Chapter Thirty One
“You ok?” Johnny asked giving Gabriel a strange look.
“Yeah, I'm fine....Had one of those brain farts for a moment.” Gabriel said letting go of Johnny's hand.
“So what's your story?” Jack asked looking at Gabriel.
“Well I was born in a small town called Axal...” Gabriel said stopping with a smile.
“Well I guess you could start there..” Johnny said laughing.
“Take a seat, I think we will be here awhile.” Jack said as he sat down in the field. Gabriel sat down as well and just as he did he could hear footsteps behind him.
“Oh? Not going to introduce him to me?” A mellow voice said from behind Gabriel.
“Why would we want to introduce him to a serial killer?” Johnny said.
“Say's the mass murderer, sooo boring. Maybe you could tell him how you killed for fame. Isn't that what Mass murderers kill for? Because they would never really amount to anything in their entire boring life. So they go out and kill to make their life have a purpose.” The man said behind Gabriel. Gabriel turned around and saw a dark hard man who looked to be in his late 30's. He was a handsome man who held an almost permanent smile on his face.
“It was for revenge, not fame you imbecile.” Johnny said.
“Oh right, this is from the man dressed as a clown...Heh, revenge what a childish emotion. The average person would have grown out of such a weak emotion. It's ok though you hang on to your purpose in death.” The man said as he walked around in front of Gabriel.
“The name is Alexander, nice to meet you.” Alexander said sitting down next to Gabriel.
“My name is Gabriel, nice to meet you as well..That is if you are not really a serial killer.” Gabriel said smiling but knowing not to offer the man his hand.
“People kill for many reason really. I guess since we have a writer amongst us then that is the best analogy I could use. For instance there are many types of writers, much like murderers. Some people write for a number count, to reach as many people as possible. They don't care the content of their writing, they just want to get as many readers as they can. All for fame, much like Johnny here.” Alexander said holding his cunning smile the entire time.
“And you killed just to get your jolly's off you sick fuck!” Johnny said getting up.
“Our lives are as delicate as dynamite if they are stored in the wrong condition then the collateral damage can be catastrophic.” A voice from within Jack said.
“Excuse me, I cannot sit with this disgrace of a man.” Johnny said walking away from them.
“Well that was rude....As I was saying murder is much like writing. Some people write to really be intimate with their reader. They don't care about who reads their work. Just as long as they can really touch a few people. They put passion into their work and never force what they write. Then there are others who were just born to write. It's in their very nature, and sometimes its even hard for them to do. Yet they have no choice since it is what defines them.....Then there are others, like Jack here who just murders words!” Alexander said laughing. There was a bit of a pause
“Writing is the easy part. Having lived the nightmares in the words is the hard part. Now if only I could write my way out of my skin.” A voice from Jack said. Turning their strange conversation even darker.
“So then what type of a killer are you Alexander?” Gabriel said.
“Well, maybe I should start from the beginning?” Alexander said.
“I don't think we are going anywhere...” Gabriel said looking up at the sky.
“See I was born on a street with murderers and theive's. They told me at a young age to either join them or become a victim. I told them I have nothing to steal and murdering me would only do the streets a favor.” Alexander said.
“Would you say you are a product of those streets?” Jack said in his normal voice.
“No I did not let them create me, as most wanted to believe. I got no pleasure out of anything in life. Even sex seemed so boring and at times unnatural. My pleasure had to come from a fantasy land. It started out as simply dominating someone. Until eventually the fantasy was of killing them. Then that fantasy was not enough. I had to turn their body into an expression, my expression. The fantasy's went on for years and then one day I had to act upon them.” Alexander said with that same permanent smile.
“So the only way you could find pleasure was to kill?” Gabriel asked.
“Eventually yes, then even that faded. It was like I was always hungry and had a massive appetite to fill. People became my canvas, and killing them was my art.” Alexander said.
“Murder is not art, victims are not a canvas to communicate with the world.” Jack said in his own voice.
