Peter Gunn

Horror Thriller

4.0  

Peter Gunn

Horror Thriller

Screamings Greetings

Screamings Greetings

17 mins
300


So, you did it again relegated your fellow man to someone unworthy of your time. You drove past that homeless man without giving him a dime. Though, you swear you are aligned with the great divine?


On occasion, you may even be seen in church praising the Lord for all it's worth. Oh yes, you put on aires to cohearse others around that you are endowed with the spirit of light but my friend, there are others around just out of your sight. They see what you do in your interludes with your fellow man and please understand it is God's command for them to prey on humans like you.


Their existence precedes human time. Millennia have spent bent on taking human souls to control the status quo. The finite time your spirit spends as man is being judged with them waiting to strike on the side in a vibrational tone not perceived on your own but trust me they are there. Stare all you want into the dark abyss if you are their mark you will only see them just before they strike to take your life.


Stories have been told eons ago in European lore about their score. They come out once a year to feed. Their need for human flesh is without contest for I can attest to once being in their sights. Yes, one Christmas night I was the one the Krampus came after.


Brooklyn New York 1929 everything was going fine. I was the owner of several banks and had cranked up our investment at the board's behest into South American mines. Contrived poorly perhaps, but just by happenstance with no advanced warning, we were informed via telegraph one day that there was an avalanche from an adjacent ridge thus, filling in the sight. With all the equipment buried deep below they asked us to bestow more cash to get the buried men out before they passed from lack of air but, I, just didn't care. Initially, the board was fine with an incline towards yes to rescue the men but I reminded them of the cost and how much we had already lost. Once I put the figures out in their face despite the disgrace they voted 9 to 1 in favour to savour the remaining cash we had, cut our losses and run.


The one holdout was a devout one we called Dunn. Wilson, Latimer, Dunn, was an opinionated Englishman and I believe if memory serves me right a former priest who treated the diseased in the West Indies. He was furious about our decision to scrub the mission and yelled that we needed to be held to some account. "You louts!" "You need to let those men out!" "Do you not see that their lives are ensnared by your dare to mine a thin line?" "We were told prior to being sold this could unfold!" "But now that fate wakes you up rather late you won't back up the men that have been your saving grace to mine this place?"


A deafening silence could be heard after his justly spoken words. None of the board showed any accord at Dunn's opinion. He quickly rose and gave a stern froze stare then as he walked out he did dare to shout. "If I were you I'd mind your P's and Q's!" "For the Lord has ways to ensure your stay on Earth can get much worse!" As the door slammed shut behind him I cut in to loosen the tone and disown any responsibility we may possibly own. "Gentleman, this is business so no forgiveness of a bleeding heart." "It seems Mr Dunn has forgotten we assured them nought." "They knew the risks going in." "Condolences will be sent to their next of kin." "Whether a sin or not we've got to pull out." "Now let's get back to the matter at hand how will we land back on our feet financially?" The board, then again voted to put the remaining cash into stocks assured they would be rock solid they all nodded and signed on the dotted line to consign money that other people stowed. A very embold move you may say but we had nary a care to dare getaway for our customers well, didn't have a say.


As I left our meet I was needlessly greeted by our accounts man who made me understand that we had a rather large loan known to be late come up negate of any payment. His complaint perked my ears for we could not afford to be in arrears especially since it appears our bottom line was about to be redefined after our South American redesigns.


Apparently, it was a school for boys poised for the street but its purpose was to keep them from the slums that run rampant on the Eastside. I could not abide with letting them slide and cried "Hand me my coat!" "I will not dote the banknote they owe!"


I hurried outside to scout for a ride to the Lower Eastside and cried for the nearest coach that encroached into my sight holding up two shiny dimes to sign my intent. One quickly approached and posted within but an inch of my feet after spying my generous tithe. I hopped in and told him to make haste to the docks a wayward school for boys poised to be hidden amidst the crime-ridden streets replete with beggars, thieves, and men of ill-conceived. 


Finally, we came to our stop the backdrop didn't disappoint. The joint was anoint in decay. Inlaid into every brick did sit pitting permitting mould to encroach and take hold. I asked my ride to stay abide and promised him a generous tip to risk his sit in this gritty location.


