A Massachusetts Horror Story
retold by S.E. Schlosser
excerpted from Spooky Massachusetts
Listen to the audio version Massey was a soldier unfortunate enough to cross me, his commanding officer. He did not live to regret it. There was something very satisfying in the moment when I thrust the tip of my sword into the soldier’s heart during our duel. I watched him fall to the ground with the satisfaction of a job well done.
The men under my command seem depressed in the following weeks. They mention Massey frequently, but I ignore their conversations.
One night, I retreat to my chambers to sulk and soon was joined by a delegation of men who were friends of Massey. I am surprised and delighted to learn that they had come to their senses and now saw the impertinent lieutenant for the cheat he really was. We share a round of drinks and laughed together. I’m afraid I drank far too much that evening.
The other soldiers suggested we explore the lower dungeons. That sounded like a fine idea to me. We set off in merry spirits, drinking and singing and laughing, our voices echoing through the narrow passages. Deeper and deeper we went. My head started spinning and my legs felt like rubber after all that drinking. I am afraid I passed out from drunkenness, much to my shame.
When I came to, I was lying on my back with my wrists and ankles shackled to the floor. Drunken men, fooling around, I thought.
“Very funny, lads,” I called out. “Now set me free.”
The soldiers didn’t answer me. A moment passed and Massey’s best friend appeared in the doorway, holding mortar and a mason’s trowel. The other men began handing him bricks and I realize that the soldiers are bricking up the entrance to the cell in which I lay shackled. “Very funny,” I said again.
No one answered me. They worked in silence, laying brick after brick until one row is done, then two. They were playing a nasty joke on me, of course.
Then Massey’s best friend paused in his work and looked directly into my eyes. At that moment I realized that this joke is no joke. Scream after scream ripped from my throat as I struggle against my bonds. But the dungeon was too deep within the fort, and no one heard my screams.
They were on the final row of bricks. I was reduced to bribery now, desperately using my wealth in an attempt to escape my fate. But no one listened to my bribes. I watched in heart-thudding horror as the last brick is put in place, as the last chink of light faded from my sight. I have been entombed alive in the deepest, darkest dungeon of the fort. I howled in panic, writhing against the iron manacles binding hands and feet and twisting my body. Eventually I fell back against the floor, my wrists and ankles wet with my own blood.
My fingers were torn and throbbing from their intense scrabbling against the hard floor. I found myself weeping angrily, though I have never shed a tear in my lifetime.
The agony of the thought sent me writhing again in spite of the horrible pain racking my wrists, ankles, and hands. Daylight. I must see daylight again. Just once more.
“Don’t leave me here to die alone! Don’t leave me!”
But I was alone, and the sheer brutal horror of it overwhelmed me. My eyes strained against the complete and utter darkness, and I wondered if they were even open.
Dear God, I can’t get out. I can’t get out. I CAN’T GET OUT!
Historical Note: This is a retelling of a story from Fort Independence on Castle Island in Massachusetts. Local lore claimed that an unpopular officer was walled up in the fort's dungeon following a duel in which he killed a more popular man. Edgar Allan Poe learned of the legend when he was posted on Castle Island while serving in the Army. His short story "The Cask of Amontillado," is said to be based upon the incident.
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Comments
ooooo creepy.... ILOVEIT!!!! XD
Posted by: BOB | October 21, 2011 10:21 AM
i did not fnd anthing scary bout tat one
Posted by: iHateCrüms | October 22, 2011 04:06 PM
i like that story
Posted by: jhoanamarizetamayo | October 24, 2011 05:21 AM
ok but no good ending
Posted by: james | October 24, 2011 09:55 PM
It kinda reminds me of saw one. you know how the dude gets lock in the total darkness at the end i would hate to have that happen to me
Posted by: Crystal | October 25, 2011 02:58 AM
not the story for me
Posted by: amanda | October 25, 2011 02:19 PM
Umm, what was scary about that exactly? These are supposed to be scary stroeiess!? That WASNT! EPICC FAIL!
Posted by: Ansley | October 25, 2011 06:20 PM
Yea that one could of used a bit more work? but I wouldnt want that to happen to me! lol
Posted by: robert | October 25, 2011 06:52 PM
i used to live in Boston a city in massachusets,the same place as castle island and i went there but the castle is sealed off
Posted by: enda | October 27, 2011 12:17 PM
not scary
Posted by: itzel | October 27, 2011 08:13 PM
I love Poe. "The Cask of Amontillado"" is one of my favorites.
Posted by: Elle | October 28, 2011 10:23 AM
dat was not scary at all and im nine!
Posted by: Anonymous | October 29, 2011 12:01 PM
Sounds like The Cask of Amontillado. Cool, though!
Posted by: Kitty | October 29, 2011 12:34 PM
that guy deserved it
Posted by: Denice | October 29, 2011 03:58 PM
I literally jpmued out of my chair and danced after reading this!
Posted by: Jaundalynn | October 29, 2011 06:24 PM
OH SCARYYYYYYYYYYY
Just joking. truly to say. nothing in this story make me change my emotion.
Posted by: Anonymous | October 30, 2011 09:53 AM
Torture story? Not that scary..
Posted by: Justin | October 30, 2011 04:20 PM
It would be scary if you were them. To me it's just sad.
Posted by: Gsjsj | October 30, 2011 04:36 PM
me 2 i'm not scary but i'm try to scary.LOL :P:P:P:D:D:D
Posted by: Justin biepul | October 31, 2011 06:57 AM
Not Bad!!!!
