She had closed the gap that separated us in an instant and her lupine face was now only a few inches before mine. “I have summoned you here, Black Saunders. I plucked you from the abyss like an apple from a tree and brought you to my realm in the hopes of striking a deal with you.”

The sudden movement of the self-proclaimed goddess made me stumble backwards.” You said you would give me a new chance. How?” I asked still rattled by the sudden close up of the wolf skull right in front of me. I wasn’t very fond of making a contract with something that looked like that even if the aura she exuded seemed good.

Her tangled body of thorny vines contrasted with the peaceful atmosphere around us. The slowly flowing river close by and the signing birds on a branch gave the entity before me a sense of calm before the storm although her appearance didn’t match her nurturing aura. “I won’t have to sell my soul, will I?”

“No, only demons deal in souls, gods on the other hand, deal in services.” I watched as the goddess floated back to the center of the clearing where a stone altar had just appeared out of thin air. Following shortly behind, I arrived at the newly formed stone construction where the wolfen faced deity then guided me to the opposite side of the altar.

As soon as I got into position the entity turned her only available hand to the sky where one of the thorny vines making up her limb seemed to sprout to the sky and bloom into a delicate indigo colored rose and as I watched in awe, the goddess finally spoke. “This is my offer to thee, Blake Saunders, fifth son of the Sunders family, I shall send you back in time seven years with powers you could only imagine in dreams.” As she spoke, the flower shined brighter and brighter. “But in exchange you will do what I tell you and help the innocents who suffer the fate of dying the wrong death, do you accept?” So many questions ran into my mind, what is a wrong death, what would I need to do, how could I do it, how could me of all people, a reject of society could endorse something so big, what would happen if I refused, but as I was about to ask all these, the entity spoke again.

“Do not worry little one, you are more than qualified for the tasks ahead of you, and if you do not wish to endorse such a responsibility, I will simply send you back to the abyss where you shall rest peacefully. But beware little one, do not mistake qualification with perfection.” Resting peacefully didn’t seem like such a bad idea, a great idea even but my own conscience and the opportunity to have everything I had lost back seemed like an even better idea.

“I accept thine offer Dhol’omé, goddess of suffering.” I answered mimicking her ceremonious tone. Now looking straight into her eyes instead of the glowing rose in front of me, I saw what I could only describe as relief and happiness. “Good.” She said with a deformed lupin grin “Then to complete the contract grab the thorn in front of you and feel the suffering of humanity flow through your body and soul.”

As I felt the thorns of the now shining flower dig into my skin, I also felt the thorns get imbedded in my mind. Pure and overflowing agony filled my mind as images of suffering filled my view at such a speed that I could only stand there and feel every possible human suffering ever experienced. After some time had passed the suffering felt in my mind subsided just as fast it came and after some time lying in the grass, I tried getting up only for my legs to drop under my own weight. “It would be better for you to stay low to the ground, contractor. One doesn’t simply feel the suffering of humanity as a whole and get up a few seconds after as if feeling fresh.” Dhol’omé’s voice said over me. “Now lay still while I prepare the ritual to send you back.”

“Will do chef.” I simply answered feeling my eyes drifting shut. The inviting softness of the emerald, green grass and comforting murmuring of the stream close by only serving to enhance the sleepiness that at some point overcame me.

***

I opened my eyes, welcomed by the soft warmth of the sun on my skin, but as I felt my way around, I realised something was off. Everything was too soft. I quickly shot up and looked round to try and gather clues about my whereabouts only to almost instantly realise where I was. I was home. My childhood home. I was back.