The Meeting (HM Twisted Tales Contest)

HONORABLE MENTION in the Twisted Tales Contest by Arakun the Twisted Raccoon , April 2012

Belial arrived first to the Dark Room in the Red Tower just in time to watch his brother’s solemn appearances. He was tall, reddish and scaly and he was perspiring heavily from the long walk along the silent corridors. Each of his brothers came with a full entourage as he did. He stood in the open window of the wide chamber looking down on the main road leading to the tower's iron gates, observing them arrive. He hated them so much but he liked being first so that he could observe their arrival - pretending he was the next in line to sit on the Purple Throne. He always did that since he ascended from below. He was so young and full of dreams but not now --- just full of hatred.

Satan came next, ridding a carriage pulled by sixty-six human slaves who were tired, tormented and famished. He ate, gorging himself on flesh and bone and tossed the scraps away to the hungry hounds that followed him noisily; howling in the afternoon heat. The rumbling of ground beneath his feet spoke true of the weight he carried into the main doors. Before Satan could move his body up the many flights of stairs to the chamber, Lucifer appeared. Belial and Satan could smell the rotting stench of Lucifer’s breath from across the chamber. They wanted to turn back to the widest window to spare themselves the sight of Lucifer and of the smell but this would infuriate him. They knew better not to do so and it was hard to control the nausea. Belial sighed loudly in discontent and Satan snorted in disgust. Satan settled to gnaw on a smaller bone, crunching it and sucking loudly on the marrow with satisfaction while he waited. He was almost always hungry and that feeling was an endless one since birth.

The three demons quickly turned to look as Leviathan passed through the heavy wooden doorways. He was very tall, thin and his meanness preceded him wherever he went. His hooves hit the dark marble on the floor noisily and his red forked tail bumped on doors and walls as it was very long. He opened his arms and smiled, showing pointed yellow teeth.

“Brothers!” Leviathan said as he approached them calmly and completely ignoring the slaves, the dogs and the stench. “It has been a long time since we last met. We have much to talk about. Time has come, Father told.”

Belial sighed again and turned back to the window. As much as he liked his brothers he hated their presence because they were menacing sights to his dreamed Dark Kingdom. He wanted it all. He wanted the Legion’s total loyalty. For a long moment he remembered the last bloodshed and how the world – for centuries – had undergone plagues, deaths, wars and horror. Not that he liked it but it caused certain... difficulties in finding new souls.

Leviathan observed his brothers' forces outside the window and it was an imposing sight but his already large group of demons - red, tall and now practically walking upright was a better sight to see, maybe even deadly. He removed his helm, exposing his black horns, scared from the many battles he infiltrated in planet Earth, causing more wars, turmoil and confusion. Though he had the power to make the scars vanish, he wore them as badges of honor because he was Death to many of his kind, and reminders of ambitious expectations, in the secrecy of his anguished soul.

The four Lords of Hell with all their power and boastfulness knew very well their places in hell’s hierarchy but slowly, as one, they lowered themselves to heavy seats, overlooking each other. Massive doors were boomed closed behind them. Slaves moved hastily. Blood was served. The reverberations echoed in the chamber for a moment and Lucifer raised his hand, pointed his long, skinny finger to an immense fireplace and the yellow, red and blue flames immediately lit. They were silent but their thoughts whispered evil wishes in their minds, secretly wanting to be the only one --- the only Dark Prince in this one more mission and... maybe succession to the throne. The room was chilling cold, so cold it even sapped the strength of the devils. The fire reminded them of home so they finally relaxed their heavy, inhuman bones to the heat.

“We are here to talk about The Book – Hell’s Bible, and its knowledge. It is to be released into the world – because it is now ready to receive it. Father has told us to act. He has kept that book ever since... well you all know about that. Time has come. It is Father’s wish.”

Their eyes were mere flickers of flames within the deep caverns beneath their red brows. Even in their strangeness, they spoke of a deep unforgiving wisdom and knowledge of the world and its weird workings. They knew of so much.

Belial, more amphibian than beast, and more at home in the seas than on land, had two tentacles extending from its back in addition to his two huge claw-like hands. His feet were large at the end of powerful, scaly legs. His draconian features were sharp and predatory, his eyes seeking out victims even as he sat among brothers. Once, a century ago, he had envied Lucifer’s long, impressive, dark, bat-shaped immense wings that took him closer to heaven, disguised as a fallen angel but nothing compared to the oceans and waves and to the silence of his ship wreckage in the constant swirling waters.

The four studied each other, occasionally peering and taking the measure of the other. For the first time in 200 years the four had come together in one room to finally discuss The Book. They knew of the consequences. 

