A Dance With the Devil

An elderly man sat before him. He was dressed in a well-worn gray suit, all the color faded except for the brass buttons which looked to have been recently polished. It was evident that the man was paralyzed: his pants were too loose, his legs failing to fill them out. His chest and arms swelled enough to make up for it, especially considering his age. His face was weathered, wrinkles cracked over his forehead, heavy dark circles under his eyes, yet he was clean shaven and still appealing enough. Darkly shaded glasses rested just before the point of his nose, his eyes scanning the black leather book in his hands.

Rick noted the man with a curiosity unbecoming of a man of his station. Lawyers were supposed to remain strictly professional, yet this man had a grandfather-like quality that beckoned him to beseech the man’s opinion.

“What are your feelings on religion, Frank?” he asked glancing down at the man, feeling a sense of discomfort as the question left his lips. He felt himself reaching for the verbalized thought, attempting in vain to return it to its proper place: the dregs of his mind.

A sly grin appeared on the elderly man’s withered lips. His eyes rose to meet Rick, and for the first time Rick was able to see the man’s white eyes. It had been a long time since those eyes had been able to observe their surroundings, but they met his easily.

The sightless eyes’ ability to find his left him unsettled. “Sorry, Frank. I just saw that you were reading the bible, so I thought—.”

His lips parted, but those white eyes never left Rick’s. “You are wondering why a man who can’t see is reading the bible?” he asked, a hint of amusement in his raspy voice. Frank had been one of the few men in his line of devotion who smoked.

Rick felt even more uneasy about his query. It was very personal, asking a man about his faith. “Never mind, Frank. It was a stupid question. I shouldn’t have asked it. My apologies,” he said, finally breaking eye contact and giving his attention to the Persian carpets that adorned the floors of his client’s living room.

The old man chuckled as if he were aware of Rick’s nervousness. He can’t know that I broke eye contact, can he? The thought brought his eyes back the man in the chair.

Frank closed the bible and placed it on the table next to his stuffed armchair. He then brought his hands together, lacing his fingers, and leaned back in the chair, resting his bald head on a pillow. “There is no need for apology, my friend. And indeed, you are my friend. You’ve been my lawyer for what, 12 years now?” he asked.

“14, sir.”

“Oh that’s right,” he replied, unlacing his fingers and moving them to the arms of the chair. He was silent for some time. “It’s really been 14 years since Helen passed.”

Again, Rick couldn’t maintain eye contact, so his eyes ventured forth into the living room, admiring the bookshelf beside the man’s armchair, the fire softly crackling in the far wall, and the collection of globes, mathematical instruments, and statuettes that were littered throughout the room. They ornamented several small tables that were scattered across the room. There were sheets upon sheets of paper, all scribbled on until there was no more space to write, resting on those tables, as well. Why is he writing? It’s not like he can ever read it again. Frank lived alone.

Frank broke the silence, Rick’s eyes finding the white ones waiting. “Back to your question, Rick,” he said.

Rick’s sense of unease returned, the calmness allotted to him by appreciating the room’s relics fleeing quickly. He grasped fruitlessly at the escaping serenity before settling into his disquiet. “It’s really okay, sir. It was an inappropriate question. You really don’t need to answer it.”

Frank’s haunting laugh echoed through Rick’s mind, his white eyes seemed to concentrate hard on Rick, somehow becoming even whiter. Rick silently shuddered, encircling his arms around him.

“Cold, Rick?” Frank asked. “There are several fine coats in the closet in the hallway. You’d certainly be entitled to borrow one.”

Rick’s mind was racing. How the hell did he know that I shuddered?

“No, I’m fine. The fire’s keeping this place plenty warm,” he replied. “Why did you think I was cold anyway?”

Frank’s mouth crested into a small smile. It was a genuine smile. It reached his eyes.

Rick felt all the hairs on his body rise, expressing his sentiments better than words ever could. There’s something wrong here.

