|
|
|
Of Vice and Virtue |
| Written by Sean | |
| Friday, 16 May 2008 | |
Of Vice and Virtue Lust
"‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." You would think after the umpteenth time I heard that particular saying, I would have taken it to heart. Sadly, taking advice has never been my strong suit and because of that, I have to start my search over entirely. All of my work was for naught, all because of her. Perhaps I should start from the beginning. You're probably lost by now anyway. My name, oh I have had so many of them. I was once called Calypso, Cleopatra, Byron, Sade, and countless other titles that I have long since lost to the ravages of time. There is but one name that I always answer to, the name bestowed upon me at my creation and the name of that which I spread, "Lust." I am but one member of the collective that is now commonly referred to as the Seven Deadly Sins. I am sure you have at least heard the tale of Pandora's Box and the lovely little secrets it held. A perfect woman of ivory skin and rose lips, Pandora was given gifts from all the gods. Athena gave her luxurious clothing; Hephaestus gave her a beautiful necklace. Hermes granted her cunning and charm, and Aphrodite's gift was that of the utmost beauty. However, Zeus' gift was not as pleasant. He had plagued Pandora with insatiable curiosity and a box, ordering her to never open it. She would have done well to follow such orders. Yet, curiosity won out, as it always does. Pandora's urge to open the box grew beyond her ability to control, and she committed a sin that would allow the evils to be set loose upon the earth. However, the evils let out by Pandora numbered far more than simply pining and slander. Hesiod must have taken some creative license in his particular retelling. The sins freed by Pandora are known as Envy, Greed, Pride, Wrath, Sloth, Gluttony, and, yours truly, Lust. In modern times, we are known as the Seven Deadly Sins. We live, according to that which created us, to spread our respective sins for as long as humanity exists. We've been given gifts to aid us in our efforts. Simply by being in close proximity to a Vice is enough to cause any sentient being to become infected. The presence of one Sin is enough to override normal human functioning. The presence of the entire collective drives humans to madness. I will leave it to the others to explain themselves to you. If anything, Pride would be overjoyed. Sloth, well, Sloth isn't in too much of a hurry to do anything, for that matter. The universe and those who live within it are not always seeing eye to eye. The universe requires balance in order to exist, and it will often reach equilibrium of its own accord. In response to the gods' creation of Pandora, the universe assembled another being, one who would serve as Pandora's opposite and equal. His name was Diasthys, and he truly was Pandora's opposite. Where she was beautiful, he was hideous. Where she was charming, he was repulsive. Perhaps the only thing they had in common was that they both held a box. As Pandora's yielded the Deadly Sins, Diasthys' box held the Seven Heavenly Virtues. When Pandora set us loose upon the world, Diasthys opened his own box, setting free the souls of Humility, Kindness, Abstinence, Chastity, Patience, Justice, and Diligence. They exist for the same purpose as we do, though every action they make serves to lessen the effect of our own. Presumably, the relationship between Vices and Virtues are less than pleasant. I'm sure all of this arduous explanation has gotten you beyond bored. Fortunately, we now approach the more interesting part of this story. It wouldn't be very fair if you heard it only from me. The others undoubtedly have their own little snippets to add to this tale. I leave it to you to decide who the ‘bad guy' of the story is, should there be one at all. I leave you now to listen to their accounts of the events that transpired between us all. Beware of Sloth, however. She can be exceptionally tiring. " It's been a pleasure. ~ Lust
Envy
"I remember Lust once telling me of his thoughts. During one of our innumerable attempts at overthrowing a king through lust and jealousy, I recall him proclaiming to both me and the empty air his boredom, his exhaustion. He had grown tired of his countless lives, weary of ageless existence. His passion for sins of the flesh fled from those sapphire eyes, replaced for little more than a brief moment with a pleading gaze I had never seen before and most likely shall never see again. Though my words were gentle, my emerald eyes soft, I took pleasure in his words. It was indeed the only time I can remember ever feeling as though I had something that Lust did not: satisfaction. I've hardly introduced myself and yet, I am already delving into a tale. My name, or rather one of many, is Envy. As Lust has undoubtedly told you, I am not