All the bad luck he had endured these many years he blamed on Maia. His loss of status as best magician in Starlight Shores, the financial downfall that ensued from her stealing his best gigs, all the bad press from the tabloids concerning his unwanted, out-of-wedlock son with her; these things all stemmed from Maia’s actions. But all the misfortune he had suffered since he met her was about to be paid in full, with interest. For years he had stalked her and plotted his revenge, and now his moment of triumph was at hand. Steve’s grin widened.
He had discovered much during his investigation and background searches of Maia Lee, not that the name was her original one. He knew all about her phony birth certificate and her fraudulent adoption and her ties with them. The private investigator had been costly, but the price would be worth it when he turned the results of the investigation over to the authorities. Anonymously, of course. Steve chuckled to himself, thinking of the information he had hidden at his residence.
Additionally, he and everyone else in Starlight Shores knew how Maia had lost her first husband to a house fire and was bequeathed an immense fortune as the only survivor. Perhaps she hadn’t started the fire that killed the Buckshots and one of their guests, but another fire might make people question that.
And then, while Maia was overcome with grief at the death of everyone in her family, and possibly under suspicion by law enforcement about another coincidental fire similar to the one that precipitated her rise to fame and fortune upon her widowhood, Steve Cupp would make his glorious comeback! And if Maia went home with another date after tonight’s show as she often did, perhaps the police would question her alibi and believe she had started this fire, too.
It was so simple...
But there would be time enough to gloat later. He needed to get started now. And after he finished here, there was still another house full of Maia’s progeny to burn.
Steve crept into the Lee home. He disabled the fire alarms, turned on the stove, and closed all the fireplace flues. And then it was time for a bit of fire magic.
Soon, the house was ablaze.
Satisfied that his work was done and the sleeping family would soon be gone, Steve went to leave, but realized he had trapped himself within the fire he started!
He tried to find a way through the inferno, but the flames licked as eagerly at him as they did the furnishings.
As the fire spread, Steve dropped blindly to the floor and realized he would not survive. But it was a comfort to him to know that Maia’s family would still die as well, and that Maia herself would live to suffer as punishment. And perhaps he could dodge death as others were rumored to, by making a deal of some sort with the Grim Reaper.
As he was considering what he could offer the reaper as an incentive to return him to life, Steve died.
He awoke on the floor to see Grim standing over him with his scythe. Steve got to his knees, crawled to the reaper and grabbed the hem of his robe.
“Please, please, bring me back!” Steve begged. “I’ll do anything!”
The Grim Reaper seemed to ponder Steve’s offer. “I don’t believe there is anything you could offer me that I want. But amuse me and do explain why you wish to return to the empty and pathetic life you’ve led.”
“Because Maia Lee’s children need to die, so she can suffer loss like I have! I demand revenge!” Steve shouted. “I think I took out everyone here, but I still need to destroy those twins of hers, and their kids, too, and I need to be alive to do it!”
The Grim Reaper was silent. After a moment, he said, “I don’t suppose Maia ever mentioned to you that her twins are my children as well, did she?”
At Steve’s dumbfounded expression, the reaper went on, “No, I’m quite certain she never told you, or else you never would have told me of your intentions. Know this, fool. I have great plans for Maia Lee, and her magic, and her children. Without her and others like her, I could lose all my own powers and cease to exist, or so it has been foretold. I intend for that to never happen. But you have helped me to see that you do have something I want.”
“I knew it!” Steve crowed. “Whatever it is, take it; it’s yours!”
The Reaper looked down on Steve, and said in a deep and deafening voice, “There is nothing you could offer me that I want more than the erasure of your existence.”
“But you... wait... wha...?” Steve spluttered.
“You are hereby banished and will never return to life! The only part of you that will remain living is Maia Lee’s son!” BANG! The scythe pounded the floor once.
“Even your name will cease to live on! You will be forgotten to history and when all those who ever knew you pass away, it shall be as if you never lived!” BANG! The scythe pounded the floor a second time.
“Your foul spirit will never walk this world, and after I reap you, there will be nothing left of you to continue living in any possible afterlife!” BANG! The scythe pounded the floor the third and final time.
Steve cowered and gibbered beneath the wrathful judgment of the reaper.
Vibrating with power and rage, the Grim Reaper’s voice roared as he raised his scythe. “EXILE! YOU NO LONGER EXIST AND YOU NEVER WILL AGAIN!”
As Steve screamed, Grim struck him with his scythe, sending his ghost flying through the air. In one brief moment, Steve Cupp was no more.
Grim put out the fires and reset the fire alarms, which started blaring due to the smoke still in the air, summoning the fire department.
Before disappearing himself, Grim paused and wondered what other potential fires he might need to put out when it came to Maia Lee and their shared enemies. Perhaps he would have to tell her the truth about the deal she’d made with him, he decided. But only part of the truth, and not just yet.
I hope the children are ok... :c
ReplyDelete