Will Of Thanatos

They never asked my name.
 That’s perfectly fine with me, though. My name doesn’t matter anymore. Now I’m a tool. A weapon. A pawn. You think that would make me feel angry, angry that I’m just some disposable, worthless thing in their eyes?
 It doesn’t.
 I was never useful before, not once in my life. Even my parents gave up on me. They were good people, don’t get me wrong, but even for them it reached a point where they knew that nothing could help me. A broken child grew into a fractured man. They never actively kicked me out, but the way they avoided my eyes and softly sobbed whenever I exited the room gave me all the hint I needed. I packed what little I had and took to the streets. I figured I had a fair shot, I mean, the other useless rejects found some way to scrape together an existence, right?
Winter hit hard. I had no shelter.
I was freezing to death on the sidewalk, under a considerable pile of snow. I could tell I was dying because I had stopped shivering five minutes ago. Strangely enough, I stopped caring, too. Freezing to death seemed like a nice way to go, I was numb and the snow felt like a big warm blanket, like the ones my parents used to drape over me as a child. The only downside I could see was the probability of people tripping over me. I tried to stand up, but my body refused. I must have shook at least a bit, because I was noticed. Multiple hands began brushing snow off my freezing soon to be corpse. They wore big, woolen jackets and thick gloves made from what seemed to be leather. They never even said anything, just lifted my frozen frame and threw me into their van. I fell asleep four four hours.
When I woke, most of what I felt was pain. Indescribable pain. The rest of it was confusion, as well as slight sadness. Did I make it to heaven? Is this hell? Why is hell so bright? The answer seemed to be a resounding no, on all accounts. I was on a table. I also didn’t have any limbs. That should’ve bothered me, I guess, but I had already given up on existence. Being limbless didn’t seem too terrible. But then I started itching. A horrible, relentless itch on my nose. It was agony. But that’s how I met an unexpected friend. All eight of her legs scampered up my face and, seemingly, stared into my eyes. She was a pleasant shade of black, with shaggy hairs sprouting at various angles. I spoke up, feeling she could hear me. 
“Hello. Could you please itch my nose?”
She blinked once, then scampered to my nose and used her fangs to delicately scratch my skin. She then crawled slowly down to my stomach.
“Thank you, friend. That itch was driving me crazy.”
She clicked a short response, then closed her eyes. A door opened to my right, and she rose and spun in what seemed to be a blink’s worth of time. She then gauged the threat to be minimal, and settled back into the fabric of my gown.
“Ah, I see you’ve met the hierachnid. Quite friendly, no?”
“She got rid of the itch on my nose. I owe her my life.” I said, with utter certainty. 
“Erm… yes. Well, I’m glad you don’t hate her, as she seems quite smitten with you. I take it you wonder where you are?”
“I was dying in the snow a few hours ago. I’m not now. The rest is irrelevant.”
“A true go-getter attitude. Well, you’ll be happy to note that your new limbs are coming in soon. Any preference of color?”
“As close to my skin tone as you can find.”
“Ah. Better for camouflage, I suppose. I’ll knock you back out until the procedure is done. I’ve heard from other patients the procedure is… Unpleasant, otherwise.”
He retrieved a needle, and moved to plunge it into my shoulder. She beat him to it, and before I could even register it happened the needle was broken and sunk into the flesh of the doctor’s arm. She hissed a warning, her hairs bristling.
“My my.” The doctor said, removing the needle. “Could you please tell her to calm down? She seems agitated.”
“It’s alright, Grace. He’s giving me anesthesia.” I said, using the name I thought of for her. She clicked twice, then settled back down onto my chest, still slightly bristled and ready for action.
“Let’s try this again, shall we?” He said, grabbing a new needle. He plunged it into my shoulder and, as promised, I was out like a light.
-end chapter one-

