LJ Idol Season 8: Week 36; Pain
Unlike with the others, it does help if you read Pinnacle before this one. Reading the others could help as well, though not required.
"Looking at my performance over the last few months, I’ve brought in a lot of business for you...” I was nervous. It had taken me a long time but I'd finally worked up the nerve to approach her.
"Yes, Mr. Dominguez, you’ve been a very good employee. Very efficient. What is it that you’re asking from me? A raise? A new job title?”
"All of the above and more.” I leaned in closer, eyes growing wide as I looked up at her, not sure of the response I would get from her but feeling slightly emboldened, "I’ve busted my ass while you sit up here in your cozy little office collecting on all my hard work. I think I deserve a little something for everything I’ve done for you!”
She leaned back in her chair with an inscrutable grin on her face.
"Do you remember what I warned you of when you interviewed for this position, Mr. Dominguez? Cockiness and arrogance have no place in my company, unless it comes from me, of course.” Her voice sounded more like a growl.
"But I’ve worked hard for you these last few months! I’ve brought you the souls of children, large sums of money and spread suffering to more people than you or anybody else have, Miss. Belial. I think it says a lot about me. And I think I deserve some recognition for my efforts.”
"Yes. Yes it does say something about you, Mr. Dominguez..." She paused while staring me down, a grin plastered across her face. "And for that, I know just what you deserve.”
I opened my mouth to ask her what that was when a sharp and blinding pain suddenly penetrated my head, making my vision blur. A feeling like fire coursed through my veins. My world wavered and then went black.
**********
Head throbbing, I woke with a start. The ceiling above me looked familiar, reminded me of a past I had long since forgotten.
I was home. Since the day I took the job with Belial Enterprises, I’d been taken away from everything. I’d forgotten everything. Suddenly the feeling of joy rushed through me as I realized that I was home and perhaps everything from the last few months had been nothing but a bad dream.
Sitting up, I was overcome by dizziness and almost fell over again. Steadying myself, I looked around the room, and memories came flooding back to me. Though something felt off, and I’d hoped it was just me coming to my senses now that I was home... But I wasn’t sure.
Standing up, I walked over to the dresser where a photo frame sat, shattered glass littered the floor. A photo with a woman and a child I didn’t remember filled the frame. In the photo, my arms were wrapped around the woman, and a name filled my head. Karen. Her name was Karen.
The little girl had eyes like mine, and stared up at me with such love. Suddenly memories I don’t recall having swam up out of the darkness and flooded my head. I suddenly knew with certainty that her name was Ashlyn and she was my daughter.
My lonely life from before vanished; suddenly I was a man with a family.
Happily married, I remembered the conception of my daughter. We had taken a cruise to the Bahamas, Karen had gone shopping for a little something sexy. We made love and 9 months later I was a proud daddy. Memories of vacations I never took to Disneyland filled my head. I remembered Ashlyn playing on the beach on Florida, gathering seashells while I watched from a distance.
My heart nearly burst with joy. The life I’d always wanted, always desired the most was there now suddenly mine. The pieces of the puzzle synched in my head making everything feel normal, everything feel natural.
I was truly happy for the first time I could remember. It felt like this had been my life all along. Karen and Ashlyn were apart of me now as if they'd always been there.
Rushing from the bedroom, ready to begin my new life, I stopped suddenly at the living room door.
My wife, the woman I loved most in this world, was lying on the floor. Blood cascaded from the wound on her head turning her face into a macabre mask that was almost unrecognizable to me.
Running down the hallway, screaming to myself that this must be one fucked up dream, I opened the door to my daughter’s room to find her face shattered, bits of brain splattered the wall behind her.
Falling to my knees, sobbing uncontrollably, I see a drawing taped to the wall that said "I love my daddy!”
I lost it. I run back down the hall, try to make my way out of the house when I see the gun on the floor. The weapon that took this idyllic life away from me. Picking it up, I consider using it on myself to take away the pain that’s threatening to eat me from the inside out.
The sounds of wood splintering and the crashing of my front door pulled my attention elsewhere for a moment. "Police!” came a chorus of voices.
I had barely a second to think before a squadron of men crashed through the door and piled into the room. Staring wide-eyed, I forget about the gun in my hand.
Looking between the gun and the ruined face of my wife, I’m dimly aware of the voices of the cops telling me to "drop it.”
I took my eyes away from the men in front of me for only a moment before I felt something punch into my chest. My body burned from the impact and it took my breath away. I felt myself jerking and spasming as a flood of bullets followed, punching their way into my chest and stomach, the last sending me plummeting to the floor and into a pool of blood.
I woke up again and, but this time I see Miss Belial hovering above on a throne. The air around me was humid and I felt the sweat upon my brow.
"I’m dead?” I asked her as I came to my senses.
"Yes, yes you are.” She nodded, her eyes now looking all black and her red hair standing out against the darkness, "But how did you like that brief glimpse into the life you could have had? If only you’d not been so selfish, so greedy...”
I recalled vividly the feelings of completion and happiness followed by the heart-rending agony of having the life I wanted most in my hands only to have it cruelly and viciously ripped away by this bitch.
"Where am I now?” Fear crept into my voice as I noticed the shadows moving behind her back. Several winged creatures squatted next to her, eyes red and glowing as they looked upon me.
"Exactly where you deserve to be. Where did you think you’d end up, Heaven?” She laughed to herself as scaly, unseen hands pulled me down into the darkness.
(This is my sixth and final entry for Week 36 of
therealljidol. Thank you for reading and supporting me through the last 9 months. This was a rough week for everyone involved, so make sure to check out all the great entries from the Top 8 contestants!)
