by Scott Shoyer
Horror In the Clouds
Scott Shoyer
Copyright 2017 by Scott Shoyer
Acknowledgements
As always, this book is dedicated to my kids, Braeden and Fia. You both inspire me to be a better Everything.
I also dedicate this book to Kelly. Your love makes it difficult to have dark thoughts, but I still manage.
Introduction by Eric S. Brown:
Cosmic Horror
These days there are those who judge Lovecraft more for the person he was than the amazing body of work he left behind for us to enjoy. No one can deny though that Lovecraft’s legacy only continues to grow. He remains the king of Cosmic Horror. As crazy as he may or may not have been, Lovecraft was a visionary.
I first discovered Lovecraft’s stories in high school. I had read a great deal of horror already by that time from King to Barker, from McCammon to F. Paul Wilson, and loved the genre. A friend suggested I try Lovecraft and from the first story I read, I was hooked. To this day, there are only four authors who hold a special place in my library: David Drake, David Robbins, John Steakley, and H. P. Lovecraft. Each of them greatly moved me with their works and in some way helped me become the writer I am today.
Scott Shoyer is a new name in the genre of Cosmic Horror. I had read his zombie trilogy that’s available from Severed Press and enjoyed it immensely. When Scott asked me to write an intro to this new Lovecraftian novel, it made me smile. You see Scott is one of those rare authors who don’t even realize just how talented they are. His skills as a writer have grown with each book he’s written and this one is no exception. From the opening pages to the chilling and disturbing climax, the novel you hold in your hands lives up to the standards that Lovecraft set for the Cosmic Horror genre. This is a book you’ll want to read with the lights on and that will haunt you long after the final page is turned.
So strap in and get ready for a journey through darkness the likes of which only Mr. Shoyer can deliver.
Eric S Brown
Author of From The Ice They Came
Prologue
Two Hundred and Three Years Ago
Northwest Arizona
The worn out, rickety old wagon came to a stop as the horses let out a snort. The Harkshore family took in the sights around them. Coming from the East coast, the family had never seen a landscape like this. Seemingly endless mountain ranges surrounded them and made them feel small and insignificant. There was also a thick fog that encased the tops of the mountains. For all the Harkshores knew, those mountains reached into the sky forever.
It was the time of the day where the sun had begun to set and shadows danced across the mountains and the large open fields. Full clouds glided overhead and took on a more ominous appearance as the fading light of the sun seemed to make them dance with life.
Lemuel Harkshore walked around the wagon and wondered what the hell he was doing out here. The land Lemuel now stood on was uncharted territory, and, according to some of the guys in the Virginia colony he used to call home, also dangerous. Both Natives and wild animals roamed these parts, and Lemuel was in no rush to run into either.
Lemuel’s oldest son, Isaac, jumped from the wagon and joined his father.
“Is this the place, Pa?” Isaac asked his father.
Lemuel stood in the field and let his head fall back. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply through his nose. “Yes, Isaac,” Lemuel finally answered, “I believe we are home.”
Lemuel opened his eyes and looked into the sky. His eyes widened as he thought he saw something move. He gasped as what looked like a large tentacle retracted into the thick, full clouds.
“What is it, Pa?” Isaac asked.
“Nothing, son,” Lemuel said as he patted his son on the shoulders. “I’m just exhausted from the journey. I think my eyes are playing tricks on me. Let’s set up so your mom and sisters can start the evening meal.”
Lemuel watched as his wife, Henrietta, and daughters, Clara and Abigail, worked together to make supper. Lemuel had never shared the truth with Henrietta about why he had wanted to journey out west into such dangerous territory. He had told her it was so the Harkshores would be seen as trailblazers.
Someone needs to explore and tame this country, he had said to Henrietta. We could be the first family out west, maybe have a town named after us.
Henrietta was a good woman and a dedicated wife. She never questioned Lemuel. A month after their discussion they had begun their journey westward.
But Lemuel knew the truth. He had hated lying to his wife, but knew that if he told her the real reason for the journey that he’d be branded soft in the head.
Adventure wasn’t what Lemuel had been after. It was the dreams—the visions. They had started two years before and at first Lemuel had written them off as byproducts of a fever. But the dreams had become more frequent and more detailed. Although he was a pious, religious man, Lemuel didn't believe that God or the Devil spoke to people in their dreams. Even as the dreams had become more like visions of a place far away, and he had started hearing The Voice beckoning him to journey west, he had never once believed he’d spoken to the Divine.
The nameless thing that had spoken to Lemuel in his dreams had whispered strange words into his head.
Derleth.
R’lyeh.
N’Xabez.
In the vision that had finally persuaded Lemuel to go west, the thing had shown him a stygian, alien landscape where hideous, tentacled creatures lived in the clouds-where large, slimy-scaled worm-things slithered under the ground; where enormous, indescribable horrors lived in the turbulent oceans-horrors that could have only been described as other-worldly.
Lemuel had known that the visions would never stop until he went to the tenebrous location that the thing in his head repeatedly showed him. Throughout the trek, the eldritch thing had guided him to the location on which he now stood, visiting him in his dreams and directing him to this particular piece of land. Lemuel often wondered if he was the only person that had those nightly visions.
