Bearing Witness

I miss my sisters.

What else can I say? Never has a day gone by in which I did not think of them, and how I wish I could be by their sides once again. My sweet Mary, the games we would play! And Martha... ever straight and to the point. To each of them, I dedicate this, the workings of my life, and the tales I shall share with you. All my thoughts, my prayers, go out to you.

There is another who had a great role in my life, but for him I shall not speak kindly, for he had robbed me of something precious, something I shall never be able to witness again; Heaven, and the peace it provided. My sisters dwell their now, playing, singing... all the while he watches and waits.

Damn you, Jesus! We were friends! At long last, I had found my salvation, only to have it ripped away. Am I do be happy? Do you in all your glory wish for me to sing praises? Never again! I have roamed this world for two thousand years, and have seen the best of men, and the evils that they create. I have seen my sisters grow old and die, and the same with their children and grandchildren... and I have hated you for every death I bore witness to, cursed you for every year after you brought me back to life.

Life! What kind of life is this you have gifted me?

...

Very well then, from the beginning.

...

"Lazarus," whispered a far away voice. "Lazarus, we bring you news from your Lord most high."

I looked around, to seek the one who called to me, but could not see. Everywhere I turned, a soft light filtered through. I could catch glimpses of figures moving, but none seemed to be directed towards me.

"Fear not Lazarus, for you are within the realms of Heaven."

Rejoice! For days I have suffered an illness that my sisters could not cure. Coughing gouts of blood, my fevorish dreams... perhaps that was it. I inhaled deeply, deeper than I have ever breathed.

And I didn't cough.

The voice laughed. "Oh, yes, Lazarus. You are not dreaming. Can you not feel it? Free from your burden, free from your sickness? Your body has gone, but you have gone beyond, and come home."

I feel to my knees, tears rolling down my cheeks. At last, I new what peace was, everlasting... beautiful! I looked once more towards the figures I saw earlier, and noticed upon exceptance, that the figures themselves were the ones creating the light. Men danced with women, children running about, everyone smiling and singing, no worries within their eyes! Oh, and how their eyes shown! I rose to my feet, to be a part of this grand enjoyment...

"Lazarus," the voice whispered once again. "We bring you news from your Lord."

"Yes," I spoke. "Oh, yes! Tell me that which the Lord has sent you, so that I may join your hosts!"

"No, Lazarus, it shall not be. The Lord has a grand purpose for you, as She does with all Her children."

No?

"Tell me, then, what the Lord wishes for me to do, so that I may serve Her and take my place by Her side."

The voices grew quieter, the light dimmer. I could feel my body... feel?... coming back to me.

"The Messiah calls for your return."

Jesus? But surely Jesus, of all people, knew what lay before me? Of what reasons would he draw me back?

"You must bear witness, and record all you see, and when all shall be revealed, Jesus shall come once again, and take you with him once more."

"Wait!" I cried out. I stretched my arms, to grab hold of something, anything... "I don't understand! Why me?"

Silence.

"Why me?!"

Darkness.

Why...

"LAZARUS, COME OUT!"

...me?

...

And so I have walked this world, and saw all there was to see. I saw the death and rise of my friend, though he did not bring me peace. I followed him to the New World, when he took the name of Itzamna, and preached there, yet he still did not take me with him to the beyond.

I lived, while all those around me died. They died, in his name, yet I lived. I suffered through Inquisitions. I survived gas chambers. I cried out "Jesus! Jesus!" along with all the rest from history, and I watched their eyes lift to heaven, and smile as their souls escaped torture...

Why me? Why must I be made to suffer more?

Is it because no matter how much I hate you, how much I loath you, that I still believe? Oh Jesus, my friend... save me from this life!

But it is here, and now, that I remember what I must do...

I am Lazarus of Bethany, and the accounts before you are all I witnessed. But be warned... though they are many, each tale is important... and each tale will lead you to the end of my writings.

It is like what the angelic hosts told me...

"You must bear witness, and record all that you see, and when all shall be revealed, Jesus shall come once again, and take you with him once more."

I hope this is going to be a 'series' because its one hell of a story

That's why I left it open ended... there's alot of potential with a continuing character like Lazarus, seeing all, participating in alot of historial events.

Some tales would be told by me, but I'm hoping others will add as well (I've recieved U2U's for not having a "collaborative" account, so... let's see some collaboration!

Jesus had a family.

I thought I'd share that information with you; it seems rather important to know. Oh, there will be those who will swear that Jesus was above such things, that, as being God's only son, he had high expectations to live by. That he was without mortal needs or desires.