“Father has said that time for revenge and bloodshed is in the very next days.” Leviathan told. “Preparations deem necessary. We will be brutal. We will release The Book into the four corners of the world, taken by each one of us. We will be the Deliverers of the Dark, know in the “other” book as the Apocalypse. Finally. If they only knew who... who really wrote their Bible… but they cannot – ever know and won’t. It’s our secret. It's our victory. And, now, the opening of the gates to the deep. There will be no more chances, no more pleading from above. They are the most vulnerable now, those humans. Chaos is everywhere right now!” Leviathan was silent and the others pondered on his words.They were worried. They knew that hell was becoming empty. Nearly all the devils were on that damned blue planet.

“Who will rule them after The Book is introduced?” Satan asked.

“No one.” Leviathan confirmed.

“Chaos and end of times?” Lucifer asked.

“Yes.” Leviathan smiled.

“How long will it take for the Dark Germ to spread in their minds?” Belial inquired.

“Less than six months.” Leviathan replied.

“Can we bring the remaining together under one banner?” Lucifer asked cautiously.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“There won’t be many left and Father doesn’t want them – he won’t need them. They believe in everything that is... offered. They are so weak. They will be - useless!”

With that word the room fell into an uneasy silence.

“Father... cannot be serious.” Belial cried.

“Oh but he is indeed!” Leviathan hissed. “Our efforts on ending the world have been lax. Belief in hell’s might is waning and those that do follow us squabble like any other faith. I just hate religion. Can’t they see that it is a blindfold?”

“But what of all the religions then and what about the... the Muslims?” Satan asked. “They are our allies.”

“Fools.” Leviathan roared. “Their belief in the blood thirsty Allah has only created another force we have to deal with now. Nothing can be stronger than Father… than us. Besides, Allah is an idea.”

“One more of your shining failures, Satan!” Lucifer screamed.

“What about your disappointment in the Black Plague and in the Dark Ages, Lucifer?” Belial questioned with a snort.

“And what about yours, Belial, you came up with slavery, with the Holocaust and then with the atomic bomb?” Satan screamed.

“The atomic bomb was my idea!” Lucifer cried, shacking the walls.

“A very bad one indeed!” Leviathan snorted sarcastically.

“So I had to create terrorism!” Satan argued angrily, staring at them all.

“Brothers. It’s not time to argue! Father is tired. He wants an end to this so called blue planet so that he can invade other domains, other realms and other planets but he will not give in to Heaven. So, time has come. He has had enough!” Leviathan raised his twisted hand and every demon in the room turned to him, concerned. Satan regained his seat; Belial sighed loudly but did not release his grip on his weapon or the hatred for men that fueled it. Lucifer kept his thoughts to himself. He might visit his Father tonight.

“Men will be our vessel and we will begin with those who already took Father’s name and oath - Devil's Worshipers. We will Introduce The Book to them. It is a new book, it will be found by scientists near the Pyramids; its secret words will shortly become uncovered and the answers will create total and complete chaos and turmoil, all beliefs will end, and hysteria will take over the planet. Apathy, suicide, killings, death and horror. The “real” end of times. The Church will fall – finally – and the wisdom of The Book, the monsters and demons from the deep will take all the places of the world walking...” Leviathan foretold proudly.

“Or swimming...” Belial laughed.

“Or flying…” Lucifer murmured, looking at Satan, who smiled openly.

“There will be no further doubt from the Followers of Darkness as to what is and what is not. It is what it is.” Leviathan said.

“This might bring a counter attack from the Light...” Lucifer reminded. He knew he had said the obvious for he knew the others were wrapped up in what could go wrong, plotting already their escapes, catching humans in their nets, finding ways to survive on their own, becoming the only Dark Prince. But... of what, he suddenly thought. There would be no more. What would he do with the rest of his dark life if there were no more humans to convince, possess and torture?

“Father said that as his sons, we are not to allow… doubt to weaken each other... Do you hear me, my Brothers? We have no competition. There will be other worlds to conquer soon, he promised that; you and I will have access to other worlds. Don’t you remember Venus and Mars, even... the Moon? Now, it’s happening to planet Earth. Together we will bring great power to the dark side and to the followers of hell because those followers will be sent down to gather with our armies” Leviathan said, gleaming his teeth in the raging fire of his trident. “We will survive and live in the Eternal flames forever” he said proudly.

Lucifer gave a subtle bow in obedience; Satan burped and bowed slightly and Belial bowed, exaggerating the movements as always, while thinking that this fight would be glorious, no longer would the dire omens of hell go unheeded. The world would know them once again – and for the last time. The dead would rise, powerful and sacred black magic would be unleashed, strings of seduction, intrigue and darkness would roam cosmos and each and every planet would be conquered. It would be a war fought not in heaven or hell but fought... in the hearts and minds of men due to their inability to grasp the true nature of reality - that's why the Devil would appear on Earth in a glorious, physical body. Father would pretend to be God. And they would believe in him.





Words: 1957