THE GRAMOPHONE

THE GRAMOPHONE

“Granpa, get in here, I found something cool”, shouts a young boy with brown hair and cute freckles over face with an age of 12 named Alan.

“Am coming sonny boy, what’s the rush?” says Mr Dan, a lanky man in his early 60’s shouts out to his grandson. “What is it you have found sonny boy?” he asks Alan.

“See granpa, I found this old device with a trumpet on its wood box, what is it?” Alan asks he his granddad as he looks at him.

His granddad is quiet as he looks at his grandson in a blank stare. “Granpa” Alan calls out again. “Hand it over sonny boy”, he says to his grandson as the boy gives it to him.

“Now run along, go and play with ya friends, after that later in da night I will tell ya a story”, Mr Dan says to his grandson as he grandson smiles and nods and leaves the room.

“I must hide this, them kids must never see it again”, Mr Dan says to himself as he carries the gramophone and exits the room.

“Pass the ball Sam”, Alan shouts out to his bestfriend as they play street ball with their two other friends. They do so till Ryan, Alan’s and his friends enemy with hid gang come out and walk up to them as they disrupt the game.

“Hey bitch”, Ryan says to Alan as he moves towards him. “I am not a bitch, don’t call me that”, Alan says back to him. “Ok, I won’t call you bitch, fool”, Ryan says as he and his friends bust out in laughter.

“Atleast I am not a bastard like you are”, Alan says to him as he friends shout. Ryan squeezes his face as he shouts “Get them”. “Run”, Alan shouts as he and his friends start to run away.

They run in separate ways. Alan and Sam run to a barn. Ryan and his friends run to the barn and stop to search for them. “Come out pipsqueak, I know you are in here”, Ryan says as he sends his boys to search different areas.

“Sam, I want you to take that way and when you get to the last door run out”, Alan says to his friend. “Ok Al, but what about you, where will you run to?” he says to him.

“Don’t worry I will go the other way, just run away”, he says to Sam as he nods. They both do, as Sam reaches the last door he takes up. They try to chase him when Alan pops out and runs.

They chase after him and catch him. “Beat him up”, shouts Ryan as they all start hitting Alan as he falls to the ground. A few minutes later Sam is back with his uncle. His uncle shoots his gun in the air and all the boys run away.

Sam runs to a bloody Alan lying and groaning in pains on the ground. He is carried by Sam’s uncle as they get him home.

“It hurts, stop”, Alan cries out as his wounds are treated by his granddad. Sam and his uncle had gone home already. “Boy endure it, you did good today so let me treat those wounds”, Mr Dan says to him as he treats him.

“I know you let Sam run so they could beat you only and he doesn’t get any blue eyes, Sam told me what happened”, he says to Alan as he smiles at him.

A few hours after they were done treating and went for dinner, it was time for Alan to sleep. “Granpa, the story remember”, Alan calls out to his Granddad. “I am coming sonny boy”, he replies back as he moves up the stairs to his grandsons room.

“Now make yourself comfy, this story is really important”, Mr Dan says to his grandson as his son makes himself comfortable.

Long time ago when I was still a young laddy, I and my older brother were living with our aunt. I and my brother Lan were out going on a stroll. Lan wanted to show me how he would make some quick cash and where he do it at, We entered a gamble house called shut the box.

Now listen Dan, I am just showing you this place but promise me you ain’t ever gonna gamble, it is a dangerous thing. I looked at my brother with seriousness and nodded in agreement as we did a pinky swear.

We walked into the casino, there was many scary looking men just staring at us like they was gonna eat us. “Come over here”, Lan said to me as he took my hand and we went to a crowded table that had a write up “shut the box”.

Lan brought out a few cents from his pocket as he put all on the table. “Now watch carefully”, Lan said to me as he picked up a dice and rolled em. He got a twelve. He then picked nine and three from a wooden box and made them face down.

This continued then I understood the game, after some time Lan won the five people he played against. He took a hundred dollars with him, as I was excited and jumping in joy with him.

A huge man dressed in black from head to toe stepped in with two men behind him. Everybody became quiet as soon as he stepped in and that was when I knew this guy was dangerous.

He grinned, looking around as he saw my brother, he walked up to us. “Well, well, well, if it ain’t the king of shut the box, the wretched kid with his poor sheep family”, the man laughed as my brother looked down.

