Apollyon's Saint The Beginning

by Zachary Koukol

Ashley said. Gabriel looked on and thought what the fuck is this the virgin ghost of Ashley's past. He chuckled to himself since he did not think such a thing could possibly exist. The two boy were older than Ashley, they looked liked seniors or freshman in college and she looked like an eighth grader.

  “I am going to have to go home soon or my mom is going to kick my ass!” Ashley said. James grabbed the bottle from the boy in the front and put it in front of Ashley.

  “Come on beautiful, have a few more drinks with us” James said in a demanding tone. Reluctantly Ashley took one last drink and barley swallowed any. Some heavy metal was playing but Gabriel could not make out the screaming of the lyrics.

  “Okay guys seriously now I have to go. Can you please take me home now?” Ashley said. James face turned beat red.

  “You tell us you want to hang out and drink with us and now you just want to leave?” James said in an annoyed voice.

  “I am really sorry, I wish I could stay with you guys” Ashley said in her most convincing voice. It was clear she was not having fun with these guys and just wanted to get home. She handed the bottle back to James and it slipped from her hand and hit the floor of the van spilling all over the carpet.

  “You stupid little fucking bitch! My dad is going to kill me!” James yelled.

  “Fuck this bitch” James said to his friend. He grabbed Ashley by the hair and dragged her to the bench seat in the very back. His friend in the front seat followed suit and grabbed her legs.

  “Hey you little fucks!” Gabriel pleaded as he tried to get in. Ashley was screaming and crying as they pulled at her clothes like a pack of wolves. Gabriel pounded on the windows but none of his attempts slowed them. Gabriel turned and picked up a big rock. He slammed into the window but it didn't break or even crack. He picked it up and threw it again. It wasn't going to break and he could not get in. Gabriel was enraged and pounding on the van once again. Inside Ashley was now crying and the two pricks who contributed to the monster she became as a adult took turns on her.

  “You like that you cunt!” James shouted. Gabriel couldn't help her and it was because in this realm he did not even exist and if he did he was elsewhere in Axal. Gabriel walked away from the van covering his ears. Her cries were to much and tears started to run down Gabriel's face. The stress of the days sexual violence was to much for him to handle. She might have been many thing's but no girl or woman ever deserved such abuse. It wasn't long and the rape came to an end. The boys were putting on there clothes.

  “You asked for this, you should not have been teasing us all night!” James said in a mellow voice as if to bring understanding to his childish mind.

  “Get your clothes and get the fuck out I don't want to see your face again!” The other boy demanded as he slid open the door. Ashley half nude jumped out of the van. She walked over to a bench and sat down with tears running down her face. Gabriel walked up to her and sat down.

  “It wasn't your fault Ashley, I am so sorry!” Gabriel said as he too was crying. He tried to hug her but just as he got close enough she vanished and he was now in a unknown house falling over onto a couch. There was a muscular man with a truckers tan pounding on a bedroom door.

  “Ashley, open the fucking door!” The man shouted.

  “Don't make me break this door down!” He said.

  “I want a divorce!” Ashley's distraught voice shouted from behind the door. Gabriel did not want to see any more of any of this. He walked to the door leading out of the house and turned the knob.

  It just kept spinning and spinning. CRACK! He heard the bedroom door smash open. Gabriel did not want to look.

  “You want to take everything I worked for you bitch? Huh do you!” The man yelled. Gabriel could hear the mans hands as they collided with her. She was screaming and crying.

  “STOP!” she pleaded. Then he could hear her gagging and choking.

  Gabriel got up and ran to the room. He still had not recovered from the first attack on her. The man was strangling her on the bed. Gabriel ran up and wound up a kick aimed at the back of his head. Just as it landed he was tossed back into his truck and Ashley reach out to take his hand.

  “Lets GOOO!” Ashley excitingly said to Gabriel. Gabriel pulled his hand away momentarily confused.

  “Sor...Sorry Ashley I really have to go!” Gabriel said as he shut his door. Ashley had a sad expression on her face as if she actually cared about him.

