Apollyon's Saint Cain's Rage

By Zachary Koukol

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2013 by Zachary Koukol All rights reserve

This is the third part of the series Apollyon's Saint.

Chapter One

Gabriel was now sitting at an empty table in the bar. In the middle of the table was an apple with a

bite from it. Gabriel was getting a crash course in religion, but how could he believe what was

happening. After all he was only seeing Apollyon's version of the vaguely documented history of the

dawn of mankind. Like all things there are two side's and so far he could only see what Apollyon was

bombarding him with.

Religion once intrigued Gabriel but now it was being forced on him like a pledge in kindergarten.

How could he choose an allegiance when he had no clue what that would mean. All of it felt more like

a game rather than reality, but what Gabriel became was very real. He looked around the bar and could

see that everyone's version of reality was becoming more distorted by the moment. Luckily for them

they had a choice and each drink allowed them to escape their troubles.

If only Gabriel could indulge in their incoherent destruction. He watched as withdrawal crept in

with a cold sweat. The room that once gave him freedom from his pain was now closing in on him.

“How could I possibly be free of sin?” He thought as a unfamiliar tremble swept over him. Not only

was he haunted by demons, ghosts, and the worlds sin, now he had sobriety to add to the chilling list.

Looking back at his past he struggled to look for times when he wronged someone or lied. To his

dismay he had a rare quality not found in today's society, morals. But according to most religion's,

morals alone do not make you a saint. It seemed a saint was a man who could indulge in his inner

demons in dark corners. But in public show devotion to a deity and use religion as a crutch for what

they could not answer.

He once watched a show about a preacher in California with his wife. The preacher preyed on the

innocents of children. Celibacy turned him into a pedophile messenger of god's word. For years he

went from perish to perish permanently destroying the faith, and any hope of functioning as a normal

husband or wife. He placed a lifetime of pain and nightmares in the future of our world.

The children who fell prey to this curse would be saints in society if somehow they could keep from

burning churches and killing this demon with a dull pickaxe. So what was the saint's in the Vatican

city's response? They covered it up, even though the preacher publicly admitted his horrific problem.

Today the man is preaching to a new generation and left the laws of the united states and went to

Europe.

That was just one example of the corruption of our “Saint's” spreading the word of god to future

generations. Gabriel could only hope that Apollyon had devised a machine in hell that might possibly

be on the same level of torture as these monsters inflict on the world everyday. But what about the

century's of murder, rape, torture, brainwashing, contradiction, hypocrisy, and fear that the Vatican city

spread.

If god was starting the revelation's, and a war on evil and Apollyon then the starting place would

not be Axal, but the holy city of god. The corruption in the hollowed grounds filled with innocent dead

in Axal was simply a pimple on the ass of the Vatican city. So the likely hood of Gabriel being a saint

was much higher than even he could imagine.

The dimly light bar was becoming to much for the withdrawing demon spawned saint. Though his

house was occupied by beautifully insane victims of a sick man's desires. Sleep was sounding like an

escape for his circling mind and his bed seemed more sacred than temples of man. Gabriel stood up

from his table a slyly moved to the door.

A part of him hoped Ashley's clutches of hormonal violation would break the silence and plead for

him to stay. Then he could vent lifetimes of problems on her, but he knew that was a quick route to the

looney bin. Mortals were nothing more than the enemy and they would jump at the chance to crucify

him. Plus Ashley really did not need any more problems.

As he stepped out into the alleyway his mind repeated “Don't speak my name” over and over. The

crisp air and darkness came as a relief to his withdrawal. The air chilled the cold sweats which now

covered his upper body. He nauseatingly stumbled through the night in the direction of his truck. Just

as his mind stopped repeating the words a voice shattered into the nights silence.

“Gabriel!” A mans voice shouted from behind him. Gabriel turned around and at the base of a

dumpster was a old man sitting down in ragged clothes. A cardboard box covered his legs and he had a

hood over his head. It was society's version of a financial failure or bum. But the bible's version of a

man who truly feared god and gave up all mortal gains.

“I don't have any liquor and financially I am not far from sleeping where you lay.” Gabriel

dismissively told the old man. Gabriel turned around and started the journey to his truck. “But what if I

was a angel?” The man said. Gabriel turned around and looked at him again. “Like I said, no liquor

here buddy!”

“You know, I think you might have heard of me Gabriel. My name is Cain and I have heard much

about you.” Gabriel sighed “I don't know anyone named Cain, sorry” Gabriel got ready to turn away.

“How about my brother, Abel?..... Hey, come to think of it you are my really great.....Something, but

we are related!” Cain said.

“Wait, you are Cain, like from the bible Cain?” Gabriel looked at the man confused. “Well I'm

really nothing from nowhere, but yes I am that Cain. I wanted to see for myself the man who would

destroy the world. I tried once you know.....But now you’re here and I must show you....So you can be

one of us!” Cain said stuttering.

“Well it's really nice to meet nothing from nowhere, but I am out of here so you have fun buddy.”

Gabriel said as he walked away. He made it to his truck and hopped inside happy to be free from

religious chaos. Just as he put the keys in the ignition the voice shattered Gabriel's relief. “Oh you

thought it was that easy?..See I was cast out as fugitive and a vagabond on the earth. Much like you I

have nothing but time.” Gabriel looked over at Cain now sitting in the truck next to him.

“So I can make your time a living hell, or I can show you my faithful story and return to nothing,

from nowhere.” Cain said. There was a long moment of pause between the two as Gabriel thought of

his options. “Well I want nothing more than you biblical fucks to go away, so lets get this shit over with

already shall we?” Gabriel snapped back.

“Good....Hmmm how do I start, well I was born..” Cain said. “Fuck it” Gabriel said and grabbed

Cains cold hand and was jolted by electric shock. Unlike normal he was repeatedly jolted in darkness

for what seemed like hours before he found himself thrown into a field. The wheat was glowing in the

sunlight like Gabriel had never seen before.

Each strand of wheat looked almost perfectly placed in the ground. A hundred yards away was two

young men standing at the edge of the field. The young men had fury lion cloths covering their body.

The two were almost identical in size and stature. Before the men was a massive beam of light shinning

down.

Gabriel walked towards the men so he could get a better look. The tops of the wheat gently tickled

Gabriel's hands. Each step was perfectly supported by the well groomed ground under his feet. He

glided through the field and eventually right behind the two men and beam of light. Now that he was

closer he could see the beam of light favoring one of the men.

The beam shined on him and the wooden altar next to him. On it was perfectly cut meat on display

and a young sheep's head was the center piece. Next to the other man was a pile of grain that glowed

and gave off a golden hue. The man with the grain reached down and grabbed a handful and held it to

the sky.

But the beam of light stayed on the other man with his display of sheep flesh. The one man dropped

his hand from the sky and let its contents fall to the ground with his head. He then turned and walked

past Gabriel with red rage over his face as he headed into the field. The man with the sheep meat

basked in the beam and sat down and soaked in its rays like a prisoner in sunlight.

Gabriel was once again jolted and now was standing before the two men again but now they were

in a field of sheep. “Come brother, some of your flock has strayed to my field!” The man said as he

grabbed the mans hand. Gabriel could hear the poison in his voice. The man pulled the other along a

path, the other reluctantly followed trying to slow the pace.

In the one mans hand was a club fashioned from a large branch. It was dark like the grain from the

tree of wisdom in the garden of Eden. Gabriel had to run at times to keep up with the fast strides. Their

pace never wavered and with each step the mace would swing into the air then back down at the man's

side. They were now at the wheat field and almost before the altar. The man being pulled started to try

and pull away.

“But Cain, none of my flock are here. Were you mistaken?” The one man said. They were now

standing just before the area where they had presented there offering's to the beam of light. “No

brother, there was no mistake made.” Cain said as he turned to his brother. Still holding his hand he

pulled him into him.

He raised the mace before the heaven's and crashed it down into the head of the other man. With

one blow he fell to the ground. Blood ran down his face as he looked up towards his brother Cain. “But

why have you done this brother?” The look he gave Cain was not one of pleading, but of love. Cain

raised the mace in the air once more.

“You were better” Cain said as the mace plummeted down into Abel's head. His skull crashed in

and blood poured out into the earth. As Cain struck he let go of the mace and blood splattered his face.

He stood above his brother Abel covered in blood blankly staring at the corpse. Then a smile cracked

across his face and he grabbed his brothers legs and drug his body into the tree's at the edge of the field.

Once in the forest there was no grave, but simply the cold forest floor soaking up the blood of his

brother. The trail of blood was swallowed up by the earth as Gabriel followed Cain out of the forest and

back to the field. The crops were now dead and wilted. Boulders that were never there now sprung up

all over the decaying field.

The sky went black and roared with anger. Cain looked up with horror at swirling blackness in the

sky. Out of the roars was one word “ABEL!” Cain gazed on at the sky. “I do not know, Am I my

brother's keeper!?" Cain shouted back.

“The voice of thy brother's blood crieth out to me from the ground!” The sky echoed. Cains face

turned to panic and he started to sprint down the trail towards another forest. “So now art thou cursed

from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand. When thou

farm the ground, it shall not yield good crops to you!” The sky roared.

“Thou shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth!” The words echoed from the sky and then

into all the hillsides surrounding the area with the same words. Then a bolt shot from the sky and hit

Gabriel jolting him back into the bar parking lot and his truck. Gabriel looked over at Cain and he had

the same smile on his face as he did after killing his brother.

“You are one sick fuck you know that?” Gabriel said. “I am inside YOU and all mankind. I may

have died and been cursed to being a fugitive of the earth but my blood flows in you like my brothers

in the ground. My life and death was cast from the bible the day I killed my brother but my anger has

burned for centuries!” Cain shouted.

“So why are you here now, in my truck showing me this?” Gabriel said shaking his head in

disagreement. “Because I know somewhere in that shell you call a man, is a beautiful beast of

destruction yearning to shed mans blood. Once you let go, and let it out you will feel so much better. I

have watched so many try to fight their murderous nature and you must let it out. You might disagree

with me now but I know you will feel it and just know I will be waiting!” Cain said as he disappeared

from the truck.

Gabriel looked around the truck wanting to argue, but relieved that Cain was gone. Shaking his

head Gabriel started his truck and headed home. On his way home he thought about what Cain said.

Maybe Cain was right, there is something in all of us that wants power and Gabriel really was no better

than Cain. How could he judge Cain when he only walked a few hundred yards in his shoes.

It was obvious that Cain worked hard, so why did god reject his offering and not his brothers.

Maybe it was something that you could only see by looking at the heart of a man. It was clear Cain's

heart was not in the right place when he murdered his brother, but was it before hand. God only knows

but is there a time when murder is acceptable?

Mitch had to of felt the same rage Cain did at some point during the war, so was he too a vagabond

of the earth. Gabriel guessed that only god could decide when he weighs the hearts of man but if

Apollyon was right they all were nothing more than sinners. But what about Jesus dieing for our sins,

and how was it fair to those who were there before Jesus died for us.

Why wasn’t Cain forgiven for his sin's, and did he try. If he did try could he be forgiven or was he

doomed to damnation. If so he was unfairly judged since Jesus had not walked the earth yet. Not only

Cain but what about all of those doomed before Jesus, where was their savior. It was all questions that

could only be answered by god, or possibly Apollyon.

Gabriel pulled into his driveway, the moonlight made the shadows of the tree's dance on the edge of

the driveway. Pulling into his spot Gabriel could see lights on at his house. Looking inside a window he

could see one of the occupants run past and the lights turned off. Gabriel got out of his truck and

headed for the door.

Turning the nob it abruptly stopped, someone or thing had locked the door. He jiggled the nob and

sighed. Inside he could here chuckling of women who obviously had not pulled a prank in years. “Okay

real funny let me in now.” Gabriel demanded. “Let me in now!” A voice of a women mocked followed

by more chuckling.

