Danny sighed at the totally fake display of sincerity of the eyeball. He knew the creature spoke the truth, Danny had no way of knowing what he was getting into, much less what was his own worth in comparison. But it did not matter that the creature had not relented on this, after all, he was only trying to probe it earlier.

What could Danny even do if the creature refused his request? Negotiation between two parties could only be fair if they both had an equal standing. Instead, this was more like the creature notifying Danny about the terms of the arrangement, and him only being able to nod in understanding.

Even if Danny knew this was the case, he had to accept it. No matter what, for that slim chance that he could finally change his fate and take control of his life, he had to gamble on this ‘deal’. The monster was aware of it, and it was clearly amused.

“What about the deal itself then? Just a ‘yes’ will do?”

“Not quite”. The eyeball changed into an old-human-faced tree and extended one of its branches close to Danny. He immediately went on alert and his hand automatically went to his mother’s music player, but he showed none of the apprehension he felt inside on his face. He also did not press the button in the end, calmly waiting for the creature to continue.

“All you have to do is touch this branch. I will form a connection between us, and it will be done quickly. You will feel the connection forming and the intent in it. It is important that you must accept the feeling, otherwise the link will not form. After the link is established, the deal will be on and it cannot be changed”.

“What do you mean by ‘link’ and ‘intent’?

“Exactly what it sounds like Danny-boy, you can think of it as a connection on the spiritual level between us. The intent itself will be the terms of our deal, our imprinted wills”.

Danny didn’t understand too well the explanation, but he moved on with his questioning anyway.

“This connection, will it last forever?”

“No. It usually lasts up to a thousand years, or until one of us dies”.

“A thousand years?!”. Danny felt shocked at the ridiculous number the monster announced and could not help but drop his facade. Such a long time exceeded his lifespan by more than ten times. What was the point of such a lasting timeframe? He would die long before it reached the time limit. The creature might as well say it lasted forever!

“It is not a long time at all kid. A thousand years pass in the blink of an eye”. The creature said as if it could read Danny’s thoughts. “But rush rush, my patience has limits. I answered your questions, now it is time you tell me of your decision”. The old-human-faced tree looked at Danny with a predatory smile.

Danny gulped loudly, but he repressed his panic in front of the monster’s hurrying, before he asked one more thing. He knew he was pushing his luck, but since he had made his mind to gamble on this ‘deal’, he was determined to gamble for an outcome he could accept, something he could live with at least.

“Just one last thing, if I take this deal, you cannot harm me or anyone close to me while it is ongoing”. Danny had to make this clear. If he could not ensure his safety and of those around him, there was not much improvement over his previous circumstances. If he could reduce the danger the creature posed and limit the amount of damage it could cause, then Danny could make plans without fearing that the demon would hinder them. It would be a major victory.

“Hahahahahaha, that goes without saying Danny! It was implied in the arrangement!”. The tree dismissed his worries while the branch near Danny kept creeping closer and closer in the direction of his heart, as if something there was attracting it. Very soon it was nearly touching him.

Danny knew he was out of time, so he gritted his teeth and without hesitation, grabbed the branch. Although he saw the creature morph into many shapes and sizes, if someone told him that what he was gripping was not wood, he would not have believed it. The sensation transmitted to his fingers was exactly what one would expect from bark.

Very quickly he felt a prickling sensation in the corner of his mind. It was a strange feeling. Besides the growing pain, Danny could feel the creature’s intentions mixed in that painful spot. His own will soon quickly melded into the mishmash that was forming there as well before Danny could even begin to question how any of that worked.

He could not put into words what was going on inside his head, but he felt the exact expectations he and the monster had stated before condensing in a place somewhere in his mind. It was not something clear and defined like words, but more akin to emotions instead.

If he traced the sensation, he could tell that there was another similar concentration of ‘intent’ or ‘will’ for the lack of a better word was taking place where the creature stood, and both solidifying mixtures where clearly linked.

Danny resisted the urge to fight the intrusion in his mind and merely paid close attention to the magical event without getting distracted by the growing pain in his head. Danny was no stranger to pain. He could take this much without losing focus.

