Burn, Baby, Burn by Michael Seale (Chapter 15)

 Chapter 15

Atonement

Atonement, the word he had over and over. He wished his father would understand. He doesn’t know what that means. Atonement. He supposed it meant being sorry for the bad things that you did, but honestly, he didn’t know. He also didn’t dare ask. Not when the bastard had been drinking. Today’s brutality sermon was delivered with a three-part verse about the four horsemen of the Apocalypse and a chorus of whips with his brown leather belt. But he focused on the word, Atonement. 

“Do you even hear me?” the bastard shouted.

“Yes, sir,” Mike whispered.

“The heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the Day of Judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 2 Peter 3:7.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Do you know what that means?” he hissed.

“No, sir.”

“It means that this god forsaken fucking world, will burn. Every one of you stupid asshole sinners will burn with it.”

Mike stared at him. The boy didn’t know what else to say. He supposed there wasn’t anything to say; he supposed that the best thing to do was to be quiet. So that is what he did. Although he knew that his father couldn’t stand it. But what should he say? There was nothing to say. 

His father’s face was red, a string of spit was strung between his lips, he huffed. 

“But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. Revelation 21:8. Are you any of these, Mike?”

Mike didn’t answer. He knew the answer was yes, and he knew what was coming.

“Of course, you are.” The bastard smiled.

The cigarette had smoldered, while his father had beaten him, the slim line of grey smoke reaching towards the heaven, like a sacrifice on an altar. Perhaps it was a sacrifice, his sacrifice. 

“And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the Lord, and I will be the glory in her midst. Zechariah 2:5” He pushed the cigarette into his young pink skin. Mike winced at the pain. 

He woke, his hand throbbed.