“Now I lay me down to sleep I pray the Lord my soul to keep but if I die before I wake I pray the Lord my soul to take.”

When I was a little boy I always said that before I went to sleep. I would kneel by my bed, fold my hands, close my eyes, and say those words. Then I would reopen my eyes and make a cross over my body and I would jump into bed and fall asleep. I know that those words were just words, they did not save me and they will not save any one, nor did they save me from the fate that I had two summers ago. My life changed forever. I did not know what I was doing until it was too late. Well, to make sense of what I am trying to say let’s start from the beginning of my story and everything you are about to hear is true.


Jake Kingdom is my name and I am a sophomore in college. I was popular in high school I got every girl and the guys hurt me for it. I was a dream boat in school; nice, cool, sexy, and smart. I never once gave life a bad opportunity. I never made a deal that I couldn’t pay back. My life was going great until one rainy day my mother came back from the hospital; she had been crying and her green eyes were red, her nose was running and she was shaking like a leaf in the wind. I asked my mom what was going on; she took a deep breath in and out, she looked at me for the longest time before she opened her mouth.

“Sweetie I came back from the doctors with news” I could tell that the news was not good she was stuttering over her words.

“Jake, I have…….cancer in my brain and the doctor can’t help me.”

I did not know what to do--my heart felt like water flowing in air that was about to drown. I could only think of one thing to do -- I wrapped my arms around my mom and she wrapped her arm around me.
By 10:00 pm my mother fell asleep. I couldn’t sleep at all so I went for a drive. I did not know where I was going, all I know is that I kept on driving until I came to a fork in the road. I stopped the car and got out, I walked to the middle of the road and fell to my knees and started to yell. A tear came down my face then it hit the ground.

“Are you ok, boy” the voice sounded strong and powerful and creepy.

I looked up to see a man in a suit standing by me. He had the bluest eyes I have ever seen, his skin was white as snow his blond hair was spiked in the front.

“I am fine” I said rising to my feet.

“You do not look fine.”

He looked at me then stood there watching me. Then he started to grin, a wide grin.

“I see.”

“See what?”

“Why you are here and why for the tears?”

He gives me a grin then with a smile he said. “I can help you mother.”

“What are you talking about? My mom is healthy as a horse.”

“No, she’s not we both know she has cancer in the brain and the doctor can’t help her.”

“But you can?”

He smiled.

“Yes”

“Why should I believe you?”

“I am all you get to make your mom healthy again”

I looked at him for a long time before giving him an answer.

“How much?”

“I do not want your money, boy.”

“Then what do you want?”

“This is more like a deal… you give me what I want and I will heal your mother.”

“And the deal is what?”

“Nothing too much, just your Soul. So what do you say? Your mother’s life for your soul? She will be happy forever until she dies of old age or someone kills her; but she will not die of cancer”

I now know what I had to do to save my mother. So I agreed to his terms. He snapped his finger and smiled.

“Done! Your mother is going to live and your soul is mine”

“I don’t know your name”

“Van is my name, Jake”

He vanished.

The sun had come up so I jumped back into my car and drove home.


When I got home mom’s car was gone. I opened the front door and walked to the kitchen. There… on the table… was a note.

Jake,

Went to the hospital be back at noon.

Love,
Mom

I sat there on the couch waiting for my mom to come back. I wondered if that guy was telling the truth. Can he really save my mom?

“Wait what am I saying? He wants my soul and souls are not real plus you can’t heal brain cancer. I just hope that they find a cure for cancer today or tomorrow, not in five years because my mom will be dead in five years or she might be dead tomorrow -- or today.”

“ STOP” I said to myself. I started to breathe heavy.

“Stop talking like that Jake. Your mom will be fine” I said to myself.

I heard the front doorknob and I turned my head to see my mom walk through the door. I jumped over the back of the couch, my mom turned around and she wrapped her arms around me.

“It’s a miracle, honey” she started to cry. She pulled away.

“Jake, the doc said that I was healing. It was an amazing thing that he saw a miracle overnight. Honey, I am going to see you graduate from high school and college and have a family.”

She hugged me so tight that I couldn’t breathe but I did not care because my mom is going to live.

“Jake let go and let’s celebrate”
She let go of me and I smiled at her.

“Yes, mom lets go”

We got into my mom’s BMW and drove to dinner. The only thing going through my mind is how did it happen? You do not heal over night or was it the deal I made? I know I should be happy my mom is going to live but I still wonder how he did it.

“Jake”

“Uh” I said

“We are here”

I looked out the window to see Applebee’s. I got out and we walked to the entrance. There in front of us was the podium and waitresses and waiters and people at the tables and the bar was filled with people. The waitress walked us to our table and we sat down.

