To Be a Dark Mother: A Shared Experience in the Patchwork Lands

By Ronald Linson, Deidre J Owen, Benjamin Michael Greene and 2 more

Seventeen years ago, when the stars were right once again, the Old Ones returned to Earth to parcel out its lands amongst themselves. Some of the ruling Lords and Ladies are benevolent, providing for their humans so their lands would prosper. Some are simply aloof and govern their realms with indifference. Others, however, have grown twisted. Demented.

Sick.

The Lord of the Lake deeply adores all his Dark Mothers, but he has developed a particular fascination with his next bride-to-be. The rising adolescent, Hope, is such a promising young female, bright and spirited. What beautiful offspring she will provide him! Zung'Reth's keen anticipation of the courtship is palpable among his many acolytes, but it is especially significant to Charity...Hope's older sister, and five years a Dark Mother.

In this shared experience, five separate voices cry out into the cosmos to tell their woeful tales. Come explore the depths of love, passion, hope, and hopelessness as the saga plays out in this bleak, dying corner of Ronald Linson's Patchwork Lands.

"To Be a Dark Mother" is an anthology published by Mannison Press, LLC with stories by Ronald Linson, Deidre J Owen, Benjamin Michael Greene, Tim Mendees, and E. L. Giles.

CONTENT WARNING: The stories in this collection contain cosmic horror-style violence, gore, murder, strong language, and implied sexual assault. Discretion is advised.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mannison Press, LLC
• Release date: Jul 20, 2021
• ISBN: 9780463909188

Ronald Linson

Born and raised in western Connecticut, Ronald Linson now lives in New York City. He earned a degree in Computer Information Systems from Baruch College of the City University of New York, and has found that he prefers writing to database management.He writes mainly science fiction, fantasy, and horror, but has been known to dabble in other genres. Many of his short stories and poems can be found at http://www.bewilderingstories.com.In November 2017, he won first place in the On the Premises Mini-Short Story Contest #35, under his real name, Morgan Schafer.It can be found here: https://onthepremises.com/minis/mini_35/He has a number of projects in the works, including a YA fantasy novel and collaborations on a children's series and a short story, "Overworked: A Legal Fiction," with Deidre J Owen.

Book preview

To Be a Dark Mother

A Shared Experience in the Patchwork Lands

Ronald Linson

Deidre J Owen

Benjamin Michael Greene

Tim Mendees

and E L Giles

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2021 by Mannison Press

Published by Mannison Press, LLC at Smashwords

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 your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

CONTENT WARNING:

The stories in this collection contain cosmic horror-style violence, gore, murder, strong language, and implied sexual assault. Discretion is advised.

This book is dedicated to those who know... and wait.

The Old Ones were, the Old Ones are, and the Old Ones shall be. Not in the spaces we know, but between them. They walk serene and primal, undimensioned and to us unseen.

― H.P. Lovecraft, The Dunwich Horror and Others

Contents

Foreword

Charlie

About Ronald Linson

Hope

About Deidre J Owen

Charity

About Benjamin Michael Greene

Zung'Reth

About Tim Mendees

Caroline

About E L Giles

Thank You

Foreword

Ronald Linson

I wrote a short story under the title To Be a Dark Mother for a cosmic horror anthology in late 2018. It made it to the final round of consideration in early 2019 but was ultimately rejected. There were other things brewing at the time—namely the founding of Mannison Press—so I set it aside for a while.

Many months later, after things had settled down somewhat, I decided to see what could be done with it. We had rolled out our first round of Mannison Minibooks, and while it would have worked just fine as a Minibook itself, an idea came to me.

Why not tell the story from the perspectives of each of the major characters?

I approached Deidre, my partner here at Mannison Press, with the idea and she loved it. I gave the story to some authors to see if they would be interested, and the reaction was mixed. Some were enthusiastic about participating, while others had reservations about how graphic the story was. Benjamin Michael Greene had agreed to write a story for the project, but I asked him to put it on hold while I thought about what to do.

Again, I set the manuscript aside. As such things happen, I nearly forgot about it for a while, and then came across its folder and, biting the bullet, revised it. The necessary changes weren't as drastic as I had feared they would be, resulting in the story included in this volume: Charlie.

Deidre requested Hope's story. As the mother of a preteen daughter herself, she felt she could bring some insight into the character of the girl. Soon thereafter, we brought Benjamin back in, and he wanted to write about Charity. Initially, the work was intended to be only a four-part collection, meaning all that was left was to find someone to write Caroline, but then one of us had the idea to include the point of view of the alien antagonist. Since it was cosmic horror, and we already knew his work well, we invited Tim Mendees, who was thrilled by the opportunity to tackle the part of Zung'Reth.

