A Montauk Nightmare

Everything was silent. No winds, no birds, no insects. It seemed as though I was alone. Not what I was hoping for.

A deafening, grating sound, like gravel being pushed but amplified, crackled through the air. A second later, again. Once more. And again. On the fifth occurrence there was a sickly brown shimmering in the distance in the form of a man. His image cleared and coalesced as he strode forward, each step producing that crunching sound. He was a pallid white man with long, lanky black hair sitting under a white bowler. His pristine white three-piece suit, bowler and dank black hair were the most distinct colors here.

A dark gray cloud seemed to follow him, swelling each time a foot hit the ground. The air roiled within the cloud, indistinct funnels swirling from top to bottom, and brownish red lightning coursed soundlessly through its mass.

My head started hammering and my knees buckled as I watched him approach. I forced myself to stay upright, and when he was ten paces away he lifted his left arm. A simple wooden table appeared to my left, two chairs facing each other at either end. This confrontation was going to happen one way or another, so I pulled out a chair and sat. Looking down, I saw blood dripping on the table and felt it slipping down my mouth and chin. The wood seemed to be absorbing it at an unnatural rate, as if to satisfy a thirst. I wiped my sleeve across my nose, gathering much of the blood and tilted my head back at an angle.

My reptilian hindbrain, the most primitive part of me, was screaming "WRONG" as loud as possible. Every hair on my body was standing on end. This thing was unnatural in a way that tore at the fabric of my sanity.

Pulling the other chair out, he sat down and reached into a pocket in his vest where a watch would normally be. He slowly pulled out five boxes, each of which were too large to fit in the small pocket. I studied his angular face and realizedit was a better identifier than 'he'.Its eyes were overly large and looked like small fishbowls. Inside each bowl was a small jellyfish-like creature that slithered about, movement not in concert with its brother.

Waivingits hand in front of the boxes,it spoke in a crisp English accent. "Offerings to my colleagues for allowing me passage. Did you come empty handed? You show much discourtesy, Mrs. Corrigan."

Its mouth opened and moved whenit spoke, but the words, if that's what they were, seemed to radiate from it's being. The end of each ofit's sentences had a loose, raspy sound, like the skittering of a thousand beetles along a chalkboard.

Barely able to concentrate, I replied through the agony that was ripping my brain apart. "I'm not here to talk."

It smirked. "Of course not. Like all meat, you are here to demonstrate your hubris. You are young and weak, and yet you felt powerful and able. Your kind is so full of emotion. Where you are from, youth is king. Here, it is experience and longevity. You came here as the hunter, to put an end to things. You wish to lock me out for good, yet you can't even stand. In a realm of the will, you can't even think."

With long tapered fingersit opened the boxes with delicate movements, one by one asit spoke. It was a sign of disdain. As if I were no threat andit was in no rush. "I will pick your soul clean, enjoying every morsel. I will climb into what was once your mind, and nesting there, will take up residence. I will destroy your progeny, including the meat in your stomach. And I will open every Gate on your world."

My nose started leaking again as I sat up straight, arm and hand protectively over my belly. Was I pregnant? Could this thing sense that? "No, I didn't come here as a hunter. I'm not a hunter. I'm the goat tethered to the tree."

Golden lightning flashed through the sky, shattering the stillness around us. The pounding in my head receded and I felt a strong but gentle hand on my shoulder. A second hand reached over my shoulder and put a large gris-gris bag on the table. It was open, and I saw the contents. I did have two tricks up my sleeve, but this wasn't one. I had no idea who this third party was.

Cynthia's voice was strong and clear. I almost started crying at the relief her voice brought. "A bone for his dog and tobacco for his pipe. We thank Papa Legba for the passage." She placed another bag on the table. "Rum and black felt for his hat. We thank Baron Samedi for his protection." Another gris-gris followed. "Peyote and a deck of cards. We invite the Coyote to join us." The fourth bag hit the table and I realized that she was lining them up exactly oppositeits boxes. "Clay, water and a finger bone of Gilgamesh. We welcome Enkidu." The fifth bag finished her matchings. "Pure rain water and blood-soaked earth. We hold open the door for Iskur, lord of storms."

