THE STARSTON TEXT
by
Stanley C. Sargent

[Deciperment of stone-carved text recently discovered
 in the shallows of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Bimini]

My Dearest Son,

        It has been countless eons since my last letter to you, but you will be
relieved to hear that your father is no longer angry with you, and I believe
I have nearly managed to bring his feelings into alignment with my own.
        As parents, we were devastated when our only son took up with what we
considered to be a gang of hoodlums; we felt it would have been much better
if you had stuck to your own kind.  It is only natural for adolescents to
rebel at some point, but knowing that doesn't make it any easier for us --
our generation was taught to respect their Elders.
        With that in mind, you should not have been surprised when your father
reacted with the fury of a blind idiot to the news that you had run away
from home.  We could hardly believe you were foolish enough to run off with
such riff-raff as the Sothoth boy and the Dagon kid.  Then, when those old
goats, the Nigguraths (such a strange name, it always reminds me of angry
emotions, replete with the dreaded "n" word!), informed us that their little
daughter Shub was pregnant with your children!  Well, you can imagine!
        For untold centuries after, we awaited some word from you, but all we heard
were rumors that you and your little friends had built yourselves a
condominium of some sort on some far-off planet and were having trouble with
your new landlords, some kind of nasty weed barrels, I believe.  I admit I
had no right to ask Nyarlathotep to spy on you, but I was half out of my
mind with worry!  The straw that broke the sultan's back was when dear
Nyarly told us you'd renounced the Starston family name and could no longer
even tolerate our beloved five-point family crest.
        Can you really blame your father for bubbling and gibbering with such
ferocity?  He had to do something, to save face if nothing else, but it
isn't as if he actually disowned you, son.  All he really did was ground you
for a time and close the gate as a means to keep you where you are for a
while.  We both felt you needed time to cool off and think, to consider how
you are throwing your life away.  Being restricted to your room cannot be so
terrible for a dreamer like you.  Before you know it, the gate will be open
again, and all will be forgiven!
        I wanted to tell you our side of the story in hope that you will
understand.  We both love you very much and have only done what we thought
best for you.  Once you've rid your new world of the pesky two-legged vermin
that I hear have overrun it, maybe you'll invite your father and I for a
visit.  It would be such a wonderful family reunion!
        Well, you think it over, then let me know.

                                                         All my love,

                                                         Mom

                                THE END 

All Things Dark and Dangerous is Copyright ©  2000 by Corey Whitworth
"The Starston Text" is Copyright © 1997 by  Stanley C. Sargent