Chapter 1

Drip. Drip. Drip.

The saliva falls down the man’s cheek, pooling on the ground beneath his feet.

A woman approaches him, paying no mind. She pushes her stroller along the sidewalk. It hits a bump along the way.

The man flinches. His eyes gravitate toward the stroller. He wipes his mouth and turns away.

A voice comes from inside his head.

Voice: “What’s wrong, Gabriel? Aren’t you going to eat that baby?”

Gabriel bites his cheek. He puts his hands in his pockets and keeps walking.

-

Gabriel approaches a small bridge that runs over a creek. A group of children is walking on the other side.

Gabe’s eyes dart back and forth. He runs a hand through his short, bleached hair.

He swallows.

Voice: “Gabriel, how long are you going to deny me? Just give in. There’s no harm in it.”

The voice is back.

A chill goes down Gabriel’s spine.

A rush of vertigo follows.

Gabriel loses his footing.

He reaches to the side of the bridge for support, but misses.

Gabriel begins to tumble over the side.

The kids stop and look at him. One rushes over to help, but it’s too late.

Gabriel falls from the bridge.

He closes his eyes.

SPLASH.

His body hits the cold water and the world goes dark.

-

What happens next is a blur in Gabriel’s memory. There are voices, but he can’t make them out for sure.

“Who is…”

“How did he…”

“That’s his demon..?”

Gabriel finally opens his eyes. He is in a dark room. He tries to squirm, but his hands are tied down.

Suddenly, a light shines in his face.

Man: “Who are you?”

Gabriel recoils. He turns his head away from the light, shutting his eyes.

Man: “How did you get here?”

Gabe: “What?”

Man: “Don’t play fucking dumb. People don’t just end up here by chance. Especially not with demons like yours.”

Gabriel opens his eyes slowly, trying to force them to adjust to the light. He looks around. He’s in a small room fitted with only a table and chairs. The walls are made of stone and appear to have a moist texture, as if it was in a cave of some kind.

He looks up at the man in front of him. He has a scary-looking face and is wearing a full black tuxedo.

Gabe: “Why the fuck are you wearing that?”

The man slams his hand down on the table. Gabriel jumps.

Man: “I swear if the next words that come out of that goddamn mouth of yours are not some answers, I am going to fucking kill you. Now, let’s play nice, okay? So tell me. Who in their right mind makes a contract with the motherfucking baby-eating demon?”

Gabriel freezes. He bites his lip.

Gabe: “Okay, fine. Jeez.”

The man waits as Gabriel takes a long breath.

Gabe: “I got bored, okay.”

The man freezes. He stares at Gabriel.

He opens his mouth, then stops himself.

Gabriel blinks. He looks up at him.

Gabe: “What?”

Man: “You got bored?”

Gabriel shrugs.

Gabe: “Yeah, I mean we all get bored sometimes, right?”

The man slowly nods.

Man: “Yeah, you’re right.”

He throws his hands up.

Man: “I mean, people get bored sometimes. Perfectly normal for them to go and make contracts.”

Gabriel smiles.

Gabe: “That’s what I’ve been saying. I’m glad to see someone else gets it-”

Man: “SHUT YOUR ASS UP NOW.”

The man rushes Gabriel.

Gabriel’s eyes widen.

Gabe: “Woah, what are you doing?”

The man grabs Gabriel by his collar and lifts him up, bringing the chair with him.

Man: “You are a goddamn piece of shit. I should kill you right now.”

Gabriel kicks his legs, trying to put his feet back on the ground.

Gabe: “What? Why?”

The man stares into Gabriel’s eyes. The more he stares, the farther his brow furrows. Gabriel just stares back blankly.

The man throws Gabriel onto the floor. He scoffs.

Man: “You aren’t even worth it.”

Gabriel topples over and lays on his side. He watches as the man leaves, slamming the door behind him.

Gabriel pulls himself together. He takes another look around him.

Gabe: “Barth, where are we?”

Suddenly an apparition appears at Gabriel’s shoulder. It looks like a black smoke, but it has eyes and a face. Its mouth is covered in stitches, but it is still able to open his mouth enough to speak.

Barth: “I don’t know. Last I saw, you were still floating down that creek. Then, I fell asleep.”

Gabriel frowns.

Gabe: “Great. What was the point of making a contract with you? You’re so useless.”

Barth seems to shrug.

Barth: “Don’t blame me. You’re not the most useful either. You still haven’t eaten a single baby yet.”

Gabriel pulls at the ropes binding him to the chair.

Gabe: “Don’t say that like it’s a bad thing. Now help me break these ropes.”

Barth goes around the back of him and shakes his head.

Barth: “Sorry, you gotta use your hands to control me. There’s nothing I can do if they’re tied up.”

Gabriel sighs.

Barth: “Someone’s coming.”

Barth is absorbed back into Gabriel’s body.

The doorknob turns. The man enters the room again.

Man: “Alright, here’s how this is going to work. You are either going to help us or I am going to kill you right now.”

Gabriel furrows his brow.

Gabe: “That doesn’t seem fair.”

Man: “Tough fucking luck. You should consider yourself lucky that I'm not the one deciding. If it was up to me, your skinny ass would be strung up on the wall right now.”

Gabriel clenches his fist. He looked at the ropes binding him.

Gabe: “Dying doesn’t really seem fun at all. Sure, I’ll help you with whatever it is if you just untie me. These ropes are killing my hands.”

The man smirks.

Man: “Sorry, but the ropes stay on. Now I’ll show you what your job is.”