  Gabriel started the truck and pulled away from his parking spot. He jumped on a back street and after switching from a few streets he was on the backside of Axal and just outside of the train yard. Finally it hit him, the blood on everyone was their sin's. They all had them even if it was a consequence of the sin's done to them.

  His power was not so much a power but a curse. He could see their sins and a touch of the flesh would take him on a trip through their baggage. What a shitty thing to have he thought. This world has to much sadness and sin. People try to hide it but they all have some even if it's simply genetic.

  Parking his truck he grabbed the shotgun and ammo. There was no one around since it was a desolate section of town. Gabriel, gun in hand got out of the truck and didn't bother to shut the door. No last goodbye to the old truck that guided him to the gates of hell.

  His pace was a fast walk of a pissed off person. He was heading for the old grain elevator that was used to load trains. It was a good four story's high. Once inside Gabriel threw his shotgun up at a stairwell just above him. The city did not tear the old building down but they cut off the lower portion of the steps to keep kids from climbing it.

  Gabriel opened his box of shells and stuffed his pockets full. Some fell to the dusty floor. Once his pockets were full he tossed the box on the ground. He climbed up on one of the support beams to the structure and climbed it as though it was a slippery ladder.

  He pulled himself onto a crossbeam that was just above the steps that hung a few feet away. Leaping across he clung to the steps as they struggled to support him. Grabbing the gun he returned to the same pace. Skipping every other step as he winded his way up. Birds flew out of their nests at the top and flew out into the sky.

  At the end of the steps was a walkway that lead a few directions. One was to the outside balcony where he once used to get stoned with his friends. He stepped out on the balcony and there was the best view of Axal. That is if any view of Axal could be good.

  Pulling himself up on the handrail he sat on the top rail with his back facing the ground below. He swung the shotgun around to his head like a professional suicide artist and set it under his chin. He squeezed the trigger and this time...BOOOOM. Gabriel's limp body plummeted to the ground below.

  His body hit the ground and bounced with a bone cracking sound. Most of the bones in his body were shattered and the bird shot remove most of his jaw and pieces of hair and flesh was what remained. Could it be over, was he free from the world that had been tormenting him?

  Throughout the whole thing Gabriel was completely conscious as he hoped it would be. But his body was laid to rest and he was still conscious, free from any pain. His senses were shut off and he could not smell anything or move his face. He was just laying there, a mangled piece of flesh and bone. Laying down next to him was Apollyon, clapping his hands.

  “Well done, you finally manned up and bit the bullet. This really is an important step in our long relationship” Apollyon said with his typical laugh. The clapping stopped and he pressed his face right up to the remains of Gabriel's face. He was angry with a satanic look on his face. After all it was his face that the expression came from. He looked into Gabriel's eyes.

  “You really thought you can escape that easily?” He paused for a moment

  “You had a choice and I gave you your desires. There is no leaving or turning back now. So many souls were lost to have the chance I gave you!” Apollyon pulled his face away and stood over Gabriel with the grail in his hand.

  “Remember drinking from this?” He threw the grail
down on Gabriel.

  “There was once a great crusade for that cup, it was all rather pointless since then even I was unaware of its resting place. I followed them and watched as they interrogated and slayed people who knew nothing of it. Sang real, some thought it to be a actual grail, some thought it was a blood line. Both turned out to be correct and in the right hands the power is even beyond your understanding Gabriel and you are the only one to drink from, and of it.” Apollyon said in a cryptic tone.

  He turned away from Gabriel as though he was leaving and then he stopped.

  “I should just dig a deep pit and throw you in it for all eternity. My patience with you really is starting to fade. Ha, but for some reason I like your presence though it defiles, the defile I stand for.” Apollyon took a few steps away and turned to Gabriel.

  “You are the first...... Immortal man, I tried others before you. Even ones that stood as great leaders of my legion. Vlad, the man you call Jack the Ripper, even Hitler. All the stories of vampires, and immortality but nothing worked. That was until I added sang real to my collective works. Then it was a waiting game to find the right man. It really was wasted using it on you but I had no choice. Time was pressing..” Apollyon stopped for a moment as though he already had given too much information.

  “Now I am going to show you something.” Apollyon reached out