Unspeakable rage suffusedits face and a soft plonking sound was heard as the amoeba-like creatures inits eyes threw themselves against their prison. "You, you... sack of meat! Do you know WHO I AM? I ruled your world when your kind were barely primates. You bring your trinkets as if to threaten me? ME?"

I looked atit, surprised at the raw emotion. Realization set in and I smiled.Its emotion was mine. Distance and perspective had been thrust upon me as we had regarded each other in that other realm. A certain disconnection had infected me, causing a separation between me and those I loved.

But in turn, I had infectedit. I could handle disconnection. Recognizing it, I could move past the feeling and reembrace who I was. Emotion was foreign toit, andit wasn't coping well.

Ashis anger mounted, so did the pressure on my mind. The blood started flowing again and I tilted my head back. Looking to the sky, I saw a rangy dog-like creature furtively running on two legs from one cloud to the next.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see the raging creature as its edges blurred, expanded and contracted and grew translucent.

It lurched toits feet, forcingits chair back five paces. Slamming a hand on the table, the wood split in twain, collapsing. The ten boxes remained where they were, suspended in the air. The creature coiled as if about to leap towards us when a bellow erupted to our left. A huge man appeared mid-stride, running towards us. He was at least seven feet tall and wearing animal skins and was the most hirsute individual I'd ever seen. The man roared in rage. Launching himself into thecreature, they both went tumbling.

Cynthia pulled me back and I finally turned to look at her. She appeared older, but healthy and strong. Much stronger than the last time I had seen her. "How are you here? Aren't you, you know... in the past?"

"Keep walking. Give them some space so we're not caught in the middle. Yes, for me it's 1971. Time is meaningless here."

"So, how did you know to be here?"

Inarticulate screams and thudding of fists on flesh accompanied our words. We both watched the carnage as we spoke.

"I have friends who I lean on. They have... gifts. People call them sensitives. They keep me in the loop. You and I are tightly bound. It makes it easier for them. Look."

She pointed to the sky where we saw the dog-like creature dash to another cloud. We could make out his figure as he bent over and picked something up. As soon as he touched it, the item took on a golden hue. If the creature was seven-foot tall, the item had to be at least six-feet in length. It seemed to be a jagged rod of some sort. He tucked it under his arm and scurried to a new cloud.

Cynthia took my chin gently and turned my head towards her. "Jennifer, tell me about Finn. Are you... is, was everything worth it?" Her eyes were moist, and I could see her pain. I didn't know how I would deal with losing Finn, so I have no idea how she was coping.

We watched the carnage as Enkidu rent flesh with teeth and hand and was, in turn, beaten and bruised by the evil in human form. I took a moment to decide how to respond and what to leave out.

"We are good, together. I love him more than ever and I know he feels the same. We have a son, William George Corrigan. He's everything we could dream of. You'd love him. There were... difficulties, but they were dealt with."

We heard a booming laugh and looked up once again to see the Coyote. He was standing next to a large man with jewelry woven through his beard and what looked like an ephod on his chest. Laughing, eyes wild, the man stood on a chariot that rested on a small cloud. Coyote was handing the man golden lightning bolts that were hurled down at thecreature, repeatedly strikingit in the back when Enkidu turnedit in that direction.

The creature's screams were deafening, andits formerly pristine jacket was stained and smoking.

I was under the impression that Cynthia was purposefully trying to distract me. She took my hand and squeezed it gently. "William. For Finn's uncle. I love him already. You've made me very happy. Tell me of your new concern." She searched my face. "What happened here? What did you discover?"

"I, I came here knowing I wasn't going home. I felt the pressure rising again and knew something was wrong. Nose bleeds, headaches, hearing the whispering. It was all happening again, but it was worse. I had to protect Finn and William. I thought if I came here I could find something I could do, butit showed up soon after I did. I thought that if I put all of myself into one attack, it might push the creature back, stop it from coming. Cynthia, I was ready to do it. Losing all of myself... If they would be okay, I could do whatever was necessary, but... I think I may be pregnant."

She cupped my cheek with one hand and looked over at the combatants. "I'll take care of it, dear. You'll get home and raise that boy and have this child."

