Maniac

He was tall and lanky, probably in the same year as me. I can only see his back behind the ten foot fence, he most likely climbed over.

“Leave,” his words were cold and bitter but, somehow under that I felt a warm and soft tone. A pled to stay and listen rather than talk or did he need saving. Either way, It was going to be a drag.

“Come on, get back here.”

He didn’t move an inch.

If this suicidal maniac was normal, I would of already walked away. For a matter of fact, I would of never even said anything, yet the dripping halo above his head, made my curious mouth shout.

“What, did your contract end or something?”

“Pardon?”

What is wrong with this kid? Once he saw me, he should of known I was a contractor as well. He’s not playing dumb, sometimes contractors go insane with all the power maybe, that’s what happened and now he doesn’t know yesterday from tomorrow. Maybe he’s in a gang, sometimes they try to con kind contractors to join or to start killing the other contractors. I never understood gangs, it’s not like if you have more people you don’t have to compete your contract and can keep the power. If they don’t start competing their contracts the power eats away at them. I focuses my breathing , forgetting my four other senses and only believe I have my ears. I remember when I first discovered this ability after waking up. Hearing someone’s heartbeat is the closes thing to reading someone’s mind. 

At first I didn’t understand the rhythms, which one meant lying or love, happy or sad. I got it quicker than I first thought , but when everyone’s want either your money or heart you start catching on.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

It’s normal, almost calm, but there’s that same hidden undertone that he had in his voice. He’s telling the truth, he has no clue what a contract is or what demons are.

“I can hear things, see things, and even feel things I shouldn’t . Does this have something to do with this contract your talking about.”

“ Yes, there should be an hour, you can’t remember or who you spoke to but, you should always remember what your contract is about.”

He pauses and the slowly shakes his head.

No.

I’ve never heard of this happening. But the faster he remembers his contract the quicker I can get out of this with a guilt free conscious.

“ I know a guy that can help with your...Symptom. I can take you to him—.”

“Then, I can finally die.” He interrupts 

I hesitate, a-little too confused to know how to answer or the right question to ask back. I settle on, “ What do you mean,” thinking it’s abstract enough to get an okay answer.

Then all sudden, he leans forward..

Off the three story roof top.

The heck is wrong with this maniac, jumping off of a roof like an idiot. Maybe, I’m the idiot for even getting involved in this mess to begin with. Luckily, it was during the end of lunch, when most students are heading back inside. I try to make my way through the crowded hallway with loitering students, going in opposite directions. I jog to not catch attention from any teachers and get slowed down, but still get there before some freshmen screams their tongue off.

I turn by the biology room to another hallway filled with students. I go down too many stairs for my weak lungs, and enter the main building where the courtyard doors are. I go through them to the track and field, and see two short brunettes in our forest green sweaters, with a white  button ups under. I listen to their heart beats and are relieved to hear nothing that sounds like I just saw a dead body. They walk from the left, arms linked, so I make my way to the right and circle the entire building. I not only find nothing, but also miss three periods. I determine that his corpse was dragged away by the janitor or something. Maybe, he survived and crawled away.

The rest of the school day is over quickly, since I spent most of it looking for a deadman. I exit my chemistry lesson with a mountain of homework and exhausted. I feel like I’m floating past all the students, my body there, but not my mind. Too occupied with no parachute McGee. The fact, I found no blood anywhere, especially if he crawled away and the way he didn’t remember his contract. Demons aren’t allowed to sign contracts with anyone intoxicated, not aware of what their signing, or forcing a signature. The user has to agree with all terms and know all the terms, particularly the one that says ,”you will die at the end of this contract.” Not very demon like, I know, but if he signed with an angel, who are not bound by laws or restrictions. They can do whatever they want because everyone believes their children of god and are heavily trusted to commit no evil. Which just means if your good, no one sees your evil, but if your bad, all anyone sees is evil. That still doesn’t make sense though because his halo was dripping, an indication that he has lost his purity.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The slow and steady heartbeat is familiar, not slow or in pain like a person on their last breathe or someone who just jumped off a roof. I turned at the main entrance, instead of continuing to my locker like I usually do. 

He was outside on his phone, leaning against the school by the doors, only one book bag strip on his shoulder. The sun has come out now and I can finally see more than his back. He had a rounder face than I thought and big jet black eyes. He had dark eye bags matching his jet black hair, that was cut into a bowl cut style with two antennas that he didn’t quite brush down. He was skinner than his back suggests on the roof, but his over size green uniform sweater made up for the lack of meat on his skin. It doesn’t make sense why he’s alive. Demons don’t give people immunity, it’s an unspoken rule. It’s like giving away your wild card in UNO when you only have two cards left. Your leaving it to chance that your opponent won’t overpower you with their next move. 

What’s the difference between humans and demon if they both have the same powers?

Why would a demon give someone he wants to die, a power that won’t allow him?

Once humans have this power what’s stopping them from fighting the demons?

Answer to all the questions;

they wouldn’t.

He looked up from his phone to see me coming through the doors. He gave me one of those rom-com smiles, his rosy undertones coming through his olive skin and a big smile. To anyone else it looks like old friends seeing each other after class, but there was a “I told you so” or “ it’s hilarious that you thought I was died because I jumped off the roof. Haha, you idiot.”

Hahaaaa, I hate him.

“Do you understand what I mean now,” he says while tucking his phone into his pocket.

“Yes, but next time just use your words”.

“I thought you wouldn’t get it like everyone else.”

“That’s how it is. They don’t want anyone to know unless they tell them themselves.”

“So, what’s you name? Mines Aiden.” He says as I walk to my 2021 Subaru WRX.

“ I’m hoping this ends before anyone needs to know names”.

I continue my questions while we drive to Danny’s Pub and grill.

“When did this start?”

’“About six months ago, I woke up feeling stronger, happier, healthier even. I don’t know why I don’t remember how I got this power, when I remember everything else. It’s like some stuff was cut out, you know?”

We are arrive at Danny’s at 4:00 and there are a few people here but, not enough to be called crowded. I’m hoping to be in and out before the 5:00 rush. Danny’s Pub is squished between two apartments buildings, across the street is a convenience store, where people are loitering not really doing anything. I tell a waiter I’m here to see Danny(halo) and he leads me to a loft with a short coach facing us and two taller arm chairs. Danny comes from the back room, somewhere I can’t quite see. Danny is the only person I know who had horns at first and an angel took pity on him. I tried to ask him about his contract, but he said he didn’t want to talk about it. He’s one of those guys you just listen to because of his tall, muscular figure. Danny is older with rosy pale skin and big brown eyebrows, unlike his pure gray messy long hair and trimmed short beard. 

He sits on the short long leather brown coach, standing out from it with his all black outfit. A shirt with the pub’s logo in the top corner. He offers us a sit in the arm chairs across from him. 

We sit and he crosses his long legs and begins to speak,” What can I do for you boys”.

“This is Aiden and—.”

 “ I can see the dripping halo, Jamal, what about it.” He looks at me with his piercing green eyes.

I move ,uncomfortable in my leather seat, “ He can’t remember his contract and He jumped off a three story building and not a scratch on him. I’ve never heard of a demon giving people immunity.”

Danny pauses, staying silent for a few minutes until he gets up, showing his mafia like tattoo, but really it’s an octopus that he said “looked cute and cool” at the same time so, he got it. He goes into the back room, he came from. He stays for a few seconds and comes back with a dusty old brown book that looks beaten up. He flips through a page or two, fanning through them. He finds the line or word he’s looking  for and finally looks up and crosses his legs again.

“Have you ever heard of the Great Duke of hell Alloces ?”

End of chapter.