The Netherwell Horror

by Lee Mountford

  William laughed. ‘Forgive me, I get a little carried away at times. The Canaanites were an ancient civilisation. But, I believe, some of their practices were based on truths that they just did not understand. Moloch was the name given to one of their greatest, darkest Gods. A God of sacrifice. Though we do not know how, exactly, we believe that they found a way to commune with the Great Old Ones. The beings that reside in that other place. The Ritual of Moloch is part of that. It has informed our religion through the centuries. Indeed, it is my belief that we actually descended from a sect of Canaanites that were cast out.’

  Beth shook her head. ‘You aren’t making things any clearer.’ She tried not to sound sarcastic, as she didn’t want to anger him again. Instead, she wanted to keep him talking as her hands worked at the bonds that held her wrists. She tried to keep her movements subtle and undetectable, but was finding it difficult to get free of the thin rope.

  ‘I suppose not,’ William said, and chuckled again. ‘So, is that all you have seen?’

  ‘No. The hotel I’m staying at looks out over the sea. Last night, I saw something out on the water. Something I can’t explain. It was huge. Monstrous. I’m not even sure I could properly describe it.’

  William clapped his hands together excitedly. ‘Oh, you have seen such wonders! The things I could tell you about that great being would astonish you. Tell me, how did it make you feel, gazing upon that divine entity?’

  Beth didn’t like the way the man revered what was clearly a monster, but she answered truthfully anyway. ‘Insignificant,’ she said, remembering the feelings clearly. ‘Worthless. Like I’d lost my understanding of how things really are.’

  ‘Exactly!’ William said. ‘That is how it should be. What you have been witnessing are shadows, or rather, echoes, cast by that other plane of existence. We are very close to it now, thanks to the Ritual of Moloch.’

  ‘That was Moloch? The thing out at sea? That was what those Canaanite people worshipped?’

  William shrugged. ‘Possibly. Perhaps not. But it is one such entity. Though, I’m not certain it is a true Great One. We consider it, rather, a harbinger: a sign that the ritual is working. And it is truly magnificent to behold. The Order has been aware of this other place for centuries, and it is the foundation of our religion. It is our obsession.’

  ‘It sounds like hell,’ Beth said.

  ‘That is what this world has conditioned you to think,’ William said. ‘But this world is wrong. Its eyes are fused shut, and humanity rolls around in ignorance like a blind worm. But our eyes are open. We have seen the truth. We have seen true majesty and glimpsed unimaginable existences. That is what we aim to ascend to.’

  ‘So, fifty years ago when all those people disappeared, that was the last time you performed this ritual?’

  ‘It was,’ William said. ‘However, it is not something that can just be done at will. It needs many pieces to fall into place. The sacrifices are one element. Then there is the location of where the ritual is carried out, as well as preparing the seals on which the sacrifices are completed. And the time when all of this happens has to be when the two realities are at their closest. Then the door can be opened.’

  ‘Closest?’

  ‘Yes. Just like our planet, things rotate and shift. Our solar system, hell our galaxy, is never stagnant. So it is with other realities, other planes of existence.’

  Beth had to stop from shaking her head in disbelief. The things he was saying wouldn’t have sounded out of place in an insane asylum—and yet, Beth couldn’t deny what she had seen.

  ‘And what happened to the people in town after you opened the door last time?’

  ‘Well, in the past, we have only ever been able to open the door a crack. We have used the limited opportunity to offer what some of those Great Old Ones hunger for: the lives and souls of the living from our world. People were taken that night and served up to higher beings.’

  ‘And then the door closes again,’ Beth stated.

  William nodded. ‘That is how it has always been. Our knowledge was not great enough to keep it open any longer. Though we are still searching for other doors as well.’

  ‘Other doors?’

