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A big thanks to all of you who took the time to read Redemption. I had a lot of fun writing this. Trigaroo had helped me during this by making sure that it sticked to the canonicity he had set up for the world this takes place in and I am glad he allowed me to make this sequel on his behalf!\n\nAlso as a note, if you ever struggle with suicide in your own life please do us all a favor and talk to someone! We don't want to see you go away! If you need to talk to someone but don't want to talk to family you can at least call the suicide prevention hotline. 1-800-273-8255 This is the USA hotline number, I am not sure if each country has their own number but please remember that its not just you who is suffering if you try to go down this path! I hope you all have a good night, and please stay safe!","description_bbcode_parsed":"This is the story that was Zoilo's redemption. A big thanks to all of you who took the time to read Redemption. I had a lot of fun writing this. Trigaroo had helped me during this by making sure that it sticked to the canonicity he had set up for the world this takes place in and I am glad he allowed me to make this sequel on his behalf!
Also as a note, if you ever struggle with suicide in your own life please do us all a favor and talk to someone! We don't want to see you go away! If you need to talk to someone but don't want to talk to family you can at least call the suicide prevention hotline. 1-800-273-8255 This is the USA hotline number, I am not sure if each country has their own number but please remember that its not just you who is suffering if you try to go down this path! I hope you all have a good night, and please stay safe!","writing":" Zoilo was snapped out of his reading when he heard a coffee cup shatter to his left. One of the servers had dropped a cup of coffee on the floor and was picking it up. However, when he looked over to where the coffee cup should be, no one else was in the restaurant. He eyed the place suspiciously as he stood up from the booth and looked around. Absolutely no one was there as if they had vanished without a trace. \n Just witnessing this alone made him lose his appetite. Without saying anything, Zoilo grabbed his computer bag and shoved the book into it. He thought that it was strange there was no one around, but did it really make any sense to say anything if no one was around to hear it? The answer was no, no it doesn’t.\n On his way out even the streets seemed empty, blank even. There wasn’t as much detail in the bricks, the concrete that made up the streets and sidewalk. This felt way too close to the book he was reading. Now Zoilo knew why it seemed like that. It was all because of the book, and his imagination was imitating what the book described because he desperately wanted to know how it ended.\n [I]“Maybe a couple of hours at the nightclub will do me some good.”[/I] Zoilo thought to himself as he walked in its direction. Little by little he started to forget his worries about the outside world and traveled along in his mind. It took barely any time at all and he seemed to fly there almost.\n In front of him stood the only nightclub for a hundred miles or so. The Gray Saloon, as it was called, was filled with all sorts of booze along with the hottest male and female sex workers. The church opposed it greatly, but it stayed in business regardless. Despite knowing this, Zoilo came here at least once a week to enjoy himself and relax.\n He walked in the front doors and inside the nightclub. Inside the music was loud and distracting, and the lights were almost hypnotic in nature. From the moment he stepped inside to the moment he would leave, time moved at almost twice its normal speed. The aroma, the smell of sex, alcohol, weed and other illegal drugs. He didn’t dabble in most of them, maybe some weed every so often and a bit of alcohol, but not too much of it.\n Zoilo had barely walked into the establishment when a fine looking Jolteon stepped over to him. They had reared up onto their hind legs, wrapped one foreleg over his shoulder, and the other paw on his chest. He could feel their muzzle press close to his ear and speak in a seductive tone. “Hey babe, feel like enjoying my company again? I missed you in that week you were gone.”\n Those soft paw pads on his chest felt so comforting, and her warm breath on his ear made his heart flutter. It was his girlfriend that he loved for the last year or so and dearly wanted to marry. “Amanda,” Zoilo paused as he lowered his head into the crook of her neck. He turned his body so that he could support her standing up as such and pressed his chest to her own. That beautiful yellow fur, so soft and pampered unlike most Jolteons with spiky fur. “Why do you continue to work here? You know the church despises you working here.”\n Amanda shushed him softly; repeating the hushing noise a few times as she ran one of her paws along Zoilo’s back. “You know I need money. That apartment is as much mine as it is yours.” She drew her head back; gazing deep into her partner’s eyes. This sight almost made Zoilo just melt and never want to leave her side. As he continued to look at her eyes Zoilo felt something akin to a burning sensation in the back of his mind. It hurt, but at the same time it almost felt like it was meant to be a good pain like one having a headache and then rubbing the spot to relieve the pain.\n The feeling didn’t last long, however, as a heavy pulse rippled through Zoilo’s body. His entire equilibrium shifted to the left as it felt like he got pushed from the right. It was such a sudden shift in position that even Amanda had to quickly back off or she would’ve caused them both to fall over. Zoilo could just barely hear Amanda curse under her breath as she backed away. She had raised her paw off the ground, revealing a nasty burn that she then licked.\n As he finally regained his balance Zoilo looked down at his hand instinctively as well to ensure he wasn’t hurt. It was only for a moment, but he could’ve sworn that his paw had been glowing white. Why would that be though? Zoilo was quite sure that he didn’t activate any sort of ability or attack that could cause that kind of color shift. “Amanda,” Zoilo started with a small stutter, “are you alright?”\n A very short growl escaped her lips as she placed her paw onto the ground again. As soon as it stopped though it was replaced with a gentle, but too obviously forced, smile. “I am fine. Come, let us go have some fun in my room.” She tells him as she doesn’t try to touch him again but turns her body to try and get him to follow her. “We can forget all of these people and all of your troubles when we’re together.”\n [I]“Why does this suddenly feel so wrong?”[/I] Zoilo thought to himself as he stared at his girlfriend, the woman of his dreams. [I]“I love her, and want her to be my wife, but why do I feel so many red flags being thrown out?”[/I] He had to rub his neck, and cough as he had been holding a breath he didn’t realize he had been. “I’m sorry Amanda, but I have to go. I just remembered that I had left my stovetop on at home.”\n That was not a face he was expecting to see from his adorable Jolteon friend. Just as he had said that her face contorted into a look of disappointing anger over the gentle and warm smile she had on before. “What the hell?” Zoilo asked himself as he slowly began to back away from Amanda. Her sudden change in demeanor not only startled Zoilo, but it rattled him to his core.\n Zoilo only got so far away from Amanda before she quickly lunged at him. Like a predator looking for her next meal, she aimed her sharp teeth at his neck. With the given situation he responded in the only appropriate way. He quickly ducked his head down to his left, moving his nimble body with the movement, and wrapping his body behind her to hook his arm around her neck. With Amanda now in a choke hold he held her body still as she screamed and thrashed around in his grasp. There was so much fighting going on he wondered why nobody had come to check on them, but even more concerning was why was Amanda so strong all of a sudden?\n “I’m going to drag you down to hell with me Zoilo!” Amanda spat at him as she would sink her claws into his side while trying to escape his grasp. Then, after a few more thrashes, she disappeared without a trace and his arms hit his chest. [I]“You will die! I will make sure you come to hell with me and we can live together forever you suicidal bastard!”[/I]\n [I]“Amanda was so sweet and kind before, so why was she being so hostile now?”