by Scott Shoyer
“You crazy fucking bastard!” Damien yelled. “Where’s my son?” Damien located his gun and lunged for it. Just as he grabbed it and turned to meet the old man’s attack, he ducked again to evade the wrench. Damien took a step back, aimed the gun at the old man’s thigh, and pulled the trigger.
The old man was pushed back by the bullet. He fell to the ground and landed on his chest.
“Where the fuck is my son, you son of a bitch!” Damien yelled.
When the old man rolled over, Damien saw that he’d missed his target. Instead of a flesh wound in the man’s thigh, Damien had shot the old timer in the stomach. There was blood everywhere and the old man writhed in pain. Damien masked his horror at what he’d done and repeated his question.
“They took him to the sacred ground,” the old man said, his teeth clenched tightly in pain. “Call me a goddamn ambulance, boy.”
“Where the hell is this ‘sacred ground?’” Damien asked. “You’re losing a lot of blood. You help me and I’ll call an ambulance.”
“Fuck you!” the old man shouted as he held his stomach in pain.
Damien walked over and placed his foot on the old man’s chest. “Last chance to help me. Where is this sacred ground?” After getting no answer from the old man, Damien moved his foot down to the man’s stomach and pressed down. The old man howled in pain. Damien didn’t think a human could make such a sound.
“You can either bleed out in a most painful death,” Damien said as he applied more pressure to the wound, “or you can tell me where that place is and I’ll call you an ambulance? The choice is yours.”
After a few moments of writhing around in pain, the old man told Damien the exact location of where the man named Howard and the Sheriff had taken Brandon and the others.
“Now call me an ambulance you bastard,” the old man screamed.
“Sorry,” Damien said as he aimed the gun at the old man’s head, “but I don’t get any service out here.” Damien pulled the trigger and blew the man’s brains out. When he saw the bone and brain matter splatter underneath the old man’s head, Damien gagged and threw up. He walked over to the old man’s tow truck and found a water bottle. He rinsed out his mouth, splashed a little on his face, and drank the rest of the bottle in a few long gulps. He sat in the driver’s seat of the truck and contemplated his next move.
Do I drive to the next town and get help? he thought. He immediately shook that thought from his head. “I do that,” he said out loud, “and my son is dead before I get halfway back to Derleth.”
He leaned in the back of the truck and closed his eyes to think about his next move.
34
The sun had fallen below the mountain ranges that surrounded Derleth. It was that time of night when shadows came to life and imaginations ran wild. It was also the time of day when the sky played tricks on your eyes. Clouds looked alive and full of menacing shapes, and they were accented by colors not usually seen during the day when the sun brightly shone.
Except in Derleth, the eldritch clouds weren’t just a trick of light on the eyes. These clouds were indeed pregnant with danger.
And darkness.
And madness.
Sheriff Landry secured Brandon, Judith, and Kristin in the small storage shed once they arrived at the sacred ground. Howard walked around the field that for centuries had been used in countless ceremonies. Howard’s bloodline had performed so many rituals that he’d lost count as to just how many generations of High Ones had come before him.
Landry joined the other bloodline patriarchs and could see the unease on all their faces.
“By looking at you all, I assume none of you have any idea what’s going on?” Landry said to the others. They all looked on as Howard seemed to investigate every blade of grass.
“We know as much as you do, Sheriff,” Thomas said. “Apparently the Ancient One has found a way to enter our world permanently.”
“Is that even possible?” Landry asked.
“We never thought so,” George answered. “But then again, we are dealing with forces that are way beyond our understanding.”
“My question is: why now?” Levi asked. “Why, after all these millennia, can the Ancient One all of a sudden enter our world permanently?”
“I’m assuming it has something to do with the visitors,” Landry said as he poked a thumb toward the shed. “Ever since the boy and his family entered town, Howard has been acting weird.”
“And let’s not forget the other patriarchs that were killed,” Michael added. “Jesus Christ, do you think Howard killed them?”
“No way,” Landry said. “I saw what those bodies looked like—at least what was left of them. Nothing from this world could’ve done that.” Then, “Howard at first seemed frightened by the deaths of the others, but then he apparently had a vision and now…” Landry let his sentence drift away.
“I think he went mad from that vision,” George said.
“I think the real question here,” Levi said, “is whether what Howard says is going to happen is actually going to happen. I mean, seriously. Is it possible?”
“Yes,” Thomas replied with no hesitation or doubt in his voice. “There were hushed stories passed down from one generation to the next in my family about some of the visions that led Lemuel here. I’m sure your ancestors had similar visions, but for some reason Lemuel felt the need to pass down this story.
“Lemuel saw horrible things in those visions,” Thomas continued. “He saw a world blackened by fires and a changed atmosphere where the air was viscous and oily. A world where monsters from another world ruled. I think he passed these stories about his visions down the ages as a warning of what was coming.”
“You think this was the Ancient One’s intention the entire time?” Landry asked. “You think it was Its intention to break into this world and rule it? How can we let this happen? The world will be destroyed.”
