B3 — 22. Closure
* * * * * * * *
Sora looked around as she appeared on the sidewalk in front of a large building; she quickly recognized it as the Southern Miami Beach Police Department.
Oh, wow, this brings back memories…
The building had many windows lining it to provide natural light during the day and stood four stories. Many of the lights were on, and people were coming in and out; Sora’s eyes glancing between the groups.
Miami Beach never sleeps.
She was in the middle, between her aunt and Nathan. Nathan took a deep breath as he surveyed the scene, a small smile of his face as his eyes locked on an officer leaving the building. “Patrick Wayd, heading home … I assume no one can see us.”
“No, we can move through solid objects yet sit on things when we desire. Desire is the key, your mental state will create an invisible force for you when you wish to sit; it’s similar to us standing on solid ground. If you wished it, you would fall straight through the earth, but gravity and the ground are a standard belief; therefore, you do not fall. This realm is centralized by your Intelligence, but it does have its limits, and you cannot affect any other realm while here; unless you have specific magic.”
“Right,” Nathan muttered. “So,” he turned toward Inari. “What are we doing here?”
“Hmm, you tell me.” She smiled. “You were the one that conceptualized this place as the location you wish to visit.”
“Great.” Nathan scratched the back of his head. “I did think about this place. I mean, this was the place I wanted to be … nothing else mattered to me in life.”
Sora’s left ear folded slightly. “Really? Nothing else mattered … so, work was your life?” Looking down, she frowned before whispering. “Sounds like my dad … what does a Police Lieutenant even do?”
Nathan gestured them to a low concrete wall that separates the wheelchair ramp from the stairs. Sora sat beside Nathan, but Inari simply conjured an elegant chair from thin air and gracefully sat back in it, tails folded across her lap.
Snorting, Nathan took a deep breath. “Right, okay … so, a Police Lieutenant supervises Patrol Sergeants, Officers, and Detectives that carry out suppression and investigations. I respond to major crimes, make sure investigations are completed properly, and that the Captain of the department is updated on important details within my jurisdiction.”
“Sounds busy…”
Nodding, Nathan sighed, staring at the cream-colored building across the road “It can be. I liked to be busy. That’s what got me involved with Eric … I was following up on some discrepancies with one of the detectives under me. He’s dead now, with a few other officers that were turned into Werewolves.”
“Sorry,” Sora muttered, looking down at her feet.
“What’s there to be sorry about?” Nathan grunted. “It’s not your fault. You did what you could … you have a good heart. Eric’s the one that deserves to burn in hell.”
Their focus shot to Inari as she smiled. “I completely agree.”
“Wait,” Sora muttered. “What happened to Eric after we left? Is he dead?”
Nathan scowled at the ground. “Death was an easy way out for him, but at least he can’t hurt people anymore.”
“I wonder about that,” Inari mused, casually stroking one of her tails.
Sora shifted uneasily. “You wonder, but—you never wonder? You know everything.”
“You have such high opinions of me,” her aunt chuckled. “I do know a great many things, but there are things that I am unaware of; especially since I am only an Intelligent construct, not your real aunt. I know what she knew when creating me and only what I’ve been able to observe since that time.
“I do not have the powers of Inari, just her knowledge. Do I know much of what will likely happen? Yes, but the accuracy of the circumstances surrounding you are complicated by a few factors, including Aiden, yet not entirely unpredictable.”
A low growl rumbled in Nathan’s throat. “You’re saying … Eric’s alive?”
“Most probably,” Inari nodded. “Bathin isn’t the type of demon to simply kill Eric. No, there are other uses for him. It’s not a guarantee, but with the Harold involved, Eric would actually pose somewhat of a threat to Bathin. My guess, Bathin transported him to a place where he’d be at a disadvantage, such as Hell.”
Sora’s tails twitched at the revelation. “Actually—hell?”
“As I said, it is the most likely scenario, but there are many other possibilities. You needn't worry about Eric though. If he is alive and in hell, then it would be some time before you meet again.”
Bending forward, Nathan gripped his knees, hands white and face red. “What’s Hell like?”
“Hmm,” Inari crossed her legs. “Hell—it depends on the layer; they are all vastly different … Dante Alighieri was right about several things, but of course he would be, as he traveled with a demon for a time. However, Hell is exceedingly more complicated and expansive than depicted.
