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The world is a place of suffering and there is no Hell except what you make of it. Few rarely die as people live out their lives afflicted by their sins. An unknown masked man walks the Path of Saints to accomplish the Three Indulgences and Three Deaths to pay for his sins and the sins of the world, but will he be strong enough to suffer the pain that would kill him a hundred times over?
“After confession, a crown is given to penitents.” – St. John Chrysostom
Chapter 3 – May it be Acceptable to You
Corleone walks through the hilly town lead by the Path of Saints. He admires the long spiraling buildings that are continuously growing upward. The Path of Saints leads him up to one of these towers for a closer look. The towers are made of the bodies of many large people who are smiling and committing various sins even as they continuously mutate and become more deformed as they ascend. One of them appears to have some clarity of mind and looks at Corleone.
He says, “Join us. God has granted us our wish to be who we want. There is no sin here. There are only bliss and unending joy.”
Ignoring the man, Corleone continues to follow the Path of Saints. It leads him to the largest tower in the hilly town and the only one that isn’t made of people. Parts of the roof are collapsed, and stone doors are locked with no lever or handle to open them. With his new strength, Corleone moves aside the rubble of the tower to clear a path forward and lights the nearby lanterns to open the doors. From here, it’s only a manner of repeating the same tasks over and over again until Corleone makes it to the top of the tower to find the Nail Cross of Penance and a water basin. There is no roof on the top floor of the tower. It offers a nice view of the surrounding area and the many towers made of sinners.
Not wanting to waste any more time, Corleone dunks his head into the basin. His head is snagged on something in the basin that he didn’t see in it. He struggles then manages to pull out his head that now has a crown of thorns stuck on it. The pain from his penances subside as his penitential armor of thorns, the thorny vine in his throat, and his thorn sword release their grasp of him and fall off. He sighs in relief, crosses himself, and makes a silent prayer of thanksgiving on his knees.
“Receive ye the third indulgence for giving the third death, Corleone. With this, your penance is done,” a voice says.
Corleone prostrates himself and vows never to sin again. When he lifts his head, he still sees the Path of Saints that shows him to the very edge of the tower’s roof.
“Many have sacrificed themselves for the sins of others as I have. Unite your suffering and sacrifice with mine or walk away. It is your choice to make.”
Looking out at the spiraling towers and knowing the nature of sin, Corleone walks the Path of Saints to the very end and throws himself off the tower. His body plummets to the ground while his soul ascends to Heaven. The many towers and buildings in the hilly town begin to fall as the price of sin has been paid across the world. Some men sin not long after and are given their punishments again while others praise God and promise that they will never sin again, however, as it is well known, even the most pious men fall. It is only those who do penance and the will of God who are saved in the end.
The End
“For
the sorrow that is according to God worketh penance, steadfast unto salvation;
but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” – 2 Corinthians 7:10
Chapter 2 – My Sacrifice
for All
The ruined city that Corleone has walked
into appears to have been through a war of some kind with defensive barriers in
the streets and torn propaganda littering the buildings and floors. Dried blood,
damaged armor, and broken weapon are also found scattered about. Parts of the
city and ground appear to be rotting as nature begins to be seeping through the
cracks with full trees grown in buildings. Statues of both religious and historical
figures have been broken and vandalized with faded writing on them. Strangely, there
are bonfires still burning in the city.
The Path of Saints leads Corleone
to the fire where a man comes out of the bonfire with flames bursting out of his
skin, eyes, mouth, and nose. This man breathes in agony as he looks around and
struggles to get his bearings. He catches sight of Corleone and crawls to him.
“You there! I recognize your armor
of that as a good knight! Please, you must help us! We are at war with another city.
This war is never-ending, and our assailants are still in the city as we speak,”
the burning man says.
A hand from the bonfire emerges and
tries to pull the burning man back in. Corleone severs the hand from the arm as
more start to emerge.
“Please protect me, good knight!”
The ruined city starts to come to
life as fighting begins to break out in the streets as the corpses of knights
and soldiers rise from underneath the ground to fight each other. Corleone
fights off whoever approaches him and the burning man as they seek shelter.
Despite moving in different directions, Corleone still manages to walk the Path
of Saints without diverging.
“There seems to be no safe place
anywhere,” the burning man says, “And this used to be such a safe place.
Perhaps if you defeat the enemy leader, the fighting will stop. Come on, let’s
go.”
Corleone follows the burning man and
protects him as they go after the hordes of enemies hoping to find the leader
among them. That is until the Path of Saints diverges and points Corleone in a
different direction and stops him from following the burning man.
Noticing that Corleone isn’t
following him, the burning man turns around and asks, “What’s the matter, good
knight? We’re behind enemy lines now so their commander must be somewhere around
here.”
Looking at the Path of Saints that
leads in another direction, Corleone shakes his head and follows it.
“Wait-huh?”
The burning man notices the golden
blood on Corleone’s boots as he runs away.
“That foreign knight walks the Path
of Saints! He walks the path of vanity!”
Most fighters from both sides seem
to concentrate on Corleone now as they mock him.
“Look at that fool,” one of them says.
“There are other important things
to worry about than penance.”
“Join my side and push back these
vile heathens.”
“No, join my side and push back
these insolent heretics.”
“He’s a traitor and should be
executed!”
“Leave that vain path and do
something better with your life!”
Soldiers and knights from both
sides try to stop Corleone by going after him. His burning sword manages to cut
through hordes of him and his thorny armor protects him from most blows, but
they get a couple hits in here and there. The horde becomes overwhelming to the
point where one soldier manages to cut Corleone’s head off. A thorny vine in
his neck reattaches his head to his body while allowing him to keep running as
if nothing happened, however, he still experiences the pain of decapitation. The
Path of Saints leads Corleone to the front of a large tower with no entrance with
all of them are collapsed. The path has never lead him to a place that hasn’t
been significant, so he stands his ground against the approaching horde of
soldiers and bloodthirsty citizens.
