Chapter 22: Deal with the Devil

James stood in the kitchen pouring himself a glass of southern bourbon. He didn't drink often especially since the birth of his first grandchild, but with everything going on he didn't need a shot glass or anything nearly as small. His original plan was to get completely shit faced until John came and showed himself, but before his lips and mustache could touch the glass he heard glass breaking in his livingroom.

With the speed of someone 30 years younger, he quickly ran towards the sound expecting Candice to have spotted another of John zombies or Alexia and her family to come and get payback for locking them up, but instead, he found an almost paralyzed Candice staring at the screen of their t.v. Before he could say or ask anything the new which was being reported on the screen. For a quick moment, he thought it was just a movie until he saw their local news anchor on screen talking and discussing with her partner the details of the broadcast.

James watched on as he watched them replay the recording couldn't help but notice the absolute similarities to which the creature said he was wronged. Deep down he wanted to believe this wasn't John, the big brother he'd sworn to help, now looking like a demon on national news.

"Hun..." James said still standing in the entrance to the living room.

Candice cautiously turned around with her mouth open and half a grin laid bare upon half her face as she made eye contact with James.

Her eyes that had latched on to James had switched their target back to the t.v and back to James as she pointed at it. James had only seen his wife this shocked when she had once believed she had found evidence of The Rake only to be let down when it turned out to have been fabricated by her source.

James sat next to Candice and grabbed hold of her hand with care and worry as he knew this would probably become another troublesome affixation, but this time he too was affixed to what he had seen. The very words of the creature caught on the recording was an exact summary of John's life until his very death at the hands of the cold-hearted and misinformed bitch that murdered his brother as he thought on.

Thinking about how Alexia put the finishing touch to what James could guess was his brother on national news anger and hatred filled his mind all the while within his heart was like an anchor pulling him into an unwanted stream of tears that he held back.

Candice taking a break to check on James saw the watering eyes that kept back the tears he wouldn't let fall. She knew this part of James like the back of her hands as it would mean she was a horrible wife of more than 60 years if she couldn't see the clear distress he was going through. She gently placed her free hand over the hand he had put over hers and said, "It's alright James. He might have been taken from us but now he's back and once he arrives I'm sure he'll answer our questions."

"Indeed I will to a certain extent." A ghastly voice says from behind them close to the entrance to the hallway with the stairs and front door.

It was John standing in the entrance to the hallway which led to the stairs and front door. His tall and hulking pitch black body along with his skeletal wings reflected the light from the lamp that sat by the window. John had ducked a little so he wouldn't hit his head or horns on the top of the entrance.

Both James and Candice stared at the massive figure that had snuck up on them while not making so much as a noise. They didn't a clue as to how he had gotten behind them but all they knew was they were afraid as despite their differing beliefs they both had a singular thought within their heads, that satan himself had appeared before them.

John couldn't read their minds, but from seeing the news on the t.v. behind them now he could guess they were thinking of him as a demon or devil. Knowing that his brother would either freak out or most likely whip his pistol out any moment and start shooting attracting the attention of the officers posted outside his house he quickly made the first preemptive move.

"Hello, there brother it's been a rowdy couple of days hasn't it," John says in his ghastly voice while cocking his head to the left in hopes that this gesture would be seen lower tensions.

Hearing the word brother James snaps out of his perplexed and terror riddled mental state. At first, he didn't want to believe his brother was the creature on the news but seeing it appear out of nowhere in his livingroom calling him brother all doubt left his mind and cautiously walked around the couch. He himself didn't know why he was making his way toward his horrifying brother but he didn't want to lose him again the way he did.

Standing in front of the hulking figure that was his brother who was now a creature of hellish statue. Without saying anything they both hugged as if they were both separated again as if one of them had been lost at sea.

Candice who was still in a shocked state of mind looked at the two lost like a student reading a book without page numbers and without a bookmark. John sensing the confused and scared gaze of Candice lets go of his brother and looks directly at her and says, "Enough of this sentimental moment I have things to explain, things to discuss with you two and something to offer you both."

Feeling her bewilderment climaxing she asked, "Wha- What offer?"

