Others from the city gather around, trying to think of ways to help them. I see another large tree branch not too far from where they’re barely hanging on. I walk over to it and shake it slightly, making sure not to jolt the branch below it. It's sturdier than the others so I call over to the group of people so we can all work together as a team to rescue them.
I climb out onto the branch and several other people follow suit. I lift the child free first, passing him to the person behind me, and then turn to aid the woman. I help her grip the branch and then follow her back to safety.
The rain stops once we’re all back on solid ground as if someone has a button to make it appear and disappear at will. I look around and see Atlas standing to the side, with an evil grin on his face. Did he plan this? Did he place these people into danger in order to get some kind of rise out of me?
“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?” I scream at him and catch the attention of the others.
“I saw what you did, how you rescued that woman and child from harm.”
“It wasn’t just me. We all had a hand in it,” I answer back, waving my hand in the direction of the entire group of people who helped.
“Is that right? I saw you walk over to the tree branch. It was your idea to use it. Your plan of attack, if you will.”
“That may be so, but I never would have been able to do it by myself. Trying to do so would have cost them their lives.”
“Well, it seems to me like you’ve passed your challenge.”
“This was all about my challenge? That’s insane! You can’t just go around threatening people’s lives like that just to prove a point. It’s not right!”
As soon as the words leave my mouth, Atlas waves his hand and all of the people behind me disappear. I turn around, looking for them in disbelief, but they’re gone. I also notice I'm no longer dripping wet. It was all a farce.
“So no one was in danger? It wasn’t real?”
“It wasn’t real. But you know what is?”
“What?” I ask.
“The humility you displayed just now. You’ve passed your challenge.”
Chapter Seven
Ezekiel
It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Enoch wasn’t supposed to succeed in his task. I’ve been diligent, watching from the shadows as each one before me fails, as they give in while I do not. It’s nearly the end and the tasks are getting harder and harder for me. Celeste completed hers alongside Enoch. I must do something to stop them from claiming my throne. From being named the one true God of us all.
Atlas gave me my challenge just this morning, I am close to failing. The only thing I can do is hide my envy from everyone. I decide to stay home from work all weekend in order to keep myself calm and to hide my desire to beat them all. It’s the only way to win at this point. Settling back in the chair, I open my book and flip to where I last stopped. I can do this, I remind myself, I can prove I am worthy of being the true God. I’ve lasted nearly the entire weekend, I won’t be able to hide away with my true feelings any longer as I have to work tomorrow.
I HAVE ONLY BEEN OUT of my home for a few hours when I hear it, the town’s people raving about how well Enoch did in his challenge, how he's in the lead to be Atlas’ chosen one. The anger boils inside of me all day. Building until I come close to snapping, I grab my things and leave work. I won’t need this job once I’m named the chosen one.
Someone crashes into my side as I walk down the street, I see red. Imagining it’s Enoch, I grab his throat and squeeze. The man fights against my hold but I continue to apply pressure. It feels amazing. The power I hold over his life and the life of everyone else in this town. Letting his body drop to the ground, I turn and look around to be sure I wasn’t seen. If no one saw then Atlas will be unaware of my actions.
Stalking down the street, I turn to Enoch’s home. He’s there and he’s alone for once. Keeping my calm facade in place, I knock on the door and wait for him to answer. Enoch answers and allows me inside. Following him to the study, I ask the burning question, the one that he can’t help but brag about now that his challenge is done.
“I didn’t do it alone. Honestly, it was all a test so I didn’t do anything.”
I laugh at his words. Enoch isn’t bragging, he is still passing his test, I have failed mine already. I can’t allow him to win. Picking up the fire poker from beside the fireplace, I swing it in his direction. Striking the side of his face, I pull it behind my back and use it like a hammer, never stopping until Enoch’s face is a bloody mess. Now he can’t win.
Clapping sounds from the doorway and I turn to see the intruder. Atlas and his servant both stand there, smug grins on their faces, “Ezekiel, you have failed. I knew it would happen eventually.”
Chapter Eight
Celeste
Chaos.
This town has completely imploded upon itself, and fallen into absolute ruin. Neighbors are killing neighbors when they aren’t too busy fucking each other. This place has completely lost control. Word is, even that proud asshole, Enoch, lost control and hallucinated his very own posse of heroes, before he was cut down by that bastard Ezekiel. My brother has always told me to be wary of Ezekiel. Cain never trusted him. He always thought the guy had a hidden agenda. But I digress, the point is this is not the place I’m used to calling home.
Looking around the stadium, I watch as beaten, bloody, and exhausted souls drag themselves in to find out who passed all of Atlas’ challenges. Who will get to be the new God?
