Gridiron Follies (standard:drama, 14821 words)
Author: Excelsior	Added: Aug 21 2012	Views/Reads: 3223/3806	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Gridiron Follies is a short story collection consisting of two stories both centered around the sport of Football. Fame looks at the life of a star athlete who rises from grass to grace, only to tumble back down to earth drastically. The story is told

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

was the cumulation of years of hard work, struggle, self doubt and 
perseverance. Your mother couldn't have been more proud as you walked 
across the stage and shook hands with the commissioner. The Jaguars 
were ecstatic; knowing they finally had that big name back they had 
always wanted. You were all too eager to get out on the field and show 
them what you were worth. You signed a lucrative contract. At the time 
of signing, yours was the best rookie contract of that period. That 
didn't make you a lot of friends in the media. Not with the way you had 
handled the whole Vikings issue. To them, you were a spoiled athlete 
who seemed to be getting his way without proving anything. Not that you 
needed any more motivation to show why you were the best player in the 
draft, but yet you used their words to prepare yourself for the 
upcoming season. A new ‘hit list' was formed, and you had many media 
figures in it. Every quote you found not to your liking was put up in 
your locker. It was almost like you were still playing for a deal. You 
were richer than you'd ever imagined but yet you played like you were 
still searching for your first major deal. We weren't hanging out as 
much as we should, but whenever we did, it was truly a sight to behold. 
The women kept coming, in all shapes and sizes. You were pretty much 
the ‘it' thing in Jacksonville, your name was well known around. 
Everywhere you went, you were treated like royalty. People were sick of 
losing, and they felt you were going to change all that. It was a lot 
of weight to shoulder, the hopes and dreams of the city were pinned on 
one man....a rookie at that, but if there was anyone who could lift 
that, it was most definitely you. The hype surrounding you was unreal. 
Your first game was getting so much press. Many wanted to see what you 
would do. Were you the real deal? Were you worth all the money the 
Jaguars had signed you for? Would you deliver or would you cave under 
the pressure? Of course there were some who simply wanted you to fail. 
You had handled your draft selection badly and they felt you doing 
poorly with your new team would be justified. Have they learned nothing 
about you? Don't they know when you are doubted is when you deliver. I 
coulda told them all this, but why bother...they would come to see this 
themselves. That first game was not only a spectacle; it was your 
coming out party to the NFL. The Jaguars clobbered the then current 
champions the Chicago Bears and did it in dramatic fashion. You broke 
tackles, embarrassed their vaunted defense and set a rookie rushing 
record all in that game. You had arrived, and as far as you were 
concerned, there was nothing anyone could do to stop you from being the 
best back in the game. It'd been a while since the Jaguars had been in 
the playoffs. In fact the team had been one of the bottom dwellers in 
the league for the past five years. You changed all that. They made the 
playoffs your rookie year and a lot of that could be attributed to your 
amazing play on the field. This was the start of what would be an 
illustrious career. Many pro-bowls and many personal awards down the 
line. I am getting ahead of myself, but looking back at all you 
accomplished, there's no doubt you will be mentioned with the Emmitt 
Smith' and Barry Sanders' of the game. The more your star shone, the 
more our friendship grew. I opened you up to people and places you knew 
nothing about, you in turn validated me in ways I never thought 
possible. We worked hand in hand, a symbiotic relationship where both 
partners benefited from each other. You had a couple of vices but none 
greater than women. Boy did you love them! Your sexual appetite was 
notorious around Jacksonville. It was something everyone knew or had 
heard about but no one spoke about it in public. Some of your teammates 
nicknamed you ‘Wilt' after the great Los Angeles Lakers legend. That 
was because he was a well known womanizer and you were just as bad. 
Being young, rich and successful, women wanted you and you never failed 
to oblige them. Maybe I should have done a better job protecting you 
from them; then again I doubt I'd have made much of a difference. Even 
when you weren't trying, these women found their way into your bed. I 
should have known this would come back to bite you in the rear. It was 
only a matter of time before women started popping up claiming you were 
the father of their children. By the time you were 3 seasons into your 
career, at least seven such women had made those claims. You disputed 
each and every one, but paternity tests proved three of them right. 
Child support was granted by the law and you couldn't wrangle your way 
out of it. This would be the start of your downfall but you were too 
short sighted to notice it back then. The checks were coming in, so you 
ignored those going out. If only you'd done a little math, maybe you'd 
put a curb to your sexual escapades. Alas you were blinded by your own 
ego; you refused to see how the trail you were leaving would cost you 
all that you had worked for. The fumes in your tail pipe were showing, 
it was a shame neither you nor the people you surrounded yourself with 
noticed it. By the time your first contract was up, you'd been tagged 
by many in the organization as a ‘prima donna'. Whilst your talent was 
undeniable, the ever growing issues off the field made you a big 
distraction for the franchise. The posses, the baby mamas, the drama 
and your over inflated ego made you a tough one to deal with. It was 
little wonder when it was time to negotiate a new contract; the team 
management had serious doubts about keeping you. Sports radio and the 
media ran amok with it. Painting you as the villain who didn't want to 
return to Jacksonville. They never liked you from the get go, so they 
took every opportunity to portray you in a bad light. Sadly you weren't 
helping. You made it be known that you wanted the best possible deal 
you could get, after all you were the best running back in the league. 
Your agent convinced you to miss training camp as part of a hold out. 
If need be, you were going to sit out all of preseason, just to force 
team management to give you a deal. Players do that all the time, it's 
quite common in the NFL. Unfortunately in your case, you came off as 
the spoiled brat willing to make everyone upset just to get his way. 
Eventually you got what you wanted. Jaguars' management caved in and 
offered you one of the most lucrative contracts in NFL history. Your 
pockets were swollen once again, we were back in business. Or so we 
thought. They never tell you about the things you have to do to stay on 
top. They never tell you about what the machine expects from you and 
what happens to those who can't keep up. You were allowed to make a 
fool of yourself off the field, as long as you produced like a star 
Running back. Once this was not the case, it was open season and the 
shots came from all angles. Now this didn't happen for a while. For the 
first few years you justified your new contract. You thrived on the 
field and the Jaguars were considered one of the best teams in the 
nation. You had complained to management that you wanted some help so 
you could compete for a title, and to your surprise and mine, the 
organization known for its spend thrift ways actually went out and 
brought in some talented players. The team came close to winning it 
all. True to your word, you performed even better when surrounded with 
talent. That outfit put together by Jaguars management would probably 
go down as one of the most talented football teams to never win it all. 
Its unfortunate things didn't turn out the way you wanted it to. I know 
for a fact you gave it your all in trying to win a championship, but it 
seems fate never had that in the works for you. After two straight 
trips to the finals, including one gut wrenching overtime loss to the 
Ravens, your passion for the game started to wane. From that point 
onwards, things would never be the same for you. You'd been playing 
football since the age of five. There's only so much the human body can 
take, be it that of one of the greatest physical specimens to ever play 
the game. The hits had been coming for years, you'd had your fair share 
of injuries, but this time things were different. You were older, and 
your body was taking longer to heal. What started as a bunch of minor 
injuries was turning out to be more than you bargained. As much pain as 
you were in, you refused to let anyone know the extent of your 
injuries. Instead you partied hard and you played harder. I really 
believe you wanted to be a family man. I think in your heart, you felt 
like the only way you could stop yourself from losing it all was to 
have a reason to come home every night. Your body was breaking down on 
you, your finances were spiraling out of control and you were 
everyone's favorite whipping boy especially in the media. You looked 
towards marriage, hoping to find the refuge you needed from all the 
turmoil surrounding you. She was a stunner. A former beauty queen. 
Interestingly enough, you had met her through my acquaintance at a 
charity event. It was love or maybe I should clarify that, and say lust 
at first sight. You knew you wanted her, but she was unlike the other 
girls. She actually demanded you get to know her. It took you a while, 
but eventually you broke through. You dated for seven months, and got 
married in the eight. Approximately a year later, your first son from 
her came into the world. Things changed, or so it seemed. You devoted 
more time to family, and you stopped hanging out as much with me. From 
the outside, you were really invested into being a family man. Going 
into that season, you promised there'd be no more trouble from you. 
