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By
Christopher A. Kouse
Chapter 1
“Throw
the ball to me, Valen.”
“I
don’t know where you are, Dad.”
“Yes
you do, son; listen for my voice. It’s just like we practiced.” Valen’s father
prepared his arm to reach for whatever wild toss his son might throw.
“I
can’t do it, Dad; it’s too hard,” Valen said while dropping the tight knit
baseball to the ground and bowed his head in defeat.
Valen
was seven years old when his Father finally felt that his son needed something
else in his life; but it wasn’t the game of baseball that he wanted his son to
learn. Valen had never learned to focus on his other strengths; being born
without the ability to see had left the boy with a scarred sense of worth. His
Father knew that; and if he could get Valen to at least try, he hoped that his
son would harness his other senses, senses he would need to become an active member
of society. He loved his son very much, and even when the doctors had told him
and his wife that their first born was going to be born without the use of his
eyes, he loved him even more.
“Charles,
please don’t make him do something he doesn’t want,” Valen’s mother said.
Charles
lowered his gloved hand in disappointment and looked back to his wife standing
on the balcony.
“Linda,
please,” he said with a firm tone. “He needs to do this.”
“But
it’s going to rain soon; won’t you both come inside already?” She asked.
Valen
could hear the thunder in the distance and felt the cool breeze brush against
his backside. He knew even before his Mother had said anything that there was a
storm coming. He just wished that she had spoken up sooner and tried to coax
him and his Dad inside. His Mother was always on his side, always reliable when
it came to getting Dad off his back about something. It wasn’t that Valen
didn’t want to entertain his Father attempts at getting him out of the house;
but he genuinely felt lost in the world that he lived in. His parents would
never know what it was like to live in absolute darkness.
The
wind knocked at Valen’s back again. The storm began to howl and the wind’s
whistle nipped at his sensitive ears. His Father was right about one thing, all
of his other senses were stronger due to his lack of vision. At times Valen
swore he could make out words when there were none to be spoken; especially
when the winds rolled through their suburban neighborhood in tornado season. As
the winds picked up, Valen lost himself from the voices of his parents; he
panicked and began to call out to them to no avail. Stronger the winds came and
louder the whispers spoke in his ears. His body came off balance causing his
legs to give out from under him; and as his body clenched up, bracing for the
impact of the ground. Valen woke up.
***
The
whispers of his dream still rang through his ears. Had it been a dream?
The words were now being drowned by the screams of others around him. As a
blind man, he was able to perceive very little of what had become his reality;
yet through all of his confusion he knew these facts to be true; he was dead
and he wasn’t in Heaven. Valen had expected Hell to be much worse, but he
couldn’t help but question where the fire and brimstone was; and all the more
he wondered why he still couldn’t see. At the very least Valen had hoped death
would have some perks. Still his curiosity probed the question of where he
actually was. His confusion only reinforced his theory that he was now in fact
dead. The last thing he could
remember was the pain; whoever thought that it was possible to have a painless
death was wrong. First came the physical pain, then the torment, the anguish,
and then the madness all residing within the millisecond it would take for a
knife to pierce a human heart. Valen had felt it before and still it lingered
within his chest. His memory of that moment began to return, and with it came
the worries of what had become of his beloved Rachel.
Rachel,
his girlfriend of the last two years had been with him when he died. Her
screams were the last thing he heard as someone stabbed him in the back. Valen
knew his killer didn’t deserve the luxury to be called a “someone”; he was a
monster. The thing that caught Valen off guard was that normally he was very
good at noticing if someone was behind him. Thanks to the years his Father put
into preparing him for the real world, Valen could expect the unexpected; he
only wished he had told his Father how much he appreciated him before his
death. Again the thoughts of Rachel flooded Valen’s mind calling him to move
his body. God please let her be okay. Valen went to lift himself up
from his seated position only to find that he was strapped tightly to the
chair.
It
was then that the whispers began to surround Valen again. One by one they
bombarded his conscious mind, raspy voices, distorted, removed from
understanding; Valen feared their importance. What he couldn’t see was that
from the walls of his cell were protruding faces of a grotesque nature; fleshy
figures secreting noxious puss of blood and saliva. The faces pulled themselves
in closer towards Valen. The tearing of their ligaments and flesh could be
heard causing Valen to thrash harder against his bonds. The faces one by one
began their assault of whispers as they slowly began forming a more defined
visage. Each face took on its own persona and the devilish features became more
prevalent. Long ears, snarling teeth, hollowed out eyes were all common feature
amongst them; luckily for Valen he was unable to witness these horrors but
still their whispers remained. The message that they kept repeating, whatever
it was, was the only thing that held value to Valen; but it was always the
same, repeating over and over now like a choir; always inaudible, just out of
understanding.
