//------------------------------// // Contract // Story: Risky Business // by Compass The Pegasus //------------------------------// "I said pack your things and get out. I won't ask again, Soren." The tall burly man sighed, a look of sadness in his eyes. "I did my best to convince management that you did what was asked of you, but they wanted you out or they'd fire us both. I'm sorry." "Are you serious, Mack? You know my situation. I can't lose this job. Please!” Soren cried out, falling to his knees. “You know that I did everything right this time. You know I did!" He grabbed his face and looked up to Mack, who recoiled at the terror in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Soren," he shook his head. "But, look, this is the best I can do," he said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver clip of cash. He paused briefly before yanking out the entire bundle and tossing it over to Soren. Looking up, he reflexively extended a hand and caught it. He looked down at the money in his hand and scoffed. "You're going to fire me, and you think like fifty dollars is going to fix anything? I… I thought…" Mack looked away from him, reached over to the handset on the right corner of the desk, and dialed a number. "Yes, I need security please. Mack Robin, fourth floor. Thank you." With a click, he set the phone down. "Please, just go." Defeated, Soren rose off of his knees, his face twisted and his fists clenched, but he didn't speak. Throwing open the door of the office, he paused. "I thought you were better than this. I thought we were friends. Don’t insult me, I don’t need your money." The clip of cash clattered to the ground, leaving Mack alone in his office. Soren stormed out of the building in the direction of the parking lot. His car was a dingy old Cadillac Seville from the late 70s that had very obviously seen better days, with little of the original maroon paint remaining and rust peppering the sedan all over. He struggled to pull open the jammed door, which he never bothered to lock, and pulled himself inside. As he turned the key, the engine roared to life. With as much grace and dignity as he could muster, he ripped out of the parking lot with tires squealing. As he drove, he let himself breathe and calm down. Soren soon pulled into the bank and jogged up to the self-serve ATM. He inserted his card and dialed in his pin, 0429; his mother's birthday. -- Checking Balance -- $64 -- Savings Balance -- $159 "Ah shit…" Oncology. The sign was decorated with paper hearts and stick-figure family portraits. One of the drawings was of a bald woman, wearing boxing gloves, beating up a crudely drawn circle labeled, "Canser." The room was almost empty aside from Soren, an old man, and a bubbly looking woman wearing a purple pin on her vest that read, "I'm strong!" Though her spirits seemed high, her cheeks sank in a bit and her breathing was ragged. "Soren, you came! I thought you'd never show up!" The woman exclaimed as she stood up. "Hey mom! How are you feeling?" Soren asked, jogging over to where his mother was sitting. She smiled and reached out for a hug, which he graciously returned. "Woah nelly! All those hours lifting those weights must be paying off, huh? My son is so strong!" She stated, letting go and then flexed her right arm at him. "Heh, yeah I guess." He smiled back, but it fell fast. He didn't hug her all that hard. ‘She must be feeling weaker,’ he thought to himself. "So how's work been, Soren? Did you get that promotion you've been talking about for the past month?" She patted the seat next to her, and he sat down. "Well… actually I…" he began, but his tone put a look of worry on his mother's face. "Everything is going really great, actually,” he lied. “I haven't gotten the promotion yet, but I'm hoping that soon I'll be making the big bucks. And then I promise I'll get you that old Volkswagen Bug you've always wanted," he said, feeling an ache in his chest. She smiled back at him, her expression changing to one of pure glee. "The seafoam green one?" "Yeah mom, the seafoam green one." "Miss Daisy?" a nurse called from the reception desk. "We'll be seeing you now, this way please." She gestured to the door next to her, which opened automatically. "Come on mom, let's go." Soren said as he helped his mother up. "And hey I'm sorry that I couldn't drive you here earlier. I hope it wasn't too much trouble to get here.” "Oh no, not at all! I had Mister Kreacher from across the hall drive me. He's been so helpful lately." Soren sighed and relaxed a little bit. As long as she didn't pay an absurd price for a taxi or Uber or something. The pair were led through the door by the nurse, who sat them down in a room with two very comfortable chairs in front of a desk covered in papers, and a small collection of Spider-Man memorabilia. "Doctor Connors will be right with you." The nurse stated before closing the door and leaving. "Doctor Connors likes Spider-Man. Ironic." Soren mumbled to himself. "Soren?" his mother’s gentle voice called out. "Yes mom?" He replied. She looked at him, a sad smile gleamed at him. "I know things have been tough recently but I want you to always remember that, no matter what happens, good things will always come to the ones that keep holding on." She reached over and put her hand on his. "Promise me that even when things look bleak, you’ll keep going, no matter what." "Mom, what are yo-" "Just promise me, Soren," she pleaded. He paused and smiled back at