Among the Others

During Winter 1691, a lot of people died.

The country was ravaged by an epidemic of Typhoid, spreading over the cities and the towns. The lack of food killed a lot of people, too. In our small village, supplies stock started depleting in October, and weakest people quickly got ill. Mainly children and old people, at first. Soon after the first deaths, Typhoid Fever started spreading over men of all ages, and our workforce also decreased.

And we couldn’t do anything.

We put ill people in quarantine, but there wasn’t any cure, so we could only wait for the disease to stop spreading.

As the granddaughter – and only living descendant – of the only doctor of the village, I saw a lot of people coming in our house, and never getting out back.

I helped her a lot, in her small medical room which smelt plants. If we couldn’t cure people, we could at least ease their pain, with some medication made of herbs and plants, and she needed my help to take care of her patients.

It wasn’t really difficult, and I had already thought about replacing my grandmother as a doctor when she would pass away. But actually, I wasn’t expecting it would be as soon as it was.

By the end of November, half of the village was ill or dead, and my grandmother wasn’t feeling very good. I had to help her a little more each time, as she was quite old and tired.

Then my fears became true some weeks later. She couldn’t stand on her legs, not even get out of her bed, and she had fever. I was desperate, the only thing I could do was looking at her dying, hoping she would get better eventually.

I refused the patients, and took care of her for a moment. But medication and hope didn’t change anything, and she finally died some days later.

It was the mess in my mind, I was alone in this world, surrounded by illness and death, plus I didn’t have all the necessary skills to replace my grandmother at that time.

I couldn’t help people, and I couldn’t even help myself...

I was now living in her house, silent and empty, and I had to manage on my own. I was staying at home most of the time, alone. I didn’t want to see people dying outside, I had seen too many people dying just before my eyes until then, and I felt I couldn’t face it anymore.

The weather was colder and colder, Christmas was approaching. But there wasn’t food anymore, only some soup for supper, sometimes. I had lost a lot of weight, and in a way, I was lucky I had a small and slim body, I might need less food... Most of my suppers were composed of boiled plants – that I found some weeks before, thanks to my grandmother’s books – eaten as a soup. It wasn’t really nourishing, but at least I wasn’t feeling hungry for a while.

On a day of December, as I was preparing the logs for the fire, I noticed I was almost running out water. I had to go and fetch some water from the well, which was situated in the woods. I didn’t really want to go outside, nor go in the woods at the moment, but I didn’t really have a choice either, and I needed to go before dawn.

I put on my cape and my shoes, then I went to the door, ready to brave the cold. When I opened it, I saw the white coat which was covering the trees and the houses, and the small flakes falling from the sky. It was snowing, for the first time that winter.

I took the bucket and hurried into the woods, following the small path leading to the well. I had to walk for about ten minutes to reach it, maybe a bit more because of the snow, obstructing my viewing field.

The path wasn’t too snowy for the moment, but even the trees, naked of their leaves, couldn’t prevent it from pilling up. I walked during few minutes, going deeper into the silent and dark woods, where the daylight could barely penetrate, where the air was colder than anywhere else.

I was shivering, because of the cold but also because I wasn’t reassured. I never really liked being in the woods, so I was a bit afraid. I was focused on everything around me, or at least I was trying, and I was walking a bit fast.

Suddenly, I heard a branch cracking behind me. I turned around in a hurry, but there was nothing. I waited for a few seconds to be sure, holding my breath, then I headed again to my planed destination, even faster. I thought it must have been an animal, afraid by the sound of my steps maybe.

When I heard another cracking sound, I started rushing between the trees. I didn’t want to stay there any longer.

I finally reached the well, out of breath. Obviously, nobody was following me, I just had an overactive imagination.

I sat on the edge of the well for a moment, trying to catch my breath.

The well was made of stone, with a crank and a rope, in order to make the bucket going up and down. I tied my own one to the rope, then I activated the crank, producing an awful metallic creaking.

