The Night the Chicken Cried Blood

The old hen perched on the rooftop, its feathers a rickety testament to time. It had always been a peculiar bird, but tonight, as the town of Eldridge fell into slumber, it began to squawk with an urgency that shook the cobblestone streets below. The squawks grew into a series of eerie, haunting cries that echoed through the night, a cacophony of distress that seemed to pierce the very soul of the town.

The townsfolk stirred, and whispers spread like wildfire. The mayor, a man known for his stern demeanor and suspiciously close relationship with the local powerbroker, was the first to respond. He ascended the old well, a place of ancient lore in Eldridge, and found the hen perched on the lip, its eyes wide with terror, and its beak glistening with crimson droplets.

"What is this?" The mayor demanded, his voice a harsh bark in the dead of night.

The hen's squawks grew louder, almost as if it was trying to convey a message. The mayor, unable to bear the sound any longer, grabbed a shovel and struck the hen, its body collapsing into a heap. Blood splattered across the well, mixing with the water that had long since been forgotten by the town.

As dawn approached, the town began to awaken to the sight of crimson splatters across the roofs and the well. The mayor, now accompanied by his closest allies, addressed the townsfolk, his voice a combination of concern and command.

"We have a problem," he announced. "The blood-crying hen is a sign of evil among us. We must take drastic measures to rid our town of this curse."

The townsfolk nodded, their trust in the mayor unwavering. They followed him to the town square, where he had set up a makeshift altar. There, he offered sacrifices to the heavens, his prayers a mixture of desperation and fear.

But the hen's cries had been a harbinger of a much darker truth. The powerbroker, a man named Lord Carrow, had been using the town of Eldridge for his own political gain. He had manipulated the mayor and the townsfolk, weaving a web of deceit that reached into the highest echelons of government.

As the days passed, the blood-crying hen continued to appear, its presence a constant reminder of the evil lurking within Eldridge. The mayor, feeling the weight of the curse upon his shoulders, decided to investigate the source of the hen's cries. He visited the homes of the townfolk, speaking with them about any strange occurrences they may have witnessed.

It was during one such visit that he encountered a young woman named Elara. Elara lived on the outskirts of Eldridge, a place known for its eerie silence and abandoned ruins. The mayor found her in her garden, tending to her plants, her face pale and haunted.

"Elara," he said, "have you heard the cries of the blood-crying hen?"

Elara nodded, her eyes darting to the sky as if expecting the hen to appear at any moment. "I have," she replied. "I heard it in the old mill. They say it's cursed."

The mayor, feeling a shiver down his spine, followed Elara to the old mill, a place long forgotten by the townsfolk. Inside, the air was thick with dust and decay, a testament to the mill's long neglect. The mayor, with Elara leading the way, descended the creaky wooden stairs, the sound of their footsteps echoing through the hollow halls.

At the bottom, they found an old, rusted cage. Inside the cage was the blood-crying hen, its eyes still filled with terror. Beside the cage, they found a dusty journal, filled with cryptic messages and strange symbols.

The mayor opened the journal and read the last entry. "The curse is real, and it is bound to the powerbroker. To break the curse, we must expose the truth and cleanse the town of its corruption."

The mayor looked at Elara, his eyes filled with determination. "We must confront Lord Carrow and reveal his secrets to the town."

Elara nodded, her courage shining through the fear in her eyes. "We will do it," she said. "For Eldridge."

That night, the mayor and Elara confronted Lord Carrow, presenting him with the evidence they had gathered. Lord Carrow, a man who had been so powerful, found himself cornered and vulnerable. He tried to deny the accusations, but the evidence was overwhelming.

As the truth was revealed to the townsfolk, the blood-crying hen ceased its cries. The curse was lifted, and the town of Eldridge began to heal from the corruption that had plagued it.

The mayor and Elara were hailed as heroes, their courage and determination inspiring the townsfolk to rise against the darkness that had taken hold. But as the dust settled, and Eldridge began to rebuild, the mayor and Elara knew that the true battle had just begun. The corruption that had seeped into the town's fabric would not be easily expunged, and they would need to remain vigilant, ready to confront any evil that dared to threaten their beloved town again.

The Night the Chicken Cried Blood was more than just a story of a cursed hen; it was a tale of courage, determination, and the enduring fight against the darkness that can lurk in even the most unsuspecting places.