[It was a day of three digits, like “911.” This was “410.” On April 10th, we finally caught sight of the being that had so distressed us. But long before that day we had been scourged by this Thing, this Bane that we learned to call “Earth-Shaker.”]
What was Earth-Shaker? Why was it causing these events? There were many theories. Act of God. Act of Beelzebub. Revenge of God. Quantum event.
Appeasing the Shaker was attempted. We sacrificed crops, goats, virgins – no, I lied: not virgins. We applied to it, appealed to it, left bundles of flowers, photos of the disappeared, hand-scrawled notes on our walls of memory. Some prayed aloud. Others scoffed in public but prayed in secret.
In Central Park, a shaggy man stood on a box with both arms raised.
“Earth Shaker, we thank thee
That we have once again been spared,
That we have not been taken, borne into the earth
To your dwelling-place,
To your hungry mouth.”
He made the abhaya mudrā with his fingers. “Amen,” he said. The people answered with their own “Amen”s. Then all were silent while the shaking came once more, and passed.
[To be continued]
Memorable Fancies 
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