At this point, we felt fresh blood was the way to go, and asked Tim if he knew anyone who would be interested in writing the final part, Caroline. Very quickly, E.L. Giles was on board, and we had our five.

To Be a Dark Mother is the inaugural work in my cosmic horror mythos, the Patchwork Lands. As of this writing I have completed two stories and am in the process of writing two more set in the Lands, destined for a future short story collection.

The Patchwork Lands are many and varied, and To Be a Dark Mother offers a mere glimpse into its vastness. If you have been here before, welcome back, but if this is your first foray into the lands of the returned Old Ones, then grab your beverage of choice, sit back, and share this experience with us.

Ronald Linson

Queens, New York

June 2021

"To be a Dark Mother is a great honor.

It is the highest blessing a Lord can bestow upon a mortal."

~Charity Bordeaux

Charlie

Ronald Linson

Hey, not much of an Easter, huh, Charlie said, easing himself into a lawn chair.

Beside him, Caroline looked up from her knitting. It's Easter?

Yup.

She went back to her work. Did we remember it last year, or the year before that?

I did, Charlie said. I keep track of all the old holidays.

Well, good for you, Caroline sneered. Some of us have more important things to worry about.

Charlie harrumphed. Keeping our traditions is very important. Without them, we won't know who we are and where we're going.

While he was talking, he looked at her. Really looked, and was surprised. When had his little sister gotten so old? She looked sixty if a day but was four years younger than his forty-six. Her hair had grayed, and the lines of her face had multiplied and deepened into wrinkles.

Caroline hesitated, then returned his gaze. The look in her eyes was bleak. What's the point? You know as well as I do that we have nothing. We have no future. All we're doing is surviving, and not very well at that.

Someday—

Shut up! Caroline screamed. Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! We're living in Hell! Look! Look! She waved a thin arm around to encompass her front yard with its mottled yellow grass, withered flowerbeds, and sickly bushes.

Charlie closed his mouth. A squirrel hopped down from a tree in the corner of the yard, apparently searching for food amongst the remains of the lawn. One of the bushes rustled, and a green, brown, and black...something scuttled out, snapped up the squirrel in its pincer-like jaws and retreated.

Caroline, tears streaming, threw down her knitting and went into the house. A minute later, her daughter Hope came out and sat down in her place.

Hi, Uncle Charlie, she said. She offered him a weak smile. She'll be okay.

Hope was twelve, but looked no more than ten. Lately, her olive complexion had turned almost as gray as her mother's hair, and her normally lustrous dark hair was limp and lifeless.

Yeah, he said, regret tinging his voice. To change the subject, he asked, How are your lessons coming along?

Her smile broadened. It's pretty good, actually. I'm doing well in English and art.

Very good, honey. I guess that means you deserve a reward.

She giggled, a sound he hadn't heard out of her in months. Oh, you don't have to, Uncle Charlie.

No, no, I insist. I'll bring it to you tonight."

She got up and gave him a hug. He tried not to wince at how skinny she was beneath her sweater.

Twilight had nearly given way to night when Charlie returned to Caroline's house. He glanced warily around, keeping vigilant. Since They came seventeen years ago, nighttime held true horrors, not just figments born of an overactive imagination. It was best to be safely indoors before the shadows overwhelmed what little light remained.

The sound of his third knock had barely faded before Caroline opened the door and ushered him inside.

Happy Easter! he cried and hugged her as soon as she had locked and barred the door.

She stiffly accepted the hug, circling his waist with her own arms perfunctorily. She mumbled something he took to be, You too.

Hi, Uncle Charlie, Hope said, coming out of the kitchen. Happy Easter! She peered curiously at the cloth bag he held.

Happy Easter, honey, he said. He could feel the stupid grin on his face. As promised, your reward.

She accepted the bag, tugging it open. She withdrew a yellow stuffed animal with long, floppy ears. Her expression was curious. What is it?

It's the Easter Bunny, he said. At her look of confusion, he added, A rabbit.

She examined the toy, gently pulling on an ear to straighten it. The Easter Bunny, she murmured.

You can name him whatever you like.

Hope looked up at him, her eyes glistening. I-I'll think of something. Thank you, Uncle Charlie! She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

He patted her back and noticed Caroline's expression. Her face was set, her lips thin, as though she were trying hard not to say something she would regret later. He gave her a small nod.

Caroline sighed. Go finish cutting the carrots.

Yes, Mom, Hope said, pulling away from Charlie. She went back to the kitchen, where she carefully sat her new friend up on the counter before taking up a knife.

Why did you do that, Caroline hissed. Now her head will be full of nonsense, playing around with that thing all day.

As I recall, Charlie said, bemused, you used to play with 'that thing' when you were a kid. What did you call it? Oh, yes, 'Robby.'

She opened her mouth to retort, but there came a knock at the door. Caroline's eyes