LUCIFER'S HELL

Chapter Three - Mariton And Demons

He quickly rode his horse and carriage down to the city with great urgency. As he approached the city, the people of Mariton were busy with night parties and various evening engagements. One of his old friends spotted him and called out, "Whoa, whoa! Who am I seeing? Look who's back after all this time! How's it going, man?" The old man, however, seemed distant, his mind elsewhere. His friend called to him again, and the old man finally responded, "What? I didn’t catch that... Wait a minute, can you tell me what’s going on here?"

His friend laughed and said, "The usual, it seems you’re a bit lost. Or have you forgotten everything while you were away? Hahahahaha." The old man shook his head, trying to make sense of his surroundings, and said, "Seriously? Is this what you mean? I don't think so."

His friend teased him, "Old man, what’s wrong with you? Don't you recognize your city anymore? Have you forgotten your family? Perhaps you’ve forgotten your way home too! Hahaha! Don’t worry, I’ll guide you home, but it’ll cost you some coins." The old man began to laugh, and after a few seconds, his friend joined in, and they both laughed for about fifteen seconds. Suddenly, the old man shouted, "Damn it! Our city is ruined!" His voice boomed, and he glared at his friend with an angry expression.

Startled, the man fell to the ground, exclaiming, "What’s wrong with you? You scared the life out of me! I need to go!" The old man quickly apologized, "I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. You weren't answering my question." But his friend, still frightened, ran off, leaving the old man standing there, bewildered and alone.

The old man looked around in surprise at the houses and people, but no one seemed to notice what had just happened. He muttered to himself, "What should I do now? I need to find the root of the problem before revealing the vision of demons in this city." He slowly rode home, and as he passed, people who recognized him as a great and faithful legend greeted him.

When he finally reached home, his only son, Richard, saw him approaching from afar and shouted, "Mom, Mom! Dad is back!" His mother, Anabelle, replied, "Oh really? Go meet him and welcome your father home." The young boy ran out to greet his father, who had just dismounted from his horse. Richard hugged him tightly and said, "Father, Mom and I have missed you so much."

The old man looked up and saw his wife standing at the entrance, smiling warmly at him. He walked briskly towards her, and they met halfway, embracing and kissing passionately. Their son joined them in a group hug, and after a few moments, they held hands and walked into the house together. Anabelle, his wife, and Richard, their son, were the old man's entire world.

Anabelle went into the kitchen to prepare dinner, planning to cook her husband's favorite meal in celebration of his safe return after being away for months. Meanwhile, the old man stepped out of his room and walked into the kitchen. He looked at his wife, and she turned to look at him too. "What is it?" she asked sweetly. "Do I still look beautiful and loving?" she teased.

"More than you can ever imagine," he replied, walking over to kiss her. After a brief kiss, he left the kitchen, calling out to his son, "Richard!"

"Yes, Father?" Richard answered.

"Come on, let's bring the goods in from the store," the old man instructed. Richard replied, "Okay," and ran out of his room to join his father outside. They began unloading the goods from the horse carriage, working together with Richard on the right side and his father on the left.

As they worked, the old man called his son's name, "Richard."

"Yes, Father?" Richard responded.

The old man looked at him seriously and said, "Richard, I want you to understand the meaning of your existence. Our city is filled with good and loving people."

Richard, sensing a lecture coming, interrupted, "Yes, Father, you've told me that before."

The old man nodded, "I know, but I’ve also come to realize that in every good existence, there must be bad. The sun rises for the good and the bad, and the rain falls for them too. No one knows it all. I can't even properly define our city, let alone the world. Just remember to always take good care of your mother when I'm not around, as you’ve always been good to me."

Richard, touched by his father's words, replied, "Okay, Father, I love you."

"I love you too, son," the old man responded warmly.

They finished unloading the last of the goods, and as they moved the horse and carriage to the store, they laughed and talked happily, enjoying the time together.

At dinner, Anabelle, with the help of Richard, set the table. They all sat down and prayed before beginning the meal. Anabelle took a spoonful of rice porridge mixed with sausage and fed it to her husband. Richard laughed and teased, "Dad, are you a baby? You look so old, why is Mom feeding you? It’s so crazy!"

Anabelle smiled and said, "No, honey, he’s my baby, and I love you both."

His father added playfully, "Dad is tired and his hands are weak. He needs someone to feed him so he can regain his strength." They all laughed, and Richard said, "Okay, Dad, can I feed you?"

His father smiled and replied, "Yes, honey, go ahead, help your dad regain his strength." Richard quickly took a spoonful of food and fed his father, making everyone laugh even more.

After dinner, Anabelle and her husband accompanied Richard to his room to see him off to bed. "Sweet dreams, my darling," Anabelle said as she tucked him in.

"Sweet dreams too, Mom. See you tomorrow morning," Richard replied.

His father chimed in, "You too, honey. We love you."

They turned off the lights and closed the door behind them. Then, in a playful mood, the old man scooped Anabelle up in his arms and carried her to their room. She laughed and said, "Seriously?"

She then mimicked what her husband had said during dinner, "Dad is tired and his hands are weak, so Dad needs someone to feed him to regain his strength!" They both laughed all the way to their room, where they dramatically shut the door behind them.