In the most ordinary of Chicago Victorian townhouses, a painting of an attractive woman hangs on an otherwise blank wall, slowly changing the life of the man who inherited it-- in ways we would never have imagined. The artist himself is rather quirky, who goes by the unlikely name of Scratch. Believed to be either French, or maybe Viennese, he deftly manipulates people and events with the simple snap of his long fingers. His power is awe-inspiring as is his appetite for mischief.To most, he seems amiable, and often far too generous, therefore dangerous. Old Scratch, as he sometimes calls himself, has a plan for this man with the painting and those around him. Follow him. It's an exciting and twisty road to take, fraught with love, power, and most of all, fear.

Are you strong enough to take this strange journey?.