The front door was slightly ajar as I pushed past the iron bar gate. I questioned my fate as I could see numerous scratches to its grate as if many before failed an attempt to pass its core but I insisted to ignore to further my implores. The interior decor was very apropos for a time way before 1929. A spartan surround came down around me as I walked. My footsteps echoed as if to bellow a stranger is coming near. Then, in the rear, I hear a faint tone drone from a back room. As soon as I entered I saw them all knelt praying and saying the Lord's prayer. They all simultaneously stopped to gawk at my lot for interrupting their squat. The headmaster quickly rose to pose prose. "Can I help you?"


I told him I was from the bank and was quite frank that payment needed to be made if they wanted to stay. "We don't care about any rationale you bear." "We require payment now and don't care how."


"But sir, we've barely enough to survive." "The boys and I have all been deprived of food."


"As I said, your pled will not make any headway to sway my say."


I looked over to spy lying on a tray to the headmaster's dismay a silver dollar shining amidst the squalor of blue-collar trash. I made a dash for their cash and in a flash had it neath my sash. The headmaster cried "Sir please that is all we got for food to feed the entire brood!" "The boys had to beg for days laid out on the street with not even shoes to speak."


I replied with a glint in my eye "Then, I know the boys can employ the same industrious wit instead of just to sit here begging God to interfere." "Get out there and dare to make just do the school of hard knocks might just hit the spot."


"Good day, to you and if I have to stop again at this lot next time it will be with the cops to kick you out."


I let myself out post-haste but as I made my way for the door I heard an ungodly roar. As if some beast was at least inches from behind my ears. As I immediately turned to the rear a sense of fear did now adhere to my psyche. But I spied nothing that could derive such a tone the hall was just as it was and I was still well... all alone. My mind blew it off as to not come uncocked and assumed a stray dog must be wandering the lot. I jumped into my awaiting coach and told him to make a fast approach to No. 6 Astor Place wanting to pace myself from this place and its disgrace.


Later that year rumours appeared of how the market might go flop so I decided to prop up a meet for the board to conceive of a strategy to avert this upcoming tragedy. While in session we could see a procession of people lining up outside the bank. I yanked open the door and roared to my aide "The board wants to know why there is a line outside!" "Get up off your lazy ass and amass us the reason for their show even though so early in the day." "Better yet, try to shoo them away!"


He quickly came back looking like he had been attacked. 


"Sirs, To be quite brash they want back all their cash."


"They have all come to withdraw their entire sums."


I looked down at the sheet we keep for every meeting that showed how much cash we have in keep. It told me we obviously didn't have enough amassed to last through the current circumstances. With a concerned look to the board, I knew the Lord wouldn't approve of what I was about to do. "Gentleman, we have no choice we cannot answer the people's voice." "Their cries will have to be denied." "We will have to close our doors despite their implores." Dunn shook his head and said, "I'm taking my share if you dare and giving it to the crowd that you coward from." "You all are a disgrace I will permanently leave this place and let you all face what lays in your path!" "God's wrath shant be cast aside and I won't be biding at your side while you deny just do to all those who trusted in you!"


It was no surprise Dunn refused to sit idlely by but the rest with no jest immediately ran to the front door to moor them permanently shut. The fate of thousands would now be decided by the streets. As if to be thrown off a cliff with no parachute to keep. Money that men had saved their entire lives was now denied by our strive to survive and fill our purses versus doing what was morally right.


It was quite the fight getting everyone out. All devout to get UU7the pay we had to team up one at a time to carry them away. Once the final one was out no doubt we locked and barred the door. Now our future is much in doubt not knowing what was in store. Outside we could see cash gently falling onto the mass. It was Dunn from a second-story window fulfilling his promise. The wantonness of the crowd now became very loud each grabbing the last bit of cash as if they're last. A fight quickly emerged urged on by the ones that came out a loss from Dunn's final cash tosses.


