The Piano Room by Clio Velentza
Rich and entitled Hungarian Sandor Esterhazy is descended from a long line of talented pianists, but has no desire to follow in their footsteps. Bored, one snowy afternoon, he calls up the devil and offers to exchange his soul for a life of his own choosing.
Afterwards Sandor laughs it off as a joke, but the devil does not. That night, the devil arrives at the Esterhazy house, dragging someone – or something – behind him through the snow. Sandor locks the poor bewildered creature in the basement, allowing it out only once a night and only to visit the piano room. As Sandor slips into his new role of captor, the creature, which he names Ferdi, begins to learn what it is to be human. Tensions grow and boil over into violence and Ferdi escapes into the world. But will either one of Ferdi or Sandor truly be allowed to choose his own destiny?
