《Tribulation》 Chapter 1: Chief Executive Asshole Some people are simply born bad and Brian McCallum was one of those people. He was born into the wealthy McCallum family, a family that owned one of the most profitable corporations engaged in global trade. McCallum Industrial specialized in innovative technology such as microchips and satellite hardware. During the Gulf War, the company merged with Walton Enterprises becoming the single largest munitions and military supplies dealer in the world. Despite the company¡¯s tendency to enable genocide and other crimes against humanity, Brian¡¯s parents were relatively good people. Katie McCallum came from a well to do family of philanthropists who were dismayed by their daughter¡¯s marriage to the McCallum heir, Jonathan Brian McCallum the third. However, Jonathan Brian, known to his friends and associates as JB, was caring and kind to Katie. He served as the CEO of McCallum and later as the CFO of Walton Enterprises but he never fit the archetype of the greedy businessman. He enforced a strict work hours policy. Employees were to arrive at 8am and they were to be out of the building by 5pm. Under his leadership of the company, he expanded benefits, eliminated mandatory overtime, and raised wages. He followed the same hours and was home by 6pm every night so as not to miss dinner with his family. By all measures, Brian¡¯s parents were good people and outstanding parents. Brian was the second of four children. He had an older brother, Jonathan, and a younger brother, Dennis, and sister, Isabella. The McCallum siblings all got along with each other, except Brian. When he entered his toddler years, he became an aggressive child and his older brother began to avoid him. By the time Brian was a preteen, not a single one of his siblings engaged with him unless required to. It wasn¡¯t just that Brian was the single most disagreeable person that his parents had ever encountered, it was also the fact that Brian seemed to delight in harming others. On more than one occasion, Brian enacted revenge against his siblings for their perceived wrongdoings against him. Once when they were both in middle school, Jonathan started going out with a girl that Brian had taken a liking to. The day after Jonathan told the family about his new girlfriend, he went to put on his tennis shoes and shards of glass stabbed into his toes and the soles of his feet. Katie suggested that Brian be put in therapy to her husband but when they brought the topic up with their son, he stabbed his father in the leg with a pen which led to an emergency room visit and an awkward conversation with the treating doctor. Brian was sent to boarding school the following month. Unfortunately for his parents, boarding school only made Brian worse. At the boy¡¯s only preparatory school, Brian was surrounded by wealthy boys from families more cutthroat than his. He was surrounded by the very people he aimed to become. Brian quickly established himself through brute force and cunning. He soon developed a posse that both feared and respected him and the school grounds became his to run. On paper, the decision to send Brian to boarding school appeared to lead him in the direction his parents hoped it would. By the time he reached highschool, he was excelling in his classes and he led several organizations, including as captain of the football team. Katie and JB McCallum finally were able to brag about all of their children rather than having to dodge questions about Brian¡¯s most recent suspension from school. Brian returned home for Christmas in his sophomore year after spending his fall break playing for the football team when they made it to the championships for the first time that year. This Christmas was going to be a special one because it was a celebration of the McCallum children. Jonathan was in his senior year of high school and was in the midst of applying for college. Isabella was in her final year of middle school and would soon attend the same high school that Jonathan was graduating from and Dennis had just received his first role in a play with the junior theater company he was a part of. And Brian¡¯s football team had made it to the championships which Katie and JB considered a huge accomplishment even though the team was narrowly defeated in overtime. Brian, however, was in a foul mood. In his mind, winning was the only option and the fact that his team had lost was unacceptable. The headmaster of the boarding school had to expressly forbid Brian from keeping the entire team through winter break to run drills. Now Brian sat silently at the dining room table as the family talked and laughed. Katie talked with her parents and inlaws, ¡°Brian is the first team captain to lead the Pumas to a championship. They¡¯ve made it to the playoffs before but never all the way like they did this year. Isn¡¯t that right Brian?¡± she asked, looking to her son. ¡°Fuck off,¡± Brian muttered. The table went silent and everyone looked at Brian, ¡°E..excuse me?¡± Katie stammered, shocked. Brian stood up and slammed his palms against the table. ¡°I said, fuck off!¡± he yelled. Both his father and older brother stood up and glared at Brian. Katie was speechless. No one spoke. Brian waited for a moment before leaving the room with an exasperated groan. JB¡¯s father cleared his throat, ¡°I see Walton had another stellar year¡­¡± Brian stormed outside and Jonathan followed him. His older brother grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around to face him. ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you?¡± Jonathan asked, getting in Brian¡¯s face. ¡°Mom and dad give you everything and you can¡¯t even act like you care about them.¡± ¡°Back up, Jonathan,¡± Brian warned. Though Jonathan was older than Brian, Brian was taller and more muscular. Brian stepped into Jonathan¡¯s space, their chests nearly touching. ¡°Or what, Brian? You¡¯re going to hurt me? What could you possibly do to me now that you haven¡¯t already done?¡± Jonathan taunted, jabbing a finger into Brian¡¯s chest. Brian bent his knees and grabbed Jonathan around his midsection. He hoisted his brother in the air and then slammed him down onto the ground. Jonathan¡¯s head hit the edge of the sidewalk and he went limp. A crimson bloom began to spread from the back of his head. Brian stared down at his brother silently. He walked down the driveway and got into his car, pulling out so fast the tires squealed, and drove off, leaving his brother unconscious and bleeding on the frigid ground. Jonathan was brought to the hospital by their parents who had come outside after hearing Brian drive off. He was held for an overnight stay and diagnosed with a severe concussion but the doctor said they were lucky it wasn¡¯t worse. Brian stopped coming home for the holidays and his parents hardly heard from him though they didn¡¯t reach out either. Brian graduated at the top of his class and was accepted into Dartmouth where he pursued a business degree. He was driven by spite, hoping to graduate and launch his own business to rival Walton and reduce the market share of the conglomerate. But before Brian could finish his degree, his father unexpectedly passed away. Brian found out from a phone call with the family lawyer who requested that he attend the reading of the Will. For his own selfish reasons and the burning desire to find out what would happen to the company, Brian returned to his hometown. The meeting with the attorney was the first time in seven years that Brian had been in the same room as his siblings and mother. They looked at him in astonishment but no one spoke. Brian sat silently and refused to acknowledge their existence. The attorney entered the room and she opened the sealed blue envelope that contained the original Last Will and Testament of JB McCallum. She unfolded it and began to read it aloud, ¡°I, Jonathan Brian Dennis McCallum, do hereby declare this to be my Last Will and Testament revoking all prior wills and codicils made by me. I hereby name my son, Jonathan McCallum Jr. as Executor of this Last Will and Testament.¡± Jonathan exclaimed, ¡°Me?¡± and the attorney paused, ¡°Yes, Mr. McCallum. You have been named as the Executor of your father¡¯s Will. Do you understand what that means?¡± she asked. Jonathan replied affirmatively. ¡°Good,¡± she replied before continuing, ¡°I leave all property I may own at the time of my death, real or personal, to my wife, Katie McCallum. I leave 25% of my shares within Walton Enterprises to my children, Jonathan McCallum, Jr., Brian McCallum, Isabella McCallum, and Dennis McCallum, to be distributed equally. I leave an additional 20% share to my wife, Katie McCallum. The remaining 55% of my holdings shall be sold back to Walton Enterprises at market value and disbursed among the Board of Executives. It is my wish that an election be held to appoint my successor as Chief Financial Officer within a year of the final sale of said shares.¡± Brian was shocked. His father left him a share in the company, he would now be a voting member of Walton Enterprises. He looked around and saw the same expression of surprise on his siblings¡¯ faces. His mother only looked sad. The attorney finished reading through the Will and had each family member sign their assent to install Jonathan as administrator of the estate. Brian hesitated but signed the assent. He didn¡¯t speak a single word to any of his siblings or his mother before leaving to return to New Hampshire. Brian finished his final year at Dartmouth and graduated magna cum laude with his degree in Business Management. A few months after his graduation, he received a letter from Walton Enterprises informing him that he was now a shareholder and of his voting rights within the company. The letter listed the contact information of the CEO, James Darnell, and Brian sent him an email. Mr. James Darnell, My name is Brian McCallum. I am the son of the late JB McCallum, former CFO of Walton Enterprises. I am a graduate of Dartmouth with a degree in Business Management. I am also now a shareholder within Walton. Considering my family¡¯s storied history within Walton and my tie to the company as a shareholder, I feel an obligation to continue the work of the McCallum family and work within Walton as opposed to working within another company. Please let me know if there are any openings within the company that I may apply for. Sincerely, Brian McCallum Within two days, he received a response from the CEO. Brian, Please send me your resume. -James Brian sent his resume directly to the CEO and received a phone call from his assistant asking for an interview. The interview was scheduled and Brian flew back to Chicago the following week to interview at the company¡¯s headquarters. He didn¡¯t tell his family that he was back in Chicago. He hadn¡¯t spoken to them since the funeral. Brian walked into the towering building that was home to Walton Enterprises. He checked in at the front desk and rode the elevator up several dozen floors before reaching the floor that contained the office of the CEO. He stepped out onto the spotless tiled floors and walked up to the assistant¡¯s desk, ¡°Brian McCallum, 2:30,¡± he said. She didn¡¯t even check the computer before leading him to the CEO¡¯s office, ¡°Mr. Darnell? Brian McCallum is here,¡± she said. James Darnell waved for her to allow him in and the assistant stepped to the side and ushered Brian into the office. She quietly closed the door behind him as he took a seat in front of the CEO¡¯s desk. ¡°Brian, James Darnell,¡± the CEO said, extending his hand. Brian shook his hand firmly before retaking his seat, ¡°Very nice to meet you, Mr. Darnell,¡± he said. ¡°Likewise, Brian. Alright, I¡¯m going to get right to it. This interview is a formality. Your family¡¯s name used to be the name of this company and Walton and McCallum have been synonymous for years. Your resume is impressive and your pedigree is impeccable. But I have one question for you kid, are you like your father?¡± Darnell asked. Without missing a beat, Brian replied, ¡°No, I¡¯m a shark.¡± ¡°You¡¯re hired. Talk to Becky at the front desk, she¡¯ll get you credentials and set up the meeting with HR.¡± Darnell said. Brian left the office triumphantly. Now he had a new plan. Instead of taking down Walton Enterprises, he would take it over. He moved up through the ranks quickly with James Darnell as his mentor. The CEO was a sleazier type than JB McCallum and he and Brian hit it off immediately. Within two years, Brian was voted in as acting CFO after the resignation of the prior one when rumors of an affair began circulating through the tabloids. Rumors that happened to come from a ¡°high level official within Walton.¡± At only 27 years old, Brian was the youngest member of the executive board and one of the youngest CFOs in the country. He was featured in Forbes 30 under 30 list and was a frequent contributor on financial segments on national media. In 2018, at the height of the MeToo movement, James Darnell was named as a Defendant in a sprawling sexual harassment suit that had 42 Plaintiffs, each one a woman who had worked at Walton Enterprises. The court filings alleged a toxic work environment, unwelcome advances from the CEO and other executives, harassment and inappropriate comments, retaliation, and at least one instance of stalking. Walton Enterprises hired top attorneys and worked with their media connections to bury the stories but the impact of social media was too great. Feeds were filled with stories from women who worked or previously worked at Walton and their stories of harassment. The outrage caused what the Board referred to as ¡°stock shock¡± and the value of Walton¡¯s shares plummeted. James Darnell held on until the district judge overseeing the suit allowed for the unsealing of Court documents and a video that had been produced in discovery made it to the internet and went viral. The video showed James Darnell drunkenly stumbling into the elevator where a woman was already inside. He pinned her against the wall and began groping her as she struggled against him. At one point, Darnell attempted to shove his hand down her waistband and she swiftly kicked him between his legs and ran from the elevator as the doors opened. Further documents released by the court and the Plaintiff¡¯s attorneys showed that the same woman had been fired the next day without severance for ¡°insubordination and violation of her contract terms¡± and Walton had produced an alleged log of said misconduct and violations that was discredited by other workers. The day the video went viral, Walton¡¯s top investors called and informed Darnell that it was either him or them. The Board of Executives held a vote of no confidence and Darnell was deposed. One of the executives who had not been named in any of the filings was Brian McCallum and as Chief Financial Officer, he not only was one of the most well known members of the company, he was also one of the most knowledgeable about the financials. He was voted in nearly unanimously though his siblings tried to leverage their votes and influence against him. After Brian became CEO, Jonathan and Isabella liquidated their stocks and had nothing further to do with Walton Enterprises. Only Dennis remained. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Brian¡¯s first test as CEO came quickly when he was subpoenaed to appear before the House of Representatives¡¯ Equal Employment Opportunity Committee and testify about the culture of Walton Enterprises. Brian took his seat in front of the House committee and was introduced by the Parliamentarian before questioning began. Seated at his right was one of Walton¡¯s attorneys and in the gallery was a member of Walton¡¯s social media management team. The Board had prepped Brian and informed him of each of the committee members, many of which had accepted donations from Walton in their elections. Brian entered the hearing confident and assured that his performance would be able to set aside the drama and put Walton back in the public¡¯s favor. ¡°Mr. McCallum,¡± a man said. The plaque in front of him read Mr. Lucas Powell. ¡°Walton Enterprises recently named you as the CEO after the resignation of James Darnell, correct?¡± Brian leaned toward the mic, ¡°Former CEO Darnell was actually removed by a vote of the Board of Executives, myself included, Congressman.¡± ¡°And you were named as CEO following his removal?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°Mr. McCallum, who was it that was involved in your hiring at Walton? You were hired in 2010, correct?¡± Congressman Powell pressed. Brian¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°Roughly, yes.¡± ¡°And which members of the company were involved in your hiring?¡± Brian hesitated, ¡°I don¡¯t see how that¡¯s relevant, Congressman.¡± The congressman pulled out a poster with an email printed on it, ¡°It¡¯s relevant because in this email obtained under a search warrant, you reached out directly to James Darnell after you received your share in the company. Is that correct?¡± Brian looked to his attorney, ¡°Can they have those?¡± he whispered and the attorney nodded. Brian grimaced and leaned towards the mic again, ¡°Yes, Congressman, he was the CEO at the time and his contact information was included on the letter that informed me of my share within the company.¡± ¡°Again, who was involved with your hiring at Walton?¡± the Congressman pressed. ¡°I was hired under James Darnell.¡± ¡°Was James Darnell the only person involved in your hiring at Walton?¡± ¡°I cannot say for certain. I don¡¯t know what the internal policies were at that time.¡± ¡°Did you meet with anyone other than James Darnell before being hired?¡± Brian pulled on the collar of his shirt, ¡°No.¡± he replied. ¡°Mr. McCallum, you were CFO for six years prior to being named as CEO. You were named CFO after the resignation of your predecessor. Today you are in a similar position. Is this indicative of the culture at Walton Enterprises?¡± ¡°No, Congressman. Unfortunately we¡¯ve had a few bad actors who have been removed from their positions.¡± Brian responded coolly. ¡°Except you didn¡¯t consider James Darnell a bad actor. In depositions and other testimony, you have been described as his protege. And it wasn¡¯t until the investors at Walton placed pressure on the board that they removed Darnell and appointed you, is that correct?¡± Brian was flustered, ¡°I¡­¡± he looked to his attorney. ¡°Mr. McCallum, can you confirm or deny this?¡± Brian could feel every eye in the room on him. ¡°Mr. McCallum?¡± Congressman Powell pushed. ¡°Did the Board move because investors in Walton placed pressure on them and not because they felt a need to correct a serious wrong?¡¯ ¡°I¡­yes the investors called to let us know that they would pull their investment and shares if Darnell was not removed but I think¡­¡± Congressman Powell cut him off, ¡°So the Board would not have done so were it not for the pressure from the investors?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Did you have any plans to call for a vote of no confidence?¡± Brian threw up his hands in exasperation, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. It¡¯s business. We weren¡¯t going to gain negative publicity by showing that the company was in disarray.¡± There were audible gasps in the chamber and Brian¡¯s attorney was holding his head in his hands, ¡°Except Walton was in disarray. Forty-two women were harassed and the environment at Walton that you were a part of for nearly a decade now has been toxic, has been one of harassment, and has been one of retaliation. You may not have been named in the court documents, Mr. McCallum but your silence has been complicit in creating the culture that exists at Walton today. I yield my time.¡± Congressman Powell finished. Brian was fuming and he huddled with his attorney following the hearing, ¡°So that didn¡¯t go great, here¡¯s a few things the company will need to prepare for.¡± The attorney advised. Brian called an emergency meeting of the Board that night, ¡°I want that motherfucker defeated,¡± he ranted. ¡°We¡¯ve never funded him,¡± one of the board members said. Brian looked at him, ¡°Great, but we better be funding his challengers. Now here¡¯s the plan, we¡¯re going to utilize the media. I want our contacts from every single media network that will take us. We are going to flip this around if it kills me. Get our social media running, put up some bullshit about new initiatives. I want testimony from our female employees about how this is the best goddamn place they¡¯ve ever worked. And I want our contracts revised with ironclad NDAs that will be signed this fucking Monday.