In My Blood

Gaine lost his eyesight by the age of six. After years of being blind he's finally grown desperate enough to do something that would forever change his life for what he hopes to be the better.

I’m not sure what caused it but around my fourth birthday my eyesight started to deteriorate. By the time I was six I had none at all. The doctors had made it clear even surgery could not help me to see again.

For twelve years now, I’ve been legally blind. They said it gets better. That it gets easier. That’s not as true for me. Maybe it’s because of my age that it’s so hard to cope, or perhaps it’s because I lost my sight so young. I’m not sure.

My family? They’re no help. They are always forgetting I can’t see the way they do. Mid-conversation…I’ll feel all their eyes on me and hear my mother whisper. "Don’t forget about Gaine. Remember he’s blind now." She will say it like she’s ashamed of me. It makes my heart ache. "He’s blind now…" It’s nothing new. I’ve been this way for twelve years. I’m not getting it back as the years’ progress. I feel so…disrespected. 

True. I maybe pitying myself, but I’m just tired of it. Of not seeing the world around me. Of praying to a God I don’t believe in. After all, what kind of a God could he be if he makes so many good people suffer?

I’m not sure where I got the idea from. A song maybe? Or a story online. Either way it was brilliant. A deal with the Devil.

Chris Wagger, my best and only friend. We met when I was five, shortly before I was blind. He is the only person I’ve ever trusted. When I told him, he was reluctant to help at first; however in the end, as always, he was there for me.

Saturday night we drove out to the crossroads in Thompson Woods. Using wooden stakes and scarlet rope, we created a pentagram. He guided me to the center of the pentagram ,which we'd placed in middle of the crossroads, and wished me luck. I listened until his footsteps had disappeared.

I took a deep breath. "I want to make a deal…I’m calling out to you." I said my eyes shut tight.

Silence.

"Hello."

My eyes flew open. I could see him! Him with the eyes like hot embers. We were no longer at the crossroads. We were seated in an office. The room was warm and painted red with black trimmings.

"Do you like what you see?" he asked jokingly. I focused my attention on the man in front of me. He wore a black suit with a red tie.

I smiled and forgot all about his question when I met my eyes in the black mirror hanging on the wall. "Is that…me?

I ran my fingers through my jet black hair and watched my reflection do the same. I touched my flushed cheeks and looked at my bright green eyes. I was so tall…and handsome. "Where’s Chris? I want to know what he looks like."

"Didn’t you call me here for a reason?" he cocked an eyebrow. "You wanted to make a deal, correct?" I took in his posture. Legs crossed, hands folded and placed in his lap. 

"I want see again. I want my sight back."

"Rather selfish don't you think?” He chuckled. “What are you willing to exchange?"

"Um…I'm not really sure…"

He uncrossed his leg and leaned forward. "How bout this…I’ll give you back your eyesight but you can never see yourself again."

"What do you mean?" He pointed at the mirror. It was blindness all over again. I was nothing but a shapeless blur of black. I glanced down at my hands, realizing they were a blur as well. I turned away and the world was clear once more.

"It’s your choice Gaine."

"How do you know my name? Who are you?" while staring at my unrecognizable reflection, I realized there had been no introductions.

"Nikola is the name I go by these days, and I’m a demon of course. The big man only shows up for soul transactions." He smiled. "Tell me, how bad do you want it?"

I bit my lip. "May I see my reflection one more time…?" I looked into the mirror and saw myself for the last time. I ran my tongue across my teeth, they resembled porcelain and smiled. It seemed to make my eyes light up. My eyes, are vibrant green. I wonder if they looked like this before. I loved their color. So beautiful. This is how I'll always remember myself. "Will it hurt…"I whispered

"As much as when it went."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I want it…"

"That’s what I wanted to hear.” He placed a crimson book in front of me. Satan’s Book I thought to myself.

He opened it to a blank page. "Sign at the bottom." He handed me a needle. I shakily pricked my index finger and began to sign my name. As I did so words the color of my blood appeared. Our contract. By the time my signature was complete so was our contract.

He chuckled. "If only you knew how far back our blood went. An eye for an eye. "

"What do you mean..?"

He slammed the book shut. "Enjoy your new view on the world." With those words I was back at the crossroads. The moonlight made everything look so memorizing. This is what I've been missing.

"Gaine!?!" Chris yelled. "Where are you?!"

“It worked! Chris it actually worked!" I had begun to cry tears of joy. "I can see!" 

"Gaine?!?" He sounded as though he were on the brink of panic. "I can’t see anything! What’s happening!?"