Sunday, November 25, 2012

Lovecraft in Riverdale

Disturbed that I could find no Archie fanfic inspired by Lovecraft, I've decided to write my own. Here then is the first part of....


The Strange Case of Forsythe P. Jones
Being an account of Archibald Andrews
1
It had been some years since I had walked the streets of Riverdale, being away seeking my fortune in the wild Pacific islands trading with the natives for various curious treasures. I was returning to wed my childhood sweetheart, as soon as I decided between Elizabeth Cooper and the wealthy Veronica Lodge.   I had wired ahead seeking accommodations with my childhood friend Forsythe Jones.  We both attended history classes at the RAU*, it was there he earned the nickname “Jughead” for having a fondness for Grecian urns.  Riverdale was a classic Massachusetts harbor town that didn’t seem to have aged in over a hundred years.  The sun was setting on the bay when I arrived at the Jones residence to find that Forsythe was still at the university, apparently obsessed with some new translation of a piece of pottery I had sent over three months ago.  His father let me in and showed me to my guest room.  I had intended to freshen up and go out to see old “Jughead” and find out what he had discovered, but fatigue overtook me and I slept.  It was after midnight that I was awoken by some unusual sound and once I gathered my wits I sought out the source.  I soon found myself in the Jones’ kitchen where a terrible sight lay before me. It was Forsythe, seemingly possess of a terrible hunger, attempting it seemed to consume the entire of their larder.  The sound I had heard was a shattered jar of some jam that he was now scooping off of the floor and shoving into his mouth.  I called out to him, quietly at first, then shouting his name in a more forceful manner he soon came to himself and whimpered my name.  He then collapsed in the filth on the kitchen floor and wept.  I helped him to his feet and together we set about cleaning up the debris.  We were done soon enough and I escorted him to his bed.  He offered no word of protest and as he drifted off to sleep I heard him whisper distinctly the word ‘crown’.  I watched over him for a time before returning to my quarters where I lay awake until first light. 

*RAU is the acronym for the Riverdale annex of Arkham University.






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