Fall From Grace

 Prologue

Greed.  It is what drives the world.  Pleasure, power, it is all driven by greed.  That is what drove the young woman, Arianna Davis to learn about everything to do with the Lament’s Configuration.  She wanted endless pleasure after learning she would die.  The diagnosis of cancer came too late; the disease had spread throughout her body.  She had little over two years to live, and a lot of it was spent researching the strange puzzle box to another universe…and summoned them.  The Cenobites.

Now, after purchasing the box, she would be able to summon them.  To have the endless pleasure, becoming immortal, according to the legends.  The old wizened Asian man who sold her the box was quite friendly, although he did give the woman a cryptic warning that the Box may not contain the pleasure that she wished for.  Of course, the woman scoffed at the warning after she had paid the man three hundred and fifty dollars.

Since the female was now home, she would now be able to summon the cenobites.  She sat in the center of the white candles, the box in hand.  Her eyes drifted closed as her fingers carefully moved over the box, not trusting her eyes as she began solving the Puzzle Box.  Her fingers moved around a circle, and the click let her know that this was the right move.  She continued working until she heard the chime of bells, and harsh breathing.

“Open your eyes, woman.”  A masculine voice ordered, and Arianna did as he asked.  The first thing she saw was his feet, clad in black leather boots.  Her eyes then travelled up his legs and torso to rest on his face.  There were pins driven into his head in a grid-like pattern, and his eyes were so dark that they appeared black.

Behind him stood another cenobite and she was feminine in figure.  She was clad in black leather, and her larynx was exposed.  Like the male with pins driven into his head, she was completely bald.  On the other side of the man stood a strange creature with his eyes sewed shut, and wires tearing into the flesh of his mouth, pealing it back.

“Stand up.”  Ordered the male, and almost immediately Arianna obliged.  The female only had eyes for the one with pins driven, and he simply watched her through emotionless eyes.  “You are dying.”  The man stated, padding around the young woman, taking note of her nonexistent hair, the way her skin was almost translucent.

“Yes.”  Answered Arianna, and the male frowned.  “What is the illness called, woman?”  “Terminal cancer…”  She said gently, and the male released a low growl.  “Then the reason you called us is to kill you?”  The man questioned, his hand wrapping around the female’s throat, his fingers squeezing enough to cut off the woman’s air flow.

He ignored her fingers tearing at the flesh of his hand as she struggled.  After the female began to turn blue, he wordlessly released her, watching her clutch at her throat as she gasped for air.  “I shall enjoy tearing your pathetic soul apart, woman.”  Growled the male, causing Arianna to release a whimper as silent tears began to stream down her face.

The cenobite with its lips peeled back stepped forward, wrenching the female to her feet by her wrist.  Its fingers easily passed through her flesh, and she released a screech of pain.  Blood dripped down her arm, and the sound of cracking bone filled the air.

Her screams increased tenfold as she was dragged through the portal, chains with hooks attached to the ends tearing through her flesh as laughter echoed around her.  After the cenobite dragging Arianna disappeared, the female cenobite and the lead cenobite stood side by side before finally the leader broke the silence.

“The human knew about us, knew what would happen when we were summoned.  What is the point if she knew she would live on, in pain forever more?”  Questioned the male, causing the female to turn her gaze onto her leader.  “Greed…human greed.”  Answered the female before turning, leaving the male alone with his thoughts.

He ran his fingers over the golden designs placed on the puzzle box before finally, the box shifted back into its former shape.  The male disappeared in a flash of light, leaving the box behind.