I some times regret it.
Leaving my life behind, leaving my family.
It hurt. I sometimes wish I could go back and change it. Turn back the clock and change my decision. Fix the problem before it happened. But I'm content with my decision. I would not take it back. I would do it all over again.
Where do I start...
My life was not bad, nor too good. I din't have a exciting life, not to many friends, a good house, decent job, a cat.Only down side would be being 31 and single, yet life was good. I was satisfied.
I must admit though I was never completely happy. I always felt that I was missing something, that there was more to life.
Unlike me, my brother Alex was well... happy.
When he graduated about 10 years ago he went straight to an Ivy League college then went on to becoming a successful businessman, got married and now has a kid on the way. I was not envious, but just a little jealous. He seemed to have such good fortune, yet it wasn't soon after I learned why.
It was a completely normal day. A Saturday the one day I din't work, and the day my brother came to say goodbye.
I was on the coach reading a book when I heard knocking at the door. Sighing I got up and looked out the window to my surprise it was my brother. Opening up the door I was shocked at his appearance. Hair messy, tie crooked, bags under his eyes which had a wild look to them shifting left to right.
" Can...can I come in?"
I nodded making way for him to enter. He seemed paranoid and tired. I knew he was acting differently for awhile now, but I just dismissed it for his wife's pregnancy. Looking at him now I knew that was not the case.
"Alex what's going on?"
He gave me a hopeless look.
" I... I made a terrible mistake"
"I'm sure what ever it is we can fix it" I urged.
"No you don't understand I... I'm going to..." he spluttered.
"What? What's going to happen to you?"
" I'm going to die"
It was silent. Not a word was uttered for a long time. How do you respond to that? My brother looked at me. His eyes pleading for something, for me to respond.
"Your... you... need to sit down" I replied
" I'll get some tea..." I rushed to the kitchen. As I prepared the tea my mind was running though a thousand different scenarios on why my brother believed he was going to die, did he make a bad business deal,perhaps a disease?
When I returned to the living room Alex was sitting on the couch head in his hands.
"Here you go," I handed him the cup " I know it's not coffee but..."
"It's fine... thank you" he interrupted smiling up at me. "I just didn't know who to go to, dad's gone, mom has to worry about her sickness, and with the pregnancy -."
" Its okay, what do you mean your going to die? Is someone after you?" I sat down in the chair across from him.
"Yes, no, it's hard to explain you... you wouldn't believe me."
"Tell me."
"I...I made a deal."
"A deal? What kind of deal?"
"Re... remember when I was applying to colleges."
"Ya."
"And how I got into that fight, and got suspended." I nodded
He sighed "I knew. I knew that because of that stupid fight no Ivy League would except me no matter what my grades or score was, so I... I panicked."
"Alex what did you do?" I demanded. Who could he have possibly made a deal with?
"I thought it was a joke you know, wishful thinking" he stammered. "I... I made a deal with a..."
"A what Alex? Who did you make a deal with!"
"A demon."
I... I could not have heard that right. Right?
"Do you mean someone like a-"
"No I mean an actual demon," he retorted a serious look upon his features.
"Explain."
"Like I said I thought it was a joke." He chuckled a little " a friend suggested it so I tried it"
"How?" I questioned.
"Just some stuff in a box, black cat bone, grave yard dirt, and a picture of yourself, and then you put it in the middle of a crossroad, kind like that one show you used to watch natural something..."
"Supernatural?" A show that stopped running about 10 years ago.
"Ya that one... like I said I thought it wouldn't work, but then..." he looked down " it did. It looked human but it's eyes were red and it's voice was. Horrifying!" He look up at me pleading for me to believe him.
"Okay." I din't know what else to say.
"I was surprised at first," he continued. "It asked me what I want, and I told it that I want to get into the college and a job of my choice, and it replied." He stopped for a moment a hard look upon his face. " It said 'usually I could only have one, but because it hasn't made a deal in so long sure'..."
"What did it want?"
"My soul. It would collect my soul in 10 years."
"When's the due date" I asked, yet I already knew the answer.
" Tonight... midnight."
We were quite for a long while. He then stood up, and gave me a sorrowful smile.
"I just... wanted to say good bye"
He started to leave.
"Wait!" I injected " what about your wife, and the baby? You have so much to live for. Isn't there another way?"I pleaded.
" no theirs not. I'm... I'm sorry,"he then left leaving me dumbfounded, and alone.
I thought over everything he said. How my little brother was just going to die. How he had a family, a good job, and many people that would miss him. If only I... wait. There might be a way. I thought back to that show "Supernatural" I sorta remember one, or maybe both of the brothers making deals with demons in exchange for someone's life. I knew what I had to do.
It took me awhile. Dirt crossroads are quite hard to find nowadays. But there I was standing in the center with a box. I knelt down did in a hole, then placing and covering the box. I prayed to God it worked.
"Well this is interesting" I turned around startled by the voice, it was deep and gravely hardly human. There stood a man average in a flannel shirt and work men jeans.
"It's rare to be summoned twice in a century alone, now what can I do for you young lady?"
"I... tonight there's someone named Alex Scott his soul is-."
"Is about to be collected yes, yes I know I was the one who mad the deal with him."
"Then I want... for him able to keep his soul." The demon look at me questionably.
"Oh do you now? what are you his lover, or wait! Yes you do share a resemblance to him yes a sister perhaps?"
I nodded.
"Oh wonderful this just got more intriguing, I'm sorry though I need a soul by tonight or my boss will have me flayed; literally."
"I...I know that's why I am willing to exchange mine for his. Right here right now."
"Oh that is interesting, yet what do I get a... no offense an ordinary soul instead of a successfully smart businessman?" He countered.
"Well there's got to be something I..."
"Well now that I think of it. I would be ahead of schedule, yet mmm. Oh I know what, how about a wager?" He grinned.
"Wager? What kind of wager?"
"Well you see when someone goes to hell there tortured till their soul breaks and they become a demon, many people don't last a year in hell so how about this. As long a you don't turn or give up your brother keeps his soul, but the moment you break his soul goes to hell"
I thought it over. I thought about what I had to live for? A cat? My job? Yet for once in my life I din't feel the emptiness. I felt right.
"Okay." He grinned "but... my brother keeps his job, and no one he cares about is harmed"
He thought for awhile "excluding you of course cause you know hell."
"Deal"
He smiled "excellent. Let's seal the deal with a shake." He held his hand. I looked down, saying one last prayer to God before taking his hand and giving a firm shake.
"Well now..." he said putting his arm over my shoulders. " I still don't know your name. There is so many tortured souls in hell, going to need a name to label your cell"
"Call me... Rose"