The Crucifixion of Evan

The Idea Gains Hold

Evan was a devout Catholic in a family of devout Catholics.  His mother was the vice principal of the

city’s Catholic school and his father was a 15-year history teacher in the same school.  Evan was one of

three kids – him at 15, his little sister Mary at 12 and his older brother Matt at 17. 

Evan’s group of friends, all found through the church and the school, were fairly like-minded.  They grew

up together, attended Bible study together, went on Vacation Bible Schools together, went on camping

trips together, played sports together, attended each other’s’ birthday parties and event went on multi-

family vacations together.  In short, Evan’s exposure to the world was limited to cocoon of like-minded

religious acquaintances.  As a result, Evan found himself immersed in the Christian faith and he searched

for truth and meanings in thousands of years of writings, art, persecution, wars, legend and lore.  For 15,

he was one of the most studied youths in the church.  Most boys find the outside world and the church

becomes but a part of their lives.  For Evan, however, his life was the faith.

He prayed in the morning, prayed before meals, prayed at night and avoided the temptations that

corrupted so many of his peers.  He didn’t look down on them as he knew the path to temptation and

sin was an easy one to walk.  But he was very proud of upbringing and self-discipline that protected him

from the evil forces that consumed so many.  He also didn’t live the life of Catholic boy that seemed so

popular to vilify in the media these days – he had never been abused, never been approached for sex by

an adult, didn’t spend all his time jerking off or looking at porn and was still a total virgin.  He wasn’t

consumed by thoughts of sex.  He was consumed, however, by the life and death of Jesus Christ.  Jesus

was Evan’s inspiration; his purpose; his role model.

This heavenly figure lived a pure life that inspired some at the time and inspires a billion people today. 

The manner in which Jesus approached his untimely end is ultimately what drives Evan.  Jesus did not

beg for mercy, plead for leniency or curse his executioners.  Instead, he endured the horrors with as

much poise as any human could.  A true sacrifice if ever there was one.

Evan spent countless hours researching the trial of Jesus (a total sham in his opinion), the public beating,

the crown of thorns, the long walk up the hill carrying the cross, the nailing and raising into the sky, the

suffering and the agonizingly slow death. He was just fascinated that someone could undergo such

horrors and do so with such composure. 

At dinner one evening, Evan raised the topic in front of the family.

Evan: “Dad, I wanna play Jesus in the next pageant.”

Dad: “Don’t you think you’re a bit young for that Evan?  John’s played that role for the past couple years. 

He’s 30 and is closer in age to Jesus than you.”

Evan: “Yeah I know.  It’s just I think this is the path I’ve been looking for.  If I can experience what Jesus

went through, I know it will bring me closer to God.”

Dad: “That’s true son.  It probably would, but you’re just too young.  Try out for one of the Roman

solider parts.  I know you’ve spent a lot of time studying this so you should be a shoe in for the part.”

Evan almost choked on his asparagus: “I could never do that.  I could never beat Jesus!”

Dad: “Yeah I know it’s the toughest part in the production and has really made some grown men cry

while performing it.”

Mary: “It’d be cool seeing Evan beaten!”

Mom: “Mary Elizabeth!  That was out of line young lady and not very nice at all to say about your

brother.”

Mary looked down at her place: “I’m sorry mom.”

Mom: “And?”

Mary looked at Evan: “I’m sorry Evan.  I didn’t mean it.”

Evan: “It’s okay sis.  I really want this.”

Mom: “Your father is right.  You’re too young.  Someone would probably think it’s child abuse to let a

15-year-old be treated so rough, even if it was for the sacred passion performance.”

Evan: “But what can I do?”

Dad: “If you don’t want to play a Roman solider, find another part to play.  The closer you get to the

performance in the play, maybe you will be ready for the big role in a couple years.”

Evan looked disappointed but undeterred: “I guess.”

Evan knew what had to happen.  He needed to experience what Jesus experienced (except death of

course).  After he would be as close to God as any mortal man could be.  The allure of achieving that

state of existence was too powerful to dismiss just because he was too young to perform in the annual

play.

In the following year’s performance, Evan played the role of a shepherd, a minor role with no speaking

part.  He spent all of him time during rehearsals and the live performance focusing on John, who

reprised his role as Jesus.  John did just an amazing job.  He emotions were genuine, his acting

completely realistic, his reactions to the beatings frighteningly believable.  Evan was envious, but he

came to realize what his parents tried to tell him – he wasn’t ready for this role.  He could not pull it off

as well as John has all these years.

The realization disheartened Evan.  He so wanted to experience these trials.  No, he needed to

experience them.   Walking in the footsteps of Jesus and finding the strength to overcome the obstacles

would be his ticket into an enlightened adulthood.  This setback only fueled Evan’s determination to

make this happen.

Early in his 16th year, Evan presented a rough idea of his plan to his mother.  He knew (or at least hoped)

she would understand and support him.  The plan called for a baptism of a different sort – a realistic

recreation of Jesus’s final days in the most realistic means possible.  Evan would suffer degradation,

humiliation, hardship, pain, suffering and despair, just as their Lord and Savior had done so long ago. 

Mom: “Oh honey, this is the noblest idea I have ever heard of.  But just as Jesus died, surely would you.”

Evan: “No I don’t want to die.  I need this to give my life purpose.  I need it to be as real as possible but I

need to survive it.  I’ve done a ton of research and know how to do it.”

Mom: “How would you survive the nails?”

Evan: “You know the devouts in the Philippines who are crucified every year?  Well, I know where they

put the nails so it doesn’t break bones or cause lasting damage.”

Mom: “Okay.  Well, what about hanging on a cross for that long.  You wouldn’t be able to breath.”

Evan: “Yeah  I couldn’t be up there for 3-4 days.  I’m thinking 24 hours max.  Maybe 12.”

Mom: “That’s a relief.  I just don’t know honey.  I couldn’t bear to see you go through what Jesus did.  It

would be horrible.  What about the whipping?  That tore his skin apart.”

Evan: “I figured out that if the skin and fat are torn but I don’t tear up the muscles and tendons, I should

be okay.  This is one thing I have to experience as real as possible.  I need to bleed the ground.  I need

scars to forever remind me of His sacrifice.  Do you understand mom?”

Mom looked down at the table, almost in despair: “You’re going to make me cry Evan.  What you want is

so beautiful and yet so horrible.  I just don’t know.  You’re such a good boy.”

Evan: “Mom, please.  I have to do this.  I’ve been searching for my path forever and I finally found it.  I

need to walk the path of our Lord and Savior.  I need to suffer as he suffered.  I need to be tested.  I will

come out of this a new person.  I will train the rest of the year, plan all the details, get everything lined

up and do this on my 17th birthday.”

Mom: “You really have your mind set to this don’t you?  Have you spoken with your father?”

Evan: “Yes I do mother, and no I haven’t.  I wanted your blessing first.”

Mom: “Oh honey I’m so proud of you.  I can’t imagine a more wonderful way to show your devotion.  I

worry about you, how much this will hurt you and scar you forever, but I know you will wear these

memories and marks with pride.  You will become an inspiration to others.  You will get followers.”

Evan: “I’m not doing this for anyone else but me, mom.  I can’t think about anything else.  I’m not

looking forward to the pain, but I need to experience it.  Does that make any sense?”

Mom: “Yes honey it does.  I love you so much.  Come here.”

Mom held her son tight in her arms and told her son what he was waiting for: “I will support you my

loving Evan.  I’ll even help you convince your father.”

Evan: “Thank you so much.  This means everything to me.”

Convincing dad was surprisingly simple.  It took maybe an hour to explain what Evan had planned and,

more important, why he was doing this and what he hoped to gain as a person.  His father asked a lot of

questions to gauge Evan’s intent to follow through, even when things become unbearable.  Evan did a

good job convincing his father of his drive and dedication.  In the end, the experience would be so

powerful that his father was not only on board, but offered to help his son pull it off.  He, like his wife,

was now so proud of his son.  He only wished he had the courage to do something like this.  He agreed

that Evan would garner a huge following after this act was done.

Everyone’s chief concern was how Evan’s body would survive the assaults placed upon it.  They agreed

he needed to be in outstanding physical shape.  A solid, athletic body would be able to endure the

forthcoming hardships much better than a lazy body.  Fortunately that wouldn’t take much work.  Evan

was healthy, slim, fit, ate the right foods, stayed very active and was a fine specimen of young man. 

What he didn’t have, however, was a regimented workout routine.  Evan liked running so he asked the

school track coach about a program that he could employ over the next 9 months.  The next day, Evan

was running 6 miles a day, split between morning and evening.  It was probably too much to start right

away, but he was determined like no other.

While he was conditioning his body, planning was underway.  The entire family was on board at this

point and they treated it very much as a family project.  Dad took the lead as he had the best contacts in

the church community.  At a family meeting, Evan handed out a list of his must-haves:

1.        I will be starved and placed in isolation for 3 days; water would be okay

2.        I will be placed in isolation nude and remain so throughout the event

3.        I will receive 39 lashes

4.        I will wear a crown of thorns

5.        Nails will be driven through my hands and feet

6.        The cross will have a horn on it

7.        While on the cross, my front side should be scourged

8.        At least 200 people should witness this

9.        The event should be recorded

10.        My goal is 24 hours on the cross

11.        I want my lower legs broken near the end

Expressions varied as each family member read down the list.  Mom’s face turned pale white by the end. 

Dad slowly shook his head back and forth.  Mary opened her mouth in shock and never closed it.  Matt

was speechless.  How could his little brother want this.  Yeah, he was brought up in the same religious

family, but he was having the hardest time understanding this.  Reading this confirmed Evan was

borderline insane and was on the road to becoming like a cult leader. 

Evan: “Okay, before you say anything, I want to explain each one.  First, I need to get myself in the

headspace of what Jesus faced so I need to be worn down.  Being starved and placed in isolation for 3

days will do that.  I will get very weak and I’m sure I’ll have a tough time focusing.  I can survive on water

for 3 days.  Plus I’ll be in great shape by then so it will be easier to endure.”

Evan: “Second, I have to be nude throughout this whole thing.  Jesus was nude when crucified and I will

be as well.  I know it will be humiliating and that will add to the power of the experience.  Next, I need to

be scourged like Jesus – 39 lashes on the back.  Forty lashes was considered a death sentence so one

less is what the condemned received.  I’ve done enough research to know that I can’t have my muscles

and tendons torn, but skin and fat are okay.  So we’ll need to come up with the right thing to sew onto

the end of the whip strands.  I also need to wear a crown of thorns.  Now for the nails.”

Evan took a slow deep breath and exhaled: “In order for this to be real, I need to be nailed to the cross. 

I’ve studied the Philippines annual ritual and it can be done.  You can actually nail through the hands and

feet safely, without paralysis.  What I can’t do, unfortunately, is have spikes driven through my wrists,

which is probably what Jesus endured.  That would destroy too much.  I tried and tried to figure out how

to make that happen, but nails through the hands will have to do.  I have another way to make up for

the lack of suffering.”