Your skeptics scoffed at the notion of you changing. Once again, the 
onus was on you to prove them wrong. Alas, this time they were right. 
Yours was a tragedy in the making, and I fear I contributed to it being 
so. I often ask myself how a guy who was compared favorably with the 
greats of the game, go from being the top player in the league to a guy 
working at the local home depot. Blowing through millions of dollars in 
just a matter of years. How does one orchestrate such a tragic story 
despite everything seemingly being in place for your success? 
Well...how does one explain this without portraying you in a negative 
light? It's easy to point out all your mistakes, but this is supposed 
to serve as a cautionary tale for those who might walk the same path. 
As the injuries piled up, your production dropped. Unfortunately your 
debt and financial woes were going the opposite way. It was terrible 
timing. Your contract was about to be up and by all indications, 
Jaguars management was going to cut you loose. You knew you had to 
convince some team to sign you. In your mind, that'd be your last big 
pay check. The one contract that would take care of your woes. So you 
sought out black market dealers. You didn't care what the side effects 
were...you didn't care if it was illegal. All you wanted was something 
that would lessen the pain and heal your body quicker. You were 
tumbling down that hole of uncertainty and there was no one there to 
stop you from falling. To make matters worse, you had an affair with a 
cheer leader on the team. On being found out, you claimed things at 
home had deteriorated to a point where you and your wife weren't 
communicating anymore. Said it was a fling and nothing more. Sadly this 
was a costly affair. Your wife divorced you and got half of what you 
had, including the house you had completed payments on. The cheer 
leader sued you for defamation and won, to put it mildly, you were 
being screwed from all angles. Down on your luck, you hoped that the 
drugs you were able to score off the black market would help. For some 
time they actually did. Your body seemed to respond to them and you 
were able to string together some decent games to close the season. It 
wasn't enough to convince the Jaguars to sign you to a massive contract 
but it was enough to get a few teams interested. What you and your 
agent failed to take into consideration was your true value in light of 
all the things happening in your life. You wanted to be paid like a top 
running back but most teams saw you as a backup. However much money you 
thought you could get was nowhere near what teams were willing to give 
you. To make matters worse, you were hemorrhaging money badly and you 
needed some guarantee fast. With time running out and debtors 
constantly nipping at your heels, you took what seemed like the best 
offer to you and signed with the Tennessee Titans. The backlash was 
more than you expected. Your tenure with the Jaguars might not have 
ended with a championship, but for the most part the fans viewed you in 
a positive light. Whilst management might not have liked your antics, 
the fans saw things differently. They knew how bad the team was before 
you got there. They were there when you broke records. They saw all the 
jaw dropping performances. To a lot of them you were a hero. You 
changed the franchise' fate when you came aboard. Sure you had a lot of 
issues, but for the most part you won games and that was what really 
mattered. This move though was the straw that broke the camel's back. 
Even your most loyal fans felt betrayed when you signed with the 
Jaguars' division rivals. You leaving to be with the Titans was akin to 
a girl breaking up with her boyfriend only to go date his best friend. 
I felt sorry for you. This wasn't how you wanted to be portrayed. In 
your mind, the Jaguars owed you so much. You had put your life on the 
line for them. Your body had been put through so much, only to have 
them force you elsewhere. You couldn't see why the fans were so 
ignorant to the business side of things. You had to pay your bills and 
the Titans were willing to dole out the cash. Left to you, you'd still 
be a Jaguar, but in this money fueled society, whoever was willing to 
pay the most had the upper hand. You felt alone. I tried reaching out 
to you many times, but you had become wary of me and the people I 
associated with. I don't know if it was paranoia, but you changed a lot 
when you went to Tennessee. To make matters worse, you were not getting 
the type of playing time you were accustomed to. Their star running 
back was the man on the scene and you found it hard to stay in his 
shadow. As far as you were concerned, you still had some juice. It was 
unacceptable that the coach and his crew couldn't see that. This time 
around, instead of voicing your discontent. You kept to yourself. 
Brooding most of the time, coming off as an anti-social figure. Your 
back was against the wall and you had no one to turn to. Unfortunately 
you did turn to something else, one that was bound to keep you tumbling 
down that hole. Alcohol was your new best friend, alas one that came 
with a destructive side. The situation with your new team worsened 
quickly. The coach was the no nonsense type and didn't like to be 
challenged. After you had been vocal about your lack of playing time on 
more than a few occasions, he demoted you to the end of the bench. He 
wasn't trying to see things from your point of view, he only cared 
about his position and how he could jeopardize that by caving into your 
demands. So started what would be a short lived tenure with the Titans. 
You were moody and kept to yourself. Your new teammates tried to bring 
you into the fold but you were having none of that. Life had made you 
wary of people; you refused to let people in your life. Instead you 
found refuge in the bottle. You drank heavily, sometimes showing up to 
work drunk. Of course this only infuriated your coach more. Management 
was called in to try and fix the problem. They told you they'd work 
something out as long as you toed the line and stayed sober. I think 
you must have felt like they were telling the truth, because after that 
you tried to get your act together. Alas, you'd burned the bridge so 
bad with your coach that he'd placed a barricade where the rubble of 
your previous squabble should have been. He was never going to play you 
again. Management kept telling you otherwise but as the season 
progressed, you could see the writing on the wall. You'd been sober to 
that point but upon the realization that your playing days, at least 
with that team was over; you reverted to your brooding, alcoholic ways. 
You got into fights with the coaching personnel and your teammates. The 
coach asked you to stop coming to practice. You'd proven the naysayers 
right. You were a cancer in their eyes, and the only way to deal with a 
cancer was to terminate it. Pressure was placed on management to do 
something about you. The team was doing well; there was no need for you 
to remain a distraction. So they did what was best for them and cut you 
off the team. Paying what they owed, breaking off all ties with you. 
You really believed in your abilities, thinking it was only a matter of 
time before you were back on the field. Unfortunately, your reputation 
was tarnished so bad that most organizations didn't want anything to do 
with you. It was a long fall from grace. You had become the poster boy 
for all that was wrong with the NFL. Your woes were well documented. 
Your wife and baby mamas deserted you. You were portrayed as a bad 
father and weren't allowed near your kids. It was hard being your 
friend. You had evolved into this volatile creature that snapped at any 
slight provocation. I couldn't be seen around such, watching from afar, 
hoping you'd regain your past brilliance. Sadly, life was giving you no 
breaks at the time. Everything that could go wrong went wrong! Your 
accounts were dwindling sharply, most of the money going to creditors 
and child support. Things got so bad that the bank had to foreclose 
your home. You had to move back with your mom, a move that must have 
done a number on your ego. Luckily for you, purchasing that house for 
her during your playing days had turned out to be a very smart move. It 
was technically the only thing you had that no one could take from you. 
She was the only person that stood with you during the tough times. 
It's not that I didn't want to be seen with you, it's just you weren't 
good for business. I love you dearly, but once you started spiraling 
out of control, the people who kept me going started getting scared of 
you. In this business, you are only as good as your last big move. I 
know you can understand this, you understand the nature of the game 
don't you? Life is all about ups and downs and those ups were amazing. 