“Our Wills, even collectively, mean nothing anymore,” Howard said as he approached where the others stood. “A new age is about to dawn on Earth, and N’Xabez will soon be here to rule us all. The lucky ones will die quickly, while the others will live in madness only to serve the Elder.”
The others looked at Howard. He looked brainwashed, like he was being controlled.
“Howard,” Landry said. “How can you stand there and tell us you want to actually be a part of the end of the world?”
“It is not the end of the world!” Howard shouted. “It is the dawn of a new world—of a new rule.” Then Howard turned to look into Landry’s eyes. “This is the second time today that I’ve had to remind you that you seem to have forgotten your place in all this.”
“And what is my place?” Landry asked.
In a single, fluid motion, Howard unsheathed the long, ceremonial blade and slashed it across Landry’s throat. Landry’s eyes bugged out and his hands wrapped around the slit across his throat. Blood spurted from between his fingers as he tried to stop the inevitable.
“Your place,” Howard said as he watched the Sheriff’s eyes roll back in his head, “is no longer needed.”
“Jesus Christ!” Levi shouted. “What the fuck did you do that for?”
Howard turned and faced Levi as quickly as a cat pounces on an injured mouse and placed the blade against his throat. “I did that because Landry’s bloodline is no longer useful. That is why the Ancient One eliminated Beckler and Shaw. They were no longer needed.”
Levi stood perfectly still and could see that the madness Howard talked about had already claimed its first victim.
“Okay, okay, Howard,” Levi said as he put his hands up. “I get it.”
“No, you don’t,” Howard hissed, “but soon you will.” Howard wiped the knife’s blade off on Levi’s shirt and re-sheathed it. He walked away from the others and said, “Let’s get ready. Prepare for the last ceremony we’ll ever hold.”
“But it isn’t nighttime yet,” Michael said. “We never hold the ceremonies before the dead o
f night.”
“You all still don’t get it,” Howard said. “Everything has changed. Everything from now on will be different. The Ancient One is coming, and nothing will ever be the same. Now do it.”
The others looked at each other and reluctantly began to prepare for the ceremony.
35
Damien woke with a jump in the cab of the truck. He was disoriented and had forgotten where he was. As he regained his bearings, he looked out the window and gasped.
The spot on the ground where the old man had died was now empty.
Damien quickly scanned the tourist site. Satisfied that there was nobody else with him, he exited the truck and walked to the spot where he’d killed the old man. Not even one drop of blood stained the dirt.
Looking around nervously, Damien unhooked the chain from the burned out car, threw the chain in the back of the tow truck, and headed out to the location the old man had told him they were holding his son. The sun had already started to set, and with all the mountains surrounding the area, it was already getting dark.
“I hope I’m not too late,” Damien said as he drove out of the parking lot and onto the road.
36
Brandon listened closely to all the commotion outside the shed. The men out there were busy preparing for something, and that scared the hell out of him. He hadn’t given up on his father. He knew if his dad was still alive that he would try to rescue him.
If he was still alive.
In case he wasn’t, Brandon knew that if he wanted to get out of this alive, that he had to think of something, and quickly.
He looked over and saw that Judith and Kristin had fallen asleep. He was glad they had. Their soft crying had driven him crazy and prevented him from hearing what was going on outside.
The man that had killed his mother—Howard was his name, I think—was clearly in charge. Based on the way the other men spoke to him, they were definitely as scared of him as he had been. Brandon’s ears perked up at the sound of something heavy being dragged across the ground outside.
“No, no,” said one of the men. “We need to turn this around. It’s backwards. Everything needs to be perfect.”
“You heard what Howard said before,” another of the men replied. “I don’t think the Ancient One cares if this isn’t facing directly north. Remember: everything has changed.”
Brandon noticed how quickly the darkness had come and hoped he’d be able to use that to his advantage.
“Go to the shed and prepare the two women,” the familiar voice of Howard said to the others.
“Both of them?” one of the men asked. “One is only a little girl.”
“Do it!” Brandon heard Howard shout. “And if you question me again I’ll be sure ‘The One in the Clouds’ takes you as an offering.”
Brandon heard the footsteps of the men getting closer to the shed. The door was opened, and the four men walked in and ignored the boy.
“All right you two,” one of the men said as he kicked Judith and Kristin’s feet. “Get up.”
Startled by the sudden noise and kicks, Judith let out a tiny scream. “What do you want with us?” she wailed. “Why the hell are you doing this?”
“Get up,” the youngest of the men said as he bent over and grabbed Judith under her arms. “You’re going to find out soon enough.”
The other men picked up Kristin, who was so scared she couldn’t speak. Their gazes met and the look of pure fear showed in her eyes. Brandon looked back at her and tried to convey to her that he was going to try his damnedest to help her.
One of the men saw Brandon’s glance. “Aww, how cute. Did you two have a little moment? Well, don’t bother with all the heroics and shit. This is going to be over pretty quick, and when it’s over, we’re all fucked.”
The others looked at the man and shook their heads.
“What?” the man asked. “You heard what Howard said. This world is about to be plunged into chaos and darkness.”
