Purgatorium (71 page)

He turns to me as I get lost in thought. I drown out his words, hearing only my own thoughts.

I hear my name being screamed out, getting me back on track of the situation and shockingly surprised he has found me out.

Still pointing the pistol at him, I reach up with my other hand and slowly take off my mask, throwing it on the ground.

My greed walks over to the telescope, pulls out the piece of cloth, unwraps it, and takes out Madi’s ring. He continues, “You know, I’m not mad. I’m impressed really. You deceived all of us! Madi was right. You really are a great actor. You sure did show me—tricking, deluding, deceiving.”

Staring at the gun I’m holding, he conveys,“You should shoot me while you have the chance! But we both know why you can’t. There are no bullets left in that pistol. Your scare tactics don’t fool me. I have counted each shot that you have fired out of that there gun. The rules were simple, seven bullets, seven demons. One bullet per. The ironic thing is that the bullet I used to shoot you would turn out to be the very same bullet you were going to use to kill me. How delightful does fate work in mysterious ways?!”

He looks back at the ring as I can see his mind twisting, trying to make sense out of everything.

Glancing back up to me, he says, “That’s how you knew that she wasn’t lying about Madi being in a coma. The music is not only pulling you into the memories but it’s pulling Madi in as well. That’s it! Now it all makes sense!”

He claps, trying to taunt me with the notion of him figuring it all out. Meanwhile I stand still, no emotion running down my face, holding the gun with ease, still aimed towards his head.

“Now since you knew there was only one way to get to Madi, you would have to become a lost soul, which entailed you sending little ol’ me up. But you weren’t going to put a demon inside your body at first—not without endangering our daughter, our little Anna. So, you thought a demon with a conscience would suffice. Or at least a demon who didn’t think he was a demon. So, you would send me up, making nice with Anna, while you go and find Madi. Killing two birds with one stone, getting everything you want. If that doesn’t sound a little greedy, I don’t know what does.
You
might be your worst demon, David.”

I still stand, calmly and resolutely pointing the pistol at my mirrored self, my greed.

His green eyes narrow as he tries to get into my mind, wondering what I am thinking. I don’t let him.

He smiles, knowing I have put a wall up around my thoughts to where he can’t listen in.

He clears his throat, “You have learned a lot in your time here it would seem. I mean, it is an impossible feat to accomplish how to barrier your mind from a demon. You even found your equilibrium.”

I can see him studying me as I don’t respond with any facial expression towards anything he says to me.

“Also, it would appear you know how the mirroring trick works as well. Which by the way, I am still trying to figure out who the face to Barachiel came from? I can’t seem to recall remembering his face in any of the memories. Maybe I just didn’t look hard enough, huh?”

He looks at me as if waiting for an answer; I stand there still silent.

“Anyone in there? Well it doesn’t matter,” he continues. “I don’t need to read your mind to understand the all-elusive purpose of your how’s and why’s. But really, did you think this was going to work? I mean, really? You must have been pretty desperate. Trying to convert a demon to Christ, thinking that poor alone little Anna would be safer from the real me while you go find that whore of a wife? Are you razzing me right now? You must be razzing me. I must admit you came close. You made me feel things and I hate you for that! But why get angry with you, when I will be seeing Anna with my own two eyes in just a few
minutes
. I will tell her that you said, ‘Bye.’”

He raises the snow globe towards me. I don’t move, still calmly pointing the pistol at him, knowing the time is at a pivotal point.

50 Minutes

He continues watching me, still standing here, silent, and it begins to unnerve him.

I study the snow globe in his hand, watching my greed winding up the music box at the base of the snow
globe
from the bottom. A soft melody begins to play as he follows along, whistling to it.

“If you think you got the upper hand by holding that pistol in front of me, then be my guest. Because even if you do somehow have a bullet in there, I am still fast enough to catch it and jam it down your throat!”

He shouts at me, shaking the snow
globe
in front of his face. “I would love to know just one more thing though. Why sacrifice your life for her? I mean, why?” he pauses. The pistol remains steady. He glares at it. “Love is not worth the cost of a man’s life, David. You should know that by now.”

“I see we are having a communication problem on your end,” he continues. “Fine, then I guess I do deserve a little more talk time. I have been a little quiet here as of late. You see, what you don’t get, I understand. You think cheating, lying, gambling, and stealing are wrong. What you don’t understand is that those are necessary for surviving. You sin because it’s easy. You sin because it’s natural. Listen to the music, your time is up.”

“I found the token,” he says, smiling at his accomplishment. I continue to stand unmoving, calmly still aiming my gun at him.

He holds Madi’s ring up in front of me. “If anything, you should be thanking me. I have some great ideas for a book that has New York Times Bestseller written all over it. Which will get me filthy rich. And with my new money, I’ll find the people who put us here in the first place. Each one responsible will get what’s coming to them. I can promise you that! Because you know what’s the best thing about me? I ALWAYS get what I want! I’m greedy like that!!”

I don’t flinch. I can tell my silent calmness is starting to unnerve him further.

“I want my satisfaction, I mean, you have to admit it. After all you put in, I am the one who outsmarted you! Me!!”

The melody continues playing from the snow
globe
. “Looks like this time it will be me you see, leaving on the elevator, leaving you behind. Look into my eyes like I looked into yours. Feel that feeling that I felt when those elevator doors closed and you left me here to suffer. All the while, I bet you felt satisfaction from it. Now where is my satisfaction? Huh? Where is my satisfaction?!”

Yelling at me, I see that he doesn’t notice the chamber opening from within the snow
globe
. Little aluminum balls, that I made and put in there, roll out followed by a lead ball.

