Stinging pain

revolves around a cutting sadness

with no place to go.

Tears held within,

emotions cut to the depth

of shadows held within.

Fear of the unknown

of every working day,

comes new fear, new pain.

What shroud needs lifted?

What is the true light needed?

What brings happiness?

No understanding.

No way out, ever.

The light, simply too far away.

… so terribly far away.

Start Date: 5/17/2021

Start Time: 11:05 a.m.

End Time: 12:56 p.m.

Formatting time for Prose; 24 minutes

Will these satisfy you? Is this what you may have been expecting or hoping for?

Or just to see where I would take the word?

I would be lying like a dead dog if I said all of these were easy,

because there were a few that were extremely difficult.

Either way, here are your words and do hope you enjoy these.

37 words. 37 pieces.

If you enjoyed this, I will do another one later on down the road.

Just try to remember to give me new words.

I may even do a “Give me a title for a Short Story”.

This is where I would write a story,

based solely on the title given at no more than 250 words.

Now, something like this would be posted once a day.

Either way, here are your words and do hope you enjoy these.

37 words. 37 pieces.

********************

Unusually odd the moment words speak,

when taken in by a beautiful woman.

Peculiar is the heart in matters requiring thought;

peculiar is the moment when words are lost,

and all that is left is a silly stutter.

Word peculiar given by HelenaTherese

*****

Each moment thought out,

every detail crafted delicately,

painstakingly rendered,

helpless to change what becomes fact,

when in fact it isn’t until another time,

another thought realized,

you understand it never mattered to begin with.

Word painstaking given by EvelynDawn

*****

I could spend all my money,

buy every expensive thing ever made,

but no amount of coin,

no words coined in a single moment

can buy a heart that doesn’t want loved.

Word coin given by WhiteWolfe32

*****

The feline purrs gently,

and nothing is amiss.

Friends laugh when I tell them his name,

but Felis Catus could care less.

His world is wherever he resides.

Word cat given by LiannaC

*****

There was a time when wonder meant admiration,

to marvel upon the mysteries of life unfolding,

to be pulled into a moment ever rare,

one that changes the course of personal history.

Life changed when you became my better half,

and for that single wonderment in time,

my world is full—complete.

Word wonderment given by VictoriaBowman

*****

You entered the already crowded room alone,

doing so with a well-practiced sashay move,

catching every man’s eye in the room,

and you knew you had their attention.

Confident in who you are,

willing to bend but never break,

you laugh, you sigh,

but in the end,

you left as you came—alone.

Word sashay given by Mnezz

*****

Big cats, little cats,

but never the cool cats are studied,

their moves, actions, and reactions, recorded.

The Book of Catology, a Best Seller,

Written by Cat Tol O’Gee.

Word catology given by @LiannaC

*****

Deep in thought,

Outside noises forgotten,

just the thoughts pervading your mind,

and the act of pure concentration

replaces illogical assumption.

Will it become fact? Fiction? Fantasy perhaps?

Focus on what is at hand,

it will lead to the ending desired.

Word concentration given by Roses311Sublime

*****

What is real and what is not?

Passion is not something to be unpleasant.

A true love is the event of a lifetime sought after.

A tryst gives you temporary ownership to both

until a new morning arrives

and each of you return home to those you say you love.

Word tryst given by dctezcan

*****

I have roamed the seven seas,

crossed endless mountain terrain,

have been pelted by the severest of storms

but my maps tell me to continue on,

so with great latitude,

I move east one moment, west the next.

The longitude of this journey, filled with surprises,

but temperance wins out,

for I shall never stray from the course set for me.

You are out there,

And I shall find you.

Word longitude given by SweetLor

*****

I am found guilty as charged.

I submit my ways.

Guilty though I be,

my heart still sings,

My soul still dances.

convict me if you must,

if romance is truly a crime.

For I shall never stop

loving the way I do.

Word romance given by snivyth3

*****

She was everything to everyone,

a beacon of hope,

a paramount of love unbridled.

Her smile wistful,

her eyes always holding hope

and she gave all this away

to those she loved,

for after all;

it is what a grandmother does.

Word grandmother given by 1912writer

*****

Drawing a straight line until it bends,

becoming an arc, then a curve,

creating a beginning and ending

to a journey sought after.

to find a place to call home,

a place to rest and be at ease.

This, the cartology of life though;

never truly over until the last breath of life,

the last word spoken,

the final thought remembered,

becomes that final point where the line started.

