Sinners be D*****
Ian Fitzsimmons
Forget everything you think you know about H***, the fire, the torture, and even the devil with the pitchfork.
“Go on do it. You’re thirsty, aren’t you?” I whispered in the ear of the man, who sat next to me at the bar.
My words were mistaken for a voice in the back of his head for my physical form was hidden from the poor sinners’ eyes.
“It’s just one more drink how bad can it be?” I told him as he eyed the glass of 'apple juice' that sat in front of him with an intense thirst.
He hesitated then reached for it with a weak and shaking hand. I couldn’t stop the smile that formed on my face as he pressed the glass to his lips and gave into his desires. As the 'juice' entered his throat the power of his sin filled me as I fed off it, and a euphoric feeling washed over me. I eyed the bar for the next sinner to take advantage of like a lion stalking a herd and picking its prey. My eye landed on two drunk men on the other end of the bar, how promising. I made my way closer sensing the jealousy radiating strongly off the one on the left. As I got closer their conversation finally came into focus and the source of the man’s jealousy became clear. The one on the right had seemed to be recalling memories of the wealth he once had before he was d*****. The first sinner hungrily stared at the watch displayed on the others wrist, which to be fair the second had been making it a point to show it off.
“You should be the one with all that wealth. What could he possibly have that you don’t?” I told the first fueling his jealousy, “He doesn’t deserve that watch parading it around like some sort of trophy instead of treating it with respect. Look at how carelessly he waves it around and the scratches that score the watch face. You wouldn’t treat something so precious like that would you?”
Jealousy turned to anger as my words echoed in his head and it showed in his eyes, which remained fixed on the watch. His hand was now tightly clenched prepared to strike. The second man hadn’t noticed this, of course. He was too busy boasting about the amount of yachts he had been on and the cars he owned.
“That watch would be better with you. Why don’t you take it?” I said tempting his anger, “Look at that irritating smug look on his face. You shouldn’t take his bragging anymore. Shut him up.”
Suddenly a drunk fist flew from on sinner to the next landing a blow on his cheek bone clearly having been intended for the nose. Its recipient tilted backward in his stool and was forced to his feet in order to save himself from falling with it. After gaining his somewhat balance, he forcefully sprung his arms forward into the chest of the sender, who was now on his own feet as well. The shove sent the first stumbling backward eventually catching himself on a nearby table. He clumsily stepped forward and swung another fist at the others face this time managing to make contact with his jaw. The second staggered to the right his weight following the direction of the impact. He stayed bent over for a moment and clutched his jaw as he rotated it around nursing the slack-jaw effect of the punch. His hindered equilibrium was not aided by the ringing in his ear causing him to sway slightly more than he had been already. He lowered his hand and formed it into a fist, planted the ball of his foot, whipped around, and landed a blow directly into the diaphragm of his aggressor. The first faltered back into the bar having the wind knocked out of him. He heaved for a minute before pushing off the bar and tackling his opponent through the large glass window that faced the street. The sin of their anger and savagery flooded my senses and filled me with a rush of power. It radiated off them like heat from a fire and fed my growing hunger. I followed them out casually stepping through the large frame lined by jagged glass and looked up at the crimson sky as the smile on my face grew in amusement. The first sinner seemed to have gained the upper hand now straddling the second savagely beating him until the blood from his face thickly coated his hands. Finally, he sat back exhausted with a heaving chest looking down at his handy work taking in a moment of pride before looking down at his victim’s wrist. The sinner slipped his golden prize from the possession of the other before standing and walking off down the street. As he faded into the distance, a car’s headlights appeared traveling the opposite way coming to a stop across the street in front of a tall apartment building. My focus shifted onto the luxurious silver Rolls Royce Wraith, out from which stepped a well-dressed young man in his early 30’s holding a metal briefcase with the words H***uva Time Casino stamped on the side.
“Finally,” I muttered under my breath before crossing the street to stalk my prey.
The young man walked into the apartment building belting out a cheerful whistle without knowledge of my presence. He entered his penthouse dropping his coat at the door and set the silver briefcase on the dining table lit before turning to the bar and pouring himself a glass of bourbon. Next he waltzed over to the large windows that overlooked the city of H*** that burned with the same crimson light as the sky. At last he once again shifted his eyes to the case lying on the table behind him and migrated to it. He flicked the cases latches and opened it with his free hand exposing multiple stacks of cash.
“Winner. Winner. Winner,” he chuckled eyeing his reward.
“That is quite a large sum indeed,” I commented revealing myself behind him and placing my arm around his shoulder.
The color suddenly drained from his face and now there was no trace of the joy that he had possessed just a few moments ago. He stood there paralyzed out of fear as though caught in a nightmare and in all honesty he was.