"Looking at my performance over the last few months, I’ve brought in a lot of business for you...” I was nervous. It had taken me a long time but I'd finally worked up the nerve to approach her.
"Yes, Mr. Dominguez, you’ve been a very good employee. Very efficient. What is it that you’re asking from me? A raise? A new job title?”
"All of the above and more.” I leaned in closer, eyes growing wide as I looked up at her, not sure of the response I would get from her but feeling slightly emboldened, "I’ve busted my ass while you sit up here in your cozy little office collecting on all my hard work. I think I deserve a little something for everything I’ve done for you!”
She leaned back in her chair with an inscrutable grin on her face.
"Do you remember what I warned you of when you interviewed for this position, Mr. Dominguez? Cockiness and arrogance have no place in my company, unless it comes from me, of course.” Her voice sounded more like a growl.
"But I’ve worked hard for you these last few months! I’ve brought you the souls of children, large sums of money and spread suffering to more people than you or anybody else have, Miss. Belial. I think it says a lot about me. And I think I deserve some recognition for my efforts.”
"Yes. Yes it does say something about you, Mr. Dominguez..." She paused while staring me down, a grin plastered across her face. "And for that, I know just what you deserve.”
I opened my mouth to ask her what that was when a sharp and blinding pain suddenly penetrated my head, making my vision blur. A feeling like fire coursed through my veins. My world wavered and then went black.
Head throbbing, I woke with a start. The ceiling above me looked familiar, reminded me of a past I had long since forgotten.
I was home. Since the day I took the job with Belial Enterprises, I’d been taken away from everything. I’d forgotten everything. Suddenly the feeling of joy rushed through me as I realized that I was home and perhaps everything from the last few months had been nothing but a bad dream.
Sitting up, I was overcome by dizziness and almost fell over again. Steadying myself, I looked around the room, and memories came flooding back to me. Though something felt off, and I’d hoped it was just me coming to my senses now that I was home... But I wasn’t sure.
Standing up, I walked over to the dresser where a photo frame sat, shattered glass littered the floor. A photo with a woman and a child I didn’t remember filled the frame. In the photo, my arms were wrapped around the woman, and a name filled my head. Karen. Her name was Karen.
The little girl had eyes like mine, and stared up at me with such love. Suddenly memories I don’t recall having swam up out of the darkness and flooded my head. I suddenly knew with certainty that her name was Ashlyn and she was my daughter.
My lonely life from before vanished; suddenly I was a man with a family.
Happily married, I remembered the conception of my daughter. We had taken a cruise to the Bahamas, Karen had gone shopping for a little something sexy. We made love and 9 months later I was a proud daddy. Memories of vacations I never took to Disneyland filled my head. I remembered Ashlyn playing on the beach on Florida, gathering seashells while I watched from a distance.
My heart nearly burst with joy. The life I’d always wanted, always desired the most was there now suddenly mine. The pieces of the puzzle synched in my head making everything feel normal, everything feel natural.
I was truly happy for the first time I could remember. It felt like this had been my life all along. Karen and Ashlyn were apart of me now as if they'd always been there.
Rushing from the bedroom, ready to begin my new life, I stopped suddenly at the living room door.
My wife, the woman I loved most in this world, was lying on the floor. Blood cascaded from the wound on her head turning her face into a macabre mask that was almost unrecognizable to me.
Running down the hallway, screaming to myself that this must be one fucked up dream, I opened the door to my daughter’s room to find her face shattered, bits of brain splattered the wall behind her.
Falling to my knees, sobbing uncontrollably, I see a drawing taped to the wall that said "I love my daddy!”
I lost it. I run back down the hall, try to make my way out of the house when I see the gun on the floor. The weapon that took this idyllic life away from me. Picking it up, I consider using it on myself to take away the pain that’s threatening to eat me from the inside out.
The sounds of wood splintering and the crashing of my front door pulled my attention elsewhere for a moment. "Police!” came a chorus of voices.
I had barely a second to think before a squadron of men crashed through the door and piled into the room. Staring wide-eyed, I forget about the gun in my hand.
Looking between the gun and the ruined face of my wife, I’m dimly aware of the voices of the cops telling me to "drop it.”
I took my eyes away from the men in front of me for only a moment before I felt something punch into my chest. My body burned from the impact and it took my breath away. I felt myself jerking and spasming as a flood of bullets followed, punching their way into my chest and stomach, the last sending me plummeting to the floor and into a pool of blood.
I woke up again and, but this time I see Miss Belial hovering above on a throne. The air around me was humid and I felt the sweat upon my brow.
"I’m dead?” I asked her as I came to my senses.
"Yes, yes you are.” She nodded, her eyes now looking all black and her red hair standing out against the darkness, "But how did you like that brief glimpse into the life you could have had? If only you’d not been so selfish, so greedy...”
I recalled vividly the feelings of completion and happiness followed by the heart-rending agony of having the life I wanted most in my hands only to have it cruelly and viciously ripped away by this bitch.
"Where am I now?” Fear crept into my voice as I noticed the shadows moving behind her back. Several winged creatures squatted next to her, eyes red and glowing as they looked upon me.
"Exactly where you deserve to be. Where did you think you’d end up, Heaven?” She laughed to herself as scaly, unseen hands pulled me down into the darkness.
(This is my sixth and final entry for Week 36 of
therealljidol. Thank you for reading and supporting me through the last 9 months. This was a rough week for everyone involved, so make sure to check out all the great entries from the Top 8 contestants!)