Evan: “This next part is tough and I saw the look you made mom when you read it.  Real crucifixions had

horns on the cross.”  Mary looked up inquisitively.  She had no idea what this was.  Evan looked right

into Mary’s eyes.  “Mary, this is gross, but don’t worry.  It’s real.  A horn is a long piece of wood, like a

broom handle that is attached to the middle of the upright.  I sit on it and it violates me.  Every time I try

to relieve pressure on my wrists by pushing myself up, I repeatedly sodemize myself.  It’s painful and

very degrading.  That’s the point and it has to be done.”

Evan’s mom started to protest but Evan cut him off.  “Please mom, let me finish.  As I said earlier, I need

to make up for the fact that I can’t be nailed through the wrists.  I therefore want to be scourged on my

front side while I’m hanging on the cross.  Since I won’t be up there the full 3-4 days, this should work

fine.  Also there has to be a crowd witnessing what will happen to me and it should be professionally

recorded.  I desperately want to make it up there 24 hours with no water or food or water.  And finally,

you may know that sometimes the lower legs are broken to hasten death.  With the legs fractured, you

cannot raise yourself.  I want that done towards the end.  Ok that’s it.”

Mom was the first to chime in: “Evan, my son, this goes too far.  You cannot survive this.  It’s too much. 

How did you come up with this?”

Evan: “It’s all brutal, but it’s true to what really happened.  Nothing is made up.”

Mary: “But Jesus wasn’t naked.  He had a white robe on.”

Evan: “Well, actually not.  He was naked when the Romans beat him and he was naked on the cross. 

We’re just too ashamed to show Jesus as he really was.  They degraded and humiliated him in every way

possible.  They tried to destroy his essence.  But they failed.  They created the greatest man who ever

lived.”

Dad: “Is that what you hope to become?  Another Jesus?”

Evan laughed: “Not at all.  I want to have an experience as close as possible to what Jesus experienced

and I want raw inspiration.  I want to reach a level of spiritual clarity I’ve been searching for my whole

life.”

Matt: “You all know I’m the last one to understand why you need to do this.  I mean your body will be

scarred forever.  You may walk with a limp.  Your hands and feet will always have visible signs of holes. 

And now you want to get beaten on your front side as well.  Do you know how bad that can be?”

Evan: “Yeah, I know.  It’s okay.”

Matt: “No, do you really know how bad that could be?  I mean if someone’s whipping you on your front,

they could, you know, miss and hit something important.”  Matt was blushing trying to find a coy way to

state the obvious.

Evan: “I know what you’re trying to say.  And it’s okay.  I am prepared to face the consequences.”

Matt: “Even if that means never having kids?  Really?”

Evan: “Yes.”

Mom: “No way Evan.  Now you’ve gone too far.  You can’t risk that much.”

Evan: “And Jesus risked less?”

Dad: “He was the King of the Jews.  You are not.”

Evan: “No I’m not, but I will walk in his footsteps.  I will endure what he endured. And I want Matt to be

the one to scourge me.”

Matt: “WHAT?”

Evan: “Yes, Matt.  It’s you.  My brother should be the one to do this.”

Matt: “There’s absolutely no way.  Forget it.  I don’t believe in this quest of yours and I’m certainly not

going to participate in your destruction.”

Dad: “Now hold on a minute.  This makes sense.  Granted you’re not Roman and you haven’t been

ordered to carry out the awful deeds, but you are a member of this family and I can’t think of anyone I

would trust more than you to do this.”

Matt: “No way.  I can’t beat my own brother, tearing his flesh.”

Evan: “Please Matt.  I’m begging you.  I need you to do this for me.”

Mom: “Evan and your father are right.  I can’t have someone else beat my son.  You have to do this.”

Matt: “Oh come on.  How can this be put on me?”

Mom: “You know why.  Do you honestly want someone else doing this to him?”

Matt: “I don’t want anyone doing this to him.”  Matt sighed and the room went silent.  No more

convincing; more prodding.  Everyone was waiting on Matt to respond.  At least a minute of deafening

silence elapsed when Matt finally relented.  “Whatever.  If I have to.”

Evan: “Thank you my brother.  You have to do this all the way.  You can’t hold back.  It will be bloody

and horrible and I’ll scream.  But you must see this through for me.  I’ll never get another chance like

this.”

Matt: “Sure.”

Dad: “Matt will do his job.  Let’s get back to the legs.  You don’t need your legs broken.”

Evan: “It’s part of it.  Plus it’s easy enough to get them repaired.  If I’m going to put myself through this,

I’m going all the way.  I will not chinch on anything.”

Dad: “There’s no proof Jesus ever had his legs broken.”

Evan: “No there’s not.  But it was very common in crucifixions of the time.”

Dad: “I’m not convinced.  This will be brutal enough.”

Evan: “Yeah this whole thing is brutal.  Because it was real.  Jesus suffered and they didn’t hold anything

back.  Dad, this has to be just as realistic.  My legs will heal.  Doc Hendrix will fix them.”

There was silence as everyone in the family took this in.  Mom was thinking how proud she was of her

son, but was afraid he was going too far.  Matt was fixating on his new role in this whole thing.  Mary

was having a hard time processing all this.  It just wasn’t sinking in quite yet.  But it was dad who was still

giving his son the benefit of the doubt and wanted to give his son all the support he could.

Dad: “Tell you what.  I’ll let you do everything you want, but I’m going to put some safety practices in

places to ensure you survive and recover.  Deal?”

Evan: “Deal.  Thanks you guys.  This means everything to me and I love you all so much!”

As the months marched on, Evan intensified his daily exercise routine, running 6-10 miles per day.  He

was already in great shape and was diligently preparing his heart for the trials that lay ahead.  He wasn’t

building muscle mass, but rather aimed to become lean and toned.  A thin look, he thought, would be

more authentic.  In fact, he started a vegetarian diet six months out and also significantly limited his

caloric intake.  As with the rest of this project, he became obsessed with achieving a look that would be

appropriate.  He started his 16th year at 6’ and 150 pounds.  His goal was to lose 25 pounds.

Meanwhile, Evan’s father met with members of the church, attorneys and the family doctor.  The

logistics were many, the legal concerns were complex and medical worries were genuine.  Fortunately

this was going to happen on Evan’s 17th birthday.  That makes him a legal adult and giving self-consent is

much easier than relying on parental consent.  Over five months, Evan’s dad put everything in place.  As

they did often during the planning, they had a family meeting.  This time, the focus was Evan’s safety. 

Dad presented the following list:

1.        When Evan’s on the cross, he will have 2 IV lines run into him and will be fed ringers, glucose

and/or bicarb as needed

2.        All nails will be sterilized

3.        Nail placement will be critical to avoid hand and foot paralysis

4.        Evan will undergo counseling before and after the event

5.        Evan will receive no beatings to the face or head

6.        Evan will have to have all hair below his neck removed so as not to serve as contamination for

his broken skin

7.        Evan will receive a Tetanus shot

8.        Evan’s wrists will be roped to the cross to ensure the nails don’t rip through Evan’s hands

9.        The scourging whip will have metal balls tied to the ends of the strands rather than jagged bone

or rock

10.        The crown of thorns will be replaced with a crown of barbed wire

11.        When finished, Dr. Hendrix will immediately tend to Evan’s injuries

12.        Only the selected video crew from church will be allowed to record the event

Evan: “IV lines?  Jesus didn’t have IV lines.”

Dad: “Jesus also died on the Cross.  You will not.”

Evan: “But those drugs will make it too easy for me.  It won’t be realistic.”

Dad: “ Doc Hendrix and I discussed this and knew you wouldn’t like it.  But with as much trauma as your

body will receive, you could easily go into shock and die.  The fluids will help keep you alive.  We do

promise to only use them when needed, and then only as much as necessary.  You won’t notice it and

you will still be able to fully experience being crucified.”

Evan: “Alright, if you promise.  Thanks dad.  So, a foot rest?  I need to hang by my hands.”

Dad: “That simply won’t be possible son.  The nails in your feet won’t be able to go through the ankles,

which is how it normally would have been done.  Instead, the nails will go through the top of each foot

and into a rest that we’ll install at 45 degrees.  It will also be placed high enough so your knees bend and

the rest won’t hold much of your weight.  Instead, the horn will do that.”

Evan: “Ok that sounds good.  How long will the horn be?”

Dad: “We’ve decided on 12” long and 2” wide.   That should be big enough to cause you severe pain and

the tearing will cause bleeding which will serve as lubrication.  We’ll position it on the cross upright so it

will be fully inserted when you slouch all the way down.”

Evan: “Wow you guys really thought this through.”

Dad: “Yes we did son.  You inspired me by what you’re doing and I’m going to everything I can to make

this as realistic as possible for you.”

Evan, mom and dad grasped each other’s’ hands around the table and said a short prayer.  When done,

Evan turned to Matt.

Evan: “So, are you ready?”

Matt: “Yeah I think so.  I’ve been practicing with the whip and have gotten pretty good at it.  At least I’m

not longer hitting myself!” They all chuckled.  “I’ve also been practicing throwing the baseball again so

that’s strengthening my arm so I can swing harder.  I’ve gotten to where I can give 39 full force strikes

without letting up at all.  I’ve also been working on a mannequin and I’m good at hitting the whole front

side of the body without hitting its head.   Now that we settled on the tips of the cat, I’ll install them and

continue training.”

Evan: “That’s perfect Matt.  Thanks so much for helping me with this.  It will be so much nicer knowing

it’s you who is beating me.”

Matt: “It’s alright bro.  I’ve come around and am proud to be there for you during this.”

Mom: “Evan, how much do you weigh now?”

Evan: “I’m finally down to 125, right where I wanted to be and I still have 2 months to go.”

Mom: “You should stop there.  You almost look unhealthy you’re so skinny.”

Evan: “Oh no, I’ve never felt better.  I have so much energy I don’t know what to do with it.  Plus I need

to look a little sickly for the crowd.”

Mom: “Hey now, you said this wasn’t about them, but about you.”

Evan: “Yeah, you’re right.  I’m seriously doing this for myself.  I really am.  I think I’m looking right for

this.”

Mom: “If you say so, but just be careful.”

Evan: “I will be mom.”

As the final week approached, everything was falling into place.  Two hundred fifty-seven people were

invited to attend this momentous event, well beyond the 200 that Evan hoped for.  Mom, who

coordinated invitations, had to cut off at 250 due to space constraints.  But seven more snuck onto the

list with good reasons.  Evan’s extended family would there, as well as a couple dozen friends from

school, church leadership, prominent church members, medical personnel, support people, church

caterers, etc. 

The family farm was more of a ranch/farm than a traditional crop growing farm.  There was a large pen

area for sheep, another pen for horses, a chicken coup, a couple barns, open fields and some wheat

crop.  The area had hills and was nicely tucked away in a valley so there was little concern for prying

eyes.

The center of attention would be a raised hill with a heavy beam wooden cross firmly situated in place. 