“What
are you saying?” Valen questioned the darkness, but still no answers came; only
the profusion of screams from the other cells could be heard over the whispers.
Valen
began to panic and still his bonds held his head firmly fastened to the chair.
He was unable to turn his head away from the moist stench the walls began to
emit on the the back of his neck. The faces, unbeknownst to him had now grown
in size. They began to stretch toward him by strands of flesh, bone, and traces
of black tar; it was a sight that made the entire cell appear as a vast
breathing circulatory system. It began to creep into Valen’s mind that his
residencey of this room was never meant to become vacant.
Valen
began to feel the slithering of cables glide along his exposed chest, up his
ribcage, toward his face. He felt so helpless; the struggling, the screaming,
none of which could break his bonds. The sensory overload of the strange voices
began to take its toll on his fragile psyche. He jerked again and let out a
scream that struck the air. He had accomplished nothing more than add to the
symphony of copious screams..
The
slithering intruder stopped just above his face and what felt like two needles
were thrust into his eye sockets. The pain Valen felt was quick and caused him
to black out; amidst his descent into further darkness he heard the whispers
become clear for the first time,
“We
are Legion. We are Purgatory.”
The
blood seeped from the corner of Valen’s eyes, slowly tracing along his cheeks
and falling to the floor. Upon the first drop the demonic faces had receded
back into the walls and the whispers stopped. Little did he know, but Valen was
about to see the predicament he was in; whether he wanted to or not.
***
“Open your eyes
Mr. Saint,” a tiny but distinguished voice eased Valen out of his disoriented
state.
Valen’s eyes
began to open; he had always opened his eyes as a reflex before but there was
something different this time. A pounding light began to flood in through the
cracks of his eyelids. At first he felt as if nothing had changed. Valen
expected this much, to see this brightness; he was usually able to perceive
daytime from nighttime by the hue of light piercing his retina. Wider his eyes
opened, and with it came even more light; and the more light his eyes took in,
the more Valen drank in the sense of sight he had been deprived of from birth.
“I can see,”
Valen said.
A tear of joy
would have been shed by Valen if it hadn’t been for the fact that tears were a
luxury for the living. His sight still remained blurry as they continued to
focus for the first time. Although he was not able to understand how it was
possible, but didn’t care; he was doing something he had only dreamt of since
he was a child.
Valen looked
towards the abstract silhouette which he assumed was the origin of the tiny
voice. The clearer his vision became the more his enthusiasm began to slowly
vanish. Happiness turned to shock and none of his senses could have prepared
him for the image of the little red goblin staring back at him. If he had not
known any better he may have thought that all humans looked like this;
thankfully because of Rachel he knew better.
The goblin was
dressed in a finely pressed suit and his stature, although small, suggested he
was a gentleman at heart. He adjusted his thin glasses on his larger,
disproportionate head; the temples were held up by his long floppy ears that
made the creature appear taller than he actually was. Valen wasn’t sure if he
had lost his sanity or not. The goblin was a grim sight; or at least he would
have thought that if the backdrop of the room, just coming into focus now,
hadn’t made the goblin pale in comparison.
Valen observed
the abomination of a room. It was so much for his mind to take in at once.
Being able to observe light was one thing but colors were a different story. He
could recall a class that he had taken as a child where his instructors would
use tastes to perceive color, but the only taste left in his mouth now was
bitter. He looked over the room once quickly to see if he could find any exits,
but none made themselves visible. What disturbed him even more was that the
room appeared to be breathing. The walls would expand and collapse in rhythmic
pace that was both hypnotic and nauseating for him to watch.
As Valen rose to
his feet he struggled to maintain his balance as the floor, much like the
walls, felt slick and unstable. It was then that he realized how much he
towered over the little goblin. He figured he couldn’t have been much more than
three feet tall; only coming up to about his waist, not including his pointy
ears. The goblin’s skin was thick and scaled from what Valen was able to tell.
Besides the sharp teeth and claws, he found the creature quite entertaining.
“If you are looking for an exit you won’t find
one,” the goblin said. “But since we have some time together I can answer a few
of those burning questions you’ve been dying to ask.” he placed his hands
behind his back in a prestigious pose.