Hodgepodge

It’s slipping out.
Rage I hold inside, concealed with passivity, tears at the seams of my skin and fucks the holes. I am nothing but tatters.
Get away from me. I want to kill you. Get away from me. I will kill you. Get the fuck away from me. Pick at the scab until I bleed out.
Bury me under my sins. Dig through the shit and sweat and pus until I can’t see, can’t breath, can’t feel anything anymore.
Can’t you feel it? It’s so very close to you. It’s in your spine. Can’t you feel it wiggling? Writhing? Fighting? It’s waiting to be born.
Were you happy? Are you now? It festers in your soul. You’ll hear it soon when it cracks through your hollow bones only to be buried seven feet deep under nothing.
I rot while you laugh. You become the food, nutrition to feed growing rage. 
I feast.
— — —
They look at it and see ugliness. I see something quite different.
I see beauty.
They see waste, trash that takes space and gives nothing but odor in return.
I see workers that have done their job and wait, oh so patiently, to return to the elements, their weariness drifting on to new life.
They look and see sulfurous ash that has taken homes and lives from them. An object of hatred thrown by an uncaring mass.
I see gentle shades of grey, the quiet embrace of a father after the mother has gone to sleep, tender yet solemn.
They see polluted waters, creatures in the sea dying from the carelessness of bureaucracy.
I see a painter who shares his art with everything he touches, painting it a shimmering black.
I may be wrong. The things I see may not be beautiful, even horrible at times, yet that’s not the point.
For it is not about the beauty that is present, it’s the beauty you perceive.
— — —
Dig.
Tunnel into the soil so you may find your desiccated corpse, filthy with mud and sin. Uncover your own lies.
Dig deeper.
For here you lie, shamed and abandoned as the worthlessness you are. You were nothing.
Burrow.
Writhe your way deeper into your tomb. You belong there. You were a coward and a fool.
Bury.
Give up. There’s nothing left. What you cared about is gone. You’ve destroyed it.
Rot.
Decompose.
Begin anew.
— — —
-As heard from a broadcast on the radio (which was mostly unintelligible), between periods of lucidity-
… Inescapable agony, both physical and mental wind their way through your dreams and into your waking nightmares until…
-20 minute rant comprised of groans and sobs-
… Deliverance of divine light upon the unholy beasts of Satan’s wrath give way to…
-a brief period of silence-
… You don’t understand. I’m so sorry. I’m afraid I cannot teach you my child, for your mind…
-an hour of ragged, strained breathing-
… Stop. Now. Not later, not tomorrow, now. Or else I swear that the hatred…
-another brief period of silence-
… Are you still listening? Good. They’re watching you. As soon as you turn off the radio and go to bed they will enter your room and…
-it ends abruptly then, 5 hours later-
… Don’t worry. I’m watching you, too.
-end broadcast-
— — —
Gradually decaying far beyond itself
Ticking endlessly, wordlessly, meaninglessly
Growing closer, sinking farther
Deeper and deeper
Sinking into murky blackness as it helplessly cries out
“Please”
A plea unanswered, because nothing could hear
Farther and farther and deeper and closer
Thoughts fleeing hopelessly when the mind loses the will to comprehend
Reaching the end, saying “it was worth it”
Was it really? You’r nothing now. Not even nothing. Waiting to fade.
Waiting to die, or waiting for life? Was it truly ever alive?
Was it really ever anything? Or was it waiting for death since it existed?
Was anything there to begin with? Nothing knows because there’s nothing to see.
Even closer, even farther
Drifting through limbo, fading from meaninglessness
— — —
It was five in the morning at a company party when I saw him last.
He was quite a sight, showing none of the excitement and vivaciousness towards life that he used to.
One look at his dull, nearly colorless eyes showed you how much of himself he had lost.
He wore a flowing black coat, woolen by the looks of it, that seemed to match the haggard expression on his bearded face like the shaggy feathers of a crow.
 He had a small white cap on his head that looked like it would belong to a child, but even that symbol of youth and happiness dulled when matched to the dismal state of its owner.
 Leaning against the wall, he was seemingly trying to slowly shove himself as far into a corner as possible. It was as if he wanted to sink slowly into the plaster and remove himself from existence, unable to deal with the matters at hand.
 Pulling out a cigarette and a lighter, he tried to bring the cigarette to his face and light it, but it brought him close enough to the verge of tears that you could see drops glistening, waiting to fall at any slight provocation. His arms sank as if the soul residing within him were slowly seeping out, whilst both cigarette and lighter fell to the ground uselessly. 
He then walked out, leaving the party in silence, saying nothing to anyone. Lost to the world.
Five weeks later, he was found in his apartment dead, bearded and rotting after he had ran out of food and water to sustain himself. On his computer read a simple note, saying in one tiny, helpless sentence, everything he had to say.
“I sure messed up, didn’t I?”
— — —
You’ve tried to hide
But I’m inside you
You’ve tried running
I’m three steps faster
You’ve tried to end it
But I’m not done yet
You’ve threatened me
With fangs brittle as ice
I’ve seared my name into every single crevice
A constant reminder that I am here
You feel me underneath your skin
And I crawl with each breath you take
I wait with the patience of a vulture
And watch you rot from the inside
But I’m not done yet, not yet
Because I’m never finished
You will feel me again
You will fear me again
I will destroy you again
Then I will build you again
And destroy you again
And again
And again

— — —
Digging further into tender flesh to find brittle bone
Deeper and deeper, pain deeper than the words that describe
Flaying the skin, promises of agony sing through to the soul
Cut to bone, sounds wasted on the sane
It feels
It seethes
It writhes
Trying desperately
Futilely 
To hide what is left from the all seeing eye
Weak attempts at resistance incite a more beautiful song
Agony screeches out, a symphony reviled by the simplicity of man
The slumber ends and the dreaded awaken
— — —
I am that which you do not know.
Look upon me and feel your skin crawl with…
Fear?
Realization?
Acceptance?
You do not know, and so I am.
I am that which haunts your worst nightmare.
Think of me and become…
Terrified?
Hysterical?
Curious?
All these are true, and so my existence is justified.
I am death. Think of me and…
Despair?
Hope?
Yearn?
I am unknown, thus I am your worst nightmare. I am inevitable, and so my existence is justified.
— — — — — —
If you got to the end here, then congratulations! You’ve read through my most current writings (discluding chapter stories I may or may not work on in the future) which I felt I should post, considering my absence from this blog. I’ll try to put any future stories I deem worthy here in the future. So till next time, this is Ultracww, signing off!

