Chapter 1 – Infected by Sin
Life is hard and following a strict
code of morality makes it even harder. That’s why I keep my mind only on the
good things in life. What’s more important than living a comfortable life and
leaving a mark on the world? I may work in a simple coffee shop and live in an apartment,
but I have my goals are set on a higher place than this. I won’t be conventional
about my method nor dirty about it. I won’t waste my money on college and I’m
not going to work with the cards I’ve been dealt. What I’m going to do is look
for the perfect person to be with and live my life with them.
Because so many people come to the
coffee shop I work at, I’m able to look at dozens of men and see if they’re the
right one for me. If I see one that I like, I spend time with them and try to
get them to come back or at least give me their number. The thing about men is
that the most handsome and cutest ones can also be the ones who are the fullest of
themselves because they know how good-looking they are. I try to ignore those
men, but I do fall for them every now and then. My sights are primarily set on
the men who don’t just look good. They have to radiate confidence and success.
Not many men fit my criteria, and you could say that I’m too picky, however, I think
I’ve found the man of my dreams.
His name is Giovane. He’s both a
writer and a cook. The restaurant he works at isn’t anything too impressive,
but he makes his food in such a way that his boss lets him add things to the
menu. His dishes give the restaurant its great reputation and keep the customers
returning and bringing in new ones. He has a small audience of readers and
fellow writers. Even though he just has local fame, he does have a growing
influence on the world. The only thing that’s stopping him from becoming richer
and more influential is his eyepatch and scar on his chest.
There are people called “gluttonous
sinners” and they hide their deformities with patches and prosthetic body
parts. They’re called gluttonous sinners because they can never be satisfied with
the sin they feed on or something like that. Even though these people are very
real because of the attention the Church and government give them, I’m not
worried about them. They don’t bother me, and I don’t bother them, so I don’t
really care. Sure, there are stories of these sinners turning normal people
into them with their bites, but that only happens to gullible people and people
who are in the wrong places at the wrong time of day. The part of the city I live
in has no confirmed cases whatsoever, so I have nothing to worry about despite
what the world news says.
Tomorrow, I’m going on a date with Giovane
and I’m trying to shop for a new pair of clothes and shoes for the date, but I
keep hearing the latest news on the gluttonous sinners and activity related to
them and what we’re supposed to do if we are one or if we know someone who is
one. I get it that it’s important for people to know. I’d just rather not hear
about it in almost every place that I go to. Anyway, there isn’t here that I
think Giovane would find too eye-catching. It’s not that I don’t already have
nice clothes at home. I just want something really special to wow him. What I’m
already wearing is already wowing some of the men around me, and it’s not even
revealing. This tells me that tonight is going to be good.
When the day comes, I wait at the
entrance of the coffee shop after work. While waiting, I catch the attention of
a few men that usually come to the coffee shop. They’re surprised to see me in
such a cute outfit, and we talk for a bit. There’s no harm in having backups in
case Giovane doesn’t end up being the one I want. A few minutes after they
leave, Giovane meets up with me on time. I hold his arm as we walk and talk
through the city.
We go to a fancy restaurant in a skyscraper.
Giovane reserved us a couple’s spot so we can look down at the city together
and by ourselves. Despite the nice setting, I can’t help but feel out of place.
Mainly rich and upper-middle-class people eat in the restaurant and their
dresses and outfits look so much better than ours. We’re not underdressed
though there’s an obvious difference if you have the eye for it.
“Is something on your mind, Lilith?”
Giovane asks.
“Oh, no. There sure are a lot of
rich people here in this restaurant.”
“Not that many people can afford to
eat here. Thankfully, people know me in the local cooking business, so they gave
me these seats at a good price.”
“That’s great. I still feel out of
place.”
“You shouldn’t worry about it.
People like them can be too judgmental about appearances.”
“Do you think you’ll ever work your
way up to a restaurant like this or one that you’ll own by yourself?”
“It’s not something that concerns
me. I’m happy where I am. Besides, having all that money and responsibility ruins
people.”
Honest and humble. I’d rather not
have any worries about money, but I can imagine living in the upper-middle
class. It’s better than where I am now.