I see his raised hand shaking the snow globe even harder now.

“Where is my satisfaction?! Speak to me, damn you!” he screams, his hand inadvertently shaking the snow globe violently. It starts to fizzle from within.

55 Minutes

Hearing the fizzling sound, he looks at the snow globe in his hand. Suddenly it explodes, shooting water and glass into his face. His body pushes back up against the elevator wall. The rest of the snow globe falls to the floor as the music comes to a complete stop. He screams and covers his face in shock. The lead ball drops to the ground and rolls to my feet.

I stop it with my foot, reach down, and pick it up. I calmly take the black powder and pour it in. I take the lead ball, drop it in too, and then jam the rod down twisting it to make sure the bullet is properly loaded. I pull the rod out and toss it to the side. The elevator doors begin to slide shut. I stop in front of the doors, raise the gun up, stretch my gun arm out, sliding it in between the closing doors and aiming it at him. The doors slide back open, where I can see that he is still screaming in pain.

He removes his hands from his face and sees my pistol being pointed at him. I can see it in his puzzled appearance, contemplating the bullet that was hidden in the snow globe.

“But how? How is there one left?! You fired all seven!”

All at once, I see a quick movement from him to me. I look down noticing a knife has pierced in my right chest. The end of the blade tickles my beating heart. I fall to my knees.

“You may not be able to die from the wound but it’s enough pain there to keep you preoccupied for the time being. And I can say that the time will be spent wisely. Ta-da!”

I play it cool, looking up to find him making a break for the elevator.

I hear him yelling from within the elevator shaft. “David! David! David! My name is David! Take me up!”

Nothing happens, which doesn’t surprise me as I rise. I keep the knife nestled in, walking my way towards him. Hearing him repeat my name over and over are like sounds of a whimpering child in my ears.

“Why isn’t it working?!,” he yells, pressing the rooftop button repeatedly. He acts like a monkey in a steel cage, bouncing around, yelling my name left and right. Then all of a sudden, he stops, back to me, gazing at the painting. Standing there silently still.

In that moment, I think he has come to terms with being misled about the token he thought he knew.

He turns around, eyes focused on the knife stuck in my chest, almost as if he were horrified from it. “How? How Is this possible?”

I take the knife sticking out from my chest, tossing it over my shoulder. I reach in my right pocket, showing him my armor. The sight from his angered facial expression sends a smile to my face.

I use the book to strike his neck, sending Greed down to his knees. His breathing makes a sharp wheezing sound as he tries to catch his breath. Putting the book back inside my jacket pocket, I turn to the panel and switch on the emergency stop button. The doors hold their place, not to close us inside.

I can tell his anger has been replaced by fear. Looking at my Greed’s face, he knows the predicament he is now faced with. “Wait! Wait!” he pleads. “You still have
time
to change your mind. You hear me? You still have
time
.”

I cock back the pistol and push it into his open mouth. I can barely make out his words as he continues pleading, “You need me! You need me if you want to still save her!”

I know it’s true. I reach across with my left hand and take his Jack of hearts card out of his vest pocket, putting it into my own pocket. I breathe a sigh, forcing the pistol deeper into his mouth. My finger presses heavy on the trigger. The temptation is unbearable as every inch of me wants to end him. The cards are all on the table and what I do next can either make or break me.

My greed replies to my thoughts, “Is she worth the gamble? Is she your book of revelation?”

After a few short seconds, I slowly lift my finger away from the trigger and retract the gun out from my Greed’s mouth.

I will not fold to the evils of this generation, I think to myself.

“Are you a lost soul or a soul survivor?” my Greed says under his bloody tongue, sliding over up against the elevator wall.

“I’m David,” I simply respond, taking out my King of spades card from my jacket pocket and showing it to him. His eyes bulge open almost instantly knowing its true identity.

I say with no restraint in my voice, “And I’m content.”

He covers his ears as if those words were like nails on a chalk board. I look over at the top of the button display at the card slot. I stick the card in. The emergency switch lights up green. I stow the card back in my jacket while the elevator almost instantly begins to shake. I release the emergency switch and take a step back from the elevator. Turning my head, I notice Stephanie walking out of the stairwell.

“Do you have any idea what time it is?” she says to me.

I quickly look at my watch which reads: 59:30.

I look down at the broken snow globe, pick it up, and carefully put it inside my front pocket. The elevator doors begin to shut as Stephanie steps in front of it, staring at me.

“I am so proud of you,” she says.

Without warning, Stephanie’s hair gets pulled back. I quickly rush over to find my Greed’s hand tugging at it in between the closing doors. I try yanking her free of him but he won’t budge. I hear the elevator beginning to take launch. Looking around to find something useful, I notice my hatchet that my Greed had tossed to break the final hourglass. It lies a few feet away from me.

I rush over and slide my body on the icy ground. Reaching out my hand, I quickly grasp hold of it. I run back, lift the hatchet above my head, and force it down on his arm. The sharp blade slices it off and onto the rooftop floor. Stephanie gets loose while I get in front of her, blocking Greed from making another attempt.

Looking into his green eyes, I see blind rage coming from them. In seconds, he goes mad with laughter, whistling the snow globe’s melody in an ominous tone right before the elevator doors shut him in all the way.

The rooftop rattles as the elevator launches up, breaking any cables that tie it down.

I turn back and see Greed’s clenched fist hand breaking away like bright blue puzzle pieces. Its dead fingers open as I notice Madi’s ring rolling out from it. It hits the frame, bouncing wildly up into the air. Without thinking, I immediately run after the ring. The launching from the elevator makes the ring get caught by a sudden gust of wind and blows over the ledge, off the roof.