A Darker Turn

Oh this is just great. Just fucking perfect.
Here I am, minding my business as the ruler of hell (not the most illustrious job, mind you) and I get news of this? This is… Fuck me.
So, apparently, my counterpart God has gone crazy, and is kicking everyone out of heaven, causing massive chaos on earth. People are dying left and right, and we aren’t fit to hold good people, so we have to turn people away, resulting in more cases of paranormal activity. See this is what happens when someone doesn’t do their fucking job. Everything gets messed up, the world turns on its head, I get way too much traffic. 
You know what? No. I’m not going to fucking stand for this… This… Bullshit. I’m going to go up there, bust down the gates of heaven, and rip God a new one. You hear that grandpa sparkles?! Good old lucifer’s gonna set you back where you belong!
… Or so I thought.
When I got to the surface, as I suspected people freaked the fuck out. Of course you’d freak out when the lord of the demons walks the earth with a gigantic sword (for protection heheh) and a creepy smile on his face. And of course they’d start firing their tanks at me. It’s only normal. Stings a bit, but it’s normal.
What I DIDN’T expect, however, was all the angels floating on earth.
So I walk up to one and say hey. He looks just as confused as I am.
“Hey, Michael! What’s going on?” 
“Lucifer? It’s been a while. How ya been doing?”
“Oh just peachy. I was GOING to come up to talk some sense into God, but look what I’ve walked into. What’s going on up here?”
“For the love of all that’s holy, the lord’s gone mad. He just… Lost his shit. For no reason. At all. Throwing holy light everywhere and screaming, “IMSICKOFTHISSHITGRAAAH!”. I mean, being the ruler of heaven must get tedious after time, but c’mon. Throwing everyone out? Then he left us to take care of the leftovers. It’s bullshit. Birth rates have dropped exponentially since we haven’t had the time to mold any babies, and people are freaking out. Granted, I’m sure you can tell, being the ruler of hell and all. Must’ve been a ton of extra traffic due to death rates not dropping. I know the earth is taking it hard too. Poor old Gaia can hardly bear all the commotion of the dead.”
“Knew the fucker went nuts. Well, I’ll have to see you later, Michael, I’ve gotta go snap some sense into the glorified lightbulb. See ya!”
“Catch you later satan! Maybe over coffee sometime!”
And I launch into the sky, black, shadowy wings tearing from my back (I know it’s showy but how could I not), and tear a hole in the sky to get into heaven.
… It looks like shit. 
The place has streaks of light flowing all throughout it in a messy, throw-it-just-anywhere fashion. God. Has went bat. Shit. Crazy.
I can hear him inside the gates yelling in the old voice, “I’M NOT A HOTEL! WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE TAKING GOOD PEOPLE INTO MY DINING HALL, NOT PRUDISH PRICKS WHO SOUND LIKE THEY HAVE A STICK 5 MILES UP THEIR ASS!”
Okay. Now I think I see what’s going on.
I enter the gates and make my way to Valhalla, God’s hall for champions, and hear more loud booming.
Gods still throwing a hissy fit, eh? Well I know how to stop that.
I knock on the door.
“Yo God. It’s me, Lucifer. Got some time?”
“FUCK OFF SATAN!”
Heh, wrong choice of words, boyo.
I kick down the door to see a raging God, throwing everything everywhere and trying to obliterate things with light spheres. Good thing he made those near indestructible when he created Valhalla, or else this place would be ruins by now.
“THE HELL?”
God’s vision snaps to me. Good, that’s where I want it.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?!?!”
“Oh, I just came here to stop your hissy fit and maybe beat some sense into you.” I say, polishing my sword. “Seems you’ve forgotten your role, friend, and I’m going to make you remember.”
“OVER MY UNENDING SOUL!”
“Alright.”
And he swings at me. I dodge it easily, swinging the sword into his ribcage and sending him flying into the wall.
“ILL DESTROY YOU!”
“Many have tried, all of them failed. Could you be the-OOF!”
He ends my monologue with a flying kick to the face, having pushed off the wall.
“Damn! That hurt you son of a bitch!”
I yell, smashing the blade into his jaw in a two-handed uppercut.
He retaliates by using an enhanced version of gravity to slam his fist into my skullcap. I can tell, this fight’ll be a long one.
… Or maybe God will just burst suddenly into tears. That could happen too.
“Hey, what’s wrong big man?”
“It’s… It’s been too much. There’s too many things going on up here and the brunt of the work falls on me! Controlling the seasons, the sunrise, the sunset, evaluating warriors into Valhalla, too many things! I never get a second to myself!”
Firstly, I slap him.
“Ow! What was that for?”
“Only a coward gives up mid fight. You taught me that.”
Secondly, I slap him.
“The hell?! What was that one for?!”
“Personal tragedies are no reason to kick everyone out of heaven! Have you no empathy dear father!? Everyone, including the dead and the Angels, are going stark raving mad down there! Nobody can accomplish anything with you throwing a temper tantrum up here!”
Thirdly, I offer a hand to help him up.
“Here. Get your ass off the ground, big lug.”
I help him off the ground, and he sighs.
“What should I do? I need time to myself for a bit, but who’s going to fill my place while I’m gone? Michael can’t take over the job, he’s got his own damned duties, and there’s no-one else I can trust to hold the position while I’m gone…”
“You seem to have forgotten the ace in the hole, my friend.”
“Hmm?”
“The old gods, Zeus. You know, the ones you sent to slumber because you felt you could take on the job alone?”
“… Fuck me I totally forgot about them.”
“Just wake them back up and let them take care of the jobs for a while. They’ve done it in the past, they can do it now.”
“Yeah! Finally I can have some free time!”
“Hell yeah! Hey, wanna swing by hell and chug a few? Y’know, to celebrate the start of a brand new age!”
“Sure! Just let me go and wake them up…”
And it was all fine from there. Me and God went back down to hell, at the amazement of the mortals, and put down some devil’s mead (real strong stuff, too much so for mortals.). Finally, all was back to normal, the dead were roped back into heaven and assorted properly, and all was well again. 
And finally, God got some free time to himself.

Authors note: Whew! Been a while! Ya missed me? Of course you have, who am I kidding. Hope you don’t mind the more jokey and overall non-serious tone of this one, but hey, it’s just what popped into my brain. My mind be the pen, these thoughts the ink, this site the paper. Till next time, this is Ultra, signing off once more!

Et Finale

(Fast forward to Saturday, smoke is standing on a podium with a microphone in front of his face and many a reporter in the crowd. Cameras flash within the mob, creating the facade of it being like an old presidential speech.)
“Now then. I shall begin to take questions starting wiiiiith… You, in the Black and Tan sweatshirt.”
“Yes, sir, what is your real name?”
“My real name is smoke. I abandoned the other one, alongside my weaker self, long ago. Next you, in the red tank top.”
“We’ve seen what seems to be… Powers, while we are around you. Extremely volatile ones. Where did these come from?”
“A horrible experiment bred to create a special task force. I was one of the lucky few who got a hybrid dose of it. What you see before you… Is the outcome… You, green pants.”
“What happened to the army which assisted you in the attack on the White House?”
“They were initiated into the army and given a higher echelon of privilege than most, my special task force. Final question, you in the yellow hoodie.”
“What are your plans for the future of our country?”
“I’m so glad you asked. And since you did, I will give an honest answer… We, my dear friends… Are going to burn the rest of civilization to the ground. We shall leave no rock unchecked. No town unsearched. No land unscorched.”
After all, nobody ever said I was the good guy. There aren’t any left. Wanna know why?
It’s because the only way to rise to power, is to walk on the corpses of those who trust you.
~End

Now then! I had fun with this one! Took me a while (I’m slow and lazy don’t patronize me) but I got it done! Till next time folks, it’s ultracww, obligatory exit phrase!

