Deal for Life (1): Duty

Prologue

The sky was full of the storm-grays that come from a long, long overdue downpour. Grass withered and choked, still trying with all its might to grow despite the cold that had long gripped the land. Cars zoomed back and forth, attempting to get to their destination just a might faster than safe. One woman moved towards her home, glancing left and right before daring to vanish into the portal that represented, to many, safety. She had little time for pleasantries this day, instead racing up the steps and dashing to her room. There, she changed, tossing her uniform aside in favor of some modest clothes. A blue sweater with elbow-length sleeves, jeans, and her beloved gray shoes. She just barely glanced to her crazed expression in the mirror, before dashing out the room. She almost tripped down the steps, just barely righting herself with a yelp. This yelp was quickly followed by a laugh as she hit the bottom of the stairs. The woman ran out the front door, snapping towards her car. However, fate is not always pleasant to those in a hurry. When she attempted to start the car moments later, the engine sputtered, and died. She blinked, staring at the machine and internally cursing her fate. She would be unable to make her appointment.

Well. 'Appointment' was a strong term. She would be unable to actually do much of anything, since her car was her sole means of transportation (aside from walking, but who enjoys including that?). She stepped out of the car, the gloom of the sky only serving to dampen her mood. A faint chill of wind cut into her skin, burning the nerves with its icy touch. ".... Well... I could try walking.... There..." There wouldn't be much else to do. She could not risk the reaction of the other, so she made up her mind. The woman began walking, her pace fast. She only slowed when water droplets began to fall from the sky, seeking a new home on the ground below (and sadly, on her). Today. Was not. A good. Day.

She managed to make it to an intersection and turn the light. Green became red, and a sign lit up that let her walk. She moved on, pulling her sweater ever closer to her. Only then did she realize in her haste that she had left her jacket at home. The woman groaned. She turned on her heel, preparing for a wet and annoying walk back to her house, when her thoughts were interrupted.

Interrupted in a flash of light, the screech of tires, and the screech of a car horn.

Also, her spine snapping in half.

And then black.

But not black.

Something different, truly.

She could feel, sense, know, but she could not react. The black slowly moved to gray, then white, and then...

"You know, it's rude to not look at someone when they've pulled you out of Death." The woman's eyes snapped open. Dull green stared at the light before her, strange as it was. The light nearly... Nearly seemed like a human, but she knew it was not so. "Thank you. I won't do as most and go 'you're probably wondering', let's just cut to the chase. We both know what just happened- you died." The woman went to speak, to correct him and bring up that she had been suffering a terrible nightmare, but found her voice gone. All that remained was a low gust of wind that was akin to a squeaking squirrel. "And yes, you cannot speak. Mainly because... I pulled you from the process." God sighed, his light moving back and forth before he spoke again. The woman breathed out. How was she supposed to move? Talk? Could she just- yep, her arms were working. As were her legs, hands, so on and so forth. "I have a task for you. Before you go thinking 'oh my life' or 'I must be special', allow me to remedy that. You were the first person I pulled from the transfer. At random. I simply wanted someone to watch over my.... Progeny. In return, I will let you live a new life, far away from the previous one, and far from the souls of those who harmed you."

The woman blinked, unsure how to respond. She had an appointment- she wasn't supposed to go galavanting about who knows where! She tried to voice this, but was once more unable. And just like that, the light left, and she was left in the darkness. The blackness. The nothingness between everything.

"I will give you time to think of an answer.- Do choose wisely." And so thus, there she would be for a time, to contemplate whether to take this random offer from a stranger that she didn't even know.