Match made in the department of distribution

Chapter 3: The choice

Two days before his eighteenth birthday Daniel woke up and saw a good spirit hovering above him.

"Hi, I'm Miniel. It's nice to meet you." The good spirit said.

"Hi, Miniel. I'm Daniel." Daniel said and Degdror flew right into his face, gripping it tightly. Degdror turned his head towards Miniel, stuck out his snake-like tongue at her and hissed. "And this is Degdror." Daniel said with an irritated voice, grabbed Degdror, and put him on the bed.

"I'm so glad you are here Miniel. What type of good spirit are you?" Daniel asked.

"Well... I'm a good luck good spirit." Miniel said.

"Why did you hesitate? I know hundreds of people who would give anything to have a good luck spirit. I know I would." Daniel asked.

"I'm just eighteen years old." Miniel said.

"Oh... That means that your first human didn't choose you as a companion." Daniel said.

"Yeah..." Miniel said.

"Don't get discouraged, you're still young and have a lot to learn. Being a spirit is not easy, just look at Degdror." Daniel said.

"What's wrong with me?" Degdror asked confused.

"Everything." Daniel said.

Miniel laughed and said. "I hope that I'll have a friendship like yours someday."

"We are not friends, he is a pest that won't stop following me." Daniel said.

Degdror snuck under the blanket and bit Daniel's leg. "Ouch! Stop that!" Daniel cried out in pain and quiet laughter could be heard under the blanket.

"You see! He's a maniac. Please give me good luck so that he gets lost somewhere in the forest. Please." Daniel said.

"I heard that! I'll bite you again." Degdror, still under the blanket, threatened Daniel.

"Don't make me get the duct tape!" Daniel yelled.

Degdror flew out from under the blanket and sat on the desk. He turned his back towards them, crossed his arms, murmured something and sulked.

"Can I go see your house and talk to your parent's spirits?" Miniel asked.

"Yeah, they are both older good spirits. Go talk to them, maybe they can give you some advice or tips and tell you about the challenges they had as good spirits." Daniel said.

"That's a good idea." Miniel said and flew away.

Daniel looked at Degdror and asked. "Why are you sulking? What's wrong in your head now?"

"Nothin." Degdror said quietly.

"Let's skip the sulking part today. I'm not in the mood. Tell me what's wrong." Daniel said.

Degdror turned his head towards Daniel and said frowningly. "You said you'd rather have a good luck spirit than me."

"When did I say that?" Daniel asked confused.

You said you would give anything to have a good luck spirit and that includes me too. You would choose a spirit you don't know over me, just because it brings you luck." Degdror said angrily.

"I didn't mean it like that. And by the way, it's not me who chooses it's my subconsciousness." Daniel said.

"I don't care about your subconsciousness. You said that you wanted a good spirit." Degdror said angrily and flew out of the room.

"Me and my big mouth. I really messed this situation up." Daniel said aloud.

The next day Daniel celebrated his eighteenth birthday. The day after tomorrow he will wake up and one of his spirits will be gone. He invited a lot of people and got many presents. By tradition, at ten o'clock, the bet was started. Daniel's best friend Peter stood in the center of the back yard and put two bowls on a table in front of him. Behind one bowl was a paper with the word GOOD written on it and behind the other, a paper with the word EVIL written on it.

People attending the party wrote their names on pieces of paper and put them in bowls they wanted. They placed their bets on which spirit will the person celebrating their birthday get. The bowl with the losers stayed with the person, who was celebrating the birthday, and each day that person took one name from the bowl. The person, whose name was pulled out from the bowl, had to do anything that the person, who was celebrating the birthday, says for a whole day.

Daniel was entertaining the guests and saw Miniel talking with other good spirits. Being a new good spirit must have been tough. Daniel was hoping that Miniel was having fun. He looked around searching for Degdror. He couldn't see him in the group of other evil spirits, which was odd. Degdror was always the heart of the party but now he wasn't here. Daniel excused himself and went to search for Degdror. He found him lying on his stomach, on a stone wall and poked him with a finger to see if he was still alive.

"Go away." Degdror said.

"You ok?" Daniel asked.

"I said go away." Degdror said.

"Come on, come to the party and celebrate. You love parties." Daniel said.

"I have nothing to celebrate. I drank a whole bottle of whiskey and this is the only position where I don't feel sick." Degdror said.

"Now I'm hurt. You don't want to celebrate my birthday. What kind of a friend are you?" Daniel asked angrily.

"A drunk one." Degdror said and burped.

"You didn't even get me a gift. You don't care about me at all." Daniel said.

"I got you a gift." Degdror said.

"So, where is it?" Daniel asked.

"I drank it." Degdror said.

"You are unbelievable." Daniel said, grabbed him by his shoulders and started to pick him up.

"No! That's, really not a good idea." Degdror said and as Daniel lifted him, he started to throw up almost the whole bottle of whiskey.

"Yuck!" Daniel said with a disgusted look on his face.

Degdror looked at Daniel, still drunk, and said. "Happy birthday! Here's your gift."

Daniel threw Degdror into the ice bucket to sober him up.

"You maniac! I'll bit your ear off!" Degdror yelled.

"That sobered you up really quickly." Daniel said with a smirk.

They had fun for the rest of the night and at half-past eleven everyone was gone. Daniel took a shower and went to bed. He talked to Degdror and Miniel, said goodbye to both of them, because he didn't know who he will see in the morning, and went to sleep.

Daniel woke up in the morning and lay on his back on the bed. He still had his eyes closed because he was afraid to open them, he was afraid to know which spirit stayed with him. A few moments later, he felt a familiar shape slam against his face and grab it and hug it tightly.

"I knew that deep down you loved me." Degdror said.

Daniel sighed and yelled. "Mom! We're going to need more duct tape!"