Clarence

By John Catapano

Dr. Sarcophagus runs a travelling carnival and freak show during the depression. During the tour he is paid in gold by hooded strangers to do a performance in their town on All Hallow's Eve. He begins an investigation that eventually involves two members of his freak show. What is their connection to Innsmouth and is the whole troupe in danger? A must for Lovecraft lovers!

• Language: English
• Publisher: John Catapano
• Release date: Jan 10, 2012
• ISBN: 9781310454004

John Catapano

John Catapano saw his first horror movie double feature at age three and was instantly hooked. He spent many hours at the local theater over the years seeing thousands of movies especially genre films. As a young man he built all the Aurora Monster model kits and read Famous Monsters of Filmland every month. He majored in Mass Communications in college and learned about the history and production of film. His adult life to date consisted of working in the entertainment industry and teaching and lecturing at many colleges and universities. The Baby Boomer Horror and SciFi Movie Trivia Book was a labor of love and a tribute to to men who taught him the most about the genre.

Book preview

Clarence

By

J. Catapano

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2016 by J. Catapano

All Rights Reserved.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Clarence

Author’s Note

Clarence

Dr. Sarcophagus paused on the back steps of his carnival wagon. As he looked up, icy needles pricked his face, the result of an autumn New England storm.

He pulled the collar up on his long coat as he looked down at the river of water and mud that separated him from the freak show tent. With the grace of a ballet dancer he pirouetted across the alley trying to keep his calf skin boots as clean as possible.

He drew back the tent flap and stepped into the dry interior. As he removed his top hat, icy water spilled down his neck. He shivered involuntarily and sighed as he glanced down at his muddy boots. The canvas room was illuminated by a double string of naked light bulbs. A small wooden stage in the front of the tent held Penelope the Bearded Lady. She was entertaining the rubes with stories of her lost loves. The crowd was small, perhaps a dozen souls. It may have been the storm or maybe the Depression, either way it was costing him more to feed the horses than this small group had paid. He chose to stand well behind them in the shadows at the rear of the tent. As Penelope exited the stage, four roustabouts rolled up a large object covered by a tarpaulin. It stood over six feet tall and four feet wide, a number of rubber hoses could be seen protruding from the sides and back of it.

I don’t hear the pumps, Dr. Sarcophagus thought to himself. At that moment a tall man in a sailor’s pea coat and fishing cap stepped up on the stage and began to address the audience.

Welcome my friends on this cold autumn night! My name is Richard Riley an’ I’m a seafarin’ man. What I ‘ave ta show ya ‘ill shake ya ta yer core. It’ll make ya question yer religion an’ what ya know a nature!

Riley had an old scar across the left side of his face that started on his forehead and stretched to his jaw line. He had two days of stubble and an aura of stale smoke and whiskey.

I’ve sailed all the seas o’ the world, but five years ago, off the Philippine Islands in the deepest part o’ the Pacific, I caught what you’ll see today. Our ship had just sailed through the worst typhoon o’ the century; the kind that rips up the ocean bottom an’ breaks yer masts in two.

Dr. Sarcophagus smiled and thought, Riley’s in good voice tonight. I wonder how much of the story he believes after five years.

We decided ta set the nets an’ catch some fish fer food an’ trade wi’h the locals, Riley continued. "As we started ta pull ‘em up there was a great thrashin’ and commotion! Two o’ my shipmates were almost pulled overboard. The captain called all hands ta the nets an’ it took every soul aboard ta haul the catch on deck; but it wasn’t the catch we expected. As the net opened on the deck a creature rose up making an un-earthly noise.

Two o’ our company rushed in ta secure it an’ much ta our horror they were mortally wounded by the creature’s claws. I picked up a belayin’ pin from the deck rail an’ ran at the monster in a fit o’ rage. He tore at my face as I hit ‘im givin’ me this scar, but my blow put ‘im down ta the teak. There’s no describin’ this monster. It comes from the deepest depths, but walks like a man! Ladies and gentlemen; I give ya…the Manphibian!!"

With a dramatic flourish he pulled the tarp off with both hands. The dozen onlookers gasped and took two steps backwards as if they were one. Dr. Sarcophagus had to stifle a giggle, it was his favorite part of the show. A few small children ran behind their parents and one woman clutched at her chest.

On the stage stood a copper tank filled with cloudy greenish water. Inside stood what first appeared to be a man. Riley stepped over to the tank and hit it with his fist. The occupant moved quickly to the front glass. Its head was very narrow and had