Word cartology given by LiannaC

*****

My soliloquy expends from me deeply,

for how long must one keep held in

thoughts that pervade the soul in constant?

Lest I be the fool and remain mute,

no one will know my truths,

understand these somewhat dramatic telling’s

running their course inside my head.

Take a moment—listen.

I promise the time will be spent well.

I just need one that will listen.

But who will that be?

Word soliloquy given by JJtheJetPlane

*****

What is real?

What is not?

Ideas until created,

until physically seen

becomes the hypothesis

of wishful thinking.

My synthesis is many moving parts,

with hopes they one day connect,

to give credibility to something vital;

something we all need.

A cure for hatred.

For now,

the idea is flimsy,

not even close to synthetic.

But one day …

Word synthesis given by ValiantRaptor47

*****

It has been said when one door closes,

another one opens.

Not all doors are equal.

Some open to a bright future,

some to a life filled with constant joy,

some with regret;

some—an end of life.

Each has their fragile beginnings,

each have their closure

bringing relief long sought after.

With closure,

the rest of your life

can somewhat be at ease,

until the door closes on you,

giving another life a chance to choose a door.

Word closure given by Just_A_Memory

*****

It seems we have so little time,

time to get all that finished we wish for.

Life pulls, tugs, demands our attention,

leaving us perplexed,

not knowing if we are coming or going,

or simply standing still

while the world revolves around us.

Jump off the endless turning!

Make the world stop spinning recklessly,

Create your own rules to maintain sanity.

It will make the going that much easier.

Word going given by rafs_93

*****

What I wouldn’t give

to have an Aardvark for a pet.

They eat 50,000 ants in a single night,

and love the taste of termites,

so they save your house from rotting away.

But beware,

if you get that urge;

the one that says ants in your pants,

make sure the Aardvark isn’t close by.

Word Aardvark given by EstherFlowers1

*****

If I look for nothing,

I find nothing.

Simple.

If I seek out something special,

unique and amazing to the eye,

palpable to the heart,

perhaps a precious stone,

a gold coin, or—a lover’s soul,

then the serendipity of my discovery

gives resolve to the singular thought:

never stop believing.

Never say never.

Never, walk away.

Word Serendipity given by Sanjana_S

*****

A little of this, a little of that,

filling my plate and dancing real smart.

Singing songs to last the whole of the day long,

there is nothing wrong

in stockpiling life’s happiness

in one place.

A smile mixed with laughter,

a beating heart aglow in love’s mesmerizing pleasure,

the joy of being needed;

all this wrapped up like a smorgasbord made in heaven.

Love is a never-ending meal.

Word Smorgasbord given by GLD

*****

Life will have its ups and downs,

the unwritten laws of nature say it is so.

We have our successes,

we have our failures

but by day’s end,

that salubrious feeling will shield you,

righting the wrongs,

evening out the rights,

bringing that wholesome satisfaction of calm.

No sense crying over spilt milk, I say.

Wipe it away and the worry is gone;

you can always get more milk.

Your health, your well-being is vital,

keep it safe.

You have yet much to do.

Word Salubrious given by GLD

*****

He is the caretaker of death.

With reverence, with dignity,

he gives back a portion of the soul

to be viewed in how one lived.

It is his job to make certain,

in the next life,

what the mortician did,

is recognized by all in the afterlife,

as he or she was in their prior life.

After all,

even in death;

we want to look good one final time.

Word mortician given by Adin

*****

There are the vital all important meetings

where Heads of State gather to talk matters of importance.

There is the pinnacle of a mountain top,

Awaiting a climber to be reached.

Then there is the mathematician,

who can summit all up to be easily understood.

Word summit given by jtwannabewriter

*****

Footprints in icy frozen snow,

the sound of a potato chip eaten,

the last signal call in a game to win or lose,

the last minute deadline.

The pressure seems to never end;

Endless hours with no reprieve in sight,

known as crunch time.

But achieve the undertaking,

conquer the invisible beast before you,

and satisfaction,

that sheer moment of joy

takes over and pride sets in,

bringing over you,

a gentle calm.

Word crunch given by MFCFeeley

*****

That Sunday in the country moment

when you awake to the smell of breakfast.

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee,

hearing the sizzle of bacon crackling its own sweet song.

Potatoes frying to golden brown,

seasoned with green peppers, onions, garlic,

with eggs pan-fried the way you like them,

and in the oven, rising to an even tastier golden brown …

biscuits.

