"So...this...is how...it..." Pietro mumbles to himself as he grips his bleeding chest. Gazing at the night sky, listening to the deranged cries of his latest victim and raging police, he remembers his past.
Pietro Vitale was born into an ordinary middle-class Italian family. His mother and father got along well, and despite the constant arguments he truly loved his brother, Giovani. Never hungry and never cold he lived happily.
At least, until he hit twenty years old. While celebrating his birthday at his favorite diner he was shot by a robber. The bullet pierced his skull before grazing his brain. He lived, but at the same time he died. From that day on he felt nothing. His parents tears and his brother's presents did nothing. Day in and day out he would continue to 'Live'. Then, on his twenty first birthday he killed a mugger. While walking home from a nice diner he was held at knife point.
Even with a knife pressed against his spine he said nothing. Only when he felt a sharp pain did he respond. "Why does this shit always happen on my birthday?" He said before turning around and bashing the mugger's face in.
As Pietro pushed the mugger against the cold alley he tried stabbing Pietro. Losing blood, he grows weak. Grabbing the mugger's neck Pietro smiles, hearing a crisp and pleasant snap. Seeing the muggers dead eyes and feeling the warmth of his own blood he felt "something". What that was, he still doesn't know.
On that day he was reborn. The mugger's family tried to sue him to no avail. When finally freed from the hospital he continued to chase that unknown feeling. The mugger's family died, his cunt of a boss died, then some random stranger died.
From innocent woman to weak elders he continued to kill. Until he carelessly left finger prints on a door handle. Next thing Pietro knows he's lying against the cold wet grass facing the starry sky with blood gushing out his chest.
Weren't they supposed to just disarm and apprehend me? Eh, I guess considering how many I've killed I'm sure the PoPo got permission to kill. Pietro thought to himself. Slowly things become darker for Pietro. The stars fade and the moon grows blurry. A warm feeling drips down his chest and stomach as a gentle chill fills his body.
Is this what death is like?
...It really is nice.
I...should've done this.....years ago.
As Pietro continues to wait for his death he smiles.
Five minutes. Still alive.
Ten minutes. Still alive.
Fifteen minutes. Still alive.
Suddenly, Pietro feels a warmth fill his veins. The pain vanishes as his body fills with energy. Immediately he opens his eyes. "What in the ever loving fuck is this?"
Pietro tries to stand up, pressing his hands against the grassy ground. He continues to stare at the sky, even ignoring the cold wind passing his crotch as he stands. There is only a single round red moon, emitting a gentle light.
The purple of the stars and the black of the clouds blend together. As if god painted it with the purest water-color blends. Seeing the shining moon Pietro think to himself; How beautiful.
When he has his fill he stands up and begins to examine his surroundings. Looking around he finds himself in what seems to be in a grassy plain. There are no mountains or hills in sight. There are a few bushes and flowers that while pretty, look rather dangerous because of the white thorny vines covering them. Every blade of grass is a light blue, all emitting a faint light. Every few steps a flower with a wrist thick and arm length white thorny stem will appear. In the center of each flower is a small palm-sized severed child's head wrapped in white petals.
Is this what hell looks like? I know I'm going to hell but I honestly expected worse. I have to say I really am disappointed. I still look human. In fact I'm pretty sure I reverted to my fifteen year old body. I'm pretty short which is annoying but I don't think that's hell worthy. I also don't have any genitals but that's fine. It's not like I ever used them anyway.
Crack Crack Crack.
Suddenly, web like cracks spread across the ground. The flowers begin to rise, the pale skin of the severed heads gaining a light pink hue as their empty eye sockets open up. Slowly several mud dolls shaped like children rise from the ground. All across the mud dolls are thick white thorny vines, some acting as arms and some as legs. As soon as they all rise they begin to violently shriek, their arms bending in unnatural directions.
"Fuck all that stings." Pietro said while gripping his head. The mud children, seeing Pietro's pain run to him, thrashing their vine limbs around. Step by step they come closer, their shrieks growing stronger and stronger. Soon one stands directly in front of Pietro. A weak smile appears on the monsters face as it leaps towards Pietro's neck. I wonder what this thing will taste like; the monster thinks.
"Shut up." Pietro whispered as he raises his head. With blood pouring out his ears he grabs the monsters head and violently slams it against the ground. It's face immediately caving in, sending teeth, blood, and bone flying.
Even after seeing its head split in half Pietro still attacks, standing up and stomping on its head repeatedly.
Crack.
Crack.
Crack.
Squelch.
Squelch.
Squelch.
The head becomes more and more deformed. It's ears gone and it's skin torn, pieces of shattered bone piercing through its loose jaw. Red hot blood wildly spurts out of what used to be the creatures head. Even with bone piercing his foot Pietro continues to stomp. Suddenly, he turns towards the still screaming monsters. "Shut up."
Seeing Pietro's bloodstained legs the children begin to quiet. "Never mind. Just die." He grabs the blood covered corpse by the leg. White thorns piercing into his palm. As Pietro's and the creature's blood blends, the clanking of chains begins to fill the air.
The monsters begin to shriek even harder, severing their head and the bonding of their mud bodies. Somehow, the plains have been filled with throbbing hearts covered in vines dripped in mud. The creature Pietro's holding tries to escape but before it can dig into the ground he grabs its heart.
