! My sweet girl! How can this have happened?”
“Dad! Please! Make them get me down!”
“DAD! Don't just stand there! It hurts! Make it stop! When will it stop?”
Loxuru
Graf von Kreuzigung
An outstanding remake, Wragg - and Ruth appears to be experiencing a sense of deja vu.
Well spotted, that man!An outstanding remake, Wragg - and Ruth appears to be experiencing a sense of deja vu.
Before anyone asks, she's keeping her feet firmly on the ground this time!
“DAD! It hurts! Make it stop! When will it stop?”
Even after all they’d done to her, the centurion had zero compassion.
“Of course it fucking hurts. It’s supposed to hurt. You knew the consequences when you attacked my soldier! We’re not getting you down, nails are permanent.” He was struck by a thought. He bent down and picked up her tunic, still laying where he’d dropped it when he stripped her. “Doesn’t look much, but it’ll fetch a few coins in the market. You won’t need it again.”
Alice groaned. This world of humiliation and torment was all she had. Nothing to look forward to except death.
“You’ve got a … sword! At least … kill me … now! Haven’t I suffered …. enough?”
He grinned up at her. “Tell you what. I’ll come and see you at sunrise the day after tomorrow. If you’re still alive then, I might be merciful and break your legs.”
Joseph lunged forward, fists clenched, “You FUCKING bastard!”
This was exactly what the centurion expected. He nodded to a soldier, who grabbed Joseph.
“Take him away!” snapped the centurion, and Joseph, protesting loudly, was forcibly taken back down the hill.
“Dad! Come back! Don’t….go!”
Deborah had followed Joseph, but Ruth stood her ground. “I’m staying.” She was adamant.
Even after all they’d done to her, the centurion had zero compassion.
“Of course it fucking hurts. It’s supposed to hurt. You knew the consequences when you attacked my soldier! We’re not getting you down, nails are permanent.” He was struck by a thought. He bent down and picked up her tunic, still laying where he’d dropped it when he stripped her. “Doesn’t look much, but it’ll fetch a few coins in the market. You won’t need it again.”
Alice groaned. This world of humiliation and torment was all she had. Nothing to look forward to except death.
“You’ve got a … sword! At least … kill me … now! Haven’t I suffered …. enough?”
He grinned up at her. “Tell you what. I’ll come and see you at sunrise the day after tomorrow. If you’re still alive then, I might be merciful and break your legs.”
Joseph lunged forward, fists clenched, “You FUCKING bastard!”
This was exactly what the centurion expected. He nodded to a soldier, who grabbed Joseph.
“Take him away!” snapped the centurion, and Joseph, protesting loudly, was forcibly taken back down the hill.
“Dad! Come back! Don’t….go!”
Deborah had followed Joseph, but Ruth stood her ground. “I’m staying.” She was adamant.
Loxuru
Graf von Kreuzigung
Alice needs some skills in negotiation techniques, to persuade the centurion, such as :
- Reframe anxiety as excitement.
- Anchor the discussion with a draft agreement.
- Draw on the power of silence.
- Ask for advice.
- Put a fair offer to the test with final-offer arbitration.
Here is meanwhile a good view from the guy on the cross at Alice's right hand side. I wonder what he is thinking : "Can't she stop nagging? This is already painful enough, without her complaining all the time!?"
Loxuru is here quoting from the 'Barbaria1 Manual of Avoiding Crucifixion.'Alice needs some skills in negotiation techniques, to persuade the centurion, such as :
- Reframe anxiety as excitement.
- Anchor the discussion with a draft agreement.
- Draw on the power of silence.
- Ask for advice.
- Put a fair offer to the test with final-offer arbitration.
No longer available, I'm afraid. The publishers withdrew it from sale after her 50th crux.
Loxuru is here quoting from "I was Crucified alongside Barbaria" by, um, I forget who, exactly. There have been so very many.Here is meanwhile a good view from the guy on the cross at Alice's right hand side. I wonder what he is thinking : "Can't she stop nagging? This is already painful enough, without her complaining all the time!?"
