Empty Room

Walk into a room. Room is empty. Realize that you're adrift in an uncaring world, in which everyone is only out to help themselves, that all human interaction is based on lies and selfishness. Realize you'll never find true love because love doesn't exist. Realize that your entire life will not leave a lasting impression on the world, and your entire legacy will be reduced to an empty, soul-less corpse. Realize that, no matter how many people you surround yourself with, you will die alone.

The Vulture

The walkway was slim and steep. Trees, mold and all sorts of vegetation covered every inch of that forest but the narrow path. Who would make such a walkway here in this forest? Who would take the time to clear out the path and lay concrete on it and make such a neat walkway here? I might have walked up that path for days or weeks or months! It's a mystery why I didn't turn around and went my way. All I knew is that I had to make it to the top. They were waiting for me there and I was already late! The more I walked the colder it got, the harder it became to breath. The higher I got the more dead the forest seemed. The sky seemed to turn from day to night as I advanced. The once green life seemed to turn golden and dry. The leafs started to decay, the trees to die. The ground no longer had mold or any sort of vegetation, the soil was cracked and dried. The walkway remained the same, unchanging though the whole trip . Finally, after what seemed like endless walking, a mephitic stench stroke me as I came upon a stone fence. There the world seemed to end. All around laid broken trees and dead birds. Above my head flew endless flocks of white doves.

“You're late for dinner!” Said a voice. I turned to the side to fix my eyes upon a Vulture. It was standing on the branches of a dead tree all grotesque and repulsive. It was a little bigger than me and its feathers were jet black. Its face was dyed red with blood and its eyes stared at me as if I were a tasty treat.

“Pardon my tardiness, Vulture.” I responded as politely as I could.

“You are not allowed to speak!” He replied looking at me dead in the eye.

“You are the one who is the bird! I have a mouth. You have a beak. YOU are the one who is not allowed to speak!” I said as I looked around where the Vulture laid. About him were endless corpses of white doves. All half eaten. Some had no eyes or wings. Some had their intestines laying about. Maggots and flies making their homes out of them all.

“Stupid boy. Would you like a dove?” It twisted its head somewhat like an owl giving me a curious look.

“I would not! That is unpalatable! And I have no appetite for the smell of your home is making me sick!” The Vulture looked at me with an offended look

“You have poor taste, Child.” It replied as if I was the disgusting one.

“Why don't you eat your prey before you kill some more?” I exclaimed in aggression. What a waste of innocent lifes I thought to myself.

“I'm am not a bird of pray, ignorant Human. The gods, They smile upon me. The birds, they fall to me from the sky!” He laughed madly and looked up above him. I did likewise and I saw the white doves flying around. They were fighting each other in the sky. They ripped each other apart and fell. The moment I looked up they all circled above me. Corpses of white doves started to rain around me. Half dead when they hit the ground the Vulture came and finished them off. He gave them death and ended their suffering.

“Why do they fight?” I asked him as he walked around killing the twitching and crying doves that laid around me.

“They kill each other because they want to die.”

“They kill because they want to die?” I didn't understand what he had said just then.

“Indeed, but they are lousy killers, They only wound each other. I am the one that does all the dirty work.” He chuckled a bit.

“Do they ever stop?” I inquired

“No. They never stop. They come from below where there is food and water.” He said happily.

“That is so tragic. Maybe if I could speak to them they will tell me why they kill because they want to die...” It made me so sad to think such beautiful creatures would want to kill or die.

“They never come down here in conditions to talk.”

“Then you must take me up there!”

“Child, What manners you have. Join me for dinner and I will do you that favor.” He laughed knowing that I was disgusted by the though of eating a dead dove. But my curiosity was overwhelming me and I complied. “You must kill it yourself!” He laughed even harder, picking up a dove with his claw and throwing it at my feet. It was twitching and crying. One of his eye had fallen out and was only suspended by its optic never. I picked it up and plucked its feathers off its stomach. It seemed to be in shock for it did not cry anymore than it already was. I took a bite out of its semi-clean stomach and It was delightful. It was like the gods had smiled upon me! I sucked out its intestines as if I were eating noodles! I was please to think that the dove wanted to die anyways. I thought it was an act of mercy to murder a suicidal creature.

“How do you like it, boy?”

“It is the most delightful thing I have ever tasted!” I said realized I must have gone mad. What kind of person enjoys killing and eating a raw dove?

