Hall Of Names:Sinacog

[Lindel]

The bass rattles my face, DJ quickens the pace, I order another shot of whiskey to marinade my brain.
Dizzying bright pallets illuminate the place, a dancer dances down the aisle, I remove my shades.
"Want some company, babe?" most would be smitten, "Sorry, I'm here on business, seeking out a witness."
her eye slightly twitches, she uncomfortably itches. "maybe another time, then..." as she quickly ditches.
The bartender takes my glass, pours me another, "this one's on the house, for those who've suffered."
I glance at him a second, contemplate what words to muster, "there's some actresses who frequent this place,
who've recently been found face down in the gutter. Anything you know could help bring their killer to justice,
some of them were mothers..." -- I wanted to trust him. He assists another customer, I observe as he judges,
"they all worked for the same agency, that's all I know, cousin." I thank him and leave a tip, twice what my drinks were worth,
this lead may be a dead end or the spark that makes this guy burn. This killer targets young, beautiful girls,
actresses who sought the world, only to be fed to worms. I wanna watch HIM squirm as my bullet splits his spine,
doesn't matter if he dies or if I just leave him paralyzed. I want him crucified, can't get the idea out my mind,
I'm running out of time while he plans his next strike. I stop by the precinct to debrief about my witness,
when another detective smirks and casually plays, "hey, Jay! Couldn't help but notice you could use an upgrade!"
To which I respond, "well, if it ain't broke, why fix it?" He walks away, as if any of that mattered,
"Lieutenant! I might've gotten a break on this bastard! An agency employed our victims, that's the pattern!"
"Then what're you doing here? Quit the jibber jabber! Pitter, patter!"

"Hello, I'm Detective Soule', I'd like to discuss some murders," "Well, should we call our lawyer before this goes any further?"
"That won't be necessary, just tell me if these girls worked here," the secretary ganders at the photos, shadowed by fear...
She calls somebody to meet me, maybe I'll get some answers, an older gentlemen in a suit exits the elevator in a suave manner.
"Detective, I believe you've got some questions, maybe I can help, if you'd follow me to my office, I've some files on my shelf.
You see, I managed these women and your culprit I am not, they earned me billions so I'd be foolish to write them off.
There was a man though who's mother we denied, a beautiful dove who was sadly much too shy.
Apparently, she killed herself, and he blamed us out of grief, threatened to kill everybody who ever works for me."
I thought about it for a second, then before I could decide, an officer down was called on my radio, "I repeat, triple nine."
The address was close to me, right across the street, I pulled out my pistol and ran over, still discreet,
I spotted something beneath the stairs, a heart-shaped box with strands of hair, the girl next door pointed, scared.
the devil's advocate is up there, the terror in her eyes, the misery in the air basically luring me to the monster's lair.
I begin a walk to remember, finding the officer holding her liver, "he's got a knife..." she barely whimpers,
as she continues to shiver, I reach the top floor, holding the trigger, no... holding a lot more.
I turn into a room, aiming straight ahead, he stands in front of a window, no angst or regret,
"Well, Detective, I hear you've been searching for me so here I am..." that look on his face I won't forget.
"Some might say I'm your own personal boogeyman, the way you've been obsessed...
could've saved your marriage but you were more concerned with my little mess.
Yes, I killed those women, I set them all free from having to be human,
now they'll never be ruined by sexual harassment or rejection's conclusion.
They'll never feel the agony of not being good enough, of not feeling loved,
of having to raise a son alone in the cold, no husband to give a FUCK!"
"Is that what happened to you? Is that what this is about?
Daddy issues, self abuse and you get unhinged to let it out?
You're pathetic! No wonder your mother wanted to die!
it wasn't the rejection, it was the failure she brought to life!"
"I didn't even get to say goodbye!" a tear spilled from his eye.
"Well, soon you'll see her again when six screaming eagles say goodnight!"
I go to pull the trigger when suddenly my nerves subside...

[System error...admin required to override...]

"Well, isn't this interesting... the replicant falls asleep...
tell me 'detective'... do androids dream of electric sheep?"


