The old man blinks and snaps out of his stupor in a flash. Somehow his geriatric features flash aout of Judy's feild of view. His wrinkly bow slams forward into Judy's chin before she can act. With a howl of pain and humiliation, she throws punch after punch, and the occasional knee to the crotch, but even in the impossibly close quarters, the old man dodges every blow, a faint dust of moldy plaster accumulating on both of them and momentarily gracing the air near where her fighty mitts hammer the wall. After what could only have been a few minutes of passively but effectively avoiding her attacks, the old man slips under her guard and chops wickedly at her neck. He can't weigh over 150-160 lbs but it feels like she is being strangled. He plants his index finger precisely in her navel and gives a sharp poke. She drops to the floor like meaty marionette with its strings cut, gasping for air. The old man reeadjusts his cap and pats the pockets of his vest to make sure his watch is still intact and to find his cigarettes. Lighting one, he quints a second. He takes a drag and exhales. A million worlds of agony converge on Judy.
"Lass, if ye had broken me watch, I woulda throon ye oota tha gym. As she stands, me watch is intact and ye may visit enytime ye like."
"How did you learn that?" gasps Judy. Each word feels like someone is stomping on her stomach.
"There're meny things i' the world a man can learn, lass. Ah've travelled a fair bit, y'know, in mah 78 years." The cigarette dangled between his lips and teeth as he spoke, nauseatingJudy with the reek. "Ah'm nee accustomed, ye may say, te seein' females hereaboots." His beady, unrevealing eyes brush hers and she feels chilled for a moment. "But nae hard feelin's. Here, Ah'll help ye up."
An ancient palm is extended and she takes it. The ld man helps Judy to a bench and sits her down.
"Now ye're a fine specimen o' a lass. Nice and beeg. 'lmos' beeg 'nuff..." the old man's eyes cloud over for a second as though recollecting something long forgotten.
"D'ye know anythin' o' the arts of wrestlin' lass? Ah ken teach ye some skills ye'll nae find i'this island nor the continen' beyond."

What do you do now?

	Judy says yes
	Judy goes home

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Story program written by Valerie Mates