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Chapter 1<\/strong><\/p>\n The Condemned of the Week<\/strong><\/p>\n Philip heard him. His steps sounded like whispers in the silent basement, his fingers cracking in anticipation. Philip even thought he heard the smile spreading across Sam\u2019s lips.<\/p>\n Scrunching up behind the large metal cabinet where the janitor kept all his tools, Philip glanced cautiously around the corner. His heart leaped into his throat when the shadow on the wall suddenly reared its head. It seemed unnaturally huge. Demon-like. Maybe it was only the strange light playing tricks, but didn\u2019t it seem as though the shadow had horns?<\/p>\n \u201cWhere are youuuu?\u201d crooned the shadow cheerfully. \u201cCome out, come out wherever you are!\u201d<\/p>\n Philip made himself as small as possible. He felt the sweat dribbling down his back. It was hot as an oven in here. Or perhaps it just felt that way because he was trapped in the school\u2019s basement with Sam.<\/p>\n They called him Devil Sam. You could write thick volumes about the cruel, spine-chilling things he\u2019d done. If the devil was a boy, he would be Sam. His victims weren\u2019t just random students he got hold of on the playground, or whom he\u2019d met in the empty hallways whenever he skipped class. No, Devil Sam\u2014a ninth grader, two classes ahead of Philip\u2014was far more refined than that.<\/p>\n Each week he chose a new victim, fresh meat, whom he terrorized until the final bell on Friday. If you had the dubious distinction of being the Condemned of the Week, then all you could do was try to blend into the wallpaper and hope that you survived. Eventually Sam\u2019s dragon eyes would turn toward some other kid, and you\u2019d be okay. For a while, anyway.<\/p>\n This week Philip had been the chosen one. Up until now he\u2019d gotten off relatively lightly. Sam had forced him to eat a few mouthfuls of sand, he\u2019d tied him to one of the showerheads in the girl\u2019s locker room, and he\u2019d forced him to go hungry for an entire day by stealing his lunch and snack money. Oh, and Sam had also peed in his pencil case. Twice.<\/p>\n Still, these were minor things compared to what Sam had done to some of the other kids.<\/p>\n But it wasn\u2019t the weekend yet. There was still an hour of Friday left, Philip was still the Condemned of the Week, and right now he sat scrunched up behind the cabinet in the basement staring at the enormous shadow on the wall. It almost seemed as though the shadow had been painted on. He could see it sniffing and listening like a wild animal on the prowl, and Philip thought that if the smell of his cold sweat didn\u2019t give him away, then his thumping heart would. It roared like a steam engine.<\/p>\n He should be sitting in math class right now, his hand raised, ready to tell Mr. Johnson, their math teacher, that he had already completed some exercises that hadn\u2019t been assigned yet, and that he hoped that was okay.<\/p>\n So how did he wind up down here? In the company of a boy who would have made even the lions in the old Colosseum flee for their lives with a whimper?<\/p>\n It was Mike\u2019s fault.<\/p>\n Mike had forgotten his gym clothes in the locker room, and he\u2019d asked Mr. Johnson if he could go retrieve them. And could Philip tag along with him? It would only take a minute.<\/p>\n At that point there had been a lot of confusion in the classroom, because a couple of the students had fought during recess, and one had gotten hurt; four complained that they\u2019d forgotten to do their homework, which caused three others to bark that they <\/em>had done theirs. With an irritated wave of his hand, Mr. Johnson gave Mike and Philip permission to leave the classroom.<\/p>\n \u201cSon of a\u2026!\u201d Mike shouted when they entered the boy\u2019s locker room. Someone had rummaged in his gym bag, and his clothes had been scattered across the floor. \u201cWhy can\u2019t people keep their hands to themselves?\u201d<\/p>\n They gathered Mike\u2019s clothes, but when Mike checked his things, he discovered that his towel was missing.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you mind seeing if the idiots threw it down the stairwell?\u201d he\u2019d asked, pointing at the door beside the gym. It led down to the boiler room, and it stood ajar.