simply named after a bane upon humanity. I am personally responsible for every shred of jealousy you feel. That nagging feel of despair and inadequacy in the back of your mind, that burning shiver when you see him with her; all stem from me. Of course, I was granted, if you could call it that, a relatively weak influence. I serve as gateways to the other Vices, little more than a road to Lust, and a passage to Greed. It is a marvelous life, isn't it? Yet I digress. I have come here to tell you of the events that transpired among the Vices and Virtues, a tale I am sure you simply cannot wait to hear. The overthrowing of the king (Hans or Harold or Henry, I forget which) worked without flaw, and Lust and I went our separate ways. He never did tell me where he went off to after our silent victory. He most likely went back to her. I never understood what he saw in that vengeful cow... Yet again, I stray from the subject. It was the last time I saw Lust for centuries. Though our sins often crossed, I never did see him. Pride was the only connection I had to Lust's world during our centuries apart. As a paranoid defensive measure against some nonexistent threat posed by Lust, Pride kept a close watch on his fellow Vice. According to him, Lust was spending in an inordinate amount of time in libraries forgotten by the common populace. I had expected him to be knee-deep in harems, not books. However, Pride's "infinite" knowledge of Lust's activities failed to explain just why the passionate Vice spent his time in musty libraries to begin with, a fault Pride vehemently denied. Though the actual subject of Lust's research remained a mystery, he seemed to be pursuing it with a fervent passion he had rarely, if ever, shown me or any other Vice. I often wondered what Lust did in his seclusion, curious as to why he chose to spend it in solitude rather than with me. Surely, isolation could not compare to my company. He was meant for constant interaction, not perpetual dislocation from the world, was he not? So, I waited. Years went by, made innumerable and eternal by the constant passage of time. He was my obsession, an object of my endless envy. According to Pride, I simply waited because Lust had something I didn't. Yet still, I waited.
Always ~Envy
Pride
"By now, that promiscuous piece of filth has already begun to fill your head with lies, am I right? Of course I am. I can scarcely remember a time when I wasn't. You'd do well to forget anything he tells you. Lust spreads lies and deceit. It is, after all, his specialty. He's such a coward to hide behind false truths. He is a liar, a deceiver, and a gutless coward. He is little more than a meek fool, a bumbling deceiver. Yet most importantly, an introduction: I am Pride. I was Cesar, Augustus, and Alexander. I held the names of Narcissus, Napoleon, and even Lucifer himself. I am the swelling bloat that fills your chest, the urging confidence that wraps around your mind. It is I who give order to my fellow Vices, no matter how much those delinquents object. My word is law, my will unbreakable. I wouldn't have it any other way. What Envy has undoubtedly shared with you is true. I kept my watchful eye on Lust throughout his odd library phase. Deviance from the Grand Design is hardly tolerated under my order. Lust was constructed and released for the sole and singular purpose of spreading his namesake. His apparent refusal to do so made him a threat to the entire collective. Though I am capable of easily "convincing" Lust to return to his duties, it was Sloth who convinced me that it was best to leave my fellow Vice alone for the time being. According to her, Lust's inactivity would only result in the strengthening of his thirst. To deny an impulse only serves to magnify it. I conceded to allow Lust to continue his tiresome research in wretched old libraries, though my watching eye never faltered. Despite my other far more important duties, a single question laid upon my mind. I could not understand why the fool was so interested in these libraries. I was positive that Lust enjoyed only two things: tempting, and pleasures of the flesh. What allure did decaying tomes and rotted books have for someone like Lust? What was so vastly important in those books that it would cause Lust to deny his very being, his very essence? Envy had to have known, though she vehemently denied having any knowledge of Lust's motive. I labeled her a potential traitor in my mind and kept her under surveillance as well. As Vices, we function as a collective. If one goes down, those damned Virtues will get their sanctimonious fingers over everyone we've infected. Near the end of Lust's silly phase, I decided to take a closer look into his actions. I was merely curious, of course. Lust poses no threat to me. I entered some ancient Grecian library in which Lust had recently taken up residence. I had evidently