" You are evil. "

Grace looked across the dining table at Aragon. A grimace crossed across her pretty features.

" No, " said Aragon, " I'm not. I only borrowed the old man's body from the morgue for a time. He was dead and wouldn't be using it, anyway. Do you not think it suits me? "

" You're gross, " replied Grace.

Aragon let loose with a laugh.

" Anyways, " he continued, " I'm not evil. I'm here to save the world from oblivion. " He took a long drink of wine. " I'm sure you're aware of the story of Adam and Eve. "

" Of course, " said Grace. " Why do you mention it? "

" The forbidden fruit, Eve's apple, has recently been stolen from the Vatican. It is buried here within the Black Forest. "

" And you want it? "

" That's none of your concern, child, " Aragon told her. " I apologize for even bringing it up. " He cut himself off a piece of steak, rare, and took a bite. He wiped the blood away from his lips. " Have I ever told you what it's like to be dead? "

" No. "

" I truly never died, " he told her. " Instead, I was stuck between the physical and spiritual realms. It was very dark. But I was not alone. There were others there, not demons, just ignorant souls who were still trapped to the earth realm. " He drank more wine. " I have vowed to set them free. "

" That sounds very interesting, " said Grace. " How do you plan on going about it? "

" Aside from your amulet, " he continued, ignoring her question, " this corpse I'm wearing has helped me return to the physical plane. Eve's apple has bred the Bleeding Tree. I plan to climb it, my dear. " He looked at her, a wise smile cracking open his old features. " I will become the new Messiah. And, after that, reopen Paradise. "

" You've gone mad, " said Grace.

" Perhaps, " agreed Aragon. " But do you not want to come with me? "

" I want to get away, " Grace told him. She stood up from the table. " Please, excuse me. "

She walked to the door to Aragon's suite. She opened it and gasped.

Outside, Aragon was standing, waiting for her. Behind him were Grecian and Alba.

" You must understand your role in this, my child, " said Aragon. " You are to be earth's martyr. You will live an eternal life, bearing the burdens of mankind. "

Grace simply stood there, looking at him. But there was a calmness in his voice that she couldn't avoid. And the smile that he shone on her made her feel good; wanted.

" I agree, " she said, trapped in his web. " Maybe my death will give meaning to my pitiful life. "

" That's the spirit, child. " Aragon continued to smile at her. " I'm glad that you've decided to join me. "

He turned back to Grecian and Alba. He snapped his fingers.

" Have you formed the Illumination? " he asked them.

" They're all outside, master, " said Grecian. " They are awaiting you. "

" Good, " he said. " Grace, it is our time. Follow me. "

She did as she was instructed. She followed him, behind Grecian and Alba, down the hotel's long stairway. And then outside. Overhead, the clouds were threatening a storm. Gusts of strong cold wind were blowing.

She gasped as she saw the throng of people waiting outside. It appeared as if every citizen in Freeburg had come out. Men, women, and children were crowded about in mob fashion. She also noticed that the adults were armed with knifes, machetes, and other sharp weapons.

" My children, " said Aragon, spreading out his arms. " Are you prepared to begin the ceremony? "

A wall of shouts greeted him. Grace could not help but feel the blood thirst that was pouring through them.

" Then let's begin, " Aragon told them.

And that's when the Swamp Thing appeared behind him. Just as Saint Columba had predicted, he had come. Despite his own problems, like the disturbance in the Earth element, the Swamp Thing was prepared to put a stop to this new danger.

This is where it all starts. This was the root of the evil.

" Stop! " he ordered. " You're mad! "

Aragonturned around and looked at the Swamp Thing. A puzzled feature spread across his face.

" Do I know you? " he asked.

" No, " said Swamp Thing. " But that doesn't matter. The only thing which concerns me is that you release these people from your malevolent spell. "

Aragonlaughed.

" Be gone with you interloper, " he said. And then he raised his crippled hands out. Flames shot from the fingertips.

The Swamp Thing was taken by surprise. The wall of flame hit him directly. He felt the burning sensation roam around his verdant hide. And then he was slamming onto the ground, barely conscious.

" Too easy, " said Aragon. He laughed. And then he turned to his followers. They waited for his every instruction with baited breath. " Now, " he told them, " bleed for me and the Tree of Blood. "

The men and women reached out with their weapons. And then, restraining their children, slit their throats.