The Confrontation

(After unlocking the armory in the basement of the prison, smoke was quickly appointed the chief of the prisoners, deemed to do with them as he saw fit. In their words, they had no other cause to rally to, so they entrusted their fates to the one who they felt they could trust. Smoke quickly saw to it that all of the former “convicts” were as armed as they could be, armored as they could be, and loyal as they could be. Smoke, however, assured them that he need only wear the warden’s cap so they could easily identify him. All in all, he is in charge of a force of just under a half a million, all armed to the teeth.)
And guess where we’re heading now? That’s right. The White House itself. Task force A, with a total of 100,000 soldiers, is the anti air brigade, seeing to it that no aircraft is left to the sky. Task force B is the anti vehicle squad, consisting of 100,000 soldiers. They are to set mines and spikes along the road once my squad clears the perimeter, as well as take care of any tanks that may come our way. And the final Task force, of course is mine. Consisting of 220,490 soldiers, we are to swarm the White House and eliminate any forces that may be in, around, or nearby, as well as securing the president. But oh, the fun part lies within: guess who’s securing the president?
Yours truly.
Alright, time to get this show on the road.
“Task force A, do you copy?”
“Yes sir, we are in position and have our eyes towards the sky.”
“Task force B, do you copy?”
“Yes sir! We are in position, waiting for your go ahead!”
“Alright. Team! Are you ready?!”
“YEAAAAAAAH!”
“Well then, no time for sweet talking, let’s go kick some ass!”
And on that, we swarm the grounds.
Heavy troops, accompanied by turrets are waiting on the lawn, yet not for long…
(Smoke flicks his wrist and the men on turrets are enveloped in darkness and dragged away)
Too easy.
(The heavy troopers open fire)
“TAKE THAT YOU FUCKING CONVICTS! BURN IN HELL!”
“WE’LL MEET YOU THERE FUCKERS!”
(Smoke’s soldiers open fire, and after a long firefight, a total of 59,000 soldiers are left)
“WE LIVE! WE REMAIN UNCONQUERABLE!”
“Squad B, move into position.”
“Roger!”
“Team, secure the perimeter. I’ll take care of what’s inside.”
“Captain!”
And with that, I make my way inside. I am met with no opposition -sadly- and make my way over to the office where the president rests his sorry ass.
(Smoke walks into the office and is met by two body guards, standing beside a seemingly cool and collected president.)
“Oh? I’m surprised your not cowering in your shoes, silently pissing yourself under your desk. Do you wish to meet death head on, or are you just that stupid?”
“Hmph. I had such great hopes for you, too. I thought you were smarter than this, smoke. You’re not the only “special” one. Do you really think I’d do that experiment just for fun, or do you think I got to power just by luck?”
(Shadows begin to creep up smoke’s leg, until they stop at his knees)
“Huh? What in the-”
“My good lord. You really are stupid, aren’t you?”
(A fist rises from the darkness, striking the president and knocking him into the shadows)
“You… How did you…”
“Did you really think I was just sitting around in that prison? Biding my time? No. I was practicing, oh gracious president, or should I say, Jacob Farley, head scientist of the Herculean project? I practiced, because of what you did to me. You did THIS to me, to innocent civilians because you want power. Fame. Security. You did this for no-one but you, and that’s why this has to end. Your time is over, Jacob Farley. Now die like the coward you are.”
“No… No…… NO!!!”
(The shadows envelope Jacob and grinding sounds can be heard emanating from inside)
“GRRRPHLABLMMMMFUERRPLB!!!”
(The shadows skitter away, leaving only Jacobs horror-ridden face, which smoke picks up by the hair)
Now then, Mr. President, time to announce your predecessor!
(Smoke walks over to the presidential broadcasting station and sits in his chair. Smoke then inserts the key and powers the station up)
Time to put on a show.
“Ahem. My fellow Americans, I am here for my next daily speech of blah blah blahdy blerr… Just kidding! It’s smoke again, coming live from the White House! See, the president saw fit to step down from power and guess who’s next in line as his predecessor? None other than yours truly! See, why not ask him yourself? (Smoke lifts Jacob’s head unto the table). And just think, anybody who wants to question whether or not I should be in power can end up just like him! Now listen and listen close. Citizens of America. You don’t get to hide anymore. This country is mine now, and things are going to change. No more fear. No more ignorance. No more hiding in the shadows. Interview will be on Saturday. Anyone wants to question me? That’s your chance.”
(Smoke removes the key, powering the system down.)
Now then. Let the real work, begin.

