A Cry For Death

A Cry For Death

Written & re-told by Daniel Jones

Video link here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNBqIi4wLak

 

A very long time ago, when the ancient forests were young and vibrant, there lived two men in a quiet village. The first of them, he will be called Davin, was one with a gentile heart and was quite the reader. He had been known to read any book he could get his hands on. Honestly, it was one of the few things he could physically do. See, Davin, since birth, was constantly ill; which debilitated him to a state of near death. He had been bedridden all of his life and was often accused of being a hypochondriac. To see him out of his bed without coughing, wheezing or sneezing would indeed be a rare occasion. During these few times, he would feel spirited and quite jovial and often thought perhaps he had finally overcome his disease. Of course, his positivity would only last until the next day, when his fits would start up all over again and he'd solemnly return to his bed. He spent most of his days shut up within his late parents’ estate and almost never went outside. Being shut in from the world meant he did not have many friends and lived a rather reclusive life; having only an old caretaker, who'd visit every morning, to bathe him and bring food, medicine and, of course, books. For nearly thirty years, he lay in that bed, hacking and whooping.

 

The other man, he will be called Neil, was a most handsome and fit man; one of the strongest in town. The ladies adored him and the men admired him, even if they were rather jealous of his fortunate appearance. Never had he known a sick day in his life, thus, his mother always prided herself claiming to have the healthiest child a mother could have. Neil himself was lost in his own glory and would often boast about how lucky he was to be so gifted in mind, body and soul. He could often be found drinking and frolicking in the town pub until he would stagger out the doors to his home on the other side of the village. However he was also prone to mischief, such as stealing chickens and blaming it on foxes or throwing mud on freshly cleaned cloth. He was quite clever; at least enough to keep himself out of trouble and only spoke of his tricks to a very select few who he had sworn to secrecy. Oh, he was a sly one. He had a sharp tongue and a good wit which helped him deny any fault. He would often pass the ailing Davin's window on his way home from a few rounds of ol' Benny's Whiskey. He always declared that he would surely outlive poor Davin, who could very easily pass away at a moment’s notice.

 

One late evening, as an imbibed Neil found himself stumbling by Davin's window, he heard him doing his nightly routine of panting, heaving and gagging. Neil had always found it somewhat of a nuisance and got it into his head to have some fun with the lame man. There was a familiar glimmer in his eye and it was clear he was up to no good. He called through the window, "Hark, brother Davin! You have been feverish these thirty some years. Why don't you just call out for death so that he can end it all? Perhaps it would simply be better if you were dead!"

 

Weakly, and almost a whisper, Davin cried out, "I have tried calling out to death many times before, but he cannot hear me. I am too weak."

 

"Oh, but my dear brother," Neil sneered, a devilish smile creeping across his face. "Tonight is All Hallows Eve! And death is lurking the wood and the field in search of a soul to send to bliss or woe. I'm sure if you cry out loud enough he most certainly will hear you."

 

Persuaded, Davin whimpered, "Death... O death, give me mercy and take this weary soul." Neil indeed found it greatly amusing to hear Davin's feeble and vain attempt to end his life.

 

"Try, do try again, dear fellow. I do not think even the mice in your walls could not hear you," he taunted.

 

Once more, the fragile man groaned, slightly less audible and more pitiful than the previous attempt. "Death...O death, I beg of you. Release me from my earthly bonds from which I suffer so." For a moment, the two stayed in utter silence but neither angel nor devil did come. Neil was now heavily enjoying his playful torment.

 

Neil mocked his second attempt by raising his palm to his ear and exclaimed, "Hail! A whisper I hear! Perhaps he hath heard you this time, though he suspects perhaps it is merely the wind, I fear. I implore try, try thrice more! As loud as you can! Surely then Hades will hear your plea!"

 

With great agony, Davin did tried a third time. He raised his voice as loud as he could muster. His throat ached and burned. His eyes watered and his lips were dry. He croaked, "Death! O sweet death! Come I implore! I implore! O agent of fame or foul I pray, no more! No more!" Alas despite his efforts, only a pathetic utterance could be heard from the window. Davin finished his summons by throwing a ghastly fit of coughs into his kerchief. Then the two again stayed still but no sweet phantom did follow. Neil was having trouble suppressing his glee and even a hearty snicker slipped through his lips.