“Look it's been a long night I just want to go to sleep.” Gabriel said in a tone meant more for

children than century old ghosts. “We are not preventing you from sleeping” Another woman’s voice

said. Gabriel waited a moment to see if the door would unlock. He tried the knob one last time, it was

still locked. For a moment he paced on the porch getting more annoyed by the moment. It was clear

that they would not let him inside no matter what he said.

Gabriel attempted a few of the police man kick in the door trick. It was followed by more laughter

from inside. Giving up on the door he went over to one of the windows and it easily slid open. He

climbed in the window and looked around his dark kitchen then walked into the living room. He could

now here muffled chuckling from all over the house.

For a moment Gabriel almost got angry but instead of fighting a losing battle he headed upstairs to

his room. He closed and locked his bedroom door so that he might avoid a rude awaking. He laid down

in bed and the chuckling died down. Laying in bed he thought of how one of the woman’s laughter

sounded like his wives.

Gabriel laid in bed thinking about Christy, though she may or may not had cheated on him. There

was always a possibility of it, but then again Apollyon was probably just playing his games. None of it

changed the fact that he still loved her. As her drifted off to sleep he planned on visiting her grave in the

morning and hopefully avoiding more run in's with the ghosts.

Awaking to sunlight shining through the towels Gabriel sat up and looked around the room. To his

relief no one was in his room. He finally had a full nights sleep and laid back down and closed his

eye's. If only he could return to that moment of nothingness during sleep. He could not even remember

any dream's and his slumber had just been a empty void of bliss.

Gabriel had spent a night in his definition of heaven and laid in bed struggling to return. The days

plans of visiting his wifes grave was the only thing that gave him the will to get up. Once out of bed he

unlocked the door and took a deep breath heading out into the lions den of undead estrogen. Gabriel

kept his head down looking at the floor hoping to not see any of the ghosts.

As he made it to his stairs it was to no avail. Tina was walking up the steps with a big smile on her

face. “Morning sunshine!” Tina chirped. “Morning” Gabriel said as he walked around her and down the

stairs. His run ins with the women were always uncomfortable. Gabriel made it to the front door and

headed out insuring it was unlocked.

Once outside there was another one of the women sitting on the porch steps. It was one of the

redheads, she had on a white blouse and tan shorts. Bright red lipstick lined her lips and red blush on

her cheeks. Gabriel just glanced at her and looked away trying not to stare. He started to open the door

to his truck and then glanced back at the woman.

She was stunning like all the women haunting his house. “Just gonna sleep and leave?” The woman

said. “Yeah, to much temptation around this place.” Gabriel said. “Then why come back, you know we

are better off without you here.” The woman said with a angry smirk. “Well my bed is here, and this

was once my home.” Gabriel said.

“It was never YOUR home” The women paused. “When will you see this is OUR home. You can't

just come here and walk around trying to ignore everyone. We exist here weather you like it or not and

the faster you accept it the better off we will all be.” The woman said. Gabriel closed the truck door

without getting in and walked back to the porch.

“Well I am a little freaked out by you all if you can imagine.” Gabriel said. “Why because we are

dead?” The woman said laughing. “Well I think it's more because you are women. Most women always

scared me because they hold so much power over men. Like right now you could take of your clothes

and throw yourself at me. Then I would have to fight all of my instincts and desires and leave. Which

does not always come easy to me.” Gabriel said.

“Hah you only wish I would do that. Not all of us here are madly in love with you and throwing

ourselves out there. I actually don't like you one bit and I think I should at least be given the chance to

let you know that.” The woman said. Gabriel sat down on the bumper of his truck and crossed his arms

on his chest.

“Well why don't you like me?” Gabriel asked. “Because you think you're better than all of this. You

think everything is about you, and what you want. You throw away your life like it's nothing. Mope

around crying poor me all the time. The girls here in this house never had a choice. So what you lost a

lot in life, but so did we. So does everyone, but you just give up. You are so weak it makes me sick!”

The woman said.

“See this is why I avoid you guys, I know nothing about you yet you guys somehow think you

know everything about me. You have seen me at a very bad point in my life, but that does not mean you

know me. You want to know why I throw everything away? because it's all I know how to do. I never

wanted any of this.” Gabriel said.

“That's the problem none of us always want the cards we are dealt but we deal with what we got.

You just throw the cards down and walk away. Everyday I deal with the cards I got then I have to watch

you bitch and moan.” The woman got up from the porch. “By the way my name is Sophea......Live a

little asshole.” Sophea said as she walked in the house.

Gabriel knew she was right, but was mad she was so quick to judge him. He at least tried to talk to

her and she did exactly what she was mad at him for doing. Running away from problems rather than

working through them. “Heh, hypocrite” Gabriel said as he got up and headed back to the truck door.

Gabriel heard the door to the house burst open. “What did you call me dickhead!” Sophea shouted.

Gabriel sighed and turned around. Sophea was now inches away from him. The beauty was now gone

from Gabriel's mind and now all he saw was a angry bitch looking to start drama. “I said you are a

hypocrite!” Gabriel said. As he was talking Christa had ran out of the house and grabbed Sophea's

hand. “Come on Sophea don't worry about him, it's not worth it!” Christa shouted.

Sophea balled up her fist and tried to pull away from Christa but she wrapped her arms around her

waist. “Let me go!” Sophea yelled still trying to get to Gabriel. Gabriel pulled open his truck door

laughing. “Yeah you better run asshole, just you wait!” Sophea shouted. Christa was now carrying

Sophea back into the house.

Gabriel peeled out from his spot and headed into town. He laughed and shrugged off the assault of

the insane ghost. He wished he didn't call her a hypocrite though because now he had to deal with a

woman who most likely brewed hatred for men for the last 70 years. The thought of going home now

didn't sound like fun at all since the women were most likely preparing their pitch forks.

On the radio was The Doors playing come on baby light my fire. As he was driving and listening to

the song a feeling of self disgust came over him. Jim Morrison the lead singer of the doors had

accomplished best selling records, touched millions of lives and even today was still touching lives. He

wrote poetry that enlightened Gabriel as a kid.

Jim Morrison was somewhat of a idol of Gabriel's. When he did not fit in at school or felt like a

outcast he had Jim Morrison saying it's okay to be weird. Let go of all of society's bullshit and

breakthrough the doors in your mind holding you back and be you. Even if you are weird or like things

no one else does, that's okay. Jim Morrison touched and saved many lives.

But the feeling of self disgust Gabriel was feeling was because Jim Morrison died at the age of 27.

Gabriel was now older than Jim was when he died and Gabriel did nothing but cause problems. The

only thing that eased the feeling was when Gabriel thought about how Jim Morrison wrote his first

record. He did it when he had no home and was living on a rooftop living on canned beans and LSD.

Jim said a shaman came to him on that roof and gave him the words to his best selling songs. Gabriel

now felt if Jim could start out with nothing and touch so many lives then maybe so could he.

The song ended as Gabriel's mind continued to wonder. Now he was thinking about the native

American’s and their god's. Was there room in all the madness for other god's and were they real. What

about magic powers like voodoo or witchcraft. Or the pagan god's, the universe and even science. How

did it all play into god's will?

Gabriel made a mental list of questions to barrage Apollyon with as he pulled into the town. For

now he wanted to visit his dead wife who's betrayal, real or fake no longer mattered. The only thing

Gabriel cared about was the love he still had for her. Axal was booming with life for a weekday.

Everyone was in a hurry to get somewhere. Going the speed limit in town would only promote road

rage and someone driving right on your rear bumper.

No one stopped to enjoy the beautiful mountain ranges around the town. They were only there to be

seen by the rare tourist passing through. Gabriel could always spot a tourist because they were always

going under the speed limit with a swarm of locals trying to pass them and honking. There could be a

man dieing in the street and it would only be an inconvenience if they could not get around him.

Pulling onto the road to the graveyard Gabriel was now able to relax a little. He no longer had to

keep the pace of the locals since the graveyard road was desolate. There was a reason why it was on the

outskirts of town, it was so people could forget the dead and move on with their busy lives. Parking his

truck to his surprise there was 2 other vehicles there. Most times the parking spots would be a good

place to hide a murder victim because no one went there.

Behind the graveyard was a scenic view of the mountains around the town. The graveyard itself sat

at the base of a mountain. The tree's and grass in the graveyard was well maintained even though

Gabriel never saw the landscapers there. The graveyard had paths leading to different area's and for a

small town it was a rather large graveyard.

To get to his wives grave he had to walk over a hillside and then a few hundred yards down to

where she rested amongst other fairly new graves. On the walk Gabriel passed some of his friends and

family. Gabriel always liked the graveyard because it was so peaceful. Each visit to the graveyard

brought on a unexplainable emotion. One that could only be found in darkness, sadness, madness, and

the uncertainty of death.

Each stone was a lifetime of memory slowly being forgotten. One day each grave will no longer

have meaning. Just a random name on a stone with a completely decayed corpse below. But for now

Gabriel held in his head some of the memory's of those stones. One that he passed by was a friend in

grade school. Him and some of his friends were playing with his dad's 44 magnum revolver. The kid

was joking with his friends and put it to his head and pulled the trigger. Unfortunately for him it went

off cutting short a young mans life.

On the grave was a picture of him in his football uniform. Gabriel wondered how he might look

today. He passed another friend who willingly took his life. Gabriel always wished he could have been

a part of Toby's life in his final days. They were good childhood friend's but life separated them as they

got older.

They would wave and say hi in passing and talk about hanging out. But they both had busy lives

and they never did. Then one day Gabriel heard Toby had killed himself and they were having his

funeral. Gabriel thought about going but did not feel it was his place. After all Toby had new friends

and a life that Gabriel no longer knew about.

Gabriel always struggled with it afterward though. He got to see first hand what losing someone

you care about to suicide felt like. The hard part was you never get closure. He had friends who died

from things like drinking and driving and with them he felt closure. But with Toby he never understood

it. He was such a happy and upbeat person. Gabriel could only see the happy kid who always made

Gabriel feel better about his shitty life.

He never had a chance to see what Toby was like in his final years and it was one thing Gabriel

deeply regretted because he always loved Toby like a brother. When they did see each other in passing

it was like long lost brothers meeting again and he was the one friend that Gabriel had no bad memory's

of.

Gabriel always tried to play off Toby's death though and just think of the good times so it would not

get him down. He did it because he knew it was what Toby would have wanted. Each time he passed

his grave he thought about the good time's rather than him being gone. Like how Gabriel could never

look at him the same way because of Toby.

When they were kid's Toby had a pet pig that they kept in his back yard. Toby would pet the pig and

take it for walks. They would give him baths in a kiddie pool and both Gabriel and Toby really liked

that pig. Then one year after Christmas break Toby was in a strangely depressed mood. When Gabriel

asked him what was wrong Toby told him they ate the pig for Christmas dinner. At the time it was sad

but now anytime he has ham he thinks about Toby and that pig.

Then there was another time when Gabriel quit smoking and Toby was trying to quit. Toby asked

Gabriel how he did it and Gabriel knew if he told him the truth that he had to quit cold turkey then

Toby would never quit. So Gabriel told him you have to sweat the addiction out of your system. then a

few weeks later Toby thanked Gabriel because it really worked for him. But the funny thing was

Gabriel was still smoking and now had to hide it from Toby.

Each step Gabriel took in that graveyard brought back memory's of old friends. Some days walking

through it was unbearable and other days it was like being with old friends again. It always amazed

Gabriel that through all the pain, stress, success, and failure all people would eventually be nothing

more than a stone and a name.

The problem Gabriel had with religion is that once your dead it's not all over. You still have to go

on and you don't truly get to rest in peace. You have judgment, damnation, heaven, hell, and whatever

those things mean. Really if religion was made to help the living cope with death you think it would be

the other way around. Atheism seems like a much better way to cope with death because you are free of

all things.

Chapter Two

Walking along in the graveyard Gabriel was about to reach the top of a small hill. Below the hill

was where his wife was buried. Each time he walked over the crest of the hill he was hit with a array of

emotions. This time was no different, but the walk back was always the hardest. Leaving the grave

reopened the void that was permanently ripped through his soul.