Frank started again. “But back to your question, Rick. My views on religion? Well, they are many, and they are varied. As a man of God, a priest you would say, I viewed religion as a way for people to find their way in life. A way for people to learn what it was that the Lord wanted them to do. Sinners would come to me asking for forgiveness, and I would grant it to them in the name of the Lord. All they had to do was reveal their dark secrets, repent, and they were forgiven. Clean again in the eyes of the Lord.

“But those were the early days. The Lord took my eyes from me on the first day that I was to give mass at my very own church. I looked at it as a sacrifice. The Lord needed my eyes for a higher purpose, and in a way He was challenging me. He wanted me to rise above my fellow clergymen. I became a sightless priest, yet I did not need eyes to read scripture. Those holy words are forever engraved in my mind, plain as you see here in this book,” he said stroking the soft leather cover.

Rick thought that he had found a perfect opportunity to take his leave. “Well, thanks for that Frank. That definitely clears up my curiosity. I should have known that you’d have memorized the bible. I’d just never seen you reading it before.” Rick turned to go, but a violent cough from Frank turned him back. “You alright, sir?”

Frank coughed again, clearing his throat. “I’m fine, Rick. But you can’t leave yet, I haven’t finished answering your question,” he said, gesturing towards the wooden chair across from him. “Take a seat.”

Rick sighed, took a deep breath and strode towards the chair, taking his seat. He was determined to maintain eye contact with the blind man this time.

“You see, I preached at that church for thirteen years. Families from all over the state would come to hear my Sunday morning mass. I guess you could say that I gathered quite a gathering. Men would give up their seats to women and children and stand in the back. Or so I’ve heard.

“Of course, I couldn’t see these people. These wonderful people of faith that came from so far to hear my words. It broke my heart that I couldn’t see their smiling faces, that I couldn’t witness the guidance that I gave them take hold of their hearts. But I thought that I could feel it.”

Frank stopped and pursed his lips. Rick’s comfort level was returning to normal, and he felt brave enough to ask his client a question. “So what happened after those thirteen years, Frank? Did you retire?”

Frank’s mouth tightened up, and Rick’s unease poured back. He had never seen the old man this angry before. Frank loosened his lips, and snarled, grinding his teeth. Then he cracked his neck and continued, “No, Rick. I didn’t retire. One night, while I prayed before the foot of my bed, a voice came to me. For a moment, I felt enlightened. God had visited me! After all of these years of challenging me and putting through extreme adversity, He was here to shower me with His praise. I sang the Lord’s Prayer and raised my head to the heavens.”

Frank closed his eyes for a moment, and his face took on a look of forced calm. “Then I heard a chuckle. A deep, guttural chuckle. I lowered my head and stood up, and when I turned around, the Devil stood before me. I fell back, my hands finding a pillow, and I held it in front of me as a shield. I dropped the pillow. I could see. My eyes were working. I began blinking rapidly, believing myself to be having a terrible dream.

The devil shook his head and laughed at me. He said ‘Frank, do you really think that He would visit you? After everything he’s done to you, you still do good work in His name. I just don’t understand humans sometimes.’ I held my cross in my hands and uttered a silent prayer. Then I faced the devil. ‘God has plans for everyone, and they are different for all us. My path has just been harder than most, but it only means that I will be rewarded for my strength in heaven!’

“The devil threw back his head and laughed. ‘Fine. If you truly believe that God has such great plans for you then I offer you this challenge. If I win, I get your soul, and if you win, I will submit myself to God’s judgment and will leave your eyes restored.’ Immediately, I became elated. This was my destiny! I was to be the one that ended Satan’s reign. I was a chosen one. ‘You’ve got yourself a deal there, Lucifer.’ The devil smiled, convinced of his triumph, yet I had faith in the Lord, and I knew that He would save me. ‘What is this challenge?’ I asked.

