“I’m not asking for anything that might jeopardize your reputation or position.” Rich pleaded, leaning back into his seat as staring at the doctor, “Just an opportunity to continue our research. Can you in fact openly deny the possibility of possession, or is there something, some reason that leaves even the slightest doubt in your mind?”
I knew where Rich was now leading the doctor and it was indeed into a very dark place. Carrie had mentioned a patient a dear friend, who had been employed at the sanitarium, had once told her about. An individual so despicable, he was rarely spoken of and was indefinitely incarcerated upon the third floor. Nameless, he remained a mystery, murderer, and a living nightmare.
The doctor just sat and looked between us for a long time. It was obvious that he was contemplating a number of things, some of which honestly frightened him.
“For what it may be worth--,” Rich spoke quietly, appealing to our host with the deepest of sincerity, “This isn’t about finding a good story for our magazine. It’s about helping others in whatever way and means possible.”
“It’s not that I don’t wish to assist you in your research--,” He quietly explained while looking down upon his hands and nervously fidgeting with his fingers, “It’s a matter of discretionary ethics and jeopardizing my position here.”
“I can assure you that we will never breathe a word of your involvement--,” Rich pleaded, “And, that we will follow whatever directions you feel necessary to avoid any further risk. In the end—we really are the only ones who have any idea of what is happening in this office and between us. What possible harm could come of that?”
Doctor Langford had just looked between us, and then slowly nodding, said, “I would ask that you remove your coats and leave your personal affects in the office. There are lab coats and name tags in my closet. Please put them on….”
Chapter Seven
“Please keep in mind that your presence here will be noticed by all staff and recorded by some.” Dr. Langford warned, leading us down the corridor. We entered into a further hallway, which we had not previously seen, “You must appear as doctors and maintain a professional standard at all times, regardless of what you might see or hear.”
“Rest assured—you can depend upon us.” I had nodded while adjusting the collar of my lab coat. Looking to Rich as he combed back his hair, I felt certain that we would appear inconspicuous.
“Please take these--,” Doctor Langford offered us clip-boards, which we tucked under our arms, “And, I would ask that you not speak until we are somewhere private, and I have given permission.”
“Fair enough--,” Rich followed as we moved toward the office door, “And—Doctor Langford, I just wanted to express my sincerest appreciation. We can’t thank you enough for this opportunity.”
“Let’s just hope that I don’t live to regret this.” He looked skeptically between us and reached for the door handle, “Gentlemen, if you would please follow me….”
We had followed the doctor from out of the nurses’ station, and turning right in the hall, traveled down the corridor. I had shuddered to the sounds and sight of all those eyes which stared from behind tiny plate glass windows. Some were male and others female. Many were elderly and a few had been quite young. But those terrible, soulless eyes, grunts and ghastly sounds had soon proven them all, without doubt, to have been utterly insane.
We had soon arrived at another bend in the corridor, which leading to what appeared to have been an outer tower, soon found us halted at the end of the hall. The heavy steel door which stood before us differed from the others. It had obviously been reinforced and having rusted over time, bore a little window that had been covered by a large steel plate.
Dr. Langford halted us. He raised a hand within warning, looking to us, and said, “The individual that you are about to meet has never been identified. He remains known only as patient 1366 and is a mystery to modern medicine. He is without a doubt, criminally insane and suffers from a number of disorders. His living conditions have become unbearable, even for staff. But unfortunately, the last attempt that was made to enter his quarters resulted in several serious injuries to staff, one almost resulting in death.”
“He must be an immense individual.” I swallowed hard with the thought.
“No, and as a matter of fact, he appears rather frail and feeble of frame.” Dr. Langford hesitated, and nervously looking between us, said, “But gentlemen, do not allow that to cloud your judgement in this matter. He is quite capable of extreme violence, and unpredictable at the best of times.”
“What was the initial reason for him being brought to this hospital?” Rich appeared distraught, and I knew that something was already eating away at him.
“All that I know for certain--,” Dr. Langford scratched at his brow, frowning, and said, “Is that he was responsible for the murders of a number of people.” He thought briefly, suddenly staring, and said, “Under no circumstances are you to ever disclose the details of this case to anyone, for any purpose.” He became visibly unsettled, adjusting his glasses, his eyes darting between us, “Gentlemen, although he has been diagnosed, he also meets the criteria for matters concerning possible possession….”
We had all just stood and stared, the smell in that place becoming an overwhelming stench of human filth. I felt as though my stomach may turn at any given moment, but remained silent.
“I must warn you, gentlemen. This individual is very disturbed, violent and frightening in all respects. He has not uttered a word in many years. But the last time that he did, the doctor involved took his own life. There are few examples as extreme as this case, and nothing could prepare you for what we might encounter behind this door. Are you still willing to continue with this examination?”
The expression upon Rich’s face was one of fear but solemn determination, as nodding, we had both silently agreed.
