One Life for Another

Part Four

Part Four

Five years seems to pass with a blink of an eye, at least to Louis. Every minute feels entirely too short and when another birthday passes, he knows he’s closer to when he has to leave Harry behind. It frightens him, to know that he’s leaving Harry alone after he finally gets to enjoy his life, but he doesn’t regret his decision in the slightest. Seeing Harry happy again and so healthy… Louis knows he made the right decision.

They’ve done a lot in five years. Bought a new car, went on another world tour with the boys, painted their kitchen, adopted a cat, even went on a vacation to France. Every waking moment was spent making a new and better memory for Harry to cherish. Louis wonders if he’ll remember anything in Hell, if he’ll even remember why he sent himself there in the first place. It scares him to think that in a few short days, he might not even remember Harry’s name or the color of his eyes.

Tomorrow is the day. The time on the clock goes too fast and before he realizes, it’s midnight and he’s lying in the bed, his eyes on Harry. His beautiful boyfriend, who’s going to be destroyed when he wakes up and Louis is gone, with absolutely no trace of where he went. A shiver runs down his back when he thinks of Harry crying, calling everyone they know trying to find him, terrified of what could be happening to him. Louis’ fingers find Harry’s cheek and his runs them across the skin, trying to memorize the way it feels. Then his eyelids are fluttering open and when Harry’s eyes meet Louis’, he lets out a moan and clutches his curls. His body curls onto itself and Louis grabs him, pulling him into his chest.

“Harry? Harry, what’s wrong?”

“My head… it hurts so bad.”

Louis’ heart stops in his chest and then he hears it. A laugh, almost too quiet for him to hear, and he knows it’s her. He jolts from the mattress and the devil herself, in a dress the color of flames, is standing by his dresser. Her smile is disgusting and makes Louis’ stomach churn.

“You ready to go Louis?” Harry stiffens at the sound of the female’s voice.

“Louis… who’s there?”

He starts to shake and everything in his body begins to shut down. Suddenly he can’t feel his legs or hear himself take a breath. Everything is turning upside down and he realizes that she’s going to make Harry see all of this, watch him go to Hell with her and suffer with it forever. He feels bile stuck in his throat and it takes everything in him to not lose his dinner all over the carpet.

“What did you do to Harry?”

The devil turns her head towards Louis and raises an eyebrow in confusion.

“His time is up, too. I told you five years.”

“You said you were going to cure him!”

Her smile stretches all the way to the corners of her eyes and Louis feels hatred bubbling up in his chest. He wants nothing more than to choke her and until he sees the light leave her eyes, until she’s begging for him to stop.

“I didn’t say he would be cured forever, Louis. You have to read the fine print.”

Harry sits up and meets Louis eyes, tears lining his lashes. Louis can practically see the pain in them and his brain pounding beneath his forehead.

“What is she talking about, Lou?”

“Didn’t he tell you?”

She looks between both of them and Louis hangs his head, trying to stop himself from attacking her and making everything so much worse. But in a way, he isn’t sure if it can get any worse.