Hallowed Be Thy Name

With the dawn comes my death,

The devil for my soul.

The gallows

The condemner for my one time of wickedness.

I. A holy man,

Shot dead my brethren

In a fit of rage:

a lust for a woman.

Bloodied are my hands and

Far is the kingdom of heaven.

Never had I wished to tread such a path.

To lead to such a death.

The life of a murderer.

By God, I could kill myself!

Hang from the ceiling or

Bleed from my wrists until dawn.

But I dared not steal another life from my Lord.

Mine eyes should see no more death but my own.

With the dawn should come an end to my anguish.

But…

He came to me in the night.

Two minutes to the witching hour.

Another priest to read me my rites.

I expected to hear words of mercy,

words of conviction or harsh reality.

Instead, I hear whispers.

Promises of forgiveness and

Immortality.

And such a promise it is.

No more death, he says.

Death will never touch me.

I’ll be free, he says. Free of the infection that plagues the mortal life.

Such words could not come from a holy man.

I look between the bars and

Into the façade of a young man.

‘Come…’ he beckons.

Come away from this earthly torment.

In no mental state am I to refuse him of such a wish.

Around me, his arms came and the whispers return.

No more death. Death will not touch you.

He buries his face into my neck and

sinks his teeth into my flesh.

Powerless, I am to stop him.

Powerless, I am to resist him.

Despair, I do when he releases me. Pushes me aside.

Death, no more, he said. Yet he could feel a pain—

A thirst—only death could cause. A thirst for

Life.

The man returns, his blonde hair silver in the moonlight.

In his strong arms is a guard.

A guard with a vigorously beating heart.

Unconsciously, I reach for him

wanting to make that heartbeat my own.

To feel that blood pump through my own veins.

Drink… he says.

Decline him, I cannot.

I reach for the guard, his skin warm and damp from his fruitless struggle,

and such a beating heart…!

Away are the thoughts of death

Of my fear of death.

I’m not afraid of dying…. Death cannot touch me…

The heartbeat ceases.

In my daze, I realize what has been done.

I drop the body and turn to my blonde stranger.

He smiles, his long fangs glinting in the moonlight, his eyes red and flashing.

Death cannot touch you, he says again.

You are the bringer of death.

Get thee behind me, Satan! shouts I.

The trickery of it all.

Indeed. Death would never touch me.

With the help of him, I shall assist to bring death.

More death I shall witness.

With the dawn came the death of my mortal life.

‘Come to me, my Lucifer,’ he summons.

Sealed are the gates of heaven

I, the devil, have your soul.

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Inspired by the Iron Maiden song by the same title. And the bible. Somewhat.