Apprenticeship is hard, thought Marshall. He was robed in a heavy garment but naked underneath. The others were all Apprentices as well but seemed to be in charge of the proceedings. Well he could play the part. Who knows maybe it’s a test of some type and there is a Journeyman or Master actually watching us, or actually watching me. I wonder if it’s a Test. He watched the others drawing symbols on the floor lighting candles and incense, he paused and studied the main symbol. Well if Arthur is meant to be the Leader in this that’s upside down isn’t it, maybe I should tell them. Don’t want to disrespect the Supreme being with wrong symbols. He watched his friends gather conspiritually away from him, that was never a good sign.

“Have you really got it?”
“I told you it’s real, real power, real magic..R..E..A..L..real. This could be the key to one ultimate thing each of us wants. A wish an actual Wish: Dangerous, Powerful, and Forbidden.”
“ I think we should tell him.”
“No he’d refuse to do it and he’d stop us from the payment. And we need a fourth even if it’s a silent fourth. You do have the payment ready?”
“Oh yeah in the antechamber, there is a taste of it in the gold chalice. It was hard to find, not exactly the crowd we usually run with until Eugene remembered an untapped source. So to speak.”
“Yeah I’ll bet it’s was out of revenge for trying. And you don’t have a problem giving it up?”
”It is an obstacle to my happiness and ultimate wealth.”
” I realize the seriousness of this endeavor but can we get moving, I want to be well away from here as soon as possible. I’ve got something to tap” Eugene leered.
“I still think we should tell him, at least so he doesn’t make a stupid wish”
“Good point tell him to focus and refine one thing he really wants in this world and keep it in mind. At least it will keep him focused.”

Keep my one wish in mind, cryptic Greg. Must be an advanced ritual they want me focused and quiet. I wonder just who is being tested here. He moved to his assigned space and began to clear his thoughts, he glanced at the table nearby with various tools prepared on it and then at the gold chalice. Well haven’t seen that one before must be from someone’s personal collection .Arrg! focus mind.. one thing I want hmmm well truthfully I think I just want to be the best tool the Supreme being needs me to be. Wow I actually want to be a tool. They’re gonna laugh at me. The incense was starting to make him feel light headed. He tried to listen to the words Arthur was speaking but he was getting buzzy.

Have I been drugged? I prepared all the instruments except the chalice, oh crap I didn’t wear gloves. They put something on the tools. Are they wearing gloves? Yep they are, how could I forget to wear gloves after the first time they pranked me. I’m an idiot, worse a Tool. Ha Ha ! Now gotta get ahold here maintain some type of grip. Fear is the mind killer, thanks Frank this isn’t Dune and I am not Paul. Real or imagined fear is a type of believing, a type of faith; and faith can work wonders. Alright so I just need to focus on being the best tool I can be for the will of the Supreme being. Be a tool dammit!

What’s that in the gold chalice? Is that..no..oh no..Blood?? really?? Oh good they don’t want me to drink it. Nobody else is drinking it either. Probably duck blood like the time they took me to the Polish festival. That’s a lot of duck blood. I hope the duck is okay.

Wow this stuff is hitting hard, the shadows are starting to take shapes. Nightmares, I’m gonna have nightmares. Oh look it’s a Shadow being??And it’s in front of Arthur.

“…This is but a sample of the payment I was told to bring..” Wait did he say he was told to bring.. this halluicination is getting morbidly weird and twisted the shadow dipped an appendage into the chalice,

“We have an accord what are your Desires?”

Is it talkin?.. it is talking..these are some strange drugs, damn it Greg I know it was you; if it’s exotic in taste or smell it’s always you…Wait what if it can read my mind I shouldn’t think of real names. I should think of fake names yeah.. Think dammit!

“You fulfill our desires first then you receive payment I Arthur Del Monocco demand this of you.”
What the Fu.. Arthur you gave it your real name. Even if it’s pretend, real names have power.
.”I want to be the envy of my rivals, to crush my enemies, see them driven before me, and have sure vengeance on those that would oppose me.”
You forgot the lamentations of the women.. if you’re gonna paraphrase Conan do it right.

“I, Gregory Montgomry Wilson the fourth want of be rich and able to indulge in anything I dream.”
Nice Greg give it your real name too…Wow you want to be even richer than you are…just Wow. Wait it’s going to Eugene next and then it’ll be me! Think ! Think!

“I don’t want to have to do anything ever again, I want to be surrounded by pretty women and men who carry out every wish I communicate to them. Oh and I’m Eugene Ulysses Thompson the third.”

He always was a lazy…hound, oh great my turn . Maybe it will go away if I close my eyes and don’t say anything. Note to self always wear gloves and bring a towel, you’d think I would remember that after reading the Hitchikers Guide.

“I will not go away if you say nothing.”
Keep your eyes closed, it can read my
“Mind. Yes and what is your name?”
“B..hh aahh b hh aahh b”
“What do you wish Bhhaahhb”
Oh it’s not all knowing hmmmm. And it called me Bob. Long and drawn out like a relaxed hippie I can do this. I am the Tool for the job! ”I am Bhhaahhb, I wish ..” make it good man”.. you would depart this place immediately, back to where you came from and take no vengeance on the people of this world.” SCORE!

“Payment was offered I will take it with me. Bring it now.”

Greg left the diagram and came back with a bound robed figure. Greg did it just trick you into breaking the protection? Did you actually leave a protective circ.. huh whos that? A somewhat familiar shaped figure. What the fu..that’s his little sister! His only sibling, she can’t be payment. Just last month he beat the snot out of Eugene for try to have sex with her…oh crap… oh CRAP! She’s a virgin. It’s a real virgin sacrifice! oh crap!

Wait she’s not the only virgin here is she buddy? Man I am such a Tool. So much for saving myself for marriage. Didn’t think of this when I told dad and mom I took the purity oath. These guys I thought they were honorable and good. What happened to them? Man I am not sacrificing myself for them I am doing it for her, she’s an innocent. “I have an amendment to my former statement..” I mean it’s just a drug dream right? Still gotta do the right thing. ”What are you called again?”

“You may call me Ahriman” Fade to black.

Fade in… One of the Masters was shaking him awake and helping him to the side. It was a Lawman Master he was a sheriff or something. He talked to him for a moment then gave him a nice badge, it said deputy.” I want.. I want..” the sheriff stopped and looked at him with the same look he had seen from his father many times. “ I want to be a cowboy.”

In the following weeks and months several things happened. Arthur was a wanted fugitive he had attacked his fellow apprentices and a young girl in some drug induced rage, or at least that was the cover story. He was never found. He became the talk of fearful folk, Charles Mason was said to be envious of the carnage that was attributed to Arthur. His parents were ruined.

Eugene was a living vegetable his parents had to hire a lot of nurses to keep him company but he couldn’t communicate. He just sat and drooled paralyzed in both mind and body. Imprisoned in his flesh with the terror he had witnessed unable to ever lift even a finger. His parent became his caregivers and ultimately his servants.

Gregory’s sister was dead, killed quickly in the first moments of Arthur’s madness. Gregory’s parents were in an accident on the way to the hospital to be at their son’s bedside, they died. His nightmarish ravings still shake the memories of the hospital staff. Not even a morphine drip seemed give him any respite. Gregory lingered for 6 days and died very rich but never regained consciousness.