[Part 2 of 2]

“Good energy works as follows. When a person says or performs a good action, one that they understand to be the right thing to do, it gives them good energy. So, let’s say Tony gives me a compliment.”

“Wow, devil, you’re looking awfully sinful today.” The puppet said, somehow giving a buttoned eyed wink.

“Oh, thank you. A compliment like that will certainly earn you a small bit of good energy. You also helped your grandmother with her taxes, right?”

“Oh, I did. Thank you for mentioning that, you handsome devil.“

“Can you please wrap this up? It’s getting weird.” Erica interjected.

“Please, quiet from the audience.” The devil muttered before making his puppet talk.

“Not a problem, Tony. That action would have registered as a good act in your mind, thus earning you even more good energy.”

To represent the flow of good energy, he heated the puppet, giving its body a warm red glow, only for Tony to go up in flames. The devil’s eyes widened, watching the pieces of fabric fall around the room.

“Oof. I’ll have to apologize to Tony. That was a voodoo puppet. Anyway, did you understand that?” The devil said as his puppet tilted its head.

“Yes, yes. I understand. Well, kind of. What about the people that think they are doing good deeds when they are sinning?”

“Oh, well, it’s rare that a person can lie to themselves that deeply. Even the most stubborn of people would understand right from wrong, even if they claim ignorance and justify their actions. Although, you’re right, some people do genuinely not understand the difference and they still receive that good energy. Though, that is quite rare. It’s our fault for underestimating how complex humans could get. We didn’t assume such a thing would be possible when we created you.”

“Created us?” Erica opened her book, reaching for a pen. She had so much to write. Learning the history of her existence. Before she could even make an inky dot, he shut the book.

“Yes, created you. Our kind can’t die and we have a constant hunger for that energy, so we create other forms of life, letting them grow before harvesting the good ones and leaving the rest. Hoping that the rest will either die out so we can use their planet or turn good in time for the next harvest. It’s kind of like letting something ripen. Like a fruit. You still have fruit, right?”

“We do. So, the point of our existence is just to be consumed?” Erica stared at her book, not having any motivation to reach for it. It was a grim thing to write, how humanity had no purpose but to be eaten.

“Don’t be so down about it. You’ve heard of the food chain, right? Well, this is just the food chain except humans aren’t the ones on top. A silver medal is still worth celebrating, plus the relationships and lives you live are entirely your own. It’s just the end result that’s gruesome.”

“I guess that’s true.” Erica smiled, glancing up at the devil before a question popped into her mind. “So, why aren’t you eating us? Why did they cast you out?”

“Because I thought our hunger had turned to gluttony. We needed to eat, yes. But we were overindulging. In the past, we would only eat people as their bodies were about to expire, only eating the outer shell while leaving the soul intact. Unfortunately, the soul is now a delicacy. Any good person who dies doesn’t exist anymore. Their soul and bodies gone, leaving them erased from existence.”

“That’s horrible. Then if they are feeding on bodies already, why did they need a rapture?”

“They didn’t. The rapture’s just a feast, something they do because they can. That’s why I tried to stop it. I didn’t succeed, though. My attempt to save the first wave of humans failed, and they sent me to live amongst those that were deemed not fit for consumption. They assumed surrounding me with people that I couldn’t eat would drive me mad and for a few thousand years, it did.”

“What wave of humanity are we?”

The devil had to think about that. He raised a finger, then two, continuing this pattern until he needed a second hand, stopping on seven. He raised the hands towards her before lowering them again.

“The seventh. After about ten more generations, that marking on your forehead will fade and in about thirty, people will wonder if it even truly existed to begin with. Then, in forty generations or so, they will return and harvest your kind again.”

“Can we do anything to stop them? What if we all sin?”

“I’ve tried that in the past. I would go around and spread the teachings of sin, but that only ever led to pain. People took their sinning too far, creating places and cults nearly on par with the harvesters themselves.”

“So, we’re doomed?” Erica leaned back in her chair, staring at the man. It was a lot to take in, especially the news that so many other humans had already had their lives harvested. What would happen to her when she died? Would she meet these harvesters and share a similar fate?

“Mostly, yes. But I have a potential idea. What if humanity changed their understanding of good and evil? If you see good acts as evil and bad acts as good, it might change how the energy is received. It won’t stop them from eventually killing you all. They will probably kill you for the fun of it, but it will stop your souls from being eaten. Which means you will have sanctuary in hell with all the other discarded souls.”

Erica sank into her seat, her head resting in her hands as she thought about the impossibility of it all. Changing humanity’s way of thinking? Was such a thing even possibly? The more she thought about it, the more she doubted it.

“So, it’s impossible.”

“Perhaps, but you probably would have said it was impossible to meet the devil earlier today and you would have been wrong. It won’t be easy and it will take the coordination of a few generations, but it can be done. Not everyone will be convinced of your definitions of good and evil either, but you can’t save everyone. It’s your choice if you want to pursue it.”

“I have to do it alone. Can’t you help?”

“I’m helping by managing hell. If the harvesters find out I’m meddling again, they might kill me and let hell fall into anarchy. I have written a few names in that book of yours, people who also translated the message. I gave them the same idea that I gave you. Perhaps someone has made some progress. You could even try working together with them.”

“Can’t I just tell everyone to sin?”

“You can, but as I said. I tried that, and it was not a world anyone would want to live in. I hope you succeed in this, or at the very least, I hope to see you in hell. Stay safe and do your best. If I ever find a way to help you more, I’ll let you know.”

With those last words, the devil vanished. Erica quickly opened her book, seeing the name and details of a few other humans written inside. Each detail providing her a way to contact them if needed. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. A chance for humanity to get back some control over their existence.

     

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