Now that he has a better look at the
horde, Corleone sees that the horde is one singular creature with thousands of
people attached to it. The creature morphs and shifts to get around the debris and
buildings in the city. People are fighting each other on it as if the creature
they’re a part of is nonexistent as their rage for their enemy blinds them to
what is happening around them. With his burning sword at the ready, Corleone tries
to deflect the oncoming sword attacks only to be launched up in the air and through
the tower’s walls. Satisfied that Corleone is out of the way, the two enemy
armies continue to fight each other.
Once he pulls himself together
after experiencing a new way to get to the place he needs to, Corleone walks
down the tower’s steps to find a cramped room with the Nail Cross of Penance
holding up the ceiling. The room becomes smaller and smaller the further Corleone
walks into it, so he goes to the cross and touches it.
He then hears a voice saying, “God
suffered a cross for all, and so you must deny yourself, pick up your cross,
and follow Him. If you wish to save your life, you will lose it, but if you
lose your life for His sake, you will find it.”
With this information in mind,
Corleone picks up the Nail Cross of Penance and begins to carry it across the
room. The cross is incredibly heavy and with good reason as carrying it also lifts
the ceiling up to reveal more of the room. It digs into Corleone’s shoulder and
back like a heavy blade that causes him to bleed and feel like his shoulder is
coming apart. This pain causes him to fall to one knee and remember an event
from the past.
“Get up and keep fighting, or do
you want to let your family down?!” an officer told him during a large scale
battle.
Corleone’s mind remembers a battle
he fought in to push back an invading army. He fought valiantly only to give up
and play dead after being crushed and stabbed so many times. This humiliating
memory gets him to pick himself up and keep moving, however, dealing with the
pain isn’t any easier. Because of this, he falls again. This time he remembers
coming home after the battle.
The enemy had a special torture
method that separated a person’s body into pieces so that their bodies had a
hard and painful time putting themselves together. Corleone’s failure and
cowardice let this happen and his king exiled him because of it. This shame
reminds and reinvigorates him to keep moving. The pain of carrying the cross becomes
easier, however, the crushing weight of it isn’t any easier. In fact, it seems
like the further in Corleone goes, the heavier the cross is. What was once his motivator
for continuing is quickly being forgotten as the pain of carrying the cross
puts itself at the forefront of his mind again.
Human weakness is susceptible to
sin and easily forgets the consequences of evil when misery and doubt consume
them. This misery and doubt make Corleone fall under the weight of the cross
for the third time. In his mind, he remembers the shame, guilt, and sadness of being
exiled. His failures as a soldier, father, and husband make him attempt to take
his life. He already knew that he wouldn’t die, but just like all humans, sin
blinds us of our ability to reason. A thorny vine grew out from his mouth, constricted
his throat, and blinded one of his eyes. All three of his past failures made
him consider walking the Path of Saints to complete the Three Indulgences and
Three Deaths. With all three reminders in his mind, Corleone gets on his feet
once again and makes one final push that gets him to the end of the room where
there is a water basin in a space of the wall that the lifted ceiling has
revealed. Just like before, Corleone dunks his head into the basin.
“Receive ye the second indulgence
for giving the second death, Corleone,” a voice says.
When he raises his head from the
water, Corleone feels a heavy weight on him. The Nail Cross of Penance falls to
the side as the ceiling falls on him, however, he is able to hold the ceiling
up with his own strength. This newfound strength lets him hold the ceiling up
and get to the other side of the room without falling once. As he exits the
room, he finds himself in a strange hilly town of spiraling towers, houses, and
castles. Knowing that this has to be the final place of his journey, he crosses
himself before continuing on.
“But if the wicked do penance for all his sins which he hath committed, and keep all my commandments, and do judgment, and justice, living he shall live, and shall not die.” – Ezekiel 18: 21
Chapter 1 – Penance of
Penances
A village of deformed people that
bear the weight of their sins is going about their daily tasks as best they
can. Because of their sins, some villagers are blinded, some have their skin bleeding
or constantly burnt, while others suffer similar kinds of pain in their body along
with other unpleasant feelings. For example, there is a villager who has bugs
crawling through his skin because he intentionally tried to kill a fellow competing
cook. Another villager suffers from wearing underwear made of thorns because
they fornicated with another’s spouse. Everyone has sinned and there is no one who
is just among them. Not one. There are only those who embrace their penance and
those who don’t, and even the repentant can be like the dog that returns to
their vomit when they let their weak human nature get to them.
Despite the never-ending pain and
bleeding, no one is able to die. It doesn’t matter how many pieces a person is
cut into nor does it matter how much of their body becomes ash. Their body
heals and the penance continues or worsens in some regards. Very few die and even
fewer pay their debts in full. God has made it so that no one can die unless
they do a particular penance. A penance of suffering and death that scares most
away from it. A road of blood and torment that is walked on by a lone man
entering the village.
His ghastly appearance scares some
of the villagers away from him. A thorny vine chokes his neck, enters his
mouth, and exits out his left eye. His armor and mask are black as ash. In addition,
his arms are wrapped in thorny vines, especially his right arm. The sword he
grips is also thorny and is attached to his hand with thorny vines that make
his hand bleed.
“What did this man do to deserve
such a fate?” a villager wonders aloud.
The lone man turns his head and
startles the villager; however, the village dog is not startled by the man’s
appearance and goes up to him. The brave dog barks at the man and stops him in
his tracks before sniffing his legs. Curious about the dog, the man kneels down.
Unafraid of the man’s face, the dog sniffs it then licks it. The man then pets
the dog as the villagers are eased to see that the man is compassionate towards
the dog. This calm doesn’t last long as two people with torn and battle-worn bodies
make their way into the village.
“Stop him!” one of them says, “He’s
trying to complete the Three Indulgences and Three Deaths!”
The larger attacker uses the steel
ball at the end of their arm to try to crush the lone man who uses his free arm
that forms a shield made of thorns to protect him. While he is preoccupied, another
man slices the lone man’s shield arm off where his skin is exposed with his
bone sword. With his arm off, the lone man backs off the avoid the larger attacker’s
crushing blow as the man’s arm is brought back to him and reattached by his vines.
