Read Online A Penny Down the Well: A Short Story Collection of Horrifying Events by J. A. Crook - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: J. A. Crook
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funeral ceremony, Clint
looked back up to the site and the backs of the heads of what might
have been a hundred or so people. It was about then that Clint
recognized the man he’d seen before. The man, however, was not
seated like the others.
Clint took a few careful
steps forward on the hallowed ground, narrowing his eyes on the
picture placed aside the casket. The stand was certainly the same
as the one he’d seen in the funeral home, absent of a picture
before, but now it rested adorned with the image of a proud
military man, ribbons and awards to his shoulder, bearing of an
officer’s insignia and the same, white cold eyes of the man he’d
seen before. The look was unmistakable. The look was that of a man
that had seen “hell on earth.” The man in the picture was the man
that came to see him, or some terribly accurate form of an
identical twin. The rank, prestige and the look made anything other than the
man in the photo being him seem almost impossible, and certainly
highly improbable. But, as Clint’s mind dove into dark regress,
there was no explanation for a dead man entering his car, sharing a
story with him, and leaving immediately either.
Clint moved a few steps
closer, hoping that the image would morph from the obscurity
suggested by his mind to a clarity demanded only by his eyes.
Instead, his eyes and mind were made to agree with the closing of
the distance between himself and the unmistakable photograph of the
military man. With that, Clint turned around and got back into his
hearse, which was now the place of both perpetration and safety.
Muddled up and confused, Clint’s head fell to the steering wheel
and stayed there as his mind made every effort to reason out
superstition, ridiculousness and accept, truly, the impossibility
of what he’d considered: The man he carried in the casket was the
same man that sat beside him, upright, in the passenger seat of the
hearse. Unable to believe that such a thing could happen and after
some time to allow his nerves to settle, he thought that there must
have been an explanation, however unusual it might have been. It
was the only reason. For the sake of his sanity, it was all that he
would accept.
In time, dust and flowers,
the earth and its fruit, laid quiet and dead upon the casket.
People began to leave the area and soon enough the funeral ceremony
was over. The man was the earth’s now, to have done with him
whatever it willed. Clint returned to the funeral home when the
time came and met with Marie in her office, as he was instructed to
do when the funeral was completed.
A light knock and Clint
stepped into Marie’s office. “I’m finished, Marie.”
Marie looked up from her
paperwork with a broad smile. “Oh, good! Well, how was it? Not as
bad as you thought, right?”
Clint didn’t quite know
how to answer the question. The procession and the funeral ceremony
went well. Not everything went as planned. Without offering much
information, Clint asked, “The man that died. Did he have... a
brother? A twin, maybe?” Clint hoped Marie would be able to settle
the dispute.
Marie thought about it for
a moment. She shrugged. “Well, I don’t know for sure, Clint. I met
with his family. None of them appeared to be a twin of his. That’s
an interesting question. Why do you ask?” Marie sorted the papers
in her hand into a single stack, holding them upright as she waited
for his answer.
“ There... I met someone
there that looked just like him. I was just curious.” Clint said a
bit sheepishly this time. He understood that he might have been
coming off a little odd and the last thing he wanted to do was get
his new employer thinking that he wasn’t all there.
Marie laughed, setting the
paperwork off to the side. “Clint. It was a military funeral.
You’re going to see your share of these. They all wear the same
uniform. I can’t tell you how many times I’d confused one of them
with another one. It’s alright. Listen, all you need to do is
looked back up to the site and the backs of the heads of what might
have been a hundred or so people. It was about then that Clint
recognized the man he’d seen before. The man, however, was not
seated like the others.
Clint took a few careful
steps forward on the hallowed ground, narrowing his eyes on the
picture placed aside the casket. The stand was certainly the same
as the one he’d seen in the funeral home, absent of a picture
before, but now it rested adorned with the image of a proud
military man, ribbons and awards to his shoulder, bearing of an
officer’s insignia and the same, white cold eyes of the man he’d
seen before. The look was unmistakable. The look was that of a man
that had seen “hell on earth.” The man in the picture was the man
that came to see him, or some terribly accurate form of an
identical twin. The rank, prestige and the look made anything other than the
man in the photo being him seem almost impossible, and certainly
highly improbable. But, as Clint’s mind dove into dark regress,
there was no explanation for a dead man entering his car, sharing a
story with him, and leaving immediately either.
Clint moved a few steps
closer, hoping that the image would morph from the obscurity
suggested by his mind to a clarity demanded only by his eyes.
Instead, his eyes and mind were made to agree with the closing of
the distance between himself and the unmistakable photograph of the
military man. With that, Clint turned around and got back into his
hearse, which was now the place of both perpetration and safety.
Muddled up and confused, Clint’s head fell to the steering wheel
and stayed there as his mind made every effort to reason out
superstition, ridiculousness and accept, truly, the impossibility
of what he’d considered: The man he carried in the casket was the
same man that sat beside him, upright, in the passenger seat of the
hearse. Unable to believe that such a thing could happen and after
some time to allow his nerves to settle, he thought that there must
have been an explanation, however unusual it might have been. It
was the only reason. For the sake of his sanity, it was all that he
would accept.
In time, dust and flowers,
the earth and its fruit, laid quiet and dead upon the casket.
People began to leave the area and soon enough the funeral ceremony
was over. The man was the earth’s now, to have done with him
whatever it willed. Clint returned to the funeral home when the
time came and met with Marie in her office, as he was instructed to
do when the funeral was completed.
A light knock and Clint
stepped into Marie’s office. “I’m finished, Marie.”
Marie looked up from her
paperwork with a broad smile. “Oh, good! Well, how was it? Not as
bad as you thought, right?”
Clint didn’t quite know
how to answer the question. The procession and the funeral ceremony
went well. Not everything went as planned. Without offering much
information, Clint asked, “The man that died. Did he have... a
brother? A twin, maybe?” Clint hoped Marie would be able to settle
the dispute.
Marie thought about it for
a moment. She shrugged. “Well, I don’t know for sure, Clint. I met
with his family. None of them appeared to be a twin of his. That’s
an interesting question. Why do you ask?” Marie sorted the papers
in her hand into a single stack, holding them upright as she waited
for his answer.
“ There... I met someone
there that looked just like him. I was just curious.” Clint said a
bit sheepishly this time. He understood that he might have been
coming off a little odd and the last thing he wanted to do was get
his new employer thinking that he wasn’t all there.
Marie laughed, setting the
paperwork off to the side. “Clint. It was a military funeral.
You’re going to see your share of these. They all wear the same
uniform. I can’t tell you how many times I’d confused one of them
with another one. It’s alright. Listen, all you need to do is
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