War, p.31
War, page 31
part #2 of A Journey Through Hell Series
“You see, I am the darkness.”
Then, on cue, the stars dimmed and the darkness between them became darker and more pronounced.
“You silly humans always look to the light and never the darkness. I come from the place where light goes to die.”
“Yeah, you said that already fuck nuts!” Drew spat.
“What does that even mean?” Cass shouted again.
Suddenly the chamber went dark, and a single light appeared in the middle of the ceiling.
Cass’s eyes locked onto the light, which seemed to grow in size. She watched as the single dot of light turned into many tiny lights and soon, she recognized what it was.
“Our galaxy,” Cass whispered.
“Yes, my dear.”
“I don’t understand,” she spoke aloud, sounding like she was in a daze, as if it mesmerized her.
“Do you see how it spins?” the man asked.
Drew noticed the scaled model of the galaxy was spinning.
“Do you notice the black center?”
The model zoomed in close and in the dead center of the spinning mass was a massive black hole.
“The time of the light ruling this planet has ended. Once I extinguish enough of the bright souls on this world, the rest will quickly burn out, eventually becoming extinct, and my dark souls will take hold. When they look up at the night sky, they will no longer see the lights of heaven, but the darkness of hell.”
While the entity was describing where it came from, Drew was relaxing his body.
“I come from beyond gravity’s grasp. Your Laws of Physics do not apply to me as the Creator made me Himself.”
Bringing his elbow and wrist close to his body, Drew slowly rotated his right wrist into the void next to his hip, while his eyes focused on the black hole devouring the light of the galaxy in the visual model above him.
“Why are we here?” Steve demanded.
Steve’s voice startled Drew, but not by the question but by his tone. It was a commanding tone.
“So, the quiet one finally speaks,” he said. “And you are again?”
“Oh, that’s Steve. He’s our Bible thumper,” Drew said sarcastically.
“So, you’re the religious one in the group?” the man asked.
“Yes, I am a Godly man!” Steve replied.
“Is that so?” the blonde hair man asked.
“Watch out! He’s really good at zinging Bible verses. Aren’t you, Steve?” Drew said.
“You still haven’t told us why we’re here,” Steve said.
“Yes, you’re right. How rude of me,” the man said. “You’re in my private chamber. Using time and gravity, I have separated your consciousness from your body and transported you here.”
“But why?” Drew asked.
“You see, everyone is filled with what you call, good and bad. Or what I call, light and darkness. The creator provided one percent of each in every soul upon birth, and as that individual grew, their soul was filled based upon their upbringing and life experiences. Love and happiness grew the light in their soul, while fear and hatred filled the darkness. Every person is filled with a certain amount of each. A scale that fits to humanity. Checks and balances, if you will. I mean, how would it be if everyone was nice? Who’d want that!” it said, followed by a diabolical laugh.
“Oh boy! Someone drank the Kool-Aid!” Drew said.
“Funny!” it said. “But there are consequences, which either fill one or deplete the other. And let’s face it, many people today are filled with darkness. People witness injustices being perpetrated against their fellow man and do nothing about it; they lose light and gain darkness. People constantly argue with each other and have zero regard for anyone else. Then we have this massive heap of a man. He always acts. He always intervenes,” the man said putting a hand on Drew’s shoulder. But sometimes he does evil things to stop bad things from happening. You see, people like your friend Drew here have exactly fifty-fifty. He has the same amount of light as he does darkness, which gives him true free will. He doesn’t tip one way, or another based upon the percentage inside his soul, he literally makes the decision.”
Just as it lifted its hand off of Drew, it saw something. Something from Drew’s past. Something he could use against him if things didn’t go the way he planned. He put the information in the back of its mind and continued speaking.
“And all the others,” he said pausing. “Well, they exercised their free will by choosing to do bad things. And by doing nothing at all, they filled their soul in the wrong way. Hardly anyone does what’s right anymore. They do what’s best for them and not their fellow man. I am here to wipe the slate clean. A new world I will control by using the darkness. I will eliminate the rest of the light in people’s souls and rule earth. Mankind will become my minions. Light, or God as you call Him, had his chance and your kind chose darkness, so here I am!”
The birthmark on Drew’s forehead hurt from the strap rubbing against it, and he could feel it becoming raw. It made him think of his mother, who told him he had been blessed at birth by his guardian angel with a kiss on his forehead.
“I hate to interrupt,” Drew said. “But is this a joke?”
“Look at you!” the man snapped. “You cry and become upset because I killed your friend, yet your kind does nothing to stop itself from killing each other. That’s all your kind seems to do, attack and kill each other with either words or weapons.
“Your generation is so concerned about words and so perturbed over what words are used, when words carry no weight. Action carries weight. Words are empty, just like the souls who fret over them. You should fear those who speak with actions. People who sling words are cowards. Your kind is afraid of a bunch of words and too scared to deal with them.”
“How did you cause the war?” Steve asked.