  ‘Yes,’ William said, nodding quickly. ‘You see, our world touches a specific location in this other plane, one that exists in a pure state. A chaotic state. What we think of as normality is just an accident, born out of a mutation from the real, original existence. And, though we think our universe is vast—and some believe this world's God is omnipotent and all powerful—we are actually barely noticed by the real Gods of existence. That is how insignificant we are. You have felt that insignificance, haven't you, Beth? Because our world is so close to the other, there are points on our Earth that touch it. At times, the lines can blur. Things can, and have, come through. What the Order is trying to do is simply facilitate that. Create doorways. Here in Netherwell, we believe we now have a way to ensure a grand and huge doorway is opened permanently. This time, the ritual will have a significant difference. This world will never be the same.’

  He started to wander between the shelves again, running his hand along the spines of the books on display while gazing at them longingly. ‘You know, the artefacts and tomes in this room are priceless.’ he said. ‘Worth more than money could ever buy.’

  ‘And the things downstairs, on display to the public?’ Beth asked.

  William shrugged. ‘Surface-level trinkets. There for the local bottom feeders to look at, if they so wish. It allows us to keep tabs on people in this town, to see if any pick up on the clues, and show an aptitude for true knowledge. It helps us grow our ranks.’

  ‘So, what is different about the ritual this time? How will you keep the door open?’

  Frustratingly, the rope that held her wrists was not getting any looser. William turned around. ‘You can stop trying to escape,’ he said, causing her to pause. ‘I’m not sure if you could make it any more obvious, but I assure you, the rope will not give.’ Beth didn’t know what to do besides squirm under his scowl, like a pupil getting scolded by a teacher. ‘And as to your question about what’s different? You will see. But, suffice it to say…’ He then approached a cabinet, lifted the lid on a box file, and pulled out an old folder. He threw it down on a table close to Beth. ‘Our sect here in Netherwell has been blessed. It is a being, technically born from the Order, via our research, which has returned to show us the way. A being we weren’t sure even existed, just hinted at in the mumblings of an interred patient, one that was kept in one of our asylums many years ago.’

  Beth looked down at the folder. The title was printed in the typewritten font, in faded ink. It read: Statements from Adrian James. The Arlington Asylum Incident. 1954.

  ‘Is that supposed to mean something?’

  ‘Do you recognise that name?’ William asked. Beth studied the folder again. Adrian James. It wasn’t a name she was familiar with. She shook her head. ‘No. Am I supposed to know it? Nineteen-fifty-four was a long time ago.’

  ‘Indeed,’ William said. ‘I was just curious.’

  ‘Well, I’ve never heard of that man.’

  ‘Okay. I accept that. In all honesty, I didn’t think you would have.’

  ‘One of your Order?’ Beth asked.

  ‘No,’ William said, shaking his head with a chuckle. ‘Not at all. But his story would interest you. Would you like to hear it?’

  ‘Honestly? This is all a bit much to take in. So why don’t you just tell me why you brought me in here? Why tell me all of this if you just plan on using me and my brother as sacrifices?’

  ‘Because you might yet have another choice,’ William said. ‘Josh’s fate was sealed the moment he turned his back on the Order. And, in truth, I am pleased. He didn’t deserve the honour of what was to come. He wasn’t fit to be the one. And Jim? Wrong place at the wrong time. Normally, we need to keep the sacrifices internal and of our own number, so we can control things. As the years went by, it became harder and har
der to keep external forces—the police, the town—in the dark. We needed to avoid discovery. But this time, things will be different. We do not need to worry about any of that once the final sacrifices take place.’

  ‘How come I have a choice? What’s so special about me?’

  William smiled and his eyes narrowed. ‘You will find out,’ he said. ‘I’m not sure if it is fate or blind luck that brought your brother, and now you, to us. But for now, there is someone you must meet. He will assess if you are worthy of the honour. I do hope you are, as I’d hate for it to pass back to your worthless brother.’

  ‘Just tell me what the fuck is going on!’ Beth shouted, utterly frustrated with the lack of answers. She then heard a side door to the room open. Slow, heavy, and deliberate footsteps made their way towards the group, but the approaching figure was hidden by the bookshelves that packed the room. Beth saw William Kent draw in a sharp breath, and he actually dropped to his knees before bowing his head to the floor. The two guards either side of Beth dropped too and pulled her to her knees with them. She had no idea who was coming, but the three men in the room with her were visibly scared by whoever approached.

