Hamelyn's Curse
Prologue
June 21st 1971 Charleston West Virginia
Gary Hodder had thrice seen the man hanging around his house and outside his kids' school. The fourth time he saw him - he stopped the stranger and warned.
"Clear off and don't come back. If I see you peddling your filth around here again? I'm calling the sheriff!"
The man in the striped shirt and dusty pants packed away his wares and wandered off. Playing a slow creepy melody on an old weirdly carved, wooden flute.
Chapter 6
Colby didn't sleep well. He was haunted by a recurring dream of a sinister clown dressed in red and green. He jerked awake for the fourth time and shivered
"Bloody clowns! Why did it have to be a clown?" He muttered as he sat up and flicked on the bedside lamp. He'd hated clowns almost as much as rats. A visit to the circus aged five had given him a permanent fear of the gaudily dressed buffoons
He couldn't exactly say what had started his phobia but it was there nonetheless.
He noted it was quarter past four in the morning. Unwilling to go back to sleep and suffer the same nightmare. Colby got up and tugged a sweater over his pyjamas then he sat at the small table and surfed on his laptop.
Pleased the camp site seemed to have reliable WIFI. He figured he might learn something. From the small town's history. That could explain why the mythical piper had targeted them? It wasn't long before he'd discovered. That the majority of Belcher's Hollow were descendants of German immigrants. Who had migrated to America? In the latter part of the Nineteenth Century. Colby raised a surprised eyebrow at this.
A nervous twinge stirred in the pit of his stomach. It was one hell of a coincidence! That a small German enclave. So far from their fatherland should fall victim. To the same curse as their ancestors. Colby grimaced at the implication - but had to look. He had to know, were the other towns also linked to Germany in some way?
A mile away on the second floor of the town' biggest Hotel Don was also awake. He'd never been much of a sleeper. Generally existing on just four or five hours a night. At that moment. He was like Colby reading all he could find. Concerning the strange phenomena of the seemingly reincarnated Pied Piper.
As he perused the ancient texts Don's hands drifted unconsciously to the talisman around his neck. It had been a gift for his 10th Birthday. From a now deceased uncle. At the time Don hadn't realised the nature of the gift. It wasn't until he was at college and a fellow student had recognised it. That Don understood just how important the sigil actually was? He unconsciously rubbed the ancient Tri-Quatre between the thumb and forefinger of his left hand. At the same absently tapping the golden chain it hung from. Against his front teeth. It wasn't long before he'd made the same discovery as Colby and like him wondered If the other disappearances were also linked by Nationality?
Colby's investigations had confirmed his suspicions. All the listed towns. Hit by the predacant piper had German roots. But then something else caught his eye. Something too important to ignore. Every one of the towns targeted? Stood within the shadow of a mountain. Belcher's Hollow was disturbingly close to the famous Edward's Plateau. Colby hurriedly checked the others lited. The first town in the file was Herlsburgen Pennsylvania. It lay close under the Allegheny in the Poconos Mountains The final town was Urdanell in Nebraska and like the others. A huge mountain plateau named Hindscarn overshadowed the town. Colby shivered and twitched his curtains Even though it was dark outside. He could see the looming shape of the mountain in the distance. His stomach cramped again.
As he remembered the original tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelyn. All the stories and poems mentioned. That the paedophile - who stole the children? Led them to a mountain called the Koppernberg. Colby wished he could log onto his home computer. He had a whole library of myths and legends stored on his hard disc. No one - not even David knew. He was a right mythology freak. But even using the campsite's WIFI. Colby wouldn't be able to access his home machine. He had firewalls and applications. To prevent anyone remotely intruding his home computer. So now he was forced to use a common search engine. To research the information he required. Sighing heavily he logged onto Google and typed in the name Koppernberg.
What he discovered made his flesh creep? The name Koppernberg itself was terrifying. Its true translation was Place of Sacrifice and had its origins. Far back in the mists of time. Long before Christianity became a dominant religion. Then he read a phrase that almost made his heart stop. The Koppernberg was known by another name. The Plateau of Prostration! Colby felt sick! He'd heard that title before. But not in connection to any German myths no!
It was a little known Irish legend. That was alleged to relate to Patrick. The Saint who drove the Snakes out of Ireland. Colby's hands shook as he typed in the one name. He'd hoped never to have to investigate.
Cromn Cruach!
Several pages referring to the Ancient Horror popped up. Colby knew what they would say? But he read them anyway.
"According to an Irish Dinsenchas poem In the 12th century Book of the Kings of Leinster. Cromn Cruach's cult image, consisted of a gold figure surrounded by twelve stone figures and stood on Magh Slécht (The Plain of Prostration) in County Cavan! It was originally named Magh Senaig (The Plain on the Hilltop.)
The poem told how the demon's malign influence was propitiated by the sacrifice of all. The first born males of beast and man. In exchange for good yields of milk and grain.
Colby read the second web page
Cromn was said to have been worshipped since the time of Érimón. Who was according to the ancient tales. Ireland's First High King! He was alleged to have sacrificed his son Tigrynmas - along with three quarters of his army. On the feast of Lughnasagh. But was then himself consumed by a pillar of fire from heaven While worshipping Cromn on Samhain. (Sowaine) Despite this, worship continued. Until the cult image was destroyed by St. Patrick and a group of his adherents who smashed the evil effigy to dust with clubs and stone axes."
Colby resisted the urge to shudder a third time. Instead he turned his attention to the images. That accompanied the text. He guessed there was only the one. As all four of the different web pages. Displayed the same carving.
Colby eyed the central figure with no small degree of distaste. Cromn Cruach had been singularly ill-favoured. Being both a one eyed cyclops and a hunchback. In addition to these deformities. His visage was twisted into a terrifying grimace. "How could anyone worship something that revolting?" Colby wondered.
He turned his attention to the figures surrounding Cromn. These also seemed odd and out of shape. Then a dreadful kind of comprehension stole over him. They weren't deformed! They were dancing and they weren't surrounding Cromn or bowing down to him. They were following him. Colby swallowed and reached for a magnifying glass. It was hard to position over the figure, on his laptop screen. He persevered and was eventually able to enlarge. The strange device in Cromn's hand. Even before the image sharpened Colby knew what Cruach held?
It was a flute!
TBC