Dark Crib

By Matthew Tait

Against their mother's wishes, brothers Henry and Jacob are on their way to the new horror museum. A night jaunt through the twisting thoroughfares of Cyclone Cove. Its opening shrouded in secrecy, no one quite knows anything beyond its enigmatic name. Will it be a museum of strange oddities? Perhaps an exhibition of movie memorabilia?

As midnight nears, the proprietor will unveil more than the boys ever expected …

Also included in this edition: a dystopian tale set in a war ravaged desert world where giant strongholds have arisen from the dust; cathedrals built to house a new world of decadent tribes. While order survives, it has come at terrible cost, fuelled by the blood of innocents …

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dark Crib Publications
• Release date: Mar 16, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224198801

Matthew Tait

A vociferous horror columnist since 2005, Matthew Tait published his first collection of dark fiction in 2011. Since then, he has won the the prestigious Shadows Award for the novel Deception Pass. Described as writing 'the sort of horror Clive Barker must read on his days off' Matthew's fiction often treads the line between the familiar and the fantastic.  

Book preview

Dark Crib

On this night, brothers Henry and Jacob were on their way to Cyclone Cove’s newest horror museum.

Henry said, ‘I’m sure we won’t be allowed in. Not that it matters, anyway.’

‘Why?’ Jacob asked.

‘Because we’re kids. And it will be closed.’

‘Then let’s haul our asses and try to make it before the damn thing shuts.’

‘Bet you five bucks it’s closed?’

Jacob’s mouth twisted in irritation. ‘I wasn’t arguing with you. Besides, I wouldn’t touch your greasy hands for ten bucks.’

‘Wait until we get there, you’ll see.’

This time, Jacob didn’t favor his little brother with a reply. Making a face, he began to power walk in an effort to put distance between them.

‘Wait!’ Henry called, and hurried to catch up.

When Henry was in earshot again, Jacob said, ‘I could ditch you right here, Henry. Do you know why? Because I never wanted you to come along, anyway.’

Henry came to an abrupt stop.

Sudden tears pricked the corner of his vision.

Why is he such a bully?

Jacob said, ‘I guess now the baby’s going to cry. Jeez Louise, can’t we go anywhere without you turning on the waterworks? You’re worse than Carol, for Godsake.’

‘Mom said we have to do things together. She’ll be mad, you know, if I tell her.’

Hands jammed into his jeans pockets, Jacob sauntered onto the sidewalk.

‘Shitheel,’ he muttered.

My pet nickname, Henry thought. The one he knows I hate.

‘Mom,’ Jacob continued, ‘is not going to be mad. And do you know how I know this? Because you’re not going to say anything. Look, I know I can come across as a real shit ... but I can’t help it, you know? I’m fourteen, two years older than you, and it’s the job of the older brother to always rag on the younger one. Basically, it’s the rules of the world.’

‘Rules?’

‘If Mom had had another boy instead of Carol, you’d get to rag on him. Unfortunately for you, that wasn’t the case. Of course, you could tell Mom how I was thinking of ditching you ... but then I’d be forced to beat you – and neither of us wants that. So, what do you say? Want to forget what you just said and accept the fact that I’m your moral superior? Or do you want to go home right now and forget all about the Dark Crib Horror Museum?’

‘No way!’

Jacob spat on the concrete, then proceeded to rub his ejected wad into the footpath with one dirty sneaker.

‘That’s what I thought. Mom said it’s a museum with relics, whatever that means. And Cyclone Cove doesn’t even have a normal museum. So let’s get moving, what do you say?’

TRAILING EACH OTHER like phantoms, the two boys jogged through the streets of Cyclone Cove. A slight breeze had sprung up, and the air smelled of steel.

Henry asked, ‘Do you think there’ll be a mummy?’

Jacob, knowing the question would arise sooner or later, grinned.

‘Of course, Henry. All museums have mummies. In fact, it’ll probably be the main attraction.’

The younger boy paled. ‘You mean, out of all the other horror stuff, the mummy would be the biggest?’

‘Maybe not the biggest. But it will probably be the scariest. I just hope it’s just nothing like the movie.’

Henry, nodding solemnly, knew what his brother meant by this.

Last summer, both of them had purchased tickets to see the new version of The Mummy. Although not an overly scary movie – like Indiana Jones, his brother boasted – Henry had nevertheless been affected. For the entire duration, he had sat in stunned, numbed silence – often closing his eyes when the stupid creature came onto the screen. Later, after exiting the theater, Henry discovered a fear he’d never harbored before: the undead. To him, there was just something so creepy about being deceased but somehow alive.

Seeing but not seeing.

‘It won’t be,’ Henry tried to assure himself. ‘This one will be just like the one we saw at the funhouse - all fake and plastic.’

‘Maybe,’