Puritanical Addict: Chapter 4 – Rehab Through Violence

Chapter 4 – Rehab Through Violence

Heading into the tunnels underneath, Exquista Caro, Thaddeus, and I find that they’re all lit up with electronic lights. On the walls are various satanic images drawn in blood, and scattered along the floor are broken pieces of crucifixes, pieces of the broken Eucharist, shattered statues of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, and other saints. Further in, we find more blood and pieces of bodies, especially those of infant children and people dressed as nuns and priests. The entire place smells worse than the city above, and makes my head start to spin.

“I should start burning all this,” Thaddeus says.

I can’t agree more. It could also make the upcoming fight easier and may even destroy the cultists in the tunnels before they can attack us, so I tell him to do it. Thaddeus’s flames fill the tunnels and strangely make it easier to breathe. The sound of screaming, similar to that of the demon who's been bothering me, echoes throughout the tunnels and breaks the light bulbs, lighting up the tunnels, leaving Thaddeus and my blue flames our only source of light.

“Get ready. Here they come,” Thaddeus says, which scares me.

I raise my left arm to burn the tunnels with Thaddeus; however, a ground of dark figures descends on us, and makes everything pitch black around me. My body feels numb, and I’m even more afraid than before, so I start praying and begging God and my guardian angel for help.

“Your quest has led you straight back to me. How else did you think it would end?” the demon, who wears my face, says in my voice.

I try to use the powers given to me, but find that I’m back to normal, so I instead fall to the ground in prayer and beg even more for help to the point of crying. A hand in the dark forcibly lifts my head and makes me open my eyes. In the distance, I see a light, and not knowing what else to do, I head to it.

“Keep going, Tanith! We have them on the run,” I hear the muffled voice of Thaddeus say.

I do as he says, for what purpose? This demon and my temptations will be with me for the rest of my life. I have this feeling in my bones, in my soul, that I’ll never feel alive or happy again until the day I die, but is that really such a bad thing?

“Why isn’t it? How can you live a life that isn’t enjoyable to live?” the demon says.

What did my parents say? Jesus was born on Earth, knowing the suffering and horrible death He would die, but He did it anyway for us. Huh. I have a bit of pep in my step now, and the light ahead of me feels closer and warmer than ever.

“That isn’t what you want. That isn’t what anyone wants. All everyone wants to do is live a happy and comfortable life, and you know it.”

That’s what I’ve told myself and felt my entire life. Still, I never asked myself if that’s the truth, or just what I wanted to believe. My parents learn about the perverted things I was doing for extra money, and still, they forgave me and told me that pleasure and money aren’t all that people live for. Feelings and wealth come and go, but what comes after death is forever. Where is this wisdom coming from? Is it an answer to my prayers, or me finally remembering what my parents taught me? The light is so close now that I can almost touch it.

“You’ll never escape the suffering of this life, and you’ll be miserable for the rest of it, until you die.”

That’s fine with me. My parents said to offer the pain up, and now, that’s what I’m doing. The light overtakes me. On the other side of it, I find myself back in my old room on my knees with my guardian angel floating above me.

“What happened today?” my guardian angel asks.

Remembering this moment, I automatically say, “I…failed another test. I’m not passing for sure, despite all the studying and extra work I did. Why do I even bother doing it when I find work on the streets and clubs more fun and satisfying?”

“Because you love your parents, and you don’t want to chain yourself to corrupting pleasures. Your body is a temple and not meant to be used like some common, disposable object, and is meant to be respected in the way God intended.”

“That’s right,” I say outside of the memory. “I’m not going to chain myself to it anymore.”

My appearance changes to one that looks like my guardian angel.

“Finish it and break your chains.”

My guardian angel points towards the demon with my face, who I freeze with my blue flames before it can speak, and then stab it through the head. When I blink, I see that I’m back in the tunnels, except they’re burning with red and blue flames. The demon, who was in front of me, looks more like a medusa now, with snakes coming out of its head and lower half. It also has horns coming out of its head and body, and looks like a hermaphrodite. I don’t have much more time to look at it as the tunnels start to collapse and Thaddeus yells at me to rush out of here. Both of us are suddenly lifted into the air, and we go through the collapsing ground as if we were ghosts.

Flying above Exquista Caro, I watch the entire city burn and freeze as it collapses in on itself, until all the buildings crumble into the ground, and nothing is left of the city but a hole with red and blue flames coming out of it. Thaddeus and I fly to the outskirts of the city and continue to marvel at it.

“Good job, Tanith. You did it,” Thaddeus says.

“I couldn’t have done it without your help, but this isn’t the end, is it?” I ask.

“Not at all. My guardian angel tells me there’s another sinful soul that we need to add to our group of misfits and way more sinners that need punishment and a long-awaited wake-up call. Together, I’m sure we’ll save many souls and secure our place in Heaven.”

“Yeah. Guess there’s no rest for us then.”

“Kind of. I’m sure we can get some rest along the way.”

“Right, but we probably shouldn’t sleep in the same room, given our past sins.”

“We’ll be traveling together, so I’m not sure how well that’ll work, but we’ll give it a try.”

The sound of a motorcycle makes me turn my head to see who’s approaching. I’m surprised to see it’s a flaming chopper motorcycle that turns into a normal one that's not hot at all to touch when it stops in front of Thaddeus.

“What’s this? We aren’t going to fly to the next place?” I ask.

“We have to keep a low profile. I’m a wanted criminal, and the authorities will think you are as well. Your guardian angel should be giving you a vehicle of your own.”

Turning to my guardian angel, he agrees and makes a sports motorcycle arrive in much the same manner as Thaddeus’s, except mine comes in covered in blue flames, before turning normal when it parks itself in front of me.