 

"Alas, my friend but Death has ventured on. Truly you are too weak to call for death and even the banshees will pass your door and never wail for you." Then he thought of an idea to fuel his fancy. This was no doubt his greatest scheme and, oh, a tale it would be. "However, perhaps if I called him, he would come to you hence and finally take you from this cruel purgatory you have endured." His smile was as wide as the moon above, "Yea, for you pure and brotherly soul, I will call forth your salvation."

 

Davin, grateful for no longer having to strain, quietly thanked Neil for his offer, suspecting him little of his fiendish game and said, "You are a dear friend and comrade Neil. It is no wonder you have been blessed in this life with more praise than St. Paul himself. I shall put in a merry word with the angels above upon my release."

 

"Indeed anything for a one so needy. As for myself, no glory shall I partake. It is duty that is my calling. For if a man hath no love in his heart for his brothers, he is not worthy of being a man at all." Neil, now rich with hilarity gave a mighty cackle. He planted himself into a stance so strong he looked as if he could hold a crumbling tower. He brought up both hands and sang with a thundering clamor out into the forest beyond. His voice bellowed far across the land and it seemed even ol' Nick would be able to hear his voice from the lowest of pits.

 

"Death! O Death! Come and take this soul that cries to you in the night from afar! Take it thus far away from here so that it will be seen no more!" At that moment without pause, Neil heard a jostle coming from the thicket ahead. Before him stood a pale, cloaked figure with white, cloudy eyes. It came forth and beckoned him with a long, skinny hand. The air felt foul and brought with it an even fouler odor which tickled his nose. It spoke with a voice as cold as winter and moaned like a storm wind.

 

"Come have I to take the one that beckons me," he said with icy breath. Neil was stunned to say the least. He had not expected the spirit to appear. Maintaining his composure, he pointed to the window.

 

"He- he lies yonder in his bedchamber within. He hath been calling you many times this late evening."

 

"I have not heard him," quoth the fiend.

 

"Indeed, hence I called you forth in his stead," Neil said assuredly. His brow began to moisten with cold dew. No more, could he hear the wind rustling in neither the trees nor the creatures of the wood.

 

"Indeed, however STILL come have I for the one that beckons me," quoth the wraith as he raised a single, brown and rotted finger and pointed in Neil's direction. In a moment of sobered clarity, Neil's eyes widened. A dense fog crawled across the earth and the stars went out one by one. Neil pressed himself against the boards of Davin's homestead and took in one last breath as the shadowy creature approached him.

 

Davin, still breathless, struggled to keep his head lifted to see through the window. He could now only see Neil, whom despite his apparent strength, was being dragged away wailing and screaming into the abysmal forest like an irritable child. Despite being chilled to his core, for a moment, Davin smiled and gave a weak chuckle as he saw the irony of the affair that transpired and saluted Death on his sense of humor. And yet, pray did he, for the poor soul of Neil.

 

After that evening, Davin made a miraculous recovery and was restored to his full vitality. Folk in the village always said he looked unusually able and firm among the other men, but he always remained kind and polite to everyone he encountered. Now that his strength had returned, he looked to make good use of it. He would tutor the children in their morning readings, work in the fields at dusk and entertain in the tavern upon nightfall. On late nights he would entertain them by telling the people of the town songs and poems and the fantastic ventures he read in his books. But the town favorite story of them all was always the haunting story of Neil's fall from grace. But when All Hallows Eve would come around, Davin's demeanor would change. He would continue to tell his stories, but would always keep that particular story to himself with solemn look on his face.

 

"Never shall I tell the tale on this particular night," He would say. "Already I have called for death three times in my life on All Hallows Eve. I dare not try it a fourth for fear I shall suffer an ill fate." For ten, long and happy years, Davin stayed in the village; loving and being loved by all. But upon the tenth year to the day he recovered from his dreadful ailment, ten whole years after Neil was taken from this world; Davin disappeared without a trace. All but a few of his belongings remained within his estate. Some say he called for death one more time. Some folk claimed he was dragged away shrieking into the night after he foolishly recounted his tale on All Hallows Eve. Others declare he embraced the hooded specter willingly and you can still see the two of them walking through the wood at night. And yet even some believe he simply left the town to do work elsewhere. But all these rumors end the same. Neither Neil nor Davin were ever seen in the town again.

 

Done