Later that night:

Eric's P.O.V

                                     "Dead."

     I mouth the word to my reflection in the bathroom as I examin myself in the mirror. The deep gash that ran right next to my left eyebrow fades right in front of my eyes along with the rakish crooked bloody mess in the center of my face that replaced a perfectly straight nose only hours before.

     I couldn't feel the warm liquid snaking down my arm anymore as the wounds on my arm do not shoot out blood any longer. I gather the energy to look down, to look at the other wounds and see a glass shard piercing into my abdomen. I hesitatingly pull it out and felt no pain. I felt faint, as numbness took control.

The man in the mirror was dipping into thick crimson liquid. The color itself was surprising, it wasn't exactly red, but a dark color, with maroon shades.

     I had no idea how long it took to me walk home after witnessing my own death.

      As the vile smell traveled up my nostrils, I instantly felt nauseated. I breath in and out but air wouldn't enter my lungs. I run a hand over my face in exhaustion and drag my feet to the walk-in shower room.

******

     Leaning a hand against the white tiled wall for support, I stood under the shower as if paralyzed from the neck down. The water enveloped me as closely as my own skin as I stood there frozen. The wounds all over my body were healing already.

     I stood there, still as a statue, for what felt like an eternity but was actually only five minutes. My thinking was so distorted as I recalled the incident earlier tonight.  My mind was refusing to register what had just occurred. My death, an encounter with a demon. A freaking DEMON!

     There is nothing worse than being trapped in your own psychosis. Each second submerged in fear makes a permanent mark on my heart, and a vivid imagination makes me wander whether it was just my mind playing tricks or reality. I didn't know how to proceed.

                       "Is it a bad time to talk?" A disembodied female voice said and I jumped scanned the bathroom.

Nothing moved.

                         Suddenly, a girl, clad in black jeans and a crop top with a leather jacket appeared out of nowhere. She stood against the counter-top, looking at her self in the mirror. Black shadows surrounded her and I instantly recognize her. She is the demon I met only a few hours ago, the one who healed my body with a mere snap of a finger.

     She expected me to be terrified, hell! I expected me to be petrified but to my surprise, I wasn't scared at all. I was numb from the dent I got after whatever happened. Nothing is scarier than watching yourself suffocate to death.

I turn the faucet off and made my way out of the shower. From her first impression, she seemed like the type who takes pleasure in dominating others. And I'm the kind who hates to be bossed around. I can not let her see how lost I'm right now.

                        "What do you think?" I snap while wrapping a bath towel around my waist.

                  "Chillax, hot stuff. I'm here just to seal our deal." a sly smile stained upon her lips. I notice her eyes turn into a bottomless pool of darkness.

. Flash backs from the earlier fatal accident attacked my mind. If it weren't for her, I would have died long back. I agreed to her bargain only because she gave me a hope of getting my life back by offering me a three week extension for completing three trials in exchange of my soul. Upon the successful completion of the trials, I get my soul/life back. Else, she takes me straight to hell.

How can I just be..gone when I have so many plans, so many places to go, so  many things to be done.

Now that I think about it all, it hit me that I never asked about the tasks she wanted me to do.  

              "After three weeks, I walk as a free man" I scrunch my eyebrows, "Understand?" I manage to voice my demand, though it all seemed surreal to me.

                 "Only if you succeed at doing those trials, which I highly doubt you can." She said with a condescending sneer.

Burning rage hissed through my body. I felt so helpless before her.

                "What's the first trial?" I said through my teeth. 

              "Whoa! slow down there, human. There are few things to be done before the action begins."  She smirked,  "But first, I need a drink." And with that she disappeared from the bathroom. 

     From the calmness in the tone of her voice, I can guess that this isn't the first time she's having this conversation with a mortal being.

      My jaw rooted as the anger boil up inside me. My fist began to clench. Being dead is frustrating.