“Oh, sweet,” Thaddeus says as he admires the motorcycle. “I like how we both have a motorcycle. Anyways, let’s head out. My angel will lead the way, so follow me.”

Thaddeus and I drive away from the outskirts of Exquista Caro. A muffled voice from behind me makes me turn to see the burning, torn-apart demon with my face crawling at high speed toward me. For some reason, I’m neither afraid nor surprised. I tell my guardian angel to take care of it, and the demon is launched back into the fiery ruins of Exquista Caro, where my past belongs. No longer will I use my body for meaningless and short-lived pleasures. I’m above it now. Instead, it’s a weapon and servant of God, fulfilling the purpose for which I was created.

The End

Puritanical Addict: Chapter 3 – The Chains I’ve Made

Chapter 3 – The Chains I’ve Made

While fighting together with Thaddeus to rid the dens of depravity of their inhabitants, he asks me, “How come you don’t transform as I do?”

Turning to my guardian angel, he says, “You’re not ready yet.”

I relay that to Thaddeus, who accepts it. I don’t. Can’t I know more about why I’m not ready yet? The fact that I know my guardian angel hears me, and doesn’t answer my question, is irritating. It’s especially irritating that the demon with my face keeps bothering me, and my burning myself and Thaddeus’s flames barely do anything to keep it at bay.

Seeing the concern on my face, as we head to the next location, Thaddeus asks me if I’m okay, to which I say, “I’ll be fine after this is over.”

“Are the demons here bothering you?” he asks.

“One of them is. Did you know there would be demons here?”

“Where there’s sin, demons are feeding the addictions of its addicts. I don’t see your demon, but I know it’s probably wearing your face and using your own arguments for why you should go back to sinning.”

“You’re right. How did you get rid of yours?”

“I haven’t. They’re simply suppressed, so they come out now and then to tempt me. My best advice to deal with them is to pray and keep your mind on the task at hand.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do.”

“Tell me, is this actually hurting the overall city? It feels like we’re hitting small sex clubs and fetish whore houses that won’t be missed either way, because if we were, I’m surprised that more of this city’s defenders haven’t come out to hunt us down.”

“I haven’t thought about it much, to be honest. All I care about is going after the places I’ve done business with, and just like you said, keeping my mind on the task at hand as a way to ignore my temptations.”

“Let’s hit bigger targets then. Just getting rid of these places bit by bit is just tiring us out.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Taking a second to think, I remember a central hub where many groups of sex traffickers and more legitimate porn companies trade and do business. We go to it and find a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah with people having sex and fulfilling their desires in public and buying and trading people.

Upon seeing it, Thaddeus says, “Oh, yeah. Now this looks like a target worth taking down.”

Together, we head in and immediately start using our powers to burn and freeze all the degenerates. For some reason, the sound of everything gets muffled, and I can’t help but see the demon that’s been bothering me always in front of me.

“What’s the purpose of life other than to enjoy it?” the demon says in my voice. “All you want to do is live happily and in peace at any cost. This is what you thought hours ago. Continuing to do this will make you a target of both criminal and legitimate institutions. Not even the Church will accept you, and you’ll have to live on the run for the rest of your life.”

Images of my perverted deeds, including a sex tape I filmed where I played the role of an innocent woman being corrupted in a sex ritual, fill my head. I am reminded of the good life with my parents that I ruined and the happy days with them that will never return. In desperate need to stop seeing these things, I focus more on burning myself than the degenerates around me.

Thaddeus sees this and runs over to me to remind me, “Ask God and your guardian angel for help. You can’t let your demon take your focus away from relying on them.”

“Right…” I say.

I do as he says, and my guardian angel fights with the demon, as I continue to help Thaddeus. After the fight, superhuman reinforcements come to try to salvage what they can from the marketplace and keep the slaves from escaping, but Thaddeus and I stop them.

“You destroyed their happiness!” the demon says, before my guardian angel smashes its face into the ground, silencing it, for now.

“If your demon was bothering you that much, that means we’re on the right track. The more you fight against evil, the more it’ll fight back, and that’s how you know you’re doing the right thing,” Thaddeus explains.

“Since it’s bothering me this much, we have to pick up the pace,” I say.

“Let’s. I’m sick of this place and hearing echoes of old temptations as well.”

Leading Thaddeus to the next location I know of, we find ourselves on the block where various porn videos are shot and drawn porn is made. The people here call it the artist’s district, and despite everything that’s happened in Exquista Caro today, the people here go about their business like normal.

Stopped by this strange sight, Thaddeus asks, “Are big fights normal in this city?”

“Yes. The only law here is the law of the strong, and those with the most influence and strength can do whatever they want. Everyone else has to do what they say,” I explain.

“Well, if they’re only going to listen to strength, let’s make them listen to the strength of God.”

Thaddeus and I leap into action; however, everything slows down and turns black as bodies fall around me. All are dead because of me.

“They all have cute faces, don’t they? They won’t resist you or put up a fight. They’re still warm enough to get a kick out of, don’t you think?” the demon says.

…what? I’m not thinking about that…

“Oh, I don’t even need to know your thoughts to know what you want. You’re pleasure-deprived. The shakes in your arms and cold sweat show it, plain as the grey sky. You also shouldn’t lie. It’s a sin.”

Unable to control myself, I start taking off my clothes and moving to the bodies, until Thaddeus’s slashing stops me. Everything is clear now, and I see that the entire artist’s district is in flames and frozen.

“Tanith! Stop!” Thaddeus says with one of his swords, pointing at me.