“I’d speculate Eric would have been sent to either the Third or, more likely, the First Layer of Hell. Bathin would wish to rid himself of Eric as soon as possible to pursue you. It’s more accurate to depict the Layers of Hell as planes in themselves, composed of all manner of horrors. The energy permeating that plane is toxic to the human spirit, corrupting the Core.
“Humans that have unlocked their Cores can survive longer, but it depends on the individual and their progress. What I am performing with each of you will have a great effect on your Cores, and you would likely survive three days in the First Layer of Hell.
“What is it like there? Think of the First Layer of Hell as a castle; however, a good comparison would be to compare that castle to the size of the Milky Way Galaxy. The Layers of Hell get bigger as well, not smaller, and that is one of the many reasons for the tremendous conflicts within.”
“You’re kidding,” Sora muttered. “Wait … if you call them layers, then does that mean they’re like an onion? Then—how can the first layer be smaller than the inner layers?”
Her aunt giggled. “Sora, do you think you’d understand how realms operate? You’re asking me to explain to you the workings of the most complex machine your minds can comprehend and many more complicated things that far outstrips the nuances of realms. The Intelligence and Spirit itself as an example. Every human spirit has more depth than the entire human realm, but that’s something you couldn’t understand.
“Consider it like a car. How much of it do you really understand? What about a spacecraft? Just because you know something exists does not mean you understand it. You know a car moves forward, but how everything operates, you know not. Jets and boats. These are beyond simplistic, but if asked to replicate the process, you’d be stumped.
“You know it has a combustion based engine. Okay, how do you make the combustible material? How do you develop the parts and make them properly to function in a completely unified manner? These are things you’d need to study, experiment with, and take a considerable amount of time pondering … and it’s nothing, nothing compared to a realm.”
Sora’s cheeks puffed up before letting go of a long stream of air. “I get it, fine, fine…”
Nathan folded his arms. “Can we get back to Eric and Hell? I don’t care how it works … I want to know if he’s suffering.”
“Indeed,” Inari’s head tilted a little to the right, white hair shifting. “The first layer is like a massive castle that has seven demon factions that rule it; Bathin is a part of one of those factions, and you can be assured that Eric is being tormented in all manner of twisted ways. He does have Fenris blood though, Founder genetics; weak it may be, he is still extremely resilient and was taught techniques by his mother. Hell’s energy cannot harm him. The demons, however, are another story entirely. Eric will be subject to many torture experiments; that is if he is alive.”
“At least there’s that,” Nathan muttered. The silence stretched as he pondered on several dark emotions.
This isn’t good … aren’t we supposed to be helping him overcome all of this?
“Give it time, Sora. He is working toward it.”
“Inari … could you give me some advice? Well, I mean, you have been giving a ton of advice, but—there’s something that’s bothering me.”
“Of course,” she smiled.
“If there are real gods … like you. There are—human gods, humans with their Cores unlocked. You’ve talked about a few in history, like with the Egyptian Gods. So—why aren’t there any now—here—on earth?”
“Why are you asking that question?”
“A question with a question,” Nathan groaned, rubbing between his eyes. “I understand why you’d ask that though … humans are so narrow-minded.”
“Well, that’s a given.” Inari giggled. “However, that is not why I asked. Without understanding why you asked a question, you will not grasp the answer. The nature of the question is important to dissect before identifying possible responses.”
Gods exist … they used to help humans, but now they don’t; wait, well, they might … maybe we just don’t see it?
Nathan’s eyes closed as he scratched his scalp, messy black hair shifting with the action. “Why am I asking if gods aren’t here? Well, obviously, because they could help a ton.”
“Could they?”
“Sure—they could stop all the disasters and heal people … there’s just, I mean, there’s a real need for something like that.”
“Why?”
“Why? Why is there a need? Well—I guess—because…” He swallowed, deep in thought. “Because we humans create a ton of problems.”
“And why is that?” Inari asked innocently.
I feel like your a kid constantly asking why…
“Children are surprisingly intelligent; they’re looking for more, the heart, the Core.”
Inari’s chuckle echoed in Sora’s mind.
“Why do humans create problems? I guess—is it like, why do the leaves fall? Gravity, the natural order?”
“If Mary were here, she’d discuss how even monkeys go to war and perform raiding parties to connect a few thoughts; however, humans are different in the manner in which they engage with one another. Remember what we discussed in regards to resentment; people will ponder, scheme, fixate on some wrong that’s done to them. They’ll fantasize, role play, discuss, and plot their retribution.
