Asmireen
©2024 by Jonathan Scott
- - - - - - - - - -
Chapter 29 - A Curtain Opens
- - - - - - - - - -
The Second End
12.3 Papa Voice, some run from I. Some run to I. Some run not at all, walk not at all, and crawl not at all. You, which be you?
Jake drove his wagon down Robert Avenue until it met up with Left Way. He then followed Left Way down until he came to Left Avenue and made a right. He then headed towards the Main Way circular in the center of town.
Jake checked his pockets and saw that he had twelve silver pieces and several coppers with him. If he slept on the streets and if he were careful, he could make this money stretch for as much as two weeks and perhaps even more if he lived with hunger. Jake was homeless and alone again.
The world was different. It had been the same for so long that one would assume that change was impossible. But, it was now no longer the same. It was now no longer safe. The new danger of it though was so new that Jake had a hard time recognizing it as a reality. So much of the world still appeared to be the same. Shops were still open. People still walked down the streets. Jake looked about and saw the men, women, horses, buildings, and children. It looked like the same world. Such a small portion of it only, the government, was now dangerous. Jake found it far too easy to simply look at the rest of the world that was still the same and feel the same peace that one was used to feeling. But then Jake saw the wagons of people being driven from their homes and cursed himself for being so easily, albeit briefly, seduced.
As Jake drove, he saw wagon after wagon filled with those who were suspected of following Papa Voice. In the back of these wagons were people, people just like anyone else on the road, people that had been plucked up and out of their routines. People that had been yanked from their sleep. Yanked from their work. Yanked from their play. And all of them sat in the back of wagons looking at each other in sheer disbelief and fear from behind iron bars. Marie and Hannah were in a wagon such as these, and Jake had no idea where they were being taken, nor what would happen to them once they arrived. He also knew he had no power whatsoever to help them.
How could something so purely insane come to be so suddenly? Jake did not know what to do.
As Jake drove right on Left Avenue he passed the open air market and wondered what had become of Isaac. Isaac no longer sold fish. He was a minor statesman nowadays. But, perhaps this new elevated level of prominence only increased his danger now that righteousness was illegal. Somehow Jake knew that Isaac was also in the back of one of these wagons somewhere.
As Jake drove though, for whatever reason, he glanced over his left shoulder. There he briefly saw something that made him stop his wagon with a dangerous abruptness in the middle of the street.
There was a man sitting on top of the Mirrorball. An enormous man. Jake knew that the Mirrorball was a mile high. This was common knowledge. This man though that sat on the Mirrorball as though it were a throne, seemed to sit on it as easily as one would sit on a chair. Jake saw the two great legs that descended all the way from the top of the Mirrorball all the way down to the ground. Jake could not guess how tall this man was, but he did know that his height would be measured in miles and not inches or feet.
Jake had only glanced over his shoulder, nothing more. His head automatically turned forward as heads usually do after glances are complete. Jake turned his head back immediately though to get a better look.
The tremendous man still sat atop the Mirrorball. Jake froze and chose to look at the man closely. At first he looked like an enormous stone statue. He was so large. How could anything of that size be real? But then Jake saw the chest of the man, which itself was larger than any building Jake had ever seen, expand and contract. He could hear the man breathing, even though he was miles away. He also saw the arms of the man move occasionally to scratch an ear or to readjust themselves atop the hard and uncomfortable surface of the Mirrorball.
The body of the man was dark, but with a darkness that appeared to come from shadow rather than color. It appeared that light itself disliked him. Atop the head of this man were two horns. On his back, two great bat wings, each bigger than most mountains, clung. Looking at the man, Jake knew exactly who it was and, in so knowing, felt a perfect sense of eternal anxiety spread all throughout his body.
As Jake watched him, he noticed that the man smiled vaguely. He seemed to be looking down at the city as one would stare at animals in a zoo. The man, the multi-mile tall man, who was Asmodeus, The Devil, The Ruler of All Hell, was also nude. He wore nothing. His lightless gray body sat in the sun and defied its brilliance with his own darkness.
Jake turned his head back and looked about him and nothing seemed very different. People walked down the road. People stood in groups discussing the new proclamation. Wagons continued to drive down the road. The normalcy of it all stunned him. In the background though, he could still hear the infernal breathing.
"Hey! Move it along. I got places to go!" said a man from behind who also was driving a wagon.
Jake looked again at the behemoth sitting atop the bright and shining sphere and then behind him at the man who seemed to not notice him. With a look of absolute incredulity, Jake pointed the giant out to the man in the wagon behind him.
The man, looked in the direction that Jake's finger indicated, froze slightly, and then turned his face back towards Jake.
Jake watched the eyes of the man open wide. He then watched the man's mouth that was also open. For a second, the man froze. And then the strangest of things happened. The man turned his head upwards, sighed, and stared at Jake blankly as if nothing, absolutely nothing, was out of the ordinary and began to speak.