I’m surprised I got this far. I’ve passed every challenge, completely on my own, and judging by the amount of testosterone surrounding me, I’m the only woman to make it to the end. Whether the others competed, or whether the men killed them all off, I’m close to being the only woman swimming in a sea of men. Men who would cut me down in an instant if they even saw me slightly as a threat, so I try to make myself as small and as unnoticeable as possible. The challenges have been completed and only a handful of us have made it to the end. We're now sitting in the calm before what promises to be an epic storm. What is about to unfold next might actually be this town's own little apocalypse.
I feel scared.
I feel anxious.
I feel hopeful.
I’ve got a real chance of becoming a Goddess!
I search the crowd for my brother, but he’s nowhere to be seen. Cain is the only person in this town I truly care about.
My family.
My master.
My lover.
My best friend.
My heart aches, worrying something might have happened to my brother. I hope I’m just being silly, because a world without Cain in it is a world I no longer want to live in. I’ll end it all if I don’t find him.
Worry turns to panic. I start to search frantically for him, an anxiety attack rising up my throat.
“Cain?” I shout.
“Cain?”
I spin in place, and try to keep my tears welled up inside. I can’t show any weakness if I want to win this. I must stand up with all the men. Make it clear I belong here, but only silently, because I still need to fly under the radar in order to protect myself.
The voices that fill the stadium raise to an ear splitting volume, then suddenly stop. I look up to watch as Atlas walks across the balcony, and a cold chill races down my spine. Something’s not right. The look in Atlas’s eyes combined with the smirk stretching across his face makes him look almost villainous. The crowd starts to cheer, but Atlas orders us all to stay silent with a broad gesture of his hands.
I don’t like this.
Why is my skin starting to crawl?
What if we were all wrong?
Chapter Nine
Atlas
Here we are again.
It’s been months of watching these fools squirm, fight, and fail like the insignificant bugs they are. Each challenge was met with blood, death, and sin — all battling for a spot of power they will never obtain.
My p
lan of vengeance couldn’t have worked out any better.
The cheers that were once deafening are now lowered to a quiet chant. And looking out to the crowd I can see why.
So few remain.
Excellent.
The smirk that was already on my face widens into a full grin.
Let’s end this.
“My people,” I shout quieting down their cheers. “Look around you and give yourselves a round of applause. You have all successfully completed the challenges!”
Shouts and stomping erupt as the remaining people cry in joy thinking they have won; believing one of them will have a shot at harnessing the power of God.
“You all believe you are worthy of God. Correct?” I ask pacing, my excitement over this finale overwhelming “That you are all pure enough; strong enough; wise enough to hold power and rule like a God?”
“Yes!”
“Choose me!”
“I am holy, my Lord!”
Throwing my head back, I laugh. The menacing tone silencing the ludicrous claims.
“You are such fools! All of you!” I shout, looking to each face in the crowd. “Have you all forgotten the number one rule? Thou shalt have no other Gods before me? Look around you! Look at everything you have become! I am no God!”
Gasps and cries of shocked horror ring like music to my ears.
“I was once from this town. I was an orphaned boy who, just like you, was tested and tried. I was beaten and starved. Forced to sell myself for the scraps in your garbage!”
Signaling with my hands for the guards to lock all doors I smile.
“I am no God. I am the reaper. And I have come for you all.”
Chapter Ten
Judah
These people are fools. These so called holy virtues are mere child's play to a God of power such as mine. I've been patient up until now, watching and biding my time while I wait for them to let their guard down. Atlas is the biggest fool of all if he thought I would allow him to hold such power.
I let him have his fun, playing at God and playing with powers he knows nothing about. All sinners must pay the price, and his was the longest test of all. He never truly held any power, I simply allowed him to believe he had learned to harness it on his own with the knowledge he gained from me.
Without my help he would be as much of a nothing now as when I found him. I made him this false prophet standing before the crowd. He believed himself to have magic, to be able to create wondrous illusions. His tricks and shows were nothing more than an extension of my own abilities. It was all a clever farce. I've been one step ahead and one step behind the entire time.
These ‘sins’ are more than evils for humans to conquer. They are facets of myself, which I have manifested for my own use. Each one separate yet a part of the whole. I embody the sins and virtues in perfect harmony. I am the true God. They will behold my glory and learn to fear and awe me in equal measures.
Everyone will pay. The Sinners and these debauched people standing before him worshipping a false idol instead of me deserve to suffer for their failures. Most of all they will pay for every sin they have committed in Atlas' name. As for Atlas, I have something special in mind for him.
How dare he believes himself to be better and more powerful than I!
Seven days it will take me to exact my veangance; raining wrath and ruin down upon them. Seven days for seven sins, and by the last Atlas will know I'm coming for him. Atlas' betrayal of my trust in attempting to steal secrets belonging only to me, in order to concoct this elaborate scam will be put upon each of the fools who blindly chose to follow him. Atlas has sinned greatly, and for each sin I shall mete out a suitable punishment.
DAY ONE...