[/I] Zoilo thought to himself as he looked at the space where his girlfriend had been moments before. He felt empty, physically and emotionally, now that the one he loved had gone psycho on him. His mind strayed to his bag, and inside of it the book, the leather-bound book with gold colored lacing. Everything changed when he found that book and nothing felt the same since then.\n This didn’t feel like heaven anymore, especially since he could still feel the pain from Amanda’s claws. Nothing major goes wrong in heaven, and so far, his entire life has been crumbling down around him. It was all because of [I]that[/I] book. He knew it had to be because of that book. Zoilo slowly reached into his bag and pulled out the leather book; staring at the front cover that read ‘Salvation’. He knew what he had to do now, and he knew that he was going to get to the bottom of this nightmare.\n Zoilo quickly ran out of the nightclub, only stopping when he heard the crack of thunder to his left. There was a dark and ominous thunderstorm as wide as the eye could see on the horizon. He knew something bad would happen soon, and by the looks of that storm fast approaching it would be upon him soon.\n For now, though, Zoilo quickly ran his hand over the leather book and glancing over the title one last time. He turned over to where he left off earlier and began reading as he walked back to his home.\n\n Embers had led me to a window upstairs overlooking the night skies. It was so dark out there I could hardly see the streetlamps or any sort of buildings. After some time of silence, I had to speak my mind. “I can’t understand how I never realized I was alone. It’s like I’ve been sleep walking for years. But, if no one is left in this place then why did you join?”\n She had remained silent for a few moments longer, staring off into the night sky before answering. “There is someone. I am here for that person.” I thought it odd that I had just discovered it is only us in the church, yet she is searching for someone? Then, before I could even react, Embers grabbed hold of me in a light embrace and pressed her lips to mine. I could taste her fur, her lips, her tongue and saliva. It felt and tasted great, but something gnawed at me.\n Before I could voice any concerns I had, I was rolled onto my back, Embers on top of me. She was standing over my body while I lay on my back and she was kissing me. Well more specifically she was kissing my neck repeatedly as if trying to give me a hickey. “Stop!” I said quickly after waiting far too long to speak up. “This is wrong.”\n Embers backed up and looked down at me, mouth hung open slightly as she recaptured her lost breath. “But your body was telling me the opposite.”\n Shaking my head, I pulled myself back, out from underneath Embers and into a sitting position. “This can’t happen, not again. I will be going to sleep.” I tell her, and just behind me I can hear her speak to me. “Okay, got it! I’ll be available the whole night if you change your mind. Sweet dreams!”\n I got to my room and laid in bed, facing the wall so I didn’t have to look at anything that might keep me awake. [I]“Sweet dreams, huh?”[/I] I asked myself while I lay there, finding sleep claw at my mind. [I]“I’d rather not dream anything tonight. Dreams are corrupting me from the inside. I just want my days to be repetitive again.”[/I] It didn’t take as long to fall asleep this time as I drifted off in only a matter of minutes.\n [I]“At last.”[/I] I could hear myself say while staring up at Embers. [I]“I’m in a dream; a good one.”[/I] She sat on the bed in front of me, and I have my snout shoved slightly into her vagina. It smelled so good despite me knowing that it was all just a dream. [i}“I have no expectations to meet, actions have no consequences.”[/I] I saw nothing, the world was dark, but I could taste her paws, her paw pads were so soft. [I]“I can do anything and be degraded in the most unacceptable ways.”[/I] Then I could see again, and I was staring at the top side of her hind paws, licking the pink fur there. A metal band around my neck, connected to a chain connected to a metal band around Embers’ ankle. [I]“With loss of power comes no responsibilities. It's like having died and gone to heaven.”[/I] Deep inside of me I could feel it, something long and hard while all of my paws were tied together. With Embers’ soft embrace around my body it felt so good that I could almost just say, [I]“hallelujah.”[/I]\n I woke up again, once more in the darkness of my room. It was all just a dream, and a good dream at that. “Argh, not this again.” To try and forget it I flipped over my pillow and tried to go back to sleep by closing my eyes. Unfortunately, I couldn’t [I]not[/I] think about her! All I could see upon closing my eyes and dreaming was Embers rubbing her crotch all over my face as she pulled on my ears. My eyes opened again only minutes later, and I stared blankly at the wall. “This could actually be happening to me.” I mumbled softly to myself before rolling my head off the edge of my bed. “I’m so aroused right now. I think I’m going to take up her offer.”\n With that decision I got up out of bed and started down the hallway to Embers’ room. [i]“I can’t believe I’m doing this.”[/I] But upon thinking that I turned around and quickly started to walk back to my room. [I]“No. No. No. I’m not.”[/I] Then again, doing everything in my dreams would be very satisfying so I turned back to go find Embers again. [I]“Fuck it.”[/I] After all of that mental debate I ended up standing in front of the door to Embers’ room. [I]“Umm, should I knock? Maybe she is asleep. This is stupid. I should-”[/I]\n My thought didn’t get very far. I had started to turn around when Embers’ door opened and the Espeon stepped right into the threshold. “Hey! I didn’t think you would accept. Come in.” She admitted to me as she reached her paw out for my shoulder. “Wanna try the things we do in our shared dreams?” I gave a small nod, but I must not have realized that my legs were shaking. “Hey, relax, it’s not like a sacred event or something.”\n I walked in a little, and Embers stepped back to allow me to walk forward. “Ha, we’re still wearing these?” Embers asked as she gently gripped my hood.\n “It’s an old habit I guess.” I answered with a nervous chuckle and smile.\n “Well the bed is behind me.” She stood next to the bed, allowing me to get onto it first. I hadn’t realized it when I first came in, but my rings and moon had been glowing quite brightly. As I laid down on top of Embers’ bed, she too climbed up onto it and laid over me. “I waited longer than you can imagine for this.”\n Embers pressed her chest to mine and embraced me while covering my cheek in licks. Her tongue felt so soft but so right at the same time. “Mm, yes.” I could hear her say as her slim tail wrapped around mine. She shifted her hips forward, now on top of my lower belly as she sat up some. “Oh god.” I could hear her say again as she slipped her crotch ever so closer to my head. Her pussy being dragged across my chest and neck, finally to my mouth where it was practically buried. “It’s like your mouth was shaped for this.”\n “I like this place.” I managed to say between breaths before feeling her hips roll forward just that little bit more. In the end she pushed her hips a bit too far and my head was completely covered by Espeon! “Oops, you vanished. Well, it’s all yours girl.”\n We continued like this for a couple more moments before she scooted her hips back and allowed me to clean my muzzle off. “Let me guess what you really want.” Embers tells me as she lifted her right foreleg and began to pull off the stocking. I could only let out a soft chuckle as she then lifted her left hind leg over my face. “Pull it out.” It was a bit like an order, but she had what I really wanted covered by some silly fabric. Once it was finally released, her soft paw pads rubbed over my head, earning a murr from me.\n Paws, I just loved paws and somehow, she knew about it. “You just can’t get enough of this.” Embers stated with a small giggle. It was true, and with her hind paw held over my muzzle I was licking all over it. The taste, the texture, just being able to feel her soft round digits on my tongue. It all just felt like a small piece of heaven that I could enjoy in the moment. As I got more into licking over her paw and pads, Embers wrapped her tail around my torso while rotating down to my hindquarters. I didn’t care what she did now, expressing my gratitude with soft little muffled murrs. It was all so nice and arousing, which only made Embers licking my slit feel all the more satisfying. I was on edge for so long, and now I was going to get my release.