Walking away meant he would still walk the earth without her and that would mean alone. Though

she did not haunt Gabriel in the realm of physics she still haunted him in memory. Like the old men in

Marlov's talking about the good days, Gabriel still lived in the past. If Apollyon took him back and let

Gabriel live in the memory of her sin, he would no matter how painful it might be.

He made it to the top of the hill and her grave was now in site. There in front of her grave was a

man kneeling. From the distance Gabriel could not see who it was, but the mans image blocking his

view of her gravestone sent chills down Gabriel's spine. Who could it be Gabriel repeatedly asked

himself as he inched closer.

Now just feet from the man a uneasy feeling came over Gabriel. The man had a black wife beater

and dark skin. Tattoo’s line the mans arms and in his hands was 12 roses. Blood covered his arms as the

man was still knelt down weeping and unaware of Gabriel's presence. It was now clear to Gabriel who

it was, Antonio. Gabriel walked the row of graves directly in front of his wives and where Antonio was.

Gabriel stood directly behind the man as his blood boiled making his hands tremble. The man who

now defiled the image of his wife was knelt down before him. Gabriel had never felt such disgust and

rage. Right in front of his wives grave he could end mankind's misery and struggle along with his.

Looking down at his feet was a grave with a metal vase and wilted flowers.

Quietly Gabriel picked up the heavy vase and lifted it with one hand above his head. There Gabriel

paused for a moment while looking at the back of Antonio's head. His mind played the image of the

metal vase crashing into his skull. Antonio's blood draining into the earth above her grave. Gabriel was

now blind with rage.

“KILL HIM!” Cain shouted from somewhere in the graveyard behind Gabriel. “DO IT!” Cain

shouted again. “LET HIM FEEL THE SUFFERING HE DEALT ON YOU AND YOU WILL BE

FREE!” Cain shouted again aging on the rage in Gabriel's vein's. Gabriel turned around and threw the

vase. It was enough motion to signal the unsuspecting Antonio to Gabriel's presence.

Gabriel now was looking into the eye's of Antonio. Both of their eye's were bloodshot and filled

with suffering. “KILL, KILL, KILL!” Cain shouted. Gabriel reached his hand out for Antonio's

shoulder. “NOOO!”Cain shouted just as Gabriel touched Antonio. Gabriel was jolted with electric rage

and everything went dark for a moment.

Gabriel came to and was sitting on a playground of children. The kids ran around him were all

playing and having fun. Most of the children were a bloody mess but the blood was no longer affecting

Gabriel like it had before. In the corner of the playground was a little Hispanic kid playing by himself

in the sand. A group of kids ran up to him and kicked sand at him laughing. “Hey Antonio you can take

the mask off Halloween is over!” A girl mocked at him.

Antonio was covering up to prevent sand from getting in his eye's. “Leave me alone!” Antonio

pleaded in broken English. “Shut up stupid spic.” One of the boys said kicking more sand in his face.

Then a little girl ran into view and stood in front of Antonio. “HEY, leave him alone or I will go get

Mrs. Mathews!” The little girl said. She was the only child on the playground not covered in the blood

of their ancestors sins.

Gabriel now knew who the little girl standing up for Antonio was. It was his wife Christy as a little

girl. Gabriel never knew her as a kid but she had lots of picture, some of which Gabriel was still

holding onto. She stood there standing up for Antonio like a super hero for bullied kids. It was a rare

site, just a child and standing up for the victimized.

It would have been much safer to just look away or join in with the mob. Just a little girl and she

knew what was right and was standing up for it. Years down the road she would be able to lay her head

down and feel proud of what she had done. While the bullies would face a lifetime of bitterness or

regret.

Unknowingly she was halting permanent damage to a foreign youth struggling to blend in, in a

strange country where only the strong survive. This single moment could have given birth to Cain's

rage in the young boy. Instead it was the start of hope and love. The kids ran off laughing and Christy

turned around to help Antonio up. Gabriel could see in the split second that their eye's met that their

lives would be intertwined.

“Are you okay?” Christy asked. “Ye..Yes I’m okay, thank you.” Antonio said. “My name is Christy,

whats you name?” she said. “I am Antonio.” Once again everything went black as electricity jolted

through Gabriel. Now he was sitting in a dark and crowed gymnasium. Slow 90's music filled the

gymnasium as kids fumbled around trying to dance.

On the bench next to Gabriel was a Hispanic teenager in a rented suit. Next to him were other kids

that would be the backup plan if your date ditched you. Antonio's eye's were impatiently fixated on

Christy dancing with some other boy. He looked drunk on lust and the site of her with another kid was

stinging the mind of a outcast teen.

Gabriel could tell that he wanted to go over to her but was to afraid. The last song stopped and the

lights came on blinding Gabriel and the gymnasium of teens. “Well guys that's the end of prom. I hope

everyone enjoyed themselves tonight and please get home safely!” A voice said over the speakers. The

kids lined up to head out the door.

Antonio stayed seating and nothing broke his gaze on Christy as she got in line to leave. Next to her

was the kid she was dancing with. The kid was making Christy laugh as they walked out. “You are a

fool, go after her!” Gabriel said looking at Antonio. It was ironic that those words busted from his lips

but Gabriel could still see the look in Antonio's eye's were the same as from the playground.

Once everyone left the gym Antonio got up and walked out. Gabriel followed behind him watching

as Antonio's demeanor was that of a teen who watched the love of his life walk away. He was defeated

by himself and let his nerves and fear determine the outcome of his youth. As they walked out the doors

of the school Antonio's hand clinched into a fist and smashed into the door.

Gabriel burst into laughter as Antonio shook his now bleeding hand and walked to his car. “Man

what a pathetic and wasted youth!” Gabriel said. Truth was Gabriel's was not much different from

Antonio's no matter how much he tried to deny it. He too was a outcast and let all the girls he was

infatuated with slip away because of fear.

At least Antonio had the fact that he was trying to make it in a foreign land. Gabriel was the

definition of a teenage loser. His family never had the money for new clothes so Gabriel had just a few

shirts and pants. Most of them had holes, one pair of jeans left his entire knee exposed. To avoid

everyone seeing that he only had a few shirts he would wear the same sweater everyday.

It could be freezing or 100 degree's and Gabriel would be wearing that sweater. School was

dreadful because it meant he could not wear his dirty old baseball cap and his nerdy bowl hair cut

would be exposed. Gabriel could only be described as the nerdy kid wearing the same sweater and

looked like a member of the beetles 50 years after they were cool. The average school day was spent

trembling in fear in the back of the classroom while trying to appear cool and look like a bad boy.

But Gabriel thought he was a rebel living on the outside of the fashion and social trends. His youth

was spent in ignorance of what he really was. He walked around like he was better than everyone else

with a chip on his shoulder. It was just a defense mechanism protecting him from the horrible truth. It

would have been a much easier childhood if he just accepted the fact that he came from a poor family

and was no better than anyone else.

Gabriel was picked on just like Antonio. But instead of just accepting it for what it was, Gabriel

would fight back. Giving in to the menace of a few kid's and fighting fire with fire. Gabriel could not

count how many fights he had been in as a kid but he still had the scars to prove it. Rather than being a

victim and accepting the fact that he was a outcast he fought it and felt that doing so made him a badass

and a tough guy. Really it made him a bigger coward and just as bad as the kids picking on him.

Antonio's punching of the door was nothing in comparison to Gabriel's many suicide attempts and

thoughts as a kid. So him laughing at Antonio was still him in defense mode, him and Antonio had

everything in common but Gabriel was not allowing himself to accept it. If the tables were turned and

they were looking at Gabriel's youth then he would be embarrassed at the emotional kid that he was.

But since they were not in his past he was unknowingly making himself feel superior to Antonio. He

felt as though he was still competing for Christy but the competition was over and no one wins when a

loved one die's.

Antonio was now in his car, it was a 2 door Honda that had seen better days. Only one rim

remained and the tires and car were in rough shape. Gabriel got in the passenger side, once sitting down

a new feeling of disgust came over him. The smell in the car was bad and that of a foreigner. Really it

wasn't that bad but Gabriel's nonacceptance of Antonio made it all the worse.

The two drove through the town of Axal for awhile as Antonio would flop from one emotion to the

next. One moment he was mad, the next sad. Then they pulled into a shabby old motel that no longer

exists in the town. It was very odd to Gabriel seeing the old motel again, since they tore it down years

ago. It had only one floor and you parked your car right in front of the motel room you were staying in.

Next to them was a hot rod, Gabriel assumed it was some fortunate sons. Dad most likely worked

his ass off for it and now his son was using it as his prom night chariot leading to some lucky girls

deflowering. The lights were still on in the room and some shadows would dart by the window every so

often. They sat in the car for a few moments then they got out.

Gabriel stood and watched as Antonio paced around back and fourth. Every so often he would go

up to the door and get ready to knock, then his hand would drop and he would go back to pacing

around outside. “Just knock already!” Gabriel shouted. He was becoming just as impatient, he knew

who hot rod was with.

Christy had to be in there but Gabriel was not as worried as Antonio. Christy told Gabriel that she

was a virgin and lost her virginity the first time her and Gabriel made love. But a part of Gabriel was

uneasy since everything he thought he knew was falling apart around him. He was still in denial of

everything though and did not know what to believe.

Finally Gabriel heard the timid and insecure knock he was waiting for. They could hear some

laughter and then the door cracked open. “Hey what are you doing here?” The kid said. “Hi sorry to

bother you but is Christy in there?” Antonio asked. “Dude, get lost.” The kid said and shut the door.

Antonio's shoulders sunk to the ground.

They could hear talking inside and a voice that sounded like Christy but neither Gabriel or Antonio

could make any of it out. Antonio started to walk back to his car and then stopped and turned around.

He went back to the door and knocked again. “Oh this should be good” Gabriel said. The door cracked

open again. “I said get lost!” The kid said. “Christy are you in there, its me Antonio.” He shouted into

the room trying to look over the other kid's shoulder. Then the door slammed shut again but with more

force.

Antonio turned and walked away again. Just before he made it to the car the door to the motel came

open. “Antonio what are you doing here?” Christy said. She was in a silver dress that flowed down to

her feet, lined with glitter. She had on a large amount of poorly placed makeup. Unlike her as a child

now she had some blood on her hands that made her look like a deranged prom night killer.

Gabriel did not know what sin she had done to have blood on her hands and still in denial he did

not care. Gabriel perked up when he saw her and moved towards her. Antonio was doing the same

exact thing. “I am sorry Christy, I didn't mean to ruin your night but I had to tell you something.”

Antonio said as he choked up and paused. “Well what is it?” Christy said with a frustrated look. “I...I

love you Christy, I always have.” Antonio said again choking up. “This...This is really bad timing to

tell me this Antonio.” Christy said.

“I know I am sorry, I just could not go another night without telling you. I will go, I just thought

you should know.” Antonio said. His eye's were starting to fill with tears again as he turned away and

went towards his car again. Christy let out a long drawn out sigh of frustration. “Wait let me get my

stuff and we can go talk.” Christy said. “Oo okay” Antonio said with a cracking voice.

He got back in the car with a less defeated look on his face. Gabriel was shaking his head but happy

to see she was getting away from hot rod. Gabriel could hear some arguing going on in the room and

went over to hear what was going on. “Really come on, I got this room and everything, you can't

leave!” The kid said. “I am so sorry I had fun tonight but my friend needs me right now.” Christy said.

“Fine then just get out of here. I should have known better taking a prude bitch to prom!” The kid said

with a angry look on his face.

Christy ran out of the room and to Antonio's car. She quickly pulled open the door. “Let's get out of

here!” Christy said with relief. Then just as she shut the door Gabriel felt the jolt and darkness. Now

Gabriel was sitting at the hangout spot where he almost killed himself on a few occasion's. It was also

where he saw Ashley get raped by those two punks.