The Long Awaited Show

They still think they can keep me in this cell? Oh that’s rich. Whatever, let them keep thinking that. It makes it all the easier for when it’s time. For you see, I am no simple man, but a man with a purpose. One many would sneer at, for they know not what must be done.
My task is taking down the man on T.V.
But for now, let them think they can keep me in this cage. I can tell the next up and coming speech is gonna be a doozy… Yes, even though we’re “convicts”, we still get to watch the big man on T.V give out his speeches. Supposedly to help us, “change our ways and repent from our life of crime”. It only helps to stir my rage, keep me going on the straight track towards the goal I so desperately desire. I want to see him draw his final breathes, cursing my name so much as I have cursed his. I want him to feel the pure hatred I have kept bottled so long.
I. Want. Him. Dead.
And it shall be by no other hand than my own.
Ah, but that will have to wait. The big man is about to give us his private speech to, “you lost souls only” now.
“My dear fellow Americans, it has come to my attention that some of you would come to think wrong of the actions I take to keep this country safe. I assure you, regardless, that what I do for this country is for the better of it as a whole. What you say of me and my actions, however, is nothing but pure slander. If I do say so myself, I am ashamed of you, and if you do not change your ways, I will be forced to exterminate you. May we meet again on better circumstances, my fellow Americans. Oh, and one more thing before I go. You, and the man I speak of knows whom he is, do not scare me, sir. You forget that one man is no match for an army. Don’t even try it.”
(An uproar of shouting can be heard)
“Slander?! We speak the truth!”
“The traitor is in government!”
“DEATH TO THE PRESIDENT!”
… And all the crowd needs is one final push.
(Smoke begins to bang on his cell doors, eventually being joined by the rest of the prison)
“FREEDOM!”
(Crowd begins to chant)
“TEAR THE WALLS DOWN! TEAR THE WALLS DOWN! TEAR THE WALLS DOWN!”
And here come the guards.
“Go back to sleep! Sleep now or lethal action will be taken!”
“DIE DOG OF THE PRESIDENT! WE’LL DIE BEFORE WE CONCEDE!”
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The banging on the cells never stops. If this keeps up, at least one of us will get free.
And guess who has a key?
(Smoke presses both hands to the cell door, causing the locks to mysteriously release)
Bingo.
(Sentry notices smoke and points his gun at him)
“HEY! YOU THERE! BACK IN YOUR CAGE! CONCEDE NOW OR I WILL OPEN FIRE!”
“Oho, but I don’t think that will be the case, Bill. Have you checked your gun lately? I don’t quite think it’s much longer for this world.”
“QUIET! GET BACK IN YOUR-”
(The gun proceeds to crumble into chunks, falling from his arms)
“Wha- how did you…”
“You may not know me. But remember my name. My name…”
Is smoke.
(All of the cell doors open, releasing the prisoners)
“GRAAAAAAH!”
(Guards open fire on the crowd)
“WE SHALL NOT FALL!!! YOU CAN TAKE OUR PRIDE, OUR FREEDOM, OUR LIBERTY, BUT YOU CANNOT TAKE OUR HATRED!!!”
(The guards are swarmed and easily overpowered, leaving the cell station conquered)
Now then! Onto the broadcasting station. A little birdy told me that’s where they keep the key to the prison too, alongside the warden. Me and him have some… Unfinished business.
(Smoke makes his way up to the broadcasting station and reveals a hidden key he was keeping… You don’t wanna know where.)
Had to work my ass off for this… It’ll be worth it.
(Smoke unlocks the door and it swings open, revealing a shocked warden)
“You… How did you…”
“Surprised to see me? Happy? Sad? Oh well. Whatever the case is, this visit must be short. I have a business proposition for you. Give me the keys to everything here and I might consider letting you live.”
“You… I already know you’d kill me anyway. My only regret… Can you say goodbye to Maria for me? She’ll miss her daddy. I know you know her, just… Send her this letter. It’s my one request.”
“While I have no obligation to you, I guess I have to do this. Be thankful and die like a man for your sins against humanity.”
(A grotesque figure rises from the shadows behind the warden, enveloping him and dragging him away screaming. A letter and a ring of keys slide from the darkness. Smoke picks up both and sits in the wardens chair.)
Now then. Back to business. I have something I want the big man to see.
(Smoke slides a key into a console in front of him, powering on a monitor, a camera, and a microphone.)
“Citizens of America! You have ignored our pleas thus far and continued to hide away in shadows. I am here today to tell you that those days are over! Those who do not come out from the comfort of the shadows shall be forcibly removed from them! Oh, and the big man on T.V? Let’s just say… His term is up. Know this America: Those who choose to cower die! Only those who stand and fight are granted the privilege of life! My name is Smoke! Remember that!”
(Smoke removes the key, powering down the system)
And that, ladies and gentleman, is how you make a lasting impression. Now for the big prize. The one behind it all. The reason why this country lies in shambles.
It’s time to kill the president.

Alright! The next chapter will be out tomorrow! (Actually serious this time) so look forward to it! 

Epilogue Of Flame

They all love to watch the big man on the screen.
The women, the children, the hopeless, the lost, they all love the man with the soothing voice who whispers sweet nothings into their ears. 
“It’s alright.”
“Everything is just fine.”
“It’ll be over soon enough.” 
“Just let them take care of it.”
“They’re doing it for us. For their country.”
And that being enough for them, they go to war, one by one stepping up to be once again thrown into the meat grinder of war.
Just like sheep.
This cycle of viciousness continues, and for what?
Freedom?
Liberty?
Democracy?
No, as a matter of fact, personal gain. The ones who throw you into the meat grinder and not themselves… Do you really think they’re the heroes? While the opposers may not be innocent, neither are they. Nobody is safe from the hammer of injustice in this world, because of one simple reason and one reason only.
The road to success is paved in the blood of innocence.
While they believe they may be doing good, they are simply paving a road for those in power to walk on towards their own personal agendas. Simply used, abused, and thrown away. Those prisoners you see? The ones in the jail for exposing, “secrets”?
They haven’t. But they were CLOSE.
And for them, that’s enough.
And this is where his story begins, the one who had the power to fight back. The one they couldn’t contain.
The smoke in the mirrors.

First chapter will be out later on today, look forward to it!

Careful where you sleep.

“Mmm… Nnn… Huh?”

It’s surprisingly dark for having just woke up… What time is it?.. Wait, what the hell?.. I can’t move my arms! Am I having that sleep paralysis thing or whatever they call it?.. No. I can move my fingers just fine, and I’m not seeing things. How do I know that?

Because it’s pitch fucking black.

… Wait a minute. I can hear some muffled yelling… Where the fuck am I? I was at home in my bed sleeping… How the hell did I end up like this? And why and the hell am I bound? I seriously can’t move a fucking limb. Not even my head. And who’s yelling? Why are they muffled? Am I actually still dreaming? I must be. Probably just some nightmare I’ll wake up from soon.

And then, as if a word from God was said, there was light.

And a boy.

A cute one too… Nice, short brown hair that glistened as if freshly washed, Emerald green eyes that shine like stars, and smelling of deodorant to the scent of mint. Totally my type.

“Ah, your awake.”

Wait… Awake?

“Just in time too! Feel lucky that you get to enjoy the show that’s happening right before your very eyes!

I look over towards where the silent shrieks are coming from and…

“Oh god… Cassandra? Lindsey?”

Oh god no. Please please please let this be a nightmare…

“You see… I’ve been watching you three. And it just so happened you made the perfect targets! Detached from family, moderately known in society, but not anything you’d quite register if they’d disappeared, and obnoxious to boot!”