Biscuits to be laden with heaps of butter,

perhaps a jam or marmalade.

Biscuits, used to soak up the yolk from the eggs,

Fold inside a slice of bacon and enjoy the tasty mixture.

Biscuits, the reason why breakfast is always good.

Word biscuits given by CfromFL

*****

A schedule maintained,

a timer set properly,

adjust all the clocks,

swim as one.

One can call this routine,

Others may say, this is what I do

but we keep all things straight and narrow,

Thick and thin, the same each day.

If we do not synchronize some moments surrounding life,

would we not question the intent of recklessness?

Word synchronize given by sandflea68

*****

We live in a new time,

a troubling time.

Where in a single breath,

you may not see feel another sunrise,

or ponder the rising stars when night falls.

We mask, we social distance.

We are careful where we go,

who we are close to.

There is hope though to get beyond this.

The vaccine is awaiting you,

to take you from this dark, troubling time,

a time that left the world fearful.

Now, hope has arrived.

Two shots to save one life;

Not so much to ask of you,

is it?

Word vaccine given by Samina

*****

We were strangers in the night,

stranger still is how all that changed

with a few words,

gentle, spoken thoughts,

murmured emotions,

fleeting kisses

and the promise for better tomorrows.

Stranger still,

we are aliens from separate universes,

yet; even though our worlds be far apart,

our hearts remain close to the other.

Perhaps other worlds will take notice,

and become like us;

all love and no pain.

Where no one is a stranger to the other.

Word stranger given by Chacko_Stephen

*****

The words forever and always cross my mind.

Sitting in a darkened room, my choice of course,

to perhaps contemplate plans for a new day,

what to write next;

perhaps the fate of humankind.

So often when we are left to our opines,

the many things that burst across our minds.

One may say thinking could be an eternal rapture,

or an unmitigated hell.

To that, I opt for the rapture.

To have an everlasting eternity to think, to create,

just sounds too good to walk away from.

Word eternity given by KarenKitchel

*****

In a time of legends,

Bacchus, the Greek god of wine,

awarded hero’s with a fine cup

to drink down large quantities of red wine.

Made from a special crystal,

it held a mystical healing power as well.

As time traversed,

this special gem became an adornment,

a jewel to be worn, to be admired.

Amazing still, soothsayers,

magicians of old, to the dark powers that be,

by wearing this, their mind’s became enhanced,

their creativity and passions abounded unheeded.

The glow from the Amethyst is a powerful force,

as long as you believe.

Word Amethyst given by Firstborn 60

*****

The arrogance of self-importunateness

Is never something to loudly boast.

You alienate those things important,

things needed to be just a person with ideas,

with hopes, with ideals.

Walk away from attitude,

focus on a new mind set,

free yourself

from a nightmare

you may not know you are in.

Being uppity,

keeps you from real friendships,

real goals reached,

real personal happiness.

It isn’t too late to start over.

Word uppity given by Firstborn60

*****

Old days past revisited,

long ago forgotten thoughts remembered,

going back to moments that made the heart stronger,

the mind wiser,

the soul, more complete.

The return to the yesteryears of life,

makes the years ahead that much stronger,

for the trials of the past,

makes the future that much stronger.

Word return given by KittySailor

*****

Terms of endearment

spoken gently,

oft times whispered,

let’s another know

where the heart lies when loved.

“Baby”

“Honey Pie”

“Sweetness”

“Lover”

“Darling”

They all say one thing ...

I am to you as you are to me.

Word darling given by Firstborn60

*****

I think I may,

I think I might,

provided things are right,

to take you by the hand,

dance with you

to a music less band,

to swing and sway

from night to day;

is it any wonder,

with all these thoughts I ponder,

why I love you like I do.

Word ponder given by Firstborn60

*****

Tranquility, that singular moment

of contented peace.

Hard to find for many, but when so,

life becomes easier;

not perfect, just easier.

Trust and belief,

honor and respect,

love and commitment,

they all fall in your direction,

and that makes the repose of the moment,

held deeply to the soul.

Word repose given by Firstborn60

*****

In a broken glass mirror,

your image changes.

It becomes a jigsaw puzzle

and with each move made,

so too the changes.

Reflections stare back at you

with distorted eyes,

cracked smiles,

and a look of humorous bedevilment.

Each movement, ever changing,

is the optical illusion

of your own kaleidoscope.

Word kaleidoscope given by slmnten

*****

Feet firmly planted to the ground,

the mind set in one direction,

the conviction of following through;

those three things brings stability to life.

