The Soul Sacrifice

It was noon, and I was in bed when I heard mom knocking on the door and asking if she could come inside. Once she was inside, however, she looked around with exhaustion.

“Melina, you need to clean this mess today.”

I sighed and covered my face with my blanket. “I’ll do it tomorrow.”

Mom raised her voice. “That’s what you said yesterday. No more excuses, do it now!”

“Fine,” I said, dragging myself out of bed. I barely had three hours of sleep the night before. But mom looked even worse; the bags under her eyes had grown larger and darker over the past week.

Mom then walked up to me and started picking some of the clothes that were scattered about. “I’m sorry I yelled,” she said, her eyes welling with tears. I suddenly found mine growing misty as well.

I leaned in and hugged her tight. “It’s alright, mom. I’m sorry, I should’ve cleaned my room sooner.”

It was only two weeks ago that my father abandoned mom and me and ran off with his secretary. We were yet to find out where he was, but until then, mom had taken it upon herself to work overtime almost every day, and it has been wearing her down. What stung even more was that her family refused to help us with our financial issues because she married my father against their wishes. My uncle Elijah got her half of the inheritance as well, and he refused to even see her.

And it was not long before things got even worse. Two weeks later, mom fell ill and had to be admitted to the hospital. The doctors examined her and found a tumor in her brain. She was given three months at most. I immediately dropped out of school and started working three jobs to pay her medical bills. There were some savings we could use, but it still wasn’t enough. I called uncle Elijah and begged him to help her, but that stubborn old man refused and even said that she deserved it. I cursed him and hung up. 

That evening, I lay in bed all alone in my room as the last light of the day receded from the windows. Staring into the blank spaces where the shadows grew, all I could think of was how I wished it was my father, his secretary, and everyone on my mom’s side of the family were the ones at death’s door instead of her. I really wished she would get well soon, and that everyone else would just drop dead. It was then that I heard a voice whisper near my ear.

“I can help you with your wishes.”

I jumped out of bed and looked around before grabbing a bat. “Who said that?”

It was then that from the shadows before me grew a dark mist that swirled in one place and rose from the ground to the air, taking the form of a whirling mass of black wind with gleaming yellow eyes.

My legs began to shake. I gripped the bat tighter and raised it into the air, but I found myself moving back on instinct alone. “Wh… What are you?”

“I’m a demon, and I can help you with your mom’s condition.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Was I hallucinating? 

“I can assure you, you are not hallucinating.”

It knew what I was thinking! This was unreal.

“Look, do you want me to save your mom or not?”

“A-and I’m supposed to believe you’re doing this out of kindness?”

“Of course not, there’s always a price. But you and I both know that your mom doesn’t deserve this, so what will your decision be?”

I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. It was the only option I had. “Fine. What’s the price?”

“Your soul. When your life’s spent, your soul will belong to me.”

I was hesitant at first, hearing those terms, but then my mind went through all the times mom compromised her own health for me. Now she was on her deathbed and there was nothing I could do… Nothing but accept this deal.

“Yes.”

I agreed to the demon’s terms; the contract was sealed.

Mom made a full recovery the next day, and not only that, but my father, his secretary, and everyone on mom’s side of the family dropped like flies during the month that followed. Heart attacks, accidents, homicide—the list went on. I knew it was the demon’s doing, but they all got what they deserved. I was just happy to have my mom back by my side.