“Huh? I don’t know what was happening,” I say as I put my clothes back on.

“You’re feeling it too, huh? The itch in your skin and the fingers in your brain. The demons are really starting to pull at their chains in you.”

“You could say that. We have to get this done quicker. I don’t know how much more of it I can stand if I black out like this and lose control of myself.”

“Tanith, don’t let them get under your skin. Control your nerves and take it easy.”

“How can I when every part of my body craves what I’m denying it, and I can hardly think straight?”

“Pray, calm yourself, and focus on other things than yourself.”

“I’ll try…I’ll try…”

I led Thaddeus to a center where the more legitimate members of society stay, a luxurious place of lights that sticks out in the ruins of this city. Even though not as much degeneracy happens here, it’s an important place for Exquista Caro’s funding. It seems to go well at first, with Thaddeus taking most of the attention, while I go into the hotels and buildings to freeze their inhabitants. Then, I realize that this might be going too well. Is this not the correct place to target? Is there something about this place that I’m not seeing? Maybe I’m already under the demon’s spell and haven’t realized it yet.

“God tells you to have faith, but forbids you to worry,” the demon says as it manifests out of one of the rich people I froze to death.

Running away from it, I try to concentrate on what I’ve been doing. I have legitimate concerns that I have to think about. I’m not worrying or needlessly overthinking things. Am I? No, I’m not!

“You still aren’t in control of yourself, not even your own thoughts. What kind of God would want you be saved, while also leaving you chained to your desires?”

Everything around me blurs as I hear endless excuses for my concerns, sins, and wanting to both put my past life behind me and stay in it. In the blur, the only solid thing I can see is Thaddeus, who isn’t in his flaming form or moving at all.

“He’s probably the only other man who's cared for you, besides your father. Don’t you think a man who puts his life and soul on the line for you deserves a little loving?”

…yes…he does…I can’t help but give in again. I take off my clothes and approach Thaddeus, who still isn’t moving. Staring into his eyes, I grab his head and start kissing his lips. The jolt of pleasure satisfies a craving that I’ve been denying, and yet, I want more. More and more and more! The last shred of my self-control goes away as I lick his face and bite his neck. He’s starting to move now, which makes me hesitate a bit, until he starts kissing me as well.

Now, I’m really starting to lose control. I rip off his clothes and knock him to the ground. Before I can have my way with him, he transforms into his flaming form and blows me back with a burst of fire that comes from his mouth.

“Ta…Tanith? What’s going on?” Thaddeus asks.

I walk over him and say, “Just lie down and let me have this one taste of you. I’ll go back to doing whatever God wants after I satiate what’s been bothering me.”

“Stop, Tanith!”

Again, Thaddeus pushes me back, but is standing up this time, ready to fight me.

“Come on, Thaddeus! I know you want it too!”

“I have to admit that I do, but it’s not right!”

“Who cares what’s right? I just need to feel something!”

I leap at Thaddeus and kiss and pleasure myself with him despite the burning flames. He pins me down and starts burning me with his flames that come out of his crimson swords.

“Fight it, Tanith! If I can do it, you can!”

Screaming in pain, I feel the demon in my head trying to retain control.

“Fight him, Tanith! Who is he to deny what you hunger for? Kill or injure him and have your way with him!” the demon says.

Above me, I see my guardian angel standing over me. “Take my hand, Tanith. You can still break free of your chains.”

Between the two voices, I’m barely able to choose my guardian angel, as I reach up, take his hand, and feel myself transform. The force of the transformation pushes Thaddeus back and makes the flames on me disappear. Looking at myself, I see that I look like my guardian angel with a spear for a right arm, blue flames coming out of my left arm, a black cloak on my body, and a grey skirt.

“Yes! You did it!” Thaddeus says.

Now that I’m free from the demon’s influence, I see that we’re in one of the burning hotels, so we leave it, only to be met with superhumans and criminals with guns outside. It’s time to put these new powers to the test.

“Let me show you what you can do,” my guardian angel says.

Allowing my guardian angel control, I fly at the incoming crowd, stabbing and freezing everyone, and knocking over their bodies to break them into pieces. With Thaddeus helping, the fight doesn’t take too long, and I’m left with the high of victory and a new sense of freedom and control for a few seconds.

“That was amazing, Tanith!” Thaddeus says.

“I…I shouldn’t be congratulated after what I tried to do,” I say as I fall to my knees with my head down in shame.

“No, don’t let your failure get you down. I failed as well, and if it wasn’t for my guardian angel blowing you off me, I would’ve done something I regretted because I was giving into my old addiction as well. We all fall to sin, but what matters is that we get back up.”

“My parents always used to say that.”

“Then keep it at the forefront of your mind.”

“If it weren't for my guardian angel, I wouldn’t have repented, and you would’ve probably burned me to ash,” I say as I put the spear to my neck.

Thaddeus stops me and says, “You broke free. That’s more than most people can say! Just look at the bodies around you of similar and worse people who refused to change. Your guardian angel continuously trying to save you proves that you deserve to live, doesn’t it?”

Looking at my guardian angel, I see him float down to hug me. “I’ll never abandon you, no matter what you do. God and I are always with you.”

In tears, I say, “Okay…you’re right.”

Thaddeus helps me up and tells me, “Point the way to our next target, boss.”

Thinking for a second, I say, “We can destroy the demonic influence over this city in one move.”

“How so?”

“Maybe it’s because the demon has been blocking it from my memory, or I didn’t want to think about it, but the tunnels below Exquista Caro are filled with sadistic cultists who perform satanic sex rituals to empower themselves, fulfill their sickest desires, and constantly spit in God’s face.”