Another fine chapter! Alice is nearing delirium. Is Ruth standing her ground because she is a dedicated friend or is curious if Alice will lose her mind before her merciful death occurs?!?!
Loxuru
Graf von Kreuzigung
Two classic reference works that should have a prominent place in every CF member's library!Loxuru is here quoting from the 'Barbaria1 Manual of Avoiding Crucifixion.'
No longer available, I'm afraid. The publishers withdrew it from sale after her 50th crux.
Loxuru is here quoting from "I was Crucified alongside Barbaria" by, um, I forget who, exactly. There have been so very many.
Publishers wanting to avoid questions about the credentials (and perhaps the overall competence) of the author, I suppose.Loxuru is here quoting from the 'Barbaria1 Manual of Avoiding Crucifixion.'
No longer available, I'm afraid. The publishers withdrew it from sale after her 50th crux.
Should, but hard to do when they're out of print. Anyway, would you trust Barb to tell you how to avoid crucifixion?Two classic reference works that should have a prominent place in every CF member's library!
Krieg the Savage
Onlooker
Might you be able to provide links to this necessary reading for a "newer" member of CF who's never heard of those works before?Two classic reference works that should have a prominent place in every CF member's library!
When we say they are out of print, what we actually mean is that they have never been printed.
Loxuru is here quoting from the 'Barbaria1 Manual of Avoiding Crucifixion.'
No longer available, I'm afraid. The publishers withdrew it from sale after her 50th crux.
Loxuru is here quoting from "I was Crucified alongside Barbaria" by, um, I forget who, exactly. There have been so very many.
Two classic reference works that should have a prominent place in every CF member's library!
Publishers wanting to avoid questions about the credentials (and perhaps the overall competence) of the author, I suppose.
“You’re not staying up here…” the centurion began, but Alice interrupted him.
“Ruth… I’m sorry… I don’t…. think… I’ll be…. In today!”
That brought a guffaw from the centurion. "Yes, Ruth, she's a really lazy cow. She's just hanging around when she should be at work!" He laughed uproariously at his own joke.
Ruth glared at him. Pathetic man.
“Alice, I’ll be here… as close as I can, but I’ll be here.”
Alice tried, but she couldn’t answer. No breath. She had no choice but to fight her way up her cross for some precious air. She gritted her teeth, and pushed up on her impaled heels.
The centurion watched with appreciation, while Ruth gazed, appalled, as Alice swivelled on her nails as she battled with her cross for air.
Alice took her full weight on her heels, sucked in a lungful of air, and then uttered a bellow of torment that froze Ruth’s blood.
Moments later, Alice took one more breath, then collapsed back onto her outstretched arms.
“Ruth… I’m sorry… I don’t…. think… I’ll be…. In today!”
That brought a guffaw from the centurion. "Yes, Ruth, she's a really lazy cow. She's just hanging around when she should be at work!" He laughed uproariously at his own joke.
Ruth glared at him. Pathetic man.
“Alice, I’ll be here… as close as I can, but I’ll be here.”
Alice tried, but she couldn’t answer. No breath. She had no choice but to fight her way up her cross for some precious air. She gritted her teeth, and pushed up on her impaled heels.
The centurion watched with appreciation, while Ruth gazed, appalled, as Alice swivelled on her nails as she battled with her cross for air.
Alice took her full weight on her heels, sucked in a lungful of air, and then uttered a bellow of torment that froze Ruth’s blood.
Moments later, Alice took one more breath, then collapsed back onto her outstretched arms.
Loxuru
Graf von Kreuzigung
Very true!
But would she dare telling him?
Loxuru
Graf von Kreuzigung
Don't worry! Ruth has read @Barbaria1 's classic manual!Loxuru is here quoting from the 'Barbaria1 Manual of Avoiding Crucifixion.'