Now in front of him was Antonio and Christy sitting on a blanket on the hood of Antonio's car. It

was no longer prom night because they were in their normal clothes again. They were holding hand's

and looking up at the star's. “Do you remember the first time we met?” Antonio said looking at Christy.

“No, not really, we were so young.” Christy said still looking up at the star's.

“Well Jack, Brain, and Jenna had been picking on me, and you ran over and stopped them.” Antonio

said. “Really....Hmmm maybe I do remember.” She said shrugging. “I knew then that I loved you, and

just wanted to be around you. I was always so scared to tell you how I felt but none of it mattered as

long as I was a part of your life.” Antonio said.

“Awww thanks I love you too!” Christy said and leaned over and gave him a kiss. It lead to a

teenage make out fest. Gabriel was frustrated at what he was seeing but after all this was her past. He

did not know her then and was 4 years older than her. They had yet to fall in love but he never knew

about Antonio. He could not understand why she never mentioned him. What if the whole time she still

loved Antonio and did not tell Gabriel because she loved him too.

They finally stopped making out and Christy pulled away from Antonio. “Hey you want to try

something?” Christy asked with blood running from her lips. “Uhmm yeah sure what is it?” Antonio

said. “Okay just go with it alright?” Christy said. Antonio just nodded as they started making out again.

Christy started do undo Antonio's pants and then he pulled her hands away. “Wait, I want it to be

perfect...For you!” Antonio said.

“This is perfect!” Christy said as they locked back together. “What the fuck really?” Gabriel said as

he walked away down suicide trail. He stopped and looked back and could so the two wrapped in a

blanket having sex on the hood of Antonio's car. Gabriel felt betrayed again but was trying to deny

what he was seeing. He felt so hurt by the fact that she had deceived him and everything he thought he

knew.

But it wasn't really Antonio's fault, he did as almost any man would do. But then it was in such a

harmless and respectful manner. But what about once him and Christy were married. He had to have

known she was taken and he still slept with her. It was all hurting so much more, had it been a one time

fling of her cheating then it would not hurt so bad. But Christy and Antonio were in love and she

played the both of them.

Gabriel collapsed down next to a tree and covered his eye's with his hands. Then he looked up at

the star's. “WHY!” He shouted into the sky. Why do I have to love her so much that it hurts. Not only

did I lose her but now I have to lose her all over again. Gabriel saw lightning flash from the sky and

then the jolting darkness.

He was now standing in front of a still kneeling Antonio in the graveyard. Behind Antonio and

Christy grave was Cain brimming with rage. “Oh just do it already.....Once you start I will help you kill

him!” Cain shouted. Gabriel and Antonio were now locking tear filled eye's. Antonio knew who

Gabriel was though he never formally met him.

“Are you just going to let him hurt and humiliate you like that?!” Cain said. Antonio could not hear

Cain though and could only hear and see Gabriel. “I am so sorry for your loss, she was a very special

person.” Antonio said struggling not to break down in tears. Gabriel was choking up and struggling to

find words or actions to respond. “Well here we are, two men madly in love with the same dead

woman.” Gabriel said. As the words left Gabriel's lips Antonio's head dropped to the ground and he

started to weep. “I am so sorry!” Antonio said. “He is not sorry, he ravished your wife and betrayed you

and GOD!” Cain shouted.

Gabriel paused for a few moments once again trying to decide what to do. “I......Forgive you, you

cannot help the fact that you loved her. Just like I can't. But would it okay if I have a few moment's

alone with her?” Gabriel said. A weighted of grief was lifted from both of their shoulders. Gabriel knew

he was in no state of mind to be around Antonio and had to get out of his presence/ Antonio wept for a

moment and then looked up at Gabriel. “Yes I will go.” Antonio said as he place the flowers next to her

gravestone. Antonio looked back at Gabriel “Thank you!” Antonio said with tears running down his

face.

Gabriel nodded his head at Antonio as Antonio got up and walked away. Gabriel looked back to

insure that he was gone and then sat down next to her grave. Cain was still standing behind it. “You are

a coward of a man!” Cain said. “Heh, not killing a man makes me a coward. Your rage might flow in

my veins but I decide what to do with it.” Gabriel said.

“It's a waist of blood, you just let that man defile your heart and then let him go” Cain said. “You

know what your problem is Cain? You see only one side of everything. Sure you worked hard in your

life and it still was not good enough. But your brother worked just as hard and because god accepted

him over you that gave you no reason to kill him. You only saw your pain and not that of your brothers.

Antonio is just like me and just because he hurt me does not mean he does not hurt too. I learned a

valuable lesson, I almost let you win Cain. But me, and everyone hurts the same, my pain is no worse

than his. Killing him will not end my pain. All these years you have been cursed to this world, has your

pain ended yet?” Gabriel said.

“You only fought back your true feeling's from coming through this one time. Now you think you

have the answers to the thousands of years that I have walked this retched place. I will be waiting and

one day you will succumb to my rage. When you do I will be there!” Cain said.

“Well as long as I don't your curse will prevail. So go back to being a vagabond of earth!” Gabriel

said with a smile. Cain glared at Gabriel and then turned away and disappeared back into his curse.

Gabriel finally was alone in the graveyard. He looked at his wife's grave and engraved at the bottom

was the saying “God Alone Understands”

It was the uneasy answer to the last two years of Gabriel's life. It gave no real assurance or ease in

grief. It only left Gabriel religiously confused. “I wish you were here, I don't understand why you could

not tell me about Antonio. The only thing I can think of is you loved us both to much. I know there was

not a vile bone in your body. You were so loving and kind, I want you to know I forgive you Christy.”

Gabriel said.

Tears ran down his face, this time not tears of rage but that of unconditional love. “I might not be

back here for awhile. I have this journey of madness and.....Enlightening. I guess its the journey we all

take really, life without those we love. If you happen to be in heaven, let god know that I could use a

little more help down here. I am afraid this is all too much for one broken man to take.” Gabriel said.

“I want you to know I love you, and I always will. I hope you and your child are free from all his

hatred and pain.” Gabriel said. He bent down and kissed her gravestone. As he did the flowers Antonio

had left fell over. Gabriel almost got up and walked away but instead he picked them back up. Placing

the flowers right in front of the stone insuring that they would not fall over again, and then he walked

away.

Chapter Three

Walking away from the grave Gabriel had a very warm feeling rather than the normal void. He had

faced many demon's that had been haunting him since falling into Apollyon's trap. The warmth he was

feeling was not spiritual, or even physical. It was the knowledge that he was still human and still had

morals.

He was understanding that his weakness connected him to the rest of mankind. The defenses he had

been building up was what outcast him for so many years. He might be a suicidal, psychotic, madman

but it was what still made him human and not a monster. Maybe Gabriel had to face death before he

could really live. The pain and emotion of reality was enough to drive him insane. But he was finally

starting to live and find meaning.

Gabriel took a different route out of the graveyard. It was the old section that had graves dating

back from the 1800's. Iron fencing and concrete surrounded the ancient graves. Some of the graves

suffered from vandalism, while some remained almost untouched. Their were many graves of infants in

the old section of the graveyard. Many of them had lamb's on their tombstone and the lambs head had

been removed from vandal's.

It was hard enough that a infant lost it's fight and died. Had they lived a few centuries later with

modern medical equipment then they would have most likely survived. But the true horrifying thing is

that some sick and twisted monster removed the lambs head from the tombstone. Gabriel had seen

many sin's listed in the bible, but it's the one's that are not in the bible that has made this world

sickening to live in.

God himself could not even imagine such disgusting crimes against humanity and did not list them

in the commandments. The same type of person who removed the lambs head should not have been

granted the life that the infant never had. Gabriel could remember seeing Indian petroglyphs as a kid. It

was so magical that he could see the artwork on our earth that dated back before famous artists like

Leonardo Da Vinci and invoked creativity.

Today those petroglyphs have bullet holes in them and other carving's added into the rock from

ignorant rednecks. They were better off taking a shit on the Mona Lisa and wiping their ass with the

starry night. The aura they leave for the next generation is this: You might be a stupid inbred fuckhead,

but it's okay because you can destroy thousand year old artwork. Instead of inspiring creativity in the

hearts and minds of future generations you will inspire a burning hatred for fuckheads that want to

destroy art and nature.

Sometimes Gabriel felt like saving the world but it's the little thing's like the lambs head that makes

him want to just say fuck it. The world has lost morals and respect for others. Why try to save them

when they will destroy themselves. Like a vile plague of ignorant zombies consuming and destroying

all that's in their path. Then biting the future generation and turning them into a even more horrific

ignorant zombie. So how could Gabriel ever hope to save such a plague?

Some of the old wooden gravestones had rotted and fallen over. The old section was not kept up

and most of the area had weeds and even trees growing in front of the tombstones. It's sad that we have

forgotten about the past generations and our ancestors. They had morals and a understanding of life and

their purpose here.

Gabriel always wished he lived in a earlier time. To live the simple life where if you were lazy and

greedy you would starve. The days when a man could work his land and bring food home to his family

simply by being a hunter and gatherer. When man lived his life with the sweat on his brow and

integrity. To lay his head down at night and not have to think about all the bullshit bills, stress, and fear

of the future.

Today a man cannot go out and make it simply off the sweat of his brow and integrity. Simply

going to the grocery store deprives modern man of that. Some poor man, woman, or child in a third

world county is living in slavery to put food and items in our grocery stores. Their life is one of pain,

poverty, sickness, and suffering so that we can consume.

Our society is fine with it though, they go into a grocery store and see the commercial side of

slavery. It looks colorful, happy, and delicious on the shelf. But they don't see the death and destruction

that it is causing behind the scenes. But it's not always the consumers fault, we have laws that require

us to join in on the corruption. After all if we could all go out and shoot a deer for dinner then there

would be none left.

Gabriel had the problem, but there was no solution. Obviously the world was to far gone in the

eye's of god. But it was the perfect planet for the fallen angel of hell. He was basking in the glory of all

the corruption. Gabriel had yet to see a person without blood on their hands in the present time. Sure he

saw people from the past without it, but not the present.

Gabriel was still walking through the graveyard and felt lost in his mind and on the earth. He was

not sure if the old section would lead him back to his truck. He had no idea where he was and just

walked amongst the ruins of people with integrity. Gabriel saw a bunch of graves with an iron gate

around them. The stones where old and hard to read but they all died on the same day, September 8th,

1872.

“He was a real family man.” Apollyon said from behind Gabriel. Gabriel did not turn around but

continued to stare at the stones. “You know I have so many question's for you, but I already know the

answers.” Gabriel said. “Well then, if you know the answer how is it a question?”

“I know the answer will be a lie, that I have to figure out the truth in.”

“I have been asked many questions throughout the dawn of man, but never that one. The less you

know the better off you are Gabriel. But I will answer every question you have if you promise me one

thing.”

Gabriel knew what these deals with the devil would mean. He was tricked into drinking from the

grail and ended up in this mess of immortality. But what more could Apollyon really do, after all

Gabriel was now in control. The devil needed Gabriel more than Gabriel needed him. But Gabriel had

to find answers to the many questions that made him lack faith.

“A promise to the devil.......I am better off just selling my soul.”

“I already have your soul, and your soul is not what I want. The man who forgave the creature that

enjoyed the finer sides of your wife, and cursed Cain. No matter how insanely despicable it is to me.

That is who you must be at all times.”

Gabriel loved the feeling it gave him when he was able to forgive Antonio. It lifted weights that had

been dragging his soul into destruction once again. Cain was clearly a mad man and Gabriel was more

than happy to be rid of him. Gabriel had already accepted the terms the day Apollyon baptized him in

the river. But Gabriel was still just a man of mistakes but he needed answers.

“You know I almost killed them both, but I had to see where Antonio's heart was at before I ripped

it from him.” Gabriel said.

“Yes I know what you did, I was watching. I have had my eye's on you since the day god placed

you in the womb.” Apollyon said.

“Would you have stopped me, from killing them?”

