A Bad Night

         Will fastens his seatbelt out of habit when he climbed into the Jeep. He, and Murph, his best friend in the world are going riding. They do this most weekends to relax, and drink a few cold ones away from their wives. Murph climbed in, and started up the big engine.

         "Are you ready buddy?" he asked with a big grin on his face.

         “Yup, Lets get this party on the road!" Will enthused. Murph switched on the headlights, backed the Jeep out of his driveway, and roared away from the house.

         Half an hour later, the two of them sipped on a cold Bud while they took in the forest they had played in as children.

         “Where should we go?” Murph asked.

         “let’s ride over Black mountain.”

         “Got it.”

         They quickly finish their beer as they drive toward the main highway. Just before they get to it, they toss the cans. Murph pulls out into the road, and in just a little bit turns the Jeep on to the dirt road leading to, and over Black mountain. Being off of the main road again Murph slows the Jeep to almost a crawl, and Will hands him another Bud. Together they set in on the rest of the twelve pack Will bought earlier. As they ride, they discussed the things they had heard and done at work.

         “…and when I came in, they had shut the machine down for some reason. I couldn’t believe it, they all know better. Now it is going to cost a butt load of money to replace the injectors. they didn’t clean them right away, and the epoxy dried in them,” Will complained heatedly.

         “Well it isn’t your money they have to fix it with.” Murph offered.

         “ Yeah but it happened on my shift, and now I have to answer questions that I really don’t have any answers for.” Will said glumly.

         “Hand me another beer,” Murph said as he tossed an empty can out the side of the Jeep. Will reached back into the cooler, and fished out one of the remaining Budweiser. Looking up, he noticed that the sky was getting much cloudier.

         “Looks like we might be in for some rain,” he said.

         “Yeah I was looking at that. Do you think we should head back?” Murph asked.

         “Nah, it looks like its still a couple of hours off, if it rains at all.” Will said

         “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Murph agreed. Just then, the rain started.

         “So much for a couple of hours away.” Will said. The rain was light yet, but it was only the beginning of another spring storm. Murph pressed the accelerator down, because he wanted to get home as soon as possible. Although they were resigned to get soaked to the skin, they didn’t relish the idea of being out in the rain any longer than need be.

         Now on the downside of the mountain, They were nearing the bottom. Just as they came out of one of the last curves the headlights flashed on animal eyes, Murph slammed on the breaks, and reflexively whipped the steering wheel to the left. Before he could correct his mistake the Jeep plunge off of the road, and rolled over twice, slamming into a tree, and ending up resting on the passenger side. Will raised his head to look back up the bank toward the road, and thought he saw someone walking toward him. His vision blurred, and went black. Will passed out.

         “Ooh, that must be painful.” A voice said from just above Will. He opened his eyes, and slowly, carefully turned his head to look at the man sitting on the side of the Jeep with his feet dangling across the driver's seat. A seat he realized that no longer contained his friend.

         ”Who are you? What happened? Where’s Murph?” Will asked groggily.

         “Whoa, slow down one question at a time. Your friend is lying right back up the bank, But I'm afraid I don’t think he was quite as lucky as you.” The man said. Suddenly Will remembered what happened. There was an animal, Murph swerved to miss it, and ran off the road.

         “…who I am.”

         “What?” Will asked confused.

         “I said, I think you already know who I am.” The man repeated.

         “Death?” Will asked.

         “No, not exactly, but I do know him. Good fellow, that one.”

         Will noticed that the rain had stopped, but not before it had soaked him through to his skin, he was freezing. How long was I out? he wondered. He tried to look past the man sitting on the edge of the overturned Jeep at the moon. He couldn’t see it for the trees. He tried to unfasten the clasp on his seat belt. His vision wavered, and little black dots floated lazily in front of his eyes, as the pain rocked him. When the pain receded a bit, he opened his eyes to see the unwanted visitor smiling down at him sweetly.

         “Help me, I think my arm is broken.” He pleaded of the man.

         “Yes, it is broken, and don’t look now, but I believe that both of your legs are as well.” He said with a hint of satisfaction in his voice.

         “Are you Satan?” Will asked.

         “Very good Will, yes that is one of my many names. I prefer Lucifer though, of the names I have been ascribed in this world.”

         “What do you want with me?” Will asked, and felt silly the second it was out of his mouth, He knew what Lucifer wanted. He wants what he always wants. he thought bitterly.

