A Second Chance

David Johnson was a loser. He'd always been a loser, all through high school and college, even now in his working life he'd gotten nowhere. A long flat road of mediocrity, with the only bright points being his wife Linda and their two daughters, but even then he'd failed. He was supposed to protect and provide for them, but there they were up to their eyes in debt and prospects looking bleak. The bank had already sent letter after letter regarding foreclosure on their home and this afternoon he'd gotten the worst news possible from his boss. He was fired.

They'd spun some corporate bullshit about numbers and performance but he knew better. The fact was he was the type of guy who blended into the background, didn't stand out, and wouldn't be missed. The perfect scapegoat for when a project goes bad or when the boss needs an easy out. Just fire the nobody and pin on him whatever shit they could get away with.

Close to tears and terrified of what he'd say to his family, David hadn't paid attention to the road as he drove home, the rain pouring down making the surface extra hazardous. One turn taken a little too fast and he'd crashed through the barrier and went careening down the embankment, his car tumbling head over heels down before coming to an abrupt stop, his car wrapping around a tree with a sickening crunch.

David had no idea how long he'd lain there, tossed from the wreckage of his car by the impact to land thirty feet away in the mud. He was vaguely aware of the rain pouring down on him but didn't quite register any pain or discomfort, even though he was aware that his legs were twisted and broken and almost certainly he was suffering severe internal trauma, in that moment he could sense only the rain and his own fading heartbeat.

“My my, we are a mess aren't we?” Came a calm voice that spoke of sophistication and refinement, somehow audible even over the pounding rain and thunder.

David mustered what strength he could and looked in the direction of the voice, spotting a tall man wearing a dark grey suit and neatly styled black hair, with just a hint of silver at the temples. Despite the storm around him, the figure seemed perfectly dry, as if even the weather yielded to his presence.

“Wh-who are you?” David croaked weakly as the stranger stepped closer. “P-please...help...”

“Now that's exactly why I'm here.” The stranger said with a generous smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. “You, my friend, need help. And I don't mean...this.” He said, gesturing to the wrecked car or the injured David. The figure knelt down next to David on the ground. “And I can provide that help.”

“W-what do you...I need...hospital...” David groaned as agony shot through his body as he began to feel his injuries. “Please!” He begged.

“Now now, this is a very exclusive offer, once in a lifetime you might say.” the figure continued, ignoring David's pleas, “Well, at least your lifetime.” The figure lit up a cigarette and took a long draw. David didn't even see him take out a lighter or a match. “You see, what I offer is an opportunity to fix your life, to right the wrongs done to you and your family, to give them what they've always deserved. To give you the chance to take what you've always wanted.”

“What...what do you...mean?” David groaned, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

“Think of this like a job offer. Agree to work for me, to serve me and my interests, and I'll grant you everything you need to turn your life around.” The figure took another long draw. “Your wife Linda never having to work another day, never having to worry about debts piling up or medical bills, your daughters, Abigail and Kayleigh never having to worry about their future, Ivy League schools begging them to enrol, unlimited career opportunities. What father wouldn't want that for his family?” He continued, his eyes almost seeming to glow with the intensity of his words. “All you have to do...is say yes.”

The figure grinned at David, its visage shifting like a badly drawn AI portrait, looking less and less human, and more and more...other. Scarlet serpentine eyes alight with malevolence, a grin too broad for it's face, teeth too sharp to be human. Despite this, David wasn't exactly in a position to refuse was he? He coughed up more blood. His choices were clear...accept this...thing's offer...or die in the mud as he was.

He thought back to Linda and his girls, thinking of them and how they'd survive without him...how much they would suffer if he died, he wanted to do this for them didn't he? They needed him... Without him they would have nothing.

But no. He realized, that wasn't what tempted him to take the offer, he knew his girls would manage without him, that they'd find a way to survive. Linda would re-marry, the girls would finish college and whatever they got from his life insurance would sustain them. No, what drew his attention was the part about 'taking what he wanted' . He thought bitterly about his life, how his boss had tossed him aside after ten years of loyalty and hard work, how none of his friends or co-workers had said anything, even that bank manager that had decided to foreclose on his home...about how his life could be different...should be different.

He grit his teeth and stared at the inhuman thing that crouched beside him, into those cold red irises and slitted pupils and made his choice.