Chrissie Chronicles

‘Souls are everywhere the Devil is and left never free – look not for it for you may find the Devil and the Death’

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An uptown girl, who seeks answers to unknown things happening to her discovers the mysteries of her past and encounters the true Devil that she had feared all her life only to know that she had sold her soul to him.

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It is spring. It is Friday night. Weather is kind to people. There are some out partying, making fire camps, and watching movies, catching up with friends, and what not. It is at this time of the year that many people stay out, tenting beside the forest and enjoy their time. However, there is another category of individuals who stays back at home, drinking mugs of coffee, eating chips, and watching old movies, and more importantly, doing nothing. Christina Sanders, or simply called as Chrissie is one of them.

Boscinshire is a tiny village in the northern England. Mostly covered in thick forest and ice, the place is always gloomy under constant cover of clouds. Population of 4312 people makes the world much smaller to them. Abundant fishing, small poultries, livestock, Chrissie, usually very earmarked, lives with her mother - her friends visit often. She has an elder brother Mathew Sanders (or simply Matt) - despite being famous for his aggressive nature is very kind to his sister. She lost her father when she was six and her mother neither forgot his death and nor did she remarry. This is something Chrissie both admires and despises in her mother. She could not bear the thought of someone replacing her father but at the same time, did not want her mother to be alone.

Her mother, Jane Sanders, works as a nurse in the local hospital. Matt manages time between school, football, and bartending. It is sad really, when he has to do so much work when he has to be outside having fun with his friends, or so his mother thinks. Chrissie goes to Perks high school (the only school off the reservation) and is two years junior to her brother.

Though it looks like any other middle-class family, always something is missing in it. Chrissie was not an ordinary child. She looked and grew up like every other kid in the neighborhood. However, her thoughts were much different from any of them had in their wildest dreams.

Chrissie used to worry and try to seek answers for various questions that were not in the thoughts of people even elder to her age. She would sometimes be stuck in thoughts for a time and come back only after someone comes and disturbs her state of trance. She dazed at stars for long time, and it looked like she saw something beyond the stars. Jane was not worried about it until last year when she accidently set the curtains of the house on fire saying that the Devil in the Dark made her do it.

Chrissie would sometimes even speak to herself in different tongue, and sometimes she acted as if she is from a different world. She stays in peace for long time and then tells that she was listening to the Devil speaking to her. This irked her mother very much. Her best friends Shane McAlister and Lindsey Ford were equally annoyed by her behavior. This was going on from a long time, but it was in an increase from past few days. Chrissie, in her heart, knew that something was about to happen that would change her life, but she let time decide the course of her future.

‘She would always speak of the Devil in the Dark. It is disturbing. At first, I thought she was playing me, but it is the same with everybody. I hate it when she says it in front of me...’, says Shane, who was worried and equally exasperated by the behavior of her friend.

Days passed by. Chilly winter replaced the cool spring. The breeze became violent every day. The smooth air became harsh piercing every part of the body. Days were cold and short, and nights were colder, longer, and dark. Green became rare color and thick sheets of ice covered the streets. The forests were frozen, and the mist covered the city.

Chrissie was walking on the sidewalk, from her school to home. She was not bothered by the noise of the forest that she had to pass through every day, as she always made sure that her ears are listening to loud music when she is on that way. She had once tried to explain to Shane that she would hear weird noises in the forest. She even told her that she heard a woman crying someday and there was also a gruesome scream from the group of rare kind of birds that flew high above her. She was not able to identify the bird and neither did any of her friends, as the description was eerie.

‘It was dark as dark, at least which was how she described it… she said that it had long feathers and red eyes. It had the face of a fox and had a crown like structure on its head. Unlike crown, it was dark, and creepy’, explained Lindsey about the bird.

Her friends tried walking with her for a few days. The birds never showed, but the noises continued, only this time her friends became completely deaf to it, according to Chrissie. From then on, Chrissie would never let herself torture with the unexplainable noises from the forest and hence would keep her music loud, even if it hurt her ears, or even if she did not like the song.

It was just another day. The wind seemed to carry needles with it. Chrissie was walking with her music on. She had a homecoming dance at the school that weekend. She had to plan for that. The road was grey and quiet, too quiet. Suddenly, Chrissie felt something inside her. It was fear. She was tempted to explore the things. She turned down her music and stood still for a moment.

It was vivid red light glowing on the edge of the forest, which caught her attention. She slowly, or unknowingly, started walking towards it. Something there was pulling her against her will. She tried to memorize every tree she passed, so that she could always run back if things go out of control. She was approaching the light. The nearer she came, the warmer it got. It was no longer freezing. She could feel her nerves being free, blood flowing freely, skin loosening, and heart enjoying the warmth. Nevertheless, every instinct in her body told her the one thing – Run!

