There was nothing but darkness. Derick flipped over onto his right side and felt with his left hand a rocky, but muddy, floor on which he way lying. Thinking he sleepwalked out of the building, into the yard, he tried to shake himself awake. He opened his eyes, searching for the porch lights or a street lamp, but the dark was so thick he couldn't see his own hand in front of his face.
"What the hell?" Derick said to himself. It never got this dark, anywhere in New York, ever.
Devon's voice was heard. "This is it."
"Hey! Devon! You were supposed to call me for work, not kidnap me!" Derick joked. "Turn on some fucking lights!" Now Derick was just becoming annoyed.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'm fucking sure! What the fuck?!"
Light suddenly shone throughout what looked like a cavern. "Some office." Derick said.
"Oh, you still don't get it, you stupid fool." Devon's voice seemed to be transmitted through a loudspeaker system, his voice sounded electronic and came from everywhere.
"Get what?"
Craig Devon appeared, seemingly from nowhere. "Welcome to Hell." Devon opened his arms, as if inviting Derick's eyes.
Derick was silent.
"So, what do you think?" Devon asked cheerfully, indicating the cavern.
"Very homey." Derick said, rolling his eyes.
"Why thank you!" Devon obviously didn't sense the dripping sarcasm in Derick's voice.
"What's this all about?" Derick was beginning to get impatient.
"See, you are going to work for me, but, it won't be office work like you thought." Devon began.
"Get to the point. What, exactly, is this?"
"You will be guiding the souls who come here to their dooms, and looking after them." Devon said matter-of-factly.
"Excuse me?"
"I believe you heard correctly."
"Oh, come off it! You are a crackpot!"
"Since you are a skeptic, I will now show you horrors beyond your wildest imagination." With a wave of his hand, Devon revealed a woman melting in a vat of scalding oil, her flesh, literally, melting off her body.
Derick gasped.
With another wave of his hand, Devon showed a man who looked so thirsty, but he was chained to a metal post, the refreshing stream just out of his reach.
Devon revealed terrors upon terrors, some so horrible Derick had to shut his eyes. "Oh, and Derick, your book is a hit down here, but not so much in heaven." Devon said when he was done with his show.