“I can see,”
Valen said. “W-why can I see? This can’t be happening; and you!” Valen pointed
a finger at the goblin while taking a step backward. “You can’t be real… none
of this can be real. Are you, like, a dog or something?” Valen raised an
eyebrow in collaboration with his question.
“Perhaps introductions are in order,” the
goblin suggested while taking the liberty. “I am Riesen, herald to the great
Archangel Karninfaux, ruler and first captive of Purgatory,” he proclaimed
giving a slight bow to Valen. “And yes that is the very same Purgatory in which
you now reside, Mr. Saint.”
“Great a talking
dog,” Valen put both of his hands on his head and paced in a circle. Valen
quickly changed the subject after noticing the disgruntled look on Riesen’s
face at his last comment. “Do you treat all of your guests this way?”
“On the
contrary, not all are as fortunate as you. I do apologize for the
un-pleasantries but we had to be sure you were the one we were looking for. Had
you been anyone else we would have left you in your cell with the soul
harvesters.”
“Soul
harvesters? Those voices, they kept whispering something to me; something about
Legion,” Valen said.
“The soul harvesters
dwell on the sins of their captives, slowly driving them to insanity by
reminding them of their sins in life. Had they gotten to you, your mind would
be lost now. Within hours you would have been nothing more than a scared little
boy curled up in a fetal position; you are quite lucky,” Riesen said, his voice
revealing he cared little for what might have become of Valen.
Riesen started
to walk in circles around Valen, examining him while keeping his distance.
“So
I should be thanking you for saving me?” Valen asked.
“Saving
you? Ha!” Riesen broke his concentration. “My dear boy, it wasn’t me who saved
you. You can thank Karninfaux for that. I have nothing to do with my master’s
affairs, I merely follow my orders.” Riesen made a final rotation and stopped
in front of Valen. “Besides, I wouldn’t be so quick to celebrate,” he said just
as he vanished. Valen heard the patter of Riesen’s footsteps, but couldn’t see
his movements. He’s quick, Valen
thought to himself as he felt the tug on the back of his shirt. Riesen had
pulled himself up Valen’s body toward his right shoulder and leaned in close to
Valen’s ear.
“You see you’re
not actually conscious right now; you are still locked in your cell.” Valen
straightened himself to accommodate for the creature’s weight. He wasn’t heavy,
but he felt it was best if he kept looking forward as opposed to risk causing
an awkward moment for the both of them. Valen could smell the stench of rotten
meat resonating from Riesen’s breath. The weight shifted again, and Valen
readjusted to compensate.
“But
you don’t have to be stuck here. You can be with Rachel again,” Riesen
whispered.
Hearing
Rachel’s name physically shook Valen. For the first time his mind had shifted
from his own troubles to something much more important.
“Rachel,”
Valen whispered under his breath. “What do you know about Rachel?”
Riesen
grew a sharp smile knowing he had struck a nerve.
“Yes,
I’m sure you would love to be with her again, wouldn’t you? Love is such an, at
times, bothersome thing; wouldn’t you agree?”
“What
do you mean?” Valen snapped back with a stern look.
Riesen
dropped from Valen’s back while stretching out his arms.
“Where
do you think we are?”
“Some
sick and twisted nightma- hey don’t avoid the question. What do you know about
Rachel?” Valen persisted.
“Your
mind Valen… we are in your mind. This place was created by you and reflects
your thoughts. That said, I think it goes without saying that I know everything
about you,” Riesen said.
“Do you believe
in God, Valen?”
The
question threw Valen off. “Yeah… I suppose I do, why?”
“Allow
me to tell you a story, perhaps one you’ve heard before; but I assure you that
you haven’t heard it told like this.” Riesen began walking.
The question
peeked Valen’s curiosity and so he followed.
“In the
beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth. By doing so he created the
Angels in which to serve under Him. These Angels were brothers and sisters and
as such they saw God as their Father whom they deeply loved.”
As
Riesen talked, Valen watched as the room began to take a different shape. It
was unlike any experience he had ever had before. The room came to life with
vibrant colors; and the image of the Earth took shape.
“The
Bible talks about how God created the seas, the land, the animals, and the
plants within the first five days of creation. All of which is true, however in
regards to the creation of man one detail was left out,” Riesen said while
turning to face Valen. “The notion of a day was not something that was based on
a twenty four hour time period. The creation of man, although accomplished on a
sixth day, was actually about six hundred years after the Earth’s creation.”
