She watched the blood drip steadily from her wrist onto the floor for a moment before lying down in the bed. The sound of her brother's busy footsteps in the hallway outside of her bedroom became more and more faint as the seconds started to tick by.
"It wasn't supposed to be like this," the girl whispered aloud to herself as tears pooled in her eyes.
"It was," a strong male voice replied.
The girl closed her eyes when she felt a warm hand graze her cheek.

The girl opened her eyes after hearing someone call her name, "Marta."
A man with dreadfully blue eyes, ivory skin, and slicked back black hair was hovering over her, smiling. Marta sat up in the bed she was in and, panic-stricken, quickly scanned her surroundings. She was in a massive room that was covered in rich red and black fabrics, gold finishing and paintings. The walls were covered in Van Goghs and Rembrandts.
"Where am I?" Marta asked, looking back up at the man.
"It's known as many things but to you, I believe it's known as Hell. Although, I do wish people would stop calling it that."
Marta furrowed her eyebrows in disbelief, "Hell?"
"Yes."
"That means I'm dead?"
"Yes."
"And that means that you are Satan?"
The man let out a frustrated moan, "I hate that name."
"So you are the devil?"
"Lucifer, please."
Marta shifted over in the bed, trying to distance herself as far as she could from the man.
"Please don't be frightened. I'm not going to hurt you. I promise," he said.
"You're evil though. I shouldn't be here. I didn't do anything wrong. Well besides killing myself. Is that why I'm here? Because I killed myself?"
"No, Marta. You are here because you called to me a long time ago. Do you remember? You were fourteen years old and very upset because God wouldn't answer your prayer. Your prayer to find you a friend that wouldn't betray you. You called for me and here I am."
"Four years later." Marta mumbled.
"Come Marta. We have much to talk about," Lucifer, as he called himself, walked over to the tall door and opened it.
Marta slid out of the bed and hesitantly walked over to him. He led her out of the room, down a long blank-walled hallway and finally into what looked to be like a dining hall. There was a long table with only two chairs set out; one at the far end of the table and one at the head of the table.
Lucifer pulled out the chair at the head of the table, "Please sit."
Marta sat down in the chair and pulled it in. Lucifer walked down to the end of the table and sat down.
"Isn't Hell supposed to be all fire and brimstone?" Marta asked.
"That's false. There's no fire, and certainly no red creature with horns and pointed tail...As you can see."
"So in death the bad people just get away with what they've done?"
"Hardly. The souls who have committed unspeakable acts get what they deserve. They are judged and sent to a special place here. But you don't have to worry about that. You have done nothing wrong."
"Except kill myself."
"That was your destiny though. And you didn't really kill yourself. You just decided it was time to start a new life."
"Sure it was. It was my destiny not to have any friends, to be shunned by my family and society? Sure."
"Don't regret what you did yet. You haven't heard what I can offer you."
"What happens if I don't like what you can offer me?"
"You can leave."
"And go where?"
Lucifer looked up at the ceiling and pointed, "Up."
"You mean Heaven?"
"Yes. You are merely here right now because you called for me and I wanted to know what you wanted."
"So I'm not 'in Hell' yet?"
"Nope."
"Good."
"Marta, I can offer you peace, friendship, family, love-"
"Love?"
"Yes. Love."
"Who is going to love me? Damien?"
Lucifer laughed, "No, no. Damien is just a boy. A careless one might I add. By love, I mean if you stay here, you will have a family that will love you so much."
Marta rested her head on her palm, elbow resting on the table. "You know, I never ever thought that you looked the way you look."
"How did you think I looked?"
"...Not human, not young and not handsome."
"Careful, my love," Lucifer laughed. "You'll make me blush."
"Sorry."
"Marta, we have met before."
"We have?"
"Do you remember years ago when your goldfish died and you were so upset that you sat in the backyard all night long, next to his tiny little grave that you made for him?"
Marta eyes traveled down to the tabletop and blushed, getting very embarrassed, "Yes."
"Well do you remember when you got really cold and then suddenly felt warm?"
"Mmhmm..."
"I was sitting next to you that night and I put my arm around your shoulders."
Marta looked up at Lucifer, "You did?"
"Yes."
"Well, thank you I guess."
"Sure. I have one question that I would like to ask, if you do not mind?"
"Shoot."
"Why did you cry so much when your goldfish, Fishy as you called him, died but you didn't shed a tear when your grandfather died?"
Marta was quiet for a moment before answering, "I didn't cry because he told me not to cry. A few days before his death, he told me that he doesn't like it when I cry and that I must promise him that I wouldn't even sniffle when he died. Plus, now this may sound stupid, I never really believed that he was gone. Sometimes when I'm crying, I can smell his Old Spice."
"He is an Old Spice devotee." Lucifer laughed.
"Pardon?"
"Never mind"
There was a deafening awkward silence. Lucifer kept his eyes on Marta, waiting for her to finally speak again.
"Who is down here by the way? There must be a lot of rock stars." Marta finally asked.
"I can't tell you that."
"Please?"
"No."
Marta put her hands together and begged, "Please oh please? I won't tell anyone. Well, I don't have anyone to tell..."
Lucifer leaned back in his chair and smiled widely; making his eyes even more blue and sparkly. He was clearly amused by Marta's pleads.
Marta puffed out her bottom lip and made her eyes sad, "Please?"
"I cannot tell you unless you stay here."
"Meanie."
"Do you have any questions?"
"What if I want to go to Heaven? What's it going to be like?"
"I don't know what it's like now. If you want to go there, you're taking a risk. It could be very nice or you might find it boring."
Marta sighed loudly, "I hate making decisions."
Lucifer smiled and stood up from the table. "Well, I will leave you to think it over. Take your time. There's no rush. I will be in the bedroom, reading. Knock on the door when you've made your choice."
Marta nodded.
Lucifer walked out of the room.
Marta rested her forehead on the tabletop and closed her eyes as she thought. She wasn't sure what to do. Her family raised her on to believe in God and that Heaven was were she would go when she died. This wasn't Heaven though and yet, she was there.
"What if he's lying though? What if it is fire and torture? After all, he is Satan. He's not necessarily known for being truthful." Marta thought to herself.
The door to the dining room suddenly opened and a tall man with shoulder length brown hair, green eyes and a smile that seemed to be permanently drawn on his face, sauntered up to the table. He placed upon the table a mug of hot chocolate with exactly six mini marshmallows in it.
"He said it was your favorite," the man said and pushed the cup closer to Marta.
"Thank you."
"Sure. Is there anything else I can get for you?"
"No thanks."
The man nodded and walked out of the room.
Marta watched him leave before going back to her intense thinking.
"On the other hand...you can't sin down here. And if what he says is true, than this is my paradise and I would be stupid not to stay," she said aloud and took a sip of her hot chocolate.
After popping a marshmallow into her mouth, Marta stood up from the table and walked out of the room. She had made her decision and as she walked back towards the bedroom, she silently prayed it was the right one.
When Marta opened the bedroom door, she found Lucifer sitting on the edge of his bed reading a book. He looked up at her and smiled.
"Hi." Marta softly said.
"Hello Marta," Lucifer replied. "Did you think about what I told you?"
"Yes."
"And did you come to a decision?"
"Yes I did."
Lucifer tilted his head to the side, "You seem distraught. Come sit."
Marta walked over to the bed and sat down next to Lucifer.
"I decided that I want to stay here," she said.
"Good. I think you'll like it here."
"I hope so," Marta peeked down at the book that was in Lucifer's lap. "Why are you reading the Bible?"
"I find it entertaining. Have you read it?"
"No. It's too confusing. It's almost as bad as Shakespeare."
Lucifer let out a laugh and put his arm around Marta's shoulders.
"Would you like to see the family that you will be living with?" he asked her with a smile.
Marta looked up at him, "I'll be living with a family?"
"Of course! It would be rather lonely living here by yourself. Trust me on that."
"Okay."
Lucifer stood up from the bed and held his hand out to Marta. She looked at it for a moment before taking it and letting him lead her out of the room.

