Snippet #1660075

Greed had killed a mighty human that morning. He was big fish in the fashion world – he had started off as a humble undergrad design student, but with networking and great talent he made it to the very top of the industry. And as he strived towards the best so did his soul mutate into a ball of greed and spite with each new advance. When he first entered the world, he was young, slim and eager; when Greed escorted him out he was a guzzling overweight old man. This made Greed happy – she couldn’t stand his immense wealth. If she couldn’t have something, no one would.

She materialized at the foot of the steps of the grand Temple with her hands and high heels dripping with blood. The fashion mogul's departing was very painful and gruesome – she set the attack dogs he kept in his basement into his bedroom. Her body shape strained in the confinement of her golden cat suit bejeweled with bright stars picked from the night’s sky; the gruel on it gave her a farcical demeanor and the sharp angles of her face glittered with its bright glare.

Greed felt energized and eager. In this temple she would acquire new things and as always, she had to have the best. Suddenly, the smile plastered on her face melted away. A stink, the smell of a Virtue’s blessing rose to her nostrils and she realized that she wasn’t the first to arrive. She dashed up the steps, panicking and leaving triangles of red on the white marble. In frustration she swiped at her cheek and stained it crimson, a striking color against her pale skin.

I have to get the best room, she thought. They came before me! I have to have it! It’s mine! MINE!

She entered the large portico looking like a mad woman. Her eyes blazed with unnatural light, her small nostrils flared out and her painted mouth contorted into a snarl. She blindly moved her head side to side, not registering the Sins and Virtues around her.

“You goddamn thieving bastards, it’s MINE!” She shrieked into the room and then bolted towards the wall hallway a few feet away, leaping over the lying Sloth in such a graceful manner that she looked like an antelope in flight. Fourteen separate doors lined the hall. Her enhanced sense of extravagance pinpointed the fourth room on her left and she almost sobbed with joy as she realized that no one had occupied it. She slid inside and slammed the door shut. Then silence came and peace of mind with it.

The room was large with its walls covered in white paisley wallpaper. A cream colored silk rug stretched over the cold granite floor and its gold tassels fringed and lovingly spread its thick tendrils. It was modest, but quite efficiently furnished: a white queen sized bed full of velvet pillows stood with its headrest to the right wall, a small cabinet to its left, a big sofa obstructed the other wall and a wide gilt closet was pushed into a corner like an abandoned giant. In front of Greed a large window opened towards the scenery of great lulling mountains and plains, the giant trees creating a mosaic of green and brown in the soft sunlight.

She sagged to the floor with her knees cocked outward and sighed. It was settled; victory was hers. Without giving another thought on the others in the Temple she closed her eyes and relished her new possession in blissful solitude.