Linnaea

Chapter 2

"Done," the clerk said  smiling as he finally got the plaster off. The old man rotated his wrist in awe.
    "The doctors said it would have taken weeks to heal!" Lin stared in amazement. The arm looked as if it was restored before it got broken. The skin was untouched by being covered for so long, and the old man could move it   so  easily.
    It was as if it was magic.
    As the old couple gave their thanks and shuffled out the door, Lin stared dumbstruck at the clerk.
His posture and movements as he stood up felt much dominant than that afternoon. His irises were no longer a gorgeous blue color. Instead They were a crimson red that made him look as if he was,
The devil.
"Who are you?" He smiled mischievously and leaned back on the counter.
"I have been known by many different names by humans, wizard, vampire, Satan, Lucifer, Beezlebub, but I have no true name unfortunately." Lin gulped down as he looked up and smiled.
"Now Lin, do you have a wish you want me to grant?"
Lin could not move in that moment.
Her first thought was,
This is a bad prank! He and Naea must have just set the whole thing up as a joke! She truly doubted the situation she was in. He truly believe that this was some dream or bad prank she made up inside her  head.
She knew she was wrong.
Somewhere deep down, a voice inside her screamed that what she  was seeing was real. That this was no bad dream, but all of humanity's fears did exist in that moment. And she was staring right at it.
"I thought the devil was a swindler?" Lin faked a smirk across her face as the demon shook his head.
"No, I can never swindle a client it's against the rules."
"What rules?"
"Of the universe." Lin stared at the philosopher with a blankface.
"Eh?"
"Magic is made up of laws...." The clerk began to explain..."Because Magic can alter the realm of time and space so easily, a price has to be paid for every wish... Do you understand?" Lin's puzzled face and odd expression told him no.
"Ok, let's say hypothetically you wanted to fix a broken arm..."
"Isn't this from the old couple earlier?"
"Hypothetically you want to fix a broken arm..." He continued. "First, you would have to pay a price of equal value, do you know what that is?" Lin thought for a moment.
"Money?"
"No, money is not needed to fix the fabric of the universe. In return he would have to lose six weeks of his life." Lin looked at him blankly.
"Why?"
"Cause that's how long it takes for it to heal. To remove that tie of him  breaking his arm one must first give up their own time." Lin stared at him even more confused.
"Why the hell would the universe do that?
"Because that's how the universe works."
"Sounds like a rip off to me."
"Yeah, I get that alot...."
They were silence. The scene itself was awkward enough even without it. A devil acting like a human was standing in front of a woman who looked like she was about to charge right at him like a lioness, and was giving every sign of hostility. Together they were surrounded by flowers whose colors seemed to dim as the sun set.
Lin was the first to speak.
"Can you do it?"
She could no longer stand by and do nothing.
"Can you really grant my wish?"
Even if it meant selling her soul to the devil,
"Can you save my sister?"
She would pay any price to have Nadea live.
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    "Hey, I'm going to run out to the store for a bit." Nadea called. The clerk was opening a package at the counter with a box cutter when his head jolted up from Nadea's mission.
    "Are you sure? It's really hot out..."
    "Don't worry I'll be fine, unlike my sister, I know where I'm going." Nadea grabbed her cane and was about to walk out the door when she thought she heard the clerk say,
    "Be careful." Her head spun around and gave him a confused look, then smiled.
    "Oh yeah, and remember that old couple coming in the afternoon, and don't be vague as you usually are about the price, Mr.Devil." Somehow, even without her sight, Nadea new she made Satan himself blush. As she stepped outside, the wave of heat slapped her in the face like a hot towel being thrown at her face.
    I better go to the store quick. I need to get Lin's birthday cake.
    After all it is our 26 birthday.
    Naea grinned. That idiot probably forgot it entirely, I know, I'll make it a surprise, after all its going to be my last one...
    "Naea Brookson? Ms.Naea Brookson?" Her doctor's voice echoed in her ears. Strange, she thought, colors slowly merged together in the black ink of her eyes.
    Who's that man, calling me? He seemed to be in his late forties. Dark skin, and a bald head stood out against his white clothing-
    Wait-
    Naea's eyes widen as she looked around the room. A white ceiling with ugly gray curtains draped around her bed. A chord with clear liquid was stuck in her arm. Surrounding her where machines with red dots and strange numbers. How the-
    How am I able to see again!?
    "It's a miracle!" The old doctor said with a smile. She stared at him. That's right, it was a miracle, a miracle to beautiful it seemed unreal. A wish that would never had happened without a price.
    Oh shit,
    Lin.
    "Where's Lin!" Nagea yelled throwing off her iv cord. The doctor backed away from the bed, "Where is she?"
    "Sir?" A male nurse asked nervously, but the doctor shook his head.
    "Don't do anything George."
    "Answer me!" Lin yelled again.
    "With him," the doctor said in a monotone voice. Lin felt the air kicked out  of her.
    "Why?" She whimpered,
    No Lin, not you... Please no...
    "My wife was in a car accident when she was pregnant." The doctor blurted out. Naea just stared at him randomly explaining his backstory at a time like this."Without him, she would be dead." Is he trying to justify sending Lin over to him. She no longer could stand looking at this man.
    Disgusting.
    "What was a price?" Lin whispered. The doctor casted his eyes down.
    "He said it was a life of another I would never meet. I never met them though so-"
    "Idiot," Lin hissed beneath her breath. She stared at him with her clear eyes just like her sisters. Mercyless hazel eyes that reflected the weaknesses in others from being so strong. Eyes than mankind regretted to stare into because it was like a mirror, showing ever ugly and hideous part in them. "Tell me doctor, do you still have kids?"
    "No she couldn't have any more because of the accident-"
    "Because of your wish." The doctor froze in his place.
    "Your wish must have been before I was able to reach the him. Listen to me doc, He said it was a life of another you would never meet, Yes, that can refer to some random guy in the world, but how does that have any effect on you?" Lin slowly stood on her feet and stumbled over to the doctor. "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life. That's how this world works. That person you will never be able to meet, is your child. And because of your wish, you will never be able to meet a single one of them." The doctor sunk to the floor as if a rock had been dumped his head.
    The only person to still witness this woman's presence is the nurse. No longer did she seem frail and timid like she was earlier that day. Now she seemed to have an overwhelming and dominant presence. She was like the sun. If one stood next to her too long, she would burn them right up.
    "Hey, get my things," she said watching the pathetic human stare at her paralyzed with fear. That's when it began to murmur something.
    "Who- are you-?" He stuttered. Lin just smiled.
    "The devil's assistant."
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    'Satan' stood in the back of the shop stacking boxes of plant watering balls. It was night, so the shop itself was dark, but considering he was a demon he could see pretty clearly. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see his red eyes reflecting in the window. He would usually put in blue contacts  for his regular customers, but for the special ones he took them out. If he didn't it would be much harder to convince them of his strange power...
    He remembered the couple from earlier. It took him an hour to explain how the laws of the universe would work for them and what price they would need to pay. A concept that n human can ever understand was difficult for them to use. But Lin specifically said to show them the fine print and that's what he did.
    Lin,
    Ding,
    Ah, it must be her. He slowly got up and walked to the counter. There he saw the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Brown hair that blew through the breeze like a wave. Hazel eyes that were so strong they reflected all the weaknesses in mankind.
    Yes this was the woman he fell in love with.
    "Hello Linnaea."