The Dance

"Well, look who's back again.", he taunted. That is, if you could call it a "he". One always assumed that they would appear red with horns and a pointy tail, but his body was gray all over. Taut muscles were stretched over his wiry frame. There was nothing really grotesque or disgusting about his appearance. He could even be called attractive, like a finely chiseled sculpture, if not for the menacing grin on his face, and those piercing eyes. Eyes that spoke of hate and injustice. Sometimes, Justin could relate with those eyes rather than his own.

Sharpened claws bounced off of Justin's shield. Justin pushed back and swung his sword, missing the retreating figure completely. The gray man cackled, "You'll never hit me with that thing." Justin ignored him and thrust his sword into thin air, the demon having sidestepped effortlessly. The sword was so heavy, so unwieldy. Justin dashed forward and swung in a wide arc towards that maniacal smile. Such a blow would have ended the battle, had it been performed not so clumsily. The demon dodged and the Justin's blade sailed harmlessly through the air, leaving him wide open to assault. The demon would not waste such an opportunity.

Bony fist met tempered iron, as the gray man landed a crushing blow to the side of Justin's face. Stunned, Justin faltered and the demon continued to wail on him, alternating between punches and slashes. Somehow, Justin managed to roll out from the barrage, and the two opponents started circling one another. Blood flowed freely from his wounds. His head still remained on his shoulders due to the helmet perched on his head. Albeit, the impact of the blow had caused it to be crudely bent out of shape.

The gray man continued to stare at him. His eyes danced with delight, victory was within his grasp. "Come on, child of God. You haven't even land a blow on me. Is this the best God has to offer?", he mocked. Angered, Justin threw aside his shield to put two hands on his sword. This allowed him to steady his shaky sword hand, but oddly enough he felt even less confident about his ability to win.

The demon rushed forward, not allowing Justin to recover his discarded shield. The two clashed again, the scuffle resulting in Justin lying beaten on the ground. "You lose again," the gray man said. "You thought the outcome would be different, but again it's the same." He raised his fist to deliver the final blow. Justin winced. "I would kill you now, but you're not even worth the effort." And with that, Justin was left alone.

Shocked at what just transpired, he lay there for what felt like eternity. Humiliated, he swore and cursed God in anguish.

> Where were you? He could have killed me.
Do you really believe his lies over my Truth? He doesn't have that power.

> I thought you were with me.
I am always with you.

> Then, why do I keep messing up on the same things?
Your sword and shield are foreign instruments to you. You do not possess confidence in these tools, nor the ability to use them, nor the discipline to master them. These are all contributing factors, but not the true reason. You lose, because you were not meant to fight alone.