Shadow of Avarice
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-Dark fic based in the Animal Crossing universe
-POV of Eunice the Sheep
-Rated R
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It was a gloomy wet day in the town of Brighton, it was that time where the trees began
to brown and the leaves began to tremble from the very branches that they were latched
on to, gripping for dear life in the stuttering cold winds. Over the past six months the
mood around the village was beginning to turn dark. It's not really something I can
explain in, but a shadow was settling over the land, it was something I could feel in my
very heart. This is my story...

********************************************

Tom Nook looked drearily at his supplies. With each passing sun and moon they seemed
to dwindle more and more. I couldn't help but notice how the selection of wallpapers and
other home ornaments had diminished down to the mere choices of regal wallpaper, and a
dainty selection of steel assortments. It was dismal to look at.

"I'm sorry there isn't much to choose from, perhaps you'd be interested in this old
television?" spoke the flustered raccoon as he pointed to an old dusty tele-box. "It can
only play one channel, but I'm sure it would still go nice with your home?"

I adjusted my scarf a bit as I kneaded my wool in discomfort. The room was cold, he
must not have been able to afford heating anymore. There was a dark silence as he looked
at me with cold defeated eyes. There was once a time where we were all happy. A time
where we'd gather around the wishing well, and frolic in the spring air, but things have
changed since then. The crickets no longer sang their songs in the night, they no longer
hopped around in the bright day light, they no longer incited a chase from a fellow
villager...

"Eunice?" whispered Tom softly as he pressed his hand against my shoulder.

"I'm sorry, yes I suppose I'll take the television set, how much is it?"

"300 bells."

The price was surprisingly much cheaper than I had thought. I felt sorry for him in a way
as he brushed the remaining clumps of dust off the old beaten set. As I dug around my
pockets, fishing for the money that I held, I decided to give more than the price that was
asked of me.

"Here's 400 Tom, I know...I know things have been hard recently."

He took the money quietly nodding, as I took the television out the door without word.

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I looked around my quiet single roomed dwelling, taking notice of the position my new
television was in. New was hardly the term I'd use to describe it however. Its wood
paneling warped and the dust seemed to collect on it faster than it should, giving it a
beaten weathered look. I sighed for a moment and stepped out into the gray outside
closing the door behind me softly. I paused for a moment to take in the brisk cool air,
tightening my scarf a bit to cover me from the icy winds.

In a moment of thought I turned around and locked my door. There was once a time
where I didn't have to lock my door, but again, things had changed in this village. We
were no longer a people of smiles and laughter...

Without aim or judgment I began to wander around the forest as there was nothing else to
do in the gray dreary outside. As I trotted around a bit I could hear voices coming from
the wishing well, they were angry voices, ones of malevolence and hate. Chastely, I
stepped through the grass quietly and parted the trees to look over at the well that had
been dried up for months, merely a stone mouth that no longer whispered in the wind to
you. There were four figures standing around the stone fountain, Buck the horse, Bitty
the hippo, Hugh the pig, and Vladimir the bear. They were shouting at someone else who
I could not see from behind the trees. As my eyes peered over they rested on a horror that
drew a scream from my throat.

It was Tortimer our mayor...dead.

He was hanging from the tree that was bound to the wishing well. The noose gripped
tightly around his neck, his body dangling lifeless as the four animals tossed rotten
peaches at him.

The thoughts that rushed through my head could not comprehend what my eyes were
seeing. The sweat beaded on my forehead even in the icy air as I stepped backwards into
the undergrowth hoping they had not seen or heard me.

Why had they done this? What was the reason? Tortimer did not deserve to die. Why
had they lynched him? These questions screamed in my head as I ran home as fast as my
legs could carry me. The image of the turtle's dangling lifeless body burned into my
thoughts as I slammed the door shut behind me. But the comfort of my own home did not
comfort me at all. The quiet room haunted me, it scared me, it evoked a fear out of me
that could not be described with words, only feeling. What was happening to me?
Everything was beginning to fall apart.

