The Hollow Places: A Novel

Kara, the narrator, reflects on her return to the Glory to God Museum of Natural Wonders, Curiosities, and Taxidermy in Hog Chapel, North Carolina. The museum, a peculiar collection of genuine artifacts and questionable curiosities, is a reflection of Uncle Earl's eclectic beliefs, which blend religious, supernatural, and pseudoscientific ideas. Despite the museum's oddities, Kara grew up helping there and never found it creepy, though she often disagreed with Uncle Earl's views, especially during her rebellious teenage years.

Eighteen years after Uncle Earl's acceptance of evolution through the lens of Bigfoot, Kara's marriage ends. Faced with the prospect of moving back in with her mother, whom she finds difficult to live with due to their similar personalities, she is relieved when Uncle Earl calls and offers her the spare room at the museum. Recognizing the opportunity to avoid living with her mother and to reconnect with a place of fond memories, Kara gratefully accepts his offer.

On a rainy Monday, Kara moves into the Wonder Museum, finding Hog Chapel much as she remembers it—quirky shops and all. The museum, nestled between a coffee shop and a perpetually failing boutique, welcomes her with Uncle Earl’s warm greeting, despite his gout and back pain. Kara is touched by the personal touches in her room, including a newly painted space and the mounted head of an elk she affectionately calls Prince, a childhood favorite.

After a restful night, Kara wakes up feeling grounded and begins her first day at the museum. She helps Uncle Earl set up for the day and runs to the neighboring Black Hen coffee shop to get coffee. There, she meets Simon, the barista, who has a unique condition involving a rare form of color blindness in his left eye, possibly due to being a chimera. Simon offers his support and shares his unusual experiences, adding a layer of intrigue to Kara’s return to Hog Chapel.

Back at the museum, Kara starts the daunting task of cataloging the exhibits, beginning with Prince. She realizes the enormity of the project but is determined to help Uncle Earl organize the museum. The chapter ends with Kara diving into her work, marking the start of a new chapter in her life.

A week after moving in, Kara settles into a routine at the Wonder Museum, assisting Uncle Earl with daily tasks and spending evenings at the Black Hen coffee shop with Simon, who shares his bizarre and sometimes dangerous childhood stories. Despite the mundane nature of her days, Kara finds a sense of purpose and belonging, even as she grapples with the stark contrast between her former stable life and her current uncertain path.

One morning, a UPS delivery brings a box containing eclectic items from Uncle Earl’s friend Woody, including a peculiar wooden carving of a ‘corpse-otter’ effigy. Uncle Earl, intrigued and disturbed by the carving, instructs Kara to place it near the museum’s prized Amazonian giant otter. As Kara arranges the new items, she reflects on the museum’s unique collection and the sadness of the old trophy hunter who donated the otter.

Uncle Earl’s health deteriorates, and he must undergo knee surgery, leaving Kara to run the museum on her own. She takes on the responsibility with determination, ensuring that the museum operates smoothly and comforting Uncle Earl with the assurance that she will manage everything in his absence. With Uncle Earl’s departure for surgery, Kara stands at the museum’s entrance, ready to face the challenges ahead, marking the one-month anniversary of her return to Hog Chapel.

In Uncle Earl's absence, Kara faces the daily challenges of managing the Wonder Museum, from paying bills to updating the website. Her routine is disrupted when she discovers a large hole in the drywall of the otter room, likely caused by a careless tourist. Seeking Simon's help, they decide to investigate the damage further. Using his phone, Simon examines the hole and uncovers a dark, concrete hallway beyond the wall. Intrigued and curious, they cut a larger opening and step through, finding themselves in a seemingly endless, eerily quiet corridor. Their speculation ranges from moonshining tunnels to an old mental hospital, but they realize the corridor predates such uses. Deeper exploration leads them to a large circular room with concrete walls and a gritty floor, marked with graffiti and water stains. The room's size and location defy explanation, leaving Kara and Simon puzzled and unsettled by their discovery.

In the dimly lit hidden corridor, Kara and Simon discuss the impossibility of its existence and the potential dangers it poses. They come across a metal door with rusted bolts, deciding not to open it out of fear of the unknown. Just as they turn to leave, Beau, Kara’s cat, appears, adding a touch of humor to the tense situation.

