Apollyon's Saint The Beginning

by Zachary Koukol

frequented had piles of trash and dirty dishes.

  Cleaning was not a trait of the depressed, suicidal outcast, or maybe just something he inherited from a mutt of a gene pool. His diet consisted mostly of whiskey, milk and cereal. Sitting down on his old dingy couch he ate his wheat grain cereal. He might have a limited diet but why not shoot for one of the food groups on the pyramid.

  He had but one luxury of a modern society, a TV that he found outside of a dumpster. It was not plugged in since he had no cable out in the woods. He could get a dish but he choose to deprive himself of any pleasures or entertainment. To him he was a messiah for living outside of what society wanted him to do. It was definitely a glorious revelation, him eating cereal staring at a blank TV on the floor. Ghosts where all that kept him company and even those were only of his mind. The reality was he was even a poor bachelor for the likes of Ashley the village whore. But he set no expectations for himself so none of it mattered.

  Outside storm clouds rolled in, sparking the genius thoughts of his adventure to death. He knew of a mountain that was near by. Once when he was a kid he was caught in a storm up there and it was as if the wrath of the gods all converged to destroy the mountain. What else did he have to do besides have a camp out on that magnetic mountain top. Not like he could return to Marlov's and people watch after Ashley's display of destructive affection.

  He knew all the horrors about her, but there was something that made him drawn to her. Maybe it was the simple fact that he was a male species who naturally should be drawn to any willing female. Or the fact that she would be the key to breaking one of his twisted morals in this natural world. She was the one thing that still made him come up to the same level playing field as the human race. No matter what it was, the affection of whores was something that all men must face and in this department he was no different.

  Going back to Marlov's and selling his soul out was the easy route and the one most people in his state of being would take. But he despised the thought of rejoining the race of the living. Interaction with anyone was a dreadful thought and he was beyond the selfish agenda of helping hands. That fateful night of free drinks and bare breasts at Marlov's would be the last time he frequented there.

  Gabriel had not been camping since he was a kid and he lacked any kind of camping equipment. He was not sure how one should prepare for the type of camping trip he was going on. A metal rod to hold at the top of the mountain would suffice but still a little too dramatic so Gabriel headed to the towns grocery store to get a few basic items. In the daylight the people of Axal could not hide their depression. They wore it on their faces like a badge of honor. Good deeds go unnoticed in Axal which is why Gabriel no longer did the simple things such as opening a door to the store for a stranger. No one in the town cared and if you showed any weakness the town vultures would be sure to devour you just for entertainment.

  Once inside the store he saw the same familiar unfriendly faces. No one spoke unless they were forced to do so. Friendly gestures only pained the people of Axal into finding a spot in their soul not frozen enough to return the gesture. No one made eye contact and everyone's personal bubble was the size of a VW bus. The people of Axal were oddly comforting to Gabriel. He could walk amongst them and feel like he did not even exist.

  Gabriel grabbed some generic granola bars, some toiletry, and a few lighters. Backwoods survival had little meaning to him but why turn from a excuse to burn something. Gabriel got in line for the cashier and the line moved methodically. Like prisoners lined up heading to their cells. As if one person spoke or stepped out of line they would socially out cast them from Axal.

  The cashier had a look of dismay on her face. You could tell she hated her job and all the shitty people she had to deal with day in and day out. She seemed so young to be stuck in the Axal web of dismay. Gabriel hoped she was a few paychecks from telling the old store manager to get fucked and ditch town. But with that look on her face her story could be nothing but one of the locals. Gabriel placed his items on the conveyer of her annoyance. She said nothing, Beep, Beep, Beep, like the moments of her life ticking away.

  “That will be eighteen seventy five” the cashier said as though the sound of her own voice was about to send her to the brink. Gabriel swiped his card and told her thanks and walked out of the store. It amazed him that anyone could lead such a life. Even his attempts at suicide and journey for death brought more adventure and joy than that poor girls ruins of a life in Axal. The only cure for the towns depression was to gather everyone up for a poisoned kool-aid festival. At least then it might look appealing to a tourist.

