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when you Angie that. This

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today. The

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following program is a production of Chilling

2:22

Entertainment and the creative team at Chilling

2:54

Entertainment. Disclaimer.

3:54

Horror Hill is a horror anthology

3:56

podcast, bringing you scary stories from

3:58

all corners of the internet. Out

4:00

and beyond. As such, certain

4:02

stories and clue content that

4:05

some listeners might find offensive.

4:07

Specifically, one of tonight stories

4:09

involves the scene of animal

4:11

butchery. Listener discretion

4:13

is advised. Good.

4:17

Eve scarce and welcome

4:19

back. To hard. As

4:21

always I'm your house to

4:23

Eric Peabody and tonight's episode

4:26

features to stories guaranteed to

4:28

soon chills down your spine.

4:31

Let's take a look at the many of shall

4:33

we. First. Will

4:35

be reading the Cat Burglar by

4:37

Cracker. This is

4:39

a fun little story that starts the

4:41

way that most fun stories do. With.

4:44

The deaths in the family. Our

4:46

protagonist and his mother. Or cleaning

4:49

out his newly departed grandmother's house.

4:51

And they come across. There's

4:54

nothing to indicate that are nearing

4:56

years. Grandmother owned a cat and

4:58

once he sees what the in

5:01

was capable of, things get even

5:03

stranger. After

5:05

that we'll finish up with

5:07

come To Ahead by Nick

5:09

Carlson. Thomas is a

5:11

man that has a complicated relationship with

5:13

his village. As a knacker,

5:16

it is responsibility to deal with

5:18

the various dead animals throughout the

5:20

town, and doubling as the town's

5:23

executioner ensures that people tend to

5:25

give him a wide berth. only

5:27

his wife Delilah sees through to

5:29

is kind interior. The Thomas's

5:32

life is about to change. His

5:34

next execution is a rarity.

5:36

A woman, but more important

5:38

than that, And she's of

5:40

which. You're

5:43

listening to the standard edition of

5:46

this program if you'd like to

5:48

help support for and also remove

5:50

these cats had to Chilling Tales

5:52

for Dark nights.com and click patrons

5:54

in the upper menu to sign

5:57

up today. You'll get instant access

5:59

to hundreds of and free stories

6:01

and we can scale back some

6:03

of our. Less

6:05

savory means of generating money for

6:08

the show. By the

6:10

way, you wouldn't happen to still

6:12

have all of your organs. And

6:23

now from Author Crack Jack I

6:25

give you. The. Cat Burglar.

6:32

I. Remember when my mom called me and

6:34

asked that I come home from work early?

6:37

The request wasn't one I took

6:39

lightly is the reason wasn't a

6:41

good one and nobody's surprise that

6:43

wasn't. I walked into our

6:46

small ranch home to see my mother

6:48

in Pierce with my cousin consoling her.

6:50

She. Looked up at me with deceit

6:52

and her eyes and revealed that my

6:54

grandmother and passed away suddenly. The.

6:57

News was upsetting, but upon instantly

6:59

recalling the kind of person my

7:01

grandma was, I couldn't say I

7:03

was entirely surprise. After.

7:06

The funeral about a week later it was

7:08

time for us to go and collect are

7:10

things from her home which was set to

7:12

be auctioned off next week. We.

7:14

Dreaded the idea because her home

7:17

was littered from walls, ceiling with

7:19

junk and clutter. Calling.

7:21

My Grandma a harder is

7:23

most definitely an understatement. Walls,

7:26

Were lined with old pictures of families we

7:28

didn't even know and some still had old

7:30

price tags on them from when she would

7:33

buy them. A garage sales and flea markets.

7:36

Porcelain. Dolls line shelves upon

7:38

shelves of dusty and dirty

7:40

glassware from who knows when.

7:43

Everything. In the house seem to stare

7:45

at us and most sinister li. Some.

7:48

Figures and paintings even looked frightened

7:50

and scared of one another. I

7:53

could go on about what vibes and

7:55

or as came from the house but

7:57

unfortunately that isn't why I'm writing this.

8:01

Maybe. Three hours into sorting through

8:03

boxes upon boxes, We heard a

8:05

small cool come from a dark

8:07

corner of the house. I

8:09

almost jumped up on a small ten

8:12

of plastic army soldiers got knocked over.

8:14

We knew we weren't alone in the

8:16

house. Mom. Shot me a

8:19

confused glance as I walked over to

8:21

investigate the commotion. At

8:23

first I couldn't see anything

8:25

unusual, just old picture frames

8:27

in cardboard boxes, But something

8:29

stuck out. To. Tiny

8:32

yellow eyes for starting my movement

8:34

from underneath and and table. The.

8:37

Small creature slowly crawled it's way into

8:39

the dimly lit room. just enough to

8:41

make out what exactly was watching over

8:43

me. A small

8:45

black cat with ragged and patchy

8:48

sir stopped and sat still by

8:50

my see. It. Had course

8:52

and ruff for that almost didn't cover

8:54

it whole body. It. Had snacks

8:57

of light on the tips of each strand,

8:59

almost making it seem like it was graying

9:01

like an older person. I

9:03

know down to meet the creature it it's

9:05

level and extended a hand to the see

9:08

a to offer gesture friendship. The.

9:10

Cat released a low per and brushed his

9:12

head against my hand as it turned and

9:14

walked toward the kitchen. I

9:17

asked my mom she knew about Grandma having a

9:19

cat that she told me she didn't know of

9:21

one. She. Just explain that old

9:23

ladies taken anything and everything off the

9:25

street and that she was surprised it

9:28

wasn't a raccoon. I.

9:30

Shrugged, But it dawned on me that

9:32

we couldn't just leave the animal alone

9:34

to send for itself. It

9:36

had survived this long, but that still didn't

9:38

make it as ago. I.

9:40

Asked my mom a she would take it

9:42

that she told me she was allergic to

9:45

cats Which meant that this small problem was

9:47

now my small problem. I decided

9:49

I grab the cat and take it home until I

9:51

could find new owner. The. Only

9:54

problem was that the animal needed to

9:56

be seen again. I. Searched

9:58

every nook and cranny. Any but

10:00

found nothing but junk and grime. Then.

10:04

I stumbled upon a crack in the

10:06

wall around seven inches wide, just big

10:08

enough for a cat to slip through.

10:10

The. Wall around at had claw marks

10:13

stretching towards the ceiling, but somewhere

10:15

far taller than that small cat

10:17

could reach. There. Was a

10:19

well traveled pass for many animals so my

10:21

didn't think anything of it. I.

10:24

Made a few calls and noises into

10:26

the opening, but nothing ever emerged. I

10:29

figured I would look for the cat tomorrow when

10:31

we returned. So I got my mother and we

10:33

headed home for the evening. The.

10:36

Next morning, my mother and I returned

10:38

to the house again to sort through

10:40

more junk. When. We arrived I

10:42

noticed a tiny critters standing in the

10:44

front window peering out and us. It.

10:47

Was the cat from before. I.

10:49

Opened the door to the home and the cat

10:51

swiftly pounced over to me. It seemed

10:53

quite excited that I was there. It.

10:55

Rubbed all over my ankles as I

10:58

walked inherently tripping me was every step.

11:00

It. Made a small jingle as at pranced

11:03

around and I noticed a tiny letter

11:05

color surrounding the cat's neck. It. Had

11:07

a gold medallion with the name Tiny

11:09

Honest. My. Mother saw

11:11

the cat and immediately question did

11:14

strange for pattern. I. Decided

11:16

to research it and the picture I

11:18

used to reverse search gave me pages

11:20

upon pages of information about a cat

11:23

breed known as a like oil which

11:25

actually translates to most can't do do

11:27

It's mangy but perfectly healthy and natural

11:30

parents. While. Mom sorted

11:32

through more boxes I grew more

11:34

accustomed to my new sound psychic.

11:36

The. Cat wouldn't leave me alone no matter

11:38

what I did My couldn't even sneaks to

11:41

the restroom without following me. When.

11:44

The sun began to sat and twilight

11:46

stretched over the sky. We knew it

11:48

was time to retreat from the mess

11:50

once again and go home. As.

11:52

I was about to leave, I noticed

11:54

account wasn't following a my shadow anymore.

11:57

The. animal was actually making a quick strides toward

11:59

the crack and wall that I presumed it

12:01

had gone into yesterday. Making

12:03

a dash to stop it from escaping

12:05

again, I snatched it up from the

12:07

ground and held it tight so that I could get

12:09

it home safely and be able to properly care for

12:11

it. The cat began to

12:13

claw at me and call out wildly. I

12:17

expected this but knew it was for

12:19

the animal's own good, as who knows

12:21

what kind of poisons or hazardous materials

12:23

it could get into. I

12:25

put the cat in my car and it

12:27

quickly hid underneath the passenger seat in a

12:29

defensive position. That

12:31

night, when we got home, Tiny made

12:34

his way through my home, inspecting

12:36

his surroundings and almost seeming intent

12:38

on looking for something. The

12:40

animal gave up after an hour and hid

12:42

behind my couch. I figured

12:45

I would give it the night to get

12:47

accustomed to its temporary home before trying to

12:49

get involved. So I poured a bowl of cat food

12:51

I purchased on the way home and went to bed. As

12:54

I laid my head down, I could have

12:57

sworn I had heard meowing through the house,

12:59

but I assumed it was likely just a

13:01

curious cat exploring this strange new world. I

13:04

just wondered why it was so loud. When

13:07

I woke up the next morning and walked

13:09

out to the living room, I almost dropped

13:11

my phone. The room

13:13

was torn apart, with tables and

13:15

chairs knocked over and massive gashes

13:18

in the couch and armchair. I

13:20

picked up my phone and dialed 911 to tell the

13:23

police about a break-in. When

13:25

an officer arrived to take notes of what

13:27

had happened, he seemed just as confused as

13:29

I was. Things were torn

13:32

apart like a stampede had just gone

13:34

through, but nothing was missing. Granted,

13:36

most of what was left was in

13:39

pieces, but it was still technically accounted

13:41

for. The officer said

13:43

he would look for any local cameras to

13:45

see if anybody snuck in overnight, but that

13:47

there was no evidence of a break-in as

13:50

my door and windows were all intact and

13:52

still locked. As

13:54

the officer left, I noticed a small

13:56

creature stroll out from behind my fridge.

14:00

It was tiny, and he walked with an almost injured

14:02

limp over to his food bowl and finished off

14:04

the last of the kibble left in this bowl

14:06

from last night. He

14:08

walked over sorely to the chair, jumped

14:10

on it, and sat down. Of

14:13

course, the thought had crossed my mind that

14:15

tiny might be behind the destruction, but

14:18

the thought of him walking around with a machete

14:20

and crowbar made me chuckle. I

14:22

decided to go for a walk to put this behind

14:25

me and thought tiny might want to join me, so

14:28

I took a piece of thin rope and tied

14:30

it around his collar for a makeshift leash. As

14:33

I started to walk, I noticed something. Tiny

14:36

wasn't limping anymore. As

14:38

a matter of fact, he seemed rather spry. That

14:43

night, things took a turn for the worse.

