Horror Stories from Horrified - Volume One (2)

They w er e not mer e appar itions but could physically affect the building of the
casino.
They w ould build, r epair and decor ate it. He w ould finance the pr oject and
employ men of gr eater for titude w ho w ould staff it. Men w ho w er e pr epar ed to
over look a few str ange nuances of their peer s and colleagues. The dead w ould
w or k at the r efur bished casino alongside the living and w ith Denholm w ould stay
to over see it.
Ther e was one small concession upon w hich Cyanquille insisted. As a sign of faith
to them, as a way to seal the deal and ensur e that the dead w ould not also become
the unemployed at the completion of building, they insisted upon a token of
assur ance.
?It is unpleasant for only a moment, Mr Denholm. In itself, given the differ ence
in our cur r ent for tunes, per haps it is not unr easonable...?
Cyanquille opened his mouth and coughed a little. A small fly emer ged and flew
for a moment ar ound the head of the azur e ghost befor e settling on his palm. He
took Denholm?s hand and allow ed the fly to settle on the exposed skin on the back
of it. The small black fly seemed blacker than it ought to be, almost metallic in
appear ance. Within a moment, it bur ied itself into the flesh of Denholm?s hand and
disappear ed into the cr imson tunnel of the r aised vein it found ther e.
?Ther e now ! All done, Mr Denholm. He w ill find somew her e to r est and w ill be
of no mor e distur bance to you...Unless, of cour se, you leave befor e our pr oject is
done, or should you fail to employ us w hen the casino opens, assuming our w or k
maintains standar ds, of cour se. Under either of these cir cumstances, how ever , Mr
Denholm, should you br eak our agr eement, my little fr iend w ill find a small vein,
in a ver y impor tant place in your head and w ill mer ely sit ther e until you have
str oke after str oke after str oke and pass away to w hatever fate you might secur e in
our w or ld.?
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