The Virgin Baptismal
Short horror story.
Upon the steps of his front porch, James sat eating a watermelon. He casually leaned over the side to spit out the seeds. Then he looked to the setting sun and figured it was time. He wiped his chin with an old cloth that he kept in the front pocket of his faded coveralls. Then tossed the watermelon into the grass and walked around to the side of the porch. This is where he had been keeping her. Tied and gagged, still wearing her Sunday dress, he pulled Anna Lee out from under the porch by her ankles.
Her eyes overflowing with fear, she let out a desperate whimper from behind a dirty cloth gag. Jim decided to have one more look at her. He gently brushed away the dark curls from her face and hushed, "Don't cry, Anna Lee... To die, everyone otta. So die we do." She closed her eyes as tears continued to seep. But James kept his remorse deeply buried. For he believed, in the end... God would smile upon him.
James had his eye on this girl for some time. Every Sunday he would arrive, bright and early at the little Baptist church. He would sit, way in the back pew and wait for the opening sermon. Then before a crowd of sweaty people waving fans, this young girl would get up and sing a gospel. Sometimes she would sing "Old Rugged Cross". That was James' favorite.
For years now, James watched this beautiful figurine as she sang. And as the years went by, she had blossomed into a eloquent, almost breathtaking, young woman. But this troubled James. For he began to notice the look in the eyes of all the boys within the pew. He knew this look... It was the look of hungry dogs who just had a piece of meat dangled before them. And the thought of one of them getting there filthy paws on her sickened him.
Now his once blissful Sundays of angelic song, and beautiful radiance had become an hour of soaking in bitter discuss. Aggravated, he would watch them whisper and snicker back and forth wile there minds slowly spoiled from indecent urges. "It's only a matter of time," he pondered. "It doesn't take a profit to see it. Sooner or later a fox will emerge from this pack of subwolves and steal his little Anna away from him.
And what would become of her? Her once, knight in shinning amour will be a mere rusty bucket of old beer cans, staggering home drunk at three in the morning. Demanding his supper wile she stands barefoot and pregnant over a gas stove, trying to reheat a meal that had been prepared hours ago. And if she dose not hurry... she might get a shiner to match the one she's already got. It will be then, that Anna's light will be extinguished by the burning wax of fading beauty. And Anna... will sing no more."
"This was not a fate, deserving of someone as pure hearted as Anna.,," James reasoned. " She deserves to cross over whole... Unravaged by the dogs lured to her by the sent of blossoming womanhood." He remembered that after church, Anna would walk down to the cemetery with fresh flowers for her daddy's grave. So that afternoon... James would be waiting for her.
After reassuring himself, James thoughts had returned to the girl now bond and gagged before him. He lifted the girl over his shoulder. Then he grabbed his bible and shoved it into his back pocket. Almost forgetting his bottle of whisky, he quickly turned around and snatched it from the top step. The bible helped James understand a lot about things in life, but it was the whisky that filled in the blanks. As he walked down towards the lake with her legs kicking at his gut, he grumbled out loud," My dear Anna Lee... I will not let your soul become consumed by the hungry dog... Better to let the gator have ya before you become the whore your mother is..."
After Anna's father died, her mother developed quite a reputation around town, and sometimes would not come home for days. To escape the emptiness of a broken home she would spend her time down at the church. She began singing church hymns and was quickly noticed by the clergy for her angelic voice. So every Sunday mass began with her singing the gospel.
The gator James spoke of, lived in the lake by his home. Some people say that the gator was twenty feet long and as old as the lake itself. James figured any creature that old must be in good standing with God. Therefore the gator... in his mind, could serve as a conduit to Heaven. "She was too pure for the wickedness of this world. Better, she pass over now... That way people will always remember her as sweet Anna Lee."
As they came down to the quiet lake, a theater of crickets filled the evening air. As if applauding they're long anticipated arrival. He gently laid her down in the grass and sat down next to her. "I recon we wait here a spell, the gator will be along any minute," he remarked wile taking a swig from his bottle. Anna did not fuss. She knew it was futile. So she laid there, quietly watching the fire flies race around the stars. She shed her last tear knowing this would be the last thing of beauty her eyes would ever gaze.