Am I the only accursed one on Earth to have such vivid and ghastly visions? he often wondered.
Lemuel returned his gaze to the clouds and watched as they hurried across the sky. He couldn’t help but feel as though something was watching him, and he was certain it wasn’t the Lord keeping him in His sights.
Later, during the evening meal, the Harkshore family ate in silence and enjoyed the weather, as the weather would start to get cold at this time of year in Virginia. They ate in silence and enjoyed the warm nighttime breeze.
Lemuel had decided it was time to tell his family the truth of what had really brought them out to this location. The secret he held had made him distant from his family over the last several years. He figured that, now that they were here, he may as well share the reason for the journey.
“Family,” Lemuel started to say when he was interrupted by his Abigail.
“Pa!” Abigail almost screamed. “Pa! Somebody is coming!”
Lemuel jumped up and grabbed the Springfield Musket from the wagon’s rear. His family gathered around him as they listened to what sounded like footsteps.
Footsteps and creaky wagon wheels.
“We come in peace and mean you no harm!” a voice shouted from the darkness.
Lemuel lowered his weapon. He knew nothing about the Natives in this area, but had imagined that they didn’t speak English.
As Lemuel and his family huddled closer together, they watched as five wagons came into view.
“We saw your fire, kind Sir,” said one of the newcomers. The man looked to be around Lemuel’s age and approached with his palms extended.
“What are you all doing out here?” Lemuel asked the man as h
is gaze went back and forth between the five wagons.
“I suspect we are here for the very same reason you are here,” said an older, bearded man from a different wagon. “The five of us met up a few days ago when we realized we were all headed to the same place.”
“We all had the same dreams,” the man whose palms were still extended said. “The same visions.”
“What are they talking about, Lemuel?” Henrietta asked.
Lemuel stood and continued to look at the new arrivals. He finally turned and looked at his family. “Come, family,” he finally said. “Let us welcome the new arrivals.”
Something inside Lemuel clicked. He felt as though the final piece of a complex jigsaw puzzle had fallen into place. He now knew why he was given those visions, and he knew what must be done.
Later, as the six families sat around the fire and ate, Lemuel had never been more certain about what must be done.
“This is to be our first night in this strange yet familiar land,” Lemuel said as he looked at all the families. “Gentlemen,” he said as he looked at the patriarchs of each family. “We all know why we are here, and we know what we are to do. We have been given this territory, and tomorrow we begin the task of taming this land and founding a town.”
The other patriarchs nodded in agreement. They’d all had the same visions of the land they now occupied—of the clouds above them.
“We are all here for a particular reason,” Lemuel continued, “and it is of the greatest importance that we fulfill our destiny.”
Lemuel and the other patriarchs knew the women and children were confused and didn’t understand his words.
“Women, children,” Lemuel said as he addressed all the confused looks. “Fear not. The time has come to tell you what brought us here and for what reason. All will be understood soon enough. Tonight we shall share our stories with you, and tomorrow begins the founding of the town of Derleth.”
Upon saying ‘Derleth,’ everyone heard something in the clouds above. It sounded like something had grunted a sound of approval.
The men then proceeded to tell the women and children their individual experiences of the dreams and visions they’d each had. The stories lasted long into the night, and the women accepted everything they were told.
After the final man told his tale, Henrietta looked at Lemuel.
“Husband,” she said in an even tone, “tell us now about Derleth.”
The conversation continued into the night, and unbeknownst to the families, the indescribable thing in the clouds listened to every word.
1
One Year Ago
Northwest Arizona
They ran.
Afraid to look over his shoulder, Jason held his daughter’s hand as he pushed through the tall, unkempt grass while jumping over large rocks. It was early in the morning and the sun was just barely poking through the dark, dense clouds.
Jason had brought his family to the small town of Derleth a few days ago. The town sat just about an hour from the Hualapai Lodge, which was run by the Native American tribe of the same name. He’d tried to get a room at that lodge but had been told that this was their off season and that the lodge was closed for repairs and upgrades.
The town of Derleth was small and had looked to be a cozy spot to stay for a few nights as he and his family explored the Grand Canyon. The town had a population of two-hundred-and-fifty people and was surrounded by green fields and beautiful mountain ranges. Jason couldn’t have picked a more beautiful spot for his family.
But now they ran.
Jason finally dared to look over his shoulder and saw his ten-year-old daughter struggling to keep up with him. She pumped her little legs and was aware of the horrors and dangers that were after them. She was scared, but she was also a survivor. She moved her legs as fast as she could to keep up with her father.
Jason cast a glance behind him and couldn’t find his wife. The dark, ominous clouds that surrounded the area appeared to have fallen closer to the earth. A thick fog now covered the land and had shrouded his wife from view.
“Joanne!” Jason screamed as he continued to run. “Joanne! Answer me!” Tears filled Jason’s eyes as silence taunted him.
“Why isn’t mommy answering?” Skye asked.
