The Stranger

He was tired of the dingy motels. The rotten smell of must and social decay stung his nostrils. There was no sadder place for someone like him. Russel always thought of himself as talented. His writings were that of a genius. He often thought of himself as the reincarnation of Edgar Allan Poe. The stories he wrote were masterpieces and the world would see that one day.

For now, the world only saw the struggling artist. Poor economic filth that plagued the city. He moved from motel to motel and paid his way with what little he scraped up by taking temporary jobs. It wasn’t much, but it allowed him to focus on his true passion. Writing.

Russel couldn’t be bothered to look for stable income. He had stories to write. Novels to craft. A full-time job would only get in the way of his masterpieces. Besides, who needed some thick-headed boss breathing down his neck when he was his own boss. Nobody told Russel what to do. There was no giving that up.

The blinking cursor stared him in the face as if to mock him. For the past few days, Russel could not get a single word on the page. It was terrible writer’s block. No word was good enough. He deleted everything he typed before a sentence could form.

It was beyond frustrating. It was far past infuriating. This was his story to end all stories. This would be the masterpiece to rocket his name to super stardom. He would be the biggest name in horror to have ever lived. He just knew it. If he could only get this last story finished.

But the words weren’t there. No matter how hard he tried to get past the writer’s block, it held strong. He hoped he could chisel away at it if he forced the words. There was no getting past it. Russel would give anything to overcome this writer’s block. This was his Mona Lisa. His Tell-tale Heart. People would remember his name after this story. He felt it.

He closed his eyes and pictured his dream life. No more seedy motels. No more squalor. He would live the high life. The fancy house, the beautiful women, the fast cars. All of it would be his for the taking. Russel imagined the movie deals. His works would grace the big screen and become the biggest sensation since Harry Potter or Game of Thrones. Russel would hardly be able to go out in public without people recognizing his face. He imagined book signings in great venues and the biggest bookstores around the world.

A knock at the door broke Russel from his daydream. He craned his neck and stared at it thinking he must have misheard. There could be no one at the door for him. Who would be here to visit him? The knock came again. This time, he knew it was real.

Russel stood from the desk and approached the peep hole. Outside stood a tall man in a nice black suit. The stranger pulled back his left sleeve and glanced at a watch like he was late for an important meeting. Russel could only guess he was the motel manager, though the fancy clothes were a bit much for some dump like this.

He pulled open the door and stuck his face into the humid air. The stranger stood there with a warm smile. He looked trustworthy enough. Russel didn’t see the harm in talking to the man.

“Can I help you?” He asked, trying to sound as pleasant as possible.

“So sorry to disturb you.” The stranger said with a nod. “I couldn’t help but notice you may be having a bit of trouble with your manuscript and thought I may be of service.”

A flash of cold froze through Russel’s body. How could this stranger know that? Were there cameras in the room? Was he being watched? If so, why? This man couldn’t possibly know what he was doing in this motel room.

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to frighten you. I can tell by your pale face I already have.” The man chuckled. “Let’s just say I can make all of your dreams come true.”

“What, like a genie?”

The stranger laughed again.

“Of course not! There’s no such thing as genies. What I am is far more complex than that. I think you people would label me a devil, which is terrible offensive.”

He laughed again.

“I think you better leave, sir.” Russel warned.

“If you wish. But you’ll never finish that manuscript. You’ll stare at that blinking little cursor for several more weeks before you take your own life. And that would be a shame of someone with your talent. I think the world could use your stories. But if you would prefer me to leave-”

“No, wait.” Russel interrupted. “Please come in.”

He pulled the door open and let the stranger inside. Russel shut the door behind him and turned to face his new visitor. He looked harmless enough. Calling himself a devil had Russel on edge. But he knew things he couldn’t possibly know. There had to be some truth to his story. He was willing to hear him out for a chance at the life he always wanted.

“I don’t have a lot of time, Russel, so I’ll cut to the chase. I can give you everything you’ve ever wanted if you only shake my hand. The fame, the fortune, the book deals. It can all be yours with just a simple shake.”

“And what do you get out of it?” Russel asked.

“My boy, I’m a devil, as you people call me, what do you think I want in return?”

“My soul?”

The stranger laughed.

“Maybe in the old days when a soul meant something. These days, well, never mind. No, all we take is a share in your success. That’s all.”

“Really? The devil wants money?”

“A devil, not the devil. And I still don’t like the description. Just a share in that success. That’s all we take.”

Russel thought it over in his head. This all seemed crazy. It couldn’t be for real. But what did he have to lose? It would be no different than having an agent. A share in his money is all it took to be famous and successful. He had to try.

“Fine.” Russel said. “Deal.” He proffered his hand to the stranger.

“So much quicker than I expected, Russel. A wise choice.”

He gripped Russel’s hand and held tight. Russel watched as the stranger’s features began to morph until he was staring into his own eyes. The stranger had become an identical twin. It was like looking into a mirror. Before he could ask questions, a pain in his chest erupted and he dropped to his knees. He looked up at his own face staring down at him.

“I told you, Russel.” The stranger said. “A share in the success. Your books will be world famous. And I will be the face of your career.” The stranger let out a laugh as Russel’s world grew dark.