"You really should have stayed away from that forest."

The menacing stranger speaks to me in a soft voice that doesn't at all match his sketchy appearance. His accent is beautiful, one I've never heard before. I have so many questions. All of which I'm too terrified to open my mouth and ask. I try to swallow my fear because showing any signs of weakness could very well lead to my demise.

"Before we get started, there is something I must know," the man says, studying me curiously. "How did a girl like you end up offering her soul to the devil? You don't look unintelligent."

"Because I'm not." I scowl. "If you're talking about the stupid ritual, I did it because of a dare."

"Oh." The man sighs, and his previous look of disappointment returns. "How unfortunate."

"Can you not be a creep for five minutes and tell me who you are and why you're standing here in my damn bedroom?"

"Right. Pardon my manners." He laughs, then grins something wicked. "My name is Laudon, and I am the Prince of Hell. It is a pleasure to formally make your acquaintance, Maggie Brumfield."

"You know my name? Of course, you know my name. I don't even want to think about how long you've been stalking me," I ramble due to my nerves, but then the other half of what he said finally registers in my brain. "Wait. Did you just... The prince of where—"

"I had originally planned to meet you back at the forest," Laudon continues, purposely cutting me off. "But you took off so quickly that I had no choice but to follow you here." He takes a few steps towards me, his expression now an impassive one. "After we leave, I will give you back control of your legs. I've had a dreadfully long day and am running low on patience, so I cannot risk having you run away from me. I hope you understand."

"I don't understand shit that's happening right now!" I exclaim. "And leave? Leave to go where?"

From being dragged to a chaotic party that I barely wanted to go to in the first place, to then being challenged by an arrogant boy that I just had to prove wrong, to ultimately being on the verge of either getting kidnapped or murdered by some black-eyed psychopath...

If I somehow make it out of this alive, I can't wait to tell this story to my grandkids.

"We're going home," Laudon answers. "To Hell."

"Wow. You really are as crazy as you look." I panic while struggling to move out of my bedroom doorway. It's as if an invisible force is keeping me glued to the floor. No matter how hard I try to will my legs to do what I need them to, they refuse to budge. "Hell isn't real!"

"I've lived there for the past twenty-five years and can confirm it is very much real," Laudon replies. "For the record, I need only your soul, not your body. Had this been a normal calling, I would leave your body behind for one of my father's demons to claim. However, you've sparked my curiosity..." Suddenly, Laudon is now standing directly in front of me. I gasp, still not used to his impossible super speed. "So, for now, I'll keep you whole." He pauses and lifts a hand towards my face as if to touch me, but he drops it at the last second. "You were able to see me when no one else could, and I want to know why. I'll need to do some more research—"

"Listen, mister. I don't know what kind of drugs you're on tonight, but I'm not going anywhere with you." I try to sound tough, but my voice cracks. "At least not without a fucking fight."

As Laudon stares me down, silently daring me to make a move against him, I take the moment to better assess him now that he's up close. And in another life, one where I'm not being held against my will by some weird supernatural force, I may have found him to be quite handsome. He is abnormally tall, has model-like features, and amazing bone structure with smooth pale skin. His hair is jet-black like his eyes, and it stops a few inches past his broad shoulders. I rarely use the word, but if I had to describe him with only one, it would be ethereal.

That all stops at his outfit, though. He's dressed in all-black as if he's cosplaying as a modern-day grim reaper. The only thing missing is the scythe.

Laudon's unnatural black eyes evaluate me once more, scanning me from head to toe and it makes me sick to my stomach when his smile widens. I guess he likes what he sees.

"Your courage is admirable," Laudon says. "But you are no match against someone like me. I am the son of—"

"Yeah, yeah. As if I'm seriously supposed to believe that you're the son of Lucifer," I scoff, rolling my eyes. The more we talk, the longer I get to live. "And since you've apparently been following me for God knows how long, I guess next you're going to tell me that the ritual I performed tonight worked and that's the whole reason for you being here, right?"

"That is correct. While my father is off... vacationing, it is my job to ensure that all souls reach Hell safely and securely."

"Holy shit. You legit believe in all that nonsense. Just how delusional are you?"

"Enough." Laudon growls, snapping his fingers in front of my mouth to quite literally silence me. His black eyes narrow and my heart sinks to my feet after he says, "Here is how this is going to go." He takes a few steps away from me, creates a weird symbol with his fingers, and then closes his eyes while mumbling something in a language that I'm unfamiliar with.

Whatever it is that he's doing right now, it lasts all of a minute. After he opens his eyes again, that's when I see it. See them. The black shadows slithering up and down the walls.

It's hard for me to comprehend everything that's happening, but as I stand here and witness it with my own two eyes, I know he's not pulling some silly magic trick. I can no longer deny the truth. I can no longer deny that the ritual hadn't been as fake as I thought. I can no longer deny that the devil isn't real. He's very real, and his son is here to drag my soul to Hell all because of a reckless $200 dare.