Without them,

the feet wander,

the mind is found with confusion,

and conviction becomes doubt.

Remain calm when facing a calamity,

stay sure in the path you walk.

Be assured this path will see you though,

and your thoughts and goals will remain steadfast.

Word stability given by Firstborn60

Remember the fallen heros,

Remember those who ran in,

While others ran out,

Remember those,

Who were in potential danger,

Or those who were in the city at the time,

People like my dad,

Waiting on the side of the highway,

While it took forever for them to be picked up to exit the city,

Remember those who killed themselves for evil,

Remember those who were killed saving others,

Remember the two planes,

Remember the fire,

The smoke,

The pain,

Remember the plane of wheat,

Remember the one who hit the pentagon,

Remember those who perished,

Not only in the towers or pentagon,

But those who died in the crash,

Remember the flashing lights,

Serins and crys,

Remember that day forever,

And never forget.

Falling,

Why do we fall,

We trip,

We jump,

We close our eyes.

It is just a seemingly endless cycle,

Over and over,

This falling,

This feeling,

This hope to be caught.

Maybe this time he’ll catch me,

You think,

But you crash,

But you’re hurt,

But he turns away.

There is nobody to blame,

I’m falling again,

Will he catch me?

Will he see me?

Will he accept me?

Will he love me???

To whom I sincerely wish could have been be "the one,"

I’m so over you. I've practice this lie in the bathroom mirror, changing the delivery slightly each time. A constructed truth. I choose to focus on the realities of the statement to ease my conscience. I’m so over this tired, one sided life. But not you. I could never get over someone who never hurt me. Never wronged me. I’m so over the rhythm of my life. The way things could line up perfectly if the timing was a little different. I’m so over listening to your playlists late into the night to try to feel closer to you and the things I will never understand. I’m so over waiting for someone there are no guarantees will come back for me, and the worst part is that I couldn’t even blame you if you didn’t. Because I’m not your problem, and you have no idea how much I wish I were. I’m so over these past few months of uncertainty and constant ups and downs. I’m so over constantly ending up with “he loves me not” far more often than “he loves me”… but you? I don’t even want to get over you. So I don't think I ever will. And I will always be sorry I never told you all the thoughts in my head. I think I could have helped you. But it feels like it's too late now. I'm so over not gaining the confidence to speak up until it's too late. I'm sorry.

The girl you never got to know

The Doomsguard.

Hell’s very own police and military force, serving as first and last line of defense against those that may try to invade their deadly world. The demons never believed themselves to be evil, not since after the War. They guarded against evil. They kept it down deep inside the darkest pits of their home, where it can decay without ever knowing the warmth of light. They are the ones who guard against the coming doomsday, a tagline that Lord Lucifer himself came up with when naming his honorable militia—evidentally, he was not very good or original when it came to names for that matter.

Established shortly after the long war with the angels, the Doomsguard is the only force keeping order within a chaotic world. The law for the lawless and, if need be, public executioners to those punished. Decked out with black-greyish steel-plated armor head to toe. Armed to the bone with the standard R21-8 Scorch Assault Rifles loaded with 10mm caliber light-armor piercing rounds, the powerful D3-Helblast Shotguns for close combat, the long range L10-18 Scope Rifles for the best sharpshooters, and the deadly Plag-7 Shred Cannons capable of reducing meat into a blood puddle in two seconds flat. There was also a special division that helped those that were empowered harnass their dark gifts and abilities to become powerful magic-users on the battlefields. They were a force never to be reckoned with.

Service within the guard is a great honor but had the ultimate price. An old saying among demonkind was that signing onto the Doomsguard meant you were signing away your life. You will live and die in the Doomsguard, as they said—literally in more ways too. Most of their soldiers and officers consisted of the older generations—the veterans bred from the Heaven-Hell War and the first to don the armor—and the younger, hotheaded generations that were eagered to join the cause, whether to kill scavengers and raiders or protect their homes and cities. Any demon that was qualified: the commons, the Converted, incubi, and succubi alike. Soldiers are needed. Their backstories ranged with either young kids wanting to be heroes, or nobodies needing a home and a family, the guard provided everything you needed. As long as they were legal adults (an age equivalent to eighteen in mortal human years) they could join and grow to become something more.

