[felcin]: 577.The Shadows Are Our Only Friends.Chapter One

The night dawned close as he stepped away from the cliff; he tried to stop the screaming from entering his ears, but to no avail. He turned and ran from the sound. He ran for two hours, the desperate screaming still lingering in his ears.
Where he was he did not know, not which direction in which he had run. But he did know that now he must keep running and never turn back for he did not want to see the devil once more.
He was grabbed from behind and pulled into the back of a rock. The force slamming him onto the floor. He looked up at the smoky figure.
“Must I be judged now?”
“Yes.” The figure answered in a monotonous voice.
“Do I have to go down there?”
“Yes.” The figure repeated. The ground disappeared from below him and like so many times before he fell backwards into the black abyss newly created.

The court silenced themselves as a figure fell through the roof and landed unceremonisely in the chair provided.
All eyes turned to him.
Metal straps appeared on the arms of the chair and fastened round his wrists. Unable to move he sat solemnly looking at his newly shined boots.
“The court will rise.” Shouted the invisible usher.
The door opened and into the courtroom walked the devil in all his finery.
The red forked tail swished menacingly behind him as he took his place on the stage.
The devil looked down his nose at the man in question and readied himself for the performance ahead.
The two hours in the courtroom dragged by slowly for the accused and when finally let go on a warning the devil’s secutary summoned him to the devils waiting room.
He knocked on the devils’ door and walked in. “Why did you have to drag that on for so long?”
“Because it is fun to watch you squirm. Why else?” the devil asked without looking up.
“Hmmm, but still.”
“Still nothing. You sold your soul to me willingly, I didn’t blackmail you like others –“
“So you’re saying that this is all my fault?” he demanded of the devil. His master ignored the question and carried on with his paperwork.
He shuffled though some papers on his desk and when apparently finding what he was looking for, handed a piece of paper to the man before him. “I have a new assignment for you.”