Deal...

Chapter 1

Once, about twenty years ago, a man came to me and said he would propose a deal. He said that every bad thing that had happened to me and my family, had been caused by him.

~

"Every death, every injury, every single little bad detail. Is because of me. I only have done it because of you. I want you as my wife."

I rolled my eyes and turned my back on him. I walked away and towards my house that was down the street. He sped up and walked with me.

"I can tell you don't believe me. So let's do this. I'll snap my fingers and the car tires will go flat."

I rolled my eyes again and checked my mailbox. He snapped his fingers and the car closest to me dipped down about 3 inches. Its tires were flat. I walked a little faster towards my front door.

"What? That wasn't enough? Hmmm, okay. Don't worry about your parents seeing me by the way. They won't and don't try and keep me out."

I walked into my house to my dad pouring hot spaghetti sauce into mason jars. I shook my head and took off my shoes.

"Hey Dad. Be careful with that. How was your day?"

"It was fine honey, just some back pain."

I heard a snap of fingers from behind me and my dad's hand slipped off the edge of the pan and he splattered himself with sauce. My dad yelled out in pain as my mom ran up the stairs from the basement.

"You see dear, all you have to do is accept my deal, and this stuff will stop."

My mom yelled from the doorway that she was taking my dad to the hospital. I left to my room and sat on my bed. The man sat next to me and put his hand on mine. I wanted my family to be okay.

"I don't even know your name."

"Seth. And might I just say your voice is angelic."

"What are you?"

"Demon, King of Hell. Looking for a Queen. So how about filling the space, my love?"

I shook my head.

"How do I know that you won't kill me. Or my family."

"That's what the deal is for love, You marry me and I leave your family alone."

"If I refuse?"

"Well, I'll keep trying but your driving parents would take a nose dive off a bridge in the car."

He raised his hand to snap his fingers and I grabbed his hand. My eyes watered as I looked up at him.

"Please, don't. I'll think about it. But please don't kill them."

He twisted his hand and grabbed mine. He brought it to his mouth and kissed it.

"As you wish my dear. I didn't think I would get you to this far in a matter of an hour but,"

I looked down as the tears fell. He tilted up my chin with his thumb and index finger.

"Don't cry my love. You're just one step closer to being the Queen of Hell."

He leaned down to kiss me and I turned to the side.

"I understand, not ready for that yet. Donec iterum conveniant. Until we meet again."

He lifted my hand to his mouth again and kissed it. He disappeared and I curled up into a ball on my bed. I cried myself to sleep.

~

"Mom? Is this story about you and Dad?"

"Yes sweetheart, but as bad as it may seem, it has a happy ending."

"Are you sure he's ready for this? He's ten."

"Hey! I'm ten and a half!"

"Yes dear. I'm sure."

~

I blinked a few times and covered my eyes. My head was pounding.

"Good morning Love."

I winced.

"Oh, that's no way to act."

He sat down on the edge of my bed and moved a piece of hair out of my face. He placed a hand on my shoulder and lightly squeezed.

"You're tense, need a massage?"

I shook my head slightly and swallowed. He swung up his legs onto my bed and layed down next to me. He wrapped his arm around my waist.

"Have you decided to accept my deal yet?"

"I- I haven't decided yet."

"What is there to decide? Either you accept and marry me or I kill your family and you marry me. Which sounds better to you?"

My eyes watered and my jaw shook. I took a deep breath and my body shook. He pulled my shoulder over and looked at me.

"Are you crying? Seriously?"

The tears started falling out of my eyes as I pushed his hand off my shoulder and turned back over.

"I need more time to think. Leave me alone."

"Hey, I may be a demon but I can tell when a girl's upset and I know that it's not right to leave her like that."

More tears fell out of my eyes as I took deep breaths. He pulled me into a sitting position and wrapped his arms around me. I pushed at his chest, trying to get away from him.

"Hey, I'm sorry. But you need a hug. Just cry. Don't worry about who it is."

He rocked me back and forth on my bed as I cried. My head was pounding even more now. My eyes dried up and my cries turned into broken hiccups. I pushed at his chest again, only for him to hold me tighter.

"I'm done crying. Let me go."

"But I thought we were bonding."

I pushed at his chest again and this time he let me go. I swung my legs over the side of the bed to get up. I stood up and my legs wobbled. Seth caught me as my knee buckled. He sat me back down on the bed.

"You're probably too dehydrated. What did you want?"

"I wanted to go eat breakfast. That's what I'm going to do."

I started to stand up again but my legs wouldn't even straighten. I sighed.

"What do you want for breakfast?"

I stared at him as he moved my feet back onto the bed and put the blanket over my legs. He snapped his fingers and a tray appeared with a plate of bacon and eggs.

"That good? I can get something else... You know if you married me you would never have to get up again. I would have people waiting hand and foot to do things for you. You could summon things yourself if you wanted."

I looked at him. He brushed a piece of hair out of my face as I picked up the fork. I put some eggs in my mouth as he started speaking again.

"You know..... your name literally means 'Gift from God' did you know that? I think that's why I want you as my wife."

I choked on my eggs and started coughing. He patted my back as I got air back into my lungs.

"I thought Demons hated God."

"Oh we do. But without him, we wouldn't exist. Anyways I'll leave you to your food, and thinking about your decision. See you later Iva."