“I sold my soul to a three-piece.” -Halsey Lynn rubbed his palms into his eyes, trying to calm his cries. He couldn’t stop thinking about his sister, Daphne. It was the 3rd year anniversary of her death, so this time of year wasn’t a good time for him. He left his phone on silent, because the pinging just became too much. His friends and mom kept calling and texting to check in on him. It should have made him feel cared for, but all it did was make him feel worse. Lynn hated that people were worried about him. What if they thought he was a burden? Or that he was too much to trouble themselves with? Daff would know the right thing to say to him – something that would comfort him and make him laugh like she always used to do. His shoulders shook with a bout of uncontrollable sobs as he tried to clear her from his mind. No, no, no, no, no. He wasn't about to start spiraling again. This year felt worse, for some reason. Darker. The grief hurt more like something was physically lodged in his heart. Daff, why did you have to leave me? He would love to get a therapist, to have someone who could help him make the pain lessen. But, God, oh, God, it was so expensive to get phycological care, and he still had so much student loan debt to pay off, not to mention rent and everything else. And just when he was sure that he was fine – that he was done crying – an irrational thought would snake its way into his mind. Daphne left because of you. You’re an awful brother. Remember that time when you ignored your sister? You’ll never pay off your debt. You’re a failure. Remember when Daff…Remember – Remember? Everyone hates you. Then the spiral of grief and despair and paranoia would start all over again. He hadn’t left his bed in a day. His hunger dulled after missing a few meals. “Interesting…” a thunderous voice boomed from somewhere in the room. Lynn shot up in bed, his head spinning. The room was still dark, and he couldn’t figure out where the voice came from. “W-who was that?” he stammered, wiping tears off of his face. A hand rested on his shoulder. “Be still, child. I mean no harm.” He reached to the side of his bed to flip on the light. It blinded him for a second, but his eyes adjusted eventually. Standing before him was a man in a suit and tie – so tall his head almost reached the ceiling. His hair was black and slicked back. The man’s face was so strangely mixed that you couldn’t possibly guess at his ethnicity. His presence was so demanding that it would be hard not to notice him in a room full of people. “Who in God’s name are you?” The man in the suit clicked his tongue. His voice was quieter, more human-like now. “Tut, tut, tut. My name is Lucifer, actually. No manners with this one, are there?” He had the slightest hint of an accent. British, maybe? Lynn squinted his eyes. Where had he heard that name before? It sounded so familiar. “You’ve probably heard it in a Bible or something. Ruler of the Realm of Eternal Punishment, and bla bla bla, all that other stuff.” His eyes widened to the size of saucers. “You’re the Devil? The Devil is in my bedroom? Oh, God, what do I do?” He might’ve been panicking a bit. Panicking a lot. Lucifer sighed. “Not so polite. Noted. First rule, no mentioning that bearded, disgrace of a divinity. A little too…pure for my tastes.” Lynn was a bit off-set at his words. He’d never heard someone so blatantly disrespect a deity. But then again, this man tortured souls for a living, so he wasn’t exactly an angel. The polar opposite, really. “What are you doing here? I-I’m busy if you haven’t noticed.” The Devil smirked. “Yes, I see that. So…pitiful.” He sauntered around the room, toying with things sitting on the shelf. A sudden thought came upon him that almost gave him a heart attack. “No …Wait, my sister isn’t…with you. Is she?” “Who? Daff? No, certainly not. The girl was practically a saint. Sad. I would have loved to get to know her.” “You can’t call her that.” Lucifer crossed his arms. “Little boy, you don’t want to play with me. I could crush you with a snap of my fingers.”
The demon took a deep breath and spread a smile across his face. It was malicious, but at the same time inviting.“But, never mind that. I’m here to make an offer.” “What kind of offer…?” “The kind that takes away your pain. The kind where your grief numbs without the aid of alcohol,” he drawled, turning around an empty beer can in his fingers. The proposal was so enticing. It would be so nice to have even just one day without the torment of his sister’s loss. “Daphne. Please, forgive me. I do-I-I – I can’t do this anymore. I tried. I tried, I really tried. Forgive me,” he mumbled, almost praying. “So…is that a yes?” “I-I think?” Lucifer groaned and sat down on the bed, sprawling out at the foot of his bed. “I am offering the deal of a lifetime, pet. You’d be an idiot to subject yourself to such agony. Why don’t you just…agree? Much easier.” Lynn flashed back to all of the times he missed his sister. The times he felt absolutely useless. All of this pain could simply…go away. Daff, please forgive me. I’m about to make a deal with the devil. “Yes.” Immediately, Lucifer brought his hands together in a thundering clap. The resounding echo lingered for a minute, making the lights flicker as darkness rose from between the floorboards. The shadows surrounded Lynn, making him drowsy. “But, remember, Lynn Nanos. The Devil always takes back its gifts.” I’m sorry, Daphne. But maybe I’ll see you again. When I die. Little did he know, his death would come much sooner than he anticipated. “We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell.” -Oscar Wilde Lynn wasn’t weak, or inadequate. It was just that his demons were stronger than him. He would never see his sister again because he couldn’t live without her. The irony. It was her turn to mourn from above. ________________________________________ OK! So I made some edits because I didn't bother to read through the entire short story once I uploaded it on Scratch. I forgot that Scratch can't translate through fonts.