“Who are you? Why are we here? What’s going on? Is this a joke?”

This has to be some sick twisted joke… Any moment now someone’s gonna pop out saying, “surprise! You’ve been punk’d!”

“Who I am doesn’t matter. Why? Because you’ve been deemed a nuisance in my eyes. Is this a joke? Bahaha! No silly! And what’s going on?”

He smirked the most evil grin I have ever seen in all my time on earth.

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

“Now! Who wants to go first?” He says, wheeling out a cart of… I can’t tell what it is, but I don’t like the clanking noise it makes. I can also tell by the silent shrieks of terror that accomadate my friends that they don’t like it either.

… No.

No.

Oh good and holy god please no…

“How about… You!” He says, pointing to Cassandra.

Then he leans over to me and whispers,

“You go last. I want to enjoy your screams the most.”

Oh good and holy Jesus Christ please don’t let this happen to me!

He jerks my… Seat, I guess, into a sitting position.

“Now sit back and enjoy the show!”

I can hear the muffled sobs of Cassandra, accompanied by the lighthearted humming of our captor. He shuffles around a bit for a tool on the board, eventually coming to a decision, pulling out a thin piece of metal which looks more like a crappy plastic knife you’d get at the cafeteria.

“Aha! That’s where my scalpel was hiding!”

Scalpel? Oh god… No… Please don’t let this be real…

“Are we ready to begin?”

More frantic choked sobbing.

“Alrighty then! Here we go!”

And with one fluid movement of his arm, he plunges the scalpel right into Cassandra’s cheek, earning a shriek of pain from her.

“That smile is pretty, but it’s just not wide enough! Here, let me help with that!”

He tears the scalpel to the left, ripping through the flesh of Cassandra’s cheek with what looked like just a swing of his arm. Cassandra’s mouth is bleeding profusely now, and the ball gag which previously adorned her mouth now tumbles to the floor, earning new shrieks of pure unleashed pain from her. He then shoves what looks like some form of jack in her mouth, and extends it as far as her mouth allows, all the meanwhile she shreaks in pure pain and unbridled terror.

“We can’t have you biting your tongue during this now, can we? Your welcome!”

He then moves the scalpel to the other corner of her mouth.

“PEASE GAH NO! I BEHHIG YOU I OO AHYHIG!” Shouts Cassandra, inhibited by jack in her mouth.

I’m frozen in terror, unable to move, unable to talk, unable to do anything but… Observe. Observe these… Horrors taking place.

“Aww, you don’t want the procedure? Too bad! Here comes the next part!”

And he tears left again, moving through flesh in one fluid movement, ripping through it like fleshy fabric, sprouting blood from the seams.

“AAAAHCHLGGLGLG!” She yells, choked by her own blood. Her mouth looks like someone just took scissors and… Went to town on it, not caring about boundaries.

“All righty! Quite beautiful, if I do say so myself… But the jaw structure’s all wrong! Time to fix it!”

And he keeps cranking the jack with vigor, stretching Cassandra’s mouth till we hear a sickening snap.

He removes the jack, and Cassandra’s upper head falls back uselessly, still choking on blood and screaming in guttural pain.

“AAAAAGHLLLGHCHAAA!”

“Beeeeautiful! Now, I’m afraid we have other patients, so I’ll have to send you off. You’ve been a good patient! Enjoy your new look!”

And he moves the scalpel down to Cassandra’s neck, jamming it in the side and slowly, steadily moving it left, slicing through flesh like a fresh piece of steak, only spewing blood through gnashing wounds.

And the screams turn to gargles

And then silence.

I… This can’t be real… I must be having a nightmare…

“Now then! I’ll just move on to the next one! Sorry to keep you waiting!”

He drags the cart over to Lindsey.

Lindsey seems shocked as I am, and bug eyed with fear.

Our captor wipes the blood off his scalpel, and says with a grin,

“Ah! Our next patient! Let’s see… Has you marked here for a light tan, but I’m just gonna throw that out the window and give you new skin altogether!”

Lindsey is now shrieking in silenced terror as Cassandra was, muffled but still filled with horror.

“Now then, no dilly dallying, let’s begin!”

Lindsey no… Please god no…

Wait. There’s a sharp part in the back of my seat! If I can just…

He moves a bit more carefully now, starting from the fingers and slicing slowly and steadily downwards toward the palm. Once he has done this to them all, he tears the flaps of skin upwards, yanking them from their natural state. Lindsey shrieks even louder now in pure agony, as he methodically does this to every finger, and then to the other hand. Then, he cuts from the palm downward and to the elbow, for both arms. And once again, but more slowly this time, he tears the flaps of skin to the side, making Lindsey’s eyes bulge out in pain, as well as sending wails of terrifying pain outwards her mouth. Once he has done this to both arms, he then grabs the hand skin that used to be, and tears downward. All that can be seen from the elbow up now is muscle, red and profusely bleeding. Then, from the elbow he cuts the skin flaps off, leaving only bloody muscle. 

… Still steadily sawing away at the rope…

“There we go! Only one more part left!”

He then pulls from, seemingly nowhere, a box containing what looks like… Shriveled up human arm skin with hands attached, the underside being white with salt.

Oh god no. I read about this in history class…

(Authors note: An old form of torture is represented here, where one would have a severe laceration inflicted upon them, and then have salt poured in the wound, causing severe burning pain and keeping the wound fresh.)

He slowly, with deadly calm applies the skin, starting at the elbow to her muscle. She shrieks once again in even worse unimaginable agony as the skin is lain upon her arm all the way to the fingertips, fitting seemingly perfectly. He wraps it around her arm like clothing, and then pulls out a staple gun.

Almost there…!

“Gotta make sure it stays in place!”

“MMMMMPH!PMMMMSENMMMMM!!!””

And he staples the seams, evenly and gently. Blood creeps around the edges where he stapled.

“Now, sorry but that’s as much as I can do on this doctor’s budget, so sadly I’m afraid you won’t get a full makeover.”

Now it’s just a bit of string. I know I have to wait for the right moment, or this will never work. Sorry Lindsey, but I need out!

