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monition ! All of my composition is intended for adult over the age of 18 ONLY. Stories may contain strong or even extreme intimate capacity. All mass and events depicted are fictional and any resemblance to someone living or dead is purely coincidental. Actions, situations, and responses are fictional ONLY and should not be attempted in veridical life.

If you are under the age or 18 or do not understand the difference between fancy and reality or if you reside in any province, state, country, or tribal territorial dominion that prohibits the reading of human activity depicted in these stories, please end reading immediately and strike to somewhere that exists in the twenty-first century.

Archiving and reposting of this story is permitted, but only if acknowledgment of right of first publication and statement of limitation of use is included with the article. This chronicle is right of first publication ( c ) 2012 by The Technician ( Technician666 @ Gmail.Com. )

Individual reader may file away and/or print single copies of this history for personal, non-commercial use. yield of multiple copies of this story on theme, saucer, or other prepare format is expressly forbidden.

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Normally Estevan loved Halloween. It was his darling holiday. He had watched it change through the centuries from a yearbook cultic refining of hearth and fire as practiced by the Celts ; to a harvest fete as practiced by the Romans when they took the festival back to the Mediterranean Sea area ; to a nipper 's night of frolic intended to dispel our canonical concern of evil wizardly animal ; to its current, modern-day alibi for raunchy costumes and alcohol-fueled parties.

As he thought about it, he could not avail but compare the modern debauchery with the Roman fertility celebration. The roman letters combined the Celtic language `` sour Night '' ritual with their own `` Feralia '' practice, both of whom involved the spirits of the drained. By putting it on November first, however, the roman type removed the '' public fasting '' required by Feralia. The new date replaced the public fasting of those final exam, gray days of Feb with the `` public solemnization '' of harvest time at the end of Oct. The solution was basically a drunken orgy, and the Romans really acknowledge how to throw an riot - especially if you mixed in religious overtones that made intoxicant and sex an acceptable part of the cultic fertility ritual.

'' Just like old time, '' he said aloud as he remembered the wild parties he had attended finally Allhallows Eve with Alicia. But then he glanced down at her painting in his hired hand and said softly and sadly, `` Just like old times. ``

This twelvemonth was to be a `` Kalend of Kalends. '' Literally that meant a calendar month of months, but it was used by the Romans to name to a decade. Somewhere in the ancient past it may deliver originally meant thirty calendar month or perhaps thirty twelvemonth, but that was before Estevan 's time.

Not a whole lot was before Estevan 's time. Once at a dinner party, when person had asked him how old he really was, he replied, `` I was n't around to sell the gemstone to Cheops for his Pyramid, but my company poured the concrete for Flavius when he built the Coliseum. '' Everyone laughed - those who heard it because of how his outlandish answer avoided giving his true age, Estevan, because he was telling the absolute truth.

No, Estevan was not immortal. He was an ordinary, mortal man, who one Feralia - before they even called it that - just happened to have struck a business deal with the custodian of the dead. Today virtually multitude call him The Devil, or Beelzebub, but he truly has no name, just as he has no face, or for that issue just as he has no body. He can assume various forms, from bull to goat to human to god or goddess or strange combinations in between, but all such class are just illusions.

'' His promise are also delusion, '' thought Estevan. `` unceasing life .... but at what price ? ``

Then he spoke aloud to himself `` Is it truly living when you know that once every ten class you must betray mortal who loves you dearly to buy another ten year of life ? ``

How many had he betrayed over the centuries ? How many had gone down into the realm of the keeper of the dead so that he could continue to walk the earth ? Would this be the year that, on the festival of the dead, he would decline, and would himself be embraced by the formless coat of arms of the keeper of the dead ?

Alicia was different. With his youthful charm and physically pleasing organic structure, it had always been easy to get women to flow in erotic love with him. He enjoyed their good luck charm while it lasted, and they benefitted greatly from his extreme wealth and power. He had always justified matter to himself by saying that if they had known what they were doing they would birth gladly traded their lives for the ten twelvemonth of absolute bliss which he bestowed upon them. Women - and men - gave up their lives for a lot less.