¡± Brian¡¯s plan went into effect that week. He made the rounds through the media, promising changes and promoting the company on hostile networks and attacking Congress and dismissing the hearing on friendly ones. He chastised Congressman Lucas Powell as another ¡°deceitful anti-capitalist Democrat¡± on rightwing networks and questioned where the Congressman received his donations from. He dismissed allegations of a toxic workplace saying they had put in the necessary changes and pointing to the testimonials that had begun populating on Walton¡¯s social media. Within three months, Brian had polarized the issue to such a point that Republicans in Congress were openly chastising their Democratic colleagues for their investigation into Walton and Democrats were disavowing any connection with the company, completely ignoring the fact that the House had just approved arms purchases from Walton by the US Government in a bipartisan fashion just a few weeks prior to the hearings. With public sentiment split right down the middle, Brian continued his domination of Walton Enterprises. He funded challengers against the Congressman who had grilled him but came up short every election. Powell, for his part, continued to lambast Walton and Brian but it only made the company more popular with the Republicans. Then came the war. Walton became the preeminent arms and munitions dealer and the US sought to monopolize them when it became clear that tensions were escalating. Brian, however, only cared about the money. Walton sold to the US and its allies and they sold to Russia and its allies in the Iron Alliance. Walton branded bullets killed thousands. But the company remained safe, shielded by the crossfire of its clients. The war raged on and heated up quickly and it became clear that Russia¡¯s Iron Alliance would soon make a move against the US led Allied Forces. Walton never paused in dealing arms even as the news broke of the company¡¯s doublecross. Brian maintained appearances by insisting that the company was committed to the defense of the United States and the preservation of peace. He spun some story about how the company sought to defuse tensions by operating as a common ground for the opposing powers. All the while, the countries kept funneling money into Walton for the never ending stream of munitions they received in return. Lucas Powell remained a thorn in Walton¡¯s side. His move for a subsequent investigation into Walton regarding their sale of arms to the Iron Alliance was shut down by the Republican led House. But he remained in the public eye and became a hero as he negotiated a ceasefire between the factions as they erupted into war. Powell led envoys into the neutral state of Belgium and met with the leaders of Russia and China to push for peace. He used the media to call for calm and plead with the heads of each government to understand that continuing the war was mutually assured destruction. He was a welcome face for the public during a period when every person on the air either clamored for war or were in hysterics over the possible apocalypse. An agreement seemed within reach. And then Brian stepped in with the full might of Walton Enterprises behind him. Brian knew that peace was bad for business. If the factions stopped fighting, the demand for munitions would decrease and so would Walton¡¯s market share. So he hired lobbyists that pushed Congress to reject the deal, calling it bad for America and referring to it as a surrender of the country¡¯s sovereignty. Brian again took to the media and blasted the agreement. ¡°The issue with this agreement isn¡¯t the fact that it wants peace. We all want peace but do we really think that these enemies of America are going to honor that agreement? We¡¯re going to have an attack on our soil that will make 9/11 look tame if we submit to these terrorists. It is really a disgrace to the men and women who have fought for us and died that Congress is willing to let us just roll over and take whatever kicks these countries give. I mean, there¡¯s not even punishment for the attacks that the Iron Alliance has launched against us since the war started.¡± Brian said on a nightly news network. His comments were the first story on nearly every webpage the next day and soon the same congresspeople who had defended Walton were parroting Brian¡¯s talking points. The deal collapsed. The House failed to pass the agreement and instead passed an authorization for war. Lucas Powell resigned from Congress the day the Senate sent the authorization to the president and Brian hired a professional chef to cook wagyu steaks in celebration that same night. Brian¡¯s celebration was short-lived as the scrutiny of Walton increased as public sentiment began to shift as the war went from cold to hot. He received another subpoena to testify before Congress but before he could appear, North Korea launched their first successful IBM and struck Maui. The death toll was catastrophic and it caused the war to superheat. The US pounded North Korea with their own IBMs as Russia worked to intercept them and respond in kind. Air raids became commonplace in major cities and Brian shelled out millions for the expedited building of an underground shelter. It was clear that the war was not going to end the way that Brian had hoped it would. Chicago was now being bombarded with Walton branded bombs. Brian shut down Walton Enterprises the day that D.C. was attacked. The news barely covered the story, instead focused on the bombings that killed nearly two-thirds of Congress as they gathered to vote on further funding of the war effort. The attack led to the US dissolving into chaos. The loss of their government caused a widespread panic and the general feeling that the US would soon lose the war caused anarchy to spread. And then the internet went down. Something had happened to the satellites and nobody knew what. There were rumors that the US had disabled them to prevent further attacks but there were also rumors that the Iron Alliance had developed technology that disabled them. Some speculated that it was a solar flare or an errant asteroid that knocked out the global network. Regardless, the world was made silent. There were no longer communications between the Allied forces or the Iron Alliance. There was no more news or mass media. Phones stopped working and soon the rest of society faltered and collapsed. Brian holed up in his shelter the day the network went down. He had enough food and water to last for two or three years. He took no one with him. He hadn¡¯t even contacted his family to make sure that they were alright before he was completely unable to do so. And for once, Brian was satisfied. He no longer had anyone left to stand in his way. The apocalypse suited him. A year into his isolation, Brian became curious about the state of the outside world and so he unsealed the door to his bunker and stepped out into the sunlight, blinking in the bright natural light. As his eyes adjusted, he looked over the grassy field, far removed from the city and noticed the eerie silence. No birds chirped and even the wind seemed to have disappeared. There were no sounds of airplanes overhead or any sort of indication that anything had survived other than himself. He did notice that the car he had driven to the shelter and parked several hundred yards away was gone. ¡°Shit.¡± he muttered. The city was some distance away though he could still see the outline of the remaining skyscrapers on the horizon. He started to turn and re-enter the shelter, ¡°Brian McCallum, born October 28th, 1983 to parents Jonathan Brian McCallum and Katie Elaine McCallum¡± a voice recited. Brian turned around and saw two men standing in the field. They were both wearing suits, one navy blue and the other an emerald green. Both of them wore dark sunglasses and they were both imposingly tall. Brian ran inside the shelter and grabbed a shotgun from the mini arsenal he kept inside the shelter, he ran back out and pointed it directly at the men. The one in green smirked. Brian yelled to them, ¡°what do you want?¡± ¡°You should put that down before you get hurt,¡± a voice whispered in his ear. Brian whirled around to see the man in green standing beside him and he fired the gun. The recoil knocked him back and he fell to the ground and watched in horror as the hole in the man¡¯s chest closed back nearly instantly. He leaned over Brian with a menacing smirk and pulled the shotgun from his hands. The metal barrel began to bubble and warp and it oozed to the ground, singing the grass beneath it. ¡°W..wha..what the fuck¡­¡± Brian stammered and the man in green laughed. The man in blue had made his way across the field and was now standing to the other side of Brian, ¡°Are you done with your theatrics?¡± he asked dryly. The man in green straightened up and extended a hand to Brian. Brian scrambled backwards and stood up, his eyes darting wildly between the two men. ¡°Interesting how scared these powerful men always are,¡± the man in green remarked. The man in blue looked to Brian and pulled off his sunglasses, ¡°Indeed,¡± he replied. Brian felt his heart leap into his throat as he stared into the man¡¯s eyes. They had no pupils and were entirely white yet Brian felt them boring into his soul. The man in green took off his glasses as well, revealing the exact opposite. His eyes were dark and black with no whites. ¡°Shall we go inside?¡± the man in blue asked as he gestured to the door. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Brian was at a loss for words. The man in green spoke, ¡°If we wanted to kill you, we wouldn¡¯t wait to do it inside.¡± Brian bit his bottom lip so hard he could taste blood. Against his better judgment, he opened the door and allowed the two men inside. He followed in after them and shut the door. The man in blue looked around the room, ¡°Roomy¡± he remarked, ¡°You could fit, what, three or four people in here?¡± he asked. ¡°And yet you saved only yourself,¡± the man in green remarked. Brian stared at him wordlessly, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not judging you, I¡¯d have done the same.¡± the man in green said. His tone was light but Brian was petrified. ¡°Brian, will you please calm down?¡± the man in blue pleaded. He sat down on the couch that extended from the wall and looked at Brian with his white eyes. ¡°This isn¡¯t a congressional hearing,¡± the man in greed chided. Brian whipped his head around to face the green suited man, ¡°How do you know about that? Who are you?¡± he asked, an accusatory tone in his voice. The man in green¡¯s eyes flashed, ¡°There¡¯s that fiery spirit,¡± he said hungrily and Brian shrunk back. The men were deeply unsettling and Brian was beginning to feel trapped. ¡°We have a proposition for you, Brian.¡± the man in blue said, clasping his hands together and leaning forward. ¡°You have doubtlessly determined that there is no society left to salvage, correct? No vacuum for you to take advantage of and take control like you¡¯ve always wanted.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, I haven¡¯t left here in a year.¡± Brian replied. ¡°Two years, actually. Though there¡¯s not much difference from year one,¡± the man in green said. Brian looked at the calendar on his wall, had it really been two years? ¡°Yes, Brian. Indeed it has. Now, enough with the pleasantries, let me give you the short of it. My brother and I are in need of assistance. I won¡¯t bore you with the specifics but we are your ticket to survival in this new world. We are not mortal as you may have been able to tell from my brother¡¯s antics and your gun. But we have a vested interest in this mortal plane as it were. And unfortunately, so do the rest of our siblings.¡± the man in blue stated. Brian was completely lost but he knew better than to ask questions. ¡°So here¡¯s the deal. We need to move faster and cover more ground than our siblings if we hope to be rid of them. The only way to do that is with the help of individuals like yourself. Driven people with a lack of morals,¡± the man in blue paused but Brian was silent. The blue suited man smirked, ¡°Good, you already know it. I¡¯m rambling so I¡¯ll go ahead and put forth the general deal, you do as we ask and in return, we grant you abilities to fulfill those tasks and ensure this little setup,¡± He whirled his index finger around in a circle, ¡°never runs out of the supplies you need to live comfortably.¡± ¡°What kind of abilities?¡± Brian inquired. ¡°Well that depends, Brian. Are you willing to trade your soul for powers beyond your wildest dreams?¡± the man in green asked. Brian brow furrowed, ¡°My soul?¡± he asked. The room darkened and the men¡¯s shadows seemed to reach towards Brian. The man in a green had a particularly menacing smile on his face, ¡°Yes, Brian. Your soul,¡± he replied. Brian had never been religious but he felt an urge to pray at that moment. A competing thought also crossed his mind though, the promise of power was appealing. ¡°No,¡± he replied. ¡°I won¡¯t trade my soul.¡± The two men shared a knowing look before the man in blue spoke again, ¡°No matter. You help us and we¡¯ll uphold our half of the bargain by giving you the abilities necessary to complete your tasks and ensuring your cushy lifestyle sustains you through your lifetime.¡± Brian thought for a moment. If these men were being truthful, all he had to do was say yes. He had already seen glimpses of their power and there was nothing in the world he wanted more than to have the same. He knew from the business world that it was better to have powerful friends than to make powerful enemies. He looked at the man in blue, ¡°Deal.¡± he said, extending his hand. The man in blue stood up and grasped Brian¡¯s hand firmly, extending his fingers so they reached Brian¡¯s wrist. Brian felt a growing warmth and watched as a dark tattoo etched itself into his skin. A snake swallowing its own tail surrounded a bursting star. The man in blue released his hand and Brian gingerly touched the tattoo before looking up at the two men, ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± he asked. Chapter 2: Odyssey of the Mind The mechanical clock with all its whirring and winding parts played a drawn out tinkling melody at the top of the hour. Gears in the middle of the clock face rotated and completed a full 360 rotation, moving the hours around the clock before locking them back in place while the hands stayed stationary. It was a mesmerizing piece of machinery and Giulia gazed upon it with wonder. ¡°Fascinating, isn¡¯t it?¡± a voice said from behind her. Giulia continued to stare at the clock, ¡°Yes, it is.¡± she muttered. The music playing from the clock faded and she turned to face the person behind her. Her blood felt like ice in her veins as she recognized the woman who had spoken to her. The familiar blood red lips turned up in a smile beneath the purple hood that obscured the rest of her face, ¡°Recognize where you are yet?¡± she asked. Giulia looked around the room she was standing in. It was a living room with a floral patterned couch and loveseat. Sheer lacy curtains covered the large slatted blinds over the windows and the coffee table and various end tables were all made from the same dark stained wood. Faberge eggs and crocheted birds sat on shelves on the pastel blue walls. ¡°I¡¯m home,¡± Giulia whispered. The woman in purple stepped around Giulia and began adjusting the hands on the clock. Giulia watched her curiously. The woman turned and faced Giulia. She pulled down her hood and her appearance changed. Now Giulia was standing in front of Father Alessio, ¡°Don¡¯t you just love adventures?¡± he asked jovially. Giulia was confused and her expression showed it. Father Alessio smiled widely. He grabbed her arms and she tried to resist but it was as if her body wouldn¡¯t respond to her thoughts. She felt trapped in her own mind. Trapped in her own mind. Giulia remembered Father Lorenzo placing his hand on her forehead and everything going black. None of this was real. Or was it? She couldn¡¯t be certain. Father Alessio spun her around and then he released her. Giulia flew back, her arms flailing wildly. Father Alessio loomed larger and larger until Giulia was smaller than his hand. She looked back and saw the clock looming over her. Its hands appeared as if they were the size of bridges and the numbers standing taller than she was. She could see the inner gears, whirring inside the clock face and she fell through them. Father Alessio disappeared as she fell into the clock, wanting to grab onto anything to stop her fall but her hands wouldn¡¯t respond. She fell deeper into the clock. Each gear was massive, rolling around past her like iron wrought water wheels. She could see each component of the clock spinning around her and hear the deafening tick of the hands as they marched toward the next hour. She jolted upright and looked around. Now she was in a classroom, seated at a wooden desk that had initials etched into it and drawings of hearts and stars and some more obscene items. ¡°Ms. Giordano, are you with us?¡± Giulia looked to the front of the room. A teacher stared sternly back at her. She nodded, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s keep learning and not sleeping,¡± the teacher said. ¡°As I was saying¡­¡± Giulia looked down at herself. She was in a white button up blouse and plaid green and blue skirt. She had knee high socks on and tan leather shoes with short laces tied in a bow. Every other girl in the room was wearing the same outfit. She looked to the front of the room and at the cursive writing on the blackboard. ¡°Algebra II¡± was written in big bold letters and the rest of the board was filled with equations. Above the chalkboard was a banner with a motto in Latin, Mentes Clara ad Excellentiam ¡°Bright minds soar to excellence,¡± she whispered to herself. She reached up and touched the space between her collar and her breast, feeling the embroidered eagle there. This was the preparatory school she had attended. But how was she here? ¡°Psst¡± she turned her head to see where the noise had come from and locked eyes with a boy who looked like a younger Father Alessio. He tossed her a crumpled up piece of paper. She unfolded it and read the words scrawled on the page, When the bell rings, run. Giulia looked at the words and reread them over and over again. None of this made sense. She looked down at the notebook on her desk and recognized her handwriting. Beneath all the equations was a single sentence, Pay attention. Do what the note says. Giulia straightened up in her chair and faced the front as the teacher went over equations and variables she hadn¡¯t seen in years. Her mind raced and she couldn¡¯t focus on the lesson. All she could think about was getting back to Mateo. SHe was jolted from her thoughts by the sound of the bell. She stood up and ran from the classroom. As she began to sprint, the other students turned to her and pointed. Their jaws went slack and a haunting chorus of laughter erupted from their mouths. Giulia raced past the students and into the hallway, the soles of her shoes slapping against the linoleum. All through the hall, more ghoulish students pointed and laughed without their mouths moving. Their faces seemed to blur and lose definition as Giulia passed them but their laughter remained the same. She reached the end of the hallway and pushed through the doors. She blinked in the bright sunlight. PHWEEET Giulia turned her head to the sound of the whistle and saw other girls running across a grassy green field with painted white lines towards the sideline. She looked down at herself and saw the neon green jersey and black athletic shorts. She lifted her foot and saw the spiked bottoms of cleats. ¡°Giordano, let¡¯s go!¡± a woman yelled. Giulia squinted in the bright sun to see her high school soccer coach waving her over to join the rest of the team. Giulia looked around the field and her eyes fell on the scoreboard. Beneath the home team¡¯s score were two words, Do It. Giulia jogged across the field and joined the rest of the team. She barely listened as the coach directed them on their next play. She put her hand in with the others and shouted along as they broke apart, throwing their hands up to the sky. She took her place on the field though she wasn¡¯t sure how she knew that was her position. She faced the girl opposite of her as the soccer ball was dropped and then it was as if her body went into autopilot. She was now soaring across the field, her legs moving faster than they had in years. She was weaving between players and getting open to receive the ball. Another player kicked the black and white ball to her and she dribbled it between her heels. She swerved around the girl in the purple jersey who had moved to block her. The grass passed beneath her as the ball rolled along at between her feet, a blur of motion on a sea of green. She felt the wind whipping through her hair and she saw the goal looming ahead of her. The goalie was moving back and forth with her knees bent as she looked to intercept the ball. Giulia kicked the ball and sent it flying through the air. The goalie jumped for it but the ball passed over her arms and hit the back of the net. ¡°GOAAALLL¡± the referee called out and blew a whistle, indicating that the game had ended. Giulia¡¯s teammates hoisted her up on their shoulders cheering and Giulia beamed as she stared up into the cloudless sky. Her teammates set her down and now she was standing in front of a register with an agitated barista staring back at her, ¡°Do you know what you¡¯d like to order?¡± he asked. Giulia looked around the cafe and then she noticed him. ¡°Emiliano¡­¡± she whispered. Her heart fluttered. ¡°Just do two espressos please, thank you.¡± Emiliano said, stepping in front of Giulia and pulling cash out of his wallet. Giulia was dumbstruck. He smiled back at her with the same suave half smile that had captivated her the day she met him. She suddenly realized where she was. It was the cafe where she had her first date with the man that would father her child. Emiliano paid and grabbed Giulia¡¯s hand, gently leading her to a table outside. She stared at him in awe. He was so beautiful. She could see Mateo¡¯s features in the youthful face of his father. ¡°We have a child together,¡± she said. Emiliano smiled sadly and nodded, ¡°I know.¡± ¡°You were never there to watch him grow up and see the incredible man he becomes. You abandoned us, Emil.¡± she said tearfully. Emiliano nods as their espressos are delivered in small ceramic mugs. He grabbed his and took a sip. ¡°I wish things were different, but I couldn¡¯t have a family and join the priesthood.