Insanity of Guilt

by: Mendelssohn

Disclaimer: This is based off of a story by Edgar Allen Poe (The Cask of Amontillado).

This is supposed to be under Book Fanfiction section except there isn't a section for Poe and I don't know how to create it! If anybody knows how to, please tell me!

Important Background Notes: This is an epilogue to The Cask of Amontillado by Poe. The original story's mood reminded me a whole lot of "Tell-Tale Heart" (also by Poe). The ending of "Tell Tale Heart" always fascinated me. Therefore, I wrote this ending that is similar to "Tell-Tale Heart." I suggest you read The Cask of Amontillado before you read this. Otherwise, you might get lost very easily. It's a very short story so it won't take much time.

Go to: http://www.literature.org/authors/poe-edgar-allan/amontillado.html (Cask of Amontillado) and for http://www.literature.org/authors/poe-edgar- allan/tell-tale-heart.html (Tell Tale Heart)

For people who don't feel like reading the original story and risking getting lost in my epilogue: The Cask of Amontillado starts out in a carnival where the main character, Montressor, is raving about how Fortunato insulted him deeply. Planning revenge on him, Mentressor ensnares Fortunato to come and taste his cask of Amontillado ( a wine). There really is no cask of it and was only made up to get him down in the catacombs. After a walk in the damp catacombs, Mentressor locks Fortunato in a little 'hole/cell' in the wall and leaves him there to die. Really, this summary takes out all the fun in the story. The original story is much more exciting/horrible since you actually get to see into the mind of a cold-blooded, insane killer.

Enjoy!

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In pace requiescat!

Ah, who ever knew life could be this bittersweet? My revenge was successfully fulfilled. Fortunato lies peacefully behind my own masonry in his resting place. Here, he can truly ponder his wrong doings and of his most injurious insult to me. Here, Fortunato shall regret all his blundering actions. Never again would he insult any poor fellow. What more could I ask for?

Humming nonchalantly, I walked up from the damp catacombs once more. Upon crossing the archway, brightness of my home greeted me. How light and cheery everything seemed to be! The tassel of the service bell stood untouched. I paced over to it and rang the bell. Instantly, sharp ringing sounds reverberated about the house. I remembered then that all attendants left my house because I had specifically told them to not stir from it when I was gone. All of this was solely for my clever plan for Fortunato. A smile crept up on my lips at the memory of my great deed. I had given him a chance to escape his dreadful fate. After all, I offered, even implored him to go back, but he wisely took my offer down.

"Thank you, Fortunato for your most wise judgement!" I called to him, as though he could hear me. "I shall now have a good, long slumber thanks to you. Good night!"

I trudged up into my bedroom where I lay down on the silk sheets. Thoughts of Fortunato in his pathetic, jingly jester hat sent me into a blissful sleep.

...

The next morning, I woke up with a start as one of my attendants pounded on my bedroom door.

"What is it?! Did I not give you specific instructions not to disturb me from my sleep?" I snapped.

"Sorry to disturb you, sir. The constable demands to see you at once. I told him that you were asleep, but he persisted."

"Where does he stand now?"

"At the front door."

"Well, have you forgotten your manners? Invite him in. Show him to the lounge where he shall wait." I watched as he mumbled his apologies and walked out the door.

A wave of fear swept me at once. Certainly he could not have found out, could he? After all, who could have seen my pleasant walk with Fortunato? This thought reassured me as I hastily dressed and walked to meet him.

He sat there with an aura of calmness around him. Yes indeed, there was nothing to fear at all. Only my nerves would bring upon fear to myself.

"Good morning, Constable. What brings you here on this lovely day?"

"Good morning, Montresor. Lady Fortunato is deeply distressed about Lord Fortunato. She told us last night of his disappearance when he was not present in an important meeting with her. He did not appear this morning either. I have searched throughout town, turning-out empty handed. A passerby told me that he accompanied a gentleman yesterday- whom I presume to be you - to this house. Do you know of his whereabouts?"

"Ah, yes," I said as my mind whirred about looking for a clever response. "He was most kind to accompany me down to my vault to taste my pipe of Amontillado. You must know very well how he is famous for his connoisseurship in wine. We both went down into the vaults where it was most dreadfully damp. He started to cough awfully, so I implored him to go back up. He insisted that he felt fine. When I reached the Amontillado and turned around, he was gone! As you can imagine, I was extremely distressed. I went about looking for him with no luck. Being the clever gentleman he is, I thought that he probably got out while I was looking for him. However, I see that I am wrong. I would most gladly assist you in anyway."

"I see." he said, twirling his goatee while darting penetrating glances at me.

"Would you like to inspect my vault? You could even taste some of my finest wine, if you would like."

"I'm not a great wine drinker, thank you. I would, however, like to inspect the vault."

"Very well then. Come down with me."



Therefore, I walked down into the catacombs once again. The dampness in the air seemed to weigh heavier than ever, drowning my senses. The burning flames of our torches shined brightly off the niter. The constable occasionally stopped to inspect, and I waited for him. It was all quiet except for the taps of our shoes. It was too quiet, in fact. I wanted to flee this dreadful feeling, but the constable was there, still giving suspicious glances.

The closer we walked to Fortunato's resting place, the heavier the air got and the more my senses seemed to get lost.

"For the love of God!" cried a voice.

"Excuse me?" I asked the constable.

"Excuse you what?"

"Did you not just say something?"

"No."

"Did you hear that voice?"

"No." He shot quizzical looks at me. I could have sworn that I heard somebody -somebody who was familiar, yet unidentifiable.

"For the love of God, Montresor!"

Again, the constable did not hear anything. A terrible sensation crept up on me. It was fear - the fear of the unknown that haunted the world around me. Suddenly, bottles of Amontillado with jester bell-hats propped on them sprouted from the floor. They started to spread everywhere.

We had come to the burial place of Fortunato. Bottles were all over by now, and yet, the constable walked on, taking no heed. Could he not see? They were piling on top of each other. Bells jangled while bottles clashed, and still, the constable did not stop. What was this unseen force? Was I going insane?

"For the love of God, Montresor!"

Chaotic horror swept over me. My senses were completely drowned. The skeleton walls disappeared and were replaced by a void emptiness. I crumpled onto the earth, looking down for some support. A surprised yell escaped me. There was no floor, only emptiness.

"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, MONTRESSOR!!!"

Bottles smashed into each other while tiny bells clanged chaotically, and still they came. I closed my eyes and tried to block out the sounds, but they trailed me like a dog.

"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, MONTRESOR!"

"STOP, I say, STOP!!" I shrieked, unable to bear this horror any longer. I pointed hysterically to my masonry. "Halt your torturing! I know what you want! I know what you want! For the love of God, my dear man! He's in there, he's in there!"

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...so there it is. I hope you enjoyed it. I'd really appreciate if you told me what you thought of it. Thanks!!