'' What was it that made Alicia unlike ? '' He thought to himself. It was n't just that she was rich - nowhere near as plenteous as Estevan, but wealthy enough to be plenteous even among the rich. And it was n't just that she was beautiful. He remembered how her naked trunk had shone in the moonlight on the beach. And, when she paused and looked at Estevan, it was as if a statue from the Temple of Aphrodite had come to life.

It was not just her physical appearance that made her special. Her voice was almost musical ; she knew her history and the involution of the arts and scientific discipline ; and she was fluid in as many speech communication as he was. At to the lowest degree, she could speak and translate all those linguistic process which he currently used. He had never tried to speak with her in ancient Phoenician.

There had been others as beautiful. Carla had breasts that were the perfect size and cast, and her sex was perfectly formed, both for beauty and to fondle and spellbind his cock as they thrust together. She had the perfect natural mixture of suitcase and lubrication so that it was like sliding through honey into that tight shaft.

There had been others as fat. Suzanne had been almost richer than he, coming as she did from royal blood in a time when royal line reigned supreme in European Economic Community. She was born to extreme wealth, and had taught him nicety of using your wealth to exert mogul over others that he would never have dreamed of on his own.

There had been others as intelligent. veronica was the most intelligent of them all. She actually had surmised his mystery, but her love for him kept her from fleeing. When her Kalendra came, she peacefully looked him in the eyes - without reverence - and said `` I wondered when this day would come. I knew it would. The defrayment for life is always aliveness. Despite what you must do, I thank you for the nine age of your love that you have given me. ``

Estevan grimaced remembering those Christian Bible. He had not loved her. She only thought he loved her because he had acted like he loved her. But it was, after all, an act. make out requires that you truly, faithfully and sincerely put the one you love above everything else in your life. As the old joke goes, `` Once you can fake that, you have it made. '' Estevan could fake love very, very well.

That is why Alicia was different. This time it was n't pseudo. After hundred upon the earth and after multitudinous women chosen, used, and discarded, Estevan had finally, truly and completely fallen in love.

The deal with The devil was that once every ten yr on the festival of the dead, he had to betray someone who truly loved him and plow them over to the custodian of the dead. Could he do it this year ?

Betraying someone who loved you is easy - as long as your dear for them is a pretender. But could he betray someone whom he truly loved ? Could he transmit Alicia into the arms of the keeper of the dead ?

The solution would fare at midnight on the dark of the dead. The exact day for that had varied through the centuries, but in today 's existence ..., in this commonwealth ..., in this culture ..., that would be at midnight on Halloween.

Alicia was rather tranquil all day on Allhallows Eve. This twelvemonth, the party would be at their estate. Perhaps she was preoccupied with the details of final preparation for the celebration. They had decided on a Greek root word for the decorations. Alicia designed and had supervised the construction of a relatively precise replica of the temple of Hestia, the Hellenic goddess of hearth and home.

The Romans borrowed many of the cultic pattern of the Hellenic, including the sanctified flame of Hestia, which on the night of the dead was brought to full-of-the-moon flack so that people could read glowing embers home to relight their fireplace with `` purify fire '' - of grade for a fee. There always had to be an oblation of silver to the goddess in return for the sacred fervor. Alicia 's pseudo-temple was the stark setting for a turgid bonfire for the party.

'' Have all refinement always combined fire ... and purity ... and demise ? '' thought Estevan when he saw the temple sitting in the garden. It was n't exactly as he remembered it when he had walked between its pillars in Greek capital, but the differences were nonaged. Alicia 's conception looked almost more primitive ... more antediluvian that the temple he remembered. `` This will be perfect. '' he told Alicia. He then added silently to himself, `` Now I do n't have to occur up with some way to create a bonfire. ``

The secret that Estevan had discovered so many Kalendra ago was that for everything sacred there was also the un-sacred. Perhaps both were sacred, but not on the Saame end of reality. There was `` dependable '' sacred and `` bad '' sacred. There was the `` holy place '' fervency and the `` un-holy '' fire. The graven image came forth from the holy fire. The keeper of the beat came forth from the un-holy fire.

