Bargaining with the Devil

[Calyxxx]

She walked down the street, exuding confidence. Her black heeled feet clicking against the sidewalk, dark black hair shimmering in the sunlight. A small grin curled around her lips as she turned and opened the door to a small pub. Her ice blue eyes settled quickly on a handsome man, looking quite distraught, sitting alone in a corner. She smoothed her black skirt around the back of her legs and sat down across from the man.

"So, here's the deal." She spoke quickly and bluntly to the man, ignoring his obvious surprise.

"The money you have just lost in the stock market will magically make itself available to you again. Unfortunately this will happen after your girlfriend finds out about the loss, as well as the extra money you blew on the girls at the strip club last night...and the night before...and the night before. The bank will withdraw their notice of foreclosure, the bill collectors will stop hounding you, and you will be offered a better position than the one you were just fired from." She scanned his face for reactions, clasped her hands together on the table, and continued.

"In exchange," She snapped her fingers, a gold scroll appearing in her slender hand, "you will sign this basic contract, surrendering to me your soul, when the time comes for your romp on this world to end." She licked her ruby lips and waited for a reaction.

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OOC: looking for a decent writer to play the male character, pls PM with interest.

 

[petermc]

nervousy he looked accross at her sitting opposite, wondering how ,and why as he thought about her proposal

 

[gagonthis]

He couldn't believe this had happened to him. How had his life fallen apart like this? He had once been an incredible successful investment banker. There had been nothing he couldn't do right. He was the golden child of Wall Street... and then everything started to go wrong. He got cocky. Burned too many bridges on the way to the top, made too many enemies. Cocaine and whores, he hid it from his girlfriend well, but it was tearing him apart. Then he was setup.

There was no other term for what happened to him. One of his 'friends' gave him a hot stock tip, insider information. He knew it was illegal, but he'd done it hundreds of times before. Only this time the information had been fabricated. He'd lost it all... everything he'd earned in his life. Now he sat in a dive bar, drinking the last of his pocket money away, trying to think of a way to save his life.

The click of heels turned his head. He saw the woman walk in, his eyes widening slightly. Women like that simply did not walk into pubs like these. Her raven black hair seemed to glimmer, despite the absence of any signifigant light source in the place. Her body was immaculate, the black skirt she wore covering but accentuating the curves of her body. And her lips.. the ruby red promised forbidden pleasures. He blinked slightly as he realized she was walking straight towards him. He tried to tear his eyes off her, to be polite, but he just couldn't stop staring. It took him a few moments to realize she was talking, his eyes glued to her lips as they moved, his mind full of inappropiate thoughts.

"Wait.... what? My soul?" He asked, looking around to see if anyone else was watching them. "This is some sort of joke right? One of those hidden camera shows?" But how would they know about the money... it had only been missing for an hour, and the mention of the girls.... he swallowed heavily. Then she made the scroll appear out of seemingly thin air and he jumped slightly. "What..... what's this all about?" He asked, now very nervous.

 

[Calyxxx]

OOC: Yes, Gagonthis was given the role, Petermc did not get an ok from me. This thread is now closed for myself and Gagonthis.

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She pursed her lips and watched him confidently.

"I've made my offer clear to you and have no desire to repeat it. You have only to sign this contract and your life will be back on track. Take the offer or leave it, but don't make me wait. I'm a busy woman and am beginning to become impatient.

She crossed her legs under the table and brushed a few strands of hair from her face. He seemed flustered, but she was sure he understood her proposal. She smiled and could almost hear the blood rushing through his veins, heart beating furiously.

"So, do we have a deal?"

 

[gagonthis]

He looked at her again and glanced around the pub, looking for hidden cameras or some hint of what this was really about. She couldn't honestly be what she was hinting at being could she? Her pursed lips distracted him again. What was it about her? What if she were serious? Stranger things had happened hadn't they? No, not really, if this were for real it was just about the weirdest thing ever. In any case he should humor the woman. He took the contract from her, reading it closely. It was spelled out pretty much exactly how she explained it. He'd get the money back, get his life on track, though he'd have to lose his girlfriend and, apparently his soul, to do it.