James let out a gasp as the after burn of the whisky ripped down his throat. With his hands he rubbed his cold, dead eyes then casually spoke," You know... When I was a boy I once found a baby bird in the grass. I figured he must have grown anxious and leaped from his nest. I looked up the tree I found him under and saw his nest way up, on the highest branch... swaying gently with the breeze. I was always scared of heights but what could I do. So I put the little guy into my shirt pocket and climb that tree.
I was never afraid of heights after that..." James chuckled at himself before continuing, "So as a boy I put baby birds back into they're nests. Now as a man I put angles back in heaven. James stared off at the lake aimlessly before noticing a tiny little island drifting in the water. As it drew near James knew that the lumpy dark mass was in fact the head of the gator.
When James stood up, the gator submerged his head back under the surface. "It's time to go Anna," he said wile untying the gag from her mouth. "Don't suppose you wanna sing for me one last time do ya?" Once the gag had been removed, Anna answered him with a defining scream. "Didn't think so," James replied. He picked her up and carried her into the water. "Now Anna... this is gonna be just like a baptismal, only this time won't be coming back up."
Anna screamed again as she kicked wildly at the water. "Now don't make a fuss," He demanded," That gator is a shy fella!" "Please don't do this!" She cried. But James did not reply, as he lowered her into the black water and gently let go. He calmly stepped back on shore and turned to watch the gator move towards the wade then sink back down into the dark obis.
He picked up his bottle and walked back to the house, whistling "The Old Rugged Cross" He figured he would show up bright and early, for mass next Sunday. Clean and shaved, to curve any suspicion away from him when they realize Anna was missing. He would sit in the same spot, at the back of the church... waiting for Anna Lee to start the sermon.
What James did not know is that an alligator never eats a fresh kill. After snapping its prey's neck the gator will search the bottom of the lake bed for rock or a tree branch to stuff the body under, then wait until the body has ripened before eating. This gator had just such a place in mind for Anna Lee.
The reptile careful slid her lifeless body under a submerged log, as if tucking her into bed. Unfortunately for the gator he would not return. His new found courage caused him to wonder much too close to people now. And one sunny afternoon wile drifting along the banks, he found himself in the crosshairs of a poacher's gun. He was to date... The largest alligator ever shot.
And to this day... Like an old photograph fading softly inside a heart shaped locket. Anna Lee with blue lips and white skin, still sleeps at the bottom of this lake... in eternal virginity.
Her eyes overflowing with fear, she let out a desperate whimper from behind a dirty cloth gag. Jim decided to have one more look at her. He gently brushed away the dark curls from her face and hushed, "Don't cry, Anna Lee... To die, everyone otta. So die we do." She closed her eyes as tears continued to seep. But James kept his remorse deeply buried. For he believed, in the end... God would smile upon him.
James had his eye on this girl for some time. Every Sunday he would arrive, bright and early at the little Baptist church. He would sit, way in the back pew and wait for the opening sermon. Then before a crowd of sweaty people waving fans, this young girl would get up and sing a gospel. Sometimes she would sing "Old Rugged Cross". That was James' favorite.
For years now, James watched this beautiful figurine as she sang. And as the years went by, she had blossomed into a eloquent, almost breathtaking, young woman. But this troubled James. For he began to notice the look in the eyes of all the boys within the pew. He knew this look... It was the look of hungry dogs who just had a piece of meat dangled before them. And the thought of one of them getting there filthy paws on her sickened him.
Now his once blissful Sundays of angelic song, and beautiful radiance had become an hour of soaking in bitter discuss. Aggravated, he would watch them whisper and snicker back and forth wile there minds slowly spoiled from indecent urges. "It's only a matter of time," he pondered. "It doesn't take a profit to see it. Sooner or later a fox will emerge from this pack of subwolves and steal his little Anna away from him.
And what would become of her? Her once, knight in shinning amour will be a mere rusty bucket of old beer cans, staggering home drunk at three in the morning. Demanding his supper wile she stands barefoot and pregnant over a gas stove, trying to reheat a meal that had been prepared hours ago. And if she dose not hurry... she might get a shiner to match the one she's already got. It will be then, that Anna's light will be extinguished by the burning wax of fading beauty. And Anna... will sing no more."