That coaster had t o come down sometime, and I guess with how high it 
went, the trip down was bound to be bumpy. I hear you work at the local 
Home depot now. Trying to get back on your feet. Some say you have quit 
drinking, I really hope that's the case. Maybe you can get a try out 
for some team. I know you love the game; you'll find a way to get in 
one way or the other. I just hope for your sake that when your name is 
brought up, people remember you for your record breaking plays and not 
the guy who was forced out the league like some bum. Sincerely, Your 
friend Fame 

BEAST The man walked past the various plaques that adorned his trophy
case. The Heisman trophy the jewel of his collection sat carefully on 
the top rung. Below it, one can make out his NFL Rookie of the year 
award, National championship ring, best player in the national 
championship game trophy, SEC player of the year figurine and other 
lesser known awards. Needless to say, here was a man who wasn't a 
stranger to accomplishments but yet was marred by so much trouble. He 
was arguably the most controversial name in sports at the moment. Rahim 
Jenkins, 6'5, 260 pounds otherwise known as ‘The Beast' by fans and 
sports pundits was a running back to be reckoned with. He had come into 
the league with much fanfare, known particularly for his break neck 
speed and razzle dazzle on the field. He broke tackles with ease and 
was notorious for his cheeky celebrations in the end zone. He once 
proclaimed to a reporter that he would go down as the greatest running 
back to ever play the game of football. He had the talent, but a lot of 
people would argue his attitude would most likely cost him that 
distinction. He was drafted number one by the Bills, a team desperately 
in need of some help for their running game. The hopes of the city were 
pinned solely on his broad shoulders, of which he lived up to his first 
four years in the league. They made the playoffs in his rookie season, 
a feat that had been devoid of the organization a decade before he got 
there. The second year they advanced to the conference semi-finals only 
to be knocked out by an overtime field goal. The Third year was no 
different; it was yet another conference semi-final exit. His fourth 
year would prove to be his best, winning the MVP, amassing the most 
yards in NFL history and leading his team to the finals. Though they 
were blown out in the Super bowl, most believed that with a few tweaks 
here and there, the Bills were going to be in the running for the title 
the upcoming year. Unfortunately, life had different plans for Rahim 
and the Bills. In his fifth year, things started to go downhill for 
him. There was the freak accident that caused him to miss a season, the 
numerous altercations both on and off the field, the scandals (various 
women coming out of the woodwork claiming he was the father of their 
children), by the end of that year, the Bills organization were 
frantically looking to move the guy once thought of as the future of 
the franchise, but without having played in a season, they had to wait 
to showcase him to other teams, to prove he could still play. There 
were still others in the organization who believed he could still be 
the guy to carry them to the championship, and felt the distractions 
would subside once he got on the field. Boy were they wrong! Seeing it 
was a make or break year, Rahim knew in other to get a hefty contract 
the next season, he‘d have to tone down his antics and show his worth 
on the field. For the first couple of games, he played like his 
moniker. Tearing defenses apart, showing the sports world that his 
demise had greatly been exaggerated. He put up the numbers and the 
Bills were in the playoff hunt once again. In his mind, the 
organization would be coughing up big bucks once the season was over. 
By this time, he'd been hemorrhaging money. Costly habits, legal 
issues, and a bevy of ‘baby mammas' made sure that whatever he was 
making, was going out the door quickly. The pressure was on Rahim to 
make sure his source of income would not be going dry anytime soon. It 
was the second to the last game of the season; the Bills needed the win 
to guarantee their playoff spot. The opponents were the Colts, the best 
defense in the league at that point. The sports media were hyping it as 
the game of the year. Rahim ‘The Beast' was having one of his best 
years, and no defense would contain him they said. They were right, the 
Colts couldn't stop him. He exploded for over 200 yards in the first 
three quarters, and would have gone for more if not for the incident 
that would have such a dramatic impact on his career. The Bills had run 
a trick play, freeing him up in the middle of the field. He caught the 
ball deftly and was sprinting as hard as he could, end zone in sight. 
There was only one defender to beat; the touchdown was as good as gold. 
Unbeknownst to him, another defender was catching up to him from the 
rear. He had braced himself for the impact of the oncoming defender, 
but was quite surprised when another defender from the back pulled him 
to the ground. The ball came loose, the Colts recovered, running the 
ball back to the center of the field before getting tackled. Rahim was 
livid. He felt the play was illegal. He walked up to the main referee, 
screaming in his face. “WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT? THOSE FUCKERS WERE 
TUGGING ON MY JERSEY, WHERE'S THE DAMN FLAG?” The referee kept his 
composure, signaling that the ruling on the field would stand and that 
the Colts had possession of the ball. He tried to walk away from an 
enraged Rahim, but Rahim was not to be controlled. The Beast was 
unleashed; he trailed the ref all the way to the sidelines. When the 
ref turned around and signaled that Rahim was ejected, he went bonkers. 
Shoving the ref to the ground, glaring at him menacingly. His teammates 
had to restrain him, dragging him all the way to the tunnel. The air 
was rendered with boos from Colts fans. It was a dark moment in Bills 
history. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. The NFL gave 
him a hefty fine and suspended him for the rest of the season and the 
playoffs. Of course the Bills had no chance to win without him and were 
easily defeated in the first round. He was traded to the lowly Detroit 
Lions in the off season for a few picks in the latter rounds of the 
draft. Their once prize acquisition had to be let go so as not to 
alienate the fans. The Lions needed Rahim's skills but were also wary 
of giving him a huge contract. He simply came with too much baggage to 
justify such. So they offered him a contract juicy enough to entice 
him, but also not what his true value on the field warranted. He was 
offended, but he knew his options were limited. No other team was 
willing to take on a ‘head case' like him. The season rolled around and 
Rahim was expected once more to revive a dying franchise, this time 
around it wasn't going to be that easy. The first two years were down 
years. The Lions were a really bad team. Bad coach, bad organization, 
testy players and a disgruntled fan base. They won a total of four 
games in Rahim's first two years with the team. His numbers plummeted; 
he became an afterthought to most. It was a trying period for Rahim. He 
felt alone, friends left him; lovers didn't want anything to do with 
him. He tried to keep a low profile, did not want to be perceived as a 
bad guy but sometimes it just wasn't good enough. His only love was 
football and he wanted to prove his naysayers wrong. So he hit the gym, 
motivated to get the Lions into the playoffs. His hard work paid off 
for him. With the new batch of talent the team had acquired in the off 
season, the Lions were once again looking like a decent outfit. It was 
a good year; they finished over .500 and barely missed the playoffs. 
Rahim had one of the best individual seasons from the running back 
position and was selected to represent the team at the All-Star game. 
Things were looking up once again in Detroit. The widespread belief in 
the city was that they were playoff bound and Rahim was looking like 
his old self once again. Outside of Detroit, things weren't looking 
that rosy for the Lions. Pundits picked the team apart, but mostly 
Rahim. His sins were still trailing him. The media never seemed to have 
gotten over the incident where he threw the referee to the ground. 
Rahim knew this was most likely going to be his last chance to get a 
good contract. By the time the year was over he'd be 32 years of age. 
The next NFL deal would be his last. With all the hits he had taken in 
his career, chances of his body going another 5 to 10 years was highly 
unrealistic. So he put his all into his last season, determined to put 
the football world on notice. He did just that! It seems that whenever 
Rahim had his back to the wall, he produced better than expected. In 
their first 6 games the Lions went undefeated. Heads were turning at 
how well the team was playing, but most noticeably how Rahim had 
regained his ‘beastly' form. Tragedy struck in the 7th game. It was a 
game against the top ranked defense in the nation, the Baltimore 
Ravens. The Lions had the ball at the 20 yard line, it was third down 
on the field. Coach wanted a go at it; why not go with what had been 
working? So the orders came in to give Rahim the ball. All he needed 
was a seam and he knew the touchdown was his. His Quarterback handed 
the ball to him and he was off, he'd broken a few tackles, and needed 
to avoid one more defender to get in the end zone, so he jumped 
thinking he'd extend his way to a touchdown. The defender reacted 
otherwise, hitting him in the pelvis area in mid-air, causing him to 
land on his neck with a sickening thud. The tension in the stadium 
could have been cut with a knife. Everyone who saw the play was frozen 
in shock, wondering what had happened to Rahim. He lay there motionless 
for a few minutes. The team medics rushed onto the field and carted him 
off on a stretcher. Rahim was out cold, it was one of the worst 
injuries ever seen on an NFL field. He was moved to a nearby clinic 
where it was diagnosed that his vertebrae had shifted in some spots. He 
didn't come to until the third day and when he did, it felt like his 
whole body was on fire. As the days went by the pain subsided, he could 
move about, but he knew there was something wrong. The biggest question 
on his mind was getting on the football field before the playoffs were 
over. See Rahim knew his reputation was in tatters and this was his 
last shot at fixing that. If he didn't get back on the field before the 
playoffs were over, chances of getting a lucrative deal were out the 
door. So when the doctor told him there was no way he would play the 
game again with his shifted vertebrae, it felt like a bullet had 
pierced his heart. “Doc tell me that's a joke? Please tell me you are 
joking?” pleaded Rahim bolting to his feet as the Doctor delivered the 
sad news. “I am sorry, there's nothing I can do. Of course I can't 
force you, but be warned if you get another hit, you could be paralyzed 
and even worse lose your life”. Rahim stood there stunned. A tear 
rolled down his cheek. Reality was staring him in the face and it 
didn't look good for him. He walked out of the room meekly and back to 
his car. He sat behind the steering wheel for a good hour, a trance 
like expression on his face. He probably would have stayed there longer 
if his phone didn't go off. RING! RING! RING! He looked down at it, the 
caller ID read ‘ZIGGY'. “Hullo, he said. “What did the doctor say? The 
gruff voice on the other end replied. Rahim sighs, “Said I can't play. 