He chuckled nervously as he took out a pen. What the hell, this couldn't be real, and if it were well... he would sell his soul to keep his life from sliding away. He enjoyed a certain quality of life that he wasn't prepared to give up. "Alright.... yeah deal." He said, leaning down to sign the contract. He felt.... something.... in the air as he signed, a pressure on his heart. What was going on here he thought to himself.

 

[Calyxxx]

A rich laugh bubbled up in her throat, thick as syrup as it dripped from her lips.

"You've made a wise choice. I have a feeling we will be seeing each other again soon." She rolled the scroll back up and it disappeared between her fingers.

"I'll be in touch with you later this evening to go over the fine details of your contract."

With that, she stood, eyes piercing his gaze. Just as quickly as she had entered the pub, she left it, heels clicking against the floor as she walked. She pushed the door open and stepped outside, disappearing around a corner.

 

[gagonthis]

He blinked as she walked out trying to figure out if what he thought had happened had really happened. He looked around the bar, everyone else seemed to be going about their business with not a look towards him. Maybe he had just imagined it. Yeah, that was it. He'd had too much to drink. He sighed, pushing away the drink in front of him, standing to go home. He just needed to sleep it off. As he rose he felt a vibration in his pants. Reaching into his pants he grabbed his phone, smiling as he saw the name displayed, it was Ashley. She'd make him feel better. He opened the phone. "Hi hone...." He started then pulled the phone away from his ear as she began screaming at him. "What the hell..." Oh shit, she knew about the women, the strip clubs and the savings he'd lost. He listened to her scream for what seemed an eternity before she yelled that it was over and hung up on him. He closed the phone, sighing sadly as he reached for his drink again. He drained it and rose, wobbling slightly. He walked out into the street, looking around to see if that woman was still about, maybe it had been more than imagination after all...

 

[Calyxxx]

She stood with her back against the cooling brick of the wall. The sun was beginning to set and the heat escaped the building quickly. Her arms folded she watched as he exited the pub and looked around himself.

"So, you believe me much more than you had when you signed the contract, I assume?" She spoke quietly, icy eyes staring at him from under her thick bangs. She took a step towards him as he twirled around to confront her.

"I understand your girlfriend has just called. I'm sorry about that, but unfortunately, there are certain interests that I have that prevent me from being able to help you out in that department." She looked him up and down and licked her ruby lips.

"I trust you will be going home now? I'll meet you there in one hour and we can discuss the finer points of our little arrangement, hmm?" She winked at his bewildered face and strode off down the street.

 

[gagonthis]

He exited the pub, frowning slightly at the setting sun. He had been in the pub for a lot longer than he thought. And based on the fact that he had no idea which direction home was right now was a clear indictation that he'd had more to drink than he thought as well. He sighed as he stood still for a moment, getting his bearings.

He blinked as he saw movement out of his perphial, turning to see the woman who had made him sign the contract. He closed his eyes, rubbing them slightly before opening them again. Nope she was still there. Shit maybe he hadn't been imagining this... what had he signed himself up for? He tried to speak as she came closer and began speaking to him. How did she know about his girlfriend? And what did she mean by 'interests?' He had a million questions he wanted to ask, but he found himself tongue tied again, staring at her lips, swallowing slightly as she licked them. Christ the things she could probably do with those lips. Stop it, he told himself sternly, that's part of what got you into these troubles in the first place. She said something about meeting him and he was about to call out to her to ask her what exactly the hell was going on, but his phone rang again.

Grabbing it out of his pants he frowned at the number. He didn't recognize it. He flipped it open. "Hell...hello?" He asked nervously, he'd had too many surprises today. "Yes this is him..." He responded to an inquiry of his name. "My who? Great Uncle? I was his only living relative? Oh well, that's too bad." He said, apparently the man had suffered a horrible heart attack. "He did what?! Left me how much?! Holy crap!" It was the exact amount he had lost earlier that day... this was uncanny. "Yes... Yes I can come in tomorrow morning, thank you!" He wrote down the address hanging up the phone and cheering loudly, he had his money back! He looked around, trying to find the woman, to tell him he was beginning to believe, but she was no where to be found. Smiling widely he hailed a cab, heading back to his apartment.

 

[Calyxxx]

One hour later, she found herself in front of an apartment door. She didn't bother to knock and instead, opened the door and walked inside. Hearing the sounds of the shower running, she sat herself down on the couch to wait for him. There was much to discuss.

