There was trouble on the street , a crowd had gathered for the second night in a row. Some stones were thrown then fight broke out .
Curious patrons from the local pub came out to see what was happening and a few of the lads stood there on the pavement sipping beer from their glasses .
The publican turned up the volume on the jukebox to block out the noise on the street . Suddenly a lone figure walked in through the front door . of the pub carrying a shovel over his shoulder ..
The publican shouted over .
“There’s no shovels allowed in the bar so you better leave it leave it outside if you would . “
The tall stranger walked over to the jukebox and smashed it into pieces then he slammed his fist on top of a table breaking it in half .
The whole place went silent as the stranger with the shovel said .
“Is there nobody going to sing us a song then ?”
There’s always one in the crowd . Up stood George O’Dowd with a drink in his hand and he began to sing an old song but a good one . He sang Whiskey In The Jar by the bar and a few more joined in .
The man with the shovel in his hand shouted aloud ,
““A little bit of order.”
As he smashed the windows of the pub with his shovel .
The place went quiet and the stranger encouraged the singers to keep singing .
“Who are you ad what do you want?”
The publican asked .
“I’m the grave digger and tonight I have a list of the dead and some of those names are here in this place .
The publican fled out the door but was brought to the floor by the right hand of the grave digger who said .
“You’re the first on the list . Keep singing O’Dowd .“
The grave digger was as big as a bull and was nobody was fool enough to tackle him . Everyone kept on singing.
“Sure ring dee me doo dar , whack for me Daddio , there’s whiskey in the jar ”
The grave digger walked around picking people at random as one after one men fell to the ground with a blow from the man with the shovel . Not one dared to say a word and the singer kept singing . .
“Three cheers for Mr O’Dowd .“
Said the grave digger
Everyone cheered .
Nobody dared to disturb the stranger who kept walking around the bar looking into the faces of all who were there .
He called out the names of those on his list and with his fist he collected their attention before slamming his shovel down upon their heads .
A dozen or more lay on the floor motionless as the grave digger sat down at the bar and fixed his gaze on those who were left and shouted out with a loud deep voice
“Stand at ease and stay away from me . I have work to be done “
He dragged the dead men out of the pub and into the street .
The fighting on the street had finished now and there’s was no one around . A few moments later a large truck came along the road outside the pub .
The grave digger got out of the truck put each and everyone who lay on the floor . They were all placed in the back of the truck .
An old woman with a walking stick in her hand walked into the pub .
“My name is Granny Grey , don’t get in my way . I’ve come to tell you all a story .”
As she took a seat she started to speak and her voice put them all in a trance . When she had finished her story not one of them remembered what had happened in the pub that day .
The grave digger and the truck had gone and all that was left was the broken glass and bits and pieces of furniture on the floor .
As far as everyone in the pub knew , it was the aftermath of the fight that had broken out earlier on when the two rival gangs clashed .
Happy Halloween. A volume of Horrible Haunts & Twisted Tales taken from the horror books La Belle Rouge has written every October for a decade and a half. If you have read her works in the horror genre, you know the invitation is for you to enjoy thr
