A Deal's a Deal

Cold sweat dripped down the sides of Lilian's face while her heart slammed against her ribcage in what seemed like irregular beats. The room shouldn't have been this dark but a blackness dimmed the light, and in the middle of the blackness sat a small boy, cross-legged on the floor. His eyes pale, not quite blue, not quite grey. There was an icy sheen to them, as if there were unpolished blue topaz stones sitting in his sockets. Unnatural. His skin also pale, but almost scaly. It was hard to focus on him, like trying to focus on a piece of dust shimmering in rays of sunlight. 

"I don't understand, " she stammered. She tried to take a deep breath to collect her thoughts but she felt like she was sucking in air so dry that it burned the back of throat. 

"From the top," said the boy in his small voice. "You said you would sell your soul to be able to sell that many records. At the Beyonce concert, remember? To your friend with the funny hair. I heard you say it and now I'm here to make you an offer."

"But I didn't mean... I meant..." Lilian's voice trailed off as she wiped the sweat on her forehead with the sleeve of her sweater. She felt dizzy, out of breath, terrified. It was surreal, was she dreaming? She pinched the side of her ribs and winced from the force she used on herself. Definitely not dreaming.

A small round table appeared in the room, with two chairs opposite sides. The little boy, though not a boy at all, sat on one now with his sleeves rolled up. He was wearing dark clothes when he first appeared but now he sported a red-velvet suit with a bow tie around his neck.

"Sit, sit" he ushered her to the chair across from him with a wave of his hand. 

Still feeling dizzy Lilian grabbed the back of the chair and then sat down. She nervously ran her hands through her long red hair that had begun to dampen from sweat, and then she took a deep breath.

"Here is my offer." His lips curled into a cross between a smile and a snarl. "You want to sell that many records, I'll give you what you want. You will use your voice, sell records, people will love you. You will spend your life selling records and all I ask in return is for you to do one small thing."

Lilian stared wide-eyed. "Are you the devil? " She whispered hoarsely. 

"I am the granter of wishes, the king of an unseen world. I have many names. I prefer you to think of me as a free-spirit that chose my own path in this world. You, Lilian - you can call me your friend."

"Yes but are you the devil?"

"Do you want me to be?"

Lilian licked her lips, her thoughts were flying around her head the way wind whipped the rain on stormy nights. She had never been religious, never really read the bible. She had heard stories, observed the customs from those that went to church. She celebrated Christmas, but not in the same way as religious people. To her it was a day for joy and family and presents. What was the devil anyway? A spirit that went his own way? That’s what he said. 

Maybe most of what she heard was nonsense. Something tickled inside her, the thought of selling as many records as Beyonce, the life she could have. She looked around her bedroom, the shabbiness of it all. Her bed, a single mattress on an old frame across from her and a small dresser and mirror were the only pieces of furniture in the room, other than the table that had appeared alongside, this boy - spirit, or whatever he was.

“What do you want from me in return?”

The boy smiled gleefully. “Your soul.” Pale hands went up in front of him. “Now I know how it sounds, cliche and all, but really what I’m asking for is your loyalty for eternity.” His voice was no longer small, and his physique seemed to have grown. He wasn’t really a boy now, more of a man. 

“I'll give you what you asked for and when you die, a very long time from now you get to spend eternity with me. It isn’t like they make it out to be in the movies. There are a lot of famous people where I am. You would be surrounded by the best in show business. Think about what that means.”

Liliane shook her head, “I’m not sure, can I take some time to think about this?”

“What is there to think about?” A pen appeared in his hand and a piece of paper before him on the table. “This is a one-time offer. Gone as soon as the sand runs out." An hourglass appeared on the table, sand quickly running to the bottom. "Yes, yes, a classic I know.. Now before it runs out you can agree, sign the contract and have what you asked for. Or, I can be on my way. No hard feelings.” His icy gazed settled upon her, his face now expressionless.

The thought of going back to the mundane existence she had been toiling in, to the job that didn’t her appreciate her was too much. She was only 24, she shouldn't feel so tired and used up. No, she would not do it, she would not go back. A new life flashed in the horizon.

“You did say a long life right? After a long life? She asked earnestly.

“Yes, long life, of course.” The devil grinned. His eyes, strange and terrifying lit up with the realization that he was closing the deal. 

