04 – Infernal Contract

Laughter. Now it was Hal’s turn to laugh at what “Johann” told him.

“You? The devil? You’re nothing but just a figment of my imagination. Just as the dragon was. And even if this wasn’t a dream, why would you appear like Johann? I mean I personally don’t find him intimidating, just plain annoying.”

“Ah, but what if that’s my ploy? To catch you off-guard? I mean I could probably have appeared as the nine-headed dragon itself, but you don’t seem to fear it anymore. And make no mistake, I’m not saying you’re not dreaming. Dreams have power, after all. I just came to deliver my message in a dream.”

Hal didn’t believe all that crap that Johann was telling him. It was just his subconscious, mixing the events of the past and present into an unfathomable tapestry. But he decided to play along. This was his dream, after all.

“Okay. Let’s assume that’s so. What do you have to offer? What can you do for me?”

“I’m a salesman, Hal dear. What do you want?”

“If you were who you claimed you were, you didn’t have to ask that.”

“But there are rules to every bargain. And so you must ask it from me personally.”

“Fine. Make Amanda fall in love with me. I’ll trade my soul for that. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”

“Your soul? Perhaps. But as for that particular wish of yours, I can’t fulfill that.”

“And what excuse does the devil have now?”

“Easy. It’s called free will. I can’t make Amanda fall in love with you. She’s a human being too you know. I’d have to strike a bargain with her for that. And much like you, there’s no guarantee that she’ll agree to whatever I have to offer.”

“So let me get this right. I can make any wish, as long as it doesn’t affect other people’s choices.”

“Smart boy, Hal dear.”

“Then there’s nothing you can give that I want.”

“Are you sure of that?”

“Yes, I’m certain.”

“I could end your life. That was also one of your desires, isn’t it?”

“Yes, you could. But in exchange for what, my soul? I’m sorry but that’s the most stupid deal I’ve heard of. Anybody could end my life. I could do it! I don’t need you to do it for me.”

“Then why don’t you?” Johann grinned as he said those words.

Hal was getting angry. But he still had his wits about him, and retorted in the only way he could.

“Is that your best offer? To kill me? What a joke you are, four-eyes.”

“That’s what I love about you, Hal dear. You have a sharp tongue. Tell you what, why don’t I give you a ride on my dragon. Don’t worry, it’s free of charge. It’s a ride you’ll never forget.”

“Ha! This is a dream. Flying is cheap. And I’ll most likely forget it by tomorrow. This is just a dream, after all.”

Johann merely shrugged, pleased with himself for some reason. The nine-headed dragon lowered one of its other heads in front of Hal, who just stood there watching. Seeing that Hal wasn’t going to be cooperative, the dragon immediately snatched him with its jaws and flapped its wings and ascended to the sky.

Hal was shocked at the dragon’s actions, although he was very much alive and uninjured. The dragon’s jaws were firm and as solid as steel, although thankfully, they weren’t very sharp.

Hal looked down and he saw the land, dark and bleak, as if everything was made of parched stone. Even from up there, he saw no living creature, with the exception of the dragon that was carrying him and Johann.

He looked up and all he saw was a red sky. Hal wondered why he didn’t notice it before. He suddenly missed blue. There were no clouds to be seen, just an endless expanse of crimson. Why was Hal having this kind of dream? At least there were no more voices, no more images of Amanda. For that, Hal was thankful.

“How are your dreams for the past few days, Hal dear?” Johann asked. Hal didn’t answer.

“I could take it away, you know. I could take away your dreams, so that you won’t have to remember her. Or perhaps I could even take away your memories of her, so that you needn’t bother yourself with those painful memories.”

Hal still didn’t answer. He considered it for a moment, and abolished the thought. He didn’t want to remember, but at the same time, he couldn’t separate himself from his memories. Hal suddenly realized that he needed his memories of Amanda. It justified his pain, justified his current existence. He was, after all, the injured party here. His suffering, as painful as it was, was his only reminder and link to Amanda now.

“Hal.”

He heard the voice again, the sweet, soothing sound of Amanda calling out to him. The dragon suddenly opened its jaw and Hal fell. Hal didn’t bother screaming. Somehow, he was free. He plummeted to the ground but at least he was far from the nine-headed dragon, and the creature that claimed to be the devil.

***

Hal woke up as he fell off his bed. He heard a bump, but he wasn’t injured too much. The first thing Hal did was to look at the time. It was 4 am of Monday morning. It was way too early to wake up.

“I probably should get medication for my sleeping problems.” Hal thought. The past few days has been very weird, especially when it came to his dreams. He wondered why he always heard Amanda call out to him and he’d wake up soon thereafter. Was it just a coincidence? Or was there some truth to his dreams?

Sleep was not something Hal found for the next few hours. All he had were the thoughts of Amanda, and sometimes, of Johann and his nine-headed dragon.

