Love, Death, Hate.

Athena walks into a church, she sits before a stained glass painting of an Angel battling a Demon. Without realising she realizes the two have appeared before her. She is shocked at first but then clams down. The Angel speaks to her.



Angel -" Why did you come here?"

Athena -" I don't know"

Demon-" Do you have any questions for us?"

Athena -" I don't know. I guess. I'm here because I want to know why I'm here. Does that sound crazy? "

Demon -" Yes. But only because your right to think that."

Angle -" What troubles you? Who gave you that scar?"

Athena -" My mother. She..."

Demon -" Beats you every day. Yes we know, don't ask how, just know we know."

Angle -" And to answer your question. We can't give you an answer."

Athena -" Why not?"

Angle -" Because it's not our place."

Demon -" Ignore her. I personally think your here because you don't know what to do, and you need someone to tell you. Am I wrong?"

Athena -" Wait. This is nuts, how do I know your even real?"

Demon -" You don't. Isn't it fun?"

Athena -" For the record I don't need anyone telling me what to do (pause) but- maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if I got some advice."

Demon-" Whatever you have to tell yourself."

Angle -" What do you want to know?"

Athena -" How do I make my parents happy?"

Angle -" Why do you want to know that?"

Athena -" Because I think it might stop ( puts hands on bruise ) this from happening"

Demon -" What made you reach this conclusion?"

Athena -" It just seems logical and realistic. If they are happy then they will have no reason to be violent towards me... right?"

Demon -" It's sweet you think that."

Angle -" But I'm afraid it's not that simple"

Athena -"What? No, no, no, no, no, no, no,. This- this can't be it. There has to be something! I NEED A REAL ANSWER!"

Demon -" There is one way to make your parents happy."

Athena -" How? Please I need to know"

Devil -" It's simple really. You need to have never been born. That is the real answer to your question."

Athena -" But- but that Doesn't help me"

Demon -" The truth hurts doesn't it? And one day this will be the same case for you."

Athena -" What do you mean?"

Demon -" Your mother was like you once. Smart, optimistic, In a sense blissful. But then she met your father and for a while they were happy yes but- we all know how the story ends. Her intelligence became a sin in her lovers eyes because it threatened him, and when she tried to stand up for herself, his brute strength broke through every smart remark that came out of her mouth, and she learned to take her anger out on you. She make the decision to use her own daughter as an outlet. It might not happen right away but the same will happen to you. One day You will have a child and that child Will become the object of your rage, all your shortcomings and failures, you will love to hate them!"

Athena -" STOP! I - I don't have to be like her. I can make my own choices and..."

Demon -" Bahahaha! You really think you have a choice don't you? You don't even get a choice In existing! You are nothing but the result of a drunk rapist taking his anger out on someone better off than him, and subsequently that hatred pulled her down to his level. All because her religion prevented her from leaving him."

Athena -" My mother stayed with my father even after everything he did to her. Because- Because her faith didn't give her a choice. She chose to abide by a code and by following it, it made her a horrible human being. My father may have instigated my existence, but my mother made it unbearable. She is the reason I'm like this."

Angel -" Don't blame your mother, your father made her this way!"

Demon -" But that doesn't change the fact she's still a piece of human garbage "

Athena-" I do not care about my shitty family! I just want know how I can make them happy. So that I can be happy. If they love each other then maybe they will love me. I just want to get out of the system they put me in. I don't want to get beaten again."

Demon -" Oh you poor child. you see my dear, here's the problem with the world. Trust gets you killed, love gets you hurt, and being real gets you hated. There is no way to satisfy any one person because everyone has different ideas of how to live their lives. Now You are yourself because everyone else is taken,[10] Oscar Wilde May have been on to something but he never had to deal with your parents did he? Your trying to find a way to cheat the system but the truth is, the only way the differ yourself from the system. ( places knife on table) is to remove yourself from it completely."

Angel -" You have to listen to him! You can..."

Athena -" No- let him finish."

Angel -" I only ask you to..."

Athena -" I said let him finish!"

Demon -" Don't be mad at her. She can't give you the kind of help I can."

The angle stands to one side. Athena is emotionless.

Demon -" All our names stand for something, they represent something, they become part of our personality. Do you know what your name represents Athena? "

Athena-" No."

Demon -" Knowledge. You have this drive inside you to know things, you crave to comprehend what cannot be understood. Humanity is starting to get the answers to all the questions, apart from one, and they will never ask it because they are afraid of what they will find. ( pause) You asked us if we were real. Effectively asking if afterlife's are real. The ultimate question with no answer. I just have one more thing to ask you Athena. Are you ready to find out what happens when you die?

Athena-" I - I don't know."

Demon -" You are different from your family because you have realised that you have been failed by life. You should not have to continue something that makes you so miserable, something you didn't get a say in from the start, it's not right.  Go on an adventure into the unknown, embrace the ultimate question and free yourself from this system of hereditary ignorance and cruel brutality. Break the cycle by ending it."

The demon places his hand on Athena and she becomes hypnotized, as if the demon was controlling her, Athena calmly grabs the knife, places it to her stomach. She speaks in a monotone slow voice

Athena -" I make peace with who I am. And I am ready to embrace the ultimate question. I break this cycle by ending it."

Athena stabbed herself fiercely and repeatedly until she fell to the ground, and then died.

The Angel and the Demon stand over Athena.

Demon-" Yet again Angel, your master's plan has resulted in the death of another innocent.

Angel-" She was beyond saving. Her family failed her."

Demon-" As did you. You've stopped me from guiding others before, others a lot more damaged than her. Why did you let me have this one so easily?"

Angel-"We both know the reason."

Demon-" Yes but I want to hear you say it."

Angel-"Not everyone who goes to Heaven is happy. Some of us find salvation in the most unlikely place."

Demon-" You're making her happy by sending her to my side? When did you become so generous?"

Angel-"You don't plan on torturing her, do you?"

Demon-" Not this one, no. I do get what you're saying Angel.  Sometimes it is better to reign in Hell then to serve in Heaven. And this one. Oh she will reign! Hahahahahahahaha."

End.