He needed to leave. Eric would leave. It was only a matter of time.
Tabitha was crying again, hysterically.
“Don’t let those people make you crazy,” he told her, glaring at the departing men. “They don’t know shit, you know? They don’t know a thing about me.”
“I’m calling mom.” Tabitha stood.
“Please don’t leave me yet.”
Tabitha looked hesitant but then dropped back down on the stool. “Uncle John wants to see you too.”
“He will. They all will.”
Eric looked to the window. Dark red muck pressed against it from outside, within it, faces smashed against the pane, bloodshot eyeballs rolling back into their heads. The sludge wasn’t gone after all. It just wasn’t invited today. All he had to do was banish it from his head though. Reject it all. Reject the waste and reject the idea that he’d ever need to give into something as stupid as dying.
His daughter stared off to the bulging window. Although she couldn’t see what wanted to get inside, terror visibly mounted in her eyes. When she turned back she beheld Eric like a blood stained apparition.
Eric sat up in bed and refused to feel exhausted, refused to hear the crackling glass and creaking window frame giving way, refused to feel the blood slowing and solidifying in his vessels and setting his heart to plaster. He refused it all and took a deep breath into his failing lungs.
“Baby girl, listen to me good, okay?”
Tabitha reached out then and put her hand on top of his.
“I’m going to get better,” said Eric.
NEVER ENOUGH
J. David Anderson
J. David Anderson is an author of science fiction, horror, fantasy, and anything else that strikes his fancy. He lives in Indiana with his wife, son, dog, and imaginary friends. He has multiple family members, including his mother, who have bravely battled cancer.
Tim Richardson sat on the edge of his 9-year-old daughter’s bed. The sun had set and the house was quiet. This was the nicest time of his day but, in some ways, the hardest. The past few months had been tough for him, but he kept a brave face, at least in front of her. She needed to see him strong and upbeat. As difficult as it had been for him, this was worse for her. The fear, the pain, the sickness—He didn’t know how someone so small could handle it, but she did. She was stronger than he could ever be.
“Good night, sweetie,” he said as he patted her hand and started to rise.
She yawned but waved for him to stop. “Tell me a bed time story.”
He looked at her reluctantly. “I don’t know. It’s getting pretty late.”
“Pleeeaaassseee???” She knew just how to draw the word out long enough to get to him.
He couldn’t resist her big, green eyes. He told everyone after she was born he didn’t have bones in his body anymore. There couldn’t be because they would’ve broken when she wrapped him around her little finger. “Okay,” he relented as he sat back down. “A short one.” She snuggled into bed as he began. The single, shaded lamp by her bed cast a perfect glow for an epic tale.
“Once upon a time, there was a princess named Zoe.”
“Daddy, that’s my name,” she laughed.
“What a coincidence!” he smiled back. “Well, Zoe wasn’t a normal princess. She was a warrior princess! She possessed a magic sword named Lightbringer. Whenever Princess Zoe would wield the sword, its blade would glow and its touch would burn!”
“What did she look like?”
“She was beautiful. Large, round eyes, the color of spring leaves, and long brown hair as wavy as the ocean at high tide.” His daughter looked down, her mouth drooping, as she ran her hand over her smooth scalp. “But,” he added, “a custom had taken the land and she, like most of the other people, had shaved off all of their hair because they knew that bald is beautiful.” A slow grin spread across her face.
“The Princess lived in a small, but friendly kingdom. She and her parents were beloved by all the people because they were generous and just, yet fair and wise. But the kingdom was plagued at night by the Shadow Cubs, small black imps that would invade in the dark and kidnap the citizens. The Cubs would then take them to their father, Erebus the Devourer. Do you know what he did? He ate the people whole!
“Being both royalty and a warrior, Princess Zoe understood the responsibility she had to her people. Armed with Lightbringer, she would roam the kingdom by night, hunting Shadow Cubs. Sometimes she would scare them off. Other times, she would be able to kill one or two. When they began attacking three houses at once, Zoe couldn’t stop all of them. People were taken and she knew she had to stop them forever. As long as she held her magic sword, the imps couldn’t get to her, but she couldn’t allow her people to be abducted and killed.
“During the day, when the Shadow Cubs couldn’t come out to hunt for fear of the daylight, the Princess would scour the country outside the kingdom walls, looking for their home. Though their land wasn’t large, they were surrounded by heavy woods and rough terrain. It was a difficult and treacherous search but she kept it up every day. Though, every day, she would return without even finding a trace of their lair.
“This continued for months. Every night, she would patrol the land containing the homes of her people and every morning she would look for the creatures’ domain. Before she would leave, her worried parents would always ask, ‘You saved lives last night. People continue to live because of you. Isn’t that enough?’
“And every time she would answer the same way, ‘No, until they are all gone, it’s never enough,’ and continued her search.