“No, Cain cannot die and the only way you can be a saint is at heart. I protected you from many

things for years. But now you are on your own, I picked you because I knew you would not kill him. I

am only here because I believe god made a mistake. I was an angel once you know?”

“Yes, I had a dream about you falling from heaven as a child. It's hard to explain the dream but it

was like I knew so much about religion without reading a word in the bible until now. In the dream

black clouds encircled a bright light. I didn't understand it then but I do now. You came from the light,

with wings torn and spewing black blood as you plummeted from the sky. Then I woke up and forgot it,

until now.”

“Yes, it was a glorious day. See god made a mistake by creating man. Me and some of the other

Angels in heaven did not want to be less in his eye's, than his mistake. So we made our decent and I

finally found what energizes my apatite, the destruction of man. You were no mistake though, created

not only by god's will but my cunning. But I can no longer fight your battles for you, now the choice is

yours, to prove god wrong, or build my legion. As you know either way I win!”

“So you are no longer dodging bullets, and killing the ones I love?” Gabriel said with a sigh.

“Yes that is right, so swear to me to be my saint, or prove god wrong?”

“I swear to be god's saint.” Gabriel was not going to surrender himself to Apollyon. He was not

doing what is right because Apollyon had to build his legion. But because he still had morals, god was

a mystery to him. But he would rather make a oath to god than the devil.

“Ha, well that is good enough for me. Now walk with me and I will answer anything you wish to

know.”

Gabriel turned away from the graves and walked down the graveyard road with Apollyon. “Hmmm,

what happened to that family back there anyways?”

“Hahaha! I tell you I will answer any question. Give you the key's to life and this is what I get

asked!” Apollyon said laughing hysterically.

“We can get to that later, we have time. So the family?”

“As you wish, You read the story of Job so you know Job was a true saint of god's. I told god what

if I take everything from him will he still be a saint. Job remained as such, the man back there was no

different from Job. One day he was cutting wood in the forest alone just outside of his cabin. Me and

some of my angels charged through the forest after him. He nearly died of fear and ran to his cabin. We

screamed and yelled from outside. He barricaded himself and his family inside. He looked up to the

heavens and prayed god would forgive him. He said he would not allow his family to be captured by

demons and would trade himself. So he raised the ax above his head and smashed it into his wives

shoulder blade. She collapsed to the floor and he then smashed it into her head. Next were the children,

then when they all were slayed he walked out to me and bowed down before me. I was utterly

impressed by his blood lust. He did not just kill his family to save them, he enjoyed surrendering to us.

“Heh imagine if the story's like that made it in the bible!” Gabriel said.

“Ha, then man would be unable to read the bible in his pathetic lifespan.”

“Will you still answer my questions if we don't get to them all now?” Gabriel was being cautious of

more tricks. Apollyon was known to flake out on him and the chances of all of Gabriel's questions

being answered were as slim as Cain being forgiven.

“Your questions are horrible! But yes as long as you are sworn to me, I will.”

Now they were walking in a unknown area of the graveyard or world. Gabriel had walked the

Graveyard many times and never saw the old crosses and stones that he was seeing now. When he

walked this section in the past it was just a empty field so it seemed foreign to him. Some of the graves

were from before the old section of the graveyard. These graves dated back to the 1850's and looked

like they were placed yesterday. Even the soil had been recently dug and fresh flowers adorned the

graves.

“If Jesus died for our sin's why was Cain not forgiven?”

“Human's and their Jesus died for our sin's bit. Jesus died because of your sin's not for them. If so

we would not be in the chaos we are now. If all was forgiven I would be no more, heaven would be full

of men like Cain. Did you know Jeffery Dahmer, a man who feasted on childrens flesh asked for

forgiveness. Now do you imagine your heaven with Jeffery Dahmer in it? That sounds more like my

heaven, and that's exactly where he is.” Apollyon said with fury in his voice.

“So I can't just go out and spree kill, fuck random sluts, then suicide bomb a mosque and ask for

forgiveness?” Gabriel said laughing.

“Don't you know, I will have 50 virgins waiting if you did that. No man clearly did not understand

Jesus and twists his history to allow themselves to feel good about sinning. You can ask for forgiveness

all you want but if you are not truly ashamed of the sins then you will be welcomed to my heaven.”

Gabriel was confused, it seemed as though Apollyon was running his mind around in circles. The

conversation was becoming as confusing as the landscape. Next to one of the graves they passed was a

statue of three children on a bench. It was of two girls and one boy sitting in the middle on a bench

reading the bible.

Gabriel stared at it for a moment and its symbolism to him in that moment. None of the children

were old enough to read but were expected to understand the bible and have faith. Gabriel felt like the

boy, he was expected to understand what he cannot. Then he was expected not to fall for the temptation

at his right and left side and all around him.

Around them in the woods was the laughter of children. Gabriel imagined that Apollyon could see

into his thoughts and setting more traps to confuse and capture him. There was almost a romantic side

to Apollyon, he was easy to like. But Gabriel knew he could not fall for his tricks or love the world he

was creating.

“So if Dahmer was truly ashamed of what he did then he would have been forgiven?” Gabriel said.

“You really think he was, you think those people who beg for forgiveness then do the same thing

again will be forgiven? If I offered Dahmer a child today, he would have it cut up and be chewing on its

bones. You can be forgiven, but not in the way mankind thinks they will be.”

“What about a man who forgives, will he be forgiven?”

“Sure if he truly thinks he was wrong for doing the sin and really forgave others, then of course. No

one see's the hearts of man but god and me. Today their hearts are full of corruption and excuses. They

go to church and lie to themselves then go out and sin. If you let 100 religious men fuck the woman or

man they most desired. Then the next day hook them up to a lie detector and ask if they were sorry for

their sins and wanted to be forgiven. Do you really think they would pass the test. So it is with god.”

Apollyon was struggling to explain things to Gabriel and was becoming more and more impatient with

him. He struggled with modern analogies so that Gabriel might comprehend what he was saying.

“Okay so what about science?” Gabriel was trying to get off the conversation of forgiveness. He

was having as hard of a time understanding it as the devil teaching him it.

“What about it?” Apollyon said.

“Well isn't science there to prove that god does not exist?”

“Well it depends really, the question is way to broad for me to give an answer. If you want the truth

from me you must be as specific with the question as humanly possible.”

“Fine, the dinosaurs, what were they, how were they in god's plan?”

“It sounds to me Gabriel that you are trying to prove to yourself that god does not exist. I have

many webs that I cast on earth to ensnare man.”

“Now you sound more like a preacher, okay evolution. We know it happens so did we come from

monkey's?”

“Well I personally would place you in the same category, yes. But it all happens by god's will,

simply because an evolved version of a monkey existed does not mean it's where man came from.

Evolution does exist and was a part of his will. I think he hoped you would evolve into something

better, more worthy of his love. But luckily for me that has not happened!”

Apollyon always spoke of man as though there was no hope for them. Like Apollyon had already

won the ancient battle of good and evil and put the nail in the coffin.

“Well a few months ago I would have asked why is there evil, but I understand that now. Why has

god remained hidden. Why is there no modern bible or laws that pertain to our society?”

“You should have been a joker because these questions are absurd. You want god to conform to

your society. You want him to change his law's to fit yours? I know I destroyed most of the bible but I

thought enough was left for people to understand. You are playing OUR game, not your game. Why

would he answer to a corrupted world. There is no modern bible because the man who wrote it would

be strung up by his neck. Just as Jesus was crucified. If you ran into the Vatican city now and said you

talk to angels and god and have a message for the pope they would find the nearest cell to lock you in.

It's the same reason you cannot tell anyone about us. It took time but I made it this way, so no one can

really believe or have faith.”

“What about the other gods?”

“Again you must be specific!”

“Well are the other gods real, like the people who believe in say Buddha?”

“Siddhartha Gautama was real, he lived within god's commandments and so was given eternal life.”

“But he did not believe in the catholic or christian god?”

“So what, neither does a infant who dies at birth. If he stayed within the commandments and had a

pure heart is he less of a being for not knowing gods name?”

“Well, no.” Gabriel said confused. Gabriel remained silent for a moment letting it all sink in. His

mind darted for questions and struggled with the answers. There was so much more to know and

understand but his mind and our language was not evolved enough to understand it all.

“What language did you use in heaven?”

“It is like any language, in heaven you are equipped with it. But it is much more intense than any

language of the earth. If we were speaking it now you would already understand everything and there

would be no more discussion. Unfortunately I have to explain it all in this form you call English!”

“Do you use the same language in hell?”

“No, those not in my legion have no language, or understanding of anything. Just feeling, suffering.

Those in my legion and my angels speak Latin. When we were cast from heaven we had to figure out a

way to communicate. So we used Latin, and still do. Which is why those possessed will normally speak

Latin, but we can also speak your languages.”

“Okay so you can speak any language but use Latin when speaking with your legion?”

“You are catching on so fast, I will need to witness a family be slaughtered or maybe an orphanage

of children just to get your ignorant stench from my tongue!” Apollyon's aggravation was growing and

the landscape was going dark, and dead. The grass was dead and scorched. The graves were now

falling over and the sky was going dark. Pine tree's were barren and dead.

“Sorry just making sure I am understanding this all correctly. So do angels....you, and god have

mind's and do you learn things?”

“Well I have been learning that maybe I was wrong and should have never picked you!” Apollyon

paused for a moment of irritation.

“Yes but your mind is no where near capable of understanding ours, or us.” Apollyon said.

“So what do you do in heaven, do you have sex with angel's, run around with a sword killing

demons or what?” Gabriel was now simply grasping for any question to ask. The ignorance of a citizen

of Axal was starting to shine through.

“Some questions I cannot answer, what man does in heaven is as much a mystery to me as to you. I

was outcast before and have not returned since.”

“Okay so what did you do in heaven before?”

“It was much like any kingdom of man, except honest. We lived for the affection of god. I assume

the angels in heaven still do. We also served god and his will, if he willed us to love we did. If he

willed us to fight, we would. We did as he commanded and it was always right. That is until he made

man.” Apollyon had a expression of a orphan child out cast from his fathers love. It was apparent to

Gabriel that Apollyon loved god and his kingdom. Gabriel could even hear the jealousy in his words.

The master of lies and tricks was starting to crack before him.

“So once he made man what did you do, did you create hell, and what exactly is in hell?”

“One day when you are ready I will show you hell.... We had to build an underworld to keep those

devoted to me. The best way to explain hell in English is damnation. Since falling from heaven I cannot

explain all I have done, simply put I ravished the plague of man.”

“I know these are broad questions but I think you are holding out on so many of the answers.”

“Some thing's the mind of man cannot handle. God did not put you here to understand everything

which is why the mind of man is limited. I can only answer what you can understand and I can

translate.”

“Alright fair enough I guess...” Gabriel said but Apollyon cut him off before he could finish.

“That is enough questions for now. I will answer them all in time as promised but this all bores me.

The knowledge you gain will simply be wasted. For now I must leave, even I have a apatite to feed!”

“Well just know I am holding you to it. Next time we meet you will get many more questions. So I

guess this is bye,and thanks?”

Apollyon had pulled his typical vanishing act leaving Gabriel with the last word. Gabriel would

have went on for days asking Apollyon questions but it was clear his patients with Gabriel was thin.

Once again he was left to seek his purpose and somehow live in the world with everything he now

knew.

Before the blink of a eye, the clouds and graves were gone. Gabriel was standing in the empty

section of the graveyard that he remembered from previous exploration. He was unsure of why

Apollyon was displaying graves and memorials that did not exist. Gabriel walked back towards the old

section of the graveyard so that he could get back to his truck without getting lost once again.

The old section was now in view and looking at it was as though looking into Gabriel's soul. Old

graves partially destroyed by vandal's and the passing of time. Each one unique with its own story of

pain and suffering. They were guarded like his heart, by morals and spiritual taboo. Going into the

depths of the graves in his soul would only bring on future pain. So each grave was treated with

absolute care and respect of the past.