It was an fortuity when it happened .... well, not exactly an accident. Estevan was supposed to kindle the consecrated flame for his house, but being a typically disaffected teenaged boy of any acculturation or century, he intentionally reversed the wording of the ritual. He was alone by the phratry sacred fireplace when he began the task of building a new flaming so he was free to mutilate the rite words. Had his don or mother been there, such disrespect would induce brought a severe beating, but he was alone, and so he showed his despite for what he considered the useless and holler words of a totally pudden-head rite. He reversed all of the Good Book as he labored to produce the proper spark to catch fire the dry out grass and tinder that would begin the flame for the sacred fire.

But it was n't a stupid ritual ..., and they were not useless, hollow Holy Writ. With his revoke ritual, he created an un-sacred fire and when the sept gathered, the keeper of the dead came forth from the fervor and consumed his sire and his mother and all who were gathered around the ardor ... except Estevan. Then the custodian of the dead offered him perpetual life. He could live forever, but that unceasing life-time required a regular payment of life.

What would Estevan say when The dickens came forth from the fervor this year. Would he say the right parole, `` I give you aliveness for life, have it away for making love, that which is not mine for that which is not yours. '' Or would he say simply, `` I withhold biography for lifetime and throw you my life story as your own. ``

There had never been any question about the pick of Scripture in all the century of geezerhood of his being. Why now ? Why this time ? Why with Alicia ?

The node began arriving shortly after sundown. It was a dark Nox, and the across-the-board garden was murkily lit with the flickering flame of torch which surrounded the area and lined each of the paths. The torches had been intentionally placed so that there were large, grassy areas of add together swarthiness where citizenry could find privacy in the midst of the gathering. If the political party had been inside, respective of the bedrooms would consume been available, but the saturnine areas would be almost as private.

The invitations had specifically said `` classic theme, '' but had also indicated that `` traditional Allhallows Eve costumes are also acceptable. '' So, as the evening began, there were toga and tunica clad men and women standing around drinking with witches, goblin, genius Wars role, and of class, a superfluity of blue nurses, teachers, cops, robbers, and whatever.

By nine o'clock several of the togas and adventitia had already been discarded and defenseless slaves walked among the merrymaker. Estevan smiled as he watched Dr. William Henry Harrison and a naked nanny President Buchanan slip into the darkness. It reminded him of existent naked hard worker being led into the darkness at a party in a circumstance very standardized to this a long, long time ago.

He was n't drinking tonight. He was n't sure if it was because he knew he could n't get himself drunk enough to do what he had to do, or because he was afraid that if he was drunk enough he would be able to say the intelligence and dedicate Alicia over to the keeper of the suddenly. Alicia also was not drinking tonight, probably because, as air hostess, she needed to keep her brain unmortgaged to supervise the party.

Midnight was fast approaching. Estevan and Alicia were the only two people there who were not seriously drunk and disheveled. They were also among the few who were still totally clothed. Shortly before midnight, Estevan began maneuvering Alicia to the `` drab side '' of the attack. At his proposition, there were no great mullein on this side of the fire so that just a few infantry from the flames, you were in relative duskiness. It was the perfect tense setting to foregather the keeper of the dead for the once-a-decade betrayal ritual.

And then it was time. Estevan and Alicia were standing in the perfect position. Others could not see them over the fire of flame, and from the sides they were just at the edge of being able to be seen in the fire 's glow. At exactly midnight, Estevan faced the fire and watched as a well- dressed man stepped out of the flaming and into the diffuse brightness level of the ardor lit the area. He had expected Alicia to be startled, but she stood serenely next to him.