“I am pleased to hear that. Would you still like me to take you to them to hear their story?” He asked

“Yes. I must know why they do such violent things.” The hypocrisy of my words, as I had just devoured a life bird, made me chuckle. The Vulture started to flap its wings and soon was in the air. He gripped me by the arms with his claws and soon I was in the air as well. We flew right in the middle of their war. They did not stop fighting each other.

“Why do you fight, doves who fight??” I yelled at them but they did not reply. “WHY DO YOU FIGHT DOVES?” I was starting to think that doves couldn't talk. “WHAT IS THIS WAR ABOUT?” One of the doves approached me.

“We kill because we want to die” he said to me. “We kill because If we all do, Then we will all die.”

“I do not understand!”

“There is nothing to understand. We live so we can kill. We kill so we can die.”

“You are confusing me Dove. Why do you want to die?” I asked. The dove looked so tasty. I wanted him to fight. I wanted him to fall. I wanted him to die. I wanted to eat him raw.

“We want to die beca-” He was interrupted by another Dove who charged at him. The attacker gripped the Dove's back with his claws and stabbed at his eyes and wings. The dove emitted a cry of pain and spirited down towards the ground.

“Let me down Vulture!” I yelled, “let me down so I can eat that polite little dove.” My mouth was melting for that delicious little dove.

“I said I will get you up here. I never said I will get you down.” He laughed, “sure the gods may smile upon me, but having the same thing everyday is torturing me.”

“Whatever do you mean?” I was scared. Adrenalin ran through my blood as I suspected that Vulture was going to kill me.

“You look quite delicious, You know?”

“No, Pleased don't!” I had no way to escape. All I could do was plead for mercy. All I could do was try to appeal to his sympathy. “You are not a bird of prey. I beg you!” The Vulture gripped my arms tighter. It looked down upon me and stabbed at my left eye with his beak. He poked it out and ate it. I cried and Twitched as a storm of pain ran though my whole head. I felt the Vultures grip suddenly letting go of me as I fell down. Faster and faster I fell. I could see the doves falling to my sides. Just like me; wounded and about to die. I hit the ground with a loud racket, still alive. The Vulture stood on top of me.

“Did you enjoy the ride?” He asked as he jabbed at my stomach, pulling my intestines out. I was in no condition to say a word. I watched him eat my intestines the same way that one dove watched me eat his.

"You are the most delightful thing I've ever tasted!" He said to me and it all turned to black.

SALLY

SALLY

By: Angel De Anda

“Who's that girl? She's sure fine looking man.” John said to his friend Keith as they waited in line at the local Walmart.

“What the fuck man? Are you blind? She looks like a hobbo that just got run over by a car. What the fuck is she buying anyways?” They both stood on their toes to see what she had in her cart.

She dressed in ragged apparel and sad eyes, carrying a bitter air of acrimony where ever she went, yet her tragic attire did not hide her endless beauty. She looked over at Keith and John and gave them a scornful look with her blue eyes, they stared at each other then turned away.

“You are so beautiful!” she said to them all. All six hundred and sixty six of them. All in bottles. All those bottle in rows on shelfs. All those shelfs in her basement.

“Of all of the things that ever lived, You are the most magnificent creatures. All so flawlessly perfect, never bothered by the thought of death, of the inability to fly, of the uncertain of the future!” She sat down next to her favorite one, Vathan. A Black Widow she kept in a jar in the center of her basement.

“Since Father's accident I've been oh so very sad” She sighed, “ and were running low on the money I inherited from him. I will have to get a job soon, It makes me so depressed that I will no longer have all day to spend with you my love!” Tears ran down as she picked up the bottle that she kept Vathan in. The Spider jumped to the glass and raised her front legs in aggression, sticking it's fangs out. Sally kissed the glass.

“Oh how I wish to marry you Vathan.” She started to sob, “How I wish to marry you and live happily ever after!” She started to sob even harder, “Oh but tis' not proper of me to ask marriage of you, I am the woman and you are the man and that's not the way my father thought me.” Sally kissed the glass once again, “Oh but you do love me don't you?” She kissed the glass a third time and the spider leaped to the walls of its glass prison.

“What are you doing Vathan, my dear?” The spider moved about quickly and skillfully, writing a clear and bold letter.

“ 'I'? You what Vathan? Will you propose to me?” Sally asked in excitement while the spider continued It's weaving.

“ 'I ha'” You have something to say? My love, I will listen.” she smiled gracefully while holding Vathan's bottle in her hands.

“ 'I hate' You hate? What bothers you?” she started to feel a mixture of angst and fear, cold sweat building on her brow.

