Naturally Evil

By Gary Kuyper

A disturbing tale about the horrors of mother nature. A story set in the late 19th century involving a terrible incident that affected a protective brother and his younger adventurous sister. Be warned: If this story doesn't ,make your skin crawl - it's on too tight!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gary Kuyper
• Release date: Apr 14, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224773039

Gary Kuyper

Gary Kuyper began his professional literary career writing self-help and general interest articles for Daan Retief Publishers who produced a monthly book for their woman’s club called Woman’s Forum. These articles would sometimes require research and had titles as diverse as The Human Brain and Body Painting!Being a professional photographer on a part-time basis Gary has also managed to have his articles on photography (With accompanying photographs) published in books and magazines. He has also done some free-lance photography and photojournalism projects for numerous local newspapers.Over the past four years he has constantly managed to be one of the top finalists in the Nova Short Story Competition (A competition for budding writers of science fiction and/or fantasy).Last year (2009) Gary had the pleasure of seeing The Devil's Little Tadpoles grace the pages of the local SF & Fantasy Fanzine Probe.He is an avid film buff and amateur film maker. A few years ago I managed to take first prize in the SA Ten Best Film Makers Competition with a short film entitled The Crimson Cobra - An action-packed martial arts / superhero movie using some of the very talented local artists.He is a qualified prosthetics make-up artist and has used this talent on both amateur and professional productions. He has also appeared on television in a youth program especially made for enlightening people in the art of special effects make-up.Gary has a rather excellent general knowledge being not only an avid writer but reader of any material that is able to stimulate him cerebrally.He taught himself Adobe Photoshop and has become adapt and proficient enough at utilizing the software to such a degree that he has managed to sell a number of creations to various institutes and organizations. He is particularly fond of a logo designed for the Krazy Mug Coffee Shop and several covers that have graced the front of Probe.Gary has a vast knowledge of music and has appeared on the local Television Music Quiz Show Note for Note where he was able to win a substantial amount of prize money.In 2008 he entered the SF / Fantasy Mini Radio Play Competition and took first prize with his The Adventures of Captain Max Power of the Intergalactic Police - an obvious homage to the early Flash Gordon radio series’. A number of skilled professionals are now planning to produce Max to CD and have it aired on a local radio station (SAfm).All his literary and photojournalistic accomplishments have been done on a part-time basis due to the fact that his full time career is lecturing mathematics as well as engineering science at a Technical College. Although this is a most fulfilling profession, it has long been Gary's ideal to become a full-time writer – especially of fantasy, science fiction and horror novels.He has recently published his first full-length fantasy novel - The Chronicles of Baltrath: The DARK WIZARDS.As a considerable amount of time and effort has been expended in building the world of Baltrath, Gary has begun work on a sequel to The Dark Wizards.

Book preview

NATURALLY EVIL

by

Gary Kuyper

This is a first edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author

Copyright © Gary van Nikkelen Kuyper 2024

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people living or dead, events or locales, is entirely coincidental

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NATURALLY EVIL

Eloisa brought death with her the day she came into the world. And because my father had great love, respect and admiration for my mother, he refused to forgive my sister. Although, by all accounts, she had committed no crime or sin requiring forgiveness, he had sworn that he would have nothing to do with her, even refusing to furnish the child with a good Christian name.

My father drowned his sorrow in demon drink and a venture that he must have believed would sooth his dearly departed wife’s soul - he commissioned a costly statue of some significant size and weight; a kneeling cherub with hands joined in perpetual prayer. She, I say thus because it was undoubtedly of female likeness (The Bible has not once made mention of a female angel and yet humanity’s art abounds with these creations), was placed above my mother’s grave after the soil had finally settled; it being done scarcely a year onward from my mother being laid to rest. I am of a mind to believe that the scheme did sooth more my father’s own soul, for although his hatred t’ward my sister did not diminish, his hateful words certainly did.

Mrs O’Donovan, our housekeeper of some years, took it upon herself to care for and raise the child. Although I felt that Emily O’Donovan had more right than any other to give my sister that by which we may beckon her into our company, it was on a most important day that as she carried the bundled infant t’wards Walcot Chapel that she had asked me to provide a name.

And so it was that Eloisa Emily Craddock was christened on a cheerful Sunday morn.

It was only upon our return journey t’wards the manor that Emily did make the enquiry.

I find the name pleasant enough, Master Stephen, she had admitted, but pray tell why did you choose so? Your mother, God rest her soul, was a Mary, and I am not aware of any of your family members bearing the same?

I once read that it is of Spanish origin and does denote a person of good health.

"Spanish? Good gracious, I doubt that your sister will have a single ounce of such dark complexion; already she sprouts the golden strands that your mother’s delightful locks once displayed."

Aye, but I fear it would send my father into yet another rage if he were to hear she was christened Mary.

Aye, as terrible and as shameful as that statement pains mine ears, I am of a mind to agree.

I believe it is tradition for the godparents to be present at a christening?

Aye, it is normally their duty to present the child to the priest.

So, then you have accepted that responsibility?

"Oh, dear me, nay, I would never be so bold. I have neither the right nor proper... social standing to even consider myself worthy of such an honour."

Mrs O’Donovan, in my opinion, your social standing is higher than that of angels.

Why, Master Craddock, I would never have dreamt that you held me in such high regard. I thankee kindly, but must stress that I often have a little devil inside that is of a nature to show its face at the most inopportune moments.

No doubt many of those moments were the product of my frequent impish behaviour.

Aye, mostly! she guffawed so loudly as to cause the tiny Eloisa to flinch. Then she smiled widely and repeated, Aye, mostly, Master Stephen, mostly.

Walcot Chapel was constructed beside a trickling brook. I was once informed by the previous pastor, a man of some years at the time, that the sparse stream was once but a furrow excavated for the purpose of draining a marsh that had seen fit to produce one-too-many loathsome, biting, insects. The scheme had rendered excellent results, for where once a vast area of soggy muck and mire had existed, an impressive array of various flora arose and flourished. And this is why, on exiting the grey stones of Walcot Chapel, the parishioners are greeted with the pleasant sight and sounds of the edge of Grimmore Forest.

One would not