The curved mound rose a few feet above the surrounding terrain, just enough to give the crucified some

height.  This area had to be built up since it’s typically used as a fire pit.  Leading to the hill was a long,

winding path that started at the 2-story farm house.  It was about 100 yards long and covered in dirt. 

On either side of the path was beautifully mowed bluegrass.  Next to the family house was a large barn

for storing farm equipment, feed, tools, a small work shop, etc.  Inside the barn was a small room where

the sharp and expensive tools were stored.  Those were cleared out and that room would serve as

Evan’s solitary confinement. 

Surrounding the cross were rented bleachers, three levels high each.  The bleachers were arranged in a

semi-circular pattern covering a 180 degree arc from the left side of the cross, to the front of the cross,

ending at the right side of the cross.  Each participant would have a clear view of the ceremony. 

Completing the scene was a pair of ultra-quiet generator light trailers.  These light trailers would bathe

Evan in light as he hung on the cross overnight.

Evan’s mother completed the crown of barbed wire.  She was proud of her creation and took great care

in its construction.  She wrapped a sterile line of barbed wire three times around a mold resulting in

sharp spikes protruding in all directions about every inch.  She then interwove green leaves into the

crown creating a visually appealing design.  Even though she wore gloves while she constructed the

crown, she did manage to knick her fingers a few times, drawing blood.  She knew this would be horrible

for her precious son, yet she couldn’t wait to see it on him.

On the evening before Evan’s confinement, Evan and his entire family had their last normal dinner

together.  They prayed at length and Evan asked for the strength to endure the trials set before him.  It

was a solemn occasion and there was little talking.  By this time, Evan had worked himself into such a

mental fortress that hardly anything could faze him.   His self-discipline, determination and strong faith

inspired everyone who he encountered these past few months.  As dinner continued in silence, Evan

spoke up.

Evan spoke softly and purposefully: “I want to thank you, my dear family, for supporting me on this trial

of a lifetime.  I am about to embark on something that will change who I am.  I will go to sleep one

person tonight and awaken in 4 days as someone new.  With your help, I will make it through this.  But I

have to plead, especially to you Matt, not to go easy on me.  While I will try not to beg, scream and cry, I

might weaken.  For this to work, you have to follow through with the brutal treatment of my body.  Will

you do this for me brother?”

Matt: “Evan, it will be very difficult to hurt you so horribly, to cause you to bleed, to rip your skin, but I

know what you’re trying to accomplish and you’ve somehow managed to inspire me.  I will do my part

even if I cry right alongside you.”

Evan: “Thank you so much.  I love you.”

Matt: “I love you too.”

Dad: “Everything is set.  When you wake up tomorrow, your mother will shave your body and will place

you in isolation.  This will be your last meal.  You will not be allowed to use the bathroom in the

morning.  As soon as you wake up at 6 a.m., your trial begins.  Inside the storage room, you will have

access to a hose with water.  Nothing more.  We will leave you in complete isolation and will not check

on you.  If you need or want anything at all, we will not hear you.  Everyone has been given strict

instructions to not go in or near the barn.   Pastor will padlock you inside the room and will also padlock

the barn doors.  This is very dangerous, but it’s important you be completely isolated and alone.  When

times are tough, pray and you will make it through it.  Also imagine the further trials that await you and

that will give you strength, my son.”

Evan stated with great poise: “I am ready.  I have no fear at all and my mind is clear.”

Mom whispered with a tear: “You make us all so proud.”

Evan went to bed around 10 p.m. and fell fast asleep, having one of the most peaceful sleeping nights of

his life.

The Day of Reckoning

Morning came early and mom had to wake even up at 6 a.m.  He was groggy as he awoke, forcing his

eyes to focus on his mother standing beside his bed.  As he came to, he couldn’t recall the last time he

had such a perfect sleep.  He slowly sat up and moved his feet over the edge of the bed.  He took a deep

breath, got up and immediately kneeled down beside his bed, hands pressed together in prayer.  A

minute of whispering to himself, he stood up, pushed his boxer shorts down and stood before his

mother naked and unashamed. 

Mom took in his son’s body, something she had not seen in its bare form in nearly a decade.  The first

thing she noticed was how well Evan toned his body these past few months.  His 6’ frame slimmed to

120 pounds and his vegetarian diet kept his complexion silky smooth.  In the standing position, his ribs

were visible and his stomach was slightly sunken.  He had no facial hair, no chest hair, average hair on

his groin and very little fuzz growing from his arms and legs.  The hair on his head was several inches

long and had a nice wave flowing through it.  He had a cute button nose and soft hazel eyes.

Mom led her emotionless son into the bathroom and proceeded to shave him.  Over the next half hour,

she used shaving cream and a razor to remove all of the hair below his neck, being very careful not to

knick him.  Evan hardly knew what was happening.  He was mentally in a different place.  Mom had to

tell him twice to bend over and spread his cheeks so she could get the small tufts of hair hiding near his

hole.  Was it necessary for this event?  Of course not, but mom was intent on being as thorough with her

roles as Evan was intent on being with his.  While he had little body hair to begin with, he looked even

younger when devoid of the little bit that was beginning to define him as a man.  Evan showered and

mom dried him off.

The pair proceeded to the kitchen where the rest of the family, the Church’s pastor, Doc Hendrix and

family attorney were already assembled.  Mary blushed and she saw her naked brother walking in.  This

was a first for her.  Dad and Matt were surprised at how skinny he was.  Evan stood in the middle of the

kitchen, hands at his side, as the pastor asked Evan if he was ready to begin.  He nodded.

Pastor approached and gently placed a hand on Evan’s left shoulder: “Evan, today is your seventeenth

birthday and you are about to embark on a mission that will define your entry into adulthood.  You will

walk the path of Jesus Christ and will be subjected to trials similar to those He faced.  You have prepared

mentally and physically for this day.  You are ready.  Let’s pray.”  Everyone gathered grasped the hand of

another in the room, lowered their heads and listened intently as the Pastor led the room in deep

prayer.  Upon conclusion, the doctor spoke up.

Doc Hendrix: “As you know, Evan, this event is wrought with medical risk.  During the next three days

you will be starved and isolated.  You may not survive.  If you do, your body will then be pushed to the

limits of human capacity.  You will be scarred for life.  But, none of us here wish to see you perish so we

will take prudent precautions.  These measures have been discussed for months and are to be used only

when necessary.  Read this document carefully, including the consent clauses and the sections

pertaining to risk of mutilation and death.”

Evan read the two page document and looked up when complete.  The attorney pointed out the places

for Evan to initial and sign.  He signed three copies.  While it was unnecessary for anyone else to sign the

contract since he was no longer a minor, the family attorney thought it wise to cover bases so there

were provisions for many signatures, including his parents, the Church, the doctor, the attorney and

even Matt, who would perform much of the physical beatings.

Attorney: “With three original documents signed, you can begin.”

As agreed to, Evan now belonged to the Pastor.  Evan’s mother formed tears in her eyes and his father

formed a lump in his throat.  So the time has come.  This was really going to happen.  She wanted to

jump across the kitchen and hug her son, but she knew that could not happen.  She hoped beyond hope

that she would not lose her beautiful boy.

The pastor led Evan out of the kitchen, outside and towards the barn.  It was already 80 degrees and

humid.  Evan walked in slow motion as he noticed the small, puffy clouds in the sky, the sounds of birds

and farm animals making nature’s song and he even glimpsed at the area where he would hang in three

short days.  At this point, Evan was alone with the pastor.  The other family members looked on from

the deck. 

As the pair disappeared behind the barn doors, no words were exchanged.  Both knew where they were

headed.  Evan entered the interior room without delay and with what little light was available, he

surveyed the space.  It was as he remembered, except the tools were gone.  The room was 6’ wide, 8’

deep and about 12’ tall.  The light bulb that used to be in there had been removed and the power

outlets flipped off at the breakers.  The dirt floor was barren, the hooks that previously held the sharp

tools had been removed and all that remained was vertical walls covered in empty peg board.  As

promised, the far corner had a garden hose with a small handle to regulate flow.

Again, no words were exchanged.  Once Evan was inside, the pastor closed the thick wooden plank door

behind him, applied the solid padlock and walked out of the barn.  Once outside, he applied another

lock and that was it.  Evan tried to adjust his eyes to the dark, seeing if any light would leak through. 

Normally that might have been the case, but Evan’s father took care over the past few weeks to seal the

cracks.  However, to ensure some airflow, slats in the roof allowed some air exchange.

The Isolation

The first thing Evan did was locate the hose and take a drink.  He had no water since waking up and

needed to hydrate.  He also realized he had to pee.  He did not have the opportunity this morning,

between being shaved and showering.  Well, truth be told, he could have urinated in the shower, but he

held it.  The hose with fresh water was in the back-right corner of his little prison, so he chose to pee in

the back-left corner.  He felt out the features of the room and proceeded to release his liquid.  The noisy

experience also resulted in some of the pee splattering on his bare lower legs.  He didn’t care.  He knew

worse things were in store for him.

He proceeded to what he thought was the center of the room, knelt down and prayed.  Time passed by

slow for Evan as his sense of time eroded within the first few hours in isolation.   He passed the time by

praying, pacing, thinking about the trials that lay ahead, working out and sleeping.  What he didn’t do

was eat.  But that first day, he had to empty the previous night’s dinner.  Evan held it for hours, but

eventually he could hold no longer.  He squatted in the same back-left corner where he urinated and let

it out.  The stench was overwhelming, but there was nothing he could do.  There were some room

between a few of the slats that made up the walls and that allowed for some air exchange, but the

stench never really went away since the fresh pile seemed to supply a never-ceasing supply of odor. 

Eventually Evan got used to it, but that first day and night were the worst.

Waking up after several hours of sleep, Evan had no idea if it was day or night.  Still no light leaked into

his tiny room and the lack of stimuli was disorienting.  Adding to the disorientation was a worsening

hunger.  The hunger pains increased in intensity during his isolation and they slowly wore him down. 

While he had plenty to drink, his slender body had little spare nutrition.  By the end of day 2, he could

hardly remain conscious. 

On the morning of day 3 the weather took a turn for the worst.  Evan could hardly breathe with the lack

of airflow, the ever-present odor in the corner and the humidity that permeated everything.  There was

no air flow and he could tell today was hotter than the previous two.  The time of day was elusive but

outside, the world knew it was 90 degrees by 8 a.m.  By noon the temperature was already 100; there

was no wind to filter inside the barn and the conditions became unbearable.  The temperature inside

the barn quickly rose to 120 degrees, which transferred into Evan’s tiny room.  In fact, with his body

heat, it was a couple degrees warmer.  Evan tried to work out, but was completely exhausted, unable to

move.  He was a mass of flesh and bone on the ground, breathing heavily, starving and without the

strength to function. 

