A KILLER NECKLACE

Submitted into Contest #37 in response to: Write a story about a valuable object that goes missing.... view prompt

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Mystery

"Hear me out. The sapphire necklace lost is and has been my most prized possesion since I entered adulthood. Before then, it had been my late father's and his own's before, dating back to many generations of Crowley men. To lose it, is to lose my life's purpose.

The men of my family have been serving justice for so many years, the neckale of azure and gold their luck and protection.

You see now, dear fellow, why, need be, I am willing to carve out your teeth and reduce you to a near-lifeless being not even your Master will be able to salvage from the misery I shall bestow upon you, were you not to indulge me.

Where is the sapphire ring? Where is my son?"

The fellow, hanging from a thick rope that draped from the ceiling, spoke not. His feet kept him breathing, resting lightly on the toes of them on a chair mr. Crowley had placed beneath him.

"Speak, imbecile! Speak and your death shall be quick and as painless as possible, on my word! On my word, fellow!" the man said and flicked his knife in the air.

"A Crowley's word means nothing, mister. Nothing to my kind or to my new Master."

Mr. Crolwey lifted his knife and struck the fellow in the knee.

Blood curdled down the fellow's leg and pooled in the chair beneath his feet. The need to breathe rose and the air grew less as he could now barely keep himself up. "Bastard! You will never get your magic neckalce, or your son back."

Mr. Crowley made a shocked face, then burst into laughter. "Fellow, oh fellow! You think there's any chance of you dying without my blessing? I can keep you choking for eternity, even after me, a mere mortal, passes. Without my necklace to kill you and without nobody to be saved by, you will live out your days in my dungeon."

"I... cannot...speak," the fellow whispered.

Mr. Crowley laughed airily once more and proceeded to loosen the rope he'd got tied to the floor. "You better speak a location or a culprit," he said with miserably cheery eyes.

"I shall not betray my new Master and it is my understanding that he won't betray me either," the fellow said and looked towards the door.

Mr. Crowley's gaze followed the fellow's and against the door, he noted with wide eyes, leaned his son, holding the sapphire and gold necklace he so longed for and of which he'd been relieved.

"Meet my Master, mr. Crowley. He, who betrayed you and he, who stole your magic weapon that allows you to take the lives of my kind. Hail, Master," the fellow said and inclined his head.

"Hello, Danby. I see you've been well-treated," the Crowley Junior said, voice dripping sarcasm.

"You have betrayed me, my beloved. Tell me, was it love that drove you this mad? It could only be for that that you left your father and your cause."

"It is, Father. And to love is to sacrifice."

"What is her name, my dear? So I know who to behead after you," mr. Crowley said and leaped to his son, knife pointing for his heart, eyes burning with rage.

Crowley Junior simply laughed and raised the sapphire and gold necklace, which dissintegrated into golden and hell-blue blows of magic, which in turn shaped themselves into a sword of blazing azure fire.

"Strike me, Father and you'll die."

Shock and realization dawned on mr. Crowley and he dropped the knife from his grasp. "You have betrayed me so greatly. my son. So greatly! Who shall deserve your loyalty more than I?"

Crowley Junior barked out a laugh filled with lovely lunacy one could only be gifted by love and love only.

"My son! You are mad with love for no person, are you?" mr. Crowley whispered under his breath.

"I am mad with love for this gold and blue. This necklace, this sword, the soul within it, the soul of a woman who was murdered and shaped herself into a sword for the Crowley men to protect the world. We were Chasseurs once, Father. Now you have taken this sword and turnt it into a weapon of murder for this gorgeous woman's kind. Oh Father, she is lovely. She is made of the purest primrose yellow, of the most lively blue of the sky and the sea. She is oh so lovely."

Mr. Crowley could not help but laugh. "What nonsense! You are in love with a necklace, son?"

"She is so much greater than a murder weapon. I shall not use her that way and you shall not do so no more as well."

"Such amazing young love, don't you think?" fellow said with light in his eyes, even as his body stuggled.

"Oh yes, yes, Danby. Let him go, Father! No more killing fellows. No more killing, in fact! It's a time of love and kindness!"

"Kill me, son, because only if you do will you ever be free of the Crowley men's fate. Kill me, and you will have your love," mr. Crowley said, eyes blinking with mirth.

"Forgive me, Lucinda. That shall be the last murder this sword of yours shall commit. It's a murder of passion, a murder of love, Lu."

With those words, Crowley Junior struck his father in the chest and he died an instant death. Crowley Junior had enough time to blink before death for him too, in the form of hate.

The sword dripped not blood but blue and gold, tears of sorrow. Crowley Junior had used his love to kill his Father and it was only right if he used her to kill himself also.

He freed Danby and urged him to go and tell his kind that they were safe, then pointe the knife to his own heart and slid it through.

The sword bled itself to gold and blue. Once, Crowley Junior had considered it the most gorgeous thing he'd laid eyes on. Now, however, he had no courage to look at what it'd beem reduced to. The colors were so vibrant they drove him mad.

Right before he passed, he heard Lucinda's lovely voice say his name.

April 12, 2020 17:27

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1 comment

Tammy Tsang
20:56 Apr 22, 2020

Nice story, I like the imagination and fantasy of the world you've created. I wish I knew more about the magical necklace and about why the Crowley's were using it to kill. Had Mr. Crowley really gone murderous trying to kill so many things? Is that why his son had to turn on him? I would suggest that you proof the story before submitting, though. For example, "Mr." should always be capitalized. There a few typos throughout, as well. It's also worth rereading the story to yourself a few times. Read it out loud, does the sentence make sens...

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