All Chapters of The Lamb Head Banquet: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

Daniel clasped his hands together in gratitude. "I have you to thank, sir. You were willing to handle my father's funeral for only twenty dollars."My grandfather waved him off. "We're all from the same town. No need for that."Tears welled in Daniel's eyes as he wiped them away. He insisted on pulling both my grandfather and me to the banquet table.My grandfather repeatedly declined. "Oh, I couldn't do that."But Daniel remained firm. "Sir, just do me this favor. Look at this spread. Every lamb's head and every cut of pork was freshly butchered today. The freshest you'll ever taste. I guarantee you'll enjoy it."I followed him over.There were four lamb's heads on the table, each facing one of the four cardinal directions.The center of the table overflowed with roasted pork, beef, fresh loaves of bread, and bowls of rich stew. The aroma alone was enough to make my mouth water.My grandfather's expression darkened slightly, but he said nothing and quietly took a seat.Once all the gu

Chapter 2

Before I could get a better look, a hand grabbed me by the back of the collar.My grandfather barked, "What are you doing poking your nose into this? Go home!"He sent me back home, saying there was still plenty to do before the funeral could begin.Before leaving, he secured the door with two heavy padlocks. Through the crack, he warned me to stay put and not wander off.I pouted and sat in the yard, playing in the dirt.The sky was overcast that day. I built a little sandcastle and, out of childish mischief, peed right in the middle of it.A cold gust of wind swept through the yard, and I hurriedly pulled up my pants.Then I turned around.A head was peeking over the wall.His eyes curved into crescents, his lips stretched into a grin that exposed rows of fine, unnaturally white teeth.For some reason, he didn't look human to me.He looked like a lamb.The man leaning over the wall was Daniel.He smiled and called out, "Your grandpa's busy. Why don't you come over for a bit? I'll mak

Chapter 3

"Boy, didn't I tell you to stay home and keep out of trouble?"My grandfather's shout cracked through the air like a thunderclap.He rushed over in a few quick strides and yanked me behind him.He kept a wary eye on Daniel and said, "Don't do anything foolish, Daniel. Our families go back a long way. He’s just a kid and should be treated like family."Daniel chuckled."You're overthinking it, sir. I just figured he'd get bored sitting home alone, so I brought him over to keep him company."My grandfather pointed at the blood covering Daniel's clothes."Then what's all this?"Daniel glanced down at himself and casually shook his sleeves.Drops of blood splattered onto the ground."Just butchered a black-fleeced lamb. I was going to make him a lamb's head. Didn't he enjoy it so much last night?"My grandfather waved his hands at once."That's really not necessary. Save it for yourself."With that, he scooped me into his arms and headed for home.I'd never seen my grandfather walk so fast

Chapter 4

My grandfather shoved me into the root cellar.Through the gaps between the wooden boards, I watched him grab the only rooster we had, the one that roamed the backyard pecking for bugs, and slit its throat with a cleaver.Bright red blood poured onto the ground, forming a circle around both my grandfather and the cellar entrance.He clutched the dead rooster tightly and shouted, "Boy, whatever happens, don't come out. And don't make a sound! Trust me!"I nodded so hard my neck hurt.My grandfather was the only funeral director in town, the man people called whenever there was a death.My grandfather was the town's undertaker, the man everyone called when there was a funeral to arrange.What most people didn't know was that the older folks had another name for men in his line of work.They called them keepers of the dead.A loud thud soon echoed from the front gate.Then another, and another.It sounded as though something was ramming its head against the door.Only then did I realize m

Chapter 5

My grandfather hurriedly turned the wagon around and took me back home.The black lambs followed behind us at an unhurried pace.The ground was covered with long trails of hoofprints.There was something unsettling about them.Their eyes were bright and alert, almost human, as though they were studying us.My grandfather said, "When black lambs block the road, it means something doesn't want us leaving town. All of this started with Daniel. We have to deal with him first."He said the job was too much for one man alone.He would have to seek out Agnes Harper, the town's seer.Before leaving, my grandfather grabbed one of our hens.At the gate, he pinched the bird hard enough to make it squawk.Then he shouted at the top of his lungs, "When a hen crows like a rooster, death is already at the door!”The black lambs gathered outside the yard all turned to stare at him.Their eyes were cold.It was as if they no longer saw him as my grandfather, but as a man marked for death.One dark head

Chapter 6

I'd already been terrified once in the dream.This time, I managed to stay a little calmer. My teeth chattering, I turned and bolted for the yard.Frank reacted immediately. He dropped onto all fours and scrambled after me with a length of cow intestine trailing from his mouth.Back when my grandmother was still alive, she used to bring me along whenever she visited Agnes during the holidays.So, I knew my way to Agnes's house pretty well, cutting through several alleys and side paths.I couldn't shake the thing chasing me, but I managed to buy myself some time.At last, I reached Agnes's house.The front gate stood wide open.Two long streaks of blood stretched from outside, across the yard, and into the house.I shivered and stepped inside.When I reached the front room, I found Agnes lying on the floor, clutching one of her own severed fingers.Something had torn through her throat.The flesh was ripped apart so violently that it curled outward in ragged strips.Strangely, there w

Chapter 7

My grandfather froze for a split second before Daniel slammed into him headfirst and sent him flying.I watched my grandfather cough up a mouthful of blood. He clutched his chest and crawled back over, pulling me behind him."Daniel, you're using the lives of everyone in this town to feed that thing you've turned your father into, and you still don't see anything wrong with it?""Wrong?"Daniel laughed.He was fully conscious now, standing on his own two feet, though his eyes still glowed red.Nearby, Frank continued devouring the lamb, frantically stuffing its eyeballs into his mouth.Daniel said, "My dad always loved lamb's head. We were too poor to afford it."Now that he's dead, I'm finally letting him eat as much as he wants. What's so wrong about that?"My grandfather shook his head."Those weren't lamb's heads. They were human heads!"He jabbed a finger at Daniel."You turned the people of this town into livestock for your father to feed on. You even experimented on yourself. A

Chapter 8

My grandfather's expression darkened."If you're determined to see this through, then I'll fight you to the end."Daniel snatched the raw lamb from Frank's hands.Deprived of his meal, Frank turned his attention to my grandfather and me.My grandfather raised the wooden sword, dipped it into the blood on the ground, and slashed forward.Then he pulled out two strange slips of paper I'd never seen before.He turned and shouted at me, "Boy! Get Agnes's cane and draw him away! Can you do that?"I didn't know where the courage came from, but I nodded.I jumped to my feet and raced into the front room.I pried the cane from Agnes's stiff hand and ran back into the yard.Then I swung it as hard as I could and smacked Frank across the back.Daniel's face darkened."You little brat! How dare you!"He immediately came after me with the knife.Agnes's yard was filled with wooden racks and stray cats.Some of the cats were so frightened of Frank that they hid among the shelves.Others arched thei

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