
Albert Oon: Behind the Stories
This blog is where I post everything I have including; free short stories, free book samples, song/poem attempts, links to my work, and more! I'll even post about the interesting dreams I've had, manga, comics, video games, anime, and the like which you can find on here. Read to your heart's content and I hope you enjoy!
Thursday, February 12, 2026
My 340th book is done and out today!

Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Disgraced Piety: Chapter 4 – Domination Through Surrender

Chapter
4 – Domination Through Surrender
Flying to the source of the action,
I see Thaddeus and Tanith holding their own against superhumans, robots with
satanic markings on them, and men with guns and cybernetic enhancements,
despite being outnumbered twenty-to-one. The city is covered in flames and ice,
and most of its buildings are damaged or destroyed, with not a civilian in
sight.
“The demons are getting desperate.
Let me have at them and finish them off,” my guardian angel says, which I
allow.
I land on one of the damaged
buildings and begin to unleash my green lightning to even the odds, turning our
enemies to ash and taking possession of some of them. Thaddeus and Tanith
notice what is happening and me standing above them. They yell that they knew I
would overcome my demons and resume their fighting. The tide turns
overwhelmingly in our favor now because of me, and Thaddeus and Tanith can push
back against the enemy, so they aren’t trapped in this part of the city.
“What would they be without you?” I
hear a weak voice say in the back of my head.
Haven’t I had enough with you?
“You never will, and that’s the
problem. Even if you rely on God, you won’t stop being imperfect. How
contradictory is that? You are expected to do everything perfectly, but you
won’t be made perfect. Instead, you are expected to fail, but not, and then repent,
promising to never sin again, only to fall again.”
I must admit that I can’t say that
I’m okay with this. I feel the impending possibility of failure to be daunting
and something that I pray to be avoided.
“It’s already happened to you, and
you’re already beginning to lose what little control you have now. With the
reins of your life in reach, why not take back control?”
The demon possessed machinery and
people, and their cultists below turn their attention to me and start attacking
me. Since Thaddeus and Tanith are distracted by enemies surrounding them, I’m
on my own. Everything around me goes black.
“You’ve always been on your own,
and always will be. What major accomplishments in your life have been made
thanks to the help of others? None, because you’ve gotten everything in your
life with your own two hands.”
Praying for help, my guardian angel
arrives, and simply starts playing memories in my mind of times when I didn’t
know he was there to help me. I see memories of me when I was a child, and
watch my guardian angel making sure I don’t fall or get a little push in races.
I even see memories of my adult life where my guardian angel taps my shoulder
to let me know of threats, which I chalked up to my senses warning me of danger
at the time. Seeing these memories reminds me that every part of my life has
been planned and set on something similar to that of a conveyor belt, with me
only being able to deviate from it at certain points with limited
opportunities. We aren’t in control of the circumstances of our birth and early
life, and even less in control of our desires and the course of our life, since
they are heavily influenced by everything and everyone around us.
What control do we truly have of
our lives besides the path we take when given an option, and even then, we
can’t choose outside those options? A man in power will not choose to deviate
from what gave them their power, and a poor man will not be able to accomplish
much, unless given the opportunity by providence and the help of others. I see
it clearly now. The vanity of control. What use is it to me when I ruin it when
given it? Because of this fact, I relinquish all control of myself to my Lord
and God.
“Fool. You need to be in control of
yourself to fight back! Otherwise, your life is forfeit to us.”
What is the threat of death to a
man who has already died and given his life to God? The demons screech at me
and tear my body to shreds. A series of green lightning strikes hits everyone
around me, and puts my body together. I’m then flung in the direction of
Thaddeus and Tanith, who are getting attacked and overwhelmed like I was, so I
use my body to take a beating for them, am torn apart again, and then brought
back together through my green lightning. What follows is such a light show
that you’d think everyone in Heaven was sending a lightning bolt down to help
us, and by the end, the city of Adamas is even more ruined than it was before.
“Woah! That was incredible, Terah,
but are you okay?” Tanith asks.
“Of course. I died and have let God
control every aspect of my life. Nothing much concerns or phases me anymore,” I
say.
“Wow. With that demeanor, you should
be our team leader, not me,” Thaddeus says.
