...i found a short story in my notebook from last year...lol...Kevin will get all of this hopefully.
Cliff sat at the small marble desk, staring out into the storm raging outside. Dead trees swayed in the wind, sounding as though haunted voices were lamenting all the fallen people. Lightning danced across the sky and thunder boomed. Cliff remembered when it had all come to pass.
Years ago, when he was still only a child of fifteen. Cliff's family had been killed on a cruise ship. Terrorists had bombed it. As he stood staring at the three coffins holding his mother, father, and brother, tears stung his eyes. It was then a realization came to him, humanity could not govern itself as separates, so someone would have to govern it all. His plan came together almost immediately, right there at the funeral.
As the year passed, Cliff was sent away to a boarding school for orphans, where he lost all trace of human emotions. He showed no anger, no sadness, or happiness. He was, as the teachers put it, an empty shell, devoid of soul.
Cliff heard these accusations, and in the darkness of night snickered at their stupidity. He would rule them someday, and life as they knew it would cease to exist. He need only wait, and someday he would rule. One day, when they went to wake the children up, they found Cliff gone, escaped into the night. It was then the adventure truly began.
Kevin sat at his computer screen, finishing his nightly routine of reading web comics. His mind wandered as he finished, contemplating all his friends. Cliff came into his mind as he wandered what happened to him. He had been taken away by the government, deemed unable to fend for himself. A knock came at the door, and Kevin's mother yelled for him. Kevin walked into the living room and saw a sight that shocked him to the core. "Speak of the devil" Kevin whispered as he saw Cliff standing before him.
"Hah, hope your not speaking literally" Cliff laughed.
"No, no, I was just wondering about you...wow...I can't believe you're here...what happened?" Kevin asked.
"Ahh, you know, the state was tired of caring for an old man like me" Cliff chuckled.
“I’m a year older than you,” Kevin reminded him.
”Yeah well I suppose so,” Cliff said.
”So how have you been?” Kevin asked cautiously.
”If you don’t mind, I’d rather speak with you privately…I have a favor to ask” Cliff asked, clearing his throat.
”Sure, sure” Kevin said, herding him into the computer room.
Cliff sat down on the leather chair and looked as if he fell into a blissful plane of existence. “I need your help…your trust…I need your partnership” Cliff said darkly.
Kevin stared at Cliff and nodded gently, not knowing what he was getting himself into. “Sure, anything for a friend” Kevin said.
Cliff then went into full detail about his plan. Kevin listened, horrified and excited at the same time. After an hour of explaining, Cliff finished and sat back with a smug expression. “It’s…genius” Kevin whispered.
“It’s perfect” Cliff corrected.
Months passed, as their plans fell into place. They had built an army of faithful friends, and people Cliff had helped on his journey back to Cincinnati. Also with the help of some of the older men and women Cliff had befriended, he had managed to acquire obscenely large amounts of booze. With the alcohol, he had bribed temporary soldiers made of the slums finest. For shelter, Cliff found an abandoned warehouse where he and the hobo’s slept. Weeks passed as Kevin’s friend Stefan taught the army karate, Kevin helping when he could.
Cliff was talking with Stefan one day as they were eating some food rations they had acquired with the help of Sara. “Thank you, Stefan, for helping us, you will have a high rank in the New World” Cliff said, eating a bite of the tasteless oatmeal.
“Hah, you’d better give me Japan!” Stefan laughed.
“It’s yours” Cliff said offhandedly.
“Whoa…you serious?!” Stefan exclaimed.
“Yes” Cliff said, standing up and walking away to see to other duties.
It was by this time it should be said the government knew about Cliff’s operations, and had sent in an operative to investigate. It was not a bright choice. Cliff soon found out about the undercover operative, and was awaiting the next move. The move came all too soon, as one day the operative, Patrick, asked to speak with Cliff privately. As they walked above the people, unheard and unseen, Patrick pulled a gun on Cliff. “You’ve gone too far, Clifford” Patrick sneered.
Cliff simply smiled as he stared at the barrel. “It is said…that the man who seeks Death…will never find Him” Cliff simply chuckled.
Patrick fired the gun.
Kevin had just come back from his classes at UC. He entered the warehouse filled with their hobo army. As he was about to call out for Stefan, a body fell to the floor, crashing with a sickening thud. Kevin looked down and recognized Patrick, whom Cliff had confided was a government spy. He had a gun in one hand, and a knife in his neck.
