Read Online At Fear's Altar by Richard Gavin - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Richard Gavin
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brother, and they decided to check in on this corner of the world. When they saw what was happening they immediately reported it to the Creator. He was so outraged that he cleaved off part of the world and filled the divide with water. He banished the fallen Watcher to his cave and cut off his followers from the rest of the world. He then transformed them into ghouls, hideous things.
“From that night on the Creator said that this cliff we’re standing on would be the actual end of this world, and that mountain over there would be known as The Abject, the Hell where all the blasphemers were imprisoned. He vowed not to destroy this planet, not because he cared about humanity, but because he wanted to eternally punish The Abject.”
“That’s quite the fairytale,” Tad said.
Charlie chortled. “It’s just an old spook story, Tad, nothing to get nervous about. Now, who wants another drink?”
By then Earth’s End had begun slipping into the gloaming. The group laid out blankets upon the cold, puddle-laden rock. Wine bottles were uncorked, steak sandwiches and brie and apples were served and gobbled.
In the sky just beyond the needle-like pinnacle of The Abject, the sky was studded with the first eager stars.
7
A few weeks before she’d received Douglas’s invitation, Petra had gone with Tad for a late lunch at an English-style pub on Hope Street. She had stopped the waitress immediately after Tad had ordered them two rye-and-gingers, their customary drink. As the waitress had been leaving their table, Petra had gently gripped the woman’s elbow and requested that the bartender hold the rye from hers.
With that, Tad had looked at her and he’d known. He’d known. For a long spell he’d merely stared at her, not saying anything. When he did finally speak, his choice of words (“We can correct this”) had motivated Petra to spring to her feet and hurl her drink in his face. It was the first time she’d ever done such a thing, the first time she’d even seen such a thing done, save for the movies.
She’d stormed out of the restaurant, into the bustling crowd on the sidewalk.
And all at once Petra had felt the world disintegrate. Providence had paled to an indistinct grey haze. Everything slowed to a crawl. The people that milled about her all sounded as though they were speaking behind glass.
Things stayed that way for some time. Somehow, while in that cumulus state, Petra must have reconciled with Tad, must have considered what he’d had to say about the situation.
Somehow she must have consented to have the issue “corrected.”
The problem was fresh enough that the remedial action was but a day procedure. When it was over, Tad had come bearing white orchids. Petra had slept a lot and tried not to think about the fact that her longstanding desire to carve a niche for herself, to create someone who was like her in some way, had been eradicated.
The nightmares returned almost immediately afterward, with unmatched relentlessness and ruthlessness. In this new batch, the stairs that Petra tried frantically to run down would dissolve like soaked sugar, and her father’s following cries were no longer in English ( “N’gai, n’gha’ghaa, bugg-shoggog, y’hah . . .” ).
In her most recent nightmares, Petra’s father found her.
Nightly she would feel herself being clutched, choked. But not by human hands.
8
How effective the children’s telescope would be at discerning constellations Petra had yet to learn, but she’d discovered that it did serve as a very effective spyglass for studying the mountain of forbidden things. The encroaching nightfall smudged a great many of the mountain’s finer details, but as she stood panning the telescopic lens up and around The Abject, Petra was able to see great cragged rocks that were bearded with sun-bleached weeds. Some of the mountain’s indentations held stagnant rainwater, like natural libation-bearers. With its barrenness and its
“From that night on the Creator said that this cliff we’re standing on would be the actual end of this world, and that mountain over there would be known as The Abject, the Hell where all the blasphemers were imprisoned. He vowed not to destroy this planet, not because he cared about humanity, but because he wanted to eternally punish The Abject.”
“That’s quite the fairytale,” Tad said.
Charlie chortled. “It’s just an old spook story, Tad, nothing to get nervous about. Now, who wants another drink?”
By then Earth’s End had begun slipping into the gloaming. The group laid out blankets upon the cold, puddle-laden rock. Wine bottles were uncorked, steak sandwiches and brie and apples were served and gobbled.
In the sky just beyond the needle-like pinnacle of The Abject, the sky was studded with the first eager stars.
7
A few weeks before she’d received Douglas’s invitation, Petra had gone with Tad for a late lunch at an English-style pub on Hope Street. She had stopped the waitress immediately after Tad had ordered them two rye-and-gingers, their customary drink. As the waitress had been leaving their table, Petra had gently gripped the woman’s elbow and requested that the bartender hold the rye from hers.
With that, Tad had looked at her and he’d known. He’d known. For a long spell he’d merely stared at her, not saying anything. When he did finally speak, his choice of words (“We can correct this”) had motivated Petra to spring to her feet and hurl her drink in his face. It was the first time she’d ever done such a thing, the first time she’d even seen such a thing done, save for the movies.
She’d stormed out of the restaurant, into the bustling crowd on the sidewalk.
And all at once Petra had felt the world disintegrate. Providence had paled to an indistinct grey haze. Everything slowed to a crawl. The people that milled about her all sounded as though they were speaking behind glass.
Things stayed that way for some time. Somehow, while in that cumulus state, Petra must have reconciled with Tad, must have considered what he’d had to say about the situation.
Somehow she must have consented to have the issue “corrected.”
The problem was fresh enough that the remedial action was but a day procedure. When it was over, Tad had come bearing white orchids. Petra had slept a lot and tried not to think about the fact that her longstanding desire to carve a niche for herself, to create someone who was like her in some way, had been eradicated.
The nightmares returned almost immediately afterward, with unmatched relentlessness and ruthlessness. In this new batch, the stairs that Petra tried frantically to run down would dissolve like soaked sugar, and her father’s following cries were no longer in English ( “N’gai, n’gha’ghaa, bugg-shoggog, y’hah . . .” ).
In her most recent nightmares, Petra’s father found her.
Nightly she would feel herself being clutched, choked. But not by human hands.
8
How effective the children’s telescope would be at discerning constellations Petra had yet to learn, but she’d discovered that it did serve as a very effective spyglass for studying the mountain of forbidden things. The encroaching nightfall smudged a great many of the mountain’s finer details, but as she stood panning the telescopic lens up and around The Abject, Petra was able to see great cragged rocks that were bearded with sun-bleached weeds. Some of the mountain’s indentations held stagnant rainwater, like natural libation-bearers. With its barrenness and its
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