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Post by Atticus Ravensdale on Apr 15, 2012 2:53:39 GMT
Shrugging, Atticus nodded. What mattered most was paying his debt back. He liked the idea of getting some work done. It kept his mind sharp and perhaps he'd learn something new.
"Yes sir." He stood up and took his place next the Vaudier. His superior no doubt had some good tips on dealing with the inmates. Looking to Bramsfield, he smiled.
"Thank you for your help, sir." It was good to express gratitude to one's employer, or so he was told. Either way, it seemed to be the polite thing to do.
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Post by Dr. Edward Gideon Bramsfield on Apr 15, 2012 12:48:47 GMT
"Now wha's this thing?" Vaudier stooped to a low window in the upper hallway looking out over the yards, "I see a fox. Come, lookit!" He pointed
True to his word, a rabid fox clawed its way down the main drive, slipping through the bars of the gilded iron gates as easily as the rats did. It yelped its horrible yelp, sounding of a demon in the waning daylight calling its death-call to the inmates inside.
"It's rabid," said Vaudier, "we gotta' go kill it. This should be fun!"
He clapped his hands together and rubbed them back and forth enthusiastically before grabbing Atticus's arm and tugging himdown the stairway of the main foyer to the door. "Now don't just shoot it. I wanna play wif it first"
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Post by Atticus Ravensdale on Apr 15, 2012 18:18:44 GMT
Looking where Vaudier pointed, there certainly was a fox. The creature looked as unhinged as some of the inmates Atticus had seen. He cringed slightly, loathing that fur coloring on animals. Best to put the creature out of its misery and be done with it.
"Fun? How does one have fun with a rabid fox, sir," asked Atticus without a trace of sarcasm. He was legitimately curious. The young man went with his superior as he led him to the doors, nodding his assent when told not to shoot it right away. Whatever Vaudier had in store for the fox, it would certainly be a sight to see.
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Post by Dr. Edward Gideon Bramsfield on Apr 15, 2012 18:26:52 GMT
"Oh, we just tease it a little. Damn, doesn't this thing remind you of Brammypoo?" he chortled as he grabbed his rifle from the side closet and cocked it, "We just poke it a little. Have a lil' dance before we kill it."
He led the new chaser out to the front lawn, fully aware that many of the inmates would now be staring out their windows. Well, he certainly hoped so. This would show them what a chaser could to.
"I do believe I wanna' kill this one with my bare hands." he giggled as he shot just behind the rabid fox, which sent it darting desperately, hackles up, towards them instead of away. "C'mere Brammypoo" he called to the fox as it snarled, foam dripping from its bared teeth as it wobbled this way and that on unsteady legs.
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Post by Atticus Ravensdale on Apr 15, 2012 18:44:01 GMT
"Now that you mention it, it does. The coloring is even similar." Along with how the head was shaped, the thinness of the body, and... whoa. Could the natives in Burma have been right? Could souls exist in two vessels regardless of species? Maybe those hindus had a point...
Atticus followed Vaudier to the front lawn, eyes on the fox. He pondered the implications this might have. That would mean past lives must exist as well, something his family said went against God's teachings. Maybe they were worshiping the wrong god after all?
The shot from the rifle brought the young man down to earth. The fox looked quite angry now, not that it didn't before. Atticus cautiously put his hand on Vaudier's arm.
"Sir, what if this fox is housing part of doctor Bramsfield's soul? What happens to that... soul portion... if it's killed?" Now that he voiced it aloud, Atticus became acutely aware of how idiotic that sounded. Still, a little part of his mind urged him on.
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Post by Dr. Edward Gideon Bramsfield on Apr 15, 2012 18:53:27 GMT
"Maybe we should take him back to the headmaster, then. Go fetch me a cage, boy. We're gonna' lock this little foxy woxy up, 'eh?" His grin was wicked and sadistic.
He recalled having done the same to Bramsfield on more than one occasion, back when they had a long-running affair. He wondered what the doctor would think of his new tithe to him. To bring back a rabid fox, foaming at the mouth and ready to kick the bucket.
If the fox was really a piece of Bramsfield, then why was it batshit crazy? Maybe it was a metaphor. It seemed likely that it meant a metaphor. Still, why a fox? Why would Bramsfield even have a soul in a fox? The concept was lost to him. Atticus was far more clever than he, it seemed. He shot it in the leg to bring it down and waited for his companion to return.
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Post by Atticus Ravensdale on Apr 15, 2012 19:21:45 GMT
Out of force of habit, Atticus saluted saying, "Yes sir!" before running to fetch the cage. It was a good idea to take the fox to the headmaster. Maybe there would even be some sort of reaction and Bramsfield's soul would become whole again.
Looking around a supply room, the young man found an iron cage that would comfortably house the deranged animal. After quickly testing its sturdiness, Atticus ran back out to Vaudier. He set it on the ground in front of the fox and opened the little door. Then, removing his jacket, Atticus used it to carefully ease the animal inside while avoiding any bites.
