The Orphanage at Trellaree

"The Orphanage at Trellaree" is a short Cthulhu Mythos story by British author Tony Richards, first published by Weird House Press in his 2022 anthology The Howling Terror and Other Lovecraftian Horror Stories.
==Synopsis==
When jaded English doctor Bryant moves to the small Irish coastal town of Trellaree, he uncovers a bizarre secret hidden within the walls of the local orphanage: the director, a Dr. Ernst Zwiegler, has been raising the children of an unidentified species of oceanic humanoid, and using their blood in experiments to heal the ailments of the human race. The doctor's discovery prompts the staff - who are all involved in the project - and Zwiegler to join their kinfolk beneath the waves, transforming into the creatures themselves as they do so.
Many years later, and the doctor's health begins to fade, a degenerative nerve disease preventing him from continuing his practice. In desperation, he makes his way to the shore and begs for the beings to make him one of them and heal his degrading body. To his surprise, Zwiegler emerges from the ocean depths and grants his request, inducting Bryant into their ranks and granting him eternal life.
==Behind the Mythos==
Despite containing no direct references to the creations of H. P. Lovecraft, the accompanying artwork to "The Orphanage at Trellaree", a black-and-white painting by K. L. Turner, is titled "Orphanage Deep Ones", confirming the story to be set in the greater Cthulhu Mythos.
==Trivia==
*Unusually for a Cthulhu Mythos story, "The Orphanage at Trellaree" would seem to portray the Deep Ones in a less-malevolent light than is the norm for such stories. However, the mention of the disappearance of several fishing boat crews may perhaps put a lie to this surface impression.
==Gallery==
Orphanage Deep Ones.jpeg|Accompanying artwork, "Orphanage Deep Ones" by K. L. Turner
Category:Tony Richards works
Category:Expanded Mythos Works