The Horror Nigh

By Christine M. Burkhart

Nigh's world is defined by the sewers he lives in, and is controlled by his adopted family, the Ratpeople, a group of strange beings living in a subterranean society beneath a decaying city in a ruined world. The surface fascinates him, despite the warnings he receives, and when in his wanderings he stumbles across a 'tower,' an intact building still scraping the sky though its neighbors have been reduced to ruble, Nigh is too tempted to pass it up.
From the tower he knows he will see far and wide and learn so much, just as long as he does as the beautiful Catherine and her crone of a keeper, Madame, tell him. The world will finally be his, if he stays, fully conforms... and survives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christine M. Burkhart
• Release date: Jun 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476435398

Christine M. Burkhart

Christine M. Burkhart has been writing since the sixth grade and has dreamed of being a published author for as long. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Creative Writing/Literature from University of California, Santa Cruz, and a Master's Degree in Creative Writing from Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England. Burkhart believes a true writer is a person who has at least tried to write everything. She's worked as a freelance journalist, written novels, novellas, short stories, plays and poems. She is currently trying to start a blog and has discovered that she was quite the snob when Twitter first arrived on the scene. She's now giving it a try. Burkhart is currently working at the community college she used to attend, and is happy to be among the professors that encouraged her so much in her writing. She hopes to eventually return to England, as she left her heart there.

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THE HORROR NIGH

Christine M. Burkhart

Copyright 2011 Christine M. Burkhart

Smashwords Edition

All characters and events in this publication are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. All rights reserved.

For my parents, who helped see me educated in creative writing, and for my Richards, my brother and Richard Neville, who encouraged me to publish.

CONTENTS

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter One

Below the barren streets, down in the dank passages that once served as the decayed city’s sewer system, a young man called Nigh held his face pressed to a ventilation grate. His eyes drifted back and forth. He’d been sitting at the grate for an hour, waiting for something to happen. But there was nothing. Nigh knew there were people living up there, but he’d never seen them. At least not during the day. From Nigh’s vantage point the buildings rose above him like cracked teeth against a ruddy sky. It was getting late, but Nigh was reluctant to leave. It had rained earlier that day and a pleasant breeze was drifting down into the tunnels, bringing with it the smell of wet concrete and fresh air. Nigh sighed and let another breath fill his lungs. It was refreshing to smell something clean. The tunnels stank constantly of stagnant water. It was a smell his nose had never gotten used to, although he’d lived in there his entire life.

Nigh heard the distant echo of voices calling him name, accompanied the familiar sound of sharp nails scraping on concrete and hissing laughter. Skew had sent a bunch of Ratchildren to fetch him. No matter how far away from the den he ran, they always picked up his smell and found him. Turning, Nigh started to run. His legs sloshed through low pools of water, and the sound of splashing water drew the Ratchildren’s ears to his trail. Soon he could hear them giving chase, their laughter rolling off the walls. Nigh knew he couldn’t hide from them, nor could he outrun them, but he could out maneuver them. For every tunnel they knew, he knew a dozen more.

Nigh twisted on his foot and let his body hurtle down a narrow shaft to the right. It dead-ended with a short fall down into a large cavern. At the far end of the shaft, he knew, was a pole embedded into the wall, short drop into a larger tunnel. Coming to this pole, he grabbed it with both hands and swung himself off his feet. He felt his body rush through the mouth of the shaft and into the open air. Then he was falling down, his muscles bunching into a braced position to land in a crouch. He cut to the left, taking a large channel, high enough for him to run upright in, which he knew eventually intersected with another that would take him directly to his den.

A few minutes later, Nigh slid to a stop in front of Skew’s den. Pushing the curtain that served as a door out of the way, Nigh bent down and crawled in. He found Skew hunched over the fire, poking at something in a pan.

What’re we having then? Nigh asked, crawling inside and squatting near the door.

Skew threw a look at Nigh over his shoulder and snorted. Fish tails’n’heads, cause of you! You were supposed to go out and catch dinner, remember that?

Sorry, Skew, Nigh said, crawling a little farther into the room.

I tell you, it’s come’n to an embarrassment. Everybody whisper’n about you.

Sorry.

Don’t give me sorry. I’m tired of sorrys. Give me a promise you’ll not do it again and mean it!

Nigh sat quietly for a moment before replying, softly, You’re always tell’n me to find my happiness. I’m just look’n for it, Skew.

"You’re look’n in