Something about a shifted vertebrae.” “Damn, that sucks big time man. 
You sure there ain't nuffin he can do about that?” “Positive! Told me 
any more hits could make me a cripple, might even lose my life.” 
“That's some brutal stuff fam. How you taking all this?” Rahim goes 
silent for a moment, there's so much running through his mind. 
“Honestly, don't know how to answer that. Football's all I know man. I 
can't imagine life without it.” He finally spoke into the phone, barely 
audible. “Yo, where you at man? You don't sound too good,” boomed 
Ziggy. “I am still at the hospital...well in their parking lot right 
now.” “How long before you get home?” “Like 20 minutes, depends on 
traffic really.” “I'll be there in about an hour; we'll find a solution 
to this man. Don't start feeling all sorry for yourself”, his friend 
tried to console him. “I am not, just gotta deal with reality. I guess 
I'll be seeing you in a few,” a resigned Rahim speaks into the phone. 
“Aite man, one.” The phone line on the other end goes dead. Rahim 
pockets his phone, starts the car and drives off. An hour or so later, 
Rahim is seated in his living room just staring at the fish tank. The 
blinds of the house are all pulled down, casting of a dark eerie vibe. 
It doesn't seem to bother him, once again looking like he is in a 
trance. The door bell rings a couple of times before he gets up to 
answer it. Ziggy, a behemoth of a man, stands there looking at Rahim 
quizzically. Its like his whole body is crammed with muscles, even his 
locks have a bulging appearance to them. “Where you been man? I have 
been ringing the bell for the last 10 minutes” Rahim doesn't respond. 
He just walks back indoors, leaving Ziggy at the door fuming. Ziggy 
storms inside to see Rahim seated at the same spot, staring at the fish 
tank. “Dude, what the heck was that?” questions Ziggy. Rahim just looks 
ahead; it's like he can't hear what Ziggy is saying. Ziggy walks over 
and stands right in front of him, forcing Rahim to acknowledge his 
presence. “I am sorry Zig; I just don't feel like talking about 
anything.” “Unfortunately I don't wanna hear noneofdat. You look like 
shit man...Is this how you gon be acting in this big ass house? If 
anything happens to you, no one's going to know.... I ain't allowing 
that,” bellows Ziggy. “What you gonna do Zig, beat me? I am a grown 
man; I am allowed to feel sorry for myself.” “Listen to you. That's 
weak talk man....You are f'ing Rahim ‘The Beast' Jenkins. So what if 
some Doc told you that you can't play, since when do you give up that 
easily?” “I saw it man, I saw my back. It doesn't look right. This 
ain't about giving up, this is reality.” Rahim looks like he is 
resigned to his fate, but Ziggy is adamant. “Look, I'll ask around, you 
know that stuff I take, it really works wonders especially when it 
comes to healing”, says Ziggy. “You talking about steroids?” Rahim 
raises his eyebrows quizzically. “Yeah”.  Ziggy walks over and sits 
besides his friend. “Man, you know I don't mess with that stuff. Don't 
wanna put anything in my body that I am not sure of... Besides, with 
all the random testing going on, I don't want to risk it” Ziggy scoffs 
at the notion of Rahim's career being jeopardized by his brand of 
medicine. “The stuff I work with is non-detectable. Its designer made 
drugs man; you'd be surprised at how many athletes take this stuff. 
Don't sweat it; no one's going to find out”. Rahim still looks unsure 
of his friend's proposal. “I dunno man. I don't feel one hundred about 
this.” Ziggy tries to reassure him, “What have you got to lose? This is 
your last chance to get a big contract...if I were you I'd be kissing 
my feet right now to get that stuff for you.” Rahim tries to laugh, 
forcing a weak smile. “No feet kissing. Rahim don't do that....I guess 
I'll go along. If you find anything that can heal me and get me ready 
for the playoffs, I'll try it. .” Ziggy gets up; he reaches out to 
shake his friend. “I can't promise I will find what you need, but I'll 
try my best...Don't worry I ain't going to tell my sources that it's 
you that needs it. I got your back.” “Thanks Zig, I really appreciate 
that.” Ziggy starts walking towards the door. “No problem fam, stop 
feeling so sorry for yourself or I'ma have to call your mama.” Rahim 
laughs at the suggestion, Ziggy walks out of the house. Rahim turns his 
attention to the fish tank yet again, watching the fishes swim around 
in their little enclosure, his thoughts wandering off. Days went by and 
there was still no call from Ziggy. Rahim seldom went out, staying 
indoors brooding on his tough luck. He had given up on ever playing the 
game anymore. Life had thrown an obstacle at him and he had no way of 
getting past it. Due to the numerous bad decisions he had made in the 
past, he knew the lifestyle he had become accustomed to would 
eventually be taken from him. Funds were dwindling, bills were piling 
up. This made no difference to Rahim; he was caught in his own little 
world of self pity. He tried to watch his team play on TV, but it was 
too painful. He longed for the field, yearned to help his teammates in 
their quest for the playoffs, but circumstances wouldn't let him. It 
was almost like he had dropped off the face of the planet. No one had 
seen or heard from him in weeks. A few journalists from the local media 
stations had gone over to interview him, but they were unable to get 
him to come out. The only evidence of him being alive was a picture the 
paparazzi had taken of him whilst he was laying by his pool. His 
appearance was quite raggedy. A scraggly beard wrapped around his face 
and his hair looked like it hadn't been combed for days. Rahim was in a 
funk and there was no one who could get him out of it...that was until 
he met the man who called himself Morningstar. A meeting that would 
change his life forever. The waters below crashed against the rocks 
violently. The sky looked menacing with dark clouds, lightning 
streaking across occasionally. A figure slowly works to the edge of the 
cliff.  Just as he is about to take that step that will plunge him to 
his death, a loud buzzing sound is heard all over. Rahim wakes up 
startled, a cold sweat running down his face. He is breathing heavily, 
the phone on his bedside drawer ringing loudly. He looks at the alarm 
clock on the table; it reads 3:33 A.M. The phone continues to ring; 
Rahim grabs it and flips it open. “Hullo?” “Mr. Jenkins, I hope I am 
not calling at a bad time”, the cold voice on the phone, speaking with 
a slight British accent responds. “Who is this? a frustrated Rahim 
yells into the phone. “I am sorry Mr. Jenkins, my name's Morningstar,” 
the man on the other end says calmly. “Morningstar? I don't know any 
Morningstar. What do you want?” “You sound so agitated. Are you sure I 
have not caught you at a bad time?” “Listen, whoever you are, its 
3:30 A.M., you just woke me up and still haven't told me what the heck 
you want, of course I am fucking agitated”, yells Rahim into the phone. 
“Very well, I am sorry for the lateness of my call. It's the most 
convenient time for me...I happen to be a very busy person. But I'll 
cut straight to the chase. Your friend Robert has been asking around 
for someone who might be able to help you.” “Robert? Rahim is stumped 
as to what Morningstar might be talking about. “Robert...ah...maybe I 
should use his other name then. Ziggy! Does that ring a bell?” “Ziggy? 
Yeah I know him. What do you mean by he's been asking around for 
someone to help me?” Morningstar ever so calmly continues, “Let me 
rephrase that, he's been asking around for anything that can heal a 
shifted vertebrae in very short time. He never said it was for you, but 
it doesn't take a genius to figure out it is for his close friend.” 
“How did you get this number? Did Zig give it to you?” Rahim sits up in 
bed, perplexed by the caller on the other end. “No, but I have my ways. 