¡± he replied. Giulia stared at the espresso, watching the swirling patterns of steam spiraling from the rich brown liquid in its mug. The edge of the ceramic seemed to grow outward, filling Giulia¡¯s vision with white. She looked around frantically as the outside world faded to a blank canvas and suddenly she was looking at the white fabric of a wedding gown. Giulia looked up and saw herself standing in front of a tall mirror. Her chestnut brown hair was braided with flowers and a long white gown flowed down to the floor. Her face was lightly made up and her lips were lined with a light pink that made them appear larger than they were. She gingerly touched her cheek and her reflection mimicked her. The room was unfamiliar and she was standing in it alone. Something compelled her to turn around and walk to the door behind her. She turned the doorknob and pulled open the door. Now she was standing between rows of pews. People she didn¡¯t recognize turned to stare at her. In her hand was a bouquet of lilacs. The wedding march filled the room, played from an organ next to the altar. Giulia slowly walked forward, the train of her dress dragging behind her. Then the man at the altar turned and faced her and she saw that familiar half smile again, Emil. Giulia felt a smile break across her lips and she began to walk faster. Emiliano had tears in his eyes and Giulia could feel tears of her own forming at the corner of her eyes. She reached the altar and Emiliano stared at her with the same deep loving expression he had on the night they had slept together. His big doe eyes made her melt then and they did the same now. Her heart felt as though it was going to beat out of her chest. ¡°Do you, Emiliano Ricci, take Guilia Giordano to be your lawfully wedded wife; to have and to hold, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?¡± the minister asked, looking to Emiliano. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I do,¡± he said softly. Giulia felt a tear run down her cheek, she set down the bouquet and grabbed his hands. ¡°And do you, Giulia Giordano, take Emiliano Ricci to be your lawfully wedded husband; to have and to hold, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?¡± ¡°I do,¡± Giulia said and she had never meant anything more in her life. ¡°Then by the powers vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.¡± Emiliano swept Giulia from her foot and kissed her passionately as the church erupted into applause. He looked into her eyes and smiled as they parted, ¡°I love you,¡± he said. ¡°I love you too,¡± she replied. Giulia danced with Emiliano across the polished wooden floor of the reception hall. She laughed and twirled underneath the twinkling lights of the paper lamps that hung from the ceiling. She was so enraptured with Emiliano that she didn¡¯t even notice how she knew no one at the wedding. Their nondescript faces faded into the background of her ecstasy. She was in the arms of the man she loved. He was her husband. As the reception came to an end, Emiliano carried Giulia to their room. She laughed as he stumbled along and kissed down her neck. He laid her on the bed and gently kissed her exposed skin before sitting her up and unzipping the back of her wedding dress. She stood and let the dress fall off of her body. He undid the clasps of her bra and she slid her underwear down her legs and stood before him naked. His eyes were filled with that same loving expression, ¡°Wow,¡± he whispered. She stepped towards him and began to loosen his tie. He stared down at her breasts as she pulled the tie off and unbuttoned his shirt, pushing it down his arms and letting it fall with his suit jacket to the floor. He laid her down again and fumbled with his belt. She helped him remove it and he scrambled to remove his pants and underwear. Now he was positioned over her completely nude. Their naked bodies pressed against one another. He pressed his forehead against hers and they both let out a quiet sort of gasp as he entered her. She wrapped her arms around his back and threw her head back as he gently bit down on the skin between her neck and her shoulder, thrusting deep inside. They made love for hours and Giulia fell asleep in Emiliano¡¯s arms when he finished. She felt as though she was floating, carried aloft on a cloud with her lover beside her. Her husband. Then she felt pain. She was staring up at fluorescent lights above her. Sweat beaded on her forehead and she grunted with exertion as she pushed. She was lying in a hospital bed in an upright position and two doctors were at one end of the bed and her husband stood beside her at the other, holding her hand. She was in the middle of giving birth. ¡°Push, Giulia. Look at me and breathe,¡± Emiliano said. Giulia stared into his eyes and pushed, huffing in short breaths, breathing in cadence with her husband. She pushed again and again until there was a feeling of release and the sound of a baby¡¯s cries filled the room. ¡°It¡¯s a boy!¡± one of the doctor¡¯s exclaimed and Giulia and Emiliano exchanged looks of pride. He kissed her forehead and hugged her head to his chest as she cried tears of joy. The doctors returned with the baby swaddled in a blue blanket. He slept peacefully as he was handed to Giulia and she looked down at her son, ¡°I think Mateo suits him,¡± Emiliano said. Giulia looked up at her husband and smiled, ¡°I think it does.¡± she looked at the sleeping baby, ¡°Mateo Emil Ricci, you will do great things.¡± she whispered. The baby¡¯s lips seemed to turn up in a smile and she chuckled to herself. Now Giulia found herself standing in the doorway of a nursery. A white cradle sat next to a window, the moonlight giving it an eerie glow. She didn¡¯t recognize this nursery. The cradle rocked side to side slowly as a shadowy figure stood beside it, gently pushing it. She took a step into the room and the wooden floor beneath her creaked. The dark silhouette appeared to turn its head, ¡°Giulia?¡± It was Emiliano¡¯s voice. Giulia felt a rush of relief, ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± she replied and there was a soft laugh in reply. The shadow¡¯s head turned back towards the cradle. She walked through the doorway and felt her foot step into something warm and tacky. She slowly lifted her foot and looked down at the dark puddle on the ground. The viscous liquid stuck to her toes and dribbled down with gravity. ¡°Emil?¡± she asked. The figure did not respond, still focused on rocking the cradle. Giulia reached back and flipped the light switch on the wall behind her but it just clicked quietly. The overhead light remained dark. She took another step, ignoring the squelching sound that came from underneath her bare feet. The dark figure slightly turned its head again and Giulia paused. It turned back to the cradle and Giulia took another step. She reached the cradle and stood next to the dark figure. She still couldn¡¯t make out its features even though she was only a few feet away from it. She looked into the cradle and gasped. A curled up naked fetus covered in blood laid in the middle of the white bedding. Splatters of crimson were flecked across the white sheets and pillow. It was turned to its side and shivering as the shadowy figure continued rocking the cradle. Giulia felt as though she was watching her body from afar as she reached down into the cradle. She touched the sticky skin of the small fetus and it turned to face her. She snatched her hand back and recoiled in horror. Instead of a human face, it had a clock face. Whirring gears filled the space where there should have been a mouth. Numbers stood in the place of eyes. The hands ticked towards midnight and as they reached the top of the clock, the fetus began to wail. Piercing cries came from the clock face and Giulia clapped her hands over her ears and shut her eyes. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked over. The moonlight crossed the figure standing next to her and illuminated the bulging whites of a pair of eyes and oversized teeth. The features didn¡¯t seem to fit, they were impossibly large and stuck out from the shadowed features. The teeth clacked together and a haunting voice came from the lipless jaws, ¡°These aren¡¯t your memories, Giulia.¡± Memories. Trapped in her mind. Giulia staggered backwards as the realization hit her. She stepped back into the warm sticky puddle in the middle of the room and her feet sank through. The wails of the fetus followed her as she fell until the room faded to black. She was back in the hospital but this time she was alone with the two doctors. The piercing wails had become the normal cries of a baby. ¡°It¡¯s a boy!¡± the doctor exclaimed. She looked to her side but Emiliano wasn¡¯t there. He never had been. This was correct. She was alone on the day of Mateo¡¯s birth. ¡°What name would you like on the birth certificate, mama?¡± One of the doctors asked brightly. ¡°Mateo Angelo Giordano,¡± she replied and she knew that was correct. ¡°And the father?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she lied. The doctor frowned and Giulia felt a sense of shame but this was the way Mateo¡¯s birth had happened. She didn¡¯t know why but she knew that she would have to go through her memories the way they happened if she wanted to get back to reality. She was in the proper nursery now. It wasn¡¯t even a nursery, it was a secondhand cradle in her bedroom. She rocked infant Mateo in her arms as she looked out the window to the streets down below. There was a comfort in the business of the city, especially with the knowledge of what would come. She watched people hurry along the sidewalks and watched cars drive through the streets. She heard the clanging of trash cans being emptied, the splash of puddles as tires drove through them, and the slamming of other doors in the building. She had forgotten how loud civil society was. Mateo fussed and Giulia brushed back his wispy hair and cooed at him. She set him down in the cradle as he fell back to sleep. A toddler looked back up at her. Giulia could hear birds chirping and feel the heat of the sun on the back of her neck. There was a checkered blanket beneath her and Mateo was waddling across it with shaky unstable steps. Giulia smiled, she remembered those days spent in the park where Mateo learned to walk and chase ducks. The memory was bittersweet and a sad smile played across her lips as she relived it. There was a buzzing noise as a small black pager vibrated on the picnic blanket. She picked it up and looked at the short message that flashed across the display, Leave. Ignore him. She wasn¡¯t certain who the ¡°him¡± in question was but she left the picnic items where they were, picked up her son, and began walking towards the parking lot. Then she saw him. Emiliano sat at a picnic table in front of the pond with Mateo and a fishing pole. She looked in her arms where she had been carrying Mateo and saw only the picnic blanket hastily folded into a ball. Emiliano turned to her and smiled. That damn smile made her heart skip a beat every time. He waved her over to them but she shook her head and turned away, her eyes burning from the tears. She made it to her car and looked back one last time. It was no longer Emiliano sitting at the table, it was the woman in purple. The woman scowled and shook her head. In the distance, water splashed in the pond as a man frantically tried to keep afloat. Giulia knew it was Emiliano. She took a breath and ducked into her car, slamming the door and collapsing into the seat. She clutched the steering wheel and pressed her forehead against it as she sobbed. HOOONNNNKKKKK Giulia frantically looked up through the windshield and turned the steering wheel hard to avoid the large truck that was coming at her with its horn blaring. She moved the car back into her lane and focused on the road ahead, the route was vaguely familiar. ¡°Are we there yet, mama?¡± Mateo whined in the back seat and Giulia glanced at him in the rearview mirror. He looked to be about seven or eight now and Giulia realized what memory this was. It was the day she moved them to the Vatican. ¡°Almost,¡± she replied. She focused on the road and remembered every event that had led to this moment. She had been struggling to make ends meet in Florence so she had taken a chance and written to a priest at the Vatican. To her surprise, he had written back and offered her a job as a groundskeeper and, in exchange, the Church would provide an education for her son. It was the best decision that she ever made for her and her son. She was at their destination, walking forward through the gates of the Vatican with Mateo¡¯s small hand clasped in her own. The large gates warped and changed into a singular wooden door and now she was walking behind Mateo as he entered the classroom for the first day of seminary. The memories were proceeding faster now and Giulia became hopeful that she would soon return to the present. She found herself standing in the apartment with those light blue walls and the various knick knacks on shelves. She was alone in the living room and she looked at the clock on the wall. It was the early afternoon, Mateo was in school. She picked up the mail that lay on the ground in front of the mail slot on her door and she saw an envelope with looping letters spelling out her name and address. She opened the envelope and slid the folded letter out of it, opening it and reading over its contents, Giulia, My biggest mistake was leaving you. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me and allow me to be the man and the father I should have been then. Yours always, Emiliano His phone number was written underneath his signature. Giulia carried the letter over to the corded phone on the wall and she pulled it off the receiver. She slowly punched in the numbers and held the phone to her ear as it rang. ¡°Hello?¡± Emiliano answered. Giulia¡¯s eyes welled up with tears, ¡°Hi Emil,¡± she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. ¡°Giulia, I¡¯m so sorry. Where are you?¡± he asked. Giulia held the phone away from her face as she softly sobbed. She took a breath and then she noticed the magnetic letters on the fridge that she had since Mateo was young arranged in a single phrase, This isn¡¯t real. She hung up the phone and the scenery around her changed again. She was still in the apartment but this time Mateo was with her. There were plywood boards over the windows. The building shook from the bombardment of the city by the planes overhead. She knew what day this was. It was the last day of the war and the last time they would be in this apartment. ¡°We need to get to the shelter,¡± she said to Mateo. He looked at her with wide eyed fear. She hurried through the apartment, stuffing clothes and canned goods into a suitcase. She reached for a baby picture of Mateo and then the front half of the apartment was blown apart. She heard her screams and Mateo¡¯s and she was thrown headfirst into the hallway where her vision went black. Giulia jolted awake with a sharp inhale. She looked around. Sunlight streamed into the room from above and Giulia saw the beds lined up through the room and the plates from that morning stacked on the end table beside her. She saw the stack of books from the library and she breathed a sigh of relief. She stood up and peeked into the hallway, checking for any sign of the demon priests. She did not see either of them. She slunk down the hall and made it to the library where she saw Mateo seated at one of the tables reading. He looked up and a wide grin split across his face. He threw down the book and ran towards her. ¡°Mama!¡± he exclaimed. She grabbed him and hugged him tightly, ¡°I¡¯m alright, we¡¯re okay,¡± she said. She stroked his hair as he clung to her. Then she saw it. At the far end of the library, between the tall glass windows hung a clock. The numbers rotated along with the visible gears in the middle as the hands approached the top of the hour. Giulia felt her throat tighten. The hands indicated the change in the hour and numbers locked into place as the slow tinkling metallic melody played from the clock. Mateo and the library faded away and Giulia was left standing alone, surrounded by darkness as the melody played. Chapter 3: The Idle Island The waves lapped at the soft sands while wind caressed the leaves of the palm trees that packed the island. Gulls and terns filled the air with a chorus of their cries as the sun sank on the horizon, painting the sky with brilliant hues of gold and orange. The beach was quiet. It had been that way since the war. When it became clear that the Allied forces were not going to be victorious, many fled the island, fearing the possibility that they would never be able to leave it if they did not. However, it was those that stayed in the Bahamas that ended up being the lucky ones. The island remained largely untouched by the war and the aftermath which, in more populated areas, had led to struggles for food and other resources was less pronounced here. Water was the main concern as the desalination machines stopped working once the generators ran out of power but the islanders adapted and used rain barrels and tarps over shallow pools of seawater to catch the condensation. The island provided the rest. Food was plentiful for those who were willing to forage and use the resources around them. And the more communal feeling of the island led to a collaborative approach that left the island in better shape. Unfortunately not everyone survived. An epidemic of an unknown virus swept through the island shortly after the war ended and killed hundreds. Those afflicted with the disease found that their condition worsened rapidly, causing symptoms that ranged from weight loss and severe congestion to boils and organ failure. Chris Adderley and his husband, John, were among the survivors of both the war and the mysterious pandemic. Chris Adderley was an ocean conservationist and his job had brought him to the Bahamas in the mid-2000s. He had met John through a mutual friend and they became pen pals. John was originally from Florida and he flew out to meet Christopher two years after they were introduced by their friend. He and Chris fell in love almost immediately and within another year, John had moved to the Bahamas to be with Chris. Chris proposed the following year and they were married just six months later. Chris was the scientific minded partner and he was the most engaged with world affairs. When the war began, he published a study on the impact of naval warfare on marine life and the ocean ecosystems. It was popular within certain circles but largely ignored by the nations hellbent on destroying one another. John was more humanities focused and more sensitive than his husband. He stopped following the news the day the first bombings took place because it broke his heart to see people suffer and know he could do nothing about it. Chris held him while he cried over reports from the US about the bombardment of major cities and military bases. The world ending was almost too much for John to bear and he fell into a deep depression when the war ended with the world in shambles. Unbeknownst to the pair, John¡¯s depressive episode saved both their lives. Chris, fiercely loyal and ferociously committed to his husband, stayed by John¡¯s side. He paid neighbors to bring them food, refusing to leave John alone for even a second. They remained in isolation as Chris tried to pull John from the dark mood he sank into. If John couldn¡¯t leave the bed, then Chris sat beside him all day. When John felt well enough, they went on walks on the beach together under the moonlight when no one else was out. This isolation kept them from coming in contact with the individuals who were struck by the mysterious plague and they remained healthy. The deaths of so many in their community impacted John just as hard as the war had, if not more. But Chris remained determined and committed to give his husband reason to live. John woke up from a mid-afternoon nap and saw Chris lying on his side, looking at him. His eyes were filled with such a sorrowful loving expression that John nearly cried. ¡°What?¡± he whispered. Chris wrapped his other arm around his husband and pulled him close, kissing his forehead. John snuggled into Chris¡¯ broad chest. ¡°I wrote you a poem,¡± Chris said. John pulled away and looked at him quizzically, ¡°A poem?¡± he asked. Chris nodded and rolled over to grab a piece of paper from the side table. He cleared his throat and John softly smiled, ¡°I call him my sunshine, that fated love of mine. I see him in his sadness and I see him in his joy. He sees the world around us but I see only him. I feel the weight on his shoulders and I aim to lift it off. Today there are clouds but I only see my sunshine.¡± John was silent and he bit his bottom lip as his eyes burned. Chris rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, ¡°I know it¡¯s not very good,¡± he said. ¡°Not like yours.¡± John reached up and placed his hand against Chris¡¯ cheek, ¡°I love you,¡± he said, his voice hushed and thick with emotion. Chris pulled his husband close and leaned in, their foreheads pressing together with their lips just centimeters apart. ¡°I love you more,¡± he replied and he pressed his lips against John¡¯s. John wrapped his arms around Chris as they kissed and for a moment he didn¡¯t feel the weight of his depression, only the gravity of their love. Chris wiped the tears from John¡¯s eyes with his thumb as they parted from their kiss. His sea green eyes stared into John¡¯s rich brown ones, ¡°We should go for a walk on the beach,¡± Chris said. John never knew how to tell his husband no, so he sighed and nodded. ¡°Yay!