'Why do dealers have to meet at the scariest parts of town in the middle of the night?' Daniel Blaze wondered aloud.
Not receiving an answer, he headed down a darkened alley towards the rendezvous point, footsteps echoing around him with each footfall. It was around 2AM and every nerve in his body was twitching with fear.
Only a few nights ago, a pimp and his prostitute were found dead a few blocks away. The pimp's head had been blown off, while the prostitute had been covered in gasoline and burned. Normally Daniel would have figured it was a normal dispute over money or a rival pimp taking out the competition. Except every pimp in town was now terrified and no one was taking responsibility. Not too mention that pimps usually shot their enemies since it was more convenient and less timely.
A few nights ago had to be the work of a certified whack job.
As Daniel neared the end of the alleyway, a dark figured stepped from the shadows a few feet in front of him, nearly stopping his heart.
'Do you have the cash?' a voice with a British accent asked.
It was Daniel's dealer.
'Shit man, you nearly gave me a heart attack!' Daniel cried.
'It's not my fault you're afraid of the boogeyman. Now do you have the cash?' the dealer asked impatiently.
'Yeah I've got it, I've got it. So I take it you're not worried about the psycho who killed that pimp and his bitch a few nights ago?'
'Why should I be afraid of myself?'
'Excuse me?' Daniel fumbled in his pocket with the cash as he looked at the figure.
'I killed them. They bought some dope off me a few weeks ago and didn't pay me. Had to send a message.'
'But why haven't you taken credit for it?' Daniel asked, finally managing to get the cash out.
'I figure I'll let everyone sweat for a bit, then I'll step in, take the credit, and explain why. This way it kind of has people afraid to go out at night and might keep my enemies away for a bit.'
'I guess that makes sense, although you're a sick bastard, you know that?'
'You're both sick bastards in my opinion,' replied an emotionless voice.
Daniel froze and felt his blood freeze inside his veins.
'Who the hell's there?' the dealer cried.
A figure dropped into the alleyway from a fire escape and landed a few feet behind Daniel with a soft thud.
'I'm Michael.'
Daniel felt his bladder release as he spun around and staggered back beside the dealer. As he did, the moon suddenly came out from behind a few clouds and illuminated the alleyway.
Standing before them was a man dressed in a tight black shirt and blue jeans under a black jacket with clips of ammunition around his waist. Long shoulder length black hair framed the man's thin face. Moonlight reflected from a silver cross necklace hanging around his neck.
Before Daniel or the dealer could respond, Michael drew a silver custom Jericho 941 F dual action handgun and aimed it at the dealer.
'Let the lying lips be put to silence. Psalms thirty one-eighteen. I killed the pimp and his whore,' Michael said softly.
Daniel's mouth dropped open, 'You...killed? Why?'
'They were sinners. He was selling her and she was tarnishing her body which is the temple of God. I had to burn the tarnish off.'
Daniel opened his mouth to reply, but the dealer cut him off.
'You're a loon! Ya hear me you sun of a bitch!'
Daniel watched in terror as the dealer reached under his shirt and brought out a handgun, aiming it at Michael. Pulling the trigger quickly, the dealer laughed as he fired three shots in Michael's direction.
Michael merely stood still as the bullets whizzed by him.
'What the hell are you?' the dealer cried.
Without responding, Michael fired a single shot that landed right between the dealer's eyes.
'What a shame...He was only a child,' Michael said softly, his eyes on the dealer.
Daniel looked down at the motionless body and saw that Michael was right. The kid barely looked to be 19 years old.
Daniel watched as Michael crossed himself and muttered a few words under his breath. Realizing that this was his chance, he spun around and hurled himself through the alleyway as fast as his legs could carry him. As he exited the alley, he turned down the road, ducked through a few yards, and went through a few more alleys.
After a few minutes, he finally stopped and listened hard. Nothing.
Softly, he sighed and sunk to the ground, bringing his knees to his chest.
'Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit? First Corinthians six-nineteen.'
Daniel's heart stopped as he looked up. Standing before him was Michael, his face covered in shadows.
Swiftly, Michael walked over to Daniel, pulled something out of his jacket, and crouched down, his blue eyes looking directly into Daniel's hazel ones.
'What are you going to-' Daniel began.
However, Michael's hand flew through the air and Daniel felt something stab his neck. Before he could react, Michael tossed whatever was in his hand aside and stabbed him again. After a second, he withdrew his hand again. But this time he allowed Daniel to see what he held. A syringe.
'Since you wanted the heroin so bad, I overdosed you on it. Let's hope it can numb the pain the flames of hell cause,' Michael said coldly.
Daniel watched as Michael stood up and tossed the last syringe away, his vision blurring as the drug took effect.
Without sound, Michael began walking into the distance and pulled out a cigarette. Carefully he put it between his lips and lit it before disappearing into the distance, leaving Daniel alone.
'Wait,' Daniel choked out as he slumped sideways.
However, no one replied and the darkness closed in around him.
©Copyright 2008 by Travis Brantner
This is the first story I've written specifically for this blog, and I really like it. It's based on a character I created back in Advanced Fiction. I never actually used the story I wrote with Michael in Adv. Fiction because some personal stuff came up and I turned in another story, but I fell in love with the character. It doesn't say so in this story, but Michael's a priest, and for some reason the thought of a priest that swears, smokes, and punishes sinners amuses me. I don't mean anything sacreligious by it, just it seems pretty awesome in my mind. The swearing and smoking make him human. Anyway, this is also going on my deviantArt and Tokyopop pages. If you want to see more Michael, let me know. Maybe I'll post a full story about him since this is pretty much microfiction.