Mr. Jenkins, I can solve your problem.” “You...you can. How?” Rahim 
stutters on the phone. “I'd rather not discuss this on the phone. In 
person would be much better.” says Morningstar. “B...but how do I know 
I can trust you?” “You don't...but I am not one to fool around. In a 
show of good faith, why not meet me at my house tomorrow?” “O...Okay. I 
guess I can do that.” “Very well, Mr. Jenkins I'll text the address to 
your phone. Meet me there at 12 a.m. Be there exactly at that time...I 
do not play with my time”. Before Rahim can object to Morningstar's 
last statement, the phone goes dead. Rahim stares at it in disbelief. 
Brrrt! brrrt! The text message had come through, Rahim glances at the 
message, still unsure of whether to take Morningstar on his offer or 
not. Next day: 11:58 p.m. Morningstar lived in a posh villa by the 
seaside. His was the last house on the street made up of very expensive 
homes. Rahim's Bentley slowly came to a stop in the massive courtyard. 
He gets out of the car and acknowledges his surroundings. Looking at 
his watch, he briskly walks to the front door. He hits the buzzer, just 
as a large clock chimes from inside the house, indicating its 12 a.m. 
The door slowly creaks open, the interior of the house shrouded in 
darkness. Rahim cautiously walks in. A staircase leads upwards; a few 
candles illuminate the dimly lit foyer below. “Ah Mr. Jenkins you are 
finally here”, a voice echoes from above. Rahim looks up, to see a man 
with startling white hair but dressed in an all black attire. The 
closer he gets, the more of him Rahim can make out. The man walks up to 
Rahim, slightly taller, smiling at him. His bright green eyes have a 
certain oldness to it, yet his face looks so young, a babyish innocence 
to it. He extends his hands to Rahim. “Mr. Jenkins, I am Morningstar. 
Glad you could make it.” Rahim shakes his hands, studying the man in 
front of him. Unsure of what to say. Morning star motions him to come 
further into the house. They both walk into the living room. Its decor 
is in all white. Expensively furnished, art work from all over the 
world adorns its walls. Rahim takes it in silently, impressed by what 
he sees. Morningstar walks over the counter in the corner; numerous 
alcoholic beverages are stacked in shelves behind it. “What would you 
like to drink? Some Louis XII? Absinthe? Perhaps some Patron?” “No 
thanks, not in the mood for a drink,” replies Rahim. “Very well, you 
are missing out. Nothing like a good drink in your system to help calm 
down the tension”, smiles Morningstar. He fills his glass with some 
wine and walks over to the seat opposite Rahim. He sits down cross 
legged, smiling at Rahim. Rahim's uncomfortable with Morningstar's 
gaze; he looks elsewhere as he addresses him. “You said you can help 
Mr. Morningstar. How?” “Quick to the point I see. I like that...I 
really like that. Not to waste your time any further. I have a deal for 
you, and if you are willing to accept, it will change your life 
significantly.” said Morningstar. He takes a sip from his glass of 
wine, the cold green eyes staring at Rahim, the smile not ceasing even 
once. Out of nowhere, a dark green vial appears in his palms. Rahim 
blinks twice, sitting upright, wondering what just happened. “How did 
you do that? You a magician?” Morningstar laughs, but it feels like his 
laughter is coming from all around the house, causing Rahim to look 
around nervously. “Magician? Not at all. I do not waste time with 
parlor tricks...But yes you could say what I offer is magic related.” 
Rahim stands up. “Man I knew this was bullshit...Magic? Come on man, 
thought you said you could fix my back. I ain't got time for no stupid 
games.” “Sit DOWN!” commands Morningstar. His green eyes flashing, the 
smile gone. Rahim can't help but succumb to the man's orders. He takes 
his seat once again. “That's much better Mr. Jenkins. This vial you see 
in my hands, will not only heal your current ailments, it will restore 
you to your best years.” “How? Wait is this even legal?” Rahim asks 
skeptically. Morningstar smirks, “You and I know you aren't looking for 
anything legal. But you can keep your mind at ease; no drug testing 
equipment of this world can ever detect this. In fact, this is not of 
this world.” Rahim leans back, baffled by what Morningstar is talking 
about. “Not of this world? I am so confused. What are you talking about 
man?” “I would think by now you would have gotten a clue as to who I 
really am. The name Morningstar doesn't ring a bell?” Rahim shakes his 
head. Morningstar smirks. “It's a shame how ignorant humans can be. No 
appreciation of their history. Very well, maybe my full name will help. 
Lucifer Morningstar...ding ding ding!!!” Just as he pronounces his 
name, a cold breeze moves through the house. Rahim shudders, once again 
looking around to see where the effect is coming from. “L..Lucifer...as 
in the devil?” stutters Rahim. Applause emanates all over the house. 
Rahim jumps up, glancing around in fear. Lucifer smiles, watching his 
reaction with glee. “PRECISELY!” says the devil. Rahim stumbles 
backwards. Lucifer stands up. “Shocked are you? Not to worry I won't 
hurt you,” he says. “I..If you are the devil, w...w...what are you 
doing up here and w...what happened to your horns? Lucifer starts 
walking towards Rahim who keeps moving backwards trying to keep the 
distance between both of them. “Oh stop that nonsense. I have been 
misrepresented completely. Do I look like an angry monster with over 
sized horns, spewing fire out from my nostrils?” Rahim shakes his head. 
“I mean don't get me wrong, you wouldn't want to see my bad side, but I 
like you, and I doubt it will ever come to that,” Lucifer utters to his 
shocked guest. “Look man...I mean sir, I...I am sorry. I don't think I 
should be here.” “Why's that? Because you suddenly have cold feet when 
I told you who I really was. Funny, that didn't seem to be a problem 
before coming here,” Luther says coldly now only a few feet from Rahim. 
Every word he says seems to emanate from every inch of the house. Rahim 
tries to move backwards, but he has backed himself to the wall. His 
eyes show the fear he is feeling at the moment. “I...I...just thought 
you could help me, didn't know you were the ... “Devil”, Lucifer 
finishes the sentence for Rahim. “Do you know what happens to you if 
you don't take my offer?” “No sir”. Lucifer stares at him for a minute, 
then turns around and walks to the middle of the room. Rahim is unsure 
of what to do. “Well are you coming or what?” snaps Lucifer. Rahim 
cautiously walks up to the man in the middle of the room. Besides the 
demon king is a glowing orb that appears out of thin air. The orb 
starts spinning; as it does the room is filled with moving images. 
Rahim is stunned. As he looks at the images he realizes they are all of 
him. They show what happens to him if he refuses Lucifer's offer. In 
one image he is seen packing his belongings into boxes as he is being 
thrown out from his foreclosed home. In another, his cars are being 
reclaimed by the repo-man. There's an image of him getting into a fight 
with his accountant, which leads to him being arrested. The more the 
orb spins, the more unfortunate events pop up, eventually it stops with 
a gruesome image of Rahim standing atop a bridge, looking into the 
waters below and taking a jump. Rahim gasps in shock on seeing the 
image. “No...no...no...that can't be. It's a lie man, you lying.” “All 
true I dare say. I don't have to tell you that at the rate you are 
bleeding money right now, it's only a matter of time before you can't 
keep up with your mortgages and other bills. You have no back up plans. 
Without money, you will face unimaginable hardships. The lifestyle you 
once took for granted is about to vanish. One thing leads to another, 
and as you saw in that final image, death will come sooner than you 
think. So I ask you Mr. Jenkins, would you rather go through that or 
take my offer?” Rahim just stands there dumbfounded. After a few 
moments of silence, Rahim finally speaks up. “So what happens if I take 
your offer? Can I see that also?” Lucifer mulls for a moment and 
shrugs. “I suppose you can”. He snaps his fingers, and once again the 
orb starts spinning. Images flying out of it once more. This time the 
images are of a more positive tone. Rahim is seen playing in the 
finals, leading his team to wins, looking like the Rahim of old. 
Endorsements and contract offers are coming at him from all direction. 
He is living the lavish life, beautiful women, various assets all over 
the world, exotic cars and the likes. The final image is off him 
smiling gleefully, large Cuban cigar in hand, sitting on the deck of a 
yacht, watching the sunset go down. The orb stops spinning, falls to 
the ground and dissipates into thin air. Lucifer turns to look at 
Rahim. “Well Mr. Jenkins, there you have it. Looks like a pretty good 
offer if you ask me, but of course the choice is all yours.” Rahim is 
unsure of what to say. He stumbles backwards leaning on the wall. “Can 
you give me a minute to think about this?” he asks. Lucifer nods and 
walks out of the room. Rahim sinks into the nearest chair, deep in 
thought. Thirty minutes later, Rahim is up, looking around the room to 
see if he can get Lucifer's attention. Unbeknownst to him, a cloud of 
smoke has formed behind him, taking form to turn into the demon king. 
