Emily sat and explored just purchased ancient manuscript with unknown runes. She tried not to miss any symbol and understand its true meaning. For a long time she sat in front of her laptop monitor at her desk, surfing the Internet. After all, she could not hold everything in her head and her memory was not perfect. And it can filter out some information.
For Emily it was very important, what she did, after all, she dedicated her life to this. Well, but when she was a child, she could not even imagine it.
It was already too late and Emily was still at her work. Her co-workers as always thought that a young psychologist stayed so late to work hard in order to get some benefits in future. But few of them knew that Emily was just a volunteer.
It was already eight o'clock in the evening and suddenly she heard the door of the office opened. She suddenly turned in her chair and saw a puffed man at the door. He stood silently and only pleadingly looked at Emily.
- Do I know you? I do not recognize your face. - She quietly extended her hand to the alarm button, but her voice remained calm. Could he be a robber? So what was he doing in the social center? - Maybe you confused the door?
- I do not think so. - said the man in one breath. He seemed to run from someone and ran here to hide. - I need your help. I know you can help me.
Emily stood up from her chair before the stranger. She did not worry at all, because every day she worked with various strangers and found them easy to approach.
- I was told that you are doing demonology. And I need your help.
- Actually, I do psychology - she hissed - if you need it – you are welcome.
A man entered the room and shut the door. Emily leaned back.
- Emily! - Said pleadingly stranger.
- Who are you?! Why do you know my name?
- Don’t worry, I do not want to scare you - and the man stretched his arms forward as a gesture of security - but if you don’t help me, then probably tomorrow I will not be alive.
- How do you know me? - Emily stretched a cup of coffee and sat down in front of the unknown man on a comfortable couch.
The stranger looked frightened, scared and a little bit confused. It was obvious that he was in a hurry. He was not dressed very neatly. Ordinary jeans, simple T-shirt, maybe the best in his wardrobe, the edge of which was inserted behind the belt of jeans, and hastily thrown up jacket. Shoes were slightly splashed, and mud has already dried, also soiled one leg below.
According to the fact that the rain was the day before yesterday, one could assume that the man left the house not today or yesterday. In addition, small stubble on the beard also made him older in appearance, showing him about thirty-two or thirty-three years.
On a shoulder the young man was holding a small bag, in which he could gather valuable things when he was leaving the house, or anything else more necessary. Emily did not know for sure, but it was all for now that she had noticed and assumed about the man.
He took off her cup of coffee and looked into her eyes.
- I do not have time. I need your help. I was told that you good at demonology. I have not anyone to go to.
Emily sighed and put the cup away.
- Who told you about me? How did you know my name, place of work?
- Is it important? Are little things important when the thing is about human life? You help people, so do the same! Help me! Is it really so hard - to help even one single person?!
- Sorry, but you come to me almost at night; I absolutely do not know who you are, even your name. You don’t tell me anything. You are talking about some demonology and I must help you in such nonsense?
The man looked at Emily keen and piercing, the stranger was seemed to try to find so deep, but still the compassion in the heart of the girl. Then looked away slightly to the side and looked back at Emily.
- I see the runes on your desktop - he paused a bit - demonic runes.
Emily turned to the table, and in fact, she forgot that she had no time to hide them. "And how did he know about them?"
- So you cannot argue with me now, that you do not have any connection with demonology. I know about you enough; otherwise I would not come to you.
Emily was quietly about two seconds watching the man then smiled and said:
- Well, you caught me again. Each has its own interests, and my are a bit unusual. - And she smiled warmly. - Sometimes I like to drink a cup of coffee and to read anything secret, to search something mystical, mythological, I would even say.
But the stranger looked into her eyes.
- Emily, I do not have time for these games. You know the difference between a hobby and craft or vocation, like me, basically.
The girl narrowed her eyes. There was a silence. Everyone looked at each other. Finally Emily violated this unbearable muteness.
- So what is your name, you said?
- I did not.
- I know. I invited a stranger, treated him with the coffee, but he did not even answer this courteous gesture.
The man chuckled and looked at a cup with its so aromatic content.
- If you so wish, especially if it will affect your opinion. - He sipped some coffee and looked at Emily – she was doing the same. - Now will you help me?
- Only if you tell me your story, say your name - real name - I think about all of this. In any case, if I have correctly understood – you have no other choice.
The man put away coffee, rubbed his forehead with his hand, then put the bag at his feet and lowered his elbows on his knees.
- OK. But beforehand, the story may seem quite restless, uncertain and absurd at first.
- Well, if you have come to me and so confidently ask for help, I would not hurry with the conclusions.
Emily went and sat in her chair, drank some coffee, feeling that the night may seem long and difficult.
- So, my name is Terence Martin Chamber.
- I listen to you, Terence.
- When I was a teenager fifteen years old, my mother died. Heart. Frequent breakdowns, hard work affected her health. There were three of us. My mother, sister - Sharon and I. My father left us when Sharon just was born, when I was seven.