<\/p>\n Philip had gone ten steps down the stairwell when the door suddenly slammed shut. The hollow thud was followed by the sound of a lock clicking.<\/p>\n \u201cMike?\u201d Philip clutched the doorknob, but the door wouldn\u2019t budge an inch. \u201cMike, this isn\u2019t funny!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Philip,\u201d Mike said. \u201cBut he told me to do it. Otherwise it would be my turn next week.\u201d This was followed by the sound of footsteps quickly fading in the distance.<\/p>\n \u201cMike! Mike, come back!\u201d<\/p>\n His cries curled down the stairwell, like desperate prayers from another world. Philip turned toward the gray shadows.<\/p>\n The entrance to the schoolyard was all the way at the far end of the basement, but if he could find the courage to get moving instead of standing here like some wuss, he might be able to reach it before Sam found him.<\/p>\n He plunged down the long stairwell at a crazy pace and sped across the basement. The entire time he expected Sam to come leaping out of the shadows, grinning his diabolic grin. But nothing happened, and a little farther on he saw the exit. He\u2019d made it!<\/p>\n Almost\u2026<\/p>\n Because when Philip tried to open the doors, they didn\u2019t budge an inch, either. Something was blocking them on the other side. That left only the broad staircase, the one that led up to the ninth-grade classrooms.<\/p>\n Behind him\u2014a creaking sound. Followed by footfalls. Then a familiar voice sang: \u201cWhere are youuuu? Come out, come out wherever you are!\u201d<\/p>\n Now he sat here. Trapped. Boxed into a corner. There was nothing for him to do but hope for the best. Which\u2014when Devil Sam was involved\u2014was bad enough.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re so quiet!\u201d Sam chirped before shifting his voice into a darker growl: \u201cI\u2019ll see to that real fast.\u201d<\/p>\n And suddenly, like a demon rising from the darkest depths of Hell, Sam stood before Philip.<\/p>\n \u201cHello there,\u201d Sam smiled, revealing his nicotine-yellow teeth. His dark hair, gleaming with gel, was curled into two crescent-shaped horns. He removed his backpack and set it on the floor. It clinked ominously. As if the bag were full of knives instead of books.<\/p>\n \u201cSome teachers say I never do my homework. But I do. Like this assignment I\u2019m writing for history class that I thought you could help me with. You know, a little research and whatnot.\u201d Sam opened his backpack and pulled out something that resembled some sort of barbecue fork. \u201cIt\u2019s about torturers in the Middle Ages. Let me tell you something, little Philip, those guys could make people confess to anything.\u201d<\/p>\n Sam pulled more stuff from his bag. A meat hammer, a cigar cutter, a few fishing hooks, a pair of pliers, and a battery-powered immersion blender. The sight of each object made Philip\u2019s head spin. The floor beneath his feet seemed to shift.<\/p>\n \u201cPhilip, of the seventh grade,\u201d Sam said, squinching his face into grim, almost ceremonial knots. \u201cYou\u2019re accused of consorting with the Devil. How do you plead?\u201d<\/p>\n Philip stared at the immersion blender and swallowed a lump the size of the cabinet he\u2019d hidden behind.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s correct,\u201d he whispered, nodding feverishly. \u201cI\u2019ve consorted with the Devil.\u201d<\/p>\n For a moment Sam seemed almost disappointed. It wasn\u2019t the answer he\u2019d expected, and Philip felt a glimmer of hope. Then Sam\u2019s lips parted in a devious smirk.<\/p>\n \u201cPhilip, Philip, Philip,\u201d he said, \u201cthey punished people even if they confessed.\u201d<\/p>\n Grinning, Sam reached for him, and Philip could do nothing but close his eyes and pray it would be over with quickly. And that his parents would buy some nice flowers for his gravesite.<\/p>\n But someone must have heard his prayers, because suddenly a loud voice shook the basement with such force that Philip nearly fainted: \u201cWhat the hell? Are you out bullying again?\u201d<\/p>\n Philip opened his eyes and saw Sam being yanked backward by a dirty fist clutching his neck.<\/p>\n The school\u2019s janitor was as big as a dragon and just as frightening to look at. He suffered from some kind of disease that made his skin look scaly and reptilian. Back when Philip was in Pre-K he\u2019d been certain that one day he\u2019d see fire spewing from the man\u2019s dark mouth. But the janitor didn\u2019t just look like a dragon, he was strong like one, too, and he was one of the only adults at school who dared stand up to Sam.