Gore ran freely down the streets as overhead it began to rain &

Perv reached across the seat. He did his best to kiss Tefe.

" Get away from me, " she said. " That's gross. "

" Gross? " said Perv. " Why? Is it because of how I look? "

" No, " she told him. " It's just that I don't think of you that way. You're my friend, Perv. Not my lover. "

" Oh. Well, at least you can't say I didn't try. "

Tefe looked at him and smiled. She really did like the bastard.

" Come on, " she said. " Let's go in and check the band out. "

They were parked outside a bar called Bob's Country Bunker. It read on a sign that they played two kinds of music: Country AND Western. Tonight, a band called Swamp Thing was playing.

" I really want to see this band, " said Tefe. " I can't deny that their name intrigues me. "

" Not a problem, " said Perv. " Let's go on in. "

The two of them climbed out of Perv's van. They walked across the gravel parking lot until they reached the entrance. Inside, they paid their money and got a stamp put onto their hand. It was an Easter bunny.

" Cute, " said Tefe.

Inside, they took a seat close to the stage. Chicken wire was set up to protect the band. Tefe took notice of the backdrop the band was using. It looked eerily like her father.

Perv went and got them a couple of beers. He brought them back to the table and sat across from Tefe. She thirstily took a drink of the beer.

" That's good, " she said.

" Are you sure you're going to enjoy the music? " asked Perv. " I didn't think plants liked loud music? I thought you were more into classical. "

" Cute, " said Tefe. " That's real cute. "

Perv was about to say something when he was interrupted by a girl that came and stood over their table. She was dressed in a mini-skirt and a top that barely covered her large breasts.

" Are you guys fans of Swamp Thing? " she asked.

" We're not sure, yet, " said Tefe. " This is our first time seeing them. "

" I think you'll enjoy the show, " the girl said. " They're really good. " She took a drink of her own beer and laughed. " I'm a groupie. " Then she stuck out her hand. " My name's Carol. "

Tefe and Perv introduced themselves.

" What happened to your face? " Carol asked Perv.

" It's a long story, " he said, taking a drink of his beer.

" I bet. " She winked at him. " I think you're cute. "

Perv blushed. " Thanks, " he told her. " " You're pretty good looking yourself. "

Carol laughed. " That's good to know. I want to look my best when I meet the band tonight. "

At that, Swamp Thing took the stage. They rolled through original songs like " Bayou Born " and " Louisiana Love Thang. " Tefe had to admit that they were pretty good.

They all enjoyed the show. And when the final song, " Bog Monster ", was over, the band left the stage. Carol stood up, straightening out her mini skirt.

" Do you guys want to come with me? " she asked. " You can go backstage and meet the band. "

Tefe shrugged, but Perv said it'd be cool. They followed Carol backstage.

Tefe and Perv got to meet the band. There was lead singer Ben Strong, guitarist Bruce Lynch, bassist Mike Cundiff, and drummer Randy Cooter. All three of them appeared to be nice.

" Say, " said Carol, " would you guys mind giving me a ride to their hotel? We could all hang out with the band there. "

" Sure, " said Perv. He glanced at Tefe. " You wouldn't mind, would you? "

Tefe shook her head. " It sounds pretty cool. "

At the hotel, Perv and Tefe followed Carol up the stairs. It was a rundown building, and the perfect place for a band to get rowdy.

Perv couldn't keep his eyes off Carol's heart-shaped crotch as he followed behind her. He resisted the urge that he felt in his groin, doing his best not to get hard.

" Here we are, guys, " said Carol. She stopped in front of a door. Tefe could hear loud music and shouts coming from behind it. " Are you ready? "

" As ready as we'll ever be, " Perv said.

Carol knocked. It took a few minutes, and some continuous knocking, before the door finally opened.

It was Mike Cundiff staring them down.

" Hi, " said Carol. " We've come to party. "

Mike eyed Perv and Tefe. He shot her a wry smile.

" Well, come on in, " said Mike. " The more the merrier. "

Tefe and Perv hesitated for a moment, but eventually sauntered into the room after Carol. The band was all sitting about on strewn couches. They looked up as the newcomers entered.

" You guys and gals bring any coke? " asked Bruce.

" You mean like have a Coke and a smile? " Tefe joked.

" Nah, " said Bruce, smiling. " I'm talking about snow flakes up your nose. "

" Sorry, " said Carol. " We're fresh out. "

" Well, that's too bad, " Bruce replied. " I don't guess there'll be enough for you. " And then he bent down, sucking up the last line of coke strewn out on the living room table.

