Chapter 37: The Greed Of Old Man Harwick
Old Man Harwick was known throughout the village for his greed and cruelty. He lived alone in a decrepit mansion at the edge of town, its walls towering like a fortress. The mansion was rumored to be filled with treasures he had accumulated over the years through deceit, manipulation, and outright theft. No one dared to visit him, for he was as bitter as he was rich, and he guarded his wealth with an iron fist.
Harwick spent his days counting his gold coins, his gnarled fingers caressing each piece as if it were a lover. He trusted no one, and his only companions were the rats that scurried through the dark corners of his mansion. He cared little for the outside world and even less for the people in it. The villagers whispered about him, calling him a miser, a monster, a man who would meet a fitting end.
One stormy night, as thunder rumbled and lightning cracked across the sky, Harwick sat in his dimly lit parlor, counting his gold. The wind howled outside, rattling the windows and sending shivers down the spines of those who huddled in their homes. Harwick, however, was oblivious, lost in his obsession. Suddenly, there was a loud knock at the door.
He froze, his eyes narrowing. No one ever visited him. The knock came again, louder this time, more insistent. Harwick grumbled, pushing himself up from his chair and shuffling to the door. He flung it open, expecting to see a desperate villager or perhaps a foolish thief. Instead, he found a hooded figure, drenched from the rain, standing silently on his doorstep.
"What do you want?" Harwick snarled, his voice as cold as the night air.
The figure said nothing, only extended a skeletal hand from beneath the cloak. In its bony fingers, it held a small, ornate chest, intricately carved and glinting with an eerie light. Harwick's eyes widened with greed, the sight of the chest mesmerizing him. Without a word, he snatched it from the figure's grasp and slammed the door shut.
He hurried back to the parlor, his heart pounding with excitement. He placed the chest on the table and examined it closely. There was no lock, no keyhole, only strange symbols etched into the wood. He hesitated for a moment, a rare pang of unease prickling at his mind. But greed overcame caution, and he opened the chest.
Inside, he found a single, golden coin, larger and more ornate than any he had ever seen. It gleamed with a strange, otherworldly light, casting eerie shadows on the walls. Harwick's breath quickened, his fingers itching to hold it. He reached in and grasped the coin, lifting it from the chest.
As soon as his fingers touched the coin, a searing pain shot through his hand. He screamed, dropping the coin, but it was too late. The pain spread rapidly, coursing through his veins like liquid fire. He staggered, clutching his arm as the skin blackened and cracked. His screams echoed through the mansion, drowned out by the thunder outside.
He fell to the floor, writhing in agony as the curse took hold. The gold coin lay beside him, pulsing with a malevolent glow. Harwick's vision blurred, and he felt his life slipping away. The last thing he saw was the hooded figure standing in the doorway, watching silently as the curse claimed him.
By morning, the storm had passed, and the villagers dared to approach the mansion. They found Harwick's lifeless body, twisted and contorted, his hand still clutching the cursed coin. The chest lay empty beside him, its strange symbols glowing faintly in the dim light. The villagers whispered of curses and retribution, of how greed had led Old Man Harwick to a fitting end.
The mansion was abandoned, left to decay and crumble. No one dared to take the treasures that remained, for fear of the curse that had claimed Harwick. His story became a cautionary tale, a warning of the dangers of greed and the deadly end that awaits those who let it consume them.
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