The Mysterium

Elizabeth Power is an accountant in Ajax, Ontario.

Eric McCormack does an excellent job of creating a threatening and
malevolent atmosphere in which to tell his tale. The unspecific nature
of the setting, with references to the Capital, the Colony, the Island,
and the War, creates a dreamlike atmosphere of familiar but not quite
identifiable territory. The mystery of the actual physical surroundings
has an unnerving quality, which adds to the feeling of unease and
threatening evil. The story tells of a strange plaque that is slowly
killing off the village of Carrick. As the story unfolds, however, one
is not sure if the poison is a chemical bacterium, a virus, or if the
guilt arising out of evil events in the history of the town. The fable
is gripping and keeps you reading for the revelation at the end.
Unfortunately, that revelation never comes; the vagueness of the dream
persists throughout.