Lucky Blue Smith: How About Two?

11. 'An Episode.'

Deneo splashes some soapy water on her face, cooling off her heated cheeks. She then peers into the room not sure if she ever wants to see Lucky again. 

"I'm still here," he cooes, with his back towards her, standing by the dressing table. Bummed thinking he must have heard the door creak, she walks out of her hiding place, now doubly embarrassed. 

"You can have a seat," Deneo expresses as she takes a seat on the bed herself, brushing down the corner of the bed closest to Lucky. 

"I'm alright standing thanks," is his unnerving response. Did she overstep the mark, she frets unable to voice this concern. But surely he can't stay standing the whole time. That would be, well, bizarre. 

"I'm not staying," Lucky then conveys surprising Deneo. A thought that he might hate her presence fleets by. Were it true this would be hard to stomach so she decides to ignore any ideas linked to this fear asking, "So what are your plans for the day?"

"We're working from our suite. Nara just needed time to shower," Lucky declares, adding "she should be done any minute now."

"Oh," Deneo vocalizes thinking, of course, there's more space there.

"How did you sleep? Have you had breakfast yet?" Lucky asks one after the other.

"They never let me sleep," Deneo releases with exhaustion.

"Who? The two men you always hallucinate?"

"You can say it: Jesus and God."

"Well dear, I doubt I'm as gullible as you."

"Gullible? Well that's pretty vicious."

"Because I speak the truth?"

"Fine. I'll play along. Let's say-"

"Play along?" Lucky interrupts.

"Okay. Bear with me here. Let's say you're right... Where is Jesus and God right now if they're not here with me?"

"How am I supposed to know!" Blurts Lucky. "Maybe up in the tenth-dimension devouring fruit from the Tree of Life." Deneo gives a hearty laugh, pleased by his wit, also asking what he means by fruit from the Tree of Life. Lucky merely blushes, seemingly at a loss of (appropriate) words. Deneo does not remain mirthful however, thinking of her numerous desperate pleas for help addressed at God through Christ's blameless name. "Blameless," she scoffs, before meeting with a pair of blue eyes: absorbed, confused. Hit with a pang of depression Deneo relates, "I've begged for help. For months, even years: it was two years in March."

"I'm sorry," Lucky interjects, to which Deneo replies "Don't. How are you at fault?"

"Well, the fruit joke was unbecoming, and insensitive."

"It was funny, Lucky. Never mind it. In fact, one would think, if you have all the time in the world, and you work faster than the speed of light, could you not put away the fruit for just one second and help a disciple out of Hell?" Suppressing the giggles Lucky says, "Perhaps it's a test then?"

"A test to what, to see if I'll believe in The Antichrist?" Deneo asks, paranoia cloaking her words.

"You've failed then, haven't you?" Lucky says with a smirk.

"Lucky stop!" Deneo moans. "I wish you weren't making so much sense," she adds despondently. Lucky smiles apologetically. "Don't take me so seriously. I have a habit of making people laugh when they least want to."

As though she heard nothing, Deneo voices: "It's not like I'm duped. They have not seduced me into following them, doing bad things for them, they just irritate me 24/7. I hate them Lucky. With all my heart Lucky, I hate God."

"Stop it hun. That's not God, it's Satan and his demons."

"Satan is God's alter ego."

"What!"

"And Christ is a demon."

"Now I've heard it all!"

"It's true. The first one I figured out myself, and the second one, Christ told me himself."

"Deneo?"

"I'll even show you the biblical verses- What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Are you still taking your meds?"

"You think I'm crazy!"

"Not crazy dear, just a little foggy-brained. It's a clouding of consciousness that has you confused."

"I'm not losing it!"

"I didn't say that you wer-"

"Well, okay, I have schizophrenia, but do you know what is happening on the spiritual level? My soul is being married to demons. Satan is a demon too."

"Okay, you're clearly confusing not just me, but yourself. Where are your meds dear?"

"Lucky please hear me out. Look I'll even show you the verse that speaks of Christ as Lucifer," Deneo declares as she types and scrolls away on her phone. Lucky pays no attention to her rummaging through her closet, drawers and suitcase looking for pills he almost gives up finding, until he recovers them from an inside pocket of her nightgown. 

"Look Lucky. In Revelation 22:16 Jesus refers to himself as the bright morning star. Lucifer is a Latin word meaning "light-bearer", and was used to name the planet Venus in Roman folklore. Venus is the bright morning star making Jesus Lucifer." Deneo realises as she looks up from her screen that Lucky is doing anything but listening. He reaches his hand over to her and she does the same. Lucky deposits the pills into her palm saying "I'll get you some water."

"Did you hear any of what I just said!" Deneo practically screams feeling ignored. Lucky does not respond but fills the glass with water and rushes to her side handing it to her. 

"If I take these," Deneo starts, "will you hear me out about the God being Satan thing?"

"Only if it isn't as strange as the Jesus being Lucifer thing."

"Strange? That was a perfectly valid argument."

"Deneo?"

"Yes, what now Lucky?"

"You can't say things like this."

"Oh please, I don't care-"

"No. Please. It will get you into a lot of trouble."

"I'm not the one that made God Satan, Jesus Lucifer, or both of them demons."

"Deneo."

"Yes Lucky?"

"Please stop."

"Aargh."

 "And then please take your pills." 

"Hm," Deneo lets out, not wanting to relent. But then she looks into Lucky's eyes and sees genuine compassion coloured in them. She gulps down the pills, grimacing because of the aftertaste. Lucky smiles at her saying "You are truly the most difficult person I've ever interacted with."