Most of the time, we don't give a care.

All those things that people say, that have been written down in books, placed in songs and put into drawings, they're all lies. The humans fashioned the lies, believing them to be true, and we keep it like that. Imagination is a very powerful thing, but even I have never actually met a demon that once ascended to heaven to redeem himself, only to fall down again. Or how one gave up his corrupted immortality for the misguided notion of love. Really, who would be stupid enough to do that? Life is easier for us when the humans do the lying without any provocation. It makes our works and goals so much easier for us to achieve. When we have goals to complete.

Most of the time, we don't even like doing the work that has been given to us by the higher ups, but we have to go ahead and get the jobs done anyways. Unless you're one of the more powerful demon lords, or one of those types that have been around since the Fall, or even a cast down demi- god, there is no way to get out of the work that is handed down. It's not fun, but it has to be done.

Unless a demon's idea of fun is to have a one way ticket back to the Pit, and anyone is just about willing to do anything to get out of there.

At the moment I'm just sitting down on an old worn bench in the middle of a park, watching the people go by. To most people they would think that it's a young teenager perhaps waiting for her boyfriend. My hair is brown, long and unkempt, hanging over my face like a curtain. My eyes have black bags under them; not from lack of sleep but simply because that is the way my body is. I have about three silver rings on each hand, the thick type that most people would associate men with having. All of them are snakes or have something to do with serpents. My clothing is a deep blue sweater, black pants cut just above the knee, sneakers with the laces undone with black and white stockings covering most of my lower leg. I look like the person that is unapproachable, the type that would snap anyone's neck if they looked at me the wrong way.

I don't mind; last thing I want is to actual have contact with these humans and talk to them. I actually enjoy watching the mortals, because when I see them I just don't see them, but I see what is going to become of them. It's my little gift that I have, something I was given when I entered into the Malebolge for the first time.

There was a pregnant woman who walked by before and I saw the life of her unborn child in her belly. Depressing really - kid was going to die of a heroin overdose by the age of fifteen. Little puke's death would send his mother off the edge and commit her to an asylum. I wondered briefly if that was a worse fate than what I saw happening to the old man that passed the other way not five minutes before. When he got home, he was going to have quite a surprise. His wife, after battling cancer for the past four years, had decided that going to take a bath with a toaster plugged in was the only way to end it all. The man's heart wouldn't be able to take the shock.

Oh well, that's humans for you. Emotions ruled their lives, governing them to a fault. Some of the humans would try and argue me into the ground saying that they used their 'superior' intellect to overcome the emotions. I merely roll my eyes. In the end, when all humans die, the emotions such as fear, anxiety and worry take over completely. I don't know what they hope to succeed by duping themselves with intellect; honestly I can't begin to understand it.

At the moment I was on assignment. When demons have their assignments, they 'hop to it' as soon as possible. Sometimes there are other demons paired up for certain assignments. I had a partner, had him as long as I remembered, but he had his own agenda to attend to at the moment. Which was the only reason why he wasn't with me at the moment.

I was waiting for my mark to come through the park. He came this way everyday as long as the weather was good. Glancing up at the sky, I could see that it was overcast, but it wasn't raining so by my take it was still considered good weather. My eyes looked over the children playing at the park nearby, the people walking along the paths, the dogs doing their outdoors business next to the various bushes and tress, waiting for my mark.

A minister from the local church, or so I had been told, was the man I was assigned to kill. I thought it was actually funny, that the war between good and evil was still continuing, but this time around the demons were going to take it to the followers of Heaven. We'd weaken the ranks above by first thinning things out here. Sad thing was, if this guy tried to call to his God for help, he wouldn't be receiving divine assistance anytime soon. It had been a long time since I had seen an angel around. Frankly I thought they were too chicken shit to stick their heads out of their high heaven, but that was just my opinion.

The minister was thin, built like a reed who had the characteristics of a stork. From the nose to the gait, he reminded me of a bird. When I had been following him, learning his patterns from day-to-day life, this was the one thing about him that stood out from everything else. I didn't know everything about him immediately; I had to learn as I watched him, much the same way the predator stalks the prey before going in for the kill. If humans think that a demon can just waltz up to somebody on the street and kill them with a spectacular show of powers, we prefer to leave them with those thoughts. Truth is, as I found out, most demons were not as powerful on Earth as they were in Hell. We have restrictions here.

