"Blind Alleys"

[cyberghostface]

This one comes from Tales from the Crypt #46.





Gunner Grunwald uses the allotments that are supposed to be for the blind people for his own personal luxuries. He believes that the blind people don't need anything if they can't see it.

Gunner also turns out to be quite a sadistic bully, often tormenting the blind tenants of the home. He would remove the bannisters from the stairs so that they would fall, or he would add stuff in the halls for the blind people to bump into. He also has a vicious dog as a companion named Brutus who he uses to defend himself but in reality just likes to sic him on whoever is unfortunate enough to get in his way.

One day, the blind people decide they have had enough, and lure Brutus away with some meat. Then they gang up on Gunner and imprison him into a small cubicle in the cellar. The blind tenants get to work on building some sort of contraption.

Comments

[alicemacher]

The last panel is an inversion of the conclusion to "The October Game," a Ray Bradbury story that EC had adapted earlier for Shock SuspenStories #9. "Then...some idiot turned on the lights..."

[captainbellman]

And it doesn't really make sense. I guess the writer was trying to ape the dramatic power of that original story? But whereas in that one, the 'idiot' was someone panicking, and the insult is directed at them because it allowed everyone to see the traumatic horror of what they were holding, in this one turning out the light was meant to be a part of the plan, so it's just mean namecalling.

For shame, old crone! What did those blind people ever do to you?

[lego_joker]

I think the old crone was just using the word ironically, and I find it adds an extra wry, sadistic edge to the asshole's death.

[icon_uk]

Yeah, I strongly suspect that's pure irony from the crone, rather than particular malice towards anyone.... well, more than her usual level of malice.

[icon_uk]

And was turned into a memorable sequence in the 1973 Amicus anthology horror film "Tales from the Crypt" with an even more claustrophobic feel to the razor blade lined passages.

[skjam]

Still a classic.