Posted by: jacob | October 31, 2011 11:30 AM
did he die or did he get out
Posted by: Mikayla | October 31, 2011 07:27 PM
it didnt have a clear ending
Posted by: skyler | November 1, 2011 02:18 PM
i do not remember what the story i was reading but it was just like this one the evil guy got the man he did not like drunk kept him drunk and brick by brick kept him in there you just sort of motified this..
Posted by: PeQwas | November 2, 2011 06:55 PM
omg, that was freaking weird. it wasnt scary but it was creeepy! :O
Posted by: Chey Chey | November 8, 2011 10:49 PM
GOOD GRACIOUS!!MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON HIS SOUL!!
Posted by: jaime | November 9, 2011 01:39 AM
sounds like the cask of amontillado
Posted by: Saskeru | November 11, 2011 06:11 PM
i dont finfd that scary
Posted by: tyler | November 15, 2011 10:20 AM
I didn't like this one because I could start to feel the pain of being locked away forever. The hopelessness... feeling yourself slowly go crazy... creepy...
Posted by: Lex | November 24, 2011 12:17 PM
cool!
Posted by: Anonymous | November 27, 2011 07:10 PM
hehehe, sucker.
Posted by: Anonymous | November 30, 2011 05:56 AM
this was sooo sooo scary :|!!!!!!!!!! ahhh creepy
Posted by: hannah | December 3, 2011 01:25 AM
that was sooooo not scary and im almost seven years old i have read all these stories on this page and none of them are scary at all!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Anonymous | December 6, 2011 10:30 PM
creepy x 10
Posted by: Katie samples | December 12, 2011 12:20 PM
I love this story !!!!!
Posted by: sandra orellana | December 14, 2011 05:41 PM
that was pretty good
Posted by: kevin | December 20, 2011 08:20 PM
it might not be scary to you, but think if this actually happened to you...wooo that would be terryfiying
Posted by: mariah | December 22, 2011 05:16 PM
Not scary.
Posted by: Kat | January 20, 2012 01:10 PM
One needs to use the imagination that they are the one in the shackles! It is then SCAREY!
Posted by: Jungle Jim | January 30, 2012 10:47 PM
Its pretty good.but not scary.
Posted by: Anika | February 1, 2012 12:18 PM
i feel bad 4 the officer dude i mean the soilder guy did cross him but he didnt hav 2 kill him he couldve punished him or sumin but it is what it is right? but it was a good story
Posted by: abby | February 1, 2012 03:03 PM
Hey thats wat the guy gets
Posted by: Anonymous | February 4, 2012 10:28 AM
Its called revenge, lonelyness is the hardest pain to go through and if u were him, u would see that, and in his shoes that mustve been terrifying, think outside the box people, something called inference
Posted by: BigThinker | February 4, 2012 04:25 PM
That was cruel and scary.
Posted by: Blanca Domínguez | February 14, 2012 08:07 AM
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
Posted by: Anonymous | February 20, 2012 07:49 PM
wicked
Posted by: ricksan bomato | February 23, 2012 10:16 PM
what happend at the end?
Posted by: shyanne | March 14, 2012 09:37 PM
omg
Posted by: Anonymous | March 18, 2012 11:32 AM
that was not scary and it had no end!
Posted by: lily | March 20, 2012 04:37 AM
Awesome. I almost fell off my chair!
Posted by: tookanator | March 22, 2012 04:37 PM
What was scarry?????????????
Posted by: vedant dave | March 24, 2012 09:47 PM
Hey! Anonymous you are right. It is not that scary but it is still a great story to tell at night, around a blazing campfire, deep, deep, in the woods!
OOOOOHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
SSSCCCAAAAARRRYYYYY!!!!!!L!!
Posted by: Sarah | March 31, 2012 12:02 PM
How could he wright the story if he was locked in a dungeon? lol
Posted by: Gracee | April 1, 2012 12:18 AM
a story and a lesson all in one
Posted by: moses | May 1, 2012 01:28 AM
not that scary...
Posted by: jason | May 4, 2012 04:27 PM
THAT WAS SO SACRY AND I LOVED IT A LOT
Posted by: Anonymous | May 18, 2012 01:14 PM
preety awesome
Posted by: emily | May 18, 2012 03:44 PM
I think this story is not mainly to scare people, it's like a local legend, right? just to tell people what others at that place believed...
Posted by: Alexandra | June 1, 2012 11:54 PM
That is FREAKY!!!!!!!
Posted by: meghann | June 25, 2012 02:05 PM
i actually got to go to the castle fort and the wall is real!!! creepy.... <(-£-<)
Posted by: yunieski | June 26, 2012 01:25 AM
That was intense... more please.
Posted by: Oliver | July 17, 2012 09:28 PM
shocking ending!!
Posted by: Sara | July 21, 2012 02:07 PM
i hate the ending
Posted by: Anonymous | September 3, 2012 04:56 PM
ok, I feel bad. that dude has to sit there shackled to a wall, and he cant get out. he cant eat or drink hes going to starve to death, that THOUGHT is scary.
Posted by: pi | September 4, 2012 04:16 PM
all The people in this story have anger issues.
Posted by: Cecelia <3 Harry from 1 D | September 25, 2012 12:24 PM
Reminds me of the Dark Shadows epsiode where Rev. Trask gets walled up, and his spirit still tries to hamper the Collins family 150 years later
Posted by: Ivan | October 2, 2012 03:03 PM
Dude had it coming - but they sould've killed him first
Posted by: Arva Bottley | October 6, 2012 09:09 PM