Hunger
The guests were waiting.Waiting with still faces in absolute deathly silence.They were sitting in a large banquet table.The Christmas tree behind them was as still as their faces.The cold outside was the least of their bothers.Hunger was .The chief of the table was silent.Instead of drinking it,he was playing with the ice in the wine glass.It was only after many minutes had passed that one of the guests on the large banquet table signalled to the chief.The chief replied silently.Apparently the food was not yet cooked fully.But the waiter had bought it half an hour ago.Apparently the food was not ‘wholly’ ready.Anticipating that some dish had been left out and was on its way,the long line of guests continued to wait.
A minute later sounds of someone running could be heard outside.First the soft sound of the ice outside,then the cracking sound of boots on the pavement until the door suddenly burst open.
A figure stood in the doorway,dressed in respectable clothes which had been battered by the ice.For a few minutes nobody reacted and kept looking at the man in amazement.Then after a few moments he suddenly collapsed in a thud.Even before one of the guests could stand up,he recovered himself and shouted across the room to the chief “Please help me,give me something to eat,hunger has ravaged me,please kind sir,give me some food,anything,help me,save me”.
He continued to repeat the same words for a minute more and while the guests begun to murmer,the chief was silent.Suddenly he broke his silence and replied “Of course my good man,I will feed you,but first why don’t you tell us about the circumstances of your coming”asked the chief.
“It’s a long story sir,will tire you out”said the man.
”Don’t worry,food hasn’t been served yet,you may tell”said the chief motioning to the waiter to serve some water to the man.
“’I am a diplomat for the queen.After 3 months of diplomacy with the mad Kaiser I decided it was time for a winter break.So I came back to London.Having no family of my own and finding all my friends uninterested,I made up my mind to go for a trekking adventure to the north.I travelled through the snow and the mud of trampy tracks and through sleepy villages until I reached Lancashire county.For a few days I stayed at Preston university but eventually I found it too busy.So I made my regrettable decision of trekking ahead.It was then that travelling through the worst of the winter brought me to the wild lands of the county and thus to the sleepy village of Croston.
Croston was completely covered by mud when I first came there a few days ago.I skipped lunch and decided to sleep for a few hours in a local farm lodge.At evening time I decided to go out for dinner to the local pub.It was in a dire state.Snow completely covered the doorway and I had almost given up hope of dinner,when a bald man came out from inside and hastily cleared up the ice.
Inside I barely had time to settle down and relax when a young man obviously the waiter came up to me and asked grumpily “Would you like an eat sir”.
“Yes,pork,my good man”I replied much more politely than what he expected and so he scurried off to the kitchen.A minute later I took back all the ill I held about the place as I took bite after bite of the delicious pork dish.It was at my second helping that I began to notice my surroundings.It was a relaxing little place,obviously poor and dark though because there were just 3 gas lamps inside.Apart from me there were only 3 more men sitting at the other end of the place.
I was almost sad with the lonliness when I discovered something strange.From the table ahead of me stared at me a woman’s face.She was staring at me with a look of strange amazement.She was grinning.It was after that,that discovered the dated nature of her face,she was old and her hair was white at many places.She was wearing a long noble dress and wore gloves in her hands.Her look became even more amazed when I ordered a third helping of pork.The waiter looked at me strangely and then replied “Sorry sir,no more pork”he said.
At that moment I broke.All the frustuation of the Kaiser,the French,the London climate and my trek was rained down on him.”How come you blokes have no pork,how can you turn down a customer like that,do you have no shame my man,no wonder the place is in a dire state,you refuse me pork,its as if I demanded gold or silver”I shouted.
Suddenly a matriarchial voice spoke “Thomas……..,is there a pork shortage in our county,cause your behaviour sure looks like that”.It was the same woman.
”No,madame I am sorry,we ran out of pork dish”said the waiter.
”Then go and make new,,don’t turn a gentleman like that away”she said.
Thomas ran off into the kitchen and then the woman smiled.She rose up and sat on a table adjacent to me.The light of the gas lamp near that table made her face look hideously strange.I focused on drinking my untouched glass of wine and ignored her when a voice came “You seem to love meat,don’t you sir”,it was her.”Huh,yeah,I have always been a more meat guy”I replied smiling.
“I am madam Washington,the owner of this place,husband died years ago,its not easy work but the county sure has its share of secrets”said she.The relaxing tone made her voice seem older than before.I replied immediately ”Sorry for my outbreak of anger and I apology…………………………….”
“No,no,no sir,your demand I perfectly fine,Thomas here has become a lazy lump,refuses to work neat in winter,he deserved the anger”said she.I smiled again.
Just then Thomas returned with a new pork dish.For some time the only sound in the place was of the snow outside.As I was about to finish the woman asked “Would you sir,like to eat delicious meat everyday for free”.I was startled with the question and its queerness.So much so that at that very moment I downed another glass of wine.That one proved to be terminal for me as my senses became dissolved.Some things became clearer while others faded out.The bar counter,the tables,the plates and most importantly my own hands seemed to fade away in the shadows cast by the dim lighting.Yes,the lighting,it was one of the few things that remained visible and in fact became more bolder.But then my eyes noticed something else.The woman.The terrifying shadows of earlier had not reached her face,in the bright light I noticed her eyes.They shone with a queer brilliance.
