A reworking of Orginal story written by Ambrose Briere.
information about Ambrose Briere from Wikipedia.
Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce (June 24, 1842 – circa 1914
[3]) was an American short story writer, journalist, poet, and Civil War veteran.
Ambrose Bierce
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Bierce around 1866
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| Born | Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce
June 24, 1842
Meigs County, Ohio, United States |
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| Died | Lost/c. 1914 (aged 71–72);[1]
Unknown |
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| Occupation | Soldier · Journalist · Writer |
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| Genres | Satire, journalism, short story, horror fiction, war fiction, fantasy, science fiction, western (genre), memoir, humor, literary criticism, poetry |
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| Literary movement | Realism |
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| Notable works | "Chickamauga"
"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"
"The Death of Halpin Frayser"
"The Moonlit Road"
The Devil's Dictionary
Tales of Soldiers and Civilians |
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| Spouse |
Mary Ellen "Mollie" Day
( m. 1871; div. 1904) |
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| Children | Raymond Day (1872–1889), Leigh (1874–1901), Helen (1875–1940) |
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| Signature |  |
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| Military career |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
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| Service/branch | Union Army |
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| Years of service | 1861–1866 |
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| Rank |  First lieutenant |
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| Unit | 9th Indiana Infantry Regiment |
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| Battles/wars | American Civil War: Battle of Philippi (West Virginia), Battle of Laurel Mountain, Battle of Rich Mountain, Battle of Corrick's Ford, Battle of Cheat Mountain, Battle of Greenbrier River, Battle of Camp Allegheny, Battle of Shiloh, Siege of Corinth, Battle of Perryville, Battle of Stones River, Battle of Chickamauga, Chattanooga Campaign, Battle of Lookout Mountain, Battle of Missionary Ridge, Battle of Resaca, Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Atlanta Campaign, Battle of Jonesborough, Battle of Franklin (1864), Battle of Nashville |
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In December 1913, Bierce traveled to
Chihuahua, Mexico, to gain first-hand experience of the
Mexican Revolution.
[15] He disappeared, and was rumored to be traveling with rebel troops. He was never seen again
The original story The Damn ed Thing was written in 1898 from "In the Midst of Life.Copyright 1898 by G.P.Putnam,a Sons .This is my attempt at a reworking of this classic horror genre story available on public domain on The Project Guterberg i n Horror book selection of interested why not compare the original with my reworking of this tale I hope you enjoy reading.
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Chapter 1
By the bright white light of tablet ,a man was reading something written in book he found in kindle.The book was barely legible due to being written in old English so the man draw the tablet closer to his eyes to enhance the settings to magnify the written text .In the background were eight other man present a on of which seven were sat on rough wooded chairs around a long table .Lying on top of the table lay the eighth man whom was covered by a bleach white sheet ,his arms by his side's and is bare feet exposed to the environment.The man with the tablet device started to read aloud in the distance the nameless note of of distant coyotes chatting to each other,the night birds omitting strange cries,the drone of beetles all the suddenly stopped as the people in the room blocked it out to listen to the words spoken by the man reading from the tablet.
The men were farmers and woodsmen along way from home here to pay homage to the dead man lying on the table.I the reader of the tale from the kindle app was to them worldly .I wore the clothes of a biker ,black leather jacket with On top were my denim jacket showing off my gang members colours and the reason he was reading this kindle was it contained as it was among the dead man affects ,found on his person in his breast pocket ,it was part of his job to take upon himself to be among the other men reading this kindle book as dispite his attire it was his bound duty as a corner.
A young man enters the room not of mountain birth dressed in city clothing which was covered in fine dust from his travels.I the coroner greeted him " I have been waiting for you my urban dwelling friend" The young man replies "Sorry to have keep you old man,I was not evading my summons to be hear today I just had to pop in to my newspaper desk to get the account of Jackson ,the man dead on the table I wrote in early today"
I the coroner greeted this with a smile "I believe your account details you post in your daily rag will differ from which you will give under oath ,young man"The young man reply in a slightly angry voice "What I wrote may to you here present seem just fiction but as God is my witnesses it is the truth".
The inquest begins.The other men present remove their hard and are shown in as the witness is sworn in by placing his hand in the holy bible.This next part is written as I the coroner am talking to the young man the witness.
Name
William Harker
Age
Twenty -Seven
Did you know the deceased ,Hugh Morgan
Yes
Were you present when he died?
I was near him
Why were in his presence?
I playing him a visit at his home to study his mannerisms and oddities as I deemed he would make a good character for a fiction I was writing as my hobby
So you like to make up stories!
Some of the jurors laughed but it was the sort of sense of black humour in highs of battle of an terrible incident.
We return to the inquest .
Please relate the circumstances of the death of Hugh Morgan
The young man pulls out a smartphone from his breast pocket on his left side of his clothes and taps on to the app he require s to find the desired passage he wished to read aloud.
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Chapter 2
The account.
The sun was hardly in the morning sky when we left the house.We were hunting for quail and were both carrying shotguns and had one dog by the name of Rusty to pick up the scent of the bird.Morgan said he knew of a perfect place that was beyond the chaperral.The ground was covered head to toe with w ild oats but at least it was fairly leve l underfoot.Suddenly in the far distance we heard the thrashing about in the bushes which seemed to an outsider like me that this animal was violently agitated .I look up and said I think it's a deer .Morgan raised and cocked both barrels of his shotgun ready to fire both barrels at the unsuspecting deer which seemed out of character as he had a reputation of coolness in moments of peril.I sa id "Surely your not going to blast to death this deer with quail shot!" He never replied but as I looked closely at his face I was stuck by its deathly white pallor . Perhaps it was not a deer but a grizzly bear .
