Sell Your Soul

1

Hannah’s husband stumbles into the bedroom, she hears him undress and shower before falling into the bed and wrapping his arms around her tightly. She can smell gunpowder, and the way he holds her lets her know that someone lost their life tonight. She kisses his arm, snuggled close to him and thanked God he made it home another night. He falls asleep quickly. But she can’t, all she can think about is how she ended up where she is today.

Three years ago…

Hannah pushed open the door of the diner. It was full so she had to take a seat at the bar beside a tough looking guy with tattoos. She didn’t pay much attention to the looks she was getting from everyone in the joint. She was getting immune the strange looks, she knew she probably looked kind of crazy with her duffel bag and church clothes.

“What can I get ya hun?” The waitress asked cracking her gum.

“May I have a burger with cheese please, and some fries?”

“Of course! Whatchu want to drink?” The waitress smiled. Most people who came in weren’t very polite.

“I’ll have a Coke please ma’am!” Hannah smiled at her.

“Really?” The man beside her snorted a laugh.

“Excuse me sir?” She turned to look at him.

He looked back at her like she was insane.

“You look, and talk like you’re from the fifties. But you can’t be more than sixteen.” He had the most amazing blue eyes.

“I’m eighteen actually.” Hannah said blushing and looking away. She wasn’t used to a lot of attention from men. Especially tattooed men with blue eyes that screamed danger.

“You’re not from around here are you?” He said next sipping his drink.

“No sir, I just got into town.” She smiled again and then thanked the waitress for her food.

Hannah tried to eat in a ladylike fashion but she had been on a bus for hours and was starving. She felt eyes on her and turned to see the tattooed guy staring at her.

“So, what are you running away from?” He asked catching her offgaurd.

She stared at him with her mouth open, was it that obvious?

“My parents.” Hannah hung her head in shame. She knew she was doing the right thing by getting away from home, but at the same time she felt like she was going straight to hell.

“Ahh. I see. We’re all running from something.” The man said winking at her. He pulled a twenty out of his pocket and tossed it on the counter before walking away.

“Thank heavens!” The waitress cried once he cleared the door.
Hannah looked at her strangely.

“You’re telling me! He ain’t nothing but trouble!” Another waitress said.

Her words echoed in Hannah’s head as she watched the man pause to light a cigarette beside of his black car . Hannah didn’t know what made her do it, but she paid for her meal and made her way out of the dinner and towards him.

Johnny smiled as he watched the blonde girl make her way to him with her duffel bag in hand. There was something about her that got to him. Maybe it was her innocence or the way she called him sir. But he was really glad she followed him. But they always did.

“You need a ride somewhere runaway?” He asked taking a draw from his smoke.

“Yes sir. If it’s not too much trouble that is.” Hannah smiled sweetly at him.

“Get in babydoll.” He grinned at her.

Hannah tossed her duffel bag in the back and buckled her seat belt. Johnny wanted to laugh out loud. This girl was something else. He could be a rapist for all she knew. He had decided she was either a cop or a crazy.

“Where you need to go?” He asked peeling out of the lot, causing Hannah to gasp and grab the dashboard.

“The Ramada.” She answered still holding on.

“Which one?” Johnny asked, still unsure what her angle was.

“It doesn’t matter, whichever one is the least out of your way.”

He thought it over for a minute.

“So, I didn’t catch your name.”

“It’s Hannah, Hannah Faith.” She answered, then paused and very politely asked for his name.

“My friends call me Johnny.” He grinned again.

Hannah felt butterflies every time he smiled. He was easily the kind of guy she could be attracted too. Her parents were right, she was an abomination. She shook their voices out of her head.

“What about people who aren’t your friends?” She asked.

“They call me Trouble.” She smiled.

“Yeah, that’s what the waitress said after you left.”

“She’s right. You know.” Johnny told her with a sly smile.

“You seem perfectly nice to me.” Hannah told him.

“For all you know I could be a serial killer.” Johnny snorted.

“You could, but I think if you wanted to do something to me you would have by now.” She said simply.

“You’re weird.” Johnny shook his head. This girl was something else that was for sure. She looked like she was dressed for church in a simple pink sundress with a sweater and her long blonde hair
pulled halfway back. She wore no makeup he could tell other than maybe mascara and gloss.

“Why am I weird?” But Hannah already knew the answer

“The way you talk, and act. It’s like you’re from a different time or something.” Johnny hope he didn’t offend her.

“I was raised by strict uber religious parents.” Hannah admitted she felt blush creeping across her face.

“Is that why you’re running away?”

“Kind of, this is the first time I’ve ever really been away from them.” She answered and looked out the window.

Johnny drove past the Ramada. He couldn’t drop this girl off and leave her. She’d get eaten alive in this town.

“Look, this is gonna seem weird but this town isn’t all happiness and rainbows Hannah and a girl like you could get into serious trouble by herself. It’s dangerous here, especially at night. If I drop you off
at the Ramada and then you end up on tomorrow’s news I’d feel like shit.” He admitted.

Hannah flinched a little when he cursed.

“I’m gonna take you to my sister’s house. If you want to stay in town she can help you get a job and stuff.” He continued.

“Thank you a lot sir.” Hannah smiled. He was so nice, she didn’t understand why the waitresses had been so afraid of him. Sure he looked pretty rough on the outside, but you can’t judge a book by it’s cover.

“Call me Johnny.”

“Thank you – Johnny.” It was hard for Hannah to refer to a man by his name. She was raised to call all males sir. But she was already breaking all the rules, what was one more?