THE GRATITUDE IN FIRE

Everything hurts. I am on fire. My eyes ache with dryness and it hurts to breathe. I had to be in Hell. I had finally broken the contract somehow and Crowley had dragged me down, and was putting me on the rack for a bit for his own amusement. I open my eyes, crusted with blood, waiting to see Crowley's face... And see something far worse.

Blue sky.

I am still on earth. That means that whatever is happening, isn't just happening to me.

I shake my head, trying to focus, and hear moans, the crackling of fire. The asphalt is warm and the creaking of nearby metal makes my soul ache for some reason, and I remember.

Driving home from dinner. Stop light on the fritz, five car pile up. No one's fault but a lot of people hurt. Like my husband. I turn myself over and push myself up with my arms, slowly looking around as the ringing in my ears quiets and my vision swims less. My car is upside down, my husband is still inside.

I pull myself along, and see the fire reflecting off bits of broken safety glass like tiny stars that make the situation sickly beautiful. As I pull myself my entire left side aches. I have at least one broken rib, and I can tell it's pushing into something it shouldn't.

It doesn't really matter. Not for me. But him... Propped upside down by his head on the roof of the car, I slowly reach out to feel his neck.

It is there, but slow, and faint. The pulse. I look at him, with that gash in his neck there won't be a pulse for long. I look around frantically. There are at least two cars in the way of any ambulance, and there is oil on the ground. Anything could catch fire at any second. No sound of sirens. I frantically search my pockets and sigh in relief. My phone. I was always lucky when it came to my phone. I always found it when it was lost. It never broke, even if I threw it against a wall. And it usually had enough battery when I needed it badly.

I needed it badly.

I take it out and look at the screen, it is working. I dial 911.

"911. What's your emergency?"

"Big car crash. Oak and Vine."

"We already have people on the way miss, as fast as we can. Can you tell me, are you or is anyone near you in critical condi-" I hang up. And dial another number.

666.

"Hello Chew Toy. How can I -"

"Help. Give you anything." I manage to croak out.

"Now this, I must see." The line goes dead and Crowley is suddenly beside me. He looks around, taking everything in, then looks down at me. "Dying are we? And I only revived you what, a year or two ago?"

"No clue if I'm dying Crowley. But he is." I hold my husband by the neck, still feeling for his pulse that grows ever fainter as I'm stained with his blood. Crowley walks over slowly and looks down.

"Ah. I suppose you want me to save him?"

"Please. I'll give you anything."

"Well, even if I could heal him, which I can't without making a deal, why should I? I already own you." He has a point. I can't exactly give him anything he doesn't already have.

"Please, I'd be eternally grateful." At this he looks interested, and for some reason that terrifies me, but not enough to stop. "I'll... I'll trade places with him in the car. I-"

"I can't do that either, it'd violate Duty of Care on my part."

"Exactly! But I Asked you to, and if I don't try to get out we have both violated Duty of Care! If I remember correctly, if we are equally in fault neither of the violation clauses activate! Please!" He stares at me.

"How do you remember that?"

"Really!? Now!? I chewed some fucking knowing gum Crowley! Help me!"

"Been doing some research I see. But, Yes. Now." I take a deep breath and talk as quickly as I can.

"I wrote down what bits and pieces I could remember of the contract after you left the next day."

"And I didn't know about that how?"

"Because I try to think about that as little as possible! Those two pages of crappy notes are listed under plot points for a story on demonology. It's on my computer, in a zipped file, twelve folders deep. After we parted recently I went through the notes, looking for my own loopholes, ways to prolong my life, make sure I didn't fuck up further. I combed the notes for stuff that seemed to stand out. That was the only clause where if we were both in violation of the contract nothing happened. It seemed weird, so I memorized it. Please Crowley, switch our places, move the cars, make it so he can be reached faster." It's now that I can finally hear faint sirens. I look at Crowley. He's standing still, regarding me.

"One condition."

"Anything. Just do it." He smiles.

"I love it when they say that." And he snaps his fingers.

I'm in the car, my husband is not. I look around, outside the window, he isn't there either.

"Crowley, where is he!?"

"Out front, they'll get to him faster, and I'll have time to watch this." The car creaks around me, as does the one next to me. A faint hiss and there is an explosion, so close by that suddenly I can't hear and my ears scream in pain. Then...nothing. I can feel myself begin to float, leave my body to wait for a reaper, or a Hellhound. There is light, the crackling of flames, then a snap, and my eyes open. I breathe deeply and everything hurts.

"Lovely doing business with you Chew Toy." The voice is close by, and I see familiar shoes outside the window for a moment before they vanish. Before I pass out.

When I awake I'm in a hospital bed, hooked up to a lot of bags, husband passed out with bandages from the side of his neck to his shoulder, and a very large bag of blood for transfusions. But he is here. Which meant he hadn't died.

Unlike me.

For some reason Crowley had wanted me to die there. I knew it had something to do with the contract… just not what.

(So just to let people know, I'm getting the reviews, but only via email. I can't respond to them yet for some reason, sorry.)