The man is solitary.
He stands alone, in a patch of briars, as if a thousand men hold Him together. Tears streak down His face and He seems completely overwhelmed by something which I cannot see, taste, smell, hear, or feel. And, yet, He cannot be broken.
The man is silent. But He shall not be for long.
The man is tired. I watch Him from afar, my eyes squinting to see Him in the dark. I am hiding behind one of the briars, my hands gripping the branch and causing blood to trickle down my wrists. It is utterly agonizing, and my body screams in protest, but I am frozen in place, watching this man who is somehow so fascinating.
The man holds a lantern in His right hand, lifted to eye level, and it illuminates His figure. His hair is long and tangled, and I see that His eyes are closed. He is stopping to take a rest, I realize, and I watch as He slowly succumbs to His knees. His burden is suddenly overwhelmingly heavy, and He folds his hands together, lips moving silently in prayer. I am drawn to this man, unexplainably drawn.
A whisper in the wind trails across my face, caressing my cheek. It tells me to turn back, to go back where it is pleasurable and easy, where I do not have to endure these thorns raking across my skin or the confusing amazement I feel for this man. The coaxing is so reassuring, so sure. It fills me with a sort of temporary peace and I believe it is trustworthy. So I begin to turn away.
But just as I do so I hear yet another whisper. But this whisper is no whisper of the wind. No…this whisper is human and filled with a passion which I have never even dreamt of hearing. And I find myself turning yet again and seeing the man, who has now begun to speak aloud. I am now moving towards the man, crawling, frightened but absorbed, completely absorbed, as if I have discovered eyesight for the first time in my life. And as I crawl closer, I discover that the light surrounding Him is growing brighter with each small step I take.
I wish to speak to the man, but I do not want to interrupt His beautiful vigil. It is completely new and wondrous to me, and I find myself cocking my head to one side, like some sort of ridiculous, enamored puppy. The whisper in the wind is gone now, and I feel no desire for turning back.
The man finishes His prayer and His eyes open.
As if some cloud of death has crossed my path, I instantly feel unclean, naked, as though I have climbed out of a dirty washtub and into a crowd of people. I am horribly ashamed, and tears of fright and worry suddenly tumble down my face and drip to the ground. I bow my head, adding my own silent prayer, begging that I would please be washed, oh, if I could just be clean, if I could just be clothed, if I could just get away from this shame, oh, I am so sorry…
And then I feel something like warm bathwater and honey flowing down my throat and through my veins and under my nose. I feel something like summer nights and cool days and a love enduring all pain. I feel some sort of soft, slow waltz drifting perfectly with a mirthful tango and I am slowly able to raise my head. And I find that my eyes are meeting those of the man. And He is smiling.
I open my mouth in a combination of fear and wonder, hope and pleading, grace and absolute adoration. A strength like a herd of elephants lifts me to my feet, and I walk closer to the man until I am close enough to touch Him. And the light grows stronger still.
I am now aware that the man and I are not at all alone. Millions more of me are making their way towards the man, their lips forming the same small circle as mine are. They are all feeling the same turbulent and amazing emotions that I am, and I feel that I can easily speak for all of us and say that we have never felt anything more miraculous.
The man is smiling at all of us and yet only at one of us. He somehow reaches out to only me and takes all of our hands. I carefully but firmly clasp my fingers around His, suddenly and completely sure of what lies ahead. I am no longer a child but I am a daughter and I am a woman. I am no longer afraid but I am certain and I am alive with passion.
The man pulls only me and still everyone else onto his shoulders, and gently, lovingly…He begins to show us the way.
Author's Note: This is my first "Bible fanfiction" and so I'm a bit nervous to publish it. However, I am deciding to take a leap of faith and to see what happens. Please, if you have any questions, comments, criticisms, etc., don't hesitate to review. Actually, I would love it if you would review. Thank you very much for taking your time to read this.