Dreams, gifts and memories

 
Lisa was blissfully unaware of the drama playing out around her. Although her body and mind fought against one another, one small part of her consciousness remained calm. Calm and peaceful. She saw the history of life play out before her eyes, the very birth and death of civilizations, and although a small voice told her that she should be terrified, she remained calm and detached. It was as though she were watching a movie that she had seen a dozen times, she knew what was about to take place but it held her interest enough that she was driven to watch it again.

After seeing the collapse of the Roman Empire, Lisa lost interest. She had physically been there for most of what was going to take place next, so there was nothing to be learned. She idly wondered if there were a way she could replay certain events, if she could find out the truth behind the destruction of her family in the human realm. Since realizing that Lucifer was actually her child, she had wanted nothing so much as to forget everything that had led up to this moment. But now she wanted to know the WHY, not just the what.

Concentrating on the exact moment she first laid eyes on her newborn son, Lisa willed herself to experience it all over again. She focused on that one moment, the moment no mother ever forgets, when the helpless little baby expelled his first cry.

Suddenly Lisa wasn’t watching events, she was taking part in them. It was as though the last thousand years had yet to happen. She was actually sitting there, propped up on feather pillows and cradling her infant son in her arms. A large, warm hand rested on her shoulder and without looking she realized that it was Titus, the only man she had ever truly loved.

Turning her head slightly, she drank in the sight of him as he had been all those many years ago. His black hair was messy, tousled by his fingers. She was amazed that she remembered that, he always raked his hand through his hair when he was anxious or worried. His chiseled jawline was dark with stubble a physical testament to his worry. He always took great pride in being clean shaven, so he couldn’t have shaven in a day or else there wouldn’t as much as a shadow on his cheek.

Her heart clinched in pain. She knew this day was only a few months before they were ripped apart. She still didn’t understand why, why had the universe allowed it to happen, why had her grandmother not intervened for her? Shaking her head, she made the decision that this moment was a gift, and that she should enjoy it while she could.

Holding her baby a little bit tighter, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

We are West Virginia

The thunder shook the house waking me from a deep sleep.  Lightning flashed like a strobe light making strange patterns through the bedroom curtains.  The rain pouring down on my tin roof, a sound that usually comforted me, sounded like the thundering hoofs of a thousand horses.

I got up and went into the living room, I knew the storm would prevent the satellite from connecting, so I grabbed my laptop prayed I could connect long enough to check the weather.  As the interactive radar slowly loaded, I was stunned by the amount of red that covered our state.

To the South and the East of me the map showed massive amounts of rain and lightning strikes.  I whispered a prayer that everyone would make it through the storm and then I climbed into bed and tried to get a little more sleep.

And still it rained.

I awoke with a start as another loud clap of thunder shook my little house.  It was daylight so I had apparently slept for a couple of hours.  Staggering to the kitchen to make coffee, I turned on the television.  Of course, with the weather being so bad, the satellite would not connect.

I connected to the internet and logged into Facebook.  Pictures of the devastation scrolled by, houses flooded, roads under water……tears streaked my face.

And still it rained.

The day dragged by, spotty reception making it seem longer than it actual was.

And still it rained.

I stood on the porch and looked across my flooded yard.  I live on a ridge, high out of the flood plain, yet the rain came down so fast that the water didn’t have a chance to drain.  Thunder roared like a trapped beast and lightning cut across the darkened sky.  I worried for those that lived in low laying areas.

And still it rained.

The television finally connected and I turned to a local station.  “Local” for me being a station almost one hundred miles away.  The pictures they were showing were heart wrenching, houses completely under water, only their roofs showing, roads entirely covered, bridges gone.  The streets of Richwood as boulders larger than I am were washed down the streets.  Clendenin as the water raised deeper and deeper.  White Sulphur Springs as houses began to float away and then burst into flames as the propane tanks exploded.  I cried for the trapped, I cried for the lost and for the loss of everything.

And still it rained, the sky emitting a torrent of tears for what had been done.

And then the rain stopped, but the water did not.

It poured out of river banks, it slammed across  fields and golf courses, it crested against bridges building up a barrier of broken trees and items it had stolen from the many houses it had destroyed, it weighed against the bridges until the bridges could stand no more and they too joined in the fray of broken items roaring away with the river.

Land was literally stolen from underneath the roadways, causing the roads to collapse and disappear with the very thing that caused their destruction. 

The sound of the thunder was all but drowned out by the cries of the people and the sound of the raging river.  Slowly the thunder faded, leaving behind a thunder of a different sort……..the thunder of a thousand prayers going up for those impacted by the floods.   The river still raged, the wind still blew, but the prayers and good energy flew straight and true.

The devastation was and is enormous.  The losses uncountable.  The loss of everything you’ve ever worked for, of everything you have ever owned is minuscule in comparison to the loss of lives.  Brothers lost to the raging water, Mothers lost to not only the flood but the burning of homes,
Children without anything wondering if they will ever see their siblings again. 

The rain had turned to tears.

The pain our State feels, the devastation we are suffering brings even the strongest of us to tears.  Not only have our neighbors lost their homes, their possessions, their lives, but now they are faced with a foot or more of mud, mud that contaminates everything it touches, mud that could cause death as surely as the rain did.  Some places are still under water, or have standing water pooled around it, standing water that is a perfect breeding ground for disease carrying insects and bacteria.

The tears have slowed, although they may never stop.

Amidst all of the devastation there are bright spots.  Neighbors coming from miles away with food and water, bleach and cleaning supplies.  Those same neighbors rolling up their sleeves to receive the shots they must have in order to help clean up the mess Mother Nature left behind.  Strangers that live miles away becoming friends as they deliver water and supplies to those who had something to go back “home” to or offer places to stay to those who have lost even the buildings that contained their lives.

An older man who had lost his beloved wife a few years ago and was overwhelmed by the destruction the flood left behind.  He was happy he still had the “home” he shared with his wife, but devastated that all the things that reminded him of her were now beyond saving.  Until they reached the bedroom.  There, on the headboard lay his wife’s Bible.  It was wet and covered in mud, but it, unlike the other books in the home, was in one piece.  Not one page was even so much as bent, each and every printed word was still there as was his beloved wife’s handwriting.  Everyone’s cheeks were once again wet with tears only this time they were tears of gratitude as the elderly man laid that precious book on the bannister to dry. 

A family devastated by the loss of their beloved son only a few years ago to a war they didn’t understand or support, were dealt a double blow.  Their home was gone, washed away by the raging power of the flood.  Out of all the things they lost, the pictures of their son was the only thing that could never be replaced.  Then as the cleanup began and the magnitude of what had happened began to sink in, a miracle happened.  Someone walked up holding out a framed picture, it had been found almost five hundred yards from where the house once stood.  Smiling up from the mud smeared glass was their son.  The picture was almost dry and even the glass hadn’t been broken.  Now, they said, now they can go on.

A couple that had been camping by the river and was now presumed dead, found alive and safe miles away from the destruction.

A beloved pet found, wet and frightened, but alive and well.

A young boy whose family had lost everything they possessed, radiant with happiness as a National Guard service man handed him a new hat.  Now the little boy HAD something of his very own, something that wasn’t covered in mud or washed downstream.

People from all over Appalachia coming to the aid of their “hillbilly” neighbors as food and water begin to arrive.  Then Appalachia hands them another miracle, people from all over pour in to assist in any way they can, where ever they can.

West Virginia still needs supplies, we need water and non perishable food, we need bleach and cleaning supplies, rubber gloves and steel toed boots, diapers and formula, dog food and cat litter, shampoo and soap, deodorant and toothpaste. We will need hammers and nails, boards and drywall, and all of the other things it takes to build houses and we will need sheets and towels, pots and pans, dishes and silverware.  We will need everything because we are starting all over again.

We will need assistance in cleaning up and rebuilding, because we will rebuild. 

That is who we are, we are strong, we are resilient, we are stubborn and we are humble.

We stand proudly beside one another.

We help those we can.

We are Appalachia, We ARE West Virginia.  

Secrets Uncovered

Dionysus cowered in his bed as the sound of Nyx’s voice echoed across Olympus. A small part of his brain wondered if every sound from Lethe’s chambers echoed that way, and if it did what their lovemaking must have sounded like. Not that they actually made love, it was more like fighting a war each and every time he and Lethe got together.

The satisfied smirk that had begun to play across his generous mouth changed into a grimace of pain as hands made entirely of shadows snatched him from his hiding place and launched him toward the door. No one could hide from the primordial Goddess, as he was personally finding out. Pain flared as the fingers of darkness sank into his flesh and dragged him toward a place he swore he would never return.

The door burst open just as he was flung toward it, leaving him to land in a tangled heap at the feet of the one woman he wished to never see again. Lethe’s eyes bulged as she realized who the babbling mess on the floor in front of her was.

She wailed like a banshee before launching herself at him. “You fat, worthless bastard. I said..”

Nyx flashed out a hand and Lethe was slammed to the floor with such force the tiles burst.

“Enough! I do NOT care about your petty quarrel with this slug, I only care that he helps your sister. Afterwards you may tear him limb from limb. Just don’t get blood on my dress.” Even now, amidst all the turmoil, Nyx managed to keep her dark humor.

“Get up, Dionysus, and be quick about it. My patience is wearing thin and you are treading on it.” Nyx turned her black eyes in his direction causing him to quiver with fear. “Stop shaking and stand up. You were man enough to seduce my granddaughter, now be man enough to cure her sister.”

Before Dionysus could respond he was propelled toward the small, feminine form draped across the couch. Although he had never met her, he knew this was Lethe’s sister, whom they called Lisa. From the way her head lolled back, it was obvious she was dead drunk.

“What’s the hurry? She’s only drunk.” Dionysus regretted saying it as soon as the words left his lips. Nyx would not have dragged him here if her granddaughter was merely drunk, there was something he was missing.

His head jerked as a hard slap made his ears ring. No one had come near him and yet he felt as though he had been kicked by a mule.

“She drank uncut Ambrosia. And entire jug of it.” Mitch said in a calm voice. Dionysus stiffened at the sound of his voice, there was no love lost between them and Mitch had vowed that if he ever laid eyes on Dionysus again he would have his head. Literally.

Dionysus swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. This was bad, oh this was so bad. Uncut Ambrosia caused even the most stable of their kind to be unpredictable and dangerous. And from what he had heard Lisa most certainly wasn’t stable, and she was unpredictable and dangerous to start with. This was so bad.