3:15am.

I wake up to a loud roar, something between a lion and the riots of war,
into the sea while I gaze from the beach, making eye contact with the storm.
Watching lightning strike like a sword, something calls me out to the core,
I paddle out on a boat, ready to roam the depths till this mystery takes form.
Waves crashing as I move forward, the clouds darken the closer I get to the source,
dedicated to staying on course, even if I have to swim, abandoned by warmth.
The roar becomes clearer now, more like a voice welcoming me from the clouds,
or maybe it's under the surface, I'm not certain, I'm too focused on the sound.
I should probably have some doubts but I'm convinced there's answers to be found,
though maybe if I drowned, whatever it is would simply swallow my corpse anyhow.
"Closer, Johnny... you're almost there," part of me is scared, the other's proud,
"I choose you to help me out." The voice, poised firmly on my conscious ground.

That's when it draws into my sight, a glow underneath the ocean's might,
maybe it's a sunken ship or a submarine, or a deity waiting to devour my mind.
I hope it doesn't bite, whatever it is, questions start flooding but I've no time,
a shadow emerges from the light, the size of a skyscraper, hidden in the night.
I stare into it's eyes, orange with red like blood spiraling around the drain,
there's a tense sense against my brain, forcing me to give control without trade.
Am I going insane? Or have I been a puppet since evading the womb on my birth-day?
I can feel the tentacles wrapping around my frame, but I don't feel any pain,
and suddenly, everything has changed, and I'm swimming through the rain...
oh, sorry, that was a wave -- I'm a fish, or a squid, I can't quite tell either way.
What I DO know, is I survive in the water, freed or enslaved by the monster,
it's all a matter of perspective, but I've accepted the friendship of a blue lobster.

I have dreams whenever I sleep about the night I escaped my human shell,
vague glimpses of images, like of a man standing in front of Cthulu's spell.
Maybe it was me but I can't seem to remember the personal connection,
I'm just thankful to him for saving me from my schizophrenic depression.


Born under the rising sun, my father was a great warrior who protected the land,
until the black mass of darkness gave birth to a demon who burnt the core of Japan.
Aku was pure evil, creating monsters and tearing through villages like a tidal wave,
until my father took the magic sword and removed the oni with it's vital blade.
For decades, the world was calm and safe from fear of monstrosities or tribal plagues,
but when I was a boy, there was a voice from the shadows that called for the final days.
That's when Aku was reborn, and his army bathed the Earth with blood and tears,
life as we knew it was forced to hide as the light dwindled in floods of spears.
Mankind was given the option, slavery or death, as the sword was stolen,
my father worked in the mines where every breath was short and hopeless.
I travelled and studied weaponry from every continent on the planet,
from spears to scimitars to the bow and knives, I learned how to survive and manage,
I became an assassin, a monk, a ninja and a samurai, and spent two years stranded,
learned how to hunt and farm, while also practicing how to deal critical damage.
I roamed far, in boat and car, becoming the perfect opposition for Aku's forces,
and in doing so, my mind was corrupted with thoughts even he'd find morbid.
I tore his minions apart limb by limb all over the world, but NOT to save lives...
but because in my mind, the hatred I bared was becoming the essence I made light.
I wanted to break spines. To take knifes and aim them at the heart under strange eyes,
to shave time off fate's line for every demon Aku claimed from people's gravesites.
I wanted to smell blood, to smash bone, to hear screams and feel monsters die,
to watch as they coughed and whined until they lost the fight and could no longer cry.
My father begged me to change, said he felt the same way once but it wasn't right,
killing Aku wouldn't save mankind because there'll always be darkness for him to find.
It's hidden in the base of our chest, where love and sorrow intertwine,
and it's stretched by the stress of anger that craters and hollows in the night.
I wouldn't listen, driven by my mission to seek vengeance through,
smitten by the image of children drifting in an endless crimson pool.
I apologize, but I refuse to lose while the root of evil still consumes,
until I force the magic sword into the forehead of Aku.
.
.
.
.
I pluck the blade from the face of a mountain, based in the fountain of youth,
chained by the veins of a titan, a giant who once grounded the truth.
With this power, I head to the wasteland Aku calls home to deliver hope,
when I pierce his throat and carve him up like he's a wicker post.
Leaving a trail of disembodied demons as his legions attempt to stop me,
and any who survive will stare at sleepless skies as my presence is haunting.
I enter the volcano where he rests, ready to fight, I begin taunting,
as he rises from the depths, I slice his flesh with a strike that's daunting.
Surprised. He's realized the katana I wield holds his only weakness,
and changes his form to parry my attacks, but my technique is seamless.
Frustrated, he changes into a hydra, but I continue to leave the villain speechless,
my ability far outweighs his evil as he drops to his back in pieces.
As I grip the handle and prepare my killing blow, he spews a few beams of light,
and I'm transported into the future where Aku has turned the Earth into his plight.
I swear to fulfill my oath as a Samurai, from this day until my last...
I'll hunt Aku down till I collapse, or my name isn't Jack!