 

[gagonthis]

He yawned as he stepped out of the shower, wrapping the towel around his waist after he dried himself off. He stretched his muscles, looking in the mirror. Nothing like a shower to take the edge off a real nasty day. He needed to relax and a warm shower was just what the doctor ordered. He brushed his teeth, gargling some mouth wash to get the taste of alcohol out of his mouth. Applying a little deodorant he walked out into the living room, hoping to find something to eat, he was starved. He blinked in surprise, the towel falling down his waist as he saw the woman sitting in his living room. "Bloody hell!" He yelled, trying in vain to catch the towel before it hit the floor. "What the hell is going on here?"

 

[Calyxxx]

She followed the towel down with her eyes before fixing them on his own.

"I told you I'd come to discuss the finer points of our arrangement. It has been an hour. Or, have your forgotten that you were expecting company?" She smiled at him and ran her eyes down his body, licking her lips.

"Come and sit, when you are ready, unless you think I'm still all in your imagination. Either way," She snapped her fingers, the signed contract appearing again in her hand. "we have business to attend to."

 

[gagonthis]

He reached down, hurriedly grabbing the towel and covering himself up. Not that he minded this gorgeous lady staring at his body, but well, things were just a little too weird right now. He hadn't forgotten that she said she would be at his place in an hour, but he was still holding some thin shred of hope that this whole thing was just a weird dream. Apparently it was not. He sighed heavily, wondering what he had gotten himself into. "Give me one minute..." he said, disappearing into his room, emerging clad in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He sat down in his recliner, across from her, staring nervously at the contract in her hand. "So.... a man called me today... apparently an Uncle I didn't even know I had died... and he left me just enough money to get out of debt.. This is for real isn't it?"

 

[Calyxxx]

A look of pity crossed her face.

"Yes, it is real. I am glad you're coming to terms with that." She crossed her legs and leaned back into the couch.

"You have signed a contract with me, and I am living up to my half of the bargain so far. Soon the rest will fall into place. However, you have signed over to me, your soul. It now belongs to me, although, for the time being, it is still contained within you."

She sat up, and leaned forward towards him.

"You have an expiration date, my dear, and I intend to collect on that date."

 

[gagonthis]

His face drooped as she told him it was real. "But.... I thought... oh God I just sold my soul.... wait... does that make you... the Devil?" He asked, getting a little scared as the possibilities whirled through his mind. He was never much of a religious person, but he still knew enough to be scared. He swallowed loudly when she reaffirmed that she was the owner of his soul and paled when she mentioned something about an expiration date. "Wait... what does that mean? I'm fated to die at a certain time? Wh......when?" He asked, now sweating with fear. This little woman, as sexy as she was, was terrifying him.

 

[Calyxxx]

She smiled a devious smile and crossed her arms.

"You are a perceptive one, aren't you?" She rose from her perch on the couch and moved to his chair, placing a hand on each side. She lowered her head to within inches of his, her eyes piercing his.

"You do have an expiration date, as well as everyone else on earth does. Yours, however, is known to me, and yes, may be a bit sooner than you would have planned for. Keep your chin up though, darling. There are worse things than death."

 

[gagonthis]

He swallowed heavily as she stood, moving to the chair he sat in. He tried not to let his nervousness show, but he was quickly feeling an undeniable terror in his stomach as she spoke. Still he found himself staring at her lips once again. He wrenched his eyes away from them, sweating now as he looked up at her. Every human was fated to die at a certain point.. it was a horrifying thought. And his was sooner than he'd like. "What.... sooner than I planned for? You mean... oh God..." He was going to die an early death. And she would have possession of his soul when he did. What had he done...?

 

[Calyxxx]

She stood and crossed her arms, staring down at him through a sheet of hair.

"You act as if you signed your contract unknowingly. It was all laid out in the contract, which you read and signed yourself." Anger flared up in her eyes, setting them ablaze with color.

"Do not think that you can easily slink your way out of this contract. It is perfectly constructed."