“Well if murder is not art then neither is writing. Murder gave me a way to express myself, and find passion, and finally pleasure in life.” Alexander said.
“But what about the victims, the family's you tore apart?” Gabriel said with a sigh.
“Art should not be so destructive.” Gabriel said before Alexander could respond.
“Hmmm maybe you are right. I have yet to hear your story Gabriel. But I can say out of the four of us there is only one person here who should be feared for all eternity. It is the writer, see Jack might not realize it but he can play on any emotion. I could only play on a few and even I cannot get into the minds of people like Jack can. He could be writing a recipe for killing spree's of the century’s. His victims could start out innocently reading, and wind up with him planting a seed of death in their minds. For instance look at all the damage the bible has caused. Just a simple book, yet it has killed more than I could ever imagine.” Alexander said.
“If only god can judge me then who can find me guilty!” An angry voice from inside of Jack shouted. Both Jack and Gabriel looked at him puzzled and confused.
“Well I can say I worried about Jack but its not his writing that frightens me.” Gabriel said.
“But can you see what I am saying, the power of art and influence can kill as easy as pleasure. So who gets to decide what is art?” Alexander said.
“I do not fear what is inside of me. I already dug up my monsters, all I fear is what monsters they will invoke in you.” Jack said looking away from Alexander and Gabriel. It was as if he was having his own conversation.
“Do you feel any guilt for what you have done?” Gabriel asked.
“Does a lion feel guilty for eating his prey? Do you feel guilty for what brings you pleasure? And most importantly should you feel guilty for it?” Alexander said.
“But people are not to be preyed upon. You could have found other ways to define who you are..” Gabriel said frustrated with the conversation.
“We comfort ourselves with lies because the truth is too horrific.” A voice from Jack said.
“I like it when I can agree with you Jack.” Alexander said.
“But.....If reality is the truth then honesty is a lie.” Another voice from Jack said. The three men just sat under the night sky digesting what all had been said. It was clear to Gabriel that he was amongst psychopaths and could not trust anyone.
“Gabriel I guess we will just agree to disagree. You cannot see beyond what you have been told is right and wrong. I just realized that there is no such thing and everyone wants to live in the gray area. I say stick to your evil ways or get out of the melting pot.” Alexander said.
“I doubt I will ever understand you, your pleasure came at the cost of others.” Gabriel said.
“As is often the case with pleasure.” Alexander said. The men stopped talking for a moment and watched as the creature who brought them there walked about in the field looking for worms.
“Her beauty is as cunning as a serial killers smile. Though its just a nightmare and in the morning she will be gone with your dreams.” A voice from Jack said as his eye's glistened as he looked at her.
“Well that is one way to describe death.” Gabriel said looking at her a
s well.
“It might not be death that he is describing. Jack, or however many people speak for Jack are normally out of context. He is hard to talk to since he is here one moment and then gone the next. Then he just starts rambling off strange sayings. I hope to find him some paper to write on since then maybe he will stop all of his rambling.” Alexander said.
“I had a dream like that once, sayings just kept coming out of no where. Like voices that crowded my mind until they almost blinded my thoughts.” Gabriel said.
“Well maybe you got just a glimpse of what insanity might be like.” Alexander said.
“It's strange having voices come out of your mind like that.” Gabriel said and cut his sentence off short.
“Oh? Do tell?” Alexander said with a larger smile than usual.
“I guess, now that I am thinking about it...That dream was not the first time I had a voice inside my mind. As a child I would first hear them. It was an almost emotionless voice, when it spoke I felt nothing really. In the strangest moments, maybe happy or sad. It would speak up and say just end it.” Gabriel said.
“End what? Your life or others?” Alexander said.
“My life.” Gabriel said.
“So how did that voice make you feel when it would say that?” Alexander said.
“Eventually nothing I guess, at first I agreed with it. Then there was a time I tried to fight it back. Now when I hear it I feel nothing.” Gabriel said.