startled him, for the moment he laid eyes upon me, he shot up from his seat in a hurried fervor. He moved to close the books he had been reading. My hand darted out, snatching one of the tomes away from him before he could close it. Though I was afraid the pages would crumble at the slightest touch, they stayed intact and my fingers traced over the words inscribed upon them. Lust had been reading up on the box from which he was spawned and the woman who carried it. After "restraining" Lust, I continued my search of his tomes. Every one of them dealt with the creation of the Vices, Pandora's Box, or Pandora herself. My eyes glared at the other Vice, my gaze met with one unusually cold for Lust. Despite my newfound knowledge of Lust's actions, the same question remained in my mind. Why? ~Pride
Greed
"I remember when Lust spent all that time in those libraries. They have some good things in libraries. Books. They've got plenty of books. Some of them are rather shiny, too. They've got gilded covers on the front and they shine very well in the right light. They remind me of this nice necklace I found on some woman's neck. Have I told you about the necklace? It's really quite lovely. It's got a gold chain and these little pearls that I could swear smile at me every time I see them. Oh, my, I've forgotten to introduce myself. I am Greed. Like my name suggests, I love everything that shimmer, glints, glimmers, glows, and all things in between. Sometimes, even things that don't shine get my attention. Like this rock I found the other day, for example. It's got a very nice texture to it. I made sure to hide it so Pride wouldn't find it. He's got a nasty habit of turning my favorite rocks to dust. Then he goes on and says I act like a child. Well that's not terribly fair. I put Methuselah to shame. Lust never did that to me. As long as I didn't bug him or try to help him get rid of anything he owned, he and I had hardly any trouble. But still, he had a very nice necklace and that earring always shone straight at me. How could he expect me not to try to relieve him of their burden? Anyway, I'm fairly certain I should get to the actual point of this letter. During Lust's infatuation with libraries, I was often off around the globe and going about my business as per usual. I found some very nice trinkets along the way. I found a spear belonging to someone named Longinus and some large golden box everyone kept referring to as an Ark. I hid those, naturally. Otherwise, Pride might find them and take them from me. I'd hate that. Sometimes, I would go and visit Lust in his libraries. He would never be happy to see me and he'd often yell for me to leave. I would ask him what he was reading and he'd go on and on about how I wouldn't care if it wasn't shiny. That simply isn't true. I have 3, 456, 682 priceless possessions in my collection that aren't shiny, thank you very much. The remaining 14, 544, 321 are indeed lustrous, though. I tried to collect some of the books I assumed he was done with, only to be rewarded for my efforts by Lust releasing his rage upon me. Though Wrath currently holds the title of most terrifying when angry, Lust's temper can strike fear into the hearts of many as well. I quickly turned to leave, unwilling to let myself be subjected to his fury. As I made my way towards the exit, he hands slipped into the cover of a book Lust had thrown at me. Upon its cover was inscribed a golden symbol that shone and sparkled in the dusty light. I picked the book up, naturally. The poor thing looked terribly uncomfortable where it was lying and it would be a shame if that symbol got dirty. I continued on my path from the library, careful to keep the book hidden from any prying eyes. It was my book and I would keep it for as long as I pleased. I opened it, curious to see just what was written within it. As my eyes read letter upon letter, word after word, its subject became clear to me. This book detailed Pandora's Box as well as the box belonging to Diasthys. It spoke of their nature, of their essence. It gave subtle hints that there was more to both boxes, secrets that very well tip the scales in favor of either the Vices or the Virtues. What would Lust want with this? I believed that I should keep it, seeing as how Lust did, in effect, give me the book. He gave me the book violently, yes, but it was now mine. I could have shown the book to Pride. He had been proclaiming, rather loudly, to all of us that he was very close to discovering what Lust wanted with the boxes. He too had once paid Lust a visit, though his was far more authoritarian than mine was. All Pride needed as one more hint, one more little clue. No, this was my book. I found it, so it was mine. Pride would have to wait his turn. If I'd thought differently, it would have saved us all a lot of trouble
~Greed.
P.S: Have I told you about this ring I found?
