Driving Down the Darkness

Unusual Company

Joshua wasn't sure he had woken up.  Opening unseeing eyes, Joshua stared out into nothing. The seemed to stare back at him, mock him, hat him.  I could be dead.  That was a long fall.  Thinking about it, it wouldn't make sense for him to be alive.  He reached for his eyes, to feel them, to be sure they were being opened.  He was stopped before the attempt began.  Why can't I move?.  He tried sitting up.  As he lifted only his head he heard a chuckle.  If Joshua was dead, he knew that he certainly wasn't in Heaven.
    She moved before him.  The evil greed manifested itself before him in the form of a woman.  A very attractive woman, he had to admit.  Desire was not only in her but of her.  But Joshua knew that if he fell to that desire, death would be the very best alternative to what would be in store for him.
    "Rise."  He did.  Why?  How? Joshua was standing, and he knew that the will that made him stand was not his own.  He hated this woman and had neither any will to listen to her nor any desire to do what she said.  Joshua knew that he looked at evil, a face that so clearly bore not the slightest trace of a soul.  He saw, in short, purity of the worst kind.
    "Where am I?" Joshua mouthed, wordlesslessly.  Vomit battered the gate holding it in at the sound of responding cackles.  The chuckles were gone, and Joshua actually found himself missing it.  I didn't know it could get any worse.  Pure joy riddled the woman's voice at the the power she had to manipulate him.
    "You may speak, but after," the woman cackled again, so amused at his pain,"after I answer your question.  You are, at least in the sense you would mean, at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.  You are here, in the place you percieve, by my own means.  This is a piece of my heart.  I have your soul here.  You can think of it as a sort of purgatory.  A place between life and death.  Now is the chance for you to choose which."  Joshua was not going to try to look for the best in her.  He had found it.  The best of the two soulless hollows of blood-colored greed he saw was the worst evil imaginable.
    "Choose?  This or death.  I don't think it's a hard decision.  I'll take d-"
    "-NOT SO FAST!"  Anger.  Apparently this wasn't the choice she had wanted him to make.  Joshua would not live under her control.
    "This is not how I will live."
    "I may be able to change your mind."  She turned around.  Black hair, black clothing, no part of her visible in the blackness.  The only illumination (it couldn't truly be called light, it covered naught but her slender figure) seemed to come from her.  Joshua waited for her to turn around.
    A thoughtless form lay on the ground.  There was no point in thinking here, nothing good to think about.  It could have been hours, days, maybe weeks.  Joshua did not move, blank but for the idea of preserving his soul. 
    "Hello Joshua."  Too blank to be startled, shocked, scared.  Only disgust remained.  Turning his head to face the sound, the start, shock, and fear finally came.  Joshua's eyes snapped shut.  Evil, greedy, power-hungry, she couldn't have.  She didn't.  It isn't real. It's not real.  She didn't.  He continued this while followed by a laugh that was so enthralled, so unbelievably evil that the only thing stopping Joshua from throwing up was the bond this fiend had placed on him.  She stopped.
    "I did."  She knows my thoughts?  Panic raced through his heart.  "You would doubt it?."  "I suppose that since we are all here, I should properly introduce myself.  I am Countess Athena Veressia, Acting Governor of Desire, Queen of the Kingdom of Stervalta, and Sovereign of the Order of the Elders.  I suppose you have no idea what any of it means?"
    Joshua did not reply.  Do I need to answer?
    "I thought not," the Countess said, noting the success of the unspoken reply.  "Very well.  The soul is based in many very different realms, Joshua.  Each of them is given to the one who has the greatest hold on the region, so long as they are elected by the Council of Governors.  I have yet to be elected, but I am the acting successor to the previous governor by virtue of forced succession.  We had somewhat of a disagreement see..."  A smile had spread across her face, a smile so smug and sickeningly self-satisfied.
    "As far as being a Countess, it is simply a title of nobility in my case.  There is an actual countship awaiting me when I am through with my work here."  Again, unable to vomit.  He would puked to death if he could have obeyed the reflex at all.
    "So, have you changed your mind?"
    "What have you done to them?"  Joshua shouted, righteous anger filled his voice.  He would not let her do this.  Not this.
    "The same as you.  Physically safe, I promise.  If you choose to do as I wish, you will wake up in a nice hotel room.  Consider it a courtesy service."  Hunger burned her face.  She carried such a desire to hurt, for cruelty, for pain.  It was unbearable.
    "Life."  He had to do what she asked now.  Beside her was power that Joshua could not fight, could not control, could not defy.  Joshua dropped his head as low as the power of the Countess would allow, no longer able to look into either of the sets of eyes that were set into the unmovable bodies.  A very beautiful young woman stood frozen.  Panic filled her soft green eyes, her hair in waves as if they were flowing away from the site transfixing her gaze.  The shortest adult visible, she had a very soft, yet pronounced, features.  Beside her was a young girl with the same soft green eyes.  Her hair was dark like Joshua's, but came down past her shoulders.
    He awaking, his arm hurt.  The scar was sore to the touch, the dragon-shaped burn searing at slightest disruption.  A black shirt and slacks were sitting on the top of a dark wooden desk.  He knew where it had come from.
    As he left the room, Joshua tried to stop the tears that flooded from him in response to the sight of his frozen wife and daughter, floating between death and life, at the mercy of the ruler of desire and Countess of Hell.