This slight opportunity to attack is taken by the faster attacker who leaps at
the man but is quickly cut into two pieces. Since his arm hasn’t reattached
itself yet, the man uses it like a ball and chain to hit the larger attacker in
the face. This allows the man to finish off the last attacker with a slice to
the throat.
Now that the fight has stopped, the
villagers come out and are surprised by who is the victor. The village priest,
with his throat, wrists, and ankles wrapped in thorny vines approaches him and closely
examines his appearance.
“Is it true what they said? Are you
trying to complete the Three Indulgences and Three Deaths?” the priest asks.
The man nods in response.
“May God bless you and give you
strength. It must be difficult walking the Path of Saints with only one eye. I’ve
heard that the path is only clear to those who have their hearts and minds set
on completing it. Is that true?”
The man nods again and shows the
priest his boots that have golden blood on them.
“Ah, yes! The golden blood of
saints that is said to be one of the most valuable things to God because it is a
testament to the saints’ love of God. It’s also rumored that their tears are mixed
in as well.”
An arrow is suddenly shot into the lone
man’s eye by one of the villagers.
“Stop him!” the villager says as his
hands begin to be wrapped by chains that come out from his skin.
“What are you doing?” another asks.
“If he completes the trial, then God
will keep us in this cycle of Penance and Pain!”
Some villagers join the attack
while the others turn against them and side with the lone man.
“Get away while we hold them off!
Do the penance for your sins and the sins of the world!” a villager says to the lone man who crosses himself to let them know his gratitude before leaving.
The defending villagers do their best
to push back the attackers, but the previous two who the lone man defeated are
back on their feet and go after him only to lose him as he disappears in front
of their eyes.
“Where did he go?” one of them asks
in a panic.
“The Path of Saints can only be
walked on by those who set their hearts and minds on it. Who knows where God
has taken him now,” the village priest says.
Undeterred by what the priest said,
the two attackers wander the forest in the vain attempt of finding the lone man.
Meanwhile, the man is miles away from the village at a crumbled church that
sits in the center of a destroyed village. The sound of shifting grass makes the
man take a defensive stance. A woman sticks her head out from the knee-high
tall grass.
“Do you walk the Path of Saints?”
she asks.
The man nods.
“May God bless your soul. I’ve
watched many people walk this path. Many dangerous and wicked people who were
looking for a quick way to pay their just dues. Since death is nonexistent and
pain is only a temporary feeling, most were eager to throw themselves at the
challenge unaware of how taxing it actually is. What you will find in the
church is a pain unlike any other that has scared away most people from completing
it. Those fools did not understand true penance. I, on the other hand, am doing
a penance unlike any other that can even be called a greater penance than the
one you are doing.”
Bugs crawl all over the woman,
through her eyes, mouth, and holes in her skin as she coughs out dirt. On closer
inspection, the woman’s body is green and seems to have melded with the ground
with her neck being snake-like.
“That is nothing compared to what I
am doing!” another woman says from the house across, “I have to deal with you
talking about yourself and your sob stories all day long!”
Another woman pops up and says, “Can
you two be quiet? I’m trying to suffer for the three of us?”
“Four of us, or did you mean to
forget me?”
More women with snake-like necks
pop up and argue with each other. Listening and looking at them closer reveals
that they are all similar if not the same person altered in different ways. Not
wanting to get caught up in the argument, the man walks into the church to find
a singular woman kneeling at the altar. She has dozens of vines growing out
from the back of her head that go into the ground. The man kneels before the
alter then goes up to this woman to see that she’s praying. Her eyes open and
turn to look at him.
She says, “Pity me not. I am but a
penitent sinner paying her debts for all the jealousy and envy that I had.
Approach the altar and go down the stairs for the penance you seek.”
The lone man nods and crosses
himself as her pain is eased.
“Bless your heart.”
Going down the long set of stairs
reveals a dark room that is lit up by a fire that consumes almost the whole
room. Screams come from the room as the smell of burning flesh is mixed in with
the smoke.
“The Flames of Purgatory are
presented before you to purify you. It will give you pain for your penance and
strength for your journey. Walk through the flames or turn back now because once you start
to walk this path there will be no going back,” a voice in the flames says.
It takes the lone man a second to
steel himself before he decides to walk into the flames. He crosses himself then
heads in. The intense pain hits him immediately and almost causes him to walk
back, but he presses on. As the flames burn him, he feels a burning sensation
that burns him to the soul. He walks directionless through the fire and keeps
walking as fast as he can. His spirit begins to fade as his hope for a quick
end to this challenge slips further and further away.
Visions of his sins then enter the
lone man’s head. Visions of a family, a wife, children, and dog. Visions of
blood, death, and suicide, and lastly, a vision of refusal then pain as he sees
himself. The lone man then resolves to not give up and embraces the flames.
What was once excruciatingly painful is now a source of strength. Before he
knows it, the man finds himself at the end of the room. Looking back, he sees
that the room wasn’t as big as he thought. He then goes into a room to find a
water font before the Nail Cross of Penance. At the water font, he dunks his
head in.
“Receive ye the first indulgence for
giving the first death, Corleone,” a voice says.
Corleone raises his head from the
water. He feels a fire burning within him that he lets flow through him until it
ignites his sword with flames. He then nods his head and exits the basement of
the church to find himself back on the Path of Saints in the middle of a ruined
city. In this new place, he continues walking the path in pain, but also
reinvigorated and ready for wherever the path leads him next.
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Any Sinner Can Become a Saint
Everyone sins, but few repent when they're addicted to sin. These three stories follow the tales of people stuck in sin and struggle to get out. It'll take a miracle for them to be saved, but through God, all things are possible. Sainthood can only be obtained through hardship as these tales can either end in Heaven or Hell.
This intense collection includes; Saint Within the Sinner, Sin or Humanity, and Sheep in Wolf's Clothing along with Behind the Story extras for each story that details some of the inspirations and ideas that went behind each story.
People, who appear to be perfect, aren't always good on the inside.
A city is separated between the sinful and the Pious. Those who aren't considered Pious are forced to work hard and live in poverty while the Pious enjoy luxury in their golden city. Wyatt is a worker who tries to sabotage the Pious' work and propaganda. He comes across an unlikely ally who appears to be a sinner but is closer to being a saint than he realizes.