<\/p>\n \u201cLet me go!\u201d Sam howled, punching wildly at the janitor\u2019s tree-trunk of an arm. The janitor let go, but only to seize one of Sam\u2019s ears instead. In his other hand he held something Philip at first believed was a whip, until on closer inspection he realized it was a rolled-up cord.<\/p>\n \u201cOwwww! That hurts!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course it does,\u201d the janitor replied, smiling at Philip. \u201cI\u2019m just helping you do a little research for your history assignment. Aren\u2019t you gonna thank me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll make sure your fat\u2014\u201d With a painful yowling Sam broke off in mid-sentence, as the janitor gave him another hard tug on his ear. \u201cThank you! Thank you!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s better. Let\u2019s go to the principal\u2019s office and tell him what a good student you\u2019ve been today.\u201d The janitor dragged away Sam, who made strange hops to avoid having his ear torn right off.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not off the hook!\u201d wailed Sam, so that the words echoed in the basement. \u201cYou\u2019re still the Condemned of the Week! Do you hear me? You\u2019re not off the hook!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou better believe you\u2019re not off my<\/em> hook,\u201d the janitor said, and judging by Sam\u2019s howling, gave his ear an extra hard twist.<\/p>\n Philip remained seated within the dark shadow of the cabinet, his knees pulled up under his chin. He didn\u2019t leave until the final bell rang and he heard his boisterous schoolmates rushing home for the weekend.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Chapter 2<\/strong><\/p>\n A Good Deed<\/strong><\/p>\n The classroom was empty when Philip returned. The chairs were stacked, and the tables cleaned. Only Philip\u2019s seat stood out.<\/p>\n He gathered his books. On the chalkboard Mr. Johnson had written the homework assignment, and though Philip had already completed it, he still noted the page number in his black notebook.<\/p>\n As he put on his jacket, he glanced at Mike\u2019s spot. The chair sat at an angle, and a pencil and a broken ruler lay underneath the table. Mike had clearly rushed home.<\/p>\n Other kids in Philip\u2019s situation would probably be angry with Mike and hope that he contracted the nastiest disease. Maybe they would plot some elaborate revenge involving rope, train tracks, and a train schedule\u2014or maybe they would try turning him in to the police, because there had to be some law against that kind of backstabbing.<\/p>\n But Philip wasn\u2019t angry with Mike. In fact, he wasn\u2019t even upset. Mike had only done it because Sam had forced him to. That it affected Philip was unfortunate, of course, but it really wasn\u2019t Mike\u2019s fault. Besides, nothing had happened, and although it had been close, Philip had exited the cellar in one piece.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat the heck, Philip, you\u2019re still here?\u201d<\/p>\n Mr. Johnson, their math teacher, walked into the classroom. His hair was tousled, his pants and shirtsleeves stained with chalk dust. He looked like someone searching for something important. \u201cWhere on earth did I put it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I\u2026\u201d Philip went quiet, observing Mr. Johnson, whose eyes darted around the room looking for whatever he was missing.<\/p>\n He didn\u2019t even notice I was gone<\/em>, Philip thought. The entire math class came and went, and he didn\u2019t even notice my seat was empty<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, there it is!\u201d Mr. Johnson said, rushing to the windowsill. He picked up his coffee mug between the terrarium and the large cactus and breathed a sigh of relief. \u201cLosing your mug is like losing a leg.\u201d He walked toward the door. \u201cHave a good weekend, Philip, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLikewise,\u201d Philip replied. In a half-hour, he thought, Mr. Johnson wouldn\u2019t remember running into him.