Fallen from Grace

Chapter II

"Why have you summoned me here?" Asked the man in front of her. Stepping back in shock, she flashed the light onto his figure and noticed that he came off rather daunting in his dark-washed denim jeans with a black shirt and dark leather jacket attire.

"W-who are you?" Eleanora stuttered as she backed away from him as he didn't attempt to approach her. She had a gun in the bottom of her bedside drawer, Eleanora recalled, but she'd have to sprint before he figured out what was going on.

"You're the one who summoned me here," He stated in a careless drawl as if though this were a tedious task. "You should know who I am."

Who was he? And why was he continuously saying 'summoned'? Not having a lot of time to quench her inquisitive mind, Eleanora dashed towards her drawers. Opening them as she rummaged through the content, cursing when she couldn't find the small hand pistol she kept with her.

"Are you looking for this?" His voice greeted her ears and forcing her to spin around to him standing at the entrance of her bedroom, holding the exact same pistol she had been searching for.

"H-how?" She breathed out in disbelief as he chuckled humorlessly.

"Don't waste my time." Came his sudden remark, causing her to jump back in surprise. "What do you want from me?"

"W-what do I want? What do you want from me!"

He shook his head, snapping his fingers as the light turned on. Blinding Eleanora as she blinked at the brightness, getting a proper look at the intruder in her room. 'How did he do that?' Came her silent thought, her mind having placed him to be some sort of magician.

The intruder held up the gun as he glanced at Eleanora's look of bewilderment. With another snap of his fingers, the gun disappeared into thin air, causing her to gasp in shock and stumble against the furniture.

"Listen here, Eleanora Jane Clark." He growled as he didn't move from his place. 'How does he know my name?'. "You summoned me here. But apparently, you are even more stupid than what I had expected to deal with, so I shall tell you. I am the Devil. Also known as Lucifer, or Satan or whatever your religion likes to call me. As to why I am here? You summoned me here, to make a deal with me."

"H-how can I be sure that you're the Devil?" Trembled her voice as she backed away into the wall.

"Oh. So, getting into your apartment without triggering your alarm? Turning your lights on with the snap of a finger? Making your gun disappear into thin air isn't enough evidence for you? Then I shall give you what you want."

Eleanora looked at him in confusion as he smirked evilly, his eyes changing as he continued to address her. The white part of his sclera turned odesian black as his iris turned into a dripping blood red. A gasp escaped her while continuing to back into the wall at the horrifying sight in front of her, trying to get away as far as possible. Suddenly, images started to flash through her mind. Faces, covered in scars and blood, with their eyes as lifeless as a corpse. Blood everywhere, limbs lying dismembered from their bodies: a person's worst nightmare.

A scream clawed at her throat as she collapsed to her knees clutching her head and begging for it to all stop as the man in front of her grinned at her. Her entrance door was suddenly kicked open as Elliot rushed in, calling out for her with his gun outstretched in front of him.

"Who the hell are you?!" He demanded from the intruder in a stern voice dripping with years of lack of emotions.

"The owner of hell." Responded the man with a sickly sweet smile as he held up his hand in Elliot's direction, causing the elder man to drop his gun and grasp at his throat as he choked on nothing and collapsed to his knees.

Regarding Eleanora, he snapped his fingers once, causing the images to stop as she gasped for air between her heaving sobs.

"Do you need more evidence?" He asked her giddily, as if though he were enjoying bringing her pain and misery.

"L-leave Elliot out of this." She choked out between her hiccups. "Please."

"Please?" He asked in mock surprise as a sinister smile was still sported on his lips. "Well, aren't you a polite one." He cackled and clapped his hands together. Just as the sound resonated off her walls, Elliot stopped choking and collapsed to the floor in an unconscious heap before he vanished from his spot.

"What did you do to him?" She asked shakily, getting to her feet.

"He is fine." The Devil assured with a dismissive wave, blinking as his eyes returned to their dark brown color. "Now, back to business."

"My deals are very simple." He stated as he wracked his eyes over the disheveled girl in front of him. "I get your soul in return for whatever you want."

"You do whatever I say?" She croaked. "Anything?"

"Just this once." He smiled giddily. "Do I kill someone?"

"N-no." She shook her head in a flabbergasted manner.

"Then?" His mood deflated before he straightened his posture, regarding her with a look of superiority. "What is it that you'd have me do?"

"You can have my soul." She stated as her legs shook. "In return for your friendship for the remainder of my life."

Satan looked at her with a stoic expression. Seemingly waiting for her to add something before he guffawed loudly at the absurdity of her statement.

"You want me to take your soul..." He clarified with a cackle. "In return for my friendship?" Continued his laughter as if though he were told a humorous joke.

"Yes." She gathered her courage and stated firmly as she hated it whenever she wasn't taken seriously. "My soul in return for your friendship."

This time, he stopped laughing abruptly, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "Well, aren't you a peculiar thing."

Eleanora shifted uncomfortably under his scrutinizing gaze as she stuffed her hands into her pocket in an uncomfortable gesture, his eyes never leaving her jerky movements.

"So, how does this work? Do I sign a contract or something?" Eleanora inquired finally after a terribly long minute had passed by in silence.

Lucifer gave her a crooked smile as Eleanora prepared herself to be greeted by those grotesque images again, but this time he covered the distance between them in three long strides. Placing his hand on her head, the palm of his hand touching her forehead as his fingers were rested on her white tresses.

Searing hot pain shot through her at the touch, a bright light emitted from Eleanora as her mouth fell open, the pain intensifying. Almost as if though someone was trying to rip her soul out of her. She wanted to scream, but no sound was released, the torture growing with each second, becoming unbearable to the point of collapsing.

Slowly, the light started to fade the hold on her being released. Instantly, Eleanora collapsed in a heap by his feet as he smirking down at her, dusting his hands and taking a step back.

"Pleasure doing business with you."