Tales of a Modern Gentleman.
She stood at a pair of dark gates, a huge fire burned behind
them, she could feel the intense heat.
Fear etched across her face. The gates opened and a
gentleman came forward.
“W-where am I?” she stammered. The gentleman smiled kindly.
“These are the gates of hell,” he replied.
“But, I was a good person. How did I end up here?”
“Your partner, he put you here” he was smiling in such a
kind way, it was so odd.
“He was so mean,” she said. “But I tried, I held on… tried
to help him.”
“Yeah. You did well,” the gentleman said. Wrapping an arm
around her. She felt a pleasant coolness coming off of him. “Don’t worry. I’ll
let you in on a secret. One of the ways to heaven is to walk through hell. You
are already most of the way there. This part you don’t have to do alone. You
have experienced enough already. Come, I’ll walk with you. Stay close, you
won’t get burned, not anymore.“
They walked in silence for a little, she was collecting her
thoughts. She knew she should be frightened but the Gentleman was so calming.
Eventually she turned to him “Who are you?” she said. He smiled, “I am a modern
gentleman.” He looked a little sad for a moment. “There used to be more of us”
he mused, “But our numbers grow smaller. I hope that one day though, through
our words and our actions that there will be more”. She thought for a moment
“are you created this way?” He looked at her. “To a few it comes naturally, for
a lot it… comes from experience.” “and you?” she said, “was it natural?” “I
don’t know,” he replied, “it may have happened that way, but my life meant it
was not to be. I had to walk a lot of this path alone. I was joined by someone
for a time, she was beautiful. But now we must walk apart, something neither of
us wanted. Sometimes though, sometimes these things happen, you either let it
turn you hard, or you use it and turn it into something better.” “like me,” she
said. He smiled, “yes, like you.” “how did I come to find you?” she asked. “How
come I have never seen your type?” “We are always here. But we aren’t so easy
to find amongst the posers and the liars” he replied. They continued on for a
while, “are you going to continue with me the whole way?” she eventually asked.
“I don’t know, some only stay for a little, some for a long time, it depends on
you, how confident you become walking through here.” “I don’t know if I could
ever feel confident walking through this place.” She said. He took is arm from
around her, “notice you can’t feel the heat anymore?” “I, I, you are right, I
don’t, how come?” “Simple,” he smiled, “there was no heat, it’s an illusion,
from your own expectations, but as you gain confidence that will happen, you
will see hell is so often where you put yourself.” As they walked further she
started to walk more apart from him. Gaining confidence as they walked more,
the fires grew weaker. “I don’t think I need your help anymore she said
eventually.” They stopped, he smiled with a tinge of sadness, “that’s awesome,”
he said. “you look a little sad,” she said.
“It’s a bit of a lonely path sometimes,” he replied. “but I’m glad you
are finding your way.”
She stood at a pair of dark gates, a huge fire burned behind
them, she could feel the intense heat.
Fear etched across her face. The gates opened and a
gentleman came forward. He approached, turned towards the fire and drew his
sword. He looked towards her, “Are you ready?”
“What’s, what’s going on?” She felt darkness closing behind
her, compelling her to move forward.
The Gentleman tried to smile, but there was sadness in his
eyes. “Welcome to hell.”
A hundred thoughts crossed her at once. Finally she got out
“How?” He glanced at her arms. They were bare and she realized he could see all
the scars. She tried to fold her arms in an effort to hide them. He spoke, a
voice full of kindness “looks like you had a bit of a difficult time.” She felt
tears welling up. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, living hurt so much” He smiled
again and said gently, “It’s ok, sometimes life gets a bit much.”
She realized she had been walking with him unconsciously
moving forward through the gates.
Suddenly something stepped out of the shadows, a shape,
almost formless, she was instantly filled with dread. She stopped, frozen. The
Gentleman stepped forward and cut it down with his sword.
“What the hell was that?” She would have yelled but the
terror made her almost squeak it out.
“Your demons,” he said “I’m guessing you have a few, it’s
ok, lets keep going, you don’t need to face them alone.”
She simply nodded and they carried on. More stepped out, the
gentleman each time stepped forward and cut each one down. After some time it
almost became mundane. “Why don’t they attack,” she said. He shrugged, “they
don’t, they are simply thoughts of dread and loathing.”
He produced another sword and handed it to her. “You, you
want me to attack them?” She stammered. “Try it,” he said “I’ll be here.” No
sooner than she took the sword another appeared, she swung and cut it in half.
She stood, stunned as it melted into nothingness. She gripped the sword and
strode forward cutting down another one. And another, and another.
The gentleman was hanging back, she stopped and went back to
him. “Thank you,” She said. He simply nodded. “will you be staying with me?”
she asked. He shook his head. “I’m here so long as you need me.” She nodded,
“can I keep the sword?” He smiled, “Of course”
Another shape stepped out, she cut it down and they carried
on. After a time she stopped, “is it just me or are they getting smaller and
weaker?” she asked. “You have the power over them, the more you realize it the
less they will be there.” She thought about this for a bit. “I don’t think I
need you any more, I can do this.” He smiled that sad smile of his, “that’s great,”
He said.
So, what happens now she said? “Well, you carry on and
things get better and easier, and I will go back, there are more who need me to
travel with them for a little.”
“Why are you here?”
She asked.
“I lost my shield maiden, She’s not here, I know. but, when
I found myself here I decided to help others, in her memory, and because I know
it’s simply the right thing to do.”
“Thank you” She said, “for me and for all the others.” The
gentleman smiled. “I wish you well.” He turned and walked back the way the had
come.
The gentleman looked over at the group. He was weary, so
weary, but he lit a lantern stood and moved towards them.
The women stood in the darkness. In silence. None of them
spoke. They watched warily as he approached. He stopped before he got to them. He
nodded knowingly. “Come this way.” They followed him, wordlessly, heads bowed. After
some time walking in silence one of them spoke. “I’m so sorry, but, where are
we?”
The gentleman stopped, turned, and said “you are in hell.” One
of the other women spoke up in a voice not much more than a whisper “But, I was
good, I never spoke out of place.” The modern gentleman smiled softly. “I know,
your voices were stifled for so long, you lost them.”
They carried on walking for a way. The first woman spoke up,
louder this time “It was bullshit.” Another woman “yeah,” then more of them, a
chorus of “yeah, and screw them, and more.”
The women were talking amongst themselves, voices getting
louder and more excited. The gentleman stopped and extinguished his lamp. “Why
are you putting out the light?” one of the women asked. “Look around you” The
gentleman said. “As you find your voices so you find the light, keep talking,
say what you need to say and then let no one ever dim your lights again.”
The women looked around. Seeing the beginning of a new dawn.
“Thank you,” one of them said. The gentleman nodded. “Carry on.” he said. Be
yourselves, and nothing less. He turned and started back the way he had come. “Aren’t
you coming with us?” one of them asked. He shook his head. “No, this is not my
lot right now. I have others to help.” They watched as he disappeared down the
path and talked amongst themselves.
The gentleman looked. He couldn’t see her at first. Just an
outline on the ground, surrounded by darkness. He took his lantern and wandered
over, without saying a word, he sat down beside her. She realized after a bit
that he was there but continued to lay there. After a while longer she looked
up and over to him. “Am I in hell?” she asked through tear filled eyes. “Yeah,”
he said softly.
“Good” she replied. “It’s over.” He nodded in
acknowledgement and she lay back down. These were the hardest ones. A lot of
time and patience was needed. And as he
sat, he wondered if anyone noticed that while he saved everyone else, he too
was trapped here.