And with that he raised the protective shield from the window. We had all leapt back as a pale face had suddenly appeared in the glass! It was disheveled, waxen and blood-covered. Long, black and graying hair hung wildly all about his face. Unshaven, it stared at us with wide and black eyes. Its breath came in short bursts and between long intervals, as spittle blew from between the clenched, broken and blackened teeth. It was more animal than man, its eyes darting between us like a ravenous thing.
I could only stare in horror as patient 1366 focused upon me, forming something of a twisted smile as it leaned closer to the glass, “I know you….” It hissed from between those foul and rotting teeth. The eyes growing increasingly wide as the darkness of the pupils consumed all color. Pressing its face against the blood- and spittle-smeared glass, it said, “I can smell your fear, hear your heart falter, a sickness grows within your veins. It shall soon choke the life from out of you….”
There was a moment of utter shock, as I now feared this fiend. How could it have known of my heart condition? Swallowing hard but retaining my calm, I stepped closer to the thing behind the door and quietly asked, “Who are you, that you claim to know so much?”
There was a strange and cackling laughter, as lolling its head to one side and peering back at me, it said, “I am the mystery, the fear and messenger of death.”
“What brings you to this place?” Attempting to appear calm and collected, I crossed my arms over my breast and awaited the reply. The answer came without hesitation as it pressed its face against the glass, the eye seeming to grow huge as it looked upon me, “I have always been here….”
“Do you have a name?” I placed both hands upon the door, an icy cold forcing them away. Gasping, I asked, “What are you called?”
It slowly shook its shaggy head, then grinned and glared as it said, “Do not tread so quickly into unknown places. And do not ask what you fear to know….”
Rich’s hand had slipped down to the cross that hung about his neck and the thing took immediate notice. Moving away from the glass, it looked to me as though betrayed.
Motioning for
Rich to conceal the holy object, I raised a hand before the fiend and said, “If you are indeed timeless, and not a man at all: Then you are all-seeing and all-knowing.”
“My eyes are like that of a golden crystal sphere, a window into time, ever watchful.”
The comment now took Rich by surprise. Nervously peering at me, he realized the threat within the analogy. Our doubt was swiftly becoming fear as the thing quietly laughed. Apparently pleased with our reaction, it looked to me, “You are hunted through time and space—and have worse than death to fear. But there remains hope for you within sacrifice. But—who shall be offered up within return? Who shall take your place in the grave?”
“We are all born unto death. I’m prepared to accept my fate—when the time comes.” Clearing my throat and my mind, I gazed back upon the thing, “Please understand, we did not come here to interfere with you, but to try to understand.”
There was a strange glint in the fiend’s eyes. It was as though he had heard the words and, realizing the sincerity of my appeal, now listened as I spoke,
“If you are not the man that stands before us, then you are someone, or something else. Is that correct?”
There was an eerie reflection of amusement upon its face, as peering about at us, it slowly nodded, whispering, “Oh yes—yes, so much more….”
“So, in fact, you have taken the life of an innocent man—and are holding him against his will.”
To this it reacted with a twisted smile, its dark eyes rolling toward me, clicking its tongue, as it said, “An innocent man, I think not! But time is precious to you—and you waste it on matters beyond your abilities.…”
Realizing that he was far too astute to relinquish such details, I chose to approach it from a different angle. If I could not discover its identity, at least I would prove its existence. But I needed some kind of evidence beyond a guess at my health issues. I needed something that would prove without a doubt, that this ruin of a human being was truly possessed of a demonic influence. But what could it provide that might establish evidence of its presence?
I dared leaning even closer, almost whispering as I said, “If you truly see and know all. Then you must certainly be aware of the allegations concerning unclaimed, violent deaths and unrecorded burials in this place.”
It slowly moved back from the tiny window, gazing all about as though searching for something. Hideously thin and clad only within what remained of its stained and torn pants, it was increasingly hard to look upon. Its body was covered in what appeared to be long, blistering scars, which appeared like third degree burns. The wounds ran festering with a ghastly and unspeakable infection. I could see from the markings that some were self-inflicted bites, the puss and blood oozing with each and every movement that he made.
The room’s walls were blood-smeared and human waste littered the floor. The stench was almost unbearable. I noticed strange and foreign symbols scrawled in fecal matter among the blood-stains, but was unwilling to even put them to paper. While fearing the possible implications, I simply stood and stared at the thing.
“What reason do I have to speak to you of such things?” It curiously peered back.
“Only one, quite honestly--,” I shrugged, “To establish that you truly are a maleficent force, and not just the rantings of some terribly sick and weak old man.”
The cold in the room suddenly became a bitter chill as its eyes became wide and it leapt up, slamming with sudden force against the door. Obviously enraged, it cursed and spat, smashing its face against the glass! Its cheek becoming a blood smeared trail, as that eye looked upon me, “How dare you question me? You who trembles at my might and knows the nature of darkness….”
“I do not doubt you—but there are others who do,” Thinking briefly, I swallowed hard as the cold invaded my flesh, aching within my bones, “I simply ask that you bestow upon us absolute evidence of your great power and wisdom. For no living man can see within the grave. And if you can, then truly and without doubt, you must be something far greater….”