Chapter Four

Just before making it out of the open field Gabriel noticed a large grave plaque. On it Gabriel read

the following: This is a memorial dedicated to the founders of the valley and mountain ranges of Axal.

In this field is where the people who built Axal's foundations are buried. Their graves and names are

now lost due to vandalism and the corrupt spirit that is now found throughout our world.

Etched in the memorial was a closed gate with rays of sun shining down on it. Gabriel had seen

gates like this on graves but they were always open. Whoever made the memorial had to have the same

no bullshit spirit that Gabriel was finding in himself. The closed gate symbolized what Gabriel already

knew. That the modern generations can only look forward to closed gates in life and death.

Gabriel looked out into the field trying to remember how it looked when he was walking with

Apollyon. Gabriel was able to have a glimpse at how beautiful it used to be. Where lives lost loved

ones, and grand-children of earth found their ancestors resting place. Now they only have a empty field

of hollowed ground to look at.

Out in the field Gabriel could see divots in the earth where a grave was. in one spot he could make

out a hole where someone had actually dug up a corpse and left it open. Gabriel hoped that maybe

someone's ancestors had found the location of a relative and moved them to a marked grave. But most

likely it was the twisted mind of a necromancy redneck since he could see beer cans around the hole.

Upon further inspection of the field it was not really empty grave site but a junk yard of disrespect.

Everyday spent in Axal was enough to remind you of how corrupt people are. Axal was suppose to

be one of the last frontiers where man could escape corruption. Instead it was just another birthing

place of ignorance and vile swine. Finding love and happiness in such a place would be the hardest way

of doing so.

Gabriel walked away from the hollowed junkyard of disrespect and headed back towards his wives

resting place and his truck. Once he made it to Christy's grave again he stopped a moment and nodded

his head before walking away again. He made his way back over the hill of his last true friends. When

he made it to the top and started back down he could see a woman sitting on one of the graveyard

benches reading a book.

He looked at the woman and then looked away. But something about her drew his glance back. He

stopped and just intently stared at the unsuspecting women. She was such a beautiful and amazing

monster of our world. She had on black cargo pants with chains hanging from the pants pockets. There

was writing's and tears on her pants.

Her shirt was a simple black tank top, exposing green bra straps. On one of her arms was a tattoo of

skeleton stick figures, with skull heads. One was a woman with a brides veil, the other was a man

handing her a ring. The woman was a natural blonde but she had once died her hair black and it was

fading. Her lip had multiple spikes coming out from them and strong black make up lined her face.

Everything about her was clearly saying don't fuck with me. She could have been reading at the

library or in the woods but much like Gabriel, she enjoyed the company of the dead. She was a

absolutely gorgeous ruin of a woman. Gabriel was completely fascinated by her, he was now ducking

behind a pine tree to conceal himself.

She was much like Ashley but even Ashley still had a purpose in life to destroy men. But this

magnificent monstrosity of modern worlds design was completely dead to the world. She did have

some blood on her hands but the pain of her life was absolutely intriguing to Gabriel. The woman was

the first that Gabriel could look at and want to see her suffering since she wore it like a trophy on her

body.

Gabriel was even undressing her with his eye's. Removing the defense mechanisms of a corrupted

soul. Underneath the chains, studs, black makeup, and hair coloring was a drop dead gorgeous blonde.

He was not undressing her in a lustful way, but to see the perfect creature underneath it all. She was a

butterfly that went back into a cocoon concealing her beauty. But Gabriel could see it shining through

and was not falling for the masks.

After watching her for a few moments he knew he had to speak with this woman. He had to see the

pain she went through no matter how frightening it might be. He would not walk away without seeing

the architect of such a perfect ruin. Just like he used his curse to see Antonio's love for Christy, he

would use it to see her pain.

At first he thought about sneaking up and just gently touching her. But he wanted to speak to her,

and to know who she was before seeing what made her that way. He stepped out from behind the tree

and headed down the road towards her. She was still reading her book and was unaware Gabriel was

there even though he was now right next to her.

“What are you reading?” Gabriel said. She didn't even jump, or change expression. She just

continued to read until she was at a point where she could answer. “I am reading poem's by Edgar Allan

Poe.” Once she was done speaking she went back to reading.

“Mind if I sit?” Gabriel asked. Once again there was no reply but a simple nod of her head. Gabriel

sat down next to her on the bench. He remained silent for a few moments and watched a blue bird

flying around landing from tombstone to tombstone. “So do you like being in the graveyard?” Gabriel

asked searching for words like a young man with pick up lines.

“I do enjoy the graveyard when no one is here.” She said in dismissal of Gabriel. “Not the friendly

type huh?” Gabriel said.

“Do I look like the friendly type?” She was becoming agitated with Gabriel. She just wanted to read

her book and be left in peace. “I am sorry to bother you, just wanted to know why such a beautiful

woman would be alone and reading in the graveyard.”

“Look buddy, I am not into men. Save your pickup lines for some other clueless girl.”

“Well I am not looking for a woman so you don't have to worry about that. I just thought maybe

you were someone I could have a interesting conversation with.”

“You thought wrong, I just want to be left alone please.” Right as she finished speaking she went

back to reading her book. Gabriel was getting no where fast with the woman, so he turned to plan B.

He reached his hand out and brushed up against her leg. The normal jolt and darkness hit him for a

moment and then he found himself in a trailer home.

Looking up at a clock on the wall it was reading 1a.m. A little girl and boy were playing in the

living room. The girl was about 6 or 7 and the boy looked a few years younger. The girl had blonde hair

and Gabriel knew it was the woman back in the graveyard that he was so fascinated with. They had toy

cars and GI Joe's sprawled out all over the floor.

The kids played for a few moments and then Gabriel felt the whole trailer shake and a loud bang.

The kids panicked and shut off the light and darted down a hallway to their room. Gabriel could hear

the engine of a car and he thought at first maybe it was a earthquake that shook the trailer but it was the

vehicle. Gabriel followed through the dark back to the kid's bedroom.

Inside the room was a shabby home made bunk bed made from plywood and two by four's. It

looked more like a crappy tree house that some kids slapped together. The girl was already up on the

top bunk pretending to be asleep. The boy was on the bottom bunk doing the same. Gabriel just hoped

that the whole bunk bed would not collapse crushing the poor boy below.

Even the trailer looked like it might collapse from the force of the car hitting it. But luckily the

redneck paradise was somehow holding together. Gabriel could hear the door slam shut and some

heavy coughing. Then he heard another huge thud of someone collapsing. “FUCKING TOY'S!” A man

yelled in a drunken rage.

“Stupid fucking kids have been up playing all night!” The man yelled. Gabriel could hear some

cupboards slamming shut. The light from the living room flashed on, the kids door was slightly cracked

and allowed the light to glow in. Gabriel could hear more banging of cupboards then silence.

“That's it, I'm gonna teach these kids a lesson!” The man's rage was growing by the minute. Gabriel

walked out to see the man. He was standing in the kitchen holding a Zipo lighter and going through a

old cigar box. The man had long brown hair and a purple muscle shirt. He was very tall with a long

face filled with rage.

Though he had on a muscle shirt he was very scrawny. His arms were covered in tattoo's of Nazi

signs, knives, revolvers, and roses. He also had a large cross with a Nazi sign in the middle of it. The

tattoo's looked like they had been done in prison rather than by a professional. Once Gabriel was close

enough he could see the man fumbling through WWII German badges in the cigar box.

The man could hardly stand straight and was trembling mad. He pulled one swastika badge from

the box and closed it up. He laid the badge and the Zipo down on the table. He put the box of badges

back in the cupboard and slammed it shut. Then he walked over to a drawer and pulled out some needle

nose pliers and threw them down on the table.

Gabriel was not sure what nightmare the man was working on but it didn't look good for the

children in their room. It looked like he was preparing for a drunken satanic and racist funeral of the

kid's innocents. Gabriel could feel that sickness quickly coming back. Not the one of withdrawal but of

disgust in the worlds monsters.

The Nazi sandman walked out of the kitchen and past Gabriel. Rage boiled on his face as he

grimaced in anger. The rage on his face was not because of the children. But because of his own

demon's that he faced in life. It was clear that the children were about to suffer because he was to much

of a coward to face down his true demon's.

“Come here you little shit!” The man yelled.

“No daddy it wasn't him it was me, he was sleeping!” The girl pleaded. Gabriel walked back to see

the chaos. He wished he could knock the man out. In the morning he would not even remember what

happened.

The man had the young boy up in his arms. Then he threw the boy down on the floor. “You did

this?!” He yelled. “I'm sorry daddy, it was me I was up playing!” The girl was now in tears, frozen in a

frantic horror. With one arm he grabbed her leg and lifted her from the bed. Her body and head swung

out from the top bunk and barely missed the floor.

Her nightgown covered the terror on her face. The coward carried her by one leg out to the living

room and dropped her head first on the floor. “Don’t move!” He said as he walked over to the kitchen

table and grabbed the items he had prepared. The little girl laid motionless on the floor. Tears streaming

down her face and onto the floor.

The coward walked over to his trembling daughter. “I am gonna be teaching you a lesson!” he

shouted at her. He took the pliers and grabbed a corner of the swastika badge and then took the Zipo

and clicked the orange flame on. He held the raging flame under the swastika heating it up. Fire from

the flame glowed in his eye's.

After a few moments the swastika was glowing bright orange. “NO!” Gabriel shouted to no avail.

The coward grabbed the girl's hand and dropped the glowing hot swastika on it. She screamed in blood

curtailing pain that Gabriel had never heard come from the mouth of a child. The smell of burning flesh

filled the room. The cowards sadistic hand clinched the little girls. Tears now rolled down Gabriel's

face as he fell down next to the girl.

With the pliers in hand he removed the swastika from the little girls hand. She was now passed out

on the floor from pain. Her mind could be safe from the nightmare the man had caused. He let go of her

arm and walked away into the darkness of the hallway. Her hand was severely burnt with the imprint of

hatred.

She was a hero for sticking up for her brother. But now she would bear the night's anger on her

hand for the rest of her life. Gabriel stared at her hand still crying, then he sprung to his feet. Cain's

blood quickly being pumped from the valves in his heart. Storming off after the man he headed into the

dark hallway.

“You gutless fucking coward!” Gabriel shouted into the dark. The man was laid out on a mattress

on the floor in his bedroom. Gabriel dove after the man and just as he collided with him he felt the

jolting of electricity. Then darkness, but Gabriel was still coherently angry. Now Gabriel found himself

in the same trailer.

This time it was daylight and the coward was sitting at the kitchen table with a bottle of whiskey.

Behind him was a window and Gabriel could see the street outside. A school bus had just pulled up and

children from the trailer park were filing out of it. Gabriel examined the kitchen table a little closer and

saw a used condom sitting in front of coward.

He intently stared at the condom as he took another swig from the bottle. The door came open and

the girl Gabriel had just witnessed being branded walked in. Now she was a few years older, possibly 9

or 10. The second the door shut the man jumped from his chair, knocking it down. The girl's eye's went

huge as she watched him.

The coward grabbed the bottle and threw it at her. Luckily it just missed and crashed into the door.

She quickly tried to open the door and run out but the screen door gave the coward enough time to grab

a hold of her and pull her back into his lunatic grasp. He slammed the door and drug her across the

broken glass on the floor.

“You want to go around fucking boys now huh!” He shouted as he slung her across the living room.

“Daddy I don't know what you are talking about!” She pleaded.

“Well then why did I find a condom in the yard right in front of your window when I was mowing

the yard. You little slut!” The coward raised his hand and back handed the girl multiple times. She was

almost in the same spot where he held her and branded her. Tears once again soaked into the stained

white carpet. After a few backhand's she just laid still on the floor. Blood running from her nose and

lip. The coward walked over to the table and grabbed the used condom and walked back over to the

girl. He slung the condom at her once again barley missing her head. Then he turned around and

walked to the door.