Gluttony Pride tells me that there is black, and there is white. Pride tells me that there is no in between. Pride wouldn't lie. He's always been very nice to me, giving me plenty of dolls to play with and even letting me have cake whenever I want. Envy told me that this was just because Pride thinks I can be of some use, because she says he can manipulate me. That's not true. Pride is my friend. I never liked her. Envy was always mean to me, probably because I always caught her staring at Lust. I don't understand why she would want him, of all people. Lust doesn't follow Pride's orders. Lust is a bad man. Pride said he'd let me have all the cakes in the world because I knew Lust was bad. I know he'll give me the cakes soon. Pride never lies to me. I don't look like someone who would be gluttonous. Envy made fun of me once because I'm so thin. I, just like everyone else I touch, feel like I have this big void in my stomach. I can eat and eat and eat, but I'll never ever get full. I don't remember who I've been in the past. I'm sure everyone else does. I never focused on names. I was hungry. I was starving. I had to eat. Greed sometimes helped me. He'd always be around finding things and sometimes he'd be so focused on the silverware that he'd forget about the food. Even if he saw it, he'd let me have it. He probably though the food wasn't any good anyway. It was delicious. Having Greed visit was always fun. He had nice things to play with. Though, sometimes he'd start muttering about some book he found in a library somewhere. Libraries are boring. One time, I followed Greed around for a day. He was funny, always looking back at me and around everywhere. He was probably afraid someone was going to steal his things. He should get Pride to take care of them. Pride's never let anything bad happen to my dolls. He could do the same for Greed's things. But Greed told me not to tell Pride. He said he had a secret game to play. When Pride was trying to figure out why Lust was spending his time in libraries, I followed Greed. Maybe he had found some of the cakes Pride promised me. Pride was probably just saving them for a special occasion. Though, I don't think I have a birthday. There weren't any cakes, but Greed did tell me a secret. He said he had visited Lust in a library and that he'd taken a book back with him. He showed me the book, but he wouldn't let me touch it. He said it was too pretty and that I might break it. Greed said that he had read the book and found something that he found interesting. I wasn't allowed to tell Pride, though. It was going to be our little secret. It was a fun game. I'd never hidden anything from Pride before. I was going to beat Greed and keep the secret really well. But Pride wouldn't like it. Pride wouldn't be happy. Gluttony has been a naughty girl and shall receive no cakes today.
~Gluttony.
Wrath
I suppose that you expect me to prattle on and on about tales of the past. I do so only out of contempt for that licentious bane Lust and scorn for Pride and his arrogance. I hold no allegiances with any of them and the only connection I will readily admit is that we have all sprung from the same source. I despise them all. It disgusts me that I would ever fall prey to that lustful creature's charms, or allow myself to be subjugated to Pride's foolish commands. No man shall ever take hold of my will, lest he face the fury of Hell itself. I am Wrath. I am fury; I am anger; I am hatred. I am known as scorn and discord, malice and malevolence. I do not share my past names as easily as the others do, for each shell has failed me and in each human vessel, I have felt the consequences of an easily manipulated body. Know only that in each body, my anger has been let loose For a while, Lust's existence was not met with the same vehemence with which I viewed the other Vices. While all other things caused my fury to explode, Lust had an odd quality of causing my anger to subside, if only for a moment, and become regretfully lost in every light caress and whispered sound he made. It was disgusting how easily the body I wore heeded him. It was putrid. It was vile. Yet, it was bliss. My addiction to Lust's anger-quelling ways grew. Even Sloth, the mistress of lethargy and apathy, could not match the quality of Lust's sedative seductions. As I grew more and more disgustingly dependent on that ability of his, I became increasingly protective of it. Lust once committed himself to enchanting an island's worth of women to his side. I would not stand for such a travesty. I made sure that was the last name anyone saw Atlantis. Lust was mine and mine alone. Envy once mocked me for my violent addiction. Though she had pined for Lust far longer and more intensely than I had, he had chosen me. He knew of her affections, though to be quite honest so did everyone else, yet had had decided upon me. Despite this, a sliver of truth was present in her words. At the time, I made certain that she was brutally punished for it. She was simply jealous, of course. She had to be. She was Envy, after all. She was as much a fool as the rest of them. I dare not speak of Lust's recent trangressions yes, left this paper be obliterated in my fury and I be forced to start over. However, I've come to realize that Lust is a drug, a tempting addiction. I do not need his smoldering words or his calm, enchanting, wretched laugh. I have the power of a woman scorned. That is all I will ever need.
