text: This was originally intended as an r/WritingPrompts post but ended up being a bit too long. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ I’m known as many things among the mortals of earth: wish-granter, djinn, even demon. But at the end of the day, I’m just a guy who makes sales and has to meet quotas. The currency I most often work in are the souls of such mortals. Too often are they willing to trade theirs for the things they most often covet or desire. Usually these are such cliche things as power, wealth and sometimes even someone to fuck. Other times though, I get unusual requests from memorable clients. The last man on earth was no exception. I remember the day his ticket came in. It didn’t say much. The only information I got was a name, a location, and a note saying he was the only remaining customer on the whole damn planet. I figured it would be an interesting experience and jumped on the opportunity. Humans tended to be my favorite clients anyways. I didn’t want to miss an opportunity to make a sale to literally the last one. I readied up, putting on my nicest suit and a sporting tie to match. I grabbed my leather bound attache case, my hat, and my coat. I then turned to face destiny. A door to another dimension manifested before me. I opened the portal and was a little surprised by what I saw. Before me laid the home of the last man on earth, Mr. Edom. I didn’t know what to expect, but a cozy little log cabin nestled in an idyllic forest wasn’t on the list of things that crossed my mind. I was thinking more of a festering hovel in a war-torn city. *I guess I’m not getting this man’s soul for a can of beans,* I joked to myself as I stepped through. I crossed a little clearing containing a simple garden, and a stump with an ax lodged in it. I approached the door of the cabin and knocked three times. I waited for a response, but nothing came. Out of some degree of frustration, I peered through a window to try and see if anyone was home. The cabin seemed lived in but no one appear to be around. However, in my examination I spied a little shrine on the mantel of an earthen fireplace. Various photos of friends and family adorned it. But at the center of them all, placed with a sense of reverence, was the picture of a beautiful young girl. In that moment, I sensed I came across something deeply sacred to the man who I was trying to make a sale to. I even felt a tinge of sympathy for the mortal as I began to realize the gravity of his situation. The thought that I should perhaps leave entered my mind. *Maybe another time then,* I mused to myself. As I turned around, I was greeted by an arrow whizzing past my head and lodging itself in the door frame. I was a little shocked, even though I knew I couldn’t be harmed by such mortal weapons. I then noticed the man who fired off that arrow. In front of me was Mr. Edom. He was a grizzled, middle aged man with a flowing beard and a weathered face. His eyes were fierce though and his body seemed strong from enduring hardship. He was carrying some freshly killed game and held a crude bow in one hand. Despite his hostile demeanor, my opportunity finally arrived. I decided to introduce myself to this survivalist, tipping my hat toward him. “Ah. You must be Mr. Edom?” I asked. He didn’t respond but instead approached me. I continued with the pitch anyways. “I am The Salesman. Now, I don’t necessarily deal in trinkets and objects, but rather dreams, wishes and fantasies. For a small price, I can give you the things you most desire.” He still said nothing and was now face to face with me. His eyes were piercing and stared deeply into my being. “Can you please move?” he asked in a gentle tone. “You’re standing in front of my door.” His voice was hoarse and authoritative. Truly this was a man of immense will. But I could also tell he carried a burden of immense despair. “Now, hold on Mr. Edom,” I said. “I am a being of impressive power. I don’t come out for just anybody. You are literally the last of your kind. As such, you have been deemed of interest by a higher cosmic order. May I at least *show* you what I have to offer?” He gave pause. I pulled up my attache case and opened it. An immense light poured forth in front of the man. In it he saw many dancing possibilities where desires for lust, power, and comfort were all fulfilled. He could have been king of another world or even blessed with bountiful harvests for the rest of his life. Hell, he could have even been immortal. The potential for his happiness was nearly endless. Still somehow, he saw nothing that he wanted. He reached out abruptly and shut my case, much to my utter disbelief. “I don’t know who or *what* you are, but I’m not interested in whatever you are offering,” he said. He then pushed past me and went into his home, slamming the door behind him. I was flabbergasted. Never had something like this happened before. “Mr...Mr. Edom, surely there must be *something* I can offer you!” I hollered through the door. “Go away!” he hollered straight back. Now I was the one feeling despair. I was saddened not only by the fact that I was about to lose my first client, but a client who endured so much hardship. Didn’t he want to be happy after all he must have edured? It made no sense. At that point I just wanted to know *why.