James Roux, born and raised in Wyoming, was a young boy, about 13 years of age, when the encounter took place. He was of average height, a little on the heavy side, and had dark brown hair. Although James was a good kid at heart, he was a bit of a brat because he was used to getting whatever he wanted. James’ parents loved him dearly and they tried very hard to please their son. When birthdays or holidays came around, Mr. Roux, James’ father, always found himself working overtime so he would be able to purchase the newest, most sought after toy so his son would be content.
Several weeks before his birthday, James went downstairs for breakfast with his mom and dad. After the usual good mornings had been exchanged, James abruptly asked his parents, “For my birthday this year, can I have the new Apple MacBook that just came out last month?”

Mr. and Mrs. Roux gave each other looks disapproval from across the table after hearing what had just came out of their son’s mouth. “James honey,” Mrs. Roux led on, “we bought you a new computer for Christmas! Is that not good enough for you?”

“As a matter of fact, its not. I NEED this computer. I just have to have it,” James reprimanded.

“Enough is enough! You’re never happy with anything that we get you. Your mother and I work extremely hard to get you everything you want, but this time, I’ve had it!” Mr. Roux exclaimed. “Now go upstairs and get ready for school!”

James scampered up the stairs weeping. He moaned to himself, “Its not fair! My parents are terrible! I hate them! I hate them! I would do anything to be part of a rich family!”
The instant the sentence departed his lips the bright blue sky transformed to dark and gloomy as lightening began to strike all around the small Wyoming neighborhood. The wind howled causing trees to knock out power lines, leaving everyone in the dark. James’ father called up the stairs, “Get in the basement now!” in fear there was a tornado in the vicinity, but James stood looking out the window in awe as the ground split open.
Immediately, the situation reminded James of an apocalyptic style movie he saw a few months back. Frightened and not knowing what to do, James crawled under his bed in hope to seek sustainable shelter.
Out of the newly formed crevasse rose a tall, dark figure that appeared to be nothing more than a shadow of a man who once stood in front of the house. James remained under his bed for a few minutes until he heard the steps of his house creaking. Convinced that his dad was coming for him, he jumped out from under his bed in an act of relief and scurried to the door to let Mr. Roux in. To his surprise, when he opened the door there was a man foreign to James hunched over in front of the doorway. He spoke in a low, deep monotonic voice; “Hello James. I am the answer to your cries. I can make what you want come true for a price. Are you willing to commit yourself to me?”
The strange man was very tan, like a lost wonderer in the desert who walked for many years without any shelter from the sun. He was tall, and wore an expensive suite, so James assumed that he meant business. James asked, “If you’re here to make a deal, I must know your name since you already know mine.”
“Very well,” the man said. “You can call me Mr. Diabolos.” Little did young James know, diabolos is the Latin root from which the English word devil comes from.
“Well then, Mr. Diabolos, you say you can give me what I want, eh? What I want is to be a part of a family that can provide for my inner most desires,” said James.
“Your wish is my command, but first are you willing to spend all of eternity with me in Hell after your earthy life is over?” questioned Mr. Diabolos.
This statement puzzled James. He didn’t have a very strong sense of right and wrong since he was at such a young age, but his death seemed so far off that this deal had a large appeal to him. James asked Mr. Diabolos to come back the next day so he would have time to think about it, and he complied. Mr. Diabolos leapt out James’s second story window and dove into to the crevasse he came out of as graceful as an Olympic diver. With a brutal gust of wind, he was gone and the sky turned a peaceful blue. James was so overwhelmed by every thing that had occurred before him that he fainted right in the middle of his bedroom floor.
Later on, James awoke to the steady rhythm of a cardiac monitor, the sounds of doctors putting on scrubs, and a bright light in his face. It took him a moment to remember what had happened, but James made the assumption that he was in a hospital. His father explained to him that during the presumed tornado, James had fallen down and hit his head, leaving him unconscious so they brought him to the emergency room. Relieved that he had received no major injuries, James drifted off into a deep sleep.
When he opened his eyes again, James looked to his left to where his father had previously been sitting near the window. To his surprise, Mr. Diabolos was sitting there just smirking at him. “Are you ready to make that deal James?” the mystical man said.
“I was born ready,” remarked James. As a response to this comment, Mr. Diabolos smirked and proceeded to take out a long piece of paper. He gestured for James to read it, since it was only fair for him to know the consequences of the deal he was about to make. James unraveled the scroll-like document and began to read. It took him several minutes to read the lengthy contract, which detailed how James would have to give up his soul at the end of his earthly life if Mr. Diabolos gave him what he desired. “If you’re finished reviewing the documentation, all I need is your signature and your wildest dreams will come true,” exclaimed Mr. Diabolos.
Immediately James barked out for a pen and signed the paper as if his life depended on it. Suddenly, James felt exhausted and drifted off to sleep once again. When he came out of what was the deepest sleep he had ever experienced, James found him self in a bed bigger than any he had ever slept in from a hotel. The sheets were so soft and silky and they seemed to flow on like an endless river of the fluffiest fabric on Earth. The room James woke up in was as large as the first floor of his house in Wyoming. He took a gander around the dormitory and instantaneously concluded this must have been the work of Mr. Diabolos. Everything he ever wanted that his parents could not afford was in the room; videogames, several computers, an ice cream machine, a robot servant, the newest cell phone, and several other items were just a few highlights of the items found in James’ new bedroom. Excited to view the rest of his new dwelling place, James rushed out the door into a grand, extravagant hallway with countless doors.