         “Now now Will, How do you know that is what I am really after? Do I always have to be after some one’s soul to make an appearance?” Lucifer asked pitifully. He let the question hang in the air like a dense fog laced with icicles.

         “Well if it isn’t, my soul you want then why are you here?” Will asked trying to seem bolder, and less afraid than he really was. On top of the pain of having broken bones, there was the idea of lying here helpless, conversing with Satan. What have I done to deserve this? He wondered weakly.

         “I didn't say that's not why I am here. You've done nothing at all Will, that's the beauty of it, I don’t need a reason to come and talk to anyone, or take anything I want. But, you see, you, and your friend almost hit me up there. Not that it would have injured me, but I just couldn’t pass up this chance at two new souls. I have such a collection, I think you would be impressed.” He bragged.

         “Then why have you not killed me?”

         “Ah, that's a problem, see, I can’t kill you. That isn’t the way it works. I can’t take the life, especially not when the person doesn’t deserve it, Unless the person gives their soul to me willfully. But, I am free to just take the soul when the life expires on it's own. Damn rules, normally I would just break it, but I can’t break this one. If I were to kill you, instead of me getting your soul, It would automatically go strait to heaven and to that hopeless do-gooder.”

         Will didn’t like the turn this conversation had taken at all, he knew he had to stay alive. There was always hope that someone would drive by and see them down here. He turned his head, and closed his eyes. Against his better judgment he fell asleep.

         When he opened his eyes again the sun was full up, and he could see back up to the road. Halfway down the bank lay Murph. From where he was, he couldn’t see well. What he did see turned his stomach, and made him want to puke. Murph was lying on his back, his unseeing eyes looking directly up into the trees that sheltered him from most of the sun. Will could tell that his neck was broken by the odd angle at which his head lay, almost as if it had been removed and placed along the width of his shoulders. One leg was bent back underneath him at mid thigh.

         He had to look away. The grief was almost as bad as the pain of his own broken bones. He began to cry, he wailed desperately for both himself, and his dead best friend. This is my fault, he thought, if only I would have agreed to turn back when we first noticed the clouds building up, Murph would be alive, and I would be in bed beside Alysia. At the thought of his wife, his already bitter grief turned worse, What was she going to do now? How was she going to live? She would have to sell the house. He couldn’t stand the thought of what would happen to her if he didn’t make it out of this.

         “How touching.” Came the voice above him, He turned to look, and saw that Lucifer was still sitting above him just like he had been during the night.

         “You must know that it is very unlikely that you will make it out of here. Alive anyway. However, If you do make it out you have my word that I wont bother you, at least outside of your nightmares. ” Lucifer laughed.

         The day passed by slowly, Will began to wonder if it would ever end. Or if maybe he had died in his sleep, and this was his hell, doomed to lie here for ever waiting for the day to pass. Eventually the sun did begin to set. In the distance Will heard a very small rumble. Could it be? He thought.

         “It could be, but it could be your imagination.” Lucifer said mockingly.

         “And if it isn’t?”

         “Well, assuming they notice you lying down here, then I suppose you will be rescued.” He said.

         Shortly a small truck rolled by slowly on the dirt road. Will couldn’t tell if the Person driving even looked off the side of the road. but he had an Idea though, that since he didn’t stop, only kept driving slowly, that the person hadn’t noticed the skid marks in the gravel. Or even the red Jeep lying on its side at the bottom of the hill.

         “How could they not see the Slide marks?” he wondered out loud.

         “Maybe they chose not to see them.” Lucifer offered. “It’s easier not to see than to help those that could be beyond your help.” He said.

         Will was tired, and he no longer had any hope that someone would find him, and rescue him. Why should he, someone drove by, and didn’t see him down here. He knew he was going to die, but he had a choice. He could either die slowly, or he could give in. He decided to sleep on it. As the day drew to a close, and night took over he closed his eyes once again, and slipped into a fitful sleep filled with dreams of his wife.

         He opened his eyes to small beams of light. Someone was standing over him.

         “This one’s still alive!” Someone shouted. He came fully awake at that, and tried to look around. There were lights everywhere, and people. People filled the woods all around him. A man leaned down beside him, and patted him reassuringly on the arm that wasn’t broken.

         “I told you if they found you, I would let you go." Came the familiar voice that had kept him company for the last night and day.