I came to my senses a few minutes later and paid the waiter with a generous tip.As I was about to leave the woman quickly said “Oh,sir what about my proposition?” .
I was puzzled for some time.Then I remembered our earlier conversation.”Oh yes,what were you speaking madame?” I asked.
“Do you want to taste and eat delicious meat everyday for no cost?”she asked.
“Hha,and how do you propose it to be possible?”I asked jokingly.
“There are methods”she said.”Thank you,but I liked the food,I will pay”said I with the voice of an innocent child.
“There are other methods”said she.”So is the cost really non existant,will I not have to pay anything”I asked.”Depends on your outlook,maybe there is some cost,but it’s low and one time”she replied.
“Will you accompany me to the place”said she offering me another glass of wine.”In this snow?”I asked.”The snow’s cleared out now,you must come,will you come?”she asked.
I emptied the glass of wine.And a profound change came over me,this time there were no light effects.The shadows were normal and the room was fully visible but something was compelling me from the inside.I was feeling eager for doing something unknow.She asked again “Will you come,the night is young yet”.Looking back I should have said no and walked away to my lodge like a normal trekker but that same compelling force was pushing me. “Yes,I will try” I said.
Outside,the snow had stopped completely which was strange.The nightmen had cleared up the path on which we were presently walking.But the cold was very much there.I don’t recall how much time went by in between,but after some time the houses and lawns began to decrease and decrease until we were soon walking with nothing but trees on both sides of us beyond which were frozen moors.The deathly silence was interrupted by the woman.
”Do you want some almonds sir,good for the cold,will prepare you”she said.
”For what”I asked accepting them.
The almonds tasted good in the cold and somehow also brightened up my view.The long darkness and the cold was now replaced a strange heat.I could now see clearly and notice that though the air looked clear it was not.Seemingly empty spaces were bring filled things,strange shapes,lights.”Want some more almonds sir”she asked out of nowhere.In the now filled darkness she was invisible to me.I was really considering refusing more almonds when she suddenly dropped her skirt off.But before I could shout in embarresment I noticed that she was wearing a black petticoat underneath which covered her well.Out of the blue she unmated her hair.
But how could I ask her about her actions.I took the only option out.I accepted the almonds and said “Tasty almonds,why umm are you……………..”.
Before I could complete my sentence she replied “Look around”.To my acute horror the snow around us had disappeared .Underneath my feet was nothing but a clean dry blade of grass.The wind and the night were still cold but not me.In the thick sweater I felt suffocated.I removed it,then my gloves,then my boots,socks and my overcoat until I was wearing the minimum amount of clothes you need to wear for decency in front of a lady.
It was after all this though that I moved my eyes across the place.We were not on the road but in an old smelly graveyard.In that graveyard were just a few graves and one of them was taller and grander than the rest.Quietly I looked at her.A profound change had come over her.Her unmated hair looked hideous and her wrinkles had intensified making her look like an old crone.In her hand out of nowhere appeared a black walking stick.
As if commanding,she motioned to me .”Sit”.I felt strangely compelled to obey her.
”Today Is a great day for you,no longer do you have to worry about insignificant things like hunger,you will get delicious meat everyday.You will live for ever.After I start the ritual ,the Mynecrons will come and strip you down to nothing but a spirit and you will live forever,you will dine with them forever,no longer will there be a shortage of pork,but first I must be absolutely sure,are you really ready,I am giving one last option,you can walk away now,you cant change your decision later after I have called them” she said.
What could be a mynecron,my seemingly drugged mind began to think,I pictured strange monsters,murdering half human worms,giant spiders.I decided to just take the escape route and I decided to say ‘No’ .”Yes”was my reply.The no word had not come out at all.
What happened in the next few minutes is foggy,the woman dropped her hair,but how can someone do that,was it a wig she was wearing.She bended down and pulled me by the legs until I was lying faceup on the ground.She clapped many times and then I saw something happening.What it was is difficult to describe but it still gives me the chills.The strange part is that I still don’t know what it was that frightened me so.There were strange unheard sounds coming in all directions and it appeared that the whole ground was vibrating.
By the end of it all the world seemed to be circling around me.For a moment I blackened out .Then when I opened my eyes I was freezed,a cold chilly air hit me with full force.Why was it so cold.
I was lying in snow.The trees were covered in snow and the woman was back to her dress.Her hair and age restored.”Now the Mynecrons will come in three days to eat you up,purify you and release you,but till then you must make a sacrifice,you must at no cost eat nothing,drink nothing.You must be empty.Swallow these almonds as your last meal.I had gained back my reflexes and I scramed “Noooo”.She patiently motioned to my legs.
They were tied.
