Synopsis/Details
Cunningham, a young widower, is mourning his wife on what would have been their wedding anniversary, when Mr. Scratch (the devil) appears in his home. Scratch is able to create a doorway to the past and Cunningham's wife. Cunningham insists that he will not bargain with his soul.
Scratch says he doesn't want another soul. He has too many already. What he wants are body parts. Evidently, some of Hell's residents have lost fingers, toes, eyes, kidneys and more, and are causing unrest down below. Scratch offers Cunningham time with his late wife in exchange for harvested body parts.
After much harvesting (which quells the trouble down below), Cunningham - a mere shell of himself - resides in a hospital. Among other parts, he is missing both hands, one entire leg, an ear, and an eye - not to mention internal organs. There is just enough left of him to keep him alive.
Scratch appears and offers him one more deal for some time in the past, where can be a whole man. However, the only thing Cunningham has to bargain with is his soul. Scratch figures Cunningham will agree to stop his miserable life and the great pain he is in, but he refuses. He knows he will die soon and, without his soul, he cannot ascend to paradise and be with his wife.
Scratch grows angry and decides to devote all of the energy he has previously used to keep bad things happening to keeping Cunningham alive. He will live, just as he is, forever. . . or until he decides to make one last contract with Mr. Scratch.