  Gabriel could see Shrul peak coming into view as he drove down the highway. The mountain was once crowded with miners and shafts during the gold rush. The top of it was a bald peak, with a old sheriffs station at the peak of the mountain. It was once used to watch for forest fires in the area but now it was just a small abandoned concrete hut.

  The rain had died down to a light drizzle and Gabriel was not sure if the road up to the top would be to muddy to make it. He turned off the highway and headed up the jeep trail leading to the top. There was enough exposed rock on the trail for the old truck to keep traction. Along the trail were old abandoned mine shafts. Some of them were caved in and were just piles of old timbers and rock.

  The truck radio was playing the weather warnings over and over again. The night would bring heavy thunderstorms and large amounts of rain. Most campers would be disappointed with such weather but to Gabriel it would all be for nothing without this storm. He might be stuck on top of Shrul peak for a few nights since there was water already running down parts of the jeep trail. Flash floods off the peak could create rivers on the trail that lasted for a few hours and could easily take a old pickup and throw it from the mountain.

  Ahead on the trail Gabriel could see the end of the tree line. The road turned to a rock trail that was difficult to navigate. The old truck was almost too wide for the trail as Gabriel dug the driver side into the mountain as close as possible and the passenger side hung off the trail a few inches. One miscalculation of the wet rocks would send him and the truck into the abyss.

  It was safe to say he was going to fast for the conditions since the trail was barely large enough for a jeep let alone a truck. Just before the steep grade to the peak was a flat open area where he parked the truck. He looked up at the old sheriffs station at the top. Dark low clouds were covering and uncovering it. Gabriel took a deep breath and inhaled the electricity in the air.

  The rocks on the top of the mountain contained mostly metal and different minerals. The few tree's on the flat spot where Gabriel parked had been struck and mangled by lightning. The whole peak was a natural electrocution chamber ready to light up anything that dared venture on it in a storm.

  Gabriel smiled as the wind howled around him. He grabbed his bag and patted the side of the truck as if to say fair well old friend. The trail to the top was steep and rocky. The sides of the trail had small deposits of crystal and old burnt timbers. The ruins left behind by the miners. There was also an old ground wire that lead to the sheriffs station on top. At one point it was grounded to prevent certain death to those poor souls who once had to occupy it in a storm.

  Once to the top Gabriel headed into the station to store his supplies. It was not much bigger than a storage shed and was made of concrete. Black marks lined the old shack from all the times it had been hit with lightning. There was no longer doors or windows on it as the wind howled inside. Gabriel set his stuff down among the debris on the floor.

  Graffiti that was too mature for a fourth grader lined the interior walls. The normal penises, Nazi signs, and unoriginal sayings. The floor had mostly broken glass and pieces of wood from the remains of the fire watch. Around the station was about a 10 square yard flat area and beyond that was death for an inexperienced climber.

  There was no rain yet as Gabriel looked out at the valley below. It was a magnificent site even to the suicidal. Walls of clouds were o
n the ridges miles away. It would not be long and Gabriel would get the light show of his lifetime. The peak felt almost like hollow sacred ground. Men once toiled and gave their lives in the shafts below him all at the chance for that American dream. Some were still buried in the shafts that collapsed and sealed the fate of the unfortunate. If there ever was a supernatural place that peak was it. Energy busted from the rocks below and all forms of life stayed clear.

  But not Gabriel, he was waiting in anticipation and was anxious as he fidgeted with a lighter. The cold wind would instantly blow out the flame as if to say “you will find no comfort here!” All the wood debris inside the the station would not be enough to start a meaningful fire. Let alone one large enough to provoke a god into mercy killing him.

  The rumbling began and Gabriel could feel it in his chest. Like a hundred thousand Calvary were charging their way up the mountain. The ridges in the distance flashed and banged. It was enough to intimidate the strongest of men. The little earth around him grew darker and darker. There was no turning back now, no chance of retreat as Gabriel nervously read one of the sayings on the wall.

  It was almost satanic as