Shrunken Head - Short Story

Grandma Kalovoi was a detestable old hag with coffee stained teeth and a sinister air about her as though she were guarding a deep secret, though she was exceedingly polite and charming to her grand daughter Sophie.

Sophie had lived a dismal life as she had been an orphan since she was barely four, for her parents had died in a car accident, so the heavy responsibilities of parenting had been carried by Sophie’s only living relative – Grandma Kalovoi.

But as Sophie trudged across the muddy footsteps that led to the house of Grandma Kalovoi and flung open the door, she was incredibly shocked to see old granny keenly observing an alarming sword stained with dried blood. As Grandma Kalovoi became aware of Sophie standing quite horrified at the weapon, the old dame hid it behind her skirt.

“Just a little something for Halloween!” cried the tattered creature quite unconvincingly. Suddenly her mood went off the hook and she snapped,

“Well, hurry up and make me a fine cup of tea and if you don’t..,” she threatened, pulling out a thick belt from the depths of her blouse. “I’ll whip the living day lights out of you!” cried Grandma Kalovoi and pursed her mouth like a mouse’s bottom.

But as Sophie examined her face, she noticed that her eye colour had altered from green to blue. Beneath her, Sophie’s legs turned numb and knocked and clattered for never did Grandma Kalovoi raise her voice or snap so viciously as a viper. Stammering Sophie fled to the safety of the kitchen and following the order fixed a tea so heavenly that it treated and soothed granny’s ill bred temper.

To soothe Grandma Kalovoi’s temper completely, Sophie generously thought of cleaning the odd unused attic while the old hag was having her nap. The attic was filled with bugs and mice, so Sophie was strictly forbidden from entering, should mice bite her. But clever Sophie was aware of the key that lead to the attic as she had seen Grandma Kalovoi reach from under the large mattresses to retrieve it and enter the attic with a plate of food, when she assumed nobody was around.

So when afternoon arrived and the minute Grandma rested her head upon the soft of the pillow for her nap, Sophie scuttled up to the attic and glanced around the old room. A faint odour came from a velvet box coated with dust. As Sophie curiously opened it, she cried out in extreme shock. For a shrunken head with an upturned nose lay inside.

“SOPHIE…” called a voice, from a cardboard box that seemed to belong to an awaken spirit. As Sophie flung open the lid of the box, paralysed with fear, she met the face of Grandma Kalovoi.

“Sophie…” said Grandma “Untie the rope that holds my hands together”

“But, Grandma Kalovoi …” stammered Sophie “What are you doing in here? I thought you were taking a nap.”

“That was not I Sophie. It was..” she hesitated. “My twin sister” Then in a more fearful tone, “She plans to kill you tonight. My mother died when we were both 16. It was painful news, news that I could not stop my heart from touching it. However, my twin sister Kristina was far more closer to Mother than I and eventually grew mad. When I knew about her madness, I considered it my duty to keep her here in the prison of this attic. I could not afford you to learn about her for she is incredibly dangerous.”

It took Sophie a few seconds to digest this disturbing piece of information.

“I’m afraid there is more” Continued Grandma Kalovoi. “I lied to you about the death of your parents. They were brutally murdered by my sister who then cruelly shrunk their heads.”

“The shrunken head you saw Sophie,” continued Grandma Kalovoi. “Belongs to your Mother! She plans to kill us and end both our fates similarly before tonight!”

They were drawn by the crash of the door as Grandma Kalovoi's sister barged inside and let out a cackle that chilled Sophie’s bones. She drew out the sword and in a blow swung it across Sophie’s neck.

As Sophie felt a sharp excruciating pain commence and end so suddenly around her long neck, her last thoughts were ‘Another two faces shall join the collection of Grandma Kalavoi’s sisters shrunken heads.’