Just then, I felt a wisp of air did dare make its way past my ear and then appeared an enormous human-like hand landed with nails like claws to sink them deep into the oak door and score four diagonal marks. Quite stark it then, quickly departed into a mist. I insisted to the others "Did you see that fist?" "It scratched the door!" The others looked at me as if my sanity was absently gone. But I distinctly still saw four long scrapes across the oak's base. The others made haste for the vault to assault the remaining cash each was more than brash about their portion of the stash. Fighting, arguing, every which way. I could hear them shout from outside the room devout to scout for every last penny stored in the hoard. They even moored an iron bar to pry open the security doors. Once unlocked they fought over anything found not nailed down that could be worth a dime not minding that they were private property seized without the customer's formal bequeathe.


As I watched them all adopt personas of rabid beasts. I ceased my take and began to awake to the feeling of guilt that had burst up from my soul. The cash doled in my hand didn't feel grand. I reluctantly stashed it in my coat the notes still felt crisp as I lifted them into my breast pocket. I decided to go upstairs while l waited for the crowd to be satiated with their fate that would now inevitably take them down a path who's scathe was quite unseen. I myself was quite keen to be away from this scene. It's wrong was finally dawning on me and I felt internally unclean.


From behind my locked office door, I could hear the crowd roar still, so very loud laud

e our fate on the airways


"We will see you hung for what you have done!" 


"Take our cash and you won't last the night!"


"Every man here has you in their sights!"


I heard a noise seemingly poised to be the front gate breaking away. The iron bars had torn from their mount thanks to the stouter men in the group. Now swooping into the lobby I could hear the knotty oak door crack and creak as the crowd attempted to seek good on their threats im sure certainly with no regrets. I could hear the crowd getting their hands on the banks board. Good Lord! It seemed to me from the screams that they were being torn apart. Now forlorn of any hope I just sat and doted my fate then I spied my aide outside my door imploring for help.


"Please help!" "I have not a dime that wasn't mine!"


This hapless whelp didn't deserve his fate. The state he was in with facial skin blackened and blue and one arm broken quite askew. 


I watched as the crowd took to beating him to death unrelated they cast his dead body into my glass door to gain access for more. Then I realized my time was nigh. They saw me and wanted to proceed with my beating. It was just then I recalled the roofers we called long ago had hauled a scaffold just outside my sash. I dashed to see it was still there. But, dare I make the precarious jump needed to cheat death? I would have to do my best.


With a mighty jump, I trumped the grip of the angry mob. Balling up into a blob as I hit the creaky boards quickly rolling towards the edge. But swedged my feet in order to keep me on the ledge. I arose frozen with fear heights weren't my friend but understanding what the crowd had planned my grande depart was quite smart. I dusted myself off and scoffed at the mob still very intent to prevent my escape. To my late, I spied a rope winding up exactly where I needed to go. Bestowed a second chance I advanced up the rope to evoke my freedom. Indeed some lucky twist of fate but more did await.

A rather stout chap wearing a shirt of coarse scrap burlap wasn't havin it. When he saw my escape he decided to partake and give chase. He seemed quite mad swearing he would have my head mount at the front door. I tried to ignore his threats and searched for a way to gain my escape without being splay on the street but to cheat death I would have to be fleet. I was never an athlete but it looked like it would take a fifteen-foot jump to trump the fall between buildings. The angered man was now almost at the top and showed no incline to stop. So I took a running start and imparted every ounce of my strength to jump across the alleyways length. With a mighty (THUD) I had come to rest dangling with my arms hooked onto the other building's ledge. Now wedged with my arms hooked it became clear I was quite a rook. To make things worse my glasses had been coerced from my face leaving me with trace vision at best. I had never been blessed with good eyes. Denied from a youth I could barely spy anything just out of my reach without their aide. Realizing I had made a poor decision I could hear the man jump then his body pound on the ground below. Me not wanting the same fate bestowed somehow found the strength to pull up the vast length. I breathed a sigh of relief as I found my glasses in disbelief and as I spied the man's dead body lying on the ground I realized just how close I had come to being bound to death. An impress that I wouldn't soon forget albeit this man's fate did weigh on my make.

