This site is a little frustrating. I'll try again here.
"Am I my brother's keeper?" He screamed at the endless cloudless sky. The jawbone of the ram Abel sacrificed was on the ground at Cain's feet, matted with a messy mix of animal and human life. Cain's hands, calloused and dry from countless days in a field, were hidden behind his back, sticking to the ram pelt he wore around his waist.
Then, that voice. Once so soft, bypassed his ears and filled the inside of his skull in a thunderous assault that brought Cain to a knee, causing him to forget about the mud and blood crust layering his hands.
"I know what you did." Cain's vision was fading, he saw stars in front of his eyes. "I can hear your brother's corpse crying out to me from the grave you dug with that jawbone. The jawbone from the ram he sacrificed. The jawbone you used to kill him. What have you done?"
Silence, and Cain could breath. He started to rub his temples and the voice came back, somehow louder than before. "You will till this tainted soil, and it's fruit will be withered and all but useless. You will be a homeless, pathetic man, wandering the earth."
Again, silence. Cain winced, ready for that skull shattering voice, but it didn't come. And after a few moments, he caught his breath and began to cry. He didn't cry for the loss of his brother, but rather his own outcome. "You can't do that, Lord. If I am forced to wander the land I will be alone, separated from You, my protector. I could fall victim to anyone and be killed."
The wind picked up and seemed to sigh. And His voice came back, softly and with none of the thundering anger that had stunned Cain previously. "Listen, no one will kill you. Anyone who does will have my vengeance to deal with, and it will be seven times over what they do to you."
"But how will they know, Lord?"
"I will put a mark on you. A protection." And with that, Cain slept the dreamless sleep of unease. When he awoke his mouth was dry, and he could smell the rancid blood in his beard. He choked down the urge to vomit and crawled to the crystal clear stream that watered his crops. With horror he saw his reflection there. A cry liberated itself from his throat, and new tears streaked his face.
On the left side, right above the eye, stretching behind his ear was a completely healed, completely scarred mark. The affected eye was milky white and blind, it's socket lower than it had been. The scarred tissue was bald and visible above his ear, and the hinge of his jaw clicked painfully when he opened his mouth.
Then, the voice. "Your mark, Cain, is exactly what you gave your brother, had he lived, had it healed. Go now. Leave this place."
Cain stood, faced the horizon with slumped shoulders, and walked. Going nowhere in particular.
Let's try this again. Another Midrash attempting prose via iambic pentameter. This time about Cain.
"Am I my brother's keeper?" He screamed at the endless cloudless sky. The jawbone of the ram Abel sacrificed was on the ground at Cain's feet, matted with a messy mix of animal and human life. Cain's hands, calloused and dry from countless days in a field, were hidden behind his back, sticking to the ram pelt he wore around his waist.
Then, that voice. Once so soft, bypassed his ears and filled the inside of his skull in a thunderous assault that brought Cain to a knee.
Went to the bariatric clinic to talk to Natalie. She wasn't there. But since I decided today I would begin again (again and again and again and again) my fast, I weighed. 489.9. Got some work to do I think. I think I will try to fast until September 29th, which will be 29 weeks. My goal will be to hit 275 lbs, 214 pounds lost. I think I can I think I can.
Who knows what I'll use this space for. Music reviews. Horror reviews. As if there aren't enough of those out there.