Chapter 2 – Virtue and Pompousness
Sinners like this man with the
clown mask that I’m following are a rarity to see. The black wires and closed
tubes on his back are there so they have to rely on their master for food.
There’s also supposed to be a device on their back that instantly kills them if
they leave their work area. It’s a wonder that this guy is even alive let alone
a group of people like him. Part of me wants to report him while another wants
to believe him.
He could be telling me what I want to
hear so I can join his group or worse. I’ll just have to wait and see. Despite
his deep voice, he sounds honest. I wonder if I used to know him since he said he
worked in the mines. I’ve seen dozens of people try to start a revolt or
protest in the mines but end up getting arrested and never being heard from
again.
As we move through the shadows and
hidden alleys of the city, I ask the man, “We never exchanged names. My name is
Wyatt. What’s yours?”
“Oh, yes. My name is Terran. It’s
nice to meet you, Wyatt.”
He’s polite and gave up his name to
me. He has to know that if I told the authorities his name and what he was
doing then they would trust me and arrest him. Maybe he is being honest with
me. We keep making our way through the alleys until we see a protest happening
in the streets. Terran slows his pace as he watches it and tries to listen.
Through the cracks in the building that we go through, we see people holding up
crosses and pictures of people that I assume to be loved ones as they chant prayers
and against the Pious. This crowd is taken out by gas then forced to strip and
be whipped in the streets as an example to all.
“Don’t let it bother you, Wyatt,”
Terran says as he picks up his pace.
Maybe you should take your own
advice. His footsteps sound heavier so maybe he’s mad at hearing and seeing
glimpses of what happens almost every other day. On our way to our destination,
we make our way underground and to a dark basement with a steel door at the end
that has a cross on it. Terran knocks seven times on the door before it opens.
Inside is a ruined church with people inside who wear masks and have
appearances similar to Terran with very few people who like me. Churches, where I
live, look similar to this, however, there are a couple of machines in this
church that have fluids, wires, and tubes on them. So, this is how Terran has
managed to survive though from the looks of it, they’ll have to share the same
machines rather than having their own.
“This is Wyatt, the troublemaker
who’s been sabotaging the Pious’ propaganda and plans in the mines.”
“I’m a troublemaker? I’m sure you’ve
caused your fair share of trouble too, Terran.”
“It’s good that you’re here, Wyatt,”
one of the masked people say. I don’t think I’ll get used to their deep voices.
“I’m here because you guys are against
the Pious, and I’m assuming that you have some kind of plan that’s better than
what I’ve been doing.”
“Much better.”
“Well, tell me what it is.”
“We’re going to free the sinners
like us from the gold mines.”
“We’re going to do what?! What makes
you think we can even pull that off?”
“We have a cave that was dug out by
the first one of us who managed to dig their way to freedom and an insider in
the city. We also have a mystic who tells us that it is God’s will that these
sinners should be saved now.”
“Of all the things we can do…”
“What do you think we should do? You
know every other option there is doesn’t work.”
“But is this really God’s will?”
“You’ll have to trust us on that.”
“You guys look like you can barely
keep yourselves together. Besides, they’ll replace the slaves we take. Do you
know how many people bang their head on the golden gate to the city to live in
there even as a slave? People walk over each other when that gate opens to make
it inside.”
“We trusted in God to deliver us
from our slave masters and now we trust in Him when we’re given another
purpose. Don’t you trust Him?”
“Tch, I do.”
“Then it’s decided. We head out in
two hours.”
“Why two hours?”
“It’s the time we were given by the
mystic.”
“Fine.”
For two hours, I keep to myself and
repeatedly clean and check my tools. The sinners talk to themselves not about
what we’re going to do, but their sins and how to avoid doing them. Keeping
away from sin is important, however, it’s not the most important thing to consider
right now. I look around and see someone who looks like the mystic they were
talking about and he’s a sinner like them, mask and everything. He looks like
he’s praying, which is what we’re going to need. I say a couple prayers as the
time comes.
We head into a tunnel near the church
that has lamps that light the way. There are many footsteps that go along this
path so this it’s been used quite often. I then see many tunnels that must’ve
been used for their escapes and trips back and forth.
Still unsure of the plan, I quietly
ask Terran, “Do we have a plan for the guards?”
“Most are out because of the
celebration happening in the golden city. We shouldn’t come across many.”
“But what do we do if they discover
us?”
“Run for it. We were told by the mystic
to be as quick as possible.”
I think I’m less confident about this
plan now. Regardless, the head sinner reminds us where we’re supposed to go, the
groups we’re in, and what each group is going to do. I get teamed up with
Terran and together we go through the mines and free the slaves we come across.
It’s surprisingly empty in here for a place meant to be full of slaves.
Curious about this, I ask Terran, “There
aren’t that many slaves this way. Maybe we should head in a different direction?”
“All the slaves secretly were told
they were going to escape today if they came to work. Most laughed at the idea,
even the moles to the Pious disregarded this news. Since today’s a celebration
in the city, the slaves were given an option to take the day off. The ones who
doubt us are in the city probably part of the celebration or resting in their
cells.”
“Oh, I see.”
I don’t blame the slaves for doubting
their escape. Working here is Hell on earth or rather beneath it. Since there
aren’t many guards here and our pace is casual, I take some of the gold I find
in the mine. Wouldn’t hurt to use it for later. Once we free the last slave on
our determined path, the ground starts to shake and the supports of the mine break
apart. We rush to the exit only for me to drop my gold before we get to it.
“Why were you carrying gold with you?!”
Terran asks.
“Why not? It’s free!” I answer.
The tunnel’s entrance collapses.
“There goes our way out! Now what?”
I ask.
“We have to take the normal way out.
Thankfully, I know that way. Let’s hurry and leave the gold behind!”
“Okay, okay!”
We hurry to the exit and into the
golden city for my first and last glimpse of it as I watch it collapse. The
golden buildings, streets, and statues fall as the ground beneath them crumbles.