14:47

Around seven o'clock, tiny acted both

14:49

injured and sick. He wasn't

14:51

nearly as lively as he was in the

14:53

morning, and he had hunched back and returned

14:55

the limping again. He was

14:58

antisocial and insisted on hiding all

15:00

night. I wanted to keep

15:02

a close eye on him, so I decided to put

15:04

his food bowl in my room and shut the door

15:06

with both of us inside. I

15:08

truly wish I had just let him hide

15:10

where he wanted. As

15:13

I turned out the light, tiny

15:15

was hiding under my desk, meowing

15:17

and growling like crazy. I

15:20

figured I would give him a moment to stop,

15:22

but tomorrow would be an immediate trip to the

15:24

vet. About ten

15:26

minutes passed in the dark before I heard

15:28

him begin to growl once again. This

15:31

time it was new in a

15:33

much lower and pained tone. I

15:36

heard the chair by the desk fall over

15:38

from what I assumed was a rather restless

15:40

tiny, but my heart sank

15:42

to my feet from what followed next.

15:46

Tiny jumped up onto my bed, but

15:49

this was no mere cat that had landed

15:51

on my legs. The sheer

15:53

weight of the figure rivaled that of a

15:55

human being. It almost knocked me out of

15:57

the bed altogether. I

15:59

felt large paws that seemed like

16:01

hands slowly crawl up my

16:03

body. I froze with

16:06

a sense of sleep paralysis as I

16:08

felt large breaths waft over my neck,

16:10

followed by a low purr that seemed

16:13

like a growl. I didn't

16:15

want to move. I wanted to

16:17

call the police or turn on the light, but

16:20

I knew what I would see wouldn't be something

16:22

I could forget. I felt

16:25

a sudden weight shift followed by a

16:27

loud yet careful thud hitting the floor

16:29

with a sudden strike. The

16:32

thing had jumped off of my bed and left

16:34

me alone. I was

16:36

still too scared to move and knew

16:38

that the being was still stuck in my

16:40

room due to the door being shut, but

16:42

the thought was interrupted by a crashing noise

16:45

against my door. It sounded

16:47

like it was charging directly into the exit

16:49

to force its way out. I

16:51

then heard loud and fast

16:53

scratches like nails dragging across

16:56

rough wood. Every

16:58

swipe made an ear-splitting noise

17:00

that made my frozen state

17:02

worsen. Finally, I

17:04

heard a yanking noise followed by the

17:06

door swinging open violently. It crashed

17:09

against the wall with the force of a

17:11

freight train, and I heard the thud of

17:13

feet stalk out the rest of the house

17:15

and down the hallway. I

17:17

almost gathered the courage to move my leg,

17:20

but then I heard the thing call out from the other

17:23

end of the house. It was

17:25

a menacing and almost threatening call that

17:27

sounded like a beast was trying to

17:29

mimic a cat's meow. I

17:32

then heard it began to beat on the

17:34

front door and struggle for moments before it

17:36

finally bashed through. The house

17:39

immediately fell silent, so I knew the

17:41

beast had made it out of the

17:43

house. I raced

17:45

to turn on the lights and noticed my

17:47

desk chair was flipped over and claw marks

17:49

surrounded my desk. My bedroom

17:52

door was nearly turned to shreds

17:54

with markings and indentations covering it.

17:57

I walked out to my living room and saw that my front

17:59

door was closed. The door was completely smashed

18:01

and lying on my front porch. I

18:04

wanted to call the police again, but

18:06

knew they would gain unwanted suspicions if

18:08

I called about the same issue. What

18:12

would I tell them? That my cat had

18:14

turned into a monster and ran away? I

18:17

would rather not spend the night in jail

18:19

for suspicion of drug use. I

18:22

couldn't sleep after trying my best to

18:24

repair the damage. I recall

18:27

turning on the TV to a breaking

18:29

news story of multiple assaults and break-ins.

18:32

A man was apparently even killed overnight

18:34

in a parking garage. His

18:36

body was mutilated almost beyond recognition

18:38

and his possessions were stolen. I

18:42

feared knowing that the perpetrator could

18:44

have been the thing that was

18:46

tiny, but I knew

18:48

the thought would only bring me distress. I

18:51

tried shrugging it off as a

18:53

crime spree of some maniac, preferably

18:55

one without fur and whiskers. I

18:58

needed some fresh air, so I decided to step

19:00

out to my backyard and drink a cup of

19:02

coffee to forget the events of last night. After

19:06

all, I couldn't remember what was real and

19:08

what could have been a simple nightmare due

19:10

to lack of sleep. But

19:12

then, I noticed something.

19:16

Next to my patio was a small stack

19:18

of objects. I had a

19:20

brilliant shine and stuck out like a sore

19:23

thumb. The pile consisted

19:25

of rings and jewelry. There

19:27

were purses and wallets with entire stacks

19:30

of cash lying around them. There

19:32

were easily thousands of dollars just sitting

19:34

there, not counting the value of the

19:36

physical items. I

19:39

stood frozen, wondering how they

19:41

ended up in my yard. But

19:44

I froze again as I came to realize

19:46

that some of these items I

19:48

recognized from the news. The

19:51

man who was killed, his wallet

19:53

was sitting in the pile, with

19:55

flecks of red still covering it.

19:58

I didn't know what to do. but felt

20:01

something brushing against my leg.

20:04

It was tiny, just as he

20:06

was when I first found him. Small,

20:09

lively, and cute in an

20:11

ugly sort of way. His

20:14

color reflected gold onto the ground

20:16

below. I

20:18

didn't know what to do. If I were

20:20

to call the police, they would arrest me on

20:22

the spot. They wouldn't believe that

20:24

I had just found the night's crimes

20:26

neatly piled in my backyard. But

20:29

I didn't have time to dwell before a knock

20:31

hit my front door. It

20:33

was a police officer and a detective.

20:36

They asked what had happened to my front door,

20:39

and I told them that my house had been

20:41

broken into again the previous night. They

20:43

actually had come to follow up on

20:45

the previous night's events, specifically about having

20:47

an update on my initial call. They

20:50

asked a series of questions that I

20:52

either didn't know or lied about to

20:55

cover my own tale. Tiny

20:57

jumped up to one of the men and

20:59

sniffed around before hissing at him and then

21:01

running away to hide. He didn't

21:03

seem too fond of them. The

21:06

police had asked me to lock my doors and

21:08

windows at night in case I hadn't already done

21:10

so. They said the neighborhood was

21:12

under a temporary curfew following the night's

21:15

events. Travel was

21:17

only advised if necessary, and

21:19

travel was not allowed alone or

21:21

without protection. I

21:23

thanked them for their time, and they left.

21:26

As soon as they had left,

21:28

Tiny pranced out almost happily. I

21:31

stared at the cat as he stared back,

21:34

almost as if he knew that I knew what

21:36

he had done. I decided

21:38

to inspect my grandmother's house to

21:41

track down any background of this

21:43

feline imposter. I

21:46

searched the house for hours but found

21:48

nothing. No adoption papers,

21:50

no cat supplies. It

21:52

was as if Grandma hadn't owned him at all. I

21:56

decided the only place left to look was where

21:58

he had come from initially. I

22:00

walked over to the crack in the wall to inspect

22:02

it. I knew I

22:04

couldn't fit, but considering the

22:06

state of the house, I knew one

22:08

hole wouldn't make a difference. So

22:11

I grabbed a nearby hammer and smashed

22:14

a wider opening in the wall. The

22:17

crawl space it led into was dark

22:19

and musty, with dead mice all around

22:21

it. I noticed a

22:23

small wooden box was tucked away in the

22:25

corner, so I grabbed it and backed

22:27

out of the hole. There

22:30

was a golden latch that almost

22:32

perfectly matched the gold of tiny's

22:34

collar. I opened it to

22:36

reveal a small sheet of paper inside, but

22:39

nothing else. The writing

22:41

was old. Very

22:43

old. It seemed to

22:45

be written in ink with a quill

22:47

on yellowed and decaying paper. It

22:50

read as follows. To

22:53

whom it may concern. The

22:56

companion you have just acquired was secured

22:58

in an expedition to... Redacted.

23:02

While its true origins are

23:04

unknown, the animal is

23:07

wise beyond its means and possesses

23:09

a nearly impossible trait. Upon

23:12

feeding the animal, it bonds

23:14

with its caretaker and offers a

23:16

rather sinful and monstrous service in

23:19

return. One

23:21

night a week, the animal

23:23

will take on a form that

23:25

is neither of god nor beast

23:27

and will retrieve riches and possessions

23:29

for its caretaker, no matter the

23:31

means. It has

23:34

slain innocent men in the night

23:36

and upon our travels killed half

23:38

a village of natives and piled

23:41

its stolen plunder in our own

23:43

satchels and baggage. A

23:45

few of my men have seen the beast in

23:48

its altered form and refused to speak of it.

23:51

I issue this letter as a warning to all

23:53

those who may cross paths with the beast. May

23:56

god not blame you for its own

23:59

misdeeds. Enclosed

24:01

with the letter was an old photograph of

24:04

a wooded area at night, but

24:06

in the center of the picture stood

24:08

a being nearly six

24:10

feet tall. It

24:12

had dark, scraggly fur with hunched

24:14

legs and a long, loose tail

24:16

that dragged the ground behind it.

24:19

It had piercing yellow eyes that seemed

24:21

to glare into my soul. It

24:24

had a wide, sharp grin that seemed

24:26

so uncanny that I couldn't tell whether

24:29

it was smiling or screaming. Its

24:32

claws were long and slightly

24:34

resembled human hands, but they

24:36

were still quite discernible from them. It

24:39

stood on two legs in a position that

24:41

seemed like it would pounce at any second.

24:44

However, the tightly fit collar

24:47

stood out to me the most, with

24:49

a gold coin hanging just beneath its

24:52

neck. I

24:54

held the letter in shock, knowing that

24:56

if last night hadn't happened, I wouldn't

24:58

believe it myself. I

25:01

made my way home and was greeted by

25:03

a sleeping tiny sprawled across the arm of

25:05

my chair. I sat

25:07

down and stared at the sleeping anima.

25:10

I thought through the events of last night

25:13

and wondered how long it would take the

25:15

police to trace this back to me and

25:17

my newfound thief. But I

25:19

realized that, at least for the time being,

25:21

I wasn't a

25:23

suspect. I was a victim. The

25:26

police had thought my house was just another

25:29

home in a chain of crimes. After

25:31

all, I would be accounted for all night

25:34

as it was someone other than me who

25:36

would be out painting the town red. I

25:39

could use the money that was found,

25:42

after all. few

26:00

times, but there's never been any proof

26:02

of wrongdoing. As a matter of

26:04

fact, I pride myself

26:06

of how well I've hidden

26:08

my...side gig. It's

26:11

that day of the week again, which

26:13

means I suspect Tiny will be shedding

26:15

some fur and playing fetch in the

26:17

next few hours. I

26:20

truly do apologize to anybody

26:22

who has fallen victim to my actions.