I wasn’t watching my back, entirely focused on my task, which turned out to be harder than I thought because of my frozen fingers.

I didn’t hear him coming, so I blenched when a hand landed on my shoulder. I almost dropped my bucket inside the well, but grabbed it at the last second.

I finally turned round, in order to see whose hand it was.

It was an old man, dressed in rags ; he was bent and couldn’t walk very well. He didn’t say anything at first, only staring at me with his little gray eyes.

"May I help you ?" I asked after few seconds, a bit uneasy.

"Maybe you could...” He replied in a hoarse voice, with a fleeting smile.

"Just tell me what you need, and I’ll see what I can do for you...”

"What is your greatest wish, right now ?" He then asked, ignoring what I said.

I didn’t really understand what he meant, but I took a few seconds to think about his question.

"I wish I could help people of my village...” I finally whispered, almost inaudibly.

"Oh... So, you want to help your people... And what would you need, exactly ?"

I was surprised he had heard what I had said, since I was only whispering, and it was a bit frightening, but he had piqued my curiosity.

"I need medical skills and knowledge, I need to be a doctor, like my grandmother was, and find a cure to save people from illness... But we’ll be all dead by then, I guess..." I replied, staring at my feet with watery eyes.

"I could help you... I could give you everything you need, young Lady. You only have to ask,” declared the elder, calmly.

Obviously, he wasn’t an ordinary old man. Or he was a mad man.

He was also a liar, swearing he could help me, even if it seemed impossible at that time.

"Who are you ?" I finally asked, with hesitation.

A large smile appeared on his face, showing incredibly white teeth – almost fangs, actually – and he took a few seconds before speaking.

"I’m nobody... Actually, I can be whoever you want me to be.” He said, with a mysterious glare.

"I... don’t get it...” I stammered, frowning, now clearly frightened.

Not that he seemed physically dangerous but something felt off, really off, I could feel it in my guts.

He remained silent for a moment, but came closer to me. He turned around me, slowly, but I was too afraid to make a move. Then he started to talk again, but it didn’t look like his own voice.

"I could be... someone you miss...” He whispered in my ear, with a voice I indeed knew.

Some tears ran down my cheeks. This voice was my grandmother’s, and it brought back both joyful and painful memories.

"It’s impossible...” I only said, trying not to cry.

He laughed, and put his hands on my shoulders, from behind. But I felt something was different from some minutes ago ; something strange. As if the one who was standing behind me wasn’t a little old man anymore, but a man now taller than me, stronger, and probably younger than he was when I met him.

"Everything is possible, Dear...” He whispered, slowly, still holding my shoulders.

I shivered. His hands were now long and thin, with long sharp nails. I finally turned round and faced him.

I was right, he hadn’t anything to do with the old man anymore.

He was young, and tall ; he had dark eyes and his long blond hair was falling on his shoulders. He was quite good looking, in a way, but I was more than ever feeling something was wrong with him. Was I dreaming ?

As I stood still and silent for a few seconds, only staring at him with astonishment and fear, he smiled again, and came even closer. I wanted to step back, but I couldn’t, as if my body didn’t want to obey.

"Give me your hand, I’ll give you what you desire the most,” he said, with the same mysterious glare as earlier.

"Wait... What will you do ? And why ? I don’t have anything to give you in exchange..."

"Don’t worry, sweet girl, you don’t have to give me anything right now, my reward would come later. Just give me your hand..." He replied, holding his own one in my direction.

I hesitated, more puzzled than ever.

Of course, I was dreaming for sure.

Finally, I obeyed slowly, as if I was hypnotized, but still staring at him with mistrust. So he took my hand, and observed it for few seconds.

"It may hurt a bit, but it’s ok, you’re a strong girl, am I wrong ?" He said with a smile he wanted charming, showing once more his two rows of white fangs.

"Hurt ?" I repeated, not reassured.