Debris from above seem to selectively fall on cars and people as if God were
choosing to kill certain people with the debris. I see someone who is stuck in
the ruins of a flying car. I move to help them only for a helicopter to crash into
the car. Okay, I get the message, God!
Terran, I, and a few others manage
to make it out the only entrance of the golden city as it falls down. When we
and the people around us look into the crater, we can barely see the tall
buildings that were seen from miles away. A lot of the buildings look like they’re
still intact so maybe there are still people alive down there, but I don’t
think we have anything here to get to them. The weight of the city collapsed
the mines that were constantly being dug out and expanded. The Pious’ pride
literally made them fall. If I would’ve kept the gold I got, then I would’ve
fell with the city. Now I understand the true weight of sin.
The End
Chapter 1 – Piety in an Unlikely
Place
“I’m sure this will be enough to
pay for your cooperation, Mr. Wyatt.”
Not really, but what choice do I really
have?
“Yes.”
“Thank you for your compliance. Have
some time off while you’re at it. You seem to be shaken.”
“Thank you. You’re too kind.”
“You’re welcome. Go and be perfect.”
“I strive for it every day.”
Or at least I try to, especially in
front of people like this. Working down in the mines day in and day out is supposed
to help me achieve perfection with how taxing and humbling it can be. It’s a
low paying job with the highest reward being the sweat and tears that are meant
to cleanse our souls. I like most others believe in the God we worship, but the
Pious pride themselves on their perfection that they say they’ve earned from Him.
The Pious live in their city that some believe to literally be made of gold
because of how it looks and the gold mines beneath them.
Those who aren’t Pious live outside
of the bright city and in less than ideal conditions let’s say so that we may be humbled and perfected through it. The mines that I work under hold treasures of
all kinds that my city runs on. If we find something rare, like diamond or gold
we’re allowed access into the city to work as a maid or cleaner for the Pious.
Nothing too good, but probably better than what we have now. If you really want
to be among the elite, you need to be “perfect”. This means hardly sinning or
rather hardly going to confession.
The less you go to confession, the
closer you are to a promotion. The fewer people know of your sins, the more
attention you get from the Pious, and more likely you are to get a better job
from them. This is why I was paid and given time off. They don’t want me
reporting the dead body I walked over and dug up to the higher-ups. I don’t
know who the body belongs to nor do I want to know because I either accepted
their offer or I would end up as one. The only way justice can happen for the deceased
is for God to answer my prayers, and He seems to be either waiting for the
right moment or denying my prayers as of late.
The typical penance for a person
that gets caught sinning or confess a particularly bad mortal sin is to
publicly pray in itchy clothing, naked, or while being flogged. Sometimes you are required to be your boss’s
slave for a period of time. I’ve heard rumors of the sinful things that the
bosses make their slaves do in private. Should the slaves refuse to do every command
of their boss then it’s likely that they’ll end up like the body I found. It makes
sense considering the number of slaves in the mine. The body could belong to a
slave who died from exhaustion and the boss hid their body to hide her mistake
to get closer to her promotion.
This whole system makes me sick to
my stomach. To get around it, a lot of people and I don’t confess our venial
sins even though it would spiritually help us. I’m sure there are people that
make excuses for their more serious sins just so they can make more money. It
wouldn’t surprise me if certain priests and the higher-ranking officials in the
priesthood frame the sins of one person on another, especially since there are
priests who will break the seal of confession for profit and promotion. The
Pious control everything and there are very few of them that I consider to be
good people who are trying to weed out the bad. Because of this, I have to take
justice into my own hands.
Today is one of my few days off, so
I take advantage of it by going to one of the many propaganda stations that the
Pious use to spread their messages and teachings. To sabotage it, I’ve taken
the tools I have from the mine, rework the wiring, and once they activate it,
it blows up and falls onto a row of their parked cars. The Pious have many
other stations like this, but at least it’s good not hearing their constant messages
in one part of the city. After, I tear down some of the Pious posters and
destroy and vandalize their art. These things may be made well though they’re
an eyesore to me.
While doing my part to clean up the
city, I hear something behind me. There shouldn’t be anyone in this area at
work time, so maybe it’s just my imagination. The authorities that go through
these areas don’t always come this way because of how “dirty” it is. They won’t
always get people to replace and clean their propaganda because of this. Again,
I hear a noise. To be safe, I check around the area then hear another noise.
There’s no one here. I don’t even see anything on the ground that could’ve
dropped that made the noise. The buildings around this area are falling apart
so I would expect to see a part of them on the ground. Huh?! Someone tapped my
shoulder from behind.
“Ye-!” I say before seeing who it
is and falling down.
It’s a sinner that’s been locked up
because of his horrible crimes. I know it’s one of them because of his
scary-looking clown mask, the black hole in his cracked chest, and his boots
that have gold dust on them. These kinds of sinners are slaves in the gold
mines to work for the Pious. I’ve heard that working in the gold mines is worse
than working in the normal ones. This sinner is staring me down…while holding
out his hand?
“Come with me, if you really want
to make a difference,” he says in a deep voice.
“What? Why should I trust you when
your sins have made you look like a monster? I know what you are, and I should
report you to be rearrested!”
“You know that wouldn’t be the
right thing to do.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Because I’ve been watching you all
day tear about the propaganda of the Pious. You know that these perfectionists
don’t have the best intentions nor God’s will in their hearts, but you’re going
about it the wrong way.”
“How? They feel the hurt that I put
on them. This isn’t the only time that I’ve done this and there’s more that I’ve
done besides destroy a tower and rip apart posters and deface statues.”
“They may feel the hurt, but you
make the others below them clean up your mess. I’m sure you’ve been forced to
clean up your own messes as well.”
“As long as they know that there
are people out there who disapprove of their actions, it’s fine with me.”
“I’ve been down the same road you’re
on. It’s not worth it.”
“What makes you think you know me?”
“I’ve worked in the mines before. I
used to cause all kinds of mischief with my friends and family until we got
caught. Some got executed. Others were given the same torturous treatment I was
given, and now, none of them are alive. You know this to be true. You know that
the Pious treat everyone unfairly for their own gain.”
“Okay, what do you suggest that we
do?”
“First, take my hand and get off
the floor.”