Reaching into a pocket, she pulled out a gun covered in electric blue runes. Ejecting the magazine, she removed the bullets and put them in her pocket. Grimacing, Cynthia seemed to reach into her chest, fingers pushing past the skin. She pulled out bullet after bullet from her body, each shimmering with a silvery luminescence. After she removed each she looked progressively weaker. Fingers fumbling, she loaded them in the magazine and inserted it into the gun.

The echoing laughter of Iskur rolled from the skies as she worked. I watched as my mentor, my other self, drew instruments of death from her very soul. For me. For Finn. For our future. Again, she sacrificed everything for our love.

Her words seemed to roll into each other as she spoke, almost as if she were drunk or utterly exhausted. "We'll get you home and finally send this creature to hell.Its name translates to King Worm in proto-Sumerian. The strongest and most powerful ofits kind. When it goes, the threat will be over."

Howling, thecreature's voice held both pain and incredulity. Enkidu was using fist and foot, tooth and fingernail to pummel, rend and wrestle. Wounds that should have been mortal for both spread across their bodies.

Fast running blood ran from the wounds of thecreature. The coloring was wrong. The blood was dark brown against the pallid white skin. The blood ran in odd rivulets and then started to flow upits body. I looked closer. It wasn't blood, but a stream of tens of thousands of insects that were pouring out of its wounds, each following its predecessor until streams finally parted.

Slowing, blows losing impact,it cried out to the sky. "Heel!"

Coyote looked about, toppled the pile of lightning and bounded down to earth. Iskur's voice boomed his curses, screaming of treachery. The trickster launched itself at the left leg of Enkidu, taking out tendons, forcing him to his knee.It sunk his hands around the wild man's throat as Coyote continued to pull meat and sinew from Enkidu's legs and back.

Feeble grew the resistance of the warrior as his blood soaked the ground.It shook off the impact of the continued lightning bolts, which grew fewer in frequency. When the struggling ended,it twisted the neck sharply and let the body collapse after the sickening cracking sound.

It stood, straightenedits jacket and turned to us. "Don't run, meat. I'll be back for you soon." It started to stride away, growing in size.It's feet began landing on air andit climbed into the sky, Coyote right behind. The gray cloud shifted and lowered becoming a mantle aboutits shoulders. Iskur's laugh shook the air as the battle came to him.

The lord of storms waited until they were close, leapt from his chariot, lifted it and swung the conveyance in an arc. It slammed into thecreature, who in turn, slammed into Coyote. The trickster yelped, rolled, got to his feet and launched himself. Thecreature did the same, pinning Iskur against the chariot that had remained motionless, sitting in the air.

"Cynthia, I need to call for help." She stood there, gun at her side, staring at the battle in the sky.

"You can, or you can wait. Guests here can't interfere with proper solicitations. To even exist here, they have to obey certain protocols, certain strictures. Allowing an adherent to beseech a power must be allowed. If you chose correctly, who you invite will come. They all hate the Worm, but they can't come without invitation."

I was stunned for a moment before speaking. "What... how... They can't stop me once I start the process?"

"They'd immediately be removed by the very nature of this place. Wait and watch. Hopefully you won't need to call upon any power. There's always a cost to do so."

Minutes later a Sumerian deity hung lifeless in the sky, blood dripping to the ground in a mockery of the storms he represented.

It came walking down the air towards us, Coyote following. The trickster ran around us, it's hyena-like laugh a sickening mixture of bark and giggle.

Cynthia stood beside me, gun held behind her back. She placed a hand on my shoulder and I drew strength from her presence.

"You thought my dog your ally? It follows strength. I grant it chaos. It will laugh as your world dies."

I braved a small smile in spite of my terror. "That creature's not a dog. It's a Trickster. Dogs are protective. They are steadfast. They are brave. Most importantly, they are loyal. I didn't actually come empty handed. I only had one offering, but it's a good one. Let me show you the difference between a dog and the Trickster."

I reached into one pocket and pulled out a photo and some fur. I crouched down, close to the ground and placed them in front of me. "Some fur from Dink, our friend, our protector. A photo of my son, sleeping, Dink laying between William and danger." I pulled out some biscuits from the other pocket and strew them on the ground. "Treats for our beloved friends. I call the first Tibetan Fu Lions."

