Legion 

(Historical Fiction)

By Jim Hammond

Stephenos was a 17 year old who lived in the region of the Garasenes on the east side of the sea of Galilee.  His job was to watch over his dad's pigs.  His dad owned and operated the largest pork market at the open market in town.  His dad had a herd of several thousand pigs. As Stephenos was watching the heard on the hillside with his three friends, Demas, Philip, and Timon, who were also his dad's hired hands. 

As the cool evening sea shore breeze fluttered their campfire, the peace was shattered by an eerie ear piercing scream. 

“That’s the wild man of the tombs.” explained Stephenos the oldest of the four.  “Nobody goes to the tombs anymore.  I used to go there when I was a kid.  But not anymore.  Not since the Wild man made them his home.”  The stories about the wild man were well known throughout the entire district.  The combination of knowing those stories and hearing his screams had a chilling effect on Stephenos and his friends. They shuddered, unconsciously drawing closer to the fire, even though it wasn’t a cold evening.  They began to discuss the stories they had heard about the wild man. 

"After it became obvious he might hurt somebody in town, my dad was one of the ten who tried to tie him up a few months back.  It took all ten men to try to hold him down and you know how big my dad is" Philip said.  “They were finally able to shackle him up and they were trying to carry him  when he writhed and broke free and began slamming himself violently against some rocks.  They still don’t know how he actually broke the shackles and some of the chain links.  They all scattered when he came charging at them.  My dad said they had to run for their lives.” 

They heard a shriek again.  "My dad says his strength is super human and that he is demon possessed,"  Timon interjected.

“I believe it.” Said Demas.

"Why do you think he shrieks in such pain?" inquired Stephenos.  “It's weird that he lives like a wild animal without clothes in those tombs.  Doesn't he get cold?" As they continued to talk, the last of the evening light was turning to darkness. 

"When it gets a little darker, do you guys want to try to get close enough to get a glimpse of him?  asked Stephenos.  “I've never seen him." 

"That’s crazy" replied Timon with some alarm. 

Stephenos continued undeterred,  “We can sneak up on him.  He doesn't have to see us.” 

After more deliberation their curiosity and fascination grew.  They decided to try it.  As they began to walk in the direction of the tombs, their adrenalin really started to pump.  Timon picked up a couple of big rocks. They each carried their staffs. 

Stephenos stopped and looked intently at each of his friends.  "Whatever happens, we stick together.  Got it!?."

"Got it.” they nodded. 

As they snuck from bush to bush closer to the tombs they drew close enough to hear the man muttering and mumbling.  They stopped in their tracks as another blood curdling scream pierced the night from not more than thirty yards away.  They looked carefully through the bushes to see the man staggering, blood dripping down his bleeding forearms.  He shrieked again what seemed to be nonsense as he took a jagged rock and slashed at his own bleeding forearms.  He seemed to change from horrible cries of anquish to wicked laughter instantaneously without apparent cause.

Suddenly he stopped making noise at all and turned to look in their direction.  The boys were hidden behind a bush.  But the man continued to peer.  The boys were wide eyed, and dry mouthed, hardly breathing.  Nobody had made a sound.  Yet the man continued to look at them as if he could see them there. 

The man broke the silence with an angry guttural raspy voice, "Who are you?  Do you think you can hurt us with rocks."  The boys looked at each.  When Stephanos motioned with a jerk of his head, they ran.  They ran about a mile then jumped into a grassy gulch with their hearts pounding. 

After they were sure the man wasn't following, Stephenos said.  "How did he even know we were there hiding in the dark.  He couldn’t have seen us.  He was in fire light.  We were in the dark.  He couldn’t have heard us.  He was the one making all that noise not us.” 

Timon added, “What I’d like to know is how he knew we were carrying rocks?  I told you he was possessed by evil spirits.”   Their skin crawled as their hearts continued to pound.  The next day they were even more frightened when they saw another man confront the wild man.  It happened like this.  [Read Mark 5:1-20.]

Click Here for a Sermon on the Text Mark 5:1-20 entitled "Breaking the Chains that Bind Us"