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Authors: Ron Ripley
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decision was made through the drawing of lots. The shortest straw, as it were.”
Owen looked at Brian and John with his deathly grin.
“Jesus Christ,” John hissed. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am,” Owen said with feigned innocence. “I believe in fairness. The three of us shall draw lots. The shortest straw will be my dinner. The lucky one may pass through the door.”
“And what if it’s you who draws the short straw?” Brian asked.
“Then you both walk out,” Owen said. “And I wait until Josephus sends me one of his smaller gifts.”
Brian saw John look from Owen to the door, and he knew the man contemplated a run for it.
Owen noticed as well.
“I can assure you,” Owen said softly, “I am far, far stronger than I look. You would not be the first meal I’ve had to shoot on the run.”
John glared at the man, but he took a step back.
“Excellent,” Owen said, keeping the pistol aimed at John. “Now, we simply need something so we can draw our lots.”
Owen’s eyes roamed away from John for a brief moment, and John charged him.
Before Brian could call out for him to stop, the older man had thrown himself at Owen. The two men and the chair went over, the pistol barking twice in the room.
Brian ran around the side of the table and came to a sharp stop.
John was dead.
He had an exit wound the size of a fist in the center of his back. The man lay sprawled across Owen, who was crushed beneath John’s weight and pressed against the chair.
Owen was dying. The skeletal man gasped for each breath, and Brian knew Owen’s weakened body could not push John’s dead weight off. Brian felt neither pity nor compassion for the cannibal.
It took Owen a long time to die, and then Brian realized he was alone in the Paupers’ Crypt.
Chapter 24: An Unpleasant Discovery
Josephus felt the gunshots, and he smiled.
Owen had played his part, as Josephus had known the man would.
Time was no longer what it had once been for Josephus. He had lost his sense of it when he was imprisoned; death had not returned the perspective to him. Hours could pass, and he would surface amongst the living only to discover it had been months or years. At other times, he could sit for a decade in the darkness and learn that less than a week had passed in the light of the sun.
There was something dark and twisted about the Crypt. It had been there before Josephus’ arrival, and it would remain after his departure, if such a thing were ever to occur.
All of this passed through his mind as Josephus made his way easily through the warren of passages and rooms which existed in the Crypt’s special world. He knew his way to Owen’s room; he had fashioned it himself before he had put the prisoner in there.
Owen, a portly man, now, nothing more than skin and bones and appetite.
The image of the gaunt cannibal made Josephus smile as he opened the door to Owen’s room with some excitement. He was certain the man would be carving his dinner into acceptable portions.
Yet Owen was not in his chair. The chair was not even at the table.
Confused, Josephus made his way towards the far door only to come upon a strange scene. Owen and the other man, dead.
Brian had slipped away.
Rage flooded through Josephus, and he turned upon the bodies. Both of the spirits were hiding. Movement caught his attention and Josephus looked under the table.
Owen’s ghost hid beneath it.
Josephus smiled, reached out and grabbed Owen quickly before he could slip away. The man’s spirit babbled incoherently and tried to wriggle away, pulling and sliding between Josephus’ fingers. But Josephus merely smiled, brought Owen closer. He was far too strong, too powerful for someone as pitiful as Owen to resist. With a pleased chuckle, Josephus slowly squeezed Owen’s soul until the light in it faded.
Josephus grinned, for Owen’s screams of terror and pain was delightfully refreshing.
Chapter 25: In the Darkness
Brian closed the
Owen looked at Brian and John with his deathly grin.
“Jesus Christ,” John hissed. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am,” Owen said with feigned innocence. “I believe in fairness. The three of us shall draw lots. The shortest straw will be my dinner. The lucky one may pass through the door.”
“And what if it’s you who draws the short straw?” Brian asked.
“Then you both walk out,” Owen said. “And I wait until Josephus sends me one of his smaller gifts.”
Brian saw John look from Owen to the door, and he knew the man contemplated a run for it.
Owen noticed as well.
“I can assure you,” Owen said softly, “I am far, far stronger than I look. You would not be the first meal I’ve had to shoot on the run.”
John glared at the man, but he took a step back.
“Excellent,” Owen said, keeping the pistol aimed at John. “Now, we simply need something so we can draw our lots.”
Owen’s eyes roamed away from John for a brief moment, and John charged him.
Before Brian could call out for him to stop, the older man had thrown himself at Owen. The two men and the chair went over, the pistol barking twice in the room.
Brian ran around the side of the table and came to a sharp stop.
John was dead.
He had an exit wound the size of a fist in the center of his back. The man lay sprawled across Owen, who was crushed beneath John’s weight and pressed against the chair.
Owen was dying. The skeletal man gasped for each breath, and Brian knew Owen’s weakened body could not push John’s dead weight off. Brian felt neither pity nor compassion for the cannibal.
It took Owen a long time to die, and then Brian realized he was alone in the Paupers’ Crypt.
Chapter 24: An Unpleasant Discovery
Josephus felt the gunshots, and he smiled.
Owen had played his part, as Josephus had known the man would.
Time was no longer what it had once been for Josephus. He had lost his sense of it when he was imprisoned; death had not returned the perspective to him. Hours could pass, and he would surface amongst the living only to discover it had been months or years. At other times, he could sit for a decade in the darkness and learn that less than a week had passed in the light of the sun.
There was something dark and twisted about the Crypt. It had been there before Josephus’ arrival, and it would remain after his departure, if such a thing were ever to occur.
All of this passed through his mind as Josephus made his way easily through the warren of passages and rooms which existed in the Crypt’s special world. He knew his way to Owen’s room; he had fashioned it himself before he had put the prisoner in there.
Owen, a portly man, now, nothing more than skin and bones and appetite.
The image of the gaunt cannibal made Josephus smile as he opened the door to Owen’s room with some excitement. He was certain the man would be carving his dinner into acceptable portions.
Yet Owen was not in his chair. The chair was not even at the table.
Confused, Josephus made his way towards the far door only to come upon a strange scene. Owen and the other man, dead.
Brian had slipped away.
Rage flooded through Josephus, and he turned upon the bodies. Both of the spirits were hiding. Movement caught his attention and Josephus looked under the table.
Owen’s ghost hid beneath it.
Josephus smiled, reached out and grabbed Owen quickly before he could slip away. The man’s spirit babbled incoherently and tried to wriggle away, pulling and sliding between Josephus’ fingers. But Josephus merely smiled, brought Owen closer. He was far too strong, too powerful for someone as pitiful as Owen to resist. With a pleased chuckle, Josephus slowly squeezed Owen’s soul until the light in it faded.
Josephus grinned, for Owen’s screams of terror and pain was delightfully refreshing.
Chapter 25: In the Darkness
Brian closed the
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