Idomeneus
Assistant executioner
Just a quick thing I jotted down. I've always wondered what a semi-realistic conversation with a still-living Crux victim would be like, and decided to give it a shot and do it in a minimalistic, dialogue-only style.
I'm not 100% crazy about how it came out as it feels a bit macabre and sentimental. It's also not sexy, but that's by design (that realism thing again). Still, if anyone ever lay awake at night wondering about such a situation, I hope I can scratch that itch.
Dialogue with a Crucified Woman
“Oh, Bathsheba, I’m so sorry!”
“It’s all right, Ruth. I’ve made my peace with it. I am ready now for whatever comes next.”
“But you must be in agony!”
“I am. But you’re helping me. Just by being here. Just by talking, distracting me from the pain.”
“I’ll be honored to help in whatever small way I can. I can’t bear to see you like this.”
“Haha – trust me, I don’t like being up here either.”
“All I can think about is taking those nails out of you.”
“Don’t do anything stupid, Ruth. Everyone is watching and I don’t want to continue this conversation with you nailed to the cross next to me.”
“I won’t. I promise. But there must be something I can do!”
“You can find a spear and end my suffering. Grant me a quick death.”
“Don’t say such things, Bathsheba!”
“Why not? I’m already dead. My body and soul simply aren’t willing to believe it yet.”
“I… I suppose that’s one way to think about it.”
“That’s right, little sister. It may be the only time you get a chance to speak to someone who’s on the other side of the veil.”
“Are you still in terrible pain?”
“Yes. Not as much as when they pounded the nails in, but yes. Mostly it’s just gradually getting harder to breathe. I keep having t- arrgh!- to pull myself up to get a proper breath and it’s torturous. I try to stop myself but my body forces me to continue no matter how bad it hurts. I suppose it’s appropriate.”
“Appropriate? How?”
“Well, I don’t really have hands and feet any longer, so it makes sense I can’t control the rest of my body either.”
“Your limbs are still there, sister.”
“Yes, but for all the good they are doing me they may as well have been cut off. In fact, had they been, I would not be connected to this miserable piece of wood right now.”
“How horrible. Is there nothing I can do?”
“Just stay here with me. Until the end if you can. And… please, I’m so thirsty. Ask the centurion, maybe he’ll let you give me a sponge to suck on.”
“Of course. Wait one moment.”
“I’m not going anywhere. Ever again.”
**
“Ohhh, thank you, Ruth. That was wonderful. I know I shouldn’t drink, it’ll just make this hell last longer, but I can’t help myself.”
“Athaliah, please don’t. I need you to live.”
“It’s out of both of our hands now, sweet one. Better to get it over with. And… of all the stupid things…”
“What? What is it?”
“I… I need to pee. Can you believe it? I’m nailed naked to a cross four cubits high for all to see, but I’m still shy about a bit of piss?”
“I can understand it. But you’re suffering so much already. Holding it in won’t help anyone now.”
“I suppose you’re right. I’ll just close my eyes and… ohh God, that is better.”
“That’s right, sweet one. Let it out.”
“Heh. My humiliation is now complete.”
“No! It is the villains who have done this to you who are shamed! Their evil cries out to the very heavens! It offends God Himself!”
“Then he is more than welcome to come down here and undo my nails.”
“Bathsheba!”
“Don’t be so scandalized, my dear. The time for that has passed. Saying anything I want is one of the few privileges of dying. What else can they possibly do to me now but end my suffering more quickly?”
“Oh God!”
“There, there. No more weeping. I am not worthy of your tears.”
“If any daughter of Eve had ever earned them, it is you.”
“Perhaps, perhaps not. But don’t let the legionnaires rejoice at the sight.”
“You… you’re right. As always.”
“I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t made some mistakes.”
**
“Bathsheba?”
“Y… yes?”
“I... I will stay with you. Until the very end. If they let me. And afterwards I’ll see you are buried properly, with honor. I promise.”
“Tha… thank you. It’s getting… harder to speak. Just let me… catch my breath… rest…”
“Anything, my beloved sister. I can only be here for you, but that much I swear upon the Name itself that I will do, and with a glad heart.”
“Don’t… swear. It’s… sacrilegious.”
“I don’t care! I don’t care! Any God that allows such travesty, such… evil… does not deserve to be worshipped.”
“Don’t… say that! You will live… to see Judgment Day. And we shall… meet again when it comes.”
“Yes, my love, we shall. Now please, please, for the love of all that is holy… Please die.”
“I will… soon enough. Think about… me when I’m… gone.”
“Every time the sun comes up and every time it goes down. I sw-- promise you that.”
“Good. I think… I think I shall sleep now. Mother… I can see Mother over there on that ridge… she wants me to come home for dinner.”