“Why
would God take six hundred years to create man?” Valen asked.
“Do
you think you could do better?” Riesen laughed. “Why does He need a reason to
do anything He does?”
Valen
gave Riesen a snide look, but decided to let him continue his story.
“This
is where things get really interesting. God had created the Garden of Eden as a
sanctuary for humans; however since he hadn’t created you yet, and the garden
needed tending while he made you, He assigned two Angels to watch over the
Garden. Their names were Karninfaux and Lucifer.”
“Lucifer?”
Valen shouted. He knew that name. Who didn’t know about the fallen Angel who
deceived Adam and Eve into eating the apple from the tree of knowledge?
“Why
does everyone always overreact to that name?” Riesen asked while scratching his
head.
The
image of the Earth disappeared before them. In its place an image of a mighty
tree took shape, reaching well above their heads. From behind the tree a forest
began to wash away the red and black walls; not before long Riesen and Valen
were completely enveloped by the massive jungle. Valen looked around; drinking
in all there was to see.
“It’s
magnificient,” Valen said.
“Yes, it was,”
Riesen replied. “Too bad you screwed it up.”
From beyond the
forest depths a vision of two angels were seen walking within the garden. They
appeared as Valen imagined them to be; majestic beings with large feathery
wings, a halo, they were even draped in white light; the only odd thing Valen
found unsettling was that their faces were missing.
“Karninfaux and
Lucifer; they loved God very much and were oblivious to when the Lord would
return with his first two prime members of humanity. Karninfaux out of his
great adoration took on the task of tending to the Garden while Lucifer took
care of the animals that dwelt within it. It was then that Karninfaux, created
the tree of knowledge, which bore a fruit that was perfect in every way; within
it was put all the knowledge and understanding that was known as the universe.
I suppose it was meant to be a shrine to glorify God’s infinite wisdom.” Riesen
said.
“So
six hundred years passed between the time of creation, to the time of the first
man; and these angels were in charge of the whole planet?” Valen asked while
watching as the events unfolded before him.
“Yes,”
Riesen said, turning to watch the images. “God returned with the prime humans
He called Adam and Eve. They were placed within the garden with the tree of
knowledge. However, God became angry with Karninfaux for creating such an idol
that could hurt his creation. He knew that if anyone were to eat of its fruit
their mind would become perverse; separating them from Him, and so God created
Purgatory and cast Karninfaux into it as punishment.”
“Seems
a bit harsh,” Valen said. “So what is Purgatory anyway?”
Valen
saw the twinkle in Riesen’s eye.
“Purgatory
is the place in which souls are kept for the second coming, or for a better
lack of word, the end of days when all men will be judged accordingly. When
people die their souls have to go somewhere; that place is here. Once God casts
His divine judgment they will be free to go to Heaven or Hell, just as
proclaimed. But this place was never meant to exist; it’s falling apart. The
closer we come to judgment day the sooner this place will become obsolete. It
was by Karninfaux’s creation of the tree that he was damned here for eternity.”
Riesen sighed. “What happened next was the first wrath to ever be poured out
upon an Angel. God used the tree that Karninfaux created to bind bind him to a
throne high above Purgatory. The thorns were permanently fastened into his
skin; so that his blood would poor continuously creating a, what you may call,
mortar for Purgatory; to look upon his blood it would appear as molten lava.”
Reisen looked away. “But he is forced to watch as humans are condemned here, to
witness their torment that he had caused by the creation of the tree.”
“What about
Lucifer?” Valen asked.
“Well, Lucifer
loved his brother so much he decided to exact revenge on God. He tricked Adam
and Eve into eating of the fruit which caused the separation between God and
man. Of course when God learned of this He cast Lucifer into the pit and froze
him in ice until the day he would be needed to reign over Hell; the day he
would be free to torment the souls of the damned. That is where he resides,”
Riesen concluded his story. “But now, Valen Saint, you are a breed apart from
the rest of Purgatory’s captives, and if you ever want to leave this place, you
must be prepared to make a deal.” Riesen lurched forward. “That is, if you ever
want to see Rachel again.”
“What do I have
to do?” Valen turned to look Riesen in the eye.
“I believe you
will find lord Karninfaux’s offer quite fair,” Riesen said. “What we need of you
is to return to Earth, find the Garden of Eden, and destroy the tree of
knowledge.”