“Don’t just stand there, DO SOMETHING!!” The glass in the windows broke and the plaster walls cracked from the force of Nyx’s demands. “NOW!”

Dionysus took a tentative step toward the Ambrosia drunk goddess, unsure that anything he could do would make a difference in the outcome. But he had to do something or else die in the most painful of ways. The Primordial Goddess could make even Zeus cry like a baby and she had proven that she enjoyed killing her enemies only to bring them back and kill them again. He was so fucked.

Reaching out his hand, he laid his palm against Lisa’s forehead. Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to sink into her drunk mind. Visions of blood and death invaded him, pain racked his body as he dove even deeper into her Ambrosia clouded thoughts. The Ambrosia had amplified her powers, chaos and confusion clouded his thoughts as he struggled to absorb the magic laden liquor. Never before had he struggled with such darkness, usually when one of the others had gotten a hold of his uncut version of Ambrosia they couldn’t consume more than a mouthful before the power overwhelmed them and sent them spiraling into unconsciousness.

His body contorted as yet more images of death racked his senses. He realized that Lisa was the granddaughter of Nyx, but until now he didn’t realize that she was a direct descendent of the Primordial, more powerful than even the oldest among them. He had to absorb as much of the magic as he could or else they would all suffer the final Death, of that he was sure. His fear of Nyx took second place to the terror he felt as he drew more and more of the Ambrosia into himself, for with it came the knowledge that only the One was more powerful than the Ambrosia drunk woman that lay before him.

Nyx paced restlessly as she watched the Drunkard God attempt to save her granddaughter. She idly wondered how much Dionysus would discover as he sucked in the poison that coursed through Lisa’s system. With that thought came another, darker one, would she have to destroy him to keep the family secret from being discovered? She almost felt sorry for him, almost, but not quite, for he had brought this upon himself by screwing around with one of her grandchildren.

Mitch stood quietly across the room. He looked at his Mother, wondering if she realized that he was aware of who and what Lisa actually was. Did Nyx actually believe that her manipulation wouldn’t be found out? Did she think that she could hide the power of the universe inside one of them and the rest wouldn’t discover it? His Mother was not a fool, yet to do what she had done was foolish. Perhaps her love for them had overshadowed her fear of making a mistake, or perhaps her quest for power allowed her to use them all for her own purposes.

No matter the outcome of this little situation, Mitch was determined to find out exactly what his Mother was up to. He only hoped that Lisa would survive the effects of the Ambrosia with at least some of her senses intact. She had gone insane once before and they had dealt with it the best they could, but now her powers were awakened and there was no way they could control her the way they once had.

Lisa moaned and began to thrash about, throwing her arms up in a defensive posture. Nyx’s eyes turned to slits of midnight as she stared at the scene that played out before her, if Dionysus did not manage to save her grandchild she would tear him apart bit by bit. Lethe crept closer to her sister, fear turning her already pale skin even whiter. Placing a hand on Dionysus shoulder, she lent him her strength to continue.

Visions flashed before her eyes. Darkness, so complete it rivaled death, cold and still. The flares of light, strong, white light and the sound of a thousand voices singing in harmony. She realized she had just experienced the birth of the planets, the beginnings of life as it was now known to be. Then pain racked her body, the smell of blood and death invaded her senses as the she saw the first people destroyed. Before she could collapse under the weight of those visions, Mitch lowered her to the couch beside her sister and took her place, his hand resting upon the shoulder of Dionysus as his power joined the younger god’s in a battle that could end them all.

Nyx was frozen in place as she watched the scene play out. Now they would all know that Lisa was more than she seemed. Now they would all realize the true reason for the theft of her granddaughter’s memories, for the death of her family’s human bodies and the reason Nyx had allowed her to suffer so. The silent war that had been fought since creation would be laid bare before anyone that attempted to clean Lisa of the poisoned wine that ran through her system.

For the first time since she blossomed into life, Nyx felt fear.

Wine and Tears

 
Mitch, aka Death, could hear the laughter of the three goddesses echoing from the heavens. Although he was glad that his Mother had finally been reunited with her grand-daughter, Mitch knew that any laughter echoing from those particular chambers was not a good sign. Nyx was a loving Mother, but she had never learned to be loving to anyone, or thing for that matter, that she wasn’t closely related to.

Years of exile from Olympus had taken its’ toll on her, primordial beings were not the most stable creatures to begin with and being alone for millennia had pushed that stability to its limits. Now she was reunited with two of the most screwed up members of their family. And they were laughing.
‘This is not good.’ Mitch sighed. ‘I guess I’m going to have to pay Mother a visit.’

Steeling himself for the onslaught that he knew he was about to face, Mitch waved his hand and blinked as his kitchen faded from view. Traveling between earth and Olympus was never pleasant for his kind, and today was no exception. Before he could focus on the room that had shimmered into existence before him, Mitch was tackled.

“Thanatos! My son!” Darkness enveloped him, shimmering pinpoints of light covered his body as Nyx embraced him. “Where have you been all this time? Why haven’t you come to see me?”

Nyx stepped back and looked at her son. Streaks of glitter stardust etched trails on her cheeks as the pleasure of seeing the youngest of her twin boys. Hypnos, Mitch’s twin, came to her abode as often as his duties allowed, which in the last few hundred years wasn’t often. But Thanatos, or Mitch as he preferred to be called, had stayed away for over a thousand years now.

“Son?! He’s your son, my uncle?” Lisa was stunned. She didn’t know if she could handle many more surprises today. First she bites a man and tastes his blood which drove her insane. Then she wakes up in her sister’s bed, a sister she hadn’t remembered she even had until said sister replaced the memories she had stolen. Then her Grannyx waltzes in and she finds out her arch enemy was actually her son, alive and well and not beheaded and long buried. She also finds out her husband, the man she had given up her god-head for, was actually NOT a man but a demi-god instead. And now she finds out that the being that had been the root cause of her human death and subsequent state as one of the almost dead, and now one of the who the fuck knows what, was actually her uncle.

“I need a drink. Lee do you have any Ambrosia?” Lisa blurted. “I seriously need a drink. Hell, I need an entire jug.”

Lisa collapsed on the couch and watched as her sister and grandmother made over the handsome man she now knew was her blood kin. Shaking her head, she got up and began to search her sister’s chambers for the supply of Ambrosia that Lisa knew she always kept on hand. Opening the ornate cabinet that sat directly across from the couch, Lisa found a large, silver jug filled with the wine of the Gods. Forgoing the goblet, Lisa took a swig directly from the jug and collapsed into one of the many comfortable chairs that graced the chamber.

The jug was half empty by the time Nyx and Lethe were done fawning over “Thanatos”, as they called him. Lisa had a vague memory of time spent with the young looking man, a time of laughter and fun, but it was only a vague memory. The memory of staring at his ass while following him into the street where a bus smeared her all over the street.

“You realize you’re fawning over the reason I was turned into steak tartar by a bus a few years back, don’t you? Steak tartar that ended up being a flesh eating ghoul whose nose fell off with great frequency.” Lisa’s voice was loud and her words were beginning to slur. “Did you know that a dead human tastes like a cross between peanut butter and moldy bread?”

At that disgusting statement Nyx whirled around to face her granddaughter. Lisa was sprawled across the chair, the jug of Ambrosia tilted crazily in her grasp. Nyx reached out a hand and the jug eased out of her granddaughter’s grasp to float gently to the table where it settled down with a quiet thud.
“You, my dear, are thoroughly drunk.” Nyx stated disgustedly.

“Drunk?” Lethe’s voice held a note of horror. “Oh my heart, she’s more than drunk. That Ambrosia wasn’t cut. She’s going to be hallucinating and who knows what. Oh Grannyx, we have to do something, she’ll be totally out of control.”

“She’s always out of control.” Mitch mumbled. “it’s nothing new……”

He never had a chance to finish his statement before he flew across the room, shadows whirling and boiling around him. Nyx glared at him, her eyes completely black, her hair moving around her head like a living thing and darkness seeping from every pore.

“Keep your mouth shut, boy, before I shut it for you!” Her voice carried across the heavens, the gods froze in place, each battling terror that the Mother of all Darkness was speaking to them.

Mitch, however, was unimpressed. He had been subjected to his Mother’s outburst his entire existence, and this one was a mild one. Springing to his feet, he brushed imagery dust from his clothing and raked a hand through his hair.

“Really, Mother?” Mitch asked. “We both know that she has been out of control for eons, so why is this incident so special?”

Nyx sighed as the shadows surrounded her eased out of existence. Her son was correct, as much as she hated to admit it her favorite grandchild had always been a bit of a problem child.

“Thanatos, it’s uncut Ambrosia. Any one of us would have difficulty handling her if she decides to take vengeance on us.” Nyx shook her head. “It would be a chore even for me. Now be a good boy and go fetch Dionysus. Tell him I said to come here this instant.”

“Dionysus? Oh Hells no!” Lethe shrieked. “That drunk, useless bastard is NOT here. You can take her to him, but he is NOT coming into my chambers!”

“Not come into your chambers!” Lisa laughed. “Oh that’s GOOD sister!! From what I hear that ‘drunk, useless bastard’ has ‘come’ into every single one of your chambers more than once.”

Lisa began to laugh hysterically at her Grandmother’s reaction to that little tidbit of news. She watched as the blood drained from Nyx’s face, leaving her as pale as Death. Speaking of Death, even Mitch was stunned by the revelation that his beautiful niece had been screwing the God of Wine.

Lethe was as white as a sheet. She didn’t realize anyone knew of her dalliance with Dion, at least she had fooled herself into believing that it was secret. She should have known that her sister had only to take one look at her in order to uncover every dark secret she had attempted to hide.

“Dionysus?” Her Grandmother demanded, her voice raising in volume with every word. “You’re sleeping with Dionysus? Why? Have you finally run out of innocent humans to destroy? Of all the pricks on Olympus you HAD to pick that one, didn’t you?”

If Lethe’s actions with the God of Wine had been a secret it was quickly becoming a topic of discussion for every household in the heavens. Mitch almost pitied the stupid child, almost but not quite.

Lethe exploded in anger and humiliation at her Grandmother’s questions. No one was supposed to find out about the relationship she had with Dionysus, now the entire realm would know.

Olympus trembled at the sounds issuing forth from the chambers of the Goddess of Forgetfulness.

