Deal with the Devil

1 - Evelynn

POV: Evelynn

The bulletin board by the village center had some new jobs today. The bakery needed a new helper to distribute the sales around the surrounding towns, the old farmer needed some more muscle to help move the hay bales around and a few more other jobs.

Both those jobs were not a fit for me, I am not strong enough to carry any hay bales, and I am not fast enough to bring the bread around in time. But there was another, which caught my eye, a tinted paper nailed to the edge of the board. The job description was obscure, but the amount of gold coins promised would keep me at ease for multiple winters. 

I did not waste another minute, pulled the paper from the board and firmly kept it hidden in the palm of my hand. Once I was out of the village center, in a more quiet part of town. I opened the now crumbled up piece of paper. The morning sun shining brightly on it as I read the words written on it in an elegant handwriting. The posting was not named, it only said to head towards a location outside the town of Mirstone. 

Mirstone was not a very prosperous town, it sat on the edge of the forest and was mainly surrounded by plains which were used as farmland. The popular trading routes of the land did not even come close to it, causing residents to be dependent on each other. We do get the occasional traveler on horse or by carriage, especially during harvesting season, which causes the town to thrive. But the winters are harsh, and most young members of the community leave on horse, hoping for a better future by finding work in the neighboring towns and cities.

I have thought about leaving many times, but every day I stay, hoping for a miracle that will let me be able to remain in Mirstone. So I took the chance, put on my best boots and went towards the location described on the paper. The dirt path and uneven ground are my road as I head into the forest. I lifted my face, letting the light and shadow dance across my skin. Leaves rustling as the wind blew across them. I inhaled its earthy smell and continued on, delighting in the sound of my feet sliding through the fallen leaves. 

In the past I have never gone far into the forest, wild animals roam around, and I would rather stay out of harm's way. Picking berries, herbs and gathering mushrooms were one of the few reasons I would take a step into the forest, but never had I encountered a house or even a shed before, where would this unnamed person live? Possibly they could be a new hunter in the area, needing some extra help with their day jobs. Following the written instructions, I went to the left when the path split into two. A while later I crossed a river by walking over some precarious, wooden planks, one could barely call it a bridge. 

Once the house came into view, I could barely consider what I was looking at to be real, how had no one in town ever mentioned this before, had they never seen it?  I feel a bit shaken by the sight of the building, it is unnervingly pretty, but something feels peculiar. It might once have been nice; it might once have been the home of an actual family. But scrub and tall weeds now covered the garden, which clearly had not been cut in years. A wooden fence bordered the property, sagging at spots where the wind had knocked it down. 

In the middle stands a big house, the kind in which most Mirstone kids would dream of growing up in. Secluded among trees, hidden in the open. The sun shimmering on the high arched windows, as the tip of the tower stands just above the treeline. 

My feet make it to the door and my knocks can be heard on the wood. Not a second later, the door opens only slightly. I would call it more closed than open, only a small stroke of light can make its way into the house. But nonetheless, the door has been opened, and I am sure the person on the other side; whose silhouette I can barely notice, can now hear me.

"I am Evelynn, I come from Mirstone. You put up a job posting saying that you were looking for someone to help you during the day times." I hold up the tinted paper to support my words.

"Come in, Evelynn." He steps aside, pulling the door open, and I enter the dim hallway. In contrast to the garden, the entry of the house is stunning; polished wood floors and a graceful banister that curves up toward a soaring second floor gallery. 

The door closes behind me and my eyes adjust slowly to the lack of light, but I do not have the ability to see in near darkness, causing me to perceive the man next to me merely as a shape more than anything else.

"Excuse me for my rudeness, I will grab us a light, this residence becomes dark rather quickly." He says. His footsteps leave the hallway into the next room.

I feel conflicted as I stand in this stranger's hallway, but in some way it also feels welcoming. 

His footsteps come closer towards me and I can see the light of a candle reflecting on the wallpapered walls. In a second, the man stands visibly before me, the candlelight showing me his appearance, no longer hidden in the darkness. I would say he is about my age, maybe slightly older? His clothing looks stainless, he certainly looks well taken care of. 

He glances over at me as well, but does not seem to waste another second. "Let me inform you more about the job, follow me further." 

I do as he says, his words almost feeling like a command; which unnerves me. I spite of that, I still follow this stranger further into his home. He called it a residence earlier, would this not actually be his home? In the end it does not matter, all thing considered, I am still just here for the gold coins.