¡± Chris exclaimed, getting up from the bed. John followed behind him and they made their way down the stairs to the street. Chris grabbed his hand and they walked together down the sidewalk through the quiet town towards the beach. They reached the beach and John felt the warm sand between his toes. He looked out over the sea, watching as the clouds passed over the sinking sun, taking in the view of the golden sky over the deep blue waters. Chris led him to the shoreline and they stood listening to the gulls and feeling the water lap at their feet. John breathed in the salty air and looked at his husband. The wind whipped through Chris¡¯ sandy blonde hair and the sun bathed him in its brilliant glow. Every second with him reminded John why he fell in love with him the first day they met. Chris looked at him and smiled, ¡°Let¡¯s go in the water,¡± he said. ¡°We didn¡¯t bring towels or extra clothes,¡± John replied and Chris rolled his eyes as he pulled off his shirt and threw it on the sand behind them. ¡°We¡¯ll get dry,¡± he said. He pulled off his shorts, leaving on his boxer briefs and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Come on, John.¡± John laughed and pulled off his shirt and shorts as well, tossing them into the pile with Chris¡¯ clothes. Chris swept him up in his arms and carried him into the ocean with him. John laughed as Chris waded into the water and the waves crashed against them, nearly knocking John out of Chris¡¯ arms. Chris held tight and looked at his husband. John grabbed his face with both hands and they kissed again as Chris held John. ¡°It¡¯s like a Hallmark movie,¡± John said sarcastically and Chris laughed before releasing his husband, dropping him straight into the ocean. John fell into the water before jumping back up, completely wet and laughing. He splashed Chris and Chris dove under the waves, grabbing John¡¯s legs and pulling him under with him. The two continued to wrestle and splash each other and John forgot about the heaviness of the world around them. He was on the beach with the man he loved more than anything else and that was all that mattered. John dove under the water again and then jumped out, climbing up on his husband¡¯s back as he tried to pull him back into the water. But Chris was fixated on something in the sky and after a moment, John paused, ¡°Chris?¡± he asked worriedly. ¡°John, what is that?¡± Chris asked, pointing to the sky. John followed the direction that Chris¡¯ finger was pointing and saw something streaking across the sky. ¡°It¡¯s a shooting star,¡± he replied, kissing his husband¡¯s check while still hanging onto his back, ¡°Make a wish.¡± ¡°It looks like it¡¯s getting closer,¡± Chris said. John looked back at it and saw that it was approaching the island quickly and growing larger. It looked like some sort of meteor. ¡°Chris¡­¡± There was a whistling noise now as the meteor grew closer and John slid off of Chris¡¯ back. Chris looked at him and grabbed his hand and they both began to run as fast they could to the shore. The water caused John to trip and as he fell and went under he heard a muffled ¡°boom¡± and felt the water heat up. He popped out of the water and looked around frantically. ¡°CHRIS!¡± he yelled and he felt his husband grab his arm and pull him the rest of the way to the shore. John looked ahead and saw the tops of the palm trees on fire. Dark smoke began to fill the air and Chris was frantically putting on his shirt and shorts. He tossed John¡¯s clothes to him, ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± John asked and Chris shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know, baby, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good,¡± he replied. ¡°I need to make sure everyone is okay.¡± John grabbed his arm, ¡°We need to be okay, Chris.¡± ¡°And we are,¡± Chris replied. John knew that look of determination. There was no convincing Chris to let it go and just come back to the house. John let go of his arm, ¡°I¡¯ll come with you,¡± he said against his better judgment. ¡°Okay,¡± Chris replied. ¡°Stay close.¡± John followed Chris as they made their way up the shore and past the burning trees. They reached the street and they could see the trail of black smoke on the horizon. ¡°Looks like it hit near the Caves,¡± Chris said. John felt a growing sense of unease but he followed his husband as they walked down the road and towards the location of impact. Buildings burned and some of the other inhabitants of the island ran past the Adderleys as they made their way to safety, ¡°Turn back!¡± one woman yelled but Chris waved him off, ¡°We¡¯re ok!¡± he called back and the woman gave him a concerned look but kept running. ¡°Chris¡­¡± John said quietly as they reached the area where the comet had hit. Now there were not only burning buildings but also burning bodies. Charred corpses laid buried in rubble and on the street surrounding the area of impact. A steaming crater blocked the entrance to the caves but there was no remnant of the comet that made it. Stolen story; please report. ¡°We should go,¡± Chris said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He grabbed John¡¯s hand and pulled him back as John stayed frozen, staring at the burning bodies. ¡°John.¡± Chris said but John didn¡¯t reply. Chris grabbed his husband around his midsection and carried him away. John was silent. Once they were a far enough away from the caves, Chris set John down and looked at him, ¡°Baby, talk to me,¡± he said and John shook his head before bursting into tears. Chris hugged him close to his chest and held him as he cried. Clouds of black smoke hung above them, reaching far into the sky. The smell of burning flesh followed them back home. Chris opened the door for John and he quietly walked inside their house. Chris followed him in and locked the door as John fell abc onto their couch, staring blankly at the wall. Chris sat beside him and grabbed his hand. ¡°They¡¯re dead, Chris.¡± John said mournfully. Chris squeezed his hand, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, John.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t supposed to happen here.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± John stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to go to bed.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be up soon,¡± Chris said and John nodded before leaving the living room and heading up the stairs to their bedroom. Chris stared up at the ceiling and sighed, he never should have gone over there, especially not with John. But he still couldn¡¯t help but feel that he had a sense of duty to figure out what had caused that. He shook his head and followed John to bed. He got into the bed and pulled his husband close to him, wrapping him in his arms. He could hear the quiet sobs from John as he held him tightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, baby,¡± he whispered. John pressed closer against him and Chris held him as if he was holding him for the last time. John. John woke up and turned to his other side to face Chris. Chris was softly snoring and John knew that he hadn¡¯t been the one who said his name. John gently removed himself from his husband¡¯s arms and quietly exited the bed, grabbing a shirt and pulling it on before walking down the stairs to the living room. He squinted in the darkness to see if there was anyone there. ¡°Hello?¡± he whispered. There was no reply. John made his way down the stairs and looked around the living room. That was when he noticed the back door was open. He felt his heart sink in his chest and he hurried over to the door and went to shut it. John. He heard the voice again but this time it sounded as if it was coming from outside. Curiosity got the best of him and he stepped outside, sliding on a pair of flip flops and walking out onto the balcony. He looked over the railing and saw a man standing at the edge of the street. He was dressed in strange clothes that were reminiscent of royalty. He even had golden epaulets on each shoulder, their tassels dangled over the long white sleeves of the collared shirt with brass buttons. ¡°Hello, John.¡± the man said. John slowly raised his hand and gave a half wave, still perplexed as to who this man was and why he was outside of his house looking like some royal footsoldier in the middle of the night. ¡°Come down.¡± John shook his head, ¡°Uh, my husband¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be back, come with me, John,¡± the man replied sternly and John felt compelled to do as he instructed. John slowly descended the wooden stairs of the balcony and reached the street where the man was standing. The man nodded approvingly and then did an about face and began marching down the road. John followed him though he knew it was likely a bad idea. ¡°Where are we going?¡± John called to the man but he did not respond, continuing his march down the street. They walked a bit further before John realized where he was being led to. The charred buildings and trees became more frequent as he followed the man. John felt his chest tighten and he began to breathe rapidly and irregularly. He fell to his knees and the man turned around. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± John wheezed, ¡°I can¡¯t go back there.¡± The man walked over and placed a hand on John¡¯s shoulder and instantly John felt his mood shift. His reluctance turned into determination. Suddenly he didn¡¯t fear going towards the Caves, he wanted to go to the Caves like he had never wanted anything more. He stood up and let his feet lead him there. The man now followed him. They reached the crater outside the caves and John noticed the bodies were gone. He waited for the man to escort him further and followed behind as the man crossed the blackened pit and ducked into the stone entrance of the caves. John entered the Caves, ducking to avoid hitting his head on the low ceiling as he followed the man down the stone carved stairs and deeper into the structure. It seemed to stretch further down than John remembered and soon he could see light from torches set up towards the back. The man led him into a cavernous opening and John was now standing in front of two other people. A woman sat on the throne of seashells that had been out in the front of the Caves previously. She wore a long flowing yellow sundress and had dried flowers arranged in the braids of her hair that appeared like a crown. To her right was a man dressed in chainmail armor and holding a golden spear. The woman stood up and came down from the throne. She walked over to John and began looking him over as if inspecting him, ¡°There¡¯s a darkness in you,¡± she remarked and she looked him in his eyes. There was a kindness in her eyes but there was something else too and John couldn¡¯t figure out what it was or why it made him so uneasy. ¡°Um¡­¡± John said and the woman smiled warmly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to speak, John.¡± ¡°How do you know my name?¡± he asked. ¡°I know a lot about you, John. I know where you¡¯re from, how you got here, what you did before the war. I know about that deep sadness you feel that your husband can¡¯t quite take away. And I know how tired you are of disappointing him.¡± She said and John was silent. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be so nice to just rest? To let go of your worries?¡± she asked and she brushed John¡¯s hair from his face with a gentle caress. ¡°Yes,¡± John whispered. ¡°But I don¡¯t know how that¡¯s possible. Not anymore.¡± The woman smiled and she gently placed her hand against John¡¯s forehead, ¡°Look,¡± she instructed. John¡¯s eyes rolled into the back of his head and suddenly he was standing on the beach again. Chris was beside him and he smiled gently back at John. The wind was warm and it blew through his hair. There were other people on the beach and they were laughing and smiling. Kids played in the ocean and threw footballs. The smell of barbeque wafted through the air. Chris took John¡¯s hand and they looked out over the ocean together. It was as if the war had never happened, as if the sickness had never come to the island, and as if he had never seen the burnt bodies. He closed his eyes and took a breath. And he was standing in the cave beside the woman. She gave him a sad smile. ¡°I can give you that again,¡± she said. ¡°I can give you more.¡± She pressed her hand against his forehead again and now John was lying on the most comfortable mattress he had ever felt against his back. Chris was beside him and John rolled over and on top of his husband. CHris laughed and kissed him. ¡°Let¡¯s get up,¡± he said and he pulled John out of the bed. John followed his husband out of the massive bedroom. He noticed the lights were on. There was electricity again. Chris brought him into the bathroom. It was massive with a double vanity and large walk in glass shower. John watched his husband undress, admiring his toned body. Chris threw his boxers at John, ¡°Get naked you perv,¡± he joked. John laughed and took off his clothes. He followed Chris into the shower and felt the hot water cascade down over his body. He hadn¡¯t had a real shower in so long. The water felt luxurious and standing under it with the man he loved more than life itself was everything he could have wanted. Chris embraced him under the water and their lips locked together. ¡°How sweet,¡± the woman remarked and John felt himself blush bright red as he found himself standing back in the cavern. The woman¡¯s dress swept across the floor, giving the appearance of hovering. She circled John one more time before stopping in front of him and folding her arms and resting her chin against her hand with her index finger tapping against her cheek. ¡°Well?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± John replied. The woman¡¯s eyes darkened, ¡°Then I shall show you.¡± The walls of the cave distorted and morphed into towering spires of black rock, their jagged points aiming at a swirling inferno above. Trees with bark like charcoal twisted from the ground and bore deep crimson fruit over petals of ashen gray. Searing heat surrounded John and sulfurous gas hissed from raised cracks in the ground. A towering throne loomed ahead and shadowy figures wielding swords with metal as dark as the twilight stood at attention, lining the path to the throne. John stepped forward as he felt beckoned forth and he passed the ghostly sentries. As he approached the throne, he saw various limbs and bones jutting from its structure. Gnarled hands reached out from the base of the chair and charred skulls leered at him from the arm rests. On the throne sat the woman but she looked more imposing and threatening. Her light yellow sundress was replaced with a crimson ball gown with a dark glittering bodice that appeared to be made of stone. The flower covered braids were replaced with a tall blackened crown that looked to be made of the jagged stalagmites that dotted the landscape around them. She wore dark makeup around her yellow eyes but her lips shone a bright gold. She towered over John and the shadow court, appearing as a giant. ¡°This is the fate of humanity, John¡± her voice boomed, ¡°But it does not have to be your fate.¡± John was back on the beach in the warm sun, lying in a beach chair. He looked to his right and saw Chris and then to his left and saw the woman, dressed in the yellow sundress with a wide brim hat on her head. She raised the cocktail in her hand to him and took a sip from the long pink straw, ¡°See how much nicer things could be?¡± They were back in the cave and John¡¯s heart and mind were racing. Chris would know what to do, but John was here alone. John summoned up his courage and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± The woman smiled and replied, ¡°I am your ticket to a life of luxury, John. Rest and bliss. This island can be your sanctuary.¡± She paused, ¡°Or it can be your grave.¡± John could see the burned corpses of the islanders in the reflection of her pupils. His fingernails bit into the palms of his hands as he clenched them tightly. The woman looked at him expectantly, ¡°What are you offering?¡± John asked and the woman¡¯s smile returned, ¡°As I said, I¡¯m offering a life of ease and luxury. You¡¯ll never have to work for anything again. Those dark moods of yours will be gone. It¡¯ll be almost sinful how good your life will be.¡± John was growing more anxious and frustrated, ¡°Can you stop being so damn cryptic?¡± The exasperation was clear in his voice. The fire from the torches flickered and the cave darkened. The woman approached John, standing so close that John could feel her breath as she exhaled. ¡°You give me what I want,¡± she whispered, ¡°And I give you what you want.¡± ¡°And what is it that you want?¡± John asked. He felt a drop of sweat roll down the back of his neck. ¡°Your soul.¡± John stepped back quickly and bumped into the man with the epaulets. He turned and the man stared down at him silently. John moved to the side, putting distance between himself and the man and woman. ¡°My what?¡± The woman looked bored, ¡°Soul. S-O-U-L.¡± she looked at her fingernails, ¡°You must have put two and two together by now, right? I know your husband is the brains and the brawn, but John you aren¡¯t stupid.¡± She stated, looking back at John with one eyebrow raised. John thought about Chris and how much they had already been through. He thought about how the island had been in a drought for the last two months and they were running out of water. ¡°You¡¯ll protect us?¡± he asked and the woman laughed, ¡°No need, you¡¯re perfectly safe on the island. So long as you don¡¯t leave it, you and Chris will be just fine.¡± she said. She snapped her fingers and the man with the epaulets came to her with a serving tray balanced on his white gloved hand, on it was a bottle of sparkling water and two crystal glasses. The woman grabbed a glass and poured the water into it, handing it to John before pouring another for herself, ¡°I¡¯m good for my word.¡± she said and she raised the glass to John. John swallowed hard and stared into the crystal glass, watching the small bubbles rise to the surface of the liquid inside. The woman waited, still holding her glass aloft as she stared at John. He closed his eyes and took a breath, ¡°Yes,¡± he said as he opened his eyes. The corners of the woman¡¯s mouth turned up in a smile and she tapped the rim of her glass against John¡¯s, ¡°Drink up then,¡± she instructed, taking a sip from her own glass. Her dark lined eyes stared over the edge at John as he brought the glass to his lips. The fizzy liquid tickled his throat as he swallowed and he felt the fizzing sensation carry down his spine. He lowered the glass and looked at his forearm as it was overcome with a burning sensation. He clutched the glass tightly and grimaced from the pain. After a few seconds, the pain stopped and there was a dark tattoo on his skin. He tilted his head as he stared at it and realized that it was a sloth dangling from a tree branch. He held up his forearm, showing it to the woman and she smirked, ¡°The deal is done.¡± she said, bowing her head to him. ¡°Welcome to the Court of Sloth, John Adderley.¡± Chapter 4: A Congressman with a Conscience ¡°We can now project that Congressman Lucas Powell will win reelection in the swing district of Virginia¡¯s Congressional District 7. This seat was one of the top targets of Republicans for Powell¡¯s opposition to Walton¡­¡± Cheers erupted through the room at Lucas¡¯ election night watch party. Lucas grinned and hugged his wife close to him before walking to the front of the room. His campaign manager was beaming as she handed him a microphone. Lucas looked out over the roughly fifty people gathered in the small pub, all of them with huge smiles as they clapped and cheered for him. ¡°Tonight we sent a message, District 7 isn¡¯t for sale!¡± Lucas began and more cheers erupted. This is why I do it, he thought as waited for the applause to quiet. The campaign had been grueling. He had to fight off a primary challenger and then head into the general election against a well funded opponent and an energized Republican Party. But he maintained the same stances and policies that got him elected the first time. He called for peace and he resisted the pressure from Walton Enterprises even as they funded hundreds of thousands of dollars into his opponent¡¯s campaign. He looked up at one of the tv screens. His picture flashed with his share of the vote, 52.8% 176,687 Votes In a district that was often decided by a few hundred votes, he¡¯d won by thousands with a nearly six point margin of victory. He had been outraised and outspent four to one and he won. ¡°It is the honor of my life to serve as your Congressman and tonight I am deeply grateful that you sent me back for 2 more years. These are trying times but that doesn¡¯t mean we give up. That doesn¡¯t mean that we give into the loud minority who call for escalation. I will stand for you, I will stand for peace.¡± There were more cheers and Lucas paused again, he saw his daughter and son in the crowd, smiling up at him. He pointed them out, ¡°Those are my kids, Dennis and Courtney, raise your hands guys.¡± Lucas¡¯ two young children raised their hands and the crowd clapped and cheered, ¡°And my wife, Samantha, who I couldn¡¯t have done this without.¡± There were more cheers, ¡°Every day when I look at my family, I am reminded of what I do this for. I am reminded that, despite the setbacks and the millions of dollars spent against me, despite the media and the smears against those of us who don¡¯t want war, I have a duty to defend our future. I have a duty to go to work and come home and look my kids in the eye and tell them that I did everything I could to make sure that they grow up in better times than I did. I have that duty to them and I owe that duty to the people of Virginia and the people of the United States of America. I intend to do my duty and I thank you for giving me the ability to do so again tonight.