by M Purcell
daily vigil which I have done for fifteen years now. I prayed to god, to anyone who would listen to my prayers, bring me peace and put an end to my sorrow. Let me feel the warmth I felt as a youth in my heart again.
That is when he came to me, oh not in the still of the night when thoughts of self-induced torment, stir within us all. No, he came to me as an epiphany, as I watched the morning sunrise through the large bay window of my living room. The sun gently sweeping over the hillside, bathing all it touched with a warm and bright new beginning. And as I prayed yet once again for peace to find me.
He did not speak at first but rather queerly gazed upon me as one might do while studying a painting of some fortitude, mounted under small accentuating lights, on a wall in a museum. I believed it was "Death" standing before me, since it seemed to be what I was really praying for in the back of my mind. He wore no black robe, had no skeletal fingers, but portrayed a boyish face and a pleasant smile. His dress was that of an eighteenth-century nobleman, elegant and yet masculine in appearance. The only thing to stand out in my minds eye was his hair. It was as gray as mine was but with hints of orange and yellowish streaks at both temples. When he spoke to me, I trembled as I knew I was in the presence of an unearthly being, an entity from a domain forbidden to mortal men.
"You have called to me my son, and I have answered your call," he said. "Are you an Angel?" I asked.
"I am an angel of sorts."
"You will give me the peace, that I so long for?"
"I will give you everlasting peace such as you have never known. However, first you must ask me to do so with your own words. You must invite it from me"
His voice was soft and caressing to the soul, almost purveying to me the peace I wanted so badly just in the sound of his voice.
"You mean I have to invite death? I must die to find peace…are you Death?" "Yes, you must die, and welcome it from me, but fear not old man. I will make it quick and painless. I promise you."
"But if I die, how will I know that I am at peace," nervously adding, "I will have no consciousness to enjoy this gift of peace that you have given to me so generously"
"Oh, I assure you that you will be very aware and conscious of your peace, for the duration of eternity my son." I could see that one of his eyebrows rose when he said this, and his voice sounded a bit more serious than when he previously spoke.
"And I will be at peace?" I felt my words becoming redundant, even to myself.
"Yes." He replied.
"Like when I was a young boy?"
"Yes."
"Forever and ever," I still asked further.
"Yes."
I thought for a long hard moment of my days as a youth, so happy, full of peace and wonder at the world around me, so innocent. Not knowing of the cruel hardships that this world can bestow upon one's shoulders to carry through life.
"OK…,I’ll do it!" I spurted out like a young boy who was just given his first chore for a payment greater than he believed he deserved.
"Take me Mr. Death, I give myself to you freely here and now."
A thin smile came upon his boyish face, and he uttered a deep guttural sound, a demonic chuckle. His eyes met mine solidly, and I froze like a mouse before the gaze of a stalking cat preparing to play with its prey painfully, before finally ending the poor creature's suffering.
I saw in his one eye, that the pupil glowed amber red as hot coal. And within the raging fire of the iris, was a glimpse into the epitome of extremes, that hell has in waiting. Bodies writhing in pain, tormented under whips of barbed wire, while misshapen creatures danced, an obscene contortion of movements around them. Ugly dancing creatures displaying unearthly features of grotesque creation were everywhere. There were Flames spewing up from the ground, which was in itself a floor of molten lava and rock. I saw horrible flying demons, their arms the giant wings of bats, huge circling birds of prey. Swooping down, while unleashing their barbed whips upon the defenseless victims below. I watched while thousands of poor tortured souls were scrambling about, moaning and pleading for mercy, of which there was none.
Looking in his other eye, I could see the sharp glistening of four distinct ice stalactites. They resembled the canines of a rabid wolf, dripping with a frothing saliva of decease, and insanity. There within them lie a storm, a blizzard of ice and snow. I cringed as I saw limbs being bitten and torn from screaming souls, by flesh eating ghouls. The ghouls were laughing and giggling, their victim's blood splashing and splattering in a bazaar Mosaic, staining the white snow. Beasts who were a mix of animal and demon, spiraling horns adorned their heads. Their feet were hooves like that of a goat. They had long unrealistic arms with patches of blackish gray hair in some places, while completely bald in others. Their hands seeming more like claws, their finger nails were closer to being the talons of a vulture. Their large eyes glowed a ghostly greenish white. They seemed to follow my own eyes, as some paintings seem to do. Providing me a small glimpse of the penance that hell has to offer.