“This shit better be cleaned up when I come home tonight. As long as you are my little girl you

won't be having sex with boy's so I don't want to see this shit again!” Then he walked out the door and

slammed it shut. Once he was gone she slowly braced herself up from the floor. Her shirt and the carpet

were now stained with blood.

She got up to her feet and went over to the sink and started cleaning the blood from her face.

Gabriel was regretting wanting to see the architect behind the lost soul in the graveyard. He was just a

racist insecure coward. Tears continued to run down both Gabriel's eye's and the girls. He could tell that

she was not even close to the age of being sexually mature or even interested in it.

Once she cleaned the blood from her face she walked out into the living room and starting cleaning

up the mess. She grabbed a paper towel and used it to protect her fingers as she pinched at the condom

on the floor. Picking it up she held it far away from her body and she grimaced in disgust. It was very

clear that she had nothing to do with it. “Yuck!” she said as she threw it into the trash.

Then she sat down on the floor and started picking up broken glass from the whiskey bottle. The

image of her cleaning up that sick twisted mans mess was heartbreaking. Gabriel wanted to help her but

he knew it was to late anyway. This was just the nightmares from her past and unfortunately he could

not change it.

Most likely some teenagers or the neighbors threw the condom in the yard. The coward was so

insecure and controlling with his daughter that he instantly assumed it was hers. Never thinking it

through or using logic, he just used his ignorant racist wasted mind to connect the dots. He never even

saw the damage he was causing in such a innocent little girl.

“I am so sorry!” Gabriel said to the girl just as he was jolted once again. He was back in the living

room of the trailer and this time it was dark again. “Great what next?” Gabriel said. The girls brother

was now a teenager and was sitting on the floor playing video games. The girl came out from the

hallway with a backpack on and tears running down her face.

“Whats wrong Tiffany?” The young man asked looking at his sister. “I am so, so sorry Steven. I

have to get out of here. I graduate next month and I cannot stay here any longer. I am 18 now and I just

need to get away from here and start a life.” Tiffany said crying.

“Well are you gonna come back?” Steven asked, he was now crying as well and getting up to his

feet.

“I don't know when I will be back. I am sorry to leave you with him but I don't have a choice!”

Tiffany said still crying and opening her arms for her brother. He fell into her arms and started sobbing.

“Take me with you!”

“I can't take you with me, I don't even know where I am going to go.”

“What about dad, he is going to kill you when he finds out!”

“That's why I need to go alone, I am an adult now and he can't stop me. But he can't know about it,

just act like you don't even know about it.”

“I don't want you to go!” Steven was struggling to talk through his sobbing.

“I know you don't, one day I will come back for you. But I really have to go dad gets off work in a

few hours and I have little time!”

“Please don't go Tiffany!” Steven could barely talk now.

“I love you!” Tiffany said as she let go of her brother.

“I love you too, but I don't want you to leave us!” Steven said. Tiffany was now walking for the

door.

“I am going to miss you so much, take care of yourself okay!” Tiffany said as she walked out the

door. Steven just fell to the floor still crying. Gabriel followed behind Tiffany as she walked out into

the darkness. She had just a small backpack, blue jeans, and a school sweatshirt on. She had long

blonde hair, and was a very natural beauty. Gabriel knew all along that underneath her shield was that

beautiful woman.

Gabriel was really starting to worry as cars passed by on the highway. It was clear she had no plan

or idea of where she was going. She had nothing but the few items in the bag and years of scars. They

walked under the nights sky for hours and it was very early in the morning now. A semi screeched by

and was hitting his brakes hard enough that Gabriel could smell the burning rubber.

The truck came to a halt and a man jumped out from the cab. He looked like he was in his forties,

his skin on his face squeezed his chin and cheek bones. From his face he appeared to have done years

of drugs. But he had a slight pudgy beer gut. He was wearing a ball cap, a red and black flannel shirt

that was tucked in to his pants. He had a large silver belt buckle with a golden semi in the middle of it.

Tight pants squeezed his rolls and cowboy boots completed the scary image.

“Howdy, you look like you need some help?” The man said.

“Well I could use a ride out of here!” Tiffany said. The man smiled exposing gaps in his teeth.

Gabriel was uneasy about the exchange of words. The man looked like it was his lucky day and was

brimming at the thought of this young beauty being his co pilot.

“Sure, lets go I will get you outa here!” The man turned around motioning for Tiffany to follow.

Gabriel went ahead of them and climbed in the truck. Once inside he went back and sat on the bed.

There on the other side of the bed was a area where the man had a TV. On top of that was a extensive

collection of porn and Rambo movies. It looked like Tiffany was going from one nightmare to the next.

As she got in and sat down in the passenger seat Gabriel let out a sigh. The man hit the air brakes and

put the truck in gear and took off.

“So where is it you are looking to go?” The man said.

“I am not sure, I am kinda running away from home.”

“Wait how old are you?” The man said slowing down.

“It's fine, I am 18 I just had to get out of my fathers house!” The man was once again smiling from

ear to ear and speeding back up.

“Well as long as you really are 18 you can stay with me as long as you like, my name is Bob!”

“Nice to meet you Bob, my name is Tiffany” Tiffany was looking uneasy about Bob just like

Gabriel was. But she also had desperation wrote all over her. As long as she was away from the

monster she lived with for the last 18 years. Gabriel just wished that someone better for her had found

her but instead she was in Bob's clutches.

Gabriel was jolted again and shot into darkness. Coming too he was now on the top bunk of the

semi. Bob's luggage was up there with him in a unorganized mess. The shades to the cab were closed

and a light was on. A smokey haze filled the truck and a sweet and unfamiliar smell filled the air.

Gabriel hung his head down from the bunk and saw Bob and Tiffany laying in the bed below.

Bob had a glass pipe in his hand and a lighter. He put the pipe to his lips and light the liter just

below the bowel of the pipe. Inside the pipe was small crystals that where melting and turning into

smoke. Bob's eye's looked just like her fathers with the flame flickering in them. His face turned almost

purple as he inhaled the smoke. Tiffany just laid there staring off in space. It looked like she was trying

to separate her mind from the moment.

“Here try some!” Bob murmured as he held the smoke in his lungs. Then he exhaled a almost blue

haze of smoke. Tiffany was shaking her head and was not liking the idea.

“Trust me you will feel so much better once you are high!”

“I have never smoked meth before and I don't know everyone at school said it was a really bad

drug.”

“Nah, it's not bad at all. It makes you feel better and you can even lose weight. I have smoked it for

years and I think I am doing alright for myself. I used to be about 350 and now look at me now, I am fit

and sitting next to a real beauty!”

Tiffany sighed and grabbed the pipe. Bob smiled and started to help her guide it to her lips.

“Isn’t this stuff really addictive?” Tiffany said with some hesitation.

“Nope, I have quit many time's. I just like the feeling it gives me and how it keeps me in shape.”

Bob guided her hand and the pipe back to her mouth.

“Now what you want to do is melt the crystal's and inhale the smoke.” Bob place the lighter under

the pipe and started the flame. He twirled the pipe from side to side under the flame so that it was not

direct heat. Tiffany inhaled the retched smoke of death and then pushed the pipe away. She started

coughing out the smoke and choking on the toxins.

“Hahaha, not bad for the first time rookie. It's okay you will get used to it in no time!” Bob said

with his holey grin. Once again Gabriel was jolted into another time. He was back in the bunk in a

cloud of smoke. Below him he could hear the lighter flick the flame. He could even hear the toxin's

crackle and boil in the glass pipe.

Looking down below he saw Tiffany and Bob propped up in the bed. Tiffany was in her bra and

underwear. While bob was a horrific site in his whitey tighties and ignorant expression. Tiffany was

sucking on the pipe like a calf struggling for its mothers milk of life. Instead though she struggled to

get the poisons into her body.

“You know you have been with me awhile now.” Bob said with a more serious look on his face.

“Yes I know, I am truly thankful for everything you have done for me!” Tiffany said passing the

pipe back to bob.

“I know but the ice, food, and room and board is not cheap. I think it's about time you did

something for me. I know we have talked about it, but this time I am serious. You can do this one thing

for me and if not you need to go.” The expression on Bob's face was serious. His eye's scanned her

body up and down and his mouth dripped with disgusting lust.

“I guess if it means that much to you, but I have never done it so be gentle okay?” Tiffany was

frightened and her body slightly spasmed at the touch of bob. He placed his hand on one of her boob's

and goosebumps raised the hair on her arm. Then he ran his hand down and into her panty's. Tiffany

looked away as she reached back to undo her bra.

Gabriel could not watch and looked up at the ceiling of the truck. This perverted man had spewed

his poisons into her. Now she was addicted to it and willing to give up her innocents to him. Bob was

as much of a coward as her father. He was using her for his perverse desires and taking advantage of a

lost young woman.

In any other world Bob would never be able to take advantage of such a vulnerable flower. But in

our twisted reality he was able to. The sad truth was most men would have, but maybe some would

have done right by her. It did not matter now though because she was about to be branded by corruption

once more.

“Wait a second, take your panty's off I need to get a condom.” Bob got up from the bed and reached

up towards a bag at Gabriel's feet. Gabriel quickly darted his legs away from Bob's fumbling hands. He

opened the bag and pulled out a condom. He got ready to zip the bag back up and then stopped with a

smile on his face. He reached back in the bag and pulled out a pair of handcuffs.

Gabriel clinched his legs in his hands trying not to throw up. He dry heaved for a moment and

leaned over the bunk in preparation of throwing up. When he looked down he saw Tiffany, completely

nude and frightened. She was looking at the scar of a swastika on her hand and rubbing her finger along

it. She was perfectly broken in Gabriel's eye's. Such a beauty stuck with beasts from nightmares.

Bob got back into the small bed hardly big enough for the two of them. Gabriel pulled his head

back into the top bunk. He did not want to watch what would happen next. Just hearing the motion

under him made him dry heave in his mouth.

“Why the handcuffs?” Tiffany said with a worried tone in her voice.

“Just trust me, it will be much easier this way.” Bob said with confidence. Gabriel could her the

sound of the cuffs clicking around her wrists and he winced in further disgust. Gabriel covered his ears

and squeezed his eye's shut. He should have known better than to go into her past. The skeletons were

written all over her in the graveyard.

Though he squeezed his head tight he could hear the cry of her innocents leaving her crushed body

under the weight of another monster. How she was able to keep from killing herself after such a

horrible life was beyond Gabriel. He knew after walking a few feet in her shoe's that he wanted it to be

over for her. The truck swayed back and fourth under Gabriel and then it was quickly over.

It was clear bob had not been with a woman in a very long time. Tiffany was now crying and trying

to hold back the pain. “I am sorry I had to do it this way. It's like a band aid you just have to pull it off.

That's why I cuffed you, it was to protect you from causing more pain.” Bob said with little remorse in

his lips. Gabriel could hear him kissing her skin as though it would offer relief from his poisons.

Chapter Five

Gabriel was jolted into darkness again and it came as a relief. The pain of that moment was gone

and Gabriel was just hoping to be free of her nightmares. Unfortunately it would not be so and he found

himself sitting in the bed in the semi as bob drove down the road. The cuff's were wrapped around the

handle to the push out vent just above their pillows.

Tiffany sat in the front seat looking off into the country side. She had on low cut shorts and a tank

top exposing the bruise’s on her skin. She looked completely different from the girl who first got into

the truck. Just a hollow shell of a life being fueled by drugs. Her hair was a mess, and the skin on her

face now sucked into her cheek bones. Gabriel had a hard time even recognizing her as they drove

through the darkness.

“So like I was telling you we need money if we want to score some more.” Bob was once again

preaching toxin into her ears. They pulled into a truck stop and Bob slowed down almost to a halt as he

searched the cab of each truck. “Hey there is one, see how he has a red light on....Hey girl you better be

listening to me. We are out of ice and I won't get paid for another week.” Desperation was spewing

from his withdrawing lips. “Yeah, I hear you I just wish there was a better way.”

