Go to Sleep: The Origin of Jefferson Gray

He Comes

A man with pure red skin and dark hopes sat in a gold throne. A throne that had no comfort whatsoever, not even a cushion. Just arm rests and back support. This golden throne was once gray, but was stained gold after this dark god coated it in the blood of his fellow immortals. Still, this god's hands were stained with immortal blood, too. 

The throne was built for one reason: to intimidate. And it did it's job. 

The man wore black robes, black as shadow, black as his throne room. He looked about 64 years old, but don't be fooled. This god--no, this being who was much, much more than a god--was incalculably old. Older than time. In fact, he was time. His hands were long, red as blood like his face, and deeply lined and calloused. On the left and right sides of his robe were two gold sashes. Some of his servants often wondered if those sashes were made of cloth, metal, or if they were purified organs of gods. Their master neither denied or confirmed. The Eternal Emperor had eight limbs. An extra arm came out from his chest, and another from his back. An extra leg came from his pelvic region, and another from his tailbone. Where his hands and feet should have been were snake heads with red skin, bright yellow eyes and sharp teeth. They bit at the air, their tongues darting in and out. His face was like a lion with red fur, and scars across his wolf nose. He had yellow shark teeth, three rows of them with black gums, bared in a predatory grin. A black mane covered his neck and the top of his head, and two wolf ears jutted from the top of his mane while lion ears were lower down. Two horns jutted from his head, a black and red great white shark fin protruded from his back, and two black and red dragon wings were on his shoulders. His eyes were bright yellow, burning like the invincible fire that he was. The Eternal Emperor was a macabre combination of shark, snake, spider, lion, wolf, and dragon, further blessed with a cruelty and relentlessness that surpassed all life forms. 


This being was once Kronos, the Titan of Time and Death. However, after being destroyed by his children and imprisoned in Nezperdia, he evolved. He had risen from the ashes of Kronos, phoenix-like, and had become--

"Lord Zalgo! Ave Lord Zalgo! Aftos erchatai! Aftos erchatai! Aftos erchatai! Ave Z'algathoth!"

The Avatar of Chaos, Time,  and Death heard the cheers of his countless supporters in the Ebony Hall. This brought a smile to the lips of the Eternal Emperor.

As he expected, there was a knock on his polished door. 

"Enter.", said Zalgo in his deep voice. 

In walked his High Priest, known to all as Pinhead, leader of the Cenobites. Pinhead was a tall man, dressed in a black leather robe, with skin so white it almost seemed to emit a pearly glow. Of course, there were pins and nails driven into his scalp and face, hence the name 'Pinhead.' He loathed that moniker, however. He preferred to be called 'the Hellraiser.' 

Zalgo understood. He even sympathized to an extent. He, too, had an embarrassing nickname centuries ago. When he was still Kronos, his siblings called him the Crooked One, an alias he hated from the start. Regardless of that fact, Pinhead was a superb right hand. So why not show him respect and dignity?

Pinhead knelt before his master. He lifted his head, his black eyes glittering with malice. 

"I have news, my Lord.", said Pinhead. "Jefferson Gray has claimed his first victims."

Zalgo nodded. "As expected. We have pushed the lad to the breaking point at last, it seems. It was only a matter of time until he extinguished his first lives. I wonder who his victims were."

Pinhead shrugged. "Keith Mex's friends." Pinhead said the word friends the way someone might say cancer. 

"All well and good. Jefferson shall bring much death to the world, indeed. But I am also aware that he craves Cenobite blood. All of your blood, in fact. On top of that, that faceless heretic has gotten a-hold of him. This is most unfortunate, Hellraiser."

Pinhead frowned. "How did you know that my rival--"

"Our rival," Zalgo chided him. "To answer your question, well...Dr. Lecter's spies are everywhere. Even if we were to remove them from the situation, I would still have learned this on my own. I am apprised of everything. You know, I'm a little surprised I need to remind you."

Zalgo the Eternal rose from his bloody throne and glided toward his servant. He towered over Pinhead, standing at eight feet, eight inches. 

"Rise.", Zalgo commanded.

Pinhead rose, and kept his gaze on his master. 

"When you suggested to me all those centuries ago that we target House Gray, I thought it a clever idea. However, I doubt the wisdom of that idea, now that we have a spiteful lunatic meddling with my operations." Zalgo didn't raise his voice, but Pinhead had learned to notice when his master was angry. At this moment, the rage was radiating like a supernova. 

"He is a child, my Lord. ", Pinhead sneered. "We can deal with him."

"I accomplished much when I was a child. Do not underestimate him, Hellraiser."

Growing impatient, Pinhead demanded, "Why not kill him now, then?"

Zalgo actually chuckled at that. The Spirit of Chaos snapped his fingers. Out of the shadows walked a tall and painfully thin young man, dressed in a brown leather jacket and black jeans, as well as black boots. In his gloved hands, he held a tomahawk, coated in fresh blood. Finally, he wore a ratty orange mask, with red lenses. 

Pinhead was all too familiar with this one. He recruited him long ago, after all. 

"Hello, Acolyte.", Pinhead greeted stiffly. 

"Always a pleasure, sir.", replied Acolyte. His voice was nasally and raspy. It sounded as if he didn't drink anything for 30 years. Placing his bloody weapon in his belt, Acolyte knelt before Zalgo. 

"What is thy bidding, my master?", asked Acolyte gravely. 

Zalgo smiled. The fact that Acolyte was trying to be civilized amused him. He knew that, at his core, the Bat of Genocide was simply an animal pretending to be a man. More to the point, he was the perfect servant for this plan Zalgo had cooked up. 

"We have a new enemy, kiddo. Your rival has finally spilled blood.", Zalgo growled. 

Filled with adrenaline, Acolyte rose to his feet. "Where is he? I'll spill his blood right now!", Acolyte snarled gleefully. 

"Patience, kiddo. ", Zalgo advised him. "Jeff the Killer is not ready to face you. Not yet. But do not worry. In time, you shall have the chance to face your foe in battle. Do not fret. You have waited this long. What more is a few more years?"

With no other choice, Acolyte nodded. Grinning hideously, Zalgo placed his arms on the Bat of Genocide's scrawny shoulder. The snakes sniffed at him and dragged their tongues across his jacket. 

"Ohh, yes. Everything is transpiring according to my design.", Zalgo purred. He was most pleased, indeed. All the pieces of the puzzle were coming together. All he needed to do was wait a bit longer, and then...at last...he would rise again. "In time, they will burn. In time, everything...will burn. "

                                                             TO BE CONTINUED