<\/p>\n Philip went to the terrarium and peered through the filthy glass. From the shadows between the green leaves the spider\u2019s black eyes stared at him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Philip was riding along the bike path through the park, when his eyes caught something that he didn\u2019t notice at first. Not until three seconds and one hundred feet later did it occur to him just what he\u2019d seen.<\/p>\n He turned around and rode back. And he hadn\u2019t been mistaken. Up there, almost all the way up on top of the beech tree, sat a black cat.<\/p>\n Philip got off his bike and strode to the tree. The cat didn\u2019t seem to understand how it had gotten up there, and why the earth was so far down.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you stuck?\u201d he asked, and the cat\u2019s sea-green eyes turned toward him. The branch it was sitting on swayed in the breeze, and its claws dug deeper into the bark. It wasn\u2019t at all happy to be in this situation. Maybe a dog had chased it up there.<\/p>\n \u201cYou cats never learn, do you? Dogs can\u2019t climb trees. You only need to go six feet up the trunk to be safe. Why do you always scramble all the way up? Come on down, little kitty! Come on down!\u201d He extended his arm and wiggled his fingers as if he were carrying food. \u201cHere, kitty, kitty, kitty.\u201d<\/p>\n The cat meowed as if to say that wasn\u2019t enough. Philip understood the logic in that. A man caught on the fourth floor of a burning building wouldn\u2019t come down either just because the firemen asked him to.<\/p>\n \u201cStay calm,\u201d Philip said, tossing his backpack on the ground. He spit in his hands, clutched the lowest branch, and swung up into the tree. \u201cI\u2019ll get you down. Just stay where you are.\u201d<\/p>\n Halfway up the tree Philip paused a moment to enjoy the sights. There were no other trees nearby, so he had a good view of the park and the city. He could see the library, the school, the water tower, and tiny people walking on the sidewalk, each with their own places to go and things to do. The idea of him sitting up here observing them, without them knowing it, made him feel powerful. Almost as though he could sit up there and direct their lives from afar. As if the entire city belonged to him.<\/p>\n Above him the cat meowed to remind him that he didn\u2019t have all day.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, okay, I\u2019m coming.\u201d Philip continued up. Suddenly one of his feet slipped, and only pure reflex kept him from falling down.<\/p>\n \u201cWhoa!\u201d he gasped, staring at the ground below. \u201cThat was close.\u201d<\/p>\n The cat meowed again.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, okay! Be patient. I could\u2019ve died.\u201d He clambered higher, until the cat was right above him.<\/p>\n Philip reached up, and the cat retreated a bit.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the wrong way. You need to help me here if we\u2019re going to do this. C\u2019mon. I won\u2019t hurt you. I\u2019m here to help you.\u201d<\/p>\n For a moment it appeared as though the cat didn\u2019t trust him. Then it began to move slowly closer.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s it. Just like that.\u201d<\/p>\n Philip leaned as far forward as he could without losing his balance and scooped up the cat. His fingers sank into its velvet-soft fur, and he lifted it from the branch.<\/p>\n Carefully, with just one hand free, he began his descent. With his other hand he held the cat, whose black fur smelled weird. Almost charred.<\/p>\n No, not charred<\/em>, he corrected himself. It smells like sulfur. Like a struck match.<\/em><\/p>\n After climbing several feet down, he let go of the cat and let it climb the rest of the way itself. Like a black shadow it leapt from branch to branch, until at last it hopped to the ground and began licking its fur.<\/p>\n Philip landed with a thump!<\/em> beside it.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, what have you got to say for yourself?\u201d he asked, brushing himself off.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks for helping me out,\u201d the cat replied, then quickly disappeared into the lush bushes of the park.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Chapter 3<\/strong><\/p>\n In Search of the Cat<\/strong><\/p>\n At first Philip biked around and around, searching the park. Then the streets surrounding the park. Then the streets surrounding the streets surrounding the park.