Cannibal Prospector

By Aaron Abilene

A gold prospector in the heart of the gold rush in the old west loses his mind and turns into a psychopathic cannibal.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Syphon Creative
• Release date: Jan 15, 2025
• ISBN: 9798230242468

Book preview

Cannibal Prospector

Aaron Abilene

Published by Syphon Creative, 2025.

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

CANNIBAL PROSPECTOR

First edition. January 15, 2025.

Copyright © 2025 Aaron Abilene.

ISBN: 979-8230242468

Written by Aaron Abilene.

Also by Aaron Abilene

505

505

505: Resurrection

Balls

Dead Awake

Before The Dead Awake

Dead Sleep

Bulletproof Balls

Carnival Game

Full Moon Howl

Donovan

Shades of Z

Codename

The Man in The Mini Van

Deadeye

Deadeye & Friends

Cowboys Vs Aliens

Ferris

Life in Prescott

Afterlife in Love

Tragic Heart

Island

Paradise Island

The Lost Island

The Lost Island 2

The Lost Island 3

The Island 2

James & Zoe

Inheritance

James & Zoe

Sourcing Trip

Reality Check

Korrak

The Hunger of Korrak

The Wrath of Korrak

The Death of Korrak

The Return of Korrak

Kuru

Kuru

Kuru Zombies

Laughing Death

Pandemic

Pandemic

Prototype

Prototype

The Compound

Slacker

Slacker 2

Slacker 3

Slacker: Dead Man Walkin'