The Devil Cries

 
Lucifer twisted on his bed, his body covered with a cold sweat. Strange voices, women’s voices, echoed in his head.

“….child of your body.” One said.

“They’re alive, they’re all alive”, said another.

His father’s voice joined the women’s, “She’s your mother.”

Then the echoes of laughter, maniacal, insane laughter, rang in his head.

With the laughter came flashes of memories, brief moments in time that his mind had buried so deeply that he hadn’t realized they existed. His mother, dressed as a warrior, blood splattered across her vest. A man that looked vaguely familiar stood slightly behind her, a look of adoration on his face.

A little boy, dark eyes shining, looking at him with a smile as he held out a frog like an offering. His mother again, her long, flowing hair glittering in the sunlight; a happy smiled on her face as she looked loving at him and the little boy.

The memory of thundering hoofs, the screams of dying men and the sickening smell of roasting flesh pierced his mind. A flash of his mother, held captive by strangely dressed men, screaming out his name…..he couldn’t hear what she was saying, but he knew it was his name.

Pain lanced through his chest, his mother screamed and struggled all the harder until one of the men drove his lance through her stomach. His vision darkened at the edges even as she sank to the blood soaked ground and reached out to him.

Then darkness, complete and silent, followed by maniacal laughter again. Satan’s laughter. The creature he thought to be his father had laughter at a child’s death.

Lucifer sprang from the bed, his clothes sticking to his damp body. Fear, anger and some emotion he couldn’t identify raged in his chest. Shedding his clothes, he stomped to the bathroom. Making the water as hot as possible, he stepped into the shower. His skin blazed red immediately, but he took no notice. Grabbing his scrubby, he scoured his skin, rinsed and did it again. By the time the water was cooling he was beet red from head to toe, and still he felt dirty.

His mother. The woman he had lusted after was his mother. No amount of soap would wash that off. Yeah, he was kinky, he’d been into the absurdly strange sex that pushed all limits. But his MOTHER? He lusted after his own mother? He knew she was his Mother, the flashes of memory he had experienced confirmed that one simple fact.

And the other little boy? The vague figure of a man behind his mother? In a flash he knew. The little boy had been his brother, a brother that he had no memory of. He couldn’t remember having a family, only Satan and that twisted bitch he had been forced to call Mother. Lilith was not the mothering type, although she was the mother of millions.

Lucifer experienced a feeling in his chest, a tightness that made it difficult to breathe. Spots appeared before his eyes and he felt a strange sensation behind his eyes. He had never been sick, had never suffered the pains of illness. So the feeling in his guts was not anything that he could identify until it was too late. He vomited before he knew he was going to.

Standing under the now cold water, Lucifer cried for the first time in his long existence.

Laughter and tears

 
Lisa couldn’t believe her children were alive. And well. Or as well as any demi-gods could ever be. Although she was sitting right next to her grandmother and sister, she couldn’t hear a word they were saying. The only sound that registered was the beat of her heart and the long forgotten sound of her beloved’s voice.

Lethe stared at her sister with pity. She didn’t deserve the things that had been done to her, the pain she had suffered. Tears coursed down Lethe’s cheeks as she realized the enormity of the betrayal she had inflected upon her sister. If Lethe hadn’t erased all of her memories and emotions, Lisa could have had a relatively normal life. Well, normal for a Demi-god anyway.

Nyx watched the emotions that played across her grand-daughters faces. As a first God, she could have prevented all of this, but the master plan called for their suffering and pain. Nyx had withdrawn from everyone once the deed had been done, she couldn’t bear to face any living thing that displayed happiness or love. Alone in her darkness encased castle, she had brooded for hundreds of years. The One True God had spoken to her several times, consoling her and trying to ease her suffering. HE didn’t understand, as long as blood of her blood suffered, she suffered as well. But now, now that they were all together again and all of them remembered what had taken place, Nyx knew the time was drawing near. The time to destroy the evil being that had twisted all of their lives. Too bad the One True God didn’t believe his creation deserved to be destroyed. Nyx, as a primordial being, knew true evil when she saw it and Satan had gone beyond true evil into the realm of indescribable evil. The Big Guy saw good in all things; Nyx knew that wasn’t the reality of it.

“Girls,” Nyx began, her voice quiet and deadly, “we have to get our shit together and fix this. We can’t afford the luxury of feeling sorry for ourselves.”

Hearing their Grannyx say ‘get our shit together’ was enough to shock both girls out of their reveries. Never before had they seen this side of their grandmother, to them she had been a stern, but loving, person who had a wonderful, if dark, sense of humor. This woman, this goddess covered in darkness and glistening with newly born stars, was a stranger to them.

“Get our shit together?”, Lisa echoed. “Did I just hear you say ‘get our shit together’? What has happened to this family since I’ve been gone? Where is the dignity, where is the righteous anger?”

Lethe couldn’t stop the giggle that escaped her at Lisa’s comments. Leave it to her little sister to get to the heart of the matter in mere moments. Glancing at her grandmother, Lethe saw that Nyx fought the smile that threatened to creep across her face.

“Yes, I said we need to get our shit together. I realize I live in a cave, but I do have cable you know.” Nyx said indignantly.

Lisa’s eyes bugged out and she began to cackle like an old witch. Never before had she heard anything so hilarious. Lethe fought a losing battle with laughter, in a matter of seconds she joined her sister in gales of laughter.

Soon the booming chuckle of a primordial goddess joined in. Reigning in control was impossible, all the women had to do was to look at one another and the laughter would burst forth again. It seemed as though centuries of pent up humor had escaped and now refused to be controlled. The halls of the Gods rang with their laughter for hours as all of the pain, the betrayal and the sorrow as washed away on a tide of sheer hilarity.

The other gods trembled with fear, never before had they heard such sounds issue forth from the halls of the chaos gods. Something horrible was headed their way, they were sure.

Twisted threads

 
“Sister? Sister, are you awake?” A quiet voice interrupted visions of death and blood. “Sister, I know you are awake.”

Lisa’s jaw clenched. That voice, she knew that voice. And she had hoped to never hear it again. It belonged to her sister, Lethe, the goddess of forgetfulness. The bitch that had taken all of her memories and left her an empty shell.

“Don’t touch me!” Lisa growled as a hand gently caressed her back. “Get away from me before I do something we will both regret.”

Lethe continued to rub her sister’s back. She knew that no matter how angry her little sister became, there was nothing she could do to her or any of the other siblings. That was one of the limits their grandmother, Nyx, had put on each of them at birth. Nyx was a wise woman, she knew that each of the fifteen half siblings were capable of destroying the others and she would never allow one of her blood to kill another of her blood. Being a primordial deity her power had no limitations, so what Nyx wanted, Nyx got.

Lisa sprang up from the bed, her eyes flashing red. She knew she could not cause her sister physical damage, but she damn sure cause her pain. The look on Lethe’s face caused Lisa’s anger and pain to disappear. Love shone from Lethe’s eyes. Love was something Lisa had not experienced in years, and seeing her sister look at her with such a gentle emotion caused something inside her to let go.

“Why, Lee, why did you take my memories of him?” Lisa didn’t attempt to hide the tears that glistened in her eyes. “His memory was the only thing I had left and you took it. You left me utterly alone.”

Lethe stood and wrapped her arms around her little sister. There was nothing she could do to right the wrong she had done to her, but she could try to comfort her, try to explain to her why it had to be done.

“I had to, baby girl. I had no choice.” Lethe’s voice broke with emotion. “If I hadn’t you would have caused the destruction of us all.”

“You could have let me die.” Lisa’s voice was rough with defeat. “You could have let them destroy me as they did my children.”

“Baby girl!” Lethe cried, “Your children were not destroyed, they could not BE destroyed. They are the blood of Nyx, as are we. Nothing other than our grandmother can destroy us.”

Lisa stepped back stunned. Her children were alive? All of this had been for nothing?

“They live?” Lisa whispered. “They live and yet you did this to me? You took my memories, my power, my life. You allowed me to be turned into a monster that could only survive on human flesh. YOU LET MY NOSE FALL OFF!!”

‘Her nose fall off?’, thought Lethe. ‘What is she….’

Lethe never had time to finish the thought as Lisa’s fist caught her in the chin and knocked her out cold.

“I can’t believe that bitch would do this to me.” Lisa’s ranting and raving voice was the first thin Lethe heard, followed by the sounds of breaking glass and furniture being upset. “Let me be turned in to that, that THING. Let me think my children are dead, take every good and decent thing I’ve ever had away from me. THAT BITCH!”

Another resounding crash followed, then more cursing and muttering as Lisa destroyed Lethe’s rooms.

Bounding to her feet, Lethe staggered as the room spun. It could not be said that her little sister couldn’t throw a punch that much was for certain. Squinting her eyes in an attempt to stop the room from spinning, Lethe staggered toward the sitting room.

“Aite Lisaria! Stop that NOW!” Lethe’s own voice made her wince in pain. Damn, she hadn’t had a headache in centuries, she had forgotten how painful they truly were. “Calm down so I can tell you…”

A blinding pain laced her cheek. Lisa was standing right in front of her, her arm cocked to throw yet another punch.

“STOP IT RIGHT NOW!!” Darkness flared and a wave of power knocked down both women. Grandma Nyx had entered the building. “I HAVE HAD MY FILL OF YOU TWO!”

Lisa and Lethe found themselves pinned to the floor with invisible hands. They know it is useless to struggle, having tried that during the many times they had found themselves in similar positions as children. Lisa felt laughter begin to bubble in her chest as she realized the stupidity of her actions. Many times Grannyx, as they called their Grandmother, had told her that for a goddess she acted more like a stupid human.

The giggle that escaped Lisa’s lips caused a similar reaction in Lethe. She too had been remembering the times she and her baby sister had fought as children and the punishment that followed. Grannyx had been known to leave them pinned to the floor for days at a time, having forgotten about them after their squabbles ended.

“Grannyx, I’m so glad to see you!” Although Nyx hadn’t actually appeared yet, Lisa knew she could hear her. “I’d hug you if you’d just pop in and let us up.”

Another wave of inky black seeped into the room, glittering lights that were thousands of stars struggling to be born. A cool breeze wafted through the room, carrying the scent of night blooming jasmine. Lisa couldn’t help but stare in awe, as she had always done when her Grandmother made an appearance.

