Prologue

Reverend Gilmore felt a crushing weight in the church. Thunder was rumbling in the distance and the air was heavier than lead. It was coming. Reverend Gilmore ran around the perimeter of the room in a panic shuttering all the windows, double and triple checking that each one was latched. The storm was approaching quickly.

Gilmore flew to the front of the small building where the doors hung wide open. The day had been a hot one, even for late August in the desert, and opening the doors helped to cool the room and keep the air fresh. Gilmore closed the big wooden doors and was about to lock them when they were forced open and he was thrown back up the aisle between the church pews. Lightning flashed and thunder shook the room.  The silohuette of a thin min in a long coat and bowler brim hat appeared in the doorway.

The silohuette spoke in a calm, dry voice that sounded as if it spent to many days traveling under a midday sun, "I hope you weren't trying to lock me out in this storm, Reverend."

Reverend Gilmore felt his throat go dry, his tongue go numb and his hand begin to sweat. The figure continued, "I decided to pay you a visit before the end of our deal concludes tomorrow at midnight. I am sure you haven't forgotten."

"N-n-n- no I haven't forgotten, but I beg you to give me more time." The reverend voice rattled more than the windows did in the storm. The full brunt of this weather was on top of the church now. The rest of the town and its people have probably taken shelter in their homes. The desert didn't see many storms, but the few it got were not ones to be caught in.

This particular storm seemed to arrive with this dark man.

The man strode into the room and marched towards Gilmore. "You know I can't give you any more time reverend. We made a deal. And I'm a demon of my word. If I let you go, then what will the rest of my brethren think of me? No, I'm afraid I can't let you have more TIME!" Lightning lit the room, then total darkness enveloped the both of them the church lamps blew out.

"There must be some other way to pay you! I can't give up my soul! As a man of God, Hell would save all of its worst nightmares for me for an eternity." Gilmore began to cry, "Please, I beg for your mercy!"

"SHUT UP! You're pathetic. Do you think I care about what happens to your soul in the pit? The soul of a man of God like yourself will bring the worth of ten men! I brought you the child you were so desperate to have, your precious first born! 10 years have past, now you must give me what is mine!"

Gilmore couldn't see the man's face, but he could smell its venom. Its red eyes began to glow brighter.

"What is I trade my soul for ten other souls?  Perhaps the souls of ten children! The first born children of this town! I can mark their souls for your harvesting. Surely one soul, even that of a man of God, cannot equal those of 10 young virgins?" Lightning crashed, briefly lighting the room as Gilmore finished his proposal.  He tried to maintain control of his bladder.

The demons eyes glowed a steady red. Gilmore had never been more frightened in his life, but he couldn't look away. The silohuette didn't move for what seemed like an eternity. The demon's eyes blinked.

Then it spoke, "Tomorrow at midnight I will return to take the souls of the ten first born children of this town in exchange for your soul and the continued pathetic existence of your daughter. I would suggest you and your family leave before my arrival."

Lightning caused the dark room to become daytime. Gilmore caught a glimpse of the Red Eyed Demon's face; it caused Gilmore's stomach to churn and tears to pour from his face. When the room was dark again the figure was gone, the rain was letting up, and the thunder was rolling away in the distance.

Reverend Gilmore curled into a ball and began to weep.