The seemingly endless white thorny vines begin wildly thrashing around. In an instant the ground is covered in various holes. In its struggle it wraps Pietro in its thorny vines. "Once again. Shut up." He said, before crushing the heart.
Crunch.
Stone like light pink flesh and red tubes filled with purple veins fall to the ground. With a still face Pietro begins to look for the source of the chains without bothering to clean up. In that moment Pietro's blood goes cold. Floating in front of him is the one person he regrets killing. A small thirteen year old blonde girl wearing a blood red dress floats in front of him, her silky hair draping over her slender shoulders. Her crystal blue eyes gaze upon Pietro.
Suddenly she smiles, Chains suddenly exploding from her back, wrapping her neck and limbs before forcefully twisting them. "Hello again mister good guy." She said with a toothy grin. Seeing her Pietro thinks to himself; Now this is more hell like. I wonder how annoying she'll be this time. Should I kill her again?
The little girl floats towards Pietro, her body upside down and her limbs twisted by thick chains. "So mister good guy. Are we friends now?" She said with dull eyes.
Pietro hesitates for several seconds before giving up. It's not like I can escape this place; he thinks to himself. "Sure. My names Pietro. What's yours?" He said as he offered his hand.
The little girl grabs his hand in response and shakes it with clear joy. "My name is Alice. So are you going to be my friend this time or do I have to die?" Alice said while scratching her ruffled hair.
Pietro smiles. "I'm pretty sure we're both dead." Shrugging he points at her twisted limbs. Alice gives Pietro a confused look in response. "What do you mean? Why are you pointing at my arms?" Pietro just sighs before rubbing his bloodied hands on her face. "Do you feel that? That's blood." Alice once again gives him a confused look. "What do you mean? Em, never mind. Do you want to play?" She said with a twisted grin.
Pietro, remembering one of his favorite movies responds immediately. "Nope." Alice just gives a depressed sigh in response. Things go quite for a few seconds before she speaks again. "Are you sure you don't want to play?" Tears drip down her eyes as she gives Pietro the puppy dog eyes.
Once again Pietro refuses. No matter how many times Pietro refuses she continues to ask. Eventually Pietro gives up. "What do you want to play?" He said while poking at her twisted joints, trying to pull out the exposed bone.
Alice smiles. Suddenly, the chains wrapping her body begin to sink back into her back, her body returning to normal. "How about tick tack toe. Oh, but can we please not bet this time?"She said with puffed cheeks.
Pietro sighs, remembering the smiling girl he stole. No matter how he threatened her or hurt her she continued to smile. "Thank you for taking care of me." She would say.
Suddenly, Pietro smiles. "Sure. But what do we use to make the board?" Alice just smiles in response. Several finger sized chains sprout from her right arm, sending flesh and blood splattering across the ground. Her bones become visible, strands of muscle loosely hanging from them.
"I have a stick right here. We'll use the dirt." She said while drawing a small three by three grid into the ground. "I want to be X!" Pietro just smiles in response. This really does bring back good memories. Why did I kill her in the end? I finally felt something other than that strange feeling and I tossed it. He thought to himself.
Pietro's chest starts hurting. Is this regret, he thinks. Why does she treat me so well, he thinks. I'm no better than her family. Childish innocence? Ignorance? Fear? Why, just why? Why did I kill this poor kid? He screams in his mind.
Suddenly Pietro feels several cold chains wrap around his body. Alice floats directly in front of him. Her face is covered in thick bruises, her hair shaved off. Her throat is covered in hand shaped prints. Looking down he sees her head is severed, only connected to her body by a single finger sized chain.
"I forgive you. At least you had the heart to treat my injuries. I'm glad you didn't forget me. So are you going to be my dad now?" Alice said with a toothy grin.
Instantly Pietro remembers the years he spent with her before he killed her. He decided to kill what he though was a childless husband and wife. After killing them he heard a childish shriek come from the attic. Deciding to investigate he found a malnourished seven year old covered in bruises.
Pietro begins to remember that familiar smile. "Are you here you to kill me?" She said as she guided my hands onto her neck. Pietro honestly was ready to kill her but something about this kid was too interesting for him too ignore. He didn't know then. Was it her wish to die? Was it her dead eyes? Was it her weak appearance? In that moment he decided to kidnap this kid.
They traveled together for six years. He ended up treating her injuries as well as nursing her back to health. They never really ate well. A microwaved meal or some take-out. Even so, she seemed so happy.
Even when she saw Pietro kill others she continued to smile. One day, shortly after she turned thirteen she asked him to kill her. He asked why. If she wants to die then go ahead but he at least had to know why I thought.
"One day I'll be found. Will you give me up then? I don't want that to happen. So before I'm tossed aside I'd like to die. When you kill me make sure to remember." She said with a toothy grin.
Without hesitation he killed her. He tied her against the hotel table and cut off her head, keeping it as a memento. He thought he would be fine. In that moment he felt truly broken. He shouldn't have done that. Still hurt, he left after cleaning, accidentally leaving evidence.
I don't deserve to be her dad. He thought.
This really is hell huh?