"The ritual that you performed toes the line of being sacrificial. Essentially, you promised Hell a soul, your soul, and now I'm here to collect. Once summoned, I cannot return to my home unless I have the soul of the summoner with me," Laudon explains. "Fortunately for you, I cannot take you to Hell by force. As you willingly performed the ritual, you must also enter Hell on your own accord."

I open my mouth to protest, but nothing comes out. 

"Maggie." Laudon steps towards me again, his tone having less of an edge to it this time. "I truly do not wish to harm you, so please make this easy for the both of us by doing what I tell you to do. Otherwise, you will force me to show a side of myself that even I dislike."

I'm stuck at an impasse.

Going off what he just said, I'm technically the one in charge here. He can't take my soul to Hell without my consent. But, he can still harm me while we're stuck here on earth. He can torture me however he wants, for however long he wants, until I eventually break down and give him what he came here for. I'm in a lose-lose situation.

"You play pretend, but it is clear you are not as strong as you wish to be. You are nothing more than a scared little girl who's utterly clueless about the mess that she has gotten herself into." Laudon takes an index finger to my face, catching a tear before it hits my cheek. I gag when he sticks that same finger into his mouth. "Your blood tells a story, and so do your tears." He snaps his fingers in front of my mouth again, and I can finally hear myself crying. "Would you like to hear how your story ends, little virgin girl?"

I can feel the heat of embarrassment rush to my face after my biggest secret gets exposed by a supernatural freak from literal Hell.

What even is my life anymore?

"Y-You sure talk a lot of shit for someone who isn't even in their true form. Aren't you demons supposed to be big and scary?" I counter, not wanting to give him the satisfaction in knowing that I've given up hope already. "And what about my wish? The rumors say that after completing the ritual, you get one wish granted in exchange for your soul. Before anyone goes anywhere, I want what I'm owed."

It may be a reach, but if I can wish to go back in time to prevent all this from happening... With literally nothing else to lose, I might as well try to take that chance. It's all I have left.

"I wear this human suit because my true form would destroy this entire neighborhood and kill everyone in it. Believe me when I say that you are not prepared to witness a transformation like that," Laudon casually replies. "As for your wish, I'm afraid that was never guaranteed."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you humans are way too gullible," Laudon says. "You all are so quick to offer up your soul, give away something so precious in exchange for money and materialistic things that you will not be able to bring with you to the afterlife. All of this based on a loosely constructed rumor that none of you have proven to be true." He pauses again, giving me a pitying look. "To say it plainly, you get no wish."

"Jesus Christ..."

"Is not coming to save you."

"Fuck you!" I scream, having reached whatever is past my breaking point. "Then... what you just said, then that means this ritual thing is basically nothing more than a ruse? And all this time, you and your twisted Hell fucks have been out here scamming unsuspecting idiots like me, getting us to do the ritual and unknowingly promise our souls to Hell when you already knew that no matter what happened in the end, Hell gets a new soul whether a wish is granted or not."

"Yes, but there is a bright side," Laudon says. "I'm positive you will have a much more entertaining time in Hell compared to the sad years you've spent here on this dying Earth."

"You don't know a damn thing—"

"I know that I am tired of talking." Laudon reaches for one of my wrists. I yell again, reflexively swatting his hand away. At the same time, a bright blue light shoots from out of the center of my palm, striking him in the chest. He immediately darts backward, looking genuinely stunned while baring a much sharper set of teeth. "How... How did you just do that?!"

"I-I don't know... I don't know what that was! This is the first time..." I look down at my quivering hands, my body suddenly feeling warmer than usual. The shock that I'm in lasts for only a few seconds because I realize I now have a way to defend myself. I harden my gaze at the devil's son. "I told you I'm not going down without a fight."

I push my arms out in his direction, my hands opened wide... but nothing happens. I do it several more times, and still get nothing. When he chuckles, my panic skyrockets.

"I don't normally like surprises, but you may be an exception." Laudon is standing back in front of me again, successfully grabbing both my wrists this time. He squeezes, making me hiss from the pain. "I may not be able to drag you to Hell by force, but don't think for a second that you are untouchable because you are not, and neither is your family."

"E-Excuse me?"

"I will personally tear him apart before he can make it to the top of the stairs."

I don't need to ask for clarification because I hear the front door open and shut from downstairs. My heart stops beating after I hear my brother mumbling along to a rap song playing on his phone. I was wrong in assuming he'd been sleeping over at a friend's house tonight. I was wrong about everything. This truly is the worst day of my life.

"Shall we go now? Or would you like for me to invite your brother to come up and play with us?" Laudon threatens, and I'm not willing to call his bluff.

"Okay, okay! You win, damn it!" I have no choice but to throw in the towel. I refuse to let anyone get hurt because of me, especially my family. "You can have it. Take my soul, take me to Hell, do whatever you want to me but please... please leave my family out of this."

"Deal. For now." Laudon releases me to give me a light push, but instead of stumbling out into the hallway, I end up falling backward into a black hole of nothingness.

I pass out mid-air before my body hits the bottom.