For A Night

Everything was ready for the ritual. Each item was placed right where I need them to be. I eyed the clock and walked into the house to grab a key ingredient.

"Shh. It's bonfire night. Don't fight it," calmly I said to the wiggling body. With a little more effort than previous years, I dragged the guy into the unlit bonfire. Quickly, I tied his hands and feet to the pole in the middle. I stared at the sight and put on a Guy Fawkes mask on his face.

The timing couldn't have been more perfect when I saw wafting smoke in the direction of the town. It seems that the townspeople already started their fire. The smoke gave me a signal to start my own fire.

I grabbed a torch and lit it up. Suddenly, my eye made contact with the man's and I smiled. Ignoring his shaking head and squiggling body, I threw the torch into the bonfire. Slowly, the flame grew bigger and started to engulf his feet.

The light from the fire shone on my body giving me warmth as I watch the fire swallow him whole. This year's fire is not as fast as the years before but I waited patiently. Minutes passed and his body stopped struggling and the fire finally has reached every inch of his body.

My smile grew bigger seeing a figure appearing from the growing flame. His face is one that I would never forget. A man with darkened face and a lit turnip as a lantern. A sudden breeze flew into the bonfire blowing the flame closer to me.

The figure flew into past me at the same moment I flew out of my body. I watched as my own hands grabbed the axe I prepared and walked towards the town. As usual, I don't stray far away from my own body. Some might think this is a torture. To watch your own body commit crimes in alleys and almost empty houses.

But I know this is a small price to pay for a bigger prize. Besides, some of those people are the ones I already hate. Letting the Devil kill them is easier than doing it myself. For a deal with the Devil, this is not that big a price. The first few times were rough. But I adjusted and have grown to enjoy the scenes as it unfold.

It was like watching a movie. Except I'm floating instead of on my couch staring into a big screen. I watched as my body knocked on doors and somehow were allowed to enter their houses. My excitement grew as I see the spilling of blood.

My heartbeat thumped faster when I saw the struggles of the people. What they don't know is escaping from the Devil is not an easy task. In the end, their death would come and there is nothing they could do to escape it.

I smiled as I see my body collected some organs for the offering. It is not a night to piss off the dead and it is not something I would ever do. From the floating position, I can see everything going on around the town. The spilling of blood, the kids trick or treating, the parties everywhere and unknown targets.

My eyes widened in amusement as I see my body walk towards a house. It seemed empty but I know it's not. The woman inside is just hiding from the wandering kids. I stared as the woman opened the door in annoyance after 'I' rang the doorbell nonstop. It is such a delight to see her eyes quivered and the panic in her face.

My smile grew as 'I' pushed her inside and slashed her body half with the axe. Her fast and unsteady breath sounded like music to my ears. Slowly I watched the life in her eyes dies out. Her face frozen in a panic-stricken state is a beautiful sight.

A sudden scream startled me as another woman walked into the house. The bag of candy that I assumed she held is on the floor making more mess. She started to turn around and run but 'I' was faster. 'I' grabbed her wrist and pulled her in while simultaneously closing the door.

Her screams were loud and made my ears ring. Even though her voice is pretty when she shouts, 'I' had to cover her mouth to keep her quiet. Luckily the neighbor is out trick or treating making this process easier.

'I' grabbed the axe and slammed her body on the wall. Immediately, the axe is buried deep into her chest making her wheeze to take a breath. 'I' wiped my sweaty forehead and took back the axe. Her body slid down the wall since her legs can't support her weight anymore.

'I' swing the axe right into her neck. Her head rolled away followed by a trail of blood on the floor. I sighed in relief seeing everything works out in the end. Using the back door and speeding through the woods, I ran towards my house. The fire has shrunk to embers.

'I' restarted it and waited for it to become bigger again before throwing everything I collected from the killings. A heart, one eyeball, an arm and a head. This made the fire roared even bigger and I know that the spirits are happy with what I came back with.

Not too long after that, I can see that fire reaching out towards me and I was sucked back into my body. With a blink of an eye, I am back into my body and the fire is smaller than it was before. I smiled seeing the figure started to disappear into the wind and the fire is now just fire. The offerings are still burning and I left it.

I let my feet lead me inside to wash off the blood and clean up the growing smell. After everything is done, I tucked myself in and started dozing off with a smile. How could I not be knowing that starting tomorrow and the next 365 days, my fortune would multiply and will never run out.

Some would say this is insane and inhumane. If offered, would you not make the offer to lose the control of your body for a night in exchange for wonderous fortune? Would you say no to that?