Dating : Up Jumped The Devil

David’s entire body itched with anxiety, a chill running down his spine as he stared at his guest sitting opposite him. The man had introduced himself as Brendan, but David suspected it wasn’t his real name. Brendan was well-dressed, a tailored suit clinging tightly to his slim frame and a neat beard trimmed carefully along the sharp edges of his jaw. Most attention-grabbing, however, were his eyes. They were impossibly deep and, when caught in the right light, appeared red. They were haunting, eerie, and yet David couldn’t look away.

Regret crept into his mind, and for a moment he wished he could just send Brendan away and pretend he had never invited the man into his home.

But that wasn’t an option. Not anymore.

“When people contact me,” Brendan began, his voice silky. “It is because they want something that they value more than their very souls.” He crossed his legs and leaned back casually into the chair, interlocking his fingers and resting them on his lap as he moved. “So tell me, David, what is it that you want?”

David took a shuddering, deep breath, prompting a smirk from Brendan.

“There’s no shame here, David. Whatever it is you want. However sordid or amoral.” Brendan huffed, smirking with amusement. “The more amoral the better, in my opinion.”

David exhaled, absent-mindedly twisting a gold band wrapped around his left ring finger as he bounced his leg and stared at anything but Brendan.

“I want you to help her,” he finally admitted. His voice still quivered. “I want you to help my daughter.”

Brendan’s brows raised. “Oh?”

“It isn’t fair,” David continued. “She deserves better. She deserves longer. They.. they say she’s gone, she’s brain-dead. They keep saying there’s nothing they can do but you can do something.”

Brendan pressed his thin lips together, staring at David intensely. After a brief pause, he raised his chin. “Is she worth your soul?”

David swallowed down the anxiety and fear that began to crawl up his throat. “I.. what.. what else do you take?”

Brendan shook his head. “I don’t take any other forms of payment.”

“Okay. W-what does it mean? If I give you my soul?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. Upon your death, your soul is mine for the taking. Eternal damnation, eternal hellfire, all that jazz.”

David’s breath caught, fear wrapping its icy fingers tightly around his heart. “I.. I can’t..”

Brendan huffed, the corner of his lip tightening into a sneer. “Then this is a waste of my time. It’s okay though. I’m sure your sweet little girl will be just fine.”

Brendan stood, smoothing down his black suit as he turned towards the closed living room door.

“No, wait!” David objected as Brendan reached towards the handle. “Please.”

Brendan stayed standing but turned to face the smaller man. “Yes?”

“Please sit down,” David pleaded. Brendan sat back down in the armchair, smiling with contentment as David’s bottom lip quivered. “She deserves better than this. This was my fault.”

“Tell me more.”

“It was my fault. It should be me in that bed, not her. Emma’s never hurt anyone.”

“But you have. You’ve hurt a lot of people.” Brendan’s lips curled up to bare sharp white teeth. “I’m almost impressed.”

David’s face fell completely, nostrils flaring and brows raising. “You’re impressed?”

“Of course. Have you forgotten what I am? We thrive on torment. And, as it seems, so do you. You’d fit in quite well amongst my siblings.”

David shook his head furiously, eyes wide and shaking hands gripping his own thighs. “No! No, I don’t thrive on it! I… everything I’ve done, it was to succeed!”

“Oh really? You planted drugs in your neighbour’s house, and then phoned the police on them. What, because they made too much noise? Lowered the value of your house? You’ve ran out of justifications, haven’t you? Just embrace it, David. You’re just like me. Emma got hurt because you crossed the wrong people. Isn’t that right?”

“They attacked Emma because they knew it would hurt me,” David interjected, still digging crescents into his own thighs. “I can’t let her die because of me.”

“You’ve never been a good father,” Brendan pointed out. “Why start now?”

David exhaled, straightening his shoulders and loosening his hands. “I know. I put work before my family. I didn’t even blink when my wife left. I’ve spent more time bullying and breaking people than helping them. But this. This is my chance to do something good for once.”

Brendan smirked. “So you want redemption. You are aware, however, that God can’t grant you redemption when you’re downstairs.”

“I don’t need to redeem myself in God’s eyes. Just in Emma’s eyes.”

Brendan nodded. He watched David with a mixture of curiosity and amusement for another moment before nodding once more and smiling.

“Okay. But Emma is brain-dead. Bringing her back will require a great deal of energy, so you’ll need to sweeten the pot. Your soul in ten, twenty years time simply isn’t enough.” Brendan flashed a hungry smile. “I want your soul now. Emma opens her eyes, you take your last breath. No waiting.”

David couldn’t hold back the gasp. “But… I…”

“You do want to save your precious daughter, right? Redeem yourself in her eyes?”

David swallowed thickly and nodded. “Y-yes. Yes I do. Can I just… can I have a moment with her? To say goodbye? Please. Just five minutes with her and then I’ll go with you.”

Brendan smiled. “It’s a deal.”

He offered out his hand and David slowly, reluctantly, took it with the smallest flinch. He expected something powerful to happen. A burst of energy, or a flash of lightning. Something, anything, to signify the otherworldly deal that just went down.

But instead, Brendan simply let go and stood up, smoothing down his suit again before sauntering towards the door. David stared at the leather armchair, still dented with Brendan’s shape, before following the man with his eyes.

As Brendan reached for the door handle, he spoke once more. “I’ll see you soon, David.” He turned his head just enough for David to see a toothy, cold smile. “I’ll see you real soon.”