The Cleric -- A Dark Narrative
This was originally written as dialogue for a comic book artist's black-and-white images. Copyright 2000 by Dan Lambert
The streets of this city are like the corridors of HELL to me now.
They stretch on endlessly, offering me neither egress nor Salvation...
It wasn't always like this...
YEARS ago, this city was CLEAN...
...PURE...
Now, its dirty streets only MOCK me.
Nevertheless, my WORK continues...
I will bring Salvation to this city... I will CLEANSE it, even if it KILLS me.
As I approach the HUB of the city's evil, the steady ACHE in my head grows in intensity.
I have ARRIVED...
...at the gates of HELL.
How does one knock at Hell's door?
I don't knock.
Instead, I bring the WORD OF GOD...and wait for the demons to let me in...
...I REACH...
...for...
...the...
...WORD...
...and wait...
They DEVOUR the Book like it was SUGARED GRUEL.
So be it...
There are OTHER ways to bring the Word to the damned.
The streets of this city will RUN RED WITH THEIR BLOOD,
if that is what it takes to purify it.
"Is their blood red?" I wonder, as I RELEASE THE SAFETIES...
I will find out soon enough...
They stretch on endlessly, offering me neither egress nor Salvation...
It wasn't always like this...
YEARS ago, this city was CLEAN...
...PURE...
Now, its dirty streets only MOCK me.
Nevertheless, my WORK continues...
I will bring Salvation to this city... I will CLEANSE it, even if it KILLS me.
As I approach the HUB of the city's evil, the steady ACHE in my head grows in intensity.
I have ARRIVED...
...at the gates of HELL.
How does one knock at Hell's door?
I don't knock.
Instead, I bring the WORD OF GOD...and wait for the demons to let me in...
...I REACH...
...for...
...the...
...WORD...
...and wait...
They DEVOUR the Book like it was SUGARED GRUEL.
So be it...
There are OTHER ways to bring the Word to the damned.
The streets of this city will RUN RED WITH THEIR BLOOD,
if that is what it takes to purify it.
"Is their blood red?" I wonder, as I RELEASE THE SAFETIES...
I will find out soon enough...