\n\n [B][I]CRACK![/I][/B] Zoilo nearly jumped out of his fur when lightning struck only fifty some yards behind him. In his panic he dropped the book on the ground and stared at the charred remains of a plastic trash can. He looked around for a moment, and then up to the sky. The clouds were so dark and ominous, but there was no rain to suggest a rainstorm. Just what was going on, Zoilo would wonder as he leaned down to pick up his book again.\n As he looked back up his apartment building was right in front of him. At least he was home now, so he quickly stuffed the leather-bound book back into his bag and entered the building. All the normal sounds of the building ceased to exist. It was almost as if not a single soul was around to make even the old floorboards creak. The jingling of his keys as Zoilo pulled them out and the sounds of his paw steps on each stair as he climbed them was all that could be heard.\n The door to his apartment was unlocked with a soft click, and a creak while it swung into the short hallway. It felt colder for some reason, like it was foreboding. As he walked into the main room past the threshold for the kitchen the cold air hit him like a wall. It was suddenly freezing in his home and was surprised that he couldn’t see any ice or frost anywhere.\n Then he noticed it, a door that hadn’t been opened in so long to his right. Zoilo had moved furniture he doesn’t use in front of it so that he never walked over there, yet the door was now open slightly. It bugged him, so he slowly made his way to the door, climbing over a box and standing in front of it. On the other side of the door he could hear the sound of crackling electricity as if it was freely traveling over something.\n Zoilo could hear the blood pounding in his ears as he set his paw on the door handle. His entire body was screaming at him to run away, but his mind knew what it had to do. Slowly. Ever. So. Slowly. He pushed the door forward; the sound of electricity only grew louder as the room opened up to him. The bathroom he hadn’t used in however long now showed in an almost eerie darkness. Reaching around the doorway Zoilo tried to flip the light switch but it didn’t appear to work.\n What he could see though was at the far end of the bathroom. Little bits of blue electricity jumping across the bathtub. Zoilo moved closer to get a better look at it, but as he passed the halfway point, he stepped on something. Just barely visible in the light the electricity made was some kind of power cord, and it led to the bathtub. That’s when he could see it, his sin, what he had done to deserve what was happening to him. A small arch happened to jump across a face, but not just any face, [I]his[/I] face. Using his foot, he pulled the plug out of the socket and suddenly the lights came back on. In the bathtub was him, Zoilo, laying inside of it, water filling up most of it with a toaster sitting at the bottom.\n Zoilo felt his breath catch in his throat as he looked upon his own body lying dead in the tub. Just seeing it almost swept him off his feet and had to use the nearby sink to keep himself standing. The image was ingrained in his mind so badly he could even see it when his eyes were closed. Burn marks all over his body from where the electricity decided to jump to, and the constant twitching of his body under the surface of the water as it stimulated his body.\n It was too much for Zoilo, and he turned away from the sight to his trash can. As soon as he had his face close enough, he wretched up whatever food was still in his stomach. His throat burned from the stomach acid, and his eyes closed so tight that it felt like his eye lids would break somehow. His body felt so weak, and he just wanted to lay there sleep the horrible scene away.\n Unfortunately, it was not to be, another lightning bolt struck, only this time it was much closer. The window near his computer shattered as the arc of electricity blasted through it and into the floor in the middle of the room outside the bathroom. Again, he nearly jumped out of his fur at how close and loud it was. Zoilo’s ears were ringing for several moments afterwards, but through it he somehow found the strength to stand up.\n He walked out of the bathroom, paw resting on the door frame as he stepped out to see that there was nothing inside his apartment anymore. Zoilo looked to the window where the lightning had come through, only to find that half of that wall was just gone. The edges of the wall, and the floor and ceiling were all slowly evaporating right before his eyes. Another lightning bolt shot into the building, much farther below now, but he could still feel it as the entire apartment complex shook from the blow. This was no normal thunderstorm; this was something created by some evil power.\n Zoilo moved closer to the edge, careful not to fall off onto the next floor below him, to look out at the sky. Well he would if there was anything to look at. All he could see in the sky was darkness, and he was surprised that he could even see anything beyond his own nose. Off to his right though was something he wished he hadn’t seen but was glad that he did. Half of the city was nowhere to be seen anymore with a wall of lightning marking where the world seemingly ended. Looking to his left, however, revealed to him that the church was still standing untouched. “I need to get down there. The church is the only safe place left.”\n When he turned around to take a step, his heart skipped a beat as his foot touched nothing. Open air was all that met Zoilo as he fell forward, and all sound in the world seemed to disappear. He reached out to try and grab the edge of the floor that was still there but missed it barely. This was it; this was how he was going to die. Zoilo started to free fall, with nothing to grab onto and nothing to break his fall, he fell at top speed towards the earth. Then a sharp pain as he landed on his back on a hard concrete surface before suddenly getting flung forwards onto a concrete floor. He was dazed, unable to really move or hear anything. All he knew was that his consciousness was fading, and the last thing he could see was the inside of some prison cell.\n\n I opened my eyes once more. I felt cold and alone, like everyone one I ever knew was now gone. Slowly I stretched out my arms to wake myself up more, only to realize that my body felt sore. I arched my back, slowly standing up now on my hind legs. After a moment, I found my vision focusing on the steel bars in front of me. The door was closed and trying to push it open did nothing except gently rattle the bars.\n Instead of needlessly shaking the solid door I reached around through the slot between the bars and felt around to see if there was a handle or maybe the key was left in. There was no such luck for me though. I sighed, walking back towards the other side of the cell and sat on the wall mounted bed. Instead of dying via falling from my apartment, I was trapped in this hell. The book was nowhere to be seen either so there was nothing to do except sit there and wait.\n As I sat there, twiddling my thumbs I could hear something. It was almost angelic in nature, and as I looked up, I saw her, Elise. How? No one was around and yet here she was, sitting in front of his cell. “Elise?” I asked, standing up quickly and looking at her. “How are you here?”\n Elise didn’t answer me though, and simply smiled at me. She didn’t raise her paw, or make any attempt to say anything, but suddenly her body glowed white softly. I couldn’t tell what was happening at first, but once the glow faded Embers was now sitting there. What could that mean? Elise just suddenly becoming Embers through sheer will, or was there some deeper meaning involved?\n Without saying anything else, Embers walked away and on my side of the bars was the book again. I walked over to it, bending down to grab the book and looking to where she had left to. Neither Embers nor Elise were anywhere in sight, so I turned my attention back to the book. After what had happened the last two days, this book has become somewhat of a truth revealer.\n I opened the book, hoping to find where I left off but accidentally flipped past it. However, I was surprised to say the least to find there were blank pages towards the back of the book. “What?” There was no doubt in my mind that this was a handmade book which meant it had an exact number of pages. Instead I started to flip pages until I found a page with text.