3055 A.E. (After Extinction)

"Entering the atmosphere, Captain!" Jones announces from the deck, nervous sweat dripping down his neck,
we've been space bound fifteen years, finally discovering a potential candidate to inhabit, I hope the ground is wet.
I miss the sound of rain, so fingers crossed for some residue that doesn't melt my suit, that would be pretty cool,
maybe a lake or ocean too, something that doesn't engulf the ship or produce creatures that'll try to eat my crew.


"Any news from The Revenue?"
"No, radio's cold, it seems we're alone."

"Don't worry, I'll get y'all home soon."

There's four of us. Two marines, a scientist and a medic. Mankind's where we left it, on a dying planet with no moon,
but honestly, my only guess is we step out onto the surface and the currents suck us into endlessness like a vacuum.
The doctor predicts otherwise, apparently, several drones have landed safely and photographed crisp skies,
our ship's built like a shield, no windows to look out, so we won't know until we open the door and risk life.



"Landing in five... four... three..."
"Here we go, drumroll please!"

"God, let us breathe..."

We land safely, thankfully, no noticeable pressure and I don't hear storms like on Mars,
so maybe we can add this planet to the charts and start to reproduce beyond the stars.
We suit up and prepare to open the hatch, "here's to oxygen instead of poisonous gas!"
I hit the button and all of a sudden, it's like I'm staring at a history hologram of grass.
There's flowers and butterflies, mountains hiding behind cotton clouds and whistling winds,
I begin to hear my men whispering when I get a hint of relief within my shivering skin.
It's everything we'd hoped for, crystal lakes and snow formed along the horizon,
we've been searching for a new beginning ever since Earth and a comet collided.
I always believed in our dreams and now it seems that belief was worth the time spent,
since day one, I knew there was something beyond the sun and that I'd find it.
"Let's explore a little bit, maybe we'll find something!" I smile and lead the expedition,
I listen as they share predictions, pondering the possibility of alternative dimensions.
Prepared for predatorily intentions, wondering what damage our weapons would inflict it,
what if we discover a beast and we can't kill it or can't even repent it? A suicide sentence.
"Hey, doc, that pack you have covers all conditions? Flesh wounds and toxic inflictions?"
"Yeah, we'll be fine as long as I'm alive!" He jests, but my chest suddenly feels compressed,
we arrive at a cave behind a waterfall, part of me screams to turn back to the point of stress.
Reaper tightens his vest, "I'll take nose incase this goes south into a monster's mouth..."
I ignore my doubts and let the others go first so I can cover the tail of our awkward route.
A chilly drought climbs up my spine, our flashlights barely reveal what waits ahead,
my weary awareness now a heavy dread, and my fears quickly replaced with red.
Claws like swords morph Jones into shredded meat, he's devoured before we can shriek,
it happens so fast we can hardly see what's ripping us apart in the brief glimpses unsheathed.
I can't read it's movements, Reaper unloads clips into dark tombs when I hear it scream,
something touches my feet, I aim my rifle and it's the doctor's head staring up at me.
"REAPER! THE EXIT! LET'S GO!" I begin running, dodging and weaving through tunnels,
my lungs imploding and expanding, every breath becoming more and more of a struggle.
The air is growing more demanding, the shadows causing delusions, adding to the trouble,
Reaper runs into me as we crash into a corner, the creature pulls him from the tussle.
I dive through the waterfall alone, my weapon ready as tears block my vision,
wishing I would've listened to my initial opinion, now my team is dead from my wrong decision.
I turn around to find my ship has been torn to pieces, and I lay here in the rain, cold...
the last hope for humanity, surrounded by demons, with no way home.