That night December 5th after I wished my maid goodnight little did I know I was in for quite a fright. I strolled to my master suite still surprised how I cheated certain death from the earlier mess. My breath noticeably wafts into my face. This eves chill seemed still notably worse than any other I've ever been prior immersed. So I decided to light a fire my desire to become warm seemed forlorn as if something unseen was sucking any heat away from me to keep. My wingback chair I did dare to set on the hearth calling forth wild shadows on the adjacent wall. My jacket now hung to the side I could finally reside within slumbers embrace unencumbered now by the mass numbers of men attempting to see my upend.


My eyes now feeling heavy, sleep thus began to make its levy. With one last wink before my sink, I noticed a horrid reflection from behind within my crudely mended reading lenses when I looked I did find I spied THE DEVIL!... I immediately cast myself astride the fire to see if I was deceived and there I did stare into the eyes of a beast replete with horns akin to that of a sheep. My fear I could not keep as I fell to the side my desire to run while stunned had begun prematurely as I accidentally kicked my coat from it's stand only to land directly on the fire. It immediately blazed so high I completely forgot about the money it contained. The beast's attempt to make me went array as I spied him backing away from the fire it seemed to sire him at a loss. Not glossing over the immediate peril I barrelled out the door and tore downstairs into the night. With such a frightful scene I made a beeline down the street wondering if it wanted to eat me. I ran for quite a spell to quell it's designs until I came upon a familiar sight. It might have still scared most away but I decided to stay and take host into the boys school I had visited before. It's iron bar features might prevent the stoutest of creatures from making way into its inner foray. I banged on the door to implore access to the main floor. After several tries to my surprise I spied Dunn crack open the door. I yelled "Help!" "Please I implore!"


Dunn: "Well, it seems you have met with the unseen." "That could be the only reason in this frozen season for you to come at this glum hour yelping for help."


"There is a monstrosity after me!"


Dunn: "Come in, but be quiet there is a private wake taking place." "Shhh."


As I entered I spied all the boys crying. There was no denying what I saw was the cause of their sorrow. Burrowed in a crude wooden box was a dead body. I gasped when I spied who was inside. The headmaster it seemed had passed away.


Dunn: "It was my understanding what landed him in this box was a cessation of his medication." "He sold it to feed the boys." "I can't conceive of what drove him to do such a thing."


I choked down a gasp as I realized I was the reason for his last. That feeling of guilt that had earlier built now tilted into sorrow. A tear began to form quite a departure from my norm. But I knew my greed had ceded his life his strife would forever be on my soul to bore.


Just then, the front door flew open. Its oaken girth didn't stop my monster from his birth. It roared an ungodly tone as he broke the lock knocking it to the floor. The boys all screamed after seeing the sight of evils eminence out of the night. Despite my fight, it picked me up like a buck and rucked me over his shoulder. I, the moulder of my own fate knew it was too late. But, as he gaited out a coin fell from my slacks. It was the cash I had taken weeks before from the now forlorn dean. It careened over to Dunn and as he picked it up my predictive fate changed that day. My takeaway was stopped and I was immediately dropped. Shocked it unlocked its grasp I clasped onto a chair if he'd dare make another attempt I'd hit it without relent. But the monster then bent to his knees and an enormous freeze came in the door pouring round what the devil had downed and right before our eyes it was abscised back into the night. Afraid it might make another show the boys immediately towed the damaged door closed.


Dunn, staring at the coin knew I needed to join the light to make up for all my slights. He handed it back to me and shouted "Boys I would like to welcome your new dean!" "Harold Samuels is a good man!" "But I want you to understand he will need your assist to lead such a massive list of boys." "So poise him for success and be on your best behaviour." "I savour a day not too far away when you all may be a success and have Harold to thank." "So fall out in rank to shake the hand of so gracious a man."


So, with the story now told of how I was pulled out of the Krampus's hold. All told, I cannot undersell that you would do well to consider your fate if you trait greed within your inner being. Shooing them away was just a stupid piece of luck in my place. But dare you to try to be sly keep in mind all could go awry one night if the devil lets him off his leash to keep your soul for an eternity to hold.


Rate this content
Log in

Similar english story from Horror