Souls - XVII

Selling souls and making a deal with the devil aren’t new concepts, we’ve all been made aware. The new wrinkle, though, was caused by this new apocalyptic landscape. Gone were the wholesome days of a person bargaining with the devil in turn for the gift of a soul after death. No one dies now, leaving the transaction with a giant, gaping loophole. Lucifer was not one to allow a loophole. 

You see, you can’t be killed by any spiritual being, meaning no demons, no angels, no Lucifer. It was apparently some ancient rune, or bylaw, or whatever, that a demon cannot mortally wound a human. The other kicker is that any spiritual being also could not take a soul while it’s still connected to a living body. 

I’ve learned to not question these canonical rules too much. I just accepted the fact that the Lord above and the Devil below had hammered out some silly logistics somewhere along the line. Anyway, no death means no soul transaction. This created my job market, if one made a wager with the devil in this new world, I was the collector. 

Being a human, I had no such ancient rune, bylaw, or whatever. With that cylindrical tool I could do what no-one in heaven or hell could do, take a soul from a living person. Lucifer battled a loophole with a loophole.

Most of those who tried to hide and keep their soul, those who tried to manipulate the new loophole, ended up like Jonathan there in the alley; miserable and barely alive. As Lucifer said, he is very skilled at doling out unpleasantness. 

This didn’t stop people from trying. 

I’m not sure if it was out of spite or a fear of the unknown, but some people just wouldn’t give up their souls without a nudge from me and that cylindrical tool.

Once it was done, once there was a living person walking around with no soul, well, it wasn’t pretty. Like a car on cruise control with no driver, a person with no soul wasn’t really a person at all, more of a vehicle incapable of decisions or thought. They moved but with no real purpose. One could argue that killing them would be the merciful thing to do, but I never could do it. Instead, I left a wake of empty human shells bouncing from place to place with no real motive or direction. 

It was a living.

But now, now I’m walking up a staircase after Lucifer made an offer on my soul via my dead dad’s corpse. It is a proposition I’m not sure I can turn down. Sure, it seems like a bad idea. I don’t know what Lucifer does with these souls but I’m pretty confident it can't be noble. But, I can’t give up my daughter twice. I flash back to that operating room, flash back to my broken heart surrounded by my broken body. I can’t do that again, I wont.

I get dressed, patting the soul in my pocket once I button my pants, and head to leave. This soul is my only chance. I have a few hours, maybe more if I keep on the move, before the paperwork for my soul gets to me; before I have to sign. I can’t believe I’m thinking this, considering my status as a backslider and all, but I think Jesus Christ is my only hope.

I don’t know what to do with my daughter. I know you’re expecting me to try and sneak out without waking her, to try and do this “for her own good," but I really don't want to. I want her with me. Logistically, she’s in danger either way. She has no means of survival here, now that my dad (and her supply line) is back in the grave. On the other hand, being on the road with me…well currently I’m just plain dangerous to be around. 

I exit the room still undecided on what will happen with my next footstep, I’m just winging it and hoping a solution provides itself. Luckily for me, as soon as I exit the solution is standing there waiting for me.

Mary is standing, dressed and ready for the trip. At her feet is an ancient looking suitcase, in her hands are two plates filled with food.

“We should eat before we leave.”