by Tim Miller
Ronny was moaning in pain as Charlie admired his handiwork. His body was blood red as bloody chunks dripped off the exposed flesh. His face looked like some freaky pumpkin head with no hair or anything exposed, just flesh and blood, so much blood.
“Am I going to die?” Ronny whimpered.
“Nope. I promise you, no matter what happens to you, you will not die. Not for a long time. It will hurt though. I’ve made your body immune to any pain killers or drugs. Trust me, I had planned on killing you. I think this might work better for you. Give you some time to reflect on your life choices.”
“You’re sick! You’re fucking sick! You ever heard of Karma asshole? What goes around comes around. Karma is coming for you bitch!”
Charlie walked out of the room and zipped up his duffel bag. The guy was threatening him with Karma. He hadn’t heard that one in a long time.
“You’re right. Look at your current situation. I am Karma, and Karma just fucked you up.”
Chapter 3
Charlie drove home with a smile on his face. It was a great feeling of satisfaction that he took a rapist off the street, and didn’t even have to kill the guy. Maybe he should give up his old school approach and experiment more. He liked the idea he’d be causing such pain and suffering to the asshole, trapping him inside his own disfigured body without blessing him with the release of death. Maybe, Charlie pondered, he was a god.
He hadn’t tried, but he could heal Maria’s mind. Take away all her pain, suffering and depression and make her into the thriving and vibrant young woman he’d first met when he went to work at her family’s funeral home. Part of him feared if he brought that Maria back, she wouldn’t want him. You’d think a god wouldn’t have such problems.
One thing he had wondered about was his old pal Lucifer; yes, the devil himself. The Ghost had cast him into the Abyss during their fight. Charlie had never been there, but it wasn’t the kind of place from which one returns. It is a dark, bottomless pit of nothingness. All you feel is loneliness and suffering while listening to the screams of others. Not fun at all. It was what people probably considered hell. Since there wasn’t an actual hell, the Abyss is it.
He’d thought of getting Lucifer out of there, but had no idea how. He sure as hell didn’t want to try and go after him, and get stuck there himself. He wasn’t sure how gods did in a place like that. Then again, gods made the thing, so who the hell even knows. Maybe the Son or Jesus was casted there after Charlie defeated him last time. Although, he was possibly in a special part of it? He had no clue, and was reluctant to find out. It all was just too much to think about. Sadly, that was all he had time for; he rarely slept since that night at the Tower.
Many times he forced himself to sleep, but many times he could literally see and hear everything. It was deafening at times. His thoughts were interrupted by a man standing in the middle of the road wearing a white suit. Charlie swerved out of the way, stomping on the breaks. Part of him wanted to just keep driving. Nothing good ever came from being visited by cryptic figures. But he knows they’d just keep popping up, so he begrudgingly got out of the car.
“And just who might you be?” Charlie asked with a bit of cockiness to the tone.
“I am your humble servant my Lord,” the man said as he knelt onto the ground. His suit, or more like tuxedo was bright white; practically glowing.
“Stop that! Get up. Who are you seriously?”
“My given name is Riccari, I am a lower angel who served under…”
“Yeah I don’t care about that. I’ll call you Rick from now on. Riccari sounds too weird and I’m over all these biblical names.”
“Right, um, ok then.”
“So why are you here?”
“Your defeat of the Ghost started quite a mess in the heavenly realms. Some angels sided with you, most stayed with the Father, but there is a small detachment of us awaiting your orders.”
“Orders to do what? And when had any of you planned on telling me this?
“Well, we kind of hoped you’d notice us my Lord,”
“Please. Its Charlie. Just Charlie.”
“Very well, Charlie. But yes for some reason you never came to us or even attempted entry into the heavenly realm. Had you done so, you could fight the Father for sure. Well, I think so anyway. You’re just like him.”
“I’m doubting that. I don’t even know where the heavenly realm or whatever is. Let alone how to go there,” Charlie said.
“Oh but you do know. It’s easy to find, especially for you. You just have to look.”
“So you guys want me to take out the Father?”
“Well, in a word. Yes. People think of us angels as these lovely beings drifting around heaven and singing praises to the Almighty. In actuality, it’s nothing like that. We’re slaves. He created us for one purpose and only one purpose, and that was to control every aspect of our being. You humans he gave so much more leeway. Age old argument up there.”
“Sounds fascinating. Just curious. Have any of you ever actually seen the Father? I mean we hear all this spooky shit about him, but no one has ever seen or spoken to him directly. What is he, the Wizard of Oz?”
“Fascinating,” Rick said. “I have no doubt you could defeat the Father. Just the fact that you’re willing to show your face, or get your hands dirty gives you the advantage.”
Charlie considered it. Deep down he knew it had to be done. He should have done it ages ago, but he kept putting it aside. He scratched his beard, or most of a beard. He hadn’t shaved in a few weeks. As a whole, he’d let himself go, except for looking presentable for work. Most of the time he hung out in shorts and t-shirts. Aside from tonight, where he wore his work attire.