|_/'T'\_|

    Breakfast had a slight aftertaste that was somewhere between anxiety and depression.  He had to force himself to eat, but he knew the importance of breakfast.  Johua Sr. had taught him that.  He had also taught him that family had to always come first.  Joshua Radcliff Jr. wasn't going to ignore his father's teachings now.  If ever there was a time he needed wisdom, this was it.  But what would he need to do?
    His black work shirt was, plain.  Thick material, polo color, two breast pockets.  He needed only a nametag to be confused for a gas station attendant, were it not for the ornate red dragon on the left sleeve.  Just below it was a replica, embroidered into skin rather than cotton.  He didn't notice the burning sensation when he was given the mark, but it seared whenever it was touched.  Otherwise the pain was manageble.
    He thought hard as he watched a couple deal with the work of the Countess.  They stood together as the man checked them out, but neither would look them in the eye.  Shame: a consequence of desire.  Maybe that could get him out of it?  Could he shame the temptress?  Would she simply kill him?  Maybe she already knew he was considering it?
    "You're very perceptive... Vanasperatus.  It comes from latin.  I think it sounds better, don't you?"  "So," the countess said, cutting off her puppet, "I suppose I should tell you what I want?"
    "Should I try to answer this time, or will I get a chance?"  The lizard was burning on his shoulder.  Burning painfully.  Joshua fell out of his chair, clutching his arm, gasping.  He was convulsing, shuddering, and growing pale.  Every bit of him reacted to the pain.  He slowly got to his feet, tremultous effort in this most ordinary of actions.  Looking around the coffee house he saw people staring back at him.  Slowly standing, pain residing, Joshua thanked God that he hadn't needed one of them to be a helpful.  At least he knew that if he had a major medical emergency he would not have to worry about helpful patrons inhibiting the progress of death.
    "I'm a very impatient person Vanasperatus.  I don't have time for you to be smart with me."  Joshua no longer felt the need to throw up in her presence.  He no longer was affected by her.  Hate clouded all of the other feelings that this shell of a person could inspire.  "I want you to know that your family felt what you did.  That's right,"  she said to his horror, fueling his hate, "your little girl.  Your love.  In pain due to your actions.  Would you like to comment again?"  Joshua watched as hate crept into every little piece of space she occupied.  Every inch of her being was consumed in by his passion to hate her.  "Answer."
    "No."  Hate.
    "Good.  See, Vanasperatus?  This can be easy for all of us."  The small crowd of the diner had gone back to their food.  It didn't take long for them to get over a person who looked like they were dying.  Maybe if he had died he could have gotten a little more of a reaction.
    "Then let's get to business."  Her reply was a smile, but the greed on her face no longer registered, no longer mattered to Joshua.  "What do you need me for?"
    "You see, it isn't time for me to tell you that just yet.  Very sensitive, these matters.  Timing is most important.  I can tell you that I need you to find something.  I can't be specific right now.  Not only would it make things hard for me, but also because it's just too much fun to keep you waiting."  Hate.  Nothing else.  He couldn't clear his mind, but Joshua knew that he needed to be able to process what she said, to resist it.  Hate was the safest way right now.
