• The woman could feel the heat from the fire mere feet away. She wiggled in her bonds yet again, but it was hopeless. They had bound her far to tightly for any hope of escape. Tears feel from her eyes as she realized it was hopeless. She couldn’t even make a sound as her mouth was bound with a foul-tasting rag. They were going to toss her into the fire and there was nothing she could do about it. Men in robes were cheering and singing, celebrating her imminent sacrifice and their coming rise to power. “Brothers!” one man lept onto the stage, the fire playing shadowy tricks on his face, until he looked like a demon grinning over his prize. ”Tonight we have found our prize!” The congregation cheered in response. “Tonight we shall offer this lovely woman to our dark lord, and he shall grant us everlasting power!” More cheering. She sobbed in response. Nobody paid her any mind. While the man, who was probably the leader, continued with his speech, others drew queer symbols around the fire. The man’s speech reached a crescendo, but she no longer heard it. Complete and abject terror seemed to block it from her mind. Out of the terror came a voice. I can help you.
    She twisted in her bonds, looking around for the source of that mysterious, calm voice. She tried to ask who was there but the gag prevented any sound from being made. The voice chuckled. Don’t bother looking around for me. I’m everywhere. He chuckled again. Looks like you got yourself in quite a jam. I can help you…for a price, of course.
    What price? She asked. No, no, no, the voice chastised. It doesn’t work that way. You have to decide NOW. And do hurry. It looks like it’s time for you to go on. The voice was right. The speech was rapidly nearing it’s end, and already mean were coming for her. It was now or never. Fine, I agree! Save me! NOW!
    Silence. The was no response. The robed men picked her up, on her head and the other at her legs. She tried to kick and scream but they were tremendously strong. Where was the voice who promised to save her? Had she imagined it? The singing reached a fever pitch as they neared the sacrificial blaze. “NOW LET IT END” the leader roared, and they tossed her in, muffled screams and all. She expected searing pain, scorched flesh, and burning hair.
    She felt nothing. It was ice cold. No burned flesh; nothing. The ropes that bound her were burned off along with her clothes, yet the flames didn’t touch her flesh. All she could see was an endless wall of flickering red-orange. She was puzzled, before remembering the voice. So it was real! Which means she just entered a deal with a mysterious entity with absolutely no idea what it was. As soon as she thought that, the inexplicable voice began cackling. That’s when a bewildering sensation began. Her face felt like it was bubbling. She had a similar impression with the rest of her. Her stringy brown hair began to fall out, the her head began to itch as new red hair took it’s place. It felt like her entire body was reshaping itself. She was being reborn from the fire, like the mythical phoenix. The men outside could see none of this and probably assumed everything was going according to plan.
    Their faces when she walked out of the fire were priceless. First there was shocked, stunned silence, which quickly evolved into panic. Kill them, the voice said coldly. Suddenly flaming tendrils shot out of her outstretched hands. She found she could direct them with her mind, and sent the searing weapons after her former captors, snaring ankles and necks. Their screams rent the night, bringing a grim smile to her face. She caught the leader trying to escape, and dragged him, slowly, inexorably, towards her. She extinguished the brand in order to make the pain last longer. “Please! Please have mercy!” he screamed wildly, trying to unwrap the vine from his neck. “God has mercy. I don’t.” she said, then calmly broke his neck.
    The slaughter was over now, with most of the cult members dead, and the rest fled. That gave the newly reborn woman time to consider herself. She had been touched by the devil. There was no doubt about that. She had been a Christian woman all her life. She always went to church and said the Lord’s Prayer every night. The thought of the devil controlling her should have scared her, but it seemed, muted or numb under the rush of what she just did. She dimly wondered what her end of the deal was. It was rather cold that night so she stripped some clothes off her victims. They were horribly mismatched and too big, but she didn’t mind. Well, well, well…Look at the mess you made.
    “Wha-what am I?” she said aloud. In a word…you’re perfect, the devil’s voice said.
    “What’s my end of the deal?”
    Simple, he explained, I made you pretty, I made you smart, now go break me a million hearts.
    “That’s all?”
    That’s all. You may wish the know that the nearest settlement is tten miles west of here.
    She thought for a moment. She could try and rebel against him, maybe die in the process and get sent to hell. Or she could beg God’s forgiveness, spend an eternity in prayer for her sin. But somehow neither of the options appealed to her. “Yes, sir!” she said, then grabbed a pair of boots and started walking.