2

Grace sprang to her feet and took a step backwards. Now that she had recovered completely from her initial daze, she could see her surroundings better: high stony walls all around her that seemed to reach the sky, parched ground littered with stones and pebbles, and burning embers everywhere as though she was in the middle of an abandoned battlefield – from the medieval age.

She looked at the person who had just spoken to her — if he could be called a person – and took another step backwards with a start in spite of herself. Flaming red hair that rivalled the embers lying on the ground, purple eyes that resembled quartz or amethyst, and short green horns that barely stuck out on either side of his fiery head.

'W–who are you?' said Grace nervously. 'And where the hell am I?'

The creature – that name fit him far better than person – smirked from ear to ear before breaking into a short laugh. 'Exactly,' he said, in the same soft voice as before, but with a hint of mischief. 'You are in Hell; and I am the demon who summoned you here!'

'Hell? Demon?!' exclaimed Grace. 'N–no, it can't be... it doesn't make any sense!'

Her eyes darted about, looking at once for a way of exit and for a telltale sign that would prove him wrong – for he had to be wrong! This whole thing had to be some elaborate, ridiculous joke, she thought, as she looked up – and started in horror. The darkening sky was filled with stars – red stars that glowed and flickered like sparks from a fire. Could he be telling the truth?!

'Surprised?' said the demon, looking up at the sky and then at her. 'The stars on Earth are white, aren't they? Kuro told me – he's the cat that helped me summon you.'

Grace looked at him, frightened. 'This can't be real... this can't!' she exclaimed, leaning forward and scrutinising him closely.

The demon raised an eyebrow before smirking again. 'Look, I know I'm unbelievably handsome, but this really isn't the time for that, human!'

Grace's eyes widened in indignation. 'EXCUSE ME?! I wasn't looking at you, I was trying to figure out if you were real or just... I don't know, cosplaying or something!'

'What's cosplay?!'

'People dressing up weirdly as popular anime characters – you look no less!'

'What, a popular anime character?'

'No, just weird!' said Grace, reaching out and pulling at his horns, expecting them to come off – only they didn't.

'OWWWW!!!' exclaimed the demon, hopping about as he tried to free himself, but Grace held on firmly.

'Why won't they come off?!' said Grace, panicking.

'Because they're mine, idiot! Let go!!'

Grace let go immediately, and looked at him in shock and fear and confusion all at once. 'You're really a demon?!?'

'Of course!' said the demon indignantly, rubbing his horns before gradually breaking into a smirk again. 'It's all right though, I understand; all this must be a bit sudden and surprising to you, poor human; but don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you!'

'What do you want from me?' said Grace nervously.

'Ah, finally! Straight to the juicy part!' said the demon, rubbing his hands in glee. 'Well, human, I want you to grant me a wish!'

'Wish? Me?' said Grace, confused.

'Yes, a wish! Not that hard, is it? I have just one thing I want you to help me with, and then we can go our separate ways,' grinned the demon.

'Well, what is it?'

'Send me to Earth!'

'... how am I supposed to do that?'

'Just say it, of course!'

'What?'

'That you want to take me with you to Earth!'

'Erm... okay... I want to take you with me to Earth...'

A few awkward seconds passed, but nothing happened – not that Grace was expecting anything in the first place.

'Oh come on, say it with more conviction!' said the demon impatiently. 'You just mumbled it like you're reading off a grocery list! Say it like your life depends on it!'

'I want to TAKE YOU with me to Earth!' declared Grace.

'Okay, that was better,' said the demon, looking around him excitedly – but everything was the same as before. He looked at her again. 'All right, you know what? Just say you want me to go to Earth!'

Grace sighed. 'I really don't see the point of all this—'

'Just DO it!'

'Oh fine! I want you to go to Earth!'

Silence. Nothing.

'GO TO EARTH!'

Another awkward silence.

'GO! TO! EARTH!!!'

Nothing.

The faint echo of her words bounced off the stone walls and fell silent. An ember on the ground flickered and went out, and the demon's face fell. 'Looks like it didn't work,' he said disappointedly.

'I don't see how it could have,' said Grace. 'It's not like I have magic or anything!'

'What a useless human,' muttered the demon under his breath.

'What did you just say?!'

'Oh well, so this didn't work out, either,' said the demon with a sigh, before his former grin returned. 'Too bad! Well, cheerio, then!'

The demon turned his back to her and walked towards one of the walls until he reached a narrow door of the same stony-grey colour that Grace hadn't noticed before. As he opened it and walked away, his footsteps growing more and more distant, Grace stood there, rooted to the ground, still in shock of what had just happened.

After a few seconds, she had a sudden realisation and broke into a run through the door and the corridor beyond it, until she caught up with the demon and called out to him.

'Wait a minute!!'

The demon turned, his purple eyes glinting. 'What's wrong? Missing me already?'

Grace stood in front of him, panting. 'How in the world am I supposed to get out of here now?' she said. 'I can't stay here, I need to get back!'

'Oops!' said the demon, his hand reaching his mouth as though he had just realised he had made some awful mistake, before he lowered it slowly and shrugged. 'I guess you're stuck here too, now. Too bad. Really.'

'No, it can't be!' said Grace desperately. 'You said you summoned me here, so you can surely send me back, too, right? I'm not dead yet!'

The demon clicked his tongue. 'No, I can't send you back. If I knew how to, I wouldn't have brought you here in the first place, would I? I was depending on you being able to get us both to Earth – but I didn't think what would happen if you failed to do so. You went and ruined all my plans!'

Grace looked at him fearfully. 'You're telling me that I'm now stuck in Hell and there's no way out?'

'Afraid so,' nodded the demon. 'Don't worry though, it's only for the rest of your life, not an eternity! When you'll die, you'll go to Heaven anyway. You'll just be spending your remaining years in Hell instead of on Earth; so it's not all that bad. See you around, then!'

'Where are you going?!' said Grace indignantly, taking hold of his arm and stopping him. 'You just doomed me to a life in Hell thanks to your pathetic idea with no back-up plan, and now you're just walking away like it's nothing?'

'Well, there's not much I can do,' shrugged the demon, speaking as casually as though all he had landed her was a school detention. 'And like I said, it's not a big deal, it's only a couple of years—'

'I'm NOT going to spend the rest of my years in Hell!' said Grace firmly. 'I had plans! Things to do! Places to see! People to meet! A life to live! – and it's not here!'

'Well, tell me when you figure out a way out,' yawned the demon.

'You got me into this mess, so it's only natural that you should get me out of it! Or at least try to! Or at least be a little sorry! Do you have any shame whatsoever?' said Grace, annoyed.

'This is Hell, human,' grinned the demon, as he walked off. 'Get used to it!'