“You’re right. Eliminating them should be a significant blow to the city. Lead the way.”

I’m hesitant at first to move, but after taking a deep breath in and out, I lead Thaddeus to an entrance to the underground that I know of, hoping that we can get rid of the demonic in a place where they are strongest. God help us, and have mercy on us.

Puritanical Addict: Chapter 2 – Help from a Fellow Sinner

Chapter 2 – Help from a Fellow Sinner

The city, if you could call it that, that I’m in is called Exquista Caro, by its inhabitants. It was once a normal city in the Columbian Union, but after a series of superhuman fights in it, it sits in ruins. The government has long since abandoned trying to help it, and those with any sense in their heads have long since left it, and the only ones dumb enough to try to save it are scouts from the Dominion of Mercy and Justice, who are trying to rescue the innocent people who get taken here. Exquista Caro is a lawless city, known for its human trafficking, weapons dealing, and superhuman experimentation. The sickest criminals, villains, and corrupt members of legitimate society come here to fulfill their sickest desires and obtain riches, people, pleasures, and weapons they can’t get anywhere else in the country, and I helped build it up, and now, I’m going to tear it all down.

“You know the city best, better than I’d ever want to. You can start anywhere you’d like,” my guardian angel says.

Not wanting to waste time, so I can be free of my sins, I choose the nearest hive of degenerates I know of. During the walk there, I can feel my temptations begin to rise again, like something is squeezing my head from within and scratching at my nerves. I burn myself with the cold, blue flame to keep my temptations silent and prepare to use it. The place I find myself in is where they keep many of the kidnapped people for those with rape fetishes and tastes for certain people. At first, the people here are surprised to see my new appearance, but are then completely caught off guard when they see me using my blue flames to turn most people here and things to ice.

Some people are frozen in place, while others fall over and shatter into pieces. Meanwhile, the rape slaves aren’t touched or affected by the cold in the slightest, and yet, they are horrified by me. This probably isn’t their first time being forcibly moved, so I don’t bother saying much to them. Instead, I break their frozen cages, take a pair of truck keys from their dead captors, and throw the keys to them.

“Get out of here while you still can,” I say.

They look confused as I leave them without another word. Turning back to look at them, I see them talking to one another, running towards the parked trucks, and starting them up. I’m thankful that they’re taking the offer because if they stall any longer, the other perverts from the rest of Exquista Caro will soon hear of the noise and come here to take those who remain.

“Why let such prized meat get away?” the demon with my face says from my shoulder. “Many of them have yet to have their virginity taken away from them. Did you see that young woman? What about that older man? Both of them are to your tastes, are they not?”

I burn myself with my icy flames and move on. Can I move on with these desires holding me back? Yes, I can. My walking away from it proves it. If I were my normal self, I would have taken advantage of those people while they were still in their cages. Heading to the next holding area I’m aware of, I find animals and those lower than animals having their way with them. Keeping my mind off images of myself in their place, I allow the icy flames from my left arm to turn them all to ice, save the animals whom I free and let loose. That’s right. I was just like them.

“And you’ll always be like that,” the demon says.

Burning myself again, I don’t feel the icy, hot feel as much this time, so I instead ask my guardian angel for help.

“You asked your guardian angel before for help. Remember where it got you, or you can simply look around you.”

“Nor God, nor I have forgotten your prayers, Tanith. Even though I was invisible to you up until now, I have never left your side or stopped praying for you,” my guardian angel says.

“And it is only now that you actually help her, whereas I have been giving her everything her perverted heart has desired. Will she have to wait more years for your help?”

My guardian angel burns and stabs the demon.

“It is all in God’s providence.”

The demon falls to the ground. It twitches as it laughs, so I run away to get the least bit of comfort and distance from the demon, even though I know it will eventually catch up and bother me again. In a rush, I sprint to a sex club where they are corrupting newcomers, and immediately start burning and turning all of them to ice. Not one of them survives or is spared from the ice, and most shatter in seconds. My eyes zero in on their faces as I’m leaving the club. I know some of these people.

“Yes. You corrupted them to do as you said, and you brought women like you to be corrupted. You made both of them follow the same road to damnation, but instead of trying to save them, you sent them all to Hell. You’ll never be a good person, Tanith, and this proves it,” the demon says.

I burn myself yet again with my blue flames, as I run away from the club. Seeing an incoming convoy of trucks and fancy cars carrying new slaves or degenerate visitors, I immediately run out into traffic with my flames at the ready, hoping to stop them or die in the process, but I get neither. Instead, an explosion from a flying object blows me away from the incoming traffic. Getting up, I see a flaming man with red swords for arms cutting people apart, burning them to ash. Some of his flames are on me, and yet, they don’t burn me and feel like paper tissue when I brush them off. When everyone in the convoy is dead, the flaming man approaches me, and his appearance disappears to reveal a surprisingly familiar face.

“Thaddeus?” I say surprised and guessing at the man’s name, as if struggling to believe my own eyes.

“Tanith? So, it’s you who my guardian angel wanted me to save,” he says.

Thaddeus is dressed in his usual black jacket, red shirt, dark jeans, and red sneakers, but for some reason, his eyes are red, orange, and yellow. I ask him about them, along with how he got his powers and why he’s here.

“It’s because God told my guardian angel to be here to help you,” Thaddeus simply says.

“When did you care about God or the supernatural? Last time we saw each other, you streamed a dare living here for a week, and wanted to come back to satiate your desires for younger women and men who dressed like women,” I say.

“That’s the past me. Recently, my guardian angel helped show me the error of my ways and repent. Did you hear about the destruction of the Jewel city?”

“That was you?”