~Wrath. Sloth I really found all of the uproar and excitement over Lust's actions to be quite silly. Why, he had just been spending his time in libraries, poring over dusty old books. Surely, there could not have been anything wrong with that. I too enjoy libraries from time to time. They are wonderfully relaxing places. I never actually read any of the books of course. They were much too far away, none of them ever looked remotely interesting and, quite simply, I could not be bothered to move from such a comfortable chair. There is just something about the musky warmth of a library that envelops you and carries you sweetly off to sleep. Oh, forgive me. I'd gone and dozed off. I've forgotten to introduce myself. Little sweet, my name is Sloth. I have gone by Apathy, Neglect, and Lethe, but I believe you've grasped the point. I would list the mortal names I have taken, but I am afraid I no longer remember them. Oh well, it is no matter. I'm sure they were of little importance anyway. I do not understand the contempt with which my brothers and sisters view each other. Are they not simply playing the parts handed to them? Why would anyone curse another for following their path? Why bother trying to change what is already set in stone when it is so very difficult to do so? Personally, I enjoy simply sitting, relaxing, and watching the play unfold. You've no idea how lovely it is to sleep beneath the clouds, and then rest afterwards. One fine afternoon, following a wonderful nap and dreams of soft lily pads, I awoke to the sight of Gluttony playing with her dolls. She is such a sweet, if somewhat gullible, child. She frequently sits down in front of me whilst I lay in rest, and tells me about the stories she had made for them. She once lined up seven dolls, three male, four female, and told me that during a particularly rowdy tea party, the miniature Pride, Lust, and Greed had gotten into a quarrel. She then proceeded to lightly knock down the figurines of Greed and Lust, and proclaim to me that Pride was the only male the remaining sins could trust. She is such a poor, sweet child. As I woke, I also witnessed Pride pacing back and forth, muttering curse words to himself about Lust. At that moment, I realized that, although Gluttony appeared to be the child of the group, it was Pride who was far more suited for the role. Pride hid behind delusions of grandeur; Pride who feared the shadows of nonexistent plots against him. Pride was the one who did little more than eradicate "threats", only to pronounce that he had never considered them to be any danger. Pride was the one who kicked, screamed, intimidated, and threatened until he got his way. This is not to say that the others are free of their shortcomings. Lust played the victim of curiosity and his own desire. He had grown tired of being himself, a laughable concept. How could one becoming exhausted of themselves? The ocean does not tire of being vast, and the earth does not grow weary of being strong. They accept themselves, and are satisfied with what they are now and what they will always be. It would seem that Lust could not grasp such concepts. However, boys will be boys. I, for one, will not dare interfere with such things. I shall not attempt to change what is already underway. I play the role of the observer, the silent watcher. I am content to do just that. While I say little and do even less, I see more than anyone. Such is the reward of patience and Sloth. ~Sloth Envy I was there when Lust finally emerged from his seclusion. I saw him step into the sun, and felt my blood both heat and chill at once. He had always caused me to burn with desire, yet the cold that so lightly coursed deep within me was new. What was this? Was it fear? Ridiculous. Lust had never caused fear to rise within me. I studied him from afar. He had hardly changed. From what the blazing sun high above the sand allowed me to see, his physique had not diminished, nor had the quality his eyes held to pierce directly through one's soul. He looked somewhat tired, as if reading books had somehow taken the energy from him, and his tousled hair showed it. However, an odd air surrounded him. Perhaps he had come across something he liked? Perhaps he had finally decided to cast aside the brutal witch and realize his feelings for me. She had stolen him from me. A smile came across my face as I pictured her losing the prize that was rightfully mine. She had no place with him. Not when I was the one who wanted him more. Lust walked confidently, even proudly, away from the musky library, my eyes watching his every step. I didn't dare show myself. I was enjoying the view far too much. So naturally, his words took me by surprise.
"Come on out, Envy."