There were many ranks: Private, Sergeant, Captain, Major, and so on, as like any military rank. The highest rank to achieve for the average soldier was Major. To go beyond and command battalions of Doomsguard officers and soldiers into the frontlines will earn them the rank of General. Only one General can have the alternative title of General Supreme, commanding all of Doomsguard, second only to the devil. And she was only obedient to the devil. All of Hell knew her face from her sky blue skin to her shaven head. (Not to mention her scars and metal left leg told a long history of violence in her elongated life.) If her face wasn’t enough her reputation then was far more recognizable having built a solid legacy becoming was the first ever succubus to join the ravenous demon armies during the Heaven-Hell War, during which she quickly rose through the ranks and became the first succubus general to lead. She was identified by one name alone.

Belial stood in front of the multiple screens. Her light blue eyes stared grimly as usual. The screens broadcasted live feed from her soldiers doing battling with a scavenger horde, and each of the high ranking officers watched their progress, along with several dozen demons on coms, also viewing their own monitors. This is the war room of Doomsguard Central, the headquarters of the whole Doomsguard operation. A massive dome complex located not far from Inferno Tower. The war with the angels may have ended a lifetime ago. Yet out of the ashes of one war rose another for them to fight. They’ve been at war with a deadlier race than themselves. Scavengers. Damned souls corrupted and perverted by darkness. Now reduced to withered, decaying, mindless monstrosities with the sole desire to feed an endless starvation. They may have no use for eyes yet that only increased the danger they possessed. Sharpened nails and gnarled fangs and what seems like endless hordes of them were what made the scavengers dangerous.

A lone demon could have the strength to fend off a lone, hungry scavenger. But multiply that one scavenger by the tens, then the hundreds, perhaps thousands, being devoured alive by these creatures was the worst kind of death. Since their creation they have ravaged the lands of the Inferno, devastating the ecosystem and destroying many villages and colonial homes. The worst encounter happened nearly two decades ago within a former metropolis-like haven for the demons called Ge-Sheol, translated in demon tongues as “The Valley of Shades”. Many demon civilians dead. Many Doomsguard fell. Many scavengers eradicated when six members of the Doomsguard—one of them was a Lt. Ikon Doomslayer, son of Moloch and older brother of Malachi, Dominic, and the rest of their siblings—set off a reactor, leaving much of the once prideful cityscape that would rival the capital city Dis in dusty ruin. It was a day no detizen of Hell had forgotten. A deeper hatred against the scavengers spawned from that day. But no hate from any demon matched against Belial’s own hatred for the scavengers.

“Status report!” General Belial demanded.

“District 11 is holding out strong, General,” One of the com officers answered. “Scavenger numbers are depleting,”

“Squadrons from Districts 14 and 19 on arrival for support, ma’am,” another one said.

A third suddenly spoke up. “General, we have another scavenger horde developing in Quadrant 11. Squadrons from Districts 22 and 25 are on route to intercept.”

So for, so good. Her soldiers dealt with the scavengers with precision, just as they all had trained for.

The other high-ranking Doomsguard generals were gathered around a holomap, one of the very few technological devices they stole from the angels long ago during the Heaven-Hell War. Their small talk stopped once Belial joined in the circle.

“Damn these scavenger filths,” a common, pureblooded general snarled. “With every passing century their numbers seem to increase more and more. And they seem to get closer to Dis each century too.”

“We’re at least making short work of these scavengers,” one green-furred Kahpra general said.

“Indeed,” spoke a female pureblood. “Our soldiers seem to be in peak condition.”

“It’s not good enough,” Belial growled, her mind still fixated on the battle. “We need to focus on their nesting ground. Eliminate that, stops them for good.”

“We believe we’ve may have located it.” a one-eyed Converted general grumbled. A couple buttons pressed later and the vast wasteland outside their precious city. “Here.” their map highlighted a small red circle. “An underground cavern not far from where our troops are deployed. Just a couple short clicks west. We hit that hard-”

“That’s a nesting ground, not the main hive,” the General Supreme corrected her fellow officer. “Lord Lucifer and I want this scourge eradicated, permenantly.”

Another general then muttered. “Unfortunately, that’s the best we can go on.”

“And,” the Kahpra general added. “at the very least, we can make short work of these scavengers.”

