Fingers

There once existed people with many fingers. More than the average ten, these people had too many to count, and their reason for existence was unknown. Despite the uncertainty, the world saw them as heroes.

That is until a monster appeared.

This monster exposed the truth about these so-called 'heroes'. Needless to say, there is a reason why only people with five fingers on each hand are left in the world.

The truth exposed left the people of past shocked. They say that if one commits a grave sin and a new finger is formed, the monster will rise again.

This is the reason why there are no more people with extra fingers.

But the story of how this happens starts with the heroes. Heroes of peace and prosperity. Made to be put on a pedestal. They are what make the world a better place.

There are a wide variety of heroes, but there is one thing they have in common.

They have extra fingers.

Not the usual five on each hand, but six, seven, eight, and some even have ten on each hand. In this world, the more fingers you have, the more of a hero you are.

Unfortunately, the world is unaware of what goes on behind closed doors. These heroes who are praised, seen as idols, and symbols of how far humanity can go, are hiding grave truths.

There is one man who knows this truth. He knows because he himself has experienced it. The feeling of a part of your body reforming, growing, changing, as your skin moves to welcome a new addition to your innocent collection of fingers. He understands the implication it brings. But he doesn't fight this change. Once he realises the truth and sees the damage he and other heroes are bringing to this world. He doesn't fight it.

He embraces it.

He decides that if he were to become a monster, he may as well bring down the other monsters with him.

There are many heroes in this world. All of them stand at the top of the world in some way. The man scouts out two who he deems to appropriately represent Gluttony and Lust.

One who impulsively overindulges in food stolen from the needy. And one who steals the innocence of others for their own pleasure, disregarding all else but themselves.

That night, they both die in their sleep, with only a shadow figure seen fleeing the scenes.

The next day, their crimes are revealed to the world and a crack in the belief system is formed.

People talk and whisper. 'Maybe the heroes aren't what they say they are.' They say. 'Maybe they are hiding something.'

These whispers are quickly put to rest by the other heroes.

With their smiling eyes and kind gestures, they put on a performance to strengthen the world's belief in them once again.

"We aren't bad people." They say with crossed fingers. "These are just lies that evildoers are saying. Don't believe their tricks."

The crack is covered up and there is no talk about the crimes again.

The man is upset about how quickly these crimes were pushed aside.

So he tries again.

A man and a woman have committed the sins of Envy and Greed. The two go hand in hand in this case. The woman has achieved success through her greed, while the man, her husband, chases after her success in envy, and tries to undermine her every chance he gets.

Insignificant crimes in the grand scheme of everything. However, every move these two make changes the lives of thousands. Together, they work in tandem to create a paradise that will take precious resources away from the ordinary. Food, clothes, homes. Gone, on a whim.

He decides to take away their precious resources and their crimes are exposed.

But again, with a wave of a hero's hand and a click of their many fingers, these crimes are swept away.

Another finger is formed on the man's hand that day.

He opens the door of truth to two more heroes, much more obscure than the rest. The sins of Wrath and Sloth.

One is guilty of destroying the lives of anyone who stands against them, and the other is guilty of standing aside with the knowledge of what they continue to do.

The man decides to drive his point to the world and gives them a public execution.

That day, a person with a hundred fingers walks into the main square. With these fingers come many arms, legs, and even eyes. A spectacle never seen before.

The people of the world could do nothing but watch as the creature uses its limbs to rip off the heroes' heads and then disappear. The heroes could only stand still as their extra fingers could do nothing but act as mere decorations in front of this unworldly creature.

"Monster." The people cry out. "I-it was a monster!"

The public murder of these two heroes gives way to unease. It is thick and heavy and hangs in the air as the world tries to move on. Is this monster only targeting heroes? Is anyone safe?

The world cannot move on in the end and they start to panic as a pattern is now formed on the crimes exposed on their favoured heroes.

The man is proud of his accomplishment. So proud in fact, his body reforms once again. But at this point, he barely even notices the change.

He goes out the very next day and two more heroes are dead. They were not named after a sin. Regardless, the man felt this was adequate justice for them to pay. They were false heroes after all.

The people of this world shiver and shake as they witness crime after crime exposed of their favoured heroes of peace and prosperity. Some are worse than others, and some are barely worth mentioning.

With glee, the prideful man hunts down the heroes, and in fear, the people finally decide to take up their own weapons and begin attacking the heroes which once gave them such security.

In their heads, it is only logical that any of these heroes could turn out to be the monster.

One by one, the heroes are being snuffed out.

And as the world lights up in flames and fewer and fewer fallen heroes are seen, the man realises his dream.

Until he is the only one left.

The man takes no notice of the hostility that hangs in the air. Suspicion and paranoia are everywhere with people constantly eyeing others' hands for any sign of an extra finger.

This is the world he has created.

The man believes he has brought peace and prosperity. He has finally become a hero like he has always dreamed of. Unlike the false heroes who stood on top of the world. He is the justice who protected the ordinary from the sinful.

With his mission accomplished, the man believes the people will look up to him as their saviour. With pride, he appears in public once again and stands at the podium where the false heroes made their speeches.

So blinded by his pride, he doesn't see the hatred pointed his way. The man smiles, his multiple eyes squinting with the action. He takes a deep breath to ask the people for their thanks. He believes he deserves it as he is ready to be named their one and true saviour.

But then loses his breath in that same action when the people take up their weapons against him too.

The man refuses to admit he did anything wrong. In the back of his head, he acknowledges his skin growing, reforming, changing, once again, but refuses to admit that he is a monster of his own making, a product of his own mistakes.

Standing on that podium, the man doesn't back down from what he has done and turns his eyes away from the dark truth he has been hiding from himself. Despite that, the world exposes his sins as he had once done to the heroes.

The man, the creature, the monster, stands tall and lets pride consume him completely even as the people cut him down along with the podium that was once a symbol of peace for the world.

These unordinary people are now gone. These people with extra fingers and limbs that represented their sins are gone. With only ordinary people left to tell the tale of what transpired.

However, they say if one commits a grave sin, you will feel the feeling of your hand shifting, changing, reforming, as it tries to grow an extra finger. The human body wants to show off your sin.

If that happens, then the monster will rise again, the cycle will remain unbroken; continuing for the rest of time.