As quickly as it came, the sensation faded, leaving a bewildered Danny processing the magical occurrence he had just witnessed and had no understanding of, while slowly coming to the realization that the deed was done, and if he was tricked, then right about now he was utterly fucked.

“Very good, the pact is sealed. I might have had to kill you otherwise Danny boy, despite my unwillingness”. The tree gently smiled while retracting its branch.

Danny knew it said the truth, and it could very easily go through with its casual threat. The thing in front of him was completely beyond his comprehension. Just now, when they were connected, Danny felt the monster in a completely different way than his usual five senses. He didn’t even know if what he ‘saw’ was the thing’s mind, soul or whatever, but comparing the two of them was like comparing an elephant to an ant. He couldn’t even properly measure the immensity of the being in front of him.

He was not sure how much security this arrangement could give him, considering their disparity, but he was glad for the first time in his life that the thing found him amusing. He was like a stuck bug struggling in a puddle of water while a curious kid watched on the side. Everything could happen depending on how the child’s mood swung. The fact that the kid hasn’t stepped on the bug yet was already a victory worth celebrating in his opinion.

“So, what should I call you? What are you as a matter of fact?”

The snake merely pointed with its tail to the chalice, reminding Danny that there was no such thing as a freebie in this relationship.

Danny sighed at his failed probing before slowly taking a knife, alcohol and a bandage he had previously hidden under the pillow, as to not give the monster any hints about his intention. The creature had no reaction after seeing the items though, indicating that either his attempt at deception failed or it simply didn’t care.

Danny quickly washed the knife and his hands with alcohol before taking a deep breath and slashing his left forearm. The pain made him grit his teeth and curse at his own hesitation. The cut was not deep enough and only a trickle of blood dripped on the chalice.

No matter how much he had prepared himself mentally, it was normal to hesitate when inflicting self-harm, your instincts were wired to prevent you from doing so after all. Danny was also only in his early twenties, and despite previous experiences with both physical and mental pain, he never truly tried cutting himself before.

Danny cursed softly again and quickly slashed one more time, managing to succeed in this second try. After having filled the chalice, Danny bandaged himself and delivered his payment to the monster. During the whole process the creature hadn’t made a sound, patiently waiting for its tribute to be delivered.

“Ah… very good, as a commemorative gift to the establishment of our contract, I shall add a little bit more value to this payment than usual. No need to thank me little Danny!”. The snake spoke with a delighted smile. Its tail held the cup steadily while its own forked tongue twisted on itself over and over, until it transformed into a sucking proboscis, reminiscing one you would find on butterflies, that dipped in the viscous red liquid and slowly drained the container.

“Oh, thanks… I guess”. Danny had no intention to thank the thing, but still went on with the charade. Better a pleased monster than an annoyed one. “So, what about the previous question?”.

“Hmmm… I guess for your kind I could be called a demon”. The snake nonchalantly replied while enjoying its treat. “I also had many names through the ages. Call me what you want. This pitiful amount of blood is not enough for me to tell you my given name, even with the bonus I just granted you”.

“A demon? Like… from hell?”. Danny frowned at the prospect of demons crawling out of the abyss and into the world being a real tangible thing.

“Not quite. Like I said, ‘for your kind’. As it is common in many stories, legends start based on a smidgeon of truth, slowly developing mutating through the sands of time until only a small fragment of what truly came to pass remains, while most of the rest are fictions only. I can be called a demon, yet, I am not what you would expect from a demon”.

“What good is your explanation to me then?! I am a demon, yet I am not a demon. Bullshit riddle-like answer”. Danny cursed the creature in his mind, while keeping the grievance in his heart.

“Okay… forget about it then. However, even if you won’t say your name, I still have to call you something right? I can’t just pick randomly, can I?”. Danny asked while thinking inwardly “Yeah right, what happens if I choose something that pisses it off? Wouldn’t I screw myself over nothing then? I doubt it would remain indifferent if I started calling it pervert stalker”.

“It does not matter, call me what you will”. The snake dismissingly dashed his hopes.

“Then… what about Tutu?”.