The pressure holding the women to the floor lessened as Nyx appeared in the middle of the room. Her long dark hair glittered with pinpoints of light, her black eyes blazed. Grannyx was angry and Lisa was sure she was angry at them.

“Grannyx! It’s so good to see you!!” Lisa attempted to keep her voice from quivering with fear. She loved her grandmother, but she feared her more. Nyx was one of only a few beings that could put an end to everything. Literally everything.

“Don’t try it, girl.” Nyx’s voice was soft but held a note of anger. “It’s been centuries since I’ve seen you and it’s not that I’m not glad, but damn it, you two are grown goddess’, it’s about time you act like it.”

Lisa turned her head to see that Lethe was looking at her. Both women were afraid they had gone too far, Lethe especially quivered in terror. Lisa held a special place in Nyx’s heart, and she had no idea what had been done to her favorite grandchild. Lethe wondered if she would survive once Nyx found out.

“And you”, Nyx said, looking directly at Lethe. “How could you be so stupid to get drawn into this mess? If you’d kept your powers to yourself, we wouldn’t be facing extinction.”

‘Extinction?’, Lethe thought. ‘Had it really gotten that far?’

“Oh Great Nyx, I beg your forgiveness.” Lethe begged. “I was a fool, I allowed my heart to rule my mind even though you always taught us to be stronger than that. Please tell me how I can make amends for the mistakes I have made.”

Lisa giggled. She loved it that her sister felt the need to beg for forgiveness, it made her feel better than knocking her out had. Glancing at Nyx, the giggle froze in her throat. Grannyx was pissed, and not just at Lethe. She was angry at Lisa as well.

“Get up, both of you.” Nyx said, her voice still hard with anger. “We need to have a nice long talk. Or rather I need to talk and the two of you need to listen.”

Nyx repaired the destruction around her with a glance, then walked to the couch and sat down. Patting the cushions next to her, she looked at the woman and said, “Come on. I won’t bite.”

Lisa and Lethe got to their feet, both woman weak from the pressure that had held them immobile. Cautiously approaching the couch, they sat down on each side of the angry Goddess. Neither could help but flinch when Nyx threw her arms around them.

“It is good to see you, my girls. It does my old heart good.” Nyx whispered, her voice breaking with emotion. “Aite, my darling, it’s been too long since I held you in my arms.”

Lisa was overcome with emotion. She should have known her grandmother loved her and wouldn’t cause her any real damage. She snuggled closer to Nyx and sighed. It was good to be home for a change.

“Now girls”, began Nyx, never release them from her arms, “you two have really gotten into a fix this time. It’s going to take all our considerable powers to straighten it out.”

“I don’t understand, Grannyx. What have we done?” Lisa whispered.

“You and your sister have wasted too much time because of men.” Nyx spat. “Love is not for the weak, and you’ve both been weak. Now we have to fix the damage or else I will be alone for all eternity.”

Lisa and Lethe both attempted to respond, only to find themselves mute. Apparently Nyx didn’t have time for their explanations.

“I don’t want to hear your excuses, and I won’t hear them.” Nyx stated bluntly. “It’s your turn to listen and learn the truth. Both of you.”

“Aite, when you pissed off that fool Zeus and he threw you to earth, I sent the Litae to follow you. I couldn’t allow you to wander among the mortals without some safe guards. But you had to have things your way, like always.” Nyx shook her head in disgust. “Falling in love with one of them, enticing your sister to make you forget who you were so you could be with him. What were you thinking?”

“And you”, Nyx turned toward Lethe, “giving her false memories, leaving all that power unattended. You’re as big of a fool as she is.”

Nyx stood and began to pace the room, leaving the girls anchored to the couch.

“Having children? What did you think would happen? When the others found out about them they had to do something, anything, to prevent them from growing into their godheads.” Nyx was once again angry. “That was the first time I actually messed in the matters of mortals, only to find out they weren’t mortal at all. Not even half.”

Lisa was stunned. Godheads? Her children weren’t mortal; they were gods? They couldn’t be, Titus was human. Wasn’t he?

Nyx spun around, darkness seeping from her.

“No, HE IS NOT MORTAL.” Nyx yelled, able to hear their very thoughts. Lisa had never heard her grandmother yell before and now her ears bleed from the sound. “He is Prometheus! Even he is unaware. Only I, and your uncle, know his true nature. He had to be hidden from that conniving bastard Zeus, so your sister kindly wiped his memory as well. Good job, by the way Lethe.”

Nyx took a deep breath attempting to calm herself. Nothing good ever happened when she was upset and she hadn’t been this upset in eons. While Nyx was calming herself, Lisa glanced at Lethe. Her sister managed to look terrified, guilty and smug all at the same time. Good thing Nyx had anchored them where they were, otherwise Lisa would tear that smugness from Lethe’s face.

“Prometheus and you had three children, Aite, even though you are only aware of two. You are unaware of your daughter, Peitho. That bastard Zeus conspired with Satan to take your child and leave Lucifer in her place. I consider Lucifer to be your child, even though he is not from our direct line, he is the grandchild of my sister, Gaia, he is the child of your body.” Nyx began to look old and sad. Knowing she was causing her granddaughter such pain caused Nyx to age before their eyes.

With a wave of her hand, she released the sisters. Nyx was surprised when Lisa sprang from the couch and threw her arms about her. Squeezing her grandmother tightly, Lisa kept whispering, “They’re alive, they’re all alive.”

And Death lingers

 
Titus paced the empty kitchen. His life, his very existence, had changed so much in the last twenty-four hours. The thud-thud-thud of his heartbeat, something that he had not heard in centuries, made his head ache.

Stopping in front of the kitchen island, Titus looked down at the empty plates and realized that one was splattered with droplets of his blood. Snatching the plates up, he stomped across the kitchen to the sink and threw the delicate plates into it. The crash of porcelain against porcelain made him realize his mistake. Hanging his head and heaving a deep sigh, he began picking up pieces of the beautiful plates. The contrast between the broken dinnerware and his life crashed into him with such force it drove the breath from his body.

He too had been snatched up and slammed into an unfamiliar and unyielding situation. And now he felt as shattered and broken as the jagged pieces of porcelain he dumped into the trash.
A sudden change in temperature alerted him to the fact that he was no longer alone. Unsure of whether it was Democritus or the demon woman who had sank her teeth into him, Titus spun to face the intruder.

Democritus, or Mitch as demanded to be called, was slumped against the wall. His pale skin glimmered with sweat and his hair was in disarray. Titus sprang forward and managed to catch him seconds before he crumpled to the floor. Titus eased him down softly, then sat down beside him, unsure what to do.

“I’ll be fine, old friend.” Mitch whispered. “Just give me a few moments to adjust.”

‘Adjust’, thought Titus, ‘what a strange thing to say.’

Minutes passed like slowly as Titus watched the color return to Mitch’s face. It was strange to think that this man, if he actually was a man, was also the personification of Death. That Death could care about a living being was a concept that Titus was having difficulty with.

“She’ll be okay, in case you were wondering.” Mitch said as he slowly rose to his feet. “I got her there in time.”

“Got her where? What have you done with her?” Titus suddenly realized that it mattered to him, that she, the woman the so looked like his Aelia, was important to him.

Mitch was surprised by the emotion in Titus’ voice. Gone was the cold, cruel creature that he had snatched from Satan’s grasp and in his place was a man that resembled the warrior of old. Perhaps things were not as bad as he’d feared, maybe Titus could save her.

“I took her to Lethe, she’ll be safe there.” Mitch answered.

“LETHE? Why the fuck did you take her to that heartless bitch?” Titus raged. “You know what she is capable of, you know what she is. Damn it, I thought you said she would be okay.”

Titus began pacing the length of the kitchen floor, his footsteps loud and angry. Mitch watched him, a mixture of frustration and amusement fluttering in his chest. If the situation wasn’t so tenuous Mitch would be amused at the man’s statement. If anyone had reason to know what a bitch Lethe was, it was definitely Titus.

“Titus, calm down. We need to talk and we can’t do it with you wearing a hole in my tiles.” Mitch said as he sank onto one of the bar-stools. “Fix us some coffee. You DO know how to fix coffee, don’t you? I mean, do they have coffee in hell?”

A snort of laughter escaped Titus’ lips. Shaking his head, he stared at Mitch. Sighing, he headed to the counter to start a pot of coffee. At least here the coffee wouldn’t taste like brimstone. Although the taste of brimstone did improve on that swill that Satan tried to pass off as coffee.

Silence reigned while the men waited for the coffee maker to finish its’ task. Titus grabbed the pot before the last drops had fallen and filled two cups with fragrant black liquid before setting them on the counter and turning to face Mitch.

“So talk.” Titus’ voice was steely and left no room for argument.

Mitch just stared at him, he knew he had to be honest with Titus, he had to tell him everything. That wasn’t a problem, he had known the time would come when he had to bring everything out in the open, when he had to live with the consequences of what he had decided to do. He just wasn’t sure how Titus would react and at the moment he didn’t know if he was strong enough to deal with whatever reaction there would be.

Letting out a sigh, Mitch decided there was no time like the present and reached for his coffee.

Taking a sip, he pondered his words. What he was about to say was nowhere near as important as how he said it. They all needed Titus’ assistance, without his help it would have all been for nothing.

“You’re right”, he began, “Lethe is a bitch, probably the biggest bitch that has ever walked this or any other planet. But she is also the only one that can contain Lisa at this point. And we need Lisa contained.”

Titus continued to stare at him, waiting for the rest of the story. The fact that the woman needed to be contained meant that she was more than just a human. But what was she? And why was she so important?

Mitch realized that Titus was going to wait him out, that there would be no comment until he had all the information. Taking an unneeded breath, Mitch continued.

“Lethe is her sister.” Mitch waited for a reaction, when none was forthcoming, he continued. “The woman you met is Aite.”

Titus sucked in a breath, he was familiar with Aite, more familiar than he wished to be. She was the reason he had lost his family, she was the reason he had lost his soul. And now she had wormed her way into his emotions.

“Titus,” Mitch continued, “she is also your Aelia.”

The words had barely left his lips when Titus sprang from his chair. Rage and hatred blazed in his eyes and he launched himself toward Mitch. Only the quick thinking that came from centuries of fending off the hatred of millions saved Mitch from Titus’ wrath. With a quick wave of his hand the man froze in mid-air, the hatred and rage coming off of him in waves.

