99 Souls

by Thomas Malafarina

  Normally a mine including the ceiling timbers was only about five to six feet high. There was an undiscovered area above the mineshaft, perhaps contributing to the accident; perhaps not, but when the mine collapsed what resulted was a large chamber with a ceiling about twenty feet high. Some of the mine’s supports were still in their original shape, forming a bridge five or six feet above the floor of the chamber. Above that was darkness.

  There was a steady and gentle dripping of moisture slowly leaking through the walls of the mine forming ever-growing pools of foul smelling water. The chamber reeked with the smell of sweat, blood and human waste.

  On the floor of the chamber, two bodies lay curled up virtually motionless shivering occasionally. A third body lay sprawled on his back, half in and half out of a pool of water, his right leg pinned under a large boulder, his chest rising and falling with short, irregular gasps of breath. It was obvious that death would arrive soon. This was all that remained of what was once Mike 'Mickey' Muldino.

  One of the other two miners who slept motionless on the ground, his face and clothing black with coal dirt, was Dan O’Boyle, a second-generation son of an Irish immigrant. He had been a friend of Mickey Muldino for many years, both of them starting at Coogan’s on the same day.

  Suddenly Dan’s eyes flew open, his body jerking weakly as if awaking from a nightmare. Confused, he slowly awoke to realize that he had left one hellish nightmare for another. He looked at the miner lying next to him.

  This man, Joe Sincavage, was a hardworking, hard drinking son of a Polish immigrant whose father had lost his right leg in a mine accident when Joe was a boy of about ten. That day the responsibility of providing a family income fell from Joe’s father to Joe. His education stopped, and he had taken a job as a breaker boy at Coogan’s coal breaker, where he straddled a belt driven conveyor twelve hours a day separating rock from crushed coal, eventually getting old enough to work his way into the mines.

  The air in the mine by this time was thin. The oil lamp should have been extinguished to conserve oxygen, but the meager light it provided was the only thing the three men had remaining to make them feel alive so they had decided to keep it lit.

  Disturbed by the jerking motion of Dan's abrupt awakening, Joe opened his eyes and looked at his friend, Dan.

  Joe said weakly, with a tone of acceptance, “Danny boy… Go back to sleep. Go... back ... to sleep … and…. prepare to meet your maker. Our fate is sealed. Perhaps this day.”

  Dan replied in a raspy voice, “No Joseph, my friend… I’ll…not be meeting …… any maker this day or any other soon. I want to live and I tell you Joe I will live.”

  Joe tried to muster the energy to turn to look over at Mickey’s sprawled body but could not. Joe asked, “Can…you... can...you… see Mickey over there? Is he…. dead yet, Danny?”

  Dan squinted, focused and noticed Mike’s short breaths and replied, “All but dead… I'm afraid. … He's … he’s got to be real close, I think.” His voice choked with emotion at the end.

  Joe looked again into his friend’s eyes with acceptance and pleaded, “Danny…. we should... go to sleep now and pray…. That's all we got left now…. Danny…. pray … for a better … life … in paradise… with Jesus.”

  Dan said weakly, “This is…. all that devil Coogan's doing, Joseph… I'll not pray…. to Jesus for my soul …nor for anyone else's…. My ‘praying… to Jesus days are done. …. Jesus and God…they allow a foul creature… like Coogan to exist… They'll not… be getting my prayers… this day.”

  A tear rolled down Joe’s cheek, concerned about the immortal soul of his friend Dan. “But… Danny…. we’re … on death's door. …Please… Danny, don’t blaspheme the Lord…. we got to confess…. and… pray for our immortal souls…. ‘else Satan himself, will surely be … here to collect them… from us.”

  Dan replied sickened with disgust, “My…… soul's … the least of…. my concerns now… Joseph… I swear… with all my heart… if Satan gave me the chance… to get revenge... on that, that bastard…Coogan… I would…. I would…. sell him my immortal soul…. and do his bidding…. for eternity… I swear I would.”

