The Grue Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 The Holes Clink-Tink-Click………………Ruffle-Scruffle-Squick “One two three, one two three” The sound was the worst part, she thought to herself. Or was it waiting for the sound? …… …… The screaming she could handle; well not at first, but itnever did last very long. The man with the pudgy face was gone now. He didn’t scream as much as the others, no, his was more of a wet whine, full of sobs and snuffles. Clink-Tink-Click His cheeks had flushed and wobbled, moist and streaked, as he was pulled down. His chain at his ankle, they all had a good long watch as he disappeared into the hole. She had closed her eyes for the first but not this time. Not for pudgy face with all his blubbering, she stared into his eyes, keeping his gaze until his greasy hair dipped below the rim and lowered from view. Ruffle-Scruffle-Squick …… …… She tugged at her earlobe and muttered to herself. “One two three, one two three, no pot of crosses for me, Fi-diddle-fi-day-fi-diddle-fi-dee” ….. ….. She was surprised that he had fit, large in the middle as he was. She hadn’t a cause to put thought to that before, the size of the holes. Those before him went down; her eyes had been shut firmly, her hands affixed to her head. They may have screamed or she may have screamed, she couldn’t remember and she didn’t care. The holes were proportionate though, that much she could tell, and they each had one. She looked around the room; the same four walls sat around her still. Four walls with the same number of holes in the floor; the only difference from when she had mustered a glance before Mr. Pudge went down was that there was now one less person in the room. …… …… “Two left. Two left and me.” She breathed, though to no one in particular. It wasn’t like anyone was listening anyway. The old lady in the corner across from her was still on her knees, her head bowed in prayer, or in defeat. She had seemed the calmest at first, like she was at peace with it all. That all changed when that mousey brat in the corner went down. He couldn’t have been more than ten, or eleven, but it was hard to tell. Malifaux did that to children, grew them up or ground them up. Innocence was like a stick of dynamite in your mouth; you either got wise and spit it out or it blew up in your face. He had been all guts and gusto at first thinking it was all some practical joke, but that act fell flat when his chain started moving. Clink-Tink-Click… He resisted at first, they all had, pulling at the chain, pulling at his arm trying to slip his wrist free. For a moment he looked desperate enough that she thought he might chew through his arm, but he just stared at his outstretched arm then the approaching hole and began his mewling. It would have been pathetic if it hadn’t been so unnerving, and then the old bag had started her screeching and the two of them raised such hell together that she had to cover her ears. She didn’t think it was ever going to end; the brat had had his feet propped up against the edge of his hole and was pulling hard at his arm. His hand began to go purple and a moment passed where she thought he might finally do it and slip his wrist free but then his feet slipped and in he went. Ruffle-Scruffle-Squick …… …… She pulled at her earlobe and muttered. “One two three, one two three, No pot of crosses for me, Fi-diddle-fi-day-fi-diddle-fi-dee, He showed me saints going up, Their reward was a crown” She noticed the brat’s mewling and the old lady’s shrieking had stopped and she looked around the room. “One left. One left, then me.” Somehow she knew; she knew in her gut that she would be the last. It was that sinking feeling sitting where her courage had once perched at the base of her spine. It sent a shiver up her back and goose bumps raced along her body. …… …… She glanced around the room, trying to occupy her mind with anything but what lay literally before her. It wouldn’t be long now she figured. Sure, at first the going was slow, the time between the others going down was long and drawn out, giving everyone time to shout and beg and scream. She had tried not to scream, tried to disappear in her corner and covered her ears, closed her eyes and hoped it was all just a bad dream. Hope. She almost laughed. Her hope had been drug, kicking and screaming out of her and down those holes with the others. How could she expect to have hope as she watched a dozen or more men, women and children slowly slide down out of sight? At times they went slowly, clawing at the cold dirt covering the hard stone floor as they sank down inch by inch, until only an arm or hand remained flailing up out of their hole until nothing but their distant screams echoed out. Other times it was quick. There would be the noise of a chain moving, a short yelp and you would barely have time to turn your head before they were gone. Either way the worst part was the sounds that came out of the holes with their screams. The scratch of fingernails and cloth on rough stone; then the moist noises that always followed with terrible silence. Clink-Tink-Click She turned her head as she heard the old lady’s chain start to move. She was just quick enough to see the chain that was affixed around the old lady’s waist go taught and quickly disappear into the hole with the old lady in tow. The old lady had landed on her stomach on top of her hole and stopped only for a moment before there was a sickening crunch. It sounded like a thick branch being broken in two and the last thing she saw was the old lady’s heels slam into the back of her head before she vanished from sight. Ruffle-Scruffle-Squick …… …… “None left. None left but me” She said to the holes. She didn’t have long now she knew. How long had she waited? Days? Weeks? It was all a blur, she couldn’t tell. Tears crested her cheeks and dripped from her chin, she crawled forward and propped herself up kneeling before her hole. She wrapped her hands around her chain and followed it up to where it was attached with a tight ring around her neck. She pulled at the ring weakly and without conviction. She knew it was no use but she needed something anything to distract her from what she knew was coming. She wiped at her eyes with her sleeve and softly sung to herself. “One two three, one two three, No pot of crosses for me, fi-diddle-fi-day-fi-diddle-fi-dee He showed me saints going up, their reward was a crown, All’s left for the sinners, is a long trip straight down” She reached in her pocket and pulled out a folded flier. Her tears fell onto the thick and yellowed paper. This was the cause of this, she thought. She should have listened to her mother. There was other work, but his offer was too good to pass up. What she could’ve done with it, how she could’ve helped her family; it would’ve been enough to pay fare for her, her mother and her daughter back to Earthside and out of this wretched place. Her sobbing increased and she let the flier fall to the ground. Her voice was low and soft, “I’m sorry Emma, Momma hopes you get out of this place.” …… Clink-Tink-Click The chain went taught and it pulled her headfirst into her hole; her world went dark. The darkness disoriented her as she felt herself slide down, pulled on by the chain as it threatened to choke the life from her. After what in her mind felt like an eternity she finally glimpsed a dim light ahead, or below her. As she drew near she began to make out shapes and after a moment, or two, she was able to piece together what awaited her at the bottom. She began to scream uncontrollably. Ruffle-Scruffle-Squick ... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
admiralvorkraft Posted January 2, 2015 Report Share Posted January 2, 2015 I love the tone and the story really grew on me. I don't know if I like the formatting, but I do think that it works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Grue Posted January 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2015 Thank you for your comment. I wanted to try something different and see if I could make it work. I think I came in like 400 words under the limit so I have room to add if need be. As always, The Grue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogo Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 Very nice and very creepy. It had a real Lovecraft feel to it. I especially like that you left the final resolution to the reader's imagination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddkat Posted February 9, 2015 Report Share Posted February 9, 2015 I reallt enjoyed this.. love the texture of your formatting, captured my senses.. such a fun read. Nods to Poe and Lovecraft & a fun chewy "end".. still playing that through in my mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Grue Posted February 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2015 Thank you for your responses. I know the formatting is a bit different, but I wanted to break away from the normal type of formatting that I was accustomed to and I think that overall it works. I really enjoy these Iron Quill contests but I really hope that I am able to take this drive and focus it on my Case Files story line. You guys might just be the kick I need to get that back up to speed, so thank you. As always, The Grue 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.