The Symphony of Death

by Matthew Newson

  I found David’s comment and his mere presence so egregious, and I had to take a moment to calm myself before I snapped his pencil neck. “Yes, my prince of Hell, now you are the only one who knows how the machine works, so please go and be about your father’s business.”

  “As you wish, my lord.” He ran to the machine and furiously worked on making it functional. I motioned to Death to follow me as we walked out of earshot of David.

  “I’m glad to see you’re well after that last attack by The Man Wrapped in Darkness. I was a little concerned with how long you might be down,” I said.

  “Thank you, Lucifer. I needed to go away and find my strength again and make myself whole. How are you feeling? It appeared you took quite a beating back there before I showed up.”

  “I’m fine, my friend. I allowed The Man Wrapped in Darkness to believe he had the upper hand in order to prolong the fight to give David time to get the reactor working.”

  “Yes, but when I showed up Paul had blinded you with his darkness and looked to be close to sending you back to Hell.”

  I became angered at Death for his audacity to question me. “Do not call him by that name to me ever again! He’s not a human man anymore with a human name, and as much as it pains me, we cannot take him so lightly. However, it sounds like you don’t believe me when I said I was in control of the situation.”

  My teeth erupted in my mouth and morphed into fangs and as my tongue went from solid to forked, and my fingernails grew to razor-like claws. I had never faced Death in combat before, but after being kicked around by The Man Wrapped in Darkness, I was more than ready to try.

  Death’s eyes widened at the sight of the beginning of my transformation into my fallen state. “Lucifer, I meant no disrespect by my question.”

  “Then please explain what you meant,” I hissed.

  “I simply misread the situation. Please, we are too close now to the complete destruction of The One’s kingdom to start fighting amongst ourselves. This is exactly what The One wants us to do.”

  Death was right. We were closer than ever before, and I would not be the reason we failed to bring about The End outside of The One’s mandated time. Besides, after I succeeded, there would be plenty of time to discipline all who had stepped out of line over the years, and that included the all-powerful, Death. I focused back on my glorified state, and in no time my fallen nature was safely tucked away for the moment.

  “Death, thank you for the friendly reminder, and I did not mean to be so combative with you. You have always stood by me, and I appreciate your loyalty. I guess I’m a little on edge because I have come so close so many times, only to have The One steal the victory from me at the last second.”

  “No apology necessary, my friend,” Death said with a smile. “I understand, but this time is different. I can feel it in the air. You have taken every possible precaution, and you have even used your own personal spirit realm blind spot, if you will, that you made. I mean, not even I know where we are, but I can tell you have created a literal Hell on Earth just from the sight of this place. The best part of all is I can tell there is not an angel within miles of this place. Your plan is going to work, and there’s nothing all of Heaven can do to stop you.”

  We turned and faced David, who had run the various cables of the engines to the portable reactor. Then he turned his sights on the ducts that needed to be attached to the engines from the main chamber, and I couldn’t help but to think a sucker really was born every minute. All I had to do was dress David in the same white robe and golden sandals as myself and place a stupid crown upon his head and he’d do anything I told him to.

  “Does he really believe he’s going to rule and reign with you? What has he done to deserve such a privilege and an honor besides fail you and look for ways to have his own will accomplished over yours?” Death asked as if he knew what I had planned.

  I could sense Death was jealous, and thus made it easier for me to manipulate him as well.

  “My friend,” I said. “You needn’t worry yourself about David. Once his role in this dance is complete, it’s back to the pit I pulled him out of. Trust me when I say there will be many demons waiting to rip him apart after what he’s done.”

  “Then why use him like this. You and I are fully spirit beings, and capable of figuring out how the machine works ourselves.”

  “True, but David helped in the planning of The Life Giver, and its development from start to finish. It made sense to use him to expedite the process. I have learned that during plans of this magnitude, time is of the essence. I gave David a chance at redemption and he’s blown it by his arrogance and the fact his judgment has already been set. He’s going to burn for all eternity anyway and besides, it will be you by my side because without you, none of this is possible.”

  Death smiled, and I knew I had him right where I wanted him. Truth be told, I’m sure he’d fade from existence once all life on Earth and in Heaven was dead. Why else would he need to exist if all life had been snuffed out? As I watched David secure the last duct from the chamber to an engine, he began to work the controls on the chamber.

  After a few minutes, David called out to me in an excited state. “This is it, Lucifer.”

  I turned to Death. “Are you ready to fulfill your calling?”

  “Since the day I came into existence.” We quickly walked to where David stood in front of the controls.

  “Once I press this button, the reactor will come online and power the chamber and the engines. Death, all you will need to do is step into the chamber, at which time I will press the green button on the outside by the door. That will cause the jet engines to start to pull on the contents of the chamber. All you need to do is dispense your gift all around the world. All life on land, sea, and in the air will expire in a matter of minutes. This is truly a glorious day.”

  Death was completely enthralled as he looked upon the chamber. He looked like a child as he viewed a prized toy on the other side of a store’s window.

  “David, if you will please, my good sir, turn on The Life Giver,” I said.

