Giles reacted as if Lucifer had struck him. When he went to open his mouth, wanting to curse the King of this place, he realized he could not speak. As he reached for his throat, the devil grinned.

"During this process, you can only speak if I allow it," Lucifer stated, drawing out the final word. "Let us get back on task."

Once more, he turned another page and began to read.

Journal entry - Day 2 of 20

After another wondrous shower, a boy delivered breakfast to my room, as I had requested upon arrival. My first objective was to locate a library. This was a bit more difficult as this inn seemed closer to the marketplace than anywhere else.

Once the boy at the desk located one, he offered to get me a car, believing it was too far to walk. It wasn't, and I refused. The walk was less than an hour, and I located a shop along the way where I could purchase pen and paper to take notes on.

It baffled me how rude the people here were, as no one stopped to allow me to go by, or they pushed past me. In my former life, this would have been a death sentence, or at the very least--a good public whipping.

The walk was tedious, but freeing. No demon was standing guard, no pain in my footsteps, and most importantly, no overwhelming heat. What I hated the most concerning my imprisonment was the heat of the place. This area had a pleasant temperature with a refreshing breeze.

Lucifer's eyes left the journal and turned to the man still on the ground.

"Awe, you don't like the heat?" The words were sarcastic and followed by a huge smile.

Giles coughed as he felt his lungs suddenly burning. A nod of recognition of this fresh pain was all Giles received before the devil turned back to the book in his hand.

Upon entering the library, the smell of the books was comforting and something I truly missed from my mortal life. After some help from a ghastly short-tempered woman, I found the religion section. This was where I needed to start.

From my hellish experience (excuse the pun), I learned that most 'gods' in similar religions are, in actuality, a single deity. Humans decide which rules we wish to follow once we choose our religion. If you follow one closely, you are credited for that time and your adherence to the rules. However, switching religions incurred no punishment, as long as you followed the new rules.

The laughter caught Giles off guard, and he looked around at the demons in the doorways.

Lucifer's comment had his head snapping back. "Wait. It gets better..."

I was told by one of the demons, and others in my realm agreed, that the biggest one with the most uncomplicated rules was Christianity, so that will be my primary research topic; however, I will also take time to read about the others.

Several of the demons were now laughing heartily, while Giles looked confused.

"I can not believe you are that stupid as to believe a demon. The others who come here are just as stupid as you. There are over a hundred deities, including the one your village prayed to. And Christianity is the hardest. Each denomination has its own set of rules. It changes from church to church," Lucifer retorted with mirth.

Once the permanent occupants of the underworld had control of themselves, the reading continued.

Each time my stomach growled, I stopped to eat simply because I could. The rudeness of the table staff was quickly forgotten once the food arrived. I noticed my treatment was better than others because of my dress and cleanliness. Some women approached me, looking for companionship, but that is no concern of mine. Harlots-the lot of them.

Upon my return to the library, I became displeased as I was told the library was closing within the hour and I would have to leave. The old woman behind the desk would not allow me to take any of the books I was working on with me, even after I promised to return them the next day. What a horrid elder.

"I wonder why they were mean to you?" The devil's tone made Giles swallow. "Maybe it was your own self-righteous attitude?"

A few snickers could be heard as Lucifer continued.

After my walk back to the inn, I settled into my room with my notes, some food, and another of those blissful showers. The day was productive but long, so I am writing this before going to sleep so my hands will not wake me with the torturous pain.

It is a wonderful feeling to not be in pain.

Lucifer lowered the book, using his finger to hold the page as he closed it. The other demons were silent, waiting anxiously for the next move. It wasn't long to come.

The devil reached down with his free hand, grabbing Giles by the hair, pulling him into a kneeling position, before pulling his head backward so their faces met. The smile on Lucifer's face was a clear counterpart to the fear on Giles'.

"You don't have that feeling anymore, do you?"

(WP count 857/2947)