    "I thought you were hear for a reason!"  His words were followed by a short jolt to his shoulder.
    "I am.  I want you to meet a friend of mine.  She's in the order."
    "Where is she?"
    "Now don't get short with me Vanasperatus," said the Countess in a mockingly indignant voice, "I don't think it will help you." she finished, falling to a tone of warning.  "Enjoy the pleasantries."
    "I'm sorry," Joshua said, returning her sarcasm with mock apology, "what I meant to say is 'When do I get to meet this person?'"
    "That's better."  Slave-driving with a smile.  "Do you know Senator Fairchild?"
    "I can't say I do, not personally, at least." I'll play her game if it can help my family.  She didn't seem to probe his thoughts if she thought she knew what he was thinking.
    "She's quite nice, actually.  So long as she doesn't want to kill you.  Of course, she's cut back on such blatent displays sense going into normal politics.  I think she'll like you."
    "I can't wait."
    "I'll find you.  Don't go climbing while you're alone.  It just wouldn't do for you to die before I finish when you.  You'll have plenty of time to kill yourself later."  Another cruel smile left Joshua unphased.  He had managed to calm down, to forget everything but what needed to be done.
    "Oh, believe me, I'm in no hurry.  I don't mind a bit of waiting."
    "If you'll excuse me, I'll be off."  As the Countess stood a flame arose from her feet to completely encompass her body.  It fell again, leaving no trace of her there.  Joshua had no idea where the flame had taken her, but could only hope she had decided to claim her stake in the afterlife.
    "Good muffins," Joshua whispered as he stood, knowing where he would go.  The other customer's must have had no Idea of her abscence, as the had not noticed a thing.  Strange, but not suprising to Joshua.

|_/'T'\_|

    Sitting, staring at the piece of stone before him, Joshua thought.  He had gone straight here after his earlier chat.  Not a bite had entered his mouth all day after that point.  He had not stirred from the foot of the bed he sat before.  The words smiled at him, whispering peace.  Peace.  That was what Joshua knew them to say, though the actual wording was:

"JOSHUA RADCLIFF, SR
1963-2000
A LIFE ENDED IN THE
PASSION THAT DROVE IT"

    "Hello."  Too calm to be startled, Joshua Jr. looked up.
    "Hello.  Nice weather, no?"]
    "You should hardly be concerned with the weather."  The strangers voice was deep and rich, yet lacking some power that was obviously lost with age.
    "Who are you?"  Joshua took the defensive, assuming that this meeting would be similar to his last.
    "I know you well."  The man's smile was disarming, has gray hair giving away a youthful face.  Warm and gentle, the smile seemed to outshine the gold inlay of his deep purple greatcoat.  A purple collar cape with gold tips went around his shoulders and fell under shorter, black cape. Yet a third cap was fixed to his back. Joshua saw this third as the man turned, obviously thinking.  This cape was the most ornate, falling only inches above the ground..  A large tear drop was in the center, half black, half purple, the outline in an elaborate golden weave.  Most unusual, once again, for this part of Arizona.
    "Why are you here?"  The man smiled again.
    "I'm the governor."