“No, it has already been decided by
our guardian angels that you should be our leader, and if they say you’re our
leader, then God trusts you with the position.”
“Thanks, man. I appreciate it. Oh,
what should we name our group now that we have all our members together? The Fiery
Avengers?”
“How about The Angels of
Punishment?” Tanith suggests.
Thinking this is stupid, but giving
my suggestion anyway, I say, “What about The Trio of Divine Terror?”
“What if you call yourselves The
Midnight Sons of the New Dawn?” my guardian angel asks.
No. I don’t think they’ll accept
that.
“What about the Council of
Punishment?”
“Oh, that’s a good one,” my guardian
angel and Tanith admit.
Because we can’t come up with
anything better, we go with Thaddeus’s idea of calling ourselves the Council of
Punishment.
“What do we do now, Thaddeus?” I ask.
“We purge more demons and sinners
from the Columbian Union. The Dominion of Mercy and Justice may be doing a good
job of it, but examples like the cities we were in prove they’re not doing as
good a job as they should, especially in places like the capital,” Thaddeus
says.
“Okay. Lead the way to our next
purge.”
“Ah, but first, you need a ride
since we need to get from place to place discriminately.”
A red flaming chopper motorcycle
rides in from a distance and stops in front of Thaddeus, while a blue flaming sports
motorcycle rides in and stops in front of Tanith. Behind them, a muscle car,
sparking with green electricity, drives itself to me. It’s dark green and has a
gold trim, giving it a luxurious look to it.
Thaddeus whistles and says, “I can’t
say that it doesn’t suit you. How are you going to drive it without arms?”
My guardian angel explains to me
how I can drive it with my powers, so that’s what I tell Thaddeus.
“Okay then. Let’s get out of here
before trouble arrives,” Tanith says.
“Let’s go then. Onward, Council of
Punishment. We have souls to bring justice to and demons to send to Hell,” Thaddeus
says as he sits on his motorcycle.
As I ride off away from Adams with
the sun rising behind us, I feel like I’m no longer the man I was before, and
that’s okay. In fact, it’s more than okay that I’m no longer who I define myself
as and that my life is no longer in my hands. This new life and path set before
me by God is the one I should’ve always been on, and with Him guiding and
empowering my every move, I’m sure that I’ll make it to Heaven one day, the
only goal that matters in life.
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Disgraced Piety: Chapter 3 – Self-Control

Chapter
3 – Self-Control
How could I prevent this? What did
I do wrong? This shouldn’t be happening to me. These are the thoughts that
cycle through the darkness around me, along with the whispers of demons,
encouraging me to break out with my own strength and not rely on God or my
guardian angel, so I do the opposite as they say.
They continue to say things like,
“You obtained your own power without their help.”
“You’re amazing without them.”
“When have they truly answered any
of your prayers? You’ve never prayed honestly to them, until now, so why would
they help you?”
“You’re on your own. You always
have been, so you only have yourself to rely on.”
A tear in the darkness opens that
my guardian angel goes through and closes behind him. Why wasn’t it left open
for me to escape through?
“You aren’t in literal darkness.
Think of it as figurative mind fog. In reality, you flew into more populated
parts of the city, and the demons are using the population as your puppets
against Thaddeus and Tanith,” my guardian angel explains.
“Terah! You can break through it!
If I can do it, I’m sure you can!” Thaddeus says.
“Fight it, Terah! I know you’re not
in control of yourself,” Tanith says.
“What do they know?” I hear the
demons say in my voice.
“They aren’t as wise or learned as
you are. They aren’t as versed in prayers and fighting the demonic as you are.”
“They are still addicted to their
passions. Thaddeus still wants thrills, and Tanith still craves the pleasures
of the flesh.”
“What can these sinners do for you
that you cannot?”
Why are these demons torturing me
so, and why do they have so much control over me? Am I not doing everything
right?
“You’ve taken out the central area
where the cultists operate, put the fear of God into them, and killed the rest,
but you’ve yet to purge the demons within,” my guardian angel says. “As I said
before, you take life too seriously.”
