“Checking on the Devil” by Alyson Dutemple (Fiction ’19)

Checking on the Devil

I checked in on the devil. He hadn’t been doing too hot. His place was dark and smelled weird. I asked if I could open a window. Sure, he wheezed. He put his feet up on his recliner. He asked me to tell him some things, about what had been going on in my life, around town, around New Jersey. I thought for a long time before I came up with something I thought might cheer him. I told him I went to a professional hockey game recently and that after tabulating the outrageous amount I spent on a ticket, on parking, on snacks and a couple of beers, I realized I could have probably paid for a trip to Europe.