PART FOUR
Hubert Barclay Marsten was dead. And not dead.
He was born on October 6, 1889, and died on August 12, 1939, aged 49.
On his gravestone were the words:
The Angel of Death holdeth;
The bronze Lamp beyond the golden door;
Hath taken thee into dark Waters;
God Grant He Lie Still
And, as he Father Callahan abused his position after Danny Glick's funeral, by getting on the sauce, Mabel headed to Diner, and saw Tony Glick slitting his wrists with a straight razor...and letting the blood spray in his face...until she screamed.
~~~
I
Lester Durham was asleep watching 'Johnny Carson's Tonight Show', when Rita, his wife, heard the Ambulance take Tony Glick away to The 'Salem's Lot Psychiatric Unit for the Insane. She shivered; she was cold.
"What's the bloody matter?", Lester enquired.
"It's Tony Glick. They took him to the Funny Farm".
"Yeah, so. He lost his kids, and wife. No wonder he went loopy". And he watched Jack Nicholson promoting 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest', and wanted to scream at the TV screen...like Jack's character in the Mental Institution.
II
Charles Griffen, 43, wondered why he was alive.
He grabbed a beer and drank himself into oblivion.
III
Hal and Jack Griffen were with Joe Crane and Vinnie Upshaw. They smoked cigarettes, and drank beers.
"What's up, man?". Joe enquired.
"We want Susan Norton or Babs Griffen".
"God, you know they've got huge breasts".
"And?".
"And so, they're untouchable. Babs works all the time at Babs' Beauty Boutique all week. And she's 21".
"And?".
"And she's leaving 'Salem's Lot next summer".
"Is she?".
"Yeah, she's thinking of doing some modelling for Playboy".
"Are you serious?".
"Yeah".
And he laughed.
III
Royal Snow was in the woods.
He took a piss.
He was wanting to work with Mike Ryerson.
And, as he did his business, a man smiled at him.
"Who are you", he asked.
"An Antique dealer. I'm Kurt Barlow". It spoke.
"You speak funny for a queer".
"Oh, I am not queer. My associate and I, Mister Straker, aren't together that way. Yes, we are close; we are very close. We're here in 'Salem's Lot because of the Marsten House".
"That's not a place to go to...after Hubie died".
"You know of him?".
"Yes, he's a killer".
"Yes, he was. But he is more than that. He was a...Vampire".
"Listen, man...Like, are you on the sauce? Had some soldiers on the stuff in 'Nam in '73".
"1873".
"No, 1973".
"Oh, sorry. I haven't kept up with the World...I have other matters to do attend to".
"What other matters?".
"Like, making you interested in some antiques".
"Not interested".
"Ah, that's too bad...Your friend, Mike Ryerson, was nice".
"You know Mike".
And, before he spoke again, Kurt Barlow bit Royal in the neck...And, as the blood gushed, he fell next to the Master's feet, and died in the darkness near The Marsten House.
Page 13
YOU ARE READING
The Marsten House Book II A novel
HorrorWhen Folklorist Robert Harding enters the cursed Marsten House in 'Salem's Lot, he finds the new Master's hoard of the Undead in their coffins. And, as he struggles to escape the horror, the horrifying past that afflicted writer Ben Mears, and Mark...