“Sleep well, darling. I will see you again soon.”
I'm not 100% crazy about how it came out as it feels a bit macabre and sentimental. It's also not sexy, but that's by design (that realism thing again). Still, if anyone ever lay awake at night wondering about such a situation, I hope I can scratch that itch.
Dialogue with a Crucified Woman
“Oh, Bathsheba, I’m so sorry!”
“It’s all right, Ruth. I’ve made my peace with it. I am ready now for whatever comes next.”
“But you must be in agony!”
“I am. But you’re helping me. Just by being here. Just by talking, distracting me from the pain.”
“I’ll be honored to help in whatever small way I can. I can’t bear to see you like this.”
“Haha – trust me, I don’t like being up here either.”
“All I can think about is taking those nails out of you.”
“Don’t do anything stupid, Ruth. Everyone is watching and I don’t want to continue this conversation with you nailed to the cross next to me.”
“I won’t. I promise. But there must be something I can do!”
“You can find a spear and end my suffering. Grant me a quick death.”
“Don’t say such things, Bathsheba!”
“Why not? I’m already dead. My body and soul simply aren’t willing to believe it yet.”
“I… I suppose that’s one way to think about it.”
“That’s right, little sister. It may be the only time you get a chance to speak to someone who’s on the other side of the veil.”
“Are you still in terrible pain?”
“Yes. Not as much as when they pounded the nails in, but yes. Mostly it’s just gradually getting harder to breathe. I keep having t- arrgh!- to pull myself up to get a proper breath and it’s torturous. I try to stop myself but my body forces me to continue no matter how bad it hurts. I suppose it’s appropriate.”
“Appropriate? How?”
“Well, I don’t really have hands and feet any longer, so it makes sense I can’t control the rest of my body either.”
“Your limbs are still there, sister.”
“Yes, but for all the good they are doing me they may as well have been cut off. In fact, had they been, I would not be connected to this miserable piece of wood right now.”
“How horrible. Is there nothing I can do?”
“Just stay here with me. Until the end if you can. And… please, I’m so thirsty. Ask the centurion, maybe he’ll let you give me a sponge to suck on.”
“Of course. Wait one moment.”
“I’m not going anywhere. Ever again.”
**
“Ohhh, thank you, Ruth. That was wonderful. I know I shouldn’t drink, it’ll just make this hell last longer, but I can’t help myself.”
“Athaliah, please don’t. I need you to live.”
“It’s out of both of our hands now, sweet one. Better to get it over with. And… of all the stupid things…”
“What? What is it?”
“I… I need to pee. Can you believe it? I’m nailed naked to a cross four cubits high for all to see, but I’m still shy about a bit of piss?”
“I can understand it. But you’re suffering so much already. Holding it in won’t help anyone now.”
“I suppose you’re right. I’ll just close my eyes and… ohh God, that is better.”
“That’s right, sweet one. Let it out.”
“Heh. My humiliation is now complete.”
“No! It is the villains who have done this to you who are shamed! Their evil cries out to the very heavens! It offends God Himself!”
“Then he is more than welcome to come down here and undo my nails.”
“Bathsheba!”
“Don’t be so scandalized, my dear. The time for that has passed. Saying anything I want is one of the few privileges of dying. What else can they possibly do to me now but end my suffering more quickly?”
“Oh God!”
“There, there. No more weeping. I am not worthy of your tears.”
“If any daughter of Eve had ever earned them, it is you.”
“Perhaps, perhaps not. But don’t let the legionnaires rejoice at the sight.”
“You… you’re right. As always.”
“I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t made some mistakes.”
**
“Bathsheba?”
“Y… yes?”
“I... I will stay with you. Until the very end. If they let me. And afterwards I’ll see you are buried properly, with honor. I promise.”
“Tha… thank you. It’s getting… harder to speak. Just let me… catch my breath… rest…”
“Anything, my beloved sister. I can only be here for you, but that much I swear upon the Name itself that I will do, and with a glad heart.”
“Don’t… swear. It’s… sacrilegious.”
“I don’t care! I don’t care! Any God that allows such travesty, such… evil… does not deserve to be worshipped.”
“Don’t… say that! You will live… to see Judgment Day. And we shall… meet again when it comes.”
“Yes, my love, we shall. Now please, please, for the love of all that is holy… Please die.”
“I will… soon enough. Think about… me when I’m… gone.”
“Every time the sun comes up and every time it goes down. I sw-- promise you that.”
“Good. I think… I think I shall sleep now. Mother… I can see Mother over there on that ridge… she wants me to come home for dinner.”
“Sleep well, darling. I will see you again soon.”
