The Devil Lies

He looks at me and I look back. Our eyes are locked. "Trust me." he says, and extends his hand to me. I look at it doubtfully. I finally reach out and take it. He is still looking down into my face. I am still looking up into his. I don't trust him. Still though I am putting trust in him.

He pulls me up by my arm and walks me away from where I had fallen. He tells me that he can take me somewhere where he can keep me safe. I still don't trust him, yet I go with him.

He walks me over to what looks like a basement door or a door to a root cellar. He opens it and I walk down the steps with him.

"This is what I like to call my waiting room." He says and smiles at me.

The room is dark it is lit only with large black candles. I see photos on the wall. I turn and start to go over to them. He grabs me by the arm and turns me toward him.

"I have to ask you a question." He says still smiling that awful smile of his.

"Ask away." I reply.

"Do you want to go where I can keep you safe?"

"Safe from what.?"

"Don't you know why I was picking you up off the ground? Can't you remember?"

I think back and do remember something. Someone coming at me with a knife. Then the next thing I can remember is looking into this guys face. His plain ordinary common face. Nothing different about it except for that smile. His mouth smiles but his eyes don't register it. His eyes are dark and cold looking.

"Do you remember or not?"

"I remember. What happened to the guy with the knife?"

"I scared him off. I guess you could say I saved you. I would like to save you again by taking you where you will be safe and nobody will harm you again."

"I guess that would be nice." I say at last, giving into him.

"Then you agree to come with me?"

"Yes I do."

"Good then have a seat in that chair behind you and wait. Soon you will be somewhere safe."

He starts to walk farther into the darkness of this room and I ask him. "What are the pictures on the wall for?"

"Those are pictures of my most recent clients."

I get out of the chair and look at the pictures. I see a picture of an old woman lying in a hospital bed. I see one of a man hanging half in and half out of a wrecked car, There is blood all over him. Strange pictures I think and then I see one of a man lying on the ground. I look closer and there is a knife sticking out of the chest of the man. Then I notice he is wearing the same clothes as I'm wearing. I look closer and see it is me in the photo.

I yell into the darkness, "What's going on here? Whay is my picture on the wall? Am I dead?" I scream the last one as hard as I can.

A voice comes back from the darkness. "You're dead pretty much answers all you questions."

"I still have more questions. What is this place and who are you?"

"This is the waiting room to Hell and I am Lucifer. I usually don't make such special trips to receive the soul but you are one of the border lines. You could go either way and I have to get you to come my way on your own. Sorry but you have already agreed to come with me."

"But you said you were taking me somewhere safe."

"I am I'm taking you to where God can't get you soul, safe from him."

"You said you were taking me where I would never be hurt again. You made it sound like a paradise."

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that the Devil lies?"

Then I look in horror as the ground opens beneath my chair and I fall into the rising heat and wails of agony.
The End
Mike Meehan
Dec. 7, 2001