“Looking for me?” whispers Lucifer, causing Rahim to jump and turn 
around in fright. “Man, you scared me. Why you gotta do that?” “I am 
sorry; I need to work on my appearance. Had an old lady with heart 
problems die when I did that. You don't have that problem though, I can 
hear your heart beating from a mile away, but I digress...you were 
looking for me no?” “Yeah...yeah I was” says Rahim still trying to 
catch his breath. “I have an answer to your offer,” he continues. ‘Very 
well, what is it?” replies Lucifer. “Before I answer, I just have one 
question...what's in it for you?” Lucifer smiles, his green eyes 
flashing. “I knew that was coming. All I want is your soul in return.” 
“My...my soul? I don't know about all that.” “Trust me Rahim; it's not 
as bad as they make it out to be. Once you die, your body turns to 
dust, your soul floats away and all that good stuff. Heaven isn't what 
it's cracked out to be, and neither is hell. Look at me, do I look like 
I am some fire breathing red skinned demon?” assures Lucifer, trying to 
persuade Rahim to see things his way. “So what will you do with it 
then?” Rahim questions him, not content with the demon's last response. 
“Think of it as insurance. I give you all that good fortune, I need 
something in return right?” the demon calmly responds. “I guess.” 
shrugs Rahim. “With all the stuff I have done, doubt I go to Heaven 
anyways.” “Precisely”, chimes Lucifer excitedly. “So what do you say, 
do we have a deal?” “Sure. Where do I sign?” Rahim smirks, walking up 
to the demon. “Excellent, I knew you would see it my way. Your 
handshake is all I need” Both men shake hands, at that very moment, a 
searing pain surges through Rahim's hands engulfing his body. When 
Lucifer pulls away, there's a weird insignia burned into his hands. 
“Don't worry, it will stop hurting soon. It's just my way of binding 
you to the contract. ” Lucifer explains to him. “Here this is yours.” 
The demon hands the green vial to Rahim and immediately turns around 
leaving the scene. Rahim shouts out to him. “Hey!!!! How am I supposed 
to use this?” Luther responds from across the room, “Just sip it when 
you are home. I'd advice you not to take it before driving; it's going 
to hurt a bit.” Rahim exits the house and heads home hurriedly. That 
very night, he does as Lucifer says, sipping the contents of the vial. 
For an hour or so, he felt unbearable pain searing through his body. It 
was as if every bone was being re-made, blood on fire, nerves in pain. 
Once the hour had passed, it was like nothing had happened to him. He 
felt at peace, a certain calmness that hadn't been in his life in a 
good while. Rahim at that moment knew things were going to be 
different. That feeling of being invincible was back again. He smiled 
coyly, knowing the very next day when he went to the hospital, the 
doctors would proclaim him a walking miracle. In a few days he'd be 
back on the field, and boy was he ready to make a lot of people eat 
crow. The serum had worked, and he was going to milk it for all it was 
worth. Just like the Demon king had promised, the next ten years of 
Rahim's life would be his best. In the first two years, Rahim's team 
won the super bowl on both occasions. He was voted the Most Valuable 
Player in the league. Once again he had re-ignited the ‘greatest 
running back to ever play' discussion. Doctors and the likes marveled 
at his recovery. It was simply unheard of. His body looked like it had 
turned back time and returned to his college years. He could play 
another ten years if he wanted, but after winning two super bowls, he 
yearned for other challenges. So he called it quits and dabbled with 
the Entertainment world. Here again, he was wildly successful. It felt 
like he had the ‘Midas touch'. He won everywhere he went, everything he 
touched turned to gold. He was in high demand, from movie offers to 
endorsements; money was flowing in from all directions. At first it was 
overwhelming; he tried to put it all in perspective. He was getting a 
second chance at life, why not try to make the best out of it? So he 
tried to make good with everyone he had wronged and vice versa. One 
could say he turned over a new leaf, longing to leave behind a lasting 
legacy, but as with all things Rahim, change was only a temporary 
phase. It all started to come apart five years into the contract with 
the devil. That was when his dedication to being a better man started 
getting shaky. Things were simply going too well for him to keep much 
of a low profile. He started moving around with a bunch of ‘Yes men and 
women', guys and girls who were only interested in him because he was 
rich. As long as he provided for them and kept them around, they fed 
his ego with all he wanted to hear, most times to his detriment. 
Further and further he slipped into the lavish life that had once been 
the cause of so much sorrow for him. Sadly there was no breaking point 
this time around. For every patch of trouble he hit, it was like he was 
rewarded double for his effort. His luck was at an all time high. There 
were moments when he was alone where he would think back to his 
encounter with the devil, but he would quickly erase such thoughts, 
telling himself he still had a lot of time to enjoy his life. Eight 
years went by in a flash, or at least that's how it felt to Rahim. By 
the ninth year the paranoia was starting to take over. He began to fret 
about losing his life.  “What if the devil comes for my soul? Do I have 
to give up all that I have acquired? Why did I let him talk me into 
this?” Those were just a few of the questions that were running through 
his mind on a daily basis. He was living the life he craved and the 
thought of losing it was too much for him to handle. He did not want to 
relinquish it and begun in earnest to search for ways to break out of 
the pact he made with Lucifer. His search took him all over the world 
to various regions. Having different encounters with people who were 
well versed in the dark arts. Most of them turned him away on hearing 
his plight. A T'shala Priest in North Africa actually spat on him on 
hearing his story. Shouting out continually ‘Dead man, Dead Man, Dead 
Man”. This did not dissuade him however; he was too determined to find 
a solution to his problem. By now his exploits had become well known in 
occult circles, the man trying to break out of his contract with the 
devil they proclaimed. On one trip to the Caribbean's to see a famous 
‘Voo doo' Priest, he encountered a homeless man who told him if he 
really wanted a solution, he must seek the Iya Orisha in Northern 
Burundi, her powers were said to rival even that of the deities she 
communicated with. Rahim didn't pay much attention to the message, 
thinking it was the ramblings of a mad man. He continued on his quest, 
finding more disappointment wherever he went. The tenth year came and 
Rahim was now in full blown paranoia. He suspected any and everyone. 
Detached himself once again from the outside world and went into 
seclusion. He believed the devil could use any one to get to him and he 
wasn't going to risk that. One night, he had a dream where the same 
homeless man he had talked to in the Caribbean's returned to advise him 
to visit the Iya Orisha. He woke up startled, remembering the 
encounter. At first, he didn't want to venture far away from home, but 
his conscience would not let him be. It was either he found a away to 
break out from the devil's contract or stay at home in fear, waiting 
for Lucifer to come claim what was rightfully his. So off he went, deep 
into Burundi in search of the powerful priestess. It was a traumatic 
journey for him. The Iya Orisha lived in a remote part of the village 
that was meant to be a deterrent to visitors. Her mud hut was 
surrounded by bones of various animals, the walls lined with various 
charms and ornaments. The villager who took Rahim to her hut, scuttled 
off as soon as they got there. There was an eerie vibe around; this was 
not the place that mere mortals loitered around. Rahim was too caught 
up in his own problems to notice the missing villager. He walked 
towards the wooden door, knocking on it loudly. No response. Waiting a 
few moments, he tried again. Still no response. After what seemed like 
an eternity, he could hear feet shuffling around indoors, wondering to 
himself why no one would answer the door. Frustrated, he pushes in, 
cautiously stepping into the hut. The hut had a musty smell. Entrails 
of dead animals littered the floor, charms adorned the wall. Seated in 
the middle of the room, a shriveled old woman, wearing an all white 
attire, neck covered in cowries, stared at Rahim. This was the Iya 
Orisha and was quite an imposing figure. Rahim is about to speak, when 
she jumped up and starts spinning around on the spot, catching him off 
guard. He stumbles backwards in fright. The priestess starts chanting 
in a weird dialect, her body jerking around, her eyes taking on a glazy 
look. She turns towards Rahim, pointing at him. She starts speaking in 
English, yet the voice that emanates from her sounds distant and 
masculine. “Foolish man, you sold your soul to the devil and don't want 
to pay up. Do you not realize it is foolish to fight with the devil?” 