“Aros,” he said shaking, “what brings you here?”
“Oh, Zachary don’t act like you have no clue what I’m here for,” I replied, “I’m here to collect.”
I held my hand up and suddenly the air beneath it sparked a bright flame that spawned a yellowed piece of paper into my possession. Zachary eyed it with terror for he knew what was about to come. I set the contract down on the table and slid it across the wooden surface in front of him.
He squirmed trying escape from my grasp as he pleaded “Look you don’t have to do this. Aros, I tried bu-”
“No excuses you knew what the deal was,” I told him, “I give you money to build your club, and in return you ensure all the beautiful sin produced is sent my way and kept out of the other demons hands.”
“And I’ve kept up my end of the deal you’ve had your sin,” the fool blurted out.
“I have eyes everywhere, Zach,” I explained tightening my grip, “And a little harpy told me they saw Tharox feeding down at your fine establishment.”
“Aros, I can explain,” He said with a nervous smile.
“I’m sure you can,” I smiled, “and as fun as that would be, I’m kinda on a schedule here.”
He slid down out of my hold and made a desperate sprint towards the door, but it was no use. I drew my curved blade and flung it at his leg managing to bury it in his calf stopping him dead in his tracks and causing him to collapse to the floor. The b*****d screamed out in pain and began to writhe on the ground while repeatedly slamming his fist into the hardwood floor in an expression of his agony. I walked over to his squirming body and lifted him up of the ground by the throat.
“Your soul is mine!” I told him, sucking the life from his body.
“No… please,” He gasped clawing at my arm.
A white light emitted from his chest growing brighter until it finally exited his form in the shape of a small glowing orb. The soul traveled into my chest and absorbed into my body filling me with an intense rush power that was greater than that of any sin. Soon enough the intense feeling dispersed throughout my body and contributed to my growing strength. I released the husk like corpse from my grip letting it fall to the floor and turn to dust being erased from existence just like it’s inhabitant.
“You always loved to watch them squirm,” joked a familiar voice.
“Baz!” I turned and said warmly before embracing him.
“We were supposed to get drinks,” He said impatiently.
“I know. I know. I was just wrapping things up,” I told him.
“I had assumed so. I just got bored waiting for you” Bazaroth grinned.
“Well, let me make it up to you,” I gestured to the now unowned bar, “first rounds on me”
“Really?” he smirked.
“It’s not like he’s going to use it,” I said already browsing the options.
Finally. I lifted up a fine bottle of ‘water’, which I began pouring into two glasses upon my friends’ approval. I handed one to him before making my way to the large window gazing outward across the city skyline. In that moment the reason Zachary had chosen this penthouse became rather apparent to me, the view from above fed one’s pride. It’s that view that probably distracted me from Baz slowly coming up from behind me with his blade. The reflection of its blade alerted me to its proximity allowing me to dodge the cold steel before it was brought down upon my neck. I drew my dual karambit style knives catching the second blow from his sword and deflecting the blade to the floor.
“It’s nothing personal Aros,” Baz explained once again cleaving at my neck
“It sure feels that way,” I shot back once again dodging his attack.
“One of the Bloods has deemed you a threat to their power,” He elaborated, “There’s a fine price on your head, 20 souls.”
He swept his blade broadly strengthening the advantage of his longer reach by pushing me backward onto my heels. Me and Baz have been sparring since we were kids, he’s always been aggressive with his strikes, but this time was different. I dipped under his next swing and spotted my opening. The attack had left him open allowing me to reach in with my own blade and slash through his side. Baz’s momentum carried him forward as he yelled out in pain and gripped his side. We turned back to face each other now enemies. He looked down at the blood on his hand then returned it to the hilt of his sword. Without warning he lunged forward nearly impaling me and ending our fight there and then. I sidestepped the attack and raised my blades to meet his blocking the subsequent sweep towards me. With one blade locked tightly with his, I dropped the other and brought it around cutting deeply into his leg. He kneeled in reaction to the sharp pain handing me the leverage to deflect his sword into the ground. I ran the knife up his blade and sliced his forearm, which caused him to drop his weapon. Now behind him, I brought my other blade to his neck completing the hold.
“Who ordered the kill?” I demanded.
“Who do you think?” Bazaroth replied struggling against my grip.
“Answer me!” I yelled.
“It was the 4th Blood,” He said in defeat, “Aros, I’m sorry.”
“D*** right you are,” with that I pulled my blade across his throat opening up a large wound.
I let his body hit the floor and took a minute to catch my breath as thoughts raced through my mind. As much as I tried to fight it, I knew what he said was true. I turned to face the window once more looking out toward the large spire off in the distance. It was time to pay a final visit my father.