“You really are no different from me.” Alexander said with eye's widening. Gabriel got ready to respond but a voice within Jack cut him off.
“When at war with yourself, healing only wounds and scars could kill. Though once enough battles are lost you will lose yourself and see who you really are.” As Jack finished Gabriel waited a moment then spoke.
“No I am nothing like you, I would never hurt another person.” Gabriel said.
“It is instinctual to hurt, and to hurt others. You cannot go through life without hurting.” Alexander said.
“Well I could never kill another person is what I meant to say.” Gabriel said, he could feel Alexander trying to slip in the cracks of his mind.
“You are like me Gabriel, maybe you don't see it because you have never killed. Most people haven't but I can say once they have they would have to try very hard to stop. See you said the voice came up during the good times and the bad. That tells me that even when you were in the best of moments you could not enjoy it. The normal pleasures were of no interest to you and so you simply miss interpreted the voice. I too had a voice, but it did not tell me to end it, it told me to end them.” Alexander said. Gabriel's mind was starting to ache Alexander was trying to convince him that he was a killer.
“I.....I hear voices too.” Jack said in a nervous voice. As though he was afraid what they might say.
“Hahaha, well maybe that is why we are here. They wanted to round up all the loonies in one spot. Maybe its so god knows where to start when he cleans up this sinking ship.” Alexander said still laughing.
“You know what I miss?” Jack said in his own voice.
“What is that?” Alexander said.
“I miss drinking see my life is like looking through the bottom of a liquor bottle. Just a haze of poisons that I have drank away.” Jack said.
“Well Jack, I would not trust a writer that doesn’t drink away their insanity.” Alexander said.
“So was there anyone you ever loved or were you simply a monster like they make most serial killers out to be?” Gabriel asked to break a moment of silence.
“They try to make serial killers look so far out there. The media, and even the writers try to make them into the insane psycho path. I actually lived a normal life, I had a wife for awhile and two children with her. Ted Bundy said a serial killer is you father, husband, son, guy next door. He was right, and when most serial killers are caught they try to plead insanity. It's almost like it's an excuse for what they did. But they rarely get off with an insanity plea. Their crimes are far out their from the norm and taboo. Though almost all of them knew exactly what they were doing. I knew what I was doing and I made no excuses for myself. So to answer your question I have loved, and still love my children.” Alexander said.
Gabriel seemed somewhat shocked to the answer. How could such a destructive person actually create life rather than just consume it. Alexander did not make sense to Gabriel. He seemed like a very dangerous person and not someone to be tested. Then on the other hand he seemed like a charming father, and member of society.
“I too have loved! Then she decided to love someone else...” Jack said in his normal voice and then his voice changed.
“I thought my broken heart was useless, so I buried it in a shallow hole of regret. Who knew the vultures of lust would use it for a feast.” Jack said in a different voice.
“Alexander you so easily talk about killing and then your family. It seems to me that you are missing morals, or even a conscience. I don't know how you can be alright with what you have done.” Gabriel said.
“I realized that I am human, and I wasn't perfect. Though I do think perfection is possible, all you have to do is accept yourself. So I became perfection when I accepted what I was. I stopped trying to hide it or feel any guilt. Then there was no longer a need for remorse or repentance. I also had to unlearn some of the thing's society had taught me. Their boundaries were all that made up my conscience. Maybe through religion, laws, or for some moral purpose. If you get down to the basic's of what we are, you will find a repressed predator.” Alexander said.
“Well how many people did you kill....That is if you don't mind me picking your brain?” Gabriel said.
“Not at all, I actually thought for a moment about killing you. It was a brief fantasy that I did not devote much time to. Although the thought did give me some pleasure.....Well let me see....How many people did you think about killing? Then I will answer you of course.” Alexander said.
“If you kill me then all you will have left is the jester, the writer, and death. I did think about killing something once.” Gabriel said.
“Oh really? So you had to see it as a something instead of someone in order to imagine this?” Alexander said.
“No, it goes by many names, Apollyon is what I call it.” Gabriel said.