“Hey don’t talk to my brother like that you big jerk”, I said to him as he looked at me and laughed out loud. “What a feisty mouth you have kid, they call me Black hat, whats your name kid?”, he said to me as he smiled.

“I am Dan, Lan’s younger brother”, I said as I stared at this man. “Oh, so king of shut box brought a trash like himself”, Black hat said. I was about to speak then my brother said “Wanna play?” Lan asked him as Black hat laughed with his guys.

“Sure kid, what you betting on?” Black hat asked. “Hundred dollars”, Lan said back. “Say kid, i got a deal for you, I will give ya hundred grand, if you win, you take it, if you don’t, you pay back, so what do you say”, black hat asked.

I and my brother were shocked as we have never seen such amount of cash. “Brother don’t do it, it is a bad idea”, I said to Lan but he totally ignored me and agreed. They started the game and not so long after Lan was losing the game.

“They are cheating brother”, I said to Lan as I saw the dirty tricks Black hat used. “Shut up kid”, Black hat shouted at me. “Dan, go home, when I finish, I will be right with ya, go now”, Lan said to me.

I looked at him as I clenched my fist and ran out. Later that night Lan came in all bruised up. I rushed to him. “Dan, I am sorry I did not listen, I have only a month to pay Black hat”, Lan said to me in sadness.

I didn’t say anything as I was crying. My aunt rushed out as she was filled with tears when she looked at the state my brother was in.

Later we helped him to his room, as my aunt treated him, I left the house in anger because of what black hat had done to my brother.

I was strolling on the road. Next thing I heard a large scream of a woman. I looked to my right as I saw a woman dressed in black rags, with wet hair texture and rough face, she was screaming as one of men tried to hit her.

I rushed over to her front and spread my hands wide. “Stop”, I yelled out as the man put his hand to a halt. “Move boy”, the man said to me in a deep stern voice. I stood as the three stared.

“Move, this woman is a witch, she must be gone or be burnt”, said another guy. “I won’t move”, I said back. I saw their bodies twitch, that is when I picked up sand and poured in their eyes. I grabbed the woman’s hands and started running away.

We ran to a hidden sight where no one saw us. “Miss, are you ok?” I asked her in a very polite tone, suddenly she bent down and hugged me tightly. “Miss are you alright?”, I asked as she said to me “Thank you sweet child, what is your name?”

“I am Dan” I replied. “Dear child, tell me anything you want and I will give it to you”, she said to me. “Miss, it is kinda complicated”, I said. “Tell me about it”, she said to me.

I explained everything about our situation to her. She brought out a shiny beautiful object from a black sack she was holding, she gave it to me. I then asked “Miss, what is this?” in a kind tone.

“This, my dear is a gramophone, not just any type a special”, she said to me in a friendly tone. “What is so special about it?” I asked as she came close to my ear. “Play your wants, it shall satisfy your needs”, she said to me as she walked away.

I looked at it as I decided to run after her, “Miss, what is your....?” she was gone before I could ask a question. I later walked home. I went upstairs to my room and put the gramophone in a hidden corner.

I went to my brother’s room, he was fast asleep. I went back to my room and laid on ma bed thinking about the gramophone and the woman and then I fell asleep.

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“Brother, come, I want to show you something”, I said as I dragged my brother’s hand to my room. “What do you want to show me Dan”? he asked me. I pushed out the gramophone from underneath my bed and showed it to him.

My brother was amazed as his eyes widened and he took the gramophone from and slowly slid to the floor. “Wow, where did you get this?” he asked me. “I got it from one old woman, she said play your want and your needs shall happen, something like that”, I said to him.

Lan still in amazement then snapped out of it and ran out of the room. He came back shortly with a some black discs in his hands. He brought out one and put it on the gramophones under.

He then looked at and faced forward putting the pin to scratch the disc so that it could play, after a while, sound was being played “Money, money, money, feels so funny in a rich man’s world”, the thing made.

After sometime, the gramophone started making a weird noise like that of a cough and it stopped playing. “What? This thing is broken, damn”, my brother said. I looked inside the gramophone as my brother laid his head back.

It was so dark and creepy as I came closer it was like I could hear a whispering voice. “Dan, Dan, what is it?” My brother said to me as I jerked up. “Nothing, I was just looking inside it”, I said in an awkward tone.