26:25

It isn't personal, I assure you. But

26:28

the way I see it, it's better

26:30

to have control over the animal myself than

26:33

risk it coming and turning on me. I think

26:37

you understand. apartments.com

26:45

has more pet-friendly rental listings

26:47

than anywhere else, so

26:50

finding the perfect place is easier

26:52

than ever, and so is finally

26:54

moving in together. Just

26:56

the two of you. It's a big

26:58

step. Lots of new

27:00

responsibilities, lots of adjustments. Most

27:03

likely they'll wake you up at odd

27:05

hours to go to the bathroom, and

27:07

you'll most definitely find yourself in trouble

27:10

coming home late for dinner. They

27:12

might even unroll all your toilet

27:14

paper next time. It's

27:16

just what happens when you two find

27:18

a new place together, but you're not

27:20

doing it because you feel like it.

27:23

No, you're doing it because you love

27:25

them, because they're family.

27:28

And that's why apartments.com has

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27:32

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27:34

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27:43

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Angie's List you know and trust is now

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to get your job done right.

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Get started at angie.com. That's A-N-G-I.

28:13

Or download the app today. You've

28:16

been listening to The Cat Burglar

28:19

by Crack Jack. And

28:23

now, dear listeners, I

28:25

present Come to a Head

28:28

by Nick Carlson. On

28:34

any other day, Thomas would be

28:36

the most reviled man in town.

28:39

The stench of death would literally

28:41

follow him around as he walked

28:43

through the muddied streets. Specifically, the

28:45

stench of whatever animal carcasses he

28:47

had the honor of cleaning up,

28:50

from dead mice and root cellars

28:52

to the emaciated bodies of stray

28:54

dogs sprawled in the alleyways, Thomas

28:57

would be there to collect. His

28:59

signature leather apron, face mask,

29:01

and gloves were all for

29:03

sanitary purposes. Lord knew

29:05

he would never make contact with a

29:08

dead, reeking hide. Yet the

29:10

attire seemed too reminiscent of the

29:12

so-called doctors that, at one point,

29:14

would creep through the town and

29:16

treat the afflicted. Of

29:18

course, everyone knew those they treated

29:21

were never seen again. Fear

29:23

of the plague still lingered among

29:26

the populace, and everyone saw Thomas

29:28

as a potential vector for another

29:30

resurgence. Men covered their

29:32

mouths as they passed him by. Women

29:34

gasped and shooed their children to shelter

29:36

at the sight of him. Even

29:39

animals took issue with his presence. He

29:41

was a bogeyman to the local crows who

29:44

had witnessed him dispose of one too many

29:46

of their brethren, and all

29:48

manners of livestock and pets panicked

29:50

a descent. But being

29:52

the town knacker, the polite term,

29:55

paid well, partially because the

29:58

job simply needed to be done. partially

30:01

because no one else would do it. He

30:04

thanked God every day for Delilah, the

30:06

only woman in all the lands who

30:08

could look past his grim occupation and

30:11

prove to be his better half. Today,

30:15

however, was special. It

30:17

was one of those rare occasions when

30:19

Thomas would trade his cart and clampers

30:22

for a plain black hood and

30:24

battle axe. For, whenever

30:27

said occasions arose, Thomas

30:29

was also the town executioner.

30:33

Public executions always burned the

30:35

people spirits bright. Young

30:37

and old, rich and poor would gather

30:39

in the town square, a diverse

30:42

raucous mob screaming for blood

30:44

and rolling heads. For

30:47

a while, the town's collective chagrin

30:49

would be directed away from Thomas

30:51

and towards the accused. Quite

30:53

the contrary, in the brief moment

30:55

of Thomas gripping the axe and

30:57

following through the motion, he was

30:59

the most beloved among them. Yet,

31:03

after the revelries died down,

31:05

business returned normal. Even

31:07

as Thomas loaded both pieces of the

31:09

convicted into his cart, he

31:12

would feel their judgmental gazes piercing

31:14

his hood. Today

31:16

might have been a rare occasion, but

31:19

today would be no different. Thomas

31:22

snapped out of it and gazed out at the crowd.

31:25

Even past the black fabric of his

31:28

hood elevated upon the wooden platform, he

31:30

appeared to be standing before a

31:32

rolling sea of gnashing teeth and

31:34

pumping arms. The condemned

31:36

hadn't even shown up yet and already

31:39

they had whipped themselves into a venomous

31:41

fervor. Thomas was never

31:43

informed of their crimes or even

31:46

their names beforehand. His

31:48

role demanded he remain dispassionate

31:50

and detached throughout the procedure,

31:52

but he could often tell the severity of

31:55

their transgression by observing the crowds. They

31:58

Were a hair's width away from fear.

32:00

on on rioting. What?

32:02

Did this person do? He

32:04

thought was sick fascination. Two.

32:08

Pairs a seat clumped behind him and

32:10

Thomas turn to see the watchman leading

32:12

the condemned up the steps onto the

32:15

platform. Despite. A bag

32:17

covering the figures face. He cocked

32:19

his head as he saw the

32:21

condemns ragged sack class dress. He

32:24

would have to be had a woman today. He.

32:27

Had carried out dozens of executions over

32:29

the last decade, but the number of

32:31

Winans he could count on one hand.

32:34

An adulterous noble. A

32:36

leper threatening to contaminate a well.

32:39

An. Anarchist Radical. And

32:42

now this one's. Number.

32:44

Far. As

32:46

the watchman three were down, landing

32:48

heavily on her knees, the crowd

32:51

roared with pointed disdain. Thomas.

32:53

Nearly plunged his ears at the sheer

32:56

noise. And it became almost

32:58

unbearable when the watchman removed the

33:00

bag. Thomas. Could make

33:02

out a sin. Sour face and hair

33:05

the widest blonde as a high noon

33:07

sun. For. Smooth, complex in and

33:09

lies a lens suggested she couldn't have

33:11

been more than thirty. Her

33:14

composure was oddly serene. Thomas.

33:17

Had seen the blank acceptance of

33:19

death upon the faces of countless

33:21

criminals, a response to the overwhelming

33:23

reality of their fate. But.

33:25

None of the Stis nervous energy and

33:28

also lost it. All of them was

33:30

here. Instead, Thomas

33:32

felt himself grow uneasy.

33:35

To bias this young woman

33:37

skin as pale and smooth

33:39

as cream. Healthy as the

33:41

day was long. And. What did

33:44

she done to incur the wrath of the

33:46

masses? The. Watchman had

33:48

unroll the parchment and was reading from

33:50

it. Thomas had to bring himself

33:52

back to earth. Daughter.

33:55

Of Jacob and allies as. He.

33:57

Was bellowing. For. The

33:59

crime. of practicing black magic,

34:02

of the unjust slaughter of three

34:04

yearling calves, and of blasphemy against

34:06

the church, the town of

34:08

Adenshire has sentenced you to death. Have

34:11

you any final words?" An

34:14

indignant hush ran through the crowd.

34:17

Her hair had fallen in front of

34:19

her face, but Thomas detected the spasm

34:21

of a smile before she spoke. I

34:24

am merely taking the next step in

34:27

my journey. There's more to

34:29

see beyond the fool's fiction you

34:31

call God. Screams

34:33

erupted from the crowd like a cannon.

34:36

They threw stones and rotten produce.

34:39

Most missed their mark, but some

34:41

struck the woman, leaving red tomato

34:43

splotches and bloodied cuts across her

34:46

skin. Vegetable matter splattered

34:48

on Thomas' apron, his

34:50

grip on the axe tightened. He

34:53

would be executing a witch

34:55

today. His stomach

34:57

swooped and his palms oozed with

35:00

sweat. To dispose of

35:02

this heretic of walking perversion

35:04

against all that was holy, it would

35:07

be a deed most noble and

35:10

most terrifying. Evidently

35:13

unimpressed with her decree, the watchman

35:15

rolled up the parchment and gave

35:17

Thomas a curt nod. Thomas

35:20

adjusted his grasp on the shaft and

35:22

stepped up to the kneeling woman. The

35:25

crowd continued to jeer. It

35:27

all became senseless noise to

35:29

him. He tried not

35:32

to imagine what obscenities the witch had

35:34

committed in life, what demons

35:36

she convened with as he

35:38

heaved the blade over his head. Go

35:41

through the motions, he thought,

35:43

taking a step forward. One

35:46

slick drop is all she needs. He

35:49

couldn't see her face. That platinum head

35:51

of hair was like a shroud. It

35:54

helped. He Swung

35:57

downward. Shifted

36:00

and Thomas found himself staring

36:02

into a pair of eyes,

36:04

bread irises, cavernous pupils bulging

36:06

angrily out the back of

36:09

her head. Thought.

36:11

He shouted as the axe cut through

36:13

the air. He

36:15

missed. Barely. Instead.

36:18

Of slicing cleanly through the

36:20

neck, the blade embedded between

36:22

your shoulders emitting a gnarly

36:24

gushing crack. The. Woman

36:26

sell forward onto her friend. The.

36:28

Crowd exploded with a mixture of

36:31

elation and discuss. Her. Head

36:33

hung on by attending and dangled

36:35

off the edge of the platform.

36:37

a red stump of backbone judging

36:39

from her upper back. Blood.

36:42

Guy start of the wooden floor

36:44

and dripped to the ground below

36:46

and great Delaware tongues. Her

36:48

arms flopped about like a dying

36:50

says. Sir. No

36:52

sir. The. Crowd chanted. Center.

36:55

Sir center say. Without.

36:59

Hesitation, Thomas brought his boot down

37:01

on the head, and with a

37:03

wet, ripping sound, it detached and

37:05

sell six feet to the ground

37:07

below. The. Crowd cheered.

37:10

Blood continued to poor liberally over

37:12

the severed head. Thomas

37:15

wiped his souls on the wooden floor.

37:17

To. Ceiling churning in his guts

37:20

was familiar, but unwelcome. The.

37:22

Same squirming, numbing revulsion. he saw it

37:24

when he had to squash spiders that

37:26

have gotten in the house. A

37:29

primitive fear that weekend his muscles

37:31

and triggered that animal instinct to

37:33

sleep. Those. Eyes.

37:38

Horrible red eyes.

37:41

They had done that to him. Ah

37:44

as nasty work. The. Watchmen

37:46

commented over the sound of the crowd.

37:49

Why? Happen There. Thomas

37:51

gave a shrug. We. Had

37:54

slipped. The. Watchman cocked

37:56

an eyebrow and scrutinized him for a

37:58

moment. Then. He jerked

38:00

his head towards the blood soaked course. It.