“Indeed, and now I hear that the destruction of this sinful city is your test.”

“I’ll…take all the help I can get, I guess.”

As I should’ve expected, the superhumans and filth of this city come to see what all the noise is about and to see if they can pick the bones for anything to pleasure themselves with. Thaddeus’s body goes back to its flaming appearance as he goes to fight them, and not wanting him to be alone in it, I use my icy flames to help him from a distance. Interestingly, his flames don’t burn away my ice, and instead, work together with one another, burning people to ash and turning those trapped in the ice into bloody puddles. Every superhuman and criminal who tries to attack me is met with Thaddeus, who blocks their attacks, but I do get hit by stray bullets and physical hits from superhumans.

After taking care of the threats, Thaddeus asks me, “Are you okay, Tanith?”

“Yeah. My body was modified to deal with worse, so I’m fine,” I say as I pick out the bullets and shake off the pain dealt to me.

“When did you get those blue flames? Didn’t you have a drill in that left hand?”

“My guardian angel made this modification to me, along with the change in my body, hair, and eye color.”

“I was meaning to ask about that too, and was going to ask why someone would need a drill in your circumstance, but that’s probably best left unanswered. Can you see and hear my guardian angel?”

“Yours? I can’t. Can you see mine?”

“Not at all. Just wondering since we both seem to share the same hero’s power origin.”

“I’m not a hero. I’m not even a decent person.”

“You think that because of your past, don’t you? Well, don’t let that keep you down. Remember that the difference between a saint and a sinner is that a saint repents from their sins and makes amends, while a sinner is obstinate in their self-destruction.”

“My parents told me something similar to that.”

“Sounds like you had better parents than I did. Let’s make them proud, eh?”

“…right. Follow me. I know more places to hit to bring down this city.”

With Thaddeus behind me, I feel a sudden sense of comfort, like he’s an answer to my prayers. Is he?

“He is. He will be a valuable ally and invaluable friend for the rest of your life,” my guardian angel says.

I can’t say that the answer to my prayers surprises me anymore. They’re being answered in the strangest of ways as of late, so I hope that they continue to be and carry me through the challenge in front of me. What I’ve done has only destroyed a small portion of Exquista Caro. Much more needs to be done to make it fall completely, but at least I have another angel by my side with a fellow degenerate, who has seemingly overcome his sins.

Puritanical Addict: Chapter 1 – An Addict’s Recovery

Chapter 1 – An Addict’s Recovery

When they first arrived, I thought they were a superhero, an answer to my prayers to be saved, but instead, they were just another person who wanted to use me, another punishment sent to make me regret my decisions. The bodies of the people who bought and sold people like me and protected their transactions lay in pieces around me, and my false savior simply stared at me, expecting a prize as if there wasn’t a slaughter around us. This person spoke in a mixed female, male voice, looked more male than female, had stubby horns on their head, and wore torn clothing.

“Clean up. I don’t want to touch used goods,” they said.

They had a strange way of using people with their words, which is why they were able to single-handedly kill so many people. Because of my fear and their power over me, I did as they said. They led me to the showers, where they sprayed me with scorching hot water, gave me a new pair of lewd lingerie, threw me on a nearby bed, and had their way with me. My body has been modified to handle the strength and fetishes of superhumans and the worst kinds of people, but it could hardly handle what happened to me at the time. Reliving the memory of the event in my nightmares is enough to wake me up in a cold sweat.

Everything and everyone around me is cold and frozen in ice. The people stuck in the ice are also burning from a light blue flame within it. I can hear their muffled screams, and can’t do anything to help them. Touching the ice they’re in gives me a burning, freezing feeling, and whatever I try to use to free them melts or breaks upon impact. The cold in the air becomes too much to bear, so I take off my lingerie and put on a long black and grey shirt, skirt, and boots. Looking at myself in the mirror, I see my brown skin, red hair, and green eyes begin to turn grey, white, and dull, and it’s then that I remember why this is all happening. This is all because of my guardian angel.

“I prayed for help, and it finally came,” I say aloud.

In the mirror, I see him, my guardian angel. He’s a figure, robbed in a black cloak with a hood over his head, grey spikey shoulders, one black eye, and one light blue eye. He has no legs, but is somehow levitating without wings, and has a spear-like right arm and light blue flames coming out of his left arm. Turning around, I see him silently looking down at me. Is he going to say something?

“Yes. I will speak to you directly, Tanith,” he says to me.

Can you hear my thoughts?

“I can hear every thought you have, and know the inner workings of your heart and desires.”

You can, can you? Then why haven’t you heard my other prayers? Why did you abandon me to live a torturous life? Oh, that’s right, it’s because it’s what I wanted to do. I wanted this for myself. I didn’t want a life of pain and monotony. I wanted a life of constant pleasure and happiness.

Huh? What’s this voice in my head that sounds like me? Turning my head to where my guardian angel is pointing, I see a floating being who has my face, except it has green and red eyes, a veil covering half its face, a red cloak covering half its body, and is wearing leather straps and fetish wear, like how I used to.

“It is nothing more than a demon that infested you after you gave yourself to the degenerate lifestyle,” my guardian angel says.

“Degenerate?” the demon says in my voice. “How can something that I’ve wanted that’s given me nothing but wealth and endless pleasure be degenerate? Besides, it’s too late to go back now. Remember the price you paid to get further into this life. Your parents wanted you to live a prosperous, faithful, and arduous life that was going to be nothing but pain, suffering, and boring nine-to-five work. You did the right thing in abandoning it and getting involved in those strip clubs and prostituting yourself.”

“It’s never too late to change.”

