Taxim

In Eastern European name for the walking dead or 'undead': the ambulent physical remains of mortals whose souls cannot rest in peace. Usually a person afflicted in this way finds a way out of the grave because he (a taxim is invariably male) is determined to extort revenge for some evil suffering during his mortal existence.

There is an essential difference between the undead and ordinary ghosts. The latter appear in shadowy or even transparent form, whereas a taxim may have the appalling appearance of a person who has been buried for some time. In fact the dreadful stench of corruption often precedes a taxim and gives warning of his approach. This is not, however, invariably the case, and a taxim may manifest himself in comparatively fresh condition. It all depends upon how long the taxim needs to gather up the supernatural strength required to burst out of a vault or grave. Sometimes this is sufficient to enable it to achieve a kind of ectoplasmic condition, pass through any solid obstruction, and reassemble itself on the other side.

A taxim moves only during the hours of darkness, because it is dazzled by daylight, and has fairly limited range. Naturally it cannot use public transport or hitch a ride, and so it must travel on foot over the ground. It is, therefore, comparatively easy to escape a taxim seeking revenge, simply to fleeing immediately to some other part of the country. One may be reasonably sure that a ruined or abandoned house has been deserted because its occupants were threatened by a taxim.

Usually a taxim has no desire to hurt people unknown to it during life, but it cannot help inflicting icy fear upon them as it shuffles through the night. It seeks only the person upon whom it desires revenge, and until it succeeds in this search it must arise from time to time, usually at the dark of the moon, and set off on its stumbling journey through the night. Naturally it looks and smells worse on each expedition.

Anyone who has sufficient courage (and such people are few indeed) may set a taxim at rest by confronting it as it follows its midnight attack, and explaining that revenge is the prerogative of the Supreme Being, who will ensure that divine justice is done.