As I swallowed the almonds a cold wind hit me again and the pain of the freeze was the last thing in my mind before I blackened out again.
When I opened my eyes again,I was in a confined space.I rubbed my eyes again and looked around.I was in some kind of a closed empty room.Further investigation revealed that it was not a room but a small one room house.The windows were made of thick glass,the kind from which light can enter but nothing outside is visible.It was daytime.Slowly I stood up.It was then that I noticed an important fact that my mind had been ignoring.I was hungry.Extremely hungry and my throat was dry like the dry soil on a summer day.Or the sand in the deserts of the Sudan that I had seen back in my youth when I had gone to fight the forces of the Mhadi.
Eagerly my eyes searched for food or water.But then I noticed that the room was empty.Empty except for one small safe and a water pot.Eagerly I fell upon the pot of water only to discover that there wasn’t a drop of water in it.But hunger had made me a mad man.I quickly kicked the safe hard.Harder and harder.But it wouldn’t budge.
Then I suddenly realised that I hadn’t done what I should have done first.The door itself .The door to this prison.I kicked it hard.Hard and hard.As hard as my tired legs could.Then I punched.But to no avail.It was locked.Then I further strained myself.I dragged that locked safe and then carefully using my battering ram training I hit it with full force on the door.At that moment I heard a crack.
The main door was still closed,but the safe had opened.Like a hungry beast I excitedly put my hands inside the safe hoping for food.It was empty.
At that moment my tired body finally gave out and I lost consciousness.Some hours must have passed and despite the fact that I was still hungry and my dry throat burned like the fire,my body had freshend up a bit.I resumed my kicking.After a few moments my hunger took over again.Then I started seeing things.Strange figures.
Who could be the Mynecrons.I started seeing horrible tentacle creatures,huge half snake,half octopuses or massive ants.Then suddenly one of them came in through the door and I screamed!
The door was still closed and I was still its only occupant.My military training told me now that I was hallucinating.Suddenly a drop of sweat issued from my shoulder.Not wasting one second I lapped it up with my tounge.All it did was to entice my dried throat,it ached further.
After many more hours of kicking and punching I slept again.When I woke up light was streaming through the thick glass of the windows.It was however more like dusk light than day light.Maybe afternoon.But my mind could only think of hunger.Currently,in front of me slithering on the wall was a lone green lizard.My hungry mind gave instructions to my tounge to produce saliva.I licked my tounge and charged to the wall of my prison.Suddenly my sense of dignity overtook me and I said “Can I really stoop so low?”.But within another minute my dignity was crunched under the boots by the raving hunger.That tasty lizard was only mine to eat.Carefully I cupped my hands.But it fled.Undaunted I caught it again by the tail and I had almost taken it to my lips when a sound came from over the roof.
My mind lit up and I let go off the lizard for somebody had opened the roof through a crack.From that small crack a face of great innocence looked at me.It was a poor young adult peasant girl.
It took me just a few moments to describe my circumstances to her.”Give me food,give me water,save me please”I said kneeling.The girl did not answer.”Who are you,whats your name,save me please”I asked again.She nodded.It now became apparent to me that she was dumb.Then I shouted again “For god’s sake atleast open the door”.
A minute later I heard an unlocking sound and the doors of my prison slid open even as the cold snowy winds outside hit me with full force.The girl was standing outside.”God bless you child,how come you had the key” I asked.She did not reply but instead she motioned me to come with her.
She took me through the cold snow and through the road until we came to a roofed watershed.On seeing water I charged again.Just then a voice shouted from behind us.”What do you think your are doing Erina”.It was the woman.’That’ woman.She still looked ghastly and I stopped in my tracks.”I am ashamed to call you my daughter,dumb physically and in mind as well,no loyalty eh”said the woman.I started to run.
”Wait,sir,your initiation period is not over yet,back to the hut!” she said.
Her voice was theatning.So threatning that I fell face first on the cold snow .As I saw behind me,to my horror she took out a sickle and charged her own daughter.Still perplexed and on the ground I was shocked as I saw something I am unable to describe.The woman……….she severed ………..her own daughter.
I regained my adrenalin and just ran fast.After just a few steps I fell again on the snow and I was now sure that it was my end.But………..the woman hadn’t followed me at all.She just stood there where she had been with the sickle in her hand.Even as I resumed running she said something which made my blood curl.
Hah,where are you running sir
You may run
But you cant hide
The mynecrons will have there meal alright
If not now,the later
They will have you sir
They will eat you.
But I didnt look back.I ran and ran and ran through the moors,the snowy roads,the snowy grounds,even an icy lake till by nightfall I had crossed half the county.It was here that I saw your house sir.
Here ends my tale.But please sir,give me something to eat,to drink,save me sir,protect me”’
The man ended his tale even as the already uncomfortable gentlemen guests sighed.”Ok”said the chief presently.”The food is done,you may now begin the meal” he continued.
And at that moment the guests took out their knives and forks and hungrily fell upon the man……………………………………………………………………………………………..#