Emily sat with immutable expression and listened to every word of Terence. The man was telling her the story of his life, though quite sad part of it, and she should give him to liberate his soul without interrupting.
- When I was fifteen years old I stayed with my sister alone. And she was under my care. We were orphans. Father didn’t care about us, and other relatives were unknown to us. In the afternoon I studied, in the evening and at night I worked where I could. Soon I was expelled from school from the graduating class, because I almost did not visit it, and even if I came, the results were of a grown-up person who did not sleep all night, thinking only about how to feed his sister and not become homeless. - He took a breath, swallowed a little coffee and said further. – After a year of my expelling from school, at that time I was already eighteen, we had learned with Sharon that she had a cancer. At school she lost her consciousness and her nose began to bleed. In hospital said that this is not an easy illness. There was a full examination and they found out the second stage of blood cancer. - Terence was speaking heavy and slowly. It was evidently that it hurt, but he tried to keep a calm monologue in order to convey everything he wanted and convey the true nature of his problem. - Leukemia - a very serious disease, but by that time we have had with my sister a chance to save her. Various chemotherapy, radiotherapy. All this needed paying money and was done often enough to sustain life of a sick, but we had no so necessary money. Sister became weak in my eyes more and more, and I did not know what to do. I worked everywhere where I only could. I borrowed money in every person I could. But once in a bar where I worked as a barman during the night shift one unknown stranger approached me an agreement.
Emily picked up her ears. She thought that in these words could be really useful information. "Agreement?"
- He was talking to me as if he knew all my life from my birth. He knew my mother, my sister. He had said he knew that Sharon was seriously ill lying in hospital. At first I became very attentive and wanted to call the security, but he had said he could help me. I rushed to him almost begging for help. He had said he could do everything in order to save my sister, but it would not be easy and could have some difficulties. That’s why I had to sign a contract, though both sides in the case wouldn’t have any complaints. - Terence took a breath and rubbed with back of his hand slightly sweat forehead. - I was desperate at that time, so I immediately agreed and signed without any doubts that damned contract. At that time, I have had no variants how to pay chemotherapy for sister, so I was hoping that this fellow could somehow help me. Sharon had one foot in the grave, what else could be worse.
Perhaps now when I know a little about these creatures, I can speculate intelligently. But then in my miserable eighteen years with a bunch of misfortunes and failures behind, I did not even pay attention to the fact that after signing few papers, stranger reached for a beer and accidentally turned the table knives, at which I cut so well myself.
- And of course, your blood got the paper.
- Yes. - The man lowered his head sadly. There was a humble silence. Emily knew perfectly well what it means. And now she understands why Terence came to her, but she was interested in another question that she would really like to find out. But the man spoke again.
- In fact, the stranger did not lie. Sharon lived long enough years, as was mentioned in the contract. Every day she's blossomed and then I took her at all out of the hospital, but doctors assured me that all this it was like some miracle. They had said that this could not be explained by science and probably the disease had hidden somewhere inside, and now was not visible. I did not want to believe them, because everything was so good - Sharon smiled again.
That stranger I have not seen for almost nine years, until one day - a year ago - he had met me near Central Park. Shocked I could not utter a word. It was exactly the same as the day we met. But not so warm and friendly. I started to give thanks, to say that my sister and I all right, but he stopped me and said that all this came to an end and my time is coming to an end. I immediately understood what he said. I was really confused, and then he got and showed me a deal. He ordered me to read it, and when I did I could not believe my eyes. It has been said that a representative of the contract agrees to comply with all the desires of the customer for ten years, but when run so far this term end, the customer must pay the appropriate price. And the price was this - my soul.
Terence was silent and looked at Emily. Perhaps he would find in her eyes surprise, support, fear, but saw nothing.
- This is a common cause. All demons conclude agreements with mortal to get their souls. Soul’s power brings death. The more pain and grief endured of that soul, the happier it is. The man who has overcome something like that - has a very strong spirit.
- At that time I thought it was a kind of nonsense, and the man was just crazy. But after six months my sister died and doctors still stated that the disease just sat deep inside disguised, I started looking. I was looking for any information on these agreements, demons, some ways of overcoming them, but found plenty account nonsense and ridiculous things. Moreover, this is a topic that is not spoken with anyone. I was unsociable, hardly sleep at night and everything was looking for. Some things that I seemed more or less adequate I could not check either in practice or ask someone for advice about them. - Terence took a cup of coffee and gulped back a little. - Holy water, right?
Emily raised the left corner of her mouth into a smile.
- You offered me coffee with holy water to verify who I am. Only after I sipped it you relaxed.
- Are you smarter than seem at first. - Emily allowed herself to change a face from impermeable to a friendly face. - Now, if I may, I would like to know where you heard about me? - Emily stood up carefully and hid ancient runes in a file and a folder other securities with unknown writings.
Suddenly, the door knocked.
- It is time. – Said the man. – I have no another choice. – He took the knife from his bag and stood up from the sofa. – Sorry, but he said if I would kill the last demon hunter, he would let me free.
