--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Jenks and I stood there like statues…" description: "\"“Jenks and I stood there like statues watching him twitch, his eyes rolling up in his head. He clutched at his clothes pulling the wooden pole they hun..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc7/jeff-rice-40840_holy-water_jenks-and-i-stood-there-like-statues-wat_2105530.jpg" --- # Jenks and I stood there like statues watching him twitch… ![“Jenks and I stood there like statues watching him twitch, his eyes rolling up in his head. He clutched at his clothes pulling the wooden pole they hung from down on top of him. Slowly his right hand came scrambling out away from his body to clutch at my left leg. Without thinking I shoved my…” quote by Jeff Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc7/jeff-rice-40840_holy-water_jenks-and-i-stood-there-like-statues-wat_2105530.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc7/jeff-rice-40840_holy-water_jenks-and-i-stood-there-like-statues-wat_2105530.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc7/jeff-rice-40840_holy-water_jenks-and-i-stood-there-like-statues-wat_2105530.jpg) > ““Jenks and I stood there like statues watching him twitch, his eyes rolling up in his head. He clutched at his clothes pulling the wooden pole they hung from down on top of him. Slowly his right hand came scrambling out away from his body to clutch at my left leg. Without thinking I shoved my crucifix at him and he pulled his hand back with a hiss, shielding his face again. As quickly as I could, I dug my tubes of Holy Water out of my coat pocket and emptied them on his head. He shrieked again and clawed at his face. Jenks followed suit, pouring his two vials on Skorzeny's body and legs. Skorzeny started to foam and bubble before our eyes. I was paralyzed. I couldn't quite believe what was happening. Those books hadn't described any of this. I was feeling dizzy and sick. The shrieks turned to groans and a gurgling deep in his throat. He pulled his hands away from his face and it looked like the disintegrating Portrait of Dorian Gray. I looked over to Jenks who had an odd expression on his face. I looked over to Jenks who had on odd expression on his face. He motioned to me and reached for my left hand which, I noticed, was still clutching the airline hag with the stake and hammer in it. I dropped it and he grabbed it off the floor, moving over to the smoking form still squirming in the closet which smelled even more foul than before, and oozing a greenish yellow pus from the crumpled clothing on his scarecrow frame. Jenks looked back at me and handed me the stake and hammer. 'Go ahead. This was your idea. Finish it.' I declined, turning away. Jenks spun me around violently and thrust the stake into my left hand. He pushed me toward what was left of Skorzeny and forced me to my knees. He forced my hand toward Skorzeny, positioning the stake over the man's chest. Then he stuck the hammer in my right hand. 'Do it, you gutless sonofabitch. Finish it... now!' And he stepped away. I looked at him and back at Skorzeny. Then I gave one vicious swing and hit the stake dead center. The thing made a gurgling grunt, like a pig snuffling for food, and started to regurgitate a blackish fluid from its mouth. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and hit the stake three more times. Then I fell back and threw up. When I looked back, Skorzeny's hands, or what was left of them, clutched at the stake trying to pull it out. Suddenly, he emitted a kind of moaning, sucking sound, gagged and more bile-colored liquid flecked with black and red came coiling up in a viscous rope like some evil worm from his mouth. And he stopped moving, his hands still clutching the stake. Then a sort of gaseous mist started to rise from his body and it was so much worse than the original smell that I pushed Jenks aside and ran from the house. I ran all the way to a patrol car where I slumped against the left front wheel as Jenks slowly strolled toward me. He walked past me, ignoring me, and opened his trunk, taking out a couple of small gas cans, and headed back to the house. I wasn't paying much attention until he left the house again and I saw it was aflame.”” [Jeff Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-rice/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A desperate struggle against a supernatural threat forces characters to confront fear, faith, and moral choices in a chaotic battle. **In simple terms:** Characters fight a monster using holy relics, facing doubt and horror. Key Takeaway Act on convictions despite terror. Themes faith violence morality survival friendship Mood tense grim urgent Type narrative dramatic horror When to use this quote - combat against evil - using relics - making hard choices - overcoming fear - team dynamics Key Concepts exorcism psychological horror ethical dilemma Questions to Reflect On - What would you do when faith and fear clash? - How do you decide when to act or retreat? A Different Perspective The reliance on relics may not guarantee success against unknown forces. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clutched Stake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clutched-stake-4226414/) [Dorian Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dorian-gray/) [Holy water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy-water/) [Jenks Followed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jenks-followed-4226412/) [Jenks Looked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jenks-looked-500893/) [Jenks Stood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jenks-stood-4226411/) [Kolchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kolchak/) [Left hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left-hand/) [Portrait of dorian gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/portrait-of-dorian-gray-147056/) [Pushed Jenks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pushed-jenks-4226413/) [Right hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-hand/) [Ur Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ur-eyes/) [Vampire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vampire/) ## Related quotes > [“Under the disguise amulet, Jenks looked very different with black hair and a darker complexion. 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I started to black out, kneeing him in the crotch to no effect and clawing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-rice/then-shouts-from-the-direction-of-the-doorway-i-started-to-black-out/) [Jeff Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-rice/) > [“Nowhere. No one is ever going to hear from you again, sir. No one." 'Uh... well... I...' 'You profane my world, sir! I cannot...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-rice/nowhere-no-one-is-ever-going-to-hear-from-you-again-sir-no-one-uh/) [Jeff Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-rice/) > [“Sherman Reilly Duffy of the pre-World War I CHICAGO DAILY JOURNAL once told a cub reporter, 'Socially, a journalist fits in somewhere between a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-rice/sherman-reilly-duffy-of-the-pre-world-war-i-chicago-daily-journal/) [Jeff Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-rice/) [Explore all 10 Jeff Rice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-rice/) ## More Holy water quotes > [ “The fact that these kits \[vampire protection\] were generally useless didn’t bother me nearly as much as the idea of holy water being sold… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-harper/the-fact-that-these-kits-vampire-protection-were-generally-useless/) [Molly Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-harper/) > [Give me a mirror.Or holy water. I'll drink it,even!" 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He clutched at his clothes pulling the wooden pole they hung from down on top of him. Slowly his right hand came scrambling out away from his body to clutch at my left leg. Without thinking I shoved my crucifix at him and he pulled his hand back with a hiss, shielding his face again. As quickly as I could, I dug my tubes of Holy Water out of my coat pocket and emptied them on his head. He shrieked again and clawed at his face. Jenks followed suit, pouring his two vials on Skorzeny's body and legs. Skorzeny started to foam and bubble before our eyes. I was paralyzed. I couldn't quite believe what was happening. Those books hadn't described any of this. I was feeling dizzy and sick. The shrieks turned to groans and a gurgling deep in his throat. He pulled his hands away from his face and it looked like the disintegrating Portrait of Dorian Gray. I looked over to Jenks who had an odd expression on his face. I looked over to Jenks who had on odd expression on his face. He motioned to me and reached for my left hand which, I noticed, was still clutching the airline hag with the stake and hammer in it. I dropped it and he grabbed it off the floor, moving over to the smoking form still squirming in the closet which smelled even more foul than before, and oozing a greenish yellow pus from the crumpled clothing on his scarecrow frame. Jenks looked back at me and handed me the stake and hammer. 'Go ahead. This was your idea. Finish it.' I declined, turning away. Jenks spun me around violently and thrust the stake into my left hand. He pushed me toward what was left of Skorzeny and forced me to my knees. He forced my hand toward Skorzeny, positioning the stake over the man's chest. Then he stuck the hammer in my right hand. 'Do it, you gutless sonofabitch. Finish it... now!' And he stepped away. I looked at him and back at Skorzeny. Then I gave one vicious swing and hit the stake dead center. The thing made a gurgling grunt, like a pig snuffling for food, and started to regurgitate a blackish fluid from its mouth. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and hit the stake three more times. Then I fell back and threw up. When I looked back, Skorzeny's hands, or what was left of them, clutched at the stake trying to pull it out. Suddenly, he emitted a kind of moaning, sucking sound, gagged and more bile-colored liquid flecked with black and red came coiling up in a viscous rope like some evil worm from his mouth. And he stopped moving, his hands still clutching the stake. Then a sort of gaseous mist started to rise from his body and it was so much worse than the original smell that I pushed Jenks aside and ran from the house. I ran all the way to a patrol car where I slumped against the left front wheel as Jenks slowly strolled toward me. He walked past me, ignoring me, and opened his trunk, taking out a couple of small gas cans, and headed back to the house. 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