******

                 "You have a big house. I'm impressed!" She was sitting atop the counter with a glass of wine in her hand. 

I nerve myself to enter the kitchen.

                    "How do you propose we seal-

             "Does it hurt?" She interrupts me mid sentence while examining the glass.

She was testing my patience and patience isn't my strongest suit.

                 "The injuries?" I walk across the counter, "No."

           "Do you know how demons seal a deal?" she tear her gaze away from the glass and look up at me. 

      I was trying not to stare at her eyes but my eyes keeps getting diverted to them. One moment they were obediently on her short, petite frame and the next they were rested into her eyes, but it was like nothing was there to behold. An endless depth of ink, sorrow, and pain. I could not see whites of her eyes nor the vessels that flowed through them. They were depths of Tartarus holding a thousand souls yet there were none to be seen. 

 I simply nod my head. No.

                    "With Blood." She said as a matter of factly and pulled out a contract from her jacket.

                   "You know you can thank me now." she pointed a finger on the scars on my body, (which were fading fast now) before handing over the document.

         I examine the contract, completely ignoring her. Once I was done, I set it down on the counter and cross my arms over my chest.

              "The trials." I clear my throat, "They are not mentioned in the contract. Tell me about them and I'll seal the deal." 

                      "You'll learn about them one by one, trial after trial." She plopped down, "I mean, it's not like I'm going anywhere." She poke a finger at my bare chest playfully.

I look up to the ceiling in annoyance, my patience wearing thin.

                   "I'm not sure what you mean by that but get this, I'm not your little b*tch, so you are going to tell me what exactly those trials are and-

           "Or else?" the demon interrupts me. Again. "You know, your anger and your threats mildly amuse me. What you should also know is that this offer is for a limited time, and you, sir, have just.." she check her non-existent wrist watch, "One minute approx."

I close my eyes and swallow the retort. If it weren't about my life, I would have never begged a girl, my ego was way too big to do so but she left me with no other choice.

               "I need to know what I'm signing up for. Please." I bite my tongue. Hard.

                      "Tick-tock, tick-tock." She was already leaving the kitchen with the contract in her hand.

     My mind was racing now. She was in the living room already, just a few more steps, and I'll never get the chance of getting my life back. I already knew I was going to regret for what I was about to do and say but the stakes were too high. As soon as she reach the main door, my muscles begin to stiffen up. I quickly try to run to her but tripped and fell down.  

                    "Wait!" I groan desperately. Green fluid begin to expel from my nostrils and mouth. It was a sign that my body was beginning to decompose.

She swung around, pivoting on her heels sassily and walk across the room. She, then, crouched beside my almost-decayed body with a look of pity.

                  "Missed me already?" She touch my chest and black shadows surrounded me, sucking me in.

The last thing I remember seeing was her pitch black eyes turn significantly white.

***

     I bolt upright in my bed in a heart-pounding state of emergency. After a second of massively intense panic, it suddenly dawn on me that my body was no longer decaying. And also, I was wearing a different pair of clothes. B*tch!

      "Finally!" she sigh, "I was starting to get bored already." The demon  beside me was lying down on her side with her head on the palm of her hand and in the other hand she held the contract.

     I notice her eyes were no longer white. They were midnight and ravens wings and I could see fierceness and pride in them. I now know that she would not listen to any of my conditions or questions. She is in a rush and so am I.

      She hands me a pocket knife and watched as I inflict a slit across my thumb, blood instantly spurted out. I quickly stamp my thumb at the bottom of the contract paper.

              "Oh hey, I totally forgot to tell you, I'm gonna tag along with you on this lil 'adventure' of yours." She flash her perfect white teeth. 

     Satisfaction of security was nothing but a distant memory , and an invisible force crushed me from every possible direction.

----x----x----

A/N: I've picked Nico Tortorella for Eric Morgan's character because a) I love his eyes and b) He is just perfect for the role. *drooling* :p 

Comment and Vote for quick updates! :)