Synopsis: Cronin's Wretch
A young archaologist in his late twenties goes to Ravenscar in Yorkshire in pursuit of a mystical fossil that always evaded his father during his life. It was his father's final wish to find the fossil when he comitted suicide. After a shaky start in Ravenscar he soon gets used to life , despite resistance from the religious townsfolk. They believe him to be trying to raise the Devil in searching for this fossil. He continues to search for the fossil and takes regular walks through the moors, where he finds a lake, willow and church where he often sits to collect his thoughts. After finding many clues to the fossils location he finds others that indicate that the genus may not be quite as extinct as he previously thought. Alongside study, he meets a young girl in the village named Madeleine. After speaking with her once he falls madly in love with her, until one day he finds her murdered and is blamed for her murder and arrested. While in detention in his own room, he becomes consumed by anger and guilt and goes insane, hallucinating and seeing the monster that killed Madeleine. He breaks free from his room and runs onto the moor to find and kill the creature. He is led to the willow once more where he battles with the monster. He emerges victorious and pushes the monster into the lake. He sees himself in the water and realises the enormity of what he has done. He sees the moon's reflection in the water and thinks it has turned to blood. Already insane with loss and now guilt, he drowns himself.
Excerpt: Cronin's Wretch
"Before I can reason with myself I have drifted into a deep slumber. No longer plagued by such hellish dreams, I enjoy my sleep, indulging in more fanciful reveries. I dream that I am walking amongst the heather on the very same moor as this one, I climb the hill at the bottom and my eyes are met with a more luxurious form; that of a fair young lady. Sure that I recognise her, I travel downwards to introduce myself and exchange greetings. As I arrive our eyes meet and she plants a dainty kiss on my cheek. We settle beneath the willow together, the sun shining through its collection of olive strands, dropping soft, rippled shadows on the faces of the lovers within. I reach out to hold the maiden’s hand, the moment I touch her, my hands sting with that all too familiar coldness. I look down to her face in horror and see it lifeless and icy. I cry out like an anguished creature and draw the corpse in closer, begging it to borrow my warmth. But she remains cold, bloodless and cold. I look into her eyes and in them I see my father again, he is distorted and ugly. I throw down the body and scream as it falls to pieces at my feet."
It still needs editing, but what do you think?
A young archaologist in his late twenties goes to Ravenscar in Yorkshire in pursuit of a mystical fossil that always evaded his father during his life. It was his father's final wish to find the fossil when he comitted suicide. After a shaky start in Ravenscar he soon gets used to life , despite resistance from the religious townsfolk. They believe him to be trying to raise the Devil in searching for this fossil. He continues to search for the fossil and takes regular walks through the moors, where he finds a lake, willow and church where he often sits to collect his thoughts. After finding many clues to the fossils location he finds others that indicate that the genus may not be quite as extinct as he previously thought. Alongside study, he meets a young girl in the village named Madeleine. After speaking with her once he falls madly in love with her, until one day he finds her murdered and is blamed for her murder and arrested. While in detention in his own room, he becomes consumed by anger and guilt and goes insane, hallucinating and seeing the monster that killed Madeleine. He breaks free from his room and runs onto the moor to find and kill the creature. He is led to the willow once more where he battles with the monster. He emerges victorious and pushes the monster into the lake. He sees himself in the water and realises the enormity of what he has done. He sees the moon's reflection in the water and thinks it has turned to blood. Already insane with loss and now guilt, he drowns himself.
Excerpt: Cronin's Wretch
"Before I can reason with myself I have drifted into a deep slumber. No longer plagued by such hellish dreams, I enjoy my sleep, indulging in more fanciful reveries. I dream that I am walking amongst the heather on the very same moor as this one, I climb the hill at the bottom and my eyes are met with a more luxurious form; that of a fair young lady. Sure that I recognise her, I travel downwards to introduce myself and exchange greetings. As I arrive our eyes meet and she plants a dainty kiss on my cheek. We settle beneath the willow together, the sun shining through its collection of olive strands, dropping soft, rippled shadows on the faces of the lovers within. I reach out to hold the maiden’s hand, the moment I touch her, my hands sting with that all too familiar coldness. I look down to her face in horror and see it lifeless and icy. I cry out like an anguished creature and draw the corpse in closer, begging it to borrow my warmth. But she remains cold, bloodless and cold. I look into her eyes and in them I see my father again, he is distorted and ugly. I throw down the body and scream as it falls to pieces at my feet."
It still needs editing, but what do you think?