He didn’t respond. But it didn’t take me too long to understand what he was talking about.

With his free hand, he laid mine flat, and with one of his nails, pointed & sharp as a knife, he slit the flesh inside the palm of my hand, slowly. He was right, I felt pain, more than I could have imagined for such a small wound. It wasn’t very long, but quite deep, and some blood had begun to flow from it.

Then, he tightened my fingers, and brought down some drops of blood on the immaculate snow.

When I saw those red spots on the brilliant white, I suddenly started feeling uncomfortable, even quite bad. I was accustomed to see blood, though...

The man was now staring at me, the same smile as earlier on his face. He had released my hand and made few steps back. He seemed to say something, but I couldn’t hear what. I tried to say something, but nothing got out of my mouth. My sight started blurring, then everything became pitch dark. I had fainted.

When I woke up, I was lying in the snow, shivering. I would probably have died if I had slept – even if I actually wasn’t really sleeping – just a few more minutes. I shook my head, a little confused, but I remembered the man and the weird scene that happened earlier. Or I thought it was a dream, at first, but the wound in my hand was still visible, even if it seemed to heal quite fast.

So... it wasn’t a dream.

Once I had regained some consciousness, I decided to go back home. I didn’t care about the bucket or the water anymore, only heading to my house. I wanted to run, but my physical condition was preventing me from walking faster, at the edge of hypothermia.

I walked home with difficulties, feverish and still half-conscious, then almost fell on the door to open it, out of strength. I came in like a fury, and collapsed on the table.

Was I dreaming ? Was it reality ? Everything was so confused in my mind, everything was twisted and looked so irreal. I needed to calm down, to wake up from this nightmare.

Lucky me, the logs I put earlier in the fireplace hadn’t burned yet, so I managed as hard as I could to start a fire. I stayed there for a while, unable to think about anything, holding my hands almost into the fire, so they could unfreeze.

I finally went upstairs to fetch a blanket, and came back to the fireplace, to sit on the rug, wrapped in that blanket. But soon, I fell asleep, on the floor, too exhausted.

It was almost dark outside when I woke up for the last time that day. I was feeling much better, warmed up by the fire. But I was also feeling different, weird. I was thinking about things I never thought about before, as if my brain was full of new knowledge ; I was a bit puzzled. But the sound of my hungry stomach interrupted my train of thought, so I decided to make dinner.

I rekindled the fire and put water to boil in the heavy cauldron, then I went to the cellar to get some weeds and herbs to put in the soup. I was coming back when I heard knocking on the front door, which surprised me a bit at the moment. I didn’t expect any visit, wondering who was there ; curious, I went to the door and slightly opened it, with caution.

I recognized him immediately ; unable to do anything, I remained silent, completely dazed.

"May I come in, dear Lady ?" He finally said, smiling.

He had the pretty face, not the old one, and I couldn’t refuse.

"Please, come in. I was making dinner, I guess there will be enough food for both of us if you may join me," I replied, still puzzled, while leading him into the main room.

"I cannot refuse your offer, I do not have a place to eat or even sleep tonight, so it is a pleasure to be your host."

He was smiling and had a soft voice, but there wasn’t any emotion in it, and it was a bit freaking.

I wondered if it was the reward he mentioned earlier.

"I can lend you a bed for tonight, I’ll sleep in my grandmother’s one," I proposed once we were sat.

He only nodded to thank me.

I served the food, and we started eating, silent.

I was too impressed, astonished by this man, he had so much charisma and the pretty face of a young man, but he was also a bit frightening, making me feel uncomfortable. I felt something was off, even if I couldn’t tell what.

He was eating, looking down at his food, so I did the same, trying to think about positive things.

Suddenly, he set his eyes on me, dark and cold. He stared at me for a while, still silent, and then he started talking, slowly.

"Did you make good use of what I gave you ?"

I frowned.

"I beg your pardon, but... What did you give me ?" I hesitated.

He seemed to be amused for a second.