¡± Lucas finished and he passed the mic back to his campaign manager. The room erupted into cheers as he ran to his family and squeezed them tightly. The picture of the family hug was the one plastered across the local newspapers the next day announcing his reelection victory. Lucas framed one and hung it up in his office. ¡°When I won my election, I told the people in the room that night that I did this for my family. And that I had a duty to them to call for an end to this war because all of our children deserve a better future.¡± Lucas said as he stood on the floor of the House. ¡°We all owe that duty to our children and our constituents. This war is untenable and we all know it. I know that some of the biggest donors are calling for more war, for more bombs, and more authorizations for military actions but I am pleading with you all to give a ceasefire a chance. There is no dignity in killing children. There is no dignity in killing civilians as they buy groceries or walk their dogs. War has costs, I know. I stand here today not only as a Congressman but as a Veteran. I speak against this war because I know that this can only end in one way. There is no winning, there is only destruction if we continue down this path.¡± There was a smattering of applause and some booing, but Lucas continued, ¡°I ask this Congress to reject this authorization and hold off on passing more funding for the war effort until we can at least discuss a peace agreement with the Iron Alliance and ensure that our children have a future that isn¡¯t defined by bombed out buildings and dead relatives. I am not asking us to surrender, I am asking us to explore another option. I yield the floor.¡± Lucas finished and sat down as one of his colleagues began a floor speech lambasting him for ¡°surrendering¡± to the Iron Alliance and ¡°caving to the demands of the Communists.¡± But when the vote for the authorization of nearly one-billion of spending on military equipment came to the floor, it failed by a vote of 225-210 as 12 republicans joined every democrat in rejecting the bill. Lucas let out an involuntary whoop as he sprang up from his seat with his fist raised in victory. He quickly apologized and sat back down but he grinned so widely his face hurt. He met with the President, the Senate Majority Leader, and the Speaker of the House that evening. It was decided that he would lead an envoy to Belgium to discuss a ceasefire agreement with the Prime Minister of Russia and military generals from China and North Korea. He would be accompanied by the President and the Secretary of Defense as well as the Chair of the House Armed Services Committee and the Senate Majority Leader. ¡°You understand the stakes of this assignment, Congressman Powell?¡± the Speaker asked skeptically. ¡°I will bring the authorization to the floor for another vote should you fail.¡± ¡°I understand, Mr. Speaker.¡± The Speaker was one of the Republicans who had bucked his party and voted against the authorization despite the political risks that came with it. Lucas knew that he would not get a second chance should this meeting fail to produce an agreement. Over the course of the next month, the President made the necessary arrangements and all three of the major nations in the Iron Alliance agreed to the meeting. Not everyone was happy with the upcoming meeting. ¡°What we are witnessing is a betrayal of our values as Americans. Our representatives take an oath to defend and uphold the Constitution but here we are, with the President and the Congress willing to sell out our values to the highest bidder,¡± Brian McCallum ranted in an early morning interview. ¡°Can you believe this guy?¡± Samantha asked as she poured a cup of coffee. Lucas looked at the screen and rolled his eyes, ¡°That guy is a piece of work. He¡¯s only doing all this because he¡¯s mad at me for making him look like an idiot during his hearing.¡± Lucas took a sip of his coffee, ¡°And for launching another investigation into his company for selling weapons to both the US and the Iron Alliance.¡± Samantha shook her head and changed the channel, ¡°I¡¯m proud of you,¡± she said and Lucas smiled, putting down his coffee cup and sliding an arm around her waist. He kissed her cheek, ¡°Couldn¡¯t have done any of this without you. I¡¯m off to DC, I¡¯ll be home late tonight.¡± Samantha kissed her husband and waved him off, ¡°Go save the world, the only Congressman with a conscience I know.¡± she said. He laughed and let her go, fixing his tie as he exited the kitchen. He gave Dennis and Courtney a hug, grabbed his keys, and walked out of the front door. Lucas got in the car and started it, turning to one of the radio stations that broadcast the news. ¡°It¡¯s not about peace. Why are we begging our enemies to kick us? Are we really just going to roll over and take their attacks with no repercussions?¡± Brian McCallum¡¯s voice came through the speakers and Lucas scoffed as he backed out of the driveway, ¡°It¡¯s not a surrender, dumbass.¡± he muttered. ¡°I mean, I think it¡¯s fair to question Congressman Powell¡¯s motives here. He has a vendetta against Walton and our company is doing everything in its power to make sure that the Allied Forces are victorious. Can the Congressman say the same?¡± Lucas rolled his eyes and focused on the road ahead. The man was insufferable but he wasn¡¯t particularly well spoken. His antics played to a shrinking audience and Lucas never felt the need to respond to him. He¡¯d already defeated him by virtue of winning reelection despite everything Walton had thrown at him. ¡°Joining us now is Congressman Reid from Charleston, South Carolina. Congressman Reid was one of the representatives who voted for the spending authorization that failed to pass the House. He¡¯s here to tell us why he believes the authorization should be brought up for another vote before the historic summit in Belgium. Thank you for joining us Congressman.¡± Lucas turned up the radio. Reid was one of his biggest opponents in Congress and the two were diametrically opposed on nearly every issue. It wasn¡¯t surprising that he was on a talk show like this one, but Reid was also the Deputy Whip of the Republican majority so his words carried weight. ¡°Thank you for having me,¡± the Congressman replied in his thick southern drawl, ¡°Here¡¯s the deal. I have great respect for Representative Powell. He has served this country in our military and he works for his constituents, misguided as his politics may be. But the issue is that this summit is a fool¡¯s errand. The Iron Alliance is not going to give us anything of worth to come to a lasting ceasefire. I think we need to pass this authorization and use the Teddy Roosevelt way of diplomacy, ¡®speak softly and carry a big stick,¡¯ and that stick needs to be a bomb. And the threat of more force. Then maybe we can get concessions that will be in an agreement that I can vote for.¡± Lucas bobbed his head side to side as a sort of agreeing and disagreeing. He could see the representative¡¯s point but passing another spending authorization would only inflame tensions. Unfortunately, Reid¡¯s argument could sway some of the 12 who helped defeat the first attempt. Lucas would just have to hope that the Speaker wouldn¡¯t bring it up for a vote within the next two weeks. Lucas¡¯ luck held up and the Speaker kept the authorization off the floor, referring to it as ¡°on hold¡± pending the summit¡¯s outcome. The day finally came for the envoy to depart and Lucas boarded Air Force One with the President, the Senate Majority Leader, the Chair of the Armed Services Committee, and the Secretary of Defense. It was early and the sun had yet to break through the dark of the night. Lucas was escorted onto the tarmac by the Secret Service after a security screening where the President was waiting with the Secretary. ¡°Good morning, Mr. President,¡± Lucas greeted the President with a salute which the President returned. ¡°Good morning, Representative Powell. Ever been on Air Force One before?¡± he asked. ¡°Can¡¯t say that I have, sir,¡± Lucas replied. ¡°Well you¡¯re in for a treat. Here comes our last two,¡± the President said. Lucas turned to see the Chairman and Senate Majority Leader walking briskly toward them. ¡°Good morning gentleman,¡± the President said, ¡°Shall we depart?¡± The men agreed and the President led the way onto the plane. They entered and Lucas looked around in awe as they walked through the massive plane towards the President¡¯s office. The President gestured towards the couches for them to sit and the three men sat down as the President took a seat behind the desk that looked like a slightly smaller version of the Resolute desk in the Oval Office. ¡°Representative Powell, what¡¯s the plan for the summit?¡± the President asked. ¡°First I think we make it clear that the US will make no concessions without concessions from the Iron Alliance. We move for a ceasefire agreement with the understanding that each side will immediately cease aggressions and withdraw from airspace and waters that belong to either alliance. This is not the end to the war but a pause in fighting so we can determine a more permanent solution with all members of the Allied Forces,¡± Lucas said. ¡°I can agree with that. Gentlemen?¡± The President looked at the other men in the room. ¡°I have no issue with that, but I need to bring tangible concessions from the Iron Alliance to my party if we are to pass any agreement,¡± the Chairman of the Armed Services Committee responded. ¡°I take it that withdrawal and ceasing of bombings on us and our allies is not enough?¡± Lucas asked and the Chairman shook his head, ¡°No, not for representatives like Reid.¡± ¡°Then I am open to suggestions,¡± Lucas said. The five men discussed and hashed out a plan for an acceptable agreement that they believed could pass both the House and the Senate. By the time the plane landed in Antwerp, they were convinced that if they could get the other nations to agree, the war would soon be coming to an end. They were escorted to the hotel where they would be staying that night and the group convened one last time for dinner. ¡°Powell, I think you should take the lead on the negotiations.¡± the President said and the others agreed, ¡°I appreciate that sir, but I¡¯m just a House Representative. I think it would be more appropriate for yourself or another one of you to lead the discussion.¡± Lucas responded. ¡°No, the President is right,¡± the Chairman said and Lucas looked at him in surprise, ¡°Don¡¯t look so shocked, Representative. You and I may not agree on much but you have a knack for this and your heart is in the right place. We¡¯ll provide support but I think that your approach is going to be what wins over these other nations. Especially after your floor speech.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± the Senate Majority Leader added. ¡°I appreciate your confidence, gentlemen. Let¡¯s bring back good news,¡± Lucas said and he raised his glass of wine for a toast, ¡°To a better future.¡± ¡°To a better future,¡± the men responded in unison and they tapped their glasses together before taking a drink. The next morning Lucas walked behind the President as they entered the room where the summit was to be held. Press lined the walls with their cameras aimed directly at the table where the political leaders would be discussing. The entire process would be televised, raising the stakes for all involved. One wrong statement and the entire deal could tank. The tie around Lucas¡¯ neck suddenly felt too tight and he nervously pulled on it. The Russian Prime Minister entered along with two military generals and they greeted the Americans with firm handshakes and cold stares. They stood behind their seats and awaited the arrival of the representatives from China and North Korea. The two nations¡¯ envoys arrived in short order and greeted the other parties similarly to the Russians though they were noticeably warmer with the representatives from their allied nations than they were with Lucas and the others in the US envoy. Everyone took their seats and the meeting began. The Russian Prime Minister spoke first, ¡°Our country is agreeable to this ceasefire only under the condition that trade sanctions be lifted. The embargo on our shipments is causing great economic duress,¡± he said. Lucas looked to the Chairman of the Armed Services Committee who shook his head, ¡°Prime Minister, with all due respect, we cannot promise anything more than the withdrawal of our forces at this time. But that does include the release of the naval blockade in the Black Sea,¡± he countered. The Prime Minister was silent, ¡°You will disband the blockade?¡± he asked after a moment, looking directly at the President. ¡°If that is what this ceasefire requires, then yes. I will disband the blockade. But I expect the same from you, Mr. Prime Minister.¡± the President replied. ¡°We have no blockade for the US.¡± the Prime Minister retorted. ¡°No, Mr. Prime Minister, you do not. But there is a blockade outside of our ally, Japan¡¯s territory by both your fleet and the Chinese Navy that will need to be mutually disbanded if we are to disband our blockade from the Black Sea. I think that to be fair, don¡¯t you?¡± Lucas asked. ¡°I am agreeable to that.¡± the Prime Minister answered. ¡°I am not,¡± the Chinese President chimed in, ¡°We are not going to release that blockade when the US has been funneling troops and weapons through Japan and threatening North Korea and ourselves. Yesterday there were four military exercises in Kamakura alone.¡± ¡°I understand your frustrations but I would like to reiterate that this ceasefire agreement as it stands would lead to a pause in those exercises and in the movement of American soldiers into the nation of Japan,¡± Lucas said calmly. ¡°How are we supposed to trust that your allies will not simply continue the war while the US convinces us to stand down?¡± one of the Russian military generals asked. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°The Allied Forces have entrusted us with this ceasefire negotiation and will follow through on the terms of whatever agreement we come to,¡± the President assured him. ¡°Americans have a funny way of promising one thing and then secretly doing another,¡± the Prime Minister remarked and the President sucked his teeth, ¡°That is very rich coming from the former Soviet Union,¡± he replied coldly. ¡°Gentlemen, please!¡± Lucas interjected, standing up from his chair and drawing the attention of the others, ¡°We are here because continuing this war is mutually assured destruction. This war has led to mass casualties and no clear resolution. We stand at the precipice of nuclear annihilation and nuclear missiles have already been used on both our territory and your own. The people of Maui will likely never recover from the IBM that was launched into their island and I know that the people of North Korea feel the same about the way in which we responded. We have made mistakes in this war, I know that. But can anyone at this table say that they are truly proud of where this war has led?¡± He paused. No one answered. ¡°We all know there¡¯s only one way this ends if this agreement doesn¡¯t go through. We owe the people that we serve more than that. We can¡¯t allow our tempers and our long grudges to get the best of us. Let us approach this meeting with empathy and assuming the best intentions. When we give our word, we intend to honor it and I hope that we can expect the same from you. It wasn¡¯t too long ago that we were all trade partners and allies. We have ancestors who defeated the Nazis together, I guarantee it. We have been on opposing sides and we have been on the same side in conflicts. I ask that we bring the spirit of our countries and the willingness to preserve them to these negotiations. Please.¡± he finished and there was silence except for the clicking of cameras as the press photographed Lucas. ¡°There is sincerity in your words, Representative. Fine, let us discuss,¡± the Russian Prime Minister said after a long pause. Lucas sat down, ¡°Let¡¯s get started then.¡± The group discussed for hours as cameras filmed them. Lucas acted as a facilitator and mediator, guiding the discussion along and working them through roadblocks. He pushed for concessions and agreements and disarmed arguments. Late into the night, they came to a final agreement. The US would end its blockades in the Black Sea and the Port of Shanghai while Russia and China would end their blockade on Japan and allow supplies to be delivered to Taiwan for the duration of the ceasefire. The Allied Forces would cease military exercises outside of the Iron Alliance and the Iron Alliance would do the same. Each nation would stop moving their soldiers through their allies and withdraw from the borders of opposing nations. The ceasefire agreement would need to be ratified by each nation before going into full effect but the Iron Alliance and Allied Forces agreed to temporarily enact its provisions while their respective governments worked to ratify the agreement. It would immediately go into effect for the next 30 days and only ratification would extend it. Lucas had reservations over that provision but he agreed when it became clear there would be no agreement otherwise and it allowed the US government to claim a level of ownership over it. Lucas hoped that it would be enough to satisfy the Republicans. The flight back to DC was one of triumph. Every one of the men believed that they had come to the best possible agreement and there was a general feeling that it would easily pass through the House and Senate and reach the President by the end of the month. ¡°I suspect it¡¯ll be Senator Powell soon,¡± the Majority Leader remarked and Lucas laughed, shaking his head. ¡°No, it¡¯ll be President Powell next,¡± the President remarked. ¡°If only he was a Republican,¡± the Chairman added and they all laughed. The group drank champagne and arrived in DC slightly inebriated and filled with euphoria. That feeling was short-lived. The next morning Lucas turned on the tv and the running headline was Powell Surrenders Power: Ceasefire Agreement a ¡®Historic Mistake¡¯ featuring none other than Brian McCallum. Lucas pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. He took out his cell phone and called his comms director, ¡°Can you get me on one of these networks please?¡± he asked. ¡°On it,¡± his comms director responded and hung up. Within five minutes, Lucas received a text, ¡°Tonight, Crossfire. You and McCallum with the hosts.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Lucas text back. He sighed as he got ready for work. He kissed his wife, hugged his kids, and headed to DC. By the evening, Lucas arrived at the DC studio for the network he would be appearing on with Brian McCallum and a few rightwing hosts. It was a hostile environment but Lucas knew it reached an audience that he needed to win over. It was the most popular network among Republican voters and if he could get their support, he could win over the majority party and ensure that the ceasefire agreement was ratified. ¡°Congressman Powell,¡± a voice said and Lucas turned to see Brian McCallum standing in front of him. ¡°Mr. McCallum.¡± he replied flatly. He extended his hand but Brian just narrowed his eyes, ¡°See you at the table,¡± he said. Lucas dropped his hand and went over to talk to one of the producers. He was soon mic''d and seated at the table on the opposite side of McCallum. The hosts greeted him and made small talk until the cameras started rolling, ¡°Good evening America. Welcome to Crossfire, where current events are debated with representation across the political spectrum. Tonight we have Walton Enterprises CEO Brian McCallum and Virginia Congressman Lucas Powell joining us to discuss the ceasefire agreement that came from this week¡¯s historic summit at Belgium. Mr. McCallum, Representative Powell, thank you for joining us,¡± one of the hosts, a blonde woman wearing a red dress with an American flag pinned on it, introduced the two. ¡°Thank you for having me,¡± Lucas responded. ¡°Always happy to be here,¡± Brian said. ¡°Representative Powell, let¡¯s start with you. You led the charge against the last authorization which failed in the House and you worked as the lead negotiator in the ceasefire agreement. Critics have called this agreement a surrender, but you have referred to it as necessary progress. What do you have to say to people like Mr. McCallum here, who believe the US should give no concessions in this war?¡± the female host asked. Lucas straightened up in his chair and looked directly into the camera, ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked that, thank you. The US is not giving concessions, but we are not continuing to escalate this war. The ceasefire gives us time to pause the fighting and have real discussions about what an end to this war looks like. It is not sustainable nor is it justifiable for us to bomb innocent civilians or fund attacks by our allies that cause mass casualties of people who aren¡¯t fighting in this war. The Chairman of the Armed Services¡­¡± ¡°There are consequences in war and every war will have civilian casualties. We¡¯ve suffered from them. I am sure the people of Maui would love to hear why you are focused on ending the bombing of the citizens of the Iron Alliance when the island has been decimated by their actions.