It was the perfect summer day. The sun was out and shining bright, the humidity was low, and a calm breeze had cooled the hot air. Young Eliot Spencer drove an old, beat up pickup truck down a long dirt driveway. Once he reached the barn, he threw it into park and hopped out, placing a dirty cowboy hat on his head. He smiled when he saw Aimee run out of the stables to greet him.
"Eliot!" she said as she jumped into his arms. He held her tightly for a moment before giving her a kiss and letting go.
"You act like you haven't seen me in forever, what's up?" Eliot said with a playful chuckle.
"I'm making up for lost time!" Aimee replied. "You skipped out right after graduation to go off to the army and I barely heard from your the last four years!"
"I was overseas, Aims," he smiled gently as he followed her into the stables. "Protecting your rights, keeping the peace- army stuff." They both laughed.
"You always had to be the noble one," Aimee replied. There were two horses cross-tied in the aisle. Aimee had already started grooming her own horse, which was a nice looking palomino mare. A tall, bay, quarter horse gelding stood patiently waiting for Eliot.
"You were pretty noble too, waiting the last four years," he said as he brushed the dirt out of his horse.
"Well some people are worth waiting for," she told him. He grinned and shook his head. They finished tacking up their horses, making sure the saddles were in their proper places and cinches were tight before mounting up and hitting the trail.
Once they left Aimee's property and closed the gate behind them, they trotted out into the woods, taking their favorite path to an open field, chatting idly as they moved along. Once they left the woods and made it into the meadow, they stopped and looked out on the scenery. Some day it would be developed with roads and buildings, but for now, it was luscious and green and full of wildlife.
"I missed you," Aimee said quietly.
"I missed you too," Eliot responded.
"You're not going back, are you/" she asked worriedly.
"I don't know," Eliot answered after a hesitant pause.
"You mean you're actually considering it?" Aimee said, her voice breaking as her eyes began to well up with tears. Eliot shrugged thoughtfully. He loved Aimee, but he definitely wasn't ready to settle down just yet. He was 22. He was still young and had much to do and see. How could he make her understand that? "I can't believe you," she said, wiping the tears from her face and turning her mare to trot off in the other direction. Eliot gave his own horse a nudge and cut in front of her, making them stop.
"Aimee," he said frustratedly. "I said I don't know." He didn't know what else to say. Aimee gave him a defeated look. She knew they would have to work it out, but Eliot spoke again first. "C'mon, let's not do this now. We're supposed to be having fun, remember?" Aimee nodded. "Wanna race?" he asked her. He knew she was competitive and always loved to race. Aimee nodded her head.
Both of them gave their horses a few kicks and they took off, galloping at full speed under the hot summer sun. Eliot looked at Aimee. Her long blonde hair was whipping violently around her face, and she was smiling, laughing even. He smiled as he watched her, every now and then needing to hold his hat so it wouldn't fly off his head.
"Crap, I lost my stirrup," Aimee said. Eliot chuckled.
"You don't need it," he told her, giving his horse a nudge to keep galloping.
Without warning, a deer hopped out of the bushes, sending both of their horses into a panic. Eliot was able to get his under control quickly, but as he did so, he watched helplessly as Aimee lost her balance and was thrown off the side of her mare. The one foot she had left in the stirrup was caught and she was dragged for a few seconds before her foot became free. The palomino mare stopped a little ways in the distance, but Eliot quickly pulled his horse into a stop and jumped off, running as quickly as he could to Aimee's motionless body on the ground.
"Aimee!" he shouted. "Oh my God." He observed her quickly. With some medical training from the army, he knew he shouldn't move her. Just by looking at her, he could tell she was badly injured. Her neck looked like it had been broken, but Eliot wasn't sure. "Aimee? Aimee! Please, Aimee, don't do this," he felt her neck for a pulse but there was none. He pulled his phone from his pocket and tried to dial 911, but there was no service. "Dammit," he said as tears began to slide down his cheeks. He reached inside his shirt and pulled out a golden cross his mother had given him when he was 1- shortly before she died. In desperation, Eliot prayed.
"God, I don't know if you're listenin', but I need your help," he pleaded, kneeling beside Aimee. "I'll do anything, please just help her." He sat in silence for a while, crying over her body. He knew there wasn't anything he could do to save Aimee, but he had to try.
"Well that's not any good is it?" Eliot heard a voice from behind him say. He turned around, standing quickly off the ground to see who was there. A man stood before him, with short brown hair and a clean shaven face. He wore a black suit and spoke with an English accent.