"I gave you the power of knowledge, I gave you Science, dear Lady ! Don’t you feel different now ?" He replied, now smiling.

"Science ? Well, I’m sorry but... I don’t know what you’re talking about... And, since you’re asking, yes, I feel different since I met you in the woods this morning..."

"Of course you feel different, you now have more knowledge than any mortal on this Earth, you have knowledge that only divine creatures have for now ! "

I didn’t reply, trying to think about his words. I had really weird feelings, and I could remember, without knowing how and why, a lot of medical stuff, about diseases and care for the patients. Well, ”remember" wasn’t the right word I guess ; the knowledge was in my mind, I didn’t know why, but it was there.

"But... Why did you choose me ?" I finally asked.

"Because you have a pure soul, sweet child, as white as the fresh snow, and it will be my reward, sooner or later..."

"Your... Reward ? I’m not sure I get it..." I asked, afraid.

"Well, don’t you know who I am ? I thought you would have heard about me, from your priest at least..." He said, almost disappointed.

"Actually... We aren’t Christians, so we don’t go to church. My grandmother had faith in Nature, not in any god."

He seemed puzzled.

"You are the embodied purity... I think I’ll keep you by my side, when your time will come... You’re the perfect receptacle for my heir son..." He finally murmured.

"Wait, what ? And you didn’t even tell me who you are !" I protested, still afraid but also worried.

"You don’t need to know yet. Now go and rest, you’ll need it“, he said, with a hand gesture toward the stairs.

I didn’t want to move, I still had questions, but my body obeyed, out of my control. So I went upstairs, still staring at him. I saw him sitting in the armchair, near the fireplace, and seemed to be meditation or something like that. Then he got out of my sight and I went into my own bedroom.

I suddenly felt very tired, even if I had slept almost all day long, so I went to bed, with the weird impression of not being myself. However, it took me a while to finally fall asleep, thinking too much about that strange man.

The sun was already up in the sky when I woke up. I was a bit hungry, I thought about the last evening’s dinner, which reminded me the man. I got up in a hurry and reached the first floor, only to find out he had already left.

I found a note on the table, written in fine handsome writing. Only a few words.

“Thank you. See you soon, my dear Lady.”

Puzzled. It was the only way I could feel. Since I met him, my life became so weird ; I was afraid but also too curious to move on. I put on some clothes and went out, in order to find him or anything that could help me.

The snow had stopped falling, but everything was still white and cold. There was nobody outside, those who were not dead yet were staying at home. Walking up the empty streets, I could hear people coughing through the closed doors, but for now I had something else in mind.

I wanted to find the man, I still had questions, I wanted answers. Everything he said until now was only cryptic and frightening things, and I needed to know what it was about exactly. But after almost an hour spent searching through the whole village, still nothing, he was nowhere to be found. Freezing, I finally decided to give up on him, disappointed.

As I was walking back home, lost in my thoughts, I suddenly ran into a man who was getting out of his house. He just collapsed in the snow, covering his face with his hands, probably crying. I stood still for a while, ready to leave, but empathy turned out to be stronger than my desire to go home.

"Do you need help ?" I said gently, kneeling beside him.

He looked up at me with wet eyes.

"My daughter... My only daughter... She’s dying... She’s ill... She won’t make it and I can’t do anything to save her..."

"May I see her ?" I finally asked, to my own surprise.

He stared at me, puzzled.

"But... Who are you ?"

"My name is Anna, the old Misha was my grandmother. Maybe I could help you..."

He seemed to remember, silent.

"Oh... We miss her medicine so much... Well... Please, come in,” declared the man while standing up.

He showed me where his daughter was, lying in a bed, asleep. He also introduced me to his wife, who had the same sad look on her face, sitting by their daughter’s side.

The little girl had a fever, she was definitely suffering from Typhoid, and she was indeed dying. But, without knowing why, I knew how to cure her, instinctively, as if I always knew.

