The Deal
Miranda Greene is 26 years old and spent most of her life struggling. At a young age she lost her parents, and spent most of her time in and out of foster homes. She tried her hardest to do well for herself, but seems to be cursed by bad luck. She has just left her abusive ex-boyfriend John and since she has no other family she is forced to live on the streets.
Due to being homeless, Miranda has started to fear for her life as there have been many local murders lately. While living on the streets, she is attacked by a man and nearly raped. As the man is holding her down and Miranda is expecting the worse, a black mass suddenly appears behind the man. Miranda watches in horror as the man holding her down is practically torn in half and killed in front of her by the mass. After the man dies, the black figure slowly fades away and Miranda is able to escape.
The black figure continues to stay on her mind during the following weeks and Miranda is unsure if she should be grateful or scared. She is unable to scrounge up any food or shelter as the weather gets colder and she no longer has anything to sell to buy any food or warm clothing. With no other available resources, she decides to take a risk and go back to her John's home to acquire some of her clothing and belongs.
Miranda sees that her ex's car is gone and waits for a few minutes to make sure he isn't coming back soon. She easily gets into the house through a window and quickly begins stuffing one of her bags with her clothing and belongings. Miranda is so absorbed in her task that she doesn't hear the front door open and is taken by shock as she suddenly is shoved up against the wall with a hand around her throat. Miranda starts to struggle and John berates her, yelling as he starts to push and shove her up against the wall harder. Miranda becomes light headed, almost fainting against the wall. Suddenly the black mass appears again, and John is thrown across the room and knocked out cold. Miranda is able to grab her things and escape through the front door.
As Miranda escapes down the street, she finds herself being followed by the black shape. At first she becomes nervous, but after a few minutes without harm coming to her, Miranda stops on the sidewalk. She calls out to the figure, saying thank you and the figure slowly fades away. Miranda turns to walk off and is startled by a man standing behind her, and even more shocked to see that his eyes are an unusual color of blue. The man tells her she is welcome and she asks if he is the black figure that has been following and protecting her. He admits that he is and explains that he is a harvesting demon--he has been harvesting souls to bring to hell and is partially responsible for the disappearance of so many people in the city recently.
The man tells Miranda that he has been on a mission to take people who have evil intentions to hell and that his name is Orinias. Miranda introduces herself as well and although she is a little wary of him, tells him that he is more than welcome to come with her and stay with her. Orinias tells her that he is on a quest for a certain soul but hasn't found it yet and agrees to come with her.
Over the following weeks, Miranda and Orinias spend much time together and become even closer. Miranda shares her past with him and tells him about the loss of her parents, her abusive ex, John, and how she has been on her own. Orinias is reluctant to share with her, but finally tells her the story of his past.
When he was a child, Orinias had a family and was very close with his own parents and younger sister. One afternoon while he and his sister were out playing in the woods near his house, she fell from a tree and hit her head on the rocks below. Orinias rushed to help his sister and found her barely awake with a horrible wound on her head. He began to cry and beg for her life aloud, terrified that she would die before he could get help or her. Orinias heard a voice ask if he would give up what he loved most for his sister and he quickly agreed. The voice told him he would save his sister if he would agree to give up his most loved possession, and Orinias accepted the deal. Orinias watched his sister pass away in his arms and carried her small body home, crying as he walked.
As he entered the front door, Orinias found his parents slaughtered and screamed in horror. He began to scream in fear and sadness, not understanding what happened or who could have done this. The voice came to Orinias and said that he had accepted the deal too late and his sister couldn't be saved. Since what he loved most was his parents that is what he lost. Orinias began to cry louder and said he would give himself up instead and the voice began to laugh. Orinias found that he had given up his parents for his sister who couldn't be saved. Because he had accidentally sacrificed another soul, Orinias was sentenced to hell and was ordered to serve as a soul-harvesting demon.