“Humans obsess on things, blocking out reason, and focus on how to get even. You are a dominating society. It’s ironic how many alien movies and stories you create, and have all these terrible advanced creatures come and destroy your home. You could even see these creatures as gods, but in my experience, there are very few creatures that are anywhere close to humanity’s lust for war. Humans can convince themselves to fight and that they’re a victim for just about anything.”
Nathan leaned back, looking up at the purple sky as the sun continued its descent. “You’re saying that we’re inherently violent?”
“Mmh,” Inari smiled softly as her orange irises moved up to examine Nathan. “Do you remember the examination we made of children and house or when you played marbles?”
Nathan nodded.
“Okay, create a circumstance. Let’s put a bunch of children in a room with many different types of toys. What will happen?”
“Umm—the kids will play with the toys for a bit and probably join up to play with one another?”
“Think about it as a society, because this can be replicated on all levels. From a group of kids to a country. How will they start a game?”
“They’ll talk about it. They’ll discuss what the rules are and then start working for it.”
“Yes, but those rules are important. Everyone must feel comfortable with the game for it to continue and not collapse. A hierarchy will begin to form with the most competent and intelligent individuals leading the game. They’ll propose many ideas and their status will rise. All the kids continue to play because it’s fun, but the moment someone starts to cheat, whether it's the leader that created the rules or another person, then problems start to arise.
“The leader is being judged all the time, and if they aren’t following the rules they created, then discord will ensue. No person is the same, and there will always be some level of opposition, but how one deals with that opposition can differ.
“The society these kids created could accommodate for the disorder, and there could be a trial or election or many other factors, but the moment these kids start feeling trapped in their role, then it starts to spike resentment in their hearts that will grow. If you don’t have the chance to climb up the game, to win, then you’ll start breaking the rules since the rules won’t let you get to where you want to be. This is when crimes occur.”
Nathan hummed, staring down at his feet. “Okay, I’ve seen the data on that; I haven’t heard it explained like that, but I’ve seen the data. It was at a police training meeting at one point. Crime corresponds with the level of opportunity provided, but if everyone’s equal, then no one feels like they have anything to contribute.”
“Precisely,” Inari nodded. “There must be some form of achievement for something to be worth anything. If everyone has a trophy, then the trophy isn’t worth anything. No one wants a game where everyone wins; people want stakes, adventure, excitement, something new.
“Now, think about a society with a god. They have a being among them that has a lot of wisdom, power, and the knowledge to advance your tribe or game. Think about him as your game master. You’re going through the game, and you have a bunch of people start questioning the game master, cheating, holding the game hostage, spreading disharmony. What game master would wish to be a part of such a game?
“He has taken out of his own schedule and time to advance this game or this society, and they refuse to even recognize his authority. Could he establish a reign of fear? Don’t break the rules or the GM will do this or do that. Of course, but the wise realize that fear never lasts and doesn’t promote a good healthy game. It may be comprehensible, but it is not self-maintaining or enjoyable.”
“So … gods left to do their own game?”
“In a way; for example. Do I have realms where there are humans that I guide and protect? Yes, but all of those humans must choose to play by the game. If they choose to sabotage the game, then they can leave. What does this examination point to?”
Sora was surprised she caught on. “Free will.”
“Yes,” Inari winked at her. “A game is only as good as its players; society is only as good as its people. Every choice that is made is their own doing. Every choice to trust someone is their own and could result in that trust being misplaced and broken. Are they a victim of circumstance or choice? The answer, it’s complicated.” She giggled.
“Just like you said,” Nathan muttered. “We’re all victims of existence, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t find enjoyment in existence. I’ve seen … a lot of bad choices in my life. People that blame their circumstances on anyone but themselves and some people that blame themselves more than needed. Sometimes I just … there’s so much to think about.”
“Why do you suppose I stay out of human affairs?” Inari asked, folding her fingers.
Nathan sighed. “I don’t think I could ever understand your mind.”
“That’s a wise response. If you were to take a guess though, what would it be?”
“Well—I guess gods just don’t want to deal with our crap. I mean, I can understand that,” he let go of a sad chuckle. “Babysitting a bunch of idiots like humanity … no thanks.”