“To what end does this serve you?” It growled as the large dark eye focused entirely upon mine, glistening.
“I am only a man, neither good nor entirely evil.” Speaking honestly, I just gazed back and quietly said, “I have witnessed great good in this world, yet also felt the presence of evil, but have never known it in the flesh.”
It became strangely silent, the eye turning to Dr. Langford, then Rich, before returning to me. There was a moment when I had suspected that it would not utter another word. But then, grinning, it hissed and whispered back, “They are entwined among roots in darkness and are among the guilty, punished by death. Look to the stones that bear no name. Seek where none dare wander and the answers you shall find….”
“You speak in riddles, my friend.” I had drawn out my notebook and scribbling down the fiend’s words, looked back, “But, I thank you all the same.”
“Your friend--,” It spoke the word as though it burned its flesh in the mere utterance, “You thank me, do you?”
“Yes, your assistance is greatly appreciated.”
“Know this--,” It pointed an accusing finger, the long and yellowed nail tapping against the blood-smeared glass. Glaring, it spoke in warning, “All things of which I do and say serve only one purpose. And are a means to an end for many….”
“Demon or man, I hold no angst or grudge against you--,” I stood before the glass as it watched, scrutinizing my every movement, “I’m only interested in the truth, and solving mysteries of the unknown. And though you are indeed a mystery, you are not my enemy.”
“I am the enemy to the free peoples of this world.” It growled, the froth and blood running from between its rotting teeth, “Destroyer of innocence, taker of lives. How can I not be your enemy?”
“I am not responsible for the world--,” I shrugged, “You have neither done nor said anything harmful to me. In that fact alone you are not an enemy.”
“Then release me from this place…..”
There was sudden horror in the eyes of my companions, as simply looking to the fiend, I said, “I would, but you are not actually a prisoner in this place, but by your own choice. We both know that you could leave at any given time, should you decide to.”
“Clever, clever—I choose to remain,” It grinned through bloodied and broken teeth, clicking its fingernails before its face. There was a kind of strange amusement in its features, something dark and disturbing that now reflected in its eyes, “You are of interest to me, so within parting I grant you the gift of wisdom. Look to the master of the Raven’s book, for his minion holds the key that shall from damnation set you free….”
Rich’s jaw had simply dropped open, his eyes filled with a mixture of fear and fascination as he scribbled down the words.
I gazed back into its soulless and black eyes, “I am grateful. Is there anything that I might offer in return, anything that you need or might want?”
It suddenly came very near the window. The cold chill filling the room as it pressed that eye against the glass, focussing upon Dr. Langford as it hissed, “Yes. Him….”
Dr. Langford suddenly slammed the shield down over the window! The fear vivid in his wide eyes, wiping sweat from his brow with a handkerchief, he said, “I think that it’s best that we conclude this meeting.”
There was a sound of soft chuckling from behind the door. It caused us all to turn and glance back, falling silent. We could hear the whispers that now came from beyond. The voice came in a taunting, almost rhythmic tone. It was a haunting whisper, a sweetly spoken threat, which sending shudders through my entire body, now chilled me to the bone.
“You dare wander the wilds beyond hope and to where mortals lay in silent repose. Their corpses suckling the worms, festering, rotting until naught is left but bones. Yet, soon enough you shall all join them, deep in the earth’s cold embrace. There shall we meet again upon fields red with blood and fire. Your bodies beaten and bones broken, your souls forfe
it, shall forever burn….”
We had all just looked upon one another as the laughter of the fiend had subsided and was gone. There was something solemn, menacing about the presiding stillness that visibly haunted us all….
We had followed silently as Dr. Langford led us away from that place. With my heart pounding and nerves tingling, I felt like the fly that had confronted the spider and survived. There was no doubt in my mind that we had just become acquainted with a true possession case. And though I was fascinated, had no intention of visiting patient 1366 again….
Rich had been pale as a sheet throughout the experience and remained speechless. As we returned to the nurses’ station on the main floor, I thought that Rich might simply turn and run from the place. I had seen him in many situations, but never react like this….
We had entered the Doctor’s office and quickly exchanged the lab coats for our own. As we were making our way toward the door, he had turned fearfully in question, “Not a single word of this to anyone—you swore an oath.”
“It’s a promise--,” I had firmly shaken his hand, “Not a word to anyone.”
“Thank you again, gentlemen.” Dr. Langford had opened the door in parting, “I appreciate your time and look forward to speaking to you again soon. My apologies again, for your experience on the third floor… and with patient 1366.”
Passing him our card, I thanked him, and said, “I think that we have found our answers. We can’t thank you enough. Please feel free to contact us, any time.”
I shook his hand as an intern approached from out of the hallway and Doctor Langford turned toward the young man with a pleasant smile, “Please see to it that our guests are escorted safely out, and that there are no more occurrences.” He gestured to Rich’s wrist.
Sanctum Arcanum Page 17
