She Dared Him to End the World (And He Almost Did)

 Part one: The Forbidden Lake

The Dare

A twistedstories.store Original

The Forbidden Lake

Katie was perplexed about the stranger and what he had asked her to do. The lake had been out of bounds — it had been so since she was just a kid. The elders had said the day anyone drank from the lake, that would be the end of the community and humanity. And now the stranger had asked her to use the lake as a dare so Akam could prove he truly loved her. She was scared and thrilled at the same time. If he truly loved her, would he defy the law of the land and the heavens? Would he demand another task? Would he doom the people just to prove he loved her? All this went through her mind, but she forgot to ask one simple question — since she was part of the community, what would happen to her? But no, she was just thrilled to see what he would do, and with that, she went to seek him out.

A Man and His Dreams

Akam was not having a good day. He was thinking about who that person was, trying to take Katie from him. He sighed — there was nothing he could do. The land provided for them and they knew nothing about hard work or labour, since all they had to do was wish and it would be granted, except love of course. That had always been difficult, he thought. He was told that back in the days, the great tree by the lake used to drop leaves bearing the names of two people already chosen by the Gods. He was told all you had to do was place your hand on the tree and it would drop two leaves — one bearing your name and the other your partner's. Why would that ever stop, he wondered, as he lay there looking at the home he had visualised for him and Katie. He looked at the spacious room and imagined their children playing around. He sat there grinning until he heard a knock on his door.

"Come in," he said, still thinking about his love to be.

The door opened and sunlight momentarily blinded him. He couldn't see the person standing at his door until she asked, "Is that how you want to greet your love?"

Akam practically jumped up. "I'm sorry Katie, I was daydreaming about you and got carried away."

"Hmmm," she let it stretch, and silence fell on them.

"Please sit down," he said, smiling.

"Sorry, I'm not here to sit. I came to give you the task."

His smile slipped, but he quickly forced one back onto his face and with a cheerful voice asked, "Now what is the task?"

"Are you sure you're ready for it?"

"Of course. I have been ready since I first saw you."

"Hmmm, well your actions will speak louder," she said.

"I'm serious," he said.

"Good, I like that attitude." She smiled, and his heart nearly blew out of his chest. He clamped a hand over it — raw emotion plain on his face, his breathing coming out rough. "What is the task?"

"I dare you to drink from the lake," she said, looking him in the eyes. "You said you can do anything for me — well, there it is."

"No, no, no, Katie — not that. Give me another task, but not that. You know the consequences."

"You said you would do anything for me to prove your love. Or am I too ugly?"

"No, you aren't ugly. You're the most beautiful woman in this community, but the risk you're asking me to take is too great. It will affect us all as a people."

"That is just words. No one can prove that," she said.

"But it has been so through generations. Don't let me be the bane of our community."

"I'm not asking you," she said, chin held high. "I'm daring you. It is either you back out or you take the dare."

"Give me another dare," he pleaded, reaching for her hand, but she stepped back toward the door.

"Wait," he said, not wanting to let her go, but she never turned back. As she reached the door she said, "You have three hours." And then she was gone.

The Weight of the Dare

Akam exhaled the breath he had been holding without even knowing it, until he felt that tightness in his chest. "How can she dare me this?" He sank down on his bed, made from the softest grass in the meadow — a grass that moulded to your body and followed the desire of your mind to give you comfort when you lay down. He never noticed this. His mind was heavy.

Right from when he could understand words, he had been told never to drink from the lake. They had been warned that if anyone did, they would all die — but first they would suffer a terrible suffering before they died, and not just them but everyone in the community. "She knew this. Why would she dare me this?" He sat there thinking of her face and how her body was sculptured like the heavenly bliss of everlasting life. *Do you let that go and see another man with her?* He questioned himself. "I don't think I will bear looking at her if she chose another man," he muttered, brooding and thinking, knowing his time was ticking.

The Devil's Amusement

The devil sat in his throne room with a smug look on his face. Humans were so predictable, especially women — they always had that part of them that hated when someone called them ugly. He had watched that girl and seen how men fawned about her, and he had thrown a dare that every woman would want answered — whether a man could truly do anything for them. He laughed out loud, knowing all things were working into place for him. All he had to do was sit and claim his spoils when the fool fell for his trick.

He sat in his grand throne room, ornate black gold decorating his throne. The throne room was huge, with twelve pillars of black fire standing as support. His black eyes roamed over the room and he frowned — there were supposed to be humans in the section he had marked so he could watch his minions torment them. But then he grinned. He had already won the bet, and those mortals who had never known suffering would rue the day that fool drank from the lake. How do people even think of loving someone when that same love is what brings disaster upon them? He wondered if he should bring them to his throne room or to the endless desert. At that he chuckled hard — what an irony. They were used to the land of endless wealth, so it would be so fitting to put them in the land of the endless desert. And when they had had a good taste of suffering, and had lost all hope, then he would bring them to his throne room for their final initiation into the hall of suffering and everlasting anguish. Now that would be the best welcoming gift for the one who dared to doom his people for love.

Too Late

The Creator was busy defending the border of his realm from the beasts that fed on the life force of divine ones to survive. He knew who had brought them there, and he swore the devil would pay for this. He had been battling them for three days — kill one and three took its place. He was nearing the end when he felt that shift of power, that force telling him a place had been changed. He erected a barrier strong enough to hold the beasts back and hurried to the land of endless wealth. But when he arrived, the land had been devastated. The people were no more. He sighed, knowing the time for reckoning was coming.

The Creator sat down on a barren rock jutting out of the ground that once was known as the land of endless wealth. "How could this have happened," he mumbled. Just one year and all this would have ended, he thought, as he raised his head toward the sky and roared, "SHOW YOURSELF, YOU DECEIVER OF MANKIND!"

The air grew dark and there was a mocking laughter that echoed across the empty plain of the land of endless wealth, and a deep voice answered, "Why the angry outburst? Are you a sore loser?"

"You cheat. Your trickery is written in every wind that blows here."

"It is a game — win by all means necessary," the devil said, laughing.

"Where did you take them?" the Creator asked him.

"A place where even you can't interfere. I can have my playthings for a good time with no interruption."

"You took them to the land of endless sand?"

"Sure, my treat. And I believe they have been having quite the experience over there."

"That is too much. Don't do this to them — they are innocent and know nothing of the world."

"The rules say winner keeps all."

"Please," the Creator begged.

"Can you leave the world to me if I hand them over to you?" the devil asked.

There was a great silence. The Creator bowed his head, knowing he could never do that. A few suffering over a billion suffering — no way.

"I guess not," the devil said, grinning as he vanished back to his domain.

🩸 More Twisted Reads — If You Dare

• The Choice to Make — one decision. wrong turn. no way back.
• The Price of Freedom — freedom has a cost. and it will collect.
• The Forbidden Lake — where it all began. where it all ended.
• If You See Caro — you will laugh. then you will look over your shoulder.
• Silent Night — they already know your name. they are already coming.