The cracking whips tore their flesh, making fresh blood explode from the fissures refreshing the dulling shades of scarlet from the crisscrossing wounds leaving behind a trail of blood that painted the bottom of the marchers' bare feet and stamped the street with crimson footprints. Millions of people worldwide drawn in by morbid curiosity watched the macabre spectacle from their computer screens. Popular live feeds were accompanied by a stream of comments from viewers in real-time, creating an eclectic running commentary. Innumerable yellow cartoon faces expressed disgust, sorrow, and disdainful mockery. The modern Flagellants were a sign of the soul-swallowing darkness enveloping the world. They were the visceral expression of the despair that disfigured and deformed the people abandoned by society. They were born on the fringes but quickly swelled into a growing faith with enough adherents to make a nation stir at the site of their ritual of public self-mutilation. The bloody
This is a collection of anecdotes from the fringes of reality, a tapestry stitched together from our dreams as well as our nightmares, from the fears that haunt the collective imagination. These are the symptoms of the sickness known as the human condition.