Pay the Devil His Due

[El Satano]

The sun was shining, and clouds where no where to be seen. With temperature steadily rising into the eighties, it was a wonder how a certain man could bare the heat. He was dressed in black trousers and a white button-up shirt covered by a classy black velvet and silk vest. He wore his favorite top hat tilted to the left and held a beautiful old violin .

He leaned against the rail of a balcony and with sigh, pulled back his bow and drew across the metal strings. He played on a single chord for a moment then came out into a slow series of movements that sang out a sorrowful gypsy tune. With the music he crooned out with voice that could make an angel weep.

" Wrists cut to ribbons
The pain in my chest weighs a ton
to the madness

I'll laugh for you
smile for you
even, I'll lie for you
Let others cry for my soul
As the condemned keep what they stole

I asked for this-
I didn't see!
Been dead for so long
but my friends don't see

Ashes, ashes, we all fall down
I'm left with nothing
in this oh-so lonely town
Now I'm alone
Surrounded by strangers

I'll laugh for you
smile for you
even, I'll lie for you
let others cry for my soul
as the condemned keep what they stole

I can't even relate to myself anymore
Life has become too much of a chore
How could you see
what has happened to me?

My heart begins racing
As I start a pacing
wishing with all of my might
just have it all end tonight

laughing-
crying-
smiling-
hiding-

I forgot to tell you
how much I cared
Oh how my sadness
got in the way
now to the madness
it's here I will stay.."

His song ended and he fell silent as he turned around and faced his kingdom. He loved ruling this hell, the irony was simply hilarious. He once watched a man go insane because there was a thread in his oriental rug that was loose and every time he cut the thread a new one would appear. Stephen set his violin back in its case and went back to staring out into the distance. He was waiting for a appointment with some demon who wanted something or another. The person was late and Stephen wondered how much longer he should his patience should grant, but giving into the fact he hadn't much else to do today he decided to wait a little longer.

[Valentine]

Valentine was in his room softly playing his piano when he heard his father's violin. So the prince exited his room and fallowed the sound he came onto the balcony just as he heard his father's last stanza of his song:

`...I forgot to tell you
how much I cared
Oh how my sadness
got in the way
now to the madness
it's here I will stay..`

He knocked softly on the door behind him. "Hello father." he said softly. "Are you waiting for someone?" His red eyes flashed from his father's face to out over the balcony. His black, gray, and white wings ruffled slightly as he had the sudden urge to jump off and start flying randomly. He turned his attention back to his father and waited to be answered. Part of his mind was working on a random poem.

`When I'm Laying in a pool of my own blood,
Do you remember me?
When I'm dieing in the middle of the woods,
Do you remember me?
When all I think about is you,
Do you remember me?
When we stand face to face,
Do you remember me?
When I remember you,
Do YOU remember me?`

Man that's really depressing. he thought and shook the poem from his mind. "If your not waiting for anyone want to play music with me?" he asked.

[El Satano]

Stephen looked back to his offspring; giving him a casually once over and noting how much the boy had grown into a young man. He wondered how long it had been since the two of them had last really spent enough time together to really get to know each other and couldn't recall. He crookedly smiled and said nonchalantly.
" Business can wait a little while, it has been far too long since I last heard you play. "
He kept his hands hidden inside his pants pocket and walked toward the door and his son. He tried to ignore the features of his mother Valentine possessed. It brought back thoughts that would become only a nuisance if he dwelled upon them.

[Valentine]

He smiled softly at his father then nodded. He turned once his father passed by him and through the door, he lead his father to his room where he had a grand piano he took a seat at the bench and waited for his father to take a seat before he started playing.

He smiled softly at his father once he was seated then placed his hands on the black and white keys and began to play. He started off slowish but soon increased his speed when he added the lower notes. (Click to hear the song) He pace kept speeding up only to slow down again, but that was how the song was intended to be played. Once he reached the end of the song his fingers slowed then finally stopped.

He paused only for a few seconds before he started on a new song, one he made up and was still perfecting. It was sad, well the sound was sad cause it was in the minor key, but he didn’t intend for it to be like that, he was just making up a song for his father off the top of his mind as he played on.