“Right.” I look at his hand for a
second and consider again whether or not I should join him, but then again, having
help is better than no help, so I take his hand and get off the ground. “Okay,
so what are we going to do now?”
“We’re going to go join the others.”
“The others like me who are against
the Pious?”
“In a way. They are others like me.”
“Other escaped sinners? This is
going to be interesting.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
Download for free on Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1043083
To be a gluttonous sinner means to have physical and worldly powers that no normal human can have, but it also means that you'll never be satisfied enough. Lilith is bitten and becomes one of these sinners against her will and must choose to either fight to stay human or give in and slowly become a monstrous sinner until no part of her humanity remains.
Chapter 4 – Clearing the Fog of Wickedness
What did I do? How did I ever think was okay? I did what Giovane did to me in a worse way. Not only did I turn him into a gluttonous sinner like me, but I also…I don’t even want to think about it. Wait, is he still-okay, okay, he’s still alive. That’s the only positive in this situation. That and me finally seeing what’s become if this can be called a positive. I look like a whorish monster because of what I did. I need to get to the priest for confession! The church is always open to sinners like me so I should be able to make it there as long as I stay hidden. If people see me, then they’ll know I did something wrong. That could lead to me getting arrested or killed by a mob in the streets.
To not attract any attention to me, I go out of the window. Okay, this may not be a good idea. The jump to the next building looks farther now that I’m here, and I’m not sure if I can make it. These tentacles should give me some extra reach, so maybe I can. I jump up higher than I think and land on the roof of the building. Wow! That was better than thought. Maybe these abilities aren’t so-No! I can’t let this power get to me.
Even though I don’t know where the church is, my new eyes allow me to see almost everything around the city. I can even see through nearby objects like the floor. The horns on my head feel tingly as I can listen in to what’s ever close to me. I can even hear the conversations on the streets level as if I was down there. I can’t play around with this too much so I head in the direction of the church while ignoring as much of the noise and the temptation to stay like this as I can.
As I leap from rooftop to rooftop, I can hear everything from sounds of violence and cries for help to romance and talks about politics and business. It’s no wonder why gluttonous sinners want to sin more if sin gives them this power. No, get my mind off this! I can hear someone running and leaping from rooftop to rooftop like me. Is it another sinner like me? Does someone know what I did? I better keep running.
They’re close to me now. They’re people in black robes and custom masks with intricate designs. Are they vigilantes that hunt down sinners like me? Are they sinners like me that want to convince me to join them?
“Leave me alone!” I scream to them.
I have to get away! I have to get help! Ah! They’re shooting projectiles at me with their hands! Ah! They got me as I was jumping across a rooftop! I’ve fallen all the way down to a dark alleyway and landed on the street level. I’m okay, but I’m not sure if that’s good because I’m surrounded.
“What do you want from me?” I ask them.
One of them steps forward and says in a deep voice, “You have no reason to fear us, Lilith. We’re your friends.”
Another one slightly takes off their masks and says, “It’s me, Lilith.”
“Bryson?”
“We’ve had a friend follow you after you said you were going to make your first time special. After they told us what you did and what you became, we knew that you truly belong with us.”
“I’m sorry for the deception, Lilith. You were given promotions quickly to boost your ego and as sin for the bosses to profit off of. They thought you would end up like one of the slaves for the comfortable life of wealth with a powerful man that you’ve always wanted, but you did something unexpected. I’m proud of you.”
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you were in on this too, Bryson!”
“Before you get mad, you should hear our offer.”
“I’m done with all your offers and promotions! Look at what it’s turned me into!”
“We can hide that with prosthetics. We can make you the best looking fake body you’ve ever seen. Better even than the real one you had before.”
“We are offering you a position among the elites, Lilith. You will be at the top of the world like you’ve always wanted.”
“I don’t want anything! I want to be human like I used to be!”
My tentacle arms reach out when I hold them out and they impale two people before they are cut off by the people around them. My legs are then shot at by the projectiles that come out of their hands before I can make my escape.
“Calm down, Lilith. I don’t want to hurt you anymore.”
“You’ll see how good things are when we bring you to your new home.”
“Stop! Get away from me!”
A new group of masked and cloaked people descends from the rooftops as a bright light blinds everyone for a brief second. This new group attacks the other as one of them stands over me. Is that…
“Are you okay, Lilith?”
It’s the priest from the church I used to go to. His appearance looks like of a sinner like me with small blades coming out from his arms that look like blood red crystals. His left eye is crimson red with a black cross in the center.
“If you can call this okay. I’m sorry for doing this to myself.”
“You can confess it all at the church, but first we have to get you out of here. Can you move?”
“Hardly.”
The priest motions for someone to come down and they land on the ground and fly up into the air and land on the rooftop. A small group along with the priest then escort me to the church where I confess everything that I did. Surprisingly enough, they don’t harshly reprimand me with anything other than a penance of working hard with them again. It’s enough to bring me to tears as I feel my appearance start to change. I’m mostly back to normal now with a few wounds where my mutations were. I’ll have to wear bandages until they completely heal and go away. The church then throws a celebration for my return. It’s small but nice.
While eating, I ask the priest, “So, how come you never told me about that group of yours?”
“Because you’re not a sinner like some of us were. God let us keep some of these deformities for a reason.”
“Is there any way I can help you?”
“Not with what we do because your deformities are gone.”
“I’m actually thankful for that. I’ll do the best I can at my job and whatever other help you need around the church.”
“Your help is appreciated. Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For coming back.”
“Oh, please. Don’t make me cry again.”
For the next couple of days, I help the church by working at the poor house and by giving them a portion of the money I earned from my previous jobs. This helps to improve working conditions and the conditions of the buildings. While running out to get lunch for the people I work with, I come across a police scene at the tallest building in the city. People are talking about this building belonging to a gluttonous sinner and sure enough, a monster appears at the top of the building.
I can’t find any words to describe this monster other than it being an amalgamation of sin. Gunfire can be heard even from here as the monster tries to fly only to plummet to the ground. Everyone scatters as it falls. The monster then happens to splat near me. We then slowly go near it to see if it’s still alive. It lifts its head as its eyes suddenly concentrate on me. With its broken limbs, it reaches out to me.