\n It was a part of the story I hadn’t read yet that caught my eye. More specifically it was what was happening on that page that caught my eye. Instead of finding the ending of a book, or even just faded text, I was watching the writing in the book manifest before my very eyes. Why was this book still being written, and how hadn’t I noticed it before? Suddenly, I could hear something break, as if a window shattered due to an object hitting it. I quickly turned my attention back to the book in my hands, and the text on the page. [I]‘I had just broken the window when Embers showed up. “I broke the window. There’s nothing outside. No world.”’[/I]\n “Am I…” I was silent for so long when realization struck. “This book, it’s not just a story. This is someone’s recollection of events, [I]Elise’s[/I] diary of memories.” My attention turned back to the bars that marked the end of where I could go. Slowly I walked to them and placed my hand on it before looking down at the book in my hand. The text was just barely reaching the end of the page when I caught the end of the paragraph.\n\n [I]“We are in a very special place.” Embers told me. “Here your thoughts, expectations and feelings can be manifested.” I was confused, and honestly bewildered by this that I almost didn’t believe her. “It helps if you use something strong like love or fear to bring them into existence. Give it a try.” To try and comply with her, since I was done fighting, I closed my eyes. “Imagine something, vividly, with all the details.”[/I]\n\n “Your thoughts, expectations and feelings, huh?” I thought aloud as I closed the book and looked at the bars again. “Well I feel trapped, and in this cell, I expect to not be able to get out.” Doing as Elise did in her book, I slowly backed up, eyes closed after tossing the book through the space in the bars. [I]“At least not in this body. I now understand why I have this body, and it was my mind restricting me.”[/I] Slowly I opened my eyes, the area around me giving off a soft glow as I got down onto four legs again. “I will get out, and I will get out now!” I shouted as I dashed forward, the glow getting brighter as I neared the bars of my prison.\n For a moment, I felt nothing. No sense of smell, no sense of sight, no hearing, no tasting, no feeling. Then it all came back, and I was gasping for air as if emerging from a pool of water. I tumbled across the floor, the concrete was wet, and I could feel it just dry up on my body. There was no body in that bathtub, it was only water. That was all that was needed to electrocute myself in the living world. I stood once more, watching my blue paws help drag my tired body onto my hind legs.\n Never have I felt more determined in my life to break free from my prison, and I’m not going to back down anymore. The storm approached, I could hear it clearly, but it was raining now. I could feel the rain as it dropped upon my head and soaked through my smooth skin and dorsal fins. Looking up I could see that the roof of the church was gone, and all that was there was darkness.\n Now instead of being in an empty hallway full of jail cells I was in the main hall of the church. I could tell based on the walls and pillars that would’ve held the ceiling up, as well as the pews lining the floor in neat rows, but charred from lightning strikes. I was standing at the altar, back faced to the cross as I looked down the carpet to where the front doors would be. Instead there was only darkness beyond the doors and standing in front of it was Amanda. I couldn’t see her face as she had her head turned down, but I knew that it might just be my fears.\n [I]Amanda[/I] was my fear. I didn’t want to admit it, but I couldn’t deny it any further. Something always felt wrong about the nightclub, and about the way the church burned down that day. What I found out a year later was that Amanda was the reason the church had burned down. She had tipped over a candle somewhere that not many people would come across. By the time I learned this, Amanda was long dead, and I had grown to fear her as a person; eventually letting that fear drive me to kill myself because of something that I probably could’ve prevented.\n “I’m not letting my fears control me anymore, and I’m not letting you drag me down to hell!” I said to this imposter of Amanda while taking my first few steps away from the altar. A growl was coming from her, probably because I was leaving the safety of such a holy area. “I made the mistake of fearing you, and that fear drove me to death!” The walls began to shake around me, and Amanda slowly began to walk towards me as well. “I know I could’ve helped you, so that you didn’t feel like you had to take the lives of innocent people!” A hundred feet was between us now, and Amanda picked up her pace. “I know that you are not with me anymore, but I can still find you and help you!” She was sprinting at me now, but I didn’t care, and spoke in a softer voice. “I love you Amanda, and I will find you in your own hell.”\n Amanda screeched into the air as she was within striking distance of me. For however fast she was moving, time slowed for me as she moved her claws up to strike me down. I simply opened my arms and in that moment, I hugged her which somehow got her to freeze in place. “I’m so sorry that I ever feared you, Amanda.” Was all I could manage to say. A tear ran down my cheek which only dried up as I smiled. “I will find you and help you. Then we can be together forever once more.”\n\n[CENTER][B][I]Imagine destruction[/I][/B][/CENTER]\n\n The world seemed to explode around me. Warm light filled the void that was darkness previously, and the bricks of church floated around me as everything faded away in an instant. Before it did, I managed to have one more thought. [I]“How many of these bricks were created by my mind?”[/I]\n\n I opened my eyes, looking at a solid stone ground I was lying on. It felt cold, foreign, and unforgiving. Already my body ached and cried for more rest, but I had a goal. Forcing my eyes to stay open I lifted my body off the ground at least and looked up. The area around me seemed almost desolate save for a single rocky stalagmite reaching up to a ceiling far above me. At the top I could see light, actual sunlight, but all I could do was smile. “I did it, but I can’t give up now.”\n With all my remaining energy I got back onto my hind legs and noticed it. The book that had helped me through my ordeal. I picked it up and gently brushed the dust off the cover. It was then that I knew what I must do. Placing the book in my teeth I bit down on the hard leather and grabbed onto the first paw hold of the rock. Then I placed my foot on something higher than the ground on the rock too.\n [I]“I don’t care if I have to fall a hundred times climbing this rock.”[/I] I placed my other paw and foot on the stalagmite, now higher than the first two. [I]“It doesn’t matter if you are in the farthest reaches of the heavenly clouds, or in the seventh layer of hell.”[/I] Step after step, arm length after arm length I climbed, determined to reach the top. [I]“I will find you and I will save you like Elise did for me!”[/I] The light was so bright upon getting closer to it that I thought I was going blind. [I]“I love you, Amanda, and nothing will keep us apart!”[/I]\n I reached the light sourced and lifted my paw up. It stopped upon touching something, like an invisible barrier covering the hole. That wasn’t going to stop me so with all my strength I pushed my arm up. When I lifted my head up through the hole as the barrier was removed, I found myself suddenly holding up a manhole cover. I slid the heavy steel plate to the side and climbed out of the hole. As soon as I stepped out of it completely the lid and hole were already gone.\n I made it. I finally made it. I pulled the book out of my mouth and looked down at the cover and its gold embroidered name. I now had a new purpose, and that was to find my dead girlfriend. Elise, this book was the story of your salvation.\n\n[center][B]This is the story of my redemption.[/B][/center]","writing_bbcode_parsed":" Zoilo was snapped out of his reading when he heard a coffee cup shatter to his left. One of the servers had dropped a cup of coffee on the floor and was picking it up. However, when he looked over to where the coffee cup should be, no one else was in the restaurant. He eyed the place suspiciously as he stood up from the booth and looked around. Absolutely no one was there as if they had vanished without a trace.