“So the devil.....What are you some kind of religious nut job?” Alexander asked.
“Well I guess that sums me up fairly well. If I told you the truth you would not believe it. Maybe that's how he want's me to feel. I am not sure all I know is he has taken everything I love from me.” Gabriel said looking up at the stars.
“I would find most things hard to believe when I was still alive. Now I have to accept many unbelievable reality's. How would you do it? If he were here now how would you kill him?” Alexander said gesturing with his hands.
“Ahh but you have not answered my question. If you want to have a morbid therapy session then you cannot divert from my questions.” Gabriel said.
“Very well, hmmmm I do not know how many I have killed. It was not like as if I was keeping count. The number never mattered to me as each one was an intimate moment in my life. They convicted me of 87 though they claimed it was well over 100. It didn't matter to me though, they would have given me the death penalty even if it were 4.” Alexander said. Gabriel tried to hide the disgust in his face.
“I was not expecting that..That only bring about more questions but I will answer yours first. If Apollyon were here now and not just his spawn...” Gabriel said looking right into Alexander's eyes.
“I would most likely.....Well forgive him. Attempting to kill him, or even killing him would only fuel his ego. I once wanted to kill him, but now I just want to forget him.” Gabriel said rubbing his hands together.
“Then he told Satan these words. I will never be yours! I already slept with death, walked down the isles with destruction, and married the darkness in my heart.” Jack said in a different voice while standing up and raising his
hands to the sky.
“What about you Jack have you ever wanted to kill someone?”Alexander said looking at Jack. But it was as though Jack was someplace else inside of his own mind. Jack sat back down after a moment or two but he remained silent.
“How did you kill your victims? I assume it wasn't with forgiveness..” Gabriel said.
“Well now that is a story in itself. I will use Jack as an example again. Like an author I had to test the waters. The book was my victim, and it took me awhile to find out what it was I got the most pleasure from. The first few years was trial and error, killing people because they lived within a few hours from me. One thing I never did was kill someone I had known. As with most serial killers, since they know that if others know that you and the victim knew each other before their death then you would become a suspect. So I chose at random to begin with. After awhile though I was no longer getting pleasure from the random person who crossed my path. It became too easy, I would lure them to my car and then knock them unconscious. I started out doing this only at night, but after awhile I was bored. So I had to start taking killing more seriously. I started picking my victim's and studying their behaviors...” Alexander stopped for a moment to catch his breath.
“Yes, I almost forgot I also would pick the location as well. I would pick towns that never had a dark history. A place where people felt comfortable. I would rent a home for cash only and make up a name. I would only stay for a month, just long enough to pick a victim. Then I varied how I killed them and even what I did with the body. It was like an experiment each time I had killed the person. Then eventually I had perfected it, and I knew what I wanted...” Alexander stopped.
“You seem to be able to talk about it so openly.” Gabriel said.
“Yes I have always been a talker, I could most likely talk all night long if you let me.” Alexander said.
“I just don't understand how you got pleasure from it.” Gabriel said.
“I am not sure if even I could answer that. I know I almost felt nothing in life until I started killing. I was never rude to my victims though. I would even give them a final meal, let them listen to their favorite song one last time, or even write a note to their loved ones. It must have been freeing for them, to know they got a chance to say goodbye. Of course some took my generosity and tried to turn it into a weakness. They would try to convince me not to kill them. Yet none would really fight back, it was like they felt so comfortable with me. Just when they started to think I would let them go, that is when I would do it. It was like a surge of adrenaline, a high that no drug could give you. You knew that you got to play god and you were no longer the prey of mankind, but the predator.” Alexander said as he laid down in the grass.
Gabriel laid back as well and remained silent. He had heard more than enough for one night. Alexander reminded him so much of Apollyon. They both got some sort of pleasure from the destruction of mankind. They looked upon them like a plague. Maybe it was just how they were wired and there was no changing it. Gabriel laid there waiting for Alexander to try and murder him. Every time a piece of grass brushed his skin he would flinch.
