Erin Makes a Deal With a Devil (preview)

Chapter 1 - Gluttony

"Interesting night planned?"

The Home Depot cashier winked at me and made a big show of scanning the heavy chains, ropes, and various bits of metal, dragging them along the belt and causing all eyes in the room to focus on us.

"I have a very big dog at home," I fell into my well-practiced lie with ease, smiling broadly. "He's quite the escape artist."

"Huh, I bet," the cashier seemed to lose all interest and finished scanning the rest of the items quickly and spinning the tablet around for me to pay.

$764.39.

That, and any remaining sense of morality I had was the cost of doing business. And it needed to be done.

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Did you know you can be a glutton for anything? It's really not just food. Alcohol, drugs, whatever. I'm a glutton for success.

Five years ago I graduated college with my best friend Nina, both at the top of our class, smiling proudly in grad photos waving our bachelor's degrees around and hugging like the sisters I thought we were. I should have known better, but at the time there had been no signs of the snake she truly was.

After graduation we both got jobs at the same firm, and that was when the competition began. We spent years trying to one up each other while holding onto a now very tenuous friendship. I watched as she started dating the son of the company's CEO, Sam Arlington, and her star grew ever brighter. A year later and they were engaged, while I sat alone at home, drinking cheap wine and reading books on witchcraft.

It's a weird hobby, I know, but I've been into it since I was a teenager, and I swear some little spells have actually worked. I once made a girl that called me a fat cow trip over a curb and break her wrist. I felt a little bad about that, but she did deserve it. That night in August was when I got the idea to try a money spell. I gathered all my candles and herbs and miscellaneous crystals and followed the spell exactly. If it worked, the money should start rolling in by the end of the week.

Two weeks and zero dollars later, I was despondent. Rent was due soon and so was my car payment. And my gym membership, cellphone, and electric. I felt like I was drowning. And then it felt like the universe threw me a lifeline. I was messing around in some customer accounts and saw a lot of places where the amount paid didn't match the invoice, sometimes by thousands of dollars, in our favor. It occurred to me how simple it would be to just shuffle that excess off into a "personal" account. It turns out it was exactly that simple, and I spent the next few months flush with cash and flying high. Not even the brand new BMW Sam bought for Nina could put a dent in my mood; surely I'd make enough to have one of my own soon. It was the perfect plan: the only other person with access to these accounts was Nina, and she never checked them anymore now that she was too busy with her fiance.

In January, on a normal Tuesday in the office, a cold grey day outside, my entire world turned cold and grey. For the next few years at least.

I was sitting at my desk, sipping the Venti Chocolate Chip Mocha I was able to splurge on and reviewing sales for the week. Everything seemed alright with the world, until the team of federal agents strolled through the glass doors of the office and announced they were looking for "Erin Vetten". I dropped my coffee as my heart pounded in my chest and I saw Nina pointing in my direction, looking upset.

I was numb as they ordered me to stand and place my hands behind my back to be handcuffed. It felt like none of this could possibly be happening. I was vaguely aware of Nina crying and saying she was sorry, but that she had to turn me in. For the good of the company, and for Sam. My thoughts reverberated in an endless of chorus of denials and accusations against her, but I said nothing as they led me away and out the door to their SUV.

I was charged with felony embezzlement, and sent to a medium security facility three states over from my home. It was the worst 3 years of my life. None of my friends came to visit, the food was absolutely horrible, the women were terrifying and disgusting, and the guards were assholes. I saw nothing but grey walls and chain link fences for three fucking years. By the time I got out, I was livid with Nina. How could she have done this to me? I was her best friend! I wouldn't have turned her in, unless there was something really good in it for me. I needed to make her pay.

Upon arriving back home to the shitty studio apartment that was the only thing I could afford, I spent weeks researching and poring over old grimoires to find the ritual I would need to bind a demon to my bidding. I chose Belzibu, after a recommendation from an online friend. Soon I would set my plan in place and perform the ritual, binding the demon to my will and turning it against Nina. I wanted to ruin her, the same way she ruined me. She would never be happy again, just like me.

This was going to be fun.

The rest of the story will be published soon, please follow my Twitter @FireLion28 to be informed of story updates!