“Hush. I didn’t get to the best part yet. When your new friends promised you more wealth, pleasure, and freedom, you took their offer, no questions asked. You lured your parents to a place where they were kidnapped, and your friends recorded a video of you defiling them as they cried and prayed for you to stop. I wonder where they are now. Maybe dead. Maybe still being used and sold. Maybe damned and in Hell.”

I don’t know why I did that anymore. It’s like another person was inside me, while I was asleep. It was the drugs they gave me and the addiction I had to the pleasure and high of it all. That was it!

“That’s just an excuse. You wanted that life, and now, you have to get yourself out.”

“Get out of here, slave angel of God. Your ice is ruining everything Tanith has dedicated her life to.”

“Use the power you’ve accepted as part of our deal, Tanith. Use the icy blue flames to resist your temptations.”

“Don’t do it. Why would you want to feel pain and deny yourself? You, and only you, know what’s best for yourself.”

“This is your opportunity to break the chains of sin and lust that have bound you for years. Break the chains and don’t leave one remaining.”

“Let’s not forget what you did to get here and the power you deserve.”

My mind feels like it’s living in a daydream. I see that I’m running away from the abnormal superhuman who was just using me in the dream. I remember this. I had enough of them using me, and wanted my freedom. I ran around the whorehouse, picking up weapons, shooting that freak’s face, bludgeoning it, and killing whoever got in my way. Thanks to them being drugged up and tired from our sessions together, they were weaker than usual, so I was able to get the better of them.

Still, everything I threw at them wasn’t enough to put them down for good, so I took out their legs, took out the drill where my left hand was, and drilled down their throat until they died. By the end of it, I was covered in blood and looked so psychotic that everyone who followed the freak was afraid of me instead, and did everything I was told. I had my way with every one of them, especially the ones who abused me the most. It was the most freeing experience of my life. Because of what I did, I was able to profit from all the drug and sex operations of our group and take as many of our products as I wanted. I was on top of the world, but…still unhappy. Still hungry for more. It’s ruining me! But I still want more!

“Get out of my head!” I say aloud to the demon, who’s influencing my thoughts with its voice.

“Those are your desires speaking to you. Nothing more,” the demon says. “You want more drugs and sex, and there’s nothing that can change that. You’ve already done all sorts of beyond hardcore, degenerate things. Remember those animals? What about those children? How about those snuff films and rape movies you’ve made and profited from? There’s no coming back from that.”

“Shut up!”

Using the blue flame that has replaced the drill in my left hand, I burn myself with its icy touch. The demon screams out, and its appearance disintegrates, making it look like a decayed corpse version of me. Still, it refuses to go away.

“What? Did you want to make me disappear or kill yourself? I know that both are true,” the demon says before laughing. “You won’t get rid of me that easily. I’ll be with you until the day you die.”

I turn to my guardian angel, who says, “It’s true. It’s your burden, punishment, and your penance.”

“How am I supposed to be a better person if I have this demon and these temptations always with me?”

“Let your failures and the temptations remind you of the evils of sin, and the constant reminder of your reliance on God, who you can do no good without.”

“This is the same thing your parents said, Tanith. You remember what good it did to them. Remember how you failed your college classes, wasting your time and money, and despite your family’s support, you knew that you’d never be able to pay off your debts or get a job you really wanted.”

Again, I burn myself with the blue, icy flames. This time, the demon hangs its head and doesn’t say anything else.

“There is a way to suppress the demon and make up for what you’ve done. Through our deal, you will become a better person, and who your parents thought you could be,” my guardian angel says.

I’ll do whatever you want. I just want out of this life, and I don’t care what I have to. I’ve already done so much that nothing will phase me.

“I know. That is why you will use your powers to expunge the corpse of the city you’re in of demons and deviants. I will help you along the way, especially with the demonic.”

Come on, let’s get it done before that demon wearing my face wakes up. My guardian angel agrees. As I leave the room, I see the demon fidget, so I run out of the icy house. Looking back, I see the demon staring at me with a smile on its face. I can hear it laughing in my mind. There’s no real escape from it, but I will break the chains it has over me. Knowing what I’ve done, I know I deserve to live with the consequences of my actions until I die. Still, my parents believed that as long as someone is alive, there’s a chance they can be saved, and I hope to prove them right. Your prayers are being answered, Mom and Dad. I hope I can make you proud for once in my life.

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Thaddeus is an influencer, scammer, and degenerate who lives only for thrills, pleasure, and riches, that is, until his guardian angel makes him crash on the side of the road and burn in supernatural fire. In the fire, Thaddeus sees the vanity of his life, promises to change, and is given the role of a hero as penance, but he isn't fighting to become famous or fight typical criminals and villains. His role is punish sinners of all kinds in the Jewel, a city where people go to become famous, and expunge the demonic from its darkest depths to its legal and sinful institutions.

Guardian Dear: Chapter 4 – The Usual True Enemy

Chapter 4 – The Usual True Enemy

Flying into the air, I watch as the demons attack people in the streets of the city of Jewel and crawl out of people’s bodies. The heroes and law enforcement are being overrun and are hardly able to kill the demons since they simply come back to life unless blown to bits or all their limbs and head are cut off. I think we should save them now.

“We are. Just remember not rely on yourself. God will be your strength, and I will be by your side,” my guardian angel says.

It’s what I’ve been trying to do. My wings disappear as I fall from the sky upon a horde of demons who all look at me. For some reason, they all have my face, and everything around me becomes darker than it was before. What’s happening? Why can’t I move? Why has my body gone back to normal?

“Ah, our favorite influencer,” the demons say in my voice. “To what do we owe the honor?”