Time was no ally as the temperature continued to rise throughout the afternoon, leveling off around

107 in the afternoon and 130 inside.  At some unknown point, after Evan drank as much water as he

could hold, he passed out and started to undergo hyperthermia.  His heart rate quickened, he was

having trouble sweating (primarily because his dirt-covered body was turning into mud-covered with all

the sweating up to now) and he was having trouble concentrating.  The lack of food for the past several

days was not helping.  If it had not been for his exceptional health before going into confinement, Evan

probably would not have survived.  Outside, the doctor and his parents were worried.  They knew how

hot it got inside the barn and could only imagine how improbable it was that Evan could endure such

unending punishment from Mother Nature herself.  They broached the subject several times of going

inside to check on him, to see if he was still alive or in need of fluids.  But each time someone in the

family talked the others out of it.  They knew the risks and if anyone could survive this first ordeal, it

would be Evan.

Meanwhile, Evan lay in an unconscious state throughout the third afternoon.  Perhaps it was for the

best.  He had not defecated since the first day he arrived and had been having such a hard time

concentrating by the end of the second day that he couldn’t even pray without losing his train of

thought.  As the heat cooked the barn, the isolation room and its inhabitant, Evan continued to

deteriorate.  His core body temperature steadily rose to the point where brain cells were starting to fry. 

Unbeknownst to anyone, Evan’s permanent alterations began during the scorching afternoon of day 3 in

confinement.

Sometime overnight on his last night in isolation, Evan awoke, shivering and delirious.  It took him an

extended period of time to figure out where he was and what he was doing here.  He somehow knew

where the hose was and continued to hydrate himself.  But by this point, his strength was gone.  He

crawled to the hose and shook as he manipulated the handle.  He sprayed more of his face and body

than he did his mouth.  But he received enough precious water to keep him alive, but for how much

longer was questionable.  Evan was deteriorating fast and would likely not survive another night in this

place, especially if the weather conditions repeated themselves.  And indeed, the forecast called for

another day like the last, even perhaps hotter.  No clouds were expected and the humidity was expected

to be equally brutal. 

Evan had no idea how long he had been in isolation.  He barely knew why he was there.  By this point,

his mind was playing tricks on him, creating images that weren’t there, sending him on hallucination

fantasies that served to further confuse the line between reality and something else.  Eventually, Evan

started to cry and curled up in a ball and tried to will himself back to sleep.  Eventually it worked and, for

the final time, Evan fell unconscious in his own little hell.

The Scourging

The next morning, preparations were complete.  Guests arrived between 7 and 8 a.m., went through a

thorough screening process, signed waivers, had all electronic devices secured at check-in and they

mingled, ate a light breakfast and started towards the bleachers at 8.  The event itself was scheduled to

commence at 8:30, but several people would first address those gathered.  First among them was Evan’s

father.

Dad confidently approached the podium that was outfitted with a microphone, which fed to a rented

audio system.  Speakers placed around the grounds assured everyone could hear and follow the

proceedings.  Three cameras and videographers commenced filming from various angles.  He tapped on

the microphone to ensure it was hot and proceeded.

Dad: “Thank you all so much for joining us for Evan’s destruction and rebirth.  That’s right, destruction

and rebirth.  I wanted to start my comments with stark language so you are fully prepared for what you

will witness today.  Evan has offered his body, mind and soul for an event that will leave him forever

changed.  Today you will witness Evan’s scourging and crucifixion, in a way that as closely mirrors the

trials faced by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  My dear soon has prepared nearly a year for this day

and he has created a scenario that faithfully resembles the brutality of what occurred 2000 years ago.”

Dad: “This may be hard for me to get out, so bear with me.  Evan is determined to define himself as a

person by walking the path of Jesus Chris.  Many people do that by trying to live by the Ten

Commandments, by spreading the word of the gospel or by a hundred other methods.  Evan needs to

walk this path in a manner that each of us is intimately familiar with.  Jesus Chris was tortured, crucified

and died on the cross for each of us.  His sacrifice is the driving force behind every true Christian’s will. 

Evan needs to feel what Jesus felt.  He has no delusions about being holier than anyone else, nor does

he have any desire to have people follow him after today.  Today will define Evan’s life and he will be

reborn before our eyes.”

Dad: “In a few minutes, Evan will emerge from the barn (pointing) being led up the dirt path to the front

of our small arena.  Be warned that Evan will be nude.  Once he reaches the center of the arena, we will

secure him to the upright that is already placed before you.  His loving brother, Matt, will be assuming

the role of a Roman solider today and will perform all of the whippings.  Roman history teaches us that

40 whips equated to a sentence of death, so crucifixions were often accompanied by 39 lashes.  That is

what Evan will receive today.  In real scenes, the soldiers would use Cat o’ Nine tails with crushed bones

attached to the ends of each tail.  The bones would rip the condemned’s flesh, muscles and even

damage bone.  The damage done during this horrible ritual was permanent.  We are modifying this

tradition by using a Cat o’ Nine tails with lead balls attached to the ends.  This should just tear the skin

and flesh, but leave the muscle and bones intact. “

Dad: “After Evan’s back is scourged, he will be attached to the upright and nails will be placed through

his hands.  We have conducted thorough research in this area and have identified devout people around

the world who still perform crucifixions to this day and the subjects live to recreate the scene year after

year.  While we will avoid causing permanent damage, we will still hit nerves so the pain Evan will

endure will be indescribable and authentic.  We will then lift him and the upright onto the vertical beam,

completing the cross.  We will place Evan’s feet on slanted blocks leaving his knees bent.  At no time will

he be able to fully extend his legs.  Then nails will be hammered into his feet.  Finally, you will notice

what may be the most humiliating part of today’s ceremony – the horn.  The 12” by 2” wooden phallus

is firmly attached to the upright and will tear and sodemize my son.”

There was dead silence and wide eyes among the crowd.  Dad’s words permeated every soul in

attendance and resonated with a power that was beyond words.  Mouths went dry; many stopped

blinking; some might as well have stopped breathing. But no one got up; no one left.   At least for now,

everyone was in this for the duration.

Dad: “Normally, the condemned would remain on the cross for 3-4 days, but we’re will limit this event

to 24 hours at most.  Making it the full 24 hours depends entirely on how Evan responds.  We will both

help and hinder him.  We will help him by keeping IVs run into him with fluids ready to administer when

needed.  I have no intention of losing my son on the cross today.  However, Evan’s stay up there will be

challenging.  Matt will also whip Evan’s front side to make up for the decreased time he will spend on

the cross and the relatively minor impact of the nails.  Finally, towards the end, we will perform a ritual

many of you may not be aware of.  We will use a metal pipe to break Evan’s lower legs.  This brutal act

will render him unable to push up and thus will hang solely by his wrists, amplifying his suffering.  In

historical contexts, the breaking of legs was performed to hasten death.  We will do this with 1 hour

remaining to complete the realism of the today’s event.”

Dad: “Evan’s goal, and all of ours involved today, is the same – to create a realistic environment that

closely resembles what Jesus went through for each one of us.  Evan knows what he’s getting into and

he knows this will change him forever. There is a chance he could die today, but we have done and will

do everything within our power to keep that risk to a minimum. “

Dad: “Okay, the time has come to bring Evan out.  As we do, I will tell you about his ordeal so far.” 

Two hours before Evan’s father was at the podium introducing the crowd to today’s event, the Pastor

and Doc Hendrix removed the padlock from the barn door and proceeded inside to the interior room. 

After removing the second padlock, they opened the door to be greeted by a smack of pungent, stale

air.  Both coughed a little at the smell.  As light bathed the confined space, they saw Evan curled up in a

ball, unconscious.  Doc Hendrix quickly approached and felt for a pulse.  He quickly felt a cool, wet wrist

with a rapid, weak pulse.  He tried to revive Evan but was successful in eliciting only a groan from our

tragic hero.  He told the Pastor that Evan needed fluids right away. 

The Pastor nodded his head in agreement and Doc Hendrix proceeded to run a line into Evan’s left arm

and a second into his right arm.  While only one would be used now, both might be used later.  He ran a

full bag of Lactated Ringer’s.  Doc continued his assessment and cleaned up his young patient, who was

dirty and had some feces stuck to himself.  After an hour or so, Evan came around and was able to hold

a conversation.  He confirmed he knew where he was and why he was there.  Most importantly, he

affirmed his desire to go through with the crucifixion.  He was weak, which was appropriate, as it would

add to the realism of what was about to happen.  As the hour approached, Doc and Pastor helped Evan

to his feet where he walked around the interior of the barn to regain some muscle movement.

Pastor: “Okay Evan.  The crowd had gathered outside and your father is telling them what’s going to

happen today.  In a few moments, it will begin and you won’t be able to back out, even when you

scream and beg, which I’m sure you will do.”

Evan: “Please, no matter how much I beg, don’t give in.  I have to see this through.  I have to be fully

broken so I can be reborn.”

Pastor smiled at young Evan’s conviction and was proud to see him embark on this journey of discovery

through suffering.  Doc Hendrix bound Evan’s wrists behind his back and led the freshly cleaned and

naked Evan to the barn doors while Pastor waited just outside.

Dad motioned over to the Pastor who opened the barn doors and brought Doc Hendrix and Evan into

view for the first time.  The spectators twisted their heads and focused on the image in the distance. 

They could see 3 forms, one of whom was obviously naked.  They watched as the three slowly

approached and listened to Dad’s words.

Dad: “Evan’s ordeal did not begin today.  Rather, it began 3 days ago when he was placed into a small

locked room within the barn.  There, my son had only water and his thoughts.  I am also seeing him for

the first time this morning and have no idea how he fared for the last 72 hours.  I see his movements are

slow and I imagine he’s very weak from his isolation.  This portion, like everything you will see today,

was Evan’s idea.  The 72 hours of confinement allowed Evan to be mentally and physically weakened,

simulating perhaps what Jesus might have endured through the trial and short confinement. 

Dad: “Evan has had nothing to eat in 3 days and will receive no food or water for the next 24 hours.  It’s

already hot this early morning and today’s forecast of 105 and humid will certainly add to his suffering. 

As I said before and you see, Evan is brought before us nude.  Not only is this historically accurate, but

it’s also humiliating for Evan to be before you so bare.”

For the first time in 3 days, Evan emerged from the barn, ready to face his ordeal with a determined

mind.  He was slightly delirious, he guessed from the lack of food for the past few days.  Thinking back,

he didn’t remember much about his time in the room, especially the last day.  He knew it was hot; he

knew he was hungry and he sweat a lot.  What Evan didn’t know is that he lost 5 more pounds, mostly

water weight, while in his self-imposed captivity.  He emerged at 115 pounds, looking almost sickly as

his sunken stomach and visible ribs defined the front side of his young body.  To others, his hairless body

will define him.  To others still, his naked form will draw their stares.  At this point, Evan wasn’t aware of

his nudity (save the two needles in his arms), but focused exclusively on entering a state of mind that

would allow him to endure what he knew was minutes away.