The scene became quiet ,no sound not even birds in the sky "What the devil is wrong Morgan ,I fear for our safety" He replied " That Damned Thing "in an unnatural husky voice and his body physically trembling.I was about to reply when I noticed a disturbance in the overgrowth of the wild oats dotted on the landscape then something was was bending down the wild oats and their stayed crushed and it was slowly creeping its way to use.
I was overwhelmed with fear as a mass of shadow s looking like a group of large trees .I looked upon my companion to see absolute fear as he yet again raised both barrels of his shotgun and fire at the oncoming shadow mass .Before the smoke of the shots cleared I heard a violent savage cry of what to me was not of this world.Morgan began to run throwing his shotgun to the ground in his haste.At the same time I was violently shoved to the hard cold ground by the strange shadow ," Before I could re cover my gun and get to stand on my own two feet.
I heard Morgan cry out in mortal agony and amongst his screams were crunching sounds of gnarly teeth.I turned around and I saw my companion Morgan on the ground dead with red rivers of blood pouring out .I afraid to say at this point my flight or flight mode took over me and I ran as fast my legs would let m e.
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Chapter 3
I The corner arise from my seat and go towards the the body of the deceased Harry Morgan and lift up the sheet covering his modesty .His body has broad maculations of bluish -black caused by extravasted blood from contusions.Harry Mogans chest and sides had been bludgeoned and parts of his skin had been torn into strips and shreds.
I carried on moving around the table of Harry Morgan s cadaver and placed my hands on the silk handkerchief knotted on his head.This exposed the gruesome discovery of his torn throat.Some of the jurors curiosity got the better of them and they decided to have a closer look this turned out to be a bad idea as each grow faint and nearly about throw up but turned away as if an act o f repent.The young man William Harper was less lucky as he was by the open window urging his innner contents of his stomach outside. I then checked the heap of clothes which once adorned Harry Morgan ,all were torn and stuff in dried sickly sweet blood.
"Gentleman I have no more evidence concerning this curious case ,please consider your verdict on the evidence you have given witnesses to On this day "
A man rose whom was fully bearded and was a least six feet tall,This was the elected foreman of the jury.
"I would like to ask one question, did your witness escape some of sort of asylum? "
I give a rye smile and repeated the question to William Harper
William flushed a crimson red but no words passed his lips.
The juror s and the foreman departed out of the cabin.
"Now you have finished insu lting my character am at liberty to leave "Said William Harper with a sense of sarcasm .
" Before I depar t this place and venture towards my home ,that book you have On your tablet it's is if I am unmistaken it's Harry Morgan s dairy may I see it"
I reply "Yes you are correct but it cuts no figure in this case as far as I can determine the entries were made before his death "
Before William Harper departed the jurors enter the cabin the foreman has a scrap of paper in his hands , the verdict.
"We ,the jury find the remains of the deceased come to his death by the hands of a mountain lion"
William Harper walks out the door with a sly grin on his face .
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Chapter 4
Dairy of Harry Morgan -Deceased.
Would keep running in a endless half circle then stop still in the centre like he put the brakes on and he would stand and bark and grow l furiously .He then ran hell for leather in to the thick wild oats.Then he would return as though nowt at happened giving me those puppy dog eyes as if to say can we go back home now)
As I and my furry companion sat by the wa rmth of the open fire I began ruminating .
Can a dog see with its nose,does the olfactory centre produce images.
Sept 2. I saw the crest of the moon brighten the star filled sky seemly to the naked eye away left to right .Suddenly some long shadow of an object blotted the crest moon ,I not make out what this object could be ,it gives me a sense of fear and dread ,I feel my self shudder ,ugh!I don't like this.
Sept 27 I have seen the strange object again today.I tracked it to the near by woods .I making sure I am well armed with my gun,double barrelled shotgun .In the early break of dawn I find fresh footprints yet I swear I did not sleep and the footprints were the most unusual ones I either come across in all my years of tracking .Thr ee toed with a short g air implying the creature was bipedal like me but I guessed about the height of a small child.Am I going mad?
Oct 3 They will not drive me from my home ,I will not be a coward in God's eyes.
Oct 5 I have asked Harker to come and stay with me as his level head and he can judge off I am mad .
Oct 7 It came to me through a nightmare a revelation .It's so terribly easy.The sounds these things admit are at the scale at which is beyond the human imperfect ears ,to high pitched .
I been observing the blackbirds that occupy the entire treetops and I hear they song.Suddenly in a flash of movement all spring in the air .But how do see each other as the treetops interven.I sees no sense of a leader so they must have a warning of command a sort of high pitched shrill my ears cannot precieve above the echoing din.
The same simultaneous flight must be the same for th e quail who are are separated by the thick brushes of wild oats even if opposite sides .
I remember tales of seaman chasing a school of whales drive at the same instant dispite the convexity of the earth between them.The seaman do not hear they calls but feel the vibration s in the ship as if a cathedral of stones stir .
Colour s a t the end of the solar spectrum can be detected by the chemi st ,this is known as actinic rays.The actinic rays are integral to the composition of light.Even the human eyes are imperfect it is just a few octaves of the r dal chromatic scale.
This I reason is I am not mad as it is colours that we do not see.
So God help me ,for the Damned thing is such a colour.
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The End .