<\/p>\n No luck. The cat had simply vanished, and all Philip got out of his exhaustive search were sore thighs and beads of sweat on his forehead.<\/p>\n Thanks for helping me out.<\/em><\/p>\n The words spun round and round in his head, sending cool shivers down his back. The cat had spoken. He\u2019d heard it himself. He\u2019d seen<\/em> it himself. Seen its lips\u2014or whatever they were called on a cat\u2014shape the five small words.<\/p>\n Thanks for helping me out.<\/em><\/p>\n Then it had disappeared.<\/p>\n Had he imagined it?<\/p>\n No, he hadn\u2019t. He\u2019d even seen<\/em> the cat speak.<\/p>\n But cats can\u2019t talk, Philip.<\/em><\/p>\n He knew that. But that was why he was roving around the city looking for it. To ask it just what was going on.<\/p>\n Where is it then, Philip? You should be able to find a talking cat, right? Why don\u2019t you just call out to it? Maybe it\u2019ll answ\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n Philip jammed on the brakes so hard that his wheels carved two black snakes into the bike path, and the mocking voice in his head fell silent.<\/p>\n On the other side of the road, in the shadow of a tall weeping willow, sat the cat. Its coal-black pelt blended with the tree\u2019s shadow, and its green eyes were sharply defined and clear. They almost looked like holes boring through to another world. The cat was looking directly at Philip.<\/p>\n A red stoplight kept Philip from crossing the street. There were no cars, but Philip never crossed on a red light.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t run away,\u201d he whispered, drumming impatiently on his handlebars. \u201cDon\u2019t run away.\u201d<\/p>\n Finally the light changed, and Philip biked onto the street, toward the cat waiting on the other side. He furrowed his brow when he realized something.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not even looking at me<\/em>, he thought. It\u2019s looking at something behind me.<\/em><\/p>\n At this instant a strong shove on his back knocked him off balance. His hands jerked the handlebars to the left, and he hurtled out into the middle of the crosswalk.<\/p>\n \u201cI told you that you wouldn\u2019t get away!\u201d Sam howled, gloating. \u201cI told y\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n His triumphant shouts were abruptly squelched by the sound of screeching rubber, and Philip felt everything moving suddenly very fast and very slow at the same time.<\/p>\n He lifted his head, and that movement alone seemed to last hours.<\/p>\n He saw the black car barreling right at him.<\/p>\n He saw the elderly man behind the steering wheel.<\/p>\n He saw the object dangling from the man\u2019s necklace. Watched it swing back and forth. Back and forth. Like a pendulum in an old clock.<\/p>\n And he saw that the clock was about to stop.<\/p>\n Then the car slammed into him, and in the darkness that consumed everything, he saw the cat. Waiting for him. On the other side.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 4\u00a0<\/strong> Philip opened his eyes. Or he thought he did, anyway, but he was apparently wrong about that, because everything remained pitch-black.<\/p>\n He tried again. Still nothing.<\/p>\n He raised one hand to his eyes to force them open. And he discovered that they already were <\/em>open.<\/p>\n For a moment he thought he might\u2019ve gone blind. But that couldn\u2019t be right, because he could see his hands when he held them up to his face. It was just this place that was dark. Dark as the deepest sleep.<\/p>\n Philip stretched his arms and observed how his fingers and hands were immediately absorbed by the dense shadows. They clutched nothing but warm air.<\/p>\n \u201cHello?\u201d he said, and his voice was swallowed by the blackness, like a stone cast into a bottomless pit. No echo, no reverberation. It was like standing on top of a massive, lonely mountain\u2014surrounded by eternity.<\/p>\n Where am I?<\/em><\/p>\n He turned and found a door directly behind him. It was huge and heavy, and when he grasped the smooth doorknob, the door was unyielding. He put all his weight into it, but he might as well have tried to topple an oak tree; the door was securely locked.