"Can you carry her to my place ? I may have what I need at home... Plus the cold would help her body to cool down,” I finally proposed, now determined.

I was surprised to find a bucket of water waiting beside the door when we reached my house, even more since it was the one that I left near the well. Maybe the man put it there as an apology, he was the reason why I left it over there, after all...

But it would be useful anyway. The girl was now lying in the room where my grandmother used to cure her patients ; I put some water to boil and went to the cellar to fetch some garlic. Even if I never thought about it before, washing my hands now appeared to me as an extreme necessity, and I asked her parents to do the same. Cure the girl would be a good thing, but it would be even better if we could avoid getting sick in the meantime.

However, the mother was surprised that the water I gave them was so clear. Of course, I asked why, and that is how I understood.

Most people in the village fetched water from the main well, as this family usually did, but he was actually quite far from our house, that’s why my grandmother used to go to this small well in the woods, which was closer. The thing is, since few months, the water coming from the main well was quite trouble, almost a bit dirty ; people kept using it because they didn’t really have a choice, it was the only well of the village, and only few people knew the existence of the smaller well.

It became clear to me that the contaminated water was the cause of the epidemic. Moreover, the water from the smaller well was not contaminated since it wasn’t linked to the river, unlike the main well. Whatever caused Typhoid was probably in the river’s water, it could explain why the whole country was infected.

I told them not to drink this water anymore, and offered them some garlic infusion that I had prepared for their daughter ; if they drank the same water, they could be infected.

I kept the girl overnight, and the following one. On the third day, she seemed to feel a bit better, and even better on the fourth. She was finally able to go back home few days later, even if I recommended she keep drinking garlic infusion to be sure she would not fall ill again. I also explained where to find the small well to her parents. They offered me money, but I only asked for some food – the only thing that I needed at that moment – which they gave me with pleasure. Once they had left, I just fell on my bed. I had taken care of that little girl for almost a week, and I did not sleep much. I fell asleep almost instantly, too tired to think about anything.

I woke up sometimes later, the pale winter sun was already up. I had been awakened by someone knocking at the door. I dressed up and went down in a hurry, to open the door.

A woman was standing there, a sad look on her face. Behind her, a man, and behind him, another man.

"Please, help me ! My children are dying ! They say you can cure them !" Cried the first one, coming closer.

"We need your help, too !" Yelled the man.

"Please ! Do something ! You cured this girl, don’t you ?" Said the other woman.

I stepped back, surprised. I wasn’t prepared for that, but it quickly became clear that I had to help them, I was the only one who could save those lives.

"I will help you, but I need you to help me back. At first, I need you to bring every ill people in here; then I need you to bring all garlic you can find." I finally replied, trying to stay calm.

They came back later, bringing to me a son, a daughter, a wife or a mother that needed care. In the end, there were five people in the small room. I took care of them as I did with the girl, night and day for about a week, until they got better. They eventually got home, and more people came to be cured.

Weeks went by, I had cured a lot of people, and I even had found out how to solve the water problem with some plants to purify it. I was now quite popular in the village, people would come to see me when they had any health issues and, as surprising as it sounds, I knew how to help them. I got used to this life, in a sense I wasn’t useless and alone anymore.

The sun finally showed up after an especially cold winter. The village came back to life, hunters were now able to bring back supplies, and nobody was dying because of Typhoid anymore; I couldn’t have hoped for a better outcome.

Sadly, things don’t always go as planned.

As I said to the strange man, my grandmother did not go to Church, and neither do I. I had already heard about God and Heaven of course, but all these seemed to me like fairy tales told to scare children. If there was a God, why would the world be so cruel ? We would rather believe in Nature’s power, which we could witness at least. But it did not seem to please the Christians, and soon, some of them visited me.

One day, three men from the Church came to see me, asking what I was doing, how I was doing it, but I kept quite silent, mostly intimidated by these people coming into my house, searching through my things without my approval. They found notes I had written about the epidemic and the cure, about all the people I had cured, and about all the new knowledge I had acquired.