“Go on do it. You’re thirsty, aren’t you?” I whispered in the ear of the man, who sat next to me at the bar.
My words were mistaken for a voice in the back of his head for my physical form was hidden from the poor sinners’ eyes.
“It’s just one more drink how bad can it be?” I told him as he eyed the glass of 'apple juice' that sat in front of him with an intense thirst.
He hesitated then reached for it with a weak and shaking hand. I couldn’t stop the smile that formed on my face as he pressed the glass to his lips and gave into his desires. As the 'juice' entered his throat the power of his sin filled me as I fed off it, and a euphoric feeling washed over me. I eyed the bar for the next sinner to take advantage of like a lion stalking a herd and picking its prey. My eye landed on two drunk men on the other end of the bar, how promising. I made my way closer sensing the jealousy radiating strongly off the one on the left. As I got closer their conversation finally came into focus and the source of the man’s jealousy became clear. The one on the right had seemed to be recalling memories of the wealth he once had before he was d*****. The first sinner hungrily stared at the watch displayed on the others wrist, which to be fair the second had been making it a point to show it off.
“You should be the one with all that wealth. What could he possibly have that you don’t?” I told the first fueling his jealousy, “He doesn’t deserve that watch parading it around like some sort of trophy instead of treating it with respect. Look at how carelessly he waves it around and the scratches that score the watch face. You wouldn’t treat something so precious like that would you?”
Jealousy turned to anger as my words echoed in his head and it showed in his eyes, which remained fixed on the watch. His hand was now tightly clenched prepared to strike. The second man hadn’t noticed this, of course. He was too busy boasting about the amount of yachts he had been on and the cars he owned.
“That watch would be better with you. Why don’t you take it?” I said tempting his anger, “Look at that irritating smug look on his face. You shouldn’t take his bragging anymore. Shut him up.”
Suddenly a drunk fist flew from on sinner to the next landing a blow on his cheek bone clearly having been intended for the nose. Its recipient tilted backward in his stool and was forced to his feet in order to save himself from falling with it. After gaining his somewhat balance, he forcefully sprung his arms forward into the chest of the sender, who was now on his own feet as well. The shove sent the first stumbling backward eventually catching himself on a nearby table. He clumsily stepped forward and swung another fist at the others face this time managing to make contact with his jaw. The second staggered to the right his weight following the direction of the impact. He stayed bent over for a moment and clutched his jaw as he rotated it around nursing the slack-jaw effect of the punch. His hindered equilibrium was not aided by the ringing in his ear causing him to sway slightly more than he had been already. He lowered his hand and formed it into a fist, planted the ball of his foot, whipped around, and landed a blow directly into the diaphragm of his aggressor. The first faltered back into the bar having the wind knocked out of him. He heaved for a minute before pushing off the bar and tackling his opponent through the large glass window that faced the street. The sin of their anger and savagery flooded my senses and filled me with a rush of power. It radiated off them like heat from a fire and fed my growing hunger. I followed them out casually stepping through the large frame lined by jagged glass and looked up at the crimson sky as the smile on my face grew in amusement. The first sinner seemed to have gained the upper hand now straddling the second savagely beating him until the blood from his face thickly coated his hands. Finally, he sat back exhausted with a heaving chest looking down at his handy work taking in a moment of pride before looking down at his victim’s wrist. The sinner slipped his golden prize from the possession of the other before standing and walking off down the street. As he faded into the distance, a car’s headlights appeared traveling the opposite way coming to a stop across the street in front of a tall apartment building. My focus shifted onto the luxurious silver Rolls Royce Wraith, out from which stepped a well-dressed young man in his early 30’s holding a metal briefcase with the words H***uva Time Casino stamped on the side.
“Finally,” I muttered under my breath before crossing the street to stalk my prey.
The young man walked into the apartment building belting out a cheerful whistle without knowledge of my presence. He entered his penthouse dropping his coat at the door and set the silver briefcase on the dining table lit before turning to the bar and pouring himself a glass of bourbon. Next he waltzed over to the large windows that overlooked the city of H*** that burned with the same crimson light as the sky. At last he once again shifted his eyes to the case lying on the table behind him and migrated to it. He flicked the cases latches and opened it with his free hand exposing multiple stacks of cash.
“Winner. Winner. Winner,” he chuckled eyeing his reward.
“That is quite a large sum indeed,” I commented revealing myself behind him and placing my arm around his shoulder.
The color suddenly drained from his face and now there was no trace of the joy that he had possessed just a few moments ago. He stood there paralyzed out of fear as though caught in a nightmare and in all honesty he was.
“Aros,” he said shaking, “what brings you here?”
“Oh, Zachary don’t act like you have no clue what I’m here for,” I replied, “I’m here to collect.”