“What about Maria? What if they come for her again?” Charlie asked.
“It’s possible, but doubtful. They used her to draw you out last time. No need for that now. I do know the Father is cooking something up. His most loyal followers haven’t been seen in a few months. Lots of secret meetings and other things. I’m telling you, hit them now.”
“Shit. I’m already running late. Who knows how long this will take. She’ll freak. She hates being alone as it is.”
“Charlie. You have a god inside you. The realms are outside of time and space. Just return ten minutes before you were supposed to be home.”
“You know you make this all sound so easy.”
“You have more power in your little finger than all the angels in the universe combined, yet you haven’t a clue how to use it. We can help you! You can help us! Just trust me!”
“Yes, I always trust random men in white tuxedos standing in the road in the middle of the night. No reason not to.”
“The other angels told me you were a jokester,” Rick said.
“Ok, I’m in, first you take me to the Abyss. I need to get someone out of there who can help me, help us do this.”
Rick’s enthusiasm instantly drained from his face which was now as white as his tux.
“The Abyss? I’m afraid I can’t go there. It is forbidden.”
“By who?”
“By the Father.”
“You were just planning to overthrow the Father, why do what he says?”
“Well you have a point. I just don’t want to end up in there.”
“If we lose, where do you think the Father will send you all, even me if he could. He put his son or the Son in there.”
“I don’t know. I…” Rick began.
“Fine, I’m out.” Charlie said and turned to his car.
“Ok, I’ll take you there, to the Abyss. I know where it is, we just don’t go there. It’s a scary place.”
“I’m sure it is.”
“Ok. Just um…hang on to my arm. No matter what you see, don’t let go until we are both through.”
“Through what?” Charlie asked as a large, blue door appeared out of nowhere. It hovered in front of them glowing bright blue. Rick slid the door open and stepped inside. “Ok Charlie, here we go.”
>
Chapter 4
Charlie came through the portal expecting to be in some celestial black hole. Instead, they were standing on a large cliff somewhere at night. Looking off the ledge, it was an endless black pit. From inside the pit, he could hear lots of screams and cries coming from inside, but could see nothing.
“So this is it?” Charlie asked.
“Yep. Are you going in?”
“I guess I have to.”
“I’m afraid I can’t go in with you,” Rick said. “Too risky for me.”
“That’s fine. Probably better on my own anyway.”
“All right. Well good luck.” Rick said as he stepped back.
Charlie walked to the ledge and looked down. If he got stuck in there, that would put an end to his war with the Father real fast. Part of him wondered if Rick wasn’t some ruse sent by the Father to trick him into going into the Abyss on his own. While that would make things super easy on the Father, it didn’t seem like his style. Either way, Charlie had no choice right now other than to go into the hole.
Looking around, Rick was standing there watching him as if he were going to be waiting on him to return. Charlie nodded to Rick and stepped off the cliff. He plummeted into the blackness in what felt like slow motion. As he tumbled the screams great louder, but no one seemed close by. Terror seized him momentarily as he realized this really could have no end. After a minute, he caught his breath, closed his eyes and focused.
His free fall slowed, and finally he wasn’t falling at all, just hanging there. As he opened his eyes, he’d activated some sort of supernatural night vision or Abyss vision at least. Looking around he could see the tortured souls falling endlessly all around him. Some fell past him more than once, as if on a loop. They just kept falling in the same cycle over and over again.
There were literally billions of people as far as he could see. Zeroing in on Lucifer was no easy task. Reaching out with his mind, he did hear a familiar voice.
“Charlie?”
Oh shit.
“Charlie? Is that you? How did you get here? How can I hear you?”
It was The Bishop, aka Bishop Hoover, aka Jesus Christ. He was the Three’s first attempt to destroy the world. Charlie stopped them and crucified the Bishop. The Father wasn’t happy with his failure so had cast him into the Abyss before sending the Ghost to finish the job. Part of him liked it better when he was a preacher and had no idea how things really were. Sometimes ignorance really was bliss.
“Why are you talking to me?” Charlie said. “I figured you’d be pissed.”
“Yes, but my own Father threw me in here. You can get me out! I can help you!”
“Just get yourself out.”
“I can’t exactly. Not sure how the Father did it, but he sort of…well, crippled me. My nature or essence. I’m no longer the glorious deity I once was. He’s very powerful. You’ll need all the help you can get.”
“Just curious. Have you actually seen him?”
“Well, I mean I’ve spoken to him,” The Bishop said.
“But he’s your Father.”
“Only in sort of a spiritual sense. Not like we actually hung out together. Come to think of it, I don’t think anyone has ever seen him. He just sort of stays off in his hideaway creating and destroying things while demanding worship.”
“You don’t find that odd?”
“I mean, it’s been that way since the dawn of time, in every sense of the word, so I suppose not.”
“Fair enough.”
“Trust me Charlie. I know we’ve had our differences in the past. But you sir, were a formidable adversary. I hold no grudges. I actually think you were right all along. His way is so wrong. I want to help you.”
“If you want to help me, find Lucifer.”
