Darned to Heck

Demon

~Heaven~

I thumbed the papers of the manuscript repeatedly, knowing that each time my fingers brushed the paper it degraded just a little bit. As did my mind which, brushed repeatedly by the same gnawing thought was beginning to fray.

"I think that will be plenty for today Iaoel, you may leave."

"Oh, oh really? Thank you sir!" The eyes of my somewhat erratic apprentice lit up from within with an enviable easiness and excitement at the prospect of a shortened session of scroll study. One day I hoped he would be as excited for studying our history as he was at this moment for its absence in his life. Maybe that was foolish of me.

I watched as he carefully but clumsily gathered his books and scrolls and pushed the chair back behind his desk, before presenting me with a bow that was still slightly lacking grace but was improving. "I thank you for your wisdom." He recited before straightening and waiting for my reply.

"As I have been given the wisdom of God, so it shall be given unto you." I finished the custom between master and apprentice, permitting him to exit the room. Maybe there was hope for the young angel after all.

With my apprentice gone I could allow my appearance to slip somewhat, revealing the worry that had been wearing me down. Slouching in my seat I gathered the papers that I had been unable to focus on into a neat pile as I thought aloud.

"What if they did not believe me?"

The paranoia that had been snaking it's sinful grip around my mind since the day I had informed the High Council of the great threat lurking like rotten fruit in the underworld had finally come to the point where I could no longer ignore it. How I myself could be infected with its darkness from so far away was proof enough of the power of it's evil, and as far as I knew there had been nothing done apart from the expulsion of Remiel from Heaven.

This in itself went some way to calming my fears that I had been taken seriously, but proved only that they had found guilt in the actions of the young seer, and not that they believed that an ancient race of demons had somehow been resurrected. And this I suppose was my dilemma, if they did not believe, then nothing would be done. And if nothing would be done then there could be only one outcome, this outcome being the disease of sin being spread at an unstoppable rate throughout the human world. This could not happen. The demon had to be destroyed, and if not by the high council, then surely it was God's will for it to be destroyed by me.

___________________________

~Hell~

Ten green bottles, sitting on the wall,

Ten green bottles, sitting on the wall,

And if one green bottle should accidentally fall...

There'd be nine green bottles, sitting on the wall.

Nine gree-

Is singing that song going to help in some way or did you just blow a fuse trying to get your stupid little brain to think a way out of this?

Shut up it helps me think.

You need a lot more than a nursery rhyme to help you think.

NINE GREEN BOTTLES, SITTING ON THE WALL.

I had been reduced to arguing yet again with that snarky little voice that lived inside my head as I lay in motionless contemplation beneath the floor of the grand hall. The grand hall which, to the best of my knowledge still contained not one, but eight probably angry and definitely ridiculously powerful demons. One of whom just so happened to be the King of Hell, who it seemed I had royally pissed off. Again.