Blue tinged lightning struck the ground. It was somehow different than Iskurs. There was a unique booming resonance as it shook the earth. One bolt, two, ten. As the lightning hurtled through the sky, the air quavered like an obese belly-dancer. Crashing into the ground, one by one, the impact nearly knocked us from our feet. Ionization was heavy and left my hair standing on end.

I leaned over to Cynthia and whispered. "I lied. I have one more. I walked around Ayer's Rock seven times, widdershins. I have rock candy and a book of riddles for the Queen of the Sidhe."

"Mab?" She looked at me, eyes wide in surprise and something else. Horror? "Tell me you're joking. Jennifer, never call upon the Unseely Court."

The Coyote andit seemed stuck in place, paralyzed by apprehension. A baying cut through the air and the Trickster looked about frantically. Down on all fours, Coyote took off, running faster than any animal should. The two huge, howling dogs ran faster. They bounded past us, not veering from the trail of their prey.

Fear and despair swelled in the yipping of Coyote.

"Nothing! This. Changes. Nothing!"It stepped forward and plungedit's fingers into my chest. Vision narrowing, I fell to my knees.Its hand was up toit's wrist in my body as it seemed to be searching for something.

How much time? How long would it take for the Coyote to die and for them to return? The pain was the worst I had ever felt, and I was losing consciousness.

Cynthia wrenched me backwards, putting herself between me and thecreature. Smokey black tendrils trailed from my chest toits fingers as we separated. She slammed her head into one ofits already damaged eyes. It shattered like glass and the amoeba like thing living inside slithered out and to the ground.

Pulling her arm up, she spit at the creature before speaking. "Fuck you!" Raising the gun, she fired. Runes glowing, a golden streak ran from the barrel to thecreatures chest.It stumbled back. She stumbled forward. Cynthia fired again. And again. And again. The growing coldness in my mind caused me to lose count.

I couldn't feel my body as I fell onto my back. My left eye was blurry as I looked at her. She stood wide of stance, seemingly struggling to stay afoot.It was also onits back as she fired again. It struggled to rise as the two gargantuan dogs returned, maws stained red, circling thecreature.

Cynthia staggered over to where I had called them, leaned down and picked up the picture of Dink and my son. In a way, her son.

As the dogs moved in for the kill, darkness claimed me.

FINN

The phone rang at just past 1:00 PM. It was Dr. Khalil. It was immediately followed by a call from Shiv and then one from Tommy and then an unknown number. I picked up the doctor's call.

"Mr. Corrigan, I... I have some bad news. I like you, Mr. Corrigan. I know that I don't relate to people well. I wish I could find a better way to tell you this, but Mrs. Corrigan has suffered a major stroke. She is at a hospital in Alice Springs. They are stabilizing her and flying her to Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. I'm..."

"What? No. What... why, why am I just hearing about this? How is she? No, you just told me... God, Stacey, please, I can't lose her."

"Mr. Corrigan, Finn, I've chartered a plane and I'm leaving for California within the hour. Would you like to join me? It would be all right. I wouldn't... it would be all right if you were there."

I had my parents meet me at the airport. They took William and I climbed aboard the plane. Dr. Stacey Khalil was there waiting for me. She awkwardly clasped both hands over my shoulders, gave me a semblance of a hug and quickly stepped back.

"Why don't we just fly to Australia?"

"Miraculously, there was almost no swelling of the brain. The damage was serious, but she's stable. We'd pass them in the Pacific if we flew there."

"Why did it take so long to reach me? Why didn't the hospital call me?"

"There was an unprecedented black-out that took out all communications. Locals are blaming it on a lightning storm focused on Ayer's Rock. Supposedly there was a final, tremendous strike that impacted electronics throughout the area. There's word of mass hysteria. It seems that it was intense.

I can imagine that this is difficult for you. Would you like to talk to someone, Mr. Corrigan? I can call Cherie. She's good at that. I'm not... she would be good at talking."

"No, I just... I'm going to be sick." I ran to the bathroom, losing everything I had eaten that day. I sat back down, drank a Sprite, had some mints and tried to stop my racing mind from spiraling out of control.