“Lilith…please, help,” it says in a voice that sounds masculine and feminine.
Wait, I remember hearing this voice when I first woke up as a sinner. This is the one person who was talking to me back then. I remember them. So, this is what I was going to turn into if I didn’t repent. What a pitiful thing.
“All that worldly power and wealth can’t help you in the end, can it? If I was you, then I’d ask God for forgiveness while you still can,” I say before turning away from it.
Another surprise happens a couple days after that. The priest tells me about a new sinner like us coming to work at the church. I go to meet them and it’s…it’s the boy I…
“Don’t be shy, Lilith,” the priest jokingly says.
“I’m not shy! It’s just that…I don’t know if I have any right to talk to him.”
“It’s okay. He’s forgiven you.”
“What?”
The boy comes to me with a soft smile on his face.
“Hi, Lilith.”
“H-hi.”
“You look more beautiful now than before.”
“I don’t think I deserve your compliment after what I did to you.”
“It’s okay. I forgive you.”
“You say that so easily. Do you really?”
“I do, and I’m here to ask…um, do you still want to be my girlfriend?”
“Huh?”
“I’m also responsible for what happened, so I’m going to take responsibility for it and our baby.”
Someone in the church that I work with says, “Your what?!” in shock before being quieted down.
“I don’t even know if I’m pregnant yet.”
“Still. I want to make things up to you.”
“That’s sweet of you.”
“So, what’s your answer?”
“Maybe we can be together. I’ll think about it.”
He hugs me as the priest smiles, laughs, and shakes his head as he walks away. I hug the boy back and wonder if he’s really the right one for me. I guess it wouldn’t mind because of how brave he is for coming to me like this and going down the route I did. Hopefully, this isn’t the sinful part of me talking and making excuses to be with a younger boy to fulfill any lingering fetishes I have.
The End
Chapter 3 – Drunk on Depravity
This is the right decision to make.
I don’t need to go to confession since I haven’t sinned at all. My condition hasn’t
even worsened since I started working at the club. In fact, I’ve never been
happier in my life. I’m living in a better apartment with better clothing,
shoes, and makeup to better show my natural beauty. I also have supportive
friends who understand me better than anyone else I’ve known. Working here the
past few weeks has really helped me cope with my condition. I’m finally on the
path I want to be on in life.
Because of my hard work, I’ve been
promoted to work at another club that’s a bit more than the last. The people dress
more risqué and dance on stages, but it isn’t a strip club! I also have to
dress in a similar manner to fit in. It doesn’t bother me though it does get
the attention of other sinners who like to flirt and try to invite me for some “fun”.
They have their good intentions, but it’s not for me and they understand. I
think they do at least.
They have harder drugs and alcohol over
here than at the other place I worked at. The stuff is good especially since my
condition lets me endure the negative effects better, however, the best thing
about this club is that the pay and food are better. My condition has worsened
a bit though the benefits of working at the club outweigh the negatives. Three weeks
of working at the club get me a meeting with the boss for a promotion.
“Your hard work and dedication is
paying off and turning heads, Lilith,” my boss says.
“I live to please.”
“I’d be careful saying that to your
new employers. If you think this is a bit much, then they’ll really cross the
line. It’s nothing sinful of course.”
“I get it. To each their own.”
“Exactly, but I just wanted to give
you a heads up. They won’t be offended if you chose to stay here.”
“It’s a tempting thought to stay
since I love working here, but I shouldn’t let a good opportunity go when it’s
presented to me.”
“Thatta girl. I’m proud to have you
as one of my workers, but back to business. Here’s the kind of outfit that they
want you to wear as your ‘uniform’.”
My boss puts on a tub top and short
skirt.
“This is pretty revealing
especially the skirt.”
“It’s no more revealing than what
you have on. Your shorts are shorter than the skirt anyways.”
“Yeah, but you can’t peek up it see
my underwear…or lack of it in some cases.”
“Hahaha, you won’t have to worry
about people getting touchy with you. There’s a strict rule that kicks out
anyone who touches someone who doesn’t want to be touched though there’s also a
rule that can get you paid a little extra if you don’t mind a few grabby hands.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“I know that you’ll make the right
choice. Before you go, can I get one last hug and kiss?”
“Of course you can.” I give my boss
a hug and kiss and he uses the opportunity to touch my butt. “You troublemaker.”
“Haha, you know me. Don’t forget
that you always have friends here if you need anything.”
“I won’t forget.”
When I get to the next job, I see
that’s it’s a really sleazy place despite all the glitz and glamor of it all
and it being uptown. I work at the bar and everything seems so different with
how lewd people act in here. I’m pretty sure I can hear people having sex in
the back or it could just be the music. Either way, this is a lot to get used to.
My condition is worsening because of everything that I’m experiencing, but I
can handle it. I need to calm down and get used to-!
“Hey!” I say to a guy who touches my
breasts while I’m not noticing.
“Shh, don’t be so loud. I’ll pay
you five thousand upfront if you let me touch you until you leave.”
The man then takes out five
thousand dollars and puts it in front of me.
“Five thousand? Hmm.”
“I promise it’s only just touching
and nothing more.”
“Hmm. As long as you don’t get too
touchy.”
“Deal.”
With that, more people come around
to pay to touch me. I work more as the people’s plaything than a bartender. The
other people working here get the same kind of treatment then go to the back room
with some people for…whatever reason. I don’t want to think about it or let it
get that far. Over the week, I accrue a fortune because of all the tips I get
for being touched. I bring this to my new boss and ask her how much of a cut she
wants.
“Hahaha. You’re something special,
Lilith. Very few of my workers ask if I want a cut of their massive tips,” she
says.
“Okay? What does that mean?”
“Because you thought about me, I’ll
take fifty percent and give you your paycheck. Usually, I take sixty percent
and don’t give them their pay for working when they don’t tell me they collect
tips. Most if not everyone ends up like this. Congratulations on not being one
of them.”
“Thank you, madame.”
“Keep working hard and that next
promotion will be around the corner.”
