I took a deep breath, clutching my fist in anger. Really, this is how it was? I look at my hands, my skin stained with blood and vomit up to my forearms, my shirt unable to soak up the wetness or the acrid smell of vomit and blood. 

I never really had a love for humanity in general. In truth I believed that we, as a whole, were the worst thing to happen to this planet. We had no regard for any other creature that existed on this planet, not even each other. On the other hand, I believed in people. I believe that, when the time was right, we could do something beautiful, something great and that was life. We, as a species, had great moments, times where we really did it, ya know. Free love, the fact that we were all equal to one another. 

But then we had our horrible moments. Fossil fuel, guns, nuclear bombs on the topic of death and desolation, we were the best. The best at being the worst, which would be an accurate depiction of humanity. So it wasn’t a surprise that the planet would create a disease to kill off the cancer. It was one when my parents got it though. Most people could say that they had some kind of issue with their parents, I couldn’t. My parents were smart, accepting of all people and so loving. 

They were amazing people that would spend their free time volunteering at homeless shelters, fighting the corruption in politics and trying their best to make sure everyone they knew were happy, healthy and safe. So why did they get COVID? They told me to go to school, that they would be alright. I, stupidly, believed them. 

I went to school, did my work, called them every day, not that they always answered. When I came home for thanksgiving break, that is when I saw the result of leaving them, not forcing them to go to the hospital, not staying with them. I walked into their room and that is when I saw them. 

My dad was on the ground, his arm outstretched towards their room phone. The floor had blood on it with flecks of vomit in it. “Dad? Dad! DAD! DAD!” I screamed, rushing to his side. I shook his head, trying to rouse him but… he was dead. My father had been the strongest man that I knew. He had bulging muscles, was able to lift 480 pounds and regularly drank damn near a barrel of beer. In just two months, he had become so emaciated. His face held none of the gruff toughness that I had grown up seeing every morning.

I dragged my eyes away from my father and put them on my mother. She was so skinny, gaunt. Her skin, pale and lifeless. Flakes of vomit peppered her lips with small patches of blood on her pillow. “No! NO!” I couldn’t lose her too! I ran over to her, jumping over the buckets of vomit on the floor to be at her side. I put 2 fingers to her neck, hoping for a pulse. There was no beat, no bump. I broke impropriety and put my head on her breasts, hoping to hear her heartbeat but I heard none. I dropped to my knees and broke down.

How could this happen?! Covid was supposed to run its course and they were supposed to get better! They were supposed to live! They should have been safe! I wish… I wish that… I wish that she was alive, that my dad wasn’t dead! I would give up anything, everything for that. Just as I thought that, from behind me I heard, “You would give up your family, your humanity?” 

I spun around, my tears flying in the air. A man stood there. He wore a black suit that told me he was fancy, a face that told me he was white and long, curved red horns on his forehead that told me he was not human. “A-Are you the devil?” I asked the demon that stood in front of me. The being raised an eyebrow saying, “Guy who grants people favors in exchange for something, have you not heard the stories? Who else would I be?” He said, smugly.