¡± Brian interrupted. Lucas took a breath and looked to him, ¡°The actions taken by North Korea that led to the mass casualty event in Hawaii are unconscionable, but we can only expect more of those incidents if we continue at the pace we are now. We need¡­¡± ¡°See? This is why people are fed up with Washington elites. Because they give canned non-answers and make excuses for our enemies. Powell, you went into that negotiation and traded away the United States¡¯ sovereignty and dignity. The people of Hawaii and the people of America are ashamed.¡± Brian egged on the Congressman but he kept his composure. ¡°I understand, Mr. McCallum, that you have a vested interest in maintaining this war with your company, Walton Enterprises, making record profits from munitions sales. But those same bombs will soon be dropping on us, especially considering how your company sells them to the Iron Alliance.¡± Lucas responded coolly. ¡°That has not been proven,¡± Brian retorted. ¡°Representative Powell, I think there are people who are rightfully concerned. I mean, what does it say to the rest of the world when they watch our troops and ships withdraw from the nations of Russia, China, and North Korea after they have done so much damage to us? What does that say to the widow of a soldier who died fighting for the Allied forces? Other countries are going to look at this deal and see us as pushovers,¡± one of the other hosts, a man in a black suit who also had an American flag pinned to his lapel, inserted his opinion. ¡°Except that is not what this ceasefire does and the way it is written is to allow just a pause. Then we can have a real discussion about reparations for the damage done to our nation. This is why the Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, a member of the Republican Party, is in support of the ratification,¡± Lucas said. ¡°Twelve republicans betrayed our nation, including the Speaker, but the vast majority of our party made sure to do the right thing by the soldiers who have fallen in this war.¡± Brian responded. He turned directly to the camera, ¡°Understand that the American people are watching and Walton Enterprises will always support candidates who uphold the nation¡¯s ideals. I am urging congress to vote no on this surrender to the Iron Alliance.¡± ¡°Brian, it is not a surrender,¡± Lucas said. He was beginning to realize that coming on the show was a mistake. ¡°But if it¡¯s not a surrender, then why are we only asking them to remove blockades and stop military exercises. There¡¯s no repercussions for the Iron Alliance in this agreement.¡± the woman host said. ¡°Again, that¡¯s because¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s because the Congressman has forgotten the ideals of America and he went into this negotiation with only one agenda, his own. Not the agenda of the American people, not the agenda of those we are still mourning in Maui, not the agenda of those of us sitting around this table, but his own political agenda,¡± Brian cut off Lucas. Before Lucas could respond, the hosts cut to their next segment and Lucas knew he wouldn¡¯t get a chance to respond. He thanked the hosts for their time, removed his mic and headed home dejectedly. The rightwing media was brutal. Headlines calling Lucas the ¡°Communist Congressman¡± flooded their website¡¯s front pages, another one quoted survivors in Maui chastising the deal with the headline ¡°Mourning in Maui,¡± and others slammed Lucas with plays on Brian¡¯s ¡°political agenda¡± comment. His staff fielded calls from angry republicans across the nation and Lucas had to petition the Speaker for increased security as death threats began rolling in. Even corporate media opinions seemed to cool on Lucas and an opinion poll was released showing only 38% of Americans approved of the agreement while 47% disapproved and the remainder didn¡¯t know enough to have an opinion. Lucas continued to make appearances on networks and push for the agreement, but Walton Enterprises took it a step further and soon lobbyists flooded the halls of the House of Representatives, pleading with the Republicans to reject the agreement. Finally, the Speaker brought the agreement to a vote for ratification. There were only 15 days left until the agreement expired and Lucas knew if it failed to pass in the House on its first vote, there was no chance of it going into effect. He took the floor and gave an impassioned floor speech, calling for reason and a pause to the fighting to allow for discussion over ending the war and getting justice for those who had perished in the conflict. Lucas listened to the roll call of the vote as each representative was called. ¡°Daniel Reid, South Carolina?¡± ¡°Nay.¡± Lucas knew that one was coming but he had hoped that Reid could be won over. He looked down at the tally on his sheet. 195 in favor, 175 opposed. It was going to be a close vote. ¡°William Stevens, Illinois?¡± This was the Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, a pivotal vote. If he voted no, the agreement was dead. But if he voted yes, other Republicans might follow suit. There was silence. ¡°William Stevens, Illinois.¡± the House Parliamentarian called again. ¡°Nay.¡± Lucas felt his heart drop, it was over. The final votes rolled in and the Parliamentarian called out the final tally, ¡°With a vote of 209 in favor and 221 opposed, the agreement fails.¡± Cheers went up from the Republicans as Lucas felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He walked over to Chairman Stevens and looked at him. The Chairman frowned, ¡°It¡¯s just politics, Powell, nothing personal,¡± he said. Lucas shook his head and went down to the well. ¡°Mr. Speaker,¡± he said into the mic. The room fell silent and the Speaker looked at Lucas quizzically, ¡°The floor recognizes the gentleman from Virginia,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today will live as a day in infamy. We have rejected our last chance to end this war in favor of lobbyists and political pressure. I know that in this chamber are good people, men and women who care deeply about this country and who come into these hallowed halls to work towards a better future. But this vote does not reflect those noble goals. History will not be kind to us for failing to preserve our union like we did today. When there remains no nation to govern, we will realize the error of our ways. It has been my honor to serve but I can no longer stand in this body proudly. Today I am resigning from Congress, effective immediately. May God bless the United States and may God have mercy on our souls. I yield.¡± Lucas said with a deep heaviness in his voice. He walked out of the chambers as it burst into an uproar with some representatives jeering, others clapping, and others yelling down to him to try and get him to reconsider. He ignored all of it as he went to his office and grabbed the photos of his family from the walls, sighing as he grabbed the framed newspaper page from his election night victory. He walked out of the Congress feeling utterly defeated. Samantha greeted him with a hug when he got home, squeezing her husband tightly. ¡°You did the right thing,¡± she said before repeating a catechism he¡¯d heard before, ¡°Grant me the patience to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.¡± ¡°Pretty sure it¡¯s ¡®serenity¡¯ rather than patience.¡± Lucas mumbled, still holding onto his wife. She pushed him back gently, ¡°Same difference,¡± she replied. Within two weeks, as the temporary ceasefire agreement expired, the nation fell back into war. Lucas¡¯ floor speech proved to be prescient as bombs began to rain down on US cities as the Iron Alliance attacked with a renewed aggressiveness. Nightly news showed images of bombed out buildings and hospitals as the numbers of casualties piled higher and higher. Public opinion of the war fell to record lows but still the Congress passed more authorizations to increase war time spending. And then the unthinkable happened. Lucas was watching the live streamed vote of yet another war powers bill when the feed went black. He typed ¡°Congress vote¡± in the browser of his phone¡¯s search engine and his feed was flooded with links that had the heading Congress Bombed during War Powers Vote, Story Developing. Lucas clicked on one of the links which contained a live feed from DC, somewhere outside of Pennsylvania Avenue. It was focused on the dark clouds of smoke and the wailing sirens from the fire trucks that rushed towards the House of Representatives. Lucas watched in horror. He called one of his former colleagues from his cell. The line rang and then went to voicemail. He called the number again, same outcome. He called another Congressperson and got the same results. Then his phone started ringing, it was Samantha, ¡°Hey,¡± he answered, ¡°Did you see?¡± she asked, her voice thick with emotion. ¡°Yea,¡± he replied quietly. ¡°Lucas, it¡¯s awful. They don¡¯t think there¡¯s any survivors.¡± Lucas felt sick to his stomach. The people in that building had been his coworkers and his friends. For nearly seven years, he had seen them almost as often as his family. And now it was possible that every single one of them was dead. ¡°Are you on your way home?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, I just picked up the kids, we¡¯re on the way.¡± Samantha replied. ¡°Be careful,¡± Lucas said. ¡°I will, I love you.¡± ¡°Love you too,¡± Lucas replied and Samantha hung up. Lucas felt a pit in his stomach as he processed the news of the congressional bombings but he knew he couldn¡¯t wallow in pity. He needed to get everything together for the family to get to a bomb shelter. As a former Congressman, his credentials would allow him to get them into one of the FEMA shelters in the Northern Virginia area. He grabbed a suitcase and started packing the kids¡¯ clothes into it first then clothes for his wife and then himself. He filled a second suitcase with sheets, toiletries, batteries, and phone chargers and left the fully packed suitcases by the door. He could hear tornado sirens wailing outside, likely being used as air raid sirens. He checked his phone for the time and tried to estimate how much longer it would be until his wife arrived home with the kids. He heard her pulling into the driveway and he grabbed the suitcases and ran outside. ¡°Open the trunk!¡± he called to Samantha as she rolled down the window. The trunk on the SUV opened and Lucas threw the suitcases in before going back inside and grabbing a case of bottled water and putting it in the car as well. He shut the trunk and got into the passenger seat. He gave Samantha a kiss and looked back at the kids, ¡°Hey guys, we¡¯re going on a little trip,¡± he said. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Dennis asked. Lucas smiled, ¡°A camp. We¡¯re going to have a sleepover with some other people.¡± he replied and Dennis smiled before looking back down at the tablet in his hands. ¡°Can I bring my stuffie?¡± Courtney asked. Lucas looked over to his daughter in her car seat, ¡°Do you have it with you?¡± he asked and she shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s inside,¡± she said. Lucas sighed and nodded, ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll go get it,¡± he said and he opened the door and got out of the car. Lucas walked back into the house and went to Courtney¡¯s bedroom, searching for her small pink stuffed elephant that she called ¡°stuffie.¡± He saw it peeking out from underneath her comforter and he grabbed it, turning around to leave the room. And then the bomb fell. Lucas¡¯ ears rang as he pushed through the piles of debris that now covered him. He could smell fire. His vision was blurry and he moved in a haze, getting stuck as his foot sank through what was his daughter¡¯s bedroom door. He stumbled through the smoke filled house as the fire alarms mixed with the blaring tornado sirens and the roar of the fire consuming his home. He pushed through the smoke and stepped out of the gaping hole that was once the front of his house. His heart sank as he saw the empty driveway. Some feet back was the car. The front of it had been completely mangled and twisted bits of metal jutted out of the frame. It had been blown backwards and was now upside down with the tires pointing up at the sky. The car was collapsing inward, surrounded by a sea of broken glass due to the warped metal caused by the blast. Lucas ran towards the car that his family was in and got onto his stomach to try and see if he could pull them out, ignoring the glass shards lodging into his skin. He saw Courtney first. Her small body dangled over the roof of the car, suspended by the buckles of her carseat. Her head lolled to the side and her eyes stared blankly ahead as a thin stream of blood trickled from her nose. Lucas felt a deep sob well up from within his chest and he looked down to the ground, unable to stand the sight of Courtney¡¯s lifeless body. Then he saw Dennis. Dennis was laying on the roof of the car, splayed out across the metal that was pressed into the road. His neck was bent at an odd angle and his blond hair was covered with glass and ash. Lucas reached for his son and felt the side of his neck, struggling to push the front half of his body through the bent window frame of the SUV. There was no pulse. Lucas felt as though he had been sucker punched. He laid his head down on the ground and cried, ignoring the pain as the glass shards sunk deeper into his skin, drawing blood. He turned his head and looked to the driver¡¯s seat where Samantha had been sitting. He immediately recoiled from the sight that greeted him, scrambling backwards out of the car. The bomb had landed close to the front of the car and Samantha had bore the brunt of the explosion. There was no skin on her face or arms anymore and the sinewy muscle underneath was exposed. Her bloodshot eyes bulged over a gaping hole where her nose had been and a ghastly grimace was on her face with her teeth fully exposed. Lucas jolted awake in a cold sweat as that image appeared in his nightmares. It had been almost two years since then and he dreamed of them every night. Lucas couldn¡¯t remember what happened after that but he ended up at the FEMA camp somehow. Maybe he had been dropped off there, he could never be sure. When chaos broke out when the power and all telecommunications went down, he left the camp and started living on the streets, staying in the bombed out shells of houses on some nights, sleeping in the forest or mountain caves on others. He needed answers and he went to the only place he could think to find them, Washington DC. It took him a number of days to walk to his former place of employment and he arrived exhausted and on the verge of dehydration. Immediately he noticed the strangely pristine nature of the White House. The rest of the city maintained its decrepit and dead look with shells of buildings and crumbling infrastructure hanging over rusted out vehicles. But the White House looked the same as it had before the bombings of the city. Lucas began to walk towards it. He snuck across the lawn, avoiding windows and doors and crept along the side of the building to try and see if he could find any clues. He was thrown backwards by a blazing fireball crashing into the front of the White House. Lucas braced himself as he felt the searing heat for just a second. He realized that, despite his proximity to the explosion, he remained unharmed. An odd vibrating sensation spread down his spine. He ducked behind one of the bushes out front and listened as more explosions rocked the building. He slowly started to head towards the entrance when there was a flash of radiant white light. He shielded his eyes and felt the skin of his arm begin to burn as he retreated backwards. When the light stopped, the White House reformed itself. Lucas looked at the burn on his arm and grimaced. He crept up along the side of the walls and carefully peered over the ledge of the window. Inside of the Oval Office, he saw two men. One in a deep red suit and the other in a navy blue suit. The man in blue was sitting behind the Resolute Desk and the man in red was on one of the couches. He couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying. He watched as the one in blue got up and a ball of light materialized in his hands. Lucas stared at them with his eyes narrowed, scrutinizing the two strange men. They started to appear as if he was viewing them through water. The edges of their skin seemed to waver and the one in blue seemed as if he was glowing. Something at the back of Lucas¡¯ mind told him to look away. There was another burst of bright white light from within the Oval Office and a deep guttural intonation began resonating from the room. Lucas sprinted down the lawn and towards the road as his hair stood on end. He looked back to the White House and he swore that he could see the man in blue standing at the window and staring back at him for just a brief second. The windows went dark and Lucas could no longer see inside. Now he was standing alone in the street with the strange buzzing at the back of his skull and his mind filled with questions. Chapter 5: Wheeling and Dealing The brakes on the forest green mustang squealed as the car skidded to a halt. ¡°Now that is driving,¡± the Prince of Greed said with a gleeful smirk on his face. Corrine laughed and pulled the keys from the ignition and the pair stepped out of the car. Corrine surveyed the landscape, ¡°Damn, I thought Manhattan was hit hard,¡± she remarked as she looked around, seeing the collapsing skyscrapers, craters in the road, and the charred metal frames of cars. The city looked as if it had been ripped straight out of some movie about the apocalypse. Rusty metal jutted out of gaping holes on once proud buildings. It looked like a war zone. ¡°Chicago can thank Walton Enterprises for that one. Turns out the city that headquartered the company that sold the bombs to both sides wasn¡¯t popular,¡± Greed said. Corrine looked at the Prince quizzically, ¡°Both sides?¡± she asked. ¡°Money is a hell of a motivator,¡± Greed replied dismissively. ¡°Did you make a deal with the person who runs Walton?¡± Greed paused and looked at Corrine with a faint smirk. He pulled a pair of gold rimmed sunglasses from the breast pocket of his blazer and slid them on. ¡°Not at that time, no,¡± he answered, ¡°Now let¡¯s take a look around, we¡¯re here on business.¡± He said and he started to walk into the entryway of one of the buildings they had stopped near. Corrine followed, stepping over the shards of glass and twisted metal where the doors once stood. She looked around at what was once the lobby of the building. It reminded her of the day she met the Prince of Greed, the day that started it all in the Wall Street building. Small shoots of grass pushed up from the cracks in the tiled floor and the sunlight streamed in through the holes in the wall and upper levels. There was an eerie peacefulness to it. ¡°Corrine, take my arm, we¡¯re going up,¡± Greed instructed. Corrine made her way to the Prince and linked her arm with his. They were now standing on the top floor of the building. At least, what was now the top floor of the building. The dilapidated sign that hung by one nail in the sheetrock next to the elevator indicated there used to be about ten more floors above this one. Only the sky loomed above them now. Greed looked out over the cityscape beneath them, surveying it. Corrine looked around too. She knew the Prince was trying to determine where a mortal would be hiding in the city. She looked for anything that might look like a grocery store or have access to water. With the current state of the city and the density of the buildings obscuring their sight, Corrine could see no helpful indicators as to where this mysterious person may reside. ¡°Ah, come on Corrine,¡± Greed said suddenly and he grabbed Corrine¡¯s shoulder. Before she could even turn to look at him, they were standing in a mall. In the middle of the floor rose a large glass elevator with the cabin bursting through the glass shaft and lying on its side. The mall was dim at the base level as the sunlight coming through the hole in the roof was blocked by the upper levels. The building was still relatively intact or at least more so than the rest of the city had been so far. ¡°You think they¡¯re in a mall?¡± Corrine asked skeptically, ¡°One that sits on a freshwater lake and may have some leftover food? Yes.¡± Greed replied. He looked around the mall, ¡°Dark isn¡¯t it?¡± he asked. He snapped his fingers and the mall lit up with the blinding white of the fluorescent lights that hung overhead. ¡°Very discrete,¡± Corrine said dryly but a small part of her was in awe. Seeing the mall bathed in artificial light was both familiar and breathtaking. It was a glimpse into the past. Andrea flinched as the lights above turned on. She blinked a few times in the new brightness that filled the Water Tower Place mall as her eyes adjusted. ¡°What the hell?¡± she muttered. She walked out through the storefront, hunched down to avoid detection by anyone who might be in the mall. She paused and listened. She could hear the echoes of voices from the floors below her. She shuffled to the railing and peeked down. She could hear people but she didn¡¯t see them. She ducked back into the abandoned store she had called her home for the past few months and stuffed her belongings into a backpack she had taken from another one of the stores. It wasn¡¯t the first time she had to change her location and she knew it wouldn¡¯t be the last. ¡°Malls are so neat, aren¡¯t they?¡± Greed asked as he and Corrine walked along the base floor, looking into the long abandoned stores. Various pieces of clothing and store furniture were strewn around the abandoned mall. Anything of value was long gone, even some of the metal clothing racks were missing, likely scrapped or repurposed by those who remained. ¡°So you like cars and malls? Are you just the salesman of Hell?