“She probably can’t hear us, sweetie,” Jason lied. He knew she was gone. “Just keep running baby,” Jason urged his little girl.
Through the thick fog, Jason could see the angry clouds. Dark and outlined in a blackness he’d never seen before, Jason knew the danger they ran from was hidden by the clouds.
No. Whatever was after them was using the clouds to hide.
They were the only ones outside, and the only ones who ran. The people who lived in the town of Derleth were nowhere to be found. Although they’d stayed in the safety of their homes, Jason found it hard to believe that the creature after them could be averted so easily by hiding within four walls.
“Come on sweetie,” Jason said as he pulled on his daughter’s hand. “You’ve got to run faster.”
Jason’s desire to protect his daughter outweighed the anger he felt toward the townspeople. They knew what was out here. They knew what was in the clouds. He’d realized too late that he and his family were in danger the second they’d arrived in the town. It was the Grand Canyon’s off season and he thought he was being shrewd by avoiding the large crowds and buses full of tourists.
But he now knew why the town didn’t offer lodging during the offseason.
The thing in the clouds.
Jason and Skye ran as fast as their limited vision would allow. The fog looked as though it had thickened by the minute, and Jason was afraid of running into a tree or over the edge of a cliff.
“Daddy, I’m scared,” Skye said as she gasped for breath. “I want mommy.”
“I know you’re scared, sweetie,” Jason said, “and I know you’re tired. But we need to keep running. Mommy will catch up to us.”
“But where are we running to?” Skye asked.
Jason slowed down as he pondered his daughter’s question. Where the hell are we running to? he thought. He looked around at the thick fog and figured nothing could see through it.
“Let’s catch our breath, sweetie,” Jason said. He saw a large tree a few feet away and trotted there with his daughter in tow.
They leaned against the thick trunk of the tree and gasped for breath. They both scanned the wall of fog as they searched for their missing family member. Jason knew it was pointless. The fog was impenetrable. He felt completely helpless and cut off from the rest of the world.
“It is going to be all right, sweetie,” Jason said as he attempted to keep his daughter calm. “We’re going to be okay and either we’ll find Mommy, or Mommy will find us.”
“Daddy?” Skye said as her voice trembled. The tree they leaned against shook as leaves and small branches fell all around them. The trunk began to lean to one side, and Jason didn’t dare let his mind wander and think about the creature strong enough to do such a thing.
Jason felt something above his head, but when he looked up, something slithered away, just out of his line of sight.
Earlier that night—before he’d awakened to a pounding on the roof and the world had gone to hell—he’d dreamed of an alien landscape and the thick, charnel clouds that littered the sky, preventing all but the smallest slivers of an alien sun from penetrating the strange world. Just before he’d woken, he’d looked to his feet—where, within the mixture of grass and sand, something slithered around him.
“We need to get the hell out of here,” Jason said as he grabbed his daughter’s hand. Jason pushed away from the tree and ran into the open with his daughter in tow. He stopped and looked up at the huge tree they’d previously stood under. Hovering above the branches, mostly hidden by the thick clouds and fog, was something massive. Whatever it was, wrapped its swarthy, tentacled appendages around the tree and shook it. Jason wanted to stay and see what it was that chased them, but Skye
screamed as the tree was plucked out of the ground by the massive tentacle. His daughter’s scream brought Jason back to reality and he turned to run as the tree was ripped from the ground and then disappeared into the thick clouds above.
Jason ran about ten feet before he saw something fall from the sky before him. His brain wasn’t as fast as his eyes and he fell over the object as it slammed to the ground.
Skye stumbled but stayed on her feet and began to ask her father if he was okay. But instead of words, an ear-shattering scream came from her lungs.
Jason looked at what he’d fallen over and understood his daughter’s reaction. At his feet was the mangled body of his wife.
Jason looked at Joanne and barely recognized her. It looked like every bone in her body had been broken. Her arms and legs were twisted in ways he knew weren’t possible. Her head was twisted around and now looked down at her own back. What startled Jason the most was his wife’s eyes. The vibrant blue color was gone. Her pupils were a solid black, and her face was frozen in a scream.
Jason looked at the face of a terrified woman who’d seen the unspeakable horror that lived in the clouds.
“Come on, Skye!” Jason yelled as he yanked on his daughter’s hand. He tried to run, but knew something was wrong. His daughter wasn’t moving. “I know you’re scared, sweetie, but we need to move.”
He pulled on Skye’s hand and felt her drop to the ground.
“I know you’re upset, sweetie,” Jason said with urgency, “but we really need to get away from here.”
Jason ran and felt his daughter’s body drag behind him. Then, in an instant, he felt the weight of pulling his daughter lessen. He looked down to see that he only held her severed hand. Jason threw the disembodied hand to the ground and slowly turned.
“Sweetie,” Jason started to say, but was cut off by the sight in front of him.
As he looked toward the ground, he was horrified to see the decapitated body of his little girl. Whatever chased them had severed Skye’s hand and then her head, just as it had plucked the tree out of the ground. Blood pooled around her neck as it stained the grass.
