One dream coming right
up, and all it will cost is the low, low price of your soul.
I can hear the
collective intake of breaths and see the shaking of heads. I’m with you, but it
does pose an interesting question—would you make a deal with the devil to
achieve power or success for a delimited term?
This question came up a
lot when I was writing Embrace and Hold Tight. I think the answer would
depend on the price. So let’s say, for argument sakes, you can have whatever
you most desire for one night of your time. Sort of like they did in the 1993
movie Indecent Proposal.
Would you give up a
night of your life?
What if the stakes were
higher and a deal cost you years off your total lifespan. Say you wanted to
become the best blues guitarist this side of the Mississippi River—maybe that
would cost you ten years. If you wanted wealth, twenty.
That might be tempting. Become a NYT bestselling author and all it cost me is ten years off
the top. Hmm…
Probably still not
worth it, but tempting.
Or maybe instead of
taking years like poker chips, you’re granted years to live. Ask to be the
youngest person to become president of the United States and get ten years to
live: two to campaign, eight to serve, and then your time is up. Advance
immediately to the top of a Fortune 500 company, fifteen years to live. Possess
magical powers, twenty-five years.
Would you make the
deal?
What
if it doesn't matter what you ask for. The price is the same no matter what you
desire—power and success can be yours for ten years, and at the end of that
time your debt comes due, like what is done in the television series Supernatural.
Of course, time does fly
and before you know it someone or something will be knocking down your door to
collect their fee, which in this case would be your soul.
I think it’s easy to say
no to most of those scenarios, but what if you were making the deal to save the
life of a loved one. The deal isn’t for personal gain, but to give another
person a second chance to live.
Would you?