“The menus.”

I looked up to see that our waiter is that Van guy.

“Oh, yes two of your best dishes please.”

“Coming right up.”

“And I will have a cola and how about you Jake?”

“Why”?

“Jake”

“Why, why is he here?”

“Jake”

“Uh”

“What do you want to drink?”

“Uh… Dr. Pepper”

The guy left.

“Jake are you ok?”

“Yam, mom I am fine it’s not every day someone is saved from brain cancer.”

“Here are your drinks.”

“Thank you” said mom

“I will be back with your food.”

25 minutes went by

“Here you go.”

“Thank you.” said mom

We ate our food and then I got up to go to the bathroom; then when I got back mom and I went home. 10:27 pm mom went to bed and I was still up sitting on my bed.

“How is your mom?”

“Uh”

I turn around to see Van leaning against my will with his hands in his pocket.

“You were at Applebee.”

“Yes, I was your waiter but you did not answer my question, how is your mother?”

“She is good; you can say that she never had cancer.”

“So, I did my job so now I get your soul Jake a deal is a deal”

“So how will it happen?”


“I will collect it when I feel like it so until then live your life like today is your last day”

He vanished.

Two months passed since my mom’s cancer was gone. I am still alive waiting for Van to collect my soul. When is he going to do this I do not know? All I know is that next month I am going to graduate from high school. I may not make it but I need to live.

When I get to P.E the gym teacher was introducing a new kid. He was standing there; he had brown hair, black eyes and sun- tanned. He looked like he worked out anyways he was a good looking guy and his name is Dean Castle. I was walking to my car when I saw someone standing by my car I did not recognize him at first but as I got closer I could tell who it was. Dean Castle the new guy. I stopped walking and we were standing in front of each other, he was a little creepy looking at first but it passed.

“Hi Dean.”

He just looked at me.

“You made a deal”

“What?”

“Did I stutter, you sold your soul? Want a fool.”

“Who are you?”

“Do not worry about that now listen; I can help you get your soul back”

“How can I trust you?”

“You have no other choice but to trust me, Jake”

“No, I do not need to trust you. I do not even know what you are talking about.”

“Yes you do. Listen, I do not care why you sold your soul but I can get it back”

Can I trust him?

“Look Jake you have two choices:
1.
I can help you out to get your soul back and you can live your life…OR
2.
You can be dead
“It is up to you”

Well, I know I do not want to be dead but the last time I made a deal it was for my soul. So what does Dean want?

“If I say yes what do you want in return?”

“Nothing Jake”

“Who are you and why are you helping me?

“That just says that you are not the only one who made a deal”

“You made the deal! Now who’s the fool?”

He just stood there, his eyes eyeballing me.

“Do you know who took your soul?”

“Ya, I do he said his name was Van”

“Van” Dean said

“Who is he?”

“Van is a demon Jake”

“Demon” I echoed back

“Yes, a demon and he has your soul. I have good news and bad news.”

“What’s the good news?”

“The good news is that your soul is still inside of you but it is marked by him to warn other demons your soul has been taking. The bad news is that Van can take it anytime he wants. But the up side of it is that he has to come here to take your soul. He needs to be face to face with you to take your soul. So when Van comes to take your soul we will be ready to kill Van”

“How are we going to do that Dean?”

“By fighting Van”

“How?”

Dean stood there for two seconds then he started to grin and it creeped me out. Dean put up his right hand and waved his arm in the air. Something was coming to his head, and then there it was—a sword with a brown handheld and a red diamond in the middle of the handheld. On the blade it has some kind of writing on it. The sword must have been about six inches long. Dean held the sword straight out toward me.

“Your sword?”

“What?”

“A human can only kill a demon by this sword.”

I looked at the sword then at Dean then back at the sword then I reached out with my right hand to grab the sword. I wiped my hands around the handle and when I did that Dean let go of the sword and the sword get really heavy. I can’t hold it up at all. It hit the ground sparks flew out I grabbed it with my other hand and turned to pull it up but no luck. I can’t lift it up. So I take a deep breath in and stepped one leg behind me and one in front of me and I pulled on that sword with all of my might, but it was no good. I looked at Dean and he was smiling.

“You did this on purpose. You know I would not be able to lift the sword up. What game are you playing Dean?”

“No game Jake. You must respect the sword and respect yourself. Show that you are worthy of that sword. Prove to the sword that you are not a weak human. Show the sword that you can kill that demon with your hands tied behind your back. Then and only then will you will be able to lift up the sword!”

“Oh, and one more thing. It will help that you are training your body. Not by running, that will not help. You need to show the sword that you are together with your mind, body, and soul.”