The monster was dressed like a riverboat gambler from the American W. He even had on one of those blacken, flat-top horse opera hat preferred by such good-for-naught. He was continually twitch and catching what appeared to be an passe silver dollar. `` I have come for my Kalendra testimonial, '' he said with a smooth, deep voice.

Estevan stepped slightly forward. As he spoke the Ag one dollar bill spun past The Devil 's mitt and slowly - very, very slowly - dropped toward the ground.

Estevan stepped closer to him and said clearly, `` I withhold life for life story and move over you my life as your own. '' He was actually surprised to hear himself say those Good Book. He was even more surprised to hear Alicia speak the very like words as she stood alongside him.

He quickly turned to bet at her. Her oculus were wide with shock, as probably were his own. The keeper of the dead began to laugh. When Estevan turned back to look at him, the silver coin was sitting on the soil at his foot ... upright.

The Lucifer continued to laugh. `` If you flip a coin often enough, for long enough, eventually it will set down on edge. ``

Alicia and Estevan continued to stare at him, and at the coin. He continued. `` I never renege on my pile - ever ! ! But I do n't always give out all the contingent of every business deal. Only I know ALL the point of the deal. For this picky deal - which was the same for both of you - each time I come, you have a choice, heads or posterior ... hand me your life or the liveliness of someone who loves you. ``

'' Those whom you have given over to my keeping are short, but they are only stagnant. I take them to the office of the dead, like all others whom I escort from this realm. But on the day that you give me yourself, you come with me to the profoundness of what you like to telephone 'Hell .'''

He smiled a very cruel and vicious smile. `` You return to my home with me, because by willingly giving yourself to me, you have become my aeonian striver and plaything. ``

'' I make my deals very carefully knowing that eventually, you will fall in love. Eventually, you will witness individual whom you can not rat. And when that happens, you will devote your life for theirs and you are mine. It 's just a affair of time and the betting odds as I keep flipping the coin of choice. Sooner or later it comes up white tie. ``

He laughed once again. This fourth dimension it was the auditory sensation of true laughter. `` But there is always that infinitesimal possibility that the coin will not be heads or tails. Impossible as it seems, a coin can land on edge ... and stay there. The chances of that are very, very, very small, but the unsufferable will bump occasionally when you flip coins through all eternity. Tonight the coin has landed on bound. You have each given your spirit for the one whom you love. ``

Looking at both of them, he smiled and continued, `` Estevan, because you have given your life for Alicia, I can not contain her. Alicia, because you have given your life for Estevan, I can not take him. That means that you are now both free from your agreement. The lot is off. ``

He shook his header and smiled a wry smile. His voice took on an unusually lenient tone. `` You will now age like convention people, and the day will eventually arrive when I will once again come to collect you to the solid ground of the bushed, but that is where you will go. You will not accompany me back to Hell ... because the coin of alternative has laded on edge. ``

He picked up the silver dollar from the earth and tossed it to Estevan. `` Keep this as a remembrance that one Halloween, one duet very much in love with each other beat the the Tempter at his own game. ``

He laughed again and said, `` That does n't hap very often ... about as often as a coin landing on border and staying there. '' Turning back toward the fire he concluded. `` Now I must leave alone. Even I can suspend time for only a brusque while and I have many early designation for tonight. I have deals to pee-pee, lives to collect, and maybe even a soul or two to direct back with me to the deepest depths. ``

As he disappeared into the flak Alicia turned to Estevan, kissed him and said, `` It looks like we have a lot to catch up on about each other 's lifetime. '' She blushed slightly and added, `` I hope you do n't mind that I am a footling bit sure-enough than you. ``

When Estevan looked puzzled, she added, `` I did n't trade stones to Cheops either, but I did occasionally watch over from beneath a silk canopy as the striver sweated to push them into place. ``

Estevan took her hand and led her slowly into the darkness away from the tabernacle. Within their clasped hands, still warm to the touch from coming through the flame, they held the coin of pick which this Night had determined their fate.

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END OF STORY
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