He slowly walked barefoot between the Pastor and Doc towards the arena where he saw a large crowd

assembled.  He looked down to avoid the uncomfortable stares.  That honestly wasn’t difficult.  He had

spent so much time mentally preparing himself for today that it was easy to slip into a mental world

occupied only by his thoughts.  If he had been focused on the crowd, his teenage friends gathered here

were the most aghast at what they saw.  None of the girls or guys could believe Evan was actually going

through with this and seeing him naked added an even greater level of disbelief.

Dad: “Pastor, Doc, thank you for being part of today’s ceremony.  Please lead Evan to the post.”

As eyes stared at Evan’s thin, bare form, they saw two men leading him to the cross’s upright where

Matt was already standing in wait.  Evan’s and Matt’s eyes met briefly and just as quickly separated. 

Matt untied Evan’s bonds behind his back, secured his wrists together on his front side, raised them high

up the post and nailed the rope into place.  Matt tested the strength of the nailed rope and it wasn’t

going anywhere.  Evan’s body was stretched out vertically, requiring him to stand on his toes.  Matt

affixed more rope around the post and Evan’s knees, ankles, waist and neck.  Matt whispered into

Evan’s ears to struggle against the bonds and Evan complied.  He showed the audience he was going

nowhere.

Dad: “Evan is now secured in place and will receive 39 lashes at the hands of his brother Matthew. 

Matthew knows to play his part of Roman Soldier with resolve so prepare yourself for the brutality of

this act.  Matthew, if you please.”

Doc Hendrix and the Pastor walked away to near where Dad was standing by the podium, leaving Matt

alone with Evan.  Matt picked up his instrument of torture, ran his fingers through the tails, jiggled the

lead balls and walked around the arena showing the crowd what would be used.  Many gasped as they

saw the lead balls on the end, holding their hands over their mouths in shock.  Matt returned to the post

and lined himself up a couple feet away from Evan’s backside.

Time slowed down for Evan as his thoughts filled with the joy and peace at his purification and the

special journey that was about to begin.  He pictured Jesus being strung up in a similar fashion (maybe

not at the cross itself), about to receive his scourging.  This gave him peace.  But, in a blinding instant,

that peace was interrupted by a white hot pain adorning his back.  At first, he was so shocked he didn’t

utter a word.  But within mere moments, his lungs unleashed the most frightening scream anyone

present had ever heard.  It was accompanied by Evan’s thrashing against his inescapable bonds.  The

crowd gasped at the cruelty and fixated on the blood forming on his 17 year old pristine backside.  Matt

was taken aback by Evan’s reaction, but held firm and 10 seconds later, delivered another deadly blow

just to the left of the first on his upper back.  Again, Evan unleashed a blood curdling scream that could

wake the dead.  Accompanying the scream was a bit of crying and hysterical grunts.  But no begging to

stop.

Over the next several minutes, Matt tore into Evan’s back, never relenting, never letting up.  By the 20th

stroke, Evan’s back was a bloody, torn up mess and Matt’s entire arm and some of his shirt was covered

in his brother’s blood splatter.  The metal balls were doing their job by tearing into his helpless skin. 

They also bruised Evan’s bones from the sheer force of impact.

By the 30th stroke, Evan was beyond screaming and instead was starting to blabber his cries.  His body

jerked with each blow and Matt knew his steadfast dedication would result in a backside that would

never fully heal.

The crowd shuttered with each blow; some women covered their eyes and others cried in horror and

pity.  Others stood and passionately called for mercy.  Others openly prayed to Jesus.  No mercy and no

compassion came Evan’s way.  He suffered like no person should have to suffer.  By the 39th blow, Evan

was barely conscious.  His already weakened state was amplified by the torture and he had almost

nothing left to give.  He slouched in his bonds and made no effort to hold himself upright.  Dead weight

hung by his wrists from the upright.  To look closely at his back was to look upon a mangled scene of

torn skin, mangled flesh and streams of blood.  To die during a real scourging in ancient times must have

been a blessing. 

Doc Hendrix approached Evan and attended to his injuries.  He removed the bonds holding him to the

post, but left the wrist restraints in place.  He liberally applied water, then antiseptic and antibiotic

treatments to his torn backside in hopes of staving off infection.  Once complete, he performed an

assessment and found Evan again barely conscious.  He left him hanging on the post and conferred with

Dad privately at the podium.

Doc: “He needs more fluids.  His body is so weak that it just can’t take the beating a well-built guy could. 

This might have been too brutal for him.  He could die from this alone.”

Dad: “Well, we’re not stopping now, so do what you have to do.”

Doc approached Evan, let him down on the ground and proceeded to run another bag of fluids into the

previously-established lines.

Dad spoke to the crowd: “As you can see, the scourging is a brutal spectacle, one which many did not

survive.  Evan is alive but weak.  Doc Hendrix is giving him some fluids to replenish what he’s lost and to

also provide him with some strength so he can endure the even greater trails that await him.  As you

might expect, his back will never fully heal and he will carry these scars for the rest of his life.  If you

know anything about Evan, he will them scars with pride.  He won’t hide behind them.  So please do not

pity him.  Instead, celebrate his courage and sacrifice.”

Dad continued: “While Evan is recovering, my son and others are preparing for the main event.  They

have brought the wooden cross beam to the center of the arena where you will shortly witness the

nailing.  Ladders are also being placed on either side of the upright to life Evan onto the post.  Finally,

you see that the horn is being affixed to the upright.”

Over the next 30 minutes, the crowd watched Evan slowly recover his strength and color.  They

whispered among themselves at how brutal the scourging was and how it’s amazing he survived.  Some

hinted it might be divine intervention that kept him alive.  Others were still drawn to Evan’s naked body,

which now glistened with sweat as it lay face down on the well-manicured grass.  But most were

emblazoning the image of Evan’s raw back into their memories.  The doctor placed no bandages on his

wounds so the torn mass that was once his pristine back was truly a sight to behold.  The bleeding had

stopped, but the damage was done.  How their Lord survived such an ordeal is a thought to behold.

When Evan came around, the first thing that entered his mind was the unbelievable agony he felt on his

back.  No words could describe the fire that burned through his body.  He didn’t scream or yell, but he

quickly discovered that changing position to find comfort was ill advised.  Any movement caused an

amplification of his suffering.  Evan scanned the crowd as he lay prone in the arena and saw hundreds of

eyes fixated on him.  Normally, a boy of his age would be embarrassed that so many people were staring

at his nakedness, but Evan felt pride that they were witnessing his transformation.  He gained mental

strength when he saw his friends clutching each other and eventually managed to sit up.

Almost as if watching an injured football player sit up on the field, the crowd erupted into applause and

encouragement as Evan rose.  The crowd’s enthusiasm gave him the last bit of strength he needed to

mostly blank out the agony he felt and deliver an affirmative nod to his father and the crowd.

Dad speaks to the crowd: “Evan is an amazing young man, isn’t he?  It’s hard to hold back tears as he

continues to inspire us.  I imagine Jesus Christ had the same strength to dampen the worrying of those

who witnessed his final hours.  I’m going to change the script somewhat and before we proceed with

the crucifixion, I will ask Evan to rise and walk around the arena, in front of the bleachers, so you can see

the remarkable person who is sacrificing so much to gain even more.”

Dad continues: “Evan, can you stand?”

Evan, flanked by the Doc, placed his hands upon the ground and slowly pushed himself upright.  Doc

held Evan’s arm to steady him and, when Evan was ready, released his arm.  Evan was shaky, but able to

stand on his own. 

Dad: “Good.  Walk to the first stand, let them see you front and back, and make your way around the

arena.”

Evan proceeded as instructed and visited the stands where the crowds’ eyes are as big as ever, eager to

take in the sights in front of them.  Some were too overcome to look at his back as he turned around,

but most absorbed the horrible visuals, allowing their minds to drift back some 2000 years.  Those

people were awe inspired to be part of such vivid history.  When Evan faced the crowd, it was hard for

many not to catch a glance or even stare at his nude maleness.  His teenage friends had a hard time

processing the overwhelming visuals (both front and back) from their friend.  They collectively remained

in stunned silence at what they were witnessing.

After several minutes, Evan concluded his one-person parade and returned to the center of the arena

where Matt waited.  Evan looked down at the cross and assembled tools, knowing what was about to

take place.  After a slow, long inhale, Evan exhaled and nodded to Matt.

The Crucifixion

Dad: “Ladies and gentlemen, the crucifixion is set to begin.  There is no turning back.  My son will hang

from the cross just as our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ did two millennia ago.  Matt will once again take

the lead in performing the ritual on his younger brother.  Evan’s bravery is an inspiration to us all and I

now ask for complete silence so we can each take in the sounds that await us.  First, of course, must

come the crown of thorns, or more accurately a crown of barbed wire.”

Matt took his cue to begin and retrieved the crown from his mother, who most expertly and carefully

created it.  The three rings of barbed wire were interwoven with sturdy greens from the area and it was

a beautiful sight to behold.  As if presenting and setting a crown on a king, Matt slowly raised the crown

of sharp spiked wire above his brother’s head and gently set it atop his scalp.  Looking around the

crown, he saw that at least 8 barbs had their pointy edges resting on his head.  Matt, satisfied with the

placement, pushed the crown into his brother’s head, mashing each point into the skin causing instant

bleeding from the puncture site.  He managed to get all 8 barbs to seat in Evan’s head, resulting in 8

trickles of blood down his head and face.  The visual is absolutely stunning and while not horribly painful

for Evan, made him look perfect for the next act.

Matt motions Evan to lie down, on the grass, on his back.  Matt helped his groaning brother into place,

as the fresh contact on his back renewed his suffering.  Evan lied uncomfortably with most of his body

on the ground and his shoulder blade perched atop the 6”x6” wooden beam.  He slowly stretched out

both of his arms, palms up, across the 7’ wide beam.  Matt had pre-arranged the rope and began to tie

Evan’s wrists tightly to the beam.  Contrary to a real crucifixion where the weight would be borne by the

nails, in this crucifixion, the weight would be split between the rope and the nails.  When completed

with Evan’s left wrist, he proceeded to the right wrist, testing the rope to his satisfaction.

Matt next gathered the hammer and nails.

Dad addressed the crowd: “As I described earlier, we will nail my son to the Cross, but not in exactly the

same manner as was performed in Roman times.  Then, a single large nail would be hammered through

each wrist which would eventually bear the condemned’s entire weight.  The suffering was beyond

imagination and death was assured.  Through research into cultures that perform simulated annual

crucifixions to this day, we know that a nail placed through the palm of the hand is very painful, but not

fatal.  Matt has secured Evan’s wrists so they will bear most of the weight and not the nails.  Matt will

now deliver the first nail.”

Matt knelt into position, placed the 2” long nail with large, flat head atop the exact spot that had been

prescribed by research to minimize damage.  He gripped the hammer in his right hand and snuck at

glance at Evan.  Evan, for his part, stared straight up into the clouds, lost in a trance of solitude, barely

aware of the agony that awaited him.  Matt looked back at his target, raised the hammer into the air

and brought it down with blinding speed onto its target.  In an instant, the nail descended through the

palm of the hand and halfway into the wooden cross.  A guttural scream escaped Evan’s mouth as he

instinctively tried to recoil his hand.  Matt managed to ignore the scream and drove home the nail the

rest of the way until the large head lay flush against the palm.

