"If I could start life all over again? I think I would have done everything differently," Neill said shortly before his death when asked by his nurse.
Neill is a thin old man who has suffered from cancer for many years. His short, white hair hangs down on all sides of his head and his face has faded greatly from years of suffering. He's already very old, but his eyes don't seem to want to let him down. But a light, reddish undertone in them makes his face look a little gloomy. A deep scar on the left cheek only reinforces this impression. His small nose and his very narrow mouth seem too unnatural in this constellation. However, when he speaks, his soft voice soothes in a way that otherwise only nature could manage. The rest of his rather thin body is hidden under the thick blanket of the hospital.
Adam, his caretaker, on the other hand, is of a rather stocky stature.His long, black hair is tied in a braid behind his head and hangs down to his back. His almost flawless face only appears to be disfigured by a large mole near his right eye. His dark brown eyes seem almost black in the weak hospital light and his wide mouth smiles weakly as he listens to Neill with his slightly protruding ears. As it should be, he wears a nurse's white coat with the inscription: Alphons Brothers Hospital. Underneath he wears light blue jeans and black leather shoes.
"As a boy I made far too many mistakes that I would like to undo, but it is probably too late now. I will not be given a second chance, I will not be able to change my life anymore."
While Neill is saying this, Adam gets up and goes to the window to open it. As he raises his arm to reach the window handle, the sleeve of his smock slowly pulls up his arm.Little by little, a large tattoo of a fiery red snake becomes visible. When Neill sees it, his eyes widen in fear.
"Adam, where did you get this tattoo from? Do you know what it means?" He asked in a touch of fear.
"My trainer recommended a tattoo artist to me last week. I went to him yesterday and he told me that this symbol was very popular. He said it symbolized strength and courage." Adam replied. "What about that?"
"It is the mark of Lanfar, a demon of the old days. All of his servants bear this symbol. It was his trademark, so to speak. It spread fear and terror."
Since Adam is not a gullible person, he first thinks it is just a joke of the old man, but when he looks into Neill's serious expression he quickly realizes that this is not going to be a good night story from a grandpa to his grandchildren. Although he is not convinced that this story will be true, he still wants to find out more."I've heard of a Lanfar before. However, he is said to have been a king of the Middle Ages and not a demon. I have read that he ruled with merciless violence, but I cannot imagine that he could have been a demon. Above all you seem to know him the way you talk about him, but you are not that old either, "he said. With the last sentence he tried to bring out the seriousness a little. But apparently he didn't succeed for a second, because Neill's mine didn't change a bit.
"Don't be kidding, boy, this is serious business! Lanfar wasn't just a merciless ruler! But you're right, I'm really not that old yet. But I got to know him anyway."
Adam, now a little curious, sits down a little more comfortably than before on his chair and looks at the old man with interest. Meanwhile he has already lowered his sleeve.
Neill, however, shakes his head and says, "No, I can't tell you about it.It would only make things worse. My father made the same mistake you made back then. I beg you, he was killed for it. I don't want you to suffer the same fate. "
Adam recoils. "Neill looks so serious. But that can't be. You don't kill people because of a tattoo ?! Or do you? Maybe I should have it removed again after all."
While he is thinking this, he pulls his sleeve back up and looks at the tattoo again. When he looks at it more closely, he suddenly feels connected to the tattoo. With every second that passes, he has more and more the feeling of being part of something much bigger. Suddenly he hears a quiet but clear voice. "Aaaadaaaam. Aaaadaaam. Give me your soul! Be part of me! Aaaaadaaaaaam. Be strong, Adam! You are something better than the others. You are special. Come join me!"
At that moment, Neill grabs Adam's arm and pulls him out of this trance-like state.For an old, sick man, Neill grabs pretty tight, Adam has to say that too. But Neill doesn't let go of him. His grip is even getting tighter. He only lets go of Adam when he almost begins to scream.
"You didn't hear his voice? He wanted you to give him his soul right? That's how it started back then with my father," he now reports with great sadness. But suddenly his eyes flicker with hatred and stare hard at Adam. "You will have it removed again tomorrow, do you understand?"
