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One Handsome Devil

With Bona Fides

By Randy Wayne Jellison-KnockPublished 9 months ago 2 min read
One Handsome Devil
Photo by Christian Buehner on Unsplash

Let me tell ya, he’s one handsome devil.

That’s not just a figure of speech. He’s shown me his bona fides. And they were definitely bona, if you know what I mean.

I’d seen him before, entering the apartment just down the hall. Lean, muscular, tan & blonde—quite the tasty treat. He’d smiled at me. I smiled back, though not as coyly as I might have liked.

Tonight, or rather this morning, was different. 2:33 a.m. All decked out in a hot red suit with red shirt & red tie. I was just setting a dress out in the hall for the maid to pick up as he arrived at the top of the stairs.

I decided to say something this time.

“Well, aren’t you just the handsome devil?” I gave him the once over with my most sultry gaze.

“Ah, does that interest you, m’lady?” He bowed deeply before me, doffing his bowler with a definite devil-may-care attitude. (Yes, the bowler was red.)

With the top of his head squarely in front of me, I could see protuberances just above his ears. I reached out to touch them, parting his fiendishly abundant hair with my fingers. Bone. Not long & sharp but short & rounded, like above the forehead of Michelangelo’s Moses.

“I keep them blunted so they don’t tear up the hat,” he responded to the question I had not asked. “I could show you my tail if you like.” Without waiting for a response, he allowed it to swish back & forth behind him.

The next ten minutes or so were a blur of pyrotechnics & dark magic, clearly designed to impress me. Finally, he confessed, “Ah, I’m just playin’ with ya. I’m a magician returnin’ from a Halloween gig. But did I fool ya?”

This time I was definitely prepared to play. Rising to my full sensuous height (almost equal to his), I allowed one bare leg to slip through the slit in my suddenly-red satin nightgown.

“Seriously, did you think I would not recognize one of my own? Your bag of parlor tricks were cute & the costume & makeup are fairly impressive for a man like you. But you have no idea what you have conjured here.” At that moment my eyes turned flaming red, a pair of sharp horns rose from my scalp & a serpent’s tail wriggled out, writhing over my shoulder. The space around us began to warp as I flung open the door & commanded, “Now get in that bedroom & wait for my command!” My words sissssed with venom.

The look on his face was priceless. All the blood seemed to drain from him as he slunk past me, his head down, trembling with sudden & enduring terror.

“And don’t touch anything! Just take off all your clothes & wait!”

Am I the Devil? Nah, I’m just a better magician.

God, I love blondes!

FantasyHolidayHorrorHumorMicrofictionShort Story

About the Creator

Randy Wayne Jellison-Knock

Retired Ordained Elder in The United Methodist Church having served for a total of 30 years in Missouri, South Dakota & Kansas.

Born in Watertown, SD on 9/26/1959. Married to Sandra Jellison-Knock on 1/24/1986. One son, Keenan, deceased.

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Comments (22)

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  • Sandy Gillman9 months ago

    I love how the woman becomes the dominant one in the end.

  • Andrea Corwin 9 months ago

    Oh my, this is so clever! A short story with a lot packed into it. Great job! Also, congrats on the Leaderboard placement!!

  • That twist reached out and slapped me the innocent reader who didn’t see that particular magician coming

  • L.C. Schäfer9 months ago

    Goodness 😳

  • I love it, Randy! What a great piece of horror humor. This was just so darkly delightful and so perfectly written!

  • Tiffany Gordon9 months ago

    Saucy & Riveting! Awesome storytelling Randy!

  • Wooohooooo congratulations on your Leaderboard placement! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊

  • Matty Long9 months ago

    Love it Randy!

  • Addison Alder9 months ago

    This story certainly had a twist (and a sting) in its tail! Nice work Randy 🙏🏻😁

  • Mother Combs9 months ago

    lol, the price of magic ;) Now, he's the slave to a seductress ;)

  • JBaz9 months ago

    I laughed at this line : 'And don’t touch anything! Just take off all your clothes & wait!” That poor man has no idea what he got himself into. Nice twist and shock. Very well played.

  • Novel Allen9 months ago

    The devil is a popular guy these days. It's about time somebody got one up on him. Great take on the challenge.

  • Lamar Wiggins9 months ago

    Lol! Their kids would definitely be a bunch of devils. Nice twists, Randy! Thoroughly enjoyed this!

  • Mariann Carroll9 months ago

    Lol 😅🤣😂That was a surprising ending. Very captivating story telling.

  • Antoni De'Leon9 months ago

    Looks like we both had the devil in mind today. Mine caused the end of the world, yours sinful mayhem.

  • Judey Kalchik 9 months ago

    I admire the accent you conveyed amongst all of the sass and sin.

  • Hahaha. Nice twist and flip of script, Randy

  • Tom Baker9 months ago

    I noted you picked 2:33 a.m. Coincidence?

  • Rachel Deeming9 months ago

    Excellent! I loved this. Sassy!

  • Hahahahahahaha dumb blondes are often associated with women (at least that's what I thought 😅). I loved how you reversed the gender!

  • Lightning Bolt ⚡9 months ago

    Wicked good fun. It was not what I expected! ⚡💙⚡

  • This is a great and fun take on the title concept, really enjoyable

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