But he never did throw a stone at that woman, now, did he? Remember, "He who is without sin cast the first stone", and all that. And, remember too, Jesus was always referred to as the Son of Man.

Mary Magdalene was with child when Jesus fulfilled his duties in saving our souls from damnation.

I don't mention these things to cast doubt upon your beliefs, but rather to show you that we are all human, no matter our purpose in life...

...

It was a few years after the death of Jesus, and my wanderings took me to southern France, in hopes of coming across his family; although contacting people who knew me was forbidden, I needed to see Mary. I needed to let go of the hatred inside me, and I hoped beyond hope that of all the poeple whom I could turn, she would understand most of all.

The day was nearing an end when I came upon a lake, smooth as glass and as blue as the sky. I was tired, and dirty from my travels, so I strode into the pool of water, shedding my clothes behind me. I had just sunk to my waist when I saw a woman swim to the surface, oblivious to my presence. And though I knew better, my gaze was transfixed on her; her eyes as blue as the water itself, her hair so light in color, curling and waving with a life of its own...

She started to step out when she noticed me, but somehow was unaffected by my gaze. Her head tilted to one side, a look of puzzlement crossed her face. I turned my head down and turned.

"Milady, I apologize. I... I was merely taken back, I wasn't expecting to..."

I could hear her walk to the shore.

"It grows late, stranger, and these woods are not safe for someone new. Perhaps you would wish to join me for the evening. It looks as though you have traveled far, and are in need of rest."

I braved a glance in her direction, and saw she had donned a blue robe. Her eyes, never blinking, never left mine. An eternity passed.

"Yes, milady, perhaps you are right. I have traveled far, farther than you might know, and would greatly enjoy some company for a time."

"Hmm," she responded. "Well then, perhaps when you are done, you would care to join me at my home," she pinted further down the shore, to a small cottage.

How could I have missed that? Maybe my need to cleanse myself was ruining my senses.

"Yes, milady, that would be kind of you."

"Hmm, yes," was all she said as she turned once more and moved to her home.

I waited for her to enter before leaving the water, and dressed myself. By time I reached her home, the sun had set, and although there was no smoke coming from the top, the cabin's interior was as warm as a mother's embrace... comfortable and relaxing, everything that had been lacking in my life.

"Please sit, sir, and I shall have dinner for you shortly."

I did as I was told, and noticed that once again I could not keep my eyes away from her, as much as I tried.

"Milady, if you wish, you can call me Lazarus. And you are?"

She looked at me, really looked at me, and smiled. "I know who you are, Lazarus the Witness, Lazarus the Traveller," she brought me a plate of fish. "And you may call me Nimue."

With that, my eyes closed, and I was asleep.

...

I stayed with her that night, and the night after. We talked, we shared our thoughts and ideas. I grew happy, and I grew in love with her, my Nimue, who, in turn, loved to be in the water! Oh, how she could swim!

Day followed night, night followed day. Soon a week would pass, then a month.

We grew closer, her and I, and before long (for what is time for one such as I) we were as husband and wife.

A year had passed, and I had all but forgotten my mission. All I could think about was this woman, my wife, and the lives we would share together...

The life I would have when she would eventually die...

I prayed each night to end my wanderings, to be spared and granted this one bit of happiness, but there was never an answer.

...

I awoke one morning to see Nimue gone from bed.

I walked out of the cabin, only to see a thick fog covering the land. I moved slowly to the shore, knowing that Nimue would have morning swims, but I heard no splashing of the waves.

Just the silence fog creates.

I stepped into the water, my heart beating faster. There, in the fog, a figure... Nimue? I tried to push further into the water, but the fog blocked my way!

"Nimue!" I shouted, and saw the figure turn. It was her!

The fog parted just a bit, but still it pulled her away, and I could see, for the first time in all the years I've known her, tears.

"Good bye, my love," she whispered. "Know that there are some things more important than the love of two people."

"What? Nimue! Come back! What do you mean? NIMUE!"

She was so far away now, the fog holding her, her holding her stomach as if...

as if she were with child...

"I love you, my husband..."

...

Many lifetimes later, I learned of what happened, of why it happened. It is amazing how time distorts memories and alters tales.

Nimue, my lady of the lake... with a child no mortal man concieved...

My son... Merlin.

The Highest Cost

Part One

Due to the nature and extreme implications set forth in this installment of the Bearing Witness stories, it may not be suitable for all ages...



"Wake him."

A thunderous explosion rocked my head sideways. Though I had strained against my restraints for... how long has it been, anyway? ... I could not see the one who had been ordered to beat me. I could, however, barely make out the one who questioned.

