Distorted Images
It was a lost cause, they said. He was past the point of no return, I was told. My own husband-to-be was going to die before our wedding day. I knew it to be true. There was no denying the hollow look in his eyes, the sunken in cheeks, how thin he was becoming, and, worst of all, his vanishing sanity. None the less, I stayed by his side through it all, despite the emotional pain it caused me.
“Oh, my darling, do you fare well today?” Even as the words left my mouth I knew they were falling on deaf ears and I couldn’t repress a great sigh as it welled up within me. Aiden, the love of my and the center of my world, moved not at all as I spoke to him.
“Ms. Hannah?” came a kindly voice from the doorway. I looked up and my gaze fell upon Nurse Mary, Aiden’s caretaker and the oldest member of the hospital staff.
“Good afternoon, Mary. Is Aiden any better today?” I asked. It was a stupid question, really, and the lack of hope in my voice showed that I was asking only out of habit.
The old woman’s eyes were sad as she regarded me. “Well Ms. Hannah, I’m afraid he’s no better today but I’m sure he’ll start improving very soon.” It was the same answer I always got when I asked that question. I looked back to Aiden and heaved another great sigh. Nothing could save my dear Aiden from this mystery illness. Not me and not the kindly old woman in the doorway.
“You need to go home, Ms. Hannah. Your wasting away in that chair isn’t going to help Mr. Aiden. Now go home, dear.” She commanded. Her tone left no room for argument so I gathered my coat and purse and started for home.
It was raining so I decided to take the longer route back to my little apartment. Rain could always comfort me no matter how bad the situation was. To my ears, the sound of rain falling on my umbrella was the most soothing sound in the world. My feet seemed to move of their own accord because my mind certainly wasn’t on the simple task of walking.
Shortly, I found myself in the park and I couldn’t help but smile. In this rain the park was truly a wonderland. The trees and flowers were like an abstract work of art as they moved in the downpour. The distorted images on the surface of the pond reflected another world entirely. Unbidden, I thought of poor Aiden. His mysterious illness would prevent him from ever seeing beauty like this again.
“I would give anything and everything for him to be well again.” I murmured to my blurred reflection. “Anything and everything.”
“Strange, that’s almost exactly what your darling said me last year.”
I almost jumped right out of my shoes at this unknown voice behind me. Vaguely, my mind registered that something was different about the voice. I whirled around to confront the invader of my privacy and came face to face with…well, I couldn’t see her.
The woman who interrupted me was covered from head to toe in various garments. She wore huge sunglasses, a long gray coat and skirt, black gloves, and a black scarf. Her scarf covered half her entire face and the sunglasses concealed the rest. She was further hidden by her umbrella, surprisingly pink, which she held low over her head.
Her earlier statement sunk in just then and my eyes widened slightly at their meaning. “What? You know Aiden? How? And what did he say to you?” I blurted out in a rush trying to ask too many questions at once.
She chuckled at my confusion but was otherwise completely still. That eerie laugh made my skin crawl and I realized what was strange about it: Her voice seemed to echo. “Well, a little over a year ago your dear Aiden said to me, “I would give anything and everything for Hannah to love me.” Tell me woman, how is Aiden’s health lately?” she asked. Her tone was mocking and I instantly knew that I was in the presence of someone evil. I knew in that instant that Aiden’s mysterious illness was of her doing.
I accused her outright,” What did you do to Aiden! And who…or what are you?”
She laughed again and raised her head to meet my angry gaze. “I, good woman, am what you would call Satan. Aiden sold his soul to me in order to gain your love faster. And now, soulless for too long, he deteriorates.”
I heard her but I didn’t believe what I had heard. This woman couldn’t possibly be the devil. There was just no way! Was there? While I stood there, dumbfounded, she produced a scroll from her coat pocket.
“Look here, woman. If you don’t believe me then see it for yourself. Right there, Aiden’s name upon this scroll, signed by his own hand.” She said, holding the scroll out for my inspection. Indeed, there was Aiden’s name, in his own handwriting, written in red ink…or…blood? No, no! It couldn’t be blood. I felt silly for even thinking it. Something else equally terrible occurred to me then.
“So…” I began meekly, “Does this mean that my love for Aiden isn’t natural?” The thought sickened me and I vigorously prayed for a negative response.
“No,” she simply stated in that horrid echoing voice. “It just means that Aiden was impatient and lost his soul for something that would’ve happened eventually.
I slowly digested all of this new information. Very slowly, too slowly for the demon’s taste. “Well? What say you?” came the irritated inquiry.
I didn’t understand. “What do I have to say to what?”
She huffed in aggravation and gestured at the scroll. “Fool woman, don’t you know anything? I’m asking if you’ll give up your soul in order to save his!”
I felt my heart skip a beat. The thought of giving up my soul was not a pleasant one. “You want my soul?” I squeaked.
“Yes, your soul. Now I know it’s a big decision so I’ll give you until this time tomorrow to answer, same spot. Choose wisely, woman.”
I returned to my senses to find that the demon was gone and I was alone with my thoughts. The remainder of that evening and the better part of the next day was spent deep in thought. I returned to the hospital, as I did every day, and as I sat by my empty shell of a fiancé I made up my mind.
Running through the rain I returned to the appointed location by the pond and awaited the devil. She didn’t take long to arrive. One moment I was alone and the next she was right in front of me.
“Have you decided?” She got right to the point. I could hear the anticipation in her voice. It was clear that she wanted my answer very badly.
I stared at the ground and thought my decision over one more time and got the same resolve. However, I found that I couldn’t speak so I just nodded my consent.
She was delighted. “Excellent!” She even jumped a little and clapped her hands. “Here woman, sign your name right here!” She pulled the scroll from her pocket and held it out for my signature.
“Um…”
“Um? Um what?”
“What do I sign with?” I prayed that the answer wasn’t blood.
“Well a pen of course! Do you have a pen? Oh, never mind, you’re so slow! Here, just use mine,” she rushed and handed me a pen…a red ink pen. Inside, I laughed a little bit. I grabbed the pen and signed my name quickly before I could change my mind.
This lamia before me was all smiles as she rolled up the scroll and returned it to her coat. “There! The deal is done. You can go home now, woman.” And she was gone.
I didn’t go home, I ran for the hospital as fast as my legs would take me. When I got there Aiden’s doctor stopped me in the hallway. His face was grave and his eyes were tired as he told me that Aiden had passed on. My blood turned to ice and I was frozen to the spot for a moment. And then I sprinted to his room to confirm the horrid news. Indeed, Aiden was quite dead. I stood staring at the empty body in shock. But my shock quickly turned to rage.
I ran for the park full speed. Skidding to a halt at the pond I shouted into the sky, “You b***h! You devil! We had a deal!”
“I suppose you may not have completely understood the terms of the agreement.”
I turned to attack but was paralyzed. “You see,” she began,” I promised to save Aiden’s soul, not his life. Now, with your soul in my possession you will never be reunited with him, not even in death!” She threw back her head and roared with laughter at my plight, tossing her disguise off. Then…I felt myself dying. I collapsed to the ground and my final breath was wasted on a gasp as I saw the face of sweet Nurse Mary twisted by evil.
