"Awful Amusement of the Abomination
by Alex Jayner

Drew always knew the old fort ruins on the cliff were special.

There were many forts in the region but this one was almost entirely taken over by nature.

The battle that had happened here was long enough ago that it could only be remembered in history books and local legends. 

Where canons once fired from the commanding heights, now revellers and festive folk illegally set off fireworks while hollering out over the landscape on summer nights.

Drew didn’t mind the celebratory spirit, nor did the local authorities bother to enforce penalties for such acts.

But it did bother Drew that on their evening walks they’d find the refuse of scorched cardboard, melted plastic and burnt fuses.

Drew had developed the habit of bringing a garbage bag to help them pocket and clean up what rubbish was strewn about on their path.

They figured there was much more piled up behind the underbrush and Drew had decided to go out of their way this evening to clear as much as they could.

The night before had been particularly loud, and even lasted two hours, but strangely very few of the fireworks were seen in the sky compared to the wizzes and bangs heard in the valley below. 

When Drew began to dig through the bushes at last, they found a few bits but nothing fresh from the night before.

Looking all around, Drew saw that more scuffs and stamped footprints were found than trash.

So they carried on with their walk past an information sign that was a little mossy, then up on a knoll, and finally to the tunnel entrances.

Now they saw where the trash was, scattered across the floor of the tunnels.

Black scorch marks were all over the walls and ceiling.

The party animals had been setting off fireworks in the tunnels for some reason; odd.

There was enough natural light left that the tunnels were mostly illuminated.

Drew crouched inside as they began collecting all of the trash.

It was a bit filthy but rather satisfying, and Drew even found an unused firework and half a book of matches.

They set everything astride one of the doorways and turned to admire their efforts.

There were some shadowy spots Drew was about to go to next when they heard a groan.

Deep in the tunnels a figure moved slowly closer.

From the size of it, Drew assumed it was a bear, and backed out of the tunnels equally slowly.

Stepping into the light, the figure could have been a bear but it had the face of a human.

Its skin was scarred, burned and had been stitched back together.

Drew already had the leftover firework and matches in their hands when the Abomination was about to crush them.

In a flash, sparks filled the tunnel.

Drew dropped the furnace of jubilation and ran.

They later saw the creature again on many occasions, but mercifully only in their darkest dreams."

Awful Amusement of the Abomination

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