How to Sell Your Soul

Chapter 1: The Homeless Girl and the Demon

She sat there in the corner restaurant late at night stirring her 6th cup of coffee. Unfortunately the two dollars she had spent on the unlimited refill cup and muffin was the last that she had.

Funny phrase, unlimited refill, because in all reality it was not. It's not like you get to take the cup with you and then return to fill it back up again. The way the waitress was staring at her also proved that the word unlimited was used very lightly.

She would go back to the park bench that she slept on last night. With no food for the morning she would hopefully still be able to find the energy to start hitchhiking towards the city. The economy in a small town that was seriously overpopulated hit her very hard. She had unfortunately been fired from her job due to cutbacks, unable to find another job, she lost her apartment and her car, and now didn't have anymore money for food. Sadly she hadn't had any money setback in case of an emergency. She had one of those paycheck to paycheck jobs and barely scraped by even with that. Deep down inside she knew a long time ago that she should've head for the city before now. But hope, stupid stupid hope, kept her going in thoughts that things would get better.

"I'm sorry but you can't sit here and just drink the coffee. I understand that you have bought something but you've been here for the past eight hours. Unless you're going to buy something else i'm going to have to ask you to leave so we can seat other customers." The waitress said with a look of 'I know you're homeless and I don't care' on her face.

May looked around at all the other tables that would have to be filled before her sitting in that spot would even be a problem. Deep down inside she knew that she wouldn't get anywhere arguing with the waitress. Just a headache and a possible call to the police that would land her in a jail cell for the evening. No thank you, she would rather sleep on the park bench.

She got up without saying a single word to the waitress, downed her cup of coffee, and left the restaurant.

~

She pulled a very small pillow and blanket out of her backpack and lay down on the park bench. At least it wasn't raining. And living in small-town's there was the benefit of being able to see the stars at night.

"I would sell my soul for a decent job right now." May said with a heavy sigh. "That and a place to stay with some food. Definitely food. And maybe some clean clothes." Then she chuckled with a 'of course that's impossible' tone before sighing again.

"Don't offer what you're not really truly willing to pay." Said a voice from behind her.

May jumped up from the park bench shocked to find a man standing behind it. He had on a long sleeved shirt under a short sleeved one, jeans with a hole starting in one knee, tan skin, and dark brown hair that was pulled back in a ponytail covered up with a black ball cap covered in buttons. "Please don't kill me!" She yelled.

He laughed. "If I was going to do that I wouldn't have let you know I was here."  He placed one hand on the back of the bench and jumped over it taking a seat. "I couldn't help but hear what you said." He patted the bench next to him. "Sit down, I'm not going to hurt you. Actually I'm here to answer your call."

"Call?" She said as she sat down next to him. What call? Her cellphone has been deader that a door nail for over a week now. She was shocked when he took her blanket and placed it over her shoulders.

"You looked cold." He said simply. "So you need a job?"

"Yes I do... But if you're a pimp of some sort I'm sorry I'd rather die first."  Was there really people like that out here in the sticks?

He laughed hard and long. "Virgins are worth a pretty good price, but no that's not my department. I'm in finance you could say."

"How in hell did you know I'm a virgin?!"  She asked shocked.

"Hell indeed!" He laughed again as he bowed from the waist. "I'm a demon my dear. You did say you were willing to sell your soul after all."

"Are you serious? You can get me a job?" She asked with hope.

"Seriously? The demon part didn't throw you off?" He looked into her deep green eyes and grinned. Her long black hair flowed in the wind and made you almost forget that she was wearing dirty worn out clothes.  "You're something else human."

"Aren't all bosses demons in some way or another?"  So he's a hard man to work for and just comes out and says it... No big deal. Her last boss was an asshole too.

"Ah..." He said reading what she was thinking. "So you think I'm just saying that I'm an ass to work for..." He held his hand out and snapped his fingers bringing forth a hot cup of coffee.

"What in the hell?!" She asked shocked again. Its the lack of food... that's what it is. She's going crazy!

"Like I said, Hell indeed." He handed the cup to her. "I wasn't joking." She took the cup from him and drank.

"Well I guess the coffees always hot huh?" She let out a nervous laugh. "What do I need to do?"

"You're prettiness belies your strength my dear." He shook his head. "Or you're just foolish."

"Well if you can see so much of me you can tell I've had a crap life. What are the terms?" It would be worth it if it got her off the streets. Honestly the thought of hitchhiking scared her to death!  Bad stuff happens to women that do! Well, guess it does in Hell too...

"Room and board, food, clothes, and a job. Just like you asked for. You work for a year to get your soul back... If you can pay it off in that time.  The cost is ten thousand dollars. That seems to be the going rate downstairs right now."

"Annnnd what is the going rate per hour? Am I working myself to death before I can payback so you get to keep my soul?" So far this didn't seem too bad...?

"You would only be so lucky if it were me." He said with a less than enthusiastic tone. Why he wasn't sure yet. Normally he didn't give a shit wether or not somebody paid back. But sitting here next to this human... He shrugged. "You go straight to the boss. Then he decides what to do with you. Well one of his right hands."  He snapped his fingers and a contract appeared. The terms were already there ready to go.  "The rate of course isn't the best since you did ask for room, food, clothes and all."

She read over the contract, curious as to why he was helping her by pointing out all the clauses and loopholes. Not only did she have to do her job, but she had to do it right in order to get paid for that work. Damn there was even medical... Crappy medical! She rolled her eyes at that one and he laughed. Why doesn't he scare her? She couldn't understand it at all. Shouldn't selling your soul to the devil cause some sort of panic in oneself? Was it the fact that he didn't look like some sort of hell spawn with fire coming out of his mouth like in the movies? Maybe that was it. But there was one thing... "I'm ready to sign, if..." She trailed off raising her pitch a bit to see if he would bite.

"And what would that be?" He asked rolling his eyes. He had gone over everything he possibly could.

"Your name?" She said smiling.

He hoped she didn't really see the shocked look on his face. That was a first. Nobody had ever asked him for his name before. "It's Denarios Deamonium." Well once upon a time it was Denarios Angelus, but that's not for the here and now.

She held her hand out to him. "Nice to meet you Denarios." She shook his hand when he gave it to her. "May Rose Kavanaugh."

"I already know your name." Why did saying that sound like an ass... Wait he usually sounds like an ass on purpose. Normally he doesn't care about that. He wasn't thinking like himself right now. He just needed to get this damn show on the road. "Was that all you needed? Sign here please." He stated pointing to the line at the bottom of the contract. He shook his head as she did so with a steady hand. Foolish indeed. "Okay, grab your stuff up onto your lap." After she did so he placed a hand on her shoulder and then they vanished.