Rahim is shocked, unsure of what to say. He just stands there, 
dumbfounded. By now, the Iya Orisha is spinning around him in circles, 
chanting and speaking to him at the same time. “To get out of your 
pact, you must give...oh yes you must give...Blood must flow. “Blood?” 
Rahim blurts out. “Silence!” Iya Orisha yells back at him before 
continuing with her chant. “Seven goats, seven fowls, seven fishes, one 
black cow, a thousand cowries and something very dear to you.” Rahim 
not wanting to be yelled at, remains quiet, watching the priestess move 
to and fro, seemingly caught up in her own little world at the moment. 
After a while, she comes to a stop, weakly falling to her knees, 
breathing heavily. Whatever was controlling her is no longer present. 
She speaks in her normal voice to Rahim, “Seven days...you must bring 
the items the Orisha asked for in seven days.” “But what about the part 
where you said something dear to me. I don't understand,”  Rahim asks. 
The Iya Orisha feebly stands up, Rahim aids her in doing so. “Your soul 
already belongs to the devil, you must give up something the Orisha can 
make use of”, says the priestess. Rahim is still confused, “But if I 
give up the money and fame, I might as well just let Lucifer get his 
way. I don't know what to give. Help me out please.” Iya Orisha sizes 
up Rahim. “You look strong and healthy. The Orisha could make use of 
your manhood.” “My, my manhood...you mean you are going to cut off 
m..my dick?”, he says, grabbing his crotch in fear. The priestess 
laughs at his alarmed response. “No, we won't go that far. Your parts 
will still be there, but you will never be able to have kids. They will 
all belong to the Orisha.” Rahim breathes a sigh of relief. “Oh aite, 
that's cool...thought you were gon cut off my lil' man...I don't think 
I want any more kids, got enough as is. So yeah your goddess can have 
whatever is left of mine. As long as I can still get it up, am good.” 
The Iya Orisha turns her back to him and kneels down in front of her 
shrine. “Very well, come back in seven days. Bring everything I asked 
for. “ Seven days later, with the help of another villager, Rahim 
returns in a rusty wagon, loaded with all the items the Iya Orisha 
requested. Within an hour, Rahim is crouching by a river side with the 
Iya Orisha chanting over his head. The animals have all been 
slaughtered, their blood dumped into a large calabash, mixed with 
various potions. Rahim is only wearing his boxers, weird symbols have 
been painted all over his body by the priestess. Once again, the 
villager is nowhere to be found. The Iya Orisha continues her chants, 
dancing all around Rahim. Dipping a stick with horse hair attached to 
its end, into the calabash of blood. She sprinkles the blood all over 
Rahim, doing this same action over and over again. The sky above 
darkens, Rahim glances around, nervous about what is going on. The Iya 
Orisha on the other hand, seems oblivious to all taking place at the 
moment. Suddenly, she reaches for Rahim's crotch, making him yelp in 
pain. Her chants get louder, he groans uncomfortably. Lightning streaks 
across the sky, Rahim howls in pain, he collapses to the ground 
unconscious. She lets go of his crotch and starts smearing the blood 
from the calabash all over his body. At that very moment, Lucifer 
appears, looking quite upset. “What are you doing priestess? He is mine 
you know. We have a deal.” The priestess pays him no mind, continuing 
with her ritual. Lucifer smirks, walks over and peers at the 
unconscious body of Rahim. “Do as you please priestess, but know I 
always...I repeat I always get what I want.” Poof! He was gone again. 
Rahim is completely unaware of what just transpired. Hours later, he 
comes to in the middle of the Iya Orisha's hut. She sits just a few 
feet away, deep in meditation. He wonders how he got there, all he can 
remember is the crazy priestess grabbing his balls and everything going 
black afterwards. He immediately reaches for his crotch to make sure 
everything is intact, letting out a sigh of relief . He sits up and 
looks at the old woman, “E...excuse me?” The Iya Orisha, back turned to 
him responds. “It is over. Take the necklace besides you and always 
have it on. Never take it off.” Rahim looks around him and spots the 
necklace. It's made up of cowries strung together. He lifts it up and 
wears it around his neck. The priestess coughs before speaking up 
again, “Also, whatever you do, do not invite the devil into your home. 
Once you do that, you give him permission to do as he wants.” Rahim is 
baffled. “Wait, I thought you said the contract was no more,” he 
sputters. “I have said all I need to say on the matter. Now LEAVE!”, 
replies the priestess coldly. Rahim shrugs, gets up, looks at the 
priestess one last time before heading out the door and back to 
civilization. Believing his problems were now a thing of the past. 
Things went smoothly for him in the next few months. He kept a low 
profile, avoiding trouble, trying to surround himself with nothing but 
positivity.  Time flew by and the year was coming to an end. Rahim who 
had been cautiously optimistic from his encounter with the Iya Orisha, 
was brimming with confidence. If he made it to the next year, it would 
prove the contract was null and void. All he had to do was follow the 
priestess' instructions and everything would be fine and dandy. It 
probably would have, if he didn't receive a call from Ziggy three days 
before the end of the year. “Yo Ra, where the heck have you been?” 
proclaimed Ziggy excitedly. “Man, just chilling, laying low...just 
waiting on the new year. How about you?”, responds Rahim. “Yeah, yeah, 
same here man. Watchu doing for new years' eve?” “Nothing man, just 
going to stay home and prepare for a new year of blessings” Ziggy 
bursts out laughing. “What the heck is wrong with you? You really have 
gone soft. Its New Year's eve man, live it up! I know this party going 
down and trust me, you do not want to miss it.” Rahim does not like the 
idea of going to a party on New Year's Eve. “Nah man, I gotta turn that 
down. Not sure I need that type of exposure.” “Nope, not having it man. 
You've been in that house for months now, you need this. You need to 
get out there and see real people. Trust me, that place is going to be 
filled with dimes. It's the one party you don't want to miss.” Rahim 
mulls over Ziggy's comments, he's clearly torn on what decision to 
make. “I...I don't know man.” Ziggy remains persistent. “You don't 
think am being thankful? Dude it's been one heck of a year, why you 
think am going to that party, to get wasted and find me some hot 
chicks. I need my best wingman by my side. Please don't let me down.” 
Rahim smiles, Ziggy always seemed to know how to cheer him up. “Why do 
I have to be the wingman?” “Because you're the known entity man, 
everyone in that place knows who Rahim Jenkins is. I need the help not 
you”, states Ziggy. Rahim guffaws loudly. “You're a fool Zig...Aite I 
will come to the party, but I am not staying late.” “That's fine, as 
long as you show up. Come get me around 9, it's supposed to be 
somewhere in the hills.” “Okay man, see you then. Peace!”, Rahim drops 
the phone, subconsciously touching his necklace. Wondering if he had 
made the right decision. New Year's Eve came and Rahim was feeling 
quite nervous about going to the party. It seemed everything that could 
go wrong had gone wrong that day. One of his ex-girlfriends had called 
earlier in the day to wail on him about not being there for his child. 
That turned into a screaming match between both parties. In annoyance, 
he tossed the phone at the wall but unfortunately it veered off to the 
side, hitting his screen door and breaking the valuable glass attached 
to it. That was going to cost him money to fix, and he hated paying for 
things he could have avoided. The second shocker came during the day 
when he tried to press the outfit he was going to wear to the party. 
Absentmindedly he had put the Iron on the clothes whilst trying to 
answer the ringing phone. By the time he got back, the shirt had been 
burned. To top it all off, when he went downstairs to check up on his 
Bentley, one of the tires was flat. It was like the universe was trying 
to send him a warning that night not to go anywhere. He almost made up 
his mind not to, but remembered that Ziggy would have no way of getting 
to the party. So back indoors it was to find a new attire. Instead of 
driving the Bentley, he'd take his Ferrari and have someone replace the 
Bentley tire the next day. He would try to salvage what was left of the 
day and make the best out of it. 8:45 p.m. and Rahim was ready to roll. 