Somehow, I was caught between elation and surprised. His words caressed my very being. They were no different than the words he spoke to everyone, yet I knew they were secretly meant for me. They did not enter my hearing so much as they entered my mind and, for a moment, I was overcome with an almost painful burning that seared my soul. Painful, yet rapturous. His tone was not one of anger, nor of spite, nor exhaustion. The words were sounds of little more than subtle curiosity, laced with the natural twinge of desire that tainted every word Lust had ever spoken. How I wished to have such an effect in my own voice. Sloth and Lust were so fortunate, to be granted such auditory gifts. I wouldn't allow such an opportunity to pass. I moved from my hiding place behind the slowly shifting sands and walked, quickly mind you, to his side. His eyes gazed upon me with mild curiosity, a lack of surprise and, my own eyes surely must have caught a glimpse of attraction. My eyes strayed down from his eyes, past his goateed chin, and to the necklace he constantly wore around his neck. It was simple enough, little more than a pendant hung on black string. The circular pendant was intricately carved, however, adorned with stylized lettering that comprised one of Lust's many names "Eros." Others have seen that necklace as a worthless trinket, save Greed and myself. Greed simply wanted it for the sole sake of possessing it. I desired it for obviously far more noble reasons. If Lust had such a necklace, I saw no reason why I couldn't have one as well. It would be a memento of Lust, and I would finally have a reason to throw away that ratty earring I had taken from Greed. It had looked so nice atop one of his many statues; I just couldn't leave it to adorn such an ugly thing. Much to my disappointment, once I put it on, I was less than satisfied. Lust simply stared me directly in the eye, his gaze unflinching, and proceeded to calmly interrogate me. I was not one to shy away at the sound of his voice, happily answering his questions like a giddy schoolgirl. Where was Pride? I didn't know. Greed? Equally oblivious. I told him that Greed had been muttering to himself about a book he had gotten during one of his visits to Lust. Greed had been very secretive about it, and it was highly unlikely anyone else even knew of its existence. Lust's grin brought a smile to my own face as well. I had made Lust happy. I was already one up on that foul, loathsome tramp. ~Envy
Lust Ah, Envy. A more fickle mistress could never exist. The jealous woman patronizes all she lays eyes upon one moment, then becomes a sparkling ray the next. She is easy enough to lead along, however. A word here, a kiss there, and she'll tell me anything I could ever want to know. I've a thirst for knowledge, you see, a need to understand that by its very intensity rivals Greed's obsession with, well, everything. Envy fed that need for knowledge, and as such, deserved a reward. I'd been holed up within libraries for quite some time, after all. Envy's pillow talk is thankfully more informative, and more entertaining, than her idle chit chat. Aside from that, she's not terribly impressive. But again, I'd been hidden away within libraries and Envy has never been a difficult one to seduce. We lay within the library I had so recently left, the great vaulted ceiling a vast distance away. Piles of books, as well as ash, filled any space that was not already occupied, the air rife with odors of ancient tomes and freshly burnt paper. My eyes hardly drifted away from the far-away ceilings, though I could feel Envy's boring into me. The girl really must work on her subtlety. She toyed childishly with the necklace round my neck, rattling off tales about the actions of my fellow Vices. Pride had worn a path in the ground, pacing to and fro in a display of nervous concern for my "traitorous" actions. Sloth had calmly been watching him, smiling and offering soothing words that I'm fairly certain Pride's paranoid mind couldn't comprehend. Wrath was off somewhere-a fact in which Envy evidently took great pleasure-sulking and destroying the occasional village. Greed and Gluttony had embarked on some infantile quest. I could only laugh at this. The "quest" was likely nothing more than some malformed scheme of Greed's, and Gluttony had simply gone along for the ride. My mind soon drifted away from the ceiling high above me, the indignant desert birds that fluttered through the sandy air, and the visions of the fellow Vices that danced before my eyes. It strayed to my tenure within the various libraries. I had found so many books, obviously, yet only a few had actually had information I was concerned in. I had spent my time reading up on my origins, learning the story that had culminated in my creation. Though I could not eternally quell my impulses, my desires, I had found myself growing weary of my endless existence. Every single time the physical shell of a Vice or Virtue finally gives out, we are immediately placed within another. There is no peace; there is no rest. This was unbelievable. These people, these cattle, that we infected