This was not the results Belial wanted. She remembered her meetings with Lucifer as the discussed again and again about the scavenger crisis. Less could she forget that her king warned her of a scavenger, or the possibility of a new breed of scavenger, that had an infectious ability to produce more scavengers. The only evidence for this claim was a remarkable bite wound on the necks of a few condemned souls. Not to mention an old story that Lucifer had once heard from his eldest brother a few weeks back. But what good were the retellings from an angel of Heaven? It was as useless as the angels themselves, the General Supreme believed this to be true. Yet it was still the best course of action, for the very sake of ending this conflict. That she could agree on. “Very well,” she said.

The one-eyed Converted smiled assuredly. “Excellent. Let us carry out this operation.”

“Any thoughts on how we should do this?” the Kaphra asked.

“I believe Lord Lucifer has the final word.”

“But I heard Lord Lucifer was out of commission for the time being,” the female pureblood intervened.

“That’s correct,” Belial confirmed, her gaze still focused on the map. “But we do have one other. Legion and Lilith are supposed to be bringing her-”

No one flinched when a blinding blast of bright green fire blasted sparked inside the war room, only for it to extinguish itself seconds later. As promised, standing where the brief teleporting fire spell took place, was none other than the royal advisor Legion and the succubus secretary Lilith. But standing in front of them, with her back turned against everyone, was Carmen, dressed in her long pink cotton night robe.

Oblivious to her new location, she ranted. ”...you think you two can barge in my house at one in the morning and-” she paused, now fully aware she was no longer home. Awkwardly, Carmen turned around to be greeted by the several dozen faces of new demons she never met before, now present inside a room, as well as a building, she had never been to before.

“Oh...” Carmen chuckled nervously, face blushing hot red as a puckered rose. Her hands cletched the folds of her robe, hoping that no one would notice her lack of pajamas underneath. “Hi there, everybody.”

#sinsofthefather #fiction #fantasy #comedy #horror #demons #hell #doomsguard

Finally.

It was finished.

The first day was done. Five o’clock. Quitting time. All the demons that work inside the walls of Inferno Tower punched out their time cards and left for home. Carmen couldn’t wait to go home. She was a tired wreck. Looked like one too. Eyes barely opened. Energy completely drained. She didn’t have the strength to remove herself from her chair, having resorted to Lilith helping stand her up, which the sucubbus secretary was all the more delighted to do. All day long Carmen had to sit in Lucifer’s office and listen to the gripes and pleas of her husband’s people, the demons. On top of all that, the endless piles of contracts she personally signed and approved for. Listen to this, sign that. Sign this, listen to that. Rinse. Repeat. Slowly die inside from the repetition. Albert Einstein once had a definition for insanity, but Carmen doubted that insanity was the correct word after her repetitive day.

All the while Lilith, cheery as ever, boasted her queen's first day. "Jolly good show today, wouldn't you say luv?" she led Carmen towards the Helevator, the very enchanted device that travels between her dimension and the hellish afterlife.

"Just think," Lilith added. "There might be more like this tomorrow. And maybe the day after too!" Carmen died much faster inside upon hearing that. A whiny groan was the only sound she had the strength to muster.

Once inside, Lilith pressed a button for 'Up' and waved her queen goodbye. Carmen was still too tired to do anything back. Not helped by the succubus' obliviousness to her state. The doors slammed hard and back to Carmen's mortal world. The best part of riding this demented box was it being stationed inside the Gravely house, convenient for any family member to use.

KLANK!

The second best part was that the trip home was just as fast as the trip down.

A fifteen second ride later the Helevator doors opened. Carmen forced her feet to move. At last she was home, and wished she could be more happier. Too tired to be happy right now. Rosemary and Regan were sitting on the couch, fighting about who had possession of the television remote, as usual. Their mother was no mood for it, not right now. If only not ever again. She snatched it out of their hands and chucked it away. The girls went dead silent when they witnessed the remote smash into the wall. Carmen gave them a simple task of ordering pizza for themselves and tuck themselves at bedtime later, dropping a crumpled twenty dollar bill between them. The girls fought over who was going to place the order once Carmen made her exhausted journey up the stairs towards her bedroom. Walking up these stairs felt like a infinite trek up a mountain. Luckily, there was an end to this mountain. And just one turn to the right she could rest.

The bed was clear. No sign of her husband, but the messy bedsheets was a definite sign of his presence. She didn't want to bother investigating where he went. Her drowsy eyes targeted her empty bed. A few more steps later and she was there, collapsing face first in her pillow.

Lu exited the bathroom. He looked worse for wear too, blowing into his snot-soaked tissue. “Heard you took over for me today,” Lu coughed, laying beside his wife. “How’d it go?”

Carmen could only groan. “Don't want to talk about it.”

