[ wp ] The killing of ten thousand people can now bring one person back to life .

It was a literal “ deal with the Devil ” that seemed too good to be true, though I guess that ’ s a bit repetitive. But I thought I had it figured out. I analyzed the fine print, did the math, and covered every possible scenario. I was going to beat the Devil at his own game. 
 
 One life given for every 10,000 taken. A fair trade, subjectively of course. Always the pessimist, I had lost faith in humanity. It was only a matter of time before we all killed each other and destroyed the world, so why not get something out of it? A smart man knows when to fold his cards and get a new hand – a hand that would purify humanity save our race. 
 
 I was going to rebuild society. Start humankind anew. With Earth ’ s population around 7 billion people, and assuming I took every single life, that meant I could revive 700,000 people, which was more than enough for my plan. The Devil would acquire the influx of souls he wanted, and I would get my utopia. It was a win-win. 
 
 I was allowed to choose the people to be revived. I made a list of the history ’ s greatest scholars, scientists, and humanitarians. I added those I personally wanted to survive, such as loved ones, friends, and celebrities I liked ( because they would unfortunately be victims of the genocide and therefore need revival ). 
 
 I spent months preparing that list, researching to build my perfect team, allotting so much of my time that I became recluse. I knew I was playing with fire so I wanted to be sure that everything would work out. I knew the Devil had some tricks planned, so I tried to preemptively counter those. When I listed names, I made sure to include details about them ( i.e. date of birth ) so he wouldn ’ t bring back some Albert Einstein who was a sanitation worker from Bridgeport, Connecticut. I input specific coordinates so they wouldn ’ t be revived in the air, hovering over an active volcano. I almost forgot to add myself to the list, but that was done, too. 
 
 I reviewed the contract over and over, quibbling over details such as “ will they return at a pristine physical condition? ” and “ will their minds be the same? ” I ran over the details with the Devil and he grudgingly input new stipulations into the contract to meet my demands, making the end result seem as good as the deal sounded. 
 
 Finally, I was satisfied. Nearly a year ’ s worth of negotiating and planning. My friends and family had abandoned me, and my health had deteriorated, but it was worth it. For the greater good. Once they realized what I had done, they ’ d understand. I didn ’ t know if I ’ d be treated as a hero or a monster, but I knew deep down I was ensuring the prosperity of the human race. 
 
 I met with the Devil to sign the contract. Per my direction, he was to eradicate the entire population with a new disease, one that spread simply through the air and killed humans ( and only humans ) instantly, painlessly. It ensured the survival of all other lifeforms in addition to maintaining the integrity of structures and the environment. When everyone was deceased, he ’ d fulfil his portion of the deal, eliminate the disease, and revive everyone in a somewhat centralized location in America. There was no incentive for him to create the agreement if he could just kill everyone anyway, so I figured he ’ d honor his end of the bargain. 
 
 And he did. Earth ’ s population hit zero before anyone knew how to react, and then instantaneously jumped to nearly 700,000, everyone in peak physical condition. The undead treated me with both disdain and praise. Some were thrilled to live again and rebuild society. Some chastised me for willingly killing so many people. Others wanted to stay dead. 
 
 In any case, my plan had worked, and I thought someone had finally beaten the Devil. But the feeling didn ’ t last long. People didn ’ t get along with each other. Race wars, power struggles, and even violence over philosophical thought plagued my new society. With no established hierarchy of power, it was pure chaos. 
 
 There was only one way out of it. I met with the Devil once more determined to right my wrong. He sneered, as if he knew all along the end result. Maybe he did. I swallowed my pride and spit out the only words I thought that could possibly rectify the situation. 
 
 “ I ’ d like to renew my contract. ”