Survivor Files

Survivor Files: Day 1

Survivor Files : Day 1 Part 2

Survivor Files : Day 2

Survivor Files : On The Run

Survivor Files : Day 3

Survivor Files : Day 4

Survivor Files : Day 5

Survivor Files : Day 6

Survivor Files : Day 7

Survivor Files : Day 8

Survivor Files : Day 9

Survivor Files : Day 10

Survivor Files : Day 11

Survivor Files : Day 12

Survivor Files : Day 13

Survivor Files : Day 14

Survivor Files : Day 15

Survivor Files : Day 16

Survivor Files : Day 17

Survivor Files : Day 18

Survivor Files : Day 19

Survivor Files : Day 20

Survivor Files : Day 21

Texas

Devil Child of Texas

A Vampire in Texas

The Author

Breaking Wind

Yellow Snow

Dragon Snatch

Golden Showers

Nether Region

Evil Empire

Thomas

Quarantine

Contagion

Eradication

Isolation

Immune

Pathogen

Bloodline

Decontaminated

TPD

Trailer Park Diaries

Trailer Park Diaries 2

Trailer Park Diaries 3

Virus

Raising Hell

Zombie Bride

Zombie Bride

Zombie Bride 2

Zombie Bride 3

Standalone

The Victims of Pinocchio

A Christmas Nightmare

Pain

Fat Jesus

A Zombie's Revenge

The Headhunter

Crash

Tranq

The Island

Dog

The Quiet Man

Joe Superhero

Feral

Good Guys

Romeo and Juliet and Zombies

The Gamer

Becoming Alpha

Dead West

Small Town Blues

Shades of Z: Redux

The Gift of Death

Killer Claus

Skarred

Home Sweet Home

Alligator Allan

10 Days

Army of The Dumbest Dead

Kid

The Cult of Stupid

9 Time Felon

Slater

Bad Review: Hannah Dies

Me Again

Maurice and Me

The Family Business

Lightning Rider : Better Days

Lazy Boyz

The Sheep

Wild

The Flood

Extinction

Good Intentions

Dark Magic

Sparkles The Vampire Clown

From The Future, Stuck in The Past

Rescue

Knock Knock

Creep

Honest John

Urbex

She's Psycho

Unfinished

Neighbors

Misery, Nevada

Vicious Cycle

Relive

Romeo and Juliet: True Love Conquers All

Dead Road

Florida Man

Hunting Sarah

The Great American Zombie Novel

Carnage

Marge 3 Toes

Random Acts of Stupidity

Born Killer

The Abducted

Whiteboy

Broken Man

Graham Hiney

Bridge

15

Paper Soldiers

Zartan

The Concepts of a Plan

The Firsts in Life

Vlad The Bad

The Husband

Silver Town

The Squatter

Unlucky in Love

Unhappily Ever After

Giant Baby

The Valley of Death

Skunk Ape

Dog Man

The Hag

Delulu and The Asshole Apocalypse

Remover

Cannibal Prospector

New Nazi

Tyrant's Fall

China Madman

A Bad Day

Predators

Project Alpha

Secret Killer

Amnesia

No Tomorrow

Blackout

East Bound

Endless Trip

Haunted

Nobody

Peg Leg Jew

Eat The Rich

Exposed

Secret Weapon

Darwin's Apocalypse

Death of The States

Romeo & Juliet in Space

Wanderer

Burning Man

Passengers

Ponytail

Crackhead

Roid Rage

Activated

Time Warp

Train

The Devil on House Arrest

Diner

The Town

The Car

The End of The American Empire

Mom and Pop's

The Brute

Kalani

The Walker

Grime

Mythical Creatures

Blue Eyed Girl

Hero

Inadequacies of Man

To The Brink

Parasite

The Convention

The Spawning Room

The Other Side

The Other Me

The Perfect Crime

Immortal

4000

The Earl of Saint Louis

The Ranch

Trigger Warning

Evil

In The Woods

Badlands

Brittle

Timeline

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Also By Aaron Abilene

Cannibal Prospector

Chapter 1: A Prospector's Dream

Chapter 2: First Taste of Gold

Chapter 3: The Fateful Discovery

Chapter 4: The First Kill

Chapter 5: The Transformation

Chapter 6: Whispers in the Wind

Chapter 7: Forming the Posse

Chapter 8: Into the Canyon

Chapter 9: First Encounter

Chapter 10: Jedediah's Lair

Chapter 11: The Golden Curse

Chapter 12: Betrayal in the Ranks

Chapter 13: The Golden Demon Rises

Chapter 14: Ancient Magic and Modern Steel

Chapter 15: Escape from Hell

Chapter 16: Return to Dry Gulch

Chapter 17: The Lingering Curse

Chapter 18: A New Legend is Born

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Also By Aaron Abilene

​Cannibal Prospector

Written by Aaron Abilene

​Chapter 1: A Prospector's Dream

The canyon stretched before me, a gaping maw of sun-bleached rock and shimmering heat. Bessie plodded behind me, her hooves kicking up clouds of dust that clung to my sweat-soaked shirt. We'll find it soon, girl, I muttered, my eyes scanning the horizon for a glimmer of promise amidst the barren expanse. Greed gnawed at my insides like a starving coyote, driving me deeper into the heart of this godforsaken land.

I found a small outcropping that would shield my camp from prying eyes and the relentless sun. With practiced movements, I unloaded my pack and pitched the weathered canvas tent. The stakes sank into the cracked earth, anchoring my temporary refuge against the howling winds that raked the canyon at night.

As I laid out my tools, each one heavy with the weight of my ambition, I couldn't help but imagine the glittering fortune that awaited me. Gold, the color of a whore's hair in the lamplight, the key to a life I'd only dreamed of. It was here, somewhere in this labyrinth of stone and shadow. I could feel it in my bones.

Just a little longer, I whispered to Bessie as I tethered her to a gnarled juniper tree. She snorted softly, her dark eyes reflecting my own haunted gaze. We were both prisoners of this canyon now, bound by a shared desperation that ran deeper than any vein of ore.

As the sun began its slow descent, painting the sky in shades of blood and fire, I settled down beside the small fire I'd built. The flames cast dancing shadows on the canyon walls, their flickering forms like ghosts of the damned. I huddled closer to the warmth, my mind awhirl with visions of golden nuggets and the sins I'd committed to get here.

No turning back now, I rasped into the gathering darkness, my voice swallowed by the oppressive silence. The canyon seemed to close in around me, a living thing with ancient secrets and malevolent intent. But I wouldn't be deterred. Not by the whispers of madness, nor the specter of death that lurked in every crevice.

I was Jedediah Hawkins, prospector and survivor. And I would have my gold, even if it meant selling my soul to the devil himself.

The night wore on, a suffocating blanket of darkness broken only by the flickering embers of my dwindling fire. The canyon walls loomed above me, jagged teeth in the maw of some primordial beast. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching me, biding its time in the shadows.

A sudden rustling in the brush nearby jolted me from my reverie. My hand instinctively went to the pistol at my hip, the cold metal a small comfort against the unknown. I squinted into the darkness, my heart pounding a staccato rhythm in my chest.

Who's there? I called out, my voice a hoarse whisper. Show yourself!

From the shadows emerged a figure, tall and lean, with a gait that spoke of a lifetime in these unforgiving hills. As he drew closer, the firelight fell upon his face, illuminating a single, piercing eye that gleamed with a mixture of curiosity and warning.

Tom 'One-Eye' Wilson, I muttered, my grip tightening on my pistol. What brings you to my camp?

Tom stopped just outside the circle of firelight, his weathered face a mask of inscrutability. Heard tell of a new prospector in these parts, he said, his voice like gravel. Thought I'd come and see for myself.

I eyed him warily, the scars of past betrayals still fresh in my mind. In this wild and lawless land, trust was a commodity more precious than gold, and twice as rare.

Well, you've seen me, I replied, my tone guarded. Now, if you don't mind, I've got work to do come morning.

Tom's single eye bored into me, as if he could see straight through to the blackened depths of my soul. Work, you say? he chuckled, a mirthless sound that echoed off the canyon walls. More like a fool's errand, if you ask me.

I bristled at his words, my pride stung. I didn't ask you, I snapped, rising to my feet. And I'll kindly thank you to keep your opinions to yourself.

Tom shook his head, a look of pity flickering across his grizzled features. Suit yourself, Jedediah Hawkins, he said, turning to leave. But mark my words, there's more than gold lurking in these hills. And it ain't the kind of wealth that'll bring you anything but misery.