Scores of audience members screamed in terror along with Evan, some out of sheer fright, some

because they reached a spiritual bliss unmatched in their lives.  Each person’s reaction was unique, but

the sheer power of the moment was shared by all.  Evan was in true agony as trickles of blood escaped

the wound sight.  Satisfied with his work, Matt moved to the other hand and unceremoniously drove the

second nail into its helpless target.  Again, Evan screamed in terror, breaking out into an even greater

sweat than he was already in.  The pain in his back had somehow disappeared and his whole world

focused on the unbearable agony of his impaled hands, which he could neither move nor protect.  No

thoughts of Jesus for him at this moment; only thoughts of suffering.

When Evan was secured to the crossbeam, Matt motioned for several helpers to come forward.  Two

people lined up on each side of the cross and carefully transported their victim to the upright.  Dad

described to the crowd what was happening, but people knew and many tuned out his voice, instead

focusing on the unbelievable sight of young Evan, or was it really Jesus?

The men slowly ascended the ladders and lifted the 150 pound crossbeam and its 115 pound captor

entirely off the ground onto the upright.  Several things happened at once.  First, Evan stretched out

with nearly all of his body’s weight being held by his lashed wrists and some by his nailed hands.  This

elicited new screams and new tortures upon his young body.  In his present position, the horn was

behind Evan so two of the men grabbed hold of his sides and lifted his body upward and backwards,

positioning him so the horn where it would fulfill its destiny.  They parted his cheeks to ensure perfect

placement of the tapered horn at the entrance of his virgin hole.  Now, 100% of Evan’s weight was

resting most uncomfortably on his hole.

The horn was 12” long and 2” wide, tapered at the end to aide in insertion.  At Evan’s insistence during

planning, the horn was left mostly natural and retained the knots and splinters of the roughly cut and

shaped phallus of torture.  As with everything else in this event, the horn was designed to maximize

humiliation and suffering.

As Evan’s hole slowly opened to accommodate its impending violator, the men secured his feet in place

for their nailing.  The foot wrests were carefully constructed and positioned to achieve two objectives. 

One foot rest was located on each side of the upright.  To ensure he could not stand all the way up, the

rests themselves were sloped downwards at a 45 degree angle.  Finally, to ensure his legs were spread

wide and not bunched together, each downward foot slope was constructed to face outward, again at a

45 degree angle.  So, Evan’s right foot was uncomfortably facing down and out to its right, while his left

foot was similarly facing down and out towards the left side of his body.  This left Evan’s mid-section and

groin on total display for the audience.  The clever design also would greatly aide in his suffering over

the coming hours.

As two men steadied Evan’s right foot, Matt placed a 2”x2” thin piece of wood with a pre-drilled hole

over the top of his brother’s foot.  With the struggling sure to come, the small piece of wood should help

keep the nails in place.  He lined the small hole directly over the place where the 4” nail would be

driven.  The location was located about 1” between the crease of his big toe and second toe, chosen to

miss bones.  While pain would be ever-present through the event, permanent injury should not occur.

Matt looked at his father for approval to begin and receiving a nod, Matt raised the hammer and

expertly drove the nail completely through the foot and slightly into the wooden rest.  Evan screamed

anew and struggled in even more desperation to avoid the white hot pain his body was suffering.  Matt

kept hammering and Evan kept suffering.  While struggling, Evan unwittingly rubbed his vulnerable back

on the upright, aggravating the previous injuries, renewing his bleeding.  His full-body suffering reached

levels that no one could endure.  Yet his destruction was far from over.  Matt turned his focus to the left

foot and repeated the brutal nailing, completing Evan’s crucifixion.  He and the men backed away and

the crowd got their first unobstructed view of their young hero, covered from head to toe in white hot

pain.

Only a couple minutes into his crucifixion, Evan struggled and screamed with all his might.  He quickly

transitioned from holding all his weight by his wrists to attempting to prop himself up on his feet.  Either

choice resulted in its own brand of agony.  Attempting to stand caused his hands and feet to shift; Evan

knew he was tearing his precious appendages to shreds.  Every time he descended, the horn made

further entry into his anus.  The only thing going for Evan was that, this point, no weight was being held

by his wrists.

The crowd witnessed a truly horrifying and inspiring sight.  Before them hung a naked boy who endured

near-death tortures and now endured a constant insult that was beyond words.  Blood ran from his

head, all 4 nail wounds and, within 10 minutes of up and down struggling, blood finally started to run

down the inside of his thighs and down his freshly-torn back.  As the minutes past and the constant

screams of agony flowed freely through the arena, Evan sank further and further onto the horn.  His

hole was not only being torn, but he was being rhythmically violated deeper and deeper.  Pre-planning

saw Evan and his father take exacting measurements to ensure that if Evan sank 11” onto the horn, all of

his body’s weight would be on his wrists.  Being i 11” deep inside a virgin hole is not something either

was sure he could endure.  During this slow, systematic anal impaling, splinters separated from the horn

and embedded themselves inside his inner flesh and knots ensured continual scraping.

No matter what happened on the cross, Evan would be in a constant state of horrific pain from multiple

sources.  There was no escaping his destiny now.  He would suffer and maybe (hopefully?) die on the

cross.  If he managed to survive, he would awaken a unique man.

The Day of Suffering

Evan’s body was a sight to behold.  He hung on the Cross with a bloody crown atop his head, his arms

spread wide, blood trickling from the nail holes, his ribs stretched and his stomach sunken from his

body’s position, his legs bent at the knees and spread inescapably wide, his anus constantly violated by

an unrelenting wooden phallus and his feet bleeding from their impaling.  To add to his discomfort,

cramps entered his thighs and he struggled to relieve the pain that would not escape him.  There was

not a dry eye in the place.  Even teenage guys cried at the sight of their friend suffering and slowly dying

before their eyes.  Everyone knew Evan was doing this for himself, but many convinced themselves he

was Jesus reborn and was about to die for their sins.

His body was covered in a sheet of sweat, not only from the 100 degree heat by mid-day, but also

because of his body’s attempted to cool itself from the internal heat being generated by compensating

for the cruel treatment.  There was no position that offered even the slightest bit of comfort.  And Evan

tried every position available to him.  No matter what he did, he was assaulted by blinding pain that

would not let up in the least.  He could concentrate on nothing but nerve impulses being fed to his brain. 

At one point he peed himself but he was completely unaware of it.  The crowd notice, of course, and

whispered among themselves at the sad sight.  He cried and moaned constantly as he shook his head

from side to side, wrapped in a cocoon of unrelenting torture.

At one point, Evan’s mind convinced him to open his eyes where he saw a blur of white light with no

detail.  He wondered if he was in Heaven, or at least at Heaven’s doorstep.  Slowly, shadows emerged

and floated in midair.  Long-past relatives he imagined.  Surrounding the smoke-colored forms were

what appeared to be leaves on trees gently blowing back and forth.  The image was peaceful and for just

a moment, Evan’s subconscious mind managed to subdue his conscious mind and he found the first bit

of calm since this ordeal began.  As the moments ticked by, however, the floating forms morphed into

real people sitting in bleachers and the gentle breeze turned into the haze of this very hot and humid

day.

As Evan focus matured, he slowly scanned himself.  He was really here.  It was really happening.  He was

fully crucified, bleeding, tortured and experiencing what he had longed for.  He saw the condition of his

body and he knew deep down he regretted none of it.  His eyes turned to the crowd where he met his

eyes with short glances at each person who would hold his view.  He somehow managed to think of the

pride and gratitude he felt that so many were witnessing his destruction.  This mental focus lasted

maybe 10 seconds, when his nerve messages resumed as the dominant force in Evan’s mind.  He was

snapped back to reality, acutely aware of every point of pain that attacked his vulnerable form.

The crowd was overcome by feelings of remorse and sympathy for the creature that suffered

unrelenting agonies in front of them.  Only two hours in and many were crying and begging for him to be

released.  Matt, his parents and sister, sat together in silence, holding each other’s hands fixated on the

courage they saw before them.  They knew this is everything Evan wanted and while he was hurting so

much and in such uncontrollable distress, none of them broke form.  Two people (one middle aged

female and one elderly female) had enough and left, shouting in the direction of the host family that

they are despicable people for torturing their son to death.  Clearly, these women had no idea why we

were here.  Everyone else stayed and endured the violent sights and sounds from the center of the

arena.

As the third hour commenced, one member of the crowd descended the bleachers and approached the

cross, kneeling down to pray before him.  This act started a trend and over the next 2 hours, half the

crowd took their turn before the tortured form.  All along, Evan cried, struggled and finally started to

beg to be let down.  The begging started off muted with cries of “Please help me” and “I can’t take this

anymore” as person after person lined up before him.  This led to widespread crying in the crowd as this

helpless naked form begged for mercy.

Dad arose and approached the microphone: “It’s been nearly 5 hours since my son has been placed

upon the cross.”  The crowd quieted down and listened.  “He has shown tremendous courage given the

worst suffering a human being can suffer.  But, everyone reaches their breaking point and it seems Evan

is approaching his.  You must know that we, as a family, talked about this eventuality at length.  Evan

made us promise and even swear before God, that when he did beg, we would not relent.  He needed

more than anything to endure beyond what he could endure, to suffer more than humanly possible, to

experience full destruction.  So, that’s what we’re going to do.  We’re going to honor his request and

continue with the crucifixion.  In fact, we’re going to proceed with the next step and Matt will perform

the second half of the scourging.  I know this will be horrible to watch, but it’s what he wants … it’s what

he needs.  Matt?”

Matt got up, parted ways from his family’s clutches and proceeded to his young brother’s frail form. 

The view from so close was close to grotesque.  His naked body looked so abused, so helpless.  Fresh

blood trickled every time he struggled, which has significantly subsided by now.  He had expended

almost all of his energy.  His anus had been completely torn to shreds and violated to the full 11”

allowed by his hanging wrists.  If his body would have allowed the 12th inch, he would have taken it. 

Matt caught sight of Evan’s eyes and saw into a broken and defeated soul.  He was so vulnerable and

was about to endure yet another horrendous assault on his body. 

He knew he was to deliver 39 strokes of the same whip to his front side.  His practice reinforced the

necessity to stay away from Evan’s face and he would have to be on guard for the unexpected times

when Evan would drop his head to his chest in sheer exhaustion or if he passed out.  Since he was raised

in the air a few feet, it would make Matt’s job easier to whip the chest and stomach.  Matt examined

every inch of his little brother’s perfect torso.  His chest was so smooth, no hair ever present in his

young life.  His ribs were clearly visible and he knew they would bruise from the forthcoming beating. 

