A Rude Awakening
Intro
Some places are not meant to be seen while alive.
Some journeys begin in sleep… and end in something far worse.
Andy thought he was just resting after a long day.
He had no idea he was walking into a debt that had been waiting for him.
A Rude Awakening
Andy was having a nice sleep. It had been a long day, and he needed the rest to face the next one. He had just gotten home, taken a quick bath, then fallen on his bed and was asleep in no time.
He woke up in a desolate landscape. There was no green as far as the eye could see, and the ground was cracked. Not a desert, he thought, wondering how he had come to this place. The last thing he knew, he was sleeping comfortably in his bed.
He thought it was a dream and slapped himself to wake up, but he felt the pain of his palm on his cheek.
"No, this can't be happening, not to me," he muttered as he stood there looking around, not knowing which direction to take because everywhere looked the same.
He was tired, and the sun was beating down on him. His throat was parched, and he needed a drink. He picked a direction randomly and started walking, praying he would see someone or anything to give him a clue on where he was and what had brought him there.
The Road of Bones
As he walked, he soon started to see skeletons on the floor along the road he had taken. He stopped and wondered if he was heading in the same direction as whatever had killed these people.
He bent down to examine a skeleton and saw how twisted the corpse was. There was no visible wound or any serious damage that suggested the corpse had been killed with something. He bent down lower, checked carefully, and came to the conclusion that dehydration was the cause of death.
"I can't go on like this," he thought. "I could end up like these unfortunate corpses, but I'm getting thirsty and I need a drink. Since I have no other option, I need to go on."
He stood and started walking again.
Feet on Fire
He had been walking for about two hours now, staggering slowly like a drunkard. He looked down at his feet and let out a hoarse cry.
His shoes had melted away from his feet, and all he saw were red blisters forming all over them.
"Now that I think about it," he muttered, "I thought the ground was just hot, not knowing it was cooking my own feet."
He tore the sleeves off the clothes he was wearing and nearly fell over as he bent to wrap them around his feet. He was too weak and thought he was going to die there and then, but he finally tied the cloth around both feet and moved on with shaky, staggering steps.
The land was barren. Nothing grew, and no birds flew in the air. The small breeze that blew was as hot as hell, and he winced every time it touched his exposed skin.
The Glittering River
He was on his last legs when he saw something glittering in the distance. He froze and peered at it, squinting against the glare of the sun.
He shuddered when he saw that it was a small river.
He stood there, not believing his eyes, then started to weep.
"Am I really dreaming?" he questioned himself. "Is that a mirage?"
He knew how the heat liked to play with a person's mind.
As he walked on, the wind became colder, and that alone gave him the strength to move on. He didn't look where he put his feet. All that mattered was the glittering water not far from him.
He walked on, trying not to run, knowing that if he did, he wouldn't last and it would be the end of him.
As he drew nearer and the wind grew colder, he knew then that he was not mistaken. It was water, and when he had had his fill, he thought, he would be able to face anything this isolated land threw at him.
As he got closer, he saw a signpost with words written on it. From where he was standing he couldn't make out the words, so he moved nearer.
Then he saw other corpses on the ground, some with missing feet and others still intact but clearly having died in a violent way.
He paused and looked around, not sure if what he was seeing was real this time. He knew wild animals and dangerous things liked to live near water, but after waiting a few minutes with nothing moving, he approached the signpost and read what was written.
He started cursing.
He knew he had walked into a trap. He knew he was about to die too.
The signpost read: THE WATER IS POISON. BEG THREE TIMES AND GET AN ANSWER.
The Devil’s Bargain
He wondered what that meant. As he looked at the corpses that had died in twisted agony, he knew they must have drunk from the water.
But what about those with missing feet?
He had no choice but to beg, and so he knelt at the edge of the water, making sure it didn't touch him, and said:
"Please, guardian of this river, let me have a drink."
"Please, guardian of this river, let me have a drink."
As he said it the second time, he could feel his strength leaving him. He fell backward, lying on his back and breathing hard.
With his last remaining strength, he said it the third time:
"Please, guardian of this river, let me have a drink."
Then he lost consciousness.
The Devil Appears
When he woke again, a man was sitting near him. Not a remarkable man, just simple-looking, like the grocery store owner back at home.
The man had shoulder-length hair and a perfect set of teeth that glittered as the sun hit them. He was wearing a polo shirt, jean pants, and camouflage boots.
The man smiled at him, but Andy was too weak to do anything in return.
He watched as the man muttered something and pointed two fingers at him. He could feel a small measure of strength enter his body, just enough to make him speak.
"Who are you?" he asked in a croaky, dry voice. "And where am I?"
"I'm the Devil," the man said. "And you're in my domain."
The Old Deal
Andy tried to laugh, but it came out as a wheezing cough.
"What am I doing here?" he asked.
"Simple. To pay a debt," the Devil said.
"I owe no debt," Andy said, frowning.
The Devil sighed.
"Your grandfather made a deal with me," the Devil began.
He explained everything—the power, the success, the sacrifices.
"And for many years he was successful… until he stopped paying."
The Choice
Andy lay there not knowing what to do. He couldn't cry as there was no more fluid left in him.
His body had dried like a mummy prepared for an ancient Egyptian burial.
He lay there debating with his soul whether he had it in him to sacrifice twenty souls just to retain wealth and power, or to simply let go and join his grandfather and father in death.
The Devil’s voice returned:
"If you agree, crawl to the river and have a drink. You will wake up in your bed, strong and all powerful. If you refuse… well, no need to tell you what you will face."
And with that, the Devil vanished.
The Final Moment
Andy lay there wondering what to choose.
He knew he didn't want to die, and he didn't want others to die either.
So he lay there thinking, wondering if he could work out another deal—since the first deal had never been made by him.
Andy stares at the water.
The Devil is watching patiently.
His hand slowly dips toward the surface.
Outro
Some debts are inherited.
Some choices define everything.
And sometimes… survival comes at a price no one should ever pay.
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