Later, at the Black Hen coffee shop, they debate the nature of the corridor, considering theories from black magic to alien activity. Kara orders Chinese food, and they plan to explore the corridor more thoroughly the next night. Equipped with flashlights, string, and a tape measure, they return to the museum the following evening, determined to uncover more secrets.

Kara and Simon are shocked to discover a dead body in the small, dark room at the end of the hidden corridor. The body is severely decomposed, and the room shows signs of long-term abandonment, with no clear indication of the cause of death. As they debate whether to call the police, Simon's fear of an outstanding warrant in Florida complicates matters, leading them to decide against it.

While preparing to leave, Kara notices that the hole in the wall leading to the corridor is made of concrete, not the expected drywall. This discovery deepens the mystery and confirms that they are dealing with something beyond the ordinary. They test the properties of the concrete, realizing that it defies normal physical laws, adding to their unease and curiosity.

Determined to uncover more, they decide to explore the other side of the metal door, despite the risks. After removing the rusted bolts, they manage to open the door, revealing a bright, well-lit room beyond. The light contrasts sharply with the dim, eerie corridor, and they discover a small landing with stairs leading to a doorway. Climbing the stairs, they find themselves on a tiny, hump-shaped island surrounded by fog and water, hinting at the existence of an entirely different world or dimension.

Still reeling from the discovery of the dead body and the strange properties of the concrete, Kara and Simon find themselves bewildered by the daylight in the alternate world, which starkly contradicts the nighttime outside the museum. The landscape is eerily uniform, dotted with numerous small, barrow-like islands, each featuring a metal door. The presence of these islands and doors intensifies their sense of unease and curiosity.

Simon installs a deadbolt on their entry door for added security before they venture further. They wade to a nearby sandspit covered in willows, where they discuss the possibility of diseases from the water and the unsettling nature of the willows. Despite the initial excitement, Kara feels a growing dread, likening the willows to a thin, hollow skin covering something vast and unknown.

Exploring another island, they find a closed door rusted shut. Deciding to try another, they discover a door leading to a flooded room with a sagging inner door. Reluctant to enter, they opt to explore further. On the shore, they mark their entry point with a stick and consider the direction of their next exploration.

They find a school bus partially buried in the sand, with a slightly different color and font than typical school buses. Just as they approach, a heavy rainstorm begins, forcing them to seek shelter in the bus. Simon, driven by an unexplained intuition, warns Kara not to sit on the bus seats, and they wait out the storm, sitting against the front wall.

Still reeling from the unsettling discovery of the flooded room, Kara and Simon are jolted by the sight of children moving beneath the seats of the school bus. The children appear trapped, pushing and pressing against the leather, while the driver's seat exudes an unsettling presence. Overwhelmed by the surreal and terrifying experience, they flee the bus, only to find that the river has risen, erasing their markers and leaving them lost among the identical bunkers.

In their panic, they consider taking a different portal, but the risk of ending up somewhere worse keeps them focused on finding their original entry. As night falls, they encounter a mysterious boatman poling a boat along the river, adding to their fear and uncertainty. Deciding to spend the night in a bunker, they discover a chilling message scratched into the wall: 'They Can Hear You Thinking.' The message sends Kara into a state of near-hysteria, but Simon helps her regain composure.

Exploring further, they find more disturbing messages and evidence of violence, including bullet casings and stains. The final message, 'Pray They Are Hungry,' deepens their dread and reinforces the sense that they are in grave danger. The chapter ends with Kara and Simon standing on the brink of a terrifying unknown, determined to find a way home before it's too late.

Kara and Simon, still reeling from the chilling message in the bunker, venture deeper into the facility. They discover a partially open metal door leading to a room with a makeshift kitchen, five cots, and a military-like setup, suggesting that people once lived there. A rosary hangs from a bolt, adding a religious element to the utilitarian space. After ensuring the room is secure, they decide to spend the night there, bolting the door for safety.

As the night wears on, they discuss the implications of the English writing and the school bus, theorizing about the existence of multiple parallel universes and the possibility that the bunkers were created by a military organization from another world. Simon voices his concern about the potential consequences of revealing the portal's existence to any military group. Their conversation is abruptly cut short by a faint movement in the willows outside, intensifying their fear and urgency to find a way home.

Kara and Simon wake to the eerie sight of strange, inhuman shapes moving through the gaps in the willows. These forms, composed of negative space and silver light, rise from the sand and slither through the willows, evoking a sense of otherworldly presence. Initially, they feel a mix of wonder and curiosity, as the shapes seem indifferent to their presence. However, their awe turns to terror when a dark, solid entity moves through the willows, causing the branches to bow in reverence. This entity triggers a profound fear, and they quickly retreat to the bunker, bolting the door behind them.

