Till the Cold and Hunger Ceases

The Haunted Violin, Stradivinski

The Carnegie Hall Debut

Thomas smiled as he entered the stage to applause. The theater was packed; a sold-out show. He never believed he could make it this far. In four weeks, he went from slumming in the subway to playing in Carnegie Hall and it was all thanks to Stradivinski.

He opened the violin case that sat on a stool in front of a microphone as the crowd hushed in anticipation. He pulled Stradivinski out of the case and closed his eyes, melding with the violin spirit, ready to move and press as was necessary.

Possessed by the Music

Stradivinski possessed him every time they played. Often Thomas had no memory of the concert. Thomas would always wake up to the audience cheering and clapping, take a bow, and put Stradivinski away. He didn’t even remember anything when Archie discovered him on the subway, nor did he remember how Stradivinski showed up.

All he remembered was a dream. As he tried to sleep in the underground, struggling with cold and hunger, a voice came to him and asked him, “What would you give to live a better life?”

And Thomas answered, “Everything. I would give everything to not feel cold and hungry ever again.” And he woke up with a curious box beside him.

A Dream Deferred

Thomas had left Pennsylvania three years prior to pursue an acting career. He’d always wanted to be in movies. Go on talk shows. And meet extraordinary people. He wasn’t very good at acting though. He always said, “I figure it out when I get there.”

His parents had given him a large amount of money to follow his dream, but he spent it quickly and ended up paying the price by living in the underground. He didn’t want to go back home. He didn’t want to face his parents who would only tell him, “We told you so.” He tried to stay in the know about acting jobs, but it was getting harder and harder to do. No one wanted to talk to a homeless man who hadn’t shaved or washed in a month, and he couldn’t convince them that he was a star that would “pay them back,” if they gave him a chance.

The Promise Fulfilled

But here he was, finally making a name for himself, alongside Stradivinski. He was planning on calling his parents soon and proving to them he was doing fine, even if it took three years and four months, he’d made it.

He woke up. Stradivinksi released its grip on him and the audience was silent. He looked out to see that they were all dead, dehydrated, like a bunch of mummies, their ritzy clothes clung to them, still bright and new but adorned tight, sun-dried husks of horror.

The Curse Unleashed

Thomas gasped and nearly fell over. The weight of Stradivinski increased immensely and Thomas lost his grip. With a clatter, Stradivinski tumbled onto the stage and shattered, revealing a pitch-black creature. It was serpent-like but had long arms with very long claws.

Like lightning, it seized Thomas, pouncing before he could get back up to his feet. “Remember, you said you would give everything to stop the cold and hunger. I’ll keep that promise.”

It ripped open his mouth, breaking the jaw, and crawled down his throat.

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