The Beast of Nightfall Lodge by S. A. Sidor

Author:S. A. Sidor [Sidor, S. A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, pulp horror
ISBN: 9780857667656
Publisher: Watkins Media
Published: 2019-02-05T00:00:00+00:00

17

Clue to the Green Elixir

“I feel nothing,” McTroy said.

I stepped forward. I took McTroy gently by the elbow and led him back to our room. The others stayed put in the anteroom to Nightfall. I heard a collective sigh of relief as we exited their company. McTroy tossed the empty whiskey bottle over his shoulder. It clunked and rolled along the floor. The pistol jutted from his left hand, pointing down the hallway. He sweated profusely.

“You’ve had a hell of a day,” I said. “And you are scaring everyone, I’m afraid.”

“Doc, I’m not right in my head. I feel hollowed out. I hear echoes inside me.”

“Drinking that bottle of whiskey was questionable.”

“It usually is. But listen to me. I don’t feel the liquor. I’m not drunk. Either Oscar waters down his own booze or there’s something mighty weird going on with my functions.”

I led him into our room and shut the door behind us.

“I’d feel better if you gave me your gun,” I said.

“I’m keeping it,” McTroy sat on the edge of his bed. He laid his pistol on the blanket.

I pulled a chair in front of him and sat down.

“The back of my head hurts,” he said. He rubbed the base of his neck.

“That’s where Pops injected you. Do you remember any of it?”

McTroy shook his head.

“I see stars,” he said.

“You were shot in the chest. The wound was mortal. Pops injected a vial of an unknown solution into your… well, I imagine it went straight into your skull. Rather than bleeding to death, you came back. So, if nothing else, Pops saved your life. But I don’t think he was being kind. Earl only wanted to save you in order to prolong some sort of plan for revenge and further torment. He pummeled you until he was utterly spent. You killed Billy. Do you recall that? You shot him through the forehead. Billy the Kid number two is dead.”

“I see stars like I’m flying up in them. Real stars and the blackest night… it goes forever.”

McTroy ran his damaged hand over his face. Then he stared at its deformity.

“Earl did that too,” I said. “He put a gun barrel between your fingers and…”

McTroy tried to close his hand, but the fingers moved stiffly, pinching like a claw.

“I can’t shoot with this.”

“I think that was the idea. I take it you gave him a similar wound at Sully’s Fork?”

“Sully’s Fork ain’t worth talking about. I’m thirsty. Hungry too…I could eat and eat…”

“You need to rest for now. Why don’t you try lying down?” I lifted his legs and helped him get settled on a stack of pillows. “There now. That’s comfy.” Quickly I slipped his gun into my waistband as I covered him with the blanket.

“I’m seeing things. I’m not ready to be with the world.”

“What sorts of things?”

“Before I left our room I saw a bat fly out of my ribs. It’s cold, but I’m in the desert someplace. I mean, I know we’re here outside Raton, but I’m in the desert too.

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