The smell of sulfur fills the air, and I rapidly step away from the summoning circle.

The carefully drawn chalk pentagram fills with flame and smoke. A form begins to take shape in the fire, twisting and writhing. It pounds against the confines of the circle once, twice, thrice.

I pray that the protections hold.

Then, the figure speaks. Its voice bounces across the room, echoing faintly. “WHO DARES CALL UPON ME, DEVOURER OF - Wait, dude? Shit, is that you?”

Silence falls. The flames flicker and die out. And in the circle…

In the circle stands my best friend. Aubrey. She died in high school, ten years ago. My heart flutters.

“Dude, it’s me, Aubrey! Holy shit, I can’t believe it’s you. Look at you man, you really filled out. You were skinny as a beanpole back in high school.”

I don’t speak. I can’t.

“Dude? Jack? Talk to me, buddy. I swear, I’m not gonna hurt you.”

“…How?” I ask.

“Well, you summoned me here, so I should be asking you that. Man, you really got deep into the occult stuff after I left, huh? That summoning circle’s perfect, man, I couldn’t get my claws into you even if I wanted to. And your incantations were textbook.”

“No, how are you alive?” I start to find my voice. “You… you died. We mourned for you. I mourned for you. Your parents… God, what’ll they think?”

She flinches as I use the word ‘God’. “It’s… a long story, Jack. I swear, this isn’t- I didn’t choose this. Well, I thought I’d have more time. Just…”

I stare at her silently.

“Can I come out? This circle’s really uncomfortable.”

“How do I know you’re really you? How do I know you’re not just taking the form of my best friend?”

“I’m still your best friend?” She brightens at that, but then grows more somber as she catches my expression. “Shit, okay. Uh… In sophomore year, you skipped school to play video games with me that time I was sick and couldn’t leave bed. You brought me doritos and that sweet tea I like.”

I frown. “What game?”

“Halo.”

“What was the name of our sophomore English teacher?”

“Mrs. Knott.”

“What’s your birthday?”

“June 10th. Well, actually, it’s… complicated, but that’s the date I always told everyone.”

“What’s your favorite book?”

“Dune.”

“Milk chocolate or dark chocolate?”

“Trick question, I don’t like chocolate.”

“Star Wars or Star Trek?”

“Dude, it’s me.” She rolls her eyes as I cross my arms. “Okay, Star Wars.”

I run a foot over the chalk, breaking the summoning circle. I notice my hands are shaking a little.

“…Aubrey… How?”

She steps forward and gives me a big hug. “I’m so sorry, dude. I couldn’t tell you.”

I haven’t been hugged like this in a long time.

“What happened? Why did you leave?”

She sighs. “I missed you. The deal was I’d have a lifetime, but I didn’t know she would die in high school.”

“…What?” My blood runs cold.

“Oh, shit, that was probably the worst thing to open with, huh. Relax, dude, I’m still the same Aubrey you knew.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I made a deal with this girl, many years ago. I wanted to see what it was like to be human, she just wanted her parents to be successful. So she made a contract with me, gave me her body. I took over Aubrey’s body in about third grade.”

“So… before we met.”

She nods. “And I learned what it was like to be human. I laughed, I cried, I…” She trails off. “I thought I’d have a whole lifetime to spend with you, but even demons can’t change fate. The body died in sophomore year. Heart attack. I was pulled back to Hell. It was so sudden - I didn’t even get the chance to say goodbye. I took this form now so you wouldn’t freak.”

I laugh, but it’s an empty laugh. “So my best friend was a demon riding a human puppet, all along. What’s your true form look like?”

“You… wouldn’t like it.”

“I want to see.”

She hesitates, then takes two steps back. A burning flame runs over her body, consuming her. A few moments later, a new form is revealed. She’s got red skin, yellow eyes, and two pointy horns sprouting from her forehead. She has a long pointed tail, which swishes back and forth nervously. Sharp, serrated claws sprout from each of her fingers.

“So?”

“So what?” I blink at her.

“So what do you think?”

“Might take some getting used to. You look like you could gut someone with those claws.”

She does something with her hands, and the claws retract. She continues shuffling nervously.

“What happened to the real Aubrey?”

“She’s fine.”

I give her a look. I’ve known her long enough to know all her tells.

“Okay, look, she’s in Hell. But before you freak out, she’s in one of the nicer parts of Hell. They even have Internet access.”

“They have internet in Hell?”

“It’s separated from the internet of the living, but yeah. Look, that’s not important. Are you… Are you okay?”

“Of course I’m okay,” I respond.

“Jack, you’re dabbling in the occult. That’s goat’s blood I see smeared on your walls. That’s not what a normal, well-adjusted human does.”

“And you’d know all about that,” I mutter.

She winces. “Look, why were you summoning a demon anyway? What could you want? You never cared about money or success or anything like that. What could be worth your soul?”

“I wanted my best friend back.”

Her eyes widen. She doesn’t speak.

“I spent the past ten years trying to find a way to bring you back. I found all sorts of forbidden knowledge, made so many sacrifices… All of it was leading up to this. I was going to summon a demon powerful enough to raise the dead.”

“Oh, Jack…” She steps forward and wraps me in a hug again. Then she punches my shoulder. “That was so stupid. Your soul isn’t… I’m not worth it.”

“So, let’s make a contract. I want my best friend back for one human lifetime, formerly known as Aubrey, now known to me as the demon…”

“Lilith,” she says.

“Lilith. And in return, I will give up my eternal s-“

She interrupts. “One dollar.”

“One dollar?”

She nods. “You have to give up something, otherwise the contract isn’t binding. And I’m not taking your fucking soul, dude.”

I nod and pass her a dollar bill from my wallet. A flash of light consumes us both. When it fades, there’s a tattoo with the icon of a lock on both our forearms.

“The contract is sealed,” she rumbles. Then she grins at me.

I grin back. “Wanna play some video games?”

Original Prompt

Like this story? Subscribe to /r/OneMillionWords to read more of my writing!