more soldiers. Even though--let’s face it--I’m simply better at convincing people than God is. God’s a little out of touch these days, huh? When he had His son it made him a little soft, I think. But the point is, the universe needs you in order to function properly. Without you, the entire system breaks down.” Death considered Satan’s points for some time before saying, “Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”
“Things on earth aren’t great, anyways,” said Satan. “You’ve got hatred and terrorism. Oil spills. Environmental damage. People are cruel creatures, Death, so cruel they’ll rip that heart of yours right out while it’s still beating. I’ve seen it before.”
“No, people are good,” said Death matter-of-factly. “I’ve seen it. They’re helpful and friendly. Some are out to get everyone else, sure. Some can be petty and ignorant, in their own little bubble. But if you look for the right ones, you’ll find them.”
Satan laughed and shook his head. “They go away too, Death. Everyone goes away. You just don’t know that yet.” Death was silent. “Come on, then,” said Satan softly, encouragingly. “Do what’s right. Set the universe back in order. Then you, me and the other Horsemen can grab a sandwich and a beer. God can even come; we know he’s not doing anything these days, am I right?” He laughed and winked at Death, who did nothing but stare out Satan’s window at the flames of Hell as they spurted up around the infinite horizon. “Death?” asked Satan. “What are you thinking about? Talk to me.” “I just...” started Death. He sighed. No one was on his side anymore, and he felt very alone. “I just like where I am. I don’t know if I can come back.” A mix of fury, rage, and terror washed over Satan’s face. But the glance was gone in a flare, so fast that Death wondered if he imagined it. Now, Satan was smiling a forced, twisted smile. “I really hope you change your mind,” he said, his voice dark and strained. “This is...frankly...absurd.”
As Death ascended back onto the hard earth, back to the human civilization that could be cold and harsh but beautiful and mesmerizing all the same, he thought of what was next for him. Whatever it was, he felt an empty, hollow, peculiar victory, the cause of which he could not quite determine.
A New Suit
UNDERWATER SOCIETY AT WAR
New Atlantis, Michigan – The cult group that refers to themselves as “God’s Chosen Sea People,” have declared a schism in their faction, resulting in a civil war.
Weeks ago, members of GCSP found that they could breathe underwater without the expected result of dying. They subsequently built an underwater society at the bottom of Lake Huron that they called New Atlantis. It seemed to be a freshwater utopia complete with a post office and a church. But last week, a rift occurred within the group.
“We couldn’t agree on the matter of using sea creatures for our own needs,” Leonard Domino, leader of GCSP ‘Freedom Fighters,’ said. “They wanted to abuse the fish and use them for food and transportation.”
The differences in ideology split the six-person cult into two groups of three. GCSP ‘Republiservatives’ are standing their ground in New Atlantis, while the Freedom Fighters broke off and may be planning an attack. “We’re not saying we’re going to attack,” Domino said. “But you should see our cruise missile. It’s awesome.”
“They tried to say that, because fish had heartbeats and very general problem-solving skills, that they should have all the same rights as humans,” Reverend Dick Stool, leader of the Republiservatives, said. “I say that’s a reason that they shouldn’t have rights, because it proves they’re stupid.”
“The fish are our brothers, and are even smarter than humans because they learned to breathe underwater before we could,” Domino said in a clear misunderstanding of evolution. “We owe them. It isn’t the
“Things on earth aren’t great, anyways,” said Satan. “You’ve got hatred and terrorism. Oil spills. Environmental damage. People are cruel creatures, Death, so cruel they’ll rip that heart of yours right out while it’s still beating. I’ve seen it before.”
“No, people are good,” said Death matter-of-factly. “I’ve seen it. They’re helpful and friendly. Some are out to get everyone else, sure. Some can be petty and ignorant, in their own little bubble. But if you look for the right ones, you’ll find them.”
Satan laughed and shook his head. “They go away too, Death. Everyone goes away. You just don’t know that yet.” Death was silent. “Come on, then,” said Satan softly, encouragingly. “Do what’s right. Set the universe back in order. Then you, me and the other Horsemen can grab a sandwich and a beer. God can even come; we know he’s not doing anything these days, am I right?” He laughed and winked at Death, who did nothing but stare out Satan’s window at the flames of Hell as they spurted up around the infinite horizon. “Death?” asked Satan. “What are you thinking about? Talk to me.” “I just...” started Death. He sighed. No one was on his side anymore, and he felt very alone. “I just like where I am. I don’t know if I can come back.” A mix of fury, rage, and terror washed over Satan’s face. But the glance was gone in a flare, so fast that Death wondered if he imagined it. Now, Satan was smiling a forced, twisted smile. “I really hope you change your mind,” he said, his voice dark and strained. “This is...frankly...absurd.”
As Death ascended back onto the hard earth, back to the human civilization that could be cold and harsh but beautiful and mesmerizing all the same, he thought of what was next for him. Whatever it was, he felt an empty, hollow, peculiar victory, the cause of which he could not quite determine.
A New Suit
UNDERWATER SOCIETY AT WAR
New Atlantis, Michigan – The cult group that refers to themselves as “God’s Chosen Sea People,” have declared a schism in their faction, resulting in a civil war.
Weeks ago, members of GCSP found that they could breathe underwater without the expected result of dying. They subsequently built an underwater society at the bottom of Lake Huron that they called New Atlantis. It seemed to be a freshwater utopia complete with a post office and a church. But last week, a rift occurred within the group.
“We couldn’t agree on the matter of using sea creatures for our own needs,” Leonard Domino, leader of GCSP ‘Freedom Fighters,’ said. “They wanted to abuse the fish and use them for food and transportation.”
The differences in ideology split the six-person cult into two groups of three. GCSP ‘Republiservatives’ are standing their ground in New Atlantis, while the Freedom Fighters broke off and may be planning an attack. “We’re not saying we’re going to attack,” Domino said. “But you should see our cruise missile. It’s awesome.”
“They tried to say that, because fish had heartbeats and very general problem-solving skills, that they should have all the same rights as humans,” Reverend Dick Stool, leader of the Republiservatives, said. “I say that’s a reason that they shouldn’t have rights, because it proves they’re stupid.”
“The fish are our brothers, and are even smarter than humans because they learned to breathe underwater before we could,” Domino said in a clear misunderstanding of evolution. “We owe them. It isn’t the
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