“Go on drink it!” the surprisingly normal looking fellow tells me, well normal except for the horns protruding from his forehead and those deep blood red eyes.

I say “I can’t, I think I’ve had enough.” swaying from side to side. The room is larger somehow now, not like a moment ago when it was just a closet… what the hell did I go into the closest for again?

My mind races along:

Oh, yeah! It was to get away from the faintly discernable gears I see superimposed upon all things, turning and clanking along as I look into the faces of my friends and cohorts, upon the bed that calls my name but I can’t quite seem to make it onto its soft embrace -it keeps running away from me- upon the walls and floor the sky and trees. I gotta get the **** out of here man!

I hear the horned man in my head loudly reply, “Wooh trigger, take it easy, just calm down and listen to me.”

“You haven’t had enough yet you’re just now starting to peak.”

“Trust me I can tell, I’ve see it all, vanity, gluttony and all those other ones. If there’s one thing I know about its knowing when someone has had enough, and you are in your prime my man. Look, its still warm, right out of the processing factory here in my cauldron of seduction.” He smiles like a friend you haven’t seen in years while turning a large paddle made from some kind of strange wood, it looks like ebony but it glows with an eerie light that gives me the heebie-jeebies, around in his ten foot cauldron that shouldn’t fit into a closet -it defies imagination- I think to myself, he could just be right, at least the gears are gone.

That’s when I figured out his name.

“I don’t think I can Light Bringer.”

“Oh, come on now. You already ate a quarter-bag of mushrooms what’s another jager-shot going to do to you. And you can call me Satan; we know each other well enough by now not to bother with formalities.” Again, that soothing smile.

“What the hell.” I say, “I don’t have anything to do for a long while. Besides I’ve been kind of wondering about a few things and this is just my imagination right, the shrooms kicking in even more.”

He looks at me and nods his horned head, his red eyes smoldering in anticipation of the questions I could ask, now that I think about it they reminded me of my brother’s eyes when he got me to do something stupid -you know; one of your family members probably have had the same look for you at one time or another it said “Sucker!” without actually saying the word.

Satan turns the paddle slowly again, his eyes grinning with hellish mischief and explains to me the finer points of that noxious alchemical wonder, jagermister, and how you should not let it settle for too long.

A beautiful and seductive voice rings out in the closet, “Have a seat my good man and ask away. I’m going to be here awhile anyways, at least until my imp brings me some more opium to put into the mix. I didn’t get it quite right the first time.”

Well I just finished reading a book and it made me wonder something.”

“Yes?” Satan replies all business.

“I was wondering… Well I was wondering if you have seen Lovecraft anywhere about lately?”

“Sure have. He was just here asking me about some demon or another I can’t seem to recall which.” The king of devils looked around suspiciously and then faces me again leaning in secretly as if not to be overheard, “Personally, I think he’s **** insane. But don’t tell him I said so he makes the most fiendishly clever stories. Truthfully the little **** has almost nailed it once or twice.” A hearty smile and laugh emanates from his body, “I like to humor him he’s got such a rare gift it inspires me to keep him out of hell and wandering the ethos of purgatory.”

“I tell you what Ro…Err Xylith… Why don’t you tell me a story of terror and death and I just might introduce you.”

“I’m not sure I should do that Lord Of Lies.”

“Nonsense, ahh here’s my imp with that opium...”

To be continued….