His pale hand slid the paper toward her while his long pointy finger tapped the page. “Here, sign here.”

Lilian clasped the silver pen he was handing to her, but as her fingers gripped the cold metal his hand came over hers and he pushed the pen deep into the top of her other hand. She yelped in surprise and jerked from the pain as the pen was yanked out of her flesh.

“It must be signed in your blood you see” he explained, his voice filled with excitement.

A drop of blood hit the signature line on the page and Lilian pulled the pen through it, signing her name. She barely felt the pain in her hand, as adrenaline rushed through her like a tidal wave, carrying promises of a life to come.

“By blood you are bound to me." The table vanished and the strange creature, barely resembling a man now began to fade into the blackness.

“When does my new life start” She called out.

“Soon you will be selling more records than anyone. I always keep my promises. Just remember, a deal’s a deal.” The blackness swallowed him up and then the light began to overpower that dark pit until it was no more. It was a regular bedroom again.

Lilian walked to her mirror above her dresser and stared at her reflection. Her green eyes wide, wild with what she had just seen. Her hair messy, as if she had been out in a storm. What have I done? It was a moment of brief regret, but it passed. She was going to be like Beyonce. It was going to happen.

He imagination took over and she pictured all of the things that she would have access to. Would she receive awards? Be able to visit exotic places? Stay in the best hotels? It seemed easy, too easy.

Weeks went by and instead of getting better, things started to go wrong. The job she hated no longer wanted her. They sent her on her way with two weeks pay and a bunch of “sorry’s” while they escorted her out the door. Singing auditions didn’t pan out. Agents dodged her calls. What was this bargain she made? Where was the fame? The record deal?

Weeks turned into months, and the job search was dismal. It was odd that nobody wanted to hire her. She had experience. She started to feel like she had imagined it all, until of course she got a call from a vintage records shop. They were looking for a sales manager and entertainment coordinator, and had come across her resume on a job search site. They held private shows with musicians that were passing through town. They had a perfect space for intimate shows, and had made a name for themselves in the local scene. 

“You can call me ’T’” Tony the owner said on her first day. “It’s a little easier than saying Tony. I dunno,” The smell of marijuana wafted off him as he hovered beside her. His long curly black mullet spilled down a Black Sabbath t-shirt. He looked like he had just come back from a music festival. “Sometimes we get visits from famous people. Kelly that worked here a while back now works for Sony or something…. One of those labels anyway. Your voice is pretty good, I bet someone will be interested to hear you. That’s the beauty of this place man, you never know what lies ahead,” he rambled. 

Tony handed her keys and and name tag. “Sometimes you’ll have to lock up, I’ll show you the alarm.”

Was this the start of her new life? Visions swirled in her head of record executives visiting the store while promoting their artist, hearing her sing, and she would be discovered. This could be it, this could be her big break. 

Months went by, and nothing happened. Lilian's frustration grew. She started to feel as though she had made it up in her head. It was a dream, it was made up...she had been drugged. It wasn't real.

It was a cold rainy afternoon when Tony walked in unexpected. Lilian was nearing the end of her shift. There hadn’t been much going on in the way of entertainment acts passing through or setting up shows, but she had sold a lot of records that day. Collectors had been on the hunt for rare albums and they just happened to have the right ones. Tony looked impressed as he went through the daily sales numbers. 

“You sure do sell a lot of records Lilian. You’re like the Beyonce of records sales. People must really love your charm.”

As soon as he said the words Lilian froze and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. That’s what he had said! That’s what that boy had said. The man-boy. The devil. She would sell more records than Beyonce, she would sell records and people would love her. In that moment she knew she had made a bad deal. She ran the contract in her head over and over. He didn’t say she would be rich or famous; he just said she would sell more records. Those cold eyes pierced her memory. 

“You know I think we should put a special show on next month with some local talent,” said Tony. “We could hold it outside with the good weather coming, right in the back lot. We could offer local bands a small payment, based on ticket sales. Actually Bryce’s band, you know the one with the strange base player, he owes me. I did him a favor a while back and I told him I’d come calling and he agreed. And you know what they say, a deals a deal.”

Lilian nodded as a lump balled up in her throat. “A deal’s a deal,” she said sourly.