A NEW BEGINNING

 "I control 98% of the world's population for over a million years, don't you think I deserve to be called your majesty?" THE DEVIL BY ROBERT GREEN 

 When I finally opened my eyes, I saw myself on the floor of a place that could rightly be called an office. The room was painted blue, the floors were coated with white marble and different types of wallpapers hung on the walls. 

At the centre of the office was a single desk with two chairs where a faint tapping was coming from. 

"Where is this place "

I got up from the ground and walked towards the desk and I recognized the tapping sound to be that of a computer being used. 

The operator was a blond nerdy girl who did not look a day above sixteen and she was so busy with her computer and files that she did not immediately notice my presence.

When she finally did, 

"Colonel Olivia Clark, are you finally here?" She asked with a broad smile 

"Kid is this the afterlife?" I countered 

The kid threw her hands behind her head and heaved a sigh 

"Finally" she cried "finally somebody gets it. I mean why do you mortal types always ask 'where is this' when it is so clear where you are? Do you know how fucking frustrating it is hearing that each and every time?"

"Listen kid I did not get shot in the head so I could stand here and listen to your bull shit" I said frankly "so would you please get to the point and tell me what the hell I am doing here?"

The look on the kid's face looked shocked but it quickly changed 

"I thought that was obvious." she said with some confusion "you're dead"

"Duh I never asked why I was here but rather what I was doing here" I clarified

"is this the part where I get judged for all my sins? Save us both some time and point me straight to hell."

The kid's mouth hung open for a while then she shook her head 

"OK one, I can see why your superiors never liked you and two stop it with this kid thing. I may look like a teenager but I am far older than even the dinosaurs."

"Ok oldie" I quibbed "what would you like me to call you?"

"Your majesty" she replied evenly 

"Your majesty?" I echoed in surprise "why on earth should I call you that?"

The expression on her face quickly changed and the atmosphere in the office suddenly became oppressive. 

"Do you know the extent of my power in your world mortal?" She asked

"I control ninety eight percent of the world's populatyion. I have people under my influence in every government, religion or creed. Out of every ten people you will ever meet in your life, nine and half will be under my control. So tell me do you think I deserve to be called your majesty"

The way she said those words were quite casual but when I looked in to her eyes what I saw in them was enough to make me fear 

And I never fear 

"very well your majesty" I replied "would you kindly tell me what the hell I'm doing here"

Her expression turned all business as she gestured towards the chair across the desk and opened up a file. 

"Olivia Bettany Clark." She read "age 32,

lost your mother in child birth, 

Was physically abused by your father until age 7 when you drove a scissors into his guts, 

Got educated at a social welfare program where you majored in engineering and psychology, 

Joined the military at age 20 where you specialized in classified off shore missions until you were made the lead engineer of the dragon drone program in Afghanistan. 

You were captured by the Taliban after they intercepted your convoy and you were eventually tortured to death because you refused to give up the formula for your dragon drone."

She then looked at me briefly and asked 

"Did I miss anything?" 

"No" I replied casually 

She then looked deep into my eyes and I knew she was searching for something, however she did not find what she was looking for so she leaned back. 

"You are quite an interesting person Olivia." She said "usually when I tell people their life stories I always see a flash of pride or regret." 

"But in my case?"

"All I can see is a callous disregard, as if you knew the kind of life you led and you did not care about it." She then resumed typing 

"Why should I care?" I asked back "I did what I had to do given the circumstances and I don't regret any single choice I made. In fact if I had to go back and start over I would still make the same choices that I made."

The sound of typing suddenly ceased and the air became far more oppressive than before. 

"Is that so?" She asked with a cruel smile "then what will you do in a situation far more oppressive than the one you've endured? A situation where being a woman and an orphan will get you killed or worse?"

The tone of her voice quickly warned me just how dangerous this woman was. 

"Wait who are you anyways?" I asked mainly to counter fear "and what right have you to ask me all these questions?" 

"Haven't you figured it out?" The girl asked in surprise "I thought I made it pretty obvious" 

The girl then cleared her throat and began to speak 

"The world as you know it is made of two principal energies which are positive and negative, good and evil. At death every human is absorbed by these energies based on their mental occupation and actions. You my dear have been complicit in the death of 60,000 people. If you were to die which energy would come for you?"

Realization struck me harder than a rocket launcher 

"Are you saying that you are...."

"The devil? Of course. And that is just one of my many many names."

I could not close my mouth after what I just heard 

And I was trash talking this kid 

"What's the matter?" She asked in a sing song voice 

"Were you expecting horns and a tail?"

"Yes " I replied feeling insulted 

"And I certainly wasn't expecting a.....girl "

"Man and woman mean little to most and even less to me" she said dismissively 

"Besides I can change my appearance to whatever I need to suit my purpose."

I slowly leaned back and allowed the information sink in 

"So does that mean I am condemned to eternal suffering in your doomed realm?" I asked 

Her face lit up in an impish smile and her tone became sly 

"Why do that when you have given me an idea that sounds way better "

"Excuse me?" I cried in panic as I quickly sat up 

"You said you could do better under worse circumstances didn't you?" She asked cheerfully 

"Let us put it to the test"

"Wait, you were taking that seriously?"

"Of course" she quipped, clearly enjoying my discomfort

"Weren't you?" 

"BBBBBBBBut isn't that against some eternal law or something?" I stammered as I desperately tried to find a way out because I knew that once the devil was enjoying something, someone was bound to suffer and I did not need anybody to tell me who that person would be. 

The girl simply put a hand on my shoulder and said 

"Honey I invented rule breaking." She then withdrew her hand 

"Besides you are pretty much mine anyways so I can do whatever I want with you, and I want is to send you back to a time where you can experience and cause far more suffering than you ever did in your life."

"Like a time traveller?" I asked out of curiosity as I could see that I was powerless to do anything 

"More like a reincarnation" she replied and began typing on her laptop 

"Where would you be sending me?"

"In a time period far before the medieval ages " she answered crisply and the typing became faster 

"Are you going to tell me the exact time and place?" I asked even though I knew the answer 

She turned towards me with that impish smile 

"That's for me to know and for you to find out" she replied 

"Now I will leave your memories and skills from this time but you will not be able to invente anything from after the medieval period "

"Will I be able to come back here if I die?"

I asked 

"Why all these questions kid? Are you giving up? Are you yielding?"

"You sly creature

I knew this was a clever manoeuvre to avoid my question but I intentionally swallowed it hook line and sinker. 

"In this life or next I will never yield"

 The last thing I could remember was a final click and heavy wind that forced me to close my eyes.