Just witnessing this alone made him lose his appetite. Without saying anything, Zoilo grabbed his computer bag and shoved the book into it. He thought that it was strange there was no one around, but did it really make any sense to say anything if no one was around to hear it? The answer was no, no it doesn’t.
On his way out even the streets seemed empty, blank even. There wasn’t as much detail in the bricks, the concrete that made up the streets and sidewalk. This felt way too close to the book he was reading. Now Zoilo knew why it seemed like that. It was all because of the book, and his imagination was imitating what the book described because he desperately wanted to know how it ended.
“Maybe a couple of hours at the nightclub will do me some good.” Zoilo thought to himself as he walked in its direction. Little by little he started to forget his worries about the outside world and traveled along in his mind. It took barely any time at all and he seemed to fly there almost.
In front of him stood the only nightclub for a hundred miles or so. The Gray Saloon, as it was called, was filled with all sorts of booze along with the hottest male and female sex workers. The church opposed it greatly, but it stayed in business regardless. Despite knowing this, Zoilo came here at least once a week to enjoy himself and relax.
He walked in the front doors and inside the nightclub. Inside the music was loud and distracting, and the lights were almost hypnotic in nature. From the moment he stepped inside to the moment he would leave, time moved at almost twice its normal speed. The aroma, the smell of sex, alcohol, weed and other illegal drugs. He didn’t dabble in most of them, maybe some weed every so often and a bit of alcohol, but not too much of it.
Zoilo had barely walked into the establishment when a fine looking Jolteon stepped over to him. They had reared up onto their hind legs, wrapped one foreleg over his shoulder, and the other paw on his chest. He could feel their muzzle press close to his ear and speak in a seductive tone. “Hey babe, feel like enjoying my company again? I missed you in that week you were gone.”
Those soft paw pads on his chest felt so comforting, and her warm breath on his ear made his heart flutter. It was his girlfriend that he loved for the last year or so and dearly wanted to marry. “Amanda,” Zoilo paused as he lowered his head into the crook of her neck. He turned his body so that he could support her standing up as such and pressed his chest to her own. That beautiful yellow fur, so soft and pampered unlike most Jolteons with spiky fur. “Why do you continue to work here? You know the church despises you working here.”
Amanda shushed him softly; repeating the hushing noise a few times as she ran one of her paws along Zoilo’s back. “You know I need money. That apartment is as much mine as it is yours.” She drew her head back; gazing deep into her partner’s eyes. This sight almost made Zoilo just melt and never want to leave her side. As he continued to look at her eyes Zoilo felt something akin to a burning sensation in the back of his mind. It hurt, but at the same time it almost felt like it was meant to be a good pain like one having a headache and then rubbing the spot to relieve the pain.
The feeling didn’t last long, however, as a heavy pulse rippled through Zoilo’s body. His entire equilibrium shifted to the left as it felt like he got pushed from the right. It was such a sudden shift in position that even Amanda had to quickly back off or she would’ve caused them both to fall over. Zoilo could just barely hear Amanda curse under her breath as she backed away. She had raised her paw off the ground, revealing a nasty burn that she then licked.
As he finally regained his balance Zoilo looked down at his hand instinctively as well to ensure he wasn’t hurt. It was only for a moment, but he could’ve sworn that his paw had been glowing white. Why would that be though? Zoilo was quite sure that he didn’t activate any sort of ability or attack that could cause that kind of color shift. “Amanda,” Zoilo started with a small stutter, “are you alright?”
A very short growl escaped her lips as she placed her paw onto the ground again. As soon as it stopped though it was replaced with a gentle, but too obviously forced, smile. “I am fine. Come, let us go have some fun in my room.” She tells him as she doesn’t try to touch him again but turns her body to try and get him to follow her. “We can forget all of these people and all of your troubles when we’re together.”
“Why does this suddenly feel so wrong?” Zoilo thought to himself as he stared at his girlfriend, the woman of his dreams. “I love her, and want her to be my wife, but why do I feel so many red flags being thrown out?” He had to rub his neck, and cough as he had been holding a breath he didn’t realize he had been. “I’m sorry Amanda, but I have to go. I just remembered that I had left my stovetop on at home.”
That was not a face he was expecting to see from his adorable Jolteon friend. Just as he had said that her face contorted into a look of disappointing anger over the gentle and warm smile she had on before. “What the hell?” Zoilo asked himself as he slowly began to back away from Amanda. Her sudden change in demeanor not only startled Zoilo, but it rattled him to his core.
Zoilo only got so far away from Amanda before she quickly lunged at him. Like a predator looking for her next meal, she aimed her sharp teeth at his neck. With the given situation he responded in the only appropriate way. He quickly ducked his head down to his left, moving his nimble body with the movement, and wrapping his body behind her to hook his arm around her neck. With Amanda now in a choke hold he held her body still as she screamed and thrashed around in his grasp. There was so much fighting going on he wondered why nobody had come to check on them, but even more concerning was why was Amanda so strong all of a sudden?
“I’m going to drag you down to hell with me Zoilo!” Amanda spat at him as she would sink her claws into his side while trying to escape his grasp. Then, after a few more thrashes, she disappeared without a trace and his arms hit his chest. “You will die! I will make sure you come to hell with me and we can live together forever you suicidal bastard!”