“If you listen to them, you’ll lose
control of your life. Isn’t control over what’s rightfully yours all you’ve ever
wanted?” the demons say as one. “When you give them control, you lose control
of what you believe in and what you’ll do, the very core of controlling
yourself. Are you truly willing to give that up?”
If it means taking back control,
then yes. Buildings and skyscrapers from Adamas start to emerge from the void
around me. At the top of them, I see people crowned like kings and clergy clothed
in the best finery.
“Shouldn’t the truth make sense and
be logical? It should fit how I view the truth and fit into the parameters I know
to be correct,” one of the people on the towers says.
A green bolt of lightning strikes
it, burning the tower and sending it crumbling to the ground.
Another person at the top of a
tower says, “A good God should act in a way that I think is good. Otherwise,
God is not good at all or non-existent.”
Another green bolt of lightning
brings down the tower that the person was speaking from. It’s then that I realize
that I feel weightless to the point of floating off the ground. I start flying
around the towers that also start floating up into the air, and flying around
as if we were caught up in a tornado.
“Everything in life can be managed!”
another person says as they struggle to stay at the top of their tower. “Everything
can go as I plan if I have the right allies and resources! Even the exact time
of my death can be planned! I have the power to decide it all!”
No, you fool. Nothing is in your
control. A green bolt of lightning strikes and destroys the last buildings and
towers. It’s not over yet, though, as the towers are sucked into a vortex that
becomes a towering black and green being who resembles me.
“They couldn’t at least make you
look a bit more accurate? You look way better than that,” my guardian angel
says.
The shadowy doppelganger swipes at
me and tries to grab me, while I struggle to dodge it in the turbulence I’m
still caught up in.
“See how helpless you are without control
of yourself?” the doppelganger says. “Do it! Regain control, and you will save
yourself!”
The doppelganger hits me, sending
me flying away, and somehow stretches its arms to grab me so it can repeatedly
slam me into the ground. I feel like I can just barely squeeze through its grasp,
but something is preventing me.
“Yes, it is. It is you who gave up
control to God. Regain control, and you can save yourself. You’ve always saved
yourself, and you can do it again if you take control.”
This is a trick. Giving myself
control will only do so much. If I escape, I won’t be able to escape this void
or the demons I find myself burdened with. Perhaps, if I let it kill me, then
Thaddeus and Tanith will be free from the me that is fighting them. If that is
what must happen, then let it happen according to your will, Lord.
“Hehehe, you always take things too
seriously,” my guardian angel says as it appears in front of me.
My guardian angel passes through my
body, electrifying it, making green lightning strike all around me, and freeing
me from the doppelganger. Turning to it, I watch as it screams and starts
throwing punches at me, which hardly do anything to me.
“Look at how pathetic and helpless
your angel is making you. With it, you’ll be helpless for the rest of your life,
and you’ll never do what you want to again. You’ll have to do as God says to
the letter, without you deviating from it in the slightest, no matter how little
sense your orders will be,” the doppelganger says.
So be it, according to His will,
not mine. One single strike of green lightning comes down to destroy the doppelganger
and disperse the void around me. Looking down at myself, I see that I’m wearing
the dark green cloak that my guardian angel does. I feel more empowered than I did
before, and yet, I have to keep a lid on it and in control.
“Ah, you can let loose when the
time comes,” my guardian angel says. “Speaking of that, we’d better go help
your new friends. The cultists brought in reinforcements from the neighboring
towns and cities around Adamas.”
It’s no wonder that the demons have
so much control over the capital, and the temptations are so harsh.
“They’re only harsh because you let
them be, and God allows it. You’re still new to not indulging your desire for
power and control, so those wounds in your soul need time to heal.”
You’re right. Guide me in the right
paths, my guardian angel, and help me not to misstep on my path to Heaven.
Teach me the ways of God.
“I will, but first, let’s send the
demons back to Hell where they belong.”
I fly up into the air and head
towards the explosions in Adamas, all the while praying and hoping that I’ll
arrive in time to help Thaddeus and Tanith.
“Oh, you will be. I’ll make sure of
it.”
Nothing is suspenseful or uncertain
with you, is it?
“Nothing is when you put your full trust
in God.”
