“Count it clean: one… two.. three... four.” Devil walked in quiet and set a case on steel. “Play me for the gold,” he said. “Make the deal real.” “I’ll trade shine for your pride. Lose, and you pay.” “Fine,” I said. “Plug me in. Name the play.” Cello rolled a low note; guitars clicked to arm. Bow hair tight; I kept my hands warm. “No speeches,” I told him. “Just time.” He smiled. “I go first. You climb.” Bow up, drop low, let the room roar. Chugs in the chest; shake the floor. Gold on the wood, bets in the air you play yours clean; I’ll play mine bare. He drew that bow like a fuse and lit the fuse twice. Blast drums hit; the riff came ice. Evil little runs with nothing to spare, notes like nails, hammered in the air. He stopped. Bar held still. Glass didn’t clink. Only the click, then a blink. I breathed in grit; counted light. “Here’s how we fight.” Bow up, drop low, let the room roar. Chugs in the chest; shake the floor. Gold on the wood, bets in the air you play yours clean; I’ll play mine bare. Halftime crush; heads down, slow. Fuzz-cello writes one word: no. Ride ticks - hold - then nothing 808 caves the ceiling in one swing. I slid to twelve and held till it burned. Let the e-violin scream, then turned. Guitars locked; kick drilled true. Crowd hit the count; he knew. Solo trade four bars, his, then mine. Glitch bites once; we toe the line. I miss a downbeat by design land harder on the nine. Bow up, drop low, let the room roar. Chugs in the chest; shake the floor. Gold on the wood, bets in the air you brought your best; I’m still here. He left the gold where the stick marks run. “Come back,” I said. “I’ll be ready. Done.”