“What was my wish? That was actually a good question. What do I want to do with my life?”

When it was time for breakfast, Hal found himself surprisingly hungry, and went down to consume his meal. His dad was there, ready to leave for work. They exchanged few words, all of it superficial. Hal was too engrossed with his dream. Oh, he never forgot about Amanda. But the dream provided enough distraction for him to focus on something else. At least for the time being. And so Hal never noticed that one of the crimson serpents was trailing his father as he left for the office.

***

The phone rang and Hal immediately answered it.

“Hal? It’s me, Johann.”

“Oh. It’s you. So why’d you call?”

“I was just wondering, remember the talk we had the other night?”

“Yeah. Sorry if I sounded so pathetic that night.”

“That’s not a problem. Like I told you before, we’re your classmates. We watch out for each other. So, are you feeling any better?”

“A bit. Say Johann, you wouldn’t know anything about dragons and demons, do you?”

“Dragons and demons? Why? What’s up? You playing a video game or something? Or perhaps reading a fantasy novel?”

“It’s nothing really. I was just curious. Sorry if I bothered you.”

“It’s not a problem. Actually, I have a book about demons, or at least Christian demons if that’s what you’re looking for. As for dragons, well, various cultures actually have different interpretations of dragons. For the Chinese, for example, the dragon is a creature of water, causing storms and rain to occur. In the West though, dragons are the fire-breathing ones you see in movies. They’re fierce and powerful, and to most churches, they’re the spawn of the devil.”

“Spawn of the devil, huh? That’s interesting to hear.”

“So are you still interested in borrowing my book about demons? I can bring it over to your house if you want.”

“Thanks for the offer but I don’t want to bother you, especially since it’s almost Christmas. Do you have plans of going anywhere?”

“Me? No. I’m just staying here with my family. These are hard times. We really can’t afford the luxury of going out of the country.”

“Yeah, I understand. Thanks for calling.”

“Bye.”

Hal put down the phone. Was it a coincidence? Hal wasn’t really a religious person. He used to pray to God when he was a kid, especially when his mom and dad were fighting. But the two eventually broke up and he was left with his dad. Since then, he stopped believing in God. Oh, he still went to church and sang the hymns and said the prayers. But deep down, he stopped believing. At least in a God that was good who cared for everyone. If God really cared about him, his mom would still be with them. Or if not, he and Amanda would have gotten together, instead of this strange twist of fate. Everything was confusing and complicated. And of all the times for this to happen, just a few days away from Christmas. The day that Jesus was born. What a joke.

“It’s not whether you believe in God or not. It’s whether you believe in the devil. Or in yourself.” The voice sounded like Johann but Hal could have sworn he already put the phone down.

“I told you before. I’m the devil. I can appear anywhere, anytime.” And suddenly, Johann was sitting beside Hal, putting his right arm around Hal’s shoulder and bringing him closer.

Hal immediately shoved Johann. “Don’t touch me! Why are you here?”

“Perhaps the question you should ask yourself is why do you want me here?”

“You’re just a figment of my imagination! You aren’t real. I don’t believe in you.”

Johann made a chuckle. “Hal dear, we both know that isn’t true. If you were a hundred percent certain that I wasn’t real, you wouldn’t have asked Johann the question about demons and dragons.”

“So what? I was just curious. Now go away!”

“I told you Hal dear, I’m like a salesman. I don’t ‘go away’ just because you ask me to. I’ll always come back. And I always have something to offer.”

“I turned you down before. What makes you think I won’t turn you down again?”

“You can turn me down as many times as you like. That doesn’t mean I won’t keep on coming back. It’s not like I’m mortal. I have all the time in the world. But enough of my boasting. Why don’t you turn on the TV? I have something interesting to show you.”

Hal looked for the remote and turned on the TV. It was showing the afternoon news. “There, are you happy now?”

“Hey, I’m doing you a favor. I’m subscribing you to my personal cable channel. Why don’t you turn it to channel 77?”

“Seventy-seven huh?”

“I could have made it 666 but I find that too… childish. Besides, everyone knows people don’t watch channels that are more than two digits.”

On the TV screen was Hal’s dad. He was in his business suit, the same suit he usually wore before he left for work. His father was driving home, stuck in the afternoon traffic. Behind him was the red serpent from Hal’s dreams, except his dad was oblivious to it, even though he was constantly looking at the rear view mirror.

“So what are you exactly expecting from me, four-eyes? It’s my dad. Big deal. What are you going to do, threaten to kill him?”

“Honestly, I don’t deal in death unless I really have to. It’s a waste of resources. Better to keep humans ticking so that their interest piles up. But I digress. Let me ask you, Hal dear, why do you hate your dad so much?”

“Why should I answer? You pretend to know everything, after all. And besides, you’re the devil, aren’t you? Aren’t you supposed to know everything?”