¡± Corrine joked. Greed smiled, ¡°Very witty. But not quite. I just find it fascinating how much greed drives innovation. Humans want money so badly, they¡¯ll dedicate entire buildings to selling objects and they¡¯ll constantly make little changes and innovations, compete with one another, and drive others out of business. And in the end, it means nothing. All that material wealth doesn¡¯t come with you. You leave behind a legacy, sure, but what happens when the society you made your legacy in no longer exists?¡± Conversations with Greed continued to make Corrine borderline nihilistic. She missed when she thought about the condition of humanity less. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it was purposeful, if the Prince continually asserted that human¡¯s actions didn¡¯t matter in the grand scheme of things then Corrine¡¯s actions now didn¡¯t either. There was comfort in that idea. ¡°Now if I were a survivor of the war to end all wars and the unfolding apocalypse hiding in a rather large mall in a very large city, where would I be?¡± Greed wondered aloud. Corrine rolled her eyes, ¡°If she didn¡¯t come out when the lights came on, I doubt she¡¯s going to make it easy to find her. And she can probably hear us.¡± Greed looked at Corrine with a half smile and arched eyebrow, ¡°Do you think I haven¡¯t known exactly where she is since we entered the building? If she¡¯s a Virtue, her abilities haven¡¯t manifested yet.¡± He looked up and made eye contact with the woman peering over the railing of one of the floors. Andrea¡¯s heart leapt into her throat as she looked directly into the eyes of the man on the bottom floor. She scrambled back away from the edge and ran towards the stairs, pushing open the door and running down towards the exit. She had heard the man and the woman with him talking about finding someone and she was willing to bet that they were talking about her. She didn¡¯t know why but she had made plenty of enemies during her time in Chicago. Maybe they figured now was the time to settle their scores. Andrea wasn¡¯t going to stay around and find out. She jumped over the railing and landed on more steps down below. She kept running until she reached the exit door and burst outside to the front of the mall. A dark green Ford Mustang caught her eye, ¡°Damn,¡± she said under her breath, astonished. She looked around and then walked over to the driver¡¯s side door. She pulled on the handle and found it unlocked. She slid inside onto the well maintained leather seats and shut the door, pulling off the cover underneath the steering wheel and exposing the wires. She grabbed one of the wires and twisted it, waiting to hear the engine turn over. It failed to start. She cursed under her breath and looked around the car. In the center console was a set of keys. She looked at them skeptically before grabbing them and starting the car. ¡°Damn they¡¯re dumb,¡± she remarked as she pressed the gas pedal to the floor and sped off from the mall, burning tire tracks into the ground. Corrine heard the engine of the Mustang rev up and then the squeal of tires as the car drove off from within the mall. She looked to Greed, ¡°She took the car.¡± Greed smiled deviously and replied, ¡°I know, I left a set of keys in there.¡± ¡°Why would you do that?¡± Corrine asked and then she thought about it, ¡°oh.¡± ¡°Exactly, now we don¡¯t need to chase her. You remember what the interior of the car looks like right?¡± he asked. Corrine closed her eyes and visualized it. Andrea swerved around a broken down car on the road as she headed towards the interstate. She looked in the rearview mirror and saw a woman staring back at her, ¡°FUCK!¡± she yelled, slamming on the brakes. Corrine¡¯s head slammed into the back of the driver¡¯s seat as the woman driving hit the brakes causing the car to go from 160 miles per hour to zero. Her vision swam and she groaned as she held her head in her hands. Dealing with that level of whiplash was going to be a bitch. She looked up and shook her head, wincing as she did so. The woman who had been driving had already taken off running with the driver¡¯s side door wide open. Corrine massaged her temples and sighed, ¡°Why is nothing ever easy?¡± she wondered aloud. She slid into the front of the car and turned the engine back on. She slammed the door shut and grabbed the steering wheel, looking straight ahead at the woman as she put the car in gear. ¡°Look at you little killer, we do need her alive though,¡± Greed said, appearing in the passenger seat. ¡°I¡¯m not going to run her over, hopefully she¡¯ll go into a building and we can follow her there. I¡¯m not running around Chicago,¡± Corrine replied, pressing the gas. Andrea heard the car behind her rev. She turned her head to see the car start coming towards her. ¡°These motherfuckers are crazy,¡± she said to herself as she pushed her body to run faster than she ever had before. Her lungs screamed for air and each footfall against the concrete felt like a jackhammer to her spine. She could hear the car approaching and she took a sharp turn down an alleyway, hearing the tire¡¯s shriek as the driver tried to make the turn. She chanced a glance behind her and saw the car turning to come down the alley. She pulled open a door to a club that backed up to the alleyway and ducked in. The car sped by and she breathed a sigh of relief. She looked around the dark interior of the building, squinting in the low light. This had clearly been some sort of night club. There were a handful of tables around a raised platform that served as a stage. Most of the tables were knocked over or broken. Broken halves of liquor bottles littered the floor behind the bar. Andrea searched the shelves to see if there was anything of use but nothing remained. The place had been cleaned out by other scavengers long ago. She made her way towards the main entrance, stepping over the broken chairs and glass shards in her way and pushed open the door to the outside. ¡°Can we talk?¡± the woman who had tried to run her over asked, suddenly standing directly in front of Andrea. Andrea shoved her, knocking her down, before taking off down the road to try and find another place to hide. Corrine let out a yell of exasperation as she sat on the concrete, having been knocked to the ground by the woman. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°This isn¡¯t going well,¡± Greed remarked, looming over Corrine. Corrine rolled her eyes and stood up, brushing her hands off on her jeans. ¡°Would you like to make it any easier?¡± she asked agitatedly. ¡°Not particularly, I¡¯m having a great time,¡± Greed replied. ¡°You truly are insufferable.¡± ¡°Who me?¡± he asked mockingly. Corrine sprinted after the woman and Greed called after her, ¡°I¡¯ll get the car!¡± Andrea ran down another alleyway, searching for any sort of opening into a building. She looked up and saw a ladder dangling down from a fire escape. She jumped and grabbed the bottom rung, pulling herself up until she reached the iron balcony and ran up the stairs, busting through a window and rolling into an apartment. She brushed the glass shards and wood splinters from her hair and clothes and looked around the apartment. It had been vacant for a while and smelled damp. She searched through the cabinets and found some canned food. She checked the expiration dates before throwing them into her backpack. She opened the fridge and recoiled immediately as the stench of rotting meat assailed her nostrils. She slammed the door shut and pulled the collar of her shirt over her nose, gagging as she used her hand to try and wave away the noxious odor. She walked through the hallway, looking at the pictures on the wall. Most of them were of a young couple, they looked happy. Andrea felt a pang of sadness as she looked at them, ¡°Hope they died together,¡± she said quietly. She searched the bedrooms and the bathrooms but found nothing of value other than a half empty container of ibuprofen. She threw that in her bag too, she knew she would need it later when the adrenaline wore off. She walked out into the hallway of the apartment building and looked around. There was no sign of the girl or the weird suited man that was with her. Andrea walked down the hall and saw the door to another apartment that was slightly ajar. She pushed it open and looked around inside, ¡°Hello?¡± she called in quietly. No one responded. She walked in and recoiled from the putrid smell of rot. She groaned and pulled her shirt collar back over her nose again and looked around the corner. Her eyes fell on a body suspended from the ceiling by a rope. She sighed, ¡°Shit, man,¡± she murmured, pulling her knife from her bag and going over to the man¡¯s lifeless body. He was young and, based on the state of the body, he hadn¡¯t been dead for that long, maybe a week. She cut the rope and caught his body as it fell, turning her head away. She dragged him to the couch and laid him on it. She used her fingertips to close his eyes and covered his body with a blanket that was lying on the floor. ¡°Everyone deserves a proper resting place, don¡¯t you agree?¡± Andrea whirled around to see the man in the green suit looking at her from the doorway. Her eyes darted to the window. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t,¡± the man said. His tone had an edge to it. Andrea stared down the man, trying to figure out if she could overpower him or at least knock him off balance to enable her to get away. ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± the man said as if responding to her thoughts. ¡°Can¡¯t what?¡± she asked as if she was challenging him. He smirked, ¡°You can¡¯t get past me if I don¡¯t want you to,¡± he answered and Andrea felt a chill run down her spine. She clutched the knife in her hand tighter, holding it directly at her side with the point facing the man. ¡°Of course, you¡¯re welcome to try if you want,¡± the man said, spreading his arms out with his palms up, opening himself up to Andrea. Andrea gripped the knife and then charged. She felt the knife lodge into the space between his ribs and heard the steel slide into flesh. But it felt wrong. She twisted the knife and realized there was no resistance. She pulled the knife out and looked at the man. He was completely unfazed. She looked at the spot where she had stabbed him and saw there was no blood. And then she watched in disbelief as the hole in his chest sealed back together. Even the suit reformed and it looked as if she hadn¡¯t stabbed him at all. ¡°See?¡± he said, gesturing at himself. Andrea slowly stepped backwards until her back was pressed against the wall. ¡°Andrea, this doesn¡¯t have to be this hard,¡± he said, stepping closer to her. ¡°How do you know my name?¡± she demanded to know, thrusting the knife out in front of her even though she knew it was pointless. The man reached out and pinched the blade of the knife between two fingers and it broke cleanly off, leaving Andrea with only the handle. ¡°I know everything about you, Andrea Sharpe. I know that you¡¯re a survivor because you aren¡¯t new to living on the streets, are you?¡± He asked and Andrea felt her heart rate spike. Her mind raced, how did this man know who she was? ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked. ¡°Is that the default question for mortals? Why does it matter?¡± The man seemed annoyed and Andrea noted his use of the word ¡®mortal.¡¯ ¡°Regardless, there is something I don¡¯t know about you, Andrea. Something I am trying to figure out,¡± the man said. Andrea remained silent, still clutching the handle of the knife as if it would provide her any sort of protection. A shimmer caught her eye and she saw a silver crucifix lying on the floor. ¡°So Andrea, how important are¡­¡± Andrea ducked down and grabbed the crucifix before chucking it directly at the man¡¯s head. It made contact and he recoiled and grabbed his head, ¡°OW!¡± he roared and reached out to grab Andrea, but she had already used the brief second that he wasn¡¯t focused on her to bolt out of the window and down the firescape. She slid down the ladder and made it to the ground, sprinting again to get as far away as possible. Greed appeared in the car next to Corrine and folded his arms. She noticed he had a black eye. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could be hurt,¡± she said. He held up a hand, ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± he huffed. ¡°Ookay,¡± Corrine replied, starting the car up. She started driving, navigating the car through alleys, slowing driving as she looked through the windshield to try and spot the girl. Greed remained silent. ¡°So, do you want to explain how you got hurt?¡± She asked. A cloud passed over the sun as Greed turned to face Corrine, ¡°I was cocky,¡± he said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing we can use against my siblings unless you can move faster than they react and that¡¯s highly unlikely.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a real answer,¡± Corrine pressed. The sunlight had noticeably dimmed and Corrine wondered whether she should just let it go. ¡°I took a crucifix to the face,¡± he mumbled. ¡°What?¡± Corrine asked, ¡°The bitch threw a cross in my fucking face,¡± Greed said angrily. ¡°Normally, it never would have touched me but I was being cocky, that¡¯s my fault.¡± ¡°So if a cross touches one of you, it leaves a mark?¡± ¡°If is the key word there. Under almost all circumstances, it¡¯ll never get close and it¡¯s temporary. Again, it¡¯s not useful for us. Only the Virtues are.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± They continued the drive in silence until Greed held up his hand. Corrine stopped the car and looked at the Prince expectantly, ¡°She¡¯s in there,¡± he said. Andrea¡¯s heart was pounding as she entered the toy store. She struggled to catch her breath, ragged short breaths bursting from her chest as she bent down and held onto her knees. She quickly ducked behind one of the shelves, hiding away from the glass storefront. She couldn¡¯t keep running but she knew she couldn¡¯t let those people catch her. She thought about how the man seemed to know so much about her. Not only did he know her last name, but it was like he knew that she had been living on the streets, homeless, even before the world had ended. She saw the dark green car drive by and she dropped to the floor, hoping they hadn¡¯t seen her. The car didn¡¯t come back and she stood up, dusting off her jacket with her hands. She looked toward the back of the store, seeing a doorway. She started to walk towards it when she heard the distorted notes of ¡®the itsy bitsy spider¡¯ start playing. She whipped her head around to look for the source of the noise. In the middle of the floor sat a small red box with yellow star inlays with a wind up handle that was slowly spinning as the high pitched song slowly played. Andrea felt her heart pounding in her chest and she backed up slowly, keeping her eyes on the toy. She bumped into the wall and turned her head for just a moment to check her surroundings. Rows of beady black eyes stared back at her from the dolls on the shelf. Each one had its head turned to look directly at Andrea and she felt their glass eyes follow her every movement. The distorted nursery rhyme continued to play in the background. ¡°What the hell is this¡­¡± Andrea whispered, her lips suddenly dry. She felt her way along the wall, shooting glances at the dolls and the wind up box, as she made her way to the back room. She slipped through the doorway and pushed the door closed behind her. Now she was standing in darkness. A quiet raspy voice spoke from the darkness, ¡°The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout.¡± Andrea¡¯s breathing became more rapid and she squinted in the darkness to try and find the source of the voice. ¡°Down came the rain and washed the spider out¡­¡± She could hear something moving in the dark room. It sounded as if something was dragging itself across the floor, landing with a wet thud as it moved forward. She stayed along the wall and began inching towards the exit, seeing traces of light breaking through the gap between the door and the wall. ¡°Out came the sun and dried up all the rain.¡± The voice sounded closer now and Andrea could hear the breathing of whatever was in the room. She heard another thud followed by the noise of it sliding across the floor. Her hand hit the metal knob of the exit door and she slowly turned it. ¡°And the itsy bitsy spider went up the¡­¡± There was a click as the door opened and Andrea paused, holding her breath. She could still hear the music box in the background. ¡°SPOUT AGAIN'''' bellowed whatever was in the room and now Andrea could hear it scuttling rapidly across the floor. Rapidly, the thing bounded across the floor with heavy thuds and a wet swishing noise as Andrea threw the door open and ran out into the street. She kept running, not looking back. ¡°There she goes,¡± Greed remarked boredly as the woman sprinted out from the back of the store. ¡°Why is she running like that?¡± Corrine asked and a devious smirk appeared on Greed¡¯s face, ¡°Probably scared,¡± he replied impishly. Corrine didn¡¯t ask any further questions. She pressed the gas pedal and the car accelerated forward, following the woman. Andrea heard the car behind her. ¡°Goddamn it!¡± she yelled, frustrated with the never-ending pursuit. Her lungs screamed for air and her legs felt like lead but she kept going. She slid her backpack off her shoulder and pulled out a can of food. She stopped and turned and faced the car directly. She glared at the girl driving as she reared back her arm and chucked the can directly at the windshield. It bounced off without leaving so much as a single crack in the glass and Andrea felt defeated. Corrine watched as a can thrown by the woman bounced off the windshield and then the woman just sat down on the ground and buried her face in her hands. She slowed to a stop and Greed looked at her, ¡°Your turn,¡± he said. Corrine rolled her eyes and stepped out of the car. She walked over to the woman and sat down on the ground next to her, ¡°Hey,¡± she said softly. The woman looked up at her with a venomous glare, ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®hey¡¯ me after you ran me around this damn city and nearly ran me over with your car.¡± she said. Corrine held up her hands in surrender, ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to run you over, I just want to talk,¡± she insisted. ¡°Talking doesn¡¯t involve a car driving after me like some bat out of hell,¡± the woman retorted. Corrine took a breath and changed her tactic. ¡°I think we misunderstood each other, I¡¯m Corrine,¡± she said, extending her hand. ¡°I know you fucking lying,¡± the woman said flatly, ¡°Trying to run me over, following me everywhere I go, and now you want to sit here and go over introductions? I don¡¯t think so.¡± Corrine was getting frustrated and she looked back at the car. Greed was sitting inside, reclined in his seat as the radio played. She stood up, ¡°Look, I¡¯m trying to help you.¡± she said. The woman scoffed and stood up, ¡°Help me? I don¡¯t need help. What I need is for you,¡± she jabbed her finger at Corrine, ¡°and that creepy ass man in the car to leave me alone. Got it?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to struggle like this, if you help us, we can help you,¡± Corrine said, gesturing towards the car to prove her point. ¡°Struggle like this? Struggle like what?¡± ¡°You know, like this,¡± Corrine waved her hand around to indicate their surroundings and the woman laughed, ¡°So what? I¡¯ve been struggling. I¡¯ve struggled on these streets for years. Ain¡¯t had a roof over my head since I was a kid. I don¡¯t need your help, the time to help me is long past. Don¡¯t act like you care, I don¡¯t know what it is you want from me but I¡¯m not buying your little let¡¯s be friends shit.¡± She noticed the dark mark on Corrine¡¯s arm, ¡°And I definitely don¡¯t want any part of that.¡± She turned and started to walk off. Corrine ran after her and grabbed her arm, ¡°Listen, you can have everything you want and need. Life doesn¡¯t have to be hard for you anymore,¡± she said. The woman yanked her arm away, ¡°I have what I need and I¡¯ve never wanted anything I didn¡¯t earn,¡± she said. Andrea felt a buzzing in her skull as she said those words to Corrine and she noticed the man in the car staring directly at her. He grinned hungrily as he stepped out of the car and walked over to her, staring down at her over the lenses of his sunglasses, ¡°Now we know how special you are, Andrea. Now we know.¡± he said. Andrea didn¡¯t wait to hear an explanation before she sprinted away again with the electrical hum running down her spine. Chapter 6: Trouble in Paradise Mitha woke up suddenly and immediately knew something was wrong. There was an inexplicable sinking feeling in her gut and she felt as if she was being watched. She got up from her bed and looked out the window. The sky was a strange purple and the towering Burj Khalifa appeared to be on fire. She watched the smoke pouring from the tall building with wide eyes. ¡°Dad?¡± she called, her eyes still glued to the burning building. There was no response and she called for her father again. Once again she was answered with silence. She closed the curtain and walked out of the room, looking out into the hallway. ¡°Dad?