Under the twilight mist, the evergreen trees; once reflecting the sun’s bright gleam, seemed almost invisible. I glanced out the window, panels wide open. The sharp wind had numbed my nose, and sinking snow embraced my eyes as I strained to see. I didn’t quite mind the burning feeling; perhaps I had earned it. It was a particularly unremarkable night, yet I found myself contemplating a matter of life and death. I peered over my shoulder, and there, among convoluted bedsheets, laid a rope. A rope I, to the best of my ability, tried to tie. 

It might simply untie if I try to use it.

Next to my poorly-tied rope, resting against the wall, stood my violin. Life and death, indeed.

I had not played for anyone in months—not since I played for a fine, young woman in the market. How well I remember it! Alas, the performance was unpaid. Will it always be so?

I was bewildered, truly. Was I perhaps an unworthy player? No; that was impossible. How could that be? Hour by hour, and week by week, I drained my body refining my technique. Even so, if all shall march as it currently is, my life will quickly grow miserable. A wretched beggar with an empty stomach on an empty street, dull-eyed. Wrinkles will mar my face. I will be nothing but soulless flesh. Why, if I had been destined to become nothing but a horrendous failure, I would rather die than fulfill such a prophecy! 

Ah! Is it, perhaps, that I have gone mad? Have I been doomed to live such a dolorous fate? I will suffer horribly… No, no! There are delightful things in store for me. I am sure of it. Once the public recognizes my gifts, my reputation will soar beyond the highest of skies. Soon, the king himself will request to summon my presence. Yes, it shall be so.

Why is it, then, that my art is not valued? Well, the answer is quite simple. I reside among ignorant fools. All they value is the simplest of human pleasures. Lord, tell me, in what way is the trivial feeling of intoxication more valuable than heaven’s greatest gift? Oh, the poor, tainted souls!

Finally, I had decided. One more day, I shall live one more day, and if all stays as is, I shall end it all. 

I carried this final thought to bed, and as I slipped into the unconscious realm, I sensed the divine watching over me. The sweet, mellow sensation in my stomach; the steady beat of my heart anchoring my soul… oh, how I wished for more nights such as this one…

No! Something was wrong. 

Devouring my flesh from the inside out, my stomach was now filled with squirming worms. Horrified, I opened my eyes as my heart ran at the speed of a thousand furious horses.

The scenery was quite odd. Everything seemed to be in place, yet it felt unfamiliar. It wasn’t until I looked at the clock… Oh, the clock! It was completely illegible! There were nothing but driftless lines scattered around the face. Suddenly, however, before I could make sense of this anomaly, a putrid smell filled my nostrils. It was worse beyond the scent of rotting corpses, an otherworldly stench... Oh, and otherworldly it was, for I saw in the corner of my eye a dark cloud emerging out of seemingly nothing! It ferociously spread until it took the shape of an equally otherworldly being. A sly, five-horned anthropoid with a long, deformed tail. With crimson eyes and a crooked smile, he studied me carefully. I could sense the magnitude of his strength.

Although he seemed a being of infernal sin, he spoke with a delicate voice. 

“I am the creator, the revealer of all hidden wishes of the abyss.”

I observed my new visitor, stunned. What business did this devil have in my house?

“I have come to make you an offer, for I believe I can grant your deepest desires,” he muttered.

Despite how haunting he appeared, I could not avoid his gaze.

“Grant me your soul, your life’s essence; it is life in its purest form. It is the only thing I seek. In return, I shall be your servant, and grant you your deepest, most cardinal desire,” he proposed.

“My soul, you say?” I pictured myself as a soulless, dull corpse. “Ah, but that is hardly fair!” 

“I assure you, young man, it is an extraordinary bargain. How can I prove myself worthy?”

I did not have to think much before I settled for an answer. Silently, I pointed to my violin, and a cunning smile broke on his face.

“The violin, I see… If I play the finest melody you have ever heard, will you accept my offer?”

I nodded. His petrifying appearance mattered little; this was the opportunity I was seeking!

He confidently extended his arm and delicately grabbed my violin, slightly piercing the edges with his long, black nails. 

“The deal has been struck.”

In a swift movement, he lifted the bow and began to play what I could only describe as the most impassioned piece ever performed. The vibrant notes encased my ears, and the violin’s lamenting howls struck my heart to physically ache. As though it had a soul of its own, it wept and wailed, hopelessly begging for avail. Evoking the most powerful emotions, the devil played with such virtuosity, I thought he might as well replace me entirely. I knew not how much time had passed; it could have been ten minutes or twenty; for I was motionlessly bewitched by the devil’s playing. Faintly conscious, I sensed infernal influences were at work within my mind. 

Suddenly, the music; once clear and vivid, had begun to fade. My breath was staggering. I could not keep an even breath. Despite this, the devil pompously continued as he watched me.

I awoke with a sudden gasp.

Still in a lethargic state, I eagerly reached for my violin, hoping to recreate the devil’s magical tune. Oh, what a performance it had been! But no matter how much I tried, I could not capture the overflowing agony my devil friend had created. Failing to recall what I had heard, I clumsily composed a piece unworthy of comparison. This tune, although mediocre, may have been my best work to date.

I named this tune in honor of my devil friend, who saved my once miserable life.

The devil’s trill sonata.