Freeze! Chrissie was awestruck by what she saw. The bright light glowed around a dark hole. It appeared from nowhere and stood nowhere. It was just there, in front of her. It was a portal. She had read about them in science and fiction books but never actually saw one. She hoped it was a dream because she knew it in her heart that wherever the portal connects is no good place since it was dark, very dark.

She was trying to start thinking about the consequences, which she could not concentrate but as she was fighting hard to overpower her mind, the portal started gleaming light. It started all of a sudden and Chrissie wanted to run but her feet would not move. She was mesmerized again, about what she saw but now with fear. The luminous continued for half a minute and stopped. She did not take chances to wait any further long. She commanded her feet to run, and she was unable to stop until she saw her house. She went in and locked the door.

It was a dull and overcast day. The thick grey clouds hid the Sun behind them. It was still a new morning. Chrissie woke up and stretched her arms. She thought deeply about the portal and convinced herself that it was her dream. She was tired, and that was all she could do at that moment. She finished her chores and started walking to the school.

The weird bird, which she called Blackbird, was flying high above her, hiding most of the times within the clouds. She knew that the ugly bird was watching her surreptitiously. However, she refused to fear it, and let it ruin her day. She was continuously walking until she saw the bird waiting for her on the middle of the road. She had to fear.

She tried to shoo away the bird, but it was stoned to the ground. After some time, the bird started to fly low, which made sense to Chrissie that it was hoping her to follow. Anything this weird was first time in her life but she did not have a choice. She had to follow the bird even if it took her to the nastiest place.

It was not surprising when she saw the portal again. She had the feeling that the dream was too real to be unreal. She stood there like a Tree in the forest: with no movement and slight breathing. The bird was nowhere in sight. The place was hushed, and she could hear the faintest sound. Suddenly she felt something whooshing behind her and before she could turn, the Blackbird bit her nail and took a drop of blood. She held her hands back and tried to scare away the bird, with no success. Blackbird took the blood and went inside the portal.

‘Bloody Bird!’ she shouted.

She prepared to leave but something happened. Darkness came out of the portal like waves. A Dark hooded figure came out of the portal. It was so dark that even the faint light seemed bright. It had broad shoulders, which helped to carry an axe in the right hand, and had sac in the other, both dark. It wore pitch-black dress, which had no cuts in between, or it seemed so. In addition, the heavy boots that could outrun anything was part of the long legs. Its face was shadowed behind the hood but the piercing eyes as dark as the twilight with a moon like light in the middle was gleaming. It did not blink.

Chrissie realized that she was witnessing the true evil – Devil of the Otherworld for she had been speaking to him in her mind all the time. She was blank and hoped it was all happening only in her thoughts and mind. However, it was not.

‘I am the Devil; for sure you know that. I have been looking for you for centuries and now that I found you, I would like to continue with our little deal,’ said the Devil.

Chrissie was terrified. She had no idea what was happening and what was going to happen. She just wanted to go home and have some fresh juice. The situation was however completely different. She could see the bird watching her all the time. Now she realized that she was being spied almost every day. She cursed the bird in her mind and at the same time, she feared what it might do to her.

‘Ah… What? What deal? In addition, you do not know me. You have me completely wrong. I look for no trouble and I just wanna go home’ Chrissie cautiously told. Her eyes were wet, and she did not realize it. The tears of fear were flowing downing her cheeks without letting her know. She had dreamt of the Devil many times but never had hoped to see him. Now that he is in front of her, she felt that she should have never dreamt about him. However, she could not help it for the dreams come and go on its own, or maybe she was manipulated to dream about him, or she was remembering him from her past.

‘No, that’s not possible... How could I know him from my past?’ Chrissie’s thoughts ran like water down the hill, and swift as an arrow; but they were stopped immediately as if a huge wall was built against the river, and the arrow stuck into someone’s heart and took out the life.

‘Three centuries back, you were Katherine. You and your family, along with some of your friends met with an accident. All of you died. I was gathering all the dead souls and suddenly you woke up. Apparently, you were not dead and were desperate to save your beloveds. An argument rose between you and consequently, you decided to sell your soul in exchange of all of theirs. Thus, we made ourselves a deal and I gave you back your family.

Then I had other works. Therefore, I needed to leave and left you on your own for some time. Unfortunately, fate had different plans. You died and since you faced the death without soul, you are to be sent back. You took birth repeatedly in different worlds. I had no authority to enter the world without a reason. Hence, I had to keep a watch on all the lands until I find you.

