Father Pryce was a priest in his seventies he devoted his life to the church and was well respected by his community. He was trusted by everyone and loved by everyone he offered guidance to people who were in need, of it and never turned away a troubled soul. By all accounts Father Pryce was a good man.
He was about to leave the confessional and close the church for the night when he heard someone enter the other side of the confessional "Forgive me Father for I have sinned. This is my first confession."
Pryce nodded not recognizing the voice "I see I imagine you have a lot to confess. What made you decide to seek the Lord's guidance?"
"I have hurt a lot of people and for a while I couldn't understand why. I admit I wasn't much for the good book but recent events have changed that. I do know two stories that I found to surprisingly be parallel to one another at I least I think they are parallels. The Fall of Lucifer and the story of the Prodigal Son. I suppose even Cain's story can be used as a comparison as well if you think about it and certainly the story of Judas. It's interesting how the same story sort of repeats in the Bible but to be brief I'll simply focus on the Fall of Lucifer and the Prodigal son. Lucifer was once the most beautiful of God's angels the most talented and good. Then came humanity and he, depending on your view either saw them as the flawed species they were or out of jealousy rebelled against God rather than serve humanity there's even a version I think where Lucifer simply refused to bow before man and for that alone was cast out of paradise.
"Then there's the story of the prodigal son. A son who was cast from his home and eventually was forgiven and taken in by his father I find this story the most interesting because unlike Lucifer, Cain, and Judas all of whom betrayed those closest to them two of which possibly eventually came to regret their actions the Prodigal Son was forgiven and welcomed back he was not met with hatred and he was not spat there was a time I think where I thought I could have been the prodigal son but I know differently now I have gone under a rebirth of sorts I am remembering things now it's hard to describe exactly what is happening have you ever woken up from a deep sleep and felt groggy maybe a little confused? That what I feel like right now like the past I remember is a distant dream it feels like it happened to somebody else. I use to feel this yearning for a place to belong now I feel nothing." The stranger paused for a moment before continuing "I once felt protective of a man I once knew as my little brother Thomas I think his name was. Now when I think of him I feel nothing. I feel nothing for so many people a woman I once loved Kara she feels like a stranger to me now. It's the same for a man known as John Garrette. Even the people I once hated and feared mean nothing to me I think of Christian my parents, my past enemies and I feel nothing for them no hatred, no fear, no love I feel nothing. However, there are five people I feel something for the woman who spurned me I can't really say what I feel but for the others it's just hatred mixed with indifference I used to believe I knew what hatred was but now I know differently Father."
Father Pryce nodded not really sure what this man was hoping for "I am sure in time you will feel something again. I fail to see what this has to do with the tales from the bible you mentioned."
"Well Father that is the thing I came here not seeking your guidance but God's." The Stranger spoke his tone getting more serious "I mean you hear these people spouting what is right and what is wrong but if they do wrong and are never punished what does it mean? If God is real if there is such a thing as destiny if free will is an illusion then why is there a hell? Why is there a heaven? What is the point of any of it? If all I did was play a role assigned to me by God why was I damned? Why was I damned for filling the role my creator gave me?" His voice grew angrier "Do you want me to tell you a secret Father? Most people they come back from the dead they talk about the great darkness the abyss but it's not a void it's not oblivion. The reason they see darkness as far as the eye can see is because as the fire consumes them they are looking up screaming for salvation from a God who has abandoned them. That is what the so-called void is Father it's not oblivion it's not proof of no after life rather the very opposite. It is proof God is not all forgiving, or all loving it is proof God's forgiveness is not limitless and it's where I learned the truth I'm not a Prodigal Son, or a Cain, I'm not even a Judas." His dark grey arm tore through the confessional grabbing the Priest by the neck "I'm Lucifer as I like he was cast from paradise and in to the depths of hell and my only reason now for existing is to bring hell to those above."
Father Pryce was thrown from the confessional what he saw next horrified him a large naked figure with dark grey skin came out of the confessional. "A demon? But how? This is the house of-"
"God? Remember what I said Padre? About proof of God's existence? I am proof. What I am doing right now is proof." The Demon grabbed Father Pryce by the shirt lifting him up "I know what your thinking Padre. You think if you pray hard enough God will save you. God will not save you because God, Padre he knows what you did."
"I… I don't know what you're talking about." Pryce was sweating with fear this could not be real this thing could not be real.
"After my rebirth I walked to this town and as I did I slowly gained sentience but a very interesting thing happened I found I can smell sin and your sins Padre have a very disturbing aroma. I know what happened to a little girl who died in your care while her father left you to watch over her. Shame he doesn't know what you did to his only daughter. It's sad he carries so much pain over something that wasn't his fault did you become a priest thinking it would save your soul? Did you really think those vile thoughts of yours would just go away if you prayed? I know the truth I know what you did to that poor little girl she was just starting school. You, sick freak."
"God help me." Pryce begged looking toward the statue of an angel in his church.
"A little late for begging Padre. You know why this is happening right? I could only come in here if God, decreed it so, so God wants you dead Padre. Which brings me to why I came in here in the first place what is the point? If God decreed everything if God decrees how we live how we die why are we cast into hell and why are some allowed to enter heaven?"
"I… I don't know." Pryce started crying fearing what this demonic beast had in store for him.
"I think I have an answer for you. God is cruel. He created us all humans, demons, aliens he created us all for his own amusement. He created us to suffer, to sing, dance all to entertain and praise him. Well I'm a demon so I guess I'm a little biased but that's my take on why we live in such a cruel and ugly world." The Demon grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up.
"Please have mercy-" Pryce didn't get the chance to finish before his neck snapped.
The Demon paused for a second starring at his victim's corpse he heard a voice coming from the entrance of the church "So how does it feel to pop your cherry?"
"Who are you?"
"You know exactly who I am, Son." Mephisto smirked.
"Son? Your my father? Well I suppose that makes sense. So you come to take me to hell or what and what's with that cherry line? I have killed plenty at least I did as Grant Ward."
"Not like this, you didn't know this man or the two, outside town." Mephisto stayed at the edge of the church not even attempting to enter "They were nobody to you. Murdering someone for the sake of killing is very different than how you've killed before."
"You don't say." Ward walked up to his father and met him face to face.
"What do you feel?"
"Empty. I feel empty."
"That's normal. You'll get used to it. In time, you'll get used to it the feeling I mean."
"Will the yearning ever stop father?" Ward asked feeling a flicker of humanity this time it was sadness he felt.
"It will never stop. You and I are damned to yearn, to pine, to crave love but never know it." Mephisto held out his hand "I have so much to teach you but first I do believe my son you are over do for some much, needed revenge."
Ward smiled as he took his father's hand "I agree father."