"Yeah, what?" he said.
"C'mon, I got places to go." he continued.
The man sounded as if the only thing strange about this entire scene was that Jake was in his way. Jake looked deeply into the man's eyes though, and knew, that the man still knew that the Devil himself was here. Jake also knew that the man was still afraid. Jake guessed that the man was so afraid that the only way that he could deal with it was to feign ignorance of it.
It reminded him of a time when he was very young and a small badger had crept into their home at night. Jake remembered lying there in bed, with an absolute blackness surrounding him. As he lay there though in his tiny little boy body, he heard the footsteps of something walking across their wooden floor that was not human. From the moment that Jake noticed the sound, his eyes opened wide with fear. But, despite the fear, Jake forced his body to lay absolutely still in his bed. He forced his breathing to remain constant. He forced his body to not react. And even when the badger crept up to his bed, placed two paws on the edge of it and began to sniff at Jake's face, Jake continued to pretend that absolutely nothing was wrong. Jake's hope was that if he could somehow convince the world that nothing was wrong, that indeed there wouldn't be. And luckily for Jake, the badger, once seeing that Jake was neither a threat nor appetizing, simply moved on out of boredom.
Jake saw this same fearless fear in the face of the man sitting in the wagon behind him.
Jake began looking around, trying to find people who would pay attention to him. And for each one who's glance he was able to catch, he pointed Asmodeus out to them. Some of these people then looked at the giant and, just as the wagon driver, manufactured for themselves this same state of hopeless fearless fear. So many, upon seeing the danger, simply continued on with their lives as though there was nothing wrong.
Eventually the streets were filled with people, all of whom, pretended as though there was no threat, all of whom, pretended that the Devil himself was not sitting atop the Mirrorball watching them. Everyone walked around, looking at each other, pretending as though everything was fine, but all the while knowing that everyone around them, including themselves, were lying.
Eventually several people began to cry, and with each sob more and more people let their arms hang down to their sides and let their heads drop in silent resignation to the eternal threat that was there calmly laughing at them.
Eventually, everyone stopped doing everything and everyone simply stood there, staring up at Asmodeus, as one would stare at a lion who had casually stumbled upon them, who looked at them casually, wondering with an equal amount of aloofness about his own hunger and whether or not it needed to be satisfied.
The curtain of reality had been opened. The world now knew what the world really was, and all the day to day details that fill our consciousness so full and keep us so busy all dissipated in the blink of an eye. All that remained was awe and fear.
In this moment of pure dread clarity, Asmodeus stood and to the perfect fear of everyone around him, began to walk, a mile at a stride, towards Jake and his wagon. His head was so high in the air that it was difficult to see. His chest blocked the view of all that stood in the vicinity of Jake. And then, Asmodeus stopped walking and in one abominable infernal motion, Asmodeus bent at the waist, bent slightly at the knees and then bent down so that his huge monstrous face hovered all over Old Town. Screams leapt from the mouths of everyone. Many people fainted. The great head then smiled and began moving off to the left. Asmodeus was looking at them, one by one. He seemed to love the fear that he was generating. He seemed to feed off of it. The great head then moved back right and once again hovered over the area where Jake sat.
Jake then noticed something. Jake saw a small gray man, who from time to time, blinked with reflected light. The tiny naked man somehow hung from a hair that came out of the Devil's nose. The man was suspended from the Devil a hundred yards over the surface of this world. The man looked down at the world with a look of longing. He seemed to wish to jump. It was then, as Jake's vision became accustomed to looking at this great distance that Jake saw the hundreds of lightless naked men and women that clung to the flesh of the Devil's nose and upper lip, all of whom blinked with this same reflected light.
As Jake continued to look at the great face, he saw tens of thousands of tiny naked bodies that clung all about the face and hair of the giant.
It was then that Jake saw the first man leap. And then the second, and then more. Jake watched the men and women fall and as they collided with the ground, Jake saw them smile, shatter and then slowly dissipate into seeming nonexistence.
The sky was now gone. The sun was gone also. The entire place where the sky and the sun once reigned in supremacy was now replaced by the monstrous gray and terrible body of the Devil and the tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of naked men and women who clung to him and blinked on and off.
And all of a sudden, the Devil began to blow a great and rank breath over all. Those that had not yet fallen unconscious from fear fell to the ground from the stink of the rank wind. Many, also fell backwards from the strength of the foul wind itself.
And then Asmodeus began to laugh. It was a loud laugh, the wind of which hammered everyone even harder to the ground and burst the eardrums of many. Jake, who had been sitting on the front seat of the wagon, found himself pushed down hard into the wagon seat, but for some reason, remained in his sitting position even as he reeled from the sound and wind of the great infernal laughter. His hearing deadened. He had not had the time to cover his ears, and even if he had, it probably would not have mattered.