  “Yes sir.” David pressed the button on the keyboard of the mobile workstation. We looked upon the machine with great anticipation, and then nothing happened. I turned to David, and fear completely washed over him as he pressed the button a second time, then a third time, and then a fourth time.

  David panicked as he ran to the machine, and verified he had everything plugged into the appropriate port.

  “I don’t know what’s wrong, my lord. The reactor isn’t coming online. Everything worked fine in the warehouse. Maybe something got disconnected when you transported it here.”

  “Are you saying this is my fault, David?”

  “No! This is definitely not your fault, but there is something wrong.”

  “Yes, it appears we made the mistake of trusting you to do this,” Death said.

  David looked to be on the verge of a total panic attack. “Now hold on just a minute. Let me run a diagnostic of the reactor to see what’s wrong, and then I can fix it from there.”

  David feverishly typed away at the computer, and when the scan was complete, he quickly reviewed the screen to find the problem. “Aha, here’s the culprit. No wait, this can’t be right. This can’t be right at all. This doesn’t make any sense.”

  “What is it, David?” I asked.

  “It’s the readout, it can’t be right.” David ran to the reactor and began to carefully inspect every inch of it.

  “David, I’m growing impatient, now tell me what’s wrong with the reactor,” I said again.

  “The diagnostic readout of the reactor says there’s no uranium in it, but I know it was there in the warehouse because the thing turned on.”

  “Did The Man Wrapped in Darkness take it?” I asked.

  David walked around the reactor again as he closely inspected it. “He couldn’t have. This is a self-contained system. In order for him to take the uranium out of it he would had to cut
it open and physically remove it.”

  “Calm yourself David and let me take a look.”

  As I focused my gaze, I began to see through the metal wall, and at the contents inside. Almost immediately I saw what The Man Wrapped in Darkness had done.

  “It appears The Man Wrapped in Darkness covered the nuclear fuel with his own darkness, leaving the reactor completely useless. There might as well be nothing in the reactor,” I said.

  “When? When did he do that?” Death shouted, completely frustrated by the situation. He wanted nothing more than to get into that chamber.

  “Undoubtedly, when he threw his darkness at David during our fight and failed to destroy him. I’m willing to go out on a limb here and say he didn’t care if he hit David or not, because he hit his real target.”

  “Can you get it off the uranium?” asked David.

  “Oh, I’m afraid not David. The only way to get the device to work is for him to personally remove the darkness from the uranium himself. You see, the darkness belongs to him, and it only will respond to his command. Any attempt we make to remove it will most assuredly damage the reactor, and with it, our chances of success.”

  “It’s over. It’s all over. Just like that, in the blink of an eye. All of our hard work was just a waste of time,” David said.

  Death looked at me, gravely concerned, as I stared at the lifeless reactor. “Lucifer, are you okay?”

  I smiled. “Why, yes, I’ve never been better. Why do you ask?”

  “Because you’re not upset in the slightest bit about this. You have something up your sleeve don’t you. What are you not telling us?”

  I laughed to myself. “The day is not lost to us yet. I figured something like this would happen, and so, as always, I have a plan to take care of it and get everything back on track.”

  I called out over my shoulder as I turned to walk away. “You two stay here, and whatever you do don’t leave the machine. Take this time to get better acquainted with one another. I’ll be back shortly with the answer to all our problems.”

  “Can I go with you, my lord?” David called out from behind me. “You might need some help.”

  “Not this time, David, I prefer to take care of this alone. Again, this gives you and Death a chance to connect. I bet he can make you laugh, David. I’ve always heard Death is a funny thing.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Alec Williams

  The Williams Estate

  Williams Point, New York

  “ALEC, ARE YOU LISTENING to me?”

  My mind quickly jumped back to the present matter at hand of Tiffany’s plans for our wedding.

  “Yeah, babe, sorry my mind is a little scattered right now. I had a long day at the office.”

  I sat there in the main living room with my bride-to-be in front of the fireplace where one of my favorite paintings of my mother hung. I had James pull them from storage and put them all back up after I got out of the hospital. I also had him get rid of those twisted paintings my father had all around the house that I never liked.

  As I gazed at Tiffany’s smiling face, I still couldn’t believe she had come back into my life again, and this time it was for good. On top of all that, Paul and I had stopped Lucifer again and saved the world. That last part had come to sound expected, but Paul assured me if Lucifer returned, he would come for him and Paul would be ready. Even now, he patrolled hidden in the spirit realm outside of my house just in case Lucifer had decided to come after me.

  Tiffany put her notebook down on the coffee table covered with various pages of research of everything one would need for a wedding.

  “What’s going on, Alec?” she asked. “Ever since you and Paul started working on that secret deal you have been distracted to say the least, and Paul has seemed super on edge. Which is so unlike him. He’s always so cool and laid back. What were you two working on anyway, and are you sure I can’t help you with it at all?”

  “It’s nothing like that.”

  “Come on, Alec, it has to be something. It’s not your heart is it? I know your dad and grandpa died of heart attacks, and you just were in the hospital for a cardiac event.”

  “My heart is fine. I’ve been cleared by the doctor, and there doesn’t appear to be any serious damage.”

