SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS

"The Lesser of Two Evils" by Denise M. Bruchman  (first published in Robert Bloch's Psychos, edited by Robert Bloch & (uncredited, Marvin H. Greenberg. 1997)

These days it seems you can't swing a cat in a fog-enshrouded dark alley without hitting a Jack the Ripper.  Really.  How many times has the Jack the Ripper motif been used in literature?  If not Jack himself, then a Jack the Ripper clone or a Jack the Ripper Wannabe?

Well, here's another one.  One that takes an original twist on the old story.

A series of recent brutal murders of young women have been happening.  The killer, Jack, likes his work and takes his time desecrating his victims in the bloodiest ways possible.  This most recent Jack turns out to be one in a line of Jacks, each inhabited the spirit of the original Jack the Ripper.  These Jacks would slash their way through their victims until they are caught or killed -- which does not take very long, all things considered.  Each and every one of has a bit of evil inside us and the miasma of that evil is released through violent death, allowing Jack to literally inhale it until he is temporarily sated.    But the younger the victim, though, the less the evil inside her has had a chance to grow.  As a result, the rush from inhaling the victims is short-lived and Jack is compelled once more to kill to feed his addiction.  So why not choose and older, more mature victim, you say, why not kill someone whose evil aura would last much longer?  Perhaps (and I'm just guessing) there's a bit of a Jeffrey Epstein vibe yo Jack.

Natasha Borisovna Kilmova had been trained by her babushka in the ways of gypsy magic many years before as they traveled through Russia and Ukraine.  Noe the old lady -- nobody realizes exactly how old -- runs a small shop selling charms, crystals, herbs, icons, and other small treasures, and for certain customers she would provide elixirs, potions, and card readings.  the old woman lives a quiet, uncomplicated life, and that suits her just fine at this time of her life.  She is aware of Jack and that he that he lives just across the street from her shop.  But Jack is not her concern.  He will bec aught sonn enough because he cannot control the power within him and because his hunger grows.

Until Jack becomes her concern.

She thinks she can handle Jack with her magics, but she also known that she is very old and may not be strong enough.  She calls to him mentally   Jack is confused; he recognizes who is calling him but does not know how or why.  But here is an old woman and killing her will provide more essence than he had ever before absorbed, strengthening him and his power.  Mean while the gypsy woman readies her shop for his approach, setting candles and talesmen and powerful herbs around her shop.

Jack comes, ready to kill her and she tries not let her fear show.  She strikes a bargain with Jack.  She is able to merge Jack with the spirit of the Ripper that is within him, allowing Jack complete control over the evil; in effect, making Jack immortal.  Jack agrees, figuring that he can alwqys kill the old woman later, whether her spells work or not.

And so begins the battle for the life of Natasha Borisnova Klimova.

A strange little story with a twist ending.

I know little about the author.  This is evidently her first story, and to my knowledge, she published only five others over the next four years, and all of those in small press anthologies.  In fitting with this story, she did receive a degree in Russian Eastern European studies.  At the time the story was published, she was a technical support team leader for a computer hardware company.

Robert Bloch's Psychos was one of nine anthologies of original tales in the "HWA Presents:" series published from 1991 to 2006.  Then other editors were Robert R. McCammon,  F. Paul Wilson, Ramsey Campbell, Peter Straub, Whitley Strieber, P. D. Casek, Dennis Etchison, and John Pelan.  Bloch passed away while working on this anthology and Martin Harry Greenberg did the final touches.