Inside, they discuss the nature of the entities they witnessed, debating whether the willow spirits were dangerous and speculating about the identity of the dark thing. Their conversation shifts to the pressing need for water, leading to a discussion about the dangers of drinking from the surrounding water and the folklore surrounding fairyland. They discover Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) in the footlockers, which they consume, and a Bible with unfamiliar books, suggesting they are in a different universe. A logbook they find indicates that the bunker was used by a group who entered the vacuae, an unknown term that may refer to the portal system.

The chapter ends with Kara and Simon contemplating the possibility of multiple universes and the implications of the logbook, with Simon suggesting that the group in the logbook also came from another world. Haunted by the images of the inhuman shapes, they try to get some sleep.

Kara and Simon wake up in the bunker, disoriented and unsure of the time. Thirsty and desperate, they decide to drink from the river despite the risks, quenching their thirst but feeling uneasy about the potential consequences. As they venture out to explore the islands, they notice the willows seem to have shifted, deepening their sense of unease.

A mysterious, almost electronic humming noise begins to permeate the air, growing louder and more menacing. The sound seems to come from nowhere, and they become increasingly anxious. Determined to find answers, they methodically check each bunker, until they discover one with a half-open door. Inside, they find a skeletal, emaciated man named Martin Sturdivant, who speaks in a raspy, wet voice and warns them about the dangers of the willows and the entities known as 'They'.

Sturdivant reveals that the willows bring things to life and then make them disappear, serving the entities that inhabit this place. He describes horrific encounters with these entities, including a woman who was twisted and dismembered. He explains that the bunkers offer some protection but are not entirely safe. As he speaks, it becomes clear that he is severely damaged, both physically and mentally, and that his lower half is missing, floating in the water around him.

Terrified by the sight of Sturdivant and the realization of the true nature of their predicament, Kara and Simon scream and flee the bunker, determined to find a way back to their world.

Still reeling from their encounter with Martin Sturdivant, Kara and Simon collapse on the opposite shore of the river, overwhelmed by the horror of what they have seen. They discuss the possibility of multiple worlds and the implications of the portal system, trying to distract themselves from the terrifying reality of their situation. Despite the eerie surroundings and the constant threat of the entities known as 'They', they decide to continue searching for a way back to their world.

As they explore more bunkers and islands, they encounter a mysterious, humming entity that seems to move through the willows, bending the branches as it passes. They hide in a partially submerged ship, using mental distractions to avoid attracting the entity's attention. Simon’s ability to perceive the fourth dimension provides a glimpse into the nature of the entities, reinforcing the idea that the world is a thin skin over a vast, unknown space.

Finally, after crawling through several more bunkers, they find the one that leads back to the Wonder Museum. The relief and disbelief are overwhelming as they emerge into the familiar, fluorescent-lit hallway of the museum. They touch the real, tangible objects around them, reaffirming that they are indeed back in their own world.

Kara and Simon return to the Wonder Museum, where the phone is ringing downstairs. Overwhelmed with relief at hearing her mother's voice, Kara fabricates a story about Simon having a severe allergic reaction to flavored syrup, explaining their absence. The conversation with her mother underscores the stark normalcy of the world they've returned to, a sharp contrast to the horrors of the willow world.

With the immediate crisis resolved, Kara and Simon focus on securing the portal. They patch the entrance with drywall, though it feels flimsy and inadequate. To add extra protection, they cover the patch with a batik sheet and place a raccoon case in front of it. The process is tense, and they both feel the weight of their recent experiences. After completing the task, they part ways, with Simon returning to the coffee shop and Kara taking a much-needed shower and a long, dreamless sleep.

The next morning, Kara opens the museum and interacts with regulars, including Kay, who inquires about the closure. Kara repeats the fabricated story, and Kay seems to accept it. The day is slow, giving Kara a chance to reflect on her experiences. She allows herself to cry, acknowledging the trauma and stress she has endured. Despite the lingering fear, she finds comfort in the familiarity of her surroundings and the support of those around her.

