| Last Laugh Paul Crowhurst |
|
It was with a trembling hand and a pounding heart that I knocked on the massive oaken door standing before me. Here I was about to enter a house which had been a
symbol of darkness and fear since my early childhood. And for what? Just because I wanted to join a club, did I have to go through with this senseless initiation?
My thoughts were interrupted by the click of the latch as the door swung noiselessly inward on well-oiled hinges. I entered haltingly into a huge ancient room lit only by the rays of the full moon streaming through the windows. For a moment my fears were forgotten as I gazed in awe at the beautiful dust-laden furniture. I was snapped back to reality by a booming voice which seemed to press in on me from all corners of the room. I stood quaking and gripping the corner of an old desk as I listened to a blood-curdling display of creaks and groans and the rattling of chains. I quelled my urge to run and, feeling a sudden surge of courage, decided to investigate. I walked to the nearest door and a cold sweat broke out on my forehead. I wiped my hands. I grasped the door knob, turned it and yanked it towards me. I breathed a sigh of relief, the closet was empty. I approached the second door but when it was pulled open I saw a blur of white and my head felt light and my knees were like rubber as I recognized the occupant of this closet was a skelton. Upon closer examination, I convinced myself that it was a doctor's skelton used to identify the different bones of the body. It was then I noticed the gleam of light which issued from beneath a nearby door. I was beginning to seriously doubt the presence of ghosts and I walked to the door and opened it slowly to disclose a flight of steps leading to the basement. I crept stealthily down the steps and was astounded by the sight I saw. There in front of the furnace stood four boys who were murmuring weird phrases into the furnace and occasionally rattling a short length of chain. This accounted for the noises I heard and the effect they were making. I pondered for a moment on how I could gain revenge when I thought of the skeleton. I hurried back up the stairs, found the skeleton and quickly attached wires to the head and arms. I returned to the stairs and quietly slid the skeleton over the rail to the floor. Keeping out of sight, I raised one arm or both arms making my puppet move and come alive. I heard some low gasps and peered over the railing to see the four boys shaking with fear and their white faces told of their emotions like the pages of a book. This was all I wanted. I let go of the wires, slumped back on the stairs, threw my head back and laughed until the tears streamed down my face. When I wiped away the tears, I saw the faces of four very angry boys towering above me and it was then I realized the truth of the old proverb, 'He who laughs last, laughs best.'. |