her. "Okay, mom. I promise." The door opened and a tall, lanky man entered the room, nearly hitting his head on the door frame. "Hello, Daisy. Nice to see you again." He smiled, and turned to Soren. "You must be Soren, I've heard so much about you. Your mother speaks very highly of you." Soren chuckled and looked over to his mom who smiled back. Doctor Connors cleared his throat. "Well, Daisy, I've got your test results here and, well… they're not promising. Your cancer has stopped responding to chemotherapy, and the tumor in your throat is now considered life-threatening," he said. "What!?" Soren exploded. Daisy had little to no reaction, and instead just held that same distant, sad smile. The doctor pulled out two large MRI images and pushed them across the desk. As the pair leaned forward to look, he put his finger on a white bulbous structure in the center of the image. “Do you see this? This is the current state of the tumor. It’s about the size of a nickel now, compared to three months ago-” he indicated its position on the other image “-if you remember, it was barely visible, and shrinking.” He leaned back in his chair and interlocked his fingers. "As you can see, the tumor is on your left primary bronchus where it connects to your trachea." He paused to take a breath. "I know this is troubling news, but we need to think and act fast. Though a different round of chemo treatments could be viable in the long-term, this has progressed to the point where direct intervention is needed. There are two main options. The first is to try and treat the tumor through radiation. This is non-invasive, but, with the tumor being so close to your esophagus, lungs, and heart, it may cause long-term damage to the area. The second option is to fly you out to a hospital that can remove the tumor with surgery. This is challenging for the same reasons, but can be done with less risk. I have to warn you, however, neither option is cheap.” He pushed another sheet of paper over to them, two lines highlighted. The numbers were… significant. For the first time since Doctor Connors started speaking, Daisy's smile fell but then recovered. Soren noticed this, but was at a loss for words. "Doctor Connors, thank you for the recommendations, but I'm afraid we just can't afford this." Daisy stated in a matter-of-fact tone. “We can barely afford chemo as it is.” "Wait. Wait, no! Mom, it's okay, I'll get the money. I'll do whatever it takes. Doctor Connors, please, give us the information about the surgery. I'll find a way to afford it. I'll live in my car… and…" he stumbled over his own thoughts. "No, Soren." His mother's gentle hand rested on his face. "It's okay. You've done enough for me. I'm tired anyway, I think I'd like to go home.” She looked back at the doctor. “Thank you, Doctor Connors." "Why didn't you tell me, mom?" Soren cried, closing the door to her one-bedroom apartment behind them. "I didn't want to worry you." "I'm very worried! Mom, I promise I'll find you some way to get that surgery." Daisy looked away from Soren and leaned on the kitchen counter."Soren, I… I don't want to have the surgery. And I don't want to do chemo again. I'm tired." "Mom…" "No, Soren. Please… I just want to enjoy the time I have left. I know that I don't have very long anymore. My body feels like it could just stop at any moment." She turned and walked up to Soren, who was now sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. She sat next to him and hugged him for what felt like forever. Soren collapsed into his recliner. His studio apartment was clean, but sparse. He had a single table, two chairs, a recliner and a plastic plant in the corner near the door. He brushed his hair out of his face and stared at the ugly shag carpet. A small stack of twenty-dollar bills sat on the coffee table. ‘It’s not enough’ he thought to himself. ‘I can’t keep doing this.’ His thoughts were interrupted by a hasty knock on his door. Soren’s stomach sank, knowing exactly who it was. He took a deep breath and stepped up towards the door, hesitating for a moment before opening it. “Hey Mr. Roub-” "You're two months behind on rent, that's it. You're done. Pack up your things and leave by tomorrow night, or I'll call someone to get rid of it myself.” The landlord looked at his watch and then back at Soren. “I’m sorry Mr. Roubler, I can give you two-twenty but I’ll need some time to-” He was cut off as the man raised his hand and shook his head. “How old are you, kid? Like 24? You gotta start pulling your own weight. This world isn't built for people who can’t keep their own promises. You signed a contract with me that said you would pay your rent on time every month. I know you’ve been having a rough time, but I can’t keep giving you extensions. It wouldn’t be fair to my other tenants." "But I can pay you in cash right now!" "I'm sorry, kid, it's too little, too late." Soren kicked a rock off of the bridge and watched it fall down into the stream below. The wind stung his cheeks as it whipped him relentlessly, but he was too preoccupied to care. The bridge was a place where Soren could always find some level of peace for himself. It was bypassed by a new highway a few years back and now rarely saw any cars drive through, so he could park in the middle of the road and no one would ever know or care. He kicked the tire of his old Cadillac and let himself fall down next to it. "I wish I could do something to help her… I would do anything. Anything in the