Then Satan, the bird here, whose life is attached to mine, told me that you were in this world, and I had to come in. Hence, I commanded Satan to fetch your blood as an invitation for me to this world and the portal let me through. You gave me the access to this world but now, it’s time to go’ finished the Devil and gave her all the memory that was forgotten with time. His voice was gruesome.

Chrissie was traumatized. She was scrupulously listening to every word the Devil spoke. For a moment, she felt the world around her spinning. She could not feel the blood in her veins. Her heart was beating but she felt nothing. She tried to breathe, but her nose would not inhale. She felt cold in her quivering hands and trembling feet. Altogether, she answered nothing, and did nothing. The Devil waited until she took nerve and spoke…

‘I have a family here. I have lived with no soul all these years and I wished that I could go somewhere else. Now that I know that I have lived my whole life pretending to be a girl with life, I need to set things right. I need my soul back and I want you to consider doing the bargain again.’

‘Bargain again. Indeed. I do not have any bargain to offer you. Souls make me stronger, and I do not give them back. If you still insist to get your hands on a living soul, it will cost you beyond your ability. I would rather hope you would come with me to my world and set your things right there’ Devil retorted. He was surprised by how Chrissie could ask him back her soul instead of coming with him.

‘What is the exchange price?’ Chrissie was determined. She was not afraid anymore; not at least after, she came to know that she had any soul. She wanted it back, desperately.

‘One hundred new souls’ Devil was angry.

One hundred new souls were not easy to get. The new souls especially are the one, which was procured immediately after the death. Chrissie was befuddled and had no choice. She knew she could not get what the Devil wants before it is too late. Hence, after seeking every possibility of failed reasons to break away from him, she consented. The Devil took her to his world. Satan followed them.

It was midday in the Otherworld and the Sun was cruel. It burned the living with its rays. There were people all over the streets. Some were slaves, and some were Soulless, just like Chrissie. They called themselves Lebaks – Masters of the Souls. After death, people travelled here, and the Lebaks would make them their slaves and punish them depending on their sins. Once they have completed their course of time, they would be relieved and sent back to the worlds to live again.

Chrissie knew that she was in hell, and she was supposed to punish the people. Unlike others, she did not like to torment the people. However, the Devil commanded, and she was doing it anyway. She would not listen to herself in there even if she wanted to. She was lonely. Life was miserable.

Days passed by and Chrissie saw many things that she wished she would not. She desperately wanted to get out of that place but she could not. She had to do something but her actions were against her and her mind had stopped reasoning. She missed her home, family, friends, homecoming dance, school, fun and above all, she missed herself. She spent her time travelling most of the times, experiencing new things, and discovering facts. She used to talk to the Lebaks often and stumbled across the secrets of the Devil. She learnt that the Lebaks and the slaves hated the Devil as much as she did.

She figured out that the Devil captured the soulless from every world so that he can have access to that world himself, without an invitation. Chrissie had made possible for him to enter her world only after her blood was produced before him. Now, Chrissie thought of a new plan, a plan to free herself and other Lebaks from the captivity of the Devil.

‘If only I knew where the Devil kept all the souls, I could free everybody and they can go home and never invite the Devil to their world. We could finally be free of him…’ she thought.

Nevertheless, where are the souls hidden? It might be anywhere in the Otherworld. It could be in any form and ma

y even have powers to change its shape when taken by others. Special enchantments may have been put to it in order to protect it from any harm. It may even be destroyed, which Chrissie hoped not. Altogether, it was an impossible task.

However, Chrissie was determined. She thought for days and weeks. She went into the dwelling place of the Devil. It was dark – everything covered in black sheets. The walls had grey color and the place had few basic amnesties which the Devil needed. It had many torture chambers, dungeons in the lowest level, and chains were hanging from the ceiling. There were markings on the walls, and it was the same in all the walls.

‘Souls are everywhere the Devil is and left never free – look not for it for you may find the Devil and the Death.’

What could that be? Devil’s misfortune? Chrissie tried not to look at the walls because whenever she read it, she could feel the horror passing through her. She tried to ignore it and left the place with trepidation. She knew that the Devil had hidden the souls in a place very close to him, but she was unable to find it. She was thinking every possible place connected to the Devil that was suitable to hide the souls. She was thinking hard to herself…

‘It is not one soul that he took but a few hundred that he owns that are bound together and some souls keep coming to him every day. Therefore, he must have it somewhere within his reach so that he can open it and put in together in one place. It would be large and definitely easy to carry, if not he would not be able to linger around with a free soul every time he captured one.’