  Then, the figure emerged, dressed in a fitted black gown with a high collar similar to what a clergyman might wear, but without any white tab. Beth looked up to the face of the figure and saw immediately that it was not human. Not quite.

  She screamed at what she saw.

  28

  The man—if that was the right word—that stood before Beth looked like some kind of dark fucking priest. And he was a terrifying sight to behold.

  Perhaps it had been a man once, as it was of human form and height, but its skin was not like that of the living. It was pale, almost grey, with distinct lines of scar tissue, like the flesh of a corpse. The scarring was most severe on the top of the bald head, as well as its withered lips, as if these areas had been regrown with thick and imperfect fibrous tissues.

  The creature moved with a slow grace, its posture straight, almost regal. Beth couldn’t see its hands, as they were clasped behind its back. But the thing Beth noticed most of all were the eyes: completely white, with no pupils or irises. Still, Beth could feel this dark priest’s gaze as it slowly approached her. With its simple robes, high collar, and slow and deliberate movements, the being had a certain aura to it.

  ‘What… what are you?’ Beth managed to stutter out.

  The thing tilted its head to the side. ‘I am your salvation. If you are worthy.’ The voice had an ethereal, almost echoey quality to it. It was deep and ominous—and certainly not human

  Beth stared back at the thing before her, but noticed that no one else was. William and the two guards had their heads down to the floor. They clearly revered whatever the hell this was.

  But, as scared as Beth was, she would not bow so easily. She quickly shook her body and arms, managing to pull free of the grasp of both guards, and she jumped up to her feet. The two men reached up for her, but the pale-skinned being raised a hand, and they stopped, then resumed their bowed position.

  ‘You stand up to me, wretch?’ it asked.

  Beth was shaking. And under the gaze of the priest she felt similar sensations to what she had the previous night, when looking upon that monster that rose up out of the sea—helplessness and insignificance. But the dark priest was no giant, no nightmarish titan touching the sky. It was horrible to look at, of course, but even so she couldn’t understand why it made her feel as that gigantic creature from the previous night had.

  Beth clenched her jaw and spoke through gritted teeth. ‘You’re damn right I do.’

  The thing laughed. A deep, resonant, baritone sound. Then, it held two fingers up on its pale hand—the index and middle—before quickly pointing them down.

  Beth dropped to the floor.

  Her body slumped against her will, knees bent, and head lowered, forced into a bowing position. Despite straining against it, she could not move at all.

  ‘Only if I allow it,’ the entity said. ‘You would do well to remember that.’

  ‘Let me go,’ Beth said, fighting against the invisible force that held her. Then her body was pulled upright to a standing position, before being lifted off the floor completely with her feet dangling above the ground, and her body locked rigid. Looking ahead, Beth saw the Dark Priest take a step towards her, its hand and two fingers again held up.

  Panic and terror surged through her. How could this be possible? How could anything, even if it were not human, control her like this? That feeling of helplessness—of complete loss of power and agency—only intensified.

  ‘You are nothing but an object. A clay for me to mould. But you could yet serve a purpose. There is a way to give your existence true meaning.’

  ‘I don’t want any part of it,’ Beth said as tears started to well up in her eyes.

  ‘That choice is not yours to make. You will help me open the doorway to my home. Your body will become a vessel. Through me, you will birth a child, and we will draw the eternal gaze of Vao so that the door will remain open. Then your pathetic mistake of a reality will be devoured by the chaos from which it escaped.’

  Beth still worked to move even an inch of her body, but it was futile. The only freedom she had was the ability to talk and breathe, to blink and to sob—micro-movements rather than the grander gestures of moving limbs. Perhaps the power of this thing did not run down so deep as to be able to affect the more minute details, and it felt more like a puppet master holding the strings of the extremities. It was still terrifying.

  ‘I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about,’ Beth snarled.