38:03

Would you need to assess? then? He

38:06

trotted down the steps without another word.

38:09

And. Suddenly. Thomas.

38:11

Was alone on the platform.

38:13

a body before him. It's

38:15

head six feet below. Lathered,

38:18

With blood. Witchcraft.

38:21

He muttered, dropping the axe and

38:24

pacing. Only witchcraft could

38:26

have explained that unholy aberration.

38:29

Or maybe it wasn't.

38:32

Maybe. His mercy gotten to him.

38:35

Bedtime. Stories from As Use featuring

38:37

women of the woods snatching babies

38:39

and grinding them into flying openings

38:42

for rattling about in his mind.

38:44

Despite his propensity for

38:47

impartiality, he wasn't perfect.

38:49

His. Brain could have easily been playing

38:51

tricks. There.

38:53

Was a very specific protocol for

38:56

disposing of an executed which. And.

38:58

He would follow it to the letter. At.

39:01

Least the first part. The.

39:04

Other part. That could

39:06

wait. He had to

39:08

know for sure. Thomas.

39:12

My Ds: What have you got that? Thomas.

39:15

Froze midway through the garden. His.

39:17

Wife's voice normally welcoming

39:19

and melodious, wasn't accusing.

39:22

With. He had assumed

39:24

cutting around the house and heading immediately

39:26

to the back would spare him the

39:28

added complication of answering questions, but his

39:30

wife had a falcon zine for things

39:32

that didn't seem right. A

39:35

Fox. He. Explained holding up

39:37

the heavy bulging bag and his

39:39

grasp. It was run over

39:41

by a court and street. and to scrape

39:44

it off. Ah,

39:46

Said. Delilah nodding hesitantly, still

39:48

lingering in the back window.

39:51

So. Why you brought it here. A

39:54

no balloon town once skull.

39:57

Said. Thomas. i'm going

39:59

to school it and clean the meat off." He

40:02

gave a deliberate pause. "'You

40:05

might not want to watch, if

40:07

you're queasy." Delilah

40:09

quickly disappeared back inside the house,

40:12

the window snapping shut. Thomas

40:14

gave a slight grin, his wife's

40:16

notoriously weak stomach working to his

40:19

benefit this time. Quickly

40:22

he knelt and emptied the bag's contents onto

40:24

the dirt. The full-bodied green

40:26

and purple cabbages in their garden would

40:28

do well to obscure the woman's head.

40:31

He had rinsed it off in

40:33

a waterlogged ditch minutes earlier, most

40:35

of the dried blood was gone,

40:37

and the vessels had been completely

40:40

drained, making the skin appear even

40:42

more pallid, white enough to make

40:44

fresh cream look gray. Her

40:46

hair had become matted and tangled,

40:48

but otherwise she might have been

40:50

sleeping, albeit seemingly buried up

40:52

to her neck in the soil. "'Like

40:56

a vampire,' Thomas thought

40:58

with a chuckle. "'That's why

41:00

we put them in the ground facing down,

41:02

after all.' He glanced

41:05

back at the house. No

41:07

windows were open, nor were any of

41:09

his neighbors out. He

41:11

flipped the head around, running his

41:13

fingers through the woman's locks, feeling

41:15

the cold, smooth flesh of her

41:17

scalp underneath. He only

41:19

detected the usual bumps of a complete

41:22

human skull below. Looking

41:24

sharply, he looped his fingers through her

41:27

hair and parted it at every angle

41:29

he could manage, yet he only saw

41:31

bare skin staring back at him. Thomas

41:35

gave a dismissive grunt. He

41:37

felt exceedingly foolish. The

41:39

sort of backwards, childish paranoia that

41:41

had clearly influenced him earlier that

41:43

day was exactly the condition he

41:45

suppressed for his work, and had

41:47

grown to regret. He

41:50

cursed himself as he stood up, taking

41:52

a deep breath. "'Idiot,'

41:55

he told himself. "'They'll Make

41:57

you the town fool if you ever went

41:59

around speaking.'" This. Or.

42:01

Worse, they turn the axon

42:04

him for blasphemy. As

42:06

he readied the bag, a sign on

42:09

nagging thought occurred to him. He

42:11

never saw a woman's eyes.

42:13

her true ice. Is.

42:16

They were the piercing sell a shred

42:18

yeah to loosen a did during the

42:20

execution. Sighing. He

42:22

knelt back down and swiveled the head around.

42:25

He placed his palms on or

42:27

cold cheeks, prying her eyelids open

42:29

with his fingertips. His.

42:31

Hands are casting shadows. He

42:34

bent over and squinted for a closer

42:36

look. Needles. Of

42:38

pain shot through the skin. Between

42:40

a son and forefinger, Thomas cried

42:42

out and slung his hand. The.

42:45

Had rolled away down the road of

42:47

cabbage. And he saw them.

42:50

A grinning to see

42:52

more talked with bolstering

42:54

red eyes. Blood.

42:57

Streamed down his hand. Thomas

42:59

peered stupidly at the wound, then

43:01

back at smiling head. Stuck.

43:04

Between it's t is miniscule

43:06

the glaring. Was. A single

43:08

sliver of. Devil.

43:11

Rays. Thomas growled shambling

43:13

back to the house, Gardeners

43:16

and it's come down and sweet.

43:18

This demon his head from our

43:21

good earth. His hand

43:23

stung as he stumbled through the

43:25

backdoor, still emitting his zealous curses.

43:28

Goodness. What Happened? Thomas?

43:30

Delilah. Shouted rushing up to him from

43:33

the roaring horse she was tending. To.

43:35

None of your concern. For.

43:37

Granted glancing away as she cradled

43:40

his hand. He. Pleadings,

43:43

Said. Delilah, grabbing a jar of vinegar

43:45

from the cabinet. For. Happened.

43:48

To. That Foxtrot Brass and Bites? Yeah, Not

43:51

exactly. Thomas.

43:54

Grimace to see trickled the clear liquid

43:56

over the wound. He winced at it's

43:58

bite. Knife

44:00

slipped. A rusty

44:02

blade of yours," she fussed,

44:04

scrubbing his hand with a rag. "'You'll

44:07

keep that hand clean and clear now. Don't

44:10

want you coming down with the lock-jaw.'" "'I

44:13

wouldn't dream of it,' said Thomas.

44:16

"'Very good.'" His wife returned to

44:18

the hearth and stoked it. "'All

44:20

those dead things you handle. Color

44:23

me surprised you haven't keeled over yourself yet.'"

44:27

Thomas rubbed the sensitive skin between his

44:29

fingers. All the horrific

44:31

confirmation he needed etched into his

44:34

flesh. Satan

44:36

had descended upon Adenshire, and

44:38

he had brought his evil work to

44:40

their home. The

44:42

flames crackled and spat with grease dripping

44:44

from the chicken roasting in the hearth.

44:47

Thomas found himself staring at the meaty

44:50

perforation where its neck had been earlier

44:52

that morning. Eventually they'd

44:54

toss a bird's head to the dogs for them

44:56

to gnaw on. He

44:58

wished he had done the same today. "'Satan

45:02

drew his hooks in me,' he

45:05

thought bitterly, but I won't

45:07

let them drag me away." Angie

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48:43

Night sound Thomas East himself

48:45

out of careful not to

48:48

surface. Donning.

48:50

His gloves amount of woven slacks

48:52

and a Masons hammer, he stepped

48:54

out into the garden of chewing

48:57

sensationalist. The. Waxing

48:59

give a slit the way as he

49:01

navigated among the heads of cabbage. They.

49:03

Appeared luminous beacons of the

49:05

pale, the screen like lunar

49:08

jewels. He. Tried not to

49:10

imagine sour juices from the witches

49:12

head seeping into the soil and

49:14

poisoning the ground, causing their precious

49:16

crops to rot. He.

49:19

Almost missed the had entirely. It's.

49:21

Pale hair likewise seem to glow

49:23

in the moonlight, melding with the

49:26

cabbages. But. The nose stuck

49:28

out, breaking up the otherwise spherical

49:30

outline. Thomas rolled

49:32

out the flags, grunting as at scratched

49:35

the wound on his hand. Even.

49:37

Hours after the vinegar, and so

49:39

it's still stung and burned. Almost

49:41

vindictive, really. He. Wondered if the

49:44

pain would go away after he had disposed

49:46

of the hand. Properly. This

49:48

time. To. get

49:50

far away to and

49:52

consecrated grounds and smashed

49:54

to bits. Normally.

49:57

they buried witches heads separate

50:00

from their bodies, but Thomas felt

50:02

that this time more extreme measures

50:04

would be necessary. Working

50:07

carefully, he swaddled the head and the

50:09

flax, ensuring not a single bit of

50:11

skin or hair was exposed to the

50:13

open air and tied a

50:16

makeshift handle. Picking it up,

50:18

he thought the bundle resembled some

50:20

misshapen hornet's nest. And

50:23

infinitely more deadly, Thomas

50:25

muttered as he trudged out of the

50:27

garden into the night to enact the

50:29

rest of his plan. A

50:32

hornet's only dangerous when she's

50:34

threatened. Thomas

50:36

nearly tripped over himself, emitting a strangled

50:39

yelp as the head tumbled from his

50:41

grasp. The flax unrolled in

50:43

a fluid whirl and the severed

50:45

head skidded across the ground. That

50:49

voice rung horribly familiar.

50:51

The same voice that had denounced

50:53

God before the raving crowds earlier

50:56

that day. No, no, no, no,

50:58

no, no, no. Thomas stuttered,

51:00

staring incredulously at the head.

51:04

It was her voice,

51:06

definitely hers, but it

51:08

had been so close, cupped

51:11

against his ear, the melodious purr

51:13

of a lover. He

51:16

unclipped the hammer from his belt

51:18

to hell with unconsecrated grounds. Stealing

51:21

his nerves, he raised it up and

51:23

bore down on the head. The

51:26

hammer glanced off the witch's skull, nearly

51:29

throwing his shoulder out of its socket.

51:32

His hand tingled and smarted. The

51:34

tool slipped from his grasp, landing dully

51:37

in the dirt. Shaken,

51:39

he picked it up and advanced again.

51:42

The head showed no signs of damage.

51:46

Are you going to try it once more? He

51:49

froze, his guts icing over.

51:52

He spun on the spot, as if trying

51:54

to catch a glance of a mysterious interloper

51:56

speaking into his ear. Your

52:00

tongue, Satan!" he

52:02

stammered. "'I don't need

52:04

my tongue to speak to you, Thomas.'" "'Enough!"

52:08

he cried, throwing the hammer down.

52:11

"'I renounce you. I

52:14

compel you to rid yourself from me

52:16

by the grace of our Father in

52:18

heaven.'" "'I shall

52:20

wait. But surely you

52:23

have noticed your God's absence

52:25

in trying times? You

52:28

plead to Him for strength, for the

52:30

tampering of fate. Let

52:32

the wheels turn regardless,

52:34

indifferent, arbitrary. This

52:37

time will be no different.'" "'Stop

52:40

talking to me!' said Thomas

52:43

through gritted teeth. "'I

52:45

will not let you sway me, Satan.'"