-T
Not receiving an answer, he headed down a darkened alley towards the rendezvous point, footsteps echoing around him with each footfall. It was around 2AM and every nerve in his body was twitching with fear.
Only a few nights ago, a pimp and his prostitute were found dead a few blocks away. The pimp's head had been blown off, while the prostitute had been covered in gasoline and burned. Normally Daniel would have figured it was a normal dispute over money or a rival pimp taking out the competition. Except every pimp in town was now terrified and no one was taking responsibility. Not too mention that pimps usually shot their enemies since it was more convenient and less timely.
A few nights ago had to be the work of a certified whack job.
As Daniel neared the end of the alleyway, a dark figured stepped from the shadows a few feet in front of him, nearly stopping his heart.
'Do you have the cash?' a voice with a British accent asked.
It was Daniel's dealer.
'Shit man, you nearly gave me a heart attack!' Daniel cried.
'It's not my fault you're afraid of the boogeyman. Now do you have the cash?' the dealer asked impatiently.
'Yeah I've got it, I've got it. So I take it you're not worried about the psycho who killed that pimp and his bitch a few nights ago?'
'Why should I be afraid of myself?'
'Excuse me?' Daniel fumbled in his pocket with the cash as he looked at the figure.
'I killed them. They bought some dope off me a few weeks ago and didn't pay me. Had to send a message.'
'But why haven't you taken credit for it?' Daniel asked, finally managing to get the cash out.
'I figure I'll let everyone sweat for a bit, then I'll step in, take the credit, and explain why. This way it kind of has people afraid to go out at night and might keep my enemies away for a bit.'
'I guess that makes sense, although you're a sick bastard, you know that?'
'You're both sick bastards in my opinion,' replied an emotionless voice.
Daniel froze and felt his blood freeze inside his veins.
'Who the hell's there?' the dealer cried.
A figure dropped into the alleyway from a fire escape and landed a few feet behind Daniel with a soft thud.
'I'm Michael.'
Daniel felt his bladder release as he spun around and staggered back beside the dealer. As he did, the moon suddenly came out from behind a few clouds and illuminated the alleyway.
Standing before them was a man dressed in a tight black shirt and blue jeans under a black jacket with clips of ammunition around his waist. Long shoulder length black hair framed the man's thin face. Moonlight reflected from a silver cross necklace hanging around his neck.
Before Daniel or the dealer could respond, Michael drew a silver custom Jericho 941 F dual action handgun and aimed it at the dealer.
'Let the lying lips be put to silence. Psalms thirty one-eighteen. I killed the pimp and his whore,' Michael said softly.
Daniel's mouth dropped open, 'You...killed? Why?'
'They were sinners. He was selling her and she was tarnishing her body which is the temple of God. I had to burn the tarnish off.'
Daniel opened his mouth to reply, but the dealer cut him off.
'You're a loon! Ya hear me you sun of a bitch!'
Daniel watched in terror as the dealer reached under his shirt and brought out a handgun, aiming it at Michael. Pulling the trigger quickly, the dealer laughed as he fired three shots in Michael's direction.
Michael merely stood still as the bullets whizzed by him.
'What the hell are you?' the dealer cried.
Without responding, Michael fired a single shot that landed right between the dealer's eyes.
'What a shame...He was only a child,' Michael said softly, his eyes on the dealer.
Daniel looked down at the motionless body and saw that Michael was right. The kid barely looked to be 19 years old.
Daniel watched as Michael crossed himself and muttered a few words under his breath. Realizing that this was his chance, he spun around and hurled himself through the alleyway as fast as his legs could carry him. As he exited the alley, he turned down the road, ducked through a few yards, and went through a few more alleys.
After a few minutes, he finally stopped and listened hard. Nothing.
Softly, he sighed and sunk to the ground, bringing his knees to his chest.
'Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit? First Corinthians six-nineteen.'
Daniel's heart stopped as he looked up. Standing before him was Michael, his face covered in shadows.
Swiftly, Michael walked over to Daniel, pulled something out of his jacket, and crouched down, his blue eyes looking directly into Daniel's hazel ones.
'What are you going to-' Daniel began.
However, Michael's hand flew through the air and Daniel felt something stab his neck. Before he could react, Michael tossed whatever was in his hand aside and stabbed him again. After a second, he withdrew his hand again. But this time he allowed Daniel to see what he held. A syringe.
'Since you wanted the heroin so bad, I overdosed you on it. Let's hope it can numb the pain the flames of hell cause,' Michael said coldly.
Daniel watched as Michael stood up and tossed the last syringe away, his vision blurring as the drug took effect.
Without sound, Michael began walking into the distance and pulled out a cigarette. Carefully he put it between his lips and lit it before disappearing into the distance, leaving Daniel alone.
'Wait,' Daniel choked out as he slumped sideways.
However, no one replied and the darkness closed in around him.
©Copyright 2008 by Travis Brantner
This is the first story I've written specifically for this blog, and I really like it. It's based on a character I created back in Advanced Fiction. I never actually used the story I wrote with Michael in Adv. Fiction because some personal stuff came up and I turned in another story, but I fell in love with the character. It doesn't say so in this story, but Michael's a priest, and for some reason the thought of a priest that swears, smokes, and punishes sinners amuses me. I don't mean anything sacreligious by it, just it seems pretty awesome in my mind. The swearing and smoking make him human. Anyway, this is also going on my deviantArt and Tokyopop pages. If you want to see more Michael, let me know. Maybe I'll post a full story about him since this is pretty much microfiction.
-T
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