  The thing stepped forward now, holding its face inches from hers. All Beth could smell was a pungent, sulphuric odour.

  ‘You don’t need to,’ it said. Then, it turned to William, who was still bowed and not making eye contact. ‘She is the one. Make the preparations. Tonight is the night.’

  ‘It will be done,’ William said, fear in his voice.

  ‘Ensure it is. This time I will be present to make sure nothing goes wrong. The last time I left you in charge, the boy escaped.’

  ‘Again, I apologise,’ William stated, still not looking up. ‘However, that is what brought us the girl.’

  ‘And that luck is the only reason you still live.’

  Then, the pale, disfigured entity moved from the room, going back the way it came with that same slow and regal walk. Beth heard the door close behind it.

  She then dropped to the floor, released from the invisible hold. The guards immediately rose up and once again took hold of her. Beth offered little resistance. What she had just witnessed sent her mind into a spiral. It was scarcely comprehendible.

  ‘You see,’ William said, who now stood and was walking over to her. ‘We are on the verge of something amazing here. And you will have a special role to play.’

  ‘Why me?!’ Beth screamed.

  Kent shrugged. ‘Because of your blood. Our Master has tried to sire a child before, but those attempts have been… unsuccessful. It will be different this time because of you. You should have been one of us from the beginning, Beth.’

  ‘Fuck you,’ she shot back through gritted teeth.

  You should have been one of us? What the fuck did that even mean? The whole thing was maddening.

  ‘I won’t let you,’ Beth added.

  ‘Like our Master said,’ William replied, ‘you don’t have a choice.’

  29

  It was close to midnight now, and Beth had finally been reunited with Josh. Jim was present, too, and Beth once again found herself in the back of a van and seated on the floor.

  William Kent and others were positioned on wooden benching along the inner walls of the vehicle. Jim was silent, and Beth worried for him. He looked close to breaking. She was shoulder to shoulder with him, and also a miserable-looking Josh.

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ he said softly. ‘I shouldn’t have dragged you into this mess.’

  Beth
took a moment to reply. ‘You can always ask me for help, Josh, I’m your sister. But I’m not going to lie, this is a fucking doozy.’

  He cracked a small smile, which despite the situation made her feel a little warm inside. ‘Yeah,’ he agreed, hanging his head.

  ‘So what the hell happened? How did you get caught up in all of this?’ Beth quickly cast a look back to William, now dressed in a red silk robe that had intricate black stitched patterns to the cuffs and base. To Beth, it looked ridiculous. William stared back at them, watching with a grin, but seemed happy enough to let them chat. Anything they had to say to each other was obviously irrelevant now.

  Josh took a deep breath but kept his eyes on the floor of the van. He had been covered up now, thankfully no longer naked, but was dressed only in a simple black t-shirt, some jogging bottoms, and a pair of trainers that looked old and tattered. God knows where they had been dug up from. ‘A girl,’ Josh replied. ‘I came into this town a while ago. Wandered in after moving on from the last place, where work had dried up. I was making my way farther and farther north. Don’t really know why. Ended up coming out to the sea. I had half an idea of just chucking myself in the sea.’

  ‘Josh!’ Beth exclaimed.

  His cheeks reddened a little, but his solemn expression didn’t change. ‘Sorry, Sis, I’m just being honest. Not the first time I’ve had thoughts like that. But… it didn’t happen. Spent a few days here. Got to like it. Even met a girl. She didn’t seem interested, at first, which only made me keener. It gave me something to focus on, something to chase. I won her over… or so I thought. She brought me into the Order.’

  ‘You joined a cult for a girl?’ Beth asked, lowering her voice even more so that only her brother could hear.

  ‘Yeah. Kind of. At first it was just to please Alicia, and I thought it would just be like the Masons or something, you know? But then… I saw things, Beth. Things that freaked me out. But they also got me curious. Opened my eyes to what is real, what is really out there in the void beyond what we know. Problem is, when you see shit like that, or even just catch a glimpse of it, you can’t close your eyes again.’