Deal With The Devil

It's a Deal, Then?

There are few things one can control in their death, and one of them definitely isn't what you can bring with you from your living life. Whatever you had on your person in your last moments on Earth was what you were stuck with in Hell.

Some don't care what they had with themselves in the living world, and will often discard their items over time. But there were few demons, like Serenity, who desperately wished they could go back to the living world; even if just for a moment to retrieve lost memoirs.

When Serenity died, all she had was the noose around her neck that she used to hang herself; a reminder of her cowards' way out after she killed her father.

How she ended up confessing her desires to Alastor of all demons, she had long forgotten. Yet, there she was: sitting on her bed with the Radio Demon mere feet away from her. Listening quite intensely to her surprise.

"Sometimes I kind of wish I could go back and grab some things that aren't... You know," she fiddled with the noose around her neck for a brief moment. "this."

Alastor threw his head back and laughed. "Ha! You say that like it's impossible, darling!"

"It's not?"

"There are quite a few ways for a demon to visit the living world, and I happen to have a few tricks up my own sleeve." He claimed, promptly adjusting the sleeves on his coat.

"You could take me to the living world?" Serenity gawked in disbelief.

"I could," Alastor stated. "But of course, you would have to do something for me in return eventually."

"Wait what?"

"Oh darling, you wouldn't think I'd extend my powers for nothing would you? If I am to take you up to the living world, I would require some favour in return."

"What... What would you want from me?" Serenity asked, slightly curling herself in and away from the Radio Demon.

"I'm not quite sure yet! Life is extraordinarily unpredictable, which makes it all the more entertaining. I would simply call upon you if I ever find that I need you." Alastor's voice began to turn sinister as the room filled with a violent static that made the hairs on Serenity's neck stand on end

"So, do we have a deal?"

She looked down at Alastor's extended hand, which now emanated a flickering green glow that also seemed to consume the area around the two demons.

"No! No no no! Vaggie warned me to never make deals with you. You're... dangerous..."

That last word came out as more of a questioning statement; was he that dangerous? Obviously, Alastor had a reputation for a reason, but so far nothing Serenity witnessed seemed to be all that malicious.

"Then again if you wanted to hurt me, I suppose you would have done it already, being as powerful as you are..." She thought aloud.

She gazed back up at Alastor. He had retracted his hand and was staring at her through lidded eyes and a mischievous grin.

Serenity took a deep breath and stood straight, her shoulders pushed back, acting as brave as she could.

"Okay, how about this: You take me to The Living World, to the home I grew up in to grab some things from my life; and in return I will do one, mark one favour for you sometime in the future."

Alastor tilted his head as his smile spread wider across his face. "You are a clever little thing, leaving little room for mistranslation in your conditions." He mused as he stalked around the little brunette. "But I suppose I'll allow it! If anything, I admire it!"

"So, it's a deal then?" Serenity asked, in the same elk Alastor had presented moments ago.

"You have taken the words right out of my mouth, my dear."

Alastor reached his open hand out once again, and this time, Serenity hastily took it. She shut her eyes in anticipation for the dreadful ritual...

But nothing happened.

She peeked her eyes open and looked down at her hand, still locked with Alastor's. No more green light, no more overwhelming static in the air. The only pain she felt was the slight pinch Alastor's claws inflicted on the skin of her hand.

"That's it?" She blurted out.

"What were you expecting, a parade?"

"I don't know! I guess I was expecting something a little more dramatic." Serenity admitted as Alastor let her hand go. "At least I expected it to hurt a little bit."

"Oh, give it a moment." Alastor said as he twirled his mic around in his hand.

Suddenly, Serenity winced in pain. She grasped the hand that Alastor held only moments ago. Now etched on the back of her hand was some kind of Voodoo mark that glowed a bright red. Serenity began to panic as her eyes widened and her breath quickened, but Alastor gently encased the marked hand in his own grasp.

"Oh, there's no need to worry, my dear. It's only a binding mark, it'll disappear once your end of the deal has been upheld." He explained. "I think."

"What do you mean you think?!" Serenity snapped, ripping her hand from the deer demon's grasp.

"The conditions of my deals usually aren't as temporary as the ones you so cleverly put in place. More often than not I have demons in a bind for decades before they're able to commit to their part of the deal, if at all."

Serenity looked back down at her marked hand, already starting to regret her actions.

"This was a bad idea! This was a terrible idea! This was a stupid idea!"

Suddenly, the clip-clop of the deer demon's shoes caught her attention once more; he was leaving.

"Hey, where are you going?!"

"Well a trip to the Living World will take some.. preparations. I'll let you know when I'm ready."

Serenity slouched in defeat, hoping these preparations wouldn't take too long. Serenity had to get this deal over with, less Charlie or Vaggie find out.