<\/p>\n Philip bent forward and peered through the keyhole, which was as big as a grown man\u2019s thumb. Behind the door he could see seven rough-hewn steps leading upward. Something had been carved into each one. Letters, by the looks of them, but from where he stood, Philip couldn\u2019t read what they said.<\/p>\n \u201cHello? Is anyone here?\u201d he called out, whapping on the solid wooden door. \u201cCan anyone hear me?\u201d<\/p>\n Silence.<\/p>\n In his mind the question emerged once again, this time more urgent: Where am I?<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cA dream,\u201d he said aloud, but it didn\u2019t sound very convincing; he had never been good at lying. \u201cIt must be a dream.\u201d<\/p>\n Turning once more, Philip realized that his vision had acclimated to the darkness. In any case, he could now see that he stood on a stairwell. It wasn\u2019t like the one he\u2019d observed through the keyhole. These steps were more even and much wider, as if they were meant for more people. And they led steeply downward. Philip could see about fifteen steps ahead. After that the wavering shadows cloaked them.<\/p>\n There wasn\u2019t much else to do but walk down the stairs.<\/p>\n So that\u2019s what he did.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The air was warmer down here. Much warmer. Like in the school\u2019s boiler room. There was a charred smell in the air.<\/p>\n The stairwell seemed endless, but after several hundred steep steps it flattened out and became a straight path. On either side lay an impenetrable darkness, like thick walls. But straight ahead\u2026 straight ahead\u2026 Oh God!<\/p>\n Like a frozen creek, the path sliced through the darkness and stopped at a gigantic gate, placed smack in the middle of an impressive structure towering so high that Philip couldn\u2019t see where it ended. Two torches spiked on poles glowed before the gate, which was so enormous that it made Philip feel like a flea standing before a barn door.<\/p>\n What in the world is this place<\/em>? he thought, speechless.<\/p>\n Beside the gate was a house, modestly lit by the blue torch-flames and built with black timber. A silent smoke billowed from the house\u2019s crooked chimney.<\/p>\n Philip approached the house cautiously. It was strange. He should be afraid, he thought, he should fear this colossal place, erected in darkness, blue flames, and timeless eternity. And yet for some reason he wasn\u2019t afraid. Just\u2026 curious.<\/p>\n On the door\u2014which was divided in two\u2014was a large knocker. It was shaped like a vicious goat with pointy horns and a huge ring through its nose. The ring rested on a filthy brass plate in the shape of an old man\u2019s head. The scalp was bald and cracked after many years of knocking and hammering. Bags hung heavily under its eyes, which regarded Philip with melancholy. It almost appeared as though the face was begging him not to knock.<\/p>\n Philip clutched the ring and rapped it three times against the brow of the brass head.<\/p>\n \u201cOw!\u201d the head yowled, and Philip leapt back, startled. \u201cDo you need to knock so hard?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m\u2026 I\u2019m sorry,\u201d Philip mumbled, staring dumbstruck at the gilded head, which vainly tried to puff air on its brow. \u201cI didn\u2019t know that\u2026 I\u2019m really sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSorry?\u201d the head repeated, staring at Philip in surprise. \u201cDid you say you were sorry?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm, yeah,\u201d Philip replied, wondering again if he\u2019d done something wrong.<\/p>\n A single teardrop formed in one of the head\u2019s eyes and trickled down its golden skin. \u201cThat\u2019s the first time in the nearly two thousand years I\u2019ve been stuck here that I\u2019ve heard those words fall from a mouth other than mine. I\u2019ve said sorry so many times, and that I regret what I did\u2014though it wasn\u2019t my fault. No, it wasn\u2019t my fault at all. I was the one who said the man wasn\u2019t guilty of any crime, and I even offered to release him. But they wouldn\u2019t listen. They wanted him condemned, and so I was forced to condemn him! But now I\u2019m the condemned one. For all eternity I will hang here suffering, as once I made others suffer, and no one will listen to me, no one will hear me out when I tell them it wasn\u2019t my fau\u2014 Ow!\u201d<\/p>\n Though no one had touched the brass-plated ring, it rose and lumped the man again on the forehead.