Septem Peccatis Mortiferis

Chuck put up a choice of the Seven Deadly Sins for us to choose from. I couldn't pick - so I used them all; but mainly Pride. 

Enjoy!

University is fun!

I’ve loved this place since the very first one opened oh, so many centuries ago and I started bouncing around its walls just to tempt people into doing things they really wanted to do…

Some of them loved it, some of them hated it… most of all I had my fun and went on my merry way.

But then, once I did destroy one or two generations of one university, I’d move onto the next academy. Sometimes, they’d be soldiers in Greece – and were they fun! At Sparta, I had them nearly ripping each other apart! Wooo! What a thrill! The instructors never knew what got into those kids!

I was on my own for a long, long time… a long time! I didn’t mind it. But then, my fellow brothers and sisters showed up at another university or two in Londinium, when it was only a tiny little village on the shores of The Thames and it was beginning to grow into something major.

It was good.

It was fun.

It was deliciously brilliant to have my family together with me. But I couldn’t tell them that… after all, I have my Pride.

But watching them work their best whiles on the Humans is always the best thing. And it’s always the same: you Humans are weak in the same ways as you were in the beginning of time.

No wonder we exist. 

No wonder we’ll never go away.

Now, we are in the present day of computers, of the internet, of mobile phones, of motor cars (and what brilliantly wonderful things they are!). And I can say that you Humans are as gullible as ever! I don’t have to work on you as hard as I did when I started out in this gig way back when there wasn’t electricity and a computer screen to distract you.

I’ve set up a great party at my old House on one of the very first campus’ I frequented, back in the day! Oh, joy! The strange thing is that nobody knows what the symbol on the building means – nobody but us Deadly Sins… and we called the House Septem Peccatis Mortiferis. Everyone thinks it’s a joke, but when you create a House on a campus right at the beginning of time, you can initiate it with all kinds of symbols and things that lose all meaning to the people now.

It’s been over 6,000 years since we have been back. And we’re welcomed back with open arms; as new students to the Alma Mater, something that I’m not surprised at as we look into the den and find that a reproduction of the portrait of me is still over the fireplace. The old one must have been destroyed.

“Hey, Alex, dude, you look like that guy in the painting.” One of the seniors points out almost immediately.

“Yeah. I do.” A grin grows on my face. I slip my arm around his shoulders, as though we’ve known each other our whole lives, “How about we have a party tonight?”

Rich looks at me, beer in hand, not knowing how to react. He’s normally the one organises these things. He smiles, “Sure! It’s the start of the year, let’s find out who the hotties are on this campus.”

The place is pumping soon after sunset with beer flowing easily. People are everywhere in the house and my brothers and sisters arrive right on time – two hours into the party – and the whole atmosphere changes almost immediately.

Lust grabs herself somebody’s boyfriend and starts taking his clothes off in front of everyone – much to the disgust of the girlfriend, but she doesn’t do anything for a minute due to shock.

Gluttony starts eating everything in sight – and not just the food. Anyone who gets in the way loses a finger… a hand… oh, oops, one guy’s neck just got in the way of Gluttony. Blood everywhere! People have begun to panic; which spreads like a brushfire. Nobody has to see what’s happening, strangely enough, you Humans can just sense it. That’s what I love about you.

Wrath swoops in on that girlfriend whose boyfriend is now humping Lust. Just as she gets her fill and dumps his dead lifeless body to the floor, pulling his life force from him through her touch (no not his dick you sorry, disgusting perve!), the girlfriend jumps on Lust with Wrath by her side. Wrath and Lust are a tag team (little to anyone’s knowledge but mine) and work well together.

Sloth? Well, he just walked in, sat down and enjoyed the floor show. His body odour was here before him and nobody wanted to be around him; not even me. So, I moved into the next room where most of the population of the party were trying to get out of the kitchen door all at once – and failing. It was funny in a way, sad in another.

Greed and Envy swaggered through the door and looked around. They didn’t do much as they watched Wrath and Lust suck the rest of the life force from the poor chick who was hoping to get her own back for the death of her boyfriend… and failed.

I came back into the room with a bowl in my hand to collect the blood from the two bodies by the door, “Okay, people, we have to do this right. Make sure all the symbols are doused in the blood of two Humans who were in love and recently killed.” Once all seven symbols had been anointed with the blood, the house began to shake as though an earthquake was approaching.

Things fell off the walls

Remaining people evacuated from the house, running, screaming!

The symbols began to glow a brilliant white.

There was a massive flash and a clap of thunder and the house Septem Peccatis Mortiferis’ shook harder! I could see it was going to collapse, dropped the bowl and ran outside to join the other people standing out in the darkness of the night.

The police and Fire Marshal came back from the rubble of the house, declaring that there were no other bodies, except for the two dead people just inside the door.

“You were very lucky to get out just before it collapsed, Alex.” The Dean of the University said.

“Yeah, I was.” I nodded.

“Do you need anywhere to stay tonight?”

“No, I’ll be fine.” I turned and walked away smiling. I had anointed all the symbols in that house for the others to go home… all but mine.

After all, I have my Pride.