  Joe squeezed his eyes together in pain from this blasphemous outrage. He began to tremble all over and weakly shake his head. “Oh God no, Danny…. Don't … don’t…say such things… God save us… don't …even think …such things… don't… please… don't… don't….” Then Joe weakened and fell back into unconsciousness.

  Dan closed his eyes in resignation and began to drift back into slumber. When he was almost asleep, he heard a whispering hissing voice coming from a dark corner of the chamber.

  From the darkness, the snakelike voice could be heard faintly whispering, “Daaaaan? … Daaaan O’Boyle?” It was barely discernable, almost as if an animal or lizard were trying to attain some semblance of human speech.

  Chapter 12

  Slowly, Dan's eyes opened. He thought this was some sort of hallucination. “What manor of man made a noise such as that?” he wondered to himself.

  Regardless of his uncertainty, Dan asked weakly “Wa… Wa… who… who... what….who… was… that?”

  Again, the half-human voice, serpent-like responded. “Daaaaan? Did you mean what you said, Daaaan?” It stretched out that aaah sound as if taunting the dying man.

  Dan was confused and sure that this was some type of dream. Again he replied “Who's…. there? Is some…someone there? Rescuers... Are we… are we …saved?”

  Back in the darkest part of the chamber, he saw nothing save the occasional rustling of what appeared to be a dark cape or robe and a faint reflection of yellow and reddish eyes, like those of a wild animal. None of this made any sense to him. It had to be a dream. Perhaps he had already died and was at the gates of Hell. He felt that he was in the presence of ultimate evil, the likes of which he had never seen before. A cold chill crept down his spine settling in the pit of his stomach.

  Out from the darkness the taunting voice rasped sickly. “Saved? Saved? Saved indeed. Ha. Ha.”

  Confused, Dan asked, “Who…. who … are you? … I can't see you… come out … and let me… see… your face.”

  The voice from the darkness laughed with amusement “Sssssee my face? I think not. You will never look upon my face, Daniel, lest you go mad and gouge your own eyes from their sockets, ha ha ha.”

  Then the voice took on a more ominous tone, “Sssso tell me Danny boy, did you, or did you not mean what you ssssaid?”

  Dan was beyond understanding. “What … I said?… What… did …. I … say? When?…. What … do you.. mean?” He was trying to remember what he may have said to which the creature was referring. He thought, “A creature. Yes. Not a man, but some sort of creature. That is why it sounded so much like an animal. What manner of beast could this thing be?”

  Again the snake-like voice persisted, “Oh, I think you know exactly what I mean...”

  Dan was felt frustration along with confusion. What right did the thing have to demand anything from him? Why was the creature playing some sort of child’s game with him? He was on death’s door. With a burst anger that the dying man could not afford to express Dan weakly shouted, “For the love … of God … of what… do you… speak?”

  The shrouded creature in the shadows screamed a deafening howl like that of a wounded animal. The oil lamp hanging on the timbers shook and swayed in the wake as a massive quake began to rock the chamber. Light danced around the cavernous room. Dirt and debris fell like rain from the ceiling high above. Dan feared that it would bring the roof crashing down upon him.

  The hysterical voice screamed, “Don't ever mention that vile and accursed being's name in my presence again, you filthy swine, or you will spend eternity enjoying tortures the likes of which you cannot even imagine in your worst nightmares!”

  Dan lay on the ground with his hands covering his head. After a time, the quaking slowed then finally stopped. Small particles of dust continued to fall from above like a f
ilthy snowfall in Hell. Circular rings spread out on the surface of the water pools as small rocks continued dropping from the ceiling. The other miners did not stir, did not move. Perhaps they were dead, perhaps not.

  Dan laid trembling, tears forming in his eyes. The oil lamp continued to sway back and forth, casting faint shadows allowing only brief glimpses of the mysterious creature in the corner.

