[Sharp Obligation]

"Is something wrong with my account?" Chester asked. The old man sat down across from the well-dressed executive in a white suit with a red tie. He matched the marble-white floors and pristine white walls of his office. Perseus set up the 100-year loan for Chester; but, as the decades went on, the man noticed he didn't seem to age a day. And, neither had Chester.

"Not at all, Mr. Quigly," Perseus chuckled as he gave his head a gentle shake. "I asked to see you because, after today, you only have one payment left for next month."

"That's right," Chester nodded. He'd stopped into the bank to make his monthly payment when the teller directed him to Perseus' office. He was mildly annoyed at the extra timesink forced on him; not that he had anything else planned for the day. But, he preferred to do nothing at home. "...and?"

"...and, I felt like you might have missed some of the finer details in your contract with Sharp Bank." Chester sighed. The loan sounded too good to be true from the very beginning, but if there were any extra costs hidden in the fine print it was much too late to bring them up now. He'd raise Hell if they tried.

"For example?" Chester asked.

"Don't worry," Perseus seemed to know what was on his mind. "You're free to take your business elsewhere once you make your last payment. However, all my other clients often choose to take another loan before they reach this point; I wanted to make sure you knew that was an option."

"Oh," Chester relaxed his guard and even perked up a bit. He sat up straighter and more attentive. He'd never considered that. But, after thinking about it for a moment, he shook his head. "I appreciate the offer; but, I'm pretty comfortable now; I'd rather free up that extra money and peace of mind." Perseus chuckled and gave a curt nod.

"I was right, you did kind of miss the point," he said.

"How's that?" Chester asked.

"I know it's been a little while," Perseus said. "But, do you remember how old you were when you took the loan?"

"79 years old," Chester nodded.

"And how old are you now?" Perseus asked. Chester gave a wheezing laugh and he was sure to add as much obnoxiousness as he could manage.

"For a big-time banker, you sure don't know your math. 179, obviously," he giggled again.

"Mr. Quigly...," Perseus leaned forward with his arms on his desk and lowered his voice to somewhere between a whisper and a normal tone. "....haven't you wondered how you're still alive?" he asked.

"I...," He realized he didn't even notice. At the surface level, he understood time was passing. He only took the loan because he expected to die long before he repaid it. And, he had no family to leave the financial burden to. But, the first year he got the loan was mostly a whirlwind spending spree. After that, making monthly payments on the loan was just a fact of life that he didn't put much thought into. But now that Perseus mentioned it, he realized he didn't feel a day over 79. After the hesitation, he had a new question than whatever he was going to say. "...I can take another 100-year loan?" he asked.

"As I said, my clients usually do," Perseus nodded.

"I want to," Chester was quick to decide. If what Perseus was suggesting was true, there was a lot more he wanted to do. Knowing he'd be alive for another 100 years gave him hope he could do it all.

"Wonderful," Perseus pulled a red clipboard from his desk and slid it across the desk with a pen. "It's the same contract as last time. However, since it's been some time, I'm obligated to remind you that you're using your soul as collateral for this loan," he said.

Chester had the pen in hand and was ready to sign since it was the same contract. But, the reminder gave him pause. When he first took the loan, he assumed that 'using his soul as collateral' was a joke. But, it seemed like signing the contract gave him an extra 100 years. If Sharp Bank could do that, maybe it wasn't a joke.

"Why?" He asked. "What do you do with my soul? What happens if I die? I don't want to go to Hell," he said. He doubted Hell was real; but, he was learning there was more out there than he knew.

"You won't go to Hell," Perseus said. His tone was surprisingly reassuring. "What Sharp Development does with your soul is a little involved. But, it's helpful to think of your soul as a sort of tally mark; I'd go so far as to call it a 'point'. Souls that end up in Hell are Satan's earned 'points', " Perseus added air quotes. "Under the terms of this loan, Ms. Sharp is able to claim your soul as one of her 'points' while you're making payments. There's far more to it than I'm able to explain; but, that's enough to give you a general idea. If you think back on the last century, I think you'll find that the minor detail of Ms. Sharp owning your soul did not affect your life at all. Except, of course, your longevity." Chester was almost ready to sign; but, he still had one concern now that he knew more.

"Okay, but what happens if I die?" he asked. Perseus chuckled and shook his head in amusement.

"Ms. Sharp operates her own version of Hell; it's much more accommodating than the fire and brimstone that you might imagine. However, that's not a concern. In signing the contract, you are agreeing to make payments for 100 years, again."

"Well, yeah, but accidents happen...," Chester said. He was careful during the last 100 years because he didn't know he would survive all of it. But now, he was anticipating being a bit more adventurous if he could.

"Not to you they won't," Perseus grinned. Upon hearing that, Chester lost all hesitation and signed his name. But, Perseus elaborated a little more. "This contract obligates you to make monthly payments for 100 years. And, Ms. Sharp takes contracts VERY seriously."

***

Thank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day. This is story #1750 in a row. (Story #304 in year five.). This story is part of an ongoing saga that takes place at a high school in my universe. It began on August 22nd and I will be adding to it with prompts every day until May 26th. They are all collected in order at this link.