 

[gagonthis]

He shrunk away in fear at her anger. Suddenly she didn't look nearly as sultry or attractive. All he could feel was abject terror as she stood over him. He tried to disappear into the chair, backing himself away from her glare. "I thought it was a joke... I didn't think... oh God..." He nearly whimpered, feeling the icy ball of fear turn into a raging fire he was sweating all over as he tried to think of any way out of this situation. He cried out as he felt his chair begin to topple, overbalanced by his backing up. He toppled backwards, hitting the floor with a loud OOOOF and came to his feet, his eyes frantically searching for any sort of escape from the situation.

 

[Calyxxx]

She chuckled to herself and sat back down on the couch.

"There's no need to get all excited. No sense wasting your energy. What's done is done, and I'm sorry but there is not much you can do to change it. I suggest enjoying what time you have left." She checked a small watch on her wrist and smiled to herself. "Soon enough I'll be here to claim you. Don't worry, an existence as property to one such as myself can be as good for you as it will most definitely be for me." She smiled again.

 

[gagonthis]

He felt paniced, but if this was all for real then there wouldn't be anything he could do about it. No, this couldn't be for real. Stuff like this wasn't real. The devil, selling souls.... even if everything he had agreed to had happened... wait.. the job.. he never got the job, there was a loophole!
Riiiiiiiiiing Riiiiiiing
His face paled as he reached down, looking at the number, it was his work. No... no way. He answered the phone hesitantly. "Hellllo?" He asked nervously. "Mr. Anderson, this is Cooper. You know, your boss." He gulped as he listened to the man talk and tell him that he'd been promoted. He thanked the man nervously and hung up the phone looking at the woman again. "Ok... this is for real isn't it? How... how much longer do I have?"

 

[Calyxxx]

She looked down at her polished fingernails, examining them.

"Unfortunately, that is something I cannot tell you. If I did tell you, you would do all that you could to prevent the inevitable, hide at home for the day, be constantly looking over your shoulder. We can't have that now can we?"

She looked up from her fingernails to him.

"This is just what happens when you make deals with me. You get what I want, but I'm so impatient." She mocked a pout on her perfect lips. "So I work in a little line into the contract that makes your life much more... attainable to me"

 

[gagonthis]

He swore. Loudly and for several minutes. Just letting all his anger vent as he strung together explictives that had never been paired before. When he was done his voice was hoarse and he stood staring at her silently cursing that knowing smile on her lips. He had sold his soul. He had to come to grips with that. And she knew when he was going to die. Would it be soon? Oh God, was she going to kill him here? "Stay away from me devil woman!!" He screamed, his voice scratchy as he vaulted over the chair, dashing for the door and downstairs into the street, towel left behind in his mad hurry to get away from her. A tiny part of his brain screamed for him to stop, and he knew he must look a sight, a naked man dashing through the busy streets during rush hour. Still he kept running, glancing behind him every so often to make sure she wasn't following.

So concerned about the possibility of her catching him was he that he never noticed the doubledecker bus as he ran out into the street........................


WHAM!

 

[Calyxxx]

She watched from his window as he ran screaming down the street. A slight flinch when he hit the bus, and she closed her eyes. Once opened, they looked down at him, traffic stopped and a crowd gathering.

She put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot.

"OK, you can get up now. You actually made this easier than I had thought it was going to be. In all honesty, I had pegged your demise to fall in three days, not in three minutes."

She reached down with her arm and pulled him up to his feet, seemingly copying him as she did, as there he still lay, naked on the street, as well as standing beside her.

"Come on now, its time for you to fulfill your part of the agreement."

 

[gagonthis]

"Bloody hell...." He said as he stood up, brushing himself off. "What just happened? How the heck did I survive being.... oooooh shit!" He yelled as he looked down and saw his naked body sprawled across the pavement, limbs bent at angles they were not designed to. "Oh my god... you've got to be kidding me... hit by a bus while naked...Christ what a bloody fine way to go.." He said angrily looking around at all the people. He tried shouting to them but no one seemed to notice. The only one who seemed aware of him was the woman, who was still holding his hand, he pulled his hand away as if she had burned him, looking at her with fear in his eyes but quickly sighing heavily as he resigned himself to his fate. Apparently there was an afterlife and he had thrown his shot at it away. "I don't suppose there would be any point in running from you again would there?" He asked, already knowing her answer.