“I’m going to send you all to Hell,” I say.

“What for? Haven’t we given you everything that you’ve ever wanted? Why throw away twenty years of good times so you can live the rest of your life in pain and penance?”

“Because it’s the right thing to do, and I’m sure there’ll be good times to come.”

The demons point and laugh at me.

“No-hahaha-no there won’t! You’re already a villain in the eyes of the public. The idea that you’re doing the right thing will hold you over for so long, until you’ll start to hate it.”

“No, it won’t! I’m just starting to enjoy these powers and see the value in my new role as a hero.”

“Do you? I’m sure you’re craving sex with younger women and men who dress up as in the skin or clothes of women. We know that for sure because we help you feed your addictions, your true hunger, and desires that God refuses you to indulge in.”

My body starts to shake and crave sex. The demons’ whispering starts to come out from my mind and out of my ears as if they were in my head. I can’t say anything without their words coming out of my mouth, and unable to think a thought without thinking about my cravings. Guardian angel, I need your help! My body catches fire again, but this time, it’s just as painful as it was the first time my guardian angel talked to me. Why?

“You’re an enemy of God and your guardian angel. Haven’t you realized that yet? You’ve been killing people who’ve been just as sinful as you’ve been. What makes you think you weren’t going to die and go to Hell after you’ve served your purpose?”

This is my penance! This is how my soul is going to be saved!

“This is just another of God’s so-called mercies. These flames are giving you a taste of Hell, so you’re more ready for it when you eventually go there.”

These cleanse me from my sins!

“Let us take it from you. We’re more used to it than you are, and can give you the pleasure you crave, in return.”

N-no! I need it! The demons reach out to me, and I can’t help but reach out to them and take their hand. The flames go from me to them, relieving me of my pain and giving me the sensation of thrills and pleasures I’m used to, but the happiness of it all goes away like the day after a night of partying, and all that’s left is the feeling of disappointment and embarrassment. Still, the demons cheer for me, saying that I did the right thing and I should be proud of myself as they cheer my name. No…I have nothing to be proud of. Give it back!

The demons cut off my arm that I reach out to them. A feeling of icy fear chills my body, leaving me on my knees in excruciating pain.

“You don’t want this,” the demons say in my voice. “All you want is pleasure, wealth, and happiness. You couldn't care less about doing God’s will. You were just puffing yourself up because you thought you were doing the right thing as a rogue hero, and now that the high of it is gone, you want things to go back to how they once were, don’t you?”

I can’t argue with them. The words that come out of my mouth agree with them and curse the name of God and all that my guardian angel has made me do.

“That’s right. Despite what you’ve done, you’re still the same Thaddeus you were before, and nothing is going to change that.”

Nothing I can do can make me disagree or fight the influence of the demons. Guardian angel, I don’t mean the words I say, even though I feel them to be true. I don’t want to be the way I was before. What you’ve shown me is the reason why I want to change! Please, God, I beg you to help me! Pity my miserable soul, still addicted to sin. I give you my soul, so that they can’t take it. I know I’ve been digging myself a grave all my life, so I promise to never sin again and do everything you want of me in everything I do, say, and think.

The demons are screaming at me again and are now tearing at my flesh, ripping me to shreds. If this death is what God wants, then so be it. Let it be so. As I lose consciousness, I feel a fire begin burning inside of me that explodes, blowing away all the demons from me, and repairing my body until it is back to normal. What is this?

“You asked for help, so I answered. Like I said, I was by your side and have always been here for you, ever since you were born,” my guardian angel says.

Thank you, guardian angel. I blink and see a mess of demon bodies around me. My arms raise into the air as my swords spew flames up into the sky and rain down fire upon the demons. Flying up into the sky, I cut down the stray demons and continue the rain of fire so that none remain. By the end of it, the city of the Jewel is saved, and yet, it is destroyed and on fire. I land back on the ground, a fair distance away from the city, go back to my normal self, and observe the destruction I’ve caused as the sun starts to rise.

“It is purified by the demons and corrupt men and women who controlled it, and took advantage of the few innocents within it. Our job here is done,” my guardian angel says.

Is this it? Are you going to take the powers back now?

“Not at all. We’re done here, but God has much more for you to do.”

That’s good to hear. I embrace my guardian angel, who also embraces me and whose flames feel like they hug me back and feel like the covering of a warm, comforting blanket. Thank you for everything.

“You’re welcome. Even though what we’ve done is a reward in itself, since that is what service to God is, I have something for you.”

My guardian angel raises one of his arms, and a motorcycle made of flames is formed out of the ashes that blows our way. The motorcycle then turns into a normal one, revealing itself to be the one I originally crashed on. Despite you being the one to ruin it, I’ll accept it as a reward. Thanks, and what, we can’t fly everywhere?

“No. You’ll need to appear normal and blend in for some circumstances.”

Understood. Lead the way, my friend. My guardian angel flies ahead of me, away from the Jewel and to our next destination. With the sun on my back and a new reason to live, I feel reborn. I thank God for freeing me from my sins, and pray for my enemies. They’re going to need it for the coming wrath of God that I’m bringing to them, which I now embody as His living, flaming weapon.

 

The End

Guardian Dear: Chapter 3 – Every Sinner, a Potential Target

Chapter 3 – Every Sinner, a Potential Target

As I stand in the chaos I’ve caused, I’m speechless as to why and how this is the right thing to do. How is this a good God’s will?

“These people are guilty of all manner of corruption that has lead themselves and others to Hell, Thaddeus,” my guardian angel says. “Everyone is guilty of sin and deserving of death. Some receive it while being surrounded by family. Others, like the ones at your feet, receive it in this horrid fashion.”

