The Blight by Benjamin Hannaford

Author:Benjamin Hannaford [Hannaford, Benjamin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-02-24T00:00:00+00:00

From the journal of George Barker’s Expedition of 1901

March 22, 1901-Makarkah

It has been two weeks of traveling. I feel dirty and grimy. The journey has not been easy but tomorrow we will be in Makarkah. Ordinarily, I would be asleep at this time, along with Edward and Paul, but I had trouble sleeping. I noticed Aziz was standing a little way from the campfire. He is a quiet man. He and his companion have barely uttered a word the whole trip. While Edward, Paul, and I would sometimes have great laughs and shared enjoyment of our trip thus far, they were distant from us. I mean, granted they aren’t our friends per se, but one would think that they might share a little in our enjoyment. I decided to have a talk with Aziz as I couldn’t sleep.

His back was turned as I walked up to him. Before I could say anything, he spoke first, almost as if he was anticipating me. He asked me if I knew the real reason why we couldn’t find transport. I asked him how he knew that we had asked others. He laughed and said no one comes to him for favors unless they have exhausted all their options. He told me that the guides all knew the place I wanted to go well, but they didn’t want to go themselves. At this point, he asked if I wanted to abandon the trip and turn around. He told me that if we turned around now that he would only take half the pay and we could call it even. I was shocked at his offer, and I asked him why we should turn around. He told me that there was nothing for me in Makarkah. There was nothing for anyone in the town, and further, that it was a dead place and best left alone.

To say I was annoyed would be an understatement. I asked him why he bothered to bring me all the way out here if there was nothing in it for us. He said he would do anything for a price, but he also doesn’t like seeing people getting involved with things they did not have business being involved with. I asked him why he felt we had no business there.

He told me that the people who built the town many generations ago were outcasts. Outcasts due to their violent and sadistic religious practices. Their god could be called the adversary, the serpent, and the angel of the bottomless pit. Soon, neighboring villages started noticing missing people and children. They suspected the people of Makarkah but none of them were brave enough to go to the village to do anything about it. One village leader tried and sent five of his best warriors to Makarkah to threaten them. A few weeks later the village leader received five packages. Inside the five packages were the skins of his warriors. One day there was no more activity from Makarkah. No one went to check, and everyone hoped it was the last they would hear from them.

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