Calmly finishing his coffee, Mitch got up and poured another cup. Turning back to Titus he grinned at the sight of the man frozen in mid-air like some type of enchanted carving. Even amidst all of the chaos, Mitch could find humor. And that was what made him so good at his job. Death and laughter work together in the most astounding way.

“I know you can hear me.” Mitch said. “So I will tell you the rest of it.”

Sitting down, Mitch began to tell Titus a story that would forever change his perception of life.

“Aite loved you, loves you. She watched you as a young man, she saw the pain of your life. She saw why you became such a warrior; she saw the hatred that drove you to greatness. And she was impressed.”

Taking a drink of coffee, Mitch made himself more comfortable on the bar-stool and continued.

“She knew that you hated her, she knew that she was at the root of all the pain you suffered. She didn’t want to fall in love with you. Love was a foreign emotion to her. Confusion and discord, pain and suffering, those she was familiar with, but the emotion she developed for you, well, that was new.”

“She talked with her sisters, she even spoke to her mother, Eris, about you. But no one could give her a solution to what she saw as a problem. Only Lethe offered a respite from confusion.”

Taking another sip of coffee, Mitch contemplated allowing Titus a small allowance of movement.

With a nod of his head, Titus slowly glided to the ground. Struggling to acknowledge Mitch, Titus managed a small movement of his head. Mitch took that as a sign that the man was ready to listen and would at least attempt to control himself.

Waving his hand, he freed Titus from all restriction. Surprised at the freedom, Titus simply stared at him, then slowly moved toward his seat and cautiously sat down.

“Continue”, was the only thing Titus said.

“Lethe wiped her memory. The intent was to remove all memories of you and in doing so remove all emotions Aite felt towards you. But it backfired. Aite forgot you, forgot watching you grow and turn into the warrior she was so very attracted to, but she also forgot who she was. She forgot that she was a goddess, that she was the cause of pain and strife, of despair and confusion. She forgot everything. And in her moment of weakness another of her sisters decided that it would be a good thing to drop her down on earth and allow her to live as a human. So Aite was sent to earth and sat down in a small, primitive town next to a beautiful, clear stream. The same stream she was standing in when you saw her for the first time.”

Mitch paused for another sip of his tepid coffee, got up and refreshed his cup. Turning to face Titus he watched the river of emotion that played across the man’s face. Love, anger, fear and confusion tainted with heartache, pain and despair rippled across his face. Mitch hated to see him experience centuries of emotion in the space of a few moments, but it had to happen. Titus had to know what was going on and how important it was for the existence of all living beings.

“Titus, she didn’t deceive you. She simply didn’t remember who or what she was. But when she saw you, she remembered the love she felt. It was real, Titus, she loved you and she still does. She just doesn’t remember.”

Titus spun to face Mitch, the rage flaring in his eyes caused him to look insane. Mitch feared he would have to stop the man from doing anything dangerous to their cause.

“Why doesn’t she remember? Did that bitch of a sister of hers destroy those memories too? Why didn’t she destroy mine? Why did she leave me to suffer?” Tears glistened in his rage filled eyes. “I would have died for her. I DID die. I died and sold my soul so I could have the illusion of her, of our children. Was my suffering so entertaining to them?”

Mitch realized that the man could not process any more. He had reached his limit and was about to break, and that was the last thing they needed. Titus was essential to their plan. There was no way they would succeed if they lost him and lose him they would if he continued to suffer like he was.
Closing his eyes, Mitch imagined Titus at peace. He allowed that image to engulf him and, with the merest mental nudge, he sent that image to Titus. Mitch opened his eyes just in time to see the man crumple to the floor. With a twitch of his fingers, he moved Titus to the comfort of his bed. Mitch knew Titus would be able to continue once the image of peace had time to settle over him.

The tug of duty caused Mitch to sigh. A woman was struggling, fighting to hold on to the illusion of life. She was an important woman, one that was well known and important to the ongoing battle with Evil. Death needed to comfort her, Death needed to move her on to the next phase in her journey.

With a sigh, Mitch donned the robes of his office. The handsome, laughing man that walked the earth every day was replaced by Thanatos, the daemonic personification of Death. A blast of freezing air and he was gone.

Titus shivered in his bed. Even in sleep he was aware that Death had lingered a moment too long.

The tie that binds

“We are so fucked!!!” Lucifer’s voice carried throughout the cells of hell. It was usual for Satan’s son to come calling, but when he did even the most fearsome demons hid. They all knew Satan’s son could make his father seem like a fluff bunny. No one could cause pain and humiliation with the finesse of Lucifer.

“No, son, YOU are the one that is fucked. I, and rest of the lowly minions, are safe and sound in our home.” Satan’s replied in a voice as soft and smooth as velvet. “You failed to do what was needed in order to prevent her awakening, now YOU will deal with the results. I will sit here in the comfort of my realm and watch.”

Lucifer knew he had overstepped when he raised his voice, but the anger and…..was it fear? Yes, it was fear. The anger and fear he had experience form the moment he felt the awakening had driven him to seek out his father, the one being he hated above all others.

“I’m sorry, father. I didn’t mean to raise my voice.” Lucifer attempted to sound contrite, and failed miserably. “Everything was under control until that bastard Death began to meddle. HE is the one at fault for this, not I.”

Even as the words left his lips, Lucifer realized his mistake. His father could not abide someone that did not take responsibility for their mistakes. He could forgive a mistake, if being tortured for a few hours as opposed to being tortured for centuries amounted to forgiveness. But to blame another for your screw-up, that was something he refused to allow.

Lucifer didn’t have time to brace for the assault before he found himself pinned against the far wall, his feet dangling a foot above the floor. Pain rippled through his body as his blood began to boil within his veins. Throwing back his head he screamed out his agony, praying to a God that no longer listened for it to stop.

As suddenly as it began, the torture stopped. He felt himself gently settle on the floor and although his legs were too weak to hold his weight he remained upright. Red tinted steam emanated from his skin, more proof of the fact that he had been as close to death as he would ever be. Taking a ragged breath, he struggled to take back control of his body.

“Death only did what he had to do, son. He didn’t ‘meddle’ in this any more than you did.” Satan said. “If the two of you had continued this stupidity everything would have crumbled. Although I do not agree with my Father, He has rules that He will NOT allow to be broken. The two of you were breaking them and that could not be allowed to continue.”

Satan stared at his son. Lucifer was a wonderful specimen of what true beauty could be. Satan once looked like that, tall, muscular with skin that shone like satin with hair like spun gold. He had lost more than his wings when his Father threw him out of Heaven, he had lost his identity. Satan had vowed not to damage his own son the way his Father had damaged him.

“Sit down before you fall down.”

A chair appeared behind Lucifer just as his knees gave out. His father had never been overly kind, the pain of all he had lost had twisted him into something unrecognizable, but he had never been outright cruel to Lucifer either. As a matter of fact, he treated him with a back-handed gentleness that was almost worse than outright cruelty.

“Son,” Satan began, “I don’t mean to be so harsh to you. But you must understand, now that she is awake everything will change. If Death cannot find a way to control her all of us will pay the price. I don’t believe Death CAN control her, but it is better for him to try than for you to risk everything. Even my Father would have difficulty with her, and he is the Creator of all.”

Lucifer stared at Satan in shock. Never before had his father ever said a kind word to him, never before had he ever said he didn’t mean to be “harsh” with him. Things must be worse than Lucifer realized for his father to be acting in such a manner. And to hear that even the Big Guy would have a problem with that little bitch was almost more than Lucifer could stand.

“What is she?” Lucifer’s voice was barely above a whisper. He was afraid his father was setting him up for a harsh punishment, the out of character actions had to be an act. “Why is she so important? She’s just a parasite, a carrion eater.”

Lucifer was stunned as Satan burst out laughing. He had rarely heard laughter from the King of Hell, and he had never heard laughter such as this. Fear, that unfamiliar feeling that seemed all too common today, once again began to curl in his gut, Satan laughing was a sure sign that things were taking a turn for the worse.

“A carrion eater! Yes, she was that, wasn’t she?” Satan gasped between fits of now hysterical laughter. “I’ll pay for that one, I’m sure. She never did have a sense of humor.”

Lucifer stiffened. His father spoke of the bitch as though he actually knew her, or had known her. There was something in the way he spoke of her that conveyed affection. He had never known his father to be affectionate toward anyone, especially a ghoul.

“Father,” Lucifer began, “you speak of her as though you know her. She’s just a flesh eating parasite, a being that is too stupid to die. How is it that YOU know her?”

“Well, Lucy,” Satan replied, knowing his son hated the nickname, “that ‘flesh eating parasite’, that ‘being that is too stupid to die’ is your Mother.”

Satan’s laughter echoed in Lucifer’s head as darkness enveloped him and he sank into a stupor. The word Mother chased him into oblivion.

It’s just a little blood

 
Titus stood in the middle of the room, too stunned by recent events to develop a coherent thought. In all of his torturous time on earth, he had never seen anyone that so resembled his wife. Aelia had been the light of his life, his strength, his courage, his very reason to live. He had fallen in love with her the moment he set eyes on her. She had been standing in a stream, her hair tumbling over her shoulders, staring at the mountains with such a look of longing that it near broke his heart.

Titus had been a soldier for years, since he was a child he had moved from camp to camp, taking care of the wounded and running errands for the commanders. It was only natural for him to join the ranks once he came of age. Of course he had lied about his age, but what was a thirteen-year-old orphan to do. Both of his parents had died in the course of the Battle of Oenoe, his father in battle, his mother as she attempted to flee. He felt he had no choice but to avenge his loved ones.

Still deep in thought, Titus mechanically began to search for clothes and get dressed. His mind filled with memories of war and pain followed by sunlight sparkling on water and a woman that would conquer his heart. Logically he knew that the woman from earlier could not be his Aelia, but his heart refused to accept that fact. The Gods were maniacal and it was not beyond them to bring his love back only to rip her away again.

Satan would have if it had been in his power, Titus knew that for a fact. Only the power of the One kept him from doing so. But would the power of the One stop the others? Or would they, in their hatred of all things human or once human, do such an insidious act?

Titus approached the door, only after he had opened it did he realize that his feet were bare. His heart clinched, Aelia’s feet had been bare the first time he laid eyes on her.

Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and listened. Voices, muffled and low, reached his ears. Although he couldn’t identify the voices, he knew it was Democritus and the woman. The voices rose and fell in anger…or desperation, he couldn’t tell which.