“ 'I hate you'? You hate me? YOU. HATE. ME?! After all I have done for you? After all of the love I have given you? After all I have loved you? YOU ARE NOT WORTHY OF MY CARING! NOT WORTHY OF MY LOVE!” She yelled in hysteria and smashed the bottle on the ground, killing Vathan and severely wounding her hand. A puddle of blood quickly spread under her as she fell to the ground and sobbed.

“This is my special day! Oh how happy I am!” Sally smiled gracefully at the six hundred and sixty five guests sitting on the pews of the Gothic cathedral. It's gray walls extended endlessly then faded into a black sky where a red full moon shone upon the morbid clouds. Bright stars along with torches on the walls lid the dim room. The red carpet in the middle led to an altar in the front. There on that altar stood an upside down cross, and there, crucified, laid Vathan. There, with a nail through every limb, laid Vathan.

“This is a happy day indeed” Sally said when she saw her heart's malefactor's suffering as its bodily fluids leaking out of the wounds on it's limbs.

“Father this is a very happy day for me. Father, Do wish me well!” Sally said, walking to a white figure on the wall.

On the east wall of that cathedral was a cocoon of spider silk. Everything but a emaciated face was covered in silk. Everything but an emaciated, eyeless, bloody, and beaten face was covered in silk.

“I bless your marriage my daughter, I love you so much and want you to be happy!” the horrific face spoke with the voice of a gentleman, the voice of an angel. A voice that did not belong to that hideous, toothless mouth.

“Thank you Father, I knew you would approve, You have always been so great with me! I dare say your accident was very unfortunate, I'm sure Sathan did not mean to, I am sure!” She said with tears in her eyes.

“So am I Sally, that is why I forgive him, that is why I want you to marry him!” The angelic voice spoke again.

“Me? Marry him? Tis' the happiest day of my life!!” Tear of excitement ran down her face as she extended to kiss the brow of that frightful head.

“Do you like your dress my dear?” Blood spilled from his mouth as he said that last word.

“My dress?” Sally looked down. She was wearing a magnificent dress made of silk. A magnificent dress made of spider silk and orbs. It dragged on the ground almost 5 feet long all spider silks and orbs.

“Oh this dress is so beautiful! How could you afford such a magnificent thing?”

“Everyone of your guests helped to make it, everyone of them made your dream come true.” A tiny spider crawled out of his eye socket and into the silk cocoon as he spoke that last word. Sally walked away from her father and to the altar.

“You are so beautiful! How I love everyone single one of you!” She said to them all. All six hundred and Sixty five of them.

“Sathan, my love. Sathan, my dear, Where art thou?” She asked as she looked about.

“I am here my dear, I will be with you forever!” A angelic voice spoke.

“Oh but you do love me don't you?” she asked with angst

“I do love you Sally, I love you more than anything!” The heavenly voice spoke again.

“You make me so happy!” she smiled.

“I will make you happy forever!” The celestial voice spoke once more.

“I hear your voice but I can't see you, please let me see you!” She cried.

“Sally my love, I am here” The divine voice spoke once again.

“Please show yourself Sathan! I can hear your voice but I can't see you, please show yourself Sathan, I beseech you!”

“SALLY, COME TO ME! SALLY, MY LOVE!!! SALLY!!” A demonic voice replaced that once sweet sound and all turned black.

“Oh what a beautiful dream!” She stood up from the puddle of blood she was laying in, giving the corpse of Vathan a scornful look.

“I lost my two most beloved things in the world all at once! How I wish to be with them...” she started to sob again as she walked around  touching the glass bottles on the shelfs. Abruptly every spider jumped to the glass and started writing in silk letters.

“What are you all doing?” She felt as though something terrible might happen. The spiders continued to weave and in no time a sentence manifested itself in front of Sally. It read;

“We will make your dreams come true,

Let us weave a dress for you.”

“You will do that for me? That makes me so happy! I shall let you out at once so you can get to work!” She smiled and started opening every bottle. Once done, she stood in the middle of her basement and undressed herself.

“This should make your job easier!” she said as she stood naked in the middle of her basement, smiling.

Suddenly, all at once, All six hundred and sixty five of the most magnificent, beautiful, and flawlessly perfect creatures stormed at Sally. They covered every inch of her skin. They bit every inch of her ghostly pale body. For weeks they ate at her. For weeks they weaved her dress. They ate her eyes and laid their eggs. For weeks, Sally's emaciated, eyeless, bloody and beaten face never stopped smiling!