Death's Bitter Embrace (#Wattys2015)

Act II, Chapter XV: Benevolence

"I have been good to you Dante, I have shown you benevolence, have I not? 'The Nightmare Room' was a test, a test of might, a test of teamwork, a test of preposterous odds, and you survived, both of you. That's what I need. I need you." Lucifer says calmly, Cain still going on in the background about his 'arm'.
"He shoved us in a room with hundreds of thousands of those...things and forced us to kill them all, how is that showing benevolence?" I question-almost aloud-my conscious asking many questions, this one the most frequent. What had he in store for us now? Probably a test of wit, I can picture it now: X-treme chess, a thirty second timer for each go; making it harder, making us make rash decisions. Whoever loses will die by laser wielding sharks...or something ridiculously stupid like that. But apparently that's showing benevolence.

    The limo pulled up beside us and he told us to get in, we did what we were told, I don't know why though, it's not like he could kill us: we were his best allies, we are his best allies, Alex and I were sitting in the back of the limo, most teenagers would have a merry old time in a limo, not us, no! This limo ride meant something, sealing our fates, our faces grim knowing all too well what could await us and so we sat. We sat in an uncomfortable silence for the duration of the chaperoned ride, like the person you hate just came up and asked for a hug. Yeah, that kind of silence.

    The limo stopped abruptly, slamming on the brakes lurching us forward ending the silence with a few 'oofs' from Alex and I, I stare out the window blankly trying to figure out where the hell we were. The driver got out and opened the door for us-it was the same guy who had taken me to Lucifer's abode, his nose still busted and broken from when I had punched him-we were in a forest of somesort, it looked like ten hedge mazes had been combined into one.

    Lucifer had taken a second limo that followed our limo, both were Chrysler's but The Devil had taken a red limo, the colour of demons, a crimson red, it glared dimly under the Australian sun. As he advanced towards us he started to monologue, why does everyone feel the insatiable need to start a monologue?

"I have wanted to give this role to someone for a while now, but, no-one was worthy, until you came along. You have been loyal for the time I have had you here, so I am promoting you...Dante, you are now the FateGiver, you bring people here to either kill them, or, to 'save' them, or just torture them-the choice is yours. I hope you appreciate this as it is a big role to fill." He smirks at me-but not a deceptive smirk, a genuine smile, it looked forced and fake but a smile nonetheless.

    Alex glances at me, then stares into the deep thick forest, ferns sheltering the other small trees, moss covered the grassy walkway, shining spectacularly in the light-what little there was as all the trees, ferns and thick leaves acted as a filter for the light. Alex then glances back at me and opens her mouth to say something, she quickly shuts her mouth as if she had sworn not tell me what she was about to say.

    What happens to Alex if I am the FateGiver? What does she do? Does she get a new job, a promotion? All these questions pounding in my head, bouncing in all directions apart from the direction I want them to go; to an answer.

"Dante, are you going to name this forest? This forest is yours, what are you calling it? Alex will be your assistant, don't worry, she'll be right here with you.

    What a relief, I think hard of the name I am going to call it, I'm going to make this my personal hell, a hell for others and a home for creatures of the night, this was going to be fun, I would torture people here, my first victim would be the one, the only Rory McDouchebag, probably some of his other deadshit mates too.

    This forest is now my sanctuary, my place of peace, I will spend every waking moment in this forest, off in the distance I see a massive 100 foot clock tower, a murky lake filled to the brim with muck and sludge, the entrance was marked by large metal gates, the gates on one hinge each and rusty. This place needs a bit of a touch up, but not to worry, a little labour never hurt anyone, especially when trying to find perfection.

    Rory Evans would love it here, he can socialize with people like him: scum of the earth, people with no lives or just plain deadbeats, Rory isn't the type to take in scenery unless he is forced. I am going to make sure he catches a glimpse of the two things he hates most before I kill him;
The scenery
My face

    I would string him up to the highest point in the clock tower and torture him, first, destroying his hearing by using a novelty blow horn to deafen him, and then grab an ice pick and destroy his ear canals, shaking him to his core before the torture had even started, or, maybe I should let him hear every crippling blow, every bone being crushed, every word of hatred that escaped my mouth.

    I am lost in thought with an insatiable desire to torture Rory McDouchebag, the school bully, teach him a lesson not to screw with people who can't fight for the selves, or someone who looks helpless, I will show him that the helpless people, the people who don't fight back, can fight back, can hold a grudge and most of all can take revenge.

"I have a name-" I pause for dramatic effect, I liked the arts, I didn't just like acting, I loved it, I had been told I was a natural by many people; my teachers, my peers, and even a person from Broadway told me I was a natural. Alex and Lucifer itching to know the name, looking inpatient, I finally told them to stop their suffering.

               "Dante's Inferno"