Cliff walked down the steps slowly, for all to see. He had crimson running down his arm. “The time has come! We shall now take offensive! We will bring a New World Order!” Cliff yelled.
“Cliff, are you okay?” Kevin asked, seeing the bullet hole in his arm.
“Fine…the little bastard clipped me, but not enough to dissuade me from burrowing my knife into his neck” Cliff chuckled.
The weeks following this event were filled with many battles, and losses of friends, but never were the battles lost. Soon America was in the hands of Cliff The Cruel, slaying anyone who opposed his New World Order. Kevin stood in the shadows, silently cringing whenever he heard Cliff’s nickname. It wasn’t said to hurt, more of bragging. He had publicly executed many people in power. He had taken over every big business ranging from McDonalds to Starbucks and split it among his sergeants. He split up states among them as well. One mentionable adventure of this was the ruler of California, Jenni, came to have a small chat with Cliff.
“I need a favor, Cliff” Jenni said, as she sipped some of her mocha frappuccino from Starbucks.
“What favor might this be?” Cliff asked.
“It’s…my state…California…I mean I know it wasn’t my first choice…but…I’ve come to like it there…and there’s been a problem…” Jenni stated.
“Is it an uprising? Do you need me to send troops?” Cliff asked.
“No, nothing like that…it’s sort of an…infestation…” Jenni said meekly.
"An infestation? Of what?” Cliff asked, curiosity taking over.
"…Hippies” Jenni said.
"…Hippies?” Cliff asked.
"...And emos...You know…weird freaks who listen to crappy music…think everything is one big…” Jenni started to say.
”I get what you’re saying…fine…I’ll send a few troops and go see to this for myself” Cliff said, standing up and walking out of the room.
Cliff stepped off of the small jet, sun shining brightly. But that was the only thing. California lay in waste. “What…the…hell” Cliff said, looking at Jenni.
”It was the hippies…they…gave up their peaceful ways and fought back. They have a new leader who calls himself King of the Hippies” Jenni said hurriedly, looking about.
A masked man stepped out from the shadows. His hair was grown past his shoulders, tied back in a ponytail, and a rainbow bandanna. He had rags on, but in his belt rested a familiar knife. “Patrick? How? I killed you!” Cliff fumed.
“You…slowed me…down…but I…played dead…and got…away from you” Patrick said, taking his time and spacing out his word, having a difficult time talking.
“I’m sorry, Cliff” Jenni said.
“You liked him then, yet turn him in now?” Cliff asked, incredulously.
“You know how love goes,” Jenni said, looking at the ground.
“Unfortunately” Cliff said.
“Attack!!!” Patrick yelled, and suddenly the airstrip was flooded with hippies.
“Shit…this wasn’t supposed to go down like this…hah…but nothing is ever easy” Cliff said grimly.
Cliff unsheathed two katanas, staring at what seemed the end of his reign. “Now you pay, Clifford, now you pay” Patrick laughed.
A figure emerged beside Patrick, and Cliff recognized it as Jason, who he once considered an old friend.
As Cliff swung at the oncoming hippies and emos, he saw Jenni running for Patrick. He couldn’t do anything about it then, but he’d come back to them. Stefan jumped out of the jet, slicing a hippie’s head off. “Damn, never thought the action would start this soon” Stefan laughed.
“I almost wished it wouldn’t have…we need to get away…back to Ohio…there’s a…safety…I’ve installed in every state” Cliff laughed, feeling more blood splash onto him from another dead hippie.
“Safety?” Stefan asked.
“You’ll see” Cliff said grimly.
Cliff pushed towards a hangar, Stefan following. As they neared it, Jason jumped in their way, handing two razor blades. "My emo army shall arrive soon!" Jason laughed.
Cliff swung his sword, slicing Jason from his crotch to his head, literally cutting him in two. Jason's eyes showed pure bliss as he felt the pain of death, and Cliff couldn't suppress a shiver at that thought of someone being so happy to die.
As they got in, they locked the door behind them, hearing the sound of death yells. “They’re screamin’ for our blood” Stefan sighed.
“They won’t have it” Cliff laughed, looking at the small plane.
“It’s not enough for all of our people” Stefan said.
“Doesn’t have to be…we’ll leave now…I’m sorry to say, but if Jenni doesn’t come in here by the time we get that plane started…we’re leaving her” Cliff said.