With that, he melted back into the shadows, leaving me alone once more with my thoughts and the weight of my own ambition. I sank back down beside the fire, my mind awhirl with the implications of Tom's warning.

But even as a chill crept up my spine, I pushed the doubts aside. I had come too far, sacrificed too much, to turn back now. The gold was out there, waiting for me, and I would have it, no matter the cost.

As the night deepened and the fire burned low, I huddled in my threadbare blanket, my eyes fixed on the dancing flames. The canyon watched me, a silent sentinel, and I knew that sleep would bring no respite from the demons that haunted me.

For in this land of shadow and stone, the only certainty was the promise of gold - and the price I would pay to claim it as my own.

My mind churned with the weight of Tom's words, a tempest of doubt and desire raging within me. The shadows seemed to press closer, the canyon walls looming like silent sentinels, bearing witness to my internal struggle. I could feel the lure of the gold, its siren song whispering promises of wealth and power, urging me to press on, to dismiss the warnings as the ramblings of a superstitious fool.

But even as I tried to banish the doubts, they lingered, like a persistent specter haunting the edges of my thoughts. Tom's tale of the horrors that lurked in the depths of the canyon, the madness that consumed those who dared to seek its riches, echoed in my mind, a ghostly refrain that refused to be silenced.

I rose from my seat by the fire, pacing restlessly, my boots scuffing the rocky ground. The night air was heavy with the weight of my indecision, the stillness broken only by the occasional crackle of the flames and the distant howl of a coyote.

In that moment, I felt the full weight of my isolation, the vastness of the wilderness pressing down upon me. The gold called to me, a glittering beacon in the darkness, promising to fill the emptiness that gnawed at my soul. But at what cost?

I shook my head, a mirthless chuckle escaping my lips. I had come too far to be swayed by the ramblings of a one-eyed prospector. The gold was my destiny, my chance to prove myself, to rise above the squalor of my past and claim my place in the world.

With a final, decisive nod, I turned my back on the fire, my resolve hardening like steel. I would not be deterred, not by the warnings of old men or the whispers of my own doubts. The canyon and its secrets would be mine, and heaven help any man - or beast - that stood in my way.

As I settled into my bedroll, the embers of the fire casting a faint glow across the camp, I closed my eyes, my mind filled with visions of the riches that awaited me. But even as I drifted into a fitful sleep, the shadows seemed to twist and writhe, taking on the shape of my deepest fears, and the canyon whispered its dark promises, a siren song that would haunt my dreams and guide my waking steps...

Tom's words hung heavy in the air between us, his gravelly voice low and foreboding. Heed my warnin', Jed. There's evil in this here canyon. Folks gone missin', never to be seen again. Unnatural things lurkin' in the shadows.

I met his gaze, my lips twisting into a wry smile. That so? Well, I ain't afeared of no ghost stories, Tom. I came here for one thing and one thing only - gold. And I aim to find it, come hell or high water.

Tom shook his head, his single eye narrowing. Stubborn fool. That greed of yours gonna be the death of ya. Mark my words.

I waved off his concern with a dismissive flick of my wrist. I'll take my chances. Ain't nothin' gonna stand between me and my fortune. Not even the devil himself.

As Tom turned to leave, I felt a flicker of doubt gnaw at the edges of my resolve. Could there be truth to his warnings? The canyon seemed to close in around me, the jagged rocks looming like twisted sentinels.

But the lure of gold was stronger than any fear. I pushed aside the unease, my mind already calculating the riches that awaited me. No matter the cost, I would not be deterred from my path. The hunger for wealth consumed me, a fire in my veins that no amount of cautionary tales could extinguish.

I returned to my work, the sound of my pickaxe ringing out in the oppressive silence. Each strike against the unyielding earth was a defiance of the dangers that lurked unseen. I would conquer this land, no matter the price my soul might pay.

As the sun began its descent, painting the sky in hues of blood-red and deep purple, the canyon took on an otherworldly quality. Shadows lengthened, stretching across the rocky terrain like grasping fingers. The air grew heavy with an unspoken menace, as if the very land itself was warning me to turn back.

But I paid no heed to the ominous whispers carried on the wind. My focus remained solely on the promise of gold, the glittering nuggets that would soon fill my pockets and seal my fate. With each passing moment, the isolation of my camp became more pronounced, the silence broken only by the occasional bray of Bessie, my faithful mule.

I moved about my camp with a sense of purpose, my hands working deftly to prepare for the coming day's search. The flickering light of my campfire cast eerie shadows on the canyon walls, the dancing flames a meager defense against the encroaching darkness. As I worked, my mind raced with thoughts of the riches that lay hidden beneath the earth, waiting to be claimed by a man with the grit and determination to seize them.

Yet even as I plotted my course, a nagging sense of unease crept into the corners of my mind. Tom's warning echoed in my ears, a ghostly whisper that refused to be silenced. The canyon seemed to pulse with a malevolent energy, as if the very rock and soil were alive with ancient secrets and unspeakable horrors.

But I steeled myself against the growing dread, my resolve hardening like the gold I sought. No matter the cost, no matter