I remember I had a conversation in the Caribbean with a pirate where he boasted that he had a special knife that he would only use to torture people. I remember that we would have many of such conversations, oh and that he would always keep that knife covered in salt or citrus juice. Later when I was taking care of a Transylvanian noble girl, I forget if she was related to the King of Hungry or some nearby country, anyway in many of my talks with her I relayed the stories of the pirate. I told her how and why he chose his victims and the many things he would do to them. About how he would lower their body into the sea while dumping blood and make their comrades, friends, even family watch. About how he would hang the skulls of his victims on the front of his ship so that all would know who was sailing into the harbor and the many other atrocities he would commit with the biggest smile. Finally after he died, his followers each donned a black flag of skull and bones becoming the inspiration for the many novels written about the flag.

My point is that when I told little Erzsé, a child of 8, these stories of torture and humiliation, she became inspired. This was not something I had intended. I found that the child loved gruesome and horrific tales, so I provided her with my own experiences. I never taught the young one how to peel a man's flesh off while keeping him alive, I merely told her it could be done. Regardless the girl did nothing of the ideas I mistakenly gave her until she married. She married at the age of 15 to a Count something. I can only remember that the man was quite slow. Well that and cruel. The girl now turned women became pregnant with a peasant man's child. The Count castrated him... and then set the dogs on him. Erzsé watched as the man was torn to pieces and eaten. I believe that’s what really set her off.

Over the course of the several decades the Countess would hire many young women. I guess now a days they are considered girls. These girls would be taken away from their family, and their family would rejoice for the girls would live a much safer and happier life serving nobility. I saw the faces of the girls, their mothers, their fathers, the boys who had a crush, the village filled with pride that another had been chosen, and I did nothing. I believed myself innocent of what the Countess was doing, despite knowing what she would do. She would make the girls lie naked in the snow covering them with cold water letting it freeze. She would do the same in the summer except she would leave them in the sun for days without water. And how once she tired of that, she used my old room where I would recount these tales to her. My room where she committed what I considered to be quite disturbing. I could keep going but the point is that like you, I simply watched.

It took me a long time before I could admit my involvement in what was happening in that castle. I rushed over to the King of Hungry and let him know of what was happening. The trial passed and they were convicted of 80 murders. The servants that helped were put to death and the Countess was locked away in a tower. I knew the real count and so did the Countess for she kept a journal with the names and methods used on each of her 'toys.' 663 deaths, you can see why I finally realized that I had always been the reason for this. I spoke with her before leaving and she confessed it was for me. That it was always for me.

This was neither the first nor even the worst thing I had indirectly been responsible for. In hindsight even till now, the worst was my first. I still remember the way Eve looked at me. With those eyes I had once stared into and felt myself in. Rather as you know what I caused would lead to everything that would ever happen.

Everything comes from that first bite.

Hi, well this is how I really wish to tell this story. The Countess was a real person and what she did atually happened. She's the blood Countess if you wish to look her up. I guess this is the first time I really get into the story of the devil. His mistakes are many, history was created by him, however I do want it to be known that my Devil will neither be completely good or completely evil. He will just be there observing and having conversations with others. While the events in the story make him change or perhaps makes him want to change forever doomed to be the way he is. Immortalility is a curse especially when you cannot go mad.

Thank you for reading. Please let me know what you think of the story.