The roof crashed and two bodies came tumbling down onto the catwalk, wrestling. “Speak of the…” Stefan started.
“Don’t finish that” Cliff muttered, running to the steps, leaping up them and onto the catwalk.
Jenni was strangling Patrick, who had without Jenni’s knowledge managed to get Cliff’s knife into his right hand. Cliff ran to kick the knife, but instead kicked Jenni off of Patrick, to let the knife stab deeply into his ankle. “GRAAAAAH, SON OF A!!!” Cliff yelled, stumbling back.
He held his leg in pain, as Patrick stood up and loomed over him. “Your time has come, Clifford” Patrick laughed, raising his gun.
A blade burst out from his stomach. Patrick’s eyes went wide with pain, as the blade slid upwards, cutting through his intestines, which were spilling out onto the catwalk. As Patrick fell, Cliff saw Jenni holding a sword.
Cliff fell back, breathing heavily as Stefan came bounding up. “Plane’s ready…you gonna be okay to go?” Stefan asked, looking at them both.
Jenni gave a slight nod as Cliff pulled himself up and started limping towards the plane.
Cliff smirked as he heard the distinct squishing and crunching sound of a head caving in against the ground. He figured Jenni must have stomped on his head a few times out of anger.
As the plane flew out of the hangar, they hit a few hippies, and Cliff saw that not many of his hobo army had survived, and none looked as though they’d survive the night. As the plane flew away from California, Cliff pulled his ‘safety switch’. An explosion rocked the plane as the two nuclear bombs went off, positioned in strategic places under California’s soil. Cliff explained that in every state there were nuclear bombs positioned in case any were lost to rebels or whatnot.
That was the last of any uprising in America, and soon the rest of the world fell to Cliff the Cruel. All went according to plan for Cliff. He ruled the world now; Stefan was awarded Japan for his services. Kevin was co-ruler, helping with anything that involved diplomacy. Soon Cliff grew bored and took to a secluded mansion where he spent many years. Insanity bore into him as seclusion racked his mind with many possibilities. Humanity didn’t deserve life. Cliff finally decided to pull the safety switches once again. One by one, he pulled the switches, destroying the world, making it a lifeless land. That’s where he was now. In his office, sitting at the marble desk, revolver in hand. The storm raged on. Suddenly the doors blew open, and Stefan stormed in. “What the hell, man!? You destroyed half the world! Luckily some of the people had defused the bombs, Kevin and me managed to find your place. We want to know what the hell you did, man!” Stefan yelled.
Cliff looked up at Stefan with bloodshot eyes, a strange smile on his face. “People do not deserve life. I don’t. You don’t. Kevin doesn’t” Cliff sighed.
“Cliff…you were my friend…you are my friend…but if you don’t come back to the land of ‘I know what I’m fucking saying’ I’m going to have to…kill…you” Stefan said.
“Goodbye, friend” Cliff sighed.
Cliff smiled his soulless smile and raised his gun at Stefan, blasting him straight in the chest. Stefan flew back, hitting the wall and crumpling to the ground, dead.
“NO!!!!” a voice yelled, running into the room.
Kevin charged into the room, shaking Stefan. “It was meant to be, friend,” Cliff said softly.
“YOU BASTARD!!!” Kevin screamed.
Cliff raised the gun, but something stopped him. The weight of what had just happened weighed down on him. Cliff stood up and walked past Kevin and Stefan’s corpse. He walked up the roof, and into the furious storm. Wind whirled around him, souls demanding blood. Cliff raised his head to the sky, screaming, “TAKE ME NOW, YOU BASTARD OR SO HELP ME GOD I’LL UNLEASH THE HOUNDS OF HELL ON YOU WHEN I RULE IT!”
He didn’t hear the gunshot, but he felt the bullet enter his back, ripping through his stomach, and out of the front of his shirt. Blood flooded his shirt, flooding his mouth suddenly. Cliff managed to turn around and see Kevin holding a gun, tears streaming down his eyes.
Cliff didn’t know what hit him, but suddenly he was filled with electricity, he saw a bright white light, and then suddenly the world went silent and black.
Kevin barely saw the lightning strike Cliff, but saw his old friend fall off the roof.
And that was it. Eventually the world was rebuilt, Kevin going into hiding, realizing the wrongs that had been done. Cliff and Stefan’s body were buried in unmarked grave. Hundreds of years later, life was back to normal. No one even remembered the reign of Cliff the Cruel.
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