Monday, February 9, 2026
Disgraced Piety: Chapter 2 – Going for the Throat

Chapter
2 – Going for the Throat
Two figures walk out of the red and
blue flames in front of me, and for some reason, I recognize them despite not
seeing them in years or really having to remember them for their importance.
“Thaddeus? Tanith?” I say.
“Terah! It’s been a while, hasn’t
it?” Thaddeus says with his arms open.
“What are you two doing here, and
why do you look so different?”
Thaddeus doesn’t look much
different than he usually does with his black jacket, red shirt, and black
pants and boots, but his red, orange, and yellow eyes are supernatural, and
Tanith is different in that her skin is grey, her hair is white, her eyes are
white, and she isn’t dressed like a hooker. Instead, she’s dressed mostly
conservatively with a grey shirt, grey skirt, and dark grey thigh-high boots.
“Don’t look so defensive. We’re not
here to fight you. I must admit that when our guardian angels told us to find
you, we were doubtful of it since we heard you died, but I guess you should
never doubt a messenger from God, right?”
“I haven’t seen you since I
arranged a group of promiscuous nuns for you to have an orgy, Thaddeus. What
happened to you both?”
“We’ve changed because of our
guardian angels,” Tanith explains. “I know that may seem hard to believe,
especially since I was arranging your clergy and nuns to fulfill their fetishes
in Exquista Caro, but believe us when we say we’re different now. We even
destroyed that hive of demonic degeneracy together.”
“I heard that through my sources,
but thought you would be dead, and Thaddeus would’ve been brought in by the
Dominion by now, and yet, here you both are.”
“They’re telling the truth, Terah.
They aren’t agents of our enemy and will be our most trusted allies from now on,”
my guardian angel says.
“My guardian angel tells me to
believe you, so I will. Mind explaining what that explosion you both caused was
about?”
“Our guardian angels made our
presence known and brought us to you,” Tanith explains.
“It probably caused quite a stir in
the city.”
“We did? What about what you did?”
Thaddeus asks.
“The authorities in the city are
slower to respond to incidents like this because they allow them to get away
with crime, and if something does happen at one of their events like this, then
their onsite security can usually deal with it. Since I’ve dealt with them, the
authorities are trying to figure out if this was intentional before sending in
law enforcement, which is why they haven’t shown up yet.”
“We shouldn’t wait around for them,
unless they’re a target,” Tanith says.
“Agreed. If you go where I tell
you, we can expunge the corrupt rulers and demonic cultists from the capital in
minutes.”
“I’ll allow it, as the leader of
our trio,” Thaddeus says.
“You’re the leader?”
“Yes, he is,” my guardian angel
confirms as Thaddeus says much the same thing with pride. “I know it may seem
hard to believe, but you know God allows even the most idiotic people a seat of
power.”
Yes, but Thaddeus of all people?
“He’s a changed man. You’ll see how
useful he is in the coming fight.”
Accepting Thaddeus’s role as leader
of our trio, I tell him where to go, and we fly to the neighboring rooftop of
the location. This place has various expensive stores, concert venues,
luxurious halls, and hotel rooms designed for kings.
“This is the part of the city they
call the royal quarter,” Tanith says.
“Yes. The capital city of Adamas
doesn’t have the most crime and corruption under the streets like most cities.
Instead, it happens in its official buildings, in plain sight, but behind
closed secret doors,” I explain.
“Makes sense. I can already hear
the whispers of demons. Can you, Tanith?” Thaddeus asks, which Tanith confirms.
Listening closer, I can hear
indiscernible whispers behind me.
“Try not to listen to those creeps
too much. All they do is complain about other people’s sins and whine about how
horrible their lives are. Let me give them a real reason to cry,” my guardian
angel says.
Go ahead and handle the demonic
threat. I’ll handle the people here.
“Sir, yes, sir!”
I point Thaddeus and Tanith to the
buildings they should focus on and set them loose. In an instant, they change
their appearance. Thaddeus looks like a flaming devil with horns on his head
and two crimson swords for arms, and Tanith, who looks a lot like my guardian
angel, is dressed in black and gray with a spear-like right arm and blue flames
coming from her left arm. The two leap into action, entering buildings and
burning them from the inside out. Meanwhile, I bring down green lightning on
the buildings, creating holes in them, allowing them to burn and vaporize, and
giving me control over the people I’m allowed to. Law enforcement, both those
on the payroll of the corrupt leaders, politicians, and businessmen, and those
not technically on it, finally arrive and provide more active targets, more
people to control. Huh? Why would I want that?