They blamed me for not going to Church, and for all the strange and “satanic” materials they found. One of them said that the epidemic was the will of God, and that I shouldn’t have cured people, because I was going against the will of God by doing so. They finally left before I could say anything, almost slamming the door.

I just stood for a while, puzzled, unable to understand what just happened. But it did not take long before I realized.

As I was ready to go to bed, someone came knocking on my door. I went down, thinking that it could be a patient needing help, but when I opened it, the strange man was standing there, silent. No smile on his face, but he seemed relaxed.

"Can I help you ?" I asked, strangely happy and afraid at the same time.

"May I come in ?" He only replied.

"Oh… Yes, of course, be my guest !"

I let him in and closed the door after him.

"Thank you, young Lady.”

I stood silent for a few seconds, but in the end, I could not help but ask.

"I searched for you, the last time you left, but I couldn’t find you anywhere... Don’t you live in the village ?"

"Well, no. But you need to listen, I came to tell you something important,” he said, calmly.

"Of course, tell me, Sir."

"If I am not mistaken, you received a very strange visit today ?" He asked.

"Yes, some men came and searched my whole house; Churchmen, I think...”

"You are in danger, they will come for you," he warned me.

I could not believe it, why would they do that ?

"But I helped to cure people, I saved the village... I am a good person, why would they do such a thing ?" I replied, a bit confused.

"You made a pact with me, back then near the well, you know things you shouldn’t , and they will kill you in the name of their god. But you do not need to worry, you will be in good company, down there with me...” He explained, almost whispering the last words.

I was more than confused now.

"I don’t understand... What do you mean ? Down where ?"

"I will be waiting for you, my Dear Lady, I promise. But right now, I have to leave, I shouldn’t be there. You will understand when the time comes.”

Then he started to walk toward the door. I followed him, trying to get answers, but he remained silent, and finally left, vanishing in the darkness of the night.

I stood there for a while, still confused, trying to make sense of what he said. A pact, and the Church who would kill me... Did we make a pact, the day we met ? Did this strange knowledge actually come from that pact ? I couldn’t remember what happened that day...

No time to think further, someone suddenly started pounding on my door with violence. I did not move, now afraid. But the door opened anyway, and the three churchmen I saw earlier came in.

"In the name of God !" One of them proclaimed, while the two other men came towards me.

The strange man’s words came back to my mind. ”They will kill you in the name of their god."

I wanted to run, but it was too late . They arrived and grabbed my arms, I tried to struggle, but they were stronger than I had imagined. The third, who had spoken before, spoke again.

"You are accused of making a pact with the Devil and practicing witchcraft ! You are sentenced to death !"

"I don’t know what you’re talking about ! It is called “science”, this is not witchcraft ! I only use some herbs and natural elements !" I replied, trying to defend myself. But it was useless.

Now pulling me towards the door, the men ignored what I said.

"Burn the witch !" Claimed one of them once we arrived on the threshold. All the villagers were there, watching this scene, most of them were silent, probably aware of the terrible mistake the churchmen were making.

I saved all these people, I’m a good person, and they knew it, but they were also too afraid to say anything. Anybody defending me would probably suffer the same fate.

I was still struggling, trying my best to escape, but they took me outside and kept pushing me towards the village church, on the square, where a huge stake had been built.

Tears were flowing down my cheeks, I knew it was over, I knew I would die. I tried to explain once again but they didn’t want to listen to me.

The two men forced me onto the wooden platform, and tied me to the post. Everybody was now gathering around the stake, many of them looking at me with sadness. Then I saw him, among the villagers. The strange man was there, staring at me, showing no emotion. How could he remain so calm ?

Despair, fear, sadness, and above everything else, anger... These were the only things I could feel. I saved the village, and that was how the Church thanks me...

The speaker finally cleared his throat, and started his speech.