52:48

This time the voice gave a

52:51

laugh, lustrous and bright, like the

52:53

ringing of bells. "'Hah!

52:56

Your Satan is a fool's fiction

52:58

as well.'" Thomas

53:00

caught his breath. His insides,

53:03

squirming with dread moments before,

53:06

suddenly rang hollow and black.

53:09

"'What was that?" "'Your

53:11

God and your Devil. They

53:14

are one and the same. Fancies

53:16

conjured up to keep men in line. But

53:19

true power! True

53:22

power exists beyond the confines of

53:24

the book.'" "'If

53:26

you're no Devil,' Thomas

53:28

challenged, averting his gaze from

53:30

the head, "'then recite

53:33

the Lord's prayer.'" The

53:36

disembodied voice replied with a

53:38

flawless rendition. Thomas

53:41

paced in a tight circle, hands pressed

53:43

to his head. "'I

53:45

don't understand. If

53:47

you're not of hell, what

53:49

are you?'" "'The

53:52

source of my power,' the

53:54

voice mused coyly, "'tis

53:57

unspeakable.'" "'Then

53:59

you are lying.'" Thomas spat.

54:02

Just a common, vulgar imp."

54:05

"'Himest me in holy water? I

54:07

will not protest,' she

54:09

rebutted. "'Find a priest

54:12

to initiate exorcism,' writes. "'I

54:14

shall remain unfazed. Bidek

54:17

me in every holy object you can find

54:19

from the north to the Dead Sea, and

54:22

I shall be unmoved.'" Thomas's

54:26

own head seared with aching pain.

54:29

This unholy perversion was speaking

54:31

in terms completely incongruous with

54:34

his perspective. If not

54:36

God, if not Satan, then whom?

54:40

Or what? "'I

54:43

cannot speak of my power,' she

54:46

continued. "'I'd rather show you.'"

54:50

Thomas finally forced himself to peer

54:52

at the severed head. Its ivory

54:54

hair still covered much of his

54:56

face. "'All

54:58

you must do is look

55:01

me in the eye.'" Thomas

55:04

emitted a whine, something primal and

55:06

shameful that cowered in the back

55:08

of his throat. Mere

55:11

moments ago, he had been wanting

55:13

to pulverize the head until only

55:15

shreds remained, but overwhelming curiosity inflated

55:17

in his chest, threatening to burst

55:19

him at the seams. As

55:22

if in a trance, he shuffled over to

55:24

the head and picked it up. It

55:27

was oddly warm to the touch.

55:30

The hair, matted and tangled as

55:32

it was, brushed against

55:34

his fingers like velvet. "'Look,

55:39

look.'" During

55:41

his breath, Thomas swiveled the

55:43

head in his grasp. The

55:46

witch's dead visage was now facing

55:48

his, eyelids shut,

55:50

bottom lip drooping slightly,

55:53

skin marred by only a few flecks

55:55

of dirt and dried blood. It

56:00

was beautiful, sublime,

56:02

practically pristine from the neck

56:04

up. Thomas hadn't

56:06

heard her name, what her parents

56:09

and loved ones had called her in life when

56:12

she had the faculties to hear. Then

56:16

she opened her eyes and

56:19

Thomas drowned in scarlet

56:21

orbs. He

56:23

was in a whirlwind, blown through a

56:25

jungle of tendons and meat. Sweet

56:29

bestial eyeballs watched him as he

56:31

billowed about the fleshy void, limbs

56:34

flailing, a blood rain falling upwards

56:36

and soaking him to the bone.

56:40

Then he was atop a great mountain

56:42

overlooking the world. Land

56:44

masses and oceans and architectures unknown

56:47

spread out before him, brightening

56:49

and darkening with the sun that rose

56:51

and sat above with the speed of

56:54

an arrow. Then

56:57

he was in hell, but it

56:59

wasn't hell. It

57:01

was an obsidian dungeon, flooded with

57:03

green water and tangled masses of

57:06

black eels writhed at the surface,

57:09

and the walls were alive, crawling

57:11

with arms and claws and

57:14

obscene mouths. Then

57:16

he was in the night sky, or

57:19

at least he assumed it

57:21

was. The expanse

57:24

before him was cold, vast,

57:26

peppered with stars, burning

57:29

clouds of color frothed in

57:31

the unfathomable distance, clouds

57:33

so huge they could have swallowed

57:35

a thousand countries. He

57:38

saw things in

57:41

the clouds, eldritch

57:43

beings of imperceptible construction,

57:46

body parts too massive and horrid

57:48

to absorb, organs

57:50

that watched him without eyes.

57:55

Satan was a feeble joke, and

57:58

God could not compare. And

58:01

all the while, Thomas screamed

58:03

like a child, screamed

58:06

from the poisonous chill of mortal

58:08

terror. He had died

58:10

and suffered a hundred worse fates,

58:12

compressed into the span of seconds.

58:16

And suddenly, he was

58:18

standing naked in a moonlit dirt

58:20

path, his clothes strewn

58:22

behind him like a breadcrumb trail.

58:26

He was back in the world he knew, the reality

58:29

he belonged in. Tears

58:32

soaked his dry, ashen cheeks as

58:34

he looked down. He

58:36

was cradling the witch's severed head against

58:39

his ribs. She

58:41

was looking up at him, red

58:43

eyes smoldering, lips

58:45

shiny and full. You

58:48

saw it, did you not?

58:52

Toss fell to his knees and

58:54

wapped. The

58:58

morning light crawled in slow and

59:00

heavy for Thomas. His

59:02

skull rioted with pain, his

59:04

hair was soaked in cold sweat,

59:07

his skin festered with clammyness. The

59:10

thin sheet covering him felt like

59:12

a plane of ice, oppressive and

59:14

frigid and stiff. The

59:17

day outside was still tired and gray. A

59:20

voice oozed into the quagmire that was

59:22

his brain, beckoning him. No

59:26

more, he whispered. He

59:29

had seen enough. He wanted no

59:31

more voices. He wanted

59:33

peace, calm, deliverance from this

59:35

world he knew now to be

59:37

built on matchsticks and lies. Thomas,

59:41

the voice cut in. Delilah's

59:44

face swam above his head. He

59:47

blinked, seeing he was big in his home, under

59:49

the covers of his own bed. His

59:51

wife, up and milling about so early,

59:53

could only mean one thing. Thomas,

59:57

you never slept this late on Sunday. loomed

1:00:00

over him again with a concerned expression.

1:00:03

"'Mass begins in a half hour. Are

1:00:05

you unwell?" "'Very

1:00:07

much so,' he answered,

1:00:10

despite the source of his malady

1:00:12

being not of the bodily sort.

1:00:15

"'You're close,' said Delilah, picking

1:00:17

up a wrinkly bundle at the foot of

1:00:19

their bed. "'Did you go out

1:00:21

last night? And why are you not

1:00:23

wearing your shift?' Thomas

1:00:26

grimaced, realizing he was still naked under

1:00:28

the bedsheet. He didn't

1:00:30

remember walking back home in the night,

1:00:32

nor what had become of the witch's

1:00:34

head that had possessed him so deeply.

1:00:37

"'Unfeverish,' he replied.

1:00:40

"'Maybe it's best if I don't come

1:00:42

to Mass with you today.' His

1:00:45

wife furrowed her brow. "'Are

1:00:47

you sure?' "'Dead sure,'

1:00:50

said Thomas. "'And I'll pray

1:00:52

every minute of the morning until you get

1:00:54

back. For I can barely

1:00:56

stand, and I'm unsure as to

1:00:59

the nature of this malaise. Best

1:01:01

thing for me now is rest.' Delilah's

1:01:05

face surfaced. "'I'll pray for

1:01:07

you, too. And I'll see

1:01:09

if the apothecary has anything for you while I'm out.' "'Thank

1:01:13

you, Delilah.' With

1:01:16

one more concerned look at him, she

1:01:18

wrapped herself in a headdress and stepped

1:01:20

out into the gloomy morning. When

1:01:23

she was gone, Thomas whipped out of

1:01:26

bed, the chilly air stabbing at his

1:01:28

bare skin as he staggered over to

1:01:30

the water bucket and lifted it up

1:01:32

to his lips, gulping down copious mouthfuls

1:01:35

as the rest sloshed down his forearms

1:01:37

to the floor. He

1:01:39

threw the empty bucket against the ground

1:01:41

and swayed in place, panting like a

1:01:44

racehorse, unashamed in his

1:01:46

nakedness. Thomas

1:01:48

our feudal now, he thought

1:01:51

bitterly. If God

1:01:53

were ever alive, he was killed

1:01:55

by those monstrous things in the

1:01:58

clouds." "'yeah.' You're

1:02:01

beginning to understand. The

1:02:03

sweet voice said. Thomas.

1:02:05

Glared at the closed cabinet to his

1:02:08

last. You've. Overturned

1:02:10

my world, which he

1:02:12

snarled. Nice. Should weigh

1:02:15

you down and drop you in the river

1:02:17

force. The. Cabinet

1:02:19

door creaked open. It

1:02:22

sat on the center south level

1:02:24

with his face wearing a serene

1:02:27

expression. Try as

1:02:29

you may have was always find

1:02:31

you Tom As. She.

1:02:33

Spoke without talking that

1:02:35

syrupy voice. Hear. You

1:02:38

and I basked in the wonders beyond

1:02:40

the stars. I. Almost feel like

1:02:43

there's a part of ourselves inside each

1:02:45

other. A corner of her

1:02:47

lips curled. Some. Might

1:02:49

even say when us. You're.

1:02:52

An affront to all seeking. Side note to

1:02:54

be good and true. Thomas

1:02:57

granted, scrambling for his bundle of

1:02:59

clothes and extracting a shirt and

1:03:01

pair of pants, hurriedly pulling them

1:03:03

on. The. I feel nothing

1:03:05

more than contempt for you. Have

1:03:08

you not grasp the and that your

1:03:10

concepts of good and and than don't

1:03:12

know more than lox without keys? She

1:03:15

admonished. You. Tasted the

1:03:17

truce last night. Do.

1:03:19

Not relapse into that cage. Direct

1:03:22

your once once. You've.

1:03:24

Dirty Me. Wrong.

1:03:27

Eyes. San Still.