“Satan smirked, ‘It’s a simple one. All you have to do is give your sermon on Sunday morning.’ I instantly laughed, ‘That’s all? I do that anyway.’ I grinned, confident of my ability to reward God for his choosing of me as the slayer of evil. The devil looked at my grin and returned one to me. ‘You will give your sermon the same as you do each Sunday, only this time you will be able to see your faithful. There is only one rule: you must not let anyone know that your sight has returned.’ With that, the devil spun on the spot and was gone.

“I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep. I would finally be able to see all of the people that came to hear my words. The people that came from so very far to hear me preach.”

Rick was leaning forward in his chair, his jaw dropped. He envisioned the devil appearing in his own bedroom and shuddered. What on earth is going on? When did Frank go mad? Rick couldn’t hold in his curiosity, “What happened at mass, Frank?”

Frank’s face curled inward, his expression grotesque. “I waited at my door like I did every Sunday morning, awaiting the arrival of one of the altar boys. They would lead me to the church since I couldn’t manage it by myself. I heard a knock on my door and I opened it. An altar boy took me by the hand and led me on my way. My house was about half a mile from the church, but back then my legs still worked, so I enjoyed the short walk. I kept my eyes closed the entire time despite the sunglasses I wore. I knew the devil to be a cheat, and he would look for any reason to deem my challenge a failure.

“We reached the church, and the altar boy led me up the stairs and inside. He brought me to the back of the church and helped me put on my robe. As I got ready, I heard the doors opening and closing, announcing the arrival of the church members. I smiled gleefully. I was very excited to see their faces, but I kept my eyes closed, so instead visions of the devil danced in my mind.

“The doors continued to open and close as people poured into the church. Their footsteps echoed off the pews and the stained glass windows that I was about to see for the first time in over twelve years. Finally, the boy told me that it was time to begin, and he led me to the altar. I placed my hands on the wooden surface as I did every Sunday morning to steady myself. I took a deep breath, and then I began to speak. I spoke of the difficulties of staying faithful and happy when life threw you curveballs, and for the first time since I’d lost my eyesight, I spoke of how hard it was for me to stay positive when the light had gone out in my life. I told them that God had needed my eyes for some other purpose, and that instead of eyesight, I had faith to guide me through life. A few claps and murmurs of assent reached my ears, and I smiled.

“When the organ began to play, I thought it would be safe to take a peek at my audience. I lowered my head and reached down as if I was adjusting my belt, but as I came back up, I took a glance outward. What I saw haunted me. There were three people sitting in the church. My mother, my brother’s son, and an old neighbor. Tears began to fill my eyes as I realized the deception. My entire life was a lie.

“I knew he was there before I heard the terrible laugh. I turned and saw the devil snap his fingers. I closed my eyes as the world shook, but when I opened them there was nothing. I was blind again. ‘Are you there?’ I murmured pitifully. The devil snickered and replied, ‘Oh yes, I’m here, Frank. Are you ready to lose your soul?’ I didn’t really think there was any point in fighting, so I nodded. What happened next was so painful that putting it to words is impossible. All I know is that my mind has done all it could to erase it, but my mind’s not really mine anymore, so it doesn’t matter.

“I heard the devil smacking his lips in delight as he devoured my soul, and then he left. He visits me sometimes to let me know that even if God betrayed me, Satan would always be there for me.”

Rick’s face was a painting of horror. “Uh, I think I should go now,” he stuttered. He tried to rise from his chair, but it was as if he was chained down. “What the hell’s going on, Frank?”

“Ah, now that calls for an explanation of the true reason for why I called you hear today,” Frank said slowly. “It appears that the devil has admired some of your recent handiwork. Something to do with a little boy at a rest stop bathroom. Ringing any bells?” The look on Frank’s face was pure evil.

How the hell did Frank know about that? Rick was sure that his exploits were entirely unknown. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Frank, and I’d appreciate it if you freed me from this chair.”

Frank bit his tongue and snorted. “Rick, it’s not me that you’re going to need to plead your case to.” Frank looked up from his chair, the corners of his lips rising. “Well, how about that? It appears that you won’t have to wait too long to discover your fate.”

           Rick heard the guttural chuckle from behind his chair and screamed.