Epilogue

Zoe shoveled the dirt for one last time. Then she opened the already violated coffin easily and looked inside. Just like she had left it. She climbed up from the hole she'd dug. She took some laboured breaths and wiped the sweat on her forehead with the back of her hand. Leaning against the shovel, she took a moment to catch her breath and her eyes scanned around her. She stared at the eastern horizon, where the sun had already risen above the blue sea. It was a cool morning of the early November and the chill breeze made her shiver lightly as it swept over her sweat-drenched skin. She had been working on the grave for more than an hour. It seemed that during the summer, someone had discovered the open grave and had closed it again.

She sighed deeply as she admired the pink and orange colours of the dawn. It was all so serene up there, on Gray Hill. It matched her heart. It was serene now, calm and collected. And broken… It felt like there was a hole there. A big black gap. And Zoe somehow knew that the hole would stay there forever. She sighed and shook her head to clear her mind from the unwanted thoughts.

She let the shovel fall on the ground and turned around. She grabbed her backpack from the ground where she'd left it while she dug. She opened it and took a spherical object out, a little smaller than the size of a volleyball and wrapped up in grey cloth. Carefully, she unfolded the cloth and cast it to the ground. She held the corroded skull to her eye level and stared at it with a bitter smile.

"Rest now" she whispered. "I know I will."

She dropped the skull in the coffin. It landed just above the first vertebra of the neck. For a moment she thought she saw two faint lights gleaming in the skull's sockets, but the next moment it was gone.

She pushed the lid of the coffin back in place. She shoveled most of the soil over the coffin and then tossed the shovel aside; she wouldn't need it anymore… hopefully. Retrieving her backpack from the ground, she wore it on her back and without looking back, she took the road back down the hill.

She smiled as the cool morning wind blew gently on her face. Freedom…

***

The demon growled sulkily as he burrowed deeper into the gutted abdomen of the human beneath him with his crooked claws. The man, a past sinner, writhed and sniveled as the demon who kneeled over his splayed, paralyzed body dug at his insides. He was a damned soul, condemned to be tortured in the eighth level of Hell for eternity for his lifetime crimes.

Abaddon brought a small morsel of liver to his lips and slurped it from his fingers. He looked around him in discontent. He was back in Hell once more, after only four months on earth. While he had planned on staying at the mortals' world for the rest of eternity. He snorted. His plans had gone to hell, along with him. And it was all thanks to that little bitch… Zoe. The very mortal who was supposed to help him had turned against him at the last moment. And she not only tried – she succeeded in sending him back to Hell. How she did it, it was still a mystery to him. It proved that he had underestimated her once more. Just as he had started to believe that he had finally broken her and made her his, she had stabbed him in the heart and turned him to ashes. The heartless bitch…

He purred over his victim at the thought of her. Flowing red hair, light skin and hazel eyes filled with intelligence and defiance came to his mind and an unprompted smile spread on his features. Zoe… His Zoe… Oh, he would come back for her. He doubted he would be allowed to return to the material world any time soon after what he'd done. The angels would accuse him for a thousand crimes and demand he stayed in Hell for centuries. And Lucifer himself wasn't too pleased with him after Abaddon went to earth with a plan to take over the world without telling him anything. Thus, there would be many obstacles. But he would… one way or another… he would return for her. And he would get her, this time. He was prepared now; he knew who he was dealing with. He had underestimated her. His fault, he admitted it. He had considered her clever – but she was cleverer. He had thought of her as brave – but she was braver. And he knew she was determined – but she had proven more determined than he'd thought. What he hadn't known was that she was vengeful – well, she was vengeful, nevertheless. She had taken her revenge on him for killing her parents. She had punished him…

He shivered lightly at the thought. She had punished him… He had been a punisher of mortals for aeons and that bitch had turned the tables on him. She had outwitted and outdone him… Only thinking about it made him hard. Where the hell would he find the patience to wait until he could see her again? He wanted her so bad right now…

Snarling audibly, he sank his talons deep into the flesh of the whimpering human beneath him. He pulled out the crimson, glistening liver and held it before his face. He stared at it with lewd, glistering eyes. Wishing it was Zoe's… He brought it to his mouth and gave it a good lick, moaning as he remembered the times when he had tasted his favourite slave and longing for the moment he would taste her again. Because, sooner or later that moment would come. He knew it. It had to… She would be his again. His to torment. His to fuck. His to own. His to spend the eternity with…

Ta daa! That was it, folks! End of 'Deal with the Devil'! Ugh, actually, I find it hard to believe it myself. I mean, I've been writing this story for almost a year now. Alright, 11 months. ~_~ I'll miss this story!

Anyway, first things first, I'd like to thank each and every one who read 'Deal with the Devil' and especially the ones who had the kindness to review. Smooch to all of you! And double smooch to the ones who were regular reviewers and commented on many chapters in a row. You got me going, guys. If it weren't for you I'd be updating way less often. But you know, when someone asks you to update, how can you deny?

Second, I'm really, really thrilled that you liked my story and the characters so much and that you want a sequel. I think I'll make one some time, but not ant time soon, sorry. I was greatly inspired when I started 'Deal with the Devil' and I believe that's why it went well. From the beginning, I had an idea and a storyline (and the ending). So, I will only write a sequel if I'm equally inspired for a continuing of the story. Until then…

…and that's when we come to the third point. I'm thinking about starting a new story. Ambitious, I know, since my exams start in a few weeks. But I have so many ideas! I have to write some of them down soon, before my brain explodes. The thing is, I have a handful of good ideas and I don't know which one to write first. So I thought; who's gonna read the story? You! So, why not you decide? Sounds reasonable, doesn't it? To me it does, but I'm not one to trust. So, please, if you find it a good idea, say it on your review. If you agree, I'll make a poll with the options (stories) and you'll get to vote for the one you prefer to read next. Before that, I'll change my profile and put the titles and a short summary/plot of the stories, so that you know what you choose from.

Okay! That's all I had to say! Again, thank you all very much for supporting 'Deal with the Devil'. Bye!