"You have lung cancer." My doctor couldn't be more blunt and I didn't blame him. He has told me countless times to stop smoking but I kept going anyway. So it didn't surprise me. One question bothered me though.

"How long do I have?" A lot of cancer patients have probably asked the same thing and dreaded the answer.

"The cancer has already spread throughout your body, and it'll only get worse as time passes but we have treatments that may be able to slow it down." He didn't even bother to sound convincing. 

In all my twenty five years, I've never really hoped to reach forty, I've always thought I'd die as early as twenty, reaching my current age was a miracle in itself. I started drinking when I was thirteen, smoked my first cigarette a year after that and I've never looked back. I noticed the day outside the window of the clinic, it was a bright Tuesday morning, people were scrambling through the streets trying to get to work or wherever and here I am listening as my doctor proclaims my death sentence.

"Nah, I think I'll just die in a corner peacefully doc." It came out of my mouth before I could even think about it. 

Dr. Jameson looked at me and perhaps saw something in my face and he merely nodded. "To tell you the truth, even if we do give you the treatments, it'll only buy you a year or two. As it is, you only have a year to live or more or less, depending on when you do quit smoking."

I thanked him, no need to stay in the clinic that smelled of bad news and death sentence. I took out my phone and played music through my earbuds. I walked through the streets, all the while contemplating on my remaining year. I could either quicken my own death by sticking with my daily routine which involved two packs of smokes and a bottle of Jack at night or quit both, be depressed and repent for all the time and years I wasted doing nothing with my life. 

I went to the nearest fast food chain to grab a quick meal. I realized you can have cancer and still get hungry. I was munching down on my garlic bread and spaghetti combo meal when a man I didn't know sat down on the opposite seat of the table. He was wearing a dark trench coat, a pair of black gloves, and a top hat. I figured he's in his late thirties. He was pale and had a rather handsome face, it spoke of royalty and he was staring at me with an amused expression. 

The first thing that came on my mind was that he was probably a cosplayer or something, since no one wears an outlandish outfit like the one he has in this day and age. I was about to ask him what he wanted but he spoke first.

"I am so sorry to hear about your sickness." His voice was deep and I could hear a hint of suppressed laughter in it. 

That surprised me, how the fuck did he know that? I haven't even told anyone. I realized I was gaping at him and I must've looked stupid for he laughed. It was a cruel laugh, condescending and arrogant. 

"Who the fuck are you?" Surprise or no surprise, this asshole is getting on my nerves. "I have no idea how you know about my sickness but I'm not in the mood for jokes.."

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Again, the cruel laughter. "But that's the thing isn't it? Life is but one big joke."

I think about it, what does it matter anyway? I'm going to die, regardless of who knew about my sickness. I decided to give this guy a free pass, and I wasn't in the mood for a fight. "Look, mister, I don't know who you are or how you know what you know but I'm trying to eat here and I'm really having a shitty day, can you just leave me alone and let me eat while I still can?"

At this, Mr. Trenchcoat laughed, this time he sounded genuinely amused. "And that is precisely why I'm here. I'm here to make you an offer that may just save your shitty life."

I immediately thought that he was one of those quack doctors that offered "treatments" that supposedly cures diseases, but then again he didn't look like your typical quack doctor. "I don't know what it is you're offering but I'm not interested." 

"Nonetheless, I'll tell you about what I am offering, perhaps it would change your mind." At this he laced his hands together and proceeded to tell me about his "offer".

"Before anything else, I'd like to introduce myself to you. My name is Mephistopheles and I am the Devil." 

At this he flicked his fingers and my surroundings vanished. The tables, the food, the other patrons in the restaurant, all of it disappeared. I was floating in a dark space in god knows where. My mind struggled to comprehend what he just said. I've never been much for religion, I haven't even been to church ever since I got baptized as a Catholic and so I found it hard that right in front of me is the one they called the Devil. I screamed into the void and the silence merely ignored my plea. 

I kept closing and opening my eyes, hoping that he would disappear but to no avail. He was still there, staring at me and he was laughing. When I finally grasped that he wasn't just an apparition that my mind conjured, I tried to calm myself and focused on what was happening. When he was convinced that he had my attention, he went on with his proposal.

"I am here to offer you a cure, a clean slate and a brand new start. All you need to do is sign the contract." He flicked his fingers again and the table along with the seats reappeared. A piece of paper was on top of the table. "However, in exchange for all of this, you will have to do the task I've set out for you. If you fail, I will take your soul as payment."

After watching all those movies about people making deals with the devil, I thought that this was nothing more than a sham to take my soul away. However, a part of me that wanted to live, the part of me that wanted a new start and a chance at redemption insisted that this was a rare opportunity. Sometimes I feel the contradiction tearing me apart. 

"Out of curiosity, what do you mean by a clean slate and a brand new start?" The cure was the only thing that made sense to me. 

"Your existence will restart, all of the things that you've done in your life including your memories will disappear from this world. Simply put, you'll be reborn with a brand new name, and I can assure you you'll live a life of luxury."

The mere idea of being cured and reborn to this world without all the painful memories was more than enough to tempt me, but also a life of luxury? That didn't sound so bad, not bad at all, that is if you ignore the fact that if I failed the task he had set upon me, he'll end up owning my soul. 

"If you are interested in my offer, you can review the contract and think about it." He gestured at the piece of paper on the table. "But remember that time is not on your side."

And just like that everything went back to normal. I was once again sitting with my half-eaten garlic bread and spaghetti on the plate but this time there was a piece of paper beside it. It was the contract and it only served as a reaffirmation of what just happened. I had a conversation with the Devil.