His small undefined nipples were flat against his chest.  Moving down, his stomach was sunken from his

slim weight and his little innie belly button was flush with his skin.  Moving further down, Matt couldn’t

help but look at his brother’s penis and testicles, resting helplessly amid widely stretched legs. 

Everything about Evan was so beautiful, so perfect.  He was about to be ruined forever.

In clear violation of the plan, he spoke to his brother.

Matt: “Evan, I’m so sorry to have to do this, but I’m going to beat your front side.”

Evan tried to reply but had no voice left.  His screaming and dry throat robbed him of it.  So, he

whispered instead.  Matt leaned in. “I .. know Matt.  I hurt … so bad .. and I so.. weak”

A tear formed and slid down Matt’s right cheek.  “I’ll stop this whole thing if you ask me.”

Evan whispered again: “No .. you can’t.  I have .. to...  please … beat me … as hard as you .. can”

Matt couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  How could his brother have such unbelievable courage so

many hours into being hung on the cross?  How in the world was this possible?  Matt truly began to

believe that the Hand of God was touching his brother today, empowering him with the will to endure. 

This, in turn, gave Matt the strength to do his part.

Matt: “I love you Evan.  You’re an inspiration to me.  I promise I will hurt you as bad as I can and you will

inspire us all by your will to be reborn.”

Evan squeaked: “Thank you … brother.”

Matt backed up, grasped the cat o’ nine tails with sewn-in lead balls, gave his father a nod indicating he

was ready and took position in front of his target.  Evan tried to hold his head high, his body helplessly

spread wide, unable to do anything to protect or minimize the torture that awaits him.  He looked upon

a crowd that held its collective breath and hands covering mouths in horrid anticipation.

The first blow was devastating.  It hit Evan mid-chest and everyone could hear the sound of metal balls

striking bony ribs.  That sound was terrorizing and the affects were immediate.  Matt watched before his

eyes as cuts formed, turned red and released blood in slow trickles.  Evan, despite his almost ruined

voice, managed a blood curdling scream and full body contortion, which aggravated every existing

injury.  The assault was too much for Evan and he flailed for several seconds, screaming uncontrollably

along the way.  The crowd collectively gasped at the horror of his reaction.  Matt stood in stunned

silence as his brother reached a new level of self-destruction.  In the longest 15 seconds of his life, Matt

was paralyzed and unable to move until, at last, Evan calmed down. 

Matt gathered his courage, knew his duty and delivered another strike upon his defenseless brother,

landing in nearly the same place.  Again, Evan’s reaction was to scream and buck against his bonds. 

Every 15 seconds or so for the next several minutes, Matt permanently destroyed the front of his

brother’s body.  Flesh tore open, blood flowed freely, ribs were bruised and Evan shook uncontrollably

with each strike.  Matt relented.  He was determined to give Evan’s brother what he needed.  By the 30th

strike, Evan barely responded.  His head lay against his chest and his breathing was shallow and rapid. 

Matt misinterpreted the signs and figured he should ramp up the torture to get reactions like he saw

earlier.  Matt stood back and looked over the mess of torn flesh on Evan’s chest and stomach and then

looked a little further south.  He had an idea how to get the reaction Evan would want.

For the next blow, Matt carefully aimed and delivered a full force strike right to Evan’s groin, striking his

oh so sensitive parts dead on in the process.  Evan was out of it and was totally unaware this assault was

coming.  When it happened, his eyes flew open and he threw up all over himself and turned as white as

a sheet.  He howled and screamed as he never did before.  He almost managed to rip his right hand free

of the nail as he thrashed about.

The crowd gasped in collective agony at what they witnessed Matt do and one lady passed out from the

horror of it.  Matt’s dad ran up to him and ripped the whip from his hand.  Dad looked at Evan’s crotch

and saw his penis bleeding and angry purple spots start to form on his son’s testicles.

Dad yelled at his son: “What were you thinking!?!”

Matt calmly replied: “It’s what Evan wants.  He whispered to me before I started that even in his state

he wanted me to beat him as bad as possible.”

Dad continued to yell: “including castrating him?!?”

Matt: “He will be fine.  He needs to suffer and he is.  Now hand me the whip.  He has 8 more coming to

him.”

Dad: “Not if you’re going to hit him there again.  No way.”

Matt: “Dad, this is my responsibility.  But I will make you a deal.  Seven more on his body and the last

one will be on his crotch.”

Dad: “No way.  It’s not happening.”

Matt looked deeply and seriously into his father’s eyes: “Yes, dad, it is.  Now hand me the whip and let

me do my job.”

Dad met his son’s stare.  He had never seen Matt so focused, so determined. He thought for several

seconds as Matt offered no further words.  He was serious wasn’t he?  Dad relented and slowly handed

the whip back to his son and walked to his seat beside his wife and Mary, whom he had to comfort. 

Mary covered her eyes in fear; she couldn’t see her big brother like this.  Evan’s mother begged dad to

go back out there and intervene.  He said nothing and let his eldest son continue.

Matt delivered seven more whippings to Evan’s already ruined body, adding to the scars he would

forever carry.  Only dad and Matt knew what was coming for the final blow, as the crowd by now

assumed dad had talked Matt out of any more brutal blows to Evan’s crotch.  But Matt knew this final

strike would be truly devastating and might ruin his brother’s chance for reproduction.  But he was

consumed with following through on hurting him as bad as possible.  This was the only way he knew

how.

Matt lined up again, reared back and delivered the most forceful strike of the day, landing dead on

target, with all of the leather straps and metal balls finding the soft targets of Evan’s vulnerable

maleness.  As before Evan reacted immediately and violently.  This time he managed to push himself all

the way up, almost completely removing the horn from his hole.  What the crowd saw next horrified

them.  Evan expelled brown liquid from his hole that oozed around the horn while he simultaneously

threw up with little bile he had left in his stomach.  He completely evacuated himself while thrashing

about on the cross.  None of the nails came loose but some minor internal tearing had to have occurred.

He desperately attempted to close his legs in some vane, instinctual attempt to protect his sex.  His

thrashing was so violent and his screams so horrific that it’s a wonder he didn’t die from sheer terror. 

It took Evan a couple minutes to slump back down, completely spent.  He had nothing left in him to give. 

He sagged completely on the horn, hanging by his wrists, feces and blood covering the entire inside of

his legs as the vile mixture ran down his lower body.  Matt inspected his work and saw that in addition

to fresh cuts and bleeding in his brother’s penis, his testicles swelled almost before his eyes.  He even

saw where his right testicle and been torn and was actively bleeding.  He did his job. 

A couple dozen more people, having witnessed this, could no longer stand to stay.  They got up and ran

out, taking off in their vehicles, never to return.  Their memories would forever be scarred.  The doc ran

up to Evan, eager to tend to his wounds.  He cleaned the numerous cuts in Evan’s chest and stomach,

again applying antiseptics and other concoctions aimed at controlling bleeding and preventing infection. 

He knew Evan would need stiches when this was done.  He manipulated Evan’s sexual organs, checking

for permanent injury.  Fortunately, neither of his testicles appeared burst, but they would be swollen

and in pain for some time.  Evan was passed out and upon checking vitals, Doc immediately

administered another two bags of fluids.

By this time in the late afternoon, the temperature soared to 103 degrees and the humidity stifled

breathing.  Evan was struggling to stay alive and Doc told his dad that he was on the edge of death.  His

body might not survive the current injuries and certainly wouldn’t be able to endure any more.  Even if

he comes around with the fluids, he won’t have the strength to hold himself.  That meant he would

perpetually hang exclusively by his wrists and that would start to compromise his breathing.  Evan

thought he was at Heaven’s doorstep a short time ago; in reality he was standing at Death’s doorstep.

While Doc was stabilizing Evan, the crowd got its first real break and was gathered in a nearby part of

the property to eat from a large BBQ meal that specially-selected guests had been preparing.  The only

people with Evan were his family and Doc.  They were free to talk openly. 

Matt: “I’m not sorry I hurt Evan so bad.  We all know it’s what he’s been begging for this.”

Mom: “I know son.  It’s just so hard to see him hanging up there, almost dead.  I mean look at him.  He

looks worse than I ever imagined.”

The whole family looked at their ruined son hanging before them.  He was still out cold.  On any other

day, the red, sun-burned skinned that also covered Evan’s exposed body would be an insult in its own

right.  Now, it was dismissed.

Mary cried: “Please, we have to take him down.  He’s going to die.”

Dad: “Evan is strong my dear Mary.  He wants to be taken to the edge and that’s right where he is ---

hovering on the edge of this world and the next.  Who knows, he might be peeking into Heaven right

now, seeing the beauty that awaits someone clearly as worthy as him.”

Matt: “He is the strongest person I’ve ever met.  We owe him.”

Doc: “Let’s see if the fluids bring him back to a level where he can continue.”

The family agreed.  They also ate, leaving Evan alone to hang on the cross by himself.

The Finale

At about 7 p.m., everyone reconvened on the bleachers, leaving about 2 hours until sunset.  The

temperature hovered in the upper 90s and the humidity remained ever present.  Many of the younger

guys in the crowd had removed their shirts and the women were fanning themselves with whatever was

present.  Evan had come around but was barely conscious.  As he gazed the crowd, his eyes were empty. 

His head movements were erratic and he made no deliberate eye contact with anyone.  His body was a

horrible mess.  Below his head and above his knees, you could barely tell there was a young man’s torso. 

It has been ripped to shreds by the second scourging.  Almost no one could survive 78 devastating

whippings, in addition to the assaults of being starved for days and being crucified.  But Evan had done

such an amazing such conditioning his body, mind and soul for this experience.

During the break in the action, Doc and the family had a long discussion and agreed to a modified plan. 

Dad approached the podium once again.  Filming resumed.

Dad: “Evan has been crucified for 10 hours, nearly halfway to his goal of 24 hours.  During these 10

hours, he has been tortured as planned.  While a couple of the specific tortures were more brutal than

had been planned, it seemed Evan would have welcomed them if it enhanced his suffering.  As you

know, my son wants nothing more than to have an experience that very closely approximates what

Jesus Chris endured.  I now believe we have done a good job of giving Evan an experience that will allow

him to be reborn, just as he wants.”

Dad: “While Evan is alive and with us now, Dr. Hendrix does not believe Evan will survive the night, even

if we expose him to no further torments.  This is obviously unacceptable so we have altered the plan.  As

you know, Evan planned for one final torture to be performed on him – breaking his lower legs.  The

purpose of this activity is to deny the condemned the ability to raise himself up to relieve pressure from

his wrists.  As you can see, that has already happened.  Evan is hanging from his writs and he will soon

succumb to the internal pressures in his chest and he will stop breathing.  You can also see that he is

completely impaled on the horn.”

Dad: “So, rather than extend the processions into the overnight and reconvene with you tomorrow

morning, we are going to conclude this event now.  Before we let Evan down, however, we are going to

grant him his last wish and break his legs.  The effects won’t be the same, but the family agrees that he

will feel the day was incomplete if he does not experience this final insult.  He will also want to fully

experience the prolonged rehabilitation that will come with learning to walk again.  It’s all part of his

rebirth.  So, Matt will now proceed and in one hour we will free my son.  After Matt breaks Evan’s legs, I

will invite each of you to approach my son hanging on the cross, touch his body and return to your seat.”