“I’d like to have the same attitude
you have, especially with how much discrimination you must get for your scar
and eyepatch.”
“It’s worse than what you saw in
the coffee shop though I feel more pity than anger. It must suck being paranoid
about the people around you all the time.”
“I know, but that’s the way the
world is. I never stop hearing about gluttonous sinners wherever I go.”
“Then how about we go somewhere you
don’t hear about it?”
After we eat, Giovane drives me to
a nearby town not too far from the city. It’s a nice and quiet place with
plenty of humble shops with pretty outfits and dresses that I can’t take my
eyes off. Around the town, I see other women wearing these outfits. It was one
thing that I saw rich people wearing expensive dresses, and now I’m watching
lower-middle-class people wearing beautiful dresses that are not as expensive
but look better than anything that I have. I try on these outfits just to see
what I would look in them.
“You look stunning,” Giovane says.
“You think so?”
“Yes, so much so that I’ll buy
whatever outfits that you want.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes. It’s why I brought you here.
I didn’t exactly know what to get you and you talk a lot about outfits and
dresses, so I took you here so I could get you whatever you wanted. Also, I can’t
repay you enough for picking up for me at the coffee shop.”
“I got your number and this date.
It’s more than enough to repay me.”
“Oh, you’re welcome.”
“On that note, are you still paying
for the outfits?”
“Hahaha, of course I am.”
Giovane brings me to a local bakery
to buy dessert then to a nice park to enjoy it at. Together we eat on the grass
while we enjoy the lights in the park.
“Thank you for the great day,
Giovane.”
“Thank you for enjoying it with me,
Lilith. Hey, do you mind if I tell you a secret?”
“I don’t mind. What is it?”
“Those rumors about me being one of
those gluttonous sinners…is true.”
“What?”
Giovane takes off his eyepatch and
sure enough, there’s a mouth where his eyeball used to be in his right eye.
Gluttonous sinners usually have mouths where one of their eyes used to be
because they’re said to always look at the objects of their desire with lust in
their eyes. He really is one of them…
“See?”
“…I see.”
“It’s been so hard not to give in
to sin that I was told to find a friend to confide in. Can you please help me?”
“I-ah!”
He’s tightly hugging me, and I can feel
his tears on my face.
“Please, help me. I can’t do this
on my own.”
“Okay, I’ll help you.”
“I can’t do this.”
“I’m here for you now. Don’t give
up.”
“No, I can’t…keep up this act.”
“Huh?” He’s pinning me to the
ground by holding my wrists. I can’t slip my hands from out of his grasp. Gluttonous
sinners are said to get stronger with every sin they commit and when they’re
committing a sin. “I’m here for you, Giovane! You don’t have to do this!”
“But I want to do this. You don’t
understand. This was a setup from the beginning. I wanted to increase my powers
through sin and what better way than to lie to a gullible girl, break her
heart, and turn her into what I am.”
“You can’t! There are people in
this park. You’ll get hunted down and killed.”
“I’ve been doing this for a while.
I have friends in high places that will cover my tracks. Furthermore, I’ll be
sinning more by making you embarrassed and feel abandoned. No one can help you
and no one will.”
“Wait! Stop! Someone help me!”
“Keep screaming and crying like
that. It just makes me more powerful. While we’re at it…”
“Ah! Stop!”
He’s tearing apart my clothes! As
if this couldn’t get any worse. I don’t even want to know what he’s going to do
next. He’s going to ruin my life and the plans I have for it if he bites me. I’m
still struggling to free myself, but I don’t see anyone around me. I could’ve
sworn there were more people in the park. Please get help! Don’t leave
me like this! He’s trying to bite me now! I can feel his mouth on my neck and
the saliva coming from it as he licks my neck with his long tongue.
“I’ll be sure to make this painful
for you. Let me hear you scream.”
“No! No, no, no!”
I scream louder than I think I ever
have because of the pain his bite is giving me and in the vain hope that
someone will hear me. It’s over for me now. My life might as well end. I can
feel my body go numb as my screams become quieter in my ears even though I don’t
think I’m screaming any softer. Please, let this be the end…
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