“Ooh, a great question! You see, I control the darkness using gravity. With my message, I was able to draw one’s own inner darkness to the surface of their mind and control it. I instructed the darkness to destroy the inner light and by doing so it drove that person crazy. I then told the darkness to kill anyone it saw. I am the war that rages inside their head.”
“You’re a pussy!” Drew said with a laugh. “I see you’re a little too full of yourself.”
“You dare question me?” asked the man. “Some call me the Boogie Man, others call me the Sandman. I’ve traveled the world, making nightmares come true. I am the fear in children’s hearts. I am the black in the light. I am the home of evil. I am torture. I am Rape. I am blood lust. I secrete hate. I am Death. I am the reaper of lost souls.”
“Yeah, ok. You sound like a fucking loon to me,” Drew said.
The Dark Figure’s eyes grew darker and a pale look washed over his face. He grabbed Drew by the neck and began squeezing, crushing Drew’s throat.
“Did you think you’d live forever?” the man said, continuing to squeeze. “Your reign is over! The human race is done. You were given your chance, and you failed. And now it’s time for something else to have its reign. Someday they’ll dig up your bones, like you did the dinosaurs and they’ll be like, oh, look how these creatures lived. You’ll become non-significant, just a memory in the past, something buried in the dirt. That’s all you’ll be!”
“Why can’t we wake up?” Cass shouted, trying to fight the straps. “God, please help us!”
“Awe sweetheart, God doesn’t care about you, that’s why He sent me,” the man said releasing Drew’s throat.
“I believe in our Lord and that he truly saves. Oh God, please protect this young woman!” Steve shouted.
“Well, speaking of women” he said. “Our Father wants you to believe that all women are perfect and can do no wrong. Hell, He even made them think that they’re always right. Yet I know the truth, women are vile creatures! They use that hole between their legs to manipulate men to get what they want because they lack the strength to just take it. They use sex, the gift from our divine creator, meant to express true love and to create life and use it as a tool or a weapon. Yet they belittle it by whoring themselves out to achieve personal gain. They wield it with precision to get whatever they want with no fucking concern. And if the seed of life gets planted, Poof, they kill it with no remorse.
Heck, most of your kind are infatuated with sex and can easily be manipulated by using it. Your women have discovered this and hate whores because of it. Women cannot be controlled by other women, because of their disdain for each other. So instead, they degrade them in private to other women, all secretly wishing they could be like those they vilify. But they all understand they can control men by using sex. That’s why two women will fight one another over a man. It’s about the need to control. Sex controls.”
“All women aren’t like that!” Cass hissed.
He cast a look at her and said, “Come on, silly girl. Everyone knows it’s true.”
“She’s right.” Drew said, said with a raspy voice and breathing heavy. “Not all women are like that!”
Rolling his eyes, the man ran his hand through his hair and his gait changed from one of toying to that of seriousness before lunging at Drew.
“No! It is all women! I know this, for I was there! I was in the garden. I seduced her. I tempted her. And she took the bite.”
Cass gasped. She didn’t know much about religion. Shit, she couldn’t tell you why she celebrates Christmas. But this, this she knew.
“Cassidy,” Steve said, using her full first name. “Don’t get worked up. Don’t play into his trap. If he is who he says he is, then he’s a liar and a manipulator. Don’t believe a word that comes out of his mouth.”
The man turned towards Steve, “I’m touched. We just met, yet you know me so well!”
“You, sir, are a liar!” Steve spat.
A smile a mile wide formed on the man’s face. “Maybe not all women, but definitely most!” he said, followed by a diabolical laugh. “But I was really there.”
The man snapped his fingers and the hologram of the universe disappeared. Then the man’s voice became dark and beastly. “And it was I who set it all in motion.”
The mood in the room instantly changed, matching the lighting and fear began to set in.
Members of the group tried to free themselves, but the binds would not break.
“Isn’t this wonderful,” the man said. He began golf clapping and skipping around the room like a child excited at receiving a new toy.
“Why are we here?” Steve shouted.
“Oh, come on! You just ruined my moment,” the man shouted while raising his hand and twirling his index finger.
Suddenly, the binds holding them tightened.
Cass cried out in pain, but her scream ran out of sound as the bind across her chest squeezed the breath right out of her.
Drew grunted as he tightened his ab muscles, hoping it would stop the straps from crushing him.
“You know, life is one big experience and people make it worthwhile. But people come and people go. And now comes the darkness.”
“Subterfuge!” Steve shouted.
“What? Stop using five-dollar words, please!”
“It means, something intended to misrepresent the true nature,” Steve said.
“Really? For entertainment, you watch people pretending to be someone else. You fill your lives with lies!”
“You’re a rambling madman,” Steve said.
“Am I?” the man asked. “Look at Drew here, why do you think he’s an alcoholic? Let me tell you,” the man said, patting Drew on the shoulder. “Because he knows drinking makes the darkness enjoyable. Isn’t that right, big fella?”
“You’re just pissed because our Heavenly Father gave you the boot,” Steve said.
“Oh, I know, He is pissed! But not with me this time. This time it’s with you!”
“Why us?” Cass asked.