Dean grabbed the sword and I let go of it. Dean swung the sword over his shoulder like it was nothing.

“Remember what I said Jake. Respect yourself and prove that you belong here if you do that then the sword will feel worthy of you and you can work with the sword and kill Van”

“Will you help me Dean?”

“No, I can’t help you. You must do this on your own”

Dean vanished.

Great, now what. Well, I guess I can do want Dean told me to do. Workout. I am already fit, I am captain of the football, hockey and track and field team so what work out did he mean? I got in the car and drove home. When I got home I took a walk toward the ocean, to find out what Dean meant when he said “work out”. I was walking on the pier when looking over the ocean. I think that’s what Dean meant.

“Hi Jake”

I turned around to see the beautiful Zoë. Her long black wavy hair over her shoulders, her black eyes looking at me. Her smooth white skin and her red lips with her slim waist, she was wearing blue pants and white t-shirt with a black jacket. Zoë was the nicest girl in school and I had the biggest crush on her ever since the fifth grade. I never told her that I liked her. So I dated other girls but no matter how many girls I have been with Zoë is the girl for me. I will never tell her that as she may laugh in my face or tell me to get a life. Zoë grew up three houses down from me, she was like the girl next door well make that three houses down next door. When I was little I would always ride my bike by her house and now I will drive by her house just to see her. I never got the chance to see her at school and now here she is standing right behind me and as the sun goes down she walks up towards me. Now she is standing next to me holding on the railing looking out toward the sky and the colors of the sky is shining off of her that marks her eyes sparkle.

“Hi Jake for the second time”

“Uh... oh sorry. Hi Zoë”

“Men, where is your head?”

“Not with me right now”

“I guess so Jake, so want are you doing out her?”


She looks around

“What are you looking for?”

She turns to me.

“Your date”

“I do not have one tonight”

“Uh... So you are her by yourself?”

“Yes”

“Cool” Zoë said

Zoë looks out to the sky and I moved l little close to her without her knowing about it. My heart is racing my palms are getting sweetie I do not know why I have been with her with other girls but this girl is different from the others. I love this one and here we are together under the night sky.

“So, Zoë does your boyfriend know that you are here?”

“John and I broke up yesterday”

Uh… she had a boyfriend. What? No way.

“I did not know that you two broke up. So who ended it?”

“I did” Zoë said

Good that means that John did not break her heart.

“It’s a nice night isn’t it” Zoë said

“Yes, it is Zoë”



“I never saw colors like this before last night it was red and orange but tonight it’s red, orange, purple, pink, and yellow”

“I know” I said.

“So do you also want to come out here?” said Jake


“Ya I do. Especially at night when the moon is full and a lot of stars are shining. It makes my day. I feel like the only person on earth it makes me think about the big picture about things. I know you think I am weird.”

“No, I do not thank that Zoë. I think it’s cool and awesome that you do that.”

She smiled.

“Thanks Jake”

“You’re welcome Zoë”


“Can I ask you something Zoe?”

“Ya”

“I have this friend and he said that he can help me but I need to work out and as you can see I think I do not need to work out, so do you know what he means?”

“What did your friend say?”

“Something about respecting myself and something with the body and mind and soul”

“I see. Your friend was not talking about a gym or a run he was talking about something also”

“Zoë tell me. What he means I can do anything”

“Come to my house tomorrow after school and I will tell you and show you want your friend is talking about.”

Zoë was walking away from me. I watch her live until she was out of my sight.

Right after school I drove as fast as I can to get it to Zoë’s place. I pulled into her driveway and turned off the engine and walked up to the house. I knocked and Zoë answered the door in a Blue leggings and a white t-shirt. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail and she was not wearing shoes but socks. She stepped back, I walked in. There was a flat screen TV on the wall and a red couch and stairs to the left. She led the way to the middle of the front room. There were two mats on the floor.

“Your friend said you have to work out. You have to have respected your mind and body and soul in other words you have to do yoga and meditation.”

I looked at her.

“Yoga and Meditation?”

“Yes, Jake should we get started?”

After eight weeks of yoga and Meditation with Zoë I felt something and I do not know what I felt but I felt it.

After dinner I went to my room and shut the door.

“Jake”

“Dean?”

“How have you been?”

“Well my soul is still here”

“I can see that. So have you been working out?”

“Yes I have”

“Good. Then let’s put it to the test.”

Dean waved his arm and the sword is back.

“Take it” said Dean.

I took a deep breath in and out with both hands. I grabbed ahold of the sword. I looked at Dean and with all of my strength and workout with Zoë I pulled up. Dean’s face gives a little expression. He grinned and I looked down to see why he was grinning. The sword was two inches off the ground. I looked up at Dean.

“I did it!” I yelled.