TICK
TOCK

TICK

TOCK

DING!
DING!

DING!

DING!


It's midnight at the Miller's home, they sit around the living room praying that the sinner's gone,
Father Jacobs is upstairs throwing holy water on their only daughter as she screams in a bitter tone.
You can hear the cracking within her bones as the demon clenches onto the strings that grip her soul,
"LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE, PRIEST, OR I'LL EAT HER LIVER WHOLE!" echoes between a grin and groans.
Chanting scriptures in Latin, Father Jacobs ignores the threats with a cross against her head,
his thoughts filled with dread, of lost kids he met, his confidence shaking with every dishonest breath.
The demon senses the stress and takes the advantage, "HOW MUCH FAITH DO YOU HAVE LEFT?!"
Father Jacobs continues his chants, sweat in his hands drenching the words he struggles to bless.
"YOUR HEART IS A MESS, FATHER! I CAN SMELL YOUR DOUBT LIKE A PILE OF SHIT!"
Father Jacobs presses forward toward the end, fighting to ignore the monster's vile intent.
With every sentence he mends, he can feel the child move a mile into the wild abyss,
and that smile torments him... but failure isn't an option this time while her vitals emit.
"MY FAVORITE PART IS JUST AROUND THE BEND...WHEN THE SPIRIT OF THE INNOCENT SUBMITS!
UNLESS OF COURSE...YOU'D SWITCH YOURS FOR HERS...WHAT A TASTY JUDGEMENT!"
Tempted by the idea of trading his soul for hers if it meant she walked away, John hesitates,
but before he could drop the trade, the demon reaches out and makes the child's jaw separate.
Blood beading from her eyes as her spine deviates out of place and her body levitates,
the Priest stands in horror, his teeth chipping as he comes to grip with this jarring escapade.
Her hands begin to burn from the inside out, blisters boiling as puss runs from her mouth,
urine streams to the sheets, just like clouds, releasing screams and shrieks among other sounds.
Downstairs, her mother drowns in wine and pills to hide the thrill she gets from her daughter's pain,
as the father prays with much stronger faith than the Priest attempting to conquer hate.
A family trapped in calamity wrapped in Greed and Envy... filthy... stained...
making it easy for demons to reason with misguided youth in an empty cage.
Someone required pity, shame, attention or love or a fulfilling change,
when a boy came along and sang a song that helped her write a chilling page.
Until someday, that boy turned into a beast with horns and teeth like a shark,
and evil seeped through the dark like a liquid that'd reach to her heart.
Now, she's losing the battle as that demon travels through her scars,
and her veins unravel as it straddles her like a supernova coursing to Mars.
The Priest cowers into a corner, watching as her skin tears apart,
when her father crashes through the door and places a daring card.
"Take me instead! Let my daughter go and I'll be your shield!"
The demon repeats the deal, contemplating if the feat is real,
"I just ask that her wounds are healed, then I'll sign and seal!"
The demon releases a laugh as her body falls back to the mattress,
unaware of what happened, she stares as her father smashes
his head through the walls before grabbing a crucifix.
He stabs it through his wrist, up his arm as the red and blue is mixed.
Drinking all the holy water, using what humanity he has left to spew a script.

"IN NOMINE... PATRIS... ET FILII... ET SPIRITUS... SANCTI!"
but in a last bloom of violence, the demon snaps his neck, and the room goes silent...