MAGPIE/ Prompt #19

photo/willow/magpie tales

THE PRIZE

A sweet faced gentleman
stopped in front of the display case,
smiled shyly at me,
and said "Imagine that". 

Indeed.   

To be auctioned tonight, 
a pair of antique knives,
Opinel, Made in France,

displayed in a porcelain dish,
innocuous enough, except
for the list of previous owners.
 
Topping it was a Mr. Sweeney Todd
who had given the knives
as a gift of partnership
to Mrs. Lovett,
for chopping and slicing
certain ingredients
of her cannibalic pastry. 

Next on the list,
the knives
were traced
to Jack the Ripper,  
the ones he used
in the Whitechapel "Canonical Five".  

A link of cuts inscribed the throats, 
stood out to the knowing eye,
as the Modus Operandi.  

I shuddered at last in such a presence,
moved along
and found a seat
next to the gentleman,
who played by bidding for the knives, 
ran it high and won the set.

He smiled again in my direction
as off he went
to pay for the prize,
and quietly said in a whispered tone,
"I'll show them to you later if you'd like..

Allow me to introduce myself, 
my name is Hannibal Lecter,
let's chat... 
I'm here all alone".

@copyright/all rights reserved/2010


Again, a big thank you to Willow for presenting another intriguing Magpie Tale. 

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