“That well, huh?”

"You gotta go back."

"Can't. Not any feeling better. Besides, they got you."

“It's hell. Your job.”

“Tell me about it.”

#sinsofthefather #fiction #fantasy #comedy #horror #demons #hell

I guess I don’t know where this is going

I guess I don’t have a purpose

I guess I don’t have as many friends as I would like,

But I know how to be happy

I know how to forget it all, if only for a little while

And when I do this, when I achieve happiness,

Nothing else in the world matters

I don’t care if anyone’s watching

I don’t care what I say

There are no consequences, no repercussions

I am free and wild, young and careless

And then I go home at the end of the night

I look at myself in the mirror

And all my responsibilities and insecurities

Come rushing back all at once

I don’t have a second to prepare

I go immediately from being happy

To being me

But it’s ok

Because I got to be someone else,

Even if it was only for a night

I got to be the person I wish I could let out more often,

The person more people would like

I can’t be her always

But it doesn't matter

I’m fine with who I am

I’m fine with being shy and easily stressed

I’m fine with keeping everything bottled up inside

I like me

I don’t need everyone else to

I am content

First day as queen.

Technically, not as queen, but as acting devil. Carmen exited from the Helevator. She was allowed to wear her regular work attire, as advised by Lilith—as long as it was red. Red was viewed as an intimidating color to the demons. Perhaps that’s why Lu always wore red, Carmen thought. Too bad red wasn’t really her color.

Walking through the Dealing Room, she tried desperately to hide her anxiety, but it looked like the demons she walked by were more anxious about her. They focused on their work, not making eye contact with their queen. Their chatter was more hushed as Carmen kept walking. Perhaps they were whispering through their deceptive tongues about how strange it was going to be having a human rule them. Or maybe they were chatting about their soul dealings, but did not want Carmen hearing too much. One thing was for sure, they were very nervous around the sole, living human in walking among them in Hell. These demons, each dressed very formal like they were walking into a business meeting or a law firm, were sweating like mad as Carmen continued to walk to her temporary office. Some of the demons made way for her, quickly stepping away to avoid all contact. Was this how they showed respect, Carmen wondered, or were they really afraid of her?

Carmen tried to ease the tension. “Good morning, everyone,” she politely greeted each demon. They all replied with a good mornings to her. But their responses sounded rushed and anxious. Maybe wearing red did have some effect after all, Carmen thought. Or Maybe Legion and Lilith warned all the demons in the Tower to treat her like a proper queen or else. Probably best not to think about it.

But at last there was someone who was thrilled to see her. Carmen at last came across a friendlier face. Lilith stood in the middle of the large, extensive room. “Good morning, my queen,” Lilith greeted, full of smiles as usual.

Carmen groaned. “Just Carmen, please.”

“If you say so,” the succubus secretary replied, pouring some hot coffee into a mug for Carmen. “Let me be the first to say welcome aboard our wonderful team. Even though you technically are a part of this team back when you said ‘I do’ to Lord Lucifer. Although, you don’t necessarily call him Lord Lucifer, it’s just Lu. But he’s got a whole collaboration of names too.” her speech then started to speed up. “Ooh, we should do the same for you too. I’ll gather up a list of nicknames and we’ll which ones work best. Sorry if I sound sporatic right now. I’m just excited that we’ll be working together, is all. That, and I drank a crap ton of coffee. I feel like running a marathon right now, don’t you? If you wantmetorunamarathonjustgivetheorder. You’rethequeenafterall.” Carmen groaned again. She had a feeling that this was going to be a long day. The two ladies finally reached Lu’s office.

Carmen was about to reach for the handle, but Lilith grabbed it first and the door for her. “As queen, you never have to open any doors again.” she said rapidly. “But as queen, you can also give the ordertoremovedoors. Wouldthatlikethat? Wecandothatifyouwant. InfactwhyIdon’tIgogatherupsome-”

A wooden staff smacked the succubus on her head, finally silencing her energetic tongue. “Thank you. That will be all, Lilith.” it was Legion, waiting for them on the inside.

“Right, sorry.” Lilith’s tone now slowed down to normal. “I’ll just be outside, at my desk if you need anything. Just give me a shout, or call me through the intercom. Or, if makes you feel empowered, shout through the intercom.”

Carmen then entered her husband’s large office as Lilith closed the door behind her.

“Take a seat,” Legion commanded. His six-fingered hand directed Carmen to Lu’s chair.

