As the dark one watched, amusement and disdain both plain on his face, the man trudged down towards hell. Three steps down and the heat was already stifling. Five steps down and the heat grew unbearable. The man paused.

“Is there a problem?” the dark one asked, irritated.

“It’s very hot,” the man gasped.

“Really…” the dark one glared at the man. “You say that like no one has ever mentioned that before, like I don’t damn well know that myself.”

“I didn’t know it would be so bad,” the man commented, coughing a bit. The dark one rose to his full height and pointed at the man’s face.

“You chose this path,” the dark one reminded him. “You, not I, chose to take these stairs to the realm of the damned. Your decisions, your choices, your life, all to blame for this short walk. Now stop your stalling, your complaining, your protestations, and go!”

“It’s just…” the man said as he backed up one step, then another. “What if I made a mistake? The wrong choice?”

“It’s a bit late for that,” the dark one growled.