Sora frowned. “But … aren’t you a cop? Don’t you kind of do that?”
He groaned, rubbing his temples. “I—wanted to help people, but Inari’s made me look at all the hell humanity makes and question everything. How can people think socialism would work when we can’t even agree on scientific facts? How can we get along when everyone plays a victim and want things for free without working? No one can agree on anything but to disagree. I’ve dealt with anarchists, fascists, tribalism, gangs, so … so much disorder.”
He blinked, brow furrowing. “But … Inari, you were talking about order and disorder. We need both the yin and yang.”
Inari’s smile lifted into a smirk. “Opposition in all things is a reality. There will always be those seeking order and those seeking disorder. Humanity is prone to such whims on a stronger basis than most creatures. I have seen a single man destroy empires out of spite, entire realms of oppressed humans strike down revolutionaries seeking to bring about their freedom, small groups of misguided fools play the victim to bring about tyranny upon the masses. Humanity is rife with opposition because of free will.
“If you were able to take away free thinking, destroy free information, would it be good? What comes about when totalitarian regimes succeed in putting information in a stranglehold and brainwashing the masses into thinking everything is as it should be? What was the price and who could carry it out and still remain sane? Then, what happens if a small bit of poisonous free thinking enters that populous? Is free thinking good if it brings discord and division?”
“Deep questions,” Nathan muttered. “Anyone that says they have an answer must be a fool.”
Inari smiled. “Cause and effect, Nathan. Every decision has a ripple effect that will cause pain and joy. Everything requires a sacrifice; will you let someone decide that sacrifice for you or make it yourself?”
Sora shook her head. “I want to be in control! Period.” She whispered, pulling her hair back.
Nathan’s lips tucked in as he shifted his jaw. “Honestly—I want to make my own decisions too. I grew up in a pretty restrictive home … a bit unorthodox you could say. My dad was a professor and hated anything to do with religion. I wanted to date a Catholic girl once, and he flipped out. It’s not like I was going to become Catholic, but he just hated anything religious … he embarrassed me in front of her. He just kept going on and on about how terrible she was because Catholics were terrible … I grew to hate him because of it.
“My little brother got it worse though … my dad was always an Atheist, but my mom was religious. Looking back, I think that’s one reason why he grew so cynical. She died in a car accident when I was four, on her way to church. I don’t even remember her.”
“That’s horrible…” Sora muttered. “What happened to your brother?”
Taking a deep breath, he scratched at the scruff on his neck. “Drugs … my brother really liked this Christian girl, Amy … she was nice. He tried to keep the fact she was Christian from our dad, but eventually, he heard the C word in a phone call. He then made it his mission to
open her eyes,
and ultimately, the harassment turned her away from my brother. Honestly … my dad always talked about how terrible Christian harassment is, but never looked in a mirror … so much discrimination. I hated his hypocrisy.
“My brother got so depressed after Amy stopped associating with him that he started using … nothing terrible at first, just some weed. It just got worse though, and he moved to Molly. He’s—been in and out of rehab since he was sixteen, and you know what the messed up thing is?”
Sora shook her head, feeling the pain and disgust in Nathan’s heart.
I’m sixteen...
“Last time I saw my dad, he was still blaming Amy for Jack’s condition. I just—I don't talk to him. He lost his tenure from harassment charges and started drinking. So now I just see him when he needs a little money since he’s gotten worse on the alcohol; no university will touch him. Somehow … I still hate him worse than Eric.”
He huffed. “I don’t know how it’s possible. I don’t blame Jack, I mean, it’s Molly and one weak moment that hooked him, but my dad doesn’t have an excuse. He chose to let hate and discrimination rule his life.”
Swallowing, Sora shifted a little. “I mean, could your dad have something that made him like that?”
“I don’t care,” Nathan’s nose twisted. “He chose that, whatever reason it is, over his kids. It ruled our lives. I told him I was going to become a Jew to spite him when I was seventeen, and he kicked me out. At that point, I just didn’t care. A Christian family took me in, the irony.”
“Were they nice?”
Nathan shrugged. “They were an elderly couple that fought a little, but yeah, they were nice, and always made up … I guess no marriage is perfect.”
“But it was still rough,” Sora muttered.
“Yeah—my dad abandoned me, but I still finished high school. My dad came to graduation, and do you know the first thing he asked me? Was I really a Jew … yeah, I told him I was, and he left.”