I immediately bolted for the door, rushing outside. I had to tell Copper, this was
something that could not go unheeded. I rushed through the trees, coming to a clearing
where the river parted the land. The river had dried up months ago during the hot summer,
and the waters never returned. The river was the life force of this town, and it seemed that
the dark aura of the village came at the same time the waters evaporated and the riverbeds
cracked. I hastily darted across the bridge, not slowing down as I ran. I finally came to
the small gray building of the police station where Copper was standing.

Panting I rushed up to him as he eyed me in suspicion,

"Eunice what's wrong...?"

"Copper! You have to help me, I just witnessed something horrible," I gasped as I
brushed the sweat off my forehead trying to catch my breath.

"Alright, alright, calm down Eunice, what seems to be the problem."

"Tortimer...he's dead, they...they just killed him!"

"Ok Ok, Eunice, you need to calm down, tell me everything you saw in detail ok?" he
said as though in disbelief of what I was saying, but I knew I could trust him. His voice
was reassuring, it had authority.

"Alright..." I whispered calmly between my pants of hot breath. I took in a deep amount
of icy air into my lungs, letting out a deep sigh afterwards,

"I went to the wishing well, and I saw Buck, Hugh, Bitty and Vladimir...and they were
throwing peaches at Tortimer...but but Tortimer was dead! He was hanging from the
wishing well tree from a noose. They they lynched him Copper you have to believe me!"

He looked at me with squinting eyes for a moment before shaking his head.

"Let me tell you something Eunice, that bastard deserved it."

I gasped at what I was hearing, it was though reality was warping right before my very
eyes as I watched the uniformed canine clench his teeth at me.

"Look around you, the well dried up ages ago, the trees are dying, the very life force of
the village is draining, and it's all his fault. Can't you see that?" he growled.

My face twisted in confused shock, I had no idea what he was talking about, it didn't
make sense to me. What would Tortimer have to do with the life force of the village
being drained?

"Copper, what are you saying?"

"What I'm saying is, he was killing us Eunice. He lived as a rich tortoise, comforted by
his wealth, while we suffer down here, struggling with our own two paws and hooves. Do
you think that's fair?"

"But why kill him?!" I snapped back, my confusion turning towards anger. "Why?!" The answers
I was getting did not justify the means. I wanted a real reason, a real answer. I had to know
the truth.

"You ask too many questions...as a matter of fact, you're pretty well off yourself..." he
muttered as his demeanor turned more vicious.

I saw his paw reach for his bayonet as I slowly took a step backwards. A pang of fear
shot through my stomach. I was completely unprepared for what would happen next, the
pain searing across my face as he swiped his bludgeoning weapon repeatedly. I collapsed
to the ground in agony as I felt my body go numb. He was striking me from above now,
each hit becoming stronger and more vicious with each pass. What had I done to deserve
this pain? What had I done? I screamed my thoughts.

Eventually the striking ceased as my body laid broken on the stone ground. My vision
went blurry as my head laid sideways, looking at the horizon that was now turned vertical.
With a loud clanging noise I heard the bloody bayonet drop to the ground as I watched
his black boots walk away from me. I felt a tear of crimson trickle from my lips, the
world turned black before me, but my eyes did not close...

********************************************

"Is she dead?"

"No..."

"Is she sleeping, when will she be awake?"

"Yes...soon..."

I kept my eyes closed as I listened to the muffled voices around me. Out of fear I was
afraid to open them...I did not want to see where I had gone, the question of death was
answered with a no, so it was not a fear of death, but a fear of life...

Out of burning curiosity I opened one of my eyes to see where I was. I was lying on a
table, a blinding bright light shone on my face obscuring my vision with luminosity.

"Hey her eyes are open!" shouted the voice. I recognized it now, it was one of the Able
sisters. I would have known the shrill porcupine voice from anywhere, I immediately
clenched my eyes shut in reflex.

"Too late Eunice I saw you," came a deeper growling voice as I felt a paw grab my neck,
pulling me forward with a sharp tug.

I jerked my eyes open to see Vladimir a few inches from my face.

