GHOST RIDER
2
"They say the west runs on legends. One of those legends is that of the Ghost Rider. According to the legend, there's one every generation, damned to serve the devil. One Ghost Rider was sent by the devil to retrieve the Contract of Sandbeganna, a contract containing the evil of a thousand souls. But he couldn't let the devil get his hands on the contract, so he did what no Ghost Rider had ever done before: he turned on the devil himself.
"One hundred and fifty years later, the devil finally created a new Ghost Rider, a motorcyclist named Johnny Blaze. He was sent after the devil's son, Blackheart, who was rebelling against the devil and after the contract of Sandbeganna. Eventually, he captured Johnny's loved one, Roxanne Simpson, in order to force the Rider into handing over the contract. But with a thousand evil souls inside of him, he became immune to the Rider's Penance Stare, a stare which forces the soul to live through every evil deed he had ever committed.
"In exchange for Johnny's defeat of Blackheart, the devil offered to lift the curse of the Ghost Rider. But Johnny made a choice – a choice to use the curse, the power against the devil.
"Legend has it that the devil's now seeking a new Rider to take on Johnny Blaze. Legend has it that he's found a guy. But it's all just a legend...
"Well, y'see, thing about legends is, sometimes…. They're true…."
---
An old man was walking down a deserted boulevard in front of a deserted mansion in a deserted town….
"I know you're back there," he said and a young man stepped out from behind the mansion gates, still engulfed in shadows.
"What do you want from me?" he asked.
"Oh, my dear, dear boy…." the old man grimaced. "Who says I want anything? It's just…. I heard about your money issues…. and the whole outlaw thing…. and, well, I thought that maybe, just maybe, I could help…."
"What do you want from me?" the young man repeated.
"Well, you see, I hear that you are quite a gambler. You love to make deals. Are you interested in my deal?"
"What do you want from me?"
"You're a motorcyclist, right? Use your skills to outride the authorities after just about every single heist. Sometimes, you barely make it out alive. It's hard to believe that they still don't even know your real name…. They'll probably find out soon, though…. They'll be going after those you love to get to you…. I've seen it happen many times before…."
"What do you want from me?" the young man snarled.
"What if you no longer had to perform these heists? What if you could get the police off your trail?"
"What do you want from me?"
"I can give all this and more," the old man declared. The young man was now pondering at the old man's shadow, which appeared not to resemble him at all…. It seemed to more resemble some kind of demon…. "All I want in exchange is your soul…."
The young man rolled his eyes and began to walk away.
"There's a man out there named Johnny Blaze, kid," the old man explained. "He's your target." The young man turned around.
"Why should I do anything you say, madman?"
"In all honesty, it's your choice…. But you do realize that without my help, you also have no protection…." The young man pondered for a second and then realized what the old man was saying.
"What do you want from me?"
"All you must do," the old man said, "is sign this contract, and then you'll be as rich as rich can be!" The young man, still in the shadows, stepped forward. "That's right…." The young man took the feather-pen from the old man and prepared to sign his name.
"Wait!" the old man suddenly said. "Sign it as 'Ghost Rider'." The young man, confused, did as the old man said and a second later, the old man, the contract, and the feather-pen disappeared.
---
Meanwhile, in another part of Texas, Johnny Blaze walked into a darkened alleyway. He had heard an ear-piercing scream coming from it. Looking on the ground, he now saw a dead woman, with bizarre markings on her neck. He walked up to her, bent over, and observed the markings.
"Seen those in movies, before," he thought out loud. "It's a vampire's work."
"That's right!"
Johnny looked up to see a pale-white man with fangs. He was dressed in rags.
"My name is Varnae, Lord of the Vampires. And you, my friend, are fresh blood…." And on that note, Varnae flew towards Johnny Blaze.
But the next thing he knew, Varnae's throat had been grabbed by a bony hand. He looked up at the man he was attacking.
Johnny was dressed in all leather – leather jacket, leather pants, leather boots. A metal chain was wrapped around his shoulder. But now, his head had transformed into a skull. A flaming skull.
"Oh…. Oh no…." Varnae pleaded. "Please! Have mercy! I didn't know that you were the Ghost Rider!"
"That stinks!" bellowed the Rider. "Your soul is stained with the blood of innocents! Look into my eyes and feel their pain!" Varnae suddenly felt as if he was being engulfed in flames, as he witnessed every murder he had ever committed, every man he had ever corrupted, every life he had ever ruined, and finally, he felt cold….
Ghost Rider let go of Varnae, and allowed him to fall to the ground in the living hell which had been created for him. Turning back into Johnny Blaze, he left the alleyway and went home on his hotrod motorcycle named Grace.
---
At home, Johnny shed his leather suit and put on a tuxedo. After all, tonight, he had a date with the woman he loved, Roxanne Simpson. It was the first time he could ever recall putting on a tuxedo….
"Well, Roxy, aren't you looking lovely tonight…." he rehearsed. "Well, Roxy, aren't you looking lovely tonight…. Well, Roxy, aren't you looking lovely tonight…. Well, Roxy, aren't you looking lovely tonight…. No, no, no! That one sounds like she doesn't every night! Maybe…. Well, Roxy, did you know that I stopped the Lord of Vampires tonight? 'Cause that's why I'm late…." He sighed. He was late as it was and this rehearsing was only making him later!