I met someone who claimed to be the devil...and I think I believe them.

I met Him in a grimy little bar and grill. The kind of place that seemed to attract people who were running from something. From the start, I liked the atmosphere there. It was quiet. Nobody talked much, unless they wanted to. Nobody asked questions unless they were looking for answers. The bartender, a gruff tavern maiden, was fond of calling the place the valley of lost souls. I found it fitting.<br><br>I was a lost soul myself when I first stumbled into the place. Running from what remained of my old life, and trying to kick-start what I hoped would be my new one. I was twenty-three years old, and for the first time in my life, I felt like I was really alone. Like I had no one else to count on except myself. It felt liberating and terrifying all at once.<br><br>It was on the second night I visited the bar that I met Him. The first night had been spent alone at the bar, ordering gin and tonics until I stumbled out the door and hailed a cab back to my hotel. The second night started out the same way, but about half-way through my third gin and tonic, I noticed something peculiar. There was a man sitting next to me who hadn’t been there before.<br><br>I remember wondering idly how he could have sat down without me noticing, but was too far gone to really question it. He ordered a whiskey from the bartender and smiled at me in an almost friendly way before turning away.<br><br>I noticed as we waited for his drink to come that everyone in the bar was staring at us. Or more specifically, at him. They weren’t being as subtle as they thought they were, but He seemed completely unbothered by it. I on the other hand, couldn’t help but feel a little unnerved. I was trying to figure out what was going on when His drink came. He raised the glass and tipped it slightly in my direction.<br><br>“May you find peace from the trial that has befallen you.” He said. His voice was like nothing I had ever heard. It was deep, and seemed to echo. I remember feeling the vibrations of His words as I watched him take a sip from the glass.<br><br>I had never heard a toast like that before, and it caught me off guard. I didn’t know how to respond, so I did the same as He had, and took a drink from my own glass.<br><br>I try and remember as much as I can about Him because I want to remember as much of that night as possible. I want to remember every detail, every gesture, every expression He made because I want to believe that it really happened. That He is real, and not just some trick of my mind to help me cope with what happened to Him.<br><br>He was tall, and strong. I remember feeling delicate next to Him. His skin was tanned, but I couldn’t tell if that was natural or from a bottle. His hair hung to just above his shoulders, and was black with the slightest hint of blue if the light caught it just right. His eyes were the most captivating feature. They were an unnaturally bright shade of green, and seemed to radiate an otherworldly intelligence. He had a radiant smile that made me feel important, like I was the only person in the world.<br><br>He was dressed in a nice black suit, with a crisp white shirt and a black tie. The clothes seemed out of place next to my jeans and t-shirt, but He didn’t seem to mind. Once everyone in the bar realized He wasn’t going to pay them much attention, they all stopped staring and went back to their own business. He turned His full attention to me, and we began to talk.<br><br>I found out that His name was Luke, and was in “sales”. I didn’t press for more information, and He didn’t seem to mind that I didn’t. We talked about random things, I don’t really remember what they all were. I wasn’t paying much attention to what He was saying, I was more interested in just listening to the sound of His voice. We talked for hours like that, until I finally pulled my head out of the ass and realized that the bar was closing.<br><br>Luke smiled when I realized the time, and asked if I would like to take a walk in the park with him. I agreed eagerly, and we left the bar together. The people who were still there looked at us as we left, and I saw a few of them whispering. One woman even crossed herself as we walked out the door. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but looking back, it seemed pretty strange.<br><br>Looking back on a lot of things makes them seem strange in retrospect. Too many things to write here. I believe that the reason for that is that human beings have a tendency to rationalize things that we don’t understand until we can understand them. Once we can understand it, it isn’t strange anymore. I’m sure there was a time in my life when I didn’t know what Him meant when He referred to the “valley of lost souls,” but I can’t remember what that was like.<br><br>As we walked in the park, Luke told me a story. In the midst of the story, He asked me the question “Do you know who I am?” I wasn’t really sure of the answer, so I told Him so. He didn’t seem to mind. He just kept looking at me with that radiant smile on His face as He told me the story.<br><br>I don’t know what I believed at the time. Looking back though, I believe that the man I met in that “shitty little bar and grill,” was the devil. I’m sure of it.<br><br>Here is the story He told me.<br><br>*<br><br>“Many years ago,” He began, “when the world was still young, there lived a great king. He was loved by his people, and if the stories are to be believed, He was a just ruler who wanted nothing more than the happiness of those He ruled.”<br><br>“He was also a curious man. He spent most of His time reading books and learning new things.”<br><br>“One day, while wandering through a village that was on the outskirts of His kingdom, the king stumbled upon a shop He had never seen before. There was no sign above the door, and the back of the building seemed to disappear into the thick forest that the village rested in the middle of. He was almost to the door when it flew open, and a man beckoned Him inside.”<br><br>“The man who beckoned the king inside was an odd sight. He was tall, and strong. His skin was a dark tan, and His hair was as black as coal. He had piercing green eyes, and a radiant smile. He was dressed in a long black suit, with a crisp white shirt and a black tie. He looked almost out of place next to the villagers with their brown tunics and leggings. Still though, the king didn’t find Him threatening, and decided to follow Him inside.”<br><br>“As the king walked through the door, it closed behind Him. He heard it lock, and tried to open it to leave, but it wouldn’t budge. The man Him had followed was standing behind the counter in the center of the room, and motioned to a door behind Him.”<br><br>“‘Your destination is through that door.’ He said.”<br><br>“The king pulled out his dagger, and approached the door. He unlocked it, and swung it open. On the other side was a long hallway with many doors on either side. The king looked back at the man for directions. The man smiled and nodded.”<br><br>“‘You will know which door is the correct one when you see it. Just be warned, you may never find your way back here if you leave.’”<br><br>“The king nodded, and stepped into the hallway.”<br><br>“As the king wandered down the hallway, He noticed that some of the doors were slightly ajar. His curiosity took the better of Him, and He peeked inside some of them. In one of the rooms, He found a great feast. There were people He knew there, and many He didn’t. The king recognized His father, who had died when He was just a boy. He saw friends He had lost, and people He had always wanted to meet. He considered joining them, but decided against it when He realized that He wasn’t hungry.”<br><br>“He continued His search, and found a room filled with gold. There were treasures beyond His wildest dreams stacked in every corner. The king considered staying there, but decided He didn’t want all the gold in the world if He couldn’t share it.”<br><br>“As the king continued to wander, He found many things. He found rooms filled with treasure, rooms filled with beautiful women, and rooms filled with power. Still, with each one, the king decided He didn’t want it.”<br><br>“Eventually, the king came to a door that He hadn’t noticed before. It was slightly ajar, but different from the other doors in that there was light spilling out of it. He pushed it open, and found a beautiful garden. In the center of the garden was a tree, with a single apple hanging from it. It was the most beautiful thing the king had ever seen.”<br><br>“He reached out a hand to take the apple. He had just wrapped His fingers around it when He heard a voice behind Him.”<br><br>“‘You know that by taking that apple, you will never be able to leave this place.’ Said the voice.”<br><br>“The king turned to see the man He had followed into the shop. He smiled at the man, and nodded. Then He took a bite of the apple.”<br><br>“The king stayed in the garden for what felt like a lifetime. He was happy, and content. He had everything He needed, and everything He wanted. He was in paradise.”<br><br>“One day, the king decided He had been away from His throne for too long. He left the apple, and the garden