Thrillers, Chillers & Sci-Fi Killers. Whether or not you believe the bible is true, it contains stories that trigger imagination. 

Murder One

I kick the fruit. Globs of jellied flesh land everywhere. My power and aim are precise, and so is my strategy. I’m the better man, yet somehow, my brother’s offering is accepted and mine isn’t.

He meets me in the field, and I hide my anger by surpassing him many times shooting targets.

Then he wants to show me the burn circle. “The flames came down from heaven. Maker’s voice is like nothing I’ve ever heard.”

I’m silent. I refuse to tell him. All that rained down on my offering was a thunderstorm of questions, warning and disapproval. I never want to hear that voice again.

“Are you mad because my offering was favored?”

“Your offering requires little work. Imperfect fruit is the problem. I brought the best I could find, but still, the garden is not as it should be. I need more help.”

“Who can help?”

“You. There’s so much I can teach you. Together, we can make a new Eden.  Our sisters could tend the lambs. If Aye weren’t so stubborn about Maker’s ways, our life would be better.”

“Better? How?”

“Aye doesn’t see a reason to expand. Every time I suggest improvements to the garden, he says we don’t need them. He hasn’t set foot there in weeks. He’s stuck in the past, and only wants to back to Eden. That’s why he obsesses about the offerings and worries if Maker is pleased. Blood offerings should not be the only way.

“But Maker tells the rules, not us. He made us. Even one wrong makes it necessary. Aye says sin breaks a standard that requires our death. In his mercy for us, Maker gave us blood sacrifice. Out of respect for this mercy we offer the lamb.”

“Do you really believe that?  Should eating fruit from the wrong tree cost us everything?”

“We’re to do what’s right or we die.”

Heat rushes to my face. “No we don’t. I don’t believe it’s true for us. The animals? Yes. They die.  But us? If it was true, then we should already be dead. But we’re not. We’re alive, and we need to start living like we are. If they won’t, then you and I will. I can show you how. I’m not so bad, you know.”

Abe gives me a funny smile. “You just keep it covered.”

The moonlight feels like fire. “What are you saying exactly, brother?”

“You’re not perfect. You may not show it in your actions, but it’s in your head. I know you hate me. I know that you’re mad at Aye and maybe even madder at Maker. You’ll need many of my lambs to pay for your sins.”

“Hush you stupid ass!” My rage boils. I hit him hard with the staff I yank from his hand.  He falls over moaning.

Worried that I’ve gone too far, I drop the staff and reach down to turn his face to me. “Abe, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have hit you, but you know I’m right about this.”

Blood seeps out of a gash in his forehead and runs down his face. I remove my sash to wipe at it, but when I make contact, he twists away and then rolls to a sitting position and stands.

“You’re much worse than me. You’re full of hate. Fruit can’t pay for this.” He pushes bloodied hair locks away from his face and holds up his dripping hand, “See my blood? It will cost you many lambs for this. Father will know what you’ve done.”

I’m frozen as I watch Abe gather his cloak and stumble away. When I see his form disappearing into the shadows, I come alive again. I can’t face the shame. I rush after him and hit him again, and when he falls, I hit him until he is silent.

Then I drag his body to a ravine and throw him in. Sitting on the grass, I sob with all my might. When the voice comes, I’m terrified.

“Where is Abel your brother?”

“I don’t know.”

There is silence.

Perhaps if I’m bold, it will go better for me. I stand and say to the sky, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Silence, but just when I turn to walk away, thunderous words roar back at me. “What have you done?

I fall to the ground, mute.

But the thunder is not. “The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground. Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth.”

I sob bitterly, my face in the dirt. “My punishment is too great to bear! You drive me from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”

Two voices answer. One of them is familiar. “Whoever kills you, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” It is Thunder and Mercy speaking together as Maker’s voice.

Then a terrible pain pierces my skull. Into my forehead, Maker’s hand carves a wound shaped as the first wound I gave Abe. It is to be a sign.

My healed scar is so fierce that no one kills me.

But each time I feel it, I remember.

Death did come to us, but it didn’t come from Maker’s hand. It came by mine.

I remember this and I weep.

This fictionalized account was inspired by Genesis 4:1-16

My new blog series, Bible Snaps, are short fictionalized accounts of the more chilling stories in the Bible. Some are even “science fiction” type stories that reference biblical disasters that seem to conflict with the laws of nature.

If you follow along, there’s a couple things you should know.

My “Bible Snaps” aren’t an attempt to settle the question, “is the bible true?” Each person must decide that on their own. My goal is to jump into the head of bible characters and try to imagine living the experience described in the story and then use fresh and personal words to tell it.

My other goal is to keep these posts “snappy” quick. In doing this, I might only “snap” a portion of the bible story to tell, but I’ll always give you the bible reference so you can read the actual bible text that inspired me.

There are also other reading options on my website.

If you don’t like my Bible Snaps Stories, then check out “Five,” my medical Sci-Fi supernatural thriller story. All 67 episodes (blog posts) are now available, and if you read them from beginning to end, you’ll have read the entire book and will be ready for my sequel, “Six.”

If you don’t like “Five”, then read my other short stories on this blog- (search word, “un-proverbial”) or Psalms blog posts. All of these were posted before January 2015.

Just read me. I’d be honored to have YOU in my audience!

One final thought.

Why do I re-tell the “bad” or chilling parts of the Bible?

We live in rough times. Many people suffer under injustice. It’s good to see how the Bible, an old book that many value as true, contains many helpful stories of people who were oppressed yet managed to live, survive, and thrive. 

Don’t take my word or anyone else’s word about the Bible. Give it a read for YOURSELF. You may be surprised by what you find.

Thanks,

Ann