Striding down the hall, Titus slammed his fist against the door and charged into the room. The scene before him stopped him cold, she had been crying. His heart broke, his Aelia had been crying. He charged.

“What the fuck are you doing in my room?” Lisa shouted, anger and pain making her voice rough and harsh. “Look Hercules I don’t need rescue and you don’t need to be busting down my door.”

The sound of her voice stopped him in his tracks. ‘Hercules?’, he thought, ‘She thinks I’m Hercules?’

“I am Titus Manlius, not Hercules. I am a Roman General and not the bastard son of an errant god.” Titus’ voice was stiff with indignation. How could she believe he was a bastard of a bastard? He was nothing like Zeus, he was intelligent and cunning, Zeus was a bumbling idiot that couldn’t keep his parts to himself. “I am not a man-whore, nor am I a bumbling idiot, so I couldn’t possibly be the spawn of one.”

Death glanced at Titus and then back to Lisa as laughter bubbled in his chest. Great bellowing gales of laughter erupted as he compared their expressions, she was stunned and confused and Titus was thoroughly insulted. Try as he might, Death couldn’t stop the laughter that threatened to overcome his sanity.

Titus stared at the man he knew as Democritus. Then he glanced at the woman to see that she, too, was staring at Democritus who was by now literally rolling on the floor.

“Has he lost his senses?” Titus asked her.

“What senses? I’m not sure he has any. He goes off like this from time to time, I think it’s a by-product of his job.” Lisa stated as she continued to stare at Death.

Hearing their conversation, Mitch laughed even harder. Rolling back and forth on the floor like a man in pain, tears running down his cheeks as hysterical laughter shook his body.

Shaking her head, Lisa wiped the last vestige of tears from her face and turned toward Titus. She was startled at the intensity with which he was staring at her, but having lived with Death for the last six weeks, she figured he was one of “those” type of people.

‘People’, she thought, stifling a giggle, ‘like I have had any contact with people since this began.’

“We might as well go down and start breakfast, he’s liable to be this way for a while.” Lisa said, looking pointedly at Mitch.

Without waiting for an answer, she strolled out of her room and headed toward the kitchen. Titus was stunned, being left in a room with a maniac was not on his list of things to do. Figuring out why this woman looked so much like his beloved Aelia was the most important thing, followed by the why and how of being in this place.

Sparing one last glance at the man rolling around the floor, Titus shrugged and walked into the hallway just in time to catch a glimpse of Lisa descending the stairs. Following her, his heart clinched at the familiar way she moved. This woman was the living embodiment of his long dead love. Hurrying to catch up, Titus wrestled with long forgotten emotions.

But the time he had found the kitchen, Lisa already had the counter-top covered with the items for breakfast. Titus didn’t recognize many of the things laying there, although he was very familiar with eggs even if he had never seen them put on display in a container before. The slab of fatty meat he took to be side meat but he had no idea what she was planning on doing with the vegetables she had strewn about.

“Don’t talk much, do you?” Lisa asked. “What is it with quiet men, a girl should never trust a quiet man, you’re all trouble.”

She seemed to be talking more to herself than to him, so Titus ignored her and simply sat and watched as she washed, dried and then began chopping some strange green item. When last he had watched food prepared there were no items he could not identify, but watching this woman he was confused by everything she was preparing. Well, except the eggs and he had no idea what the hell she was doing when she broke them in a bowl and started adding spices and milk.

“What, may I ask, are you preparing?” Titus asked quietly.

“It speaks!!!” Lisa exclaimed. “Food truly is the way to a man’s heart, or at least to getting him to speak!”

Getting no reply other than eyebrows that drew down in either anger or confusion, Lisa shook her head and tried to stop being such a smart ass. It was a difficult task.

“I’m making us omelets. You know, eggs, peppers, mushrooms, cheese. Good stuff.” Lisa said, trying to keep the edge from her voice, “Breakfast of Champions, that what it is. Don’t tell me you’ve never seen or eaten an omelet before.”

“No”, replied Titus, “I have never heard of such a thing. Before last night I had not eaten food for over two thousand years.”

Lisa froze. What had he said? She must have heard him wrong.

“Say what?” Lisa squeaked. “You’ve not eaten food for over two thousand years? What the fuck did you eat?”

Although Titus had heard women curse before, it would have been impossible not to after being here for so long, he was stunned that a woman he thought of as a lady would use such language. He didn’t know how to reply other than to tell her the truth.

“Before last night I didn’t have the need to eat, nor the ability to taste food.” Titus answered. “I sold that ability along with my soul. I sold many things for an act of vengeance.”

‘Oh shit,” Lisa’s inner voice piped up, ‘this is not good.’

“Did you say ‘sold’? Like you traded your soul for vengeance?” Lisa stood as still as a statue. “Who the fuck did you sell your soul to?”

“Satan, of course. Who else is in the business of buying souls?” Titus answered in a tone that told her he believed she was simple.

Lisa’s pale skin became even paler as his answer sank in. He was one of Satan’s Minions and he was HERE. This was NOT good.

“MITCH!!” She screamed, backing as far from Titus as she could get. Her hand scrambled for a weapon, landing on the paring knife she had just used on the pepper. Snatching it up, Lisa fell into a defensive posture, knowing full well that she was no match for the warrior in front of her.

Titus stared at her in confusion. He had no idea what made her suddenly become so frightened and defensive. Thinking it was better to simply remain calm and still, he tilted his head and pursed his lips in confusion. If she hadn’t of been scared out of her mind, Lisa would have laughed at him.

“MITCH! GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE NOW!!”, she screamed again, praying to whatever being would listen that Death showed up before this man dragged her kicking and screaming to Hades.

A shift of temperature and a bending of light foretold the appearance of Death, dressed in full, frightening regalia. Lisa jumped to his side and wrapped her arms around him.

“Don’t let him take me!! Please!”, she sobbed, “I’ll do anything. I’ll be good. Just don’t let him take me.”

“What are you talking about?” Mitch questioned. “Don’t let who take you where?”

Struggling to release himself from her grasp, Mitch didn’t realize Titus was sitting still and silent at the counter. Finally managing to loosen her grasp, Mitch grabbed Lisa by the shoulders and gave her a slight shake. Fear began to bleed from her eyes and anger seeped in. Mitch knew she hated to be treated like a child and had figured this was the best way to get her to calm down, if you could call a pissed off woman calm.

“STOP THAT!” Lisa demanded, taking a step back from Mitch. “You KNOW I hate it when you treat me like a child!”

“Then stop acting like one.” Mitch replied.

Titus winced as he watched the exchange. It was painfully obvious that his old friend hadn’t had a lot of experience with women. Titus fleetingly wondered if it would be better for him to evacuate the room than to sit here and watch. Stifling a laugh, he decided the show was going to get good so he’d stay right where he was.

“ACTING LIKE ONE?? Did you just say I was acting like a CHILD?” Lisa’s eyes flashed as she jerked her shoulders from Mitch’s grasp. “Like you would have ANY idea what a child would act like! You basically kidnap me, hold me hostage and now you insult me as well!!”

Mitch began to speak, but Lisa wasn’t done.

“Yes, kidnap might be a harsh word, but still the concept is there. And I realize that I wasn’t really a hostage and that you were keeping me here for my own good and that I’m actually human again instead of that other thing, but still. It has NOT been easy for me, you leave me alone for days and days, I have no one to talk to, nothing to do but wander around this place and read and such. And now you INSULT me??” Lisa was on a roll, she was pissed off, worried and confused, there was no stopping her now. “You stay gone for a few days and then come back with one of Satan’s Minions!! SATAN’S MINION!!! You remember Satan, right?? The ugly dude who has his son searching for me to do who knows what to me!”

Stopping only to take a breath, Lisa continued, “Who knows? Do you know?? NO, YOU DO NOT! All you know is that they want me and they want to do who knows what to me, maybe flay me alive, well now that I’m alive! OH MY GOD, DO THEY KNOW I’M ALIVE?? I wasn’t when they were looking for me before, and now, oh God! They probably want to eat my still beating heart! It is beating right? Oh God!!”

Mitch could take no more as he waved a hand in her direction and Lisa instant fell silent, frozen as still as ice. Turning to look at Titus, he was stunned that the man was sitting there laughing like a fool. Actual tears, more proof that his soul was now intact, streamed down his face as he brayed like a jackass.

Mitch heaved a long suffering sigh and walked around the counter to finish the breakfast Lisa had started. It was easier to cook now that it was decidedly quieter. Well, except for Titus’ laughter and it was slowly coming to a stop.

Wiping his eyes with the heels of his hands, Titus managed to control the laughter that still threatened to boil over. Seeing his old friend deal with an irate woman in such a bumbling way was probably the funniest thing he had seen in eons. But of course, he had not had much reason to laugh in the last few thousand years. And he was in awe at the ability to simply freeze the hysterical woman, it would have come in handy to have that ability, oh yes, real handy. Titus’ mind drifted back to all those many years ago when last he dealt with a woman in any meaningful way. Lost in thought, he didn’t realize Mitch had finished breakfast until he sat the plate down on the counter in front of him.

“You’d better eat now, I can’t keep her like that forever and when she’s free again things will NOT be pretty.” Mitch’s voice shook him from his reverie.

Looking down at the plate before him, Titus was amazed that his stomach was actually growling. Gods it was good to actually feel hungry after so many years of not needing or even wanting food. Digging in, Titus finished the egg concoction that the woman had called an omelet before his old friend had even begun.

“So”, Titus began, “who is she and why is Satan looking for her? And more importantly why the hell did she call you Mitch?”

The man before him simply shook his head and finished eating. Figuring out how to calm Lisa was much more pressing than Titus’ questions, besides Titus could wait, the little hell fire that stood like a statue in the middle of the kitchen could not. If Mitch wasn’t an immortal he would be in fear of his life, but he was so he would have to deal with her wrath sooner or later.

Wiping his mouth, Mitch looked pointedly at Titus and waved his hand in Lisa’s direction. Before he could blink her tirade began again.

“I HATE IT WHEN YOU DO THAT!!” She screamed, reaching for a plate to hurl his way. “You know that, you cold hearted bastard.”

Mitch ducked as the plate flew his way, allowing it to crash into the wall behind him. Before she could hurl another one, Titus had managed to grab her arm to prevent her from hurling another.
Quick as a wink, Lisa sank her teeth into Titus’ hand. Before he could do much more than yank his hand back with a curse, Lisa was across the room. He started at her as her pointed tongue snaked out and darted to the blood that stained her mouth.

