Congeal

A Post-Apocalyptic Horror Story

By: John F Leonard

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

It starts with reports on the news of an inland lake turning semi-solid. Surely, a media joke, some lame April Fool’s prank? The before and after pictures are vaguely ludicrous and oddly disturbing, the contrast stark and strange. First, darkly rippling water that hints at hidden depths. Slightly spooky and perfectly normal. Next, a putrid blotch of clotted sludge which bears little resemblance to anything aquatic. It isn’t a joke. And pretty soon, that greasy, sickening substance isn’t confined to an inland lake. It’s spreading. Flowing over fields and filling streets. Each morning brings a new revelation. Countryside denuded of life and towns empty and echoing. The night is when it changes, becomes something that consumes. Something infinitely worse than a congealed impossibility. CONGEAL is a short tale of apocalyptic horror. How the world ends may not be how you expect. Nuclear Armageddon or a zombie apocalypse could get beaten to the punch. Our apocalypse may come from below. An ancient, cosmic entity bubbling up to the surface in search of food. It’s also the story of one individual and her fight to stay afloat in a sea of despair.