“Do not be afraid Gabriel, my pleasures were woman and children.” Alexander said laughing. The words sent chills down Gabriel's spine. Not of fear but of rage, Gabriel did not want to be in the same time zone as Alexander. The fact that he of all people came back had disgusted him. It was such a waste for a man like him to be alive. Then he realized that the thoughts he was having were similar to those that Alexander wanted him to have. He wanted him to want to kill, to prove a point. To show Gabriel that he was no better than he was.
“I was never afraid of the dark, it was always creatures of the light that haunted me.” Jack said as he too was laying down. Although Gabriel had slept he was still tired and shut his eye's. A part of Gabriel was hoping that Alexander would try to attack him. That way he could justify the second execution of Alexander.
Maybe Alexander needed a second chance though. Maybe he had already served his sentence. After all he was sentenced to death, and he was executed. Gabriel was unsure if that was enough to wipe his slate clean though. He said it himself that a serial killer would not stop killing once started. Alexander might just be waiting for his moment to kill again.
Gabriel started to think that maybe death was keeping them there for a reason. None of them should be a part of the world once again. Even though now it was just complete divine anarchy. Alexander might have to still serve his sentence with death. The jester seemed to have rage issues and he could snap at any moment. Jack had a major identity crisis, as though a whole group of people was living inside of him.
But what did death want with Gabriel. Maybe she knew that she was the only thing who could save him from the world, the divine, and himself. But Apollyon would surely find them, there was no place that they could hide. He had already taken over what appeared to be a large portion of the united states. From the coast all the way to the small mountain town of Axal.
“Trying to sleep is a chess match. Except the pieces are emotion and the game is strategic madness.” A voice from Jack said as he tossed and turned on the ground. Gabriel got up and looked, he could see that Alexander was already asleep. Gabriel could see a shadow creeping up to them in the darkness. He could not make the figure out until he was right above Alexander. Gabriel could see it was the jester hovering just above Alexander.
“The jester placed one finger up to his lips to make a shush gesture to Gabriel. Gabriel knew what he was about to do. Part of him wanted to stop it but then he thought about all the lives Alexander had taken. Gabriel just laid back down in the grass and clinched his eye's shut. Gabriel would not decide the fate of Alexander and left it in the hands of the jester.
“Hey!” Alexander yelled in a muffled voice. Gabriel could only hear what was happening. It sounded like the jester was strangling Alexander.
“Stop it!” Jack shouted in his own voice. Now that Jack was involved Gabriel had no choice but to get up. Even though all he wanted to do was lay there and listen to them kill one another. But Gabriel knew whoever was left standing might come for him next. Yet more importantly Gabriel knew he might need them to get away from death herself. Looking up Gabriel could see the jester on top of Alexander choking the life out of him. While Jack stood over the jester kicking him in the side. Jack was just a small man and could not get the much larger jester off of Alexander. Quickly getting to his feet Gabriel ran over and started trying to pry the jester off.
“Once this is all over I will let you two kill each other. Right now we need to figure out how to evade death long enough to escape!” Gabriel said as he put all of his strength into pulling the jester off. Finally the jester just went limp in Gabriel's hands and his hands let go of the grip they had around Alexanders neck. He went so limp that Gabriel could not hold him up and the jester fell to the ground next to Alexander.
That is when Gabriel saw what had happened. Somehow Alexander had a knife and stabbed it into the jester during the attack. The knife blade shined in the moonlight. That is the part that was not covered in blood. Dropping to the ground Gabriel rolled the jester over. His eye's as still as they were in the office of the cop after he had been shot. It was all over and maybe the jester was finally free of his anger and hate.
“Why did you kill him!” Gabriel shouted as him and Alexander both got to their feet.
“Well.....Maybe you didn't get the memo but I am after all a killer! Not to mention the fact that he was about to kill me!” Alexander said. The words confirmed what Gabriel had feared. Alexander was still as much of a killer as he ever was.