"Who are you? Are you an angel?" Eliot said, wiping his face and standing up straight. The words sounded stupid coming from his mouth, but his heart was hoping for a miracle. The man, however, looked offended when he was called an angel.
"No, Darling, I'm much better than that," he said, walking forward to take a look at Aimee. Eliot stood between them defensively, suddenly getting the creeps from the man.
"Look I don't care what you are, can you help her?" he said, furrowing his brows and glaring at the man.
"She looks pretty dead to me," said the man. Eliot frowned. "Tell you what- I'm willing to make a deal." Eliot perked up.
"What kind of deal?" he asked.
"Oh, you know, her life for yours, the ultimate sacrifice, knight and shining armor blah blah, all that mushy romance crap?" Eliot continued to glare.
"Who the hell are you?" he asked frustratedly. He didn't like this man. How in the hell was he going to bring Aimee back to life? She was already dead, she snapped her neck.
"The name's Crowley," the man began.
"What kind of name's-"" Eliot started, but Crowley held out a finger and he was no longer able to speak.
"Let me finish," he said. "As I was saying, my name is Crowley. I'm a crossroads demon and I am willing to help you in your little.. predicament here, in exchange for your soul."
"My soul?" Eliot repeated. He had been raised to be a man of God, and he knew he shouldn't mess around with demons. It was just wrong, but what was so wrong about saving someone you loved most?
"You're a bright fellow, aren't you?" Crowley mocked. Eliot shot him a glare and growled. He then looked back at Aimee, laying dead in the grass. He would do anything to save her, and that was a promise.
"What are the terms?" Eliot asked. Crowley grinned. After a thoughtful pause, he spoke again.
"Listen here, Eliot Spencer," he began. Eliot looked at him, wondering how he knew his name before remembering he was a demon. "I like you. Normally I give my clients ten years- ten years of a normal life, and then I claim your soul, but I've got better ideas for you."
"What?" Eliot said, becoming anxious.
"You're a strapping young fellow," Crowley began. "Strong willed, open minded, buff- what are you, Marines?"
"Army," Eliot replied.
"Whatever, I think you'd do well working for me." Eliot was quiet. "I'll offer you ten years working for me, and then you'll be free to live the rest of your life however you choose."
"That doesn't sound too bad," Eliot said.
"Yes, well, of course whenever your life is up and you die, you'll spend the rest of eternity in Hell with me," he said. Eliot was thoughtful.
Aimee was a young, beautiful woman with a bright future. She had just graduated to become a veterinarian and had big plans. And who was he? Eliot Spencer, hay bailing, machine-gun toting muscle with no thoughts or ideas for his future. It didn't seem fair that he should let her die while he remained living. He knew this would be the last time he could ever see her again.
"I'll do it," he said reluctantly.
"Fantastic!" Crowley said with a smile. He pulled out a long piece of paper with hundreds of words scribbled about it. "If I could just have you sign here, and then we'll seal the deal." Eliot took the paper.
"I don't have a pen," he told the demon.
"No worries," answered Crowley as he took a blade from his jacket. "You won't be needing one." He handed the knife to Eliot, and Eliot sliced the palm of his hand and let the blood drop onto the signature line. Crowley rolled up the scroll and tucked it away with the knife. "Now's the part where we kiss." He said with a devious smile. Eliot sneered.
"What? No!" he said.
"So you won't be saving your dead girlfriend then?" Crowley asked. Eliot looked at Aimee and then back to Crowley.
"You're sick man," Eliot said.
"I know, Darling, don't you just love me?" was the demon's reply. Eliot rolled his eyes and clenched his teeth and Crowley grabbed his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. Eliot cringed, feeling like it would never end and resisting the urge to sucker punch the demon right in his smug little face. He had to remind himself that it was for Aimee. Finally, Crowley let go, and Eliot wiped his mouth off quickly.
"You're disgusting," Eliot said. "Now bring her back."
"Yes alright, but one more thing," Eliot was growing impatient. "Say your little goodbyes, pack your things and me me tonight at the intersection of Durrance and 3rd Street. If you stand me up, I won't be happy."
"I'll be there," Eliot assured him.
Crowley bent over Aimee and touched his hand to her chest. Eliot watched anxiously, his eyes widening as he saw Aimee take her first breath back to life. Before he knew it, Crowley was gone. Aimee sat up, coughing and rubbing her neck.
"Eliot?" she said. He collapsed next to her and hugged her tightly.