End of Days

This is my latest at the Partial Observer. Excerpt:

The story is about Arnold's determination prevent Tunney from a) being kidnapped and raped by one group (Satan and his followers) and b) being murdered or "sacrificed for the greater good" by another group of seemingly "well-intentioned" people.

And Arnold goes to great lengths, suffering physical and psychological torment along the way. Although Tunney is very pretty, Arnold is much older and there's no romantic interest. Arnold protects her because he is at heart a cop in the best sense, committed to protecting the innocent from aggression. This helps him see through the illusions and temptations Satan presents him with.

Arnold doesn't try to save the world. Indeed, "the world" would be more certainly "saved" from Satan's offspring if he pulls out his gun and kills the trusting Tunney himself. But a world that must be "saved" through the sacrifice of the unknowing innocent is already a world already lost. It's a world where evil has already triumphed, even if Satan himself must wait another thousand years. Better to protect Tunney and fight to the very end.