“Well remember that truck because once we park you are going over to it. Just knock on the cab

and tell him thirty for a blow job and sixty for anything. Oh and make sure you take a condom I don't

want to be getting the he bee Jeeves from you!” Tiffany remained silent staring out the window. Gabriel

knew what was going on. Bob was going to whore out Tiffany in order to get more drugs.

They backed into a spot and Tiffany got up from her seat and got a condom from the bag and put it

in her back pocket. She got ready to open the door when Bob grabbed her hand. “No kiss, come on

don't be like that.” Tiffany leaned over and gave him a lackluster kiss. She closed her eye's not in love

but disgrace. She scratched her arm as she kissed him. She wiggled about as her skin crawled.

It was just another daunting site to Gabriel. Truth of the matter is that all over the world this

madness is taking place. Women being violated and being forced into relationships. Some for money,

drugs, security, and even religion. This was a small spec of sand in the ocean of woman’s oppression. It

was unbearable to witness but millions of women are suffering like Tiffany.

Gabriel had love in his heart for all women. It was not the lust of sexual desires or power. But

caring for them, and wishing they all could be treated with love and respect. The world he was trying to

save was one where most of them were not treated with love and respect. But forced into slavery, some

against their will. Others by choice even to the point of denial. If you don't love yourself and the man

you are with then you too are a victim of this slavery. Life is so short and full of love, you just need to

remove the chains and find it.

Tiffany stepped out of the truck and Gabriel followed her. It was nice being free of the toxic and

claustrophobic place that she was calling home. Her fathers abuse did not even compare to what Bob

was doing to the poor woman. But they were very much linked, had her father been loving she would

most likely not be in this nightmare. He was as much responsible, if not more than Bob. Bob hung his

head out the window. “Don't be kissing them men either!” Bob shouted out at her.

She was staggering as she walked and every few yards she would itch her body frantically. The

withdraws of the poison and disgusting desires of the monster she was with was taking its tool. She was

a bruised and broken skeleton that lacked any hygiene. The violent night breeze carried her foul sent to

Gabriel's nostrils. She was not the beautiful monster that Gabriel was with in the graveyard. But a

craving fiend of the truck stops night sky.

It was very cold out and Gabriel had more clothes on and was struggling in the cold wind. But

Tiffany seemed more affected by her crawling skin than the cold night. She made it to one of the truck's

with a red light glowing in the cab. It was not the same one that Bob pointed out but it did not really

matter. She was about to give her body to a man, not for love or her own pleasure. But for money so

that they could support their addiction.

Tiffany balled up a weak and boney fist and pounded on the side of the truck. After pounding on it

and waiting for a response she repeatedly pounded. After a few moments a old man with a long grey

beard came into view in the drivers window. He rolled it down and spit a huge luge out onto the

ground.

“What is it!” The man sad in a grumpy and tired tone.

“Thirty for a BJ and sixty for whatever you want.” Tiffany said looking at the ground and not at the

man.

“Well hop on in girl” The man said still tired.

Gabriel had seen enough, he was beyond nauseous and the fresh air felt stuffy. The lot was starting

to spin and he felt like he was about to fall over. He sat down on the bumper of a truck next to the old

man's. He could hear the door to the truck close signaling another moment of abuse.

“Get me out of here!” Gabriel shouted and struggled not to vomit. The poison of hate that branded

Tiffany's life was seeping into his mind and placing a dark haze over it and the toxins had drained into

his guts. He knew the world was this way, but never actually felt the abuse so vividly. What happened

to Ashley was unbearable but this was on a different level. Gabriel was jolted into darkness that carried

his nausea with it. He was not sure if he was going through time again or if he fainted.

He opened his eye's expecting to see the lot of filth, but instead he was back on the bench in the

cemetery. He pulled his hand away from Tiffany's leg and was lost for words. The brushing of Tiffany's

leg had brought on a grimace in her face. It was clear she did not want to be touched by a man and to

her Gabriel was another abuser.

“I am really sorry, I just want you to know it's not your fault Tiffany.” Gabriel said. After the words

came from his lips he regretted it because now he had to explain how he knew her name.

“You don't know me, and how do you know my name. Are you some kind of a whacko stalker,

because I have enough of those in my life!” Gabriel could not hold back he had to tell her what he was

feeling. “What your father did to your hand was wrong, it was not your fault. That man in the truck

who defiled you was a pervert and you deserved so much better. You being here today is evidence of

how strong and beautiful you are.” Gabriel cut himself off before he could say more.

Sadness and confusion was on Tiffany's face, it was as though Gabriel was a ghost from her past.

“How do you know that stuff, no one knows that!” Tiffany was sad and angry. Gabriel got up from the

bench and was about to walk away. Tiffany jumped from the seat dropping the poems of one of the

world's few geniuses of literature. She balled up her fists and pounded them into Gabriel chest. The

force was weak and felt like a broken woman desperate for love. Gabriel wrapped his arm's around her

and held her in his arms as she broke down into him.

Gabriel wanted to show her the love and compassion that she never had. He wanted his arms and

grasp to remove her endless suffering. Finally she let go of her defense and just cried into his arms.

They remained like this for a few moments and Gabriel had not held a woman with such love since

holding his wife.

Oddly her sadness and tears were feeding Gabriel's heart and ending the nausea. This woman saw

him as a complete stranger but he was able to brake through to her and lower the defenses. If he could

do that with everyone then maybe there was hope. If he could just stop the zombie plague of hate and

Cain's rage, then maybe there could be an end to their suffering.

Looking over Tiffany's shoulder he could see his madman nemesis. Not Apollyon but Cain,

grinning from ear to ear at what he was seeing. Gabriel let go of his warm embrace for Tiffany but still

held onto her arms. The hope and love that Gabriel was feeling for the stranger had now turned cold

and the nausea was coming back.

Tiffany was looking down at the ground as tear's ran from her face onto the ground. Cain was now

standing next to Tiffany. Cain placed his arm around Tiffany still smiling at Gabriel. “Ohhh, you didn't

show him the best part!” Cain said in a mocking voice.

“What is that?” Gabriel asked confused.

“Touch her arm one more time, see what lays behind those beautiful eyes!” Cain was still smiling.

“No please don't, I don't want you to see it!” Tiffany said as she tried to get free from Cain's grasp.

It was to no avail, Cain tightened his grip as to hold her hostage. “I said I would show you, NOW DO

IT!” Cain shouted at Gabriel. Gabriel didn't want to know what was going to happen next but he chose

to see what sin possessed this beautiful monster. Gabriel's hand was shaking as he reached out to touch

Cain's terrified hostage.

“Please don't!” Tiffany pleaded again. It was to late Gabriel was jolted into darkness as her screams

repeated in the endless dark. Gabriel was once again sitting on top the bunk of the Semi. The sun was

rising and Tiffany was sitting in the passenger seat. She now had even worse bruises all over her body

than before. Sores from the poisons trying to escape her body lined the wilting flesh.

She was in her underwear and white tank top with stain's. Tears ran down her face as she played

with a tire thumper. They are used to hit the tire's and check for air pressure. It was made out of wood

and was fashioned much like the club Cain used on Able. Dark like the tree of life but lacking the

beautiful texture.

Gabriel looked down from the bunk and could see the nightmare image of Bob sleeping in his

underwear. The stench and site of him was that of a slumbering warthog. Gabriel looked back at

Tiffany as she still twirled the tire thumper in her hands. Then the twirling stopped along with the tear's.

Tiffany got up from the seat with Cain's rage on her face.

“Wait!” Gabriel shouted, still not wanting to accept the fact that he could not change the past.

Tiffany lunged on top of the wild beast and raised the club up above her head and smashed it down into

Bob's skull. Gabriel heard the cracking thud just as he did with Cain and Able. Then a bloodcurdling

scream from Bob.

When Gabriel watched Cain kill Able he felt such sadness for Able. This time though he could only

feel sadness for Tiffany. She really had been built into a monster of our sick and twisted society. Tiffany

Continued to smash Bob's head with the club until it was nothing more than a flesh and blood mass in

the bunk. Blood covered everything, including Tiffany.

Gabriel looked at the blood on Tiffany as he did the blood on Mitch. They should have been free of

their sin, but wore the sin of the world. Tiffany was no more a murderer than Mitch was. But both of

them killed and felt the same rage and anger as Cain. Leading Gabriel to the same moral grounds that

he always stood on. Trying to judge mankind in the flesh blood was simply impossible without seeing

the nightmares they overcame in life.

Tiffany stood up and shut the curtains to the back of the truck. She turned on a light in the back and

pulled down one of her bags from the top bunk and laid it down next to Bob. Unzipping the bag she

revealed a 9mm pistol with multiple clips laying next to it. She removed the clips from the bag and

stuffed them on the sides of her underwear. Tears and blood streamed down her face as she picked up

the gun and cocked it.

Gabriel watched as she raised it to her temple shaking. Gabriel saw her pain from the sins of others

and running down her bloody face. He wanted her to be free from the madmen in her life. Gabriel

closed his eye's hoping she would pull the trigger and end her suffering. His ears yearned to hear the

sound of the gun going off.

After a few moment's he saw the light of the sun burst into the back of the cab. Tiffany had opened

the curtains and stood there for a moment looking at the sunrise. Gabriel jumped down from the bunk

and stood behind Tiffany praying it would be the last time the sun shined on her miserable life. But

then she sat down in the passenger seat and opened the door.

Gabriel was confused, he did not know if she was turning herself in or if she decide to die outside

of the truck. He followed her out the door as she walked into the middle of a truck stop lot. The sun

glowed off her withered body covered in blood. She walked down the lot towards the truck stop. There

was a overweight trucker with two bags of food heading back to his truck.

When the man saw Tiffany he was not sure if he should run or help her. Then she raised the 9mm

from her side and opened fire. Gabriel's heart jumped as his hope for our world died with each shot.

The first two shots missed the man who turned and ran. The next one hit him in the back dropping him.

The woman Gabriel learned to love was now a grim reaper in underwear and a tank top.

She walked over to the large man trying to claw his way away from her. She placed the gun behind

his head and pulled the trigger again. Gabriel was hit with the blood and derbies from the asphalt that

sprayed the parking lot. Tiffany had become the machine of death that she was designed from birth to

be. Gabriel now knew that it was to late for her to be forgiven by him or god.

He followed her into the truck stop as he saw people running out the back door through the glass

outside. By the time he and Tiffany made it into the truck stop it was empty. Gabriel stayed inside the

main area of the truck stop as Tiffany checked each bathroom. No shots were fired and she walked

back to where Gabriel was standing.

Tiffany looked out the window and smiled as the people fled the truck stop. She raised the gun and

shot out the window's of the truck stop letting in the cool morning breeze. She walked over and

removed a pop from one of the coolers and took a drink and then placed it back in the same spot.

Walking back to the cashier counter she looked up at the camera and smiled. Then she placed the gun

to her head and pulled the trigger.

Her body crashed into the floor with violent anger for the earth below. Her pain was over and

Gabriel was crying tears of sorrow and anger. The world never gave her a chance, she would never see

a happy day. A happy day was just one more to remember the pain and suffering of her life. Looking at

her lifeless body Gabriel wished he could pick up the gun and end it like she had. But he knew this was

just the start of his nightmare journey of life. Darkness fell upon him jolting him back into a society of

nothing but insanity.

About The Author

I don't write for money or for my words to be read. I write because it takes me to dark corners in

my mind that I was to afraid to go.

He is not the typical writer, if there even is such a thing. His resume most likely is not suitable for

fast food chains let alone literature. But that's the beauty in writing, it doesn't really matter who you are.

But if you must know..

He is 28 years old, born and raised in Craig Colorado. He dropped out of high school to join the

working world. Another failure in the public school system. He has worked as a butcher, casino cook,

truck driver, concrete truck driver and finisher, now he works for the government. The Colorado

Rockies are still his home.

Zach loves psychology, mathematics, physics, nature, and the outdoors. His daughter and wife are

his world and he thrives to give them the best life he can.