The Longdock Air

"The Longdock Air" is a short story by British author William Meikle.
==Synopsis==
A young man searching for a song, fragments of which he hears in his head constantly but cannot place, meets an old man in a dying small town. As he stays and begins to learn the song from the older man, he begins to notice the towns peculiarities, yet the power of the song makes him feel like he belongs there. As he fully comprehends the song, the old man names him as the new choirmaster before he and many of the towns original residents submit themselves to the river and the Dreaming Lord which uses it as a psychic conduit.
==Characters==
*The Unnamed Narrator, a man searching not only for a song, but for a deeper meaning in his life.
*John Gilthrop, the curator of a song which brings the cult-like population of a small town closer to their god.
==Behind the Mythos==
Despite containing no direct references to Lovecraft's works or the greater Cthulhu Mythos, the inclusion of "The Longdock Air" in the collection Into the Black: Tales of Lovecraftian Terror indicates the author's belief that it follows in the spirit of such works. Additionally, the description of the townsfolk (who possessed skin resembling that of a fish, protruding eyes, and mouths which seemed to frequently open and close) and their Dreaming Lord (an ancient sleeping entity which affects mortals through its dreams) are reminiscent of the Deep Ones and Cthulhu respectively.
==Publication History==
"The Longdock Air" was first published in the thematic anthology Shadows Over Main Street: Volume 2 by Cutting Block Books in October 2017. It was also included in the collection of Meikle's own works Into the Black: Tales of Lovecraftian Terror in May 2019.
Category:William Meikle works
Category:Mythos-Inspired Works