They said they would leave me alone - but they never. They said this would be the last time - but they were economical with the truth. They said I was the only one to stop this - unfortunately, they were right. Who are they you are wondering. To answer this I will have to start from the beginning.but what beginning - now that's the question. I guess I will have to start from 'my' beginning, not theirs.

The day was like any other day. No it wasn't, it was raining - like the end of the world had just begun: torrential - downpour - warm - humid. On this day, I was late for a meeting with a prospective client and felt hungry so, as I was driving along the country lane I saw a sign that read 'The Divine public house, Templar Mead, two miles', and so took it.

Ten minutes later I was there and could not believe it; the place was like an advertisement from the Fifties. Quaint cottages, neatly tendered lawns, hedges, bowling green, old fashioned pub, even the cars were vintage. I was stunned, for it was not marked anywhere on my AA map.

As I drove down the narrow road the rain abruptly stopped and bright sunshine illuminated the village immediately drying the damp ground as if someone had just flicked a switch. I saw the locals look at me then hurry inside, closing and locking their cottage doors.

What's going on, I began to wonder as I pulled into the pub car park, got out and locked my Citroen C5. Before I entered, I looked around at the other vehicles and came to the conclusion that the village must be one of those theme towns that are now springing up all over the place.

"I can't believe it, it looks so realistic!"

"Because my friend, it is."

I turned and saw a stranger standing by my side; a stranger I knew was not there a minute ago. As if reading my thoughts, he said, "Do forgive my manners. I guess you are wondering who I am. Please let me introduce myself," he held out his pallid-skinned, smooth, freckled hand. "Moses Uriel Kadoka. And I am your guide."

"My what!"

"Your guide, Joseph Sinclair."

"How -"

"It is your destiny to be here - now. You are at a crossroads in your life. You need a challenge, a focus, a purpose." Uriel; eyes a piercing azure colour, his face, calm, composed, and serene held up his hand. "Drink first, answers later. Or you can get back into your transport and leave - that is if you can find your way out."

"You're crazy!" I stammered. "I'm not staying here."

I strode to my car, got in, started the engine, and drove out of the car park heading out the way I had come in. But no matter which way I turned, all roads led me back to the same place.

Getting out I demanded, "How is this possible?"

"All roads lead to where you want to be," He held up his hand. "But first we drink, answers will follow later. Come."

Feeling intrigued by the way he spoke, I followed him into the pub. Once in, I was dumbstruck, for outside it looked like a fifties-looking pub, but inside, well, it was if I had travelled back in time three hundred years. But surely that was impossible!

I looked at him and saw he was smiling. Well, it was more of a grin.

I quickly went back out. My car was still there. The pub looked all right and the villagers who were now playing bowls, saw me and they too smiled.

What was happening? Was I going insane?

I rushed back in. "What the hell's going on?"

He flinched as if I had just slapped him.

"Please refrain from using profanity in this sacred place for there are some who would kill you - just for swearing."

I don't know why, but I believed him. As I took a seat, I looked round and, had to look again, the people were all dressed in different costumes; Medieval, Edwardian, Victorian, even Roman.

When he came back with the drinks I laughed. "I know, this is a film set I have stumbled across. Isn't it?"

"Drink first, answers later."

"Why do you keep saying that?"

"All will be revealed. There is no rush. For he who does, will not savour life's mysteries."

"Look Moses, or whoever you are. All I want now is to get the -"

"Please do not swear."

"How!"

"Drink."

"I know," I sighed, realising I was not going to get anywhere. I drank what I thought was beer, but which tasted like celestial nectar from the Gods.

"There, I have finished. Now explain all."

"You are quite sure that you are finished? Look again."

I looked and could not believe it; my glass was 'full'. I drank again and for a second time and yet again. But even though my glass was not emptying, I was becoming drunker by the minute, and my speech that should be slurred, was clear and resonant.

"You realise that you could make a load of money with this neat trick."

"Money, tricks! Forsake us all! Has not humankind learnt anything at all?"

"I don't understand? Explain!"

"Now you must rest and tomorrow I will divulge all."

"I - do - not - under-"

By now I was asleep. A deep sleep. A sleep of dreams, of history, of time. I slept and was witness to the birth of the world, of man, of woman, of conflict, of saviours, of war, famine, rich, poor, and - I awoke in a cold sweat and looked at my watch: 6 a.m. I sat up and was startled to see him sitting and watching.

"How long have you been there?"

"Three days and nights my friend."

"WHAT!"

"Do not be alarmed. You have come through it unscathed. Which I knew you would. But 'they' were not so sure."

"What do you mean by unscathed? I don't follow. And who are 'they'?"

"You are not a follower, you are a leader of men, of faith, of belief."

This man was driving me crazy with his riddles. What the hell was he going on about? I then saw by his face he knew what I was thinking.

"Yes, my friend, I can indeed read your thoughts. So be very careful what you think. From this point on you will listen and learn. Lie back and relax as I take you on a journey that humankind has never gone on before."

"I still do not -"

"You will - Pontius Pilate."

I gulped. "What did you say?"

"Pontius Pilate.no matter how many incarnations and names you may have used, there has to be a reckoning. And now that time has come."

Somehow, I knew he was right. I was 'he'. I was the man that could have freed Jesus.

"Now do you understand?"

I nodded.

"Your true self will soon be set free, for you alone, owe humankind a moral debt to rectify what you did. Come."

I rose and followed him to the door that opened by itself and stood there spellbound for I could see - the crucifixion of Christ; the king, the Saviour, the Messiah.

"Once you go through that door, there is no turning back. Nor will there be a second chance. You will replace him on the cross and Pontius Pilate will be no more. Are you ready to accept your destiny?"