“Because it’s your role, Terah.
It’s your purpose in life to control people and their lives, especially your
own,” I hear a voice in my head that sounds like mine.
Demons. I focus on the task at hand
and pray Hail Marys to keep my mind off their temptations.
“God knows your place is in a
position where you have reign over people’s lives. You gave up the power you
had, and He gave you even more. What more proof do you need that you’re a truly
pious man?”
I am powerless without God. He is
the only good I need, and the greatest power He could give me is control over
myself to never sin again. A loud screeching sound comes from behind me before
going suddenly quiet. I’m expecting to hear more, but I don’t hear a word. That
can’t be it. From what I know, demons don’t give up that easily. Perhaps,
they’re affecting me in what I’m feeling with these powers. The lightning
coming from me and the power I feel over others is an ecstasy unlike anything
I’ve felt before. I have to remember my guardian angel’s advice and not indulge
in this power, lest I let it rule over me and I fall to sin again.
“Good job, my friend! I know you
knew the right words and method to get rid of those demons,” my guardian angel
says.
I was a bishop, and even though I
didn’t care for those prayers before, I remembered how to turn away the
temptations of demons just in case. Around me, I see the ruins of the
buildings, hundreds of dead and burned bodies, and red flames intermixed with
icy, blue flames and electrical green flames.
“The fight is already over?” I ask
as if disappointed.
“Yeah. I’m just as surprised as you
are. Even though we were right on the money because of the many satanic worship
sites behind closed doors and encountered temptations from demons, we were able
to overcome them and destroy everything and everyone in our path,” Thaddeus
explains.
“I’m sure we couldn’t have done it
without you,” Tanith adds.
You’re right about that. Before I
say anything, Thaddeus looks above him and then says, “My guardian angel says
our job here in Adamas isn’t done yet.”
“Really? This was the most secure
and central for all demon worship and cultist activity,” I say.
“There are other places that must
be purged so that the capital can be cleaned. I’m sure with your help, we’ll
get this done in no time.”
I look up to my guardian angel, who
nods in approval, so I tepidly do as Thaddeus says. Along with Tanith, the
three of us go from place to place in Adamas, causing death and destruction,
and getting into fights with its defenders and an escalating, but rapidly
depleting, law enforcement. It’s during one of these battles that I get
attacked and discover that I’m unharmed by most attacks, like my body is some
kind of stone wall, and adding to my feeling of invincibility. None of my
attackers can land more than one or two hits before my green lightning kills or
lets me take control of them. Not even the demons who continue to tempt me can
bother me or break my concentration away from the fight at hand.
These powers were exhilarating at
first to have, but now, I’m starting to get bored. All I’m doing is sitting on
the sidelines, letting my powers do their thing, and sometimes giving commands
to people who die or rarely get knocked out soon after. Thaddeus and Tanith
have immense power as well, but they at least seem to be challenged in their
fights, despite probably doing the same thing as me.
“You’re too good for them,” a voice
in my head says.
“You’re too powerful.”
“You always were.”
“That’s why you’re being kept back.
You need to take back control.”
Ah, pride, the first of all falls
to happen when a sin is committed. Should’ve known to keep a better lid on my
thoughts. No matter I can-
“You can do anything you put your
mind to.”
“You’re amazing like that, Terah.”
“You can be ruler of the capital if
you want to.”
“You were already its governor, and
its people will have to listen to you since a majority of its law enforcement
is dead or knocked out because of you.”
Flashes of green lightning
unintentionally come out of me, hitting the bodies on the floor. The bodies get
up and start attacking Thaddeus and Tanith. What is going on? I can’t control
them!
“You were never in control, so go
on and take control for yourself!” the demons say.
“You’ve gotten control over
hundreds of thousands of people. Why can’t you do it to a few?”
“Why can’t you control yourself?”