The only spectacular things I can do while on Earth is maybe burn metal with my hands, but only if I concentrate extremely hard - that and bring out my demonic wings that would put gargoyles to shame. The usual paranormal stuff applies: running faster than humans, jumping higher than them and the ability to punch through concrete if I was inclined to do so. Since I could use none of these methods on the minister without attracting attention, something that I did not want happening, I would have to go with more covert means. I was smart; I could think so something. That was why I had been chosen for this task.

The corner of my eye caught something. Turning slightly to my left, I saw the minister coming up the pathway towards me. A white haired man, dressed in the clothing of his profession, he had a smile on his face and a light in those wise eyes that looked out at the world as if it couldn't harm him, that everyone deep down was good and all that crap. Naive to the end; better for me. It would be easier for me to turn it against him. As he came up the pathway, gravel crunching under his polished shoes, I stood up and blocked his way. He was surprised for a moment and took a step backwards unconsciously. Inwardly I grinned.

I clasped my hands together and placed my most desperate look on my face, making my voice thick with emotion. "Forgive me, father. I seek forgiveness."

His eyes immediately took on a concerned, fatherly look. In a voice that was dry and almost hoarse, he asked "What do you seek forgiveness for, my child?"

"I-I need to t-tell someone b-before..." I made my voice catch in my throat and covered my face with my hands. I needed to hide the smile that was on my face; this was too easy. The spiked bracelets I wore slid a little down my wrists; I could feel the cool metal on my flesh.

"Oh my dear, you need to speak clearly." I felt his hand, the flesh almost like tissue paper, come down on my shoulder. "I promise you comfort. Anything you need to say, whatever might be troubling you, you can confide in me and the Lord. He is the light and love and life. He knows all."

Lowering my hands from my face, the smile under control and the sad mask once again back in place; I looked up at the minister. If his deity was life and all that crap, knowing everything as well, then why had he not bothered to tell this minister what was going to happen to him in a bit? Not my problem. Once again I was thankful that humans were ruled by their emotions, this minister especially. I looked around the park, calculating the people, then turned to the old man.

"Could we find some place with not so many people, father? I don't want other people to hear what I have to say. It is too painful."

The minister shook his head, speaking that he understood entirely. As we walked down the walkway, continuing on the path that the minister took every day, he told me that he had had many people who felt that they could not confess their sins; basically he was giving me the standard rap. Theology and all the mystical crap. What would he do, I wondered, if he knew that I was one of those metaphysical beings he spoke of? Well, he soon would.

The gravel path branched off sharply to the right and downhill, down into a secluded grove where there were enough rose and lilac bushes to hide to the rest of the world what would soon happen. The minister and I sat down on the green painted bench there, still talking to me in a fatherly voice. I dimly hear his babbling, not understanding the words, as my left hand slid into the pockets of my pants and closed over something small and sharp.

"So tell me child, what have you to confess?"

I turned to face him completely, keeping my face hidden behind my curtain of hair and an edge of grief in my voice. "I-I have seen Hell, father. I have been there for too long, far too long and I can't get out."

He tisked lightly. "Dear girl, how can one so young fall so far? What makes you believe that you can never raise yourself back up from the darkness? It is possible." The comforting tone in his voice, the way he patted my shoulder like a parent would, made me slightly irritated. I wanted this to be over and done with. Already I had been around this man longer than I wanted to. My skin crawled in his presence and I felt slightly nauseous.

I dropped the act instantly. Brushing my hair back out of my face, the minister saw for the first time that my eyes were a decidedly...unhealthy colour. Red irises can unnerve most people. "How can it be possible when your God exiled me there for an eternity?"

Oh, he backed away from me. I enjoyed the brief look of terror in his eyes, then the sudden uncertainty. Did he notice the octave in my voice? How suddenly the air felt so much colder around him? The hair on the back of his neck was rising? I noticed it all, and I fed on the emotions that were rolling through him. I stood up, towering over him easily. I might be of fair height, but I can be very imposing should I feel like it.

"W-what are you?" The minister raised one frail arm over his face as if he could ward me away.