“Oh whatever in the world for? That’s an abominable creature.”
“Hey, he helped me beat you didn’t he?”
“Yes, that is true.”
“If you want me to help you, you have to help me. Show me you’re not bullshitting.”
“Very well then. Give me a moment. It’s one of the Father’s little torments. He let me keep the ability to see and hear others here and even to communicate, but not to get out, not to move and none of them can reply to me. Very miserable existence.”
The idea of seeing if he could destroy the Abyss and free everyone from this horrific fate had crossed Charlie’s mind, but there probably were a few folks here who deserved it. He didn’t want to be the one to let Hitler out of hell after all. He’d revisit that matter once the Father was gone.
“Ok, I think I found him. Just call out to him with your mind. Like you have with me.”
Charlie focused his mind and called out to Lucifer. He located him, but the fallen angel could not reply. He was able to go to his location in the Abyss and grabbed him by his jacket. Yes, he was still wearing his leather jacket in hell for some reason. He then located the Bishop and grabbed him as well. Closing his eyes once again, he thought of the edge of the cliff with Rick standing there waiting. As he focused, he felt himself drifting upward.
When he finally opened his eyes, he was hovering above the cliff, Rick looking up at him all smiling like a little kid who just saw Santa Claus. Charlie drifted onto solid ground and sat down his two passengers who both looked at him with a sense of awe and confusion.
“You guys all right?” Charlie asked.
Even though it was dark, Lucifer was squinting as if someone shined a spot light in his face. The Bishop was adjusting his jacket and tie. Charlie always thought he looked like a slightly younger version of Malcolm McDowell. Strange choice of form for a deity to take on, but whatever.
“Yes, but I’m famished. I sure could use a bite to eat,” The Bishop said.
“Me too,” Lucifer said. “I want a pizza.”
“Are you both shitting me?”
Rick looked at Charlie and shrugged.
“You could just take their appetites away Charlie. Not like there is a pizza place nearby.”
“What the fuck took you so long man?” Lucifer asked. “It sucks in there, and people think I run that place? I’m not even that sadistic.”
“Sorry, was a little tied up.”
“I guess so. You killed the Ghost?”
“Not exactly. I am the Ghost. Sort of.”
“Huh?” Lucifer said.
“Long story, but basically he possessed Maria, but now I possess him. I’m like one of them now.”
“Holy shit, for real?”
“Yes, for real.”
“Damn. So you going to fuck up the Father? And what is he doing here?” He pointed at the Bishop.
“Don’t be so crude. I guess I’m a maverick outcast like you two hooligans. The Father has ruled this universe a bit too harshly for too long. I plan to assist in taking him down a few pegs.”
“Well, that just makes me all warm and fuzzy inside,” Lucifer said.
Charlie looked toward Rick.
“Is there a way for me to take their mouths away?”
Chapter 5
Charlie didn’t know where the Realm was, but Rick insisted if he just focused his mind on being there, then he’d end up there. Sure enough, the guy was right. At least they ended up somewhere.
“We’re here!” Rick said. Well ok then.
“This is it? This is heaven?” Charlie asked looking around. He was less than impressed. The place was quite plain, with an orange sky, but no sun. There wasn’t much landscape. If anything it was mostly desert with a few trees scattered about. At first he thought he’d seen some birds, but as they flew by it was nothing like birds. It was some weird looking creature. Like a crow, but with butterfly wings.
“Those are flutterblacks. Some of the first creations ever.”
“Well that’s interesting. Was he trying to get it right?” Charlie asked.
“Very funny my friend,” Rick said. “The ones you see here are millennia old. Nothing here ages so the ones he made at the beginning of
time are still here.”
“Impressive.”
“Very! Wait until you see where the other creatures are!”
“I hate to interrupt the holy petting zoo guys,” Lucifer chimed in. “But we should probably do what we came to do.”
“Right,” Rick said. “Let me take us to the others.”
“Is the whole place desert?” Charlie asked.
“It changes from time to time. Usually though, yeah.”
“Why?”
“The environment here changes with the Father’s moods which are usually dull and unfeeling, hence, the desert.” The Bishop said.
“That’s uplifting. No dead people here?”
“He absorbs the souls of the worthy into himself as reward to them, so they might bask in his holy aura.”
“So what is your take on all that now that you’ve been to the dark side?” Charlie asked.
“Oh I suppose it’s a bit arrogant on his part, but who is to say. Maybe it’s all warm and fuzzy in there.”
“That or it just tickles.” Lucifer said.
“Ok, the people who support you Charlie are right over that ridge, we just need to…” Rick was interrupted by the sound of thunder. Though it wasn’t actual thunder. It was a pack of angels on what looked like some kind of dragon and horse hybrid. They looked like horses, but had scales and smoke came out their noses.
“Great,” Rick said. “It’s the archangels. They’re an angry lot.”
The angels on the backs of the creatures were all huge and looked like giant Japanese Samurai, equipped with armor and all. There were about a dozen of them; the one in the front was the largest of the group. They came to a stop just a few feet in front of Charlie and the group.