“NO!” Mitch screamed a second too late.

Lisa’s eyes blazed red and a golden light surrounded her. Electricity radiated around the room causing the lights to flash once before the bubs blew with resounding pops. Mitch and Titus were thrown back against the wall and the electric centered on Lisa, causing her hair to dance and wave around her face.

“SHIT”, Titus exclaimed as he struck the wall with a thud. He felt weaker than he ever had facing Lucifer or even those rare times that Satan wanted to “play” with him. Whatever was coming next, Titus just hoped his death would be quick.

Fire danced across Lisa’s skin as she turned to face the two men. An evil smile broke across her face as her gaze settled on them. Slowly she began to raise her arms causing the temperature in the room to rise.

“Do something! Freeze her or whatever!” Titus’ voice was desperate and for the first time in eons it was tinged with fear.

“I can’t. It won’t work.” Mitch said calmly. “I have to get her out of here. Stay calm, no matter what happens, stay calm.”

Without waiting for an answer Mitch launched himself across the room and tackled Lisa. Darkness seeped out of his body to encase both of them in inky darkness. With a roaring boom they were both gone.

The Flavor of Deception

 
Titus awoke with a start. He was lying in a large, soft bed, downy comforters covering his naked form. Ever the warrior, Titus jumped to his feet and surveyed his surroundings. He had no memory of coming into this room or of taking off his clothes and climbing into bed. The last memory he had was of Death, in all his ghoulish glory, hovering above him as a feeling of warmth washed over his body, then…..nothing.

‘What has that bastard done?’ Titus wondered. He closed his eyes and tried to bring his wife into his mind. He could bring the image of her and his children to him anytime he wanted, that was part of the deal he had made with Satan when he sold his soul. Eternity in captivity in exchange for the illusion of being with his family anytime he could. And it was only an illusion. His wife and their lovely little boys were ripped limb from limb by the Sasanian, their mutilated put on display as a warning to all Roman women.

Rage washed over him as he failed to bring the illusion of his family into being. Only the memories of their death played before his eyes.

Titus bellowed his rage as he sprang from the bed. He had nothing left, his human life was gone, his soul on display in Hades forever out of his reach and now the only concept of peace he was allowed had been ripped from him.

“DEMOCRITUS!! Κέβλος!! Where are you? Come face your doom!” His own voice echoing in the silence was the only response.

Looking around for something to cover himself with, Titus grabbed the sheet from the bed and fashioned a toga then stomped to the door. Grasping the doorknob, Titus was stunned as his wife’s face flashed into his memory. She was laughing, the little lines around her eyes prominent, her teeth catching the light. It was a portrait of the last moment they had spent together before her brutal death.
Grief brought Titus to his knees. As a warrior he was unfamiliar with the emotions that washed over him in waves. Pain, heartbreaking pain, ripped the moisture from his eyes. Tears ran freely down his cheeks and his breath caught in his lungs. ‘Desperation’, he thought, ‘this must be what desperation feels like.’

The door flew open, catching him across the shoulder and back causing him to fall face first onto the floor. Lying there, he wished for the end of his existence, for the true death that only defeated prayed for. Weeping, he rolled onto his back and stared into the face of his wife.

Lisa stared down at the half naked man lying on the floor. A map of scars showed the torture he had endured in all of his long existence. As her eyes traveled to his face, she felt the beginnings of things she had long forgotten. Recognition. Love. Desire.

She knew this man. She didn’t know how or when, but she knew him intimately. This was her husband.

‘It can’t be. I’m insane. I’ve never been married’, she thought. ‘But this man is mine and I am his. Of that I have no doubt.’

A cry of despair escaped Titus’ lips. Satan had found him and devised a new way to torment him. Titus had gotten so used to the physical torture that it no longer affected him, so the Great Tormentor had devised a new way to abuse him.

“Do I know you?” The sweetest voice Titus had ever heard, one he had longed for centuries to hear again, asked him. “Are you alright?”

Titus scooted back as she reached out a hand to touch him. He knew this was a trap, a trap that would end with him withering in pain and wishing again for his own death.

“It is safe, my friend”, a deep voice said in Ancient Greek, “Nothing here will harm you. You are safe.”

Titus’ head snapped around to see his old friend, Democritus leaning against the wall. As he stared at him, Titus began to see the similarities between the boy he once knew and the creature now known as Death.

Springing to his feet to land in a defensive posture, Titus demanded, “What have you done to me? Why, why this, the one thing that you of all people know will destroy me.”

Democritus, now known as Death or even Mitch to his friends, threw back his head and laughed. He laughed until he was weak with mirth, tears running down his face and his breath hitching in his chest. Sitting down on the floor he glanced at Lisa and the expression on her face made him laugh all the harder.

Titus glanced at the woman that so looked like his wife to see that she was as confused as he was himself. Straightening up, he relaxed his posture and tilted his head, his eyes traveling over the features of the lovely creature staring at the laughing man. The similarities were remarkable, the eyes were the same sea green and surrounded by fine laugh lines, the lips were full and rosy and slightly parted. Her hair was the same hue and caught the light the same exact way as his love’s did. It was torture.

“Enough!” Titus bellowed. He couldn’t stand looking at the woman a moment longer. “What have you done, Democritus? Are you in league with him, are you Satan’s minion?”

At the mention of Satan’s name, the beautiful woman bolted from the room. Within seconds Titus heard a door slam and muffled sobs echo down the hall. Every fiber of his being wanted to go and comfort her, but he needed answers and he needed them now.

“I haven’t gone by the name Democritus in centuries”, the laughing man said, “ call me Mitch, it’s much easier and it suits me better.”

Climbing to his feet, Mitch wiped the tears from his cheeks as one last chuckle escaped his lips. Shaking his head, he looked at his childhood friend. So many centuries had passed, so much pain and sorrow, he wondered if they would be able to recapture any of the affection they once felt for each other.

“Come, my friend, get dressed and come downstairs. We have much to discuss and I have much to explain.” Titus stepped back as Mitch reached out to lay an hand on his arm. Feeling a spark of pain, Mitch lowered his hand and continued, “You will find clothes in the drawers. I promise they will fit you.”

Turning his back on the man that he had once shared all his secrets with, Mitch swallowed the lump that had developed in his throat. He hadn’t known it would hurt this much. Walking out of the room, he quietly closed the door behind him.

Now he had to deal with Lisa and her newly founded doubts. He hadn’t expected her to find Titus yet, he had hoped to prepare her for the experience. Now she would have doubts and fears that would be difficult to put to rest.

Shaking his head, he walked toward her door. The muffled sound of crying cut him to the quick, he had become quiet found of her and hated to see her in pain. But this was a pain she must suffer if they were going to succeed. And they MUST succeed.

Death pondered the fact that he was dealing with the living more than he was with the dead. But of course, they hadn’t been the living in any true sense until he meddled with them.

Sometimes being the Master of all the Dead had its’ perks. Other times, like now, it truly and thoroughly sucked.

Stopping before Lisa’s door he steeled himself. She was quite a handful, and he half expected to be clobbered as soon as he opened the door. Gods knew she had an amazing right hook, she had used it more than once in the past few weeks.

“Good thing I heal so quickly”, he thought as he twisted the doorknob.

Revenge is sweet

 
Titus felt as though his head was exploding, light blazed through the swollen slits that were his eyes. He couldn’t contain the pained moan that slipped past his split, bloodied lips.

“Lie still”, a voice thundered, causing a new round of unbearable pain to erupt between his eyes.

Battling against the pain, Titus pried his eyes open. At first he thought he’d lost his sight, something the confused him seeing as how every other beating he’d endured had left him in agony but without lasting damage. At least without lasting physical damage. It’s difficult to destroy an eternal body.
Slipping his tongue out between his ragged teeth, he gingerly licked his bloody lips. The metallic tang of blood mixed with a saltiness that he took to be sweat. He laid perfectly still, waiting for the pain to subside enough to move, unaware of the blood tinged tears that coursed from his blackened eyes.

Suddenly warmth enveloped him. He felt himself rise into the air only to be slammed back to earth. He held his breath waiting for the pain to return only to be pleasantly surprised when it didn’t. Gingerly opened his eyes once again. The light wasn’t quite as blinding and he took a quick glance at his surroundings.

Not recognizing this place, he wondered if Lucifer had come up with a new and creative torment to drive him out of what was left of his mind. Closing his eyes again, Titus resigned himself to the fresh hell he just knew awaited him.

“Open your eyes chicken shit, we need to have a talk.”

His eyes slammed open at the insult. He didn’t recognize the voice, but the words were oddly familiar.

Sitting up he once again stared around him. He was in the middle of a large, empty room. Sunlight streamed through the windows that lined one wall, beyond them trees swayed in a light breeze and birds flitted from branch to branch.

Titus was so stunned by the peacefulness of the scene that he didn’t notice the figure leaning against the opposite wall until the man cleared his throat.

“Titus, do you know who I am?”, the man asked.

Ever on guard, Titus sprang to his feet and landed in a fighting stance. And unfamiliar feeling crept down his spine and it took him a few seconds to realize it was fear. He, Titus the greatest warrior of his time, was frightened.

“Calm down, idiot. If I wanted to harm you I would have left you with that fucktard, Lucifier.”

At once Titus realized that standing before him was the one being he had been hunting for weeks. The reason for the latest torture he had endured leaned against the wall, his ankles crossed and his arms relaxed at his side.

Titus began to laugh. He laughed until he was weak in the knees and when he collapsed to the floor he continued to laugh. He laughed until tears streamed down his cheeks and his bladder screamed for relief.

Death sighed, he’d seen this reaction before. Usually it was from hapless souls that realized they were forever doomed to roam the world or were headed in a direction they hadn’t counted on. The sudden end to warrior’s life usually caused them to reflect, but Titus wasn’t just a warrior. He was a demi-god. Of course he didn’t realize that, the minions of evil had taken great pains to keep that information from him. It was time to enlighten him.

Death smiled and waved his hand, a luxurious chair appeared out of thin air. Seating himself, Death patiently waited until Titus managed to get himself under control. Of course when Titus’ laughter diminished to hiccups, he turned and saw Death sitting in a crushed velvet recliner and began to wail with laughter again.