  “Then what is it?”

  “Truth be told, Paul and I had to stop Lucifer from getting his hands on a machine he had my father make to end all life on Earth, but it’s fine now.”

  Tiffany’s eyes went wide and she pushed her shiny brown hair behind her ear, and then began to laugh. “Wow. That’s a good one. You had me going there for a second. You said that so convincingly, but what’s really going on?”

  “We had to stop a potential hostile takeover—so to speak, but it’s over now. Everything is going to be okay. Now we can focus on planning our big day, and I want to hear all of your ideas.”

  “Good. I’m glad you guys got it taken care of. I thought you two had gotten in a fight or something."

  “Oh no, nothing like that. We’re good. Now tell me where you want us to get married.”

  Tiffany blushed. “Where do you want it to be?”

  “Babe, don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t care where we get married. Any place is perfect as long as you’re there. We could go down to the courthouse right now and do this.”

  “Is that really what you want?” she asked.

  “I’m just ready to spend the rest of my life with you, but I want to give you the wedding you have always dreamed about. So, wherever you want to get married is where I want to get married.”

  My skin crawled as an overwhelming evil presence entered the room. I heard the voice I never wanted to hear again for as long as I lived.

  “How about in Hell? It is so nice this time of year, and I have the perfect pit for the two of you. I could even officiate the ceremony. Trust me, it will be one to die for.”

  I panicked as I looked all around the room for Lucifer.

  “What’s wrong, Alec?”

  I grabbed the letter opener off the coffee table to use as a weapon.

  “That’s not going to help you in the slightest.”

  “Alec, whatever you’re doing please stop, you’re scaring me,” Tiffany said, but I was oblivious to her plea.

  He was close, and the evil presence continued to increase by the second until it felt like a bomb was about to explode. I grabbed Tiffany and pulled her off the couch, and pushed her behind me as the room began to shake.

  “Alec, what’s going on?” cried Tiffany.

  “Whatever happens, stay behind me!”

  The air cracked and popped as we watched a sword of fire appear out of nowhere and cut a hole in the fabric of reality. I was horrified as The Prince of Darkness stepped out of the spirit realm and into the room. He placed his sword back in its sheath, and with a wave of his hand Lucifer closed the tare behind him. He stood reverent in front of us in platinum-colored armor with his golden-blond hair pulled back. I could tell he relished in the moment by the sadistic smile on his face, coupled with the evil glint in his eye.

  “Paul, get in here now! We need you, buddy! Lucifer is here!”

  By the sound of her voice I knew Tiffany was terrified. “Oh my God, Alec, who is that?”

  “Paul, where are you?” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

  “Why are you calling for Paul?” Tiffany asked.

  Lucifer gave a courteous nod. “I apologize. Where are my manners, my dear? I am the Prince and the Power of the Air, the first born of my angelic brethren, the rightful ruler of Earth. But you can call me Lucifer.” He held out his hands and bowed his head to Tiffany.

  I shouted out again. “Paul! Paul, where are you? We need you now!”

  Lucifer stood straight as a board while I slowly inched Tiffany and I back.

  “Paul!”

  Tiffany whimpered. “Why are you calling for Paul?”

  “Yes, why indeed? You have told her about your special supernatural
friend, haven’t you?”

  I said nothing as Lucifer’s smile widened. “Oh, you haven’t, have you? Well that makes you a very bad fiancé. Haven’t you been told you’re not supposed to keep secrets from the one you love? And here you are about to enter a marriage with a bombshell of one. Tiffany, did you know Alec was keeping all sorts of secrets from you?”

  “What is he talking about, Alec?”

  “Paul, please we need you now! Lucifer is here!”

  “You have been a very bad boy, Alec. Alec’s family and I go way back. We have a unique history together. One that he can’t escape no matter how hard he tries, and since you two are getting married it now involves you.”

  Tiffany grabbed my arm hard. “What’s he talking about?”

  Lucifer stepped toward us. “Did you think I wouldn’t find out what you two did?”

  I moved Tiffany and I back toward the wall and hoped Paul would come flying in at any moment. “I didn’t do anything,” I said.

  Lucifer took another step. “But you did. You ended all of the lucrative sources of revenue for my kingdom, and then you have helped the enemy—my enemy—at every step.”

  I yelled out one more time. “Paul, get in here now!”

  Lucifer took another step as the look in his eyes became wilder. He enjoyed every bit of the fear we experienced just from him being there.

  “The Man Wrapped in Darkness is not coming to bail you out again. That’s Paul’s real name by the way, Tiffany. You see, I have brought wave after wave of my greatest demonic warriors to attack him, so we can have this brief moment of peace to catch up.”

  Lucifer was the father of lies, but I knew what he said about bringing his forces to attack Paul was the truth. Then I knew what I needed to do. I would call upon the name of Jesus and expel him from the room like I had the night I found out who Paul really was.

  “I rebuke you in the name of Jes—”

  Lucifer instantly appeared in front of me before I could finish saying the name of Jesus. He grabbed me by the shirt and threw me into the painting of my mother over the fireplace. I cracked the mantel as I fell to the ground with the painting in tatters all around me.