CHAPTER 25 - FINAL JUDGEMENT

ALLEGHANY COURTHOUSE - A MINUTE AFTER HIS DEATH

MICHAEL

I look up at the guard. He says nothing, he doesn’t even look at me, I cough, he doesn't react. The courtroom is empty, apart from us two. I don't know how it was cleared so quickly. 

“You didn’t have to be so rough!” I spit at him, he snickers. “I shall be complaining about this!”

“You go ahead and do that!” He sneers, before finally looking at me. “You look a mess, but that’s what happens when…”

“Where is everyone?” I demand.

“The important people are coming soon. So what were you thinking? I mean, surely you must have realised that this would be the outcome?” 

“He made me so furious! We got justice for Jacob Jones, he didn’t even know the prick!” 

“So that makes killing him okay, does it?!” A familiar voice booms. I blink a couple of times, this can’t be real! “Answer my question!”

“Un...Uncle Vic, is that you?!” I gasp as ‘he’ strides towards me.

“Victor, my name is Victor, we are of no relation!” He smiles at the guard. “You can leave us, he can’t harm me.”

“Sure, Vic, see you later.” He replies, then leaves, chuckling.

“What is happening? Why is he laughing? Why are you here?” I demand.

“I didn’t think it was possible for me to feel shame now, but that's the only feeling  I have for you; complete and utter shame! How you have comported yourself since I have been gone is nothing short of toe-curling and vexating!” He sits down, rubbing his forehead. “So how’d it go down?”

“How’d what go down?” I fold my arms crossly. As coma dreams go, this is not the best!

“How did you die?” He snaps. I unfold my arms and stare at him, he scoffs and shakes his head. “You’re dead, Michael, how do you not realise this?”

“Dead? I’m dead?!” I gasp. “But I can’t be! I was in court a few minutes ago, and wanted to give fat ass a piece of my pain! But if this is true and I am dead, then I hope I took him with me! I really hope he is in as much pain as he caused me!”

“Ah, Justin. What, in that imbecilic mind of yours, did he do this time?” 

“Took Brian away from me, and…”

“Brian wasn’t taken, he left. He would always leave you.”

“No he wouldn’t!” I snap. “Nobody understands the love between Brian and me, only us!”

“Oh, please! You think that shit is going to work here?! You are dead, Michael. You can only speak the truth! And you just did by wishing Justin dead...twice. And the other truth is, no matter what you tried, no matter how you harped, carped, and guilted him, he would not, not could not, would not love you the way you wanted, and I have known that since you were 14!”

“No, that’s not…”

“It is true, and this is also true: he kept him around on purpose.” 

“Who around? What are you talking about?!” I snap.

“Justin. Brian kept him around because it annoyed you, but he didn't expect to love him, never in a million years. And when you went with Ben and you were at the swings with him, remember? He said 'fuck it, suck it but don't fall in love with it'. He wasn’t talking about you and Ben, he was talking about his feelings for Justin. But, of course you were so arrogant, so one track minded, so convinced that he was jealous that you didn't pick up on it! And you died never being over it!”

“Over what?!” 

“That they fucked; Brian and Ben! And what was even more galling for you was that Justin knew first! He does have a cute giggle…” Uncle Vic smiles. “...they recreated it you know?” 

“Recreated…”

“The two fucks that they had, once with ropes and once without. And Justin tied him up!” He stops chuckling and sits directly in front of me. “He did then, and always will, nothing but love Brian, to help him grow into the better man he knew him to be, whilst you did nothing but cripple him!”

“Cripple him? How did I cripple him?! I did everything for love! God knows this, which is why I am here! I shall watch over him until he joins me!”

“Where do you think you are?!” He scoffs.

“Heaven! Though I thought it would look better than this, admittedly.”

“You are not in heaven.  No one that has killed in anger has ever gotten through the Pearly Gates. And besides, everyone is judged in the place they died. You died in this courtroom, and your judgement is near.”

“My judgement?” I frown.

“Yes. You are at the start of your final journey. At least you won’t look so out of place where you are going?”

“Going?”

“You are not staying here. You will go where all the evildoers go.”

“Michael Charles Novotny, you have been judged, and it has been determined that you will spend eternity in hell!” A voice booms.

“Who the fuck is that?!” I yell back.

“Your new master!” Uncle Vic sneers. “Before you take him, can you show him his true self?”

“Of course!” The voice laughs. 

“Take me, take me where?!”

“Like he just said, to hell!” He snickers. “Don’t worry, they’ve given you a buddy!”

“I can’t be going to hell! It was a crime of passion!”

“It was a crime of malice, jealousy, and rank stupidity!” He booms. “Show him!”

“What the fuck?!” I scream when I see myself. Half my skull is missing! “What happened?!”

“You were shot in the head when you went for Justin. Close range, hence the mess!”

“Lobe, Lobe did this!” I spit as I touch what is left of my head.

“Nope.” Uncle Vic sighs. “He got Justin out of the way. You died in a blaze of undignified glory, shot by specialist services.” He gets up and starts to walk away. Suddenly my back feels warm. “You're leaving now. Thankfully, JR does not take after you. She does not hoard, covet, or possess. She loves honestly and freely. And Hunter, now that kid has spunk…”

“Mostly up his ass, which is why he will be down here with me soon!” I snap. “I look forward to making his eternity as miserable as he made my life!”

“You made your life miserable. You never understood what it is to love. You never loved Ben or David, they were a means to an end for you, and that end was Brian. But you were road and cockblocked by Justin.”

“Wait!” I scream as the warmth intensifies. “What if I say sorry?! Can I stay with you then?!”

“But you are not sorry! Pitiful and pathetic, yes, but sorry, in the sense you mean, you are not!” As he gets to the back of the courtroom, the doors open. I am yanked backwards. “You never loved anyone but you, Michael!”

“I am sorry! Take me with you, Uncle Vic, take me with you!” I scream into the blackness, but he’s gone. All I feel is heat. “So this is what they mean by roasting in hell.” I murmur.

“Not quite.” Another familiar voice snickers. “Of all the people to end up here, never thought it would be you, but they did always say, never judge a book by it’s cover!” I stare at the figure in front of me in horror. “Hi, Michael, how is that boy of mine doing?”

“J...Jack?” I croak. “Jack Kinney?”

“The one and only. Where’s the rest of your head?”

“What happened to you?!” I gasp, taking in the full picture of his broken and bloody face and body.

“Down here, you become the victim of your crimes.” He swings his broken arm towards the gates and grimaces. “And feel the pain you caused. Now come along, buddy, let’s get you settled in.”

A FEW MINUTES LATER

I flinch as I watch my death. “Yeah, that’s the other thing. You get to relive your death, every second of every day you are down here! So that explains the head!” Jack laughs, before sobering slightly. “And to see the aftermath.

“Aftermath?” I whisper.

“Yeah. You get to see how happy your victims are in heaven, or in your case, on earth until the day they die.”

“I hope it is soon for fat ass and my former best friend!” I bitch.

“Michael, you really should not have said that!” Jack groans.

“Why?”

“Because down here, where wishes, hopes, dreams and aspirations are concerned, the opposite comes true!”

“You mean…” I trail off as I see Brian comforting fat ass and leading him out. “...I can't believe it, I just died and he left me like I was garbage.”

“You are garbage. Get used to that feeling!”