Saving Ludo Chapter 4

Theo glared to Alice, without any words, he lifted an old sewing machine from a cabinet, and swung it to the window with all his might. The sewing machine crashed into the window, but it bounced back and fell into pieces on the floor. Nevertheless, the window was still intact.

Theo was dumbfounded, but Alice picked up the scattered sewing machine pieces from the floor. "This is a valuable thing", she sighed.

"It's impossible!" exclaimed Theo.

"I told you, you can't get out until you buy something." Alice said while putting back the sewing machine on its table. "Or, at least you promise to buy something."

"What if I don't come for my promise?"

Alice shrugged, "I like people who breaks promises"

Theo frowned. There were lots of swearing trying to come out from his mouth, but he didn't have the heart to mention it. Finally, he shifted to the window again.

"I see, this is a bullet proof window, right? You must have lots of trouble because of your manners, and people wants to shoot your empty head. I mean.. I wish I had a gun.."

"Hei, you can buy the gun. The troll's hair feet gun.."

"I want to buy nothing from this damned shop, nothing… you hear me?"

Alice pouted, "Ah, you are insulting the shop now. I like people that insults"

Alice sat back on her chair, put up her legs on the table casually, "Listen Theo, you came here because you wish for something. You'll get out of here with a guarantee that your wish will come true, in my specified payment. But in the end, everybody will always pay even if they resist it".

Theo scowled, "You sounded like a loan shark. What kind of place is this?"

Alice smiled, "It's a shop. Just like every other shop, I offer something for sale. I offer services".

"What kind of services? Making people die annoyed?"

"You may insult as much as you like, but you are making me happier," Alice grinned widely, Theo scowled quietly. "The service I offer you is, I will make your wish come true".

Theo gaped, "You must be crazy".

Alice kept on as if Theo didn't say a word, "You opened this shop because you said your wish in your heart. You have something you really want to, but it was impossible to get”.

She stared at Theo closely and seriously, "You can get your wish here, in this shop".

"What kind of wishes?" Theo in confused.

Alice nodded arrogantly, "Anything".

"How could it be?"

"Oh yes, I can", Alice put down her legs. She held out her hand to the shop's door, flicked her fingers, and… the giant key on the floor, glided and hit the door, crushing it. The key slowly turned around and then…

There was a loud 'click' sound. The door was opened.

Theo's eyes were wide open. The strong evening wind blew, pushed the door open with a loud 'bang'. Then the key disappeared.

Theo squinted, wiped the wind and dust from his face, tried to see clearly and at the same time tried to convince himself that he was not crazy. Alice flicked her fingers again, and the door slammed shut. Theo looked at Alice in disbelief, his body began to tremble violently. Alice smiled and raised her eyebrows arrogantly.

"I have the power to make your wish come true".

Theo linked his eyebrows, "I don't understand".

Alice scratched behind her ear, "How will I explain this to you? Okay, come here Theo. Sit down here. You are shaking".

Alice whistled a little, it sounded like a hummingbird. Reginald came with a chair, pushed it for Theo. Obediently, Theo sat on the uncomfortable wooden chair.

The chirping girl turned around in her chair. She crossed her fingers, seemed to think a little. A few moments later, she sighed.

"Here… Theo…," she began. Alice looked at the end of her table and cleared her throat.

"You know, every time you say your prayers, and yeah.. God will always listen. But you must know, it is not only God who listens to you. Sometimes, there is something else listening to your prayers. In the middle of your desperate prayers, that 'something' will also listen to you. What you can do is just wait, whether God will answer to you first or you'll find that 'something' will give you the shortcut, answering to your prayers before God".

"As you knew, sometimes God's answer is not fast enough. And that 'something' can persuade you stronger than God's messenger. If so, it means that you are really in trouble".

Theo's blood drained from his face, he was pale white like a sheet of paper. Theo shuffled backwards in his chair, shaking violently caused the chair racking on the floor. He had never been terrified like this in his life.

"Who are you?" he asked. He can hear his teeth chattering as he opened his mouth. He even didn't care if he looked silly because he was scared to death.

Theo gulped, tried to collect all his last strength and courage to run to the end of the room.

He exclaimed, "What are you?"

Alice smirked, a terrible smirk.

"There were lots of callings. I've been around the five continents, from before the time is set until now in the 21st century. I've met thousands of world leaders who you can find their names in the history book"

"They called me pixie, Rumpelstiltskin, fairy, genie… lots of names given to me and there were many description to explain me. I was considered good, bad, dangerous… but whatever people thought about me, they always considered me interesting".

"But, from all callings and stories about me, there was only one thing that's correct. That I'll never be good. I am an underground dweller. I am the occupant of the darkness. I am that 'something'".

"I am the demon"

Chapter end