“Ya, Two inches off the ground. But you still have a lot of work to do.”

Dean waved his hand and the sword vanished.

“Keep doing what you are doing because it is working for you. Jake, soon you will be able to hold that sword with one hand call on the power of the sword!”

“That sword has power?” I asked

“Yes. The power is not in the sword itself but in you Jake.”

“Good bye Jake. I will return.”

He was gone.

So Zoë, I guess we need each other. Well more for me then you but hell I am ok with that. So I lifted it up two inches from the ground. That is cool well I guess I need to visit Zoë then I hope she is ready for me. I ran down the stairs, my mom was framing my gradation picture; I was in a white gown and that stupid hat thing. That no one looks good in but I pulled it off. Me and Zoë. But then again I think Zoë looks good in everything. The picture was taken outside in front of the school. In front of that red school that did not look so good and I am in front of it with my white graduation gown. Can you say “ouch?”

“Oh Jake”

“Hi mom, I was on the way out.”

“Ok honey.”

I kissed my mom on the cheek and left to go to Zoë’s place. When I got there I knocked at the door. Zoë answered the door; she looked like hell, her hair was messed up mark up running still wearing that blue dress.

“Zoë?”


“Shhhh do not yell.”

“I won’t.”

“Shh. What do you want?”

“I was hoping for more yoga and Meditation?”

“Oh… ya… come on in.”

I stepped inside. Zoë closed the door.

“Hey I am going to take a shower wait here and I’ll be back”

“Ok”

Zoë walked up the stairs very slowly. I guess someone had too much fun last night at Ken’s party. I leaned against her wall for about five or six minutes. I saw Zoë come down. She was in tan shorts and a red t-shirt and her hair was up. She had no makeup on but she still had these lines under her eyes. Zoë sat on the last step to put her shoes on. She took a breath in and out; she got up and went to the bathroom. She opened up the medicine cabinet and took out a bottle of Advil. She turned on the sink and she put the pills in her mouth and leaned over the sink and I watched her open her mouth and let the water enter. Then Zoë pulled back and swallowed the pills and the water, and then Zoë turned off the sink and walked towards me.

“Let’s go”

“We are not doing it here?”

“No”

Zoë grabbed the keys and her sunglasses. She opened the door and she put on the glasses and went outside and I followed her. I shut the door behind me. Zoë got in her car and I got in the passenger side. Zoë turned on the car. The radio was blasting Zoë turned it off. Zoë pulled out. I did not know where we were going but I trusted Zoë… I think?
So far we are in the middle of nowhere I do not think that we are in Ohio any more. Zoë stopped the car and turned it off.

“We are here Jake”

Zoë get out. I looked around. There were only trees and rocks and grass. I got out and followed Zoë down a hill. We went past some trees and a rock that looked like Johnny Depp. Zoë stopped in front of me. I walked next to her to an open field with two big rocks a river and a waterfall. The waterfall was not big but it was an amazing thing that I saw. The grass was the greenest color that I have ever seen. The water was blue as the sky. And the rocks, well they were just rocks. There were flowers, but they were a pink mix with purple and red. They were the prettiest flowers I have ever seen.

“I know it’s nice here isn’t it Jake?”

“Ya, it is.”

“This is where we will workout.t”

“Cool”

We spent all day there working out but I did not mind as it was peaceful. I do not need to worry about anything at all. My head was clear my body was at peace and my soul was at the center of the earth.
When I got home my mom was at work and there on the couch was Dean looking at me.

“Now let’s see if you improved.”

Dean stood up and summoned the sword. He handed it to me and I grabbed the sword with one hand. Dean set it back down. I know I can do this. Then I remember the day that I had and how I felt. I relaxed my body and mind and soul. I closed my eyes and pulled up. When I reopened my eyes Dean was leaning back on the couch smiling at me. I looked up to see one hand holding the sword straight up in the air. I swung the sword in midair. I slashed the air. I stabbed the air. I jumped in the air and swung the sword as I was jumping up.

“Now it is my turn to teach you how to use that sword”

“Cool. When do we start?”

“Now”

One month of training with Dean was hell. Blood, sweat and no sleep and no food and no water; I never thought I would make it through. But somehow I did. Dean said that I am all most done just a few more blood and tears to go.
One day I asked Dean what happened to him. Instead of answering me, he made me run 3,465 miles with the sword above my head so I never asked him that question again. I still want to know. Dean needs to tell someone, so why not me.

“Jake”

I looked to see Dean.

“You are ready for Van. Now we need to wait for him to come and collect your soul!”
Dean and I looked at each other. And are ready for Van? So, Van if you are out there come and get my soul.

Come and take my soul or is it up to me to take your soul?