1:03:31

Thomas roared was an English falling

1:03:33

to his knees, head spinning a

1:03:35

sort through his heart. None

1:03:38

of it made sense, but he

1:03:40

had seen those things things that

1:03:42

put his thirty seven years of

1:03:44

Christian Her to ruin. I

1:03:47

never asked for this. Is

1:03:50

sputtered. I never asked

1:03:52

for this either. She said

1:03:55

soberly. This. parting

1:03:57

for my body has been an

1:03:59

outright travesty But

1:04:02

I think we can help each other." How

1:04:05

do you mean?" he whispered,

1:04:07

his gaze averted. All

1:04:10

I need is your guiding arm to

1:04:12

complete the ritual, one

1:04:14

that will bring me back to full form. Then

1:04:17

I can walk away,

1:04:20

out of your life." Thomas

1:04:23

finally peered up at the head. Her

1:04:26

red eyes were open, trained

1:04:28

on his, but there

1:04:30

was a small, sweet smile on her

1:04:32

lips. Yet, after

1:04:35

what you've seen, after the

1:04:37

scourging I've put you through, I doubt

1:04:40

I'll ever truly leave. He

1:04:44

remained silent. Looking

1:04:46

past the red eyes, he focused on

1:04:48

her pale hair, draping over the edge

1:04:50

of the cabinet shelf. Her

1:04:53

unblemished complexion, her

1:04:55

cheekbones prominent but not

1:04:57

malnourished. In life,

1:05:00

she must have been a heart stopper. "'What

1:05:03

sort of ritual?' he asked.

1:05:07

"'Once the sun sets and the

1:05:09

moon waxes in full, I

1:05:11

will divulge,' she promised.

1:05:14

Her eyelids narrowed, her

1:05:17

smile seemed to widen. But

1:05:19

first, let us talk about you." As

1:05:25

the morning dragged on, Thomas found

1:05:27

himself kneeling at the foot of

1:05:29

the cabinet, conversing freely with the

1:05:32

severed head. He learned

1:05:34

that her name was Cassandra and that

1:05:36

she and her parents, Jacob and Eliza,

1:05:38

had moved west to start a new

1:05:40

life. Their faith

1:05:42

had been heavily scrutinized in Adenshire.

1:05:45

A mutual belief in a Christian

1:05:47

God was apparently not enough for the

1:05:49

local townspeople to forgive her family's foreign

1:05:52

methods of worship. Ostracization

1:05:54

had led to fracture, and

1:05:57

fracture had led to apostasy, which

1:05:59

led to... to a deep, impoverished

1:06:01

depression for Jacob and Eliza. But

1:06:04

while God had remained silent, Cassandra

1:06:07

was determined to rediscover faith,

1:06:10

regardless of the source. And

1:06:13

it had come to her after

1:06:15

three weeks in the woods, subsiding

1:06:17

off toadstools and water from an

1:06:19

ancient abandoned well marked with runic

1:06:21

inscriptions. They were of

1:06:23

no known language, but Cassandra had

1:06:26

come to learn so much more.

1:06:29

In turn, Thomas told Cassandra

1:06:32

everything about him and

1:06:34

of Delilah. She's

1:06:36

a decent woman, Cassandra

1:06:38

admitted after he was done. A

1:06:41

shame she will never understand like you.

1:06:45

She could, Thomas

1:06:47

offered. She accepted

1:06:49

me, despite my occupation, when

1:06:52

no other woman would. I

1:06:55

saw into her heart this morning, she

1:06:58

holds God above all. But

1:07:00

now you exist above God. If

1:07:04

she would ever discover that, she

1:07:06

would reject you too. She

1:07:09

must never know then, Thomas said sadly.

1:07:14

I'm afraid it cannot stay that way

1:07:17

forever. Thomas, his

1:07:20

heart sank like a stone. He

1:07:22

jumped to his feet and swiveled around to

1:07:24

see Delilah standing in the front doorway, still

1:07:27

wrapped in her headdress, a bundle

1:07:29

of coriander and mint in her grasp. He

1:07:33

sputtered like an idiot, hot shame

1:07:35

curdling in his stomach. Everything

1:07:37

he had learned and done, the

1:07:40

culmination of his treachery sitting grotesquely

1:07:42

in the cabinet behind him. He

1:07:45

would be killed for it. You

1:07:48

seem much better now, said

1:07:50

Delilah, raising an eyebrow. She

1:07:52

walked up to him towards the open

1:07:54

cabinet. Thomas wheeled around

1:07:56

again, but the

1:07:58

head was gone. I

1:08:01

still want you to take those herbs," she

1:08:03

continued, depositing them on the shelf. I

1:08:06

spent good money on them for you. Yes,

1:08:09

dear, Thomas mumbled, gingerly

1:08:11

grabbing the bundle. These

1:08:14

herbs do nothing, he

1:08:17

thought, staring glumly at them. The

1:08:20

only true cure lives in the stars.

1:08:23

You'll never understand. Thomas,

1:08:26

you're looking pale again, Delilah

1:08:28

interjected. Eat. Reluctantly,

1:08:31

he picked the leaves off their

1:08:34

stalks and ate, mulling the bittersweet

1:08:36

combination in his mouth. My

1:08:39

soul to rid myself of this

1:08:41

curse, he thought, but

1:08:44

with all that he now knew, he

1:08:46

wondered if it were even right to

1:08:48

call this a curse at all. Last

1:08:53

night, fully energized, Thomas

1:08:56

left his wife sleeping in bed again

1:08:58

and traversed into the garden out back.

1:09:02

She was exactly where he had left her the

1:09:04

night before. Thomas

1:09:06

felt an overwhelming wave of deja vu.

1:09:09

He almost imagined he was wielding the

1:09:11

mason's hammer again, the urge to crush

1:09:13

the witch's skull still pounding in his

1:09:16

arms. But he was only

1:09:18

wearing his shift and a pair of pants

1:09:20

tonight. The soil was cool

1:09:22

on his bare feet as he bent

1:09:24

over and retrieved the head, methyled

1:09:26

against a cabbage. Are

1:09:29

you ready to commence the ritual? Cassandra

1:09:32

asked, peering up at him. As

1:09:35

ready as I'll ever be, said

1:09:38

Thomas ambivalent. A

1:09:40

wind blew through the garden, a

1:09:42

hot wind that reeked of scorched

1:09:44

iron. The smell pierced his

1:09:46

nose and his head hurt. Thomas

1:09:49

closed his eyes and winced against the pain.

1:09:52

And suddenly, he smelled grass

1:09:55

and manure. He opened

1:09:57

his eyes and found himself underneath a

1:09:59

moonlit pasture. fire, rolling hills fluttering

1:10:01

subtly in the breeze. Spread

1:10:04

around him was a loose herd of

1:10:06

brown, dozing cattle. A

1:10:08

few throaty lows reverberated through the

1:10:10

fields, but otherwise they

1:10:13

seemed unconcerned. Where?

1:10:16

Thomas perused the midnight horizon,

1:10:18

seeing hearth smoke billowing from

1:10:20

a distant two-story home. We

1:10:23

are in Sir Paxton's fields. Very

1:10:27

astute, said Cassandra.

1:10:30

Why are we here? he

1:10:32

asked, his apprehension rising. If

1:10:36

you remember, one of my charges

1:10:38

was the slaughter of three yearling

1:10:40

calves, she explained

1:10:43

bitterly. The people of this town

1:10:45

must have looked upon my acts and

1:10:47

thought burnt offerings to Baal or some

1:10:49

profane right to summon the devil, but

1:10:52

my intent was not with any

1:10:54

of those false beings in mind.

1:10:57

Her eyes opened, pupils reflecting

1:11:00

the moonlight. Four

1:11:03

yearlings, their blood spilt

1:11:05

across four consecutive full moons,

1:11:08

a path to my ultimate ascension.

1:11:12

They narrowed again. Alas,

1:11:14

this recent beheading has been

1:11:16

quite the setback. Somehow

1:11:18

I must complete the ritual tonight.

1:11:21

I shall presumably remain as my

1:11:23

own head, and those

1:11:25

three yearlings' lives would have been a

1:11:28

waste. You brought

1:11:30

me here to kill a calf, a

1:11:33

knight's calf, Thomas confirmed.

1:11:36

Indeed. Do you know

1:11:38

what would happen if Sir Paxton caught me?

1:11:41

he said, his pulse rising. I

1:11:44

would be stuck on a pike and displayed

1:11:46

at the town square if he

1:11:48

didn't cut me down himself first. Then

1:11:52

don't get caught, she

1:11:54

replied with a grin. You

1:11:57

brought me into this witch, Thomas.

1:12:00

bat, holding the head out by its hair

1:12:02

at arm's length. "'You will

1:12:04

guarantee my safety tonight, and

1:12:07

my immunity.'" "'You have

1:12:09

my word,' Cassandra sighed.

1:12:13

"'Hm.' "'Insert your hand

1:12:15

into my neck.' Thomas

1:12:17

nearly dropped the head. "'What?'

1:12:20

"'If you want my word, you'll do

1:12:22

as I say. "'Unless you

1:12:25

would rather walk home and

1:12:27

endure my presence until your

1:12:29

dying breath.'" Thomas

1:12:32

seized, but relenting, he pressed the

1:12:34

head against his ribs and raised

1:12:36

his right hand towards the ragged

1:12:38

stump that was once attached to

1:12:40

her body. "'I

1:12:42

can feel your heart,' she

1:12:44

whispered. "'Enough!' Thomas

1:12:47

hissed. He closed his eyes and

1:12:49

shoved his hand into the meaty orifice.

1:12:52

Late being detached for days, the

1:12:55

insides were squishy and warm. Fresh

1:12:58

blood bubbled and oozed up Thomas's

1:13:00

wrist as he forced himself deeper,

1:13:02

emitting a moan of disgust. Her

1:13:06

sharp, solid neck bone poked against

1:13:08

the top of his hand, but

1:13:10

he scraped past it, feeling various

1:13:12

muscles and crevices slide past his

1:13:14

skin, until half his

1:13:16

forearm was swallowed by the neck.

1:13:20

Her head twitched, and

1:13:22

suddenly, on its own accord, Thomas's

1:13:25

right arm rose, hovering to his

1:13:27

side like a swaying cobra. "'Fresh

1:13:31

perspective,' Cassandra

1:13:33

relished. Her eyes darted around

1:13:35

manically and her mouth opened

1:13:37

and closed with speech. "'Oh,

1:13:40

how I've missed free motion. Orientation.

1:13:45

Sight.' She continued

1:13:47

to undulate through the air, scanning

1:13:49

the fields. "'Lord,

1:13:52

save me,' Thomas

1:13:54

whispered, unable to look at the

1:13:56

demented hand puppet witch melded to

1:13:58

his wrist. Her

1:14:01

head, his arm, swiveled

1:14:03

to look at him. I

1:14:05

see we still have to work those

1:14:07

old superstitions out of you. She

1:14:10

sneered. If this is

1:14:12

not enough, I fear what would be.

1:14:15

Just do what you must, said

1:14:18

Thomas, shutting his eyes, so

1:14:21

you can leave me forever. And

1:14:24

here I thought we were growing close. Thomas

1:14:27

was stumbled

1:14:32

forward dragged along as if by

1:14:34

a leash his arm fully extended

1:14:36

as Cassandra led him through the

1:14:38

fields weaving among the cattle. Some

1:14:41

emitted nervous grunts and scattered. They

1:14:44

were all bursting with muscle and hide

1:14:46

and fat. Much too

1:14:49

old to satisfy Cassandra's ritual.