  Dan began to recall what he said to Joe earlier, about the situation being Coogan’s fault; about getting his vengeance on the Coogan family. He remembered the blasphemy, which he spoke during his outburst. He had said it in anger. It meant nothing. He was simply venting his frustration. Or was he? Did he really mean what he said? Had it not just come from his lips but from his heart as well? Moreover, did it come from his very soul?

  Chapter 13

  Dan suddenly came to the realization of with whom or with what he was speaking. Could this truly be happening? What had he done? What demonic force had he conjured up through his blasphemy? Was this the great deceiver himself? How beyond belief was it that this creature’s speech had gone so quickly from snake like hissing to actual human speech? In addition, it was not the speech of a lowly worker such as himself, but the speech of a high born and educated man of means.

  Before Dan could get his jumbled thoughts in order, the creature spoke, “So, I see by your expression that you now finally realize with whom you are conversing. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. You called for me. You brought me to you, and now it is time for us to conduct our business. Now that we have gotten all pretenses aside, Danny boy, time, although irrelevant to me, is passing quickly for you and your soon-to-be-deceased comrades. That is right, Dan. They are not dead yet, but they will be soon, very, very soon.

  “So simply tell me once and for all, did you truly mean what you said? Would you honestly be willing to trade your immortal soul to me and serve me for eternity just for the potential chance to get out of this filthy hole and seek your revenge on Coogan? Is that what you truly desire, Danny boy?

  Dan was contemplating his situation. He did not know what to say. He did not know what to do. He involuntarily trembled in fear. His face was wet with tears. He was sweating though it was very cold inside the chamber. He did not want to die in the mine, but he did not believe he wanted whatever the creature might be offering as an alternative. It couldn’t possibly be better, or could it? He replied with uncertainty, “I…. I…. don't…. I… mean… I … don't… … I think.. I ……”

  The voice from the corner spoke, “Oh I see. And, I completely understand. You are having some difficulty putting the words together. I always seem to forget how you mortals freeze up when you realize that I really do exist; that I am not some fictional being from someone’s twisted imagination. You talk about me your entire lives. You tell stories of about me, and about my domain. You use my name in vain as part of your daily vocabulary. But, when you finally get the opportunity to meet me in person, face-to-face so to speak, you are at a loss for words. I suppose that I should consider myself fortunate that you didn't just drop dead or go insane and rip the flesh from your own face. I must admit, that has happened to much healthier specimens than you, and on more than one occasion.

  “To save you some pain and to show you that I am a fair sort of chap, allow me to explain it simply for you. This way all you will have to do is agree or not, perhaps just nod your pitiful human head will suffice.

  “Straight to the point, here is the bargain. You simply agree to offer me your soul and agree to serve me for eternity. In exchange, I will give you immortality. You will never die. You will never hunger for food or thirst for drink. You may choose to eat food or to drink for the sheer pleasure of it, but you will not require either.

  “You will, however, have a different kind of craving and desire periodically. A thirst and hunger for human souls. This will be an incentive to keep you doing the service that I have created for you. And for which I will recreate you.”

  “I will give you the strength of one hundred men and make you indestructible. You will never require sleep, although you may choose to do so as you wish, to help pass the time. Forever is a long time, Danny boy. I will grant you the ability to leave this mine, eventually, to get your revenge on Coogan and to live forever, upon completion of a few minor additional terms of this bargain. All you have to do is to agree or disagree. So what will it be, Danny O’Boyle? Yea or nay? Yes or no?”

  Dan was frightened and unsure. The idea of living, of not only surviving this horrible death, but to live forever, to have the strength of one hundred men, to never hunger or thirst. Dan had spent the majority of his young life in abject poverty where every day his very survival was a constant struggle. Now with a nod of his head this could all change. He could have the world handed to him on a silver platter. But he had so many more questions to ask, and he was weak, near death. He was confused. He needed to find out more but then again what else was there to find out? He started to ask, “But… but… what…about… how…”

  The demon interrupted his attempted inquiry, “Time’s a wasting, Dan. Look at your pathetic comrades. The shadow of death is looming closely. Their time and your time are almost up. I will not wait for you to die of indecision. What will it be, Danny? What will it be? As you humans like to say, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

  Dan looked at his friends and realized the end was truly near. He was not sure that this was actually even happening or if this was all just part of some strange and bizarre end of life hallucination. Would it matter in the long haul, if he agreed or disagreed? He was almost dead. He may even already be dead. Did any of this or anything else matter anymore?

