Beauty From Ashes

Chapter 30, Mercy Part 3

Angela hears this and arches up an eyebrow.
Brock hears this, and his hands grip tighter onto the handle as he seethe angrily.

"Most of you don't know that name, right? Well, the Father knows his name, and he knows him. The same way, that he knows his brother. Paulie Lee Eenis. The man who stands before me now-"

"Stop talking," he threatened.

"Your brother? Angela knew this but your other co-workers don't. Your brother was a believer. Just like your parents, are. That was the only thing that shifted things between you and him, but you still loved him the same way that I love my little brother down there-"

"I said, stop, talking!"

Then Travis, the son of the senior pastor, speaks out. "Why isn't he here with us?"

Brock hears this and closes his eyes. He's already so angry, but he still sheds a tear from his eye. "Because he died…!"

I nod my head. "Yeah. He did. At a time when you were supposed to be taking care of him. Then you had to work for Angela. That's why you had blamed yourself when you saw the TV." I stammer for a moment. "And you can say whatever you want, but I see it in your eyes now. You still haven't dealt with it."

Shortly after, I move my leg as much as it hurts me, and Brock sharply points the gun at me again. "Don't move."

"I just want you to see this." I step down, and kneel on the floor of the stage.

This worries everybody down below. But for Brock.....he's looking incredibly triggered, and grips tighter onto his gun's handle.
"Get! Up."

"You didn't see it happen, but you know how it went down."

"Get up!" he repeated.

"They showed a glimpse right before they pulled," I softly said. "You recognize it, don't you? This was how Benjamin looked and what what saw, before they pulled the trigger, after they forced the hostages to get on their knees-"

"GET UP!!!!" Brock screamed, full of rage.

"Dude stop! You're only making him angry!" Vinnie said.

"Truth hurts, what can I say?" I said.

"Are you trying to die today, Johnson? You really are an idiot!" Angela mocked.

I look up at Brock who's vessels are about to pop out of his head. "Your face…. You feel this, because this is how you know his life ended. And the aftermath left you and your parents grieving." I close my eyes and think for a moment. "But let me tell you something. Benjamin was just like me, he didn't feel scared. Because he knew that even without his big strong brother or family, he believed that God wouldn't leave him. You see, I believe....and I believe this now more than I ever have in my life, that there is a life at the end of this one. It's either Heaven, with God. Or Hell with the devil."

"Why should I care?"

"Because there's a simple question all non believers have to ask themselves. And I used to be an atheist too, and I thought about the same thing: what if I'm wrong, and there really is a God out there? What if he actually is the God of this world, and there actually is a heaven?" I said. "And if so....then I believe that's where your brother is. Smiling brighter and bigger than he ever had before while he was alive, because he's in paradise, safe with Jesus, and he's able to watch our lives unfold with a front row seat. But right now….he is worried to his core right now. Because he has ro watch you and see you acting like this."

"DON'T ACT IS IF YOU KNOW THAT!!"

"I DO know Brock! You know why? Because he's watching the same situation that happened to him. I'm the one on my knees, with a family, a younger brother, and friends who feel scared and willing to do anything. While you're here with me, I'M on my knees and YOU'RE the one who's HOLDING ONTO THE GUN!!! About to do the same thing that those men did to him!"