1:14:53

Ah, there's our young blood,

1:14:56

Cassandra finally said, fixating on a

1:14:58

smaller cow about half the size

1:15:00

of its elders, legs

1:15:02

still long and ropey with youth.

1:15:05

It was awake, peering suspiciously at

1:15:07

them with its shiny black eyes.

1:15:11

Deliver me, Thomas muttered.

1:15:14

He had slaughtered yearlings

1:15:16

before, albeit under less

1:15:18

perverted circumstances. How

1:15:20

are we to go about this? Cassandra

1:15:23

opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue.

1:15:26

At least that's what Thomas thought she

1:15:28

was doing. But her

1:15:31

tongue was dark and cylindrical, followed

1:15:34

next by the silver glint of a

1:15:36

blade, the hilt of a knife.

1:15:39

Yhatan, said her

1:15:41

voice, welling up from the nebulous depths

1:15:43

of her throat. Fringing,

1:15:46

Thomas carefully extracted the knife

1:15:48

from her mouth, nine

1:15:50

inches long, wickedly sharp

1:15:53

and dazzlingly reflective. The

1:15:56

yearling shifted uneasily. It began to trot

1:15:59

away from her. them into the center of

1:16:01

the herd. Do it! Cassandra

1:16:04

snarled. Spurred

1:16:06

into action, Thomas rushed down the yearling

1:16:08

and threw himself atop it. Its

1:16:11

legs folded in and it flattened against the

1:16:13

ground. It tried to buck

1:16:15

him off, but its strength wasn't enough to

1:16:17

dislodge a fully grown man. It

1:16:20

moved instead, a high,

1:16:22

spine-chilling sound that barreled through

1:16:25

the pasture. The

1:16:27

other cows loathed in response and

1:16:29

lumbered about, forming a nation's circle

1:16:31

around them. Hurry!

1:16:34

the witch commanded. With

1:16:36

an aggravated cry, Thomas plunged the

1:16:38

blade into the yearling's throat, its

1:16:41

moose silenced, replaced by the guttural

1:16:43

sloshing of blood filling the windpipe.

1:16:46

It writhed harder, trying to smash

1:16:48

its head against Thomas's face, but

1:16:51

Thomas slashed the blade outward,

1:16:53

opening its neck. The

1:16:56

rich scent of raw beef and iron

1:16:58

lanced the air, a dark

1:17:00

pool formed underneath the calf.

1:17:03

Its struggling subsided. Thomas

1:17:07

stood up, off the broken yearling,

1:17:09

panting and shaking. The

1:17:11

pasture went quiet. And

1:17:14

suddenly, the moon above turned

1:17:16

red. They were bathed

1:17:18

in psychotic, crimson light. Thomas

1:17:21

threw his head back, eyes locked

1:17:23

on the moon, mesmerized, terrified.

1:17:27

Cassandra extended his arm upwards,

1:17:29

mouth split open with joy,

1:17:32

drinking the blood-red moonbeams. Yes,

1:17:37

she breathed. I see

1:17:39

the light. I see the

1:17:41

light. Ultimate ascension.

1:17:45

Ultimate ascension. Who

1:17:48

goes there? Thomas

1:17:50

immediately snapped out of it and whipped around.

1:17:53

A tall, muscle-bound man dressed in a

1:17:55

shift was standing behind him. The

1:17:58

red tinted night only extended. accentuating his

1:18:00

perplexity and rage. A

1:18:03

scabbard had been flung hurriedly around his

1:18:05

waist. What is it? The

1:18:07

man barked, staring up at the moon,

1:18:10

then back at the dead calf at

1:18:12

Thomas's feet. Thomas, what

1:18:14

have you done? Sir

1:18:17

Paxton- Thomas stammered,

1:18:19

hiding the head behind his back.

1:18:22

Please, this is not what it looks like.

1:18:26

You've slaughtered one of my cows! Sir

1:18:29

Paxton bellowed. After

1:18:31

you just put to death a witch for doing the

1:18:33

same! He drew his

1:18:35

sword, gleaming hellish red. You

1:18:38

foul creature! You unholy

1:18:40

bastard! On your knees! Trembling,

1:18:44

Thomas's legs gave out and he fell hard

1:18:46

to the ground, too scared to look the

1:18:49

night in the eye. Death

1:18:52

follows around sniveling rats like you no

1:18:54

matter what! Sir Paxton

1:18:56

declared viciously. Now

1:18:58

the time has come to square away with it.

1:19:01

Confess your sins and say the

1:19:03

Lord's prayer. Despite

1:19:06

the panic running riot in his

1:19:08

veins, Thomas felt an inkling of

1:19:10

indignation. Won't work,

1:19:13

he mumbled. Oh good. You

1:19:17

blasphemous snake! The

1:19:19

night growled, raising the sword above his

1:19:21

head. Reconvene with your

1:19:23

brethren in hell! He

1:19:26

reared up and brought the

1:19:28

blade down. Against

1:19:31

his will, Thomas sprung to his feet and

1:19:33

his right arm shot forward with the speed

1:19:35

of a viper. There was

1:19:37

the sharp clang of clashing metal. Sir

1:19:40

Paxton's fury immediately turned to fear

1:19:43

as he struggled to free his blade

1:19:45

from the severed head's jaws. What

1:19:49

devilry is this? He

1:19:51

choked, heaving the sword with all his

1:19:53

strength. With a

1:19:56

snicker, Cassandra crunched the blade in half

1:19:58

and spat out a twig. wasted mouthful

1:20:00

of metal. Sir Paxton stared

1:20:02

numbly at the mangled stub in his

1:20:05

grasp. Thomas shot

1:20:07

forward, the witch's head sinking its

1:20:09

teeth into the night's neck. Before

1:20:12

he had a chance to scream, the witch

1:20:14

had torn a hunk of meat from his

1:20:16

neck and then had moved onto

1:20:18

his stomach. Thomas could

1:20:20

only watch with stupefied awe

1:20:22

as the witch's head gnawed

1:20:24

and ripped at Sir Paxton's

1:20:27

body, emitting wolf-like snarls, splattering

1:20:29

blood and entrails across the

1:20:31

grass against Thomas's front. Sir

1:20:35

Paxton collapsed, a twitching heap on

1:20:37

the ground, marred with

1:20:39

bite marks and frayed ribbons of

1:20:42

flesh, drenched in his own

1:20:44

blood. A bubble grew

1:20:46

from his lips and popped. Then

1:20:48

he, too, went

1:20:51

still. Thomas

1:20:53

stood shivering in the red moonlight, soaked

1:20:55

in the night's blood, the

1:20:57

stench of ferrous ecstasy clogging his

1:21:00

nose. The witch's head

1:21:02

raised and stared deeply into his

1:21:04

eyes. Gore was smeared

1:21:06

around her mouth and a red trickle ran

1:21:08

down her face like a scar. Thomas

1:21:12

stared back. It was hard

1:21:14

to breathe, hard to do anything,

1:21:17

except to lose himself in those eyes.

1:21:20

You and I, she

1:21:23

purred, have shed

1:21:25

so much. Their

1:21:28

lips met. Thomas's free hand

1:21:30

buried itself into her hair as

1:21:32

they kissed. Her tongue

1:21:34

lashed about in his mouth, slithering

1:21:37

down his throat. He

1:21:39

fell to the ground, writhing in the

1:21:41

blood-soaked mud, pressing her deeper

1:21:43

into himself. She

1:21:46

unglued herself, eyes wild,

1:21:48

pink saliva dribbling from her lips. I

1:21:52

love you, Thomas

1:21:55

moaned. You don't

1:21:57

know what love is, Cassette.

1:22:00

Andra hissed. Yet.

1:22:03

Slowly, the head traveled

1:22:05

down to his waist. The

1:22:09

red-lit moon shone down upon them

1:22:11

as they gave into each other. Thomas

1:22:17

was unsurprised to, again, come

1:22:19

around fully naked and in

1:22:22

some isolated faraway place. This

1:22:25

time he found himself sprawled across the pebbly

1:22:27

shore of a river. The

1:22:29

rushing water and warm sun overhead were

1:22:31

pleasing to the senses. He

1:22:34

might have laid there in bliss for days,

1:22:36

if not for the memories from the night before.

1:22:40

Dark cavities in his mind,

1:22:42

tumors provoking feverish swelling. A

1:22:45

slain calf. A dead

1:22:47

knight. A

1:22:50

nocturnal submittance to degenerate

1:22:52

last. The

1:22:54

feelings overwhelmed him, and he spent

1:22:56

his first waking minutes satiating that

1:22:59

sudden rush of arousal. Upon

1:23:02

finishing, he rose unsteadily to his

1:23:04

feet like a newborn lamb and

1:23:06

looked around. His clothes

1:23:08

had been hung on a low tree

1:23:10

branch, fresh and clean by some unknown

1:23:12

means. Cassandra's head

1:23:14

was nowhere in sight. It

1:23:18

is done, he realized. I'm

1:23:21

free. Looking

1:23:24

on his clothes, he stretched and kneaded

1:23:26

his sore muscles. He

1:23:28

wasn't exactly sure where he was, but

1:23:30

he guessed if he followed downriver he'd

1:23:33

arrive at the bridge leading to Adensher's

1:23:35

front gates. It

1:23:37

was past noon by the time he arrived at

1:23:39

the underside of the bridge, but as

1:23:41

he climbed up the embankment and onto the main

1:23:43

road, a nasty thought struck

1:23:45

him. So much

1:23:48

chaos had been sown the night before.

1:23:51

Had he gotten away with it? Cassandra

1:23:53

had promised him safety and immunity.

1:23:57

Would it extend to covering up such

1:23:59

heinous acts? The

1:24:01

front gates loomed in the distance as

1:24:03

he walked uneasily towards them. Lining

1:24:05

the path were the decayed bodies and

1:24:08

heads of various criminals mounted on pikes,

1:24:11

many of whom Thomas personally

1:24:13

remembered executing. Highwaymen,

1:24:15

rapists, heathens, anyone

1:24:18

who had fallen a foul of

1:24:20

Adensher's disdain. One

1:24:23

of the heads was fresh. It couldn't have

1:24:25

been older than a day at most. Had

1:24:28

they executed its owner without him? Witch,

1:24:32

the inscription nailed to the pike, read.

1:24:35

Thomas grimaced as he approached,

1:24:37

remembering how Adensher usually buried

1:24:39

witches' heads. This one

1:24:42

must have done something truly horrible to

1:24:44

merit such a display. Had

1:24:47

they found Cassandra's head? No,

1:24:50

the hair was dark brown, almost

1:24:53

the same color as—he

1:24:55

stopped. Bile rose

1:24:57

in his throat, poisoning his heart.