“Amanda was so sweet and kind before, so why was she being so hostile now?” Zoilo thought to himself as he looked at the space where his girlfriend had been moments before. He felt empty, physically and emotionally, now that the one he loved had gone psycho on him. His mind strayed to his bag, and inside of it the book, the leather-bound book with gold colored lacing. Everything changed when he found that book and nothing felt the same since then.
This didn’t feel like heaven anymore, especially since he could still feel the pain from Amanda’s claws. Nothing major goes wrong in heaven, and so far, his entire life has been crumbling down around him. It was all because of that book. He knew it had to be because of that book. Zoilo slowly reached into his bag and pulled out the leather book; staring at the front cover that read ‘Salvation’. He knew what he had to do now, and he knew that he was going to get to the bottom of this nightmare.
Zoilo quickly ran out of the nightclub, only stopping when he heard the crack of thunder to his left. There was a dark and ominous thunderstorm as wide as the eye could see on the horizon. He knew something bad would happen soon, and by the looks of that storm fast approaching it would be upon him soon.
For now, though, Zoilo quickly ran his hand over the leather book and glancing over the title one last time. He turned over to where he left off earlier and began reading as he walked back to his home.
Embers had led me to a window upstairs overlooking the night skies. It was so dark out there I could hardly see the streetlamps or any sort of buildings. After some time of silence, I had to speak my mind. “I can’t understand how I never realized I was alone. It’s like I’ve been sleep walking for years. But, if no one is left in this place then why did you join?”
She had remained silent for a few moments longer, staring off into the night sky before answering. “There is someone. I am here for that person.” I thought it odd that I had just discovered it is only us in the church, yet she is searching for someone? Then, before I could even react, Embers grabbed hold of me in a light embrace and pressed her lips to mine. I could taste her fur, her lips, her tongue and saliva. It felt and tasted great, but something gnawed at me.
Before I could voice any concerns I had, I was rolled onto my back, Embers on top of me. She was standing over my body while I lay on my back and she was kissing me. Well more specifically she was kissing my neck repeatedly as if trying to give me a hickey. “Stop!” I said quickly after waiting far too long to speak up. “This is wrong.”
Embers backed up and looked down at me, mouth hung open slightly as she recaptured her lost breath. “But your body was telling me the opposite.”
Shaking my head, I pulled myself back, out from underneath Embers and into a sitting position. “This can’t happen, not again. I will be going to sleep.” I tell her, and just behind me I can hear her speak to me. “Okay, got it! I’ll be available the whole night if you change your mind. Sweet dreams!”
I got to my room and laid in bed, facing the wall so I didn’t have to look at anything that might keep me awake. “Sweet dreams, huh?” I asked myself while I lay there, finding sleep claw at my mind. “I’d rather not dream anything tonight. Dreams are corrupting me from the inside. I just want my days to be repetitive again.” It didn’t take as long to fall asleep this time as I drifted off in only a matter of minutes.
“At last.” I could hear myself say while staring up at Embers. “I’m in a dream; a good one.” She sat on the bed in front of me, and I have my snout shoved slightly into her vagina. It smelled so good despite me knowing that it was all just a dream. [i}“I have no expectations to meet, actions have no consequences.”[/I] I saw nothing, the world was dark, but I could taste her paws, her paw pads were so soft. “I can do anything and be degraded in the most unacceptable ways.” Then I could see again, and I was staring at the top side of her hind paws, licking the pink fur there. A metal band around my neck, connected to a chain connected to a metal band around Embers’ ankle. “With loss of power comes no responsibilities. It's like having died and gone to heaven.” Deep inside of me I could feel it, something long and hard while all of my paws were tied together. With Embers’ soft embrace around my body it felt so good that I could almost just say, “hallelujah.”
I woke up again, once more in the darkness of my room. It was all just a dream, and a good dream at that. “Argh, not this again.” To try and forget it I flipped over my pillow and tried to go back to sleep by closing my eyes. Unfortunately, I couldn’t not think about her! All I could see upon closing my eyes and dreaming was Embers rubbing her crotch all over my face as she pulled on my ears. My eyes opened again only minutes later, and I stared blankly at the wall. “This could actually be happening to me.” I mumbled softly to myself before rolling my head off the edge of my bed. “I’m so aroused right now. I think I’m going to take up her offer.”
With that decision I got up out of bed and started down the hallway to Embers’ room. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.” But upon thinking that I turned around and quickly started to walk back to my room. “No. No. No. I’m not.” Then again, doing everything in my dreams would be very satisfying so I turned back to go find Embers again. “Fuck it.” After all of that mental debate I ended up standing in front of the door to Embers’ room. “Umm, should I knock? Maybe she is asleep. This is stupid. I should-”
My thought didn’t get very far. I had started to turn around when Embers’ door opened and the Espeon stepped right into the threshold. “Hey! I didn’t think you would accept. Come in.” She admitted to me as she reached her paw out for my shoulder. “Wanna try the things we do in our shared dreams?” I gave a small nod, but I must not have realized that my legs were shaking. “Hey, relax, it’s not like a sacred event or something.”
I walked in a little, and Embers stepped back to allow me to walk forward. “Ha, we’re still wearing these?” Embers asked as she gently gripped my hood.
“It’s an old habit I guess.” I answered with a nervous chuckle and smile.
“Well the bed is behind me.” She stood next to the bed, allowing me to get onto it first. I hadn’t realized it when I first came in, but my rings and moon had been glowing quite brightly. As I laid down on top of Embers’ bed, she too climbed up onto it and laid over me. “I waited longer than you can imagine for this.”
Embers pressed her chest to mine and embraced me while covering my cheek in licks. Her tongue felt so soft but so right at the same time. “Mm, yes.” I could hear her say as her slim tail wrapped around mine. She shifted her hips forward, now on top of my lower belly as she sat up some. “Oh god.” I could hear her say again as she slipped her crotch ever so closer to my head. Her pussy being dragged across my chest and neck, finally to my mouth where it was practically buried. “It’s like your mouth was shaped for this.”
“I like this place.” I managed to say between breaths before feeling her hips roll forward just that little bit more. In the end she pushed her hips a bit too far and my head was completely covered by Espeon! “Oops, you vanished. Well, it’s all yours girl.”
We continued like this for a couple more moments before she scooted her hips back and allowed me to clean my muzzle off. “Let me guess what you really want.” Embers tells me as she lifted her right foreleg and began to pull off the stocking. I could only let out a soft chuckle as she then lifted her left hind leg over my face. “Pull it out.” It was a bit like an order, but she had what I really wanted covered by some silly fabric. Once it was finally released, her soft paw pads rubbed over my head, earning a murr from me.
