The Fallen Queen of Eden Ch. 19

Like every soul Lilith had ever taken, Levi tried to fight the curse she had leveled on him. Ultimately he would fail like so many others before him. Trying to fight against her was like having your body torn apart only so much worse and ran so much deeper. Not only did his body feel as though it was on fire while being drawn and quartered, his mind was being pounded as well. He felt as though ice picks were being hammered into each of his temples while thousands of voices screamed in his brain. In the end he had no choice but to comply so it would all stop.

Lilith's first request was for him to take her to his home and he did exactly as she told him to. The silence was deafening as they drove to his palatial estate and didn't change one iota once they were there. When they were inside he handed over every photograph and surveillance video he had ever taken of the demoness. Even as the Preacher-man did her bidding everything inside him wanted to scream for help, but he was unable to speak at all. In his mind he kept crying out for a savior and praying that someone would appear and stop the darkness from consuming his soul. So desperate was he that he even longed for the most unlikely help of all, Jeza. He imagined that the presence of another female might break this unbearable curse, but it was foolish thinking. Jeza was still at the Ladies Bible Retreat that he himself had orchestrated. Even if she had come back early there was nothing she could have done. The mark of Lilith was on his heart and there it would always be.

Once the images were handed over to the demoness, he hoped she would release him, but Lilith wasn't done. She had him seat himself at his desk then hand write a complete confession. He listed every sin he had ever committed against his church and numerous individuals, including using and misleading Adam Benoni, Millie's murder, his harrassment of Elijah, and of course everything he had done to Lilith. As he did, Lili looked over the many books and objects that decorated his private study. One object in particular caught her eye. It was a gold Sumarian dagger in an elaborate sheath covered in a woven pattern. It was authentic and ancient. Carefully she lifted it from its stand and hid it in the folds of her skirt. When he had completed writing his confession, he hastily scribbled something at the end then dutifully followed her out the door.

The sun was just beginning to peek above the horizon when they returned to the church. Lilith instructed Levi to touch each of the same keys that the security guard had so it would look as though the Preacher-man had disabled them. They then went back into the sanctuary and the pulpit where he had stood before his congregation and preached so many times. Lilith took out the dagger she had taken from his study, then after wiping her own fingerprints off of it, she handed it to him. She watched in cold silence as tears rolled from his eyes. Although he was unable to utter a sound, his mind kept pleading over and over for his life. She knew it, but Lilith felt no pity and would show him no pity. How many times had she given him the chance to walk away from her without retribution, only for him to refuse? He had wanted her and now he would get the dark prize he had sought.

The Preacher-man stood before the pulpit, the blade of the dagger pointed towards his heart. He didn't want to do what she asked, but couldn't stop himself. Even as he plunged it through the flesh of his chest and into his heart, he still believed he would find Heaven waiting for him and all his suffering would be over. He felt the pain of the blade and his eyes were wide at the horror or what he was doing. Lili smiled then told him to pull it back out knowing he would quickly bleed out and die.

"It is finished. Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." he finally managed to whisper with his last breath, then things went dark. Lilith knelt by his body, careful not to touch the blood.

"Even in death you believe yourself to be grander than you are. Ah well, I suppose I shouldn't begrudge you one final performance before you step into your eternal darkness. I wonder which will happen first? Will your lungs be seared by the unholy fires or will your screams be frozen by the bitter ice."

The Preacher-man never heard her words, but they were true just the same. He was opening his dark ferret eyes and looking upon eternity, but it was not the view he had anticipated. At first he had expected to find himself still on the floor behind his pulpit bleeding out, but no, he was dead. Really dead. He stood up and looked at his surroundings confused. Where were the streets paved in gold or the gates decorated in fine pearls? There were no rivers or fountains of pure crystal water. The air wasn't filled with ethereal music and why wasn't he surrounded by angels or heavenly souls? Shouldn't he finally be looking into the face of God?

Instead, all he could see was a vast expanse of nothing. A dark void only slightly illuminated by a strange dim red light that seemed to be coming from everywhere and nowhere. There were no distinct walls, no doors, just shadows and blackness. Everything was silent and still. He didn't know where he was. This couldn't be Hell because he was a pastor, preaching the word of God and saving souls. He had done good works like giving to charities, feeding the poor and helping people. Levi took a step forward and suddenly realized that he was not as alone as he had believed. The silent air around him was breathing softly, although from which direction he wasn't sure.

"Who's there?" he called out loudly. At first nothing happened and the silence caused a slight twinge of fear to run through him, which he swallowed quickly.

"Welcome Preacher-man. We've been waiting for you to join us," hissed a voice.

