Gaslight, Ghosts & Ghouls by R. Chetwynd-Hayes & R. Chetwynd-Hayes & Stephen Jones

Author:R. Chetwynd-Hayes & R. Chetwynd-Hayes & Stephen Jones
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Horror, Ghouls, Ghosts, Vampires
Publisher: PS Publishing
Published: 2022-07-20T00:00:00+00:00

THE CRADLE DEMON

THEY BROUGHT HIM back from the christening, placed him with all the reverence that is due to the first-born in the blue-lined cot, then looked down upon him with moist, fond eyes.

“Isn’t he sweet!” exclaimed the young mother, whose carefully prepared plans for no family before thirty had somehow gone awry. “Isn’t he perfect?”

“He’s all right,” said the young father complacently. “I’ve seen worse.”

The young mother slapped her spouse with playful coyness.

“Listen to you! Who was up all last night because he sneezed once? A teeny-weasy little sneeze.”

“I was afraid he might keep me awake.”

The young mother bent down and tucked the blue blanket more firmly round Adam Tom O’Malley Jones’ minute body, then caressed his near-bald head.

“Look at his eyes! I ask you, have you ever seen the like? He looks so intelligent, one could swear he knows what I’m talking about. Yes, he does. Ickle didums-didums knows what Mummy is talking about. Yes, he does.”

“Very unlikely,” his father remarked with irritating common sense. “After all, he’s only six weeks old.”

“That’s what you think, know-all. Anyone that’s not blind can see he’s very exceptional.”

The young father put his head on to one side and surveyed his son and heir with thoughtful interest.

“Perhaps you’re right,” he agreed. “He does rather favour me.”

Adam Paul Tom O’Malley Jones—for It had accepted the name which the creatures had bestowed upon It—gazed up at his adopted parents, but did not bother to probe their brains. He had already done so. Whatever knowledge they contained had been his since the second day after the birth of his flesh and blood vessel. He recognised that both the female and the male were important to his well-being during the formative years, but later he would be able to absorb them and discard their husks. In the meanwhile he must listen, watch, add to his growing fund of knowledge, and most important, adapt the flesh and blood vessel to his particular needs.

He had already begun work on his tiny brain. Under the pressure of his will, every minute cell was emerging into pulsating life and was in turn sending its stream of commands along every nerve link in the body. In a few weeks the vocal cords would be fully active, the eyes capable of long and short sight, the ears attuned to hear over large distances.

Others of his kind had drifted up from the lower planes and taken over flesh and blood vessels, but they had always been fully mature ones. In consequence, the brains had broken down under the sudden influx of power, or the hearts had not been able to cope with the changing body patterns, and the result had been disaster. But he was in on the ground floor. Soon he would be able to enjoy all fleshy appetites to the full.

Eating...drinking...and...

Mavis Thurlow was seventeen, healthy of body, pretty of face, and simple of mind. She lived in a world made up of circles and squares. The Jones’ for example were square,

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