“Oh is that
all?” Valen said with a smartass tone of disbelief. This time yesterday Valen’s
world was little more than his job, his girlfriend, and his dog; now he was
dead, sent to Purgatory and being asked to chop down a tree that no one had
seen in. Who knew death would be so much
work, he thought to himself.
“So, why me? Why
not the guy who already has eyes? Why didn’t you ask someone else to help you?”
Valen pressed for answers.
“Not just anyone
can gain access to the Garden; we needed someone whose blood is that of Adam
and Eve, those who were originally in the garden,” Riesen said.
“What are you
saying?” Valen asked.
“You are a
descendent of the prime humans of course.” Riesen said.
Valen looked
back at Riesen with a raised eyebrow.
“Look, Adam and
Eve were the prime humans, they were the first. They both were the only two to
actually eat from the tree of knowledge thus resulting in their banishment from
the garden. From then on the prime bloodlines were separated; usually only once
per generation would there be an actual Adam gene and Eve gene in existence at
the same time. Sometimes the gene would suppress and go dormant for years.
However in your case, by some chance encounter, your mother and father both
possessed the prime gene which resulted in you.” Riesen threw his hands up in
the air. “Your blood is what will allow you to gain access into the garden.”
Riesen stopped to take a breath.
Valen wasn’t
sure how to respond. Although now he was more worried about Riesen’s blood
pressure than the importance of the Riesen’s store. He knew what was asked of
him; he would have to destroy the tree, end of story. He had to get back to
Earth no matter the cost to see if Rachel was alright.
“So why does
Karninfaux want the tree destroyed?” Valen asked.
“My master
wishes to right the wrong he caused humanity. What was supposed to be something
beautiful is now only a reminder of his regret. The task will not be simple,
nor should it be taken lightly. Only you can choose to take up this burden and
see it through,” Riesen said. “Know this though; should you fail you will be
brought back here with the rest of the dead.” Riesen stared directly into
Valen’s eyes.
“We are almost
out of time. You may not have realized this but the eyes you have been given
are not your own. They are the eyes of Karninfaux. When you awaken you will be
able to see through the eyes of an angel. Consider them a gift and they will
guide you without fail.”
Valen began to
feel consciousness pulling him away from the imaginary world he was in. The floor
began to shake and he could hear the trees collapsing in the distant reaches of
the forest. The world he had created in his mind was fleeting into reality.
“You will see me
again soon Valen, but this is where I must say farewell for now.” Riesen said.
The floor caved
in below Valen’s feet sending him tumbling into the darkness. He grabbed onto
the remaining floor still shaking violently.
“Where do I go
from here?” Valen screamed.
Riesen jumped to
the edge that Valen clung to.
“Remember this;
when you awaken you must find your own way out of Purgatory. Make your way to
the highest dungeon; that is where Karninfaux is imprisoned. I will be waiting
for you on the outside.” With those words the last piece of flooring that Valen
held onto gave away. He watched as the world and everything in it went dark.
***
Valen awoke in
his cell room; the straps that once bound him were torn away and the cell door
stood open. He could feel the cool, damp air rush through the doorway. As he
regained his senses his eyes began to creep open sending synapse and electrodes
through his brain reactivating the cellular tissue he had never used before.
His eyes were open for the first time. It was a similar feeling that he had experienced
in the dream world, but this time it felt much more real. His eyes gave off an
aura that caused the darkness to flee from his sight. What a grand vision
Purgatory was to behold; and he now had the eyes that had been in the presence
of God to guide him.
Slowly Valen
began to move his body away from his chair. The soul reapers that had attacked
him before had now receded back into the walls; cowering at the awesome power
of dominion he seemed to have over them; but there was something more
spectacular that stole Valen’s attention. He looked upon the vastness of
Purgatory with his new eyes. He beheld a massive volcanic waterfall; its
origins disappearing behind a pillar hanging from the ceiling.
Valen recalled
the story that Riesen had told him. Karninfaux sat upon a throne wreathed in
thorns and bramble from the tree that pierced his flesh; his blood poured out
turning to molten lava. Valen knew the mouth of the volcanic river had to be
the resting place of the condemned angel. Without ever needing to say it, he
had consented to this assignment. He stepped out of his cell taking notice of
the screams that echoed throughout the large cavern. His eyes revealed the
truth to him and pierced the veil of darkness. He knew these screams had to be
from the souls trapped in Purgatory and he had decided that his own screams
would not become the next to fill the dark void of Purgatory. Valen was
determined to get out alive; even without his eyes, finding Rachel was more
than enough motivation for him to try, no matter the cost.
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