"Our mother said you would be coming," cackled another.

"Where am I?" he demanded, looking around at the darkness hoping to see who was with him.

"Do you not know?" croaked a new voice. "Can you not guess?"

"If you're trying to make me believe I'm in Hell, then you're wasting your time," he sneered. "I am a good man, a Godly man. My place is in Heaven."

"Heaven?" another raspy voice chimed in. "The path to salvation has been made clear to sinners for many ages now. You preached his word, but did you ever let the lamb in?" Levi was silent, unable to answer. "As it is, you belong to us now and we answer to someone else," this was followed by a cackling laughter that sent a cold chill through him. The Preacher-man had no idea how many eyes were upon him or what they wanted. Outwardly he put on a show of arrogance, unwilling to let whatever was out there think they had gotten the best of him. Inside, he was not quite so confident.

"It doesn't matter who you're working for. I am no sinner and I have done nothing to feel guilty about," he punctuated this statement with a fold of his arms and a flash of his crooked self-assured smile.

"Do you think guilt or how you perceive yourself is what matters here?" rumbled a disembodied voice.

"Whether you feel remorse for your sins is of no consequence to us," sniffed one of the shadows. "In fact it is more fun if you don't."

"I don't understand. I thought only sinners go to Hell where their souls are punished and tortured for eternity." That twinge of fear was back. "The Bible says . . ."

"Ahhhhh, but all fall short . . ." began one harsh voice.

"All are sinners . . ." added another.

"Only those who don't accept the lamb are cast into the fire."

"You are special . . . chosen as it were, to be turned over to us and dealt with in any fashion we see fit, Preacher-man," this was followed by a deep terrifying laugh that turned Levi's blood cold.

"Who are you?" he yelled at the darkness.

"We are thousands . . ."

". . . Forever separated from Heaven . . ."

". . . and not truly a part of Hell."

"There is no escaping us," the last voice sniggered.

The twinge of fear Levi had felt before was now growing steadily worse and his heart was beginning to pound. Never had he experienced such a sense of helplessness. He imagined every form of monster lurking in the darkness just waiting to pounce, but he was by no means prepared for what actually appeared. Emerging from the shadows was a dark form, the strange red light separating it out from the other shades. This form was diminutive in size and wore a hooded cloak. The only features he could see was a grey child-like face with large white eyes that never blinked. Two black pupils the size of pin holes were all there was to break up the stark white stare.

"You're nothing but a child," he commented, his fear beginning to fade.

"I am Keres and I am older than you think," her voice was soft, not like the others he had heard. "I and my brothers and sisters drew lots to see which of us would be the first to break you. I won."

"Break me?" Levi scoffed. What could this small wisp of a child do to him? The words barely fell from his lips and Keres threw off her cloak and rose to her full height revealing her true self. Her body was segmented and covered in an exoskeleton and her six legs were long and bug-like in form. On one hip she carried a whip which she uncoiled and then with a mighty snap caught him by the leg and brought him to his knees.

"I-I am a man of God . . . I fed the hungry and gave to the poor . . . s-surely I . . ." he cried out, looking into the empty white eyes of Keres.

"You used God's word for gain. Your good works were only for show. You used people and tormented our mother," said one of the voices in the darkness.

"You hurt her," added one of the shades.

"You tried to destroy all those who would help her!" appended another.

"How many have you hurt or killed, Preacher-man?" hissed a voice.

"Do you recall their names?"

"Do you remember Millie, Adam, or Eli?" snickered unseen lips. Other voices quickly joined in adding the names of others he wronged, injured or killed. Some of the names he recognized while others were people that he had never bothered to know yet were affected by his actions.

"That . . . that was just . . . uh," he started, but was unable to give an explanation.

"Do you feel regret at having their pain and blood on your hands or do you only see your failure?"

"Ahhhhh, but you are a good man . . . a Godly man . . ." hissed yet another shadow voice.

"Is there no mercy?" he asked, his eyes truly opening for the first time and seeing the condition of his soul. He had spent forty years preaching the word and the importance of salvation but he had never really listened or believed. Even the few 'good works' he could point to had never been a path to Heaven and even if they were, his charities had been too few and rendered empty and worthless in the light of all he had done. There was no way to save himself and the creatures watching from the darkness could see the realization on his face and laughed maniacally..

"We are numbered in the thousands."

"Each of us waiting in turn to torture you." The once silent space became alive with chants praising their power and their numbers. The combined sound of thousands of demonic voices was deafening and Levi closed his eyes and tried to cover his ears, hoping to drown it all out. The clawed hand of Keres took hold of his once arrogant face and made him look up at her.

"The Lilim have no mercy."