"This was not a fate, deserving of someone as pure hearted as Anna.,," James reasoned. " She deserves to cross over whole... Unravaged by the dogs lured to her by the sent of blossoming womanhood." He remembered that after church, Anna would walk down to the cemetery with fresh flowers for her daddy's grave. So that afternoon... James would be waiting for her.
After reassuring himself, James thoughts had returned to the girl now bond and gagged before him. He lifted the girl over his shoulder. Then he grabbed his bible and shoved it into his back pocket. Almost forgetting his bottle of whisky, he quickly turned around and snatched it from the top step. The bible helped James understand a lot about things in life, but it was the whisky that filled in the blanks. As he walked down towards the lake with her legs kicking at his gut, he grumbled out loud," My dear Anna Lee... I will not let your soul become consumed by the hungry dog... Better to let the gator have ya before you become the whore your mother is..."
After Anna's father died, her mother developed quite a reputation around town, and sometimes would not come home for days. To escape the emptiness of a broken home she would spend her time down at the church. She began singing church hymns and was quickly noticed by the clergy for her angelic voice. So every Sunday mass began with her singing the gospel.
The gator James spoke of, lived in the lake by his home. Some people say that the gator was twenty feet long and as old as the lake itself. James figured any creature that old must be in good standing with God. Therefore the gator... in his mind, could serve as a conduit to Heaven. "She was too pure for the wickedness of this world. Better, she pass over now... That way people will always remember her as sweet Anna Lee."
As they came down to the quiet lake, a theater of crickets filled the evening air. As if applauding they're long anticipated arrival. He gently laid her down in the grass and sat down next to her. "I recon we wait here a spell, the gator will be along any minute," he remarked wile taking a swig from his bottle. Anna did not fuss. She knew it was futile. So she laid there, quietly watching the fire flies race around the stars. She shed her last tear knowing this would be the last thing of beauty her eyes would ever gaze.
James let out a gasp as the after burn of the whisky ripped down his throat. With his hands he rubbed his cold, dead eyes then casually spoke," You know... When I was a boy I once found a baby bird in the grass. I figured he must have grown anxious and leaped from his nest. I looked up the tree I found him under and saw his nest way up, on the highest branch... swaying gently with the breeze. I was always scared of heights but what could I do. So I put the little guy into my shirt pocket and climb that tree.
I was never afraid of heights after that..." James chuckled at himself before continuing, "So as a boy I put baby birds back into they're nests. Now as a man I put angles back in heaven. James stared off at the lake aimlessly before noticing a tiny little island drifting in the water. As it drew near James knew that the lumpy dark mass was in fact the head of the gator.
When James stood up, the gator submerged his head back under the surface. "It's time to go Anna," he said wile untying the gag from her mouth. "Don't suppose you wanna sing for me one last time do ya?" Once the gag had been removed, Anna answered him with a defining scream. "Didn't think so," James replied. He picked her up and carried her into the water. "Now Anna... this is gonna be just like a baptismal, only this time won't be coming back up."
Anna screamed again as she kicked wildly at the water. "Now don't make a fuss," He demanded," That gator is a shy fella!" "Please don't do this!" She cried. But James did not reply, as he lowered her into the black water and gently let go. He calmly stepped back on shore and turned to watch the gator move towards the wade then sink back down into the dark obis.
He picked up his bottle and walked back to the house, whistling "The Old Rugged Cross" He figured he would show up bright and early, for mass next Sunday. Clean and shaved, to curve any suspicion away from him when they realize Anna was missing. He would sit in the same spot, at the back of the church... waiting for Anna Lee to start the sermon.
What James did not know is that an alligator never eats a fresh kill. After snapping its prey's neck the gator will search the bottom of the lake bed for rock or a tree branch to stuff the body under, then wait until the body has ripened before eating. This gator had just such a place in mind for Anna Lee.
The reptile careful slid her lifeless body under a submerged log, as if tucking her into bed. Unfortunately for the gator he would not return. His new found courage caused him to wonder much too close to people now. And one sunny afternoon wile drifting along the banks, he found himself in the crosshairs of a poacher's gun. He was to date... The largest alligator ever shot.
And to this day... Like an old photograph fading softly inside a heart shaped locket. Anna Lee with blue lips and white skin, still sleeps at the bottom of this lake... in eternal virginity.
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