* * *
Tuesday, September 16th
The weather was crisp, and the sunshine a hazy orange-yellow, much like the leaves as they began to change colors. The first official day of Fall was six days away, but the muggy humidity had calmed a bit, and the temperature wasn’t as overbearing as it had been most of the summer. Poisonous noticed the change in temperature for the first time in her existence. Fall had never affected her as a demon, but now it felt good on her skin. As was her habit since her tenure on earth started, she walked to the Metro station at Mt Vernon Square/7th St-Convention Center.
Today, she had arranged to meet Snakebite at his condo. She wanted to devise a plan to wreak havoc in the lives of humans—especially the younger ones—whose ideas and ideals were more based on romance and youthful optimism. Younger ones hadn’t the time to learn wisdom from living life for many years. Snakebite and she had agreed to meet at his condo first, because making diabolical plans in public would arouse suspicion and trouble; mostly in the form of mass chaos, and if members of the Light were there, a powerful impediment to their plans.
She changed to the Red Line at Gallery Place, took the Red Line to the DuPont Circle Station, from whence she walked to his Condo complex, and took the elevator to his room. A quick knock on the door, and footsteps approached.
“Welcome,” Snakebite said. “You look lovely today per usual. Please come in.”
“Why, thank you, kind sir.” She walked into his condo, and sat on the couch. “Did I mention that I really like your place? It looks well appointed…for a man.” Her grin teased him more out of flirtation than anything else.
“Thank you for your feminine input,” he said, wearing a crooked, almost cynical smile.
Poisonous looked at him with a sober expression on her face. “Before we go any further, I should mention that you may not suggest any evil to me, or accompany me when I do evil: you will be sent to Hell by Lord Yehovah’s angels. They’ll run you through with their swords, and your judgment will be swift. No second chances.” She held his hand tightly. “So please don’t do that. I’d miss you and feel awful. I’ve already seen one of my fellow lust nymphs suffer that punishment, and I don’t relish seeing it happen again.”
“Very well, “ he answered, “So what exactly are you going to do today?”
“I think I should convince—one way or another—some young idealistic college students to join ISIS. What do you think?”
“If that’s what you want to do, it sounds like a capital idea.”
She went out the door, hoping he would follow her of his own accord. She ended up on the campus of George Washington University. The Fall semester had just been underway for about three weeks, and many of the students trekked from class to class, sometimes a great distance away. She strolled from the Foggy Bottom Metro Station, down Twenty-Third Street, took a left on H Street and turned into the Mid Campus Quad/Kogan Plaza. Today, there were no special groups soliciting or performing: just students hanging out or milling about as small groups.
“Oh, this is just lovely,” she said. “Many willing victims just waiting to be pulled into the barbaric mindset of radical Islamic Sharia Law.”
“Oh yes,” said Snakebite. “I smell all sorts of dystopia, dissatisfaction, and disillusionment. Even though they don’t really know why, they feel like rebelling.”
Surveying the crowd, Poisonous said, “I’ll go talk to that young lady over there. She looked at a young gentleman sitting in the Gazebo, and said nothing.
Snakebite took her hint, and walked towards the young man.
She walked towards the girl, and casually sat down next to her on a bench. The girl had a textbook about Philosophy open to somewhere in the middle, where it discussed Middle Eastern Philosophy. Seeing her chance, Poisonous said, “Are you interested in Middle Eastern Philosophy?”
“I don’t know, exactly. I do know that capitalism is highly overrated, and even in Democracies, the main objective is to accumulate wealth, and exploit countries for their resources, even when many of the people in those countries are very poor. It seems that many countries in the Old World are being mercilessly manipulated.”
“Would you like to do something about that yourself? I think I could take you to someone who might give you a different perspective on life. Would you be willing to at least listen to him?”
“At this point, I’ll try anything.”
“Great! Come with me and my friend over there, and we’ll visit my friend, who will open you up to all sorts of ways of thinking that are not that of the Western world, but of a simpler, more honest way of life.”
“Okay.”
“My name’s Perri, by the way.”
“I’m Caitlin.”
“Nice to meet you Caitlin.”
Snakebite walked up to her and said, “This fellow wants to know more about ancient Middle Eastern culture. He says, Capitalism has ruined this country.”
She smiled and said, “Well, come with us. Caitlin feels the same way.” She called a TNC car, and all four proceed to the Islamic Center in the Embassy Row corridor. When they arrived, Poisonous got out of the car, and knew the reception she’d get, so she prepared in advance to ‘convince’ the guard to simply let them in. She walked in first, and met the same guard she had seen twice before. Before he could say a word, her eyes burned bright red. You will let me and my party visit Mr. Quraishi right away.
“Are you here to see Mr. Quraishi?”
“Yes, we are,” she said, feeling her patience dwindle by the moment.
“I will tell him you are here.”
“Also tell him we have two young people
