Rotting in a Sinful World: Chapter 1 - Small Light

Chapter 1 – Small Light

After the first sin, the world began to darken and rot. Those who sin lose the skin on their bodies as well as their soul since sin lessens the image of God on humans. Confession to God and penance allows oneself to keep their skin, but there are confessions and acts of penance that God does not accept, which are done to preserve themselves rather than as an honest apology to God. Since most people want their view of reality to be true, they find other ways to keep the skin on their bodies or only confess some of their sins and even less do penance. There are relatively few who confess as they should, one of which is a young boy who is near to death’s door.

He follows a star to a small broken down village where the star seems to be hovering over unbeknownst to its inhabitants except for the children of the village who reach out and cry to it before they are silenced by their blind parents who hardly have any skin on their bodies. Some of these people even prey upon the children and those who are still innocent to take their innocence and skin for themselves to satisfy their empty souls. These same people eye at the passing boy with some wondering who he is. He wonders who they are as well and why the star led him here, so he goes up to the least suspicious looking man to ask him a few questions.

“Excuse me. Do you know if there’s a place to rest around here?” the young boy asks.

“You can rest wherever you like as long as you don’t forget to move someplace else before you cause trouble,” the man answers back.

“What do you mean?”

“I know your wandering type. You’re looking for a way to keep the skin on your bones. No one else wanders the world by themselves for any other reason.”

“You got me there. It’s why I’m following that star in the sky.”

“What star? There are hardly any. In fact, I think there were more stars in the sky when I was born.”

“A voice told me to follow it. Anyways, do you know where I might find a person from the tribe who struggled with God? I’m sorry I can’t be specific about what tribe, but I forgot their name.”

“You must be madder than I thought. First, you say that you’re following a star. Second, you tell me you’re doing it because a voice told you, and third, you’re telling me that you’re looking for the tribe that struggled with God.”

“I know how crazy it sounds, but can you please help me?”

“I can tell you that the tribe is spread among the nations and has prostituted themselves to their masters. You’ll be hard pressed to find any of them who are still faithful to their God if they aren’t pretending to so you can give them your possessions and praise. Their God did allow their enemies to kick them out of their land after all.”

“Still, I must find them or at least wherever the star wants me to go to do penance for my sins and regain my skin. My life and soul are at stake.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you. You’re healthier than most. Besides, why would you want to do penance to that God any way that cursed us with this affliction?”

“It’s what right.”

“What is right, and who gets to decide it? I’ve decided what’s right for me and you should do the same. It looks like you already have.”

“I didn’t decide that this was the right thing to do.”

“You did say that a voice told you. Was it your own or was it someone else?”

“It was someone else’s I’m sure of it!”

“You wouldn’t sound so anxious if you’re sure. Whatever the case is, that’s all I got for you. Leave me alone to rot here unless you want to do the same.”

The boy does as the man says as both slowly lose more of their flesh. Time is running short, so the boy looks to the sky to see that the star appears to have moved. Going in its direction, the boy is stopped by the sight of warriors clothed in the skin of their victims who have entered the village. They have swords, spears, and daggers in their skin-made-sheathes along with pictures of the boy in their hands.

“Have you seen this boy? The king wants his son back. We offer rewards that include skin to all who help us,” one of them says to a village resident.

Looking back up at the star, the boy feels its pull as if it’s telling him to quickly move., however, he thinks it better to get these people off his back first before moving on so they don’t bother him later.

“There you are, prince. You should be going back home,” one of them says.

The boy takes his rusty sword out and decapitates this one before taking a defensive stance then saying, “Leave and forgot that you saw me if you want to live.”

“You still have the same skills your family taught you, and yet, you ran away to chase a star we hear? What devil or god has gotten into you?”

“The truth has. If you repent now, you can save your skin, your life, and your soul.”

“We don’t need your god of truth to save us. We have our own god that has made our lands prosperous.”

“Your god has made you murderers, thieves, and slavers.”

“And you were a prince among us.”

“I was, but no longer am.”

“Enough of this. Come back or else we’ll have to skin you right here. Your parents did say that we could bring you back dead or alive.”

“Just try doing that.”

Thanks to the young prince’s knowledge and skills in fighting, he can dispatch his hunters despite being outnumbered three to one. His battle-hardened instincts also let him hear someone creep up from behind him. He dodges it and cuts the hand off the one who tried to stab him. It's a peasant man with hardly any skin on him. Behind him is his family plus some more armed villagers who are hungry for skin and rewards.

“Get him!” the villagers say.

“Let’s make those tyrants pay us for a change!” one says.

“No, they’ll be paying me!” another argues.

“No, me!”

“I need it more!”

“I just want his skin! I hardly have any left!”

The villagers start fighting among themselves with a few going after the prince. This makes the fight and leaving the village easy for him. He then hides under a rotting apple tree and looks back up at the star before noticing his skin falling off.

“I guess I should’ve listened to the star’s pull,” the prince says to himself. Looking up at the star, he asks, “Why didn’t you tell me more directly like when you first called?”

“You made the right decision. There was no need for my input,” a voice says from the dark of the sky that seems to be coming from the moon.

“I should’ve left. The village wouldn’t turn on each other if I did and I wouldn’t have any more blood on my hands. Oh, why can’t I get out of this habit of mine?”

“That habit saved your life. If you didn’t use it, then those people would’ve kept chasing you until you reached your final destination.”

“How much longer will it be?”

“You’ll see soon enough. Just have some faith.”

“Okay, I trust in you, God of truth. Give me the strength to do what’s right as you did when you helped me escape my family’s castle and country.”

The voice from the dark leaves him as the prince continues following the star in the sky hoping that his destination is truly near as he feels that his death is near.