A large hand grabbed the back of my head and pulled it back, my neck cracking with the suddeness of motion. All I could do was to open my bruised and bloodied eyes a fraction.

"Ahh, good... it is nice to see you are still with us, Lazarus. I would hope that this time around you will be a bit more forth-coming in answering me, yes?"

I could not make out the details, not yet. I know I had been brought to this room many times before, always with a sack drawn over my face. As always, I was tied to this same chair, and I could remember that before me was a long table, with another chair centered behind it. A light hung from the ceiling, blanketing my tormentors within a blanket of white.

The hand on my head tightened its grip. "Yes," I croaked.

I knew the questions that were to come; he had asked me the same questions time and again, and always I had answered him the best I could. What had I to fear? God protected me, had always watched over me. Why should I hide the truth about God? Was that not my duty, to spread His word?

"Hmm. Good. Let's begin then, shall we?" A chair slid, scooting towards the table.

"You are the Lazarus as mentioned in the Bible, risen from the dead by Jesus Christ?"

I nodded slowly while I whispered "You already know this."

A sharp crack of a hand across my face.

"You are correct, I already do know this. I know a great deal about you, Jew. For instance, God had given you the ability to understand and speak any tounge you may come across. I know God has given you near immortality, and the ability to heal yourself if things become a little too, oh, dangerous. I know God has given you the ability to appear where-ever in the world you need to be to bear witness.

"Isn't it interesting, then, that you should appear before us? And isn't it even more interesting that you don't seem to be healing as you should? Or the fact that you are still here?"

A cloud drifted across my mind. This was not the same routine. The questioner's tone was all different, hiding something, as if he knew something. And he was right about my still being here, held prisoner by these zealots and lunatics, and of my healing. No longer do I question God or His doings; I know there is a purpose here, so I remained quiet.

The man sttod up, the light dimmed. I could begin to make out objects on the table before me. Among a few books and aged scrolls there was a dagger, and beside that, a spear. The spear.

I gasped, and without remembering "my place" before my captors, I uttered "It's true..."

The questioner seemed to audibly smile. "Oh yes, it is true. Herr Hitler had been after these artifacts for many years now. And with you as an addition, we shall be unchallenged in this world and the next!"

"Why me?" I dared. A blur of motion to my side, and my questioner raised his hand, stopping another shift blow.

"Not now, Erik.

"Why you? You are Lazarus! Rsing from the dead! You cannot die! Do you not think that our scientists would let a Jew like you to waste?" He picked up the dagger, and without a moments hesitation, thrust it in my stomach.

"Now this, this is a waste. A dagger thousands of years old, can cut through any object, and yet, does not kill or injure a living being. No wonder Issac still lived." The dagger was removed and tossed aside. Issac? A dagger that would not...

"Abraham?"

The questioner sighed. The hand cut into my temple, reopening wounds from beatings past.

"Yes, Abraham's dagger. What good a weapon that cannot kill? But you, you we can use." He sat on the table, looking at me.

"Our scientists will remove every part of your body if need be, will drain all of your blood in order to test it, and disect every inch of your brain... we will learn why you still live among us."

The man came off the table quicker then I had ever seen him move. He siezed my chin and drew it up. I have never seen him this close before...

"Tonight, dear Lazarus, you are being sent to one of our camps, for scientific research. You will be boarding a train with other Jewish filth that will take roughly all night to reach its destination. You shall sit in and smell piss. Your feet shall be covered with the # coming from your Jewish dog-asses. You will probably see others of your kind try to kill themselves or their loved ones, and you won't be able to do a damn thing to stop them.

"When the train stops, you will be taken away, seperated from the others. We have special plans for you, Lazarus... of the highest order.

"God may have given you immortal life; imagine how much pain you can experience in that time."

He let go of my chin and stepped towards the door.

"Oh, least I forget; I made a promise to our dear friend Erik earlier today. It seems he wanted some time alone with you, to know you better..."

The door closed as I was picked up, chair and all, and tossed onto the floor. I could feel my arm breaking as the chair crumbled beneath me. As Erik Kicked me over, a darkened shadow filled my vision, a human shaped shadow.

close your eyes the shadow seemed to tell me. close your eyes and sleep

I shut my eyes as Erik moved closer. A sense of leaving filled me.

Sleep


***

I shot up, sitting in straw. I looked around, seeing a dozen or more people with me. I was confused, lost.

"Where am I?" I cried out.

Several of the faces turned towards me, and several more away. And then I knew.

I looked down at my shirt and saw the Star of David upon my breast, and I knew...

***



Part Two of The Highest Cost will appear within one week...