And he slams her head on a table, putting staple after staple into her cranium, even long after the screaming ends.

“… Now then! Onto the final patient!”

Closer…

“You get the special treatment!”

Closer…

“Aren’t you so luc-“

And I saw away the final part and lunge myself head first into his stomach.

“OOOOF!”

And he tumbles to the ground, heaving in breathes. I turn around, find the door, and sprint through it. It looks to be nighttime out, I CAN SEE THE OUTSIDE JUST THROUGH THIS HALLWAY!

“Come back! You forgot your coupon!”

I don’t even look back, bursting through the door and out into the night. We’re just a block from my house!

“Come back!”

I’m almost at the lawn!

“I just wanna help!”

I m in the driveway!

“YOU’LL NEVER GET AWA-“

I burst in the front door, swiftly turn around, close it and lock it. There’s banging on the door, but after a while it goes silent. I reach for the landline and dial nine one one.

“Hello? Yes, I’m on 18th street Lincoln Ave. and i’m being chased by a murderer, average looking boy, around what looks to be 18 years of age, green eyes, and brown hair. Please show up immediately!”

And then the landline goes dead.

And then it goes even darker.

Fuck! I forgot the back doo-

“Excuse me miss. You left your purse behind.”

Thwack!

There we go! First REAL attempt at horror in a while! I tried to make it seem realistic, but it may seem a bit rushed, you know time and all. May make a sequel, but that’s a very strong MAYBE. Hope you enjoy! This is ultra, signing out! PUHEACE!

Beatdown

A man walks into a therapists office and sits down on a nice, plush couch that seems to have been fluffed recently by a staff member. The man looks worn down and all around tired, both emotionally and physically. It’s easy to see that he has been through a lot lately, as he sighs while laying down, almost longingly. The therapist who had been tapping his pencil on his clipboard recently stops and let’s out a breath he had been holding in.

“How are you today, sparks?”

“Not too good Doc, but I’m sure you’ve heard the news. Well, at least now the state will be paying for my bills now, eh?”

“Yeah, and now we don’t have to worry about timing as much. Now we can sit here and talk as long as we wish. I have a fully cleared schedule, so feel free to take as much time as you want.”

“Alrighty, Doc. I’m planning on laying on this couch for a while, anyway. I’ve been through enough today.”

“I’d like it if you could tell me about it, sparks. Could you please?”

“Sure. I’d like to get it off my chest anyways.”

Sparks takes a deep breath, waits a second, and releases.

“Okay. Let’s begin.”

We used to be a nice family. Mom was a bright and cheerful woman who could light up your entire day with a single smile. She loved me and dad a lot, and we loved her equally. Dad was probably the most loving man you could have wished to have met. He had an aura of caring that seemed to surround him wherever he went, enveloping others in its soft, silky glow. That was back as far as I can remember, back when I was about three. They raised me well, I got good grades and they always smiled when they saw my report card. We didn’t have much, but we also didn’t need much. We were happy as we were. Dad worked as a plumber, so he made a meager paycheck, but enough to support the family. Mom stayed at home, tended the house, and cared for me. She was a stay at home mother, through and through.

Around age age seven, I developed a desmoid tumor in my lung.

Mom and dad weren’t having the chance of me dying, so they had the tumor treated. But there was one slight problem.

Mom and dad didn’t have medical insurance, and they didn’t have enough to pay for the procedure. So dad had to take out a loan. A very expensive loan.

The one that threw us spiraling into debt.

Dad had to pay back the debt, but wasn’t making enough at the time to pay it off soon enough. We eventually had to start cutting corners, the lights had to be shut off at a certain time, water was used sparsely, and forget about cellphones or anything like that. Dad also had to get a second job. It helped him pay it a bit more. But it took a toll.

One that we COULDN’T pay back.

Dad had to go to bed at nine, and wake up at twelve. He didn’t even have time during the day to say hi. It was breakfast on the way to work, and dinner on the way to bed. We could see him getting more and more stressed as the days went by. Each and every day his string got pulled tighter and tighter. Some days I could hear him sobbing as he went to bed, mom sobbing along with him. His string kept getting pulled tighter and tighter, until one day it finally reached the breaking point. 

And then, it snapped.

Every day mom would come to the door to greet him home and ask him how his day went. That day, he wasn’t in the mood. It went a bit like this…

“Hello honey! how was your day?”

“Jeanine… Not today. Please.”

“Why not, Albert? Is something wrong?”

“Please Jeanine… I just want to be alone.”

“Albert…”

“Jeanine just go the fuck away… Please.”

“Albert! Not around the child!”

“OH BLAH BLAH BLAH. CHILD THIS CHILD THAT. WHEN WILL YOU EVER STOP WORRYING ABOUT HIM FOR ONCE AND WORRY ABOUT ME FOR A CHANGE?!”

“Albert please…”

“NO. YOU KNOW WHAT JEANINE? NO. THE WORK I DO AROUND HERE IS NEVER APPRECIATED. JUST LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE SO I CAN HAVE SOME PEACE AND FUCKING QUIET FOR ONCE.”

“…”

“…Jeanine… I’m sorry. I just…”

And he walked into the bedroom, closed the door, and began sobbing again. The days were filled with a sort of tension from then onward, and dad’s string stayed very broken. It never got fixed, really, just sloppily tied back together. Mom greeted him at the door more quietly, and he usually just softly grumbled, took his dinner, and went to bed. Then, dads string broke one more time.

One.

Final.

Time.

And nobody even tried to tie it back together, because there was nothing left of it.

It all fell silent that day, at least to my ears. There was no sound. There was no color. Only pain. Pain and sorrow.

*sparks can be heard audibly choking back tears*

Because on that day, dad hit mom. 

It was as if it happened in slow motion, and even mom didn’t even expect it herself. Neither of us did. I’m not sure dad did either. It was just like he threw a punch, not even caring what it hit. He was in a blind fury. Something must have set him off, either that or he got pushed a little too hard.

Not a single word was said. He grabbed his dinner and walked off to the room… HIS room, and slept.