Carmen sighed but obeyed. She walked over to the giant chair and sat down. Once seated, she felt her muscles relax into the soft cushions. “Wow, this is very comfy.” she exclaimed. It was like sitting on a cloud made from the suffering of others. “Alright, what exactly do I need to do?” she asked her adviser.

“Just listen to what the demons have to say, approve or disapprove some contracts, and sentence a few souls to their proper damnation.”

“I think I can do all that. Except for that last one. I don’t want to deal with any of that during my time here. And I don’t want to make any sort of deals with other people for their souls, just to make that perfectly clear.”

“As you wish.” Legion bowed his head. “Let us begin the day with our first clients: meeting with the people. They wish to express their concerns to you and give their requests.”

Carmen smiled. “Okay. Sounds easy enough.” she then activated the intercom. “Lilith, send our first clients in now.”

“You got it, Carmen!” they heard Lilith’s voice radioing through the intercom.

Things started off smooth at first. Carmen sat and listened to the demands of her husband’s people.

One of the clients was a Kahpra demon. “Our village has suffered from some flood damage by the River Styx, and we need repairs done to fix our dam. Can the Tower help with that, my queen?”

“Of course we can help,” Carmen answered proudly, much to the please to both the Kahpra and Legion. The first client of the day left the office satisfied.

After succeeding with her first meeting, Carmen met and listened to the next dozen of patient demons. She tried making sure that she ensured each demon that the Tower and its members could help out whenever possible, much thanks to Legion’s guidance of how to respond to each inquiry.

It was on the thirteenth client of the day. “Hey, queenie,” he spoke while a lit cigar balanced in his mouth. “There’s a human that’s made a deal with me, and has been buying too much time in coughing up their soul—probably doing some charity work for a little salvation, if you know what I mean. Deadline’s in two days. Whatcha recommend we’s should do?”

Carmen hesitated with a response. “Um, I’d speak with the head of management?”

“You are the head of management.”

Legion leaned into Carmen’s ear, whispering his discrete advice through his ragged scarf. “Or,” Carmen repeated her adviser’s words. “we can give your client a twelve hour notice to remind him of his deal. That way he can show up at the precise place and time of your initial deal.”

Their meeting was cut short when Scrugs flew in, carrying a bundle of paper in his clawed feet. “Got a few contracts that need to be approved by you, Carmen.” he said, dropping the large stack onto the desk, which made a loud thud.

“Sign all of these?” Carmen said to herself. “I think I can manage that. How many are we looking at?”

“Only two hundred.” Scrugs answered.

At first Carmen gulped. Two hundred papers to sign? Legion explained to her that, being the acting devil, she had to sign each with her own hand signature. The contracts could not be solidified without her signature.

Grapping a pen, she complied. Paper after paper, Carmen signed off on each one. Each signature faded within the prints like she penned them all with invisible ink, thus activating the contract’s spell. She wasn’t required to read any of the deals made—once again, advised by Legion—nor was she required to know the devious contents hidden behind the fine prints of each contract. Some of them she couldn’t help but read into and disliked what she read. More so, she dislike that she had to sign off on those agreements. Regardless, she focused on her duty and continued to sign each one until she finally came to the two hundreth contract. Carmen sighed in relief. “Okay, that was pretty productive. We managed to get all that done in-” she glanced at the old grandfather clock. ”It’s only 8:30?” she gasped in shock. It was only eight in the morning when they started. “We’ve been only doing this for half an hour?!”

“Ah, but we are making good progress,” Legion said. “Usually these take longer.”

#sinsofthefather #fiction #fantasy #comedy #horror #demons #hell

... aren’t born

and never made to order.

No demands can be made

of man or woman

to act or react.

When truth’s moment arrives

in the hardest of times

real hero’s emerge

real hero’s disappear

until the next time.

No, they aren’t born.

They aren’t made to order.

They just are.

*****

This is dedicated to all those who lost their lives on 911 and for all the responders who sacrificed their time to do the very best they could. To all those on United Airlines Flight 93, who, in giving up their lives to do the right thing, that other lives unknown to them would continue.

The video is by Alan Jackson ... https://youtu.be/gPHnadJ-0hE

If you care to, the following link will take you to where you can read every name that was involved with 911 who died.

https://stgvisie.home.xs4all.nl/List-of-Passengers-911.html

... and to all of you who come to read, comment, like/repost and so forth, know it is appreciated, but when 9/11 arrives, take a few moments to remember.