Monday, February 4, 2019

"A Forty Share in Innsmouth"

by C.J. Henderson
originally published Singers of Strange Songs, Chaosium, 1997

Marvin Richards is the host of a reality type show that investigates paranormal phenomena.  Tonight he's broadcasting from Fenway Park, a 40,000 seat baseball park in Boston, in a show about the sudden disappearance of three men in London in the 1960's, all three of whom were up to some nefarious occult doings - specifically summoning the entity Bugg-Shash.  Now they will try to re-create the dark ritual, right here on live television, and see what happens.

What happens is the ritual comes off all too well, and soon Bugg-Sassh is floating above Fenway, a big dark cloud of cosmic gloopiness.  People freak out.

Unfortunately for poor Bugg, the combined consciousness not only of the folks in Fenway but also millions upon millions of viewers worldwide (this is an uncommonly popular paranormal show!) is too much for him, and he freaks out and flees.  But, as any player of Call of Cthulhu knows, the effects of Bugg linger long after he has bugged out.

An entertaining little trifle with some good characterization.  Still, the idea that a paranormal reality show could be one of the most popular shows on TV stretches credulity almost as much as the idea of conjuring a giant cosmic glooperoo in the skies over Fenway Park. Almost.











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