world," he said to himself. "Quite a pickle you've gotten yourself into hmmm?" a voice said, nearby. "Huh?" Soren jerked his head up. He was alone on a backroads bridge, past midnight. "Who's there?" he called out. Soren looked behind him, over the top of the car, but saw no one. As he turned back towards the bridge railing, a man stood there. "Me? Oh, I'm nobody important. I just happened to eavesdrop in the right place, at the right time." said the oddly-dressed man. He wore a red velvet suit with the arms and legs in various odd colors and patterns. He sported a thick white goatee, and very long sideburns. Soren groaned. "Look man, I'm… homeless too. I don't have any money to give you." The strange man laughed at him. "I don't want your money. I heard your wish, and I just want to help you out." Soren rolled his eyes and shot back, "How could you possibly help me out? I'm in dire straits here, man. Unless you can just magically cure my mother's cancer, I don't think you can do anything for me." He flailed his arms dismissively. The man crossed his arms and smirked at him. "Well, as a matter of fact I can do that for you." Soren furrowed his brow and very slowly stood up to meet the man face to face. "How could you do that? Pay for her surgery? Well unfortunately that won’t work, though I wish it would." "I can cure her, completely, with magic." Soren scoffed. "Magic? Hah, and I guess I'm King Arthur and you- you must be Merlin… Look man, I'm really not in the mood for this, so please leave me alone. “Are you sure about that, Soren?” Soren narrowed his eyes. “How do you know my name?" The man smirked, but then fell out of sight. He reappeared sitting on top of Soren's car, swinging his legs playfully. "I told you, I can do things that you can only dream of, but if you want me to do something for you, you’ll have to do something for me." Soren stumbled backwards at the man’s impossible movement. "W-what…?" "It's simple. I cure your mother, and you play a little game with me. No matter if you win or lose, your mother will stay healthy." "How can I be sure that you'll do what you say? How can I trust you?" Soren shot back, pointing his finger at the man. The man hopped off the car, but before his boots touched the asphalt, he was gone again. "Well, Soren, my boy, you don't have much of a choice. Either you save your mother, or not, and seal her fate." Soren looked around to see where he had vanished to, but the voice came from everywhere and nowhere at once. "And I can prove you don't have much time to decide. Look at this." A flat-screen TV appeared in front of Soren and buzzed to life, floating in place. It wasn’t clear at first what he was watching, but his heart sank as the details resolved. Overlayed by a crude “LIVE TV” sign was a static view of his mother’s apartment, and there was his mother, doubled over the kitchen sink. She shook violently as she coughed into her hand, struggling to even breathe. "Mom!" Soren screamed, as he grabbed the two sides of the TV. He watched his mother move her hand into view, covered in deep red blood. Soren looked away. The man appeared once again behind him. "I can make her all better again if you play my little game, Soren." Soren looked back at the strange man, tears in his eyes but with absolute resolution behind them. "I don't care what it is. Cure my mother." Surprise flashed in the stranger’s eyes. "Don't you want to know what the game is first?" he asked. "No. I don't care what it is. Cure my mother now." "Aren’t you even curious as to who, or what, I am?” he whined playfully. “After all, I’m doing this great deed for you." “No, I just want you to cure my mom.” “Hmph, aren’t you curious at all?” “I do not care.” “Well, you’re no fun.” he pouted, crossing his arms and turning away from Soren. After a few moments of silence, Soren squeezed the bridge of his nose and sighed. "You’re not gonna do anything til I ask, aren’t you?” “That’s right!” he sang. “… Fine. Alright, who are you? And you still haven't explained how you can do all this. Are you a demon or something?" "To some, I suppose. No, my name is Discord, and I am humbly at your service." He bowed at an impossible angle, the hair on his head nearly touching the ground. "And, my dear Soren, if I told you everything off the bat then my game wouldn't be so fun, now would it?" Discord wrapped his arm around Soren and twirled him around until he landed in a comfortable upholstered chair in front of a large, fancy wooden desk. Discord sat behind the desk, now wearing tiny glasses that were too small for his face. "Now… let's see. I’ll just go over our little contract here. I will cure your mother of all ailments and GUARANTEE her healthy living until she's in her eighties. That's easily three decades I'll be giving to her. However, you must give me something, as well as play my game." Discord smirked a sinister smile and looked straight at Soren. "In exchange for your mother’s life, you will give me your own." Soren jumped out of his seat. "You're going to kill me? You're insane!" "Ah ah ah" Discord scorned. "Don't you know it's impolite to interrupt people? As I was saying, you won't die, but-" "I'll become your slave or something?" "Quiet now boy, we're dealing with your fate here. I'd suggest you pay attention." Discord's voice lowered an octave and sounded much more gravelly than earlier. Each word seemed to scrape at something deep inside Soren. He opted to keep his mouth shut. "Good!" Discord