John looked at Candice then at James and said, "Salvation."

Before the both of them could process the meaning of Johns use of the word Salvation James' phone rings. He answers while still staring at John while trying to comprehend his offer. On the other end, garbled noise and screams were clear as day before the voice on the other side yells, "Mr.Mattheson we have two major problems on our hands, one is less of a problem at the moment so I'm gonna get to the problem..."

Before the man on the other could finish his sentence gunfire could be heard in the background. The man without waiting for James to answers says, "Sir the officer who was injured during the incident at your house has begun attacking people by eating, biting, and clawing people like a feral animal. After a while, we thought we had him pinned down but everyone who he injured became just like him like he passed on a disease or infection of some sort. Sir the entire Hornbrew City FBI Branch is in chaos. I've already reported this to every official I could sir and with you out of commission for tonight while you tend to your wife I found this to be the appropriate action."

Listening to what he just heard James was in deep shock. Without wasting time he said, "Where are you currently and..."

Before James could ask anything else he heard the loud constant banging on the other side. The man on the phone who was his second in command in case he retired, died, or was fired screamed like bitch. Soon the sound of wood breaking could be heard through the phone which was followed by loud hungry groans, screeching moans, terrifying roars, raspy growls, and nasty sounding, yet furious, snarls.

The man on the other end began whimpering and crying as each second a piece of the door that was to soon be broken through was broken off. A distinct sound that James knows way too well made its way through the speaker of the phone and into James's ear and the man on the other side said, "I don't know whats going on sir, but I know that I might not make it out sir. Please get help! Any help! The buildings lost and seeing how this spread so quickly so will the city. This might be it just tell mah wife I love her and I'm sorry for everything!"

Just as he finished talking a large boom could be heard through the phone and followed by the man yelling, "Fuck you, fuck you, Fuck you..."

On the other side of the phone, James could hear the rapid gunfire of a pistol and the distinct sound of it jamming. Followed by the sound of the gun jamming and the sound of a rampaging horde of zombies rushing through the door drowned everything else the sound of a man's blood scuttling scream as he's viciously torn apart and devoured alive.

James slowly removes the phone from his face and looks at Candice and back into Johns devilish glowing eye sockets. His mouth wide open with shock and fear as she wanted to ask John if he was behind it but soon received his answer with a nod as if John had read his mind. What James didn't know was that Johns's hearing was almost on par with that of a bat and could hear everything going on the other side along with seeing everything through the eyes of his zombies that just took over the FBI branch in the city.

John pointed James and Candice to their couches and explained everything from dying, meeting the real gods and listening to there offer and accepting their quest, and falling to the graveyard. He even told them about his assembled army of the undead across the world starting with the homeless and his plan to either slow or cut all wireless communication and broadcast signals without going too far into detail in case he would be betrayed later.

Lastly, he told them of his guide and now fairy partner Dixie which made James and Candice faces change into that of disbelief. John, noticing this commanded Dixie to leave his soul cavity and present herself. Following John's orders, she flew out of his chest in the form of a black ball of shadow which emanated a purple light around it. Then the black ball began to take on the form of a miniature female with wings and said, "Hello!"

They couldn't believe what they were seeing an actual fairy like Tinkerbell but darkened and devoid of what made fairies in books look majestic and replaced with a mysterious and fascinating lure while giving off a dangerous vibe. Candice in her aged mind was already going crazy over John being what he was, and now an actual fairy before her. James who wasn't a believer unless he saw it type of person couldn't help but throw out his old system of belief as his brother's presence along with a fairy and gods topping everything off made him feel like he had never opened his eyes and saw the world before tonight.

Of all the things James wanted to know he wanted to know why John chose to go along with the gods' offer and what was the offer, he wanted to make with him so he asked.

John stood silently before saying, "I chose accepted their offer as, I a victim of humanities cruelty and choice to allow injustice to trample over the damned, saw it as a responsibility to strike fear and death where it is needed to ensure humanity learns to fear the wrath of the gods and me more than they fear the loss of their money, sex, multimillion-dollar mansions, and all that they hold dear. And it also makes sense if they chose someone else other than me to accomplish this task if I did not accept their quest."