¡± she called again. There was only silence. She walked down the long hall of the ornate condo, passing the various framed photos, potted plants, and rare artwork hanging on the walls. She made it to the kitchen, looking around the open concept room with the massive marble island in the middle. It was completely empty as was the living area that it overlooked. Mitha searched the counters for some sort of note or anything that might indicate her father had temporarily left the condo. Any time he would go on supply runs or leave for any other reason, he always left a note. There was no such note today. She checked in the living room and came up empty handed. She could feel the sense of dread in her stomach growing. She walked down another hall towards her father¡¯s bedroom. The door was open and she entered, gently rapping on the doorframe to announce her arrival. She looked around the large room and her eyes fell on a pile of clothes in his desk chair. She walked over to the desk and pulled the chair out. A pair of her father¡¯s slacks fell to the floor over his black dress shoes. A belt was still fastened around the waist. She looked at the shirt, picking it up gingerly and holding it in the air. The buttons were still fastened and an undershirt¡¯s short sleeves were still tucked into the longer ones of the button down. She could smell her father¡¯s cologne emanating from the shirt. It was as if he had vanished and left his outfit behind. Mitha set down the clothes and called through the room once again, ¡°If this is a prank, it isn¡¯t funny,¡± There was still no response. Now she was becoming frantic. She burst through the closet door, pushing through the rows of dress shirts and blazers. She searched the bathroom, tearing down the shower curtain and finding no one behind it. She started to run through the hall, entering each room, yelling for her father and receiving no answer. Mitha collapsed on the couch, on the verge of tears but then she thought for a moment. Maybe her father had gone to inspect the burning building. It would explain why there was no note, it had happened abruptly and he would have been as surprised as her. The logic didn¡¯t completely follow but Mitha accepted it. Any explanation that could calm her nerves was a welcome one. She did one more pass through the house before pulling on a pair of tennis shoes and walking out of the condo. She passed the other abandoned condominiums as she made her way down the stairs and to the main street of downtown Dubai. Her intuition was screaming at her to go back inside as the rolling clouds of dark smoke pouring from the Burj Khalifa blotted out the sun. She continued walking down the silent street, searching for her father. A flicker of movement drew her eye and she saw something slide into the entrance of the Burj Khalifa. She caught a glimpse of a green blazer and immediately called out, ¡°Dad!¡± She ran after the figure, entering the ground floor of the Burj Khalifa and looked around. There was no sign of her father or anyone wearing a green suit. Mitha started to walk back outside when she heard the electronic ding as an elevator reached the first floor. Her head whipped toward the sound and she watched in awe as the doors to an elevator slid open, revealing its lit interior. Curiosity got the best of Mitha and she stepped inside. The doors immediately shut and sealed her in. She pounded on the doors, calling for help. And then the elevator began to ascend. Mitha could hear the whirring as the cables pulled the elevator towards its destination. It was moving so much faster than any elevator she had ever been in before and she wasn¡¯t sure if the sinking feeling in her stomach was from the anticipation or the G-forces within the elevator. She watched the electronic number above the door increasing as the elevator passed each floor. It reached double digits and then flew through, increasing towards the triple digits as it ascended to the observation deck on floor 163. Mitha splayed out against the wall, grabbing the handles with both hands and gripping tightly. Finally the elevator slowed and an automated voice read out, ¡°Floor 163: Observation Deck.¡± The doors slid open and the power went out. Mitha stepped out of the cabin of the elevator and onto the floor of the observation deck. Despite the black clouds of smoke that had been pouring from the building just moments earlier, there was no fire and the smoke was gone. Instead she was greeted by a long ornate table, piled high with various foods though most of them were rotting and flies swarmed the plates.. Empty chairs surrounded the table and at the head sat a grotesque man. Mitha looked at the man in both disgust and confusion. The man¡¯s proportions were wrong and it gave him a deeply unsettling appearance. A gigantic mouth with broad square teeth and a jaw that jutted forward in an extreme underbite sat over rolling fleshy chins that cascaded down into a rotund torso and spilled out in a stomach that hung from under a tight fitting greasy white shirt. The man was gorging himself on a strange looking leg of meat, pulling the tendons from the bone with a sickening slurp. He hadn¡¯t seemed to notice Mitha yet. He tossed aside the bone from the meat and let out a loud belch that filled the room before lunging forward and grabbing another greasy leg of meat with both hands and shoving the entirety of it into his mouth. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned to see whose it was. A man in a green suit looked at her over the rims of dark lens sunglasses. There was a look of amusement on his face. ¡°Your father isn¡¯t here, Mitha. Might want to head back home¡± the man said. Mitha started to ask how he knew her name but he held his finger to his lips and shook his head, pointing to the man at the head of the table. Behind her she heard the elevator doors slide open. Mitha turned to look and she saw a woman leaned against the back of the elevator, chewing gum. The woman saw her and flashed her a peace sign. Mitha looked back to the green suited man, completely confused, but he just jerked his head towards the elevator. From the head of the table there was a roar as the repulsive man demanded more food. Mitha got into the elevator and the doors slid shut, ¡°Going down,¡± intoned the elevator speaker. Mitha looked at the woman in the elevator with her. The woman looked back at her and straightened up, holding out a hand. Mitha noticed the dark tattoo on her arm that looked like a fox. ¡°Corrine,¡± the woman said and Mitha tilted her head, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m Corrine, nice to meet you.¡± she clarified. Mitha nodded slowly and shook the woman¡¯s hand, ¡°I¡¯m Mitha,¡± she said. Corrine nodded and rocked back and forth on her heels, ¡°Sooo¡­¡± her words trailed off and Mitha just continued to stare. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Mitha finally asked, breaking the silence. A look of relief came over Corrine and she smiled, ¡°That I can answer. The TLDR is that the world has ended, those were Princes of Hell and we suspect that you might be what we call a Virtue,¡± Corrine paused, ¡°Though your dad was definitely not.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Where is my father?¡± Mitha demanded to know, her eyes narrowing into a glare. Corrine shifted uncomfortably, ¡°Look, there isn¡¯t an easy way to say this so I want to apologize in advance.¡± ¡°Where is my father?¡± Mitha¡¯s voice rose in both volume and pitch. Corrine nervously rubbed the back of her neck, ¡°Uh¡­¡± Mitha was becoming angry. This strange woman, Corrine, was giving her no answers and Mitha still hadn¡¯t processed whatever that was upstairs. She wanted to find her father and she wanted to get out of this elevator. ¡°Ok, let me just rip the bandaid off. Your dad made a deal with the man in green, the Prince of Greed, and it was time to collect. His soul was collected by the Prince. He¡¯s gone.¡± Corrine said quickly and flinched away as if preparing for Mitha to hit her. Instead she shrank back to the corner of the elevator, crossed her arms, and stared silently at the doors. ¡°Floor One: Lobby¡± crackled from the intercom and the doors slid open. Corrine watched Mitha as she wordlessly exited the elevator and walked out of the building. ¡°We need to work on your persuasion skills,¡± Greed said, appearing beside Corrine and making her jump. She shot him a dirty look, ¡°People like to have answers before you go into what you want from them. We don¡¯t exactly get this whole demon thing right away,¡± she said. Greed shrugged, ¡°You did,¡± he replied. ¡°I was nearly dead,¡± Corrine retorted. A wicked grin spread across the Prince¡¯s face, ¡°So we need to nearly kill mortals before deals can be made?¡± he asked darkly. Corrine grimaced and shook her head as she walked out of the elevator, ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to learn anymore about your type of persuasion,¡± she said and Greed laughed impishly, ¡°Fine,¡± he followed behind her, ¡°Do you remember how birds teach their young to fly?¡± he asked and Corrine turned around to face him. ¡°Why?¡± she asked. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Do you?¡± ¡°Yes, they push the chicks out of the nest,¡± Corrine answered and Greed nodded, ¡°That they do,¡± he said cryptically. ¡°Your point?¡± ¡°We start pushing these fledgling virtues out of the nest.¡± Corrine was taken aback. She knew that the man in front of her was a Prince of Hell but this was reckless and flippant even for him. ¡°What if we¡¯re wrong?¡± she asked and Greed shrugged, ¡°Then they die and we move onto the next,¡± he stated. ¡°What if they¡¯re a virtue but we put them with the wrong Prince and then they die?¡± Corrine asked, recounting their conversations about the mortality of Virtues. Greed nodded slowly, ¡°That is a risk but not one that¡¯s impossible to overcome, plus we should get one chance to save them. When their powers manifest, the Virtue is temporarily immune to all powers of Hell. That lasts exactly once,¡± he answered. Corrine sighed, she knew there was no winning or convincing Greed to pursue an alternate plan. She rolled her eyes, ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± she asked. Greed¡¯s expression brightened. Moments like this made it easy for Corrine to forget that the Prince only revealed the emotions he wanted her to see. ¡°She¡¯s obviously not my counter otherwise that would have been revealed when we made contact and she doesn¡¯t counter my repulsive sibling, Gluttony. We already know who counters Envy. That leaves four other Virtues that she could be but something tells me Andrea is the most likely counter to Pride though of that, I am not 100% certain. Logically we¡¯re down to 3, Sloth, Lust, and Wrath. If she¡¯s a Virtue at all, that is.¡± Corrine was dazzled by the dizzying display of logic that Greed had just rattled off. They had come a long way in a short amount of time identifying Virtues. It reminded her of the analytical reasoning section of the LSAT. All the different variables and rules that had to be followed to reach the final conclusion. ¡°If we want to minimize our risk and hers, we drop her on the Bahamas with Sloth. If she isn¡¯t the counter virtue to the Prince, then we redirect. We won¡¯t have that same chance with either Wrath or Lust who would likely just kill her,¡± Greed concluded. ¡°We¡¯re just going to drop her on an island?¡± Corrine asked. ¡°Yes, more specifically, you are going to drop her on an island.¡± ¡°Why? I¡¯ve never been to the Bahamas, I don¡¯t know what it looks like to be able to get there. Also can I bring another person with me? Is that a thing I can do?¡± Corrine asked. Greed sighed, ¡°You have a lot of questions for this late in the game. I can bend reality to my will and you¡¯re questioning how the powers I gave you will be able to work. Disappointing, Corrine.¡± Corrine held her hands up in surrender, ¡°Ok, fine. Again, I¡¯m human. None of this really makes sense to me,¡± she said defensively. Greed shook his head and then he snapped his fingers. Corrine¡¯s head flew back and her mind was filled with an image of a beach with white sands and dark water lapping at the shore. Blackened palm trees dotted the horizon and behind them loomed towering resorts and villas. ¡°Holy shit,¡± she said as she came back to reality. Her head was throbbing. ¡°Got it?¡± he asked and Corrine nodded, wincing slightly as she did so, ¡°Good. I would bring the girl myself but Sloth and its little minions would easily catch on to my presence. You¡¯re slightly less detectable. You can drop her off and get out before anyone notices a thing. And we can thank Envy for this idea. Dropping virtues in other¡¯s territory is truly inspired.¡± Greed finished. ¡°Didn¡¯t Envy do that specifically to kill that Virtue?¡± Corrine asked, ¡°Yes, but that doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t adapt that into our plans. Now go find her and let¡¯s not repeat our little Chicago escapade here,¡± Greed said. Corrine rolled her eyes and followed after the woman. Mitha shut the door behind her and slid down against it before wrapping her arms around her knees and sobbing. She didn¡¯t entirely believe Corrine but she knew that her father really was gone, whether it was the way Corrine said happened or not. She was alone now. ¡°You could cry about it or you could do something about it,¡± Corrine said, suddenly standing in front of Mitha. Mitha jumped up and glared at the woman, ¡°Get out of my house,¡± she demanded but Corrine shook her head, ¡°No can do, sorry.¡± Corrine replied and she reached for Mitha. Mitha ducked underneath her arm and ran into the kitchen, rounding the island so that it was now between her and Corrine. Corrine¡¯s face was etched with irritation, her lips drawn tightly and her eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Do not make this harder than it needs to be,¡± Corrine warned. Mitha narrowed her eyes and looked to her left, lunging and pulling a knife from the wooden knife block on the counter. Corrine¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s calm down,¡± she said. Mitha shook her head, jabbing the knife out towards Corrine, ¡°Why are you in my house?¡± she asked. ¡°There¡¯s a lot to explain, but I¡¯d be happy to do so, woman to woman?¡± Corrine offered. Mitha shook her head and started to come around the island toward Corrine. Corrine slowly retreated, one hand held up and the other on the strap of the backpack on her shoulders, ¡°Take it easy,¡± she said quietly. Internally, Corrine was screaming in frustration. She had been promised the power of persuasion, ¡°a silver tongue¡± as Greed had put it but this was the second time that an encounter became a confrontation. Either it was a Virtue thing or she really didn¡¯t understand how this was supposed to work. Because you aren¡¯t trying. Greed¡¯s voice rang in her head, ¡°What do you mean?¡± she hissed out loud and she immediately noticed the look of confusion on Mitha¡¯s face. ¡°Get out,¡± Mitha commanded again, still approaching Corrine with the knife. The sunlight streaming through the window reflected off the sharp blade. Think of it less as persuasion and more as commanding. Bend her to your will. The idea was unsettling. Set aside your ideas of morality, Corrine. We¡¯ve been over this. Mitha was getting closer and Corrine was running out of room. Soon she would be pinned between Mitha and the wall. She glanced at the knife again, Save yourself for once, Corrine. She scowled, she didn¡¯t appreciate the condescending tone in the Prince¡¯s voice. She wasn¡¯t helpless. Prove it. Corrine straightened up and looked directly at Mitha. She took a breath and then commanded, ¡°Back up and put down the knife.¡± The words felt different. There was a deeper resonance to Corrine¡¯s voice and it seemed to echo off the walls. Mitha dropped the knife and it clattered on the ground. She stepped back and Corrine stepped towards her and away from the wall. Mitha looked at her now empty hand in shock and then back to Corrine, ¡°How did you do that?¡± she asked. Corrine ignored her question, focusing only on the task at hand and her newfound power, ¡°You are more important than you know,¡± the powerful resonance in Corrine¡¯s voice receded, ¡°And I am really sorry to do this,¡± she said in her normal voice. Corrine grabbed Mitha and envisioned the beach that Greed had shown her. Mitha pushed Corrine as she fell back onto warm sand. The woman looked down at her and Mitha could see the conflicted feelings on her face. Then she vanished and Mitha was left alone on the unfamiliar beach. She looked to her left, watching the deep blue ocean water as it crashed onto the shore just a few feet away. This place felt peaceful but there was another feeling, something ominous. She stood up and looked back away from the water, seeing the burnt palm trees and once impressive beach resorts looming ahead. There was no one else on the beach. Mitha brushed the sand off of her backside and started to walk towards the buildings, the soft sand slowing her down as it sank beneath her feet. She made her way towards the street and saw the trail of destruction that had been left by something though she didn¡¯t know what yet. The skeletons of buildings lined scorched concrete. There was no fire or smoke but clearly something had blazed through the streets. She started to follow the trail when she saw a man walking towards her. He tilted his head and looked at her quizzically. She narrowed her eyes, bracing herself for a similar encounter as the one she¡¯d had with Corrine but the man just slowly raised his hand and gave her a confused sort of half wave. She watched him for a moment and then waved back, equally confused. He started to walk towards her and she stood her ground, ¡°Um, I¡¯m just going to go past you, I live over that way¡­¡± he said awkwardly, trailing off at the end of his sentence. ¡°John!¡± someone yelled from behind Mitha and both her and the man whipped their heads towards the other man running towards them. ¡°Chris,¡± the man, presumably John, replied. Mitha noted the relief in his voice. She watched as they embraced and then the blonde one gestured towards her, ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± he asked and John shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just saw her as I was walking home,¡± he said. Mitha stared at the pair, uncertain of whether she should introduce herself to them or not. The last person she gave her name had dropped her on the island with no explanation. The blonde one looked at her kindly, ¡°I¡¯m Chris,¡± he said before gesturing to the man beside him, the first one Mitha had encountered, ¡°And this is my husband, John.¡± ¡°Husband?¡± Mitha asked and Chris nodded, ¡°Yes¡± Mitha was silent and the men traded looks of concern. Mitha immediately realized what they must be thinking, ¡°No, no I¡¯m sorry!¡± she exclaimed, ¡°That¡¯s really cute, um, it¡¯s just been a weird day.¡± Chris smiled softly, ¡°You¡¯re not from here, are you?¡± he asked and Mitha shook her head. ¡°I was in the UAE just a few minutes ago,¡± she replied and both men looked shocked. ¡°How¡¯d you get here?¡± Chris asked. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure,¡± Mitha responded and she told him about the situation with the green suited man and the woman named Corrine. ¡°And then I was on the beach and I walked up and ran into John.¡± she concluded. Chris looked dumbstruck but John didn¡¯t appear to be surprised. ¡°Huh,¡± Chris said after a moment as he processed the information. He looked at Mitha and smiled, ¡°You¡¯re welcome to stay with us until we can figure out what¡¯s going on, right John?¡± He looked to his husband. Mitha noted the strained smile from John as he nodded. He had spoken very little, deferring to Chris to do all the talking. ¡°Yea, of course,¡± he said tersely. Mitha was suspicious of his tone but Chris didn¡¯t appear to notice and he instead smiled brightly, ¡°Great! We¡¯re just down the street over here,¡± he said, waving her along as he began walking. As they walked, Chris told Mitha about himself and John and their time on the island. John quietly walked beside his husband until they reached the house. ¡°Here we are,¡± John said, running up the steps to the door. There was a noticeable change in his demeanor now. He was excited as he grabbed the handle and pulled the door open. Mitha felt a rush of cool air from the house, they had electricity. ¡°How?¡± Chris and Mitha asked in unison. They exchanged a brief glance before looking back to John who had a broad smile on his face and his arms extended out as if to showcase the air conditioning pouring out from the open door. ¡°What¡¯s on your arm?¡± Chris asked and Mitha saw the dark sloth on John¡¯s forearm. John immediately pulled back his arms and covered the marking with his opposite hand. His smile was gone and now his face was a deep red, ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± he said sheepishly. ¡°We have time, let¡¯s talk inside,¡± Chris said. John held the door open and Chris walked in, followed by Mitha. Mitha and John locked eyes for a moment before John dropped contact, staring down at the ground. She walked past him and into the house. John followed, shutting the door and locking it. The cool air felt luxurious and Mitha took in a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment. It had been a long time since she had been in a home with electricity and she could hear the low buzz of appliances and the gentle whir of fans. She had forgotten how loud everything used to be. ¡°John, care to explain?¡± Chris asked, gesturing towards the ceiling fan and more generally around the house. ¡°Ok, but I want you to know I love you and that I did this for us,¡± John began. ¡°We were running out of water and I can¡¯t lose you.¡± His voice was beginning to break, clouded with emotion. ¡°John, baby, just tell me what¡¯s going on,¡± Chris said and Mitha could hear the worry in his voice. John took a breath and began to tell his husband and Mitha the story of his night in the Caves.