I try to take control of the walking
corpses, but then find myself uncontrollably flying and spinning in the air,
and away from the area. I’m better at controlling myself than this! My prayers
should be helping me, but nothing is happening the way it should! Agh! Is this
God humbling me, or have I already outlived my purpose? Have I done something
wrong? I need answers. Guardian angel! Where are you?
As I uncontrollably spin in the
air, I see a large shadowy figure form where I am heading as if I’m being
sucked into it. The figure smiles and says, “Take control, Terah. You can do
it.” It then opens its mouth, and I fly into its body.
Saturday, February 7, 2026
My 339th book is done and out today!

Disgraced Piety: Chapter 1 – Fallen Successor of the Apostles


Chapter
1 – Fallen Successor of the Apostles
A hypocrite. That’s what I’ve
always been for the sake of power. It’s what I’ve wanted so I could have an
unlimited sense of freedom and security. That’s what all humanity wants, so I
felt justified in doing everything I could to obtain it. Since traditionalism
is on the upswing in modern times, I felt that I should enter the priesthood. I
did so, rose through the ranks by impressing the right people, giving them what
they wanted, and became a bishop later in life. With the rise of the Dominion
of Mercy and Justice and their members gaining political power, I should do the
same, so I ran for mayor of the capital city of the Columbian Union, and after
becoming mayor, I became governor of the capital state.
The power that I had gave me the
best houses in the country, allies in all the right places in several
governments and religions, and the ability to affect lives without directly
interacting with them. If I wanted someone’s life ruined, I could make it happen.
If I wanted to move up the ladder or help an ally do the same, then I knew who
to pay or call for a favor. In the most extreme cases, if someone opposing me
couldn’t be moved or convinced to change, then I had ways of making them
disappear for good. I thought I had everything I ever wanted, but I always
wanted more, and after realizing this fact multiple times, I began to see the
vanity in the way I was living.
I prayed earnestly, probably for
the first time in years, and only felt more regret for the way I lived. What
was the point of having power when it only made me want more, like some crack
addict? What did power give me other than the fear of always looking behind my
back and always being wary of others to keep what I worked so hard to obtain? What’s
the point of having all the money and access to the best doctors in the world
if I’ll eventually die one day and there’s a singular destination for my soul?
I have spent all these years working for nothing, dust that I hold onto as it
slips through my hands, so before I can be fully disappointed, I’m throwing it
all away in one stroke.
Today, I’ve been told there’s
another assassin coming to claim my life. I’ve told my associates that it’s
being handled, and by that, I mean that I’m accepting my death. I kneel in my
private adoration chapel and pray for hours, confessing and repenting of my
sins to God, until I hear the click of the door behind me and the shot of a
silenced gun. Everything goes black, and my body feels weightless, and yet, I
still feel conscious, so I continue praying. Then, I start to feel someone
cutting me apart. Figures. It’s a classic tactic of the hitmen and assassins I
know. They kill their targets and spread their body parts around the country so
that they won’t be identified or take years to figure out who the body belonged
to. It makes sense that I deserve this fate.
“Hehehe. If only it were so, Terah,”
I hear a cackling voice say.
Who’s there?
“The messenger who delivers your
prayers to God and delivers His will to do, your one and only guardian angel.”
You don’t look like an angel. You
look more like a reaper with your spiky cloak with horns on it and shadowy face
with a green smile, eyes, and nose.
“Would you expect anything softer
and cuter for a man such as yourself? All guardian angels are particular to
each person they protect, and my appearance reflects the kind of man I have to
deal with.”
I guess you’re right. What message
do you have to deliver at the moment of my death?
“That isn’t the end of your life.
Hehehe. It’s only the beginning.”
Flashes of green lighting and fire
light up the darkness around me. In it, I see my body become clothed in long
black and grey clothes with light green trimming, like those of a homeless man,
along with a dark green scarf. My body comes back together, making me not feel
weightless anymore, but for some reason, I can’t feel my arms.
“You won’t need those with the new
power you’re being given.”
I feel jolts of electricity
coursing through my body, each of which I can shoot out from me, and it feels
like an extension of my will. With the green light, I dispel the darkness
around me and find myself back in my personal adoration chapel. Nothing is
remaining in here or the other rooms in my house. How much time has passed
since I died?
