Alternate Endings for the Binding of Isaac
First Ending: The Piety One
Abe and the boy scale the mountain to make an offering the boy asks where is the lamb.
Abe remembers a dream where God was a flame between carcasses cut into halves.
He says God will provide.
At the summit there is a stone slab the size of a man.
Abe ties the boy’s wrists with red thread tells him to stretch out his neck.
He places his thumb over the blue thread that throbs under the skin.
The boy lies flat his ghost cowers against his spine.
God’s ghost says enough.
God tells Abe I was testing your faith congratulations you passed.
God whistles and a ram emerges from a bush.
Abe hasn’t seen this ram before he starts to shake.
The ram presses its nose to the palm of Abe’s hand.
God says this is permission.
Abe puts the ram in the boy’s place.
He severs the ram’s thread red spreads through the white wool.
Later Abe and the boy descend the mountain.
Abe looks up the mountain he looks down the mountain.
He sees behind him God waving he sees ahead of him
waiting
himself.
Second Ending: The Shadow One
Abe and the boy scale the mountain the boy asks where is the lamb.
Abe says God will provide.
The boy sees a dead bird on their path he picks it up.
Mites zigzag the bird’s corpse they crawl onto the boy’s hand.
At the summit there is a stone slab.
Abe ties the boy’s wrists with red thread.
He severs the blue thread that throbs under the skin.
Red spreads down the boy’s shoulders his chest.
God says over Abe’s shoulder you really did it.
God says this was a test congratulations you passed.
Abe touches a mark on his body it is too late to change anything.
God says if the boy hadn’t died now he would have died later.
This way his death was important important things happen on mountains.
The ark landed on one the commandments were handed out the son was hung on a plank.
Abe says I don’t know what you’re talking about.
God says I forget you don’t feel time like I do it’s okay.
Abe thinks about this and keeps thinking the rest of his life.
Third Ending: The Disappointment One
Abe and the boy scale the mountain the boy asks where is the lamb.
Abe says God will provide.
At the summit Abe ties the boy’s wrists with red thread.
The boy’s ghost cowers against his spine.
God says enough this was a test.
Abe says what kind of a test is that.
God says I was testing your faith congratulations you passed.
Abe says why he says who are you.
God says I am.
Abe says no.
He says I’m done I’m going home.
God says stop.
A word flies from Abe’s lips and hurtles over the ground.
Abe says nothing after that God says nothing the boy says nothing.
The ground swallows what happiness they have left.
Fourth Ending: The Reality One
Abe and the boy scale the mountain the boy asks where is the lamb.
Abe remembers a dream where God was a flame between carcasses cut into halves.
At the summit Abe ties the boy’s wrists with red thread.
The boy’s ghost cowers against his spine.
God says enough this was a test.
He says you have failed.
You were supposed to say no.
Abe and the boy descend the mountain.
Abe looks up the mountain he looks down the mountain.
The boy says father shall I show you what I have in my hand.
He opens his fist in it is Abe’s little bad heart his little white grain of sand.