  He slowly turned to face the creature of shadows in the corner. He squinted again and tried desperately to see. He thought he saw black oil like pools reaching out from the shadows along the water toward Mike Muldino like tendrils. He thought he heard the skittering of a thousand rats, as the almost living black mass was moving forward and backward along the pools toward Mike.

  As if becoming a victim of his own living nightmare, unable to control his own movements, Dan found himself slowly nodding his head in consent the muscles in his neck moving it like a puppet. Then as if he were floating outside of his own body he heard himself reply “Yes... yes.. I … agree.”

  The voice from the darkness said with evil pleasure and triumph, “So it shall be….”

  Chapter 14

  From the dark side of the chamber a cloaked arm lifted horizontally in the air as a streak of blood red light shot across the room striking Dan in the stomach and chest, rolling him over and knocking him flat on his back. He thrashed and squirmed in the blackness in more pain than he had ever experienced in his life. He body felt as if it were not his own, as he was changing with a force beyond his control. His bones seemed to be burning from the inside out as he heard them cracking and breaking inside of him as if being rearranged into another completely different shape.

  He writhed in pain, moaning uncontrollably in the shadows, clumsily stumbling to his knees arching his back and screaming in agony. His cries became animal-like howls as he shouted in the darkness. It was apparent to him that he was changing, transforming into some huge hulking creature. He could not see the changes in the darkness but he sensed they were occurring. “What have I done?” he thought to himself, “What form of dark trickery is this?”

  Hunched over on his knees Dan looked down to see the ground, formerly inches from his face, now looming far below. He looked to find his hands in the darkness, seeing glimpses of them in the shadows. They seemed to be growing two then three times their normal size. Long black hair follicles covered his growing hands as well as rough animal like leathery skin. He could not see well in the darkness, just getting fleeting glances, but enough so he knew he was changing. At the tips of each finger six-inch, hard talon-like claws were growing where fingernails once were, reflecting in the light from the oil lamp. His clothing lay in tatters on the floor, as he had outgrown them
, ripping them to shreds.

  He tried to speak but discovered it was as if he were re-learning how to express himself, his voice animal like and guttural. He felt as if his throat was full of phlegm, “What…” he choked. “What… have you done to me?” he asked the demon.

  The voice answered in amusement, “Done to you? I have done nothing to you. I have done everything for you.”

  Dan realized that he was now at least fifteen feet tall. Even on his knees, he saw that he was looking down on the oil lamp swaying five feet above the ground. His body had become a colossal form, glistening with sweat.

  “What's... happening… to me? I have become … some kind of …. of ….monster! What …is this? This is ... not what…. I bargained for,” he proclaimed in his new voice.

  From the darkness the voice corrected, “Actually, it is exactly what you bargained for, Daniel O’Boyle. I told you that I would give you the strength of one hundred men. You now have that strength. I said that I would make you immortal. You are immortal; there is nothing on earth than can harm you. I said that I would give you the tools and ability to begin serving me. Your current, shall we say, form was required to give you that ability. This you will understand very soon.”

  “But … but... look at me,” Dan howled. “I must be hideous… some sort of fiend… I can't walk around outside like this… people will run from me with horror.”

  “Well, that is most certainly is true,” the voice agreed. “You can't go walking around like that among the humans, not if I intend for you intend to steal their souls for me now can you? …Yes, Dan, your job from now on will be the gathering souls for me. I will provide you with the means and the instinctive knowledge of how to do this, and you quite simply will provide the souls.”

  “So that was it,” Dan thought. “That was the service with which he would be charged for eternity.” He would be forced to steal the very souls of the living for this horrible creature.