He looked at himself in the mirror one more time and winked at his 
reflection. He liked what he saw. Dressed in an all black suit attire, 
he knew he was looking quite suave. He strolled confidently to his car, 
hopped in and beamed excitedly as the car growled in response. He sped 
out the driveway and unto the highway. Fifteen minutes later, he 
arrived at Ziggy's house. Honking loudly to get his attention. Ziggy 
runs out and jumps in the car. “You brought out the Ferrari...nice!!! 
Looks like you mean business tonight.” “Yizzir, let's go have ourselves 
a great time,” smiles Rahim. The car peels unto the street and out of 
sight. The party was being held at the mansion of a big name actor. The 
place was buzzing with A-listers and groupies who wanted to get with 
them. Anyone with any sort of clout was present. Rahim and Ziggy 
arrived just as things were picking up. People flocked to him, 
especially the ladies. He was totally at ease in the spotlight, this 
was what he craved. He knew he had missed this. Something in him told 
him to be cautious, but mostly he looked forward to making it to the 
next year so he could be involved in such activities more often. An 
hour later, a few drinks in him and surrounded by a bevy of ladies, any 
such reservations he had before coming to the party was gone. He was 
really enjoying himself. Ziggy was nowhere to be found, having found a 
few ladies to interest himself in also. The music played loudly through 
the speakers, people moved to and fro. It was a night to let go and let 
loose. Rahim's cup was empty and he needed a refill. He jumped up 
gingerly, excused himself from the women that surrounded him and made 
his way to the bar. That was when he saw her. She was standing by the 
door, talking to a few guys that were obviously enamored with her 
looks. She was slim and slender, yet curvaceous in all the right spots. 
She looked she had stepped right out of a fashion magazine, her jet 
black hair glistening under the lights. She was of mixed descent, 
Persian and Caucasian to be exact. Tanned and confident, she chuckled 
at all the attention she was getting. The short red dress she wore 
looked like it was painted on. She knew she was stunning, and she used 
it to her advantage. Licking her lips seductively, driving the guys 
around her crazy. That's when her eyes locked with his and it was as if 
time had stood still. He stood there, transfixed to the spot. He had 
never seen anyone like her before. Her emerald green eyes were locked 
with his, and he felt like she was looking directly into his soul. She 
smiled at him, he felt woozy. What effect was this? This woman was 
enchanting and he had to know more about her. She walked away, heading 
towards the dance floor. He followed, watching her every move, her 
sensual strides felt trance like to him, he could not stop looking. He 
wasn't the only one who noticed, the crowd seemed to part aside to let 
her get to the center of the dance floor. There she began dancing, 
tossing her hair cheekily, moving her body seductively to the beat. It 
was truly a sight to behold. A few guys approached her, but she ignored 
them, dancing on her own, lost in the music. Rahim inched closer and 
closer, his sight set on the woman in front of him. He had to talk to 
her, he had not felt this way in a long time. Finally he was within 
striking distance and he wasn't going to blow this. “A beautiful woman 
shouldn't be dancing alone, it would be a shame if I didn't get to 
dance you,” he said standing directly in front of her. She smiled at 
him, “Is that so? And what makes you so special?” “Oh nothing, just an 
ordinary guy who knows what he wants and won't take no for an answer”, 
he smiled back at her, his gaze not wavering for a second. “You don't 
look like someone who dances a lot”, she said playfully caressing his 
chest. Rahim laughs, “You'd be surprised. Never judge a book by its 
cover they say.” She grabs his hands, urging him on to dance. “Prove me 
wrong then.” And so it began, dancing together without a care in the 
world. They had the attention of fellow party goers, but payed them no 
mind. Their bodies were locked together, moving sensually to the beat. 
He was enamored with her, didn't want to let go. He whispered into her 
ears as she danced all over him. “You never told me your name?” She 
laughs as she continues to grind all over him. “Neither did you...but 
if you must know, I am Fera.” He stops for a moment to look at her. 
“Fera! That's such a beautiful name. Never heard that before...I am 
Rahim...Rahim Jenkins”. She extends her hand to him, “Nice to meet you 
Rahim. Say why don't we get out of here, maybe grab something to eat, 
these heels are killing me.” Rahim's eyes light up, loving the 
suggestion. “Absolutely, I know a nice restaurant around here, the food 
is great.” He grabs her hand, and leads her out the place, both 
giggling as they walk up to his car. “Nice car.” “Thanks!”, he replies, 
helping her to her seat. He hops in the driver's side and drives off 
into the street. They arrive at a swanky restaurant and are ushered to 
a booth at the back where no one can disturb them. Rahim just can't get 
enough of her. Everything about her seemed out of this world, there was 
no way he wasn't going home with her tonight. After the meal, Rahim 
tells her to come home with him to watch a movie. At first she balked, 
but he convinces her that he would cause no trouble. So she obliged, 
telling him she was also intrigued by him, and he had been a complete 
gentleman so far. She was quite impressed with his home, had never seen 
such a big place before. She found it even more impressive that he 
lived all alone. He was quick to point out that if he met that right 
woman he had no qualms opening up his home and his heart. He takes her 
to his private theater. His movie of choice was ‘Dear John', which 
surprisingly was her favorite movie. In Rahim's mind, he was definitely 
making all the right moves, he had this one in the bag. He consoled her 
during the moments that made her cry, he was able to get her to lean on 
him. If there was ever a movie that would increase her comfort level 
with him, it was the one she was watching right now. He loved every 
moment of it, not the movie, but her reactions. She laughed, she 
smiled, she cried, she cursed. All he had to do was nod here and there, 
let her do all the talking and he was good as gold. So by the time the 
final scene came on, it was no surprise that she reached across and 
started making out with him. They groped with each other intimately, 
knocking over the seat, falling down on the floor. It was like two 
Lions fighting with each other, neither wanted to give the other the 
upper hand. They kissed passionately, ripping off each others' clothes 
angrily. He loved every minute of it, where had this woman been all his 
life? She lingered over his neck, the necklace he had on was bothering 
her from kissing his neck. He yanked it off quickly, flinging it to the 
far ends of the room. Stark naked, his hands wandered all over her 
body. He loved her responses, he loved how her hands also caressed his 
body. Her touch was so soothing. She pulled away, shoving him to the 
ground. “Lay down big boy, let mama on top.” He laid down, grinning 
like a little kid. She climbed atop him, sitting on him. She squirmed a 
bit, but smiled whilst doing so. This was the best sex he had ever had, 
her every motion was sending all sorts of messages to his brain. She 
bounced up and down gleefully, her hands on his chest. He closed his 
eyes, the sensation so powerful, he was getting close, this climax 
would be amazing. She started laughing which at first didn't bother 
him, but then it didn't cease, and the laughter got deeper, a more 
guttural voice emanating. When he opened his eyes, what he saw made him 
scream in fright. Sitting atop him, was a red beast, with ram horns, 
and the face of an Ox. Gone was the beautiful Fera, now replaced by 
this grotesque creature, smiling down at him with jagged teeth. “WHAT, 
WHAT IS THIS? AM I DREAMING?”, Rahim yelled out. “No, no, this is no 
dream. Remember when I told you that the horns only come out when I am 
angry....Well you have been a very bad boy,” the beast responded in a 
very deep voice. “L...Lucifer...but tt.thhis can't be? I didn't invite 
you here.” The beast starts laughing, as it does so, the room starts to 
vibrate. “FOOL! Do you not realize of your own free will you brought me 
into your house?” “B..bbutt...I didn't know...I didn't k..know it was 
yy...yoouu,” stutters Rahim. “I always get what is owed me human, 
always!” “T...th..the necklace, it's supposed to st...before he can 
finish that comment, Rahim realizes he had thrown the necklace away in 
the frenzy of making out with Fera. At that very moment, it dawned on 
him that he had lost. The woman he had thought would be his conquest of 
the night was more than he had bargained for. His end was truly in 
sight. The Beast opens its mouth, revealing some very Jagged teeth. 
Rahim starts to cry, pleading with it. “P...PP...pleasee...don't do 
this...pll..ppplease!” SPPHHHHHSHHH!!!! The Beast sinks its teeth into 
Rahim's neck, blood splatters everywhere, he twitches for a second or 
two before going lifeless. At that very moment, a clock somewhere in 
the house chimes. The time is 12 A.M., the devil had claimed what was 
his. 


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