* I then remembered the pictures on his mantel. “Mr. Edom?” I asked again. There was only silence. “Mr. Edom, I’m not going to lie. I came down here to acquire your soul, as crazy as that sounds,” I said. He didn’t respond, but I decided to continue. “It’s nothing personal. I’m just doing my job. But sometimes I come across people who make me really stop and think about what I do. And I’m thinking that I had nothing to offer you because it’s not really about ***you*** in the first place, is it?” He still remained silent. “The girl in the photo? Was she your daughter?” I asked This time, there was a muffled sigh. “She was beautiful,” I continued. “I’m...I’m sorry for your loss.” Mr. Edom finally spoke. “She didn’t deserve to go. None of them deserved to go. None of the people who I lost; who I *loved* deserved to go,” he said in anguish. They’re the ones who deserve to be alive right now, especially my daughter. Instead fate chose me to continue on. But honestly? I really don’t understand why.” “Why do you say that?” I asked. He sighed a deep sigh that shook me to my core. “Because I...I wasn’t strong enough to save them,” he said. “I wasn’t strong enough to save my own daughter in a time of calamity. I don’t get why that makes me worthy of life in the first place.” A profound silence overtook the conversation. “Salesman?” beckoned Mr. Edom’s voice through the wood. I raised my head again. “Is it possible that you can give them a chance? Can you give my friends, my family and my daughter the chance at life they deserve? If you take souls can I exchange mine for theirs?” I was moved. Most mortal humans only think of themselves when given the opportunity to use my powers. “Mr. Edom, I’m truly impressed by your noble desires. I really wish I could fulfill your request but I can’t. A soul passed is a soul passed. They can’t return from the ether unless...” I paused to mull over what I was about to offer. Not only could such a deal land me in considerable trouble, it would also likely result in the complete **unmaking** of my client: a destruction so complete that the atoms making him up would cease to exist. Mr. Edom opened the door, interrupting my thoughts. “Unless what?” he asked. I stared into Mr. Edom’s piercing gaze. “Unless I grant you the powers of divinity and make you a god.” Mr. Edom was stoic as always. “But there’s a caveat or two,” I said. Simple mortals, even ones as strong and selfless as you, cannot easily handle the powers of divinity. You will more than likely be completely torn and shredded from reality; your soul will likely burn up in the energy of such divine powers, and the only person who would remember you is me. Not even your daughter will recall who you are.” I raised a finger. “***BUT,*** you will get an opportunity to give your loved ones a chance at life. Mr. Edom’s eyes burned with a frightening intensity. I put my hand out to shake on the deal. “Is this a sacrifice you are willing to make?” I asked. He clasped my hand firmly. “Absolutely,” he said. Touched, I again I brought up my attache case and opened it. I reached into the swirling energies of infinity and produced a small, glowing egg. “Swallow this whole. It’ll grant you the powers to bend the universe to your whim.” I said. “But once you do so, there’s no going back.” “I’m ready,” he declared. He took the egg from my hand and examined it. He noticed it was surprisingly weighty. He the breathed deeply and consumed it whole. Time stopped in that moment and the fabric of reality began to tear away. A kaleidoscope of colors transported us to some sort of blank realm. Then the stars, nebulae and other rich colors of the cosmos came flooding back in. Mr. Edom was transcending from his from his lesser form as glowing energies began flowing from and into him. He was struggling against a thousand instances of raw power over a thousand life-times. I was worried that he would lose control, but he remained true. He began to focus his powers, screaming a scream that could shatter a universe. He began to shape reality not for himself, but for those who he loved. He rebuilt their bodies, minds and souls and even rebuilt the ones of those who he did not know. Through sheer force of will, he undid the calamity that took everything from him. He was remaking all of his kind in that instance. But I noticed the toll it was taking. Chunks of his essence were being stripped away, disappearing in streams of colorful, super-heated vapor that in turn disappeared into nothingness. Then in a blinding flash, he then faded from all realities, having finished his work. As everything settled, I caught a glimpse of his magus opus. I saw, his daughter, his wife, and his friends, continuing to live their lives as before the calamity. They seemed content. What a shame that they would never know the sacrifice he made.