earth

chapter 31

I stay in the background as Riley tattoo her few followers...Watching as blood carve from their skin while it's happening... I stare at the back of my hand, that hadn't been carved...The people who gone the mark- the mark of the beast...Some of them know what it is...Some of them are ignorant of the truth of what it might stand for...And others believe...others believe that it'll save them from death...

The one above is real, I've seen him myself...My body can't stop shaking...even at the thought...the day- the day I fell stupid! he- he was just walking...and I jump...I fell into hell...

"William" Riley's voice woke me up from that day..." Did I carve your hand already?" She wonders.

"Yes" I answer, Her eyes narrow, and walks off- I watch as she walks to this man- Probably asking him does he accept, he shook his head...She took her tablet and wrote his name moving on to the next person...

"Mister" A man wearing all white head to toe coming walks up to me...the only color on him is his bleeding hand. " How old are you?"

"20" I answer, " And you-"

"God, they make them so young...what drove you into this...grime? what drove you to...this?" His wrinkled hands held the sides of my face lowering me down- What...what lead me...lead me here? 

I take a deep breath and look at him, his eyes full of curiosity. "Why did I join?" I ask, my voice trembling slightly. He smiles softly, encouraging me to continue

He leans in closer, his voice barely above a whisper. "Yes...yes tell me why," he says, his words slipping into my soul

My voice trembles as I try to explain myself. "I-i-i...I wanted control, I wanted power!" I say, my words coming out in a rush. "I-i didn't want...I couldn't be in second place any longer." The memories flood back, of the promises the king of hell made to me. He had told us that we could be like the one above if we just showed that we had our own minds, our own hearts. And I had wanted that so badly. "I wanted to be like...the one above!" I say, my voice breaking. "The one above..." My face crumbles and falls as I kneel, bowing again. Bowing to him, to the one above. I bow in his presence, and it hurts. Bowing down, cowering away, it hurts so much. But it's the only thing I can do

His widens eyes in curiosity as I listen to him speak. "God, you're talking about God, aren't you?"

I wipe off my face, my eyes still wet with tears, and look up to the man. "Yes," I reply, my voice barely above a whisper.

The man's voice is cold and sinister as he speaks. "God gave  man to earth...to rule it, to tame it," he says, his eyes glinting with malice. "You can still do those things. You can control the earth...not without a bit of help, of course." He lifts his hand from behind his back, showing his blood-dripping hand with the numbers 6.6.6 carved into it. "I want the same thing as you do," he continues, his voice low and menacing. "So go, my child. Get the mark."
And as I stand up and walk closer to Riley,
 
“ I lied” I spoke handing her my hand…” Mark me” Her eyes glisten turning away from the woman to me

"All right," she grins, her eyes glinting with malice...
When it was time to leave...3,000 people have been murdered in refusal of getting the mark...they've been stone to death, Jason and I took turns seeing who can make them scream the most...It was a very fun game
  
After a while, everyone made it back to the castle house, the noise of 73,000 people living here now is deafening

As I lay in bed, I heard a soft rustling sound. Suddenly, the door creaked open, and in walked is Ava carrying a tray of food. "I got food for us," she whispered, her eyes shining in the dim light.

I look up at her and whisper, "Thank you." She places the plate on my lap, and I stare at the perfectly cooked steak and potatoes. As I took in the delicious aroma, my eyes wander to her hands, searching for The mark. To my surprise, her hands were smooth and unmarked. Suddenly, her eyes lock onto my hand

She looks at me with concern and pushes down her eyebrows, saying, "You got the mark..." Her voice trails off, and she looks away, seemingly lost in thought. “I’m sorry”

Confused, I look at her and ask, "Why are you sorry?" Her eyes meet mine, and she takes a deep breath before answering.

Tears streams down her face as she spoke, "You're going to hell for Eternity. You won't have the opportunity to go to heaven, and it's my fault. It's my fault because I'm so weak, and you're doing all this for me. You're protecting me. I'm sorry." Her words were heavy with sadness and regret…I reach out and gently place my hand on her cheek, turning her head so she could face me

Tears well up in her eyes as I whisper, "I'm already in hell." The weight of my words hanging heavy in the air, and more tears streaming down her face

She looks into my eyes and said, "If you're already in hell, tell me the directions, and I'll follow you! I'll come with you! I want to be with you for Eternity. I don't ever want my soul to be away from yours! Being away from you- your touch...your love. It’s like the devil himself eating me alive! William, I love you!" The intensity of her emotions is overwhelming, and I can feel my heart racing with every word she spoke….As I look at her, I could see the love and passion in her eyes, Our lips met in a fiery embrace…Our bodies collided, and she falls back onto the bed, her hair spread across the pillow.

my lips brushing against her neck as I whisper into her ear. “The devil isn’t eating you alive…I am” The warmth of her skin sent shivers down my spine, and I could feel the gentle rise and fall of her breath against my cheek

"Are you the devil?" Her whimper sent shivers down my spine, As she rolls her neck to the side, I could see the passion and desire in her eyes.

"I can be," as I bit her earlobe gently. I could feel the warmth of her skin against my lips, and I could hear the soft moans that escapes her lips. As I hold her close...

First half over