King's huge frickin' book of randomness galore:The ultimate

Crossroads

Waiting.

"Phew...."

I'd been waiting out here far too long.

"Cold..."

I remember the man's instructions, clear enough.

"For what you're lookin' for," he rasped, "You better head out on the crossroads. I'll write you down the time and the place, what you need and what you say."

I'd done everything he said.

Though I still couldn't see the reason for the warm piece of metal in my hand.

It was warm, yeah, more than I could say for where I found myself standin', but why would I need it? What would the devil want with a pocket-watch?

"Much more than you'd think," I'd suddenly heard, the voice chill and crisp, biting down hard on the air.

The man I found myself staring at was tall, a pale fella, contrasting my own brown skin, with long black hair, and the most curious eyes I'd ever seen; they were red-bright and seerin', and they seemed to stare through me-despite the kindness in both them and his smile.

He walked right up to me, like a friend, staring me all up and down, sizin' me up, I was sure.

"Are you-?"

"Lucifer, yes. Call me Luci."

"And you-"

"Know what you want, yes."

"And you-"

"Can give it to you."

"And you-"

"Don't want your soul."

I rose a brow.

"What? But isn't that-?"

"How the deal works? It is, but I don't want to strike the deal. And neither do you."

"But I do."

"That's what you think, Sil. But all I want from you, young one, is to turn back around, go home, and tell your family nothing became of it. Better yet, that you weren't here. Have a nice dinner, celebrate, and practice."

"Practice?"

"Yes, practice. Why, you could be doing it now instead of talking to me."

Suddenly, I felt sheepish, because he was right. My face went red without my consent, tilting my hat down to block my sheepish face.

"I could."

He smiled-rather handsomely at that.

"That you could. So why don't you go ahead?"

With a smile of my own, a hefted up my guitar, resolute.

"I will."

"Good."

"Thank you. Can I-?"

"Shake my hand? You probably shouldn't."

I could only laugh.

"Right. Well, I'm going."

I was headed on, before he stopped me.

"Wait."

"Hm?"

"This may seem unfair, but might I still have that watch? It means much more to me than it will to you."

With nothing to lose, I reckon, I handed it right over, free of charge and without a feeling the first, besides the tingle from his hand brushing mine.

"Thank you, miss," he said, giving a small bow. "I appreciate this greatly."

"If I'm not imposin' and all that, what's it for?"

"This? It doesn't do anything but tell time, and I think you'll find that it doesn't accurately do that."

I rose a brow.

"Than why'd you want it?"

"It's my mothers."

I now rose both.

"Your mother? As in, biological?"

"Yes. It's a precious memento, as we don't have the chance to talk much, you'll find. That said, I do believe our business is done?"

"I guess it is," I said, adjusting my guitar strap as I headed off once again, only to be stopped a second time.

"One more thing!"

"Yeah?"

"That's a very beautiful face to match that fine instrument."

I felt my apparently "beautiful" face go bright red, pulling my hat down even further.

"I-it that all?"

He chuckled, and it made my heart flutter.

"Yes, that is all."

"T-then I'll be gone," I stuttered, and cursed myself for it silently, speed-walking off.

"Yes you do sound cute when you stutter," He called after me, causing me to walk even faster. "It adds character!"

Once I was certain I was out of his range, I found myself teetering, smiling like an idiot.

The devil himself had just called me cute.