Bitten By Himself is a Laird Barron story featured in the 2022 anthology [Screams from the Dark](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58724625-screams-from-the-dark). The tale is set in [[Antiquity]] and features some recurring characters or their Antiquity [[Alter Ego|Alter Egos]]. In the story, a hermit with violent tendencies named Chick Poe (also known as Charles or Charlie) encounters an ancient god-like creature who tasks him with hunting down his 'little friends'. Chick recognizes the creature as an avatar of the Black Sloth, an entity known to be worshipped by evil folks. ### __Time & Place__ Similar to some of the other stories set in Antiquity, Bitten By Himself takes place in a kingdom that's geographically similar to the USA's East Coast, perhaps New York State. There's mention of King Dick, the country's Westward Expansion and the warfare that comes with it. This places the story in the same time period as [[The One We Tell Bad Children]]. The Antiquity tales [[A Clutch]] and [[Oblivion Mode]] take place in a later time, when the country is ruled by King Eadweard Mingy. ### __Characters__ The protagonist is probably the Antiquity alter ego of Custer Poe, the protagonist of [[The Glorification of Custer Poe]]. The cult of the Black Sloth plays a significant role in the early Barron story [[Procession of the Black Sloth]]. The story features the Antiquity alter ego of recurring scientist [[Howard Campbell]], who Chick refers to as _'the infamous Green Druid'_. The story features a duo of 'simulacrums' - engineered people - with the names [[Elmer]] and Ferris. We know Elmer and Ferris as the protagonist of the story [[the worms crawl in,]] and his wife. Elmer and Ferris display a way too advanced level of technology for the time period the other story elements suggest. They seem like futuristic robots, capable of doing brain scans with their classic sci-fi 'laser eyes': "Her eyes flared hot as the flames. She muttered, “Hmm. Inconclusive scan. Previous cranial trauma. Elevated pulse. Unusual brain-wave patterns.”" (Screams from the Dark, p. ) There's references to a number of recurring Antiquity people, places and concepts, such as Peloki warriors and Saint Hasselhoff. #Story #Antiquity