Old Scratch (Part II)

Rhonda was taken aback. He hadn't even denied it. Was this some kind of joke? She looked around at the crowded market, as if she would find an answer to his question there. All kinds of people were milling about, surveying tables laden with colorful fruits and vegetables, artfully crafted baked goods, trinkets. The late summer sky was a striking blue, and some of the trees were beginning to be tinged with russet and gold. Despite the bustle of activity, it was a peaceful scene.

A magpie landed on the pavement nearby, tilting its head curiously at her. Of course, she knew it was probably only her anthropomorphisation of it that made it look curious. She thought of what she'd read recently about magpies: that they were actually terrified of shiny objects, contrary to the age-old belief that they liked to steal anything sparkly for their nests. The human imagination certainly could go off the rails...

She turned back to the stranger. 'The Devil'... hah. Was she just imagining that? He was definitely eccentric, and he did call himself 'Old Scratch'. But 'the Devil' was a a mythological concept, right? Not a real person. He was still standing there, his eyes leveled at her, waiting.

"Would you like a sample?" She asked, holding the plate full of crackers and weird jams out to him. It was a stalling tactic. But also - why not? I mean, as long as he was standing there.

"If I taste your jam, will your answer my question?" He returned.

"Sure", she said slowly. Her stalling tactic seemed to be backfiring.

He took one of the samples, bit into it, and chewed thoughtfully, his eyes gazing into space for a moment, evaluating. "That's actually really good!"

She laughed. "You sound surprised."

"Well..." he replied. "I mean, 'Squid Ink & Licorice Jelly' sounds like a flavor I would have invented. You know, to torture the damned." He winked. "Ok, I've tasted your sample, now answer my question".

'Sample'... huh. That gave her an idea: "Fair enough. But maybe you can give me a taste too, before I give you my answer. A sample."

He raised an eyebrow at her quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"Suppose you demonstrate what the world would look like to me without my imagination, just so I can see if I'd feel comfortable spending the rest of my life that way? Since this is such an important decision, that seems like a reasonable request."

He nodded. "And I am nothing if not a reasonable man..."

horizontal rulers courtesy of @cryptosharon

Old Scratch (Part II) - a fiction smidgen for Freewrite # 201 - important

Old Scratch (Part II)