Surreal Life Orgins Part Two: The Game

Chapter 5: The Rules

When a game of venture is led into the game of life, it becomes a very serious game. And the rules must be followed with the upmost of care.

"What the?" pondered Jeremy, as a faint whistle cried out. A whistle similar to the shriek of a kettle informing its master that tea is ready.

Instantly after Jeremy's inquiry, a blinding beam of energy with the same hue as the motifs on the floor gushed out of the terrain.

"What thee hell?!" squawked Papa, struggling to be shriller than the gale generated by the illumines ray.

The beacon quickly faded away as abruptly as it materialized, deserting a charred blemish and an accumulation of random bones.

"Oh my God! Jeremy!" bellowed Jack, out of revulsion and perplexity.

"What happened?" demanded Sasha, "I can't see!" She was so incredibly stunned at the sight of the flare; she could not advert her ogles, and became blind.

"I doth deem that thine associate dubb'd Jeremy, hath been execut'd by mine enchantment, dear Sasha," said a mysterious voice

The mysterious voice surrounded them, alternating directions from which it came.

An origin-less shadow materialized onto the wall. It was extremely anomalous appearing shadow. It had great height and was slimmer than any model could hope to be. The head (or what could be interpreted as a head) was formed by a triangle topped by an intermediately- sized swirl.

"Who ... What are you?" asked Samson, truly intrigued.

"I, mine dearest lad, hast the title of Nermal, God of Hell," laughed the shadow.

"I thought Lucifer was the God of Hell," Apposed Joni.

"That was true, until an eon ago, a revolution arose, and that foolish Satin was dethroned, and I, the one who had guid'd revolutionary army to arms, became the new Flibbertigibbet king."

"Wait, you killed Mr.Tikarrondé, Merrilda, Butch, and Jeremy?" asked Sasha, who was facing the wrong wall.

Nermal disappeared from his wall and developed next to the bemused girl as a third-dimensional figure dressed in a cobweb-like suit and a red tie. His one, snake-like eye was placed in the dead center of his bonce, glowing green as an entire city made of emerald. His skin was blacker than the soul of a sinner, not yet acknowledging what his actions will have for him after death. Randomly dispersed among his arms and legs where burnished, khaki orbs.

He deposited his insensible hand upon Sasha's shoulder.

"Mine unsight'd child, ye art correct. The Bernard thou speak of craft'd a treaty with myself. He offer'd me his soul in order to succe'd in all wagers he was to make. I would then reenter upon his fiftieth anniversary of the deal to return his soul, in exchange f'r half-done of his wealth.

"Come the day of the fiftieth anniversary, and he denies to bequeath his mammon due to gre'd. I anon claim what is truly mine; Tikarrondé and what he holds dear. Sasha, thou whence not afar when thou stat'd that cause of bereavement wasth gre'd."

"I see why you killed his wife and son," said Joni, "but why Jeremy? He hated Jeremy."

"'Tis true. Nonetheless, he was a part of something Tikarrondé held further ... dearer than spouse 'r spawn. His being of the "master of the house. " I was claiming mine rightful souls with amusement of seeing how to see thou mortals react to of what thou think to be true. Alas, it grew to be lackluster, and I took thy bellhop as thou saw.

"'Twas divine showing thou the sooth, however, in spite of our encounter, thy souls shalt be claim'd." Nermal said this as he stated to dissolve.

"Wait!" shouted Joni, "Instead of claiming our souls in a boring way, wouldn't you prefer to play a game?"

The God of Hell paused for a trice, and then emerged from the shadows.

"What doth thou imply?" requested Nermal

"I mean," Joni clarified, "that if me-"

"Enough procrastinating!" hollered the now sober lunatic as he snatched a crowbar and ebbed it at Nermal. In response, Nermal merely tapped the flat, metal cane and it instantaneously oxidized turned to an accumulation of red dust.

Joni collected a nearby pew and threw it at the manager, who, luckily, eschewed the soaring furniture, allowing it to mar itself on the fortification behind him.

"GOD DANG IT PAPA, LEAVE THIS TO MATURE PEAPOLE!" Joni yelled, and then continued on with her conversation with Lucifer's replacement, "I mean that if me, my friends, Papa, Jeremy's remains out of this motel before the end of sunrise, without you interfering personally, you let us go and bring Jeremy back to life."

"'Tis impossible, I reap souls, not material bodies."

"Then allow his soul to possess his vestiges and take control of them."

"I twig ... and if thy efforts art to be in vain?"

"Then you can have our souls, all our souls."

Nermal ruminated upon this for a few moments. Being a demon, he could not pass up an opportunity to play with his prey. But if he took this ante, there was a possibility that he would not only loose six feasible souls, but also one he had already collected.

Nermal gave out a menacing chuckle, "I consent, if all of ye art to triumph, in which thou will not, I shallt keep true and release thy and Jeremy's souls, as well as be a slave to thou, ye bantam lass. But if ye art to not, I shallt hast mine self six, new souls."

He stuck out his claw to inference that he was willing to make a deal. Joni quickly took this opportunity to seal it.

Nermal leaned close to Joni as they shook their hands and uttered, "Allow the games to commence."

Nermal transformed into a ghastly shadow and flew off, cackling.

"So, that's all we have to do, leave this motel?" Jack asked Joni, "Well, that's easy!"

"Not quite so..." retortedJoni.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that he's a demon, his kind don't have cheat, lie, or swindle in their vocabulary."