Please don’t upvote this post.
It takes a piece of me every time you do.
This isn’t a joke, or a desperate ploy to get attention. I made a deal with a demon, and it tricked me. It’s my own fault. But every time this post is upvoted, he carves a piece of flesh the size of a 5-cent piece off me.
I just wanted to be a good writer. I dreamed of writing a novel, with romance and action my two favorite subjects. I’d even wanted to post them on Reddit, under a romance or action story subreddit. But try as I might, I could never finish a story. I would sit in front of the computer for ages, trying to work out what to write next. How to give a character a compelling story arc, or how to create a realistic romantic encounter. But I could never do it.
I read books on how to structure a story and watched hundreds of hours of YouTube on how to overcome writer’s block. I even tried chat gpt to fill in the blanks. You know you are doing bad when ai tells you it doesn’t understand.
When my prayers went unanswered, I was at my ropes’ end. I just wanted to throw in the towel and give up on my dream.
But then, something did answer my prayer. Something dark. Something evil.
At first, I thought it was a dream. I never saw it directly, just in reflections. I would catch a glimpse of it, a dark, wispy shadow, in my glass door. Or see a dark shape move in the reflection of my stainless-steel fridge. A horned figure standing behind me in the fogged-up bathroom mirror.
But every time I would turn to look at it, there was nothing there.
Then, it messaged me on Reddit. I won’t tell you the username, as I don’t want anyone trying to look it up.
*It “Hi 1One1MoreNightmare. Looks like you could use some help”
*Me “Hi, who are you?”
*It “I’m the answer to your prayers! You asked for help with writing, and I am here to give you that help. I know you’ve seen me around your place. I’ve been watching you as you struggle. But I am here to put that struggle to an end”
*Me “Ok, is this some kind of joke?”
*It “Not at all. Here let me prove it to you”
Just then, my tv turned on to a static snow image. Then, a horned silhouette became slightly visible, and it spoke through the tv. “You believe me now?”
*Me “Are you an angel?”
*It “Once. Now, I am different. But I am still here to help. I will help you write the greatest stories you ever dreamed of. And all I ask for is a small payment”
*Me “Of course, I’m willing to try anything about now. I can Paypal or Venmo”
*It “No, no. A small payment in flesh, , the size of a 5-cent piece is all I ask. And for that, I will give you the power to create literature art. The only catch is, once you agree, you have 24 hours to upload your first story onto Reddit and it must meet their guidelines so it cannot be removed.”
*Me “What happens if I can’t? I struggle so much to finish anything, I am worried I would fail”
*It “I will remove all barriers and clear your mind. You will be the greatest writer in modern history… If that’s what you want”
*Me “Yes, that’s what I want. Ok, you have a deal”
*It “Done! As an upfront payment, I am going to take a piece of flesh now”
A searing pain on my chest hit me suddenly. I lifted my shirt, and a small, 5-cent-sized piece of flesh had been carved out of me. I quickly opened the drawer and fished out a Band-Aid, covering the bleeding cavity from where the chuck of flesh had been removed. I started to think that this was a bad idea. I mean, to be honest, I didn’t think it was true or would really happen.
But that thought was washed away, as story ideas started to flood my mind. And just like that, I was writing. My mind was clear, clearer than it had ever been. The stories were practically writing themselves. I opened my folder of incomplete stories, and within 6 hours, I had finished, edited, and proofed 5 stories. And they were good. Like, real good.
I couldn’t believe it. I was struggling to work out what story to post first! I had a beautiful romance story that would make hardened criminals cry, and action-packed adventures that would make the greatest Hollywood directors sit up and take notice.
I opened the chat again, I wanted to thank this, this savior, this being, that granted me this clarity. But as I was scrolling through the chat, I noticed something odd that I missed the first time.
It was a gap in one of its messages.
*It “No, no. A small payment in flesh, , the size of a 5-cent piece is all I ask. And for that, I will give you the power to create literature art. The only catch is, once you agree, you have 24 hours to upload your first story onto Reddit and it must meet their guidelines so it cannot be removed.”
I hovered my mouse over it, but nothing came up. So I copied the chat and pasted it to Word. I highlighted all of the text, then selected black font. That’s when I realised how much of a mistake I had just made. The space was some hidden words, which I had unknowingly agreed to.
*It “No, no. A small payment in flesh, per upvote, the size of a 5-cent piece is all I ask. And for that, I will give you the power to create literature art. The only catch is, once you agree, you have 24 hours to upload your first story onto Reddit and it must meet their guidelines so it cannot be removed.”
At that point, I knew the grave mistake I had just made. A new message popped up.
*It “You have 18 hours left to upload”
*Me “Wait, you never told me what happens if I don’t upload something within 24 hours”
*It “Oh, I have faith that you will. But just in case you don’t, I will skin you alive and boil you for eternity, without the ability for you to die”
That last message came through 17 hours ago. I have spent that time trying to work out a way out of this deal. And the only thing I can think of is to plead with you, people of nosleep, please do not upvote this post. Don’t downvote it either, it’s not worth the risk. I am here asking for help, for advice. Has this happened to any of you? How did you beat it? If you can’t help, Just ignore this post. Keep scrolling.
And never, ever, accept help to write from a Demon.
OMeN