“You see, you squandered His gift. He gave you something precious and all you do is waste it,” he said, making his way around the room between the slabs.
“He gave you a higher intelligence. You are aware of yourself and others. He gave you the ability to figure things out, to question things and seek answers. But what do you do with it? You become imbeciles who only care about what someone is wearing or who’s fucking who. Hell, you all care more about sex than anything else. Your kind will throw away their lives and everything they have for a few minutes of physical pleasure. What intelligent creature does that? You imbeciles, that’s who!” he said, shouting, waving his arms around.
“You once strived to go further. You ventured across the lands. Then the oceans. You even invented your very own time travel machine!” it shouted as it twirled around.
“Wait, we have a time machine?” Cass asked.
“Yeah, kid. The airplane,” Drew said.
“That’s right. It’s very primitive, but it works,” it said walking over to Cass. “So, congratulations!” it shouted as it clapped its hands together.
“Ouch, not so hard!” it yelled at its hands, rubbing them, not used to feeling pain in this new form.
“So now that we’ve educated the little one here,” he said, flicking Cass in the cheek as he walked by. “Let’s move on, shall we? Good!”
‘You’re so full of shit and lies!” Drew said.
“Pardon me?” the man asked as if it couldn’t believe someone would question it.
“That’s some mumbo jumbo story you got there, Starman,” Drew said with that sarcastic Boston tone of his and began laughing.
Drew wanted a chance to escape and needed to redirect this thing’s attention.
“Some souls burn brighter than others and need to be extinguished before they cause others to resist and grow in intensity,” it said as it stepped towards Drew.
“You will never extinguish our souls!” Steve said, in that same forceful tone as earlier.
The galaxy hologram disappeared, and the torches came flickering back to life. They cast the room in a light that danced across the floor and walls.
The blonde-haired man made his way around the room towards Steve. As he passed Drew, he looked down and looked him in the eye. Tapping Drew on the shoulder, he said, “I’ll be back to you in a minute.”
It made its way to the end of the slab and stood at Steve’s feet. The man began to swirl his index finger in a small circle, gaining speed as it spun. Sparks began to appear at the tip, which also began to spin.
“Do you think you’re tough? Does your soul burn bright?” the man asked Steve as it began to move down the side of the slab towards Steve’s head.
Drew saw the man’s finger emitting a bright light just before he walked past.
“Go back to hell, you demon!” Steve shouted.
Appearing as the dark entity now, it took a step closer to Steve and outstretched its arm and said, “Oh, I’m going to enjoy this!”
Drew was fighting his body from tightening up. He knew if he could get his right hand loose, he would be able to free himself and his friends. The only problem was the straps would tighten with the slightest movement.
Cass shifted her eyes and saw the evil man with his illuminated finger pressed up against Steve’s head.
Steve started to groan in pain, which quickly turned to screams and the smell of burning flesh filled the chamber.
“Steve!” Cass yelled.
“Fuck you!” Drew shouted, causing his body to tighten briefly.
The thing held its finger against Steve’s head and pushed harder, but it was meeting resistance.
Taking a few quick deep breaths, Drew tried to relax his body as he felt the strap tighten when he shouted.
“You’re a tough nut to crack,” It said, bringing its other hand up and placing it on the top of Steve’s head.
“My, my!” it said. “Someone is not whom they are pretending to be, now are they!”
Steve groaned in pain.
“Steve, fight it!” Cass shouted as she fought against the straps, which zipped tighter around her.
“Stop! You’re killing him!” she screamed, remembering what had happened to Grant.
Steve began to scream louder as the being tried to tap into its mind.
“Why, that’s the whole point,” it snarled, now appearing as the blonde-haired man, looking up at her with his mesmerizing blue eyes.
“It’s not every day I get one like you,” Blondie said, as it worked harder to drill into Steve’s head.
Drew closed his eyes and remembered back to his childhood and how great it felt when he was able to get an arm free and use it to help free himself by punching and swinging towards his father’s face.
The evil creature was focusing all of its energy onto Steve, trying to get in.
Drew opened his eyes and with every ounce of strength, pulled his right arm as hard and fast as he could, freeing it from the strap just as Steve cried out in excruciating pain.
“Steve!” Drew shouted as he shot his arm up to the strap holding his head down. Slipping his thumb underneath the strap, he lifted up, fighting the strap which was tightening.
Using both applied and opposing force, Drew lifted the strap up and at the same time, he kinked his neck towards his shoulder and jammed his arm hard back towards the end of the table. The strap, unable to resist being pushed in the opposite direction of its applied force, slipped off Drew’s head and went completely taut against the stone slab.
The Dark Man looked up in disbelief as Drew sat upright, breaking free from the straps.
“Get the fuck off of him!” Drew shouted, jumping down.
The entity released its grasp of Steve and took a step towards Drew.
The Dark Man didn’t know what to expect when he became human. It was something he wanted to become upon learning the Father had taken on a new pet project. He witnessed the love the Father gave to its creation called mankind and felt like he was left behind in the dark, literally.
“Take this!” Drew said as he threw a right haymaker.