Still reeling from the horrors of the willow world, Kara and Simon retreat to their normal lives, but the experience lingers heavily on their minds. Kara visits Simon at the Black Hen coffee shop, where they both admit to having nightmares. Despite the surreal nature of their recent experiences, they find small grounding moments, such as Simon's offer of microwave popcorn and tequila, and Kara's realization that the olive sweater from the bunker is real evidence of their journey. They discuss the bizarre question of how a tourist could accidentally create a portal to another world, and the implications of the term 'vacuae', which they discover means 'an apparently unoccupied space'.

Kara's nightmares are vivid and terrifying, featuring Sturdivant and the willow world. She wakes up with raw, sore fingertips, which she attributes to handling chemicals from the museum's taxidermy. The next day, she and Simon share their ongoing fears and the sense of the willow world's presence, despite the patched hole. They both feel a responsibility to protect the museum and the coffee shop, even though the threat looms large. Kara's practical side leads her to experiment with a different part of the museum wall, which, to her immense relief, does not lead to the willow world but to the ordinary insulation of the building.

Kara continues her search for other portals within the Wonder Museum, but her efforts yield no additional entrances. Returning to her room, she reflects on the possibility of multiple holes and the nature of the worlds touching. Using chopsticks and a paper sleeve, she tries to visualize the concept of parallel worlds, but the complexity eludes her.

Later, Kara delves into the Bible she found in the willow world. The marginal notes detail the harrowing experiences of a soldier and his squad, including their fear, the disappearance of their commander, and a horrific encounter with a creature that left funnel-shaped wounds. Disturbed by the eerie similarities to her own experiences, Kara wonders if the willows are trying to drag her back, as evidenced by the gouges in the patched wall, which suggest someone or something has been clawing through from the other side.

Kara's ex-husband, Mark, calls to inform her he is selling the house, leading to a tense and awkward conversation. Despite her initial annoyance, Kara realizes she lacks the emotional energy to engage with him, especially given her recent experiences. Later, she shares the Bible's contents with Simon, who is equally disturbed by the soldier's account. The chapter concludes with Kara discovering that the patch in the wall has been damaged, and she decides to confide in Simon about her sleepwalking and the possibility of the willows trying to pull her back.

Kara and Simon confront the terrifying reality of their sleepwalking, which has led Kara back to the willow world. Simon, who was also sleepwalking, managed to pull Kara away from the boatman, a monstrous entity with roots embedded in the boat, just as it was about to drag her deeper into the darkness. They barricade the hole with heavier objects and decide to use a wind chime as an alarm to prevent further sleepwalking incidents.

The next day, Simon arrives with sheet metal to reinforce the patch over the portal. They secure it with heavy-duty screws and place the Bigfoot statue in front of it for added protection. Despite the exhaustion and fear, Kara remains at the museum, tying herself to the bed frame to prevent any more sleepwalking episodes. The chapter ends with Kara sleeping through the night, secured and safe, but the tension of their ordeal lingers.

Kara's knee throbs with a pain that echoes Uncle Earl's struggles, but she pushes through to open the museum and tend to her duties. Cataloging items and interacting with visitors, she tries to maintain a semblance of normalcy. A group of tourists reports broken glass upstairs, leading Kara to discover that the raccoon display case has been smashed and the albino raccoon is missing. Confused and concerned, she discusses the incident with Simon, who suggests various theories, including the possibility of cultists or a tourist's impulsive theft.

Later, Kara takes a day off in Southern Pines, seeking a brief respite from the recent horrors. The tranquility is fleeting, however, as she finds the Bible from the willow world under her bed and resumes reading it. The logbook reveals the harrowing experiences of a woman named Singer, who survived for five weeks in the willows. Singer's insights about the entities and the nature of the portal deepen Kara's understanding of the dangers they faced.

Late at night, Kara is awakened by Beau's agitated behavior and a loud scratching at her bedroom door. Assuming it's a large rodent, she releases Beau to deal with the intruder. To her shock, Beau returns victorious, and Kara discovers the dead body of the albino raccoon, which had been missing from the museum. The realization that the raccoon was already dead and had somehow reappeared in the museum adds a new layer of mystery and dread.