Jake knew that everyone in Eastbrook, everyone in all of the boroughs, could see this and he knew that everyone was feeling the same frantic hopelessness that he also felt.
The Devil then stood once again to his full height and walked back to the Mirrorball. He then turned and once again sat down on it as if on a throne.
"Hey, how you doing?" said Asmodeus casually to the world as he smiled a broad and very insincere smile.
There was a pause, and then Asmodeus leaned over so that the entire world could get a good look at his face. And with that, the smile that was once broad and insincere, became evil and cruel.
"Time's up." he said as he began to stand.
The Devil raised his hands before him as though he were about to control a marionette. He then moved his fingers insincerely and began to sing. The sarcasm was thick as was the hatred.
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands.
Everyone that heard this first line knew it to be the song that many had sung as children. They knew it because they had sung it in their churches with their friends. They knew it because they had sung it in their schools with their teachers and classmates. They knew it because they had sung it in their homes with their mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers. Now though, they sang it in the streets with the Devil and the past happinesses that such a song had brought to them would be forever tarnished by what would happen to them this day. Asmodeus was not only going to attack their bodies, but also their memories. Not only was he going to take away their happiness of today and tomorrow, he was going to attack their happinesses of yesterday, leaving them fewer and fewer happinesses to remember in the dark days that would follow.
Jake then looked around to see that everyone was once again standing. This was surprising. Jake had seen them all fall from the fainting, or the wind, or the smell or the laughter. And each time that a person had fallen, Jake had thought that they would never again stand. But, they stood nonetheless. Some seemed as though, they were not even aware of it. Jake watched them reel and bob as they seemed to stand against more than just their will. Jake watched them stand even though, some seemed physically incapable of standing.
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands.
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands.
If you're happy and you know it and you really want to show it...
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands.
And so the verse continued, all the while the Devil jumped about and danced as he clapped his hands as mightily as he could. And with each tremendous clap, the windows in all of the buildings shattered. Some of the people once again fell to the ground. This was not all though.
As Asmodeus sang, all the Nahli, which was almost everyone, began clapping their hands as well. Jake looked around him, and the only ones that were not clapping their hands were himself and those in the backs of the wagons who were not Nahli. Each and everyone of those that clapped, each, had the same look of terrible disbelief on their faces as their hands flew harder and harder together. They all now were fully aware that their abandonment of Papa Voice and their acceptance of Asmireen had cost them their freewill. And with each beat, and with each bone crushing clap, everyone knew exactly how much the freedom that they had once had meant to them.
Asmodeus continued to sing.
If you're happy and you know it, jump around.
If you're happy and you know it, jump around.
If you're happy and you know it and you really want to show it...
If you're happy and you know it, jump around.
As the singing continued, all of the Nahli began to jump. The jumping though was not a normal jumping. With each and every leap, it appeared rather that everyone was just trying to break their legs with the ground. Jump after painful jump ensued until the verse was complete and everyone fell to the ground out of pain, some with shattered arms and legs, screaming to the skies and begging Papa Voice to help them.
And then Asmodeus stood straight up, placed one finger on his chin and posed his body in such a way that he looked as though he were pondering. It was a false sarcastic pondering though. Asmodeus was enjoying every instant of this. And, after a brief moment, he began another verse.
If you're happy and you know it, kill a blond.
If you're happy and you know it and you really want to show it...
If you're happy and you know it, kill a blond.
When Asmodeus began singing this verse, Jake became frantic. He himself was not a blond, but he saw all about him, here and there, blond haired people who he knew he would have to watch die. He then saw all these blond-haired people immediately throw their hands about their own throats and begin to squeeze. He then watched as everyone around them jumped on them, kicking and punching.
As the attacks ensued, the great voice of Asmodeus filled the skies. Many were now deaf from the laughter. Those that weren't though heard the following words as Asmodeus bellowed them out for all of eternity to hear.
"I DEFY YOU!"
"I DEFY YOUR GOODNESS!"
"I DEFY YOUR POSITION!"
"YOUR WORLD AND YOUR CHILDREN DIE THIS DAY! I CLAIM THEM FOR MY OWN!"
"FACE ME NOW COWARD!"
Jake watched the body of the giant giant roar and stretch as he echoed out each and every vile syllable to the heavens.
It was then that everything became quiet. The fighting ceased and everyone froze where they stood. Everyone immediately became aware of Jake. All about Jake, everyone, wherever they were looked at him. The light of the world itself changed and somehow clung to where Jake sat in his wagon. Jake then looked up to see the monstrous face of Asmodeus looking down, directly at him, filled with hatred, hunger, wonder, focus and interest.