Eventually, James located the kitchen, the grand foyer, a living room, several bathrooms, but he was unable to find his new family. A few hours later, James heard a car roll in the driveway. He looked out the window and saw a limo enter the gate of the estate. The driver got out and opened the door and a man emerged wearing a business suite. This man was James’ new father. James wanted to know more about this man, so he called out for Mr. Diabolos and within seconds he appeared in the middle of the kitchen. “Tell me more about this man who I presume is my father. I need to know about the man who I live with,” asked James.

“His name is Joseph Abogadra. He is an extremely successful lawyer who is barely home. He can provide you with anything you want material wise, but don’t expect any love from him because he is depressed after the death of his wife, Anna,” said Mr. Diabolos.

James took this statement to heart and decided that he did not need love as long as he was spoiled with gifts and material items. “Thank you for your time Mr. Diabolos,” James said. “That is all I request of you for now.

The lights flickered and Mr. Diabolos disappeared once again. James went on living his new life alone in the mansion with barely any verbal exchanges with his new father besides the times when James asked for a new gadget or gizmo. This was great at first to him, but eventual James began to long for something that his new dad could not purchase with money: love. James spent many long nights reminiscing about his life in Wyoming and how loving his parents were. He went into remorse that he had made a huge mistake and cried out, “Mr. Diabolos! I made a mistake! I don’t want to live this life any more!”

With a flash and a bang, Mr. Diabolos appeared once again, this time with a large cattle car parked outside. He roared in a new deep voice, “James! You have violated your contract you made with the devil. Now you must come with me and spend all of eternity in Hell! I gave you everything you asked for, but yet again, it was not good enough for you. Now you will finally learn to be grateful for what you have while doing the deeds of the devil forever!”

Frightened for his life, James used his quick thinking and picked up a Ghost Busters vacuum Mr. Abogadra bought for him. He flipped the switch to the “suck” position in a desperate attempt to save himself, and to his surprise Mr. Diabolos was compressed into nothing more than a bag of dust inside the children’s toy. James asked his fake father for one last gift, which was a plane ticket to Wyoming and adoption papers for his old parents to receive custody. Mr. Diabolos never pestered anyone ever again because James still keeps the vacuum locked away to this day to make sure he can never get out. The traumatic experiences young James Roux went through taught him the valuable lesson of being thankful for what you have. He never asked his real parents for anything again because their love was enough to fill the hole in his heart.