<\/p>\n \u201cBe quiet!\u201d commanded the goat. \u201cYour eternal blabbering makes my ears bleed!\u201d<\/p>\n Suddenly came the sound of shambling footsteps behind the door, followed by a clanking of heavy chains and a shrill creaking when the rusty doorknob was turned. The top half of the door was opened, and as the strange doorknocker disappeared into the house, Philip heard the brass head whisper: \u201cThanks for your kind words, my boy. They warm the old heart that no longer beats in my chest.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho in the underworld is banging on my door so early in the night?\u201d thundered a deep, jarring voice. A terrible creature appeared in the doorway. Philip gasped for breath. \u201cFor the Devil\u2019s sake, I thought I would have a well-deserved night off!\u201d<\/p>\n The beast was almost ten feet tall and looked more lizard than human. Its skin was green, wrinkled, and scaly, and above its flaming yellow eyes were two crooked horns, as long as Philip\u2019s arms and as thick as his thighs. From his chin grew a goatee twisted into the shape of a hook. A shabby robe hung off the beast\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cHmm, is anyone here?\u201d the beast said, looking around. His glance never found Philip, who didn\u2019t even come up to the creature\u2019s hips. The beast regarded the doorknocker. \u201cAre you two fighting again? I\u2019m sick and tired of having to come out here just because you two can\u2019t figure out how to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m here,\u201d Philip said cautiously.<\/p>\n The lizard-like giant peered down, squinting.<\/p>\n \u201cJust one?\u201d he sniffed, and from his wide nostrils spiraled two gray columns of smoke. \u201cI\u2019ve been summoned from my soft bed to let one<\/em> enter? I\u2019ve never heard of such a thing! You\u2019d almost think I was the one being punished! Hold on a moment.\u201d The giant stepped away from the door and returned a few seconds later with an enormous book, bound in something that resembled pale leather. He opened the book and riffled through the pages while squinting at Philip with his yellow eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re fairly young, aren\u2019t you?\u201d A forked tongue moistened his scaly fingers, and he flipped through more pages. \u201cHow old are you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m thirteen.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThirteen?\u201d the beast mumbled, clearly impressed. \u201cIt\u2019s not very often they come to us so young. You must\u2019ve done something really horrific.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d Philip shook his head. \u201cWhat is this place?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis place?\u201d The monster raised an eyebrow. \u201cHaven\u2019t you figured it out yet? Oh well, evilness and stupidity often go hand in hand.\u201d His crooked smile revealed pointed teeth, and his gruff voice lowered to a hiss. \u201cThis, my boy, is the outer court of Hell. That\u2014\u201d he directed a hooked nail at the black gate, \u201cis Hell.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHell?\u201d Philip whispered, and he saw it all again in his mind. The cat that had spoken to him. The shove to his back that had sent him hurtling into the street. Sam\u2019s triumphant howling. The sound of squealing brakes. The car and the elderly man behind the wheel. And the darkness that had followed.<\/p>\n A dream<\/em>, he\u2019d said as he stood at the top of the long stairwell, knowing deep inside that it was a lie. This was no dream.<\/p>\n The car hit me<\/em>, he thought. It hit me, and I\u2019m dead. I died, and now I\u2019m in\u2026 in\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHell?\u201d he repeated, totally confused. How could he be in Hell? Only evil people went to Hell. Right? \u201cI\u2019m in Hell?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou need to say that three times before it sinks in?\u201d the demon said, skimming through his book. \u201cBut it could be worse. Plenty others have to say it many more times before it sinks in. Ah, here it is! Let me see.\u201d From the breast pocket of his robe he drew out a pair of silver-framed spectacles and put them on. The demon scanned the page quickly, using his finger as a guide.