Suddenly it stuck her. The place the souls are hidden must be easy to carry and portable. She memorized the riddle on the wall and interpreted them.

‘Souls are everywhere the Devil goes – he carries it with him; and left never free – it is with him in his left hand; look for it for you may find the Devil and the Death – one who looks for it meets the Devil and he would kill them - Yes, that is what it meant.’

It was a riddle. Everywhere in his dark palace was written the words, but Chrissie failed to realize it the moment she saw it. Now that she realized that the Devil took the souls with him wherever he goes. She felt heavy burden on her shoulders as soon as she realized that all this time her soul was next to her, and she never knew. Now, more than ever, she wanted to meet the Devil, take the bag for herself, and get off that rock.

Days passed by with much anxiety. Chrissie knew that she was stepping into a suicide mission. One clue, the Devil would chop her head off. She had to do it anyway. She planned a target. The slaves and Lebaks were always against the Devil. She planned to capture the bird first and kill it since she knew that its life form was attached to the Devil and killing it would certainly weaken the Devil.

Many days passed, and Satan was nowhere to be found. The Lebaks worked together for this one cause with the slaves, and it was secret. They had no idea of who were spying on them, when their little secret to overthrow the Devil would come out, and what the consequences might be. Satan was spotted finally on the highest branches.

Chrissie along with a slave went to the Devil, one fine day.

Chrissie handing the slave to the Devil spoke ‘His name is Marne. He is the slave in the community and now he wishes to sell his soul to you in exchange to his freedom.’

‘How fascinating, More souls! I knew you could always make me powerful. I wish I had found you before’ the Devil praised Chrissie. He accepted Marne as his Lebak and acquired his soul. The Devil opened the sac and suddenly he was weakened by unknown power, and he tripped. Seizing the opportunity, Chrissie grabbed the bag and let all the souls in it loose. The Devil was weakened completely.

Chrissie’s soul returned to her and so did everybody’s. She could feel the life in herself again and it was for the first time that she experienced how a life would be. She breathed hard and felt the air inside her going throughout the body, spreading the warmth; the blood flowing out of the arteries of the heart through the veins, and finally feeling everything that she had been missing all the time.

The Lebaks, happy to find true life form in them again fled the place and got through the portals to their own worlds. The slaves continued their journey. The otherworld became deserted place, and the Devil could not move. She made sure that all the slaves and Lebaks were free. Chrissie was preparing herself to leave.

‘You conjuror, you will never get away with it. I WILL find you wherever you go, and I WILL KILL you and keep your soul with me forever’ the Devil threatened her. All the time, the souls he consumed had given him the strength of many people. Now that, there was no soul, his powers were gone, and the body weakened. He wanted to kill Chrissie and hunt the Lebaks down, but he was unable to move.

‘You will never find me. You will never get an invitation to my world nor for any other worlds. I hope you find yourself another bird to accompany you to wander across the universe with no place to dwell in’ Chrissie replied. She was fearless and strong when speaking. She was desperate to leave the world of torture behind her.

‘What happened to Satan? You killed him, didn’t you? That is how you managed to weaken me. I should have known. Be forewarned, you will be haunted throughout your life. You will come before me begging for death and I will, only then, kill you’ Devil tried to terrify her.

‘About that, I am going to destroy the portal to my world and break the connection. You may never enter my world. Curse you’ saying so, Chrissie went through the portal.

While travelling through it, she started breaking the bonds that held the connection between her world and the Otherworld. Not just she, all the Lebaks did the same. In addition, the slaves were instructed to destroy the connections of any world they would come across that was attached to the Otherworld.

Thus, the bonds to the Otherworld were broken and the Devil was trapped in it forever. It tried hard to escape from it, but it had neither any way to get out nor did it have the strength required. No one ever travelled to that world and the Devil lingered there. Its blood was drained, and flesh decayed. It could not die for it had no soul. It remained there beyond time.

Chrissie entered her world precisely at the moment when she had left. Fortunately, she had missed nothing. She could see the forest around her that once scared her but now it was friendly. She walked past it without hearing any weird noises and without being scared. She saw small birds in the sky and butterflies fluttering its wings on the way. It was a beautiful sight. She ran home and sighed and decided to step onto a new future and leave all the memories behind her. She shadowed her past and lit the future bright.

There were no bad dreams from then on but only the good ones. She went out with friends like any other kid in the town and loved her mother very much. She thanked her brother for everything he had done for her. She went to the homecoming dance and partied all night. She was finally happy and was able to laugh. Thus, the life went on…