My guardian angel appears in front
of me and says, “What happened to you in your mind took seconds, whereas it
took weeks to put your body together, and it is in this time that God wants you
to return with a bang.”
With these powers of green
lightning? Am I meant to be some kind of superhuman hero for God?
“That’s the idea, friend. I think
you know where to start in the purging of heretics and heathens. They were the
ones who took everything out of your house after you died, even that statue of
me that you had in your room.”
That thing was a gift made to
generally represent you that I didn’t pay much attention to. No offense.
“There’s much offense to that
statement. No one makes statues of guardian angels, so I appreciate the ones
that are made of us. I’m kidding.”
You do seem to be the jokey type,
much to my surprise.
“You take life too seriously. It’s
why you need a joker like me. You act older than me, even though I’m centuries
older than you.”
I look at the spot where my
guardian angel statue was, and look up at the mirror in the wall that’s yet to
be removed. I really do look like a bum, but my eyes are yellow, light green,
and dark green.
“Don’t act as if you care about
what you look like now. You only wore the clothes that got you the most
attention.”
That’s true. The clothes have to
match the man, so this is the best that I can expect as a dead man walking.
Walking outside of my house, I see that the cars in my garage are gone. Am I
expected to walk to where I need to go?
“Nope. That’d be too boring, even
if it were to be an effective penance for you. I have something more exciting
for you. Let me do the work.”
I’m suddenly lifted into the air as
my guardian angel flies up. We fly at high speeds to our destination, a towering
office building where all kinds of familiar faces are gathered today. It’s a high-class
society place with expensive chandeliers and famous musicians singing on stages
for background noise and entertainment. As I float among them like a ghost in
the crowd, I see that they’re selling many luxurious and precious items, some
of which came from my house.
“Don’t these people have enough?
From what I hear from their suffering guardian angels, they have enough to fill
ten houses, and then some.”
That’s the thing with money. When
you have it, you gotta make it work for you. Otherwise, it’s useless. Besides,
these people here know that objects are vanity and are here for the real prize
of making and maintaining their connections to others.
“That stupid paper does more damage
to people’s souls than they realize. I’d love to see it burn.”
You’ll see it soon, but for now,
these people have to burn. Let’s see these new powers of mine in action. I
exert my will as green lightning shoots from my body, and people start to
notice me.
“Terah?” one of them says before a
lightning bolt hits them and sets them ablaze.
Some of the others who get hit die
on the spot, but for some reason, I feel in control over some of them. As the
crowd starts to run, I make them stay and move around.
“End yourself,” I command.
The people I have control over snap
their necks with their own hands. These powers are something else.
“Stay focused and keep the
lightning flowing. They can’t get away,” my guardian angel says.
I do as he says and let the green
lightning strike out from me like the fingers of God, picking out who dies a
particular death and who comes under my control. Even the superhumans and
guards who try to stop me are no match for my powers and are a useful tool for
eliminating the guests and torching everything in the building. When they are
no longer of any use to me, I make them end themselves, each other's lives, or simply
throw themselves out the windows. Flying outside the building, I watch it while
floating in the air with my guardian angel. I’ve been curious about getting
superhuman powers for myself, but having so much political power and leverage
in businesses made it seem like another investment that would give me more
attention than I needed. Looks like I didn’t know what I was missing out on.
“If you had powers, it would’ve
made your death more excruciating,” my guardian angel says. “Besides, you’re
not supposed to enjoy this. You are executing pitiable souls who were like you,
and you knew.”
You’re right, my angel. Excuse my
over-indulgence in this power. You know how it’s my drug. I’m still surprised I
was given it.
“Power itself isn’t evil or
corrupting. It’s people who misuse it and give it a bad name, like those who
use charities to get rich and reputation as a good person. You were meant to be
a bishop, mayor, and governor. No one gets a position of power without God
allowing it. This is why you have your powers. Come on. I want to see the purpose
for your power fulfilled tonight and more burning money.”
Before I go anywhere, I see a large
red and blue explosion in the city. A fireball of the same colors shoots out
from it and lands right in front of me.
Sunday, February 1, 2026
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