“Keep your mouth shut, Michael,” one of the other men said. “The world may be ending, but at least we won’t be cattle. Considering we’re helping bring N’Xabez into this world, we’ll be spared and might even have a little power.”
“Shut up, both of you,” another of the men said. “We have no idea what’s about to happen. Not even Howard knows.”
As the men dragged Judith and Kristin out of the shed, one of the men turned and pointed at Brandon. “Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten about you. You’re apparently the star attraction. We’ll be back for you in a little bit.”
*****
Damien heard the men’s voices up ahead. He parked the tow truck off the road, but far enough back that the headlights wouldn’t give him away. He slowly crept closer toward the sounds, but it was slow going. He was being careful not to step on any twigs or dried out leaves.
He heard what sounded like a door slam shut. It wasn’t a car door. It sounded more like a wooden door slamming against a wooden frame.
A shed, maybe? he thought.
He then heard Judith’s voice as she begged the men not to hurt her daughter. The two strongest of the men each stood behind the women and held their arms firmly in place. Howard walked out from behind a nearby tree and looked over each of the females. He pulled the long knife from the sheath and cut through Judith’s and then Kristin’s clothes. He removed all their clothing until they stood naked, the men still holding them in place.
Howard then produced two ivory white robes and dressed the women. There was nothing sexual about what was being done. It was like watching a man preparing two animals for slaughter.
“Drink this,” Howard said as he produced two vials of liquid.
“What is it?” Judith asked, her voice breaking.
“Drink it or I will cut both of your tongues out,” Howard said as he stared into Judith’s eyes.
The women drank the liquid, and after a few seconds, Damien saw the effect it had on them. Their legs started to go weak and the men holding them slowly and gently sat them on the ground and propped them up against a tree.
“Go prepare the boy,” Howard said.
“What about the father?” one of the men asked.
“The father is unimportant and unnecessary,” Howard said. “By the time he gets any law enforcement to believe him, and if he even finds us, it’ll be too late.” Howard paused as he looked around the site. “Let him bring as many witnesses as he wants. Nobody can do anything to stop what is coming. I can feel N’Xabez’s presence. We are so close to finishing what our bloodline patriarchs began so many years ago.”
37
Despite the darkening sky, the clouds became more prominent, more sinister, as the sun set. The men, now in ceremonial robes, brought Brandon out of the shed and had him join the mother and daughter. When the men left to attend to other matters, Brandon tried to get the attention of the women.
“Psst,” Brandon whispered to Judith and Kristin, who were about ten feet away from him against another tree. “Hey, Judith… Kristin… are you okay?”
As one of the dark clouds danced across the sky, Brandon was able to see the mother and daughter’s eyes. They were conscious, but they both looked drugged.
Shit, Brandon thought. Now what the hell am I going to do?
One of the men approached Brandon with a robe similar to what the others wore. “Here,” the man said as he untied Brandon’s hands. “Put this on.”
Brandon’s eyes darted around the clearing as the man untied his hands.
“Go ahead,” the man said nonchalantly. “See how far you get before we cut you down. The High One said he needs you conscious. I’m sure he wouldn’t care if you were missing a foot.”
Brandon relaxed the muscles in his legs at the man’s threat and slipped the robe on. He noticed strange, yet familiar symbols and markings on the fabric.
“My dream,” Brandon said when he realized where he recognized the symbols from.
“What did you say?” the man asked.
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“These symbols look familiar to me,” Brandon said, still scanning the robe. “I realized I saw these symbols—most of them, at least—in a strange dream I had last night.”
The man told him to put his hands behind his back. As he fastened the boy’s hands, he said, “Dreams, huh? Maybe you are the Effulgent One,” and walked back to where the others stood.
The High One walked out of the shed dressed in full ceremonial gear. His robe was different from the others and had more symbols and strange markings on it. The High One also wore a tall headpiece with three strange looking symbols, one underneath the other:
The top two symbols meant nothing to Brandon, but he hesitated as his eyes wandered over the third. Something in his brain screamed familiarity and he tried to recall his dream last night to figure out what the symbol meant.
The High One walked toward the others, and it was then that Brandon realized there was a pentagram on the ground—made of large stone blocks—encased in a perfect pentagon shape.
Upon seeing the pentagram, Brandon’s heart skipped a beat. He had read about satanic cults in books and how practitioners would make sacrifices to their Dark Lord. But something was off. The language the men used. The High One, the Effulgent One, the Ancient One—this didn’t seem like the language of a satanic cult. This seemed like it was something else.
“What the hell do you want with us?” Brandon screamed. “Why are you doing this?”
The men ignored Brandon’s cries as they chanted what sounded like something in a foreign language. The four men walked along the pentagon, hoods drawn, and continued their chants. The candles they held flickered in the wind, but didn’t extinguish. They navigated the symbol on the ground three times, then stopped. The four men stood at the lower points of the pentagon and the High One took his place at the top.
All five men continued their chants until the High One extended his arms. The others stopped and looked at the man.
“It is time to begin the End,” the High One said.
*****
