Beginning the Short Story of Abraham

Abraham knew not whether he had slept this night. Moment by moment, time had seemed to stop but he was now certain the day was approaching. The sky still provided no clue; it was dark without a hint of any dawn. The moon had either already set or clouds were obscuring it. There were plenty of stars visible though, and they were providing some murky light. Sarah his wife was quite asleep.
Having avoided what he thought was certain death many years ago, he now felt that death would be the victor today. He was certain that he had been on the side of God for such a long time, and he was so disoriented that he put away thoughts of turning back. Or rather he knew that he would not turn back even though in fact that was the only thought he held.
He paused to reflect another moment, thinking how fast time could pass even when one might expect to live over two hundred years. Of course that was not much considering his great, great, great, great, great-grandfather lived some four hundred and sixty four years, wasn’t it?
None of the other greats had made it much past two hundred years but at less than half that, he felt old as death. God giveth and God taketh away and He works in mysterious ways.
It seemed like only yesterday, well maybe a few days before that, that Abram, as he was then called, had asked his father and his people, ‘What is that which you worship?’
They replied, ‘We worship these idols and pray to them with full devotion.’
‘Do they hear you when you call on them?’ he asked. ‘Can they help you or do you fear they can cause you harm?’
They replied, ‘This is what our fathers did before us.’
‘Then you and your fathers are in extreme error.’ He whispered to his father. ‘Will you worship idols as your gods? Surely you and all these people are in palpable error.’
When the night had pressed its shadow over him, he saw a star. ‘That,’ he said, ‘will be my god.’ But as it faded in the light of morning he said, ‘I will not worship gods that fade.’
When he beheld the rising moon, he said, ‘There is my god.’ But when it set he said, ‘If my Lord does not guide me I shall surely go astray.’
So when he beheld the sun shining, he said, ‘That must be the god, it is the greatest.’
But then it set and he announced to his people, ‘I disown your idols. I will turn my face to Him who created the heavens and the earth, and I will live a righteous life. I am no idolater.’
He said to his father and the people, ‘What are these images that you show such devotion? Would your serve false gods instead of God? What do you think of the Lord of the Universe?’
He said, ‘Do you see those which you have worshipped, you and your forefathers? They are my enemies, not the Lord of the Universe who created me, provides me guidance, food and drink; Who when I am sick restores me, Who will cause me to die and bring me back to life hereafter, and Who I trust will forgive me my sins on the Day of Judgment.’
To his father he said, ‘Why do you serve a worthless idol, a thing that cannot hear or see? Father, things you know nothing about have come to my knowledge, so heed me that I may be able to guide you to the straight path.
‘Father, do not worship Satan, for Satan has rebelled against the Most Merciful.’