Jake was past fear as he sat on his wagon, looking up, knowing that death had finally come. It was then that he heard the tiniest of voices.
"Hey Jake."
He also felt a hand against his leg.
Jake looked down and saw Hera, his youngest sister. She was standing by his wagon. Hera and not Jake was the focus of everyone and their attention. Hera also seemed to be the source of the new light that filled the world, because she emanated it.
Jake looked up again to see Asmodeus as a look of immense sadness came to his face. He then watched the tremendous man stand and turn in dejection. Asmodeus began to walk away.
Jake shakily began to climb down from the wagon and looked at his sister closely.
Jake remembered burying Hera. He remembered picking up her tiny little burnt body and placing it in the ground. He then remembered filling the hole where she lay with dirt, crying with each scoop. He remembered her death.
He then remembered the dream that perhaps hadn't been a dream at all, of Saja, his mother, Homer, his father, and the rest of his brothers and sisters. He remembered tiny Hera being in that dream as well. Jake's mind was blank. It was completely void of opinion. It was void of comment. Jake knew that Jake knew nothing and he found himself capable of doing nothing but standing still and observing.
Tiny Hera looked at him and smiled.
"How are you doing Jake?" asked Hera.
Jake's mind recovered enough so that he could finish his climb down from his wagon. He then picked up little Hera and hugged her. Hera then hugged him back.
Jake was surprised. When Hera had died, she had not yet even been two years old. At the time, she spoke as a baby would speak. Now though, she didn't.
"I'm fine, Hera." said Jake still in a state of absolute wonder.
"We're proud of you, Jake. You did more than you realize." she said.
Jake stood there, holding Hera, completely dumbfounded.
"I have to go and do something now Jake." said Hera.
"I love you." said Jake who then placed Hera back on the ground.
"I love you, too." said Hera who slowly turned and began to toddle away from Jake.
Jake looked around him as tears filled his eyes. He watched as everyone else watched her as well. He then continued to watch as her tiny brilliant body, clothed in white robes, rose off of the ground and began to slowly move towards the now complacent Asmodeus.
Asmodeus, who everyone knew to be the greatest source of evil in existence, did not look like the greatest source of evil in existence anymore. He was not screaming or bellowing out threats anymore. He was not shooting flames at the tiny Hera to try and defend himself. He was doing nothing. Once his power had been cut off by the mere presence of this angel, he had simply chosen to walk back to the Mirrorball. There he sat looking dejected and despondent. He looked like a juvenile who had been caught spray painting a local vendor's wall and now sat in silent fear in the police station waiting for the news of it to get to his Father. The multi-mile tall man looked small and meaningless.
Hera continued to float, rising all the while, toward the now pitiful Asmodeus. And all the while, Jake remarked how well he could still see her. She was now miles away from him, but his vision had been so enhanced that he could still make out all of the details in her clothing and hair. He noticed that his hearing also had once again returned to him. In fact, his hearing also seemed acutely powerful for he noticed that he could even hear the tiny Hera as she breathed.
And still Hera rose. She rose above the great feet of Asmodeus. She rose above his knees. She rose above his waist. She rose above his chest. And she eventually slowed and ended her ascent directly in front of the great and vast face of the Devil himself.
Asmodeus' head was tilted forward in defeat. He knew he had no power before this angel and he chose, rather than to fight it, to simply wait in absolute ruin for the fate that he knew would now come.
Tiny Hera then looked into the sad eyes of Asmodeus, and feeling no pity whatsoever, began to speak to him.
Hera had been a child when she died. She had not had much time at all in this world before she had moved on to the next. She had not had the time to study. She had not had the time to grow. She hadn't been able to fall in love, or marry. She hadn't been able to have children of her own. This demon before her had taken her entire life away except for the smallest of portions.
She stood there before the physically finite but immense greatness. She, who now accessed the spiritually infinite, stood before the greatest finite terror and felt no fear. And so, in her anger and power, began to speak. She spoke with an air of subdued rage. She spoke with perfect confidence. She spoke as one speaks when one wishes to say something else.
"Papa Voice told me to tell you to go away."
It was then that the great body of Asmodeus began to shrink. And as he shrank, he moaned and cried. He howled like an animal. There was none left though who felt pity. There was none but the one who wished it was otherwise. It was as though apathy itself was dying and the world could do nothing but welcome its noisy, painful, relieving end.
The great legs rose up into the air as the body of the man, who once wished to be a god, shrank and dwindled. The great arms that once tried to greedily consume all fell in and up and shrank.
In time, the body of the man who was once tremendous, hovered there before the tiny body of Hera. He was so small that Hera could have held a hundred of him in the palm of her hand. Asmodeus then looked up into the great face of the baby, the face that emanated holy rage, and knew that the freedom that he had felt for an eternity was finally gone. Asmodeus then blinked away, as did Hera.