" You care for a drink? " asked Randall, staring at Carol.

" Sure, " she said. And she followed him off into the kitchenette.

Tefe watched Bruce as he spaced out on the couch. She turned to Perv.

" I don't know about you, " she said, " but this isn't my kind of scene. "

Perv shrugged. " I can dig that. "

Suddenly, Mike was at Tefe's side. She could smell the reek of booze cascading off his breath. She wrinkled her nose.

" Tell me, " asked Tefe, " why do you call your band Swamp Thing? "

" It's because of that old legend, " Mike told her. " You know the one about the swamp man that supposedly runs around the bayous. We thought it was pretty cool, so we grabbed the name. "

" Do you believe in the swamp thing? " Tefe asked, a wry smile turning up the corners of her mouth.

" Nah, " said Mike. He reached out and put a hand on Tefe's shoulder. " I only believe in the things that I can see and touch. "

Tefe felt his hand start to trail down to her breasts, and she knocked it off.

" Keep your hands to yourself, " she told him. And then she turned to Perv. " Let's get out of here. "

As they started towards the door, Carol came up behind them. " Where are you going? The party is just starting. "

" We're going to head out, " said Tefe. " This just isn't our scene. "

Carol frowned. " But I really like you guys, " she said. " I don't want you to leave me. "

" Well, the van pulls out in ten minutes, " Tefe told her.

" Can you just wait for me awhile? I won't be long. I just want to hang out with the band for a bit. And then I'll come down and we can go get some coffee or something. "

Tefe sighed. She couldn't deny that she liked Carol, but she was eager to get away from all this mess.

" We'll give you a half an hour, " said Tefe. She looked at Perv. " Does that sound good to you? "

Perv shrugged. " Sure. "

" Good, " said Carol. " I'll see you guys in thirty minutes. "

Perv and Tefe headed out for the van. As they descended the staircase, they could hear the band seemingly get rowdier as they left. Shouts and screams were coming from the room.

" I hope she knows what she's doing, " said Perv.

Tefe shrugged. " She's a big girl. "

But it didn't even take thirty minutes for Carol to show up at the van. Tears were streaming down her bruised face. Her make-up ran in rivulets down her cheeks. Her shirt was torn, revealing a breast that sported teeth marks, and the heart-shaped crotch that Perv had so admired was now staining blood red through her jeans.

" What the hell happened? " asked Tefe.

" Those fucking bastard raped me, " said Carol, crying.

Tefe got out of the van. Carol's cries were the only thing she needed to hear. She ignored the shouts of Perv as she crossed the parking lot, reentering the hotel. And then she was climbing the stairs to where the band was still partying.

She didn't bother knocking.

The door exploded inward as Tefe let loose with her power. Her arms turned into vines with prickly thorns growing on them.

Inside the room, the four band members, all naked, scattered.

" What the fuck? " blurted Mike Cundiff.

He was the first that Tefe got. She reached out and grabbed him by the penis. The vine wove around it, pulling. And then it popped off in a geyser of blood. Mike fell down to his knees, screaming. Tefe shut him up by pushing his dismembered penis into his mouth.

And she did the same thing to Bruce and Ben.

Randall, futilely climbing through the window onto the fire escape, was grabbed from behind. The vine snuck up through the crack of his butt-cheeks, and wound its way around his testicles. His balls burst like a fist crushing a tomato.

As Tefe went to turn around, she ran into Carol. The girl had been behind her the entire time, watching as Tefe destroyed the band.

" You're a monster, " said Carol. Fury masked her damaged features. She reached out and slapped Tefe across the face. " You're no better than they are! "

Tefe watched as Carol turned to leave. Perv clutched the wall as she descended the stairs.

Perv came up and looked inside the destroyed room. He couldn't believe what he saw. The screams of the band members drowned out the sound of him puking.

Tefe heard the sound of the police cars coming to the scene. She reached out and helped Perv back onto his feet. " Come on, " she said, " let's get out of here. "

Perv followed after her.

" What was that all about? " he asked.

" She called me a monster, " said Tefe.

" Are you? "

Tefe stopped at the bottom of the steps. She turned and looked at Perv. She was doing her best not to cry.

" Maybe I am, " she told him. She wiped away a tear. " Maybe I am. "