"No..No.No….you are not death are you? You tricked me. You lied to me!" I screamed in panic.
"I never said that I was death, fool." He replied in a voice strong as any rumble of thunder I have ever heard. Then, as I watched in stunned horror, the reddish yellow tints in his hair slowly became flames. The flames growing larger as if the tentacles of an octopus, tickling at his face as he spoke.
"NOOOOOOO!" I cried out, feeling like a man who was just thrown from a rooftop, by someone he thought was a friend. He laughed with a hollow bellow that echoed in my ears like a badly played tuba.
"Your soul is mine now and for eternity, and oh…you will have peace alright," adding with enjoyment, "Peace as you have never dreamed, so much peace that you will not sleep or eat or love ever again. This is the peace that only hell can bring you." I began to cry, to weep uncontrollably before this harbinger of Satan.
His appearance had changed even more now, though still bearing boyish features. His eyes glowed a deep crimson red. His tongue became black, elongated and forked, flickering at me as he spoke. The small flames that were dancing at his temples, now engulfed the top of his head. It seemed as if he were wearing some exaggerated Halloween wig. And there was a horrible odor permeating the entire room, resembling the putrid smell one gets when driving by a dead, rotting animal. As it lay baking in the hot sun, along side the road. My stomach churned with nausea.
I could feel myself trying to hold down vomiting. My flesh felt as if it were going to burst into flames, yet it was soaked with sweat. Large goose bumps swelled my entire body, making my hair stand on end. I felt as if it were wishing to flee from my skin. My legs would no longer sustain the weight of my body trembling so, and I fell to my knees. I was kneeling before this accursed creature from hell. It gave off a whimper of victory at this obvious defeat of my powers to resist it. It brought back memories of the schoolyard bully we all feared running into, and took great pains to avoid.
A single tear crawled down my cheek and leapt away from my quivering cheek. The tear falling on my golden crucifix that lay on the floor beneath me, it had adorned my neck earlier. It must have fallen away during my uncontrolled trembling. As it embraced the cross, it gave off a small yet significant aura of light. It was a growing ball of light, bright colors such as that of a rainbow after a violent thunderstorm. Strangely, I could now hear the sound of delicate crystal wind chimes, softly caressing the air around me. And there was a gentle sent of Jasmine in the air, which was Lorinda’s favorite scent.
I felt that suddenly things had changed once again, I raised my eye’s up slowly. It felt as though there were a thousand tiny weights holding them down. To my disbelief, there was now a third figure standing in the room. However, it was not standing at all, there was no figure that I could make out, just a large translucent ball of pulsating light. A prism of colors too beautiful to describe. I felt a warmth that one feels when standing in front of a crackling fireplace, after coming in from a co
ld winter's day. It positioned itself directly between me and this vile abomination of evil incarnate. The glowing entity spoke, but the words sounded as if they were coming from afar, not even in the same room. It sounded as if it were coming from a hall, somewhere in space and time. "You will not take this soul today, servant of evil." It announced with an air of authority.
The vile one rose up, growing to twice its previous size. It pointed a red bony forefinger at the glowing apparition. "You have no business here do-gooder. A deal has been struck, and I will collect my due. Begone with you before I lose my patience further!" It screamed.
With that the glowing ball of light intensified so bright, as to entirely drown out the vision of the immense evil towering over us. I had to shut my eyes to the brilliance of the light. The wind chimes had the resonance of cathedral's organ pipes now. A small spider scrambled away to safety being shaken loose from it’s foreboding web in a nearby corner. "You will leave this place now, spawn of Satan, or you will be gone for eternity, choose thee quickly." said the ball of light. What was amazing to me, was the fact that, as intense as the light and wind chimes were now. The lights voice never wavered in its tone, it stayed firm and with authority, yet calm and unshaken.
There was a loud squeal such as no