"You should know, priest. Are you that dumb? Do you think that Hell sits idly by and lets the mortals go about their business? That the war has stopped entirely?" I raised my knife up so that he could see the etching of a rose on the flat of the blade. The metal did not shine; with it overcast, as it was the sun could not come through.

Now there was recognition on his face. The terror was replaced by his faith, something that gave him strength. Something that managed to make him realize what he was up against and what he had to do if he wanted to live. Blue eyes burning with his sense of righteousness, the man looked suddenly stronger than his sixty-four years gave him. With a cry the minister launched himself at me, grabbing for my wrists and the knife in my left hand.

It was pathetic, really. Like a baby trying to hit a full-grown human. You feel perhaps a light sting from where the blow landed, but nothing else after that. I broke the grip the minister had on my wrists, and then shoved him backwards. His knees hit the back of the bench, and he fell down hard. Instead of breaking out into a sobbing wreck, the minister dug under the cloth of his shirt, pulling out a gold necklace with a cross. I shrank back slightly, feeling the heat of his faith in the small icon.

"Back to the darkness with you, demon!" He tried shouting, but it came out as a dry croak. Waving the cross in front of him like a shield, the minister looked ready to call for help. I thought I saw movement on the other side of the lilac and rose bushes; this needed to end now. Lashing out with my right foot, I connected with his hand that held the necklace. I felt bone break underneath that kick, not like I cared, but the minister lost the hold he had on his only defence. Before the piece of jewellery had fallen to the ground, my knife was already embedded in the human's throat, just below the voice box.

Blood, thick and black, bubbled out from the gash in his flesh. It trickled down my knife blade and onto my fingers; I ignored it. "So much for faith, father," I said mockingly. "What is that? You have something to say? Speak up, I can't hear you."

"Mon-n...d-dieu," he gasped, so quietly that I had to place my ear next to his mouth to hear those words. The light in his eyes was fading fast, his mouth working but no sound coming out, his chest heaving for breath but finding none. Those tissue paper thin hands reached out towards me, almost pleading perhaps, but before he could touch me I jerked my blade out of his throat.

He fell back against the bench, head lolling forwards on his chest, blood streaming over the front of his clothing. No one would be able to see the blood against the blackness of his outfit if they came into this small grove, and they would think that it was only an old man sleeping. At least in the beginning.

Taking out a cloth from my pocket I wiped the blade clean, then my fingers. Pocketing the blade, I looked at the cloth in my hand and watched it smoulder, then catch fire. I tossed it on the ground and watched it burn before walking away. I did not look back at the minister's body, not really caring. I had done enough dirty work to not be affected by such things anymore. Maybe when I was first starting off in this occupation, I was uncomfortable, but that all changed soon enough. The work that the higher ups had given to me was done, and there was no reason to stay around. I'm sure that there would be a small note in the newspaper or a nod in the news about this incident, so I would be able to see the general reaction.

A smile tugged at my lips as I walked back along the main pathway of the park, heading towards the exit and the city streets beyond. Humans could express their emotions in so many different ways; I always got a kick from watching women on television sob their hearts out or the lost and forlorn look in children's' eyes. Perverse by mortal standards, completely acceptable by demons. Agadir had habits that were far more twisted than my own.

That side thought made me stop quickly.

Agadir.

Shit, I had completely forgotten about him. Agadir was my partner, the one that I was always paired with no matter what. If he came up to Earth to complete some business, then I came with him. If I had work to do among the mortals, then he followed me. We were always close; separation was something that both of us couldn't stand. And here I was not even thinking of him after I had done my work. Vaguely I wondered if he had completed his assigned task.

Knowing Agadir, he had done it in record time and without leaving a trace behind. "And most likely when he wants his work to be noticed, then it will be on the news," I muttered darkly.

Yeah, we had healthy competition going between the both of us, but then that was to be expected. I changed direction, heading towards the eastern exit of the park instead of the northern one. I had agreed to meet Agadir at the usual spot and if I didn't hold to it then...well; there would literally be hell to pay. Bad pun. I mentally kicked myself.

Before I left the park I quickly turned back and looked in the direction of the minister's body. Impossible for me to see, what with the trees, people and animals in the way, but I thought I saw a person head take the pathway that led down into the grove. I shook my head as I turned and left the park. What a shame.

I wouldn't be able to hear the scream.

Not like I give a care, really.