<\/p>\n \u201cJust like I said,\u201d he shouted angrily, pounding the book with his balled fist. \u201cNo one was supposed to enter tonight! Not for a few hours anyway, when an entire troop of politicians were to arrive!\u201d The creature shook his head resignedly. \u201cWell, since you\u2019ve already spoiled my night off, I might as well send you straight to your punishment. What is your name, kid?\u201d<\/p>\n Philip didn\u2019t reply, but stared at the demon, dumbstruck.<\/p>\n \u201cWake up! We don\u2019t have all night. Eternity waits. Your name?\u201d<\/p>\n Philip cleared his throat timidly. \u201cPhilip.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPhilip, Philip, Philip,\u201d the demon mumbled, riffling back and forth a few pages. He wrinkled his brow. \u201cThat\u2019s odd. Last name?\u201d<\/p>\n Philip told him his full name, and once again the demon searched in his book. The wrinkles in his brow deepened, and his yellow nails scratched at his scalp. Then he shook his head and clapped the book shut with a sigh. \u201cThat name isn\u2019t in the registry. Some dumb fool has made a mistake, kid. You\u2019re not supposed to be here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not?\u201d Philip said and felt a warm relief spreading through him. Then his eyes fell on the inky, thick darkness that enveloped the walls of Hell, and his sense of relief vanished. \u201cThen where should I be?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou need to go back to the stairwell,\u201d the demon replied, pointing. \u201cAt the top you\u2019ll find a door. Enter there and you\u2019ll come to another stairwell with seven steps. Take that up, and then you\u2019ll be at the right place. Good luck, lad.\u201d The demon yawned and was about to close the half-door.<\/p>\n \u201cI tried to open that door,\u201d Philip hurried to say, \u201cbut it was locked.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLocked?\u201d The half-door flew open again, and the demon looked at him wide-eyed. \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t understand that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it was.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not good.\u201d The beast shook his head and moistened his lips with his snake-tongue. \u201cThis mistake is bigger than I\u2019d first thought. I need to get in contact with management to solve the problem. Argh! One hundred and twenty years without a single error. Six more years and I\u2019d have broken the record! When I get my hands on whoever caused this mess, I\u2019ll tear the horns from his skull!\u201d The demon had wound himself up into a rage, and from his nostrils steamed thick, black smoke, as if the beast were on fire from within. \u201cI\u2019ll rip his tail off and whip him with it, so that he\u2019ll never again\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think I\u2019ll go back to the stairs and wait,\u201d said Philip nervously, retreating a step.<\/p>\n The demon blinked, and his anger was replaced with a mild, welcoming glance. For a moment the beast almost seemed like a kind old uncle. One with a rather remarkable skin condition.<\/p>\n \u201cI won\u2019t hear of it,\u201d he said, putting his spectacles back in his breast pocket. \u201cThis may be Hell, but we\u2019re not rude to those who\u2019ve done nothing to deserve entrance. You can wait here with me. I welcome company that\u2019s capable of conversing with me, not just screaming. Come inside and make yourself at home. My name, by the way, is Grumblebeard.\u201d<\/p>\n The lower half of the door was opened, and Grumblebeard stepped aside. Philip hesitated a moment, cast a quick glance at the impenetrable darkness that formed the landscape of this world, and accepted the invitation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Great Devil War I The Devil\u2019s Apprentice chapter 1-4 Chapter 1 The Condemned of the Week Philip heard him. His steps sounded like whispers in the silent basement, his fingers cracking in anticipation. Philip even thought he heard the smile spreading across Sam\u2019s lips. Scrunching up behind the large metal cabinet where the janitor […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-3052","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","5":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\n
\nStairwells and Darkness<\/strong><\/p>\n