Until Death Brings You

Chapter 5:

THUD! The door reverberated against the frame, shuddering slightly before it stopped. ‘Who the f**k is this man? What the actual f**k did he want with her dad?’ She shook her head of the thoughts and made her way over to her father. His eyes were closed, but he wasn’t breathing deeply enough for him to be asleep.

           “Dad? You’re awake right?”

           The man on the bed moved slightly, his eyes popping open and landing on his daughter. He smiled weakly, “Yes honey, I’m awake. I’m sorry about earlier.” He kept his voice low, making it hard for Alex to hear him.

           The blonde placed her hand in his, “There’s nothing for you to worry about Dad. I understand. I’m sorry you’re not feeling well.” She took a deep breath, her voice wavering as she tried to hold back tears. Her thoughts went back to the strange man just moments ago. “Dad… do you know someone by the name of Alistar?”

           The man drew his eyebrows together, looking down to think. “No honey. I don’t know anyone by that name… Why?”

           Alex started to wring her hands, “A man came up to me and asked about you… He didn’t tell me how he knew you, just that you owed him something. Like a loan or what-not. He wasn’t making much sense, and he wouldn’t give me a lot of information. He said something about a deal?” As she spoke, her dad’s eyes began to widen. He started to shake, and he dropped his daughter’s hand. He coughed a few times, and started to wheeze, unable to catch his breathe. “Dad? DAD!”

           Reaching for the call light, Alex went to push it, but her dad pushed her out of the way with strength she didn’t know he still had. He coughed a few more times, closing his eyes to try and compose himself.

           “Dad? What is it? Let me call the nurses, or the doctor. Dad, you’re scaring me.” Alex went to try once again to push the call button, but her dad pushed her away again. Holding up a hand, he placed his other on his chest and tried to take as deep of breaths as his body would allow.

           Once he finally gained his composure again, he opened his eyes once more, and searched Alex’s face. “Honey… where did you meet this man? Did you tell him anything?” He sounded scared, and the panic in his voice sent a chill down her spine.

           “Just a few minutes ago… I just shut the door in his face… Do I need to call someone?” Green eyes widened in surprise and a bit of fright.

           Shaking his head, Robert closed his eyes once more and leaned heavier against the bed. “Alex. There’s something I haven’t told you about… to keep you safe…”

           Alex opened her mouth to ask what, but before she could, a low voice that seemed to come out of thin air chuckled lightly. The blonde instantly tensed up; the voice sounded like the strangers. There was no way though. She had shut and locked the door… to make sure that no one could get in. How could anyone get in without her hearing them.

           Robert stared behind his daughter, eyes growing in fear, and Alex quickly turned around to see what he was looking at. Before her eyes, a large dark shadow started to form. Within minutes, the shadows snaked and formed a humanoid shape, and out walked the man that she had met. He held up a finger, his finger wagging back and forth. “Tut tut there Mr. Amberson. Keeping secrets from your daughter? What ever were you going to do when someone came to collect huh?”

           Alistar was grinning again, but unlike before, where the smile, although disarming, looked human, the way his mouth contorted up, he looked inhuman.

           Alex stood in between the stranger and her dad, looking around the room for something that she could use to defend them. She wasn’t sure how she was going to do it yet, but there had to be something. “What do you want with my dad? I thought I told you to leave him alone. He hasn’t done anything to you.”

           “Well, my dear, that is where you are wrong. I do believe that your dad was about to tell you what he does owe me, and it certainly isn’t nothing.” Dark eyes, bore into green, almost as if the stranger was willing something to happen to her. When nothing did, the grin slipped a little before coming back full force.

           “What are you my dear?” Alistar turned his head, an almost inhuman turn that reminded Alex of a cat that was confused. Suddenly, black eyes turned to her dad, but he made no move to get closer. “Robert Amberson… what have you been hiding?”

           Robert shook his head, refusing to answer. “If you are here for me, then take me now. My daughter has nothing to do with this. I know what you want, and I won’t fight you.”

           “Dad! NO!” Alex turned to her dad, ponytail whipping her back. “What are you talking about?”

           Alex’s dad started to cough again, rendering him unable to answer. Watching him cough, Alistar took this time to walk up behind Alex, a gloved hand touching her shoulder.

           The blonde jumped, quickly turning on the stranger again. When she went to wrench her shoulder away from him, Alistar dug his fingers in, and Alex could have sworn that the gloves hid animalist claws as pain pierced her skin. “Ouch. Get your f*****g hands off me!” She moved to push his hand again, but the look on his face made her pause.

           “My dear, you mustn’t struggle, or you’ll hurt yourself further. Now, I’m here for your dad’s soul,” Alex went to interrupted, but Alistar tutted. “Let me finish my dear. It’s rude to interrupt. I’m here to collect your dad’s soul, and that is what I will do today. When I agreed, I certainly wasn’t expecting to meet such a pretty and I must say interesting mortal as yourself. I can tell you love your father, but nothing you do will save him from me… or the decisions he has made.” Alistar’s other hand reached up to caress Alex’s face, and she flinched from the unwanted touch.

           “Get your hands off of her!” Robert threw his blankets off, ready to rush at Alistar, but he started to cough again.

           Alex searched Alistar’s face, looking for any emotion but only being met with the eerie grin. “Why his soul?”

           “My dear… I believe I heard your name was Alex, your dad must have made a deal with another demon,” Alistar watched as Alex went to open her mouth, but he squeezed her shoulder, and she quickly shut it. “I was not the demon, nor do I know what the deal was about, but when you make a deal, you barter something of value to us. In this case, your dad bartered his soul, and now that he is dying, the demon with whom he brokered a deal with is asking for his payment now.”

           Green eyes turned towards the grown, and Alistar could feel the mortal girl start to deflate, and just as he thought the tears would start to fall, and she would crumble to the ground, he felt the body beneath him tense up. “Can I make a deal?”

           “Alex, NO-” Before Robert could finish speaking, another round of coughing hit him, and he fell to the ground.

           Alistar raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the girl. “And what, may I ask, are you wanting to deal about?”

           Alex stood straighter, her back cracking a bit. There was no way she would lose her father, not to a demon. There had to be something she could do. Turning to look Alistar in the eyes, her mind was made up. “I’ll let you have my soul, and in return, you’ll let my dad keep his.”