“Put that junk aside, we will throw it out tomorrow”, My brother said as he got up. I pushed it underneath my bed. “Now, it is bedtime, when aunty gets back I will welcome her”, my brother said to me.

I nodded as I climbed into the bed and lay down while my brother tucked me in and left. I still wonder about that woman and gramophone before I finally sleep.

“Brother, get in here!” I shouted out as my brother came in rush. “What?” My brother asked in panic. I brought out the gramophone with a black sack of golden coins.

My brother rushed down and looked at me.”Where did you get so much loot from?” he asked me as I pointed inside the gramophone. “Come on, from where?”, my brother asked again as i pointed the same place.

My brother grabbed the gramophone as started jumping for joy. He then bent down as kissed my head. “We have to tell aunt about it”, my brother said as he rushed out and told her.

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Later on that week, my brother paid off Black hat, we bought our house, we bought new clothes, we bought many things. My brother and I went to the casino as people stared at us with so much intensity as he grinned.

My brother sat down as he drank a beer. After a while Black Hat came in and saw us. “Well, well, well, If it ain’t the king who became a thief”, he said to my brother as my brother busted out in laugher.

Black Hat face started getting angry as he grabbed my brother. “Lets do a death match, the rule is I am going to shoot you when you least expect it”, he said as he let my brother go and left.

Later that day, I was scared for my brother, so I decided to head to my room. I saw my brother carrying the gramophone with a sinister grin. “I will win”, my brother was saying as he left. That was when worries were unleashed to me.

My brother started using the gramophone so much. It worsened as each day went by, my brother craved everything. My brother became GREEDY.

One day, my brother screamed out in his room. I ran upstairs to him. “Work dammit” my brother yelled at the gramophone. “Dan, it is not working again”, my brother said to me gloomily.

He stood up and left the room. I was so scared. I looked at the gramophone as I took it back to my room and kept it under my bed.

I woke up in the night to a very screechy sound. I went to the living room as the sound was coming from there. I saw a woman dressed in black sitting there. She looked like that same woman I helped. She mumbled something as I came closer

“Sacrifice a soul to be saved”, she said many times. I slowly reached out and touched her. She turned back and screamed “Wrath is before you”, as she disappeared suddenly.

I later snapped out of it as I took the gramophone outside and smashed it and threw it away. Next morning I saw my brother looking shocked as I went downstairs. “My money, all my cash is gone”, he wailed.

I was shocked as I also looked at the fact that he was holding the gramophone. It was in perfect shape. “Brother where did you get that gramophone from?” I asked my brother. “It was here”, he said. I dropped to my knees in horror.

“What happened Dan?” my brother asked. I looked up at him as I told him what happened. He looked at me in shock. He walked to our basement and decided to keep it there.

“We will never touch this again”, he said as he locked the door. We all agreed. Days passed but things started happening. Bad things started happening in the town.

One day my brother’s friend died without any cause. My brother was so sad. In the night we both decided to check the gramophone. We heard it playing a nursery rhyme “Ring a Ring a rossies, A pocket full of possies”, it played it and suddenly a weird laugh was coming from it.

Next day, people started falling sick, a week after some started dying. This continued till I eventually fell ill. My brother was so troubled by it. He rushed down to the basement and started screaming at the gramophone.

“Sacrifice your soul”, the gramophone told him. He took the gramophone and went outside and smashed it. When he came back in, it was sitted on the table. He screamed out.

A more days passed as I became close to my point of death. One day everyone who seemed to suffer the disease was suddenly healthy. I searched for Lan in joy but he was not in the house. We looked for him, then we found a letter in the basement.

“Dear Dan, I have decided to sacrifice my soul, promise never to be like me, I have failed you. Protect everyone from the gramophone, I shall now go”. I cried out as I looked at the gramophone.

“Boy, what have you learnt from this”, My granpa asked. “Never to be greedy”, Alan said. Mr Dan patted Alan’s head as he tucked him in.

Alan was being beaten up by Ryan and his friends again. Ryan then grabbed Alan by his hair. “Little bitch, your mom should be ashamed of you”, Ryan said as he punched.

Alan opened his eyes later after sometime and walked up home. On his way he stumbled on something and fell. In anger, he turned and then looked and saw the gramophone. He looked at it intensely as the thing said “Play me”.

POWER IS BEAUTIFUL, BUT WHAT OF TOO MUCH POWER, ISNT IT MOST BEAUTIFUL – Unknown