My birthdays went by unnoticed. Before even I knew it, I was sixteen.

The beatings got worse every day, eventually escalating to the point of which mom’s face was covered in bruises and welts. She was no longer the cheerful woman she used to be. She was a nervous wreck. Part of me believes she accepted her fate and felt it was her way of relieving dads stress, either that or she was afraid of him.

Part of me believe both are equally true.

I could hear the beatings through my bedroom wall, and mom’s broken cries as she tried to muffle her voice. It became all too horrible for me to accept as reality. I too, felt myself reaching a breaking point. I knew it had to stop. 

It had to end.

I started working out, lifting weights and running on the treadmill. Before too long, I could bench press 200 lbs. and run at the maximum treadmill setting. I bided my time. I gathered courage.

And rage.

And sorrow.

And then I knew that it had to happen.

It was the usual night, and I could hear mom choking back her sobs once again, against dads angry muffled voice. This time, I thought, this time… It wasn’t going to happen. I gathered up my courage,

And kicked down the door to their bedroom.

Dad was in a primal fury, lashing out at mom for all he was worth, slowly turning his head to me.

“What the…”

Before he could even react, I body slammed him, pinning him to the ground. His aged frame was nothing for my youthful strength. I punched him in the face, full force, repeatedly, unleashing all the unbound fury I had held inside me.

“HOW DOES IT FEEL, HUH?! HOW DOES IT FUCKING FEEL?!”

Mom was still sobbing in the corner, seemingly refusing to believe what was happening.

“HOW”

Whack.

“THE FUCK”

Whack.

“DOES IT FEEL?!”

I repeated until my fists wore. I looked down at his face to see that it was little more than a bloodied pulp. Then I lifted off of him, heaving in breaths.

Weakly, he almost seemed to crack a small smile under the paint of red.”

“Sparks… Thank you.”

And then he slept, along with mom who had passed out in fear a while ago.

The beatings stopped from there. I got a job afterwards, so that dad could quit his second one. The debt got paid off, but not everything is alright. Our family is broken in too many places, and will never quite fit together again. The police came on that day, they were called by the neighbors who heard the commotion. And so. Here I am.

“… That’s quite the life you’ve got there, sparks. I’m sorry you have to go through all that.”

“It’s made me the man I am today.”

“Well… Now seems like a good place to end today’s session. If you would like, sparks, you can take a rest on that couch.”

“Thanks. I need it.”

And he slept, ending off another session.

And so ends off another story! I tried to make this one seem a bit more heavy, but I probably could have done better from the main’s perspective. Meh, oh well. Oh, and if any of you out there are dealing with abuse, tell the po po. Even if your afraid. They’re there to help you. And don’t worry, there are people who know what your going through. Your not alone. Till the next time, this is ultracww, signing off with a PUHEACE.

The Future’s Link

I’m on his trail. I know it, because this is the only place he has left to go. I’ve searched everywhere else, and he’s nowhere to be found. It’s been about a year and a half since he took everything away from me, and it’s been a year since I started loving him. I utterly loathe him, yet I can’t help but love him with all my heart. What else would have twisted our fates together but the arrows of Cupid? Oh, how tragic! Oh how romantic! Yet, by and by, I shall be the only one for him… And, when the time comes when our paths cross, I shall be the one to end him, and myself. For, what greater expression of love than true soul binding? We shall die upon each other, and our souls will be completely intertwined! Oh, just thinking of it makes my heart flutter…

“Excuse me sir, are you looking for something?”

“Oh, yes. I’m searching for a man who looks to be around age twenty five, brown hair, blue eyes as deep as the sea… Oh, and he goes by the name Derek.”

A false name, of course. How would I figure it out? Oh, my answer is simple! Pure, unwavering passion. My sheer desire to find him granted me chance knowledge that he now goes by Derek. Oh, how foolish of him to think he can escape me just by changing his name… He will never escape my loving wrath, so long as we both draw breath.

“Oh, him? I saw him over by the fruit market not too long ago. He lives near the post office, in the brown house.”

“Thank you, ma’am. I will be on my way now.”

“Okay. Good luck, young man!”

Now I know where he lives! Oh joy! Our paths will cross soon, and soon you shall feel the full strength of my hatred-imbued love for you… Oh? James? I can see him! He’s just across the street! I can’t let him see me… If he sees me, he’ll cause a ruckus, and that would be no good… No, we must be alone when it happens. I will have to tail him, one last time… Finally, he nears home! I can see him pulling out the key! Oh, the poor little bastard looks tired. Must’ve been a long day. Oh well, it will all be over soon. With a few more sneaky maneuvers, I’m in the door. Luckily, it’s dark, and he seems to be making no move to be turning the lights on. My sweet sweet enemy is within my grasp. And the knife with which he ended my family, lies firmly grasped within my hand. Soon, it shall taste both our blood!

“What the Fuck?!”

He sees me!

“Oh James… You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this day! Ever since you took everything from me, I’ve followed you. I’ve watched you. I’ve waited for you… And now, it’s time. It is time for both of us to atone!”

“What the hell are you babbling on about, you crazy Fuck?! Oh my god… You’re… It couldn’t be…”

“Hmm? You look like you’ve seen a ghost, James…”

“Heh, I have… My past came back to haunt me, expecting acceptance… Well, I’ll have you know I will not go down without a fight. Just this one last time, for life or for death.”

“Oh, James… Every word you say makes me love you every bit as much as I hate you… Well, no more babbling. It’s time for fate to take its course!”

Hahahahahahaha! Just as I would expect of my James! He’s like a God of fighting! He matches me stroke for stro-

Ha…hahaha…who would have thought…that he would be the one to…

“…I guess it’s time to say goodbye, my love… The wound in your ribcage is too deep, and it seeps into my wound… Come, die with your past sins…”

“this is the closest I get to forgiveness…”

“No… you shall never be granted forgiveness. What you did was inexcusable. Simply die with a whimper, as it was meant to be…”

“Thank you… I know now that this is how I was meant to die. No other way.”

“I shall see you in hell…”

My love…