Intimidated by his strength and his gaze, Adam now looks at the floor and promises Neill to have the tattoo removed that evening.
"Good. I hope you can see that it's too dangerous. Well, it's late too, I think it's better if you go now. Good night."
"Yes is fine. Good night Neill."
With these words he thoughtfully leaves the room and closes the door behind him. Still thinking, he walks down the long corridor of the hospital, his forehead furrowed.With this expression on his face, he stands in front of the nurses' common room and slowly opens the door.
A couple of his colleagues sit inside and talk about the day. Jack, a good friend of Adam's, is the first to notice him and immediately approaches him.
Jack is a stocky, young man whose face is mainly made up of a small beard and his protruding ears. The rest of his face is otherwise average and his short hair is brushed up. His blue, slightly closed eyes say that he has been working for a long time and is therefore very exhausted. Just like Adam, he wears a nurse's white coat. But he wears black jeans and normal sports shoes.
"Adam, what's going on? You look like you've seen a ghost. Come on, tell me what's going on," he says, while Adam comes closer and closer, looking at him questioningly. But Adam doesn't give him a single look and just walks past him. Jack, now completely perplexed, stares after him and waits for Adam to look back or at least greet him.But none of that. Adam just goes straight to the next window and sits on the ledge. As if hypnotized, he looks out into the large garden of the hospital. But while he looks around so dreamily, Jack suddenly comes and pulls him out of his daydream.
"Adam, damn it, wake up! You could at least have said hello to me. Well, it doesn't matter, what's the matter with you?" But he does not answer, but rather gives him to understand that he would like to talk to him about it alone. Jack doesn't understand what this is about but he goes back to his table and takes a long sip of coffee.
Suddenly you can hear a loud bell ringing from the nearby church. Some of their colleagues get up immediately, take their jackets and leave the room. Jack also gets up and gets his jacket, but he also takes Adam's blazer and brings it to him.
"Come on, let's go. It's getting late," he says, holding out his jacket to Adam.Adam cannot be told this twice, however. He takes his blazer and goes out into the corridor with Jack. Slowly they stroll down the long corridor, their destination, the elevator. Finally reached, Jack presses the button to call the elevator and only ten seconds later he is already there. You get in and take him down to the ground floor. Once at the bottom, they go straight to the exit and leave the hospital in the direction of the church, because the way across the cemetery is the fastest way for them to get home.
Arriving at the cemetery, Adam finally reports what Neill has told him, not having said a word, and shows him the tattoo.
"You don't believe this old owl, do you? He's just confused. He must have had some experience with a snake as a child and since then he's been telling something like that when he sees a snake or something.", Jack replies immediately.
"That's what I thought at first, but you should have seen his eyes.It looked like they were on fire. Also, there was that strange voice that I heard. I think I'll really have it removed. "
"Are you still in your senses? Just because one of our patients tells a story like that, do you want to throw away your money? I've never seen you like this before. Leave it, keep it, what's going to happen?"
With these words he gets up from the bench on which they sat, because it was getting late.
"DONG, DONG, DONG, DONG ..."
"... 16. Did you hear? It's already twelve o'clock! We should slowly go on."
"Yes in a moment. I just want to go to my father's grave. It's right up here."
"All right, but I'll come with you. You know, I'm not so into dark cemeteries," he says, looking a little ashamed at the floor. Adam has already started and is now waiting for Jack. He takes a faster step to come after Adam and quickly catches up with him. Adam has already arrived at his father's grave.It is right next to the small church chapel. Adam kneels in front of the grave and prays a few words that Jack does not understand. But suddenly they both hear a strange noise from the small chapel.
"Let's get out of here. That was probably just a rat or something," says Jack, almost wet with fear. But Adam just waves him away and walks closer to the chapel.
"That's not a good idea ... I think!"
“Psst, be quiet!” As he says this, he comes closer and closer to a window in the chapel.
But when he finally got to the window, he doesn't know whether he should really look inside. But beyond any doubt, he finally dares to take a look inside.
Slowly he approaches his eyes to the window so that he can see through clearly. But when his eyes are finally close enough, he doesn't trust them, because what he saw there contradicted everything he