were able to achieve peace, why weren't we? We do more work in our existence; we endure more hardships. Pleasures of the flesh serve as a wondrous means of tiding oneself over, make no mistake about that. Yet, I could not, and cannot, rid myself of the belief that surely something else must await me and the end of things. I would not allow myself to wait. I was determined to find my own way to reach paradise, the solace I had sought for so long. I longed to be free of my servitude, to simply be and pay no heed to anything. I wished to be free of the irritating presence of the Virtues, gone from the tumultuous cascade of emotions and backstabbing that went hand in hand with being a Vice. I had learned many things during my seclusion. I learned, for example, that my dream was within reach. ~Lust Pride I had been lied to, deceived! That wriggling, worming Greed had been hiding things from me. I knew he was a traitor. He will be punished. Severely. He knew what Lust has done, and even went so far against me to hold in his possession a book that Lust had read. He would serve to use this book against me somehow. It must have been his motive to stab his leader in the back and painfully twist the knife of deception. I would not allow him to so easily sidestep my authority. I would confiscate this book of his before that avaricious insect could use it against me further. There must have been powerful secrets within that book if both Lust and Greed were to hide it from their leader. I had learned of this book through Gluttony. She had been playing with her dolls and acting out scenes, as usual. Though many of these plays were often centered around food and other objects, their degree of edibility notwithstanding, this particular display was rather unique. As Sloth looked on, or rather through Gluttony and into space, the young girl seemed to be portraying something she herself had witnessed. She held only two dolls, those of Greed and herself. My doll was cast off to the side, something I made sure to reprimand her for afterwards. Quietly, with a voice as hushed as the autumn winds Gluttony so enjoyed, the young girl was speaking for her dolls, waving the otherwise immobile figurines up and down as they "spoke." She must not have known I was there. The topic of "conversation" was far too treacherous to be allowed anywhere near me. Gluttony spoke of a secret between her and Greed. This alone shocked me. Gluttony had never withheld anything from me. If she held a secret within her, what else had she hidden? According to Gluttony's personal conversation with herself, Greed had shown her something Lust had supposedly given him. A book, inscribed with some peculiar gold symbol. I could care less about the symbol. My attention was focused solely on Gluttony, and her lonely little tea party. Lies within my own cabinet. Unacceptable. I could no longer bear it. The fury was rising within me and it became utterly clear to me that Greed must be dealt with and this book confiscated. I would not allow whatever poison Lust imbibed upon to infect my ranks. I did not care that I had no idea where Greed stashed his treasures, only that he had hidden such information from me. He was a traitor as well, just as eager to backstab me as Lust. I passed Sloth as I stormed away, giving a burning glare towards the silently reclining lady. She lay upon a bed of rose petals and sweetbrier. Any sunlight that could have come into the room of alabaster and obsidian was dimmed by the overabundance of plants. Due to Sloth's own inactivity, the plants had long since laid claim to the area. They climbed up the walls and across the floor. Her lips were closed, her voice imprisoned behind them. The only sound was that of her black dress ruffling slightly in the wind I made as I moved by. She simply looked at me as I passed. Could she have known what I was going to do? Gluttony did spend hours playing dolls in front of her. How much did she know? ~Pride
Gluttony Oh, oh no. I have been a bad girl. I've been a naughty girl. Greed didn't want me to let Pride know about the book. But Pride doesn't want me to keep secrets. Is he mad at me? I hope he's not mad at me. I heard him stomp away. I didn't know he was there at first. I thought I was all alone. I could almost feel his anger. He didn't say anything. Usually he'll yell, or he'll scream. One time he even slapped me. It's okay, though. Pride means well. He just wants to make sure everything is under control. He's not a bad person. I watched Pride leave. He stared into Sloth's room for a minute, then kept going. He didn't speak. I was scared. I dropped the dolls of Greed and me, picking up the one of Pride. This Pride wasn't mad at me. He was smaller, but he wasn't mad. Maybe the big Pride wasn't mad. I hate it when he's angry. I heard a far away door slam and I stared at the floor. I don't know why. Pride's doll stared blankly up at me. It didn't smile. It never smiled. It always had an odd expression on its face, almost like a grin, like Lust would have after he would return from a vacation with Wrath. What could I do now? I couldn't take back