She tells me to work and I’m hardly
doing anything other than serving some drinks and drugs while being touched all
the time. I don’t think I need my choker with a cross on it anymore, so I wear a
golden chain necklace with some golden bracelets. Not sure why I want to wear
these other than they make me feel better. The people at the club notice my new
accessories and compliment me on them telling me that they like me better with
the gold than the cross. Part of me feels like someone from the Church sees me
doing this and is reporting this to the priest. Maybe it’s my guardian angel. Whoever
it is, they can think what they want.
I know I’m doing the right thing
because of how happy it’s making me. After two weeks of working at this club, I
start touching people back. Sure, I may touch people back in lewd ways, but it’s
nothing serious even though some ask me to go in the back for double their tip.
This is where I draw the line. Most are fine with me denying them, though a few
can be a bit “pushier” when I deny them. These people are kicked out of the
club.
It takes five weeks of working here
and being touched day in and out for eight hours a day to get my promotion. The
next place I work out is more out of the way than the others. It’s still in an
uptown area, however, I have to go underground after confirming my identity to
two checkpoints of guards. What’s so special about this place that they need…Oh.
I don’t even want to describe what I’m seeing, nor do I want to see or hear it.
Dang it, I have to work in this. What have I gotten myself in to?
As I walk into the club and make my
way to my station, I keep my head down and away from what’s happening around me.
It’s going to be incredibly hard to work with my head down and trying not to
let what’s happening around me bother me. Hopefully, it’s worth the thirty dollars
an hour. Once I get to the bar, I start working and am almost immediately
forced to look up by a familiar friend. It’s the man who showed up at my old apartment
and gave me the invitation to work at the clubs. His name is Bryson and he’s
one of my best friends.
“Hey, what are you doing here,
Bryson? I’m surprised to see you here,” I try to say in a calm and happy way
with a smile on my face.
“I’m not as surprised as you are.
You are always trying to move up in the world.”
“Sorry I didn’t tell you I was
going to be working here. I was going to tell you after the first day like
always.”
“I understand, but is something the
matter with you? You didn’t seem to notice me in front of you and you’re always
looking down. Is someone giving you trouble already?”
“No, not at all.”
“What’s the matter then?”
“It’s just that…this is all a bit
much for me, which is why I’m surprised to see you here since what you like is
tame compared to it.”
“It doesn’t hurt to be risky every
now and then. I do it to keep things fresh. You should keep your eyes up. Trust
me when I say that it’s okay to look at it. If you think what everyone is doing
behind me is messed up, then that’s your opinion but it ain’t a fact. Come on,
Lilith. Your other jobs have been preparing you for this. You can trust me.”
I look up and around at what’s
around me. It’s more messed up than what I’ve seen on the internet in my curiously
sick teenage days. Sex is one thing, but fetish sex is another thing especially
when sinners like me are doing it.
“Heh, are-are you sure I didn’t accidentally
enter a torture porn studio?”
“Our condition allows us to do
things that would kill normal people.”
“I can see that. At least it’s all consensual,
right?”
“Mostly.”
“What?”
“It’s none of your concern. I can
help you get used to this.”
“How?”
“Come with me.”
“I’m working right now.”
“I’ll tell them I’m borrowing you
for a second. They’ll think it’s one thing, but don’t worry about it.”
“Okay, if you say so.”
Bryson then makes me watch lots of
different sexual acts in a room for hours until closing. It’s an…eye-opening
experience.
“Well, Lilith, how do you feel now?”
Bryson asks me.
“I feel. Great actually. Better
than I ever have as a matter of fact!”
“I’m glad. Oh, hide your gaping mouth
eye before you go out in public.”
“Thanks for reminding me.”
Gapping mouth eye? When I get home
and remove my eyepatch, I see what he’s talking about. My entire left eye has
become a mouth now. Along with this change, my mouth has sharper teeth that
look like a vampire's teeth especially with the four in the front while my long
tongue remains the same. I like this look. I may get some hate for it, but I’ve
learned that you either take the hate or let it overwhelm you. I’m going to
embrace it and become the best sinner I can be.
This club is even better than I thought.
It not only has the best drugs and alcohol in the city, but it also has the best
entertainment that I’m paid to watch. My paycheck gets me everything that I want
and the tips I get for letting people touch me and walk around semi-nude all
add up to an even better apartment.
During one of the private shows, a
friend of mine asks, “So, do you want to try what they are or something more
dangerous?”
I consider it for a second before
smiling and saying, “I want my first time to be special.”
“Oh, Giovane didn’t…”
“He didn’t. That’s why I want it to
be special and dangerous.”
“That’s our girl!”
“But it’s not going to be with you.”
“Ah! Denied!” the others in the
room say except for our performers.
It takes me a few weeks to make my
plans and decide my target, but when I find him, I feel something special in me
that lets me know he’s the right one for me. My target is a boy much younger
than me who I find walking home from school. I take his gaze with my appearance
and take him aside and flirt with him. He’s in the palm of my hand especially
since I give him a little peek of what his eyes keep gravitating towards. I let
him take pictures of all kinds so I can always be on his mind. I give him a
kiss then send him on his way. His blood-red face and the way he’s acting tells
me that he’s madly in love with me.
We go out together for a week
before I can no longer hold back what I want to do to him. On one date, I bring
him to one of the hotels run by a sinner I know and aggressively cuddle him, to
say the least. He says no, no, no, but I know he means yes, yes, yes. His tears
are the most delicious part of him besides his cute expression and his blood
that I taste. I keep using him as my little toy until I feel satisfied.
“That was amazing. You are such a
good boy toy,” I say as I lick his face.
Huh. He seems knocked out. I might as well admire my work while I’m at it. What the? What’s happened to me? There’s a mouth on my left breast, my arms have turned into tentacles, there's an eye where my belly button was, and there’s a mouth where my crotch used to be. Looking into the mirror, I see that my right eye has turned pitch black, all of my teeth are razor-sharp, I have a weird red collar and restraints made of blood where my golden chain and necklace were, and there are three horns on my head along with a red-eye in the center. Hold on. What did I just do? What have I become?
