Further Tales of the Monkey's Paw
When the old mans wife died, he buried the old monkeys paw, and prayed that no one would ever find it. The monkey's paw was powerful, and he would never wish that upon anyone. But just incase someone would find it one day, he wrote them a letter telling of the paw's power and vaguely of how the paw had ruined his life.
His wife died a few months after their experience with the paw. Her poor heart had been over-taxed that night and since she hadn't been feeling well. The doctors said she died from heart failure, but the old man knew that it was really from the hopelessness that seemed to over power her.
"He was right there," she had said one day. "If only I was tall enough to have opened the door sooner, he would be here today with us."
Her husband quietly agreed, even though his heart was crying out that she was a fool to have made him make the wish.
The old man soon followed his wife into the land of the deceased, and soon no one remembered the monkey's paw.
Many years passed, and their once wonderful house became a low-cost apartment building, then a ramshackle drug house. Eventually the city planner had it demolished and it was sold to a housing developer.
The lot sat empty for a few years, with only a For Sale sign on it. Then it was sold, and it was designated for an apartment building. The ground was broken April 1, 2010, and soon workers were almost finished with the basement.
The day before the basement was to be filled with cement, one of the workers came in early and began to work with the bulldozer. He was just smoothing the ground in front of where the apartment building would soon stand, when he spotted something sticking out of the ground.
He turned the grumbling machine off, and jumped down to the cold earth. He quickly walked over to where the thing stuck out of the ground slightly and knelt down next to it. It was still early spring, but it was an unusually cold one, and he could see his breath as it hung in the air in front of him as he looked closely at the thing.
It seemed to be a box, so the man quickly slipped on his work gloves and started to dig it out from the earth. It was only a small box, the wood had been grayed from age. It was locked, but just with a cheep lock, and the man soon had bent it enough to be able to snap it off.
The man opened the box, and took out the thing inside. As he did a slip of paper flew out of the box, and the man quickly grabbed it before it flew away completely. He starred at the thing in his hand as he put the slip of paper into his pocket, and then stood quickly. He grabbed the box, and shoved the hairy thing into it, and then took out the piece of paper. He glanced at that, but then shoved it into the box as well.
He then ran to the bulldozer, and took out the key. He knew what he needed to do with this box.
Meanwhile, a younger man, named Herbert White, was just getting to his office. He was a developer, and had many projects around the city. While this city had once been a small town, it was now fairly large and bustling.
The moment he sat down his secretary rang him.
"Sir, there is a worker here to see you." She said.
This thoroughly puzzled the young man, but he was young and not yet hardened, so he told his secretary to let the man in.
In walked the worker, carrying the old box. He set the box down on the Mr. White's desk, and then sat down in a chair.
"That-That thing in there has to be the absolutely worst lookin' thing I ever lain eyes on," the worker said. "I found it when I was workin' on the new apartment site. I was just mindin' my own business and it popped up out o' the ground."
Mr. White took a look at the box, and then picked it up and opened it. Inside lay a hairy little hand, and the yellowed and stained slip of paper. Mr. White picked up the paper first, trying to avoid contact with the dark paw, and began to read it.
"'To whom ever may find this,'" Mr. White read out loud. "'You have stumbled upon a most horrible thing, and I bid you to immediately do away with it. But first I will tell you what it is, and what it had done to myself and my family. A spell was placed on this monkey's paw in India. It was placed there to prove that fate rules ones life, and if anyone interferes with it they will be punished. Any person who wants will receive three wishes from the paw. They will happen, but at a price. I have lost my son and my wife because of my greed, and I fear for what will be lost if any one else finds this. I have buried it for a reason. While it cannot be destroyed, it can be hidden. Please help me with my quest to make sure no one else must suffer from this horrible thing.'"
Mr. White finished reading this, and put the paper down. The worker was staring transfixed at the box on the desk. Neither said a word for a full two minuets. Finally, Mr. White stood, and walked over to the worker.
"Thank you for bringing this to me. I will dispose of it. You will receive a raise in you paycheck, and I hope you will soon forget about this."
His meaning was understood by the man, who stood and quickly thanked Mr. White, before leaving the room.
Mr. White sat back down behind the desk, and picked up the slip of paper again and turned it over. "'If you are foolish enough to want to make your three wishes, simply grasp it firmly in your hand and wish out loud. Your wish may take a while to happen, and when it comes true it may seem like it is simply a coincidence.'"
Mr. White stared at the monkey's paw, still lying in the box. He reached out and grabbed it from the box, and held it with the tips of his fingers, looking at it very carefully. Then he made up his mind and grasped the monkey's paw tightly. He whispered something quietly to himself, and then smiled. The paw moved slightly in his hand, but he did not worry about it, and just figured it was his imagination.
"Maybe the man who buried this wished for the wrong thing. He said he was greedy, but my wish was not a greedy one, so it should not harm anyone." Mr. White seemed please with himself, and was soon working again.
The Monkey's Paw sat quietly in its box on his desk all throughout the day. Mr. White occasionally looked at it and smiled. He felt he had done the right thing, and had a wonderful day.
That night as he was getting ready to go home, he opened the box once more, just to look at the paw. He smiled as he closed the lid, and then left his office, leaving the box behind.
The next morning the United Union declared war on the Soviet Confederation. Within days the world was at a stand still, and everything seemed to cease. Then, four days after Mr. White made his wish, the Soviet Confederation attacked the United Union, and the United Union counter attacked. Eventually it became full-scale nuclear war.
Everything living on Earth was annihilated six days after Mr. White made his wish. And then there was peace on Earth.