James

  I WOKE UP DISORIENTED WITH A SPLITTING HEADACHE. My body was numb, and I panicked as I struggled in vain to move. My eyelids rebelled against me and refused to open. I shuddered in the chilly breeze as I realized I was completely naked, except for my ring and necklaces. I laid in the dirt as I gradually regained control of my motor functions. I spent an eternity recollecting myself and pondering what just happened.

  So let me get this straight. Two buff armored guys, who looked straight out of techno Lord of the Rings, just rudely interrupted my college football game and killed me. This must be a dream.

  I didn’t really care about the techno jackasses, what I really cared about was the fact that I was dead and had no idea where I was. I hadn’t heard my “Well done good and faithful servant” so I wasn’t in Heaven. And there certainly was no “Away from me, I never knew you” and I still felt the Holy Spirit’s presence, so I knew I wasn’t in Hell either.

  What in the world is going on?

  I regained the ability to open my eyes and what I saw failed to provide any answers. There was pitch black dirt as far as the eye could see, a starry night sky, and a few scattered, blackened, anemic trees. This told me that even though I had died, I was somehow still alive in some capacity.

  And I was not going for it.

  I grieved.

  What the hell is going on? Why did this have to happen to me and why now? Why did I spend my life suffering so much? Why did things start going well for the first time in 7 years, only for it to be ruined in such an awful, atrocious, comical, and just downright disrespectful manner?

  I stared into the black sky. “IS MY LIFE A JOKE TO YOU GOD?! WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK IS GOING ON HERE?!”

  My body shuddered as I curled into a ball.

  I cried. I wept. I mourned. I bawled.

  I let myself sink into the darkest pits of despair.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  CRACK!

  My pity party was spoiled by a noise nearby. I turned to face it and saw nothing.

  I shook my fists. “Who the fuck is it? WHO IS IT?” I stood and shrieked out in a tearful rage. “I’ll kill you! Show yourself you fucking coward! I SWEAR TO GOD, I’LL KILL YOU!”

  Suddenly, a black spirit materialized right before my very eyes. Its bright green pupils illuminated the darkness, and it had a thick, awkward, contorted torso. Devil horns protruded from its skull, its legs were flowing wisps, its face was dreadful, and its cartoonishly thin arms flailed in the wind. It responded to my threat on its life by nodding. “Good.”

  “AHHHH!” I screamed as I immediately began a labored sprint away from its searing gaze. I stumbled over logs and swatted away tree branches as I meandered through a decrepit forest in hopes of escape. The spirit’s smile widened as it maintained its pace and steadily gained on me.

  As I gradually got used to moving again, I looked back and noticed I was putting a bit of distance between us. My eyes widened as I heard my roommate Micah’s voice. “James!”

  I turned. “Micah…”

  The spirit was instantly upon me as its ghoulish hands swiftly lifted me from my feet.

  “AHHHH! STOP!” I shouted as I writhed in agony.

  My flesh disintegrated where its hands contacted my skin. Its touch stirred up my insides. A vile conglomerate of rage, envy, lust, sorrow, greed, pride, and every blasphemy surged within me, pressing through my skin, pinning desperately to escape. I inflated like a balloon and felt like my body was going to burst at the seams as my life force dwindled away. The spirit slowly lifted me higher and higher, looking on at me with a devilish, yet child-like grin. All I could do was suffer and die while my sins attempted to burst from my flesh as it stared at me with a toothless, joyful, almost admiring grin.

  My vision faded. Why God…Why is this happening…

  Suddenly, the spirit shuddered and its devilish grin shifted into a grimace of hatred. It spoke in a tone so vile, so reprehensible, that despite the excruciating pain, my body and soul were enveloped in terror. “It looks like I won’t be able to make good on my promise. YET!”

  It dissipated, dropping me to the ground as I trembled in fear. I writhed as the burns scorched my flesh. I heard footsteps approaching, but my mind was inundated with pain. The footfalls grew louder until boots were planted centimeters from my face. I looked up to see a bloodied man in a tattered suit of armor goofily smiling down at me. He was black like me and his bulging muscles surpassed even my own. His body was in peak human form, and we were about the same height. He was your prototypical Hall of Fame linebacker. I usually don’t talk about men like this, but he had a beautiful set of shimmering crimson irises with a hint of green in their center that resembled a sun. He had a nice low-cut, and he was a good-looking dude. He wore a silver cross chain that resembled mine.

  He gave me a thumbs up. “Hey there friend! Nice to meet you! I’m Milliard!”