Blood Moon 3 (Haunted)

Last Call

Early 1800's

"Last call!"

The booming voice of the tavern keeper echoed over the hand carved wooden bar. Dawn was approaching fast and the last round of drinks was about to be served. The overcrowded tavern would soon fall silent for the day.

Elijah slowly got up, rocking slightly on his feet and let out a blasting belch as he raised his giant hand to signal for a last shot of whiskey. He had been ingesting shots of the burning liquid since dusk had settled over the town. The thought of going home to his wife who nagged at him for every tiny thing made his head hurt.

Screw it, I'll just go straight to work.

He was more excited about the chopping of wood than he was at the prospect of facing Magdaline. Fifteen years, for fifteen years he had been burdened with a mousy little know it all. To this day he still could not figure out what had possessed him to marry her.

After his final shot, Elijah made his way outside to retrieve his horse from the paddock behind the tavern. He fumbled with the reigns as he hooked the giant black horse to his small wooden wagon. Caesar, his pride and joy. Magdaline had been furious the day he had returned home after a week of being M.I.A only to find out that he had gone and spent their entire life savings on a horse. He still had the scar on his eyebrow to remind him of her fury. She had thrown plates and cups at him, till finally in her fit of rage, her hand had found the heavy cast iron pot she used for all her delicious stews.

Damn woman!

His head ached and his intestines felt like it was a blazing inferno. Whiskey, his salvation as well as his worst enemy. The trip into the woods didn't help his constitution.

It seemed like the wagon was rocking back and forth and side to side more often on this trip. He cursed the horse and whipped him harder with the crop in his large hand. Elijah knew he was being unreasonable, in the end, this was all his own fault. Only he could be blamed for knocking up Magdaline, he felt responsible enough to ask her to marry him. The fact that she had a miscarriage halfway through her pregnancy wasn't her fault. It was him who had decided for them to move outside of town, his own choice to become a lumberjack.

Finally reaching his destination, he lifted his large body out of the wagon and took up his axe. He would take out his frustration on some innocent trees.

*~*~*

A handful of hours had passed, Elijah wiped his sweat soaked brow with his forearm. His mouth and throat felt like he had chewed on and swallowed a fistful of cotton. He headed back towards his wagon, somewhere between all his rags and tools he had hidden a near half bottle of whiskey and an old sandwich or two. No way was he going to face his wife right now, she would tell him to make his own food.

Elijah was just busy taking a large swig of whiskey when his eyes fell on a small thatched roof building a few hundred yards ahead of him. He choked and spluttered. He was sure there had been nothing there just a few moments ago.

He rubbed his eyes and stepped forward. Either he had drank too much or his eyes were playing tricks on him, but the closer he got to the small building, the more he thought he might be dreaming.

He could hear loud music from within. The sound of men chattering and arguing grew louder and louder. He could even hear the laughter and giggles of woman. Curiosity overtook surprise. Elijah walked right up to the faded red door of the building and knocked loudly. He waited for what seemed an eternity before the door finally swung open.

Before him stood the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"Well hello there dearie. Welcome, welcome. Please come on in."

"Wh-what is this place?"

Elijah's eyes nearly popped out of his head as he took in the sight. It was a tavern, filled to the brim with men just like him, but that was not all. Each man had a woman with him. Beautiful exotic woman who were flinging themselves at some of the ugliest S.O.B's he had ever seen.

"What can I get you Love?"

He had almost forgotten about the beauty who had greeted him. For a moment he just stared at her with a blank expression on his face. God how he wished Magdaline had looked like this. Then he would have absolutely no problem putting up with her constant nagging. This woman was tall and slender, had the biggest, brightest green eyes and a thick head of long curly black hair. The tips reached down and caressed her perfect buttocks. His eyes finally reached her ample breasts. They were large and nearly spilling out of the tight corset she was wearing.

"I... Whiskey"

She giggled slightly at his stutter, took his hand in her own and led him to the bar where she instructed the barkeeper to hurry up and get Elijah his whiskey.

*~*~*

Elijah thought he was in heaven. He had been drinking non-stop, not knowing what the time was, and not really caring. He had made some conversation with a few of the other men and had even gone as far as playing a couple hands of poker. Of course he always lost, but this didn't bother him. It was worth it. The young beauty had stayed by his side the entire time. She had even so much as hinted that she was willing to go to one of the empty rooms in the back and show him the time of his life. The only obstacle was his own guilt. How could he face Magdaline if he made love to another woman? His will was waning though. Temptation! His desire for this woman grew and grew with each passing minute.

Screw Magdaline!

Finally he gave in. Bliss! It had been absolute bliss. How had he not known about this place? He had worked in these woods for years. He pondered on this for only a few seconds though. Why question the will of the Gods?

Afterwards, when he and his lady were laying on the cold ground in the empty room, a loud voice came from behind the door.

"Last call!"

All his physical needs had been sated, now to quench his thirst. He got up and left the woman sleeping. Once more he signalled for a whiskey. This time making sure he savored it before he started heading back to his life outside. At some stage he would have to go home and face his wife. Right now he was going to enjoy his last few minutes of heaven.

His hand was resting on the doorknob, he turned around and gave a final nod and smile. Elijah was unprepared for what he saw when he opened the faded red door.

There, right in front of him, was the tree he had been chopping, except it had fallen. He could not remember that he had actually gotten as far as chopping right through it.

"What the hell?!"

Beneath the fallen tree was a body, crushed. He could barely make out the face of the person... The only thing he did recognize was the shirt and the long scraggly beard. It was him, it was Elijah.

A soft hand touched his shoulder from behind. He spun around and was met with the bright green eyes of the woman he had just made love to.

"I am sorry dear. You died the moment you saw this tavern. This was your final day in this world. Each person is rewarded a final moment of pleasure, this was yours."