James looked on as if listening to the word of god himself and continued as John said, "Now to my offer James, the other gods gave me an ultimatum you see. I don't have to wipe out all of humanity as I can choose to save 1 percent it, and I chose you to lead that 1 percent of the sheep who will pray to me and my inevitable ascension to godhood for my protection against the hordes that will proceed to wipe away this failed society and it's failed systems of order. Become my unholy and loyal priest of the salvation, become my Supreme Grand Priest of the Damn."

After John had said this he reached out his skeletal hand and waited for his brother to accept his offer. Although this was James's best choice to ensure the safety of his kids and grandkids he hesitated as he thought the John he knew had changed after becoming what he was now along with his morals being heavily challenged. After all, he had just listened to his second in command die at the teeth of John's zombies. He thought it over for minute came to the conclusion that he couldn't let his brother end the world out of hatred and spite for it. At this moment he knew that he had to end this while he still could, but as he was just about to reach for his gun and hopefully put his brother out of his misery before he kills anyone else.

Just as his right hand reached the grip of his pistol John said, "Congratulations Candice Mattheson you are nearby appointed as the Supreme Grand Priestess of The Damned."

James looked at Candice as Black tattoos slithered from Johns ebony black skeletal hands all over her body. A burning and sharp pain raced across her body making her fall to the ground in agony while James watched dumbstruck and confused as to why Candice took the position. Before he could pull his gun out a black tentacle rose from the floor where his shadow was and restrained him. Fear washed over his eyes as he felt a murderous intent swallow the room whole.

"Little brother you have really let me down. I made a bet with Dixie to see which of you would take the offer as never said you were the only one who could accept my proposal. Although I did have my doubt I thought you would at least look last your ignorant moral and join me alas you proved me wrong and I lost the bet. Although you won't be joining me your wife will as she could see and look past her morals and see who was going to be the clear victor in the upcoming battles. I will not kill you, brother, as I owed you a debt I thought I could not pay you back for until now by sparing you and giving you a chance to save your family, yet you return it by betraying me. Although you thought you could kill me here you failed to realize you would need a much bigger gun than that to kill me. Tonight all the way until tomorrow afternoon you will have a pass to escape as far away as you can before you become lunch for my pets."

As John finished speaking Candice rose back up, but something was different, something had changed. She had become an inch shorter and her skin tightened to the point there were no wrinkles. She tried to speak but realized her voice had become younger as well. Her hair which was gray became as white a clouds on a partly cloudy day. Her vision became clear to the point she didn't need her glasses anymore. Her vision became so sharp she could the pores in James's face. She looked down at her hands and saw tattoos that had crawled up her hands and all around her body and face as she saw it in the reflection of a glass cabinet.

She knew that choosing John's offer would lead to her being apart of many horrible things, but seeing her husband about to shoot John and probably dooming her kids and grandchildren to a fate worst then death she took the initiative Although she didn't know that becoming younger and prettier was apart of the role she chose. Before she could take in anymore she looked at James and said, "I can't believe you would have chosen death over your family. I could tell that John, as he is now, on a whole another level than what mear guns could ever hope to harm, Yet you would throw this opportunity to the wolves and let us die."

Candace looked at James with sorrow as she knew this would most likely be the last time they ever see each other and turned around and looked at John and said let's go get my kids before you start the whole world ending thing you plan on doing."

"Yes, will we get them but before that we have a place to stop before we get them don't worry I have eyes on them right as speak," John said in a sympathetic tone which betrayed his ghastly voice.

James looked on in horror as he was dropped to the floor and his gun was sliced in two as by the shadow tentacle which became flame and sharp like a blade. As Candace and John began to sink into John's shadow James yelled out, "No! This isn't like you! Any of you!"

Both Candace and John were silent as they descended into the shadow while Candace turns her back on James and crossed her arms hoping to never see him within the ranks of the undead while also wishing he had taken the Johns deal earlier.

And just like that, they were gone and James couldn't do a thing about it.