Lust for power and desire drove him to prove himself above all of those who slighted him and to best them in this outrageous contest. Dair dies so sweetly, screaming as all of the participants of the disgusting display of filth begin to feast on his flesh while fucking him slowly to death, until nothing but his mangled, blood and cum-stained corpse remains.
DAY TWO...
Envy cast its green eyes over the crowd as he made sure to note any who may be aptly positioned to dethrone him from his self-appointed seat. Ezekiel is the best contender for the one to finish Atlas, but I want to bloody my own hands. I will not permit others to do my job. I snuff him out with as much ease as he took the life of Enoch, who was amongst the worthiest of all these pitiful humans.
DAY THREE...
Sloth, for allowing others to do his dirty work for him as he used the Sinners to take out the competition. Celeste is beautiful, but her disregard for anything that requires her to exert herself for anything other than the flesh she so desires is a disgrace. Hers is the least brutal of punishments, I have her dear brother slit her throat while she sleeps.
DAY FOUR...
Gluttony, as he gorged himself on the power he believes he has accumulated on his quest. This one is trickier. I choose to reverse the roles Cain and Samson played. Their misery and suffering as they are forced to watch the other indulge in the other’s deepest desires is music to my ears. Suspending them in a bind of eternal abstinence, I shall watch their minds wither and succumb until they beg for mercy.
DAY FIVE...
Greed, for taking all of it from them for himself, for he never truly intended to share in his wealth. I rob him and leave him as weak as he left the people he so wished to wreak havoc upon.
DAY SIX...
Pride will be his undoing, for he believes himself to be better than all, including me... He allowed himself to become corrupted by what he believed he held over them all, when really he held as little as the rest of them. Such foolishness from a man who believed himself a God amongst men. His outlandish claims and lies in the name of revenge have polluted his mind beyond redemption or forgiveness. I will show him how insignificant he is in the grand scheme of things and reduce his self-worth into nothing.
DAY SEVEN...
Wrath will be mine as I destroy all those who dared stand before him in worship. Atlas cast me aside as easily as these folk turned him away so many years ago. This was a test, and all of them failed.
“Ahhh, Atlas, had you seen beyond your own lack of self worth, you'd have known all along that this would happen. I chose you, I showed you the path, and still you would not be swayed. You believed me to be blind, but it is you who were unseeing. You could never wield a power such as mine. Your soul has been tainted by the very sins you sought to purge from the hearts of others. But you forget, foolish child. The most important rule of all,” I whisper with malice dripping from my tone.
I wrap a hand around his throat and lean toward his terrified face. I press my lips softly against his cheek in a featherlight brush and tighten my grip. The fear of my Godly might drips from every pore, as it should. I unleash upon him the full force of my power and obliterate him into ash.
“Thou shalt not have any other Gods before me.”
The Second Commandment
Thou shall not make thyself a carved image.
The Savior
Murphy Wallace
They were wayward, searching for a soul to guide them.
They were ignorant, searching for a teacher to educate them.
They were adrift, searching for something an anchor them down.
They were begging for someone to save them.
When, on that day of reckoning with your burden lain bare, worship unto me.
For I am he that they call
The Almighty, The Prince of Peace,
The Savior
Prologue
There's a whore on her knees in the alleyway as I pass by, no doubt trying to score drugs. A man, probably her pimp, stands not too far behind them — fucking filthy people, all over the streets.
All I ever wanted to do was to be able to help them.
My church is falling to pieces, and no one other than me cares enough to fix it.
My parishioners are dwindling; not believing th
e words that I speak. I can't say I blame them. Even I don't believe the nonsense that comes out of my mouth anymore. God only helps those who help themselves. But where is my help? I've bent over backward for this parish and look where I am. I've dedicated my life to Him and I have nothing else to live for.
I walk into the pawn shop with one thing in mind. I need that one thing that is going to put me out of my misery and take me out of this life. I try to still my shaking hands and control my erratic breathing. Yes, this is what I want to do. I've thought about it for a long time now. But that doesn't mean that I'm not scared out of my mind.
When I meet my God, I want him to see that I tried to deliver his word precisely as I was taught; precisely as I was shown. If I can plead with him to forgive the method that was taken to get me there, then I will still be granted entry into his celestial afterworld.
"How can I help you?" The man behind the counter asks me. He's friendly, oblivious to the fact that he's about to sell me the gun that I will use to end my own life.
"I'm looking for something in your backroom stock," that's what one of my parishioners told me in confession the other day. When he came here to purchase his gun, the one that he used to threaten his wife, he had to ask it in a certain way specifically or else he would be turned away.
"What is it exactly that you're looking for?"
"I need a gun. Something small, nothing fancy," I respond.
The man walks out onto the floor and locks the door, so no one else can come in.
"Follow me," he commands.
Thou Shall Not: A Dark Ten Commandments Anthology Page 3