Time passed, the minutes bled one into another as Titus wailed with laughter. Soon the laughter turned to tears and the tears to sobs. Ashamed, he tried to hide his face, but Death quietly crossed the room and wrapped his arms around the much larger man. As the waves of emotion assaulted Titus, the tears turned to anger, the anger to sorrow and the sorrow to wonder. Here he sat, sprawled on the floor of a strange room, wrapped in the arms of the most feared creation ever. Death was comforting him.

When Titus calmed, Death eased away from him and returned to his recliner. Kicking the footrest up, he sighed as he sank into the velvet softness of his favorite piece of furniture. Waving his had absently, he caused another chair to appear, along with a table loaded with food and drink.

“Help yourself. You’re going to be here a while and I want you comfortable. Just wake me if I doze off, I am wore the fuck out!” Death closed his eyes and relaxed. He knew he had Titus just where he wanted him, and now he could take a well-earned nap.

Titus looked around, the room had no doors and the only furniture were the two chairs and the table burdened with food. The odor of venison tempted him, venison was always his favorite food and since he’d lost his soul he had been denied even the smell of it. Not caring if this was a test or a dream, Titus crossed the room and load a plate with some of the most succulent food he had ever seen. Sitting down in the matching recliner, he ate until he couldn’t contain one more morsel then he closed his eyes and drifted off into the first peaceful rest he had experience in thousands of years.

Death opened his eyes at the change in Titus’ breathing. Seeing the man relaxed and comfortable, he realized that what he was doing would not only put a target on his own back, but it would place Titus directly in the line of fire.

Pausing at the thought of this man suffering more than he already had, Death heaved a sigh. He knew what must be done, he had no doubt that there would be casualties, he just hoped Titus wouldn’t be one of them.

Shaking his head, he waved his hand above Titus’ sleeping form. Chuckling, he sent the image to Lucifer along with a message.

“He’s mine now. I gave him back his soul. Soon he will know exactly who he is. Do NOT fuck with me Lucy, you will NOT win!”

The very rafters of hell shook with Lucifer’s fury.

Memories and blood

“What. The. Fuck. Do. You. Mean. You have no idea?” Lucifer’s tone would have stopped Titus’ heart if the shriveled thing still beat. As it was, Titus just winced at the volume and menacing quality of the sometimes but not all the time Demon’s voice. He knew it would blow over and everything would get back on track.

Or else it wouldn’t.

Either way, Titus didn’t much give a shit. Having toiled in the service of Lucifer and his father Satan for the last two thousand years hadn’t been much fun, so if either (or both) of them decided it was time to end his existence, then so be it. Actually he hoped one or the other of them would end his existence, he was tired of being the target for all the father-son angst that had been boiling for the last three hundred years.

“I mean I haven’t found them. No one has seen or heard from either of them, the Hellhounds can’t pick up a scent and the Seer is about as useless as Medusa’s tits.” Titus deadpanned his answer, knowing it didn’t matter what he said, nothing would sooth Lucifer’s anger. It didn’t help that both of them were hung over from the massive about of drinking they had done the day before. You’d think being dead, or undead or whatever, would protect one from suffering from a hangover, but NOOOOO, Satan, being the massive bastard that he is, made sure there was a loophole in that particular set of rules.

Surprisingly Lucifer burst out laughing. NOT what Titus expected.

“Medusa’s tits!” Lucifer gasped then roared with laughter once again.

Titus stood by, perplexed and more than a little worried. Had Lucifer finally cracked up? Had the stress of being the second most evil creature in all of creation finally gotten to him? Or was he still drunk from last night?

One could hope. Although an insane Lucifer could possibility be worse than a slightly less insane Lucifer (which was what he had to deal with now).

“Sit down, sit down.” Lucifer had finally gotten his mirth under control enough to speak. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a prick, it’s just this whole thing with that fucker Death is really, really getting to me!”
Titus sat wide-eyed and gaping. Never in all his time in Hell nor with Lucifer on the Earth had he EVER heard the evil one apologize. He was sure that his time was at an end, that was the only explanation for the son of Satan’s laughter and apology.

“Shut your mouth, you look like you’re about to vomit or something.” Lucifer smiled, which, in Titus’ opinion was worse than Lucifer yelling. “Which, after the amount of whiskey we drank, is a very real possibility. Anyway, you just caught me off guard with that whole Medusa’s tits thing. Now that was funny!”

A slightly more insane giggle followed. Titus felt himself tighten up, sure that a killing blow would be next.

He was surprised when Lucifer rocked back in his big leather chair and, crossing his legs, put his feet on the desk and began to talk to him as though they were best of friends. Could this day get any more bizarre?

“I knew Medusa, you know. Before the whole fucked up hair thing got started that is. She was a beautiful woman, big brown eyes, amazing full lips and a tongue so talented that it should have been insured. She was something else, let me tell you. And her tits? Full and round, about the size of a ripe grapefruit. She has the most luscious nipples, they were pink, actual baby pink, not that shitty pinkish brown that most women have. They would fill your hands and spill out just the slightest bit. Damn!”
Lucifer had a faraway look in his eyes, one that scared Titus more than the insane laughter of a few moments ago. An insane Lucifer was one thing, but a horny one was worse. Particularly given the fact that he wasn’t too picky about where he stuck his demon dick. Titus did NOT want to add being Lucifer’s butt-buddy to his growing list of duties.

“Of course,” Lucifer continued, “she was a cunt of the highest order. Greedy and jealous, vain and cold. She thought nothing of screwing anyone, and I mean ANYONE, if it got her what she wanted. And the fact that she had the libido of a bitch dog in heat didn’t help matters much. She was something else alright. Right up until she decided to fuck not only the husband of a jealous Goddess, but her son, her brother AND her father as well. That didn’t sit well with the Goddess, hence the snakes and the freaky eyes and such.”

“But still, Medusa was one of a kind.” Lucifer sounded almost sad. “I sure miss her.”

Titus sat perfectly still, he was so stunned and confused he couldn’t have moved if he had wanted to. There was something strange going on today, and not knowing what it was scared the living (or not) shit out of him.

Could Evil, with a capital E and all that stood for, go insane? Could the bright and shining Morning-star of Hell be certifiable? The ramifications were too frightening to consider.

Perhaps it was a hangover. Hopefully.

Finally trusting his voice, Titus cleared his throat and said, “You knew Medusa? The real Medusa?”
Knowing he sounded like an idiot Titus expected to be knocked across the room for his insolence. Bracing for the blow, he was amazed when he heard a low chuckle. Daring to raise his eyes, he looked across the looming desk to see Lucifer once again smiling.

“Oh yeah, I KNEW her in every sense. She was spectacular. I thought for sure she was going to join us in our little battle with the Heavens, but she couldn’t keep her legs, or her mouth for that matter, closed long enough to be any good to anyone for long. Don’t get me wrong, she was GOOD at what she did, but not in any real meaningful way. She fucked up, she paid the price. It is a shame that Jason cut off her head before the curse wore off though. Medusa wouldn’t have been that hideous snake thing for much longer, but that’s how the cookie crumbles I guess.”

Titus stared, dumbfounded. Surely something had happened to Lucifer. This was NOT the evil, manipulative bastard that usually sat behind a desk and destroyed entire nations on a whim. This Lucifer was different, almost kind, and that scared Titus more than anything had in the last two centuries.

Titus wasn’t sure if he should say anything or just let Lucifer go on about whatever entered his mind. Before he could build up enough courage to ask, Lucifer stilled, sat straight and stared directly at Titus.

If Titus hadn’t been scared shitless before, the look on Lucifer’s face would have done it. Sitting as still as a statue, Titus wondered what would happen next. So far this day had been like something out of the Twilight Zone (Titus LOVED that old show) with the only thing missing being Rod Sterling’s voice. Too bad Lucifer couldn’t outright kill him, but with Satan holding his soul, Titus was at the mercy of whatever twisted punishment could be thrown his way but couldn’t count on the sweet release of death.

Lucifer shook his head, let out a huge sigh and leaned back in his chair once again.

“Ah”, he said, “there will never again be times like those. We knew who our enemies were back then, now I have no idea whose side anyone is on. Not even you Titus. Whose side are you on, huh? Does dear old Daddy still pull your strings or does your loyalty lie with me?”

Titus was unsure of how to respond. Both he and Lucifer knew that Satan owned Titus’ soul, but the old man hadn’t been much interested in what Titus was or was not doing. The last thousand years had weighed heavy on the King of Lies, and his one and only son, Lucifer, had taken over the business so to speak.

Clearing his throat, Titus formulated the only answer he could, given the situation.

“You know as well as I do”, he began, “your Father holds my soul in his hand. He can compel me to do whatever he wishes whenever he wishes to do so. I have no say in that. I serve you because I must, just as I must serve your Father.”

Lucifer laughed.

“Way to go, Titus. Answer a straightforward question with a roundabout reply. I KNOW who owns your soul!! Do you think I’m stupid?” Lucifer’s eyes blazed red and the hair on his head began to move as though caught in a wind storm. “DO YOU?”

Titus jumped to his feet and bowed low.

“No, master. I do not think you are stupid. You asked for my allegiance, knowing that my allegiance is no more mine to give than my soul is mine to keep. I do what I must, and if you want to punish me for that then there is nothing I can do but suffer for your pleasure.” Titus hated to grovel before anyone, but to grovel before this being was worse than anything he had ever had to do. At least Satan was always in his true form, he never hid behind the trapping of mankind in order to do his work. Lucifer, however, took great pleasure in the fooling mankind into thinking he was one of them.

Titus despised him.

An invisible lash struck Titus, shredding his shirt and cutting his much scared back to ribbons. Lucifer’s laughter thundered in the room, rattling the windows and blowing papers off their surfaces.

“YOU FORGET, SLAVE. I AM MY FATHER’S SON. YOUR EVERY THOUGHT IS OPEN TO ME IF I SO DESIRE. YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR INSOLENCE, AND THEN YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR UMBRAGE. YOU ARE NOTHING AND YET YOU DARE JUDGE ME! YOU WILL LEARN, OH YES, YOU WILL LEARN.”

Liquid fire swam though Titus’ body, every nerve ending blazed with agony and blood pooled around his feet. Lucifer cackled as Titus’ convulsed in agony. Again and again the pain flared until Titus sank to his knees to finally fall into a pool of his own blood.

Sweet, sweet darkness enveloped him as maniacal laughter rang in his ears.