Paws, I just loved paws and somehow, she knew about it. “You just can’t get enough of this.” Embers stated with a small giggle. It was true, and with her hind paw held over my muzzle I was licking all over it. The taste, the texture, just being able to feel her soft round digits on my tongue. It all just felt like a small piece of heaven that I could enjoy in the moment. As I got more into licking over her paw and pads, Embers wrapped her tail around my torso while rotating down to my hindquarters. I didn’t care what she did now, expressing my gratitude with soft little muffled murrs. It was all so nice and arousing, which only made Embers licking my slit feel all the more satisfying. I was on edge for so long, and now I was going to get my release.
CRACK! Zoilo nearly jumped out of his fur when lightning struck only fifty some yards behind him. In his panic he dropped the book on the ground and stared at the charred remains of a plastic trash can. He looked around for a moment, and then up to the sky. The clouds were so dark and ominous, but there was no rain to suggest a rainstorm. Just what was going on, Zoilo would wonder as he leaned down to pick up his book again.
As he looked back up his apartment building was right in front of him. At least he was home now, so he quickly stuffed the leather-bound book back into his bag and entered the building. All the normal sounds of the building ceased to exist. It was almost as if not a single soul was around to make even the old floorboards creak. The jingling of his keys as Zoilo pulled them out and the sounds of his paw steps on each stair as he climbed them was all that could be heard.
The door to his apartment was unlocked with a soft click, and a creak while it swung into the short hallway. It felt colder for some reason, like it was foreboding. As he walked into the main room past the threshold for the kitchen the cold air hit him like a wall. It was suddenly freezing in his home and was surprised that he couldn’t see any ice or frost anywhere.
Then he noticed it, a door that hadn’t been opened in so long to his right. Zoilo had moved furniture he doesn’t use in front of it so that he never walked over there, yet the door was now open slightly. It bugged him, so he slowly made his way to the door, climbing over a box and standing in front of it. On the other side of the door he could hear the sound of crackling electricity as if it was freely traveling over something.
Zoilo could hear the blood pounding in his ears as he set his paw on the door handle. His entire body was screaming at him to run away, but his mind knew what it had to do. Slowly. Ever. So. Slowly. He pushed the door forward; the sound of electricity only grew louder as the room opened up to him. The bathroom he hadn’t used in however long now showed in an almost eerie darkness. Reaching around the doorway Zoilo tried to flip the light switch but it didn’t appear to work.
What he could see though was at the far end of the bathroom. Little bits of blue electricity jumping across the bathtub. Zoilo moved closer to get a better look at it, but as he passed the halfway point, he stepped on something. Just barely visible in the light the electricity made was some kind of power cord, and it led to the bathtub. That’s when he could see it, his sin, what he had done to deserve what was happening to him. A small arch happened to jump across a face, but not just any face, his face. Using his foot, he pulled the plug out of the socket and suddenly the lights came back on. In the bathtub was him, Zoilo, laying inside of it, water filling up most of it with a toaster sitting at the bottom.
Zoilo felt his breath catch in his throat as he looked upon his own body lying dead in the tub. Just seeing it almost swept him off his feet and had to use the nearby sink to keep himself standing. The image was ingrained in his mind so badly he could even see it when his eyes were closed. Burn marks all over his body from where the electricity decided to jump to, and the constant twitching of his body under the surface of the water as it stimulated his body.
It was too much for Zoilo, and he turned away from the sight to his trash can. As soon as he had his face close enough, he wretched up whatever food was still in his stomach. His throat burned from the stomach acid, and his eyes closed so tight that it felt like his eye lids would break somehow. His body felt so weak, and he just wanted to lay there sleep the horrible scene away.
Unfortunately, it was not to be, another lightning bolt struck, only this time it was much closer. The window near his computer shattered as the arc of electricity blasted through it and into the floor in the middle of the room outside the bathroom. Again, he nearly jumped out of his fur at how close and loud it was. Zoilo’s ears were ringing for several moments afterwards, but through it he somehow found the strength to stand up.
He walked out of the bathroom, paw resting on the door frame as he stepped out to see that there was nothing inside his apartment anymore. Zoilo looked to the window where the lightning had come through, only to find that half of that wall was just gone. The edges of the wall, and the floor and ceiling were all slowly evaporating right before his eyes. Another lightning bolt shot into the building, much farther below now, but he could still feel it as the entire apartment complex shook from the blow. This was no normal thunderstorm; this was something created by some evil power.
Zoilo moved closer to the edge, careful not to fall off onto the next floor below him, to look out at the sky. Well he would if there was anything to look at. All he could see in the sky was darkness, and he was surprised that he could even see anything beyond his own nose. Off to his right though was something he wished he hadn’t seen but was glad that he did. Half of the city was nowhere to be seen anymore with a wall of lightning marking where the world seemingly ended. Looking to his left, however, revealed to him that the church was still standing untouched. “I need to get down there. The church is the only safe place left.”
When he turned around to take a step, his heart skipped a beat as his foot touched nothing. Open air was all that met Zoilo as he fell forward, and all sound in the world seemed to disappear. He reached out to try and grab the edge of the floor that was still there but missed it barely. This was it; this was how he was going to die. Zoilo started to free fall, with nothing to grab onto and nothing to break his fall, he fell at top speed towards the earth. Then a sharp pain as he landed on his back on a hard concrete surface before suddenly getting flung forwards onto a concrete floor. He was dazed, unable to really move or hear anything. All he knew was that his consciousness was fading, and the last thing he could see was the inside of some prison cell.
I opened my eyes once more. I felt cold and alone, like everyone one I ever knew was now gone. Slowly I stretched out my arms to wake myself up more, only to realize that my body felt sore. I arched my back, slowly standing up now on my hind legs. After a moment, I found my vision focusing on the steel bars in front of me. The door was closed and trying to push it open did nothing except gently rattle the bars.
Instead of needlessly shaking the solid door I reached around through the slot between the bars and felt around to see if there was a handle or maybe the key was left in. There was no such luck for me though. I sighed, walking back towards the other side of the cell and sat on the wall mounted bed. Instead of dying via falling from my apartment, I was trapped in this hell. The book was nowhere to be seen either so there was nothing to do except sit there and wait.
As I sat there, twiddling my thumbs I could hear something. It was almost angelic in nature, and as I looked up, I saw her, Elise. How? No one was around and yet here she was, sitting in front of his cell. “Elise?” I asked, standing up quickly and looking at her. “How are you here?”
Elise didn’t answer me though, and simply smiled at me. She didn’t raise her paw, or make any attempt to say anything, but suddenly her body glowed white softly. I couldn’t tell what was happening at first, but once the glow faded Embers was now sitting there. What could that mean? Elise just suddenly becoming Embers through sheer will, or was there some deeper meaning involved?
Without saying anything else, Embers walked away and on my side of the bars was the book again. I walked over to it, bending down to grab the book and looking to where she had left to. Neither Embers nor Elise were anywhere in sight, so I turned my attention back to the book. After what had happened the last two days, this book has become somewhat of a truth revealer.