“One night, while patrolling, Princess Zoe heard a youthful cry for help. She ran to the nearest house to find a family with a young boy cornered by a Shadow Cub. The monster couldn’t have been more than four feet tall. As she drew Lightbringer from its sheath, she could see more details. Covered in short black fur, its thin limbs seemed to move in and out of the shadows on the wall and floor. It was difficult to tell where the creature ended and the house began. When it turned to face Zoe, she could clearly see its long, hooked nose, sunken, dark eyes, and a mouth full of jagged, rotten teeth. Though its face wasn’t covered in fur, its skin was still as black as onyx.
“She swung her sword but the monster quickly leaped aside, hissing and screaming at her. It bounced all around the dark room, finding shadows to hide in, though Lightbringer cast a wave of brightness wherever it was swung. Zoe knew this was a particularly nasty one so she readied for a long, difficult fight. But just as she was preparing for another attack, the Shadow Cub jumped through the window and ran off into the night.
“Princess Zoe realized an opportunity was before her and ran out of the house, hot on the heels of the little beast. She watched as it zigged and zagged through the forest, leaping over fallen trees and spinning this way and that to avoid obstacles. It was extraordinarily graceful for a disgusting little creature of the night. Slits of moonlight shone through the leaves and guided her path. The princess was determined to see the end of this struggle, no matter what it cost. The words of her parents rang in her ears: ‘Isn’t it enough?’ and she kept telling herself over and over, ‘Until they’re gone, it’s never enough.’
“The Shadow Cub ran through a familiar part of the forest and suddenly stopped. Zoe had seen this area a hundred times, but something was different. There was a hole in the side of a large hill that wasn’t there when she had searched here before. The sun began to rise behind her and the warrior princess approached the lair. But something unexpected happened. As the rays of the newly risen sun touched the entrance, it disappeared. Princess Zoe approached the hill and pressed into the dirt as hard as she could but to no avail. It was solid. The entrance was only accessible at night.
“She returned home and informed her parents of her discovery. They tried to say they would send a legion of soldiers with her to storm the lair, but Zoe wouldn’t hear of it. The only thing that protected her was Lightbringer. If the soldiers approached
without an enchanted sword, they would be slaughtered. Terrified at the thought of losing their daughter, her parents again asked her their daily question, this time all the more fervently. ‘You’ve saved countless lives. You’ve guarded us day and night. Children still have their parents and parents still have their children because of you. Isn’t that enough?’
“Zoe laid her armor and her sword on her bed and turned to them. They had never seen her so stern, so angry, so determined. ‘There are still people abducted every night. Our people live in fear every day. Until the Cubs and Erebus are defeated forever, no, it’s never enough.’
“That afternoon, as dusk approached, Princess Zoe left and made her way to the spot where she saw the entrance the night before. As the last rays of the sun lifted from the hillside, the opening magically appeared as if it had been there the entire time. She set her eyes on the cavernous entrance, tightened the straps on her armor, drew her sword, and said to herself, ‘Never enough.’
“The inside of the lair would have been impossible to see had it not been for Lightbringer casting a bluish-white glow. It was cold, so cold she could see her breath, and things moved in the corners of her eyes. In places where the light couldn’t quite reach, noises sounded: scurrying, murmuring, scratching and hissing. So long as she stayed in the light of her sword, the imps could not reach her. The inky blackness at times seemed as though it might overpower her guiding light, but Princess Zoe marched on, searching for the heart of the cave.
“As the walls became tighter and the noises became louder, Zoe approached an opening. She couldn’t see into it, but a voice bellowed from within. ‘Come in, little girl. Come see the face of your destruction.’
“She cleared the opening and found herself in what appeared to be a large round chamber. It was difficult to tell the exact shape and size because of the constantly dancing shadows. In the middle, however, was a large crystalline throne made of black jagged rock that jutted in all directions. On the seat lounged a man, simple and plain, though his robes were as black as the darkest shadow and continually poured over his body like liquid. His skin was a stark white, as if he’d never set foot in the sun. Black hair laid combed back perfectly on his head. His eyes were nothing but marbles of complete shadow.
“When he spoke, the walls shook. ‘So the little warrior girl has come to meet her fate,’ he said. ‘I’ve eaten so many of your people, I’ve lost count. I must admit they are quite tasty. Once you’re dead, I will eat more than ever. I will engorge myself on the people under your protection. Tell me girl, can you die knowing that every person in your kingdom will meet a horrible, painful end? Will that knowledge haunt you? I think it may drive you mad. Tell me, young one, can the thought that your failure will kill so many push you over the brink of insanity? Is it enough?’
“Princess Zoe gripped her sword tighter and said, ‘It’s never enough.’
“The Devourer rose from his throne and began to change. His height increased three fold, his black hair melted down to encompass his body, and the shadow robes he wore flared out and up, wrapping his form in a cocoon of darkness. He reached up, his new figure easily touching the top of the cave, and pulled a crystal sword from the stalactites.