Lucifer took Marta out of his home, which was actually a castle, and out into the surrounding meadow. A single small yellow house with a white picket fence was pushed only a little ways away from the castle. It looked as if the house was under Lucifer's protection.
"Don't be frightened." Lucifer told Marta as they walked hand in hand towards the house.
"What if they don't like me?" Marta asked, panic in her voice.
"They will. I promise you that they will."
"Sorry, but you're not the most trustworthy person in history."
Lucifer sighed loudly, "I realize that my reputation isn't very good but please try to trust me from now on. I'm not the man that every mortal has grown-up to believe I am. I was in Heaven once, you know."
"Sorry." Marta said, smiling softly. 
Lucifer walked up to the front door of the house and knocked. The door opened a moment later, revealing an old gray-haired man smoking a tobacco pipe. Marta gasped loudly, making the man smile.
"Grandpa?" Marta said.
"Hello sweetie."
Lucifer grinned at the old man, "Marta will be living with you, George. I hope you don't mind."
"Of course not," George looked down at his granddaughter. "Marta is my little angel, is she not?"
"Yes I am." Marta smugly replied.
Lucifer nudged Marta inside the house. Marta dropped his hand and gripped onto her grandfather's.
"Goodnight, you two. If you need anything Marta, just call." Lucifer said before walking away from the house.
"Thank you!" Marta called after him.
George closed the front door and smiled as Marta wandered into the small kitchen.
"You made the right choice, Marta," he said.
Marta nodded, "It looks like I did. You know, I always had a theory that Heaven is Hell and Hell is Heaven. Looks like I was right."
"Looks like you were," George walked over to a table that was in the middle of the kitchen. On top of the table was a fish bowl that had a single orange goldfish swimming around in it. "Look Marta."
"Fishy!" Marta gasped, eyes gleaming with delight.
George chuckled, "Yes. Your beloved Fishy made the right choice too."
Marta ran over to the table and stuck her pointer finger into the fishbowl, "Hello again, Fishy."
"You couldn't think of any other name? Not that there's another wrong with Fishy..."
Marta peeked over at her grandfather and furrowed her eyebrows, "Well I'm not changing his name now. That would just confuse him."
George laughed before putting his pipe back up to his lips.

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With your cap pulled down low over your eyes, you sit down across the table from the bearded old man.

excerpt from Outsmart   by redhat