“I’m afraid omniscience is a trait God claims for himself, Hal dear. I never boasted about it. Your parish priests certainly don’t tell you ‘the devil knows everything that you do’.”

“Okay. So why should I tell you? And would you stop calling me dear? It creeps me out.”

“I’m certain you wouldn’t mind if it was Amanda who was calling you that.”

“Shut up.”

“Since when did that word stop a salesman?”

“Fine. You want to know why I loathe him so much? It’s not just because he drove my mom away. It’s because of his pride. My dad thinks he knows everything and that what he decides is best for everyone. I mean as a kid, did I get a say as to where I want to study? Or where I wanted to spend my summer and Christmas breaks? Or even who drove me to school? Not once did he ask me what I wanted. He always assumes. And I suspect that’s what drove my mother away. Sure, he never hit her. But his words stung. He called her a lot of things, including how ungrateful she was. The only reason he took me in was to probably prove to my mom that he was responsible. I’m a glorified trophy. He thinks he loves me but in truth, he doesn’t act that way. It’s all a farce. And he can’t pierce through the illusions because he’s enamored by it.”

“My, my. What a wonderful speech. And do you think you’re the only kid who’s suffering from a father like that?”

“I don’t see your point. Why are you asking me all these things? What do you want?”

“Do you want him dead? You were certainly eager to suggest that earlier.”

“I don’t care about him. There’s only one person I care about right now. And it’s certainly not him.”

“Why don’t you switch to the next channel?”

On the screen was Amanda, lying on her bed, reading a book. She was smiling as she read the passages from her book. There was a serpent coiled around her neck, its forked tongue hissing at her. But she didn’t notice it either. She seemed happy. It wrenched Hal’s heart.

“So you say you care about her. But as you can see before you, she’s already happy. What more could you want?”

“I want her to be happy with me.”

Johann chuckled. “That’s not called caring. That’s called selfishness. Admit it. I mean if you throw your life at her right now, it’ll complicate things. She’s ignorant about you, ignorant about the serpent, and ignorant about the rest of the world right now. Ignorance is bliss. And as you can see, she’s the happiest woman in the world. Alone, perhaps. But happy nonetheless. And you want to disrupt that, don’t you? Not for her sake but for your sake. Because you’re feeling lonely. And you think she’s the cure to your despair.”

Hal couldn’t muster a reply. He wanted to tell Johann to shut up, that it wasn’t true, that it was all a lie. But the opportunity to do so was gone. He had hesitated and took the time to think about it. Johann’s words had sunk in and festered in his mind.

“So tell me now, Hal dear, who’s the one person that you care about? Because it’s certainly not her.”

“I never should have dueled words with the devil.”

“At last, you acknowledge me.”

“What do you want from me?”

“What do you want for yourself?”

“What will it cost me? My soul?”

“I’m not interested in your soul.”

“You’re lying.”

“A good salesman doesn’t need to lie, but neither does he reveal his true intentions.”

“So what will it cost me? Everything comes at a price.”

“Do you know what differentiates a successful businessman from an unsuccessful one? The former aims for his goal no matter what the cost. The latter, on the other hand, is discouraged by the price he has to pay. And make no mistake, everyone pays a price to achieve their dreams.”

“Is that your way of saying you won’t tell me what it’ll cost me?”

“It’s my way of saying that if you want something that bad, the price won’t be an issue.”

“Let me think about it.”

“Sure, that’s not a problem Hal dear. I’ll be waiting, but I won’t be waiting forever.”

“What do you mean you won’t be waiting forever? I thought you said you were immortal.”

“Immortal, yes. But a foolish salesman? No. There’s a time limit to the offer. I’m the devil, and I’m not answerable to anyone, especially not to you. And I’ll call you Hal dear whenever I want, got that? Don’t mistake my acquiescence. Even God, who has a reputation of being forgiving, has been known to show his wrath.”

“So how long do I have? How do I contact you?”

“In case you haven’t been paying attention, you don’t call me, I’ll call you. The next time I show up will be the last time you’ll see me with the same offer. Hopefully you’ll make your decision by then.”

The devil turned around and started walking away from Hal. Hal was about to follow, when he heard someone call out his name.

“Hal.”

Hal was jostled and he realized that he was still in his bed, sleeping. The TV was on, tuned to a nonexistent channel. And between him and the TV was his dad, waking Hal up.

“It’s time for dinner. The maids were afraid to disturb your sleep. But I do think it’s time for you to eat. It’s your Christmas break. You can always sleep late.”

Hal looked at the time. It was past 8 pm. Was he dreaming again? Hal looked around. Aside from the television being turned on, nothing was out of place. He then looked into his father’s eyes. There was merely concern.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine dad. I just needed to stretch my muscles. I’ll be down in a minute or two. Thanks for waking me up.”

Hal was puzzled at his last statement. His dad indeed woke him up bit it wasn’t his voice that he heard call out his name.

Word Count: 3,032
Total Word Count: 9,604