The aftermath of the raccoon incident weighs heavily on Kara. She discovers that the raccoon was not only dead but had been hollowed out by rats, leading to a disturbing realization about the potential infestation in the museum. Kara and Simon discuss the possibility of rats living in other taxidermy displays, adding to the growing sense of dread. Later, a call from her ex-husband, Mark, who confesses to having an affair before their divorce, leaves Kara more annoyed than devastated. She turns to the Bible from the willow world, where she learns of Singer's team and their terrifying encounters, including a transformed human. As she reads, Kara experiences a glow similar to the willow light in the museum, leading to a confrontation with a possessed taxidermy fisher that attacks her. Using her cane, Kara manages to kill the fisher, but the experience leaves her injured and terrified. She realizes that the corpse-otter carving, which had been delivered earlier, is the source of the willow light and the possessed taxidermy, connecting it to the broader mystery of the willow world.

Kara realizes that the corpse-otter carving, which had been knocking holes in the wall, is the source of the willow world's influence. The carving has possessed the giant otter, animating the museum's taxidermy and creating a dangerous, alien environment. With the help of her cat Beau, Kara manages to fend off the possessed otter temporarily, but the otter breaks through her bedroom door and chases her through the museum.

Desperate to stop the otter and the spreading willow influence, Kara leads the otter into the willow world, hoping it will return to its natural habitat. However, the willows have grown rapidly, blocking her path and entangling her. She escapes into the water, evading the otter and the humming entities, but is injured in the process. Finding refuge in a flooded bunker, she discovers the door is rusted shut, trapping her inside with the otter closing in.

Just as Kara resigns herself to her fate, she hears a familiar sound, suggesting that Simon may be nearby or that there is another way out. The chapter ends with Kara in a precarious position, hoping for rescue or a last-minute escape.

After breaking free from Sturdivant's grasp, Kara plunges into the water, evading the possessed otter and the humming entities. She surfaces at the stairs, crawling out into the light, her body aching from her injuries. Recalling Singer's advice about using pain to distract, she focuses on the discomfort, causing the entities to miss her and drift away. Determined to return to the safety of the museum, Kara pushes through her pain and exhaustion, eventually collapsing as the sun rises.

Still reeling from the confrontation with the possessed otter and the willow world, Kara and Simon tend to her injuries. They discuss the origin of the corpse-otter carving, which has become a focal point of their ordeal. Kara, still furious and shaken, contacts Woody Morwood, the sender of the carving, demanding answers. Woody explains that he found the carving on an island in the Danube, where it had been causing havoc by opening holes to the willow world. He had mistakenly believed that sending it far away would render it harmless.

Kara and Simon learn that the carving was likely a key or a seed that could open portals to the willow world. Woody had warned Uncle Earl to keep it locked up, but the warning was overlooked. The carving had been trying to get home, and its presence in the museum had led to the activation of the portal. Woody suggests that the willows might be markers or beacons for the entities known as 'They', guiding them through the portals. Kara and Simon realize that the willows and the carving are part of a larger, more sinister scheme.

Determined to close the portal, Simon and Kara raid the museum’s cashbox to buy materials. They build a concrete wall to seal the hole, using a combination of quick-setting concrete and spackle. Simon explains that the portal is a wormhole anchored to the wall, and filling it with the appropriate material will help close it. As they work, they speculate about the nature of the willow world and the entities that inhabit it, wondering if the willows are the first wave of an invasion.

By the end of their efforts, the wall is sealed, and the portal appears to be closed. Kara and Simon, exhausted but relieved, celebrate their success with Chinese food and drinks. However, they remain vigilant, knowing that the threat of the willow world may not be entirely over.

Kara reflects on her ongoing struggle with sanity and frequent nightmares, which, though less vivid than the sleepwalking dreams, continue to haunt her. Everyday sights, such as the silver smear of streetlights on wet pavement, trigger memories of the willow world. Her knee throbs with pain, mirroring Uncle Earl's struggles, and a visit to her mother's house, where a willow tree looms nearby, sets her heart racing.

Uncle Earl returns, and Kara, anxious, listens at the wall to check if the portal is truly closed, hearing only silence. She muses on the role of the museum's taxidermy, believing that the animals' bones, imbued with Uncle Earl's kindness, fought to defend their home. Deciding to stay at the museum, she feels a sense of protection and familiarity, and continues her work on the catalog. Unable to bear the memory of its clacking teeth, she insists that Uncle Earl dispose of the Feejee Mermaid.

Kara and Simon maintain a routine of watching movies and anime together, providing mutual support without discussing the willow world. Woody visits, and despite his unassuming appearance, Kara sees a familiar haunting in his eyes. Contemplating her future, she feels a strong connection to the museum and its unliving protectors, concluding that the Wonder Museum is her home.