I opened the book, hoping to find where I left off but accidentally flipped past it. However, I was surprised to say the least to find there were blank pages towards the back of the book. “What?” There was no doubt in my mind that this was a handmade book which meant it had an exact number of pages. Instead I started to flip pages until I found a page with text.
It was a part of the story I hadn’t read yet that caught my eye. More specifically it was what was happening on that page that caught my eye. Instead of finding the ending of a book, or even just faded text, I was watching the writing in the book manifest before my very eyes. Why was this book still being written, and how hadn’t I noticed it before? Suddenly, I could hear something break, as if a window shattered due to an object hitting it. I quickly turned my attention back to the book in my hands, and the text on the page. ‘I had just broken the window when Embers showed up. “I broke the window. There’s nothing outside. No world.”’
“Am I…” I was silent for so long when realization struck. “This book, it’s not just a story. This is someone’s recollection of events, Elise’s diary of memories.” My attention turned back to the bars that marked the end of where I could go. Slowly I walked to them and placed my hand on it before looking down at the book in my hand. The text was just barely reaching the end of the page when I caught the end of the paragraph.
“We are in a very special place.” Embers told me. “Here your thoughts, expectations and feelings can be manifested.” I was confused, and honestly bewildered by this that I almost didn’t believe her. “It helps if you use something strong like love or fear to bring them into existence. Give it a try.” To try and comply with her, since I was done fighting, I closed my eyes. “Imagine something, vividly, with all the details.”
“Your thoughts, expectations and feelings, huh?” I thought aloud as I closed the book and looked at the bars again. “Well I feel trapped, and in this cell, I expect to not be able to get out.” Doing as Elise did in her book, I slowly backed up, eyes closed after tossing the book through the space in the bars. “At least not in this body. I now understand why I have this body, and it was my mind restricting me.” Slowly I opened my eyes, the area around me giving off a soft glow as I got down onto four legs again. “I will get out, and I will get out now!” I shouted as I dashed forward, the glow getting brighter as I neared the bars of my prison.
For a moment, I felt nothing. No sense of smell, no sense of sight, no hearing, no tasting, no feeling. Then it all came back, and I was gasping for air as if emerging from a pool of water. I tumbled across the floor, the concrete was wet, and I could feel it just dry up on my body. There was no body in that bathtub, it was only water. That was all that was needed to electrocute myself in the living world. I stood once more, watching my blue paws help drag my tired body onto my hind legs.
Never have I felt more determined in my life to break free from my prison, and I’m not going to back down anymore. The storm approached, I could hear it clearly, but it was raining now. I could feel the rain as it dropped upon my head and soaked through my smooth skin and dorsal fins. Looking up I could see that the roof of the church was gone, and all that was there was darkness.
Now instead of being in an empty hallway full of jail cells I was in the main hall of the church. I could tell based on the walls and pillars that would’ve held the ceiling up, as well as the pews lining the floor in neat rows, but charred from lightning strikes. I was standing at the altar, back faced to the cross as I looked down the carpet to where the front doors would be. Instead there was only darkness beyond the doors and standing in front of it was Amanda. I couldn’t see her face as she had her head turned down, but I knew that it might just be my fears.
Amanda was my fear. I didn’t want to admit it, but I couldn’t deny it any further. Something always felt wrong about the nightclub, and about the way the church burned down that day. What I found out a year later was that Amanda was the reason the church had burned down. She had tipped over a candle somewhere that not many people would come across. By the time I learned this, Amanda was long dead, and I had grown to fear her as a person; eventually letting that fear drive me to kill myself because of something that I probably could’ve prevented.
“I’m not letting my fears control me anymore, and I’m not letting you drag me down to hell!” I said to this imposter of Amanda while taking my first few steps away from the altar. A growl was coming from her, probably because I was leaving the safety of such a holy area. “I made the mistake of fearing you, and that fear drove me to death!” The walls began to shake around me, and Amanda slowly began to walk towards me as well. “I know I could’ve helped you, so that you didn’t feel like you had to take the lives of innocent people!” A hundred feet was between us now, and Amanda picked up her pace. “I know that you are not with me anymore, but I can still find you and help you!” She was sprinting at me now, but I didn’t care, and spoke in a softer voice. “I love you Amanda, and I will find you in your own hell.”
Amanda screeched into the air as she was within striking distance of me. For however fast she was moving, time slowed for me as she moved her claws up to strike me down. I simply opened my arms and in that moment, I hugged her which somehow got her to freeze in place. “I’m so sorry that I ever feared you, Amanda.” Was all I could manage to say. A tear ran down my cheek which only dried up as I smiled. “I will find you and help you. Then we can be together forever once more.”
Imagine destruction
The world seemed to explode around me. Warm light filled the void that was darkness previously, and the bricks of church floated around me as everything faded away in an instant. Before it did, I managed to have one more thought. “How many of these bricks were created by my mind?”
I opened my eyes, looking at a solid stone ground I was lying on. It felt cold, foreign, and unforgiving. Already my body ached and cried for more rest, but I had a goal. Forcing my eyes to stay open I lifted my body off the ground at least and looked up. The area around me seemed almost desolate save for a single rocky stalagmite reaching up to a ceiling far above me. At the top I could see light, actual sunlight, but all I could do was smile. “I did it, but I can’t give up now.”
With all my remaining energy I got back onto my hind legs and noticed it. The book that had helped me through my ordeal. I picked it up and gently brushed the dust off the cover. It was then that I knew what I must do. Placing the book in my teeth I bit down on the hard leather and grabbed onto the first paw hold of the rock. Then I placed my foot on something higher than the ground on the rock too.
“I don’t care if I have to fall a hundred times climbing this rock.” I placed my other paw and foot on the stalagmite, now higher than the first two. “It doesn’t matter if you are in the farthest reaches of the heavenly clouds, or in the seventh layer of hell.” Step after step, arm length after arm length I climbed, determined to reach the top. “I will find you and I will save you like Elise did for me!” The light was so bright upon getting closer to it that I thought I was going blind. “I love you, Amanda, and nothing will keep us apart!”
I reached the light sourced and lifted my paw up. It stopped upon touching something, like an invisible barrier covering the hole. That wasn’t going to stop me so with all my strength I pushed my arm up. When I lifted my head up through the hole as the barrier was removed, I found myself suddenly holding up a manhole cover. I slid the heavy steel plate to the side and climbed out of the hole. As soon as I stepped out of it completely the lid and hole were already gone.
I made it. I finally made it. I pulled the book out of my mouth and looked down at the cover and its gold embroidered name. I now had a new purpose, and that was to find my dead girlfriend. Elise, this book was the story of your salvation.
This is the story of my redemption.
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