"Alright you little bitch, you will soon learn your place," he roared as he yanked me off
the table dragging me to the floor.

The blood in my head pounded as my body ached, still sore from the bayonet hits from
Copper. I felt my body scrape against the marble tiled floor of the dimly lit lobby...I
was in...the museum?

"Alright bring the specimen in," came another voice, this time it was chirpy and eloquent
sounding. As Vladimir let go of me I jerked my head around to see Blathers holding a
large knife. The blade glinted under a small beam of sunlight that came in through the
highly perched windows.

"Wh...wh...what are you doing with me?" I sobbed trying to hold back my tears of
anxiety and fear.

"Oh it's wonderful Eunice, we're creating a new section of the museum. It's very special,
and only very special people go there. People like you and Tortimer!"

"...A gallery of dead animals?! You sick bastard!" I shouted, this time the tears poured
from eyes, no longer being held back.

Blathers let out a shrieking laugh, one I had never heard evoked from him before, it was
haunting and made the wool on the back of my neck stand on end.

"Yes my dear Eunice, as you see the museum hasn't been getting much money, just like
the rest of this shithole town. I'm sure you've noticed how everything's decayed recently.
We can thank our lovely mayor Tortimer for that, God rest his soul."

I was at a loss for words, I had no idea how to respond to the insanity that was ensuing as
I eyed Vladimir and Mable standing over me.

Blathers kneeled next to me as I rested on the floor, no longer willed to sit up out of mere
defeat.

"Hopefully our new collection will bring in some money to the town?" he whispered
malevolently.

I looked up at the ceiling ignoring him, I no longer had a will to live, it was over. This
was the end.

"After you die Eunice I'm sure your personal belongings will garner us a lovely amount
of bells, will it not?"

"So that is what this is about? It's about money?" I spat, jerking my head up.

"Oh hmm, well when you put it that way, yes. Tortimer was quite the rich bastard was he
not? Why should he live in opulence while the rest of us fend for our lives off of peaches
and cherries? No, that is not what living is about. I will not stand by and grovel in the
weeds while he lives in comfort...we are a community, and I will make sure to balance
out the wealth status as I please."

"Greed," I whispered in defeat.

"What's that Eunice?" he questioned in haughty curiosity.

"I said greed, this is what it's all about..."

"Enough chatter," came Copper's voice as he entered the room, his boots clicking against
the floor as he calmly walked towards us. "I got her house keys, everything of hers is
ours. We are free to kill her Blathers."

Mable turned around towards Copper with a mischievous smile, "I saw that she bought a
new television today I'm going to get that," she said as she rung her hands in anticipation.

Blathers slammed his yellow talons against the marble floor with a loud clang, "Quiet, all
of you, we will discuss who gets what after she's dead...any last words Eunice?" he
added as he pointed his knife towards me.

I laid my head against the cold floor as my mind filled with the anticipation of death. It
was all ironic in my mind. How things went from being so great to collapsing into a void
of chaos and greed...

"Only this," I spoke softly, continuing to look up at the vaulted ceiling of the museum
lobby in a trance of thoughts. "After I'm dead, you will all turn on each other as you've
turned on Tortimer and I, and whatever other poor soul you've done this too...you will
all see."

With an air of finality he leaned over me, brandishing the knife under his wing, "We shall
see my dear Eunice."

The last memory I have was seeing the blade dig into my chest repeatedly, over and over,
the blood spraying over my face in vicious streams as I heard the cackling laughters of
Mable, Copper and Vladimir, but I did not cry or scream, I merely smiled up towards the
sky as I could see it through the ceiling that was now translucent. The clouds rushed
towards me taking me upwards in their soft blanket of comfort. It was all so peaceful and
relieving to be lifted away from life. As my mind drifted into the void of death, I knew
in my heart that they would all get paid their own deaths in the end.

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Possibly the start of a series, shall the story be continued? Depends on the reviews...

UPDATE: 4-19-03, Serebii37: The Angered Goomba, thanks for pointing out that Mortimer
Tortimer mix up, I have no idea how I managed that one. (lol)