The sounds of Hell echoed all around, screaming and singing and laughter combined in a chaotic melody. Sinners continued to cry out in misery and torment while the carnies celebrated and drank heavily. Bringing down Heaven's best angel was something worth celebrating about and if there was anything the carnies were good at, it was partying. Already, a majority of them were smashed and behind the drunken gargling, singing and laughter could be heard.
There was one carnie, however, who hadn't joined the after-party yet. That carnie was Painted Doll. She still stood alone in Hell's barn, her audience having since excused themselves back to the bar. But while they were out partying and drinking, she stood looking down at the limp form of her ex-lover, Agent. Heaven's top man, a figure who had long haunted her dreams, was now lying here before her, totally vulnerable and totally harmless. This handsome boogeyman of hers that she had ranted and railed against for decades was finally dead and it had been so simple and so short. One cup of poison. That was all. The cup was lying on its side in the dirt. Doll bent down to pick it up, considering it as she sat back down on Agent's lap, though he was no longer able to respond to it.
"There, there, my dear," she purred. It was the first time she'd spoken since her first day in Hell years and years ago. "It is all over now. Your suffering and mine have both come to a close and I have had my revenge. You've won now, your trip to Hell is over!" she added, brushing curious fingers all over his motionless body. It was quite like watching a child exploring a new toy. Her movements were no longer violent and aggressive. Instead, they were only curious. "Ah yes! My old friend! I can hear it now!" she exclaimed, a sense of theatrics returning to her as she hopped off of Agent's lap. Without even meaning to, she was singing and dancing again. She waved her arms at an invisible crowd.
"The shore is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting!" she twirled, still waving an arm to an imaginary crowd. She could hear the carnies bellowing happily in the distance, though, so even though the crowd she was address did not exist, she still pretended that it was they who were making all the noise and celebratory cheers.
"Ah! But now, look! Look!" she exclaimed, pretending to swoon. "Our brave and noble captain lies fallen, cold and dead!" she gestured to Agent's slumped over figure. As she leaned in close to him, she could still smell the poison on his breath. "O Captain! My Captain! Rise up and hear the bells! Rise up, for you the flag is flung, for you the bugle trills! For you bouquets and ribbon wreaths, for you the shores a-crowding! For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning!" she sang, getting louder and more dramatic with every second as she pretended to plead with Agent to rise up and face Heaven and accept his reward as their conquering hero.
Suddenly, a snarl settled upon the woman's broken face and she shoved Agent harder, though he went nowhere, already strapped down to a chair. But Doll didn't care about that. Instead, she laughed. The moment he had set foot in her domain, he had sealed his fate. She didn't even need to see him to know. But that had been the best part. Though looking into his eyes again after so long had hurt to some degree, seeing that foolish and almost childish hope was hysterical. Here this man was, Heaven's highest angel, and yet he still had the foolish hope that somehow, Doll would help him in his mission and then they'd both go home together, or he would get to leave and go free while she remained here. That was what his eyes had said. Doll knew from one look at him that he had not changed or matured at all. Instead, he was just as stupid and blindly devoted to God as ever. He honestly had thought Doll would help the negotiations. He had honestly thought she would help stop this war. Idiot! She wanted to start the war! What was he thinking?! Ha!
He had learned the hard way how little Doll's heart was now. She didn't care for diplomacy anymore, she wanted violence and sin! And Agent was an idiot for thinking anything else of her. Seriously, had he just expected her to forgive him after saying sorry? This wasn't something one simple sorry could fix. This was decades of physical, mental and emotional pain cast upon her by him while he continued to live life in the lap of luxury. One simple apology wouldn't be enough. Hell, no amount of sorries would be enough. This was just something Doll could not forgive and it wasn't fair of Agent to demand that from her, no matter how genuinely remorseful he seemed. He didn't really understand the horrors she'd endured. No matter what he thought, he still knew so very little of the world and it was exactly what had gotten him killed.
If it was a warm welcome home that Agent had expected, here it was! If it was golden songs and silver stars and praise from God himself that Agent had expected, he was sorely mistaken. He was never going to leave Hell alive. But hopefully, the mad cries of Hell would be good enough. Hopefully, the scarlet songs and bleeding stars would suffice. It wasn't like a liar as lowly as he was deserved better. This is your happy homecoming. How rude of you to miss out!
"Hear captain, dear lover, this voice inside your head!" Doll sang again. "Hear me after so long ignoring me and leaving me for dead!" she danced around his corpse, the after-party echoing in the background. "It is some dream that on the deck! That you've fallen cold and dead," she trilled. These were words she might have sung for him had they never broken up, but now she was twisting their meaning and instead of being mournful, they were happy. Doll was saying that Agent's corpse was a dream, a good one! "My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still. My lover does not feel my hand, he has no pulse nor will," she smirked triumphantly and then she took a bow and finally left Agent's body to rot. She was headed to that after-party.
Hours later, the after-party ended, but once again, Doll was left behind. While all the others had staggered drunkenly back into their tents, she still sat at the bar with a shot glass between her fingers.
"The ship is anchored safe and sound, its voyage closed and done," she hummed. "From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won!" she paused as she looked back to the barn where Agent's corpse still lay. "Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!" she sang. "As I, with joyful tread, walk the deck where my captain lies, fallen cold and dead!" the woman finished her gleeful tune by downing the drink in her shot glass, hissing in pleasure as it burned a hot trail down her throat. Today had been a good day.
AN: This was just Doll's reaction to her handiwork once everything was said and done and yes, I did get inspiration from the old poem "O Captain, My Captain" though obviously, this is sung with a far crueler intent.