Miranda is horrified and hurt to hear Orinias' tragic past and shocks the demon with a hug. Orinias can't help but smile and the two continue to grow closer. Eventually Miranda asks Orinias what soul he has been looking for and he is reluctant to answer. She continues to press the matter and Orinias is sad to answer. He finally shares with her that the soul he has been looking for is her own. He tells her that soon he has to return to hell, but that he has grown so close to her that he refuses to take her with him or hurt her.
Miranda is unsure what to do, scared of what will happen if she goes but also unwilling to lose Orinias. Orinias cannot bear to see her sadness at his departure and, as a result, leaves her in the middle of the night when she is sleeping and returns to hell, leaving her so she will be safe. Miranda misses Orinias and is unable to stand being without him. She tries to find a way to bring him back but has no idea how to do so. She remembers Orinias telling her that to be sent to hell, one must do an evil deed. Miranda decides to commit suicide, hoping that she will be sent to hell so she can be with Orinias. She ends her life and the world goes black.
Miranda awakes and finds herself in a hot, red, barren desert. Orinias shakes her to try to wake her up and begins yelling at her in anger for what she has done and the danger that she has put herself in. Miranda cries and can only express her love for Orinias as he does for her. The two of them share a passionate kiss afterward.
Orinias tells Miranda that he has been sentenced to be destroyed because he hasn't fulfilled his task. Worker demons come and separate the pair, taking Orinias to be destroyed. Miranda can do little besides watch in pain and horror as Orinias is tortured in front of her eyes and begins to scream and cry. She screams aloud that she will give herself for Orinias, as long as he is spared. A voice familiar to Orinias' ears sounds through the land and declares that they will both be destroyed together for their actions. Miranda is seized by the workers as well and her torture begins as Orinias watches in pain and sorrow for his love.
As they both near their souls' final breaths, a different voice is heard calling over the land and conveying how the two of them will be spared because of the strength of their love. A light descends upon them and envelopes them both. Miranda and Orinias are lifted up and Miranda watches half-coherently as Orinias turns fully human, his hair turning blonde and his eyes blue. As the light fades, Miranda and Orinias are in a peaceful place. A beautiful garden and lake surround them and they lean against each other, happy and together at last.
Chapter Summaries
Chapter 1: Miranda has been living on the streets because she left her ex-boyfriend. She is strong-willed but is becoming tired of her lifestyle and is afraid because there have been murders lately. She suffers a near-rape and is horrified to see a black mass appear as the man dies.
Chapter 2: Several weeks later, Miranda is still thinking about what she saw. She has no money or food. One night out of desperation returns to her ex-boyfriend's house to try to take some of her belongings to sell for food. He attacks her and she is rescued by the black mass again.
Chapter 3: Miranda comes to know the black mass as Orinias, a harvesting demon that collects souls to take to hell. He is guarded and refuses to tell Miranda more. Miranda questions his troubled past and he shares with her his story. The two find they have much in common and slowly begin to fall in love.
Chapter 4: Orinias must return to hell. He has become distanced from Miranda and refuses to tell her why. She constantly questions what is wrong and Orinias finally shares with her the painful truth about his situation.
Chapter 5: Miranda is conflicted and scared to lose Orinias. If he goes to hell without her, he will be destroyed. However, if she goes with him she will no longer be in possession of her soul. Orinias returns to hell, refusing to take her with him.
Chapter 6: Miranda commits suicide so that she can meet Orinias in hell. He confronts her as she arrives, angry that she disobeyed him. Miranda expresses her love for him as Orinias is sentenced to destruction for not fulfilling his purpose. Miranda watches in horror as he is being tortured and sacrifices all that she is to take the pain for him.
Chapter 7: Angered by Orinias' disobedience and Miranda's actions, it is declared that they both be destroyed as each other watch. As they are being tortured together, an angelic figure has pity on them both and Orinias is restored to his human self. Both of their souls return to heaven and live in peace.
Characters
Miranda Greene
Age: 26, cashier. Red hair, blue eyes.
Orinias
Age: unknown, appears to be in late 20's. A harvesting demon who collects souls. Black hair, brown eyes which turn red when he is angered.