said, back in his normal tone. "As I was saying, you won't die. Instead, you'll spend the rest of your life in a different world - my world, and don't worry. It's not Hell or Tartarus or whatever it is that you think I came from. It’s actually quite pleasant." Still scared to speak, Soren just stared back at Discord. "You may be wondering: what do I get out of this? Well, not much besides entertainment, so I'm hoping that you're an entertaining person to watch. If I were to judge you by your actions today, I'd say I made the right choice. I had to break out the popcorn for that confrontation with your manager." A silence followed for multiple minutes as Soren returned to his seat by the desk. They stared at each other for what seemed like forever, until Soren spoke. "So, if I do this, my mom will be okay? Will I at least be able to say goodbye?" he asked, his voice turning soft. Discord pulled at his beard, deep in thought. "Hmmm, tell you what. I'll let you say goodbye if I get to take all your memories of your mother while you're gone. You might get them back, you might not. All a part of the game." Soren slouched back into the chair as he remembered his fifteenth birthday. He had just moved to a new school, and didn't know anyone well enough to invite to his party. Even then they didn't have much money, but his mom always wanted to make him happy, no matter what. She ended up taking him to a movie, going out for dinner with him, and even buying him a cake. Never in his life had he felt so grateful and happy. And now he would forget everything his mom had ever done for him. He would forget everything about her. If he could give her her life back, it wouldn’t be so bad, but… "I can't leave her and disappear without her knowing that I'm gone. I… yes. I need to do this." "Well, wonderful. Let's have you sign right here, here and here." He pointed at various spots on a long, densely written scroll that he had pulled out of a tissue box. "And I'll have you repeat after me, 'I, Soren, hereby forfeit my life and memories of my mother in order to cure her and keep her healthy, by contract of Discord'" Soren signed as slow as he could possibly manage, running as many memories of his mother through his mind as he could. This was it. "I, Soren, hereby forfeit my life and memories of my mother in order to cure her and keep her healthy, by contract of Discord." "It's been a pleasure doing business with you, my boy." Discord grinned. "Now, as promised, I'll give you an hour with your mother before we go. Understood?" Soren choked back his tears. "Give me 24 hours." Discord only smiled back. "Heh. You know, I like you. I like you a lot. I will grant you 3 hours with Daisy, but this will cost more of your memories.” He said, “And that will be all." He snapped his fingers, and before Soren could protest, a bright light blinded him. Soren opened his eyes and found himself in his mother's apartment again. He scanned around the room in a daze, his vision slightly hazy as if he had woken up from a long rest. Then he heard her. His mother happily hummed from the kitchen. A happy tune. One he hadn't heard in a long time. "Oh Soren, could you come here please? I need your help baking this pie," she called. He delicately stood up, as if he were afraid that any sudden movement would destroy this peaceful reality. "C-coming, mom," he replied as he stepped into the kitchen. He felt his heart ache as he saw his mother. Her skin was no longer pale and her cheeks weren't sunken in anymore. She almost glowed with a golden aura. He could feel relief wash over him. "There you are hon, I can't make this pie without you, can I? Come on." She gestured for him to come closer. "You look great, mom. How do you feel?" She beamed at him, “I feel fantastic! It's like I've never been sick before in my life! I think changing my diet and exercising more has really been helping." "I can see that, mom." Soren felt a genuine smile creep onto his face for the first time in a while. "Come on, let's bake this pie." The next 2 hours and 50 minutes were spent in a sense of euphoria he didn’t know he could ever experience. He cherished every last second. They dug into the pie they had made and found that it was the most perfect pie that either of them had ever tasted. "Ten minutes, Soren,” a voice whispered in his ear. “Time to wrap things up.” His heart sank once again as he watched his mother sing to herself happily. She placed the last piece of pie onto a plate and dropped a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. "Hey, Mom, can I tell you something?" Soren asked, looking away, not able to meet her eyes. She looked up at him. "Of course sweetheart. What is it?" "I-" he choked on his words. "I have to go somewhere, and I don't think I'll be coming back. This is it." She laughed, not believing him. "Soren, stop being silly. Here, finish this up.” Her contagious smile hurt him now. "Mom, no matter what happens, I love you forever and always." Their eyes met. "I love you forever and always too, Soren,” she said. “And hey, remember that promise we made. Keep going, no matter what happens." Not being able to hold back any longer, Soren ran up and hugged his mother with all his might and quietly sobbed into her shoulder. "It's time to go, Soren," Discord whispered into his ear. He let go of his mother and smiled at her. "Bye, Mom. Thank you for everything." And, with the golden light of the sun glittering through the window, everything faded away.