"My wife, my family. Can't I say goodbye."

Moses smiled and waved his hand over the door. A shimmering shape of a newscaster replaced the vision before me.

"At twelve-thirty yesterday afternoon a car, a Citroen C5 was involved in an multiple pile-up on the M26. Astonishingly the only fatality was the driver Joseph Sinclair."

The newscaster then faded away and the vision reappeared. I looked at Moses who beamed, "Your wife will give you a funeral fit for a King, maybe a Messiah!"

Puzzled I looked at him. "Will anybody remember me?"

"Pontius Pilate, no, Joseph Sinclair definitely. Are you ready?"

"Well, no, not really. Why now and not those other times?"

Moses Uriel Kadoka looked at me. "Now is the moment when the constellations are in perfect alignment. You must go through - now!"

He sounded edgy, as if terrified. I began to question his motives. I drew back from him, for it was time to reveal my 'true' self.

"Why the urgency? And why are you so scared?"

His benign, friendly, persuasive manner suddenly changed.

"Christ! Why cannot you accept your destiny. There is the door, walk through it and put right what you have done."

"Not until you tell me the real story? I know, it is you 'they' want, not me. Isn't it?"

"Don't be stupid! I am Moses Uriel Kadoka. I am -"

I looked at him intently before I finally said, "Do you know why I am here, at this precise moment?"

"I've told you before, you are at a crossroads. That is why you are here."

"Let me put it another way. If I am the one to replace Jesus, what will happen to world history as we know it?"

"Like I said earlier you, Pontius Pilate, will cease to be."

"No! I mean what will happen to Jesus - our saviour."

He looked at me and I knew that he was mystified as to what I was getting at.

"Okay, lets play consequences. If Jesus were to live, presumably he would get married; have children who in turn, will also have children. And the line of David will reign supreme - unbroken. There will be no Religion as we know it unless," I smiled. "Unless I am the one that all religion will be based on. The Gospel of Pontius, now I like that."

But I could see that Moses did not.

"No, well lets play the other consequence - by the way, how long have I got?"

Moses Uriel Kadoka grabbed me by the arms and roughly tried to push me through the door, the gateway to the Past. I broke free, turned and held up my hand.

"Enough! They have sent me to stop you. Understand. Stop you! I have to admit it, you were clever in the way you covered your tracks. That is why 'they' had to make you believe I was the one who owed humankind a debt. When, in fact, it was you - Judas Iscariot!"

He glared at me. "I should have known it would be too easy. When did you suspect?"

"Since they recalled me life. The Triumvirates; the Shining Ones, the Gods, the Creators who believe we are holding up humankind's evolution; you, me, and the others. That is why we are all being summoned back, so that man and woman can truly be free of our restrictions, our concepts, and our religions. Of course there will always be one religion that will live on forever, the one that proclaims we are all equal in the eyes of GOD. Are you ready?"

Kadoka sighed. "Surely it cannot end like this?"

"I cannot see why. You were quite prepared to let me go through the gateway and replace Jesus, Esau on the cross, were you not."

He nodded.

"So all we are doing is going together. But not to the cross, because that is a symbol only for Humankind and it would be a sacrilege for us to presume otherwise. It is true that when I was Pontius Pilate I could have let Jesus go, but you were the one that gave him up to the Romans - to me. So are you ready?"

"This is it then. We are not wanted anymore?"

"We never were meant to stay this long. Our function was to bring understanding and wisdom. This we have done. Now we leave. Hold my hand and let's go."

"How?"

"Surely you have not forgotten the way we arrived?."

Kadoka was now shaking. "Yes, and I'm afraid."

"You truly have been here too long. Watch."

I waved my hand over the open door; the vision of Golgotha vanished and was replaced by a infinite darkness with a pinprick of light at the end.

"But isn't that the pictogram for death?"

"What is death but a beginning; a renewal of faith in oneself. True, there have been documented cases of near-death experiences where people see a light at the end of a tunnel. But what they truly see is this, a singularity that transports our soul, our essence to where we came from. Some call it God-light, but I call it Faith. For without that, humankind has no hope. It is now time."

"Wait! You can't go, you are married."

"That is another thing that 'they' in their wisdom thought might put you off guard. And I'm amazed that it worked. So let us be gone from this place."

I took Moses' hand; we looked towards the singularity, and I said a simple prayer of atonement. There was a brilliant flash and we travelled towards the light. It was exhilarating travelling at speeds that humans could only dream of.

In an instance we were there.

But I bet you are now wondering where 'there' is. Alas, I am sad to say that humankind will have a long time before they are fully evolved to know where 'THERE' is.

Comments

Opening = 7
Character(s) = 5
Dialogue = 5
Setting = 2
Plot = 4
Suspense = 8
Ending = 8
Enjoyment = 5

Ray, this is a very profound story. I had to read it several times to get the plot. Suspense was high though and the ending was better than the beginning.

Dorothy Spry

Opening = 7
Character(s) = 7
Dialogue = 7
Setting = 5
Plot = 8
Suspense = 9
Ending = 7
Enjoyment = 6

Jo Austin

Opening = 5
Character(s) = 6
Dialogue = 7
Setting = 5
Plot = 5
Suspense = 6
Ending = 7
Enjoyment = 10

Here is an author who uses his writing to make us think. For days after reading this I have been unable to shake off the notion of a religion founded around Pontius Pilate - around a man who washes his hands free of moral dilemma? The profound thoughts at work in this piece create an extra dimension - and add to the enjoyment enormously. I give the author ten out of ten for thought.

Philip Neptune

Back to workshop submissions

Group Home Page