Wicked Without Remorse

EPISODE 5         

          Adam thought of all the stories he have heard and read about the purgatory. He never actually believed it existed, although he found it amusing, both as an ingredient in many fictional works and as a facet of catholic belief. It was often defined as a place where those who have died expiate their sins by suffering to receive the grace of God.

          The discovery that he was at the purgatory came as no surprise for Adam. He didn’t consider himself a good man when he was still alive. He had three girlfriends aside from Marie. His success at work came at the expense of many friends who deserved the promotions more. He only goes to Church on Christmas Eve, and sometimes on his birthday. He was always thinking of himself.

          But he wasn’t all bad, though. He loved his brothers so much and would do everything for them. He never drank a bottle of beer or smoked a cigarette in his lifetime. There were times when he would find himself compassionate and sensitive, that even he himself was surprised. And despite the gross absence from Church on Sundays, he believed in a God.

          “What I saw… Is that how I died?” Adam asked.

          “You cannot deny death when you see it,” Vikhoune answered, repeating what she said earlier. Her voice is shrill and almost haunting. “The purgatory perpetually taunts you by evoking the moment of your death when you look into your own eyes. The same happens when you look into others’ eyes. You see their death, as you have seen mine.”

          The visions he had at the park when he first met Vikhoune came back to Adam’s head. He saw her commit suicide by slashing her throat with a broken piece of mirror. He cringed at the violence of these images. He wondered if it was possible that this quiet, innocent-looking girl was really capable of such ferocity.

          “What happens now?” Adam asked.

          For the first time, the monotony in the girl’s facial expression was broken. She raised an eyebrow. It seemed she did not understand the question posed by Adam. She sat at the edge of the bed and looked down. “There is nothing,” she replied quietly. “We are here to linger, to suffer and be given no respite. We relive our death, see our past recur endlessly, inundating us in our regrets, guilt, and remorse. There is nothing here, nothing more, but death.”

          Adam shook his head. “That’s not what this place is! There is heaven, or hell for that matter. We are here to do penance, if we choose so. Purgatory is not a final dwelling!”

          The girl stood with a bolt. Her face displayed anger this time. “You know not what you speak of! Beware! Continue this barrage, and death shall certainly come your way once more!”

          Adam was intrigued by her ominous tone. “What do you mean?”

          “The black cloak shall come and get you, and he shall perish you. I saved you once. But next time, there may be more of them.” Vikhoune stepped closer to him and whispered to his ear. “Do your chores! Come with me, where you shall be safe. But only if you stop blaspheming this place.”

          “What chores?” Adam wanted to know. “And I’m in danger? I’m already dead!”

          “This place is a sanctuary," replied Vikhoune. "And it will remain as such for you if you shut your mouth. Now, come with me!”

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