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Post by Dr. Edward Gideon Bramsfield on Apr 15, 2012 19:29:05 GMT
"Quite skilled at trapping animals, I see," said Vaudier as he whacked the fox's behind to get it to go the final few inches within, slamming the door and latching it. There would be no escape for it now.
He journeyed with Atticus back up to Bramsfield's office, where he barged in without knocking. Splayed on the couch was Bramsfield a bit...indisposed.
"Uh...Boss?" was his shaky, stunned exclamation.
"Sweet merciful lord Jesus Christ!" stammered Doctor Bramsfield as he nearly fell from the couch, collecting himself and quickly adjusting his breeches. He stood shakily from the floor, mopping the slight sweat from his brow, "Have you never heard of such a thing as knocking, you idiots?!"
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Post by Atticus Ravensdale on Apr 15, 2012 19:52:37 GMT
Atticus smiled, pleased to be receiving praise for his skills. The fox could keep the jacket for now. It was too hot out to be wearing it anyway.
Walking with Vaudier, he wondered how he could get Bramsfield to understand the gravity of the situation. His thoughts were interrupted when he realized what their commander... headmaster, was doing behind the door. This time, Atticus was grateful to feel nothing or this would be really awkward. Saluting his commander-headmaster, Atticus spoke.
"Sir! We have come here to repair the state of your soul! The urgency by-passes formalities such as knocking, though I hope you will forgive us for it! This fox houses a portion of your soul, sir!"
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Post by Dr. Edward Gideon Bramsfield on Apr 15, 2012 19:59:00 GMT
"My soul?" he laughed, approaching the fox with a sneer, "What does this thing have to do with my soul, hm? Do I even have one that you are aware of?"
He stuck his finger through the bar fearlessly to find that the wild thing merely licked and suckled at his long-nailed, bony digit. "What's this?" he mused.
"Better to catch rabies than to risk losing my 'soul,' no?" He mused, "where did you get this thing anyway?"
"Out at the gates. Yelpin' and hollerin' like an inmate itself, Brammy." Vaudier said with a shrug, "I was gonna' play wif it, but Atticus here thinks it's a reincarnation of ya'."
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Post by Atticus Ravensdale on Apr 15, 2012 20:10:17 GMT
"You're the only one it's being friendly toward, sir. It is only natural for part of your soul to be drawn to the rest of you."
He knew how it must sound. The whole thing sounded ludicrous, but he had to stick to his instinct. They'd never failed him before. There had to be some logical way for Atticus to prove the true nature of the fox. How in the world did the hindus figure these things out...?
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Post by Dr. Edward Gideon Bramsfield on Apr 15, 2012 20:18:52 GMT
"Kill it," he said simply, flicking the poor manic thing in the nose, which caused it to screech and yelp, thrashing in its cage. For surely pain was magnified during rabies, "Kill it and take it far, far away. If we have an outbreak of Rabies here in the Asylum. Imagine the death. Why, think of the bodies we'd have to burn" he said self-centeredly.
He took the cage himself and frowned "and think of my son! If he is to get sick by bringing this thing in here, both of you will be sucking the rabies right from this fox's bleeding neck two weeks after decomposing, do you here me?!"
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Post by Atticus Ravensdale on Apr 15, 2012 20:32:21 GMT
"Understood, sir."
Atticus knew that tone well. You simply don't argue with your superiors when they use that tone unless you want to peel potatoes for a week. Not that he could speak from experience, but one of his friends described the ordeal as a 'spuddy hell' and that was enough for him. Potatoes were rubbish.
Atticus looked from Bramsfield to the fox, still seeing the strange resemblance between the two. He knew he couldn't be imagining it or Vaudier would not have seen it either. Hopefully there would be little to no reaction in Bramsfield upon killing the foamy creature. The young man made a note to closely monitor the doctor's behavior in the coming days.
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Post by Dr. Edward Gideon Bramsfield on Apr 15, 2012 20:52:27 GMT
Reluctantly, Vaudier took a knife and stabbed the thing in the ribs, digging the blade in deep until the thrashing ceased. He sighed heavily. "No fun" he mumbled and took the cage for himself, thankful the blood was absorbed by Atticus's jacket.
"Now go. Go and dump it." said Doctor Bramsfield with a light shrug, "and by dump it, I mean incinerate the thing out on the body pile. There are to be no remains, do you hear me? NONE." he said sharply and shook his hair out a bit. He beckoned to Atticus, "and you are to stay" he instructed.
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Post by Atticus Ravensdale on Apr 15, 2012 21:12:35 GMT
While watching Vaudier put the fox out of its misery, the only thing on his mind was whether the blood would stain his jacket. Then again, if it did stain, perhaps it would make him look more threatening to the inmates.
Atticus remained where he stood in compliance with Bramsfield's orders. He was certain he'd be punished. Stopping Vaudier from killing the fox was his idea, after all. If there was such thing as a god, perhaps now would be the time to show mercy on him. Maybe he'd get to see what spuddy hell was like now.
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