What about the people in that news helicopter? They’re escaping!

“They’re carrying news of your deeds to the masses. You have gotten your fame, and God’s will is being done through you obtaining your infamy.”

I’m getting really sick of this. I accept your penance, and I end up killing normal people and friends. I want fame, and now, I have a target on my back. How am I still not a horrible sinner? Are you making me do evil things to punish me? Are you even an angel?

“Yes, I am an angel, and though you are still a sinner, you are a redeemed one. I know these may not seem like the actions of a hero, but you only need to be seen as a hero in the eyes of those in Heaven. The judgment of yourself, those in Hell, and on Earth don’t matter at all in comparison.”

I shudder as I fall to my knees and pray for guidance and wisdom to make this all make sense.

“This is good progress. First, you asked for more time for your friends. Secondly, you’re asking for help from God. You will get it now, though not in its entirety, all at once. Come. There are more sinners to punish.”

With no better path forward, I do as my guardian angel says. This time, I’m able to move my body more on my own, and yet, I don’t feel satisfied in having more control. It feels like an empty prize, now that my entire life is ruined. I don’t even care about the fact that I’m going to a dance studio where my sisters work. Blowing open the doors, I scorch and cut through the many adults and guards there, all the while, leaving the children to flee in terror.

“I know you’re curious as to why we attacked here, but don’t want to ask. I will answer anyway. Your sister and the women here trained women of all ages to dance provocatively and sleep their way to riches as they did. That is why their lives had to be brought to an end tonight.”

I understand. If prostitutes were a target, strippers, belly dancers, and risqué dancers were a given. What’s next?

“A bank that your brothers own.”

They were always snobbish and cheap, despite the money they had. When I arrive at the bank, I feel even less pity for them and their employees than I do for my sisters. In fact, I feel satisfied in doing this, especially when I cut into their vaults and burn all their gold, silver, and cash to ash.

“Usury is a horrible sin that takes advantage of those in need by profiting off their poverty. It is the vice of gluttonous wealth, while being poor in spirit, and your brothers thrived off the many gamblers and dreamers who needed a loan for their goals. Few were able to pay back their loans, but most still owed them money, even those who died or killed themselves trying to obtain their dreams. Now, those poor souls and their families can rest easy.”

I’ve stuck the end of one of my swords through the throat of one of my brothers. It’s strange. Minutes ago, I would’ve been horrified by this, but now, I find it both bitter and right at the same time. Taking the sword out of my brother’s throat, I let him bleed to death as he scrambles to save what he can in the fire. I pity the fool, and hope that others don’t become stupid like he is, and if they are, I hope they change their ways.

“There it is, Thaddeus. The virtue in your soul is growing, and you are beginning to pray for those you would otherwise hate or be disgusted by. I’m proud of you.”

My guardian angel’s words fill me with a sense of brotherhood and comfort amid what is happening around me. Not wanting to witness the pathetic sight of bankers and loan sharks failing to scavenge their wealth, I fly away to where I’m guided next. In my flight, I see heroes, vigilantes, and law enforcement on my tail, but I ignore them for now. The next place I find myself is the city’s outer areas, where much of the electrical grid is. Instead of targeting the people here, I cut apart and burn the equipment, machinery, and generators. Once they’re dealt with, I blow apart more areas that power the city until the gleaming Jewel of the desert is dark for the first time in years, with the only light coming from the fires I’ve started. I’ve lost the law enforcers who were on my tail, probably because they couldn’t keep up and are now focusing on saving people from the mess I’ve made.

I feel that my job here is done, until my guardian angel says, “We are close to completion, but not yet.”

Already having a feeling of where we’re going next, I allow myself to be flown there, and sure enough, I find myself in a church that my family owns and profits from. There’s not a shred of real faith here or the true God, only people who worship money and praise God when He does what they say and believe as they believe. Huh. Where did this thought in my head come from?

“Your awakening conscience. What else is telling you in the silence of your heart?”

To…pray for these people.

“Yes, pray for them, despite their heresy, what you’re going to do, and what they’ve done to you and others, by leading souls to Hell through their false Christ.”

“Thaddeus?” my mom asks. “Is that really you?”

“You saw it on the news and social media! It is him,” my dad says. “He’s possessed by some kind of devil!”

The flames on my face disappear to reveal it as I say, “I’m not possessed by a devil. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever done as much good as I’ve done in these past few hours. If you think God is on your side, you’d better start praying to him, because I think there are more devils in you than me.”

The crowds call out to Jesus Christ in such a way that makes me disgusted. They use His name like it has no weight, and there’s no true apology or call for mercy for their souls. Instead, I see in them a familiar pride that I know all too well. They think they’re justified in their sins and beliefs, and have a thousand and one excuses for their deeds. That’s a pity. None will see Heaven today.

Flames flow out from my body like water, flooding the mega church with fire and burning everyone to ash along with pictures of their false Christ, who hasn’t come to save them. For some reason, I start to feel a cold presence in the flames, and I don’t know why until I see the inner flesh of the people I’ve burned cut themselves out of the people and come to life. These same beings of flesh come out of the statues and images of the false Christ. They have horns on their heads and hollow faces. Together, they scream so loud that they blow out the windows and break all the screens. Their screams sound like nails on a chalkboard that scratch at my inner ear and cause me to freeze in place, unsure of what I should do.

They all leap away from the flames before they can consume them and go into the city. Were those demons? Why didn’t I do anything to stop them from escaping?

“The public must see them to recognize the demons they’ve been keeping in their walls. Now that the true threat has been smoked out, we must eliminate them and send them back to Hell.”