I used to live right by a forest, and if you followed the little gravel path behind my house, it would lead to a river. My sister and I used to love it down there, I used to take her swimming in the summer when the heat was stifling. But on the 25 of August, 1966, she died.
That’s where I met him. I was holding my sisters tiny body, tears streaked my face. I had no clue what I was to tell my mother. My father would surely by furious. I cried and cried until I felt a hand brush my cheek. I hadn’t noticed him appear on my left. “Why do you cry little girl?” He spoke in a calm voice. Clearly not concerned by my sister. I stared, I admit I was afraid. Looking back, his appearance was quite peculiar. His black hair was slicked back, and his matching suit, with a red pocket square neatly in place. He has sharp, blinding teeth and dark glinting eyes. He spoke very well, but with no trace of an accent. I remember he pulled out a slip of paper, quite small with a dotted line labeled your name here next to it. “Do you want to be in trouble?” He asked. I shook my head, he had pricked my interest, I was intrigued by him as I really didn’t want to face my parent back home. “Would you like her back?” “Yes” I nodded, sniffling as I did so. “Perfect!” He smiled, reaching for his pocket. Out he pulled a pen, and took my hand, “this may hurt a little”. He pushed it into my finger, making me wince. “Right, sign here please” he said, giving reassuring nods and smiles. And I did. He thanked me, tucked away the paper and placed a hand on lily’s head. Then he left, as she blinked away the water from her eyes. She breathed again.
I tried to forget that day, I mean anyone would right? Lily thought she fell asleep, and that’s the way it’s going to be.
When I turned 18, I went into town with some friends. 15th May, 1976. It was pouring it down, and I was walking back to the bus stop at gone 2 am (the area is fairly safe) when I saw him again. A decade had passed, but that handsome smile hadn’t aged a day, and the spark in his eyes had only gotten brighter. “Hey Anna!” He said waving me over, under the doorway he was stood. I stopped dead, watching cautiously for a minute. “Do you think we can have a little chat? Just pop in here for a minute.” I was hesitant at first, but I sort of knew If I walk off I’d be in more trouble than if I stayed.
We were in some shitty 24 hour diner, the kind that smelled like stale coffee and paint from the fresh coat of pink that had been slapped on the walls. It was pretty dead, just one older guy at the back, a guy in a big trench coat, and the tired looking waitress. We sat down in a booth, he took the seat by the creepy tench coat guy, me opposite. “What can I get you guys?” She asked, tiredness creeping in her voice. “Just a coffee please” I asked, “Milk and two sugars”
She nodded and look expectantly at the suit man, to which he shook his head. The smaller trench coat guy grinned, baring disgusting yellow teeth. “Can i have two chocolate milkshakes, a cheeseburger with fries, aaaand… waffles” he spoke with a scratchy, horrible voice. The waitress nodded, and left. “Do you remember me?” He asked. I nodded, “yes but I don’t remember you giving me your name?” “You may call me luci” he said smiling. “Like lucifer” I laughed, amused “Precisely” I shot him a confused look, as his friend by him picked at the leather seats. The waitress cane back, handing us our drinks and assured the food would be here in 15 minutes or so.
“I’m assuming you’re curious to why i am here,” he said, after taking a small sip from the cup. “Well, im here to make sure you know that your employment contract has begun” I laughed, I really laughed at this. “What? What contract?” I tried to say but as the words crossed my mind, the died in my throat. He smiled, and pulled out the paper. And sure enough, at the bottom in a faded brown, was scratched across it ‘Anna wilkins’. I snatched it away, my eyes glazing across it, scanning each word. It spouted some crap along the lines of: ‘Signing this document ensures that on your 18th birthday your soul shall belong to satan, and you shall be his loyal servant, dedicating your time to him, your master’ blah blah blah
“You can’t seriously- i was eight! I couldn’t even- this is your your you can’t” I spluttered. He tapped the document, with a tanned finger. “Thats your signature. Its official” he grinned. I felt sick to my stomach. “Right! Well i best be off. I have aome errands to run” he clapped his hands together and stood. “Now you have been informed of this, you shall recieve your first orders soon enough.” I was dumbfounded, I had no clue what I could actually do. The police wouldn’t belive me, I was genuinely stuck. “Why me?” I asked “You know why” he grinned Luci pulled out some cash, 4 twenty pound notes and placed it in the centre. “Lets go belphgor” he said. “But my food” he whined. “Now” luci snapped. He hung his head, and unwillingly obeyed. I watched, still in shock as they left, an umbrella appearing from somewhere, as they walked up the street and away into the night.
Now I heard from him again, about a month or so later. It was a small envelope, attached to a heavy package. I opened up the letter first. It read: Place this package infron of 25 evergreen Road at exactly 12.49pm. Do not knock. Do not open it. Do not be late. Do not fail. From L. I was confused, but I knew better than to question it. So, I took the day off work, and waited outside 25 evergreen Road, and placed it outside at 12.49pm. And waited. Sure enough, someone opened the door, and collected it. And that was that.
This is how it went on for years. But at I hit 40 in 1998, I realised I wasn’t ageing. I still looked 18. Perk of being Satan’s earthly slave I guess. But as time went on I did deeds that linked directly to horrible things. Things I don’t want to go into detail about, but the sort of things that quiet a room when mentioned, and send a silent sort of awkwardness through a room. I hated it, but what else could I do. I’ve grown to like it really. Visits from different demons, the nicest was surprisingly Asmodeus. Very flirty.
I like luci. He’s good to me, and at the end of time has promised a nice seat right by him. And he’s reminds me, whenever I do a particularly bad thing, like cutting the break off the young man’s bicycle. Luci tells me, “the world can have no good, if theres not a little bad to balance it out.” You sort of grow to love it, after all he did save me.
So I’m sorry. I’m sorry I have to see everyone I love die whilst I live on, permanently doing terrible things for the devil himself. I’m sorry for the pain I’ve caused, but I really had to, I mean, it was either this or be punished eternally in hell for drowning my darling little sister.