what I said. After Pride left, I sat there for a little while. The doll still wasn't smiling. I stood up and walked towards Sloth's room, my shoes clicking lightly on the black floor. I had a dim reflection, and everything looked backwards. The doll looked unhappy now, dark and cold. I clutched it closer to my chest and cradled it. Maybe Sloth would know what to do. Sloth's room was warm. I always liked it in there. She had beautiful plants all over the place, with flowers of every shape and size blooming just before my eyes. I liked the roses she kept. Every now and then, I'd take one and put it in my hair. Pride never noticed, but Sloth said I looked lovely. It smelled wonderful in there, with perfumes and scents floating through the air like soft clouds. It was calm. I almost fell asleep every time I visited her. Sloth always sat in the center, daydreaming and resting upon the bed of plants that had prepared itself for her. Lust called her "Eve" once. I just called her Sloth. She told me to leave the doll outside her room. Sloth never liked the doll of Pride. She said it was too realistic for her tastes. Sloth's advice was to stop worrying. Greed was careful about everything he owned. She saw no way anyone, even Pride, could get Greed to part with anything, be it a ball or Bible. Sloth made me feel better. I hadn't done anything wrong. I hadn't actually told him Greed's secret. He had just overheard me. I smiled at her and she laughed lightly. Sloth always made me feel better. Sloth picked one of her roses and placed it in my hair. She smiled at me, then sent me on my way. I left the warmth of her room and met the coldness of everything else. The doll was on the floor again, just as cold as everything else. I picked it up and stared at it for a moment. It stared back. I looked away from it and held it to my chest once more. The rest of my dolls were scattered a little bit away from me. Lust's had fallen down with Envy's, and Wrath's was staring at them both. Greed's had fallen into an odd position and the figurine of Sloth was watching them all. I wanted to play with them, really I did. But Pride wouldn't be happy if he came home and I wasn't playing with his doll. Maybe...maybe I could find a new spot to play, away from the others. My shoes clicked on the black floor again. The doll still wasn't smiling. Gluttony
Greed I don't understand it! He found me! How could he have found me? No one ever has. No one's ever come into my home, my space. I hide so well, so well! They're my things and he touched them. He touched them! They are dirty now, soiled. He tainted my priceless, precious treasures. He bent them, broke them, snapped them, and twisted them. He called me worthless, vile, and disgusting. But he touched my things, my poor, precious property. He said they weren't worth anything at all, but I know better. They are worth everything. No matter how crippled, how crushed Pride makes them, they will always be worth more than he'll ever know. No one knows. Just me. Pride spat at me. He never stopped laughing, loud and long. He had intruded onto my territory and had the nerve to laugh at me! He called me stupid for trusting some ‘pathetic child' with a secret like that. I was an idiot for visiting Lust without Pride's consent, and a bane upon the world for having the gall to take something without showing it to Pride. He told me that everything I had was pointless, that no matter how much gold and silver I surrounded myself with, I would never be as good as he was. I hate Pride. I should kill Pride. No, I couldn't. He's too strong. What would poor Gluttony do? Then again, she had betrayed me. Yet, she was just a child. She couldn't have done it on purpose. No! She had given up our secret. She had led Pride to destroy my beloved treasures! My jewels, my books, my swords, my spears, my chests, my stones! Pride had ruined them. Gluttony had caused the sacrilege, the destructive desecration. They both deserved to die. Could I kill them both? I had a spear, after all. It hadn't been used for hundreds upon hundreds of years, and even then only once to pierce the side of some prophet.That part's not important. It was a beautiful spear, crafted well and ornate. It would look so good with that perfect tint of crimson stains... I wouldn't be able to do it. I could never go against Pride. He would end this round of my existence. I would come back. We always did. But there must be an easier way. I could betray them, too. I could become the same traitor to them that they had become to me! Gluttony had given Pride information he wanted. Maybe I could do the same with Lust. Lust was always nicer to me. Not always pleasant, but at least not violent. I could be a spy. What fun! I could act just like I always have, and I would be in Lust's favor. He might help me restore my things. Oh yes, this could work. Gluttony and Pride would pay for what they had done. I will never forget their betrayal, their violation. A grudge lasts for a long time when you're immortal. Just ask Wrath.
~ Greed
Copyright 2008 Sean |
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
via Email