"In the name of God, you are sentenced to death. You are accused of practicing witchcraft, art of the Devil. You will be burnt at the stake !" He said, lighting his torch. ”A last word maybe ?"

"You are just a bunch of liars, if your God really exists, he should be ashamed ! Monsters !" I yelled, still crying.

The old churchman chuckled. He went towards the wood of the stake, and threw the torch with a satisfied look. Soon, the flames reached me, the heat was unbearable, my skin started to turn reddish, and blisters appeared.

I was in agony, begging them to stop, begging the villagers to help me, but nobody moved, only staring with a horrified look. I couldn’t breathe anymore because of the smoke, and little by little, I was losing consciousness. The pain was now fading away as well as I did.

Well, if all those fanatics who burned me go to Heaven, I’m not so sad to go to Hell, it can’t be so bad, I thought at last, just before I fainted, falling into the abyss of Death.

But it wasn’t the end, though.

I opened my eyes, ready to feel all the pain once again, but nothing came. Only darkness at first.

Then, a familiar voice arose from the emptiness.

"My Dear Lady, you are finally here. I am glad to see you, I have waited for this moment. Please, be my guest, I promise you will be happier here.”

"Where are we ? I thought... Am I dead ?" I asked, still unable to understand what was happening.

"Indeed, you are. But you do not need to worry. We are in my kingdom, and I will offer you what you did not have during your life : Happiness.”

Of course I was worried, I was dead but still conscious, in a dark and unknown place, but his voice was strangely

reassuring.

"I... still don’t understand... Why am I here ? Why didn’t you save me, back then ?" I continued.

"I could have, indeed. But you were not happy in the living world, am I wrong ?"

I wanted to protest, but then I thought about it. He was actually right.

"No, you’re right... But what do you want from me ?"

"Well, we made a pact, as I said before, so your soul is now mine, but I do not want to enslave you. Actually, I want you to be my wife," he explained, still very calmly.

"What ? But... Why did you choose me ?" I was more than confused.

He paused for a few seconds.

"You are the purest soul I ever met, and if God cannot see your true value, I can. I do not know what you had been told about God, but it was a lie. He is the one who enslaves humanity, using fear and threats, but Hell is far from what his servants depict. It gathers knowledge of all ages, pleasures, and, that is true, what they call “sins” – actually, what would make people stray away from fear, away from religion. But better than words, let me show you.”

He suddenly appeared next to me, with a reassuring smile. I guess I should have felt fear, or anything else but the admiration I was actually feeling at that moment. He seemed gorgeous, more good-looking than ever, and his dark eyes were hypnotizing. I would have followed him anywhere.

After a few seconds, he waved his hand, and a ray of light materialized in front of us. It grew larger, until I realized it was a huge double-door, now opening on what seemed to be the hall of a mansion. Once fully opened, I noticed all the strange elements displayed there, weird devices that I had never seen before, but above anything else, the walls covered with books. It was quite unusual to find books in a hall, even if I never really visited any castle, but I could only admire the infinite collection, mesmerized.

"Welcome ! This is your new home, I hope you will enjoy your time here. Do not be shy, please, come in !" He exclaimed, obviously happy.

In the end, it was better than anything I ever had when I was still alive, and I was now convinced I would indeed be happy here. And this handsome man was so nice with me, I couldn’t expect anything better. I have to admit I wasn’t indifferent, he made me feel special.

I smiled.

"Well, I guess I can accept your offer, I don’t even need to see more. I accept to become your wife," I said at last.

His smile widened.

"I am really pleased to hear that, you will not regret it my dear Lady !" He replied, leading me inside.

I remained silent, feeling better than ever.

"Oh, but I almost forgot, I have been given many names through the ages, but you can call me Lucifer !" The man added, while we were walking up the large corridor, the huge door silently closing behind us.

The following night, the church of the village inexplicably caught fire. Only the church. The village did not burn a bit.