Isaac woke up and rubbed his eyes. For a child whose name meant laughter in Hebrew, he often wondered what he had to be happy about. He wasn't even allowed to go trick-or-treating tonight. It wasn't fair; all his friends from school were going. But it was Sunday, and he had to be in church both in the morning and the evening. He wished the times were back before his father got religion and his mother left.

“Get a move on!” Abraham yelled.

Isaac went down to the kitchen table in his pajamas. He knew his father would yell at him for not already having his Sunday dress clothes on. Gimme a break, I'm only six years old! he thought.

He saw his father and was surprised. “Dad, aren't we going to church?”

“I told you to call me Father.”

“But all the other kids call their dads Dad.”

“Kids? What are you, a goat? You need to remember I am the Heavenly Father's representative to you.”

“All right, Father.” Isaac wanted to spit out the words, but he didn't. “Why are you dressed to go hiking?”

“I was reading the Bible last night and I realized that we should spend some father/son time together.”

Isaac cringed. The last time they did that, his dad beat the heck out of him for talking to some little girl. She was lost and didn't know where her mommy and dad were. Isaac offered to help her find them. His father came up and called the little girl the daughter of Jezebel and said that Isaac was being tempted by the flesh—whatever that meant—and that he had to beat the devil out of Isaac—at least Isaac knew what that meant, and boy, did he suffer.

“Uh, what did you have in mind, Da—I mean— Father?”

“ A hike up Mount Moriah, son.”

Isaac wished his mother were here. She would have talked his dad out of this nonsense. He was only six! He had no business hiking a steep mountain trail! He knew it, why didn't his dad? But Mommy had gone away. Whenever he asked his dad about it, he muttered something about the witness perfection agency, or something like that...

“Did you ask Aunt Jane?” Jane was Isaac's mother's sister and Isaac's guardian, but she didn't see Isaac much. Whenever he went with his dad to see her, his dad always took a bottle of alcohol. Once she drank some, she would do what his dad wanted. Nevertheless, Isaac liked seeing Aunt Jane—she was the only one who knew anything about Isaac's mother and he wanted to know everything he could.

“No, there wasn't time. Go put on your hiking clothes. Peter and Andrew are going with us.”

Great! Isaac thought. He hated Pete and Andy. They all went to Sunday School together, although Pete and Andy were about twelve years old. After school, Pete and Andy would always beat up on him. He tried to tell his dad about it once, and his dad told him he was a liar—that Andy's and Pete's folks were good Christian people and that they would raise good Christian sons. He told Isaac to stop lying.

It was warm on the trail. It wasn't hot; just one of those Colorado days that were called Indian summer; Isaac wondered what the Indians had to do with the weather, but he knew better than to ask his dad.

Pete and Andy were steadying some wood on the pack mule that Abraham had insisted on bringing with them. It was a tired old mule that belonged to Pete's and Andy's folks. Abraham always said the creature wasn't natural; that one wasn't supposed to cross-breed animals. Isaac didn't know what that meant—just that Abraham kicked the mule if it wasn't moving fast enough and encouraged Pete and Andy to do the same. Oh well, Isaac thought, At least that keeps them from kicking me.

Andy and Pete had a mean look in their eyes. Isaac didn't like it. He thought he could smell trouble...

“Your dad told us about his vision last night,” Andy said to Isaac.

“Yeah, it sounds more like a nightmare,” Pete added.

“Looks like we won't have you to punch around anymore, but it'll make a good Halloween story. Your dad sure is mean,” Andy said.

What did they mean? Isaac thought.

“Yeah, I hope he makes you get naked first,” Pete said.

“Yeah, me, too. Mary Ann isn't putting out, Pete. I could use some relief from a tight hole,” Andy said.

Isaac was absolutely terrified. He had no idea what they meant, but he saw what he thought was pure evil in their eyes.

“Son, come over here and walk with me. We're almost at the summit,” Isaac's dad said.

Isaac was exhausted. They had been climbing for what seemed like three hours without a break. He had been expected to keep pace with the others, even though his legs were shorter. He wanted his mother, but he went over to his dad as he was told.

Isaac was tied to the wood, which had been laid on the ground. He still had his clothes on, but he was frightened. His dad had some kind of crazy look in his eyes.

“Mother!” Isaac cried.

“That bitch won't help you now, son. I have to do what the Lord told me to do.”

Isaac looked around as much as he could. Pete and Andy were nowhere to be seen.

He was so terrified he couldn't speak. 

Abraham set his knapsack on the grass near where Isaac was tied. He looked through it and took a shiny object out of it. Isaac recognized it as a pistol that his dad kept at home.

Abraham aimed it at the mule and fired. The mule let out a crazy sound and fell down. There was blood seeping from its body on to the ground.

“I don't want no witnesses to the miracle,”  Abraham said.

Witness? Did that mean his mother was perfect? Was she coming back from the agency? What is a miracle? Isaac's thoughts raced.

Abraham aimed the pistol at Isaac. Isaac closed his eyes. He didn't know what was happening. Where was his mother?

Then Isaac heard his dad looking in the knapsack again. He heard the click of a switchblade. 

He felt a deep pain in his chest.

“God, it wasn't supposed to be like this! You were supposed to stop me...” Abraham's cries were the last words his only son heard before he died.