STORY STARTER
Submitted by HardCoreWriter
Write a story about a character slowly getting closer and closer to evil.
Try to show the change through their actions and words instead of stating it outright.
Evil
“And now… please welcome your king!” The royal herald tooted into his horn as the crowd roared.
Stepping into the open, Jake smiled as he received the crowds cheers. He had always dreamed of being the ruler of the land. He would make a better land for all.
His first few weeks were spent going from village to village, helping out where necessary. Everyone loved their new king.
He proceeded, in those first months, to bring peace and happiness.
But eventually he became restless. Pheasants revolted and he took their crops. People began to resent who their king had become.
He settled that, however, and proved his worth on the battlefield against an attacking realm. His newfound respect was emboldened by his entertainment factor, as he liked to hold balls.
However, over the years his entertainment strategies grew more grotesque. It started off small. He had ladies compete in posing for the best dressed. Then he began bullfighting. It started off with the bulls fighting until one was very injured. Then the bulls, eventually, began fighting to the death. When farmers reported the shortage of bulls, he switched to fencing men.
This was not including what happened outside the games. He sent armies to other lands, peaceful lands who were overcome. And he began to restrict people from leaving the kingdom, with only trade routes going in and out. Though the land was big as ever, residents felt trapped.
The final straw was the first match he made the men fight to the death.
After the match was over, as I need not go into details about the death of the man, he walked in the tranquil forest with his beau, the beautiful Anna Marie.
“It is still, tonight, my love,” he murmured.
“Why did you do it,” said Anna Marie.
“Do what, darling?” Jake asked. “The men? Oh, well, I’m merely entertaining the citizens.”
“For real, though,” said Anna Marie, tearing a weary from him. “Why are you acting like this? The real Jake, the one I met when he’d just been crowned, wouldn’t do this. Making innocent men fight to the death! Taking lands for no reason! Keeping your own people out of the real world!”
“How dare you say that to the king,” exclaimed Jake. “All I have done is for the sake of my people and land!”
“You are not the king I knew!” Anna Marie shouted back. Then she paused. “I miss you, Jake. I really do. But I can’t go on living with the evil version of you.” She turned and ran. Though Jake would try to find her later no one ever did.
Jake sank to his knees, his eyes wide on his chalk-white face and his hands trembling as he took in Anna’s last words. He looked up at the sky, which was full of stars.
“Am I?” He asked. “Am I evil?” He looked down, breathing rapidly. “I’m not. I’m not. Please, all I did was for my kingdom. I’m not evil. Am I?”
There was no response. The stars glittered on above, unaware of the darkness around them.
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