I held my hand up and suddenly the air beneath it sparked a bright flame that spawned a yellowed piece of paper into my possession. Zachary eyed it with terror for he knew what was about to come. I set the contract down on the table and slid it across the wooden surface in front of him.
He squirmed trying escape from my grasp as he pleaded “Look you don’t have to do this. Aros, I tried bu-”
“No excuses you knew what the deal was,” I told him, “I give you money to build your club, and in return you ensure all the beautiful sin produced is sent my way and kept out of the other demons hands.”
“And I’ve kept up my end of the deal you’ve had your sin,” the fool blurted out.
“I have eyes everywhere, Zach,” I explained tightening my grip, “And a little harpy told me they saw Tharox feeding down at your fine establishment.”
“Aros, I can explain,” He said with a nervous smile.
“I’m sure you can,” I smiled, “and as fun as that would be, I’m kinda on a schedule here.”
He slid down out of my hold and made a desperate sprint towards the door, but it was no use. I drew my curved blade and flung it at his leg managing to bury it in his calf stopping him dead in his tracks and causing him to collapse to the floor. The b*****d screamed out in pain and began to writhe on the ground while repeatedly slamming his fist into the hardwood floor in an expression of his agony. I walked over to his squirming body and lifted him up of the ground by the throat.
“Your soul is mine!” I told him, sucking the life from his body.
“No… please,” He gasped clawing at my arm.
A white light emitted from his chest growing brighter until it finally exited his form in the shape of a small glowing orb. The soul traveled into my chest and absorbed into my body filling me with an intense rush power that was greater than that of any sin. Soon enough the intense feeling dispersed throughout my body and contributed to my growing strength. I released the husk like corpse from my grip letting it fall to the floor and turn to dust being erased from existence just like it’s inhabitant.
“You always loved to watch them squirm,” joked a familiar voice.
“Baz!” I turned and said warmly before embracing him.
“We were supposed to get drinks,” He said impatiently.
“I know. I know. I was just wrapping things up,” I told him.
“I had assumed so. I just got bored waiting for you” Bazaroth grinned.
“Well, let me make it up to you,” I gestured to the now unowned bar, “first rounds on me”
“Really?” he smirked.
“It’s not like he’s going to use it,” I said already browsing the options.
Finally. I lifted up a fine bottle of ‘water’, which I began pouring into two glasses upon my friends’ approval. I handed one to him before making my way to the large window gazing outward across the city skyline. In that moment the reason Zachary had chosen this penthouse became rather apparent to me, the view from above fed one’s pride. It’s that view that probably distracted me from Baz slowly coming up from behind me with his blade. The reflection of its blade alerted me to its proximity allowing me to dodge the cold steel before it was brought down upon my neck. I drew my dual karambit style knives catching the second blow from his sword and deflecting the blade to the floor.
“It’s nothing personal Aros,” Baz explained once again cleaving at my neck
“It sure feels that way,” I shot back once again dodging his attack.
“One of the Bloods has deemed you a threat to their power,” He elaborated, “There’s a fine price on your head, 20 souls.”
He swept his blade broadly strengthening the advantage of his longer reach by pushing me backward onto my heels. Me and Baz have been sparring since we were kids, he’s always been aggressive with his strikes, but this time was different. I dipped under his next swing and spotted my opening. The attack had left him open allowing me to reach in with my own blade and slash through his side. Baz’s momentum carried him forward as he yelled out in pain and gripped his side. We turned back to face each other now enemies. He looked down at the blood on his hand then returned it to the hilt of his sword. Without warning he lunged forward nearly impaling me and ending our fight there and then. I sidestepped the attack and raised my blades to meet his blocking the subsequent sweep towards me. With one blade locked tightly with his, I dropped the other and brought it around cutting deeply into his leg. He kneeled in reaction to the sharp pain handing me the leverage to deflect his sword into the ground. I ran the knife up his blade and sliced his forearm, which caused him to drop his weapon. Now behind him, I brought my other blade to his neck completing the hold.
“Who ordered the kill?” I demanded.
“Who do you think?” Bazaroth replied struggling against my grip.
“Answer me!” I yelled.
“It was the 4th Blood,” He said in defeat, “Aros, I’m sorry.”
“D*** right you are,” with that I pulled my blade across his throat opening up a large wound.
I let his body hit the floor and took a minute to catch my breath as thoughts raced through my mind. As much as I tried to fight it, I knew what he said was true. I turned to face the window once more looking out toward the large spire off in the distance. It was time to pay a final visit my father.
Ian is from Houston, Texas, and is as nerdy as they come. His interests are quantum mechanics, engineering, and astrophysics. Yeah, nerd. Grammar isn't necessarily his strong suit, but he loves to write short stories. Anyways, please enjoy.