“Lets get one thing straight, you kill another person and I will put you in a gift basket for her!” Gabriel said pointing at the creature in the field with them. She looked over at them with cold eye's and hovered just above the ground over to the jester. Her approach was enough to silence them. She landed just above the jesters head and looked down on him. With one of her talons she prodde
d at the jester and looked down at him.
“Caww Ghahh” She shouted as she launched onto the corpse of the jester with both talons. With one powerful flap of her wings she entered the sky. The wind was so violent that it kicked dirt up into their faces. Gabriel looked up into the sky as the Jesters limp body dangled in the talons of death.
“Was that a threat?” Alexander whispered.
“I can tell you one thing Alexander, you have met your match. You have finally met someone that you will never be able to kill, or get any pleasure from.” Gabriel said pulling the knife from Alexanders hand. He gave it up without much resistance.
“Oh but you are wrong I am already getting pleasure just of the thought of killing you.” Alexander said with his permanent smile. Gabriel walked away and started heading down towards the creek running through the field. The blood on the blade was now on Gabriel's hands as well. It was already starting to dry onto his hands. The feeling was making his skin crawl. Once down to the creek Gabriel put his hands and the blade into the cold water. As the blood was washed away from his skin Gabriel tucked the blade into his pocket and laid down next to the creek.
The air along the creek was much cooler than it was in the field. Reaching up to his neck Gabriel fumbled around for the pendant. Gabriel looked into the colors, it was almost like trying to choose a TV channel of insanity. Blue was his gateway to Odin, Morrighan was red, and then the destroyer, Apollyon was yellow.
“Firgga?” Gabriel said pressing his fingers to the Yellow pendant. It wasn't the correct way to use the pendant but Gabriel was instantly thrust into the land of Apollyon. Apollyon was still on his flying creature and Gabriel was flying along next to him. The earth below was covered in flames. Gabriel tried to figure out where they were but it was useless. All he could see was a burning port, and a part of Apollyon's legion loading onto a ship.
Just off the shore from the port was other cruise ships that were leaving. One was completely on fire on the back end. Demons tossed corpses into the flames completely unaware that they were on a sinking ship. There was no way that the flames could be controlled yet the demons just added fuel to the fire.
Apollyon's beast swooped down and sharply turned towards the earth. Gabriel could see a small congregation of demons waiting in the parking lot of the port. Gabriel gently touched down to earth though his body tensed up expecting the normal crash landing. Apollyon jumped down off the flying beast and walked over to the demons.
“Well where is he?” Apollyon asked walking around behind the demons.
“Why....” Apollyon shouted.
“Have you NOT found him?” Apollyon said as his face turned red in the flicker of flames.
“She....Came and took him!” One large demon with twisted horns said looking down at the ground.
“Then WHY are you not out searching for him?” Apollyon said.
“We.....We will find HIM!” Another demon said turning and running off with a group of other demons.
“This is just unacceptable, we should already have over half of the world under my command. Yet all we have is this corrupted country. I already had this land taken over before the legion even got here. Yet it took us way too long to set up our operations. Now you find him, and get these floating machines across the sea!” Apollyon said with anger seething from his lips.
“Don't worry my lord, we will find him and then make quick work of those heathen gods!” The demon with twisted horns said.
“You better hope so, because those ancient god's should be little match for us. Then again we can't even float away from the shore without burning down our transportation! Now he could not have gotten far, burn down all the forests, towns....Turn this land into a scorched hell and then he will show his face!” Apollyon said as he walked back over to the flying creature. The demons turned and started running away from him in all directions.
Gabriel knew that Apollyon was talking about him. But what more did he have for Gabriel, he built his legion and has all he ever wanted. What more could he do with Gabriel? Just as Gabriel's feet left the ground he grabbed a hold of the pendant and clinched it in his hands. Closing his eyes he opened his mouth and thought for a moment of what to say.
“Midgards calling!” Gabriel shouted into the darkness.