“Their battle raged for what seemed eternity. Princess Zoe could hear the Shadow Cubs scurrying in the wings, whispering of their certain victory. The Devourer was a mighty opponent, not subject to the same weaknesses as his children. He could remain in the light of her sword, even attempting to fight with his own sword. The walls rattled, rubble fell from the ceiling, the ground cracked with the might of their blows. On and on their battle raged with no clear winner. But the warrior princess finally saw a strategy, how Erebus would block only a few of her blows but try to completely avoid most. She knew he may not be as quick to succumb to the magical light but eventually, if she persevered, she would break him. She would win.
“Continuing her attack, she waited for the right opportunity. Wearing him down would take time and she was beginning to grow weary herself. But she kept thinking of her people, of her parents. They were counting on her. If she failed, they would all perish. She refused to let herself be beaten. She refused to see the end of the strength within herself. She would continue until it was won. The daily struggle was not enough to wear her down. It was and never would be enough.
“The black crystal of The Devourer’s sword finally cracked. The noise reverberated through the chamber, silencing the diminutive observers. Zoe pressed her advantage, continuing to strike again and again, always in the same place, pushing Erebus to his knees, until finally his sword shattered. With no defense left, she plunged Lightbringer into The Devourer’s chest. His face began to glow and crack. The lines etched their way down his body and into his arms and legs. With an ear-bursting scream, he shattered into a billion pieces, some so small they were only dust and danced in the light of her sword.
“The Shadow Cubs screeched and yelled, running in every direction. Zoe held her sword in the air and issued a warning, ‘I’ve killed your master, your father. Don’t ever let me see any of you ever again. Not in my kingdom, not in my forest. Or you will suffer his fate.’
“She left the cave, making her way home. And the kingdom was finally at peace.”
Tim’s daughter could barely keep her eyes open. She yawned as she nestled into her bed. “That was a good story, Daddy.”
He stood up, kissed her head, and walked to the light switch on her wall. “Zoe, you’ve finished with your initial round of chemo and the doctors say you’re getting a little better. The first battle is over. Are you ready to slow down, to relax? Is this enough?”
Zoe smiled wide as her eyes closed in sleep.
“No, Daddy, it’s never enough.”
“The Addition” by Bentley Little first appeared in Cemetery Dance Issue #50 (2004).
“Sky of Brass, Land of Iron” by Joe McKinney first appeared in The Harrow Vol 9 No 10 (2006) and then again in Horror for Good (2012).
“Descent” by William F. Nolan first appeared in Calliope Newsletter #121 (Fall 2008).
“The Call” by Rick Hautala first appeared in Occasional Demons (Cemetery Dance Publications, 2010).
“Where the Wild Welo Waits” by John Hawhead first appeared in Witness (Austin Hutcheon, 2010).
“A Billion Monstrosities” by Mort Castle first appeared as a part of the “Healers Trio” in 2 AM Magazine, (October 1988).
“Dance of the Blue Lady” by Gene O’Neill first appeared in Cemetery Dance, Issue 53 (2005).
“Unwoven” by Tim Waggoner appeared in Shroud no.1(2008)
“King Rat” by James Dorr first appeared on Gothic.net (March 2002) and again in Darker Loves: Tales of Mystery and Regret (Dark Regions, 2007).
“The Lucky Mouth” by Gerry Huntman first appeared in Anthology of Ichor III: Gears of Damnation (Unearthed Press, 2011).
“Death Knell” by Richard Thomas first appeared on Thunderdome (Aug 2011).
“I Know This World” by John Palisano first appeared in Michael Louis Calvillo’s I Will Rise: Special Edition (Dark Fuse Books, 2012)
“Red-Wat-Shod” by Jason V Brock first appeared on Paul Kane’s Shadow Writer website, (September 2011). (http://www.shadow-writer.co.uk/redwatshod.htm)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
There are several people I need to thank. First, I need to thank everyone at the hospital where my son is being treated. The doctors and nurses down there make dealing with this illness so much easier. I can tell that they truly love the children they care for.
Second, I need to thank my daughter. It has to be very hard on her to see her younger brother go through this. I know there are times when she must feel neglected, but on a general whole, she loves him and helps take good care of him.
Third, I need to thank JM Jennings for his help in the initial reading of all of the submissions received. It was a huge relief to have another opinion besides my own and having him read was invaluable.
But this book would be not
hing without the authors that have contributed to this great collection. Without them, you would be holding a bunch of blank pages. I appreciate how many went out of their way to help write and obtain the stories that are in this anthology, but to proof everything as well.
I must also give my warm fuzzies to Absolutely*Kate and Jack Ivey for their help in promotion of this work. We hope to spread this cause as far and wide as we can.
I must thank my other half, Max Booth III. He patiently listens to me moan and groan and offers his advice on what looks good and what looks bad. He keeps me in line and makes sure I always reach farther to fulfill my creative potential.
Lastly, I must send my love to my little man. His easy acceptance of this fight has made it easier to battle. With his struggle, we can hopefully shed light on other kids who are not so fortunate. Perhaps we can even, one day, slay the beast they call cancer.
Lori Michelle
August 15, 2013
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