1:25:01

Thomas screamed with strangling despair.

1:25:04

Every one of his sins over the last

1:25:06

few days poured out of his eyes in

1:25:08

the form of tears. The

1:25:10

planes chorused with his anguished outbursts

1:25:13

as he crumpled in a sobbing

1:25:15

heap before the stuck

1:25:17

head of his wife. Why?

1:25:20

He cried, beating the

1:25:22

ground with his fists. Oh,

1:25:25

Lord God, why?

1:25:28

Ripping tussocks of grass

1:25:30

from the soil, he cursed

1:25:32

himself, Cassandra, God, Satan, who

1:25:35

and whatever else was near and dear to him.

1:25:38

None of it mattered. It was

1:25:40

all a cruel joke. He was

1:25:42

drowning in the ruin of his own life. Pity,

1:25:48

a disembodied voice sat. Thomas

1:25:51

roared and stood up again. The

1:25:53

witch's head sat behind him, its

1:25:55

expression blank. You!

1:25:58

Thomas shouted through tears. Thomas, striding

1:26:00

up to it. "'You caused

1:26:02

this! Why?" "'I

1:26:05

promised you safety and

1:26:08

immunity,' the witch

1:26:10

said matter-of-factly. This

1:26:12

was the only way. Someone

1:26:14

had to take the blame for what transpired last

1:26:16

night. The Knacker's wife was

1:26:19

an obvious choice." "'You

1:26:21

heartless, evil bitch!' said

1:26:24

Thomas, kicking the head, but

1:26:26

it was like kicking a tree stump

1:26:29

with his bare foot, and Thomas cried

1:26:31

out again, hopping on one foot, his

1:26:33

toe broken. "'Just leave

1:26:35

me be,' he blubbered. "'Get

1:26:38

out of my sight and go off on

1:26:40

your way.' "'Not

1:26:42

yet,' said Cassandra.

1:26:45

"'There's one more task for you to

1:26:47

do.' "'No more,' Thomas

1:26:50

snapped, sitting on the ground and clutching

1:26:52

his foot. "'No more

1:26:54

favors or rituals for you, witch!'

1:26:57

"'Listen to me,' she said

1:27:00

impatiently. I acquired

1:27:02

ultimate ascension last night, but

1:27:04

I cannot activate it without

1:27:06

a body. I

1:27:08

need my body back. Deliver

1:27:11

me to it, and I will truly leave

1:27:13

you. Or maybe

1:27:16

we can be together. Eternity

1:27:19

and cosmic revelry. I

1:27:22

will never love again,' Thomas choked.

1:27:25

"'Delilah will forever be the only one

1:27:27

for me.' "'That's not

1:27:30

what you signaled last night,' the

1:27:32

voice said snidely. "'To

1:27:35

hell with you,' said Thomas. "'Besides,

1:27:38

I cannot complete your

1:27:40

task. It's utterly impossible.

1:27:43

Do you know why?' The

1:27:45

voice was silent. Thomas

1:27:47

laughed, spurned by her uncertainty. "'Here,

1:27:51

in Adenshire, we may cut the

1:27:53

heads off of witches, but

1:27:55

then we burn the bodies. Right

1:27:57

now, your body is a cloud of magic.' ash

1:28:00

in the garbage pit." He

1:28:02

laughed again, standing up on one foot.

1:28:05

"'You will never achieve your ultimate

1:28:08

ascension. You will forever remain

1:28:10

an impotent, worthless head. A

1:28:12

fitting fate for a creature as

1:28:15

vile, pathetic, and godless as you.'"

1:28:19

A ringing silence filled the air. "'I

1:28:22

was unaware of this,' Cassandra

1:28:25

finally said. Another

1:28:27

hitch in my plans. Puzzling."

1:28:31

"'Yes,' Thomas leered, limping

1:28:33

over to the head and picking it up

1:28:35

by the hair. "'And now

1:28:38

I shall cast you into the river, as

1:28:40

I should have done when I first executed

1:28:42

you.'" But as he

1:28:44

hobbled back towards the bridge, a wind

1:28:46

blew through the plains and he smelled

1:28:49

burnt metal. He stumbled

1:28:51

and fell. And suddenly,

1:28:53

he awoke back in his home.

1:28:56

He was a prisoner behind his own eyes

1:28:59

as he watched himself stumble towards the

1:29:01

battle axe mounted on the wall, still

1:29:04

bloodstained from Cassandra's execution. "'No,'

1:29:08

he thought, trying to resist. "'Release

1:29:11

me, witch. In the name

1:29:13

of the Lord, release me.'" It

1:29:16

was far too little, much

1:29:18

too late. Thomas's hands

1:29:20

gripped the shaft, heaving it off

1:29:23

its supports, and then his

1:29:25

legs carried his body over to the table, throwing

1:29:27

himself across it. "'No,'

1:29:31

he cried in his mind. His

1:29:33

hands raised the blade over his neck. "'Our

1:29:36

Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be

1:29:38

thy name.'" He brought

1:29:40

the blade down. It

1:29:43

cut through his flesh like butter and

1:29:45

scraped against bone. Then

1:29:47

he brought it down again.

1:29:50

And again. And again. Chauncey,

1:29:57

the watchman who typically read out the

1:29:59

sentences at executions was in a

1:30:01

disturbed fog as he ambled down the

1:30:03

path towards the town knackers' house. The

1:30:06

events of last night had shaken him

1:30:09

more profoundly than any disease he had

1:30:11

suffered or battle he had fought in

1:30:13

his forty-five years of life. At

1:30:16

the height of a blood moon, the

1:30:18

townspeople had been drawn to the sounds

1:30:20

of chaos from Sir Paxton's pasture. They

1:30:23

had found the night torn to shreds

1:30:25

alongside the mangled corpse of one of

1:30:27

his calves, and standing

1:30:30

among them, covered in blood

1:30:32

and grinning hauntingly, was

1:30:34

a woman they knew as Delilah, a

1:30:36

frequent church-goer and the wife of

1:30:39

Thomas, the town knacker and executioner.

1:30:42

They wasted no time in dispatching

1:30:44

the witch. Further

1:30:46

investigation into the night had revealed her

1:30:49

husband was missing too. After

1:30:51

what they'd seen, they understandably presumed

1:30:53

him dead. Chauncey

1:30:56

sighed, wondering what could have happened to

1:30:59

a man on the wrong end of

1:31:01

witchcraft. Thomas's home had

1:31:03

been empty all of the night before, but

1:31:05

Chauncey figured there was no better place to

1:31:07

first look for clues. He

1:31:10

walked up the path to the front door and creaked

1:31:12

it open, but there was someone

1:31:14

standing just inside it. "'Oh,'

1:31:17

said Chauncey, a hand over his heart. "'Thomas,

1:31:20

you're alive.'" The

1:31:23

knacker was quiet and motionless,

1:31:25

wearing his black concealing hood.

1:31:28

"'I mean, thank God you're all right,'

1:31:31

Chauncey continued. "'How did

1:31:33

you escape? Are you... well?'

1:31:37

"'Still, the hooded man said nothing,'

1:31:40

Chauncey cocked his head. "'Are

1:31:42

you... do you even know what

1:31:44

has happened?' "'No

1:31:48

response.' "'Your wife,' said the watchman. "'She

1:31:52

was a witch. She committed

1:31:54

grievous sins last night. "'The

1:31:57

Paxton is dead.' We

1:32:01

already did away with her." Still

1:32:05

no response. "'I'm

1:32:07

sorry," Chauncey added. Thomas

1:32:11

shifted on his feet but still said

1:32:13

nothing. "'I

1:32:15

see you're still taking this in,' said

1:32:18

the watchman, backing away. "'Adenshire

1:32:20

will be thrilled to hear you're okay. Please

1:32:23

come find me when you're ready to discuss

1:32:26

this further.'" Thomas

1:32:28

gave a brief nod. Preturbed,

1:32:30

Chauncey offered to smile in return

1:32:33

and as he turned to head back down the

1:32:35

path, strangely enough,

1:32:38

he could have sworn he saw

1:32:40

a tussock of whitish blonde hair

1:32:42

poking out from under his hood.

1:32:56

You've Just Heard, Come to a Head

1:32:58

by Nick Carlson. Nick

1:33:01

Carlson writes weird, gruesome stories that might

1:33:03

make you laugh in spite of it

1:33:05

all, but what else would

1:33:07

you expect from a guy who spends his

1:33:10

weekends catching snakes and wrangling sharks? Along

1:33:13

with contributions to Chilling Tales for Dark

1:33:15

Nights, Nick published his first

1:33:17

novel, Hell's Golf, in 2022. A

1:33:21

deliriously unhinged yarn about a

1:33:24

redneck Florida beach town besieged

1:33:26

by monsters and the horrors

1:33:28

of a young man trying to reach first

1:33:30

base. You can

1:33:33

find out more at

1:33:35

www.templedarkbooks.com. When

1:33:37

he's not writing, Nick's working on

1:33:39

his YouTube channel, Nick Carlson Press,

1:33:42

where he discusses literature and horror

1:33:44

media from a writer's perspective. And

1:33:49

with that, my friends, we conclude

1:33:51

tonight's episode. Thank you

1:33:53

to Crack Jack and Nick Carlson for

1:33:56

their stories, and as always, thanks to

1:33:58

you for joining me. I'll

1:34:00

be back with a fresh episode next

1:34:02

week, and I'd love to have you

1:34:04

there. Until then,

1:34:06

listeners, stay spooky.

1:34:12

You've been listening to the Horror Hill

1:34:14

Podcast, a production of Chilling Entertainment and

1:34:16

the creative team of Chilling Tales for

1:34:19

Darkness. Tonight's episode

1:34:21

was hosted and narrated by yours

1:34:23

truly, Eric Peabody. The

1:34:26

music provided by Eric Peabody and

1:34:28

Nicki McSorley. Finalization by

1:34:31

Eric Peabody and Craig Grocek.

1:34:34

Got a terrifying tale of your own that

1:34:36

you'd like performed? Email it

1:34:39

to us at natalie at

1:34:41

chillingtalesfordarknights.com to have your work

1:34:43

considered for future production. Seeing

1:34:47

as how we're all living in

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a technological nightmare of our own

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1:35:30

means all of Otis Chiry's scary

1:35:32

stories told in the dark, Drew

1:35:35

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1:35:37

J. McSorley's Fear from the Heartland,

1:35:39

and more. It's a

1:35:41

veritable smorgasbord of horrific delights.

1:35:45

As for me personally, I'm on

1:35:47

most social media as Viking

1:35:49

Guitar or Viking Guitar Productions.

1:35:52

I'm always on the lookout for new

1:35:55

stories to narrate and new music projects

1:35:57

to mix or master, if that's

1:35:59

of interest. Do you feel free

1:36:01

to reach out and we

1:36:04

can talk turkey also? I

1:36:06

will be back next week

1:36:08

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