Matt approached his brother and even though he looked horrendous, he looked better than when he

last saw him.  The doc cleaned up the obvious blood and feces that adorned the exterior of his body and

all of the bleeding ceased.  The most visible and scary part of looking at Evan were the deep cuts in his

torso, his purple penis and his bloated, bruised testicles, especially the right one.  He looked at Evan, but

saw vast emptiness in his eyes.  He wasn’t sure Evan knew what was about to happen, but he told him

anyway.  Evan gave no response.

In his right hand, Matt held a one-inch thick, three-foot long piece of hollow, cylindrical pipe.  This

sturdy, heavy and unforgiving instrument would certainly do the trick of fracturing the tibia and fibula. 

In ancient times, this must have been an unbelievably horrible assault on a body that was already so

close to death. 

Matt started with his brother’s outstretched left leg, taking several practice swings, aiming at mid leg

each time.  He reared back, took a deep breath and swung with all his might.  The last thing he wanted

to do was deliver an insufficient blow that he would have to repeat.  The sound was absolutely

horrifying to the crowd.  It sounded like a car crash as the unforgiving metal impacted its target with no

consideration for the damage it was about to cause.  The leg cleanly broke in two and immediately

deformed to the horror and gasps of the thinned crowd.  Evan let out a blood-curdling scream that had

not been otherwise heard in an hour.  He didn’t buck or thrash much as his body had nothing left to

give.  Instead, he twitched uncontrollably.

Matt wasted no time watching his brother suffer, walked to the right leg, took aim and smashed the

bones with the same perfection as the first time.  It was truly the most grotesque sight of the day seeing

Evan’s two lower legs broken in half and dangling horribly out of proportion.  His twitching continued

almost as if he was having a seizure.  This was it.  Evan was done.  He was truly destroyed.

After a minute, Evan entered a deep unconscious state hanging by his wrists.  His father invited the

crowd to come to the arena, one bleacher section at a time, lining up in single file.  The line stopped 20’

away and the front person was allowed to approach in isolation.  Each person touched him, usually in

the lower stomach or hip area.  It seemed everyone tried to avoid a cut, tear, wound or other bodily

injury.  But such areas were few and far between.  Many looked at his brutalized genitals, but

surprisingly none touched them, perhaps keenly aware of all the eyes upon them.  Most glanced at the

fractured and angulated lower legs that hung at grotesque angles. 

Evan’s friends still could not believe what hung before them.  While they spent most of their young lives

emerged in the Christian faith, they had a hard time comprehending such consensual violence on

display.  The guys almost threw up when they each saw Evan’s mutilated genitals.  The girls openly cried

that they probably lost their friend, and witnessed his murder first hand. 

Despite the horrors, everyone had a truly spiritual experience, surpassing each person’s expectations. 

Over the next 80 minutes, the remaining 200 people filed through and return to their seats.  Evan never

regained consciousness.

Dad addressed the crowd for the last time: “The Crucifixion of Evan has come to its conclusion.  We have

subjected Evan to an experience that mirrors in many ways what Jesus Christ experienced for each of us

gathered here.  We had to make obvious substitutions, but I believe the spirit of suffering has been

honestly reflected in today’s events.  We have brought Evan to death’s doorstep, but thanks to planning

and the expert touch of Dr. Hendrix, he will not walk through that door.”

Dad: “This graphic, brutal experience will be seared into all of our minds forever.  We are fortunate to

have a striking example of manhood before us that allowed us to share in this magical experience.  I

know I will live a changed life from this day forward and I am confident each of you will find meaning

and inspiration from what you have witnessed.”

Dad: “Matt, it’s time to remove Evan from the Cross.”

Matt gathered the men and proceeded to carefully let Evan down.  The doc was close by with a

stretcher and an ATV, ready to transport him inside and to care.  Evan remained unconscious

throughout his journey freedom, which is probably for the best since all the attention would have

caused him even more pain.  That’s something he no longer needed.  His suffering was complete.  Nails

were carefully removed.  In the background, Dad led the group in the Lord’s Prayer.  The crown was

removed, leaving behind dried blood.  Ropes were removed and Evan’s limp body was free.  Doc and the

guys moved him to the stretcher as the crowd looked on for any sign of life.  Once he was placed on the

ATV, Doc saw everyone looking and he gave a thumbs up indicating that Evan was indeed okay.  At least

he was alive, for now.

The Recovery and Resurrection

That first day in his medically-modified bedroom was touch and go for Evan.  No one was really sure if

he would pull through.  The doctor and trusted aides set about the task of physically repairing his broken

body.  No surgery was required, but his body needed hundreds of stitches to close the dozens of flesh

tears suffered at the hands of Matt’s skilled whippings.  He probably didn’t need to be sewn up as much

as he was, but the doctor wanted to absolutely minimize the potential for infection given how much of

his body was exposed to the harsh elements.  When complete, he wrapped Evan’s torso in bandages

which would be regularly changed.  Of course, he remained on a steady series of life-sustaining fluids

and antibiotics.

Attention then moved to Evan’s fractured legs.  Fortunately, Matt only hit the tibia and fibula one time

each, resulting in clean midline fractures.  The doctor set both bones and applied casts to his legs.  Since

both legs were fractured, rehab time would take several months.

The doctor carefully examined the four holes in Evan’s limbs.  Each of the four holes grew in size from

their original puncture due to the thrashing Evan did while on the cross.  Fortunately, Matt placed each

of the nails exactly as prescribed and it doesn’t appear he would lose sensory or motor function. 

However, definitive diagnosis would come when he awakened and performed range of motion tests. 

The holes themselves were cleaned and dressed.

The cuts to his head from the crown of barbed wire were superficial requiring no attention beyond

cleaning.

Evan’s anus was another story.  A careful and thorough and careful examination led the doctor to

conclude that Evan may never regain normal bowel control.  His anal ring was torn beyond repair,

muscles were damaged and skin tears were everywhere.  Infection was also a strong possibility as fresh

fecal material would mix into the bloody interior walls of his hole.  For now, the doctor installed a fecal

collection bag.

Finally, the doctor turned to Evan’s groin, the unanticipated victims of this event.  The penis was swollen

and dotted with purple impact marks.  Any bleeding that was there had since subsided.  The member

itself appeared fine and should recover with no lasting issues.  Evan’s right testicle, however, was

another story.  It’s a swollen purple mass and appeared to be filling with fluid.  The left testicle was

swollen as well, but nowhere near as bad.  It also was adorned with bruises, but it appears it would

recover.  The doctor palpates the right mass, but was unable to fell the testicle itself given all the fluid

build-up.  It would have to be drained.

While the doctor and aides attend to Evan’s injuries, his family waited in the house for news of his

recovery.  The doctor emerged at 3 a.m. and gave his update.  Evan was stable and in a deep sleep but

there’s every reason to believe he would survive.  His primary concerns were infection, his anus and his

right testicle.  Time would tell on both.  Mom, dad and Mary prayed together and drifted to bed.

The next day and the day after Evan remained deep asleep.  The doctor and others tended to his

wounds and saw steady progress in every area except his anus and right testicle.  By the third day, the

doctor determined the testicle must be removed.  Matt was devastated at the news.  All he wanted to

do was hurt his brother, not take castrate him.  Before surgery, Matt visited Evan’s bedside and cried

out apologies and begged for future forgiveness.

Finally, on the fourth day, Evan began to come around, clouded in a daze.  Attempts at meaningful

conversation are useless, but on the fifth day, Evan at up in bed, ate on his own and finally had real

conversation with his family. 

Evan: “The wounds still hurt, but it’s a dull pain.  I know it will be over soon.  I am so grateful to each of

you for making this happen.  I’m sure you were worried about me, but you have no idea what this has

done for me.  I look upon this room and each of you and see everything through new eyes.  Everything is

crisper; every word has more meaning; every picture on the wall is a work of art speaking to me.  It’s

hard to describe what I feel ... I’m just … changed.”

And conversation went on like this for a couple hours.  Mostly the family listened as Evan attempted to

put into words the spiritual awakening he was experiencing.  But every now and then someone got in a

word.  They’ve yet to recount the events of the 4 days of isolation and crucifixion itself.  The family

figured he would bring it up when he was ready.  For now, he experienced a new world for the first time. 

Everyone spoke except for Matt and Evan noticed.

Evan: “What’s wrong Matt?  You haven’t said anything.  Don’t feel guilty about what you did.  You did an

amazing job beating me.  It was everything I could have hoped for … and more.”

Matt: “You don’t know everything.”

Evan looked inquisitively: “What do you mean?”

Matt: “I, uh, I don’t know how to say it.  Do you remember when I beat your front side?”

Evan: “Of course; it was horrible yet purifying.”

Matt: “Do you remember when I hit you low?”

Evan: “… I think so … it’s kind of fuzzy.  Yeah, that’s right.  I remember now.  Wow, that was intense.  I

wasn’t expecting it.”

Matt: “Yeah, well.  I’m afraid I hit you too hard.”

Evan immediately pulled up his bed sheet and looked down.  He saw his groin wrapped in bandages so

he couldn’t see what his eyes were looking for.  “What happened?”

Matt started openly crying: “I’m so sorry Evan.  Your right … um … it’s gone.”

Evan had a blank look on his face but quickly composed himself.

Evan: “Matt, look at me.” Matt did, but kept crying.  “I was prepared to possibly die up there.  I begged

you to beat me in the most horrible way.  I needed to suffer worse than imaginable in order to allow for

my spiritual awakening.  And it worked.  If a little piece of me is lost, then so be it.  Is everything else still

there and working?”

His dad chimed in cause Matt could not compose himself: “Yes, the doctor said the rest of it is fine and

in full working order.  You will be able to have kids.”

Mary, who was listening to this intimate discussion, blushed the whole time.

Evan: “Then no harm done.  Matt, I forgive you.  On second thought … I thank you.  I have sacrificed a

part of my flesh for my rebirth.  Maybe there’s divine intervention at work here.  The cost of being

reborn is a part of my own reproduction system.  I can’t imagine a more fitting sacrifice.  Thank you

Matt.  I love you.”

Matt couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  Not only did he brother not hold ill will about losing his

testicle, but he was actually thankful for it.  Wow, for yet another time during this experience, his

younger brother managed to inspire him.  He was truly among greatness and knew his brother was

destined to inspire the world.  He dropped to his knees, took Evan’s hand between his own and

embraced him with the love he so richly earned.

The rest of the family was equally moved by this experience and there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. 

And this is the way it was to be from here forward.  Evan’s first act after rebirth was forgiveness for a

disfigurement that no one else would grant.  Mom and dad embraced and they knew their son had been

touched by God and would not only recover from his physical injuries, but would become someone that

many will flock to.