The Godsend Backfire: The Beginning by Harold Straugh (books to read in your 30s TXT) 📕

my speed to get to where he was, but there wasn’t a trace, for a mortal he was quick.

I needed a different disguise because Judas knew what I looked like, so I went looking, while everyone was too busy with Jesus, I was looking for clothes I could borrow. I fully planned on returning them. I found some red pants, black boots and a white, long sleeve shirt, with a black scarf that I used to wrap my face and hair in.  I wrapped it loosely over my glasses, I didn’t like it, so I looked a little more and happened upon a large, woven, cloak.  I then wondered about with my clothes and weapons, before hiding them under the sand, near a bush on the southern side of Jerusalem.  I then went around looking for Judas.

Judas, I found hanging out right next to Jesus, who once again stared in my direction and nodded, even with new garment, he knew.  People gathered around asking Jesus to perform miracles, he definitely had the power to heal people, I witnessed it with my own eyes.

One girl, maybe the age of eight, was being carried by her father.  He claimed she couldn’t walk, that she was hurt years ago, Jesus motioned for him to bring her close and he did.  Jesus put his hands upon the small of her back and shut his eyes.  He started praying, praying to Jehovah, whom I hated and when Jehovah answered, I hated him even more.

Jesus quit praying and then stood the little girl up, she was hesitant at first, then stood when Jesus let her go then she stumbled a few times, being caught by her dad, but then ultimately got her balance.  The crowd cheered and I turned away, Jehovah would answer him but wouldn’t answer me.

I walked for a little bit, getting back to my roots, I started looking for graves and found none, I circled out miles and didn’t see a single one.  I was growing bored with the place, there was nothing to do except watch Judas and Jesus. I walked back to the inner street of Jerusalem, business had picked up there and people were out and about.  Many were covered, many were not, so once again I didn’t have a hard time blending in.

There was a lot of cooking going on, I smelled plenty of food being prepared and people were in a hurry about it.  There was chatter about a supper for Jesus on Mount Zion and the people were ecstatic about it.  Even those who had nothing, were throwing something together.

I could tell from the people’s actions it was getting hot there.  People were sweating, constantly drinking water, some fell over from the heat.  I just stood there watching, trying to keep an eye on Judas, but the group was nowhere to be found.  So, I started walking around again, trying to figure out where they were at.

I made my way to rather large stone building, that at group of people were standing around, staring through the window openings, saying, “He’s in there!”.  I walked up to the crowd and looked in myself.  There stood Jesus, it was the closest I had ever gotten to him. He stood in the middle of a room and looked like he was being fitted for clothes  He was dressed in a white robe, this time lined with blue instead of red.  I spotted Judas, watching intently from the back of the group.  We made eye contact, but with the change of clothes and my eyes shielded with the fabric he didn’t recognize me.

I thought he was staring at me for a while, then he nodded, I froze at first, but I looked at his eyes and was looking behind me.  I didn’t turn and look at first, I waited a few seconds, then I slightly turned and looked with my peripheral vision to see a figure move to the right of me.  I waited a few more minutes and the figure became clear.  It was the rider from earlier.  He was moving around to the side of the building and when I looked back, Judas had disappeared.

I slowly moved towards the side of the building and as I looked around the corner, the rider disappeared around the back.  I made my way towards the back and stopped when I heard whispering. I heard Judas speak first.

“How were your travels?”

“I got to where I needed to go, the Romans were notified, they are a day away.  Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Jesus will love me and if he doesn’t then he will love no one,” Judas said with same hate in his voice.  My mind wondered for a second before the rider spoke up.

“Am I not enough for you? Do I not…” he started to say but stopped, it was then I heard what sounded like eating, I then looked around the corner and Judas and the rider were kissing. Judas pushed him against the wall and grabbed his crotch.

“You will always be enough for me, but just imagine if I could bed the son of God, how our luck would change?”

I pulled back a little, pressing myself up against the wall, trying not to make any noise.  I heard more kissing, some slopping sounds and a moan. I did not look, for I did not want to see what was happening. I simply walked slowly back to the front of the building and rejoined the crowd. Judas snuck his way back in and wasn’t missed by any of the disciples or Jesus.

I caught the rider coming out from behind the building and decided I was going to follow him at a distance.  I stayed thirty or forty paces behind him and with the crowds growing it was easy to follow and easy to lose him.  I did lose him a few times,