A Deal With The Devil

First Steps

"I shouldn't be here...I'm a good person." I said to myself. It was unbearably hot for what must be 11 o'clock at night, almost scalding, and my skin was starting to itch. It felt like I was going to burn alive. Of course that wasn't going to happen though, that would be too easy. I pushed open the heavy, wrought iron gate, stumbling on a few loose stones. I never thought of a place like this having days and nights, but I suppose it made sense. Even demons and under-worldly creatures needed to keep track of time. The path was dimly lit, causing me to trip up on roots and uneven paving. Who knew there was paving in Hell. After a while, I began to wonder if I was in the right place...this path was never ending! Trees were scattered around the place, making my visibility limited. Just as I was about to turn back and demand whoever had brought me here to take me some-place else,  I was stopped in my tracks. Standing right in front of me was a gargantuan monster of a building.

The mansion looked as if it was made out of some sort of stone, and was a dull, foggy grey colour; it was probably white in it's early days, but the torture of Hell must have taken its toll on it. What was once possibly a grand piece of art now looked like a contemptible creature, more suited to it's location. Large, thick pillars stood on either side of a grand looking door, with internecine patterns and drawings engraved into the heavy wood. I couldn't see much else of the building, as it seemed to merge in with the ever growing darkness. A shiver ran down my spine at the thought of what could be lurking in such dark places.

I looked back to the towering beast in front of me, terrified by the sheer size of it. My heart felt like it was going to explode, and I struggled to control my shaking. "No," I whispered to myself, "this is for Elijah. He's going to live because of this."  The thought of Elijah's face looking up at me brought a smile to my lips and a tear to my eye. This was all for him. I would sell my soul a thousand times over if it meant that he could live a long and happy life. Thinking of Elijah gave me the boost of confidence I needed, and I took in a shaky breath. I placed my hand on the brass knocker, feeling the details without seeing them. This was it, no going back. No more family. No more friends. No more anything. My arm instinctively lifted, bringing the weight in my hand with it, then came forcefully down again slamming the knocker against the solid wood. I stilled. A wave of nausea flooded through me, but I pushed it back, letting go of a breath I never knew I was holding. I couldn't lose my nerve now. I'd made it this far.

After what felt like aeons, I heard noises coming from inside. A sharp whistling noise made me flinch. It sounded like any normal whistle, but the pitch was too high...too high for any human that is. More noises followed, like the shuffling of